So training camp opens in a few weeks and the NBA regular season open a few weeks after that. Training camp is really a time to get the kinks out from a summer off of intense training for some and for others, maybe a chance to catch up and see what teammates have been up to over the break. For Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, he's been working on a special project - the subject of which, is near and dear to my heart. Terry Fox started his "Marathon of Hope", running the equivalent of a marathon a day, when Steve Nash was just six years old. Both Terry Fox and Steve Nash are from Vancouver and Steve Nash remembers vividly waking up each morning to see where Terry was on his route. This is what makes "Into the Wind" so special. This is the title of Nash's documentary about Terry Fox and it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this past Sunday. It was produced by Meathawk, a production company Nash started with his cousin and production partner, Ezra Holland. Don't worry, if you didn't catch it at TIFF, it will be on ESPN on September 28 and most likely picked up by some Canadian network, I hope. I will be doing the Terry Fox Run this year as I do every year and it is always a favourite run of mine. So many of my family members have been affected by cancer and for some, it can be a very scary word. But people are given "death sentences" every day and beat it, so for me I try to live each day as the start of a new adventure not the last day of my last venture. I think Terry would have wanted it that way. It puts everything into perspective.
U.S.A Ends a Drought
As sad as I am to see our Canadian National Team flop at this year's Worlds, I am really happy for Kevin Durant and the rest of Team USA. Durant really carried this team, especially in the 81-64 win over Turkey to take the 2010 World Championship title when he racked up 28 points. They went a perfect 9-0 and won their first World Championship since 1994. I remember watching an interview done with a US network and Kevin Durant part way through the Worlds. Durant had a baseball cap on, a backpack too and was leaning on the kitchen counter with both elbows as if talking into a web cam. It's interviews like these that remind you how young some of these players are and how much they are expected to accomplish. So Durant was named MVP of the Worlds averaging 22.8 points per game, shot 55.6% from the field and made 91.2% of his shots from the foul line. Just amazing. USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski I am sure was pleased with how his team fared. He's been the Head Coach of the Duke University men's basketball team for about 30 years and over that time has acquired a taste for championships. I just hope Jay Triano, an Assistant Coach to Team USA, took home some notes of wisdom and applies this winning streak to the Raptors.
Allen Iverson Heading to Retirement?
Very sad if he does. So if you are in the NBA, not as strong as you once were and have issues off the court and no club comes calling for your services, what do you do? Head to China. That is a serious option Allen Iverson is considering. As you know, he played three games for Memphis last season before he came back to the Philadephia 76ers for a second run with this club. He averaged 13.9 points per game before taking a leave of absence to take care of some family issues. Remember Stephon Malbury? He was also not considered worthy by the NBA and played last season for Shanxi Zhongyu of the CBA - Chinese National Basketball Association. So maybe Iverson should give him a call and ask for some advice. Remember, Iverson also hasn't ruled out retirement. With a few weeks left to go before training camp starts, he better make up his mind.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Maybe a little part of me was giddy Team USA won the Worlds was because the book we are discussing this Thursday was written by Team USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski (with Jamie K. Spatola). I am sure The Gold Standard will provide some golden food for thought. Until Thursday, happy reading.
9/14/10
9/13/10
Thoughts For A Monday In September
First off apologies for no blog on Friday. I am conserving my energy for the season. Second I failed to mention this last week but we are going to start a weekly chat on Thursdays, for now that will start at 7pm but the time will likely change.
The NFL is perhaps the most hyped up sport there is in pro sports. Watching all of the stuff going down yesterday made me think about things here with Raptors and the NBA in general. Now one of the real shockers of week 1 was the Seattle Seahawks giving a beat down to the 49ers. It was suppose to be the opposite. The Raptors have been picked to finish dead last in the East by ESPN but it is just that a pick. Till we start playing games for real it is an educated guess at best. So just keep that in mind over the next month.
Some other lessons from the NFL week 1? Lebron James was in the house to watch our favourite football team- "America's Team". Dallas Cowboys are a lot of peoples pick to go to the Super Bowl. Not mine by the way even though I am a Cowboy fan. Well the Washington Redskins didn't get the memo and beat the Cowboys who looked anything like a championship team. Miami Heat have been pretty much crowned as Champions by many. That being said you still have to go out and meet expectations.
The last lesson for all teams is you never know what can happen. For that you only need to look at the Eagles game for the example. For the entire off-season Eagles fans and NFL experts have debated how Kevin Kolb will do replacing Donovan McNabb. Well a concussion and it is hello Mike Vick and suddenly the story changes. Injuries do not know who are good teams and who are bad teams. They have no idea who is a starter or who is a bench player. They just happen.
While Leboron James was chilling in a luxury box watching the Skins and Cowboys. Earlier in the day his replacement as the NBA's new hero was putting in work. Kevin Durant and team USA defeated the host Turkey and take home a gold from the world championships. Full marks to Kevin Durant for leading a team that was B or C listers in terms of what the U.S could actually have and still winning. Congrats to Jay Triano as well who was on that staff for team U.S.A. Does anyone doubt if Triano was coaching Canada we would have been better then 0-5?
