Have I Missed Much?

Posted on | August 12, 2010 | 4 Comments

Beach FeetI’ve been around, just busy, and this seemed like a good time to take a bit of a break. Hope everyone’s been having a good summer so far. So what have I missed?

Well, as far as the Raptors are concerned, I haven’t missed too much. There was far too much hullabaloo over a trade for a deep bench player, giving up a 2nd round pick they probably never would have seen anyway. Sure, they could have given the spot to a young player, with more potential, but with four big men under the age of 24, they aren’t hurting for youth, that’s for sure. It certainly doesn’t mean Colangelo is doing anything different than what I hope he does.

The Raptors also lost an assistant coach (Iavaroni), but got a much better one (Carlesimo) with Championship experience, and another good one (Roth). With Triano’s continued development and the addition of Carlesimo and Roth, the coaching staff should be better than last year.

Of course, I woke up this morning to discover that Marco Belinelli has been traded away to New Orleans for Julian Wright. Regular readers know that I am a big fan of Belinelli and I’m sorry to see him go. At best, he’s an excellent 3 point shooter who can handle the ball, get to the line, pass and defend. There were times last year when we saw all of that on display, especially his one and only start. Unfortunately there were also quite a few times when we saw poor shot selection and forcing the action when it wasn’t needed, which meant his minutes weren’t exactly consistent. I recently saw some highlights of a game he played this summer that showed the same off balance shots that drove Raptor fans nuts. While I still think he’s got the tools and potential to be an All-Star in this league, I wonder whether he’ll ever get it.

Still, I understand the move. DeRozan and Weems have solidified their position with the club and in the hearts of Raptor fans by their play in the summer league and their hard work with each other, as well as with Amir Johnson. The “Young Guns” moniker certainly doesn’t hurt their case either. And with Barbosa really an undersized shooting guard, there was a log jam at that position. Belinelli was the odd man out, although from a basketball standpoint, it would have made more sense to move Weems. Weems and DeRozan have similar games and similar weaknesses. Belinelli has the 3 point shooting and ball handling that both those players lack. It’s hard to fault Colangelo for the move, though. Unless, of course, Belinelli becomes an All-Star in New Orleans.

I have to admit, I know very little about Julian Wright except that he is a former lottery pick who is athletic, plays defense and can’t shoot. He should fit in very well with the Young Guns.

I’ll say this about Colangelo. He certainly isn’t shy about changing direction of he feels the need to. If he is successful unloading Calderon, the only Europeans on the roster will be Bargnani and Kleiza. So much for Euroball.

Speaking of unloading Calderon, apparently Charlotte again tried to grab Calderon by involving themselves in the big four team deal that broke the hearts of many a Raptor fan by sending Nick Darren Collison to the Pacers. Not only did it take Collison off the market, but it killed any chance of Indiana trading for Calderon.

The trade is interesting. I think Indiana gets very good value for the expiring contract of Troy Murphy, and clears up their logjam at power forward. New Orleans gets a legit starting small forward who should thrive playing beside Chris Paul. New Jersey gets a year to try out Troy Murphy and gives them depth in the front court. I’m not entirely sold on what Houston gets. They save money and get a nice you shooting guard, but they’re certainly not any better.

A lot of Raptor fans like Houston’s GM, Darryl Morey, but I find him perplexing more than anything. He’s certainly talented at finding low priced talent that can maximize their worth, but he’s never shown any ability to actually build a contender. To me, he seems like a cheap owner’s dream, but not one a fan would choose because he’s never going to build a Champion.

To me, mediocrity is worth than death if I’m a basketball fan. A while ago, a reader of this site said that he’d be happy with a team that simply made it to the second round of the playoffs, but never went to the Finals. That’s just incredibly depressing. Atlanta is a perfect example of this type of team. With their current roster, they’re never, ever going to be a legitimate contender, but when you’re winning 50 games, it’s hard to argue for blowing the team up, and with their bloated payroll, they’re not going to be making any meaningful additions.

Having Joe Johnson walk away this summer might have been the best thing for the franchise in the long term. It would have given them reason to take a step back and rebuild, but by overpaying Johnson, now they pretty much have to keep the roster intact, which means another 50 win season and ouster in either the first or second round.

Atlanta certainly isn’t alone in their race for mediocrity. My beloved Utah seems to have joined the race to the middle. Wes Matthews was a surprise last year as an undrafted free agent and a testament to the abilities of the scouting department. Unfortunately, their accounting department didn’t feel he was worth matching Portland’s offer and let him go. Then they go out and replace Carlos Boozer with Al Jefferson, a guy who is even worse defensively. Jefferson isn’t a bad player, but they really don’t seem to be trying to build a contender in Salt Lake City.

Phoenix is also a member of this club, which pains me when I realize that Steve Nash will never have a chance to win a Championship. Grabbing Turkoglu made very little sense to a team that doesn’t want to overspend, but is willing to spend just enough to win. That’s probably why Steve Kerr left. He realized that winning a Championship wasn’t a goal of owner Robert Sarver.

Of course, I think there are only about five or six owners in the league that are willing to do anything for a Championship. The rest are just banking on luck.

Category: Bobcats, Hawks, Hornets, Jazz, NBA, Nets, Pacers, Raptors, Rockets, Suns, Trades

Whispering In Colangelo’s Ear (Trades)

Posted on | June 23, 2010 | No Comments

The last of my trilogy of articles before draft day. If you haven’t read the first, involving the offseason strategy I think Colangelo should use, or the second, discussing the draft, I’d recommend it.

Now, obviously there going to be some trades going down this summer involving the Raptors. I think that’s pretty much guaranteed. I’m not a journalist, so I don’t pretend to have a beat on what the Raptors are going to do. I try and read up and keep informed, but it’s nearly impossible to separate the rumours from truth. I’m not trying to do that here. What I’m doing is suggesting what I feel should be the direction the trades should take and why.

The first thing I’m going to do is discuss each player, whether I would try and trade them or keep them and why. For the most part, I’m going to refrain from posting actual trade proposals, since I simply don’t know what a team would be willing to give away for certain players, but I will offer up teams and players I think might make good targets.

BOSH (Only he knows)

While I’d want to re-sign him, if Bosh wants to go, I’ve already detailed the teams I would want him to go and the players I would be looking to get back.

TURKOGLU (Trade)

I think Turkoglu had a bigger impact that some give him credit for. Despite the fact that he simply didn’t perform up to expectations, he more often than not had a positive impact on the team on the court. He wasn’t used like he was in Orlando, but the Raptors are certainly not built like the Magic so there was bound to be some changes. You can blame the coaches (and many do) but in the end it’s up to Turkoglu to adjust, and he failed to.

At the end of the season, I was of the mind to keep Turkoglu. The main reason was because I didn’t like the idea of buying high (his signing) and selling low. I figured there would be a very good chance that Turkoglu would have a better year and his stock would go up, making him easier to trade. After his little tirade in the Turkish media, and the more I read about the behind the scenes stuff, I think it might very well be best to part ways as soon as possible.

At this point, I’m almost willing to just find the best deal for him and be done with it. Possible trade partners include the Jazz (for a package including Kirilenko), New Jersey (for Jianlian), New York (for Eddy Curry), Golden State (for Biedrins), the Clippers (for a trade exception), Memphis (maybe as part of a package in a sign and trade for Rudy Gay), Minnesota (for Corey Brewer among others), Orlando (for Gortat and Bass) or Sacramento (for Dalembert). How serious any of those trading partners is anyone’s guess, but if Colangelo can trade Turkoglu away without bringing back a similar sized problem, I’d be all for it at this point.

Obviously Gay would be the most appealing option, but many stars would have to align for that to happen, including Gay wanting to sign with Toronto. Biedrins and Kirilenko would be nice options, as would Gortat/Bass and Dalembert, but a trade exception would potentially be almost as valuable.

BARGNANI (Trade)

No surprise here. Unless you’ve got specific types of players that can cover Bargnani’s weaknesses, he’s going to hurt your team. The Raptors have none and I’m not high on his skill set enough to want to build around him.

I believe this is the best time to trade him. He still got that “upside” label and skills that some GMs covet. I think if he’s forced to be the first option on the Raptors this year, his fatal flaws will be highlighted and he’ll be less attractive as an asset. Basically, if he doesn’t fulfill his potential this season, it’s fair to say he never will, and I really don’t think he’s going to fulfill his potential. By trading him this summer, you’re trading him at a high.

I don’t think a lot of teams will be clamouring for his services because his skills are so unique. He’s not a big man who is going to play great defense or rebound, which is what most teams want out of their big men.

Minnesota

The first trading partner I would look at is Minnesota. The T-Wolves started Darko, instead of the more talented Love with Jefferson because they want Jefferson to play at his more natural position of PF and because Darko can play on the perimeter, leaving the inside to Jefferson. On offense, Bargnani would be a perfect pairing for Jefferson. Defense is another story, but we’ll let Minnesota worry about that.

The player I would covet the most would be Ricky Rubio. He would be that elite PG the Raptors have not had since Stoudamire. He would most likely want to go to Toronto and is a player the city should fall in love with. And he’s a winner. The Raptors might have to wait a year before he would suit up, but that would give them a year to rebuild.

