Toronto Raptors: 6 Ways Andrea Bargnani Can Take His Game to the Next Level
Andrea Bargnani was the first selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, and most people are still criticizing the decision, especially with the likes of Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo still available in the draft. He is a great player and has the capability to be the next Dirk Nowitzki.
Bargnani has proven to be a good fit in Toronto, and has been improving his game ever since he first joined the league. He has increased his point scoring totals, his rebounding and his post game.
Bargnani is having a career season averaging almost 21 PPG and 5.6 RPG. If it were not for Bargnani, the Raptors could have been in even worse shape than the current Cleveland Cavaliers, who are suffering miserably.
Although Bargnani has many strengths to his game, he also has his weaknesses, just like any other NBA player. His offensive skill set is already near the top, but his defensive and rebounding games are yet to reach the peak of the mountain.
In this slide show, you will read on six ways Bargnani can improve his game.
Improve Post Offense
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Bargnani is known league wide as a shooter. This can be an advantage in some cases; but in other cases, the dirty work in the post is what will get you points.
Watching almost every Raptors game this season, I have been noticing that Bargnani has been trying his hardest in the post. He is settling for less long distance shots and is trying to back down against the opposing center.
With his post game, he is slowly starting to adapt, Bargnani is scoring more points. He is backing down, but it seems as if the opposition is able to push Bargnani away very easily, making Bargnani shoot fadeaways.
Although he is getting pushed away from the basket, there are some times where Bargnani is easily able to back down and put the ball into the net.
If Bargnani's post game improves, then Bargnani can easily average 25 PPG with the extra points he gets in the paint.
Improve Post Defense
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Much like his offense in the post, Bargnani is not very good when it comes to defending against other big men down low. It seems as if he almost always gets beat.
Whenever Bargnani gets beat by other guys, it seems as if he does not even try to go for the defensive rebound if the ball is not in the net. He stands there and just watches the other center get rebounds.
Barg looks like he does not battle back against other centers, and much like his offense in the post, he seems to get pushed around. This is his weak point and should consider improving on it.
It is not like Bargnani does not try, it is just that he is not very good at it.
Strength
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Strength is something that every center should work on as their career's progress. Bargnani is that one center that needs to increase his strength.
If Bargnani can increase his strength by going to the gym for a few extra hours and work with the weights, he can easily battle against other centers in the league. He will be pushed around less, and he can be more aggressive when it comes to rebounding.
Another huge plus about Bargnani's strength going up would be his popularity in the league, as well as his his stats. His rebounds per game would go up, and he would be getting more recognized especially if the Raptors can start winning some games
Strength can also lead to Bargnani boxing out more efficiently, which leads to rebounds. So in the circle of life for a center, strength is necessary.
This picture shows how Barg can easily be beaten by centers, even an old Shaq.
Rebounding
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Bargnani's main weakness and flaw that keeps him from being a top five center is his rebounding ability. Many people know Bargnani around the league as the 7' Italian guy who cannot grab many rebounds.
He is currently grabbing 5.6 per game, but this is a number that should be going up a lot. If his rebounding numbers were to go up to even seven per game, Bargnani would be less of a laughing stock and the Raptors would not be criticized about their draft selection.
With the amount of points he is averaging now, and his improved rebounding, Bargnani can be a reserve for Dwight Howard almost every year in the All-Star game
Leadership
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Entering the league, Bargnani was considered to be the next Dirk Nowitzki. He has lived up to those expectations offensively, but has yet to do so rebounding and leadership wise.
Although Dirk has players such as Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, he is one of the greatest European players in the league and is probably one of the best leaders. He is able to lead the Mavs to constant playoff appearances.
With Bosh gone, it is up to Bargnani to take the next step and be the leader on this team. He needs to get the team pumped up in the locker room and he needs to be able to motivate everyone.
Although Bargnani will never be the next Dirk Nowitzki, he is the closest thing to Dirk and should be given a pair of seasons to show what he has.
Take Better Shots
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As the leader of this team, the Raptors have been trying to play their offense through Bargnani. He is the player who takes most of the shots and has the ball on almost every possession.
Bargnani takes about 18 shots per game and makes only eight of them. This is a number that needs to be better for Bargnani. He is nearing his career low in FG percentage, making only 44 percent of his shots, and that is the result of bad decision making.
With the bigger role on the team, Bargnani has to take more shots and that should be taken into consideration. If Bargnani can get closer to the rim and go for dunks, layups, hookshots, etc, his FG percentage will be much better.
This all relates back to strength. With the knowledge that he has more strength to use, Bargnani can easily settle for less jumpers and go towards the rim more often.
Conclusion
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I love Bargnani. He is my favorite player on the Raptors and have been a supporter of him for a very long time.
He is a very good player and still has room for improvement. If he can do what LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwight Howard have done, in hiring a former superstar center such as Patrick Ewing, Bargnani can learn more fundamentals to the position he plays.
Bargnani right now is a guard in a big mans body. he needs some work, but is already a great player. He has the potential to be an All-Star and has some leadership work to do.
Hope you enjoyed the article.
