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Last year, after starting the year 13-18, a major reason for us finishing the year on a 34-17 streak was our highly lethal offense. Everyone could shoot, we were unselfish and when the ball swung, whoever ended up getting the open shot was highly capable of making it.

This year, we simply have not seemed to have the same dynamic offense as last year. I strongly believe that our offensive output would be seriously increased if Kapono were to get serious minutes over Jamario Moon. Many of you probably strongly disagree with what I just said. Please read my argument.

With Jose and JK playing major minutes together, a high level of chemistry would develop that is still lacking. Jose would gain better knowledge of where Kapono likes taking 3's, and where he likes to catch the ball. With JK and AP on the court together, we would have 2 of the best 3 point shooters in the game on the court together.

With an offense of Jose, AP, JK, Bosh and Bargs, everyone is highly capable of hitting open shots. With some increased penetration from Jose, and the double-teaming of Bosh, we would get plenty of open shots. Nothing frustrates me more than seeing the ball swung, and Jamario Moon ending up with the wide-open shot when I know that it should be Kapono. Imagine Bosh being double teamed, and him swinging it to Jose to AP to JK. Or Bosh to Jose to JK to AP. When we swung the ball last year we hit the open shots. This year, with Moon and Delfino taking so many of the open shots, we don't hit them!!!

People are going to say with Kapono on the floor over Moon, we lose defence. We lose slashing abilities and rebounding. There is truth to that. But with Kapono on the floor, we will become the dynamic offensive scoring team that we were for so much of last year, and teams would have great difficulty keeping up with that.

I think its time Moon is demoted to the bench, not only is his offence horrific, but his main specialty (which is his defence) has been pretty garbage lately.

Kapono on the floor with Calderon and Bargnani would have to be one of the worst defensive and rebounding combinations in the league.

MacDaddy wrote:Kapono on the floor with Calderon and Bargnani would have to be one of the worst defensive and rebounding combinations in the league.

Bargs is improving his rebounding, and both Bargs and JK work hard at the defensive end. But hey, your right, it would be a bad defensive tandem. But 2 of those 3 are on the floor anyways, and I feel that the added offensive scoring punch would make up for the defensive deficiencies.

the one thing i dont understand is why our offence looks so mechanical anf forced... last year it was very fluid....

its basically the same people out on the floor, but something is different the ball is not being swung and i have seen more 1 and dones this year so far then all of last yeaqr combined...

i really cant understand if its team are playing us better or we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

MacDaddy wrote:Kapono on the floor with Calderon and Bargnani would have to be one of the worst defensive and rebounding combinations in the league.

Not to mention that among the Raptors who play more than 20 minutes, Bargnani and Kapono average the most fouls/minute.

So putting opposing teams in the bonus early in the game can also be expected.

peteyjones13 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Bargs is improving his rebounding, and both Bargs and JK work hard at the defensive end. But hey, your right, it would be a bad defensive tandem. But 2 of those 3 are on the floor anyways, and I feel that the added offensive scoring punch would make up for the defensive deficiencies.

peteyjones13 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Bargs is improving his rebounding, and both Bargs and JK work hard at the defensive end.

Do you have any evidence supporting these statements

uniballer wrote:the one thing i dont understand is why our offence looks so mechanical anf forced... last year it was very fluid....

its basically the same people out on the floor, but something is different the ball is not being swung and i have seen more 1 and dones this year so far then all of last yeaqr combined...

i really cant understand if its team are playing us better or we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

They don't seem to have the same trust in each other as last year. Especially when they get down or start losing a lead. Those repeated 1 and dones absolutely kill me.

I know it's a bit of a cop out but, I think this is part of the growing process. Everyone on the team knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing out there. It's just a matter of putting it together. They just need to loosen up a bit and let the game come to them.

MacDaddy wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Do you have any evidence supporting these statements

He got his first 7 rebound game faster this year than last year.

