(cartoonstock.com)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the midway point of the season. A variety of publications have released their “mid-term report cards” on the Raptors, which kind of made me feel bad for the Raps. A lot of them weren’t exactly the type of reports you’d want to put up on the fridge.
I know, I know, I spend a lot of time making fun of the Raptors. But like that parent who just can’t see how ugly and stupid their kid is, I’m an eternal optimist with this team. They’re all…special…in their own way.
So below is a summary of the grades dished out by the teachers at TSN and The National Post, with a special bonus from me. Because everyone’s good at something. Right?
| Player | TSN says… | The National Post says… | Yeah, but… |
| Quincy Acy | C- “Has to cut down on blown defensive assignments.” |
C “Has been a willing learner.” |
Beard-growing: A+ |
| Alan Anderson | B+ “Game-altering performances.” |
B “It is difficult to get past Anderson’s accuracy from the field.” |
Alliteration: A+ |
| Andrea Bargnani | D- “His laconic play has finally soured the front office on him.” |
F “Ineffective offensively and regressed defensively.” |
Looking slick in a suit: A+ |
| Jose Calderon | A “His leadership has been invaluable.” |
B- “Struggled badly in his 15 games as Kyle Lowry’s backup.” |
Ability to grow 5-o’clock shadow before noon: A+ |
| Ed Davis | A “A revelation.” |
B+ “A revelation.” |
Being a revelation: A+ |
| DeMar DeRozan | C+ “His play has fallen off dramatically.” |
C+ “His defense remains a mystifying negative.” |
Having capital letters in his name: A+ |
| Landry Fields | C “His jumpshot has remained horrendous.” |
C- “Still digging out of an early-season hole.” |
Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Drake: A+ |
| Aaron Gray | C- “Rebounding, his one great strength, has been missing all year.” |
D+ “Has not been of much use.” |
Looking confused: A+ |
| Amir Johnson | A- “Still struggles to guard his position one-on-one.” |
B+ “Johnson’s ceiling is limited, but he has maximized his ability.” |
Hairstyle choices: A+ |
| Linas Kleiza | D “Cannot replicate (or even approximate) his international effectiveness.” |
D “Has been totally ineffective.” |
Being one of two Lithuanians I can name: A+ |
| Kyle Lowry | C “Biggest disappointment of the season so far.” |
C “Lowry’s play has varied wildly.” |
Making me nervous in close games: A+ |
| John Lucas III | C- “Doesn’t offer enough elsewhere to offset his lack of scoring.” |
C- “Started off the year on a tremendous cold streak.” |
Being more famous than John Lucas I or II: A+ |
| Mickael Pietrus | D+ “Doesn’t have it in him to contribute to an NBA team like he used to.” |
C- “Terrible offensively.” |
Keeping knee doctors in business: A+ |
| Terrence Ross | C+ “He needs to shoot much better and learn to pass more often.” |
C “Flashes of brilliance to go along with complete no-shows.” |
Potential to be the third Raptor to lose a dunk contest: A+ |
| Jonas Valanciunas | C+ “Fouls far too much.” |
C “Perhaps the Raptors’ worst defensive player.” |
Looking absolutely nothing like his bobble-head doll: A+ |
| Dwayne Casey | N/A | C “Has relied a little too much on his veterans.” |
Having gone from coaching a championship team to the Raptors without killing himself: A+ |
Terrence Ross, seen here emerging Alien-style from Amir Johnson’s chest, had a crazy putback dunk against Brooklyn last week. (Photo: hoopsfix.com)
Record: 14-26 (4-6 over the past 10)
Low point: A brutal bench performance agains the Bucks on January 13: Milwaukee’s bench outscore’s Toronto’s 43-7. A 20-point Raptor lead turns into an 11-point loss.
High point: Being on the happy end of back-to-back blowouts of the 76ers and Bobcats.
Stuff I’ve Noticed:
holycraptors 