I mentioned a few days ago, this whole thing with Bosh is somewhat like a divorce. Well let the mud slinging begin I guess is the best way to sum up the last few days. People are losing it everywhere I look, be it on facebook or Twitter and in message boards, blogs and media. However at the end of the day some tweets and showing up at a Laker Playoff game don't change anything.
To devalue Bosh when he is on his way out the door is really for most done out of bitter feelings. I fully admit Bosh's actions of late have added fuel to that fire. That being said I have seen folks bashing this guy long before he had decided anything in terms of his future here in Toronto. Bosh news (not from twitter) in that he did not make the All-NBA Team 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Some will use this as a point to say the heck with Bosh. However, NBA awards this season have shown they are nothing more than a media popularity contest at best. When Sheed is getting a vote for 6th man of the year, and David Lee a vote for Defensive Player of the Year, how seriously can we take these things? But in a battle like a divorce is that going to matter? Nope.
Here is the reality of things for me, it is highly unlikely this team improves without Bosh. It is without question a public relations hit for the Raptors with the casual fan base. This now in a sense becomes a bit of a public relations war as well and a tricky one. The Raptors can not come out and slag Bosh because they need for his value to remain high. However the conversation is already starting about the post Bosh Era. Chris Bosh Raptor Legacy will take a lot of hits over this summer. However here is my take on it. The Organization failed to find the correct parts to place around him. They also failed to bring in people to help him in terms of leadership. Vince Carter had Charles Oakley to help run his locker room. Who did Bosh have to help him? No one comes rushing to mind.
Chris may not have handled this as well as he should in terms of his departure. Maybe this is his way of lashing back for having to deal with this whole drama for a longtime. It is unfortunate because for 7 years Bosh has been a classy individual,and many will forget that once all the mud is done flying. I can't say that Bosh is blameless in terms of things both on the floor and off it. However he is not a bad guy ether and he gave what he had for the Toronto Raptors in his time here.
He got frustrated and from my point of view, I understand it and accept it. The Raptors knew when he signed a 3 year extension that they were on the clock in terms of build a team around him. When the clock struck 0 they had not done enough. The effort was there in attempts to do so. However they fell short. I also think that Bosh made a valid point about this team never going on to be a team that entered the tax threshold.
The reality is unfortunately some players do not embrace the idea of coming to play in Canada. So the Raptors are likely going to have to over pay once in awhile to get players. That means you need to accept the reality of being a tax team. Given the current state of the economy it is not the big hit it once was. The Canadian dollar is running at par with the U.S dollar. Even take the whole Canada issue out of the mix. I will give you an example of a franchise that has over paid for players and been rewarded. The Orlando Magic signed both Lewis and Pietrus to contracts that were in most peoples view above their value. However they fit well in Orlando and have been successful.
People will talk about all the stars that have left in Carter,McGrady, Damon and now Bosh. However what the conversation should be about, is this team and organization and their commitment to winning a championship. MLSE has always said they are committed to winning and bringing a championship to the Raptors. Well talk is great but the time has come to be judged based on actions. Just saying that you are willing to go over a tax threshold is great. However until they do it they are just talking. The Raptors will once again under go a makeover and this is their last chance to get it right. Raptor fans need to not lose focus on the real issue. That isn't about Chris Bosh at all, it is about the overall picture of this organization. Losing Bosh in those terms, will be seen as a loss for the franchise and add to a growing list of stars that have left Toronto. That being said, those stars leaving have never really found much success have they. Vince Carter may finally get to a Conference Championship this year as a piece to a puzzle, but not the main piece. In the end this is about the puzzle and people trying to put it together not the puzzle pieces.
5/6/10
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I really liked your piece here. Very rational, not emotional, and squarely puts the owness on MLSE to finally put there money where there mouth is. I am not holding my breath, as the MLSE bean counters rarely look at it from a perspective of actually contending and dare I say it, winning a championship. Us diehard fans know their real intentions. They had a force in Vince Carter and I will give them some kudos back then for sometimes overspending i.e. JYD, Williams, Davis, in an attempt to keep the supporting cast around, and that did not work out, but at least they rolled the dice. Keep in mind that they did not go over the luxury tax back then, they just crippled us by making those signings. This is why not only do we need to go over the tax, but well over, and the top winning teams year in and year out do so without any hesitation.
ReplyDeleteI do not blame Bosh at all for leaving. My problem is of late his attitude, and we are seeing his true character come to the surface now, when he knows he is leaving. He has let his guard down now, knowing he is no longer a Raptor representative. I have to think that the MLSE claim that he was a divisive force to some extent in the clubhouse obviously has not washed well with him.
Of course, being on the outside, none of us really know what went down after the All Star break this year, and I am still hoping that someone on the inside will spill their guts. Raptor fans deserve an explanation, and Colangelo touched on some things at the end of the year, but was not specific enough IMO.
Let's just get the sign and trade done (it will happen as both sides benefit) and see where we stand after that.
Bosh has tweeted that he never said he would not consider Toronto as this was being written. I just think anything you hear post facto is kind of said with an agenda. Only the people who have been in this organization for the last 7 years know the answers and if they remain with organization they clearly have a bias.
ReplyDeleteHey, lets not play Bosh apologist here. Lets face it, BC tried his best to build a winner around Bosh. The JO trade was to appease Bosh and nullify Bargs, and failed miserably because they both refused to share the ball. He made the Turk trade and CB4 seemed elated. Hell, he even pulled off a magic show and grabbed Marion for the tail end of a season. There are "stars" on lots of other NBA teams that do not have the luxury of an aggressive GM looking to succeed- see LA Clippers, GSW, Philly, etc etc etc. Also, JO, TJ, Jarrett, Jose, all had the potential to be locker room leaders or co-captains.
ReplyDeleteIf Bosh had the stoke you seem to suggest he did then Bargnani would not have been the first pick. Aldridge as I recall would have been the Bosh pick. Marion was a simple rental for his contract.
ReplyDeleteAs for your list of help in terms of leadership. J.O is a joke look at the job he did with Pacers...he was a great leader there. T.J I love but he is not a leader on this level and his injury issues do not help him in that regard you can't be a leader when your hurt. Jose I have said many times has no leadership skills at all. Great TEAM GUY but not a leader at all. Jarrett can be part of leadership on a team and was with the Young Guns but he is clear thought of has Bosh's guy is he not?
I just saw his tweet, after I posted. What else is he going to say now? The damage has already been self-inflicted by his previous tweets. Maybe Bosh should take a few minutes and think through before he tweets, or have some close advisors he trusts (maybe there is where the problem is, as they are all yes people likely), and run things by them like policy stuff like this. You would think his agent, Henry Thomas, would and should be in his ear first for this kind of stuff.
ReplyDeleteIf this was done to create more interest in him, then mission accomplished. If it was done to piss off the Raptors and MLSE it was not a good move, as you would think that Bosh being amicable and supplying a list of teams that he would go to would be the smartest thing to do.
At this point, it would not shock me if Bosh left without his extra $17 million and the Raptors getting nothing. That would be a longshot, but if we get absolute crap offered for him via a sign and trade, I can see the Raptors just saying screw it.
Do I believe for one second that Bosh is considering staying in Toronto at this point? No, not even close. I will even pull one of "The Basketball Jones" embarassing stunts they make when they lose a monthly bet should Bosh resign with us, but even so, that is contingent upon Bosh being a Raptor for three full years, and not demanding and getting a trade before then. That would be at the end of the 2012/13 season.
If Bosh was a real "leader" he would not need a "co captain" now would he. A TEAM GUY would suffice would it not?
ReplyDeleteAnd CB4 was publically very supportive of the JO trade and of the Turk trade.
All I'm saying is you can't sit here and spout off to the world that BC didn't try hard enough to appease Bosh. He pulled off some really good deals in an effort to improve the team and create some building blocks for the future. Did everything work out well...obviously not. But look at the rest of the NBA landscape and you will find alot worse franchises who let their teams suffer and decay every year.
A Team Guy is a follower and that is not the same. As the face of the franchise he is obviously going to support moves of management. I think B.C tried to build a team around him and failed on the major moves in that.
ReplyDeleteOther NBA Franchises do not have the GREAT ORGANIZATION that MLSE is. I mean that too. They are clearly a success in terms of making money. My point is if they are going to go on the record saying we want to win then they need to spend like it. Toronto has the means to compete financially with anyone.
I agree with you, MLSE does have the capability of spending big and we should reap some rewards. Cap space/existing contracts, etc, always have to be taken into consideration as well.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if CB4 agreed to less than a max-money deal, then we could bring some other talent on board- but...that's not going to happen.
James,
ReplyDeleteAmen to that!
The real issue isn't CB4 at all.
The REAL issue is the PARADIGM in place with the Raptors organization, as reflected in their day-to-day operations, since MLSE assumed full control of the team.
Are they in the game to try and win the NBA championship? ... like the other top franchises in the league.
Or, are they in the game to just be "competitive," keep their team's fans "engaged" AND make money hand-over-fist?
If the Raptors trade do a Sign & Trade for Chris Bosh ... in which case you can be assured that the value package coming back will NOT equal what is going out! ... then it's a sure sign of the latter being the Paradigm at work with this carpet-bagging franchise.
If Chris Bosh refuses to re-sign with the Raptors and, instead, inks a deal with one of the other top franchises in the NBA, then, this will tell you that he no longer thinks that Toronto, under the leadership of Bryan Colangelo, has what it takes to build a championship calibre team.
If this happens and Bosh goes on to flourish with that other, while the Raptors continue on their "treadmill" ... it will tell you everything that you need to know as a long-time fan.