Many said it was not possible but the final nail was driven through the heart of Cleveland. LBJ, D-Wade and Bosh will all play for the Miami Heat. It would appear the Raptors may have got nothing for Bosh and Cleveland definitely got nothing for James. While South Beach parties the rest of the NBA is not or shouldn't be. Forget about if this team can or will win a title. There is all summer to talk about that. What this free agent period of 2010 will do is create the Lockout 2011. This all coming together was in the face of what the CBA is designed to do. Make no mistake beyond Cleveland and Toronto who are the clear big losers in this, other struggling NBA franchises will not be happy about this as well. If it can happen to Toronto and Cleveland it can happen to them.
This is a dark day for the NBA even thought it may not seem like it now. Part of me is sickened by what we have watched happen here. On the other hand I can't help but be impressed by what these 3 guys have been able to pull off aided by Pat Riley. Least Riley's massive ego did not, at least for now, bring him back behind the bench. Lebron James 23's were being lit a flame in Cleveland but this wildfire may burn down the entire game, as already tense CBA talks have just become even more intense based on this. These guys have a tremendous chance to win a ring and then they may shut the game down quite literally.
This is a happy night for Heat Fans and Miami...but realize it now or not, this is a terrible night for the NBA. Wonder if ESPN will be as excited for the lockout, as the 2 years of hype they have invested in this 2010 Free Agency. It was only right that this side show ended where it started. ESPN in 2 years got the destinations of Bosh, James and Wade wrong how many times? I don't have time to count that high.
Good Night and Good Luck fans of basketball we will all need it.
Showing posts with label 2010 Free Agency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Free Agency. Show all posts
7/8/10
The Starting 5 With Oak
It is a pleasure for me to have talked with for many, one of the most loved Raptors of all time Charles Oakley. We chatted about his thoughts on all this 2010 madness. We look at his time with the Raptors. He also give his thoughts on his desire to coach in the NBA. He gives his thoughts on that and a number of things in the league. We also get into what Charles has done off the floor and what he is up to these days. Charles is looking to start his own cooking show and is involved in a bunch of things including producing movies. It was great to talk with Charles and get his take on a number of subjects. Like any interview I have ever head with Charles there are some interesting and honest answers. This was a great treat for me and I hope it will be for you as well.It is always interesting to hear from Charles Oakley and it would be great to see him back as a part of the NBA in some way. If that happens or not is hard to say. However, Charles Oakley will always have things going to keep himself busy and happy. Oakley if he does come back to the NBA, would bring some old school mentality with him and that is a good thing for the league. Whatever Oak does though, he does it with his full effort and it has earned him respect in Toronto, New York and with all NBA fans that watched him play. Much love and thanks to Charles Oakley.
You can follow Charles on Twitter.
Response to this interview was so large it crashed the bandwidth on are normal service. We thank you for the overwhelming response and if you were unable to listen the problem has been corrected and we apologize for this issue.
Big Free Agent Signings Aren't the Key
As Raptors fans, we’ve heard this so many times, I’ve lost count: “Players don’t want to sign in Toronto.” It is widely held that this is one of the main reasons that the Raptors have been unable to find success in their 15-year history. In order to see if this is an excuse we give ourselves to explain away years of bottom-feeding or a legitimate line of thinking, I thought I would take a look at teams that were at the top of the NBA heap last year. I will simply state whether their core guys, as well as their key contributors, were drafted, acquired through trade or signed via free agency from another team. I will only focus on how they were initially acquired (any re-signings will not be considered unless the player was moved and reacquired). For our purposes, any sign and trade will be considered a free-agent signing.
Boston Celtics: Ray Allen (trade), Kevin Garnett (trade), Rajon Rondo (drafted by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Boston Celtics that summer), Paul Pierce (draft), Kendrick Perkins (drafted by the Grizzlies and traded to the Boston Celtics that summer), Glen Davis (drafted by the Supersonics and traded to Boston that summer).
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James (draft), Antawn Jamison (trade), Shaquille O’Neal (free-agency), Anderson Varejao (drafted by the Orlando Magic then traded to the Cavs that summer), Anthony Parker (free-agency), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (drafted by the Cavs, played 12 seasons for them before being traded to the Wizards. Never played a game in Washington and was re-signed by the Cavs for relative loose change).
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (drafted by the Bucks and traded to the Mavs that summer), Jason Kidd (trade), Shawn Marion (free-agency), Caron Butler (trade), Jason Terry (free-agency), Brendan Haywood (trade).
Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony (draft), Chauncey Billups (trade), Nene (drafted by the Knicks then traded to the Nuggets that summer), Kenyon Martin (free-agency), Chris Anderson (free-agency), J.R. Smith (trade), Ty Lawson (drafted by the Timberwolves and traded to Denver that summer).
LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant (drafted by Charlotte and traded to the Lakers that summer), Pau Gasol (trade), Andrew Bynum (draft), Lamar Odom (trade), Ron Artest (free-agency), Derek Fisher (returned through free-agency but initially drafted by the Lakers).
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant (draft), Russell Westbrook (draft), Jeff Green (drafted by the Celtics and traded to the Supersonics, now OKC, that summer), Serge Ibaka (draft), James Harden (draft).
Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard (draft), Jameer Nelson (drafted by the Nuggets and immediately traded to the Magic), Rashard Lewis (free-agency), Vince Carter (trade), Mickael Pietrus (free-agency), J.J. Redick (draft).
Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash (returned through free-agency but initially drafted by the Suns), Amar’e Stoudemire (draft), Jason Richardson (trade), Grant Hill (free-agency), Leandro Barbosa (drafted by the Spurs and traded to the Suns that summer), Goran Dragic (drafted by the Spurs and traded to the Suns that summer), Jared Dudley (trade), Channing Frye (free-agency).
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan (draft), Tony Parker (draft), Manu Ginobili (draft), Richard Jefferson (trade), George Hill (draft), DeJuan Blair (draft).
Utah Jazz: Deron Williams (draft), Mehmet Okur (free-agency), Carlos Boozer (free-agency), Andrei Kirilenko (draft), Paul Millsap (draft), Wesley Matthews (undrafted rookie signing).
It’s important to note that only after of building a winner through the draft and trading that teams are easily able to plug holes through free-agent signings. Some examples of this are Rasheed Wallace with the Celtics, Grant Hill with the Suns, and Ron Artest with the Lakers.
I also decided to look at some of the notable players on this current Raptors squad and see how they were acquired (trade, draft, signing).
Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh (draft), Andrea Bargnani (draft), DeMar DeRozan (draft), Amir Johnson (trade), Sonny Weems (trade), Jarrett Jack (free-agency), Hedo Turkoglu (free-agency), Jose Calderon (free-agency).
You’ll notice that the two, widely considered, worst contracts are Hedo’s and Jose’s (both of whom were signed via free-agency). With the exception of Jarrett Jack, the rest of the players who are considered valuable assets were either drafted or traded for by the Raptors.
This model isn’t limited to the NBA. To use the example of arguably the top three teams in the NHL, their top players last year were acquired through the draft. In Chicago, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith were drafted by the Blackhawks; in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar (before he left to Ottawa) and Jordan Staal were drafted by the Penguins; in Washington, Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green were drafted by the Capitals. Just like the example of Artest with the Lakers, the Blackhawks were able to woo Marian Hossa to Chicago because they already had a team in place ready for a championship.
This is the first year that so many top-tier players have been acquired through free-agency in the NBA. Amar’e, Bosh, and possibly LeBron (we’ll find out tonight on ESPN) are the exceptions to the rule and belief that winners are built through the draft and trading. When a team is drafting or trading, players usually have no choice but to go to the city that’s drafting or trading for them. All of the teams mentioned above have done excellent jobs of drafting superstars and making trades that have significantly improved their rosters. Here we see that this is where the Toronto Raptors organization has failed—NOT through a lack of free-agent willingness to play here.
By the looks of things now, the Raptors should be getting a high draft pick next year. It might take a while, but if the Raptors are to ever become successful, they have to hope to land a superstar through the draft to compliment the solid young pieces that are already in place.
Boston Celtics: Ray Allen (trade), Kevin Garnett (trade), Rajon Rondo (drafted by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Boston Celtics that summer), Paul Pierce (draft), Kendrick Perkins (drafted by the Grizzlies and traded to the Boston Celtics that summer), Glen Davis (drafted by the Supersonics and traded to Boston that summer).
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James (draft), Antawn Jamison (trade), Shaquille O’Neal (free-agency), Anderson Varejao (drafted by the Orlando Magic then traded to the Cavs that summer), Anthony Parker (free-agency), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (drafted by the Cavs, played 12 seasons for them before being traded to the Wizards. Never played a game in Washington and was re-signed by the Cavs for relative loose change).
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (drafted by the Bucks and traded to the Mavs that summer), Jason Kidd (trade), Shawn Marion (free-agency), Caron Butler (trade), Jason Terry (free-agency), Brendan Haywood (trade).
Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony (draft), Chauncey Billups (trade), Nene (drafted by the Knicks then traded to the Nuggets that summer), Kenyon Martin (free-agency), Chris Anderson (free-agency), J.R. Smith (trade), