Raptors fans need to exercise some patience before they get too worried about the development of Andrea Bargnani.
Andrea Bargnani's play will always be heavily scrutinized. Such is the life of any player picked first overall in the NBA. Recently there has been much consternation over the play of the Raptors No. 1 selection a season ago but it is still too early to issue a final verdict on his career.
It seems as if some fans would reverse field and pick a player other than Bargnani if they had the chance to sit in Bryan Colangelo's seat.
To be fair to Bargnani, what were the onlookers saying last season when he was starting in the playoffs for a team that won its division finishing third in the conference? If they were praising his play then they have a right to say he's struggling now but just like last season when he looked to be a rising star, you can't rush to judgment.
Bargnani came into a unique situation in Toronto. Normally the first overall pick, or any lottery selection, goes to a team that has a poor record the previous season and the player is part of a building block for the future. Yes, Bargnani went to a team in need, but here is where his situation is different.
When Colangelo took over in Toronto, he made a number of significant changes that suddenly accelerated the team's building process and wins materialized faster than some imagined. What did that mean for Bargnani? It dictated that he would not have to be counted on to play heavy minutes consistently and regularly thrown into the fire to learn hard lessons like some other rookies on less successful teams. In other words, some first-year players would have their development accelerated because the team had no other alternative but Bargnani would not necessarily face the same fate. With Toronto starting to win, Bargnani's developmental timetable may have slowed because the team had a positive problem, trying to get wins without having to depend on a rookie for a major contribution. But Bargnani continued to play well, develop his game while contributing to a winner and may now be a victim of his own early success.
Some will say Colangelo was lowering expectations and trying to relieve some of the pressure on the number one overall selection in June of 2006 when he said that in terms of the Rookie of the Year Award, players like Brandon Roy and Adam Morrison may be more NBA ready than Bargnani. Long-term evaluation measured by subsequent production is what Toronto's President and General Manager was, and still is, more interested in than anything else.
For those Raptor fans that have called in to post-game talk shows to voice their concern about Bargnani's play, there is a constant theme amongst experienced NBA management and coaching types. In a word, it is "patience".
"Expectations on a player who is in his teens or early 20's in this league need to be tempered," said Seattle Supersonics head coach P.J. Carlesimo. "These guys are just learning."
Carlesimo was an assistant last season with the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs and holds Bargnani in high regard having watched him many times.
"Toronto was one of my scouts last year," remarked Carlesimo referring to his job as an assistant coach and doing the bulk of the advance preparation for an upcoming opponent. "I saw the kid in Europe and then last year live and on tape and it doesn't matter if he had one bad game or 20 bad games in a row. I think he's going to be a very good player."
It is high praise coming from a coach who has worked with young players including Tony Parker and is currently shaping the NBA future of this past draft's second overall selection, Kevin Durant. Add to that Bargnani is a big man and big players usually take more time to develop and it all adds up to Toronto fans needing to exercise some patience.
Although he may not admit it, Bargnani is struggling with his confidence as he is currently trying to find his form after injuries to both knees. He has acknowledged that he is not playing well but that comes with the territory in the maturation process of a young player.
"The thing that's hard with young guys is you have to be patient," commented Vinny Del Negro former NBA player and now assistant general manager with the Phoenix Suns. His comments echo those of head coach Sam Mitchell who has been trying to get Bargnani to do other things to impact the game when he may be having an off night.
"As young players figure that out (impacting the game in other ways aside from their individual strengths) they become more consistent and they don't have games where they have 20 points and the next night they have two."
There have been many teams that have missed the boat on players by either drafting a player that has turned out to be a resounding failure or letting a top caliber prospect slip through their grasp after an improper evaluation of a player's overall talent. The list of hits and misses in the inexact science that is the NBA draft is long and will surely become more extensive in the future. Heck we could fill this space with that list.
In Bargnani's case, only time will tell. He has played well in the past so even though some Raptor fans are ready to push the panic button, past indicators show that he is very capable. Now if he hadn't showed any semblance of progress; that would be a problem.
Judging by Mitchell's actions, starting Bargnani last Saturday night in Phoenix, he isn't just going to pay lip service to the idea that Bargnani is an important part of the future and his development and ability to play along side Chris Bosh is going to be front and centre. There will be more growing pains as Bargnani rounds back into form. Right now, Toronto faithful just need to give it time before casting the dye.
