TORONTO: Exceeds Expectations

5. Jonas Valanciunas

It’s deja vu all over again. Last year, a team above them unexpectedly took an athletic defensive power forward which resulted in a higher ranked big man unexpectedly falling to the Raptors. Colangelo and the Raptors brass probably can’t believe their luck. I was afraid they might still take Knight, but Colangelo showed he is indeed focused on the future, rather than the present.

Valanciunas will fill the void at center the Raptors have been lacking for, well, ever. While apparently a lot of Raptor fans are unhappy with the pick, I think they’ll eventually regret that as Valanciunas is the type of player that Raptor fans love. He’s a high energy player who hustles, defends and rebounds. English, though, is not his strong suit.

On the other hand, the pick they got from the Heat, which they traded to the Bulls for James Johnson, could have been used to pick Corey Joseph at 28, who went one spot later to the Spurs. Who knows if that’s who Colangelo would have picked, as he was projected to go in the second round, but I’ll certainly be comparing their careers. And since the Spurs are pretty much never wrong…

I would have liked to see them try and scoop up another pick, but it’s not a big deal that they didn’t.

SAN ANTONIO: Exceeds Expectations

29. Cory Joseph

Traded George Hill for Indiana’s 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard.

I assumed the Spurs would exceed expectations, and again they have. Trading for Leonard is huge, especially since he was projected to go in the top ten and dropped. He’s the type of defender than the Spurs love, is in the perfect situation, and should step in Bruce Bowen’s shoes, that have been empty for a few years.

If on of my sleepers, Toronto’s Cory Joseph couldn’t get drafted by the Raptors, then the Spurs would have been my second choice. And it’s incredible timing because they might have their replacement for Hill. Yes, he projected to go in the second round, but I think he has first round talent and so, apparently, do the Spurs.haunt them. Burks should be a decent player, but guys like him are a dime a dozen.

CHARLOTTE: Exceeds Expectations

7. Bismack Biyombo
9. Kemba Walker

Traded Stephen Jackson for Sacramento’s 7th pick and Corey Maggette.

Sold 39th pick, Jeremy Tyler to Golden State, I’m guessing for cash.

It hurts to say it, but Charlotte actually did well. I was surprised that they passed on Knight for Biyombo, as they’ve been looking for a real starting PG for, well, their entire existence, but they resisted temptation and went with a guy who I think will be better down the road. I also look forward to watching Biyombo and Tyrus Thomas being on the floor at the same time. The front row needs to watch out.

Maggette was a disaster in Milwaukee and now brings his brand of scoring and no defense to Charlotte. He’s probably going to lose games for them, but that’s kind of what they wanted, so maybe it’s a good thing?

Walker fell, but not as far as I thought he might. I think it’s still a pretty good pick at 9, but Charlotte seems to like picking decent PGs with little upside.

CHICAGO: Exceeds Expectations

23. Nikola Mirotic
30. Jimmy Butler

Traded 28th and 43rd picks for Houstons 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic.

Butler was very efficient offensively at Butler, and is a very good defender, so the Bulls may have a sleeper on their hands.

How much do you think the Spurs are pissed at not getting Mirotic, who is exactly the type of player they usually scoop up at the end up the first round? He’s a huge steal, but will play overseas for a couple of more seasons. That’s fine with the Bulls.

DENVER: Exceeds Expectations

22. Kenneth Faried
26. Jordan Hamilton
56. Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Traded Raymond Felton for Portland’s 26th pick, Jordan Hamilton, and Andre Miller.

Traded for Laker’s 56th pick, Chukwudiebere Maduabum, somehow.

Although I haven’t confirmed that Denver is, in fact, keeping Faried, if they do this was a very good draft day. I would have liked to have seen them get more for Felton, but Miller is a good, veteran PG that will probably be shipped elsewhere soon. Plus they were able to pick up another pick and a SF who has a chance to be a decent pro.

Faried is the type of player that everyone loves and helps you win. So why didn’t he go higher? Probably because he’s not a scorer and a little undersized.

I have no idea who Chukwudiebere Maduabum, but on his Draft Express profile, he’s listed as Chu Chu. I think he’s worthy of picking just for that. He immediately is in the running for best All-Tim NBA name.

MEMPHIS: Exceeds Expectations

49. Josh Selby

Selby was considered a first round talent, so this has to be considered a steal. Where they’ll find room for him, is another thing.
DETROIT: Exceeds Expectations

8. Brandon Knight
33. Kyle Singler
52. Vernon Macklin

Although I question whether he can play PG, Knight was projected to go in the top 5 and dropped to 8th, so Pistons fans have to be happy. Of course, he kind of presents the same problems that Rodney Stuckey, who’s also a combo guard they tried to turn into a point guard, did.

Singler is never going to be a star, but last year he was considered a middle first round pick and they got him in the second round. I think he’ll hang on and have a decent career as a bench player.

DALLAS: Exceeds Expectations

Traded their 26th pick to Portland for Rudy Fernandez

The rich get richer. Dallas has no use for a rookie and no one picked there was going to help them like Fernandez. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting next year.

LAKERS: Exceeds Expectations

41. Darius Morris
46. Andrew Goodelock
58. Ater Majok

Without a first round pick, they were able to pick up a decent prospect, in Darius Morris. This might be the second year in a row they get at least one keeper from the second round.

PHILADELPHIA: Exceeds Expectations

16. Nikola Vucevic
50. Lavoy Allen

Vucevic should end up being a pretty good pro and probable starter. At 16, in this draft, that’s pretty damn good.

CLEVELAND: Meets Expectations

1. Kyrie Irving
4. Tristan Thompson
32. Justin Harper

Irving will probably be the best player, so it was no surprise he was the first pick.

Thompson was the first big surprise of the night. And while I don’t think it’s a bad pick, since I think Thompson is going to be a very good pro, but he was a big reach at 3. Valanciunas would have made much more sense, but apparently Cleveland wants to make an impact immediately. Something they might regret down the line.

