The Starting 5 with Darren Andrade

The Dino Nation Blog is always expanding are list of guests for the Starting 5. Today we welcome Darren Andrade from Sway Sports.ca to talk NBA and Raptors with us. You also may know Darren from his appearances on The Grill Room on Sun T.V and has worked on Raptors T.V over the years as well. We talk about the impact of the 2010 Free Agent summit that Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all going to be a part. How will it impact on the NBA? Will it have an even larger impact on sports in general? We also talk about the many challenges that face the Raptors and Bryan Colangelo over the summer. How does this team move forward and who is the future for the Raptors? Some thoughts on the Raptors latest hire in P.J Carlesmio and what the Raptors will do in the draft.

Darren Andrade

DNB Productions

Thanks to Darren for his time it was great talking ball with him. He is one of many fine people I met in covering the Raptors this season. Hope to have him back in the future as a guest as we go through this interesting off-season. You can follow Darren on Twitter @SwaySports. Later in the week will focus on the draft and talk with Ed Isaacson of NBA Draft Blog and look at the draft. Imagine that? Thanks to Darren for his time and a great conversation.

P.J Is Happy To Be In Toronto

It is pretty common knowledge that P.J and Jay Triano worked together for Team U.S.A with the younger players that will be the future of U.S.A Basketball on the select team. But Carlesmio has known Jay going all the way back to his days as a player in the late 70's. That relationship with Triano is one of many reasons that Carlesmio took this job with Toronto.

P.J Carlesmio "There is really a lot to it to be honest with you. But number 1 would be the relationship with Jay and wanting to work for him. Two would be my respect for Bryan, Wayne and Maurizio. There is some good friendships in the front office too. They are very well thought of by me and by virtually everyone in the league. So I think a confidence in the franchise, where the franchise is at and where they can get. Selfishly I love Toronto, it has always been one of my favourite cities. Since I have been in the league, I have been on the west coast, and my family are all still down in New York and New Jersey. There were a lot of things that went into it. I think with anything it always starts with the people."

He also added that he is familiar with and likes a lot of the players. How many of them will actually back is something to be determined. That aside it seems clear that P.J is very happy to be here. He has had a fair amount of time away from the league and likely has had other opportunities to come back. Chris Bosh may not select Toronto, but it seems clear that P.J clearly has.

Carlesmio has 3 championship rings thanks to his time with the Spurs as an assistant under Greg Popovich. P.J had a number of things to say about his time with the Spurs and working under Popovich.

P.J Carlesmio"I learned a ton from Pop.I think the first thing, he understands that is about the players. His relationship with the players, how he handled them. How they allowed him to coach, I really think that is an important thing. It started in San Antonio with Timmy and David. They accepted and wanted coaching. they wanted him to be demanding. They understood that he could help them get to where they wanted to be."

He went on to expand on what Popovich did to reach the level of success he has had in San Antonio

P.J Carlesmio "He was extremely knowledgeable he worked very hard all of those other things. What I liked about him is that he understood the game is about the players and never took himself to seriously. He encouraged and demanded that people work hard and that they work together."

Clearly he has a ton of respect for Popovich and all he has accomplished with the Spurs. So does Steve Nash who called Greg Popovich the best coach in the league, when he was firing back at Phil Jackson prior to the Lakers/Suns series. Carlesmio actually saw a similarity in his conversation with Greg Popovich and Jay Triano when he talked with to each of them, prior to coming to work for them.

P.J Carlesmio "Really what Pop told me was really similar to what Jay told me. I just want you to sit there and tell me what you think. I want you to be comfortable challenging and saying why are we doing this or that. They can just say o.k, good idea but we are not doing that....shut up, or yeah that does make sense."

In his many coaching stops it has had Carlesmio come to Toronto as a visitor many times. P.J does not have fond memories of the city working as a coach on the other sideline.

P.J Carlesmio " Bad ones to be honest with you. We lost so much, I swear we lost here a bunch, even with the Spurs "

That being said he has always loved the city of Toronto as he said earlier and is familiar with it.

P.J Carlesmio "I have loved the city. I tried to recruit here. That is when I met Jonesy (Paul Jones) back in 1989. I have always spent time here. Obviously it was a lot easier when I was in the New York area. I am looking forward to getting to know the city a little more than I have been able to."

What Carlesmio will not have any control of is the Raptor roster that he ends up coaching. Which he admits could be very different by the time the season rolls around.

P.J Carlesmio- "A lot will depend on who we can keep here or who we bring in to augment what is already here. I really like the people I am going to be working with on the staff and in the front office. But I also like the talent that is here right now. I am certainly going like it a lot more if were able to keep some people here. I think we have a chance. "

He has seen all kinds of rosters over his time in the NBA from a young team in Oklahoma City/Seattle to a veteran filled Portland team. Whatever comes of the off-season he will be able to deal with it. He said that it is more of an issue for Bryan and management in terms of the roster.