Believe it or not NBA training camps will start opening up in a couple weeks. It has been one of the most eventful summers in league history and we are about 6 weeks away from the start of another NBA season. So GET READY.
The NFL is perhaps the most hyped up sport there is in pro sports. Watching all of the stuff going down yesterday made me think about things here with Raptors and the NBA in general. Now one of the real shockers of week 1 was the Seattle Seahawks giving a beat down to the 49ers. It was suppose to be the opposite. The Raptors have been picked to finish dead last in the East by ESPN but it is just that a pick. Till we start playing games for real it is an educated guess at best. So just keep that in mind over the next month.
Some other lessons from the NFL week 1? Lebron James was in the house to watch our favourite football team- "America's Team". Dallas Cowboys are a lot of peoples pick to go to the Super Bowl. Not mine by the way even though I am a Cowboy fan. Well the Washington Redskins didn't get the memo and beat the Cowboys who looked anything like a championship team. Miami Heat have been pretty much crowned as Champions by many. That being said you still have to go out and meet expectations.
The last lesson for all teams is you never know what can happen. For that you only need to look at the Eagles game for the example. For the entire off-season Eagles fans and NFL experts have debated how Kevin Kolb will do replacing Donovan McNabb. Well a concussion and it is hello Mike Vick and suddenly the story changes. Injuries do not know who are good teams and who are bad teams. They have no idea who is a starter or who is a bench player. They just happen.
While Leboron James was chilling in a luxury box watching the Skins and Cowboys. Earlier in the day his replacement as the NBA's new hero was putting in work. Kevin Durant and team USA defeated the host Turkey and take home a gold from the world championships. Full marks to Kevin Durant for leading a team that was B or C listers in terms of what the U.S could actually have and still winning. Congrats to Jay Triano as well who was on that staff for team U.S.A. Does anyone doubt if Triano was coaching Canada we would have been better then 0-5?
Believe it or not NBA training camps will start opening up in a couple weeks. It has been one of the most eventful summers in league history and we are about 6 weeks away from the start of another NBA season. So GET READY.
9/9/10
Starting 5- Back To School Edition With Paul Jones
It has become a tradition that when the kids go back to school, we here at the Dino Nation Blog have Paul Jones as a guest. Paul spent time in the education system so it seems to make sense. He hopefully educates us in terms of basketball and the Raptors. We, as we did with Jack Armstrong, take a look back at the off-season for the Raptors. If some of the questions sound the same, they were, and are meant to be as to give you some different points of view. We talk about Demar DeRozan and the chances that are in front of him to grow into a star. Andrea Bargnani and the good and bad of what Chris Bosh leaving will mean for him. Jose Calderon and how he fits in, after being traded and then not traded in terms of his status with the Raptors. All this and a bunch more with Paul, including what this summer means not just for the Raptors but the NBA as a whole. We also debate on International play and it's impact on the NBA.It is always great having Paul come be a guest with us. He makes it worthwhile and always has some interesting thoughts on basketball. We talked prior to this interview about how much things have changed for basketball fans from when we were younger. Still there is a long way to go for basketball in this country. Paul Jones has always been one of the soldiers on the front lines of the battle to get more basketball coverage here in Canada. It is a battle that we all share as fans of the Raptors and the game of basketball. Hopefully, trips to Vancouver for training camp and Montreal for an exhibition game, are steps in that direction for people from coast to coast who love basketball in Canada. I am grateful to have Paul as a guest as always it has been a great experience getting to know him as I have many of the other people that cover this team.
"Basketball Beyond the Floor"
"It is far more important to understand than to be understood" (Red and Me by Bill Russell with Alan Steinberg). This sums up who Red Auerbach was as a person, as a coach and as a friend. He didn't care what you thought of him. If you had the opportunity to play for him and had the honour of his friendship, he would walk through fire for you. Red and Me is the fourth book written by Bill Russell, this time with the help of Alan Steinberg, and is by far and large, the best book we've discussed all summer. I took this book personally and it's not too often books do this. As you know from following "Jiggly Bits" and "Basketball Beyond the Floor" here on the DNB, even if I decide a book is unworthy of revisiting, I know there is knowledge gained from spending time with it. This is what makes reading so worthwhile and very important. It helps you think outside the box. Even if you are not a Celtics fan, you need to read this book. It found me through doing this feature and I will be forever grateful. Let's dig in.
Apples and Oranges
When Red Auerbach coached and Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics, it was a different era in professional basketball. For one thing, Red Auerbach was white and Bill Russell was black. In today's day and age, it's not a big deal if there are friendships between whites, blacks, indians, chinese and the list goes on. But in 1956 when Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, he was still dealing with segregation and racism. As Russell describes in the book, he came from the deep south of the 1930s and 1940s, so he grew up in an environment where being friendly to whites was not cool. And all his life he dealt with 'unfriendly coaches', as he puts it. So when he was teamed up with Auerbach, he wasn't expecting much. But how quickly that changed. In the book, he describes the team travelling to Lexington, Kentucky in the early 60s. Russell and some of the other black players on the team tried to get food at the hotel restaurant and as it turned out, the restaurant didn't serve blacks. Red Auerbach called the owner and got them a private suite to eat in. When that wasn't good enough, he called again and convinced the owner to change his ways and the restaurant no longer segregated the establishment. This was huge. This was just a fraction of who he was off the court. After reading this, it makes you glad you didn't meet him on the court. A pretty close comparison? A volcano waiting to erupt.