I think Cleveland should have offered Minnesota everything but it’s first pick to move up to 2 and draft Williams. If they had come out of the draft with Irving AND Williams, their future would have looked A LOT brighter.

Justin Harper is a stretch 4 that isn’t very big and probably won’t be much of a rebounder in the NBA. If he sticks, it’s because of his shooting. On Cleveland, that’s devoid of talent, he might, but with Antawn Jamison and J.J. Hickson as well as Anderson Varejao, who will probably be traded this summer, it’s puzzling why they’d take another power forward.

NEW YORK: Meets Expectations

45. Josh Harrellson

New York gets the guy Enes Kanter apparently made into the player he is today. So says Harrellson.

MINNESOTA: Meets Expectations

2. Derrick Williams

Traded Jonny Flynn for Houston’s 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic, and Brad Miller.

For some reason the T-Wolves don’t end up with the 23d pick, so it’s basically a Flynn for Miller deal. Not sure why they’d do that.

Keeping Williams is the right move even though he doubles up on Beasley’s skills. He should be better than Bealsey and should give the Wolves some star power.

UTAH: Meets Expectations

3. Enes Kanter
12. Alec Burks

Although a lot of people had Brandon Knight going to Utah for the months leading up to the draft, they apparently changed their mind with less than a week to go. And while I was a little missed he didn’t fall to the Raptors, I think Utah will be VERY happy they chose Kanter instead of Knight.

Of course, while I think they made the right decision at 3, passing up Leonard, who is probably exactly what the Jazz need, is probably going to

OKLAHOMA CITY: Meets Expectations

27. Reggie Jackson

Jackson is a combo guard who joins an already crowded Thunder backcourt. I really don’t know where he’ll find minutes. I wonder why Oklahoma didn’t simply trade out of the draft.

PORTLAND: Meets Expectations

21. Nolan Smith
51. Jon Diebler

Traded Andre Miller for Raymond Felton

Traded Rudy Fernandez to Dallas for 26th pick, which they gave to Denver in prearranged deal.

Getting Felton for Miller is a great deal for Portland. He might be the young point guard they’ve been looking for all these years.

Unfortunately, picking Nolan Smith over Faried, who they could really use, was a mistake.

ORLANDO: Meets Expectations

53. DeAndre Liggins

He’s a player that was on Kentucky, but now he’s not.

ATLANTA: Meets Expectations

48. Keith Benson

He’s got legit size for an NBA power forward, and he’s stronger than he looks. For the 48th pick, the Hawks did well.

For a team hitting their ceiling, I would have liked to have seen them a little more active. Maybe after the new CBA is signed, whenever that happens.

MIAMI: Approaching Expectations

28. Norris Cole

Somehow got the 28th pick from Chicago to draft Cole, a PG, who should provide insurance in case Bibby is not re-upped.

BOSTON: Approaching  Expectations

27. JuJuan Johnson
55. E’Twaun Moore

Traded their 25th pick for the 27th pick.

Johnson is a decent player, but I don’t see him making any impact on the Celtics, either now or down the line. But would anyone else have?

Moore is an undersized shooting guard, but I’m guessing what attracted Boston was the ability to tell people they drafted JuJuan and E’Twaun. And both are American.

MILWAUKEE: Approaching Expectations

19. Tobias Harris
40. John Leuer

Traded Corey Maggette and 10th pick for Stephen Jackson and Charlotte’s 19th pick, Tobias Harris.

Getting rid of Maggette, who was a disaster, is good, but is Jackson really what they need? And how much longer does he have? Harris is a good pick, though, who’s been compared to Shane Battier.

PHOENIX: Approaching  Expectations

13. Markieff Morris

Morris might make a pretty good role player on a good team. Phoenix, however, needs home runs, not singles. They have a lot of role players and the engine that makes them go, Nash, is nearing the end of his career.

GOLDEN STATE: Approaching Expectations

11. Klay Thompson
37. Jeremy Tyler
44. Charles Jenkins

So they STILL have Monta Ellis, yet decide to draft yet another shooter, while Kawhi Leonard  and Nikola Vucevic were still available. Thompson might be the best player available, for all I know, though, and if Jerry West thinks so, it’s probably true.

I don’t know about Tyler, though, who seems to have the physical tools, but needs maturity.

WASHINGTON: Approaching Expectations

6. Jan Vesely
18.Chris Singleton
34. Shelvin Mack

A lot of teams seemed high on Vesley, but I don’t understand the attraction to him. He’s 6’11 and athletic, but he’s not a great scorer, can’t shoot, isn’t a good ball handler, will probably struggle defensively at the 3 and is a poor rebounder for his size. He’s apparently got a good motor, though, and he’s got a very hot girlfriend, so those are both pluses.

Singleton was on my don’t draft list and I really don’t see how he’s going to play with Vesley. Neither can shoot, but Singleton has even fewer skills than Vesley.

NEW JERSEY: Approaching Expectations

25. Marshon Brooks
36. Jordan Williams

Traded their 27th pick, JaJuan Johnson for Boston’s 25th pick, Marshon Brooks

When I first saw a trade between Boston and New Jersey involving Brooks, I thought it was a blockbuster. No, it was not Brooks Lopez, but Marshon Brooks, who bring his great shooting and horrible defense to a bad defensive team.

CLIPPERS: Needs Improvement

37. Trey Thompkins
47. Travis Leslie

The Clippers traded away a unprotected lottery pick that ended up being Kyrie Irving, who’s probably just what the Clippers could have used to solidify them as one of the teams of the future. What they ended up drafting were two solid NCAA players with probably very little chance of sticking in the NBA.

