Archive for the ‘Detroit Pistons’ Category

Fouling Out: Six Personal Thoughts on the Game – Raptors 103, Pistons 93

Posted by Joseph Casciaro under Aaron Gray, DeMar DeRozan, Detroit Pistons, Jose Calderon, Recap on Feb 22, 2012

Game No. 33: Raptors 103, Pistons 93

The Raptors came out of the gates with a great effort to close out the first half of the season with a 10-point victory over the Pistons.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

1- While I wasn’t necessarily excited to watch a matchup between two teams with a combined 20-46 record, I was very interested in seeing how this Raptors team would respond to their first real break of the season. After playing a ridiculous 32 games in 53 days to start the season, the Raps were gifted with four days off between their ugly loss against the Bobcats and Wednesday night’s game against the Pistons. Toronto came out aggressive on both ends of the floor and looked to jump on the Pistons early, as Detroit was on the back end of a back-to-back. I can’t say that I saw anything specific that screamed “practice time” but the Raps definitely brought an energy that a well-rested team should always have, even without guys like Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza in the lineup.

2- A lot of that aforementioned energy came from an unexpected source in Aaron Gray. I’ve given Gray praise throughout the season for his workmanlike game and attitude, but even I couldn’t have predicted what we saw against the Pistons. 12 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks, a couple of dimes and even some “M-V-P” chants in 29 hard earned minutes. The stability and consistency Gray gives Toronto in short spurts is already enough to justify his being here, exploding for nights like this makes his minimal deal an absolute bargain. I’m not saying the guy should be a core piece of the future, but I do think re-signing Gray after this season should be a priority for the Raptors. For the right price, he is an excellent option as a fourth or fifth big.

3- From one positive to another, how about that game from DeMar DeRozan? DeRozan scored 23 points on just 15 shots and contributed elsewhere by grabbing seven rebounds. DeMar mixed in some hard drives to go with a red hot jumper as he took advantage of a smaller guard (Rodney Stuckey) guarding him. He still needs to get to the line more often (finished with six FTA after having four in the first quarter alone) and obviously needs to work on his handle (three turnovers), but it’s hard to harp on the negatives while he continues to put in efficient performances like this. In his last three games, the 22-year-old is averaging over 25 points on nearly 60 per cent shooting and has scored at least 21 points in six of his last nine games. If you expect DeRozan to become a superstar or a true franchise player, than his shortcomings are alarming. But if you simply learn to accept him as a guy who can be a solid piece going forward and perhaps a third option or better in the future, then his string of recent performances is encouraging.

4- The other glaring positive from this game, and the one aspect that probably did have to do with increased practice time, was how well the Raptors shared the ball and how crisp their offence was in general. Playing one of the worst defensive teams in the league probably helped the cause, but I don’t want to take too much away from the Raps, who had an impressive 30 assists on 40 made field goals. Jose Calderon led the charge with 15 assists (compared to just one turnover) and eight of the nine Raptors players who touched the court finished with at least one helper. Even shoot-first guards Leandro Barbosa and Jerryd Bayless finished with four assists each in about 20 minutes of action.

5- A few words on the Pistons. I think Detroit is one of the teams close to Toronto in terms of development and hope for the future, which will make the draft lottery and subsequent draft itself one of the deciding factors in which team ends up with the brighter outlook. The Raptors are in slightly better shape in terms of salary cap flexibility going forward, but the Pistons might have a good young core in place if they can add a top-five pick in 2012 to the group of Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Jonas Jerebko. You could say the exact same thing about the Raps with Bargnani, Valanciunas, DeRozan and other possible “core” candidates. If there is one team worth watching in the Tank Nation “standings” from a Raps fan’s perspective, it might just be the Pistons, though I do think they will eventually win enough ball games to give the Raptors the “advantage.” Before blowing a 17-point lead against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, the Pistons had won seven of nine. I don’t think we have to worry about the Raptors going on any kind of run like that this season.

