By RaptorTalk'Patience' is a word that has officially been removed from Bryan Colangelo’s vocabulary for the 2009-2010 Raptors campaign.Why?Simply put - this is a year where Bryan can’t afford to be patient because there might be a very steep price to pay for sitting idly by. Waiting patiently to see how this season plays out is not an option. Prior to the impressive win against the Chicago Bulls, the Raptors’ GM was interviewed on the FAN 590. Eric S... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalkHelp me understand this. Jay Triano's focus this season is on defence. Marc Iavaroni was brought in as a defensive specialist to further cement the Raptors' commitment to defence.In training camp, Triano proclaimed his goal was for Toronto to be a top ten defensive squad. Jay and Marc’s brilliant defensive scheme was branded as “protect the house”. They even placed tape on the gym floor so that everyone understood the boundaries of the Raptors’ ‘take no prisoners’ zone.Yet,... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk:Earlier today on Toronto's FAN 590, former Niagara University head basketball coach and Raptors TV analyst Jack Armstrong went on a very entertaining and informative mini rant. Jack's rant was about the Raptors defence and the coaching staff's overall defensive philosophy. As best I recall, this is a summary of what Jack Armstrong had to say:First he said the Raptors are kidding themselves if they think they will bec... Read Full Story
By RaptortalkSome will say it’s too early to pass judgement on Jay Triano after only three regular season games as the Raptors head coach. I see it differently. I view Jay Triano as someone who has been coaching the Raptors for 78 games and his overall record is less than stellar. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that Jay Triano may very well be Colangelo’s “Hoffa” – a very bad managerial move that needs to be corrected sooner than later. ... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk: It’s two games in and we already know this new Raptor team will frustrate us to no end - just like the old Raptors. First they won an improbable game against LeBron and the Cavs, only to follow-up with a stinker loss to Memphis.So what have we learned so far and how do we grade the Raptors? So Jay, do you have any idea as to what you want me to do on the court? Bosh: 'A' – Mr. Double/Double is still our franchise player. He can score and he can rebound. D... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalkPreseason is done for the Toronto Raptors and there remain more questions than answers with the squad. While I am generally apt to put a positive spin on events in Raptorland, my Jalen-Rose colored glasses are a little clouded as the season opener approaches. Here are list of 6 questions (one for each preseason loss) that concern me, followed by the answers – which don’t necessarily fill me with confidence, either. Q1: Should a 2-6 preseason re... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk:Earlier this summer, Andrea Bargnani signed a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors for a reported 5 years/ $50 million. The cynics panned the signing as an over-payment for a guy who has only performed well for a 60 game stretch and otherwise had under-performed. So when reports surfaced claiming that Portland had just inked PF LaMarcus Aldridge to a 5 year/ $65 million extension, I decided to do a little investigation into the numbers to determine i... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalkGoing into this season, the Raptors new defensive philosophy was to protect an area which covers the paint and extends past the free throw line. No one and I mean no one would be allowed to score in that area called the ‘house’. Well, the brilliant new defensive strategy to pack 'the house' has backfired two games in a row as the Raps let easy three balls rain down against Boston and Houston. Shane Battier exploited the Raptors Achilles heel and shot 88% beyond the arc whil... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalkEven though it’s only preseason, the Raptors delivered pizza to the faithful on Thanksgiving Sunday afternoon by scoring an improbable 30 points in an exciting 4th quarter to finish with exactly 100 points.I came away from the ACC very excited about this newest incarnation of your Toronto Raptors. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this team is very different from any Raptors squad we've seen in years. While turkey is on the menu today, Sunday's game was not a... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalkTwo games into preseason and two losses, but no need to panic. Let’s wait for Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu to make an appearance before getting worried that my prediction of 50 wins ain’t never gonna happen. The Raptors still need name tags, because no one knows the other guy. Basketball is a team game based on how the team performs as a unit – a cohesive unit where timing and understanding your teammates is everything. Right now the Raptors really don’t understand each oth... Read Full Story