SACRAMENTO: Needs Improvement

10. Jimmer Fredette
35. Tyler Honeycutt

Traded their 7th pick for Milwaukee’s 10th pick, Jimmer Fredette, and John Salmons

So, the Kings trade John Salmons away, only to trade back for him a couple of years later. And move down in the draft in order to do it. Fredette might be a great shooter, but I don’t see how he helps Sacramento. He’s not going to be a good defender and will do nothing for the chemistry. Keeping the pick and taking Knight or Walker would have been preferable.

HOUSTON: Needs Improvement

14. Marcus Morris
38. Chandler Parsons

Traded Brad Miller, the 23rd pick and a future first rounder for Minnesota’s 20th pick, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jonny Flynn.

Houston’s GM, Daryl Morey, intrigues me. He’s apparently a big advanced stats guy and was initially a guy a lot of Raptor fans wanted to replace Colangelo, but he makes the most head scratching trades. Motiejunas was another on my do not draft list. He doesn’t defend or rebound, but should be able to score a lot, which makes him basically a bigger version of Kevin Martin

Morris is, yet another young, decent power forward to join Houston’s stable of other decent, power forwards. Apparently you can never get enough of them.

Parsons is a typical Rocket small forward. he does a whole lot of things, but none of them really well.

INDIANA: Needs Improvement

Traded their 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard, to the Spurs for George Hill

Don’t the Pacers already have enough PGs who aren’t really PGs? George Hill looked good in the Spurs system, but you need to watch out for those guys, because there’s a good chance he won’t look nearly as good out of it. And while the Pacers already have enough SFs, don’t they know not to trade a draft pick to the Spurs?

NEW ORLEANS: Incomplete

Traded completely out of the draft by trading the 45th pick, Josh Harrellson, to the Knicks for cash.

In his first couple of seasons, Hibbert did show some promise, but his he simply couldn’t keep up with the pace of the NBA enough to be anything more than a limited roll player. And then Indiana did some extensive testing to discover Hibbert has athlete induced asthma, and Hibbert lost, what looks like, about 20 or 30 pounds. The difference has been amazing. This year, Hibbert’s averaging nearly 30 mpg (and it would be more if he didn’t play limited minutes in so many blowouts), scoring 15.5 ppg, grabbing 8.6 rpg, blocking 1.9 bpg and dishing out 3.2 apg- good for 3rd on the team. Plus he’s playing very good defense. In other words, he’s a legit All-Star candidate, especially since Indiana is one of the better teams in the East this year, especially recently.

But this post is supposed to be about the Raptors, here is my analysis of the first 21 games of the season for the team. Tomorrow (or more likely a few days from now) I’ll discuss each player individually.

RAPTORS:

Last year after 21 games the Raptors were 8-13 and fans were wondering whether the investments they had made in Hedo Turkoglu and Jarrett Jack were big mistakes and some were starting to call for Chris Bosh to be traded before he left on his own.

With both Turkoglu and Jack both traded away, and Bosh plying his trade in Miami, this year’s Raptor squad has exactly the same record as last season after 21 games: 8-13. But make no mistake about it, this team is nothing like last year’s.

This year’s team is faster and more athletic. They run more (scoring 6 more fastbreak points than last year), leading the league so far, but score less. The also share the ball less than last year and shoot a much lower percentage, despite the number of fastbreak points. In other words, if they don’t score on the break, they have much more trouble scoring. Last year, while Bosh could be a bit of a ball stopper, and Turkoglu could be well, underwhelming, both of them helped the team score in the half court, especially Bosh.

This season, the Raptors simply don’t have anyone they can give the ball in the half court to and ask to create something. Bargnani is the team’s leading scorer, but is not consistent enough and still doesn’t create enough on his own to be able to dump him the ball and be asked to score. Barbosa is probably the player best equipped to fill that roll, and has on occasion, but he’s also just as likely to lower his head and drive 1 on 3, taking a bad shot in the process.

While the team is scoring less, and having a little more trouble doing it, the scoring is a little more balanced. There are 8 current players (not including Peja) who are averaging at least 9 ppg compared to just 5 last season. Yes, Bargnani is averaging 8 ppg more than then next Raptor, but Bargnani doesn’t dominate the ball as much as Bosh did, so it’s in the hands of the other players more.

Amazingly enough, the Raptors are actually getting to the line at a higher rate, this season, despite losing Bosh’s nearly 10 FTA per game. Like scoring, it’s a more balanced approach, with no one dominating at the line. DeMar DeRozan leads the team with 4.9 FTA per game.

Of course, this more democratic approach doesn’t  extend to passing the ball, as I mentioned. When the team does pass the ball, they play well and usually win. But they are in the bottom third in the league in assists, which is not surprising considering only 3 Raptors average more than 1.7 apg.

So while the team isn’t as good offensively as last season, they are better defensively and on the boards.

Bosh was a very good rebounder last year, but between Reggie Evans, Amir Johnson and now Ed Davis, the Raptors have made up for his absence. All three players are, at least, as good rebounders as Bosh was. The problem is, outside of those three (not counting Joey Dorsey) the Raptors are still a poor rebounding team. Without Reggie, the Raptors have lost more battles on the boards than they have won. Bargnani still rebounds like a SG and Weems and DeRozan don’t rebound as well as you’d think two sickeningly athletic players should. And while Kleiza rebounds decently for a SF, he’s been playing a lot of PF since Evans was injured, and doesn’t measure up there. In fact, the only player, outside of the PF position, that rebounds at a good rate for his position is Jerryd Bayless. Per game, he’s 6th on the team, and per minute is behind only Evans, Dorsey, Amir and Evans- yes, he rebounds at a higher rate than Bargnani.

So while the Raptors are one of the better rebounding teams in the league, and are much improved over last year, there are still areas of concern on the boards. Good teams generally don’t let one or two players do all their rebounding, so improvement have to be made.

While the Raptors appear to be much better defensively this season, the numbers suggest that is not entirely true. They allow 2 fewer ppg, but they score less. And they actually allow teams to shoot approximately the same percentage as last year. In both those stats Toronto is near the bottom of the league.