Go to War with Me
Red Auerbach shows his coaching prowess when he talks about NBA referees: "I can't expect my players to fight for me if I don't fight for them. Besides that, if every time they make a tough call against us I raise holy hell, they might think twice and change their call because they'll know I'll be right up their ass". I don't necessarily agree with this line of thinking regarding referees but the part about fighting for his players, I do. The one thing Red Auerbach had going for him was his sense of respect above anything else. Bill Russell describes in the book what he calls a turning point in his career. It came in the 12th game of his rookie year. Bob Cousy was asked what play to call by Coach Auerbach during some point in the game. Cousy called a play that would get everyone out of position. So during the next huddle, a similar play was called and Russell sat down (Everyone stood in the huddles back then - so this was a way of silently protesting). When someone asked why he was sitting, Bill Russell replies "I play center. Everybody else is playing center tonight. I don't need to be in the huddle to know how to get out of their way". Auerbach then says, "Okay, nobody plays center but Russell". And that was that. This is not to say Russell threw a hissy fit and got his way. He was not feeling like he was a part of the team and voiced his concerns. As a rookie in his 12th game back then, to do that took guts. If that were today, you would get chewed out and sent to the locker room.
Be Careful Where you Tread
"All of us have this dark place inside us where we don't allow anyone else to go. Yet all our lives, we seek to let someone get a glimpse of that place and maybe reach inside and touch us. Just a touch - anymore than that would be too much to bear. The closer the friendship, the more often they get a glimpse, but it always remains our private sanctuary" (Bill Russell in Red and Me). Red Auerbach died on October 28, 2006. Bill Russell describes in the book, first hearing the news and later attending the funeral. He really had an interesting way of looking at life and death, I think. In Russell's eyes, a funeral is meant to celebrate the deceased person's life. He says he tried to be strong for Red Auerbach's children but when you loose someone that close to you, it's hard to prevent the tears from falling. In the days after, Bill Russell played golf and tried to do everything that he normally would have. I need remember this philosophy for next funeral I need to attend. My defense mechanism is joking around. I was at a funeral once and made a comment about someone who should clearly not be wearing leather pants (sorry, not a fan of them). I was quiet and the ceremony hadn't started yet, but a family member felt the need to remind me it was a funeral and I need to show respect. True. But it's not as if I took the microphone from the priest during the ceremony and called out Miss Leather Pants. My sister defended me by saying everyone deals with death in different ways. So there. I took a page out of the Bill Russell book of philosophy and showed you a glimpse of the dark side. If you wear leather pants, my apologies and I hope I didn't offend. I was grasping at straws then, in more ways than one.
What Bill Russell and Red Auerbach accomplished as colleagues and friends, transcended basketball. I don't think I will ever see another tandem like this in professional sports in my lifetime.
Flick Pick of the Week
This weekend, look up "Amazing Grace and Chuck". It's a movie about a boy quitting little league to protest nuclear weapons. NBA star Alex English who plays a fictional Boston Celtics Star, Amazing Grace Smith, joins him in protest by quitting basketball. I picked this one because of the Celtics connection and Red Auerbach makes a cameo.
Next Thursday, we will be discussing The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team By Mike Krzyzewski with Jamie K. Spatola. Some inspiring words from another great coach? I hope so. See you on Tuesday for another serving of "Jiggly Bits" and until then, happy reading.
Apples and Oranges
When Red Auerbach coached and Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics, it was a different era in professional basketball. For one thing, Red Auerbach was white and Bill Russell was black. In today's day and age, it's not a big deal if there are friendships between whites, blacks, indians, chinese and the list goes on. But in 1956 when Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, he was still dealing with segregation and racism. As Russell describes in the book, he came from the deep south of the 1930s and 1940s, so he grew up in an environment where being friendly to whites was not cool. And all his life he dealt with 'unfriendly coaches', as he puts it. So when he was teamed up with Auerbach, he wasn't expecting much. But how quickly that changed. In the book, he describes the team travelling to Lexington, Kentucky in the early 60s. Russell and some of the other black players on the team tried to get food at the hotel restaurant and as it turned out, the restaurant didn't serve blacks. Red Auerbach called the owner and got them a private suite to eat in. When that wasn't good enough, he called again and convinced the owner to change his ways and the restaurant no longer segregated the establishment. This was huge. This was just a fraction of who he was off the court. After reading this, it makes you glad you didn't meet him on the court. A pretty close comparison? A volcano waiting to erupt.