6- While the Raptors and Pistons were entertaining us on the court, the twitter world leaked some interesting Raptors-related notes. During the game, I wrote my take on Wilson Chandler being linked to Toronto again and reports of a draft day trade that almost was between the Raps and Pistons. Check it out and leave your feedback.

It’s crazy to think that half this season is already gone, but at the end of the day, the Raptors are exactly half way to my prognostication of 20 wins, so I’m feeling pretty good about my pre-season predictions.

Raptors Player of the Game: DeMar DeRozan – 39 Min, 23 Pts, 9-15 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-6 FT, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 TO (Calderon’s spectacular running of the offence and Gray’s work on the boards make them easy candidates here as well)

Pistons Player of the Game: Greg Monroe – 38 Min, 30 Pts, 9-21 FG, 12-16 FT, 14 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO

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Interesting Developments

Posted by Joseph Casciaro under Detroit Pistons, Jonas Valanciunas, Wilson Chandler on Feb 22, 2012

I’m not sure how many people were looking forward to keeping an eye on Pistons/Raptors on a Wednesday night, but aside from the game itself, a couple of very interesting Raptors tidbits have emerged.

First and foremost, the Raptors’ official PR twitter account tweeted this:

When rumours first leaked that the Raptors could be one of the teams in on Chandler a few weeks ago, I wrote this on the matter.

My stance on the possibility of Wilson becoming a Raptor remains the same. I think he can be a good NBA player for years to come, but not great, and not good enough to get into a bidding war over. There have been multiple reports over the last little while that the Nuggets are interested in retaining Chandler, who is a restricted free agent after playing in China for the first part of the season.

If Bryan Colangelo can acquire Chandler at a reasonable price and term, then it can be a solid pickup that adds to a decent collection of young talent. But the last thing the Raptors need to do is overpay for a role player that also might affect the team’s lottery position this year.

***

The other interesting bit of information that emerged during this Raps/Pistons game came from Pistons.com editor and True Blue Pistons blogger Keith Langlois, who has alerted the world about a potential draft night trade between Toronto and Detroit that apparently fell through when the Cavaliers shocked everyone by selecting Tristan Thompson instead of Jonas Valanciunas.

 

Langlois went on to tweet this:

Based on my interpretation of the tweets, it seems like the two teams would have swapped roster players (one-for-one) and then swapped the fifth and eighth picks. I would assume that Colangelo would have followed through on the deal if Valanciunas went off the board as expected, and then the Raps could have ended up with Brandon Knight or whoever else they wanted at No. 8. You’ll remember that in the “Behind the Draft” special, Colangelo and co. celebrate after the Cavs take Thompson, showing that Jonas was the guy they desperately wanted.

It obviously all worked out fine, but imagine if Colangelo had agreed to the deal before the Cavs made their selection, assuming they would take Jonas? How angry would he have been with himself if after dealing the fifth pick (because he thought Valanciunas wouldn’t be available), he then had to watch the Pistons select his guy? I think it’s safe to say he would be kicking himself for it.

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Game Recap: Pistons 107, Raptors 93

Posted by Joseph Casciaro under DeMar DeRozan, Detroit Pistons, Leandro Barbosa, Recap on Mar 16, 2011

Getty Images

The Raptors seemed sluggish from the get-go, and it bit them in the butt early on.

Just halfway through the first quarter, Toronto had already dug themselves a 15-point hole, and showed few signs of life to get out of it.

As usual as of late, it was the Raptors’ bench that helped pick up the team and get them back in the game. Although the reserves made it a somewhat respectable game in the second quarter, the Raptors just never looked right in that first half and certainly never looked like they were making a legitimate case to stay in the ball game.

Toronto shot the ball well (over 52 per cent) in the first half and trailed by just 11 heading into the break, but anyone watching could see that their only hope of getting a W in Detroit was going to have to come through another Michigan Miracle.