Of course, there are numerous ways to look at how a team defends, and this year their defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possession) has gone from 113.2 (30th in the league) last year to a comparatively stingy 109.5 (21st in the league). So obviously some improvements have been made.

It’s not necessarily that the outgoing players were worse defensively than their replacements (although they were), but the defensive strategy seems to be better, thanks probably in large part to PJ Carlesimo. Former Raptor assistant coach, Marc Iavaroni, had a reputation as a good defensive coach, but despite being a good defensive player, the teams he’s coached on have not been good defensive teams. In fact, Phoenix, Memphis and Toronto all became better defensive teams AFTER he left, and the Clippers appear to be worse defensively, this year. It’s hard to call all of that a coincidence.

The Raptors are actually better defensively now than they were just a couple of weeks ago thanks to the Jack-Bayless trade and the addition of Ed Davis. Both Davis and Bayless are above average defenders, and give the Raptors an interior and perimeter defensive presence they have lacked in the past. When Davis and Bayless are on the court with Amir Johnson, the Raptors are formidable defensively. And not one of them is over the age of 23 years. If 23 year old Julian Wright can get some minutes, the Raptors could put a good defensive team on the floor for the first time in a long time.

While the team is not as good offensively, and still has a few rebounding issues without Reggie, they are a much younger team with simply more long term potential than the one that took the floor last season. Outside of Reggie Evans, only 2 players on the Raptors rotation is over the age of 26, and that’s Calderon (29) and Barbosa (28). While that’s going to hurt them in the win column this season, it’s going to pay off in the long term.

They’re currently on pace to win 31 games, but I doubt they win that many by season’s end. Either way, I think making the playoffs, as some fans are talking about, while winning in the low 30′s hurts more than it helps a team like the Raptors. Colangelo has said that wins are not nearly as important as the development of the players, this year, and I couldn’t agree more. So, unlike last years squad, which was built to compete immediately, this year’s team shouldn’t be judged on it’s win total. And I like what I’ve seen so far.

—

So tonight the Raptors play New York, for the third time this season, and only a few days after a loss at the ACC Centre. The Knicks are red hot, having won their last 5, and 9 of their last 10. Amare Stoudemire is playing MVP calibre ball and Raymond Felton is at least putting up All Star level stats. And much like every other game the Raptors play, it’s incredibly difficult to predict how they will do, so I won’t.

Speaking of the Knicks, what the hell has happened to Anthony Randolph? When he was traded to the Knicks, many, including myself, thought it might be a good chance to finally have a chance to show his stuff. Unfortunately, in the games he’s played, he’s looked lost and has gotten a DNP-CD in 11 of his last 15 games. While it’s difficult to judge a player who is still so young and has played so little in 2+ years, it’s starting to look like Randolph might never fulfill the potential that caused Golden State to make him a lottery pick.

On the other end of the spectrum, Landry Fields gives many Raptor fans unrealistic expectations for the type of player that can be drafted with a 2nd round pick. Fields lasted until the 39th pick before the Knicks drafted him (and was booed by Knicks fans) behind such notable 2nd round picks as Dexter Pittman, Terrico White, Darington Hobson and Canada’s very own Andy Rautins, who was drafted one spot ahead of Fields, yet languishes on the bench. At least Rautins is collecting an NBA paycheque, though. The other players didn’t even make their team’s roster, which shows how much of a crapshoot the 2nd round is.

Speaking of players coming out of nowhere, Wesley Matthews, who is the player I heavily criticized Utah for letting go to Portland, is currently tearing it up. This undrafted players is averaging nearly 20 ppg in his last ten, after taking the starting SF position from Ncolas Batum, while playing excellent defense.

What has been talked about most about both Fields and Matthews is their high basketball IQ. It’s almost as if their high basketball IQ has made them the valuable players they have become despite neither of them having all that much “upside” coming out of college.  Weird, huh?

I find this puzzling since I’m pretty sure this is the same team that pushed the Lakers just last week, and had fans talking optimistically about the future.

Oh, I forgot, these are RAPTOR fans.

Amazingly enough, DeRozan is still developing well, and Bargnani is the same player he has been since the season started.  No better, no worse.

Ellis and Curry had a good night. And the defense wasn’t very good.

But for some perspective, let’s look at what happened in Indiana, where the Pacers beat the Nuggets 144-113. And no, there was no overtime. 144 points is not historically good, but what is is their 54 points they scored in the third quarter. It’s the fourth highest scoring quarter in history. What’s even more amazing is that they only missed one shot the entire quarter, going 20 for 21, finishing the game with a scorching 64% from the field. The ironic thing is that, before this game, Indiana was fourth last in field goal percentage, BARELY above 40%. Want a bet they take a big jump in the field goal standings?

And the moral of the story, kids, is that it’s a little early in the season to be jumping to conclusions. It’s also a little early to be looking at stats and trying to analyze them. Case in point, John Hollinger’s recent Power Rankings, which are derived from some convoluted forumula, and has the Raptors ranked 18th, ahead of Utah and Oklahoma. Oh, and Denver, who is currently sitting at .500, is ranked 5th.

A week ago, Bargnani was 7th in the league in scoring. Today he’s 28th. Things change a little too quickly at this point in the season. It’s only been 7 games.

That’s why I’m giving it a little more time to discuss what I have seen so far from the Raptors.

So tonight, the Raptors plays the Charlotte Bobcats, who have the same record as the Raptors, so far. Larry Brown and Michael Jordan get to see the player they decided at the last minute not to trade for. I’m predicting a big game for Calderon, who generally rises to challenges like this one.

The Bobcats have only Nazr Mohammed and DeSagana Diop at center, and neither player much more than 15 minutes a game. My math may be off, but that tells me they’ll have a small lineup for much of the game, with either Diaw or Tyrus Thomas playing center. What this means for the Raptors? Well, probably not much since the Raptors don’t really have much of an inside gamer to punish smaller teams.