Go to War with Me
Red Auerbach shows his coaching prowess when he talks about NBA referees: "I can't expect my players to fight for me if I don't fight for them. Besides that, if every time they make a tough call against us I raise holy hell, they might think twice and change their call because they'll know I'll be right up their ass". I don't necessarily agree with this line of thinking regarding referees but the part about fighting for his players, I do. The one thing Red Auerbach had going for him was his sense of respect above anything else. Bill Russell describes in the book what he calls a turning point in his career. It came in the 12th game of his rookie year. Bob Cousy was asked what play to call by Coach Auerbach during some point in the game. Cousy called a play that would get everyone out of position. So during the next huddle, a similar play was called and Russell sat down (Everyone stood in the huddles back then - so this was a way of silently protesting). When someone asked why he was sitting, Bill Russell replies "I play center. Everybody else is playing center tonight. I don't need to be in the huddle to know how to get out of their way". Auerbach then says, "Okay, nobody plays center but Russell". And that was that. This is not to say Russell threw a hissy fit and got his way. He was not feeling like he was a part of the team and voiced his concerns. As a rookie in his 12th game back then, to do that took guts. If that were today, you would get chewed out and sent to the locker room.
Be Careful Where you Tread
"All of us have this dark place inside us where we don't allow anyone else to go. Yet all our lives, we seek to let someone get a glimpse of that place and maybe reach inside and touch us. Just a touch - anymore than that would be too much to bear. The closer the friendship, the more often they get a glimpse, but it always remains our private sanctuary" (Bill Russell in Red and Me). Red Auerbach died on October 28, 2006. Bill Russell describes in the book, first hearing the news and later attending the funeral. He really had an interesting way of looking at life and death, I think. In Russell's eyes, a funeral is meant to celebrate the deceased person's life. He says he tried to be strong for Red Auerbach's children but when you loose someone that close to you, it's hard to prevent the tears from falling. In the days after, Bill Russell played golf and tried to do everything that he normally would have. I need remember this philosophy for next funeral I need to attend. My defense mechanism is joking around. I was at a funeral once and made a comment about someone who should clearly not be wearing leather pants (sorry, not a fan of them). I was quiet and the ceremony hadn't started yet, but a family member felt the need to remind me it was a funeral and I need to show respect. True. But it's not as if I took the microphone from the priest during the ceremony and called out Miss Leather Pants. My sister defended me by saying everyone deals with death in different ways. So there. I took a page out of the Bill Russell book of philosophy and showed you a glimpse of the dark side. If you wear leather pants, my apologies and I hope I didn't offend. I was grasping at straws then, in more ways than one.
What Bill Russell and Red Auerbach accomplished as colleagues and friends, transcended basketball. I don't think I will ever see another tandem like this in professional sports in my lifetime.
Flick Pick of the Week
This weekend, look up "Amazing Grace and Chuck". It's a movie about a boy quitting little league to protest nuclear weapons. NBA star Alex English who plays a fictional Boston Celtics Star, Amazing Grace Smith, joins him in protest by quitting basketball. I picked this one because of the Celtics connection and Red Auerbach makes a cameo.
Next Thursday, we will be discussing The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team By Mike Krzyzewski with Jamie K. Spatola. Some inspiring words from another great coach? I hope so. See you on Tuesday for another serving of "Jiggly Bits" and until then, happy reading.
9/8/10
Muted Expectations
In terms of the off-season it is almost over. In some ways with all that has happened it has flown by. In others it just seems like Chris Bosh has not been a Raptor for ages. Maybe it is the constant media blitz in which we have seen the former Raptor on everything from the Espys to Entourage. Despite a lot of change this summer it is a safe bet this will not be known as one of Bryan Colangelo's best. Having Bosh walk was just the start of a long summer for Colangelo. He went on the attack and questioned his former stars effort in his final days. Bosh would not let that go unanswered though and from an unbias point of view it sure seemed like Bosh won that battle. There was also a trade that never happened in which Jordan pulled the rug out from Colangelo. Matt Barnes was a Raptor of a second until it became obvious that they couldn't afford him and he ends up a Laker making far less. He did at least get rid of Hedo Turkoglu for Barbosa. At this time last year many were praising Colangelo for signing Hedo. I am happy to say I wasn't one of them. That being said is it stunning how bad and how fast things went with Hedo? Hell yeah. He also signed another euro product in Linas Keliza.
In a new season you always are suppose to feel optimistic. Hard to feel optimistic given the summer it has been for the Raptors. Even harder when you look south and see the monster in Miami that awaits the entire Eastern Conference. I guess for season it is about optimism in certain individuals for lack of having much for the team. Demar DeRozan is at the front of that list for me. A young Chris Bosh was given the responsibility of being the franchise player when Vince Carter was shown the door. No one his handing Demar the keys to the franchise. However they are on the table for whoever wants to take them. If the Raptors are to have any hope of surprising anyone it begins with Demar DeRozan. If Demar does not have a break out sophomore season the season for the Raptors will be even longer and more painful.
Andrea Bargnani should be thrilled that the Young Guns with DeRozan have in a sense as group taken over that spotlight that was left open with Bosh leaving. Bargnani has not exactly been a shining star in that spotlight. This is a make or break year for Bargnani. He is going to have all the chance in the world to be successful. If he isn't that will be it. Not that his career will be over but any delusions that is able to be a franchise player will be. Given how he has performed in the past when Bosh has been injured I am not all that optimistic personally.