If they don’t want to part with Rubio, Kevin Love would be another target. He’s apparently available despite the fact that I think he’s going to be a better player than Jefferson. He rebounds, shoots, defends and is a high IQ player. If Bosh leaves, he’d certainly make the locals (and team) miss him less).

Barring getting either Rubio or Love, I’d be happy getting their 4th pick, especially if Derrick Favors falls there, which there is now a possibility happening, apparently.

Golden State

Bargnani seems to me to be the exact type of player the Warriors like. If they would part with Biedrins and their 6th pick in the draft, I’d be happy. Biedrins would be that rebounding and shot blocking center the Raptors have lacked, and with the 6th pick, the Raptors could grab Al-Farouq Amin or Ed Davis who would fill big needs for the Raptors.

Philadelphia

Now, I have no clue as to whether Philadelphia would want Bargnani, but if they do, they have a few assets I’d focus on. If the rumour is true that they would give away the 2nd pick in exchange for taking Brand, they might agree to take Bargnani and someone like Evans for Brand and the 2nd. Personally, I doubt it, though. Still, I’d take Iguodala for him if they do it. Iguodala would give the Raptors a veteran swingman who is still fairly young and could be paired with DeRozan and/or Weems.

Other teams might include Chicago, Phoenix, New Jersey and New York.

CALDERON (Keep)

Believe it or not, I would keep Calderon. I think he’s far more valuable to the team than as a trade asset at this point. His stock is pretty low at the moment, and if he can have a good year, his stock will go up. If he has another similar year, I really don’t think his stock will go down much. Might as well take a gamble. He does help the team and if you can improve the overall defense of the team, he’s going to look that much better.

JACK (Trade)

I like Jack, but he’s a good young player with an affordable contract, so he’s a valuable asset that might be better off being traded for something more in need. On a team with so many holes, having two good PGs is a luxury. He could be included in a Turkoglu or Bargnani deal, or perhaps with another player on on his own. Because he can start or come off the bench, just about any team could use his services.

WEEMS (Keep or Trade)

I’d much rather keep him, but because of DeRozan, he’s almost a redundancy and if including him in a deal would improve the team, you have to do it.

JOHNSON (Re-sign)

With the likelihood Bosh will leave, re-signing Amir is important. He rebounds, hustles and is only 23. I think if you offer him $5 million, he’ll be back and you won’t be overpaying him.

BELINELLI (Keep)

He didn’t perform as many hoped, but he’s still extremely talented and still young. He’s another guy who you don’t want to sell low, so it’s best to keep him and see if he can fulfill some of that potential.

EVANS (Trade or Keep)

He’s more valuable as expiring fodder in a trade than anything he brings to the team. Still, if he returns he’s at least enthusiastic, so I wouldn’t be disappointed.

BANKS (Trade or Keep)

See Evans, plus it’s nice to have a half decent backup PG at the end of the bench who can actually play.

So there are quite a few trades I think can improve the team. I think Colangelo needs burn up the phone lines on draft day, since many of these trades would include draft picks.

Tomorrow is Draft Day, so I’m going to look more closely at the actual draft.

Category: 76ers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Jazz, Kings, Knicks, Magic, NBA, Nets, Pistons, Raptors, Suns, Thunder, Trade Proposals, Trades, Warriors

Odds and Ends….

Posted on | May 26, 2010 | 2 Comments

I am working on a couple of bigger posts, but there are a few things I wanted to quickly comment on.

IS TRIANO DELUSIONAL?

Now, this article is a little old, and I’ve read part of it elsewhere, but one part caught my attention. The article, on NBA.com, discusses Bargnani and his inability to rebound. This is the same article where Bargnani is quoted as saying that he could be a better rebounder, but he’s lazy. A very, very scary quote from someone in their fourth season on a team that has problem on the boards, but there was another quote which I couldn’t believe:

“When he becomes a very, very good rebounder, he’s going to be a complete player.” Triano said.

But can he become that good?

“Absolutely.”

Is Triano talking about the same player? Is he aware that players simply don’t improve that much in areas such as rebounding? Hopefully, he’s just trying to motivate, but Amir Johnson has a better chance of averaging 20 ppg than Bargnani does of averaging 10 rpg.  Both COULD happen, but are highly unlikely. In rebounding, you have to have a nose for the ball. All the good rebounders have it. It’s not something you can teach. All rebounders have one (or both) of two traits. The first is a high basketball IQ. You have to understand where the ball is going to go, based on who’s shooting, where they’re shooting from and numerous other elements. The second things is being active. You can make up for a lower basketball IQ by always being active. This is how Amir is such a good rebounder. He doesn’t have a high basketball IQ, but he’s always active, so ends up with the ball a great amount of the time. Players with both, like Dennis Rodman, are extraordinary rebounders.