And despite playing so much small ball, Charlotte is a team that is having a lot of trouble scoring, averaging under 90 ppg. Of course they’re a decent defensive team, so they’re basically the mirror opposite of the Raptors, who are a decent offensive team, but so far have had trouble stopping the other team from scoring, at least for more than a quarter a game.

Sadly, even if Charlotte wanted to pull the trigger, again, I don’t know if they have anything I’d consider taking, in exchange for Calderon. You think they’d give up a first round pick to get him? No, me neither, especially considering they’ll be lucky to make the playoffs, this year.

—

Fortunately, I PVR’d the Utah-Miami game that went into overtime. Unfortunately, I discovered the final score when I accidentally went to the ESPN home page. So after the loss, Miami, after 8 games, is 3rd in their division, behind both Orlando and Atlanta. So much for destroying the rest of the league. Of course, it is early. I think it’s a pretty safe bet they won’t finish the season with just 51 wins (.625, which is what they’re at right now).

Am I the only one who is annoyed that ESPN is devoting so much time and space to the Heat? Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t care about the Heat any more than any of the other contenders out there. I PVR’d the game because a) I like Utah, b) I hadn’t seen Miami play yet during the regular season and c) it was the only game on TV, so it’s not like I had a lot of choice.

But the Heat Index? Okay, maybe I’m a little late on criticizing this, but that’s a little ridiculous. I didn’t have really any care one way or the other of how they’d do, but now I hope they don’t do well just to make ESPN look bad for doing that. They’re 5-3 right now. I’d be shocked if they won more than 65 games this year, which is very good, but certainly no historical.

As for the game, despite losing 98-93 to the Knicks, it wasn’t all bad for the Raptors. There were definitely some positives. Andrea Bargnani took more shots in the paint against the Knicks, last night, than he did in all of preseason. Of course, you’d like to see him shoot at least 50% from in there and maybe not fadeaway in the post when he had the smaller Chandler and Felton on him, but let’s not nitpick.

Jarrett Jack was actually the Raptors leading scorer, from in the paint, thanks to his constant drives to the basket. It would have been nice to see him actually pass once in a while when he drove the ball, but, again, let’s focus on the positive.

Reggie Evans was a monster on the boards tonight, and did a great job of defending Amare Stoudemire for the first three quarters. Okay, he did pick up 5 fouls in one half, the last two almost Amir-like, but he actually did very little wrong and Stoudemire simply hit some great shots in the fourth.

Speaking of Amir….

DeRozan continued his preseason habit of drawing fouls, but it would be nice to see him hit better than 2-7. Overall, though, he did play probably better than he did all of preseason, passing, rebounding and being active on defense.

Calderon gets a lot of flak from the fans, at least on Raptors Republic, but he played well. Other than shooting 2 of 8. His 7 assists in 18 minutes, though, did show how much he kept the ball moving while he was on the floor. Something Jack maybe should try and emulate a little. It’s really too bad you can’t simply splice those two guys together.

The two new guys, Kleiza and Barbosa, both scored 13 points and had a positive effect, for the most part, but neither really had a good game and didn’t perform anywhere near where they did in the preseason.

My one criticism of Triano, and I don’t usually like to criticize the coach, is that I think he took Evans out too early. Obviously for the last shot you probably don’t want him on the floor, but with about a minute left, Kleiza missed a three and the only Raptor near the rebound was Bargnani, who had a predictable 6 rebounds. It would have been nice to see Evans on the floor where he might be able to get an offensive rebound.

Overall, I think there were some bright spots and New York actually played better than I expected. What the Raptors missed was an All-Star they could give the ball to in the last few minutes. Unfortunately that guy is now playing in Miami…

—

AROUND THE NBA

Speaking of Bosh, his Miami Heat finally won a game, beating the 76ers, to go 1-1. Like last night, however, only one of the three had a really good night. Dwayne Wade this time. Bosh and LeBron scored 15 and 16 respectively, while shooting poorly from the field.

Speaking of LeBron…

LeBron’s old team, playing their first game without LeBron, beat the team that beat the Celtics, the team that beat Miami last night, in their opener. For anyone wondering, that’s the definition of irony.

I have a question for Brandon Jennings. Why do you continue to shoot more than anyone else on the team when there are so many other players on your team that shoot much better? When they get the ball. Jennings shot 5 for 14, while Bogut, Gooden, Delfino and Maggette all shot at least 50% from the field and all scored at least 15 points. Milwaukee lost, by the way. To New Orleans.

As for New Orleans, Marco Belinelli, who is trying to be one of the most lopsided trades of the summer two years running, scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds while starting for the Hornets. I understand why Colangelo made the trade, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Speaking of Colangelo, all his anti-fans no doubt looked at Roy Hibbert’s 28 and 9 night against the Spurs and wished he was on the Raptors. Hey, he’s not going to be doing that every night, but it would be nice.

Joakim Noah outdid Reggie in the rebounding department as he desperately tries to show he’s worth his rather large extension. He grabbed 19 boards, to go along with his 18 points, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Ya, I’d say he’s worth the money.

Blake Griffin played his first NBA game (finally) against the Blazers and hit for 20 points, on 8-14 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds and even dished out 4 assists. And they lost. Well, he is still a Clipper.

So far, here are the grades…

Here’s the rundown so far…

Needs Improvement:
Cleveland
Atlanta
Denver
Golden State
Charlotte

Approaching Expectations:
Houston
Utah
Memphis
Detroit
Orlando
Phoenix

Meets Expectations:
Toronto
Clippers
New Orleans
Minnesota
Philadelphia
New Jersey
Oklahoma City
Chicago
New York

So now are the teams that Exceeded Expectations. That doesn’t necessarily mean they improved themselves more than everyone else. As I said in the comments section of the last post, New York probably improved themselves more than anyone, but considering what they went through to get there and what fans were probably hoping for, they didn’t knock anyone’s socks off.

