Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Quote:
Originally Posted by timvp
I noticed you didn't have a problem with the "Bustnani" nickname this year.
:stirpot:
Last week I had to watch Brandon Roy play against Toronto; enough said.
Andrea-- he is actually a decent one on one defender, but an awful help defender. He makes Rasho look like a rebounding monster! When he isn't shooting well, he floats around on offense. He will definitely fake and travel once each game. He has been majorly outplayed by Rasho this season, and yes, I will say it, that is quite the insult for a #1 pick. I am not ready to call him a bust, but I just do not see him ever becoming a center. More and more Bosh is having to carry the load so they can play Andrea those minutes. The whole point of getting Rasho was to avoid that for Bosh.
The actual disappointment for me has been the stream of excuses coming from management that make it appear that Andrea is being majorly coddled.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Bargnani is gonna get manhandled in the 1st quarter and will be sparingly featured for the rest of the game. Well, that's my hope...
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
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Originally Posted by resistanze
Bargnani is gonna get manhandled in the 1st quarter and will be sparingly featured for the rest of the game. Well, that's my hope...
I think Andrea will play 30 minutes every game no matter how bad he plays, unless he is in foul trouble.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
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Originally Posted by ShoogarBear
spurschick is in Dynasty League 1?
Nope - I'm in DL-2.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Love Rasho's pointers for guarding Duncan at the end of the column! :)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...WBwbbasketball
Bosh readies for Duncan
M. Sekeres
SAN ANTONIO— The Toronto Raptors’ decision to start Andrea Bargnani and send Rasho Nesterovic to the bench comes at an interesting time. Phase Two of this experiment – the Raptors began the season that way – started in Phoenix last week, and will continue tonight in San Antonio against the defending NBA champion Spurs.
Nesterovic played for the Spurs and is very familiar with all-everything forward Tim Duncan. He also might have a little more determination playing the team that considered him expendable.
Bargnani’s defensive deficiencies mean Chris Bosh will probably guard Duncan from the outset, and head coach Sam Mitchell said Nesterovic will certainly play. But Bargnani could find himself matched up with Duncan – a scary thought for the Raptors and their fans.
This morning at shoot-around, I asked Bosh about the particular challenges of guarding Duncan. Here’s a transcript of the exchange:
What are the keys to guarding Tim Duncan?
Bosh: “I think the best thing you can hope to do is try to make him catch it a lot further from the basket. I mean, he is so big and strong, and he is so fundamentally sound, it’s hard to guard his moves. You just have to push him off the block as best as you can and rely on your teammates for help.”
What happens when he catches it too low for your liking? What’s the strategy then?
Bosh: “Contest the shot as best as possible. I mean, that’s what he does. He is so used to banging and getting his shot off that it’s hard for a defender. If he turns around and shoots a hook, I guess all you can do is just be there. You’re not going to block it too many times. So, just stay between him and the basket.”
How far out do you leave him and when do you have to be up in his face?
Bosh: “I’d say from 15-feet in, you have to be up on him. But I think past 15-feet, he takes his time more. He’ll hesitate more and that can work to your advantage.”
Incidentally, when Nesterovic was asked whether he passed along any guarding-Duncan pointers to Bargnani, he said: “He has to learn that. I still haven’t figured it out.”
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploto
Last week I had to watch Brandon Roy play against Toronto; enough said.
Andrea-- he is actually a decent one on one defender, but an awful help defender. He makes Rasho look like a rebounding monster! When he isn't shooting well, he floats around on offense. He will definitely fake and travel once each game. He has been majorly outplayed by Rasho this season, and yes, I will say it, that is quite the insult for a #1 pick. I am not ready to call him a bust
No offense but that sounds like a bust to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploto
, but I just do not see him ever becoming a center.
Didn't you bash the timvp for saying Bustnani would never play center? I'm pretty sure it was you.
Let me search ......
Ah yes it was. :smokin
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Originally Posted by timvp in September '06
That article is crazy to call Bargnani a future center.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploto in September '06
The Raptors have made it VERY CLEAR that Andrea will be a center. It is you who is not up on their plans.
There's another thread I remember where you were even madder for timvp having the gall to say Bustnani couldn't play center. I'll let you know if I find it :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploto
More and more Bosh is having to carry the load so they can play Andrea those minutes. The whole point of getting Rasho was to avoid that for Bosh.
The actual disappointment for me has been the stream of excuses coming from management that make it appear that Andrea is being majorly coddled.
Yeah, Bustnani is just lucky he plays in Toronto where the fans aren't savvy enough to see what is happening. Bustnani doesn't even try when he's coming off the bench because he knows that the result will be that he'll be put back into the starting lineup. There's no way the Raptors will give Bustnani a string of DNP-CD's so the only way Bustnani doesn't become the starter is if he plays well off the bench ... which he made sure wasn't going to happen.
Anyways, in terms of winning regular season games Rasho >>>>>>>> Bustnani. Bustnani is a player who could score 30 against the Spurs tonight but then go two weeks before having another good game. Rasho will bring it every night and has always been a good regular season player. Compared to Bustnani, Rasho could help the Raptors win 5 to 7 additional games.
I think Mitchell's hands are tied in this situation. He tried to give Bustnani tough love but all it did was make Bustnani suck even more. Management has too much invested in Bustnani to let him rot away on the bench so I'm sure they prodded Mitchell into giving him the starting job. Bosh is a perimeter power forward and Bustnani is basically just a giant shooting guard. Without Rasho in the starting lineup, the closest thing they have to a center is Jamario Moon.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Stop dissing Bargnani....We could've ended up with Roy...
or Gay...
or Aldridge...
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Anyways, I'm going out tonight, so I'll just predict the score now.
Raps 87
Spurs 99
Bargnani with 8. Prove me wrong you bust, prove me wrong!
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
Quote:
Originally Posted by timvp
Didn't you bash the timvp for saying Bustnani would never play center? I'm pretty sure it was you.
All I said was that the Raptors said Bargnani will be their center- and they still say that. They still insist that he is their starting center for the long term.
I know you like to insult the Toronto fans but believe me there are many who do not like Andrea and do not like management making excuses for him.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
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Originally Posted by ploto
Quote:
Originally Posted by timvp
Is Rasho even going to play? I noticed that with Bustnani starting last game, Rasho got a DNP-CD.
Rasho
will play tonight- not sure how much.
I would put a ":smokin" or maybe a ":hat" but I too was hoping Rasho would play. It's always good to see a former Spur get an applause.
Although you probably should have held off on the bolding. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploto
All I said was that the Raptors said Bargnani will be their center- and they still say that. They still insist that he is their starting center for the long term.
There's some other thread where I said Bargnani was incapable of playing center and you said something like "He's 7-foot, 250 of course he can play center".
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
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I know you like to insult the Toronto fans
god call the wahbulance.
Re: Raptors-Spurs Preview
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Originally Posted by timvp
I would put a ":smokin" or maybe a ":hat" but I too was hoping Rasho would play. It's always good to see a former Spur get an applause.
Although you probably should have held off on the bolding. :)
Sam said he would play. Oh, well.