The Raps came out with a noticeable increase in energy to start the second half. They were still knocking down shots on the offensive end, and were starting to come alive at the defensive end, getting deflections and creating turnovers that led to fast breaks.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to capitalize on those fast breaks, as a couple of offensive fouls on James Johnson and DeMar DeRozan that looked like they could have actually been “and-ones” seemed to deflate the young Raptors.

After cutting the once 20-point deficit down to six early in the third quarter, the Raps faded down the stretch of the third and watched the Pistons build up another double digit lead heading into the fourth.

Pistons fans had to be getting nervous early in the fourth quarter, as the same two players who had led the last Raptors’ resurgence in Detroit, Jerryd Bayless and Leandro Barbosa, were doing it again, and the Raps were suddenly within five with plenty of time remaining.

The difference this time was that the Pistons bent, but never broke, and within a couple of minutes the lead was back to 10 and eventually 13. That swing was pretty much it for the Raptors, as they fell to 31 games below .500 (18-49) and an atrocious 5-27 on the road.

The story of the game was Toronto’s lack of defensive intensity, as they allowed Detroit to shoot 60 per cent from the field in the first half, and 52 per cent overall.

As for the positives on this night, they were few and far between. Sure, the Raptors shot the ball well themselves, but they were really a jump-shooting team tonight and didn’t get to the free throw line nearly enough. Some of that was officiating, but for the most part, it was Toronto’s inability to get anything done inside.

As mentioned, the bench was good again, outscoring Detroit’s bench 36-27.

At the end of the day, the Raptors just lost to a better team (as sad as that statement is when we’re talking about the Pistons) on the road, but also didn’t help themselves by coming out of the gates with little energy.

The loss extends Toronto’s franchise-record road losing streak to 14 games.

Raptors Player of the Game: Leandro Barbosa – 26 Min, 18 Pts, 7-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl (DeRozan could be here as well)

Pistons Player of the Game: Greg Monroe – 35 Min, 21 Pts, 9-14 FG, 3-5 FT, 10 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk

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Game thread: Raptors vs. Pistons

Posted by Scott Carefoot under Detroit Pistons, Game thread on Mar 16, 2011

Charlie Villanueva

Oooohhh-weeee! Here’s a barnburner! And by “barnburner”, I mean “If this game was a barn, I would burn it down.” To be honest, my main reason for watching this game will be for me to have something to look at while I exercise tonight. My brother is getting married in three months and I just learned that I’m going to be the M.C. I don’t want the attendees to look at me and ask, “Why is the groom’s younger brother so much fatter than him?”

Earlier this season, it looked like the Pistons were in a hopeless death spiral of mediocrity and in-fighting. Out of the ashes of a once-proud franchise, rookie center Greg Monroe has emerged as a bright beacon of hope for the team’s future. While he doesn’t provide the great post defense I prefer in an NBA center, he’s a decent rebounder and a surprisingly skilled offensive player for a guy his age and size. His .541 field goal percentage and low turnover rate (just 1.5 turnovers per 36 minutes) show that he’s the rare big man who knows what to do with the ball when it’s in his hands.

Is Monroe a player you can build a team around? Probably not, unless his defense improves substantially. But he’s well ahead of the curve in terms of what you’d expect from a 20-year-old big man and all reports out of Detroit indicate he’s hard-working and has a great attitude. When you consider the malcontents he’s forced to play with, just think what he might be able to contribute on a good team populated with players who act like professionals.

Injury report

Toronto: Amir Johnson will miss another game with his sprained ankle, while Alexis Ajinca is questionable with a sore knee

Detroit: Austin Daye is probable for tonight, Jonas Jerebko is out for the season.

Five questions

1. Did Pistons coach John Kuester mean to give between 20 and 30 minutes of playing time to all 10 of the Pistons who played in their 30-point loss to the Bobcats on Sunday?