BOSTON: Exceeds Expectations

- Tom Thibodeau left to become Head Coach of Chicago

This is one of the people who has been given the most credit for turning Boston into the defensive team they are. How much of that they will miss will be the big question. The system he designed will still be in place and it’s not likely the players will suddenly forget what to do, but Thibodeau will be missed.

- Rasheed Wallace retireed

Signing Rasheed to the contract they did was a bit of a gamble, but him retiring pretty much nullifies the gamble. He didn’t help them win the title and looked like a shadow of himself for most of the season.

- Drafted Avery Bradley and Luke Harangody

Bradley was projected, at one point, to go int the top 15, so finding him available at 19 must have made Celtics fans happy. I’m not a fan. A lot of his fans point to the fact that he’s a defensive stopper, which is great, except that he’s 6’1 and not a PG.  Now, I certainly wouldn’t mind him as maybe my third or fourth guard, which is at best what he’ll be on the Celtics.

- Signed Jermaine O’Neal

Jermaine is a shadow of his former self and probably not even the same player he was in Toronto, but he’s in the perfect situation in Boston, where he’ll probably play 20-25 mpg and be asked to rebound and play defense, especially until Kendrick Perkins returns from injury.

- Hired Lawrence Frank as Assistant Coach

He probably shouldn’t have been fired from New Jersey, as their losing wasn’t his fault. He’s a hard working coach and should help replace Thibodeau.

- Re-signed Nate Robinson

He’s got to be humbled a little. It wasn’t that long ago that Robinson was starting in New York and expecting big money. Now Boston has re-signed him for less than the MLE to come off their bench. Good for them, not so good for Nate.

- Re-signed Marquis Daniels

Didn’t quite have the impact as they probably hoped, last season, due to injury, but he can help.

- Signed Von Wafer

He’s always had talent, but he’s also always been a bit of a headcase, which is why he didn’t last in Houston. Boston’s veteran roster might be good for him, if he makes it.

- Signed Shaquille O’Neal

I hated the trade that sent him to Cleveland, because I felt he was a bad fit and might be a distraction to their Championship hopes. In Boston, his inability to defend the pick and roll won’t be as much of a liability and he fits in better. Plus, the veteran roster should be able to handle him better. If he plays much more than 20 mpg, Boston is probably in trouble, but he should be a nice platoon with the other O’Neal.

Summary

Boston surprised just about everyone by returning to the Finals despite only winning 50 games last season. They picked up some nice pieces, especially the two O’Neals which should help while Kendrick recuperates from surgery. While they didn’t make any moves that knock your socks off, they made improvements in areas they needed to and should, again, be in the fight for the Eastern Conference Finals.

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DALLAS: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted and traded Solomon Alabi for a future 2nd round pick

Dallas is obviously focused on winning right now, but Alabi dropped and Dallas could have easily stashed him on the bench or even let him play in Europe for a season or two.

- Re-signed Dirk Nowitzki

It certainly wasn’t a surprise, but it would have been devastating for the team if Dirk had signed elsewhere.

- Re-signed Brendan Haywood

With Dampier getting older, it was important that Haywood return, and, quite frankly, he was re-signed for less than I had expected.

- Traded Erick Dampier for Tyson Chandler and Alexa Ajinca

Dallas got a younger, more athletic center with an expiring contract, as well as a young project, in exchange for a declining center who had lost his starting position. Chandler should thrive playing with Jason Kidd like he did playing alongside Chris Paul. And Ajinca is probably what Alabi will be in a couple of seasons.

Summary

Dallas is already stocked full of talent and what they need most is to play together for a while. Adding Chandler, however, will be a big plus for them, especially if they hope to get past the Lakers.

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PORTLAND: Exceeds Expectations

- Fired GM Kevin Pritchard

The man who was credited with turning the Blazers around and into the contender they have become was unceremoniously fired on draft night, where he has had his biggest successes, but also his biggest mistake. Passing over Kevin Durant for Greg Oden was only a mistake in hindsight, but it was a big one. Apparently, however, his biggest problem was his personality, not his resume. With so much turnover in the Blazers front office, it remains to be seen how bright their future will be.

- Drafted Elliot Williams and Armon Johnson

Both players were probably drafted a little higher than projected and probably passed over better players to select them.

- Traded Martell Webster for Luke Babbitt and Ryan Gomes

Gomes would eventually be waived, but with Webster never fulfilling expectations, they basically get a do-over by trading him for Babbitt. I’m not a huge fan of Babbitt, as I’m not convinced he’s athletic enough to play the SF position, but he’s highly regarded and dropped after being projected as a possible lottery pick.

- Signed Wesley Matthews

A huge surprise last season after going undrafted, Utah will probably regret giving Matthews up, where he’ll back up Brandon Roy and probably play alongside him a lot of the time. I question why Matthews would give up almost a guaranteed starting position and lots of playing time with Utah to go to Portland where he’ll be a reserve. Still, it’s nice for Portland.

- Hired Rich Cho as GM

With Oklahoma City now the model for many NBA teams, it was inevitable that we’d see Thunder brass being the new flavour of the month (which had formerly been the Spurs).

- Didn’t trade Rudy Fernandez

With the addition of Matthews, it’s obviously Fernandez is not part of the Blazers future, but, despite lots of talk, he’s currently still on the roster. Their biggest mistake of the summer is not cutting ties with Fernandez and sending him elsewhere. I don’t think they’ll get what they are asking, and getting this mess behind them as soon as possible is in their best interests.

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WASHINGTON: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded pretty much nothing for Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick

It’s nice to have cap space. And when you suck enough that no free agent will sign with you, this is the next best way to obtain talent. Hinrich is a great veteran guard to show John Wall the ropes.