The point guard situation remains the same despite attempts to solve it in the off-season. Jarret Jack comes in as the man at the top of the depth chart. Calderon comes in injured from playing for Spain yet again. Not to mention most people are not exactly thrilled to see him back. If he thinks that he was booed last season, something he didn't like to much, that will be nothing compared to this year if he fails to cut it. Jack showed more leadership in one season here than Calderon has in his entire career as a Raptor. Jack helped be somewhat of a mentor for Weems and DeRozan.
That is a question to be answered who exactly leads this team? For about 5 years the answer was pretty simple it was Chris Bosh. It will be a question that needs an answer and quickly. Jay Triano has a real job ahead of him if he is going to be able to keep the Raptors heads above water. The bar has been set very low in terms of expectations for this team. Triano will not have a team full of superstars like he currently has as an assistant on Team USA. He will have a lot of work to do to keep the Raptors offense productive and figure out a way to make this team not a defensive nightmare. In a sense the low expectations give Triano even more rope to save his job. It still seems hard to imagine he can do better than the 40 wins he had last year with Bosh.
The one unknown factor for the Raptors is what if anything can they do with the trade exceptions they acquired over the summer. Will they even use them this season or wait till next off-season to play that chip? That likely gets determined by how this team performs early on. If this team is so far from the playoffs it makes no sense to use it than the Raptors likely will not use it. However if the crowds at the ACC grow smaller the temptation will be there to use it.
Other things to keep an eye on is the players with expiring contracts. We already saw Reggie Evans almost be traded along with Calderon. Marcus Banks also has one of those expiring deals as well. However, Colangelo himself seems to want build some cap space for the Raptors heading into a new CBA that promises to be even tighter and make cap space even more valuable.
In the end the season is more about laying the foundation for the Raptors future. The results of this season are not as important as the results of the next 5-7 seasons. Which seems ironic when you have a coach and g.m coming to the end of contracts. What success for the Toronto Raptors will be measured by is more in the individual pieces and what they can do. While everyone would like to believe the Raptors could some how catch lightning in a bottle and make the playoffs. It really is about getting a foundation that can make the playoffs consistently. Something that Raptors have never been able to accomplish.
While everyone talks a good game about Raptors needing to rebuild and start over. It is another thing to endure a season in which it will not be measured as much by wins and losses. It is hard to get pumped up and excited when making the playoffs are a distant memory in January. It is hard to watch your team loss and look for improvement in a Demar, Ed or Sonny. This season is a season that will establish who the hardcore fans are and who are just fair weather fans. It will be tough for those folks to endure watch Chris Bosh win while they suffer waiting for brighter days. But ready or not training camp is only a few weeks away.
In a new season you always are suppose to feel optimistic. Hard to feel optimistic given the summer it has been for the Raptors. Even harder when you look south and see the monster in Miami that awaits the entire Eastern Conference. I guess for season it is about optimism in certain individuals for lack of having much for the team. Demar DeRozan is at the front of that list for me. A young Chris Bosh was given the responsibility of being the franchise player when Vince Carter was shown the door. No one his handing Demar the keys to the franchise. However they are on the table for whoever wants to take them. If the Raptors are to have any hope of surprising anyone it begins with Demar DeRozan. If Demar does not have a break out sophomore season the season for the Raptors will be even longer and more painful.
Andrea Bargnani should be thrilled that the Young Guns with DeRozan have in a sense as group taken over that spotlight that was left open with Bosh leaving. Bargnani has not exactly been a shining star in that spotlight. This is a make or break year for Bargnani. He is going to have all the chance in the world to be successful. If he isn't that will be it. Not that his career will be over but any delusions that is able to be a franchise player will be. Given how he has performed in the past when Bosh has been injured I am not all that optimistic personally.
The point guard situation remains the same despite attempts to solve it in the off-season. Jarret Jack comes in as the man at the top of the depth chart. Calderon comes in injured from playing for Spain yet again. Not to mention most people are not exactly thrilled to see him back. If he thinks that he was booed last season, something he didn't like to much, that will be nothing compared to this year if he fails to cut it. Jack showed more leadership in one season here than Calderon has in his entire career as a Raptor. Jack helped be somewhat of a mentor for Weems and DeRozan.
That is a question to be answered who exactly leads this team? For about 5 years the answer was pretty simple it was Chris Bosh. It will be a question that needs an answer and quickly. Jay Triano has a real job ahead of him if he is going to be able to keep the Raptors heads above water. The bar has been set very low in terms of expectations for this team. Triano will not have a team full of superstars like he currently has as an assistant on Team USA. He will have a lot of work to do to keep the Raptors offense productive and figure out a way to make this team not a defensive nightmare. In a sense the low expectations give Triano even more rope to save his job. It still seems hard to imagine he can do better than the 40 wins he had last year with Bosh.
The one unknown factor for the Raptors is what if anything can they do with the trade exceptions they acquired over the summer. Will they even use them this season or wait till next off-season to play that chip? That likely gets determined by how this team performs early on. If this team is so far from the playoffs it makes no sense to use it than the Raptors likely will not use it. However if the crowds at the ACC grow smaller the temptation will be there to use it.
