The Raptors Bear A Lot of Responsibility for Andrea Bargnani's Disappointing Season
By Walter Dubowec
Andrea Bargnani is proving to be a tremendous disappointment this season and the bulk of the blame among fans and the media is falling on Andrea himself. No doubt he’s lost his confidence more than anything.
The more I watch him struggle, the more I’m believing the Raptors coaching staff are as much to blame as the player himself.
Bryan Colangelo and Sam Mitchell need to put Andrea in a better position to succeed, instead of failing. Right now they're setting him up to fail.
Everyone has quickly forgotten that before his hyper-extended knee injury, Bargnani had a career high 26 points and his one-on-one defence had noticeably improved over a season ago. So what’s wrong with last year’s magnificent Big Rook?
Andrea Bargnani’s on-court struggles may have more to do with the manner in which he’s being used and less to do with his skills having diminished.
Its pretty much agreed by most observers that in the second half of last season, Bargnani was playing extremely well. Yes, he admittedly needed to work on his defence and rebounding, but overall he was a very talented young player who gave the Raptors a huge lift down the stretch.
Fast forward to now and many observers are willing to label him a stiff. That is so illogical, that it’s laughable. It is virtually impossible that Andrea’s play has deteriorated to the point where he's suddenly a total write off.
It’s a combination of injuries, lack of confidence and the way the Raptors are using him. In fact, I believe forcing Andrea to become something he’s not is the number one problem.
You can't put a round peg in a square hole
Maybe, just maybe, the Raps are trying to put a round peg in a square hole and it ain't working. The solution may very well be to put the round peg back in a round hole and work on other ways to maximize Andrea Bargnani’s immense talents.
In my opinion, the Toronto Raptors were playing better basketball with Bargnani logging regular minutes towards the end of last year, than they are now with Andrea essentially out of the line-up. That’s virtually indisputable.
Overall, last year's less talented squad (with Bargs as a key contributor) played better ball than this year's deeper team (with Bargs on the outside looking in).
Andrea has been yanked in and out of the line-up, essentially for not being able to play the type of game that the team wants him to play. Well, maybe that is not a style of game he can ever be successful playing. Again, its round peg in a square hole.
Admit that Bargnani is not a traditional center and move on
Forcing Bargnani to play as a traditional center right now is not working. Maybe it will next year, but now it’s a disastrous experiment that is damaging Bargs' confidence and stunting his development.
People forget that the Raptors struggled against the Nets in the playoffs until Bargnani returned. Virtually everyone agreed he was the catalyst that sparked the Raptors and if not for an errant Calderon pass - the Raps could have gone deeper in the play-offs. Bargnani’s presence opened up the floor and provided the Raptors’ offence with better spacing. He helped break the zone which had stymied the Raptors sans Andrea.
So what's different this year, besides the fact that the Raptors want him to be a prototypical Center? Not much. Andrea is the same player with the same skill levels.
Bargnani has not lost any talent. I simply believe the coaching staff is not maximizing his talents and are misusing him in a role that his specific skill-set does not support. And when he plays poorly in that role, he's yanked. Guess what? His confidence takes a hit every time. Then he begins looking over his shoulder after every mistake. “Will I be pulled”, he wonders.
Also, I think a lot of what is perceived as lack of effort on Bargnani’s part is more often than not, a lack of confidence. He is playing tentatively because he's worried about making a mistake and that only exacerbates the problem.
Maximize Andrea's talents and help him succeed
A lot of Andrea's success happens when he is a key offensive contributor. Lately, the Raptors are giving him less than ten minutes per game and there are no plays being run for the kid. That is the exact opposite of how they handled Bargnani when he was one of the Raptors' top three players.
The solution is for the Raptors coaching staff to figure a way to maximize Andrea’s talents. They did it successfully last year, so they should be able to do it this year.
If Sam can’t figure out a way, then Bryan should trade the kid. It would be a huge mistake, but what they’re doing now with Andrea Bargnani is simply not working.
I agree with your post. The team is trying to make Bargnani into something he is not. There is a whole lot more expectations for this team this season and mistakes that were tolerated before are not tolerated again this year. Bargnani is still a young guy that needs minutes and needs to go out and make mistakes. Look at Durant in Seattle, the fact that he is out there logging close to 35 mins a game would benefit him in the long run. Sure he makes alot of mistakes and shooting less then 40% is not a great thing, but he has the time to work on his mistakes and he doesn't have to fear the coach will yank him out. Thanks to the vote of confidence by his coach, Durant was able to close the door and win a few games for his team-mates.
Bargnani only avg 25 mins per game last season and this season every mistake he makes he gets yanked out of the game, which limits his mins and causes him to lose his confidence. Its a vicious cycle that needs to be stopped. Maybe Colangelo needs to step in like he did a year ago and tell Smitch: "Look the kid needs minutes, this is a rebuilding process that needs careful attention now, our goals have not changed and our target for revemping the line-up and competing for a championship really should begin at the 2009-2010 season, and Bargnani is a big part of that. You ruin him now and instead you will have a team that continue's to make it to the playoffs but will fail to make it pass the second round. When he is comfortable again with his abilities, then slowly try to increase his range and work on other things, but the most important thing is that kid needs minutes, he needs to make mistakes, learn from them and excell in what he is good at.
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I agree entirely...Andrea's confidence and his ability to develop as a young player is being undermined by a coaching philosophy that simply doesn't work at any level (from mini basketball to the professional ranks). The use of punishment to motivate a player into performing better will not only undermine that player's confidence but stunt his opportunities to learn by limiting his opportunities to be on the floor. Mitchell's decision to sit him on the bench whenever he makes a mistake on the floor is a manifestation of this coaching philosophy - if I punish him enough he will get the message and change his behaviour. There is no evidence that this approach ever produces the desired outcome. Give Andrea opportunities to play, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and develop to his full potential. Support him in this process by giving him guidance, opportunities to take risks, and positive feedback when he does something well not criticism when he fails. Sam Mitchell clearly doesn't understand this approach. I agree with the sentiment - play Andrea or trade him - the status quo is unacceptable.
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What made you see the light? I knew sooner or later you would reach the same conclusion I came to realize earlier and posted on November 27th. However you have elaborated in more detail and put it more eloquently. Anyway that this information gets relayed to Bryan Colangelo so he can see the light and maybe get a big man coach for him. Look at the development of Howard and Bynun.
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12/4/2007 12:57 AM Maria wrote:
In my viewpoint Bargnani played much better last year. He played with more confidence and was quick in his step. This year he appears to move slower and appears hesitant. It also appears that the coach has less confidence in him as well. And to tell you the truth I have not been impressed with his play
I feel that we need to get a big man coach for him or else he will not improve. Patrick Ewing is coaching Dwight Howard from Orlando and Karim Abul Jabber is coaching Andrew Bynum. Just like we acquired Mike Evans to coach J.T Ford and Jose Calderon (and have they improved) we need a big man coach for Bargnani. I am surprised that Colangleo has not gotten one already.
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12/7/2007 3:51 PM Raps Fan wrote:
he is definitely not a bust. when i watch him play, he shows signs of being our franchise player...more so than bosh. i think the expectation was that he would be a bit of a project, with much more upside.
as far as getting a big man coach in for him...i don't think someone like ewing would be good for him. he is not a prototypical player.
i would let him finish out his rookie contract before passing judgement on him.
he is much different than rafael araujo, who didn't get drafted as high. everyone knew just watching him play that he wasn't a good player.
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12/7/2007 9:27 PM maria wrote:
To elaborate, it is evident to the other NBA coaches and teams that Bargnani possess very little of a back to the basket/low post inside game. His threat to defences is outside shooting and he doesn't provide any offensive rebounds because he is positioned 20 feet away from the basket constantly. That is why I feel that a big man coach can assist in his development, with a focus on the inside game (footwork, moves etc.)
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Congrats on beating the Clippers
http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2007/12/nba-news-chapu-nocionis-hurt.html
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