- Drafted John Wall, Kevin Seraphin, Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica

John Wall is a superstar talent who puts Washington on the NBA map again. Of course, since he was the number one pick, it was pretty much a no brainer. I think Seraphin is going to be a sleeper in this draft and getting him for basically nothing is a perfect way for an under the cap team to obtain young talent. Hayward and Bjelica were traded to Minnesota.

- Traded Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica for Trevor Booker and Hamady N’Diaye

I really have no opinion about this trade at this time.

- Traded Quiton Ross for Yi Jianlian

A bit of a gamble, since Yi has shown virtually nothing yet in the NBA. He’s a horrible defender, not a good rebounder and his vaunted offense has been lacklustre at best. Still, if it doesn’t work, they can cut him loose after this season.

- Re-signed Josh Howard

Howard’s got talent and if he gets healthy, he can be a very good players still, but I’m not sure he’s the type of guy you want be a role model for Wall.

Summary

Washington hit the jackpot by drafting Wall, but that in itself was what put this team over the top this summer. Using their cap space to grab Kirk Hinrich AND Kevin Seraphin was big. And if Yi plays well, they’ve given up virtually nothing for him. Still, not trading Arenas and re-signing Howard was probably not the best decision for a team that should be ultra sensitive about it’s image and keeping good solid veterans around the young players.

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SACRAMENTO: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes for Samuel Dalembert

Good financially AND from a basketball standpoint. They escape Nocioni’s contract and get a veteran shotblocking and rebounding center. At worst he’s an expiring contract they can trade before the deadline. At best, he’ll anchor their front line.

- Drafted DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside

Both players have the talent to become two of the best big men in the draft. Cousins i the most polished and talented big man to come into the league, possibly, since Tim Duncan. He’s got the ability to average 20-10 in his rookie season. So why wasn’t he drafted higher? Because he could also be the next Derrick Coleman. And if Cousins’ maturity is in question, Whiteside’s is in full debate. Whiteside’s got lots of talent, too, and at one point was touted as a possible lottery pick, but apparently didn’t even put much effort into the workouts. Still, the Kings might have hit a home run with both these picks.

- Signed Antoine Wright and Pooh Jeter

Wright will add defense.  Jeter will add Pooh.

Summary

Sacramento, which was one of the worst defensive teams in the league, if nothing else, should improve quite a bit in that category with their acquisitions. They even have a chance to have back-to-back rookies of the year. And they’ll have loads of cap room next summer.

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MILWAUKEE: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric for Corey Maggette and the 44th pick

Maggette came into the league with loads of potential, but a career spent with the Clippers and Warriors have turned him into a stat hungry scorer that never learned how to do the little things to help his team win.  This will be his first chance to play for a playoff team and for a coach that will expect more out of him than simply buckets. I, for one, will be watching closely.

- Traded a future 2nd round pick for Chris Douglas-Roberts

Douglas-Roberts certainly has some talent, but was somewhat outspoken about his role last year on the lowly Nets, which made his future in New Jersey limited.

- Drafted Larry Sanders, Darington Hobson and Tiny Gallon

Although I still can’t get past him sharing the name with the Garry Shandling character, Sanders, while somewhat raw, Sanders is physically gifted. He’ll probably need a year or two, but the Bucks may have found their power forward of the future.

Hobson will miss the entire season after having hip surgery during training camp and the hilariously, and poorly, named Tiny Gallon was cut during the preseason.

- Re-signed John Salmons

After acquiring Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, I figured Salmons was gone, but getting him back gives the Bucks a lot of depth at the wing.

- Acquired Jon Brockman

Brockman was a sign-and-trade. If you know who the hell he is, you’re one up on me.

- Signed Keyon Dooling

He was waived by the worst team in the league last season. What does that tell you?

- Luke Ridnour signed with Minnesota

With Jennings inconsistent, being able to go to Ridnour was important. Jennings is a year older and will hopefully be more consistent, so there would probably be less time for Ridnour.

- Signed Earl Boykins

A nice replacement for Ridnour, although he’s more of a small SG than a PG. He’ll give the Bucks some productive backup minutes.

- Brandon Jennings blames his shoes for not making Team USA

No, it’s not a transaction, but it’s certainly an indication that Jennings has a long way to go in the maturity department.

- Signed Brian Skinner

A good veteran signing who will probably play a lot early as Bogut recovers from his late season injury.

Summary

The Bucks moves all came with some risk, but could end up paying off. With Redd out until possibly February, the Bucks stocked up on scoring with Maggette. How he’ll defend and play with the team is up to him and Skiles. Sanders might end up being a bust, but has potential. Just don’t expect to see much of it this season, which is okay since the Bucks are still a young team.

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SAN ANTONIO: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted James Anderson and Ryan Richards

If there is one thing I have learned, it’s to never second guess San Antonio’s draft pick. Anderson will probably be a second team All-Rookie selection and Richards will probably end up making the roster.

- Richard Jefferson opted out of his contract

What seemed like a perfect fit, Jefferson really struggled trying to find his place with the Spurs. He came around by the end of the season, but overall, had a poor season. That’s why it was such a surprise that he was giving up $15.2 million when even he knew he’d be lucky to get half that on the open market.

- Signed Tiago Splitter

The 2007 draft pick by the Spurs has become one of the best big men outside of the NBA. He’s a good rebounder, defender and scorer and should make the Spurs front line even better. He’ll most likely start at center, beside Tim Duncan, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the All-Rookie team.

- Re-signed Richard Jefferson

Not only did they keep Jefferson, they got him for less money than he would have made next season. Another season with the Spurs should help Jefferson feel more comfortable and save Ginobili for the playoffs.

- Signed Gary Neal

Signing a  25 year old shooting guard who I’ve never heard of of and has never played in the NBA to a three year deal might sound suspiciously like a risky move, but again, we’re talking about the Spurs here.