Other things to keep an eye on is the players with expiring contracts. We already saw Reggie Evans almost be traded along with Calderon. Marcus Banks also has one of those expiring deals as well. However, Colangelo himself seems to want build some cap space for the Raptors heading into a new CBA that promises to be even tighter and make cap space even more valuable.
In the end the season is more about laying the foundation for the Raptors future. The results of this season are not as important as the results of the next 5-7 seasons. Which seems ironic when you have a coach and g.m coming to the end of contracts. What success for the Toronto Raptors will be measured by is more in the individual pieces and what they can do. While everyone would like to believe the Raptors could some how catch lightning in a bottle and make the playoffs. It really is about getting a foundation that can make the playoffs consistently. Something that Raptors have never been able to accomplish.
While everyone talks a good game about Raptors needing to rebuild and start over. It is another thing to endure a season in which it will not be measured as much by wins and losses. It is hard to get pumped up and excited when making the playoffs are a distant memory in January. It is hard to watch your team loss and look for improvement in a Demar, Ed or Sonny. This season is a season that will establish who the hardcore fans are and who are just fair weather fans. It will be tough for those folks to endure watch Chris Bosh win while they suffer waiting for brighter days. But ready or not training camp is only a few weeks away.
9/7/10
"Jiggly Bits"
The first day of school. A time for jubilation for some and chaos for others. It made me wonder seeing all the floating and rolling backpacks this morning how our NBA freshman will fare when school's in for them. Learning the ins and outs of a new league and playing with new teammates are nerve racking on their own, never mind living up to the hype and the contracts. This is not to say 'let's feel sorry for the potential multi-millionaires'. I am just trying to see the forest through the trees and look at things from a human perspective. There will be a lot of kids struggling to make it in the NBA aside from the LeBrons, Wades, Boshs or Shaqs. I stress the word kids since some of these guys have not been responsible for their own well-being and now are being thrust into the sometimes very scary but very real world of big money and limelight. Some handle it with maturity and poise and others? Not so much. So to all the John Walls, Evan Turners and Ed Davis': good luck this year. We will all be watching. Let's touch more on some new faces, a 'Raptors for Sale' website and Hedo Turkoglu making it big in Turkey.
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
If I told you a current member of the Phoenix Suns roster scored 20 points at the Worlds, in front of a near capacity crowd of 15, 000, who comes to mind first? Well, if you said Hedo Turkoglu you must either be a fan of Turkey or a dream weaver. After all he has said about and done to the Raptors, the fact that Hedo is putting up some great numbers for Turkey make sme wonder if the NBA is just not the place for him to shine. Sure, you'll tell me to flash back to his time in Orlando and his flashes of brilliance with the Raptors. But who would have thought we would see this kind of play from him as we've seen from the Worlds so far. "Turkoglu drives around the defense.." Drive? Having some drive period is a real accomplishment for him. Think to your own workplace. Is there someone who is cranky and constantly complaining? Chances are they are not happy in there surroundings. So with this being said, we should take whatever they say with a grain of salt. In Hedo's case, he's experiencing some success so maybe this taste of winning some basketball games will cool the jets a little. He and his teammates play next on Wednesday when Turkey takes on Slovenia in the Quarter Finals.
Another game to keep an eye on is Russia versus U.S.A. on Thursday. Just giving you some options considering Team Canada's fate. They had five chances to win a game - a single game - and still came up short leaving the tournament with a 0-5 record. Some feel with Leo Rautins as Head Coach, they won't have a chance of making the cut at the next World Championships let alone another win. Just looking at the stats alone, some players who didn't really produce much were given a good chunk of playing time but I think there was more than really meets the eye in this department. In the week leading up to the tournament, Team Canada wasn't even at full strength yet dealing with illnesses and injuries. So Head Coach Leo Rautins was playing the players he had who were healthy and hoped for the best. So really, the fact that Canada was not successful at the 2010 World Basketball Championships cannot rest soley upon the shoulders of Coach Rautins. Incidentally, I have even heard some calls for Jack Armstrong to coach our national basketball squad. Very interesting.
"Canada Raptors for Sale"
Before you get all excited, the Toronto Raptors are not being relocated. In an attempt to jump on a few sites to see whose face is the franchise stamp for the upcoming season, I came across this website selling Raptors - as in the bird. Look at this description from one owner: "Flies free but hasn't killed...Feather Perfect. I don't need him anymore. $1,000 within Canada, 1200 to US. Includes shipping". Think about it. The Toronto Raptors are flying free without Bosh - free to make a fresh start. They haven't"killed" as a club yet...I know, I know. It's a stretch but it made me laugh thinking about shipping the club for $1200 US - in a really bad Looney Tunes episode, maybe.
I checked out the websites of the top four teams I'll be keeping an eye on this season: The Toronto Raptors, The Boston Celtics, The Miami Heat and of course, The Los Angeles Lakers. This is not to say I am ignoring all the others but in the interest of time and space and our current discussion, I'm sticking to these four.
For the Toronto Raptors, their slogan is: "Raptors + You = The perfect equation with DeMar DeRozan at the end of it. Maybe a play on the whole back to school thing but he's buried under a story on what the Raptors Dance Pak have been up to. DeMar and the Dance Pak are cool but the only thing this says is there's not much going on..yet.