Bargnani doesn’t have a high basketball IQ nor is he active. Bargnani has proven that he can have good rebounding games, but over the course of 82 games, you need to sustain a certain amount of energy to be a good rebounder, and Bargnani simply doesn’t have that.

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GOING DEEP

After watching the Phoenix bench nearly single handedly win the game against the Laker starters last night, i thought of a discussion I had with several people on RaptorsRepublic.com and elsewhere. As the Raptor season started getting into the final months, many felt that Coach Triano needed to tighten his rotation in order to prepare for the playoffs. The consensus seemed to be that in the playoffs, most teams only play 7 or 8 players, which is generally true. So, ignoring the fact that the Raptor bench was probably the best thing about the Raptors season, it was felt that Triano needed to limit the minutes of all but a few bench players. I, on the other hand, argued that the bench was a strength, and needed to be exploited.

While I often argue against playing against history (like the fact that you need a good defensive team to win a Championship), there are sometimes you need to play to your strengths, no matter what they may be. The Raptprs strength was it’s bench. There were many games that the bench was the only reason the team was able to be competitive. It’s obviously too late to take advantage of that now, but it’s something to remember.

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SOMETIMES NEW ISN’T BETTER

You remember when during game broadcasts, they would simply show a picture of a player they were talking about? Well, with advanced technology the way it is, I guess broadcasters have decided that it’s too boring. Apparently having even one part of the screen remaining static for a few seconds is too much for a world stricken by attention deficit disorder. Now, they shoot a player against a green screen and apparently ask him to look as uncomfortable as possible while also trying to appear relaxed tossing a ball up in the air for no reason. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly annoying? Even when actors do it for promos it’s painful to watch. When a basketball player with absolutely no training does it, it’s cringeworthy.

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LETS VOTE ON IT!

Is Nash one of the most beaten up Hall of Fame players ever? When was the last playoffs he was in where he didn’t end up with some facial injury? And did anyone notice Grant Hill’s reaction when he looked at Nash right after it happened?

I don’t know if the Suns can beat the Lakers, let alone win the Championship, but are there two players you’d like to see win more than Nash and Hill?

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I DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY

I know Eddy Curry has had a tough year, and you shouldn’t hit a guy when he’s down, but when I read this I shook my head.

New York Knicks center Eddy Curry defaulted on a $570,000 personal loan while keeping up a lifestyle that included a $17,000-a-month suburban New York home, a $6,000-a-month personal chef and a dozen cars he’d bought for himself and relatives, a judge said.

On Friday, a Manhattan court ordered Curry to pay $75,000 a month to lender Allstar Capital Inc. to resolve a debt that swelled to $1.2 million with interest. The court also has issued an order letting Las Vegas-based Allstar seize three of the cars: a Rolls Royce Phantom convertible and two Land Rover SUVs, all 2009 models.

…

Curry earned $10.5 million this season and is scheduled to make $11.3 million next season in the final year of his contract. But the former No. 4 pick in the NBA draft has been dogged by financial and legal problems in recent years.

He took out the $570,000 personal loan in February 2008, promising to pay it back in five months at a nearly 85 percent annual interest rate — legal in Nevada, according to Allstar lawyer Donald N. David.

Curry argued he couldn’t pay off the debt at $75,000 a month because of his existing bills, which include $30,000 a month in household expenses at his family’s White Plains, N.Y., home, nearly $17,000 a month in payments to various other relatives and more than $1,000 a month in cable and satellite TV service, according to the court order. It said his wages already are garnished for more than $207,000; the order didn’t explain why, and lawyers wouldn’t elaborate.

All I can say is, “wow”.

Also, why on earth is it legal in Nevada to charge 85% on a loan???

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SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO NETS FANS?

From the New York Post:

An NBA insider told the New York Post that Jay-Z’s “dream scenario” would be for LeBron James to sign a short contract with the Knicks that allows him to opt out after three seasons and join the Nets when the team makes its move to Brooklyn.

So not only is the team leaving in two years, but it appears they don’t even care about who’s on the team until they move. Why would ANYONE go to a Nets game in the next two years?

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RAPTORS FANS ASK WHY??

From Sports Illustrated:

Wilkens retired from coaching in 2005 after 32 seasons in the NBA.

“If the situation was right, I certainly would consider [coaching again],” Wilkens said. “I have not explored it. But Cleveland certainly has a good team. So does Chicago. A few teams are good and need coaches. Let’s see how everything shakes out and then we’ll see.”

Yes, that’s Lenny Wilkins.  Maybe if he comes back, he can consider coaching the Raptors for free, since he had actually retired while he was coaching them the last time.

Category: NBA, Nets, Raptors, Suns
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