Mo Pete, Jason Kapono, Jack Bauer, Long Weekends, Beer and 24's Are Everywhere In Canada
By Walter DubowecIt's all so Canadian. Twenty-four that is. Canada's number of choice!
Canadians love buying our beloved beer in a good old 'two-four'.
Don't forget that Canadian Keifer Sutherland (aka Jack Bauer) is the star of the mega hit TV show - 24.
Canadians are so in love with the number 24, that we even have a special name for the first long weekend of the year - the May 'Two Four' Weekend!
So what do know? Two sharp shooting American basketball players get into this Canadian thing in a big old 'two-four' kinda way!
Jason "Call Me Al" Kapono, now of the Toronto Raptors and Morris "Mo Pete" Peterson, now of the New Orleans Hornets both wear number 24. To top it all off, they both signed new 4 year contracts worth $24 million.
My head's been spinning 24/7 since I heard the news! But, enough of the 24 nonsense. Let's make the inevitable statistical comparison between the two number 24's, based on the 2006-07 regular season.
| #24 vs. #24 | Jason Kapono | Morris Peterson |
| Age on 11/01/07 | 26 years old | 30 years old |
| Height | 6' 8" | 6' 7" |
| Weight | 215 lbs. | 220 lbs. |
| Years NBA | 4 years | 7 years |
| Points per Game | 10.9 | 8.9 |
| Minutes per Game | 26.4 | 21.3 |
| Field Goal % | .494 | .429 |
| Three Point FG % | .514 | .359 |
| Free Throw % | .892 | .683 |
| Rebounds per Game | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| Assists per Game | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Steals per Game | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers per Game | 1.04 | 0.75 |
| Fouls per Game | 2.00 | 1.80 |
| Games Played | 67 | 71 |
| Roland Rating | -1.3 | -4.0 |
| NCAA College | UCLA Bruins | Michigan State |
From a statistical perspective, Toronto Raptor Jason Kapono comes out on top in almost every offensive category.
While a player's defensive play and overall impact on a game is tough to measure numerically, the Roland Rating endeavours to show how the team plays with the player on court versus performance with the player off court. Using this rating system, again Kapono prevails.
For comparison purposes, the top 2006-07 Roland Rating for the Raptors was Chris Bosh at +8.8. Kapono's Roland Rating would have put him slightly ahead of rookie sensation, Andrea Bargnani who was a -1.6.
Here is the bottomline on #24 vs. #24
The Toronto Raptors essentially replaced Morris Peterson with Jason Kapono. Both players earn identical dollars, yet Kapono's measurable statistical output is generally greater than Peterson's in every measurement across the board.
Jason is 3-1/2 years younger than Mo Pete and he will likely start with the 2007-08 Raptors, while Peterson was relegated to being a bench player last season.
As much as I like Mo Pete (and I like him a lot), Kapono is a definite upgrade. I also believe this clearly dispells the theory that somehow Bryan Colangelo has simply moved 'sideways' so far this off-season.
Not a chance.
I could come up with 24 reasons to support the notion that the Jason Kapono signing was a definite upgrade and not a lateral move - but I'll spare everyone from any more of my lame attempts at humour!
he's 29 no 31! and he averaged 13 points and around 6 rebounds during the 2 games he started during the playoffs. How much did Kapono average 5?
he'll start in NO for sure, while Jason may not always start, and MO we'll get back to around 12-14 ppg.
Jason couldn't guard a statue. And keep in mind the Raptors took advantage of an injured division and Eastern conference. Who knows if they'll even be a top seed next year?
RaptorTalk: Age listed was as of Nov 1st, when the season begins. Has been changed to 30 years of age. Thanks for the correction.
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