The one thing that was refreshing is P.J has a sense of humour and is an engaging person to talk with. Sam Mitchell was always someone that you could count on to tell you like it is and give you a laugh as well. I think the same can be said about Carlesmio. As it worked out when I was leaving the ACC we shared an elevator ride. He took the time to shakes hands and introduce himself to me and the other media folks along for the ride. That is something that is classy and just a little thing, but it speaks to the character of someone in a small way. His wealth of experience can only help Triano and the rest of his staff. Which P.J is familiar with as well. P.J feels two of the more important things will be this team improving on the defensive end and the development of the young players on the roster.

This is one move that I have personally not heard anyone have anything bad to say about it. Which on it's own speaks volumes. I think he can have a positive impact on the staff and the team. It still won't solve the many questions that face Colangelo this off-season. However whatever this roster looks like when it is said and done, P.J Carlesmio should have a positive impact on it. The fact he was been part of an organization that has won multiply championships is a big plus for an organization that could use some of that experience. The Raptors have always been an organization that talks about wanting to win championships. Part of doing that is having people part of it that know what that is like. Triano and Colangelo both have never won an NBA Title or even been to a Finals. Adding someone that has even if it was only as an assistant can not hurt.

Tomorrow will get into the recruits that paid a visit the the ACC. That was in fact the actually reason everyone was there. Daniel Orton of Kentucky was in the house, and he seems like a nice young man. He also seems like a pretty decent basketball player. He passes the ball really well and that would fit nicely in the Raptor system. He is projected to go to the Raptors in the latest mock draft on draft express. It was his first time in Canada, so I hope that i represented our country well. Speaking of which Canada Basketball announced they are going to play a couple exhibition games in Toronto vs France. There was a joke that what would happen if they played Turkey? Sellout for sure if Turkoglu was playing. Something tells me Hedo would not make that trip. But it will be France, not Turkey that will provide the opposition. I hope people go out and support the national team. They deserve it, having qualified for the World Championships on all 4 levels. Men's senior and junior and Women's senior and junior.

Draft Workouts Thursday

Raptors will continue draft workouts tomorrow at the ACC. P.J Carlesmio will also meet with the media. But here is the list of draft hopefuls coming to town:

Jeremy Wise Guard 6-2 Bakersfield (NBDL)

Eric Hayes Guard 6-4 Maryland

Ekpe Udoh Forward 6-9 Baylor

Daniel Orton Forward 6-9 Kentucky

Larry Sanders Centre 6-10 Va. Commonwealth

Cole Aldrich Centre 6-11 Kansas

Dino Nation Blog will be in the house for the workouts. Looking forward to it. In addition, will be great to hear what P.J Carlesmio has to say about his new job with the Raptors. So off to Toronto we go on the Go-Train tomorrow morning. Hope to make this trip someday for the NBA Finals. But that is likely a long way off.

Help For Jay? P.J To The Rescue?

The Fan 590 and ESPN are reporting that the Raptors will be adding to the coaching staff. P.J Carlesimo has former head coach and assistant coach in the NBA and former NCAA head coach on his resume. P.J was most famously was part of the incident with Latrell Sprewell in which Sprewell attempted to apply a choke hold on his head coach Carlesmio. His last job was as head coach with Seattle/Oklahoma City, where he was fired after a 1-12 start when the team first landed in OKC. His career record as a head coach is less than impressive with a 204-296 record and was only 3-9 on the post season. He has had success as an assistant most notably with the San Antonio Spurs from 2002-2007. Before heading to the NBA he was the head coach at Seton Hall for 12 years 1982-1994. He has also spent time working in T.V at various points in between coaching jobs.

The word is that the Raptors are adding P.J and this will not mean another assistant is being shown the door. The speculation is that Carlesimo would help with the X and O's for the Raptors. This would allow Jay Triano to focus more on his players. This was something Triano admitted he did not do well last season. It also puts another former head coach on the Raptors bench. Joining Mark Ivaroni who coached the Grizzlies.

It is being reported that Raptors and Carlesmio have agreed to terms and this should be announced shortly. While the Raptors roster is very much in flux with recent Hedo Turkoglu comments and Bosh's impending free agency and likely departure. Jay Triano has only one year plus a team option on his contract. It is just guess work to know what Triano will have to work with next season in terms of a roster. However if he failed to meet expectations at the very least Carlesmio would be a viable replacement even if only on an interim basis. The pressure on Triano likely gets a little more as a result. But looking at it from a positive point of view this is clearly an upgrade to the staff as a whole.

Carlesmio may also prove to be helpful to the younger players on this roster with his long run in the NCAA. Carlesmio made Seton Hall a viable team in the ultra competitive Big East for many years. He could be an asset in helping develop young players like DeRozan, Weems and whatever could come the Raptors way via the draft or trades.

Carlesmio has always been well respected throughout the league and has left the Sprewell incident behind him. He is a good person and well respected and liked from anything I have every come across in reading or listening about him over the years. Let's just hope he is more successful than the Raptors last P.J was. P.J Tucker out of Texas was a Raptor 2nd round draft choice did not exactly work well. The "Baby Mule" last whereabouts was playing somewhere in Europe.

P.J Tucker was one and done. Let's hope P.J Carlesmio has a longer and brighter future with the Raptors.