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I'm sure Andrea's pride hasn't been affected
Reggie is going to turn Bargnani into a new kind of nut grabber!
By Patrick Cassidy
During this past offseason, when the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers swapped Jason Kapono for Reggie Evans, it looked like a minor move that help fill general needs for both teams - the Sixers were dying for outside shooting and the Raptors were looking to add some toughness and rebounding to the mix.
Now that camps have officially opened, we’re seeing that Raptors seemed to have a specific role in mind for Evans when they acquired him - to beat the out of Andrea Bargnani.
The Raptors are committed to Bargnani and his awesome potential, so much so, they signed him to a $50 million extension. But if there are glaring omissions to Bargnani’s game, you could argue that he leaves much to be desired in the rebounding and toughness departments. The career high of 5.4 boards Andrea averaged per game last year are ok for a guy a who spends much of his time on the perimeter, but for him to become the franchise-caliber athlete he needs to be for the Raptors to excel - and survive if they lose Chris Bosh - he has to be much, much better.
Enter Reggie Evans. This from today’s Globe and Mail:
He had his first impact before training camp even started in an informal scrimmage last week at the Air Canada Centre when he gave Bargnani a dose of mid-season nasty. Bargnani took note and came back a day later with a sense of purpose to the delight of those who watched.I know that you can’t make somebody tough. You can make a player tougher, but true grit is something you’re born with. Still, if having to deal with Reggie Evans on a daily basis makes Bargnani more aggressive and more comfortable really selling out attacking the glass, it could put Bargnani on the path to being an elite player.
“They went at it pretty hard,” said Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, who acquired Evans from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jason Kapono in June. “The first day . . . by the end of it [Bargnani] was like a punch-drunk prize fighter. He looked like he was exhausted. It was fighting on the glass; it was trying to exert more energy on the offensive end because he had someone defending him – whether it was at the three-point line or inside – with physical force.
“I saw him come back the next day with a little different approach and he was more prepared for it. I said wow, if that’s any indication of how Reggie is going to make others on the floor better, it happened in 24 hours.”
* Follow Dime on Twitter: @DIMEMag
I'm sure Andrea's pride hasn't been affected
kid's name is Andrea, how tough can he get?
Danica Patrick tough
Don't hate.
I will use this as an opportunity to post this:
See that is some serious skill with the ball for a man of his size. Dirk is a much better player, but Bargnani is already better at taking people off the dribble and getting to the rim than him. It is a huge advantage if he continues to go to it.
Dirk is decent at handling the ball, but he is not as athletic or nearly as smooth when he does it.
somewhere out there, Chris Kaman objects
Dirk used to be. He's not nearly as mobile as he once was. Seriously, his athletic ability is about cut in half
What's the sense in Reggie trying to give Bargnani a pair of balls if he's just going to try to grab and take them away anyway?
I agree, but I don't think Dirk ever had the athletic ability that Bargs has, nor the ball handling skills. Bargnani is extremely athletic for a guy his size. He is obviously not Dwight athletic or anything....
Dirk certainly has more basketball abilities and can do most things with the ball better than Bargs (Passing, shooting...), but as far as taking a guy off the dribble and getting to the rim, Bargs does it better.
Have you ever watched a Mav game from 2000-2004? Dirk used to take big men off the dribble all day long.
Yes. Dirk is a good ball handler, I never said he was bad. He was a pretty good athlete. That does not change the fact the Bargnani is a better one and a better ball handler off the dribble. Dirk is more straight-line. Bargs can switch directions better and more fluidly with the ball.
Look at the change of direction with the ball and the explosiveness of the dunks:
Watch him lead the break:
Cross over between the legs drive:
Here is about the youngest footage you will find of Dirk, a good mix. He was a very good athlete for his size, but Bargs looks more athletic:
Last edited by DPG21920; 10-01-2009 at 07:51 PM.
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