2. Why have two of Tracy McGrady’s five highest-scoring games this season happened against the Raptors?

3. How awkward do you think the atmosphere in the Pistons’ locker room is these days?

4. If their contracts were the same, would you trade Andrea Bargnani for Greg Monroe?

5. Did you know that Amir Johnson will be on Tim and Sid: Uncut tomorrow? No, I’m not going to try to get his autograph.

Start time: 7:30 PM ET
Channel: TSN2
Probable starting lineups
Toronto: Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Ed Davis, Andrea Bargnani
Detroit: Rodney Stuckey, Tracy McGrady, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Greg Monroe

Your pregame song is “The Warning” by Eminem, which might just be the most devastating diss track ever recorded. I think trying to take on Eminem might be dumber than trying to block a Blake Griffin alley-oop attempt.

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Mini Recap: Pistons 101, Raptors 95

Posted by Joseph Casciaro under Andrea Bargnani, Detroit Pistons, Jerryd Bayless, Jose Calderon, Leandro Barbosa, Recap on Jan 15, 2011

The Raptors had plenty of reason to come out with one of their more spirited efforts of the season.

They should have still been angry after being jilted by poor officiating on Wednesday. They should have had retribution on their minds after being embarrassed by the Pistons, at home, already this season. In addition, this was their last home game (and a very winnable one, at that) before embarking on a grueling five-game road trip.

Instead, the Raptors responded with one of their worst games of an already bad season.

By the looks of it, the Raps were not prepared and lacked the focus necessary to grab a win in the NBA. They came out sluggish, almost looking like they expected the win to fall into their laps. This was mind-boggling to watch, since it’s not like they have had much success against the Pistons this season (other than a miraculous 15-minute stretch in Detroit).

The Pistons attacked the feeble Raptors in the first half, and held a lead as large as 15 before Toronto began to fight back. A couple of technicals given to DeMar DeRozan and Jay Triano (for arguing against more sketchy officiating) seemed to spark the Raptors at the end of the half, and the Raps used a late run to cut the deficit to just seven at the break.

After allowing the Pistons to shoot 57 per cent in the first half, Toronto picked up the defence in the third quarter, but it was their offence that began to let them down. Instead of cutting further into the lead, the Raptors actually lost ground in the third, and headed to the fourth down nine.

As awfully as the game was going for Toronto, there was still a sense that if they could string together one solid run, the game could be theirs for the taking. Unfortunately, on this night, the Raptors were barely able to string together a series of solid possessions, let alone play one solid quarter.

They had their moments in the fourth, which included Andrea Bargnani making things interesting in the dying minutes. But in the end, it was not to be, as Tracy McGrady and Tayshaun Prince hit a couple of daggers and Jose Calderon and others committed a couple of careless turnovers to seal the ball game.

As bad as the team-defence was in the first half, the offence may have been worse in the second. The offensively challenged Pistons scored 61 points over the first 24 minutes, and were then limited to just 40 the rest of the way, which included an 18-point fourth quarter. But the Raptors could never capitalize, scoring just 41, themselves, in that second half.

The Pistons are now 4-17 on the road, and two of those four wins have come at the Air Canada Centre.

As for the Raptors, things are likely about to get ugly. They lost Leandro Barbosa at the end of the first half to an apparent hamstring injury, and he will not travel with the team on their upcoming trip.

So now Toronto heads to Washington on the back end of a back-to-back, then travel to New Orleans, San Antonio, Orlando and Miami. Yikes.

For those of you having trouble accepting that this team is probably going to fall out of the playoff race and start looking towards the draft, I have a feeling it will become easier to understand in the next week or so.

Raptors Player of the Game: Andrea Bargnani – 35 Min, 31 Pts, 12-25 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-9 FT, 9 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk

Pistons Player of the Game: Tracy McGrady – 36 Min, 22 Pts, 8-17 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT, 4 Reb, 5 Ast,

Goat of the Game: Jerryd Bayless – 12 Min, 3 Pts, 1-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO

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