Fraternizing w/the Enemy: JRW & Franchise on Raptors @ Spurs

The Raptors are coming! The Raptors are coming! Well, it's time for another in the series of email exchanges I'm doing with the SBNation bloggers who cover our oppenents, and today it's Adam "The Franchise", who manages the terrific RaptorsHQ. Without further ado, let's get to it. (Go and join their side of the conversation. Be sure to behave.)

via www.digitalbusstop.com

jollyrogerwilco:

This would be the part where I abandon all hope of feigning competence where the Raptors are concerned. A serious NBA analyst would have prepared ahead of time, watched a recent game or two, and used this space to ask a series of intelligent and pertinent questions that would allow you to wax eloquent about Toronto's players, problems and possibilities. Unfortunately, I'm just a fan who: a) isn't embarrassingly un-educated about basketball, b) is very interested in the NBA, and c) is reasonably able to discuss the San Antonio Spurs. Also, I can occasionally string a sentence or two together without completely exposing myself as an utter hack. Apparently, it doesn't take much more than that to be allowed to run a SBNation blog. How scary is that? We should get some quality control around here.

That said, I've always liked teams with dinosaurs as mascots. DeMar DeRozan's name has made him worthy of individual attention. Spurs fans are pretty familiar with Leandro Barbosa and Peja Stojakovic after the Spurs have tangled with their teams in previous trips to the playoffs, while Linas Kleiza and Andrea Bargnani are compelling figures due to each of them being drooled over as players that the Spurs should pursue in the inevitable free agent/trade threads that dominate every summer. Aside from that, and Jose Calderon's performance in Spain's 2006 FIBA World Championship, much of your roster is as much a mystery to me as why a player would willingly choose to wear the number 2 on his jersey when no one on his team had already picked # 1. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Sundiata Gaines. Oh, you just signed a 10 day contract and are just happy to be on a roster? Fair enough.)

So, do you mind starting with a quick overview of your guys for me? Who does the team depend on for points and leadership? Who takes too many shots when he should be passing? Who (besides Bargnani) should be rebounding more than they do? How badly have the team's injuries impacted this season? And who are the guys who you wish would just wake up and realize just how good they are? Also, feel free to ask me inane questions about the Spurs. I can't wait to tell you about all the nicknames we have for guys who hardly ever play.

Franchise:

That was a great email, had me laughing out loud at various points, especially about Gaines taking number 2.

jollyrogerwilco:

You gave me a lot, so I kinda feel the need to recap. On top of a coaching staff that's struggling to find effective lineups, you have, in Colangelo, a GM who, a) is in denial regarding the realistic chances of this year's team, b) has saddled the team with bad contracts, and c) is completely ego-engaged. If you're not familiar with that term, it's what I use to refer to the mindset of a GM who steadfastly refuses to consider trading a player he brought in, because doing so would be an admission that the player's acquisition was a mistake. In other words, when a GM is ego-engaged, then you can rest assured that he's not acting in the best interests of the team. That stinks like three-day-old fish bones. I'm sorry to hear that.

The rest of my response to your answers will be short and sweet to allow me to fully answer your question.

• You guys gave up 12 ORebs to a single player and his name wasn't Kevin Love?
• What does Julian Wright's play bring to the team when he's not sitting next to the water boy?
• I loved Ed Davis' work in The Abyss. That scene where he's trying to resuscitate his ex-wife (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) "You never backed away from anything in your life! Now fight! [slaps Lindsey] Fight!" Great scene. -- Oh, wait. That was Ed Harris. (Quickly Googles "YouTube Ed Davis highlights" and watches) Oh, North Carolina! He can dunk. Cool!
• Few things can equal the level of hope that's hidden within the expiring contract of an overpaid and unproductive NBA player on your favorite team. It's be great if you guys could turn those deals into some solid players.
• You talking about Bargnani's lack of defense made me think about how it's bad enough when a starter gives up as many points as he scores when playing against one of the leagues' stars, but when it happens against a no-name you're expecting him to dominate, well, that's doubly harrowing.
• Finally, how often does Samuel L. Jackson attend Raptors games?

Now to your excellent query:

The short answer is: no. The teams that made up the should-have-been threepeat from 2005-2007 (please don't make me explain Game 7 against Dallas in '06) were probably the best since Robinson retired. Tim Duncan was in his prime. Tony Parker was adding a jumper to his crazyfast drives. And Manu was at his pre-ankle-injuries best; he would dunk regularly, no one could stay in front of him, and he was always pulling off some crazy pass that was impossible to predict. Not to mention that Bruce Bowen was still with the team then. You just can't quantify what he meant to the team's defense. It's impossible. He brought the tenacity every night and refused to ever give up on a play, even when the man he was guarding had already dropped 40 points on him. We miss him terribly. Turns out that wasn't such a short answer after all.

That said, this year's team is playing exceptionally well. The defense, while starting to show signs, isn't what it used to be, but the offense has been insane. Tops of the league in offensive efficiency and near the top in scoring and a ton of other metrics -- we've never seen a Spurs team play like this. And it's all happening with Duncan pretty much on standby, waiting to see if he's needed, and taking a seat in the fourth if he's not. He's playing just enough to show that he's still got it, but not enough to make us worry about his minutes and whether he'll have enough left for the playoffs. Tony's shown that he's back from last year's injury-riddled season (while it was still 2010, he'd already surpassed his Win Shares total from last year), and Manu's getting the most MVP buzz he's ever received in his career. He doesn't care (and he'll never get it) but it's nice that he's in the discussion.

Which leads us to the bench. The one that Manu's no longer a part of, and the one that has won enough games that Duncan put himself back into a game in the fourth, even though it was already decided, just because he hadn't played in the fourth quarter for four straight games. Gary Neal is a 26 year-old rookie who's been in Europe since college and not only shoots right at 40% on his 3's, but actually can put the ball on the floor, hit a floater, fight for rebounds, work hard on defense, and pass without embarrassing himself. James Anderson is also rookie, out of Oklahoma State, and while he's missed time recovering from a stress fracture, he was shooting lights out and playing good team defense before his injury. He's expected back next month. Antonio McDyess is what he's been for the last 5 years, a great defender and terrific rebounder who doesn't have to have minutes to hit that jumper when it's needed. And then there's Matt Bonner: he of the .514 average from deep. The Red Rocket has actually added a dribble and a floater to his game, so it's not quite a terrifying when he's chased off the three point line. He hardly ever turns it over, and his work on the boards (even against board-hungry Minnesota) has been respectable.

So, while you can wonder about whether the record is fool's gold or the real deal (the atrocious strength of schedule in the early part of the season, and all of the contenders with injured stars that the Spurs have played more recently) it's not a bad conversation to be forced into having.

Franchise:

• I loved Ed Davis' work in The Abyss. That scene where he's trying to resuscitate his ex-wife (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) "You never backed away from anything in your life! Now fight! [slaps Lindsey] Fight!" Great scene. -- Oh, wait. That was EdHarris. (Quickly Googles "YouTube Ed Davis highlights" and watches) Oh, North Carolina! He can dunk. Cool!