Our starting lineup is doing pretty well actually, its our bench that sucks all of a sudden. We need TJ back so that Jose can make the bench usefull again. Last game all the starters add a positive +/- while the bench guys were all -8 in like 10 minutes.

Again Detroit the bench ruined the game in the 1st 3 minutes of the 4th led by Dixon.

Against Portland they did the same early 4th led by Dmart.

By starting Bargs and Moon we finally have the good scoring/rebounding combo after trying Pono-Bargs and then Rasho/Moon. I hope we keep this starting 5 unless we make a trade for a star wing.

MacDaddy wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Do you have any evidence supporting these statements

You know what, I take back my statement about Bargs improving his rebounds. And I wasn't saying that they are particularly good on the defensive end, because they're not. But if you watch a guy like Bargs, he is working hard on the defensive end.

uniballer wrote:the one thing i dont understand is why our offence looks so mechanical anf forced... last year it was very fluid....

its basically the same people out on the floor, but something is different the ball is not being swung and i have seen more 1 and dones this year so far then all of last yeaqr combined...

i really cant understand if its team are playing us better or we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

I think a lot of it has to do with other teams knowing how to defend us after NJ wrote the book on how to do it...now all the other good teams in the league are doing it. Basically, just let our PGs be scorers, sit on Bosh's lap in the key when he gets the ball, and stay close to our shooters while limiting passing lanes on the perimeter. It hurts that we don't have TJ Ford, and Garbajosa who both helped to break down defenses.

Get Kapono in the starting 5. Send Moon to the bench. Hes not starter caliber or worthy.

PopAGat wrote:Get Kapono in the starting 5. Send Moon to the bench. Hes not starter caliber or worthy.

And how did the Kapono-Bargs combo worked for us to start the season? now imagine that with TJ missing!

Do you have any idea how completely soft a front court of Kapono, Bosh and Bargnani could potentially be

peteyjones13 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Bargs is improving his rebounding, and both Bargs and JK work hard at the defensive end. But hey, your right, it would be a bad defensive tandem. But 2 of those 3 are on the floor anyways, and I feel that the added offensive scoring punch would make up for the defensive deficiencies.

WTF? Bargs rebounding is getting worse. He's the worst rebounding big man in the entire league and there's tons of evidence to support both of those claims.

Jason Kapono can't do anything except shoot. And with teams being smarter and sticking to him like glue on the 3-point arc these days, he's become virtually useless these days. Have you not noticed how few shoot attempts he's getting these days? Do you think that's an accident or do you want to believe Kapono's own words? That teams aren't leaving him open any more?

As for your orginal idea? Giving the 1-dimensional Kapono more minutes at the expense of one of our best defensive players and best boarders, (on a team that has great trouble in both of these areas) would be borderline suicide. As somebody else stated, our starting lineup already has enough players that can't defend or rebound. And your solution is to add to the problem?

If we want to start Bargs we have to also start Moon or Delfino. If we put Kapono in there with Bargs we'll loose too much in rebounding and defence. Also if we start Rasho and Moon we'll lose too much in offensive efficiency. So in my opinion it should be either Bargs/Moon or Rasho/Pono.

If Kapono starts, who else besides Bosh will rebound and block shots? I am pretty sure Kapono would foul out considering he is pretty much automatic for petty fouls within the first few seconds of the game.

It would still be relatively easy to defend on the permiter against us considering we lack individuals who can create their own shots nor any interior presence.

And where is Kapono's offense the last couple of games? LOL

Given that Bargs was gone for 5 games, Moon has almost twice the total rebounds and almost 3x more blocks than him and on top of that he's already shooting a better FG% than him with less than half the turnovers.

I would say Moon is pretty efficient and defends the 3 spots better than anyone else on the team. He also doesn't take away shots (nor force them) from our primary scorers in Bosh/Bargs and to some degree, AP, unless he has a wide open look.