nikeone wrote:jaymeister15 wrote:nikeone wrote:In the future I would prefer people do not post articles with what I believe the contain racial slurs. It seems everytime this man writes an article about the Raptors he has to throw out a few jabs about the team having several european players as if its something that is funny or worthy of a joke.
What makes it funny for me is that the name Hollinger is German, perhaps Mr. Hollinger was raised under Hitler's book of morals.
lol, only on realgm can using the word "euroraptors" get you compared to Hitler.
Unbelievable.
I am refering to much more than the word euroraptors.
Hollinger for quite some time now has been hating on european players and labelling them soft, weak, not on the level of American born players and undeserving. Using his personal rasict views to stir the pot with Raptor fans is rather disturbing to me. You may see it differently that is your right but from this day forward I will never read another ESPN article so long as this man is employed by them, i've had enough.
You better back it up.Scouting report: Parker is one of the fastest players in the league and one of the best finishing guards in basketball, which allows him to succeed despite a shaky outside shot and mediocre passing skills. He's deadly in transition because he's so good at changing directions, leaving a wrong-footed defender in his wake while he lays the ball in with his right hand (Parker almost never uses his left, even on layups).
In the half court, defenders try to go under the pick and force Parker to beat them from outside, but he's so fast that he can often beat the guard around the corner -- particularly going to his right. He's not as strong going left and will frequently spin back to his right even when he starts in that direction. Parker also has a good floater and will use the threat of it to head fake big men off the floor and open a path for a layup.
Parker has worked on rebuilding his shot over the past few years and has become a steadier threat from outside, especially on midrange jumpers. However, he's only a 31.4 percent career 3-point shooter and has all but abandoned the shot the past three seasons.
As a defender, Parker's foot speed is an asset -- he's strong against dribble penetration and, at 6-2, can do a decent job when bigger guards try to back him down. He almost never gambles and has one of the lowest steal rates at his position.
2008-09 outlook: Parker is 26 and has put together three successive seasons of similar quality, so this is probably about where his peak is. However, his offensive load might take another substantial increase this season because of the injury that will knock out Manu Ginobili for the early part of the season. That puts the pressure on Parker to be the team's main creator on the perimeter, and not just for himself either -- he'll have to increase his assist rate too.
He may see a boost in minutes too, so all told Parker is a good bet to set a career high and have his first 20-point season. The cost will be in his shooting percentage, which probably won't be as stellar as in past seasons.
Scouting report: Nowitzki has improved greatly as a defender in recent seasons and is now capable of playing quality post defense or stepping out on the perimeter to help against the pick-and-roll. His lateral movement remains suspect and gets him in trouble against quick forwards at times, but he has a nice strip move he uses on opposing post players, he's an excellent defensive rebounder (12th at his position in defensive rebound rate), and he blocked shots at an above-average rate for a power forward.
He also used his block-out skills to get himself to the line. Nowitzki drew 33 loose ball fouls last season, the fourth most in the league.
Offensively, Nowitzki is arguably the best-shooting big man to ever play the game. He's unusually coordinated for his size and is able to stop quickly on drives and go up for his jumper, especially after a single hard dribble to his left. Because of his size, the Mavs like to post him up above the free-throw line and allow him to go to work -- it's very difficult for opponents to double-team him there and he can rise up immediately for a jumper if the defender doesn't crowd him. And when he is crowded, that opens lanes for him to draw fouls and get himself to the free-throw line ... where he shoots 87 percent for his career.
2008-09 outlook: Nowitzki turned 30 over the summer, but he probably has less to worry about in this department than you'd imagine. Height and shooting ability are the two primary determinants of career longevity; Nowitzki is 7 feet tall and is one of the best shooters of all time. He's also never had a major injury and has kept himself in shape, so while his MVP-winning days may be over, he should be able to match last year's production -- especially if his second-half rediscovery of the long-ball was more than a passing fad.
Scouting report: Biedrins is an unorthodox player who shoots an extremely high percentage despite the fact he's a terrible shooter. Obviously, shot selection plays an important role -- he will never, ever attempt a shot more than five feet from the basket -- but he's also a long, active force in the paint who is an expert finisher from close range. Though he's improved his bizarre lefty line-drive push shot from the free-throw line, he still shoots a lot of free throws that never get 10 feet high.
Defensively, Biedrins' thin frame doesn't do him any favors in post defense, as he can be overpowered by bigger centers or even physical power forwards. He does a better job against players with his body type, but he's prone to picking up fouls leaning on opposing bigs. He's a good shot-blocker and takes care of the boards, but he'd be a lot better off paired with a physical, take-no-prisoners power forward who did the dirty work and allowed him to roam off the ball and make plays.
2008-09 outlook: The one positive of Nelson's chronic underuse of his big man is that nobody seems to have caught on to quite how good he is. This guy could easily end up in an All-Star game in the next couple of years, yet the Warriors were able to retain him with a six-year deal worth only $54 million in guaranteed money. Given what far lesser centers have made in recent seasons this was a screaming bargain, though that may not become obvious until Nelly has retreated to Maui.
For now, don't expect any big upticks in Biedrins' minutes, even though he seems a mortal lock to lead the league in shooting percentage again. But take note of those stellar per-minute stats, which may only rise given that he's improved his numbers every season.
Scouting report: Though a star at the offensive end, a legitimate area of concern is Calderon's at-times porous defense. He struggles to stop dribble penetration, a fact magnified last season by Toronto's lack of an interior shot-stuffer. While his length makes him an effective shot-challenger, his lack of strength can leave him vulnerable to big, physical types like Chauncey Billups or Baron Davis.
Offensively, there's little to complain about given how well Calderon runs the point. He's quick and can shoot coming off the pick -- which he seems to prefer more than going all the way to the hoop -- and is a deadly spot-up shooter. He loves to go right and is especially potent running pick-and-rolls in that direction.
However, one wonders if he can be even more aggressive. Calderon's usage rate was only 42nd among point guards last season, which is unfortunate given how successful he was whenever he made a play. Given the limited offensive options around him, perhaps it would be better if his percentages took a hit in return for a more substantial role in the offense.
2008-09 outlook: The Raptors retained Calderon with a five-year, $40 million deal that ranks as one of the summer's great free-agent bargains -- especially when you consider that the Kings paid nearly the same amount for Beno Freaking Udrih.
With the trade of T.J. Ford, he also has the starting job to himself, which means the rest of the league might wake up to just how good Calderon has been. Those extra minutes will likely be the difference between the eight assists he averaged a year ago and a double-figure average this year (Calderon averaged 10.9 per 40 minutes), which could be enough to put him on the All-Star team.
Scouting report: Ilgauskas has put more effort into his defense in the past few years than he did at the beginning of his career, but he still struggles to guard against the pick-and-roll, and that often sends him to the pine late in games. He's a strong shot-blocker, but don't ask him to take a charge -- he didn't draw a single offensive foul last season, making him the league's only player to play at least 1,000 minutes and not do so (he played 2,226).
Offensively, Ilgauskas can score in the post against smaller centers by using a turnaround jumper to either side or a sweeping right-handed hook shot; he almost always posts up on the left block. Occasional attempts at creativity beyond this repertoire almost always end in disaster. He's also a very good spot-up shooter from 15 feet and a strong free-throw shooter who frequently takes technical foul shots.
Perhaps his best skill, however, is a unique knack for tipping in balls around the basket. Ilgauskas is perhaps the best in the league at tipping in missed shots without controlling them, a skill that also makes him very good at jump balls.
2008-09 outlook: Ilgauskas is 33 and his All-Star days are clearly behind him, but he's still a very effective offensive center who provides Cleveland's best (well, only) post-up threat. His numbers are likely to continue their gentle decline, but a mild dip would still put him among the league's better starting centers. And after an injury-riddled early part of his career, he's been one of the league's most durable players over the past six seasons, missing only 23 games.
conclusion: You're a **** joke.