- Re-hired Danny Ferry for the front office

Let’s hope it turns out better than his term in Cleveland did.

Summary

The Spurs found themselves another starting center, grabbed a couple of probable good rookies and was able to reduce their payroll at the same time. The question is, will it be enough to return them to prominence.

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INDIANA: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted Paul George and Lance Stephenson

There were two players on the top of my list I wanted the Raptors to draft. The first was Ed Davis, who they got, and the other was Paul George. George can be an All-Star, but with Indiana already stocked with wing players, he may not find a lot of playing time, at first. Stephenson’s future is clouded after apparently throwing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. Not exactly something you look for in a player.

- Traded Troy Murphy for Darren Collison and James Posey

After putting up great stats while Chris Paul was out, Collison had become one of the most sought after players on the trade market. Indiana have been desperate for a real starting calibre PG probably since Mark Jackson left town, going through Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson, Jarrett Jack and TJ Ford in that time. Posey is probably still fat, making it difficult to put the Championship rings he won with Miami and Boston on.

Summary

Indiana wasn’t busy, but what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality. They’re probably still a move or two away from really setting their roster, but Indiana has become a team to watch.

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LAKERS: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter

With only two second round picks in the draft, the Lakers found a sleeper in Ebanks, who impressed everyone during the summer league and is now expected to make the rotation. If Andrew Bynum struggles with injuries again, he’ll be very important. Caracter was expected to go higher and may also contribute.

- Phil Jackson doesn’t retire

There’s a good reason the guy has 11, yes 11, Championship rings. I think he’ll probably stay as long as Kobe is at the top of his game, which might be only another year or two.

- Signed Steve Blake

The Lakers weakest link was their PG position. Derek Fisher is close to retirement and Jordan Farmar has never fulfilled the promise he showed. Blake is the perfect PG for the Lakers. He isn’t great at anything, but is an above average shooter, passer and defender and can play on or off the ball.

- Re-signed Derek Fisher

He’s old, but as he showed in the playoffs, he can still help the team win.

- Signed Theo Ratliff

Don’t expect him to play much, but having a veteran center like Ratliff is perfect insurance.

- Signed Matt Barnes

Opposing wing players had to groan with the addition of yet another lock down defender added to the Lakers roster. The combination of Artest and Barnes make the Lakers even better defensively.

- Re-signed Shannon Brown

He’s not a big piece, and his minutes may even be reduced, but buddy Kobe is probably pleased he’ll be back.

Summary

In a case of the rich getting richer, the Champions actually got better in the offseason. With all the talk about Miami, the Lakers have to start the season as the favourites.

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MIAMI: Your Kid’s a F**king Genius!

- Traded Daequan Cook and their first round pick for a future second round pick

Ah, the beauty of having cap room. Oklahoma City basically gets a free first round pick for helping Miami clear more cap room.

- Drafted Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado and DaSean Butler

With Miami angling to gut their roster and sign three max players, Miami may have to fill out the rest of their roster with low priced scrubs. Grabbing three 2nd round picks is a good start.

- Waived James Jones

A cost cutting measure meant to help get the Heat under that cap by that magic number.

- Traded Michael Beasley for two second round picks

In what has to be the quickest devaluation of a 2nd pick, Beasley is given away for cap space. Considering that Beasley’s first two seasons in Miami were far superior, statistically, to Andrea Bargnani, either Beasley is underappreciated, or Bargnani was overvalued. This trade actually happened AFTER Wade, Bosh and LeBron agreed to sign, but due to the signing moratorium, it technically happened before they signed.

- Re-signed Dwayne Wade

If Wade didn’t re-sign, it would disastrous for the Heat, since it would have been unlikely any other big name would have signed without Wade. And if they didn’t sign any big name free agents, it’s very likely they would have the worst team in the entire league, possibly in history. Obviously Heat fans breathed a sigh of relief.

- Signed Chris Bosh in sign and trade for two 1st round picks

The next domino to fall and an All-Star big man for Wade to play with, again. Despite claiming he wanted to be the main man, Bosh decided teaming up with someone was easier.

- Signed LeBron James in sign and trade for two 1st round picks

The final big piece, giving Miami the biggest free agent coup in NBA history.

- Signed Mike Miller

I was incredibly suspicious when I heard they had signed Miller because, after signing the big three, they would have had no money left. It became apparent that the big three did not end up signing maximum deals, but took less money to be able to sign other players. Mike Miller was a very good choice.

- Re-signed Udonis Haslem

The first Heat player, outside of Wade, to re-sign. A good sign for the Heat, since they desperately needed some depth.

- Signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Although he’s definitely past his prime, the Heat need size so Bosh doesn’t have to play center.

- Re-signed Joel Anthony,  Jamaal Magloire, Carlos Arroyo, Shavlick Randolph, Kenny Hasbrouck and James Jones

A collective groan echoes around the league as most of the Heat roster returns to support the big three. At one point, it looked like the Heat were going to have to field a team of some guys from the local YMCA to surround the big three.

- Signed Juwan Howard

He may only play 10 mpg, but they’ll be good minutes.

- Signed Eddie House

The groan around the NBA turned to wretching. Not only did the Heat sign the three best players on the market AND keep most of their roster intact, they’ve been able to actually add more talent to the roster.

- Fired 30 staff members

No, it wasn’t a transaction, but this cost cutting measure after a summer of big spending is pretty horrible and shows a lack of class in an organization that should really count it’s blessings.

Summary

I don’t think anyone, even Pat Riley could have imagined how well the Heat would have done over the summer. The best case scenario seemed to come true when the big three decided to play together, but things got even better for them as their roster started to fill back up with no only the same players that helped the Heat make the 5th seed in the playoffs, but also add a few veterans who will play important roles. Miller and House, especially, will no doubt have a field day at the three point line playing off of Miami’s franchise players.