For the Boston Celtics, they have Rajon Rondo tagged on the end of "The Boston Celtics - The official site of the 17-time World Champions". Good choice for the face of a franchise. Shaquille O'Neil is more recognizable but he's only going to be there for 2 years, if that and then it's retiresville for Mr. Shaq vs. I think it's funny how they are bragging about the 17 Championships and the Lakers are on number 16. As far as success, the Boston Celtics have accomplished more than any other club in the NBA and in professional sports for that matter. It will be a while before the Lakers or any other NBA team rack up 8 consecutive Championship titles.
For the Miami Heat, they have no real slogan but a photo of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh with their backs turned to the website viewer. You can only see #6 and James on one jersey and the other two are clearly Wade and Bosh. So all the Heat have to do is show these three and they're done promoting? Not even having them facing forward and only acknowledging LeBron name and number. Not too cool in my books.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, they have a simply stated "The Official site of the Los Angeles Lakers" and a scrolling through of photos from various members of their roster, not just Kobe Bryant. It's not until you click on one of their articles do they brag about winning the 2010 NBA Championship in a title banner. The Celtics site is more up to date because they had the signing of Delonte West to talk about but the Los Angeles Lakers take the prize for having the best site in my books. Course, this may change as I visit every site. I just wanted to know how some clubs are putting they best face forward this season.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
I am very excited about this Thursday's edition of "Basketball Beyond the Floor". You need to be in on this one. Red and Me is clearly the best book of the season, for me anyway. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
If I told you a current member of the Phoenix Suns roster scored 20 points at the Worlds, in front of a near capacity crowd of 15, 000, who comes to mind first? Well, if you said Hedo Turkoglu you must either be a fan of Turkey or a dream weaver. After all he has said about and done to the Raptors, the fact that Hedo is putting up some great numbers for Turkey make sme wonder if the NBA is just not the place for him to shine. Sure, you'll tell me to flash back to his time in Orlando and his flashes of brilliance with the Raptors. But who would have thought we would see this kind of play from him as we've seen from the Worlds so far. "Turkoglu drives around the defense.." Drive? Having some drive period is a real accomplishment for him. Think to your own workplace. Is there someone who is cranky and constantly complaining? Chances are they are not happy in there surroundings. So with this being said, we should take whatever they say with a grain of salt. In Hedo's case, he's experiencing some success so maybe this taste of winning some basketball games will cool the jets a little. He and his teammates play next on Wednesday when Turkey takes on Slovenia in the Quarter Finals.
Another game to keep an eye on is Russia versus U.S.A. on Thursday. Just giving you some options considering Team Canada's fate. They had five chances to win a game - a single game - and still came up short leaving the tournament with a 0-5 record. Some feel with Leo Rautins as Head Coach, they won't have a chance of making the cut at the next World Championships let alone another win. Just looking at the stats alone, some players who didn't really produce much were given a good chunk of playing time but I think there was more than really meets the eye in this department. In the week leading up to the tournament, Team Canada wasn't even at full strength yet dealing with illnesses and injuries. So Head Coach Leo Rautins was playing the players he had who were healthy and hoped for the best. So really, the fact that Canada was not successful at the 2010 World Basketball Championships cannot rest soley upon the shoulders of Coach Rautins. Incidentally, I have even heard some calls for Jack Armstrong to coach our national basketball squad. Very interesting.
"Canada Raptors for Sale"
Before you get all excited, the Toronto Raptors are not being relocated. In an attempt to jump on a few sites to see whose face is the franchise stamp for the upcoming season, I came across this website selling Raptors - as in the bird. Look at this description from one owner: "Flies free but hasn't killed...Feather Perfect. I don't need him anymore. $1,000 within Canada, 1200 to US. Includes shipping". Think about it. The Toronto Raptors are flying free without Bosh - free to make a fresh start. They haven't"killed" as a club yet...I know, I know. It's a stretch but it made me laugh thinking about shipping the club for $1200 US - in a really bad Looney Tunes episode, maybe.
I checked out the websites of the top four teams I'll be keeping an eye on this season: The Toronto Raptors, The Boston Celtics, The Miami Heat and of course, The Los Angeles Lakers. This is not to say I am ignoring all the others but in the interest of time and space and our current discussion, I'm sticking to these four.
For the Toronto Raptors, their slogan is: "Raptors + You = The perfect equation with DeMar DeRozan at the end of it. Maybe a play on the whole back to school thing but he's buried under a story on what the Raptors Dance Pak have been up to. DeMar and the Dance Pak are cool but the only thing this says is there's not much going on..yet.
For the Boston Celtics, they have Rajon Rondo tagged on the end of "The Boston Celtics - The official site of the 17-time World Champions". Good choice for the face of a franchise. Shaquille O'Neil is more recognizable but he's only going to be there for 2 years, if that and then it's retiresville for Mr. Shaq vs. I think it's funny how they are bragging about the 17 Championships and the Lakers are on number 16. As far as success, the Boston Celtics have accomplished more than any other club in the NBA and in professional sports for that matter. It will be a while before the Lakers or any other NBA team rack up 8 consecutive Championship titles.
