Post by doc on Oct 17, 2008 10:28:47 GMT -5
Graham goes in
Mitchell's problem right now is his second unit is giving him almost nothing. Anyone who witnessed the second quarter last night, when the Raptors were outscored 34-20 and turned the ball over seven times with the starters on the bench, is aware of that.
"We know Andrea (Bargnani) can score," Mitchell said. "We know Jason can score and get some shots, but we have to find that other guy. One thing Joey has shown an ability to do is put the ball on the floor and get a shot for himself or get to the basket and create some contact."
"We know Andrea (Bargnani) can score," Mitchell said. "We know Jason can score and get some shots, but we have to find that other guy. One thing Joey has shown an ability to do is put the ball on the floor and get a shot for himself or get to the basket and create some contact."
Kapono loves to watch Love shoot
"K.L. is going to be a player," Jason Kapono said as he assessed his fellow UCLA alumnus. "The kid can flat-out shoot the basketball and he's a great kid."
Kapono knows a thing or two about shooting.
During the warmup last night, Kapono watched in awe as Love stepped outside the three-point arc and drained jumper after jumper with a form only a player of Kapono's ilk can appreciate.
"Just look at him knock down shots," the reigning two-time three-point king said. "He'll be very effective in pick-and-pops."
Kapono knows a thing or two about shooting.
During the warmup last night, Kapono watched in awe as Love stepped outside the three-point arc and drained jumper after jumper with a form only a player of Kapono's ilk can appreciate.
"Just look at him knock down shots," the reigning two-time three-point king said. "He'll be very effective in pick-and-pops."
Clean slate for Raptors' Graham
The Raptors need Graham because there is a growing dissatisfaction in some parts of the franchise with Moon, who has shown his leaping, defending and rebounding abilities only sporadically during the pre-season. Moon played only 13 minutes against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday and was the fourth man off the bench last night.
"It's a pre-season game, there are no messages, no messages," Mitchell said before the game. "My message to all the guys is ... no spots have been determined, no playing time has been determined, no rotation has been determined."
"It's a pre-season game, there are no messages, no messages," Mitchell said before the game. "My message to all the guys is ... no spots have been determined, no playing time has been determined, no rotation has been determined."
Full props for ex-GM Babcock
Jermaine O'Neal is like any NBA player – a bit of a fibber when it comes to how he's feeling. Raptors coach Sam Mitchell knows this, and will limit O'Neal's playing time a bit in the pre-season, regardless of how the 30-year-old centre says he's feeling.
"No, no player is," Mitchell said when asked if O'Neal's always 100 per cent honest in his assessment of his shape. "They're not supposed to be, they're supposed to lie to you and tell you they can go, that they feel good.
"That's what you like about them. But then I rely on the trainer. One thing about it is, they're going to tell me one thing and they're going to tell the trainer the truth."
"No, no player is," Mitchell said when asked if O'Neal's always 100 per cent honest in his assessment of his shape. "They're not supposed to be, they're supposed to lie to you and tell you they can go, that they feel good.
"That's what you like about them. But then I rely on the trainer. One thing about it is, they're going to tell me one thing and they're going to tell the trainer the truth."
Raps' balancing act needs work
Solomon in particular tends to pick up his dribble at the most inopportune times, killing the offence in its tracks and inspiring the opposition defence. Sometimes he passes up his own shot to make a questionable play for someone else; other times, he looks for his own offence and misses his teammates for easy chances.
For his part, Ukic simply plays a little out of control too often, which is to be expected.
What can't be expected right now is the Raptors to have a consistent level of production when their starters leave the floor.
For his part, Ukic simply plays a little out of control too often, which is to be expected.
What can't be expected right now is the Raptors to have a consistent level of production when their starters leave the floor.
Roko Time
“He's crafty with the basketball, he's fast, he sees the floor well. And he's always asking questions. During the game he sits next to Mike Evans. I didn't ask him to do that, but he understands that Mike played point guard. And Mike tells me that Roko is always asking him questions. ‘Why Jose does this. What about this play. I never asked him to sit there'.
I tell you, he's a gym rat. He's in the gym early, he stays late. I'm very pleased where he is right now, with all the language and the new guys, and the different things. He's working hard. He's crafty, he gets in that paint. He had a stretch where he made four or five really good NBA basketball plays, where he turned the corner and set guys up for easy shots. That's what a point guard does."
I tell you, he's a gym rat. He's in the gym early, he stays late. I'm very pleased where he is right now, with all the language and the new guys, and the different things. He's working hard. He's crafty, he gets in that paint. He had a stretch where he made four or five really good NBA basketball plays, where he turned the corner and set guys up for easy shots. That's what a point guard does."
Raptors drop pre-season game to Timberwolves
"I still have great memories when [former Raptor Jorge Garbajosa] went down [with a gruesome leg injury in 2006-07] and how Joey played those last 16 games that really helped us win the Atlantic and get into the playoffs," Mitchell said yesterday before the Raptors' final pre-season game in Toronto, a 90-86 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"Joey, he's been up and down. But every year when I come into the season, I don't think about what a player did last year because it means nothing. Every guy has a clean slate.
"Everybody has a fresh opportunity."
"Joey, he's been up and down. But every year when I come into the season, I don't think about what a player did last year because it means nothing. Every guy has a clean slate.
"Everybody has a fresh opportunity."
Wolves trying the wide angle
"A little less height and a little more girth nowadays," Wittman said, referring to league trends. "Everybody plays that way. Tonight, you've got Bargnani and Humphries at the '4' [power forward] and Humphries at the '5'
. Who's the 4 and who's the 5? It's changing that way a lot."
Jefferson notices that, too.
"I kind of hate that," he said. "I still like the 4 and the 5 being real big. I'm kind of an old-school guy. But the game changes."
Jefferson notices that, too.
"I kind of hate that," he said. "I still like the 4 and the 5 being real big. I'm kind of an old-school guy. But the game changes."
Sunshine Girl - 10/17/08
*stunning*