For the Miami Heat, they have no real slogan but a photo of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh with their backs turned to the website viewer. You can only see #6 and James on one jersey and the other two are clearly Wade and Bosh. So all the Heat have to do is show these three and they're done promoting? Not even having them facing forward and only acknowledging LeBron name and number. Not too cool in my books.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, they have a simply stated "The Official site of the Los Angeles Lakers" and a scrolling through of photos from various members of their roster, not just Kobe Bryant. It's not until you click on one of their articles do they brag about winning the 2010 NBA Championship in a title banner. The Celtics site is more up to date because they had the signing of Delonte West to talk about but the Los Angeles Lakers take the prize for having the best site in my books. Course, this may change as I visit every site. I just wanted to know how some clubs are putting they best face forward this season.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
I am very excited about this Thursday's edition of "Basketball Beyond the Floor". You need to be in on this one. Red and Me is clearly the best book of the season, for me anyway. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.
9/3/10
Free Flow Friday
I have a bunch of random thoughts for you on Friday. I guess that just like everyone else a holiday weekend is coming and I don't really feel like taxing my brain or yours. So I will let my mind wander and you can do the same in the comments if you like.
1. What is more depressing the lack of expectations for the Raptors or the fact this time next year we could be talking about a lockout?
2. Form the isn't in ironic files, Chris Bosh says loyalty is a bonus in pro sports, wonder if he feels the same way about marriage as it was announced he plans on marrying his current girlfriend. The same girlfriend that was on Entourage with him.
3. Keeping on the Entourage tip. Who would it be more fun to be for a day? Mark Cuban or Ari Gold. It is a tough call.
4. Canada basketball is my pain and frustration. But just like your family you can't pick where you are born. I am proudly Canadian and will always support the people that choose to represent this country. That being said new coach? YES PLEASE!!!
5. Ti-Cats and Argos again. Enjoy when my hometown can stick it to the Argos. @Lenito on twitter does not as much. If you are not a fan of the CFL give it a shot this weekend. Labour Day weekend is a lot of fun in the CFL.
6. Am I putting far to much pressure on Demar and totally under value Bargnani? Perhaps but I am not convinced the Bargnani can shine in the spotlight. Demar has the swag to go with a work ethic that I think he can be special.
7. Sport Media is going to hell. I mean TSN 2 now Sportsnet 1 it really is becoming a joke how the major sports networks have run out of ideas and resorted to simple cash grabs and the hell with the viewers.
8. Based on #7 will I ever work for TSN or Sportsnet? On my side of things you never say never but if they follow this blog or my Twitter account they are not likely a fan.
9. Myck Kabongo who was in the blog this week really gave me hope for the future in a lot of ways. Young man seems nice and as his head screwed on straight. May that never change for him because it has for a lot of others.
10. Have I ever had less expectations for a Raptor season than this one? Can't think of one. Maybe I have become more jaded over the years. 16 years to be a Raptor fan it's a long time.
That is all I got feel free to react to any of these or leave some comments of your own. It is free flow Friday so let it flow and go. Everyone have a happy holiday weekend and I will be back Tuesday with hopefully a guest. Be safe and take care as you enjoy the end of unofficial end to summer.
1. What is more depressing the lack of expectations for the Raptors or the fact this time next year we could be talking about a lockout?
2. Form the isn't in ironic files, Chris Bosh says loyalty is a bonus in pro sports, wonder if he feels the same way about marriage as it was announced he plans on marrying his current girlfriend. The same girlfriend that was on Entourage with him.
3. Keeping on the Entourage tip. Who would it be more fun to be for a day? Mark Cuban or Ari Gold. It is a tough call.
4. Canada basketball is my pain and frustration. But just like your family you can't pick where you are born. I am proudly Canadian and will always support the people that choose to represent this country. That being said new coach? YES PLEASE!!!
5. Ti-Cats and Argos again. Enjoy when my hometown can stick it to the Argos. @Lenito on twitter does not as much. If you are not a fan of the CFL give it a shot this weekend. Labour Day weekend is a lot of fun in the CFL.
6. Am I putting far to much pressure on Demar and totally under value Bargnani? Perhaps but I am not convinced the Bargnani can shine in the spotlight. Demar has the swag to go with a work ethic that I think he can be special.
7. Sport Media is going to hell. I mean TSN 2 now Sportsnet 1 it really is becoming a joke how the major sports networks have run out of ideas and resorted to simple cash grabs and the hell with the viewers.
8. Based on #7 will I ever work for TSN or Sportsnet? On my side of things you never say never but if they follow this blog or my Twitter account they are not likely a fan.
9. Myck Kabongo who was in the blog this week really gave me hope for the future in a lot of ways. Young man seems nice and as his head screwed on straight. May that never change for him because it has for a lot of others.
10. Have I ever had less expectations for a Raptor season than this one? Can't think of one. Maybe I have become more jaded over the years. 16 years to be a Raptor fan it's a long time.
That is all I got feel free to react to any of these or leave some comments of your own. It is free flow Friday so let it flow and go. Everyone have a happy holiday weekend and I will be back Tuesday with hopefully a guest. Be safe and take care as you enjoy the end of unofficial end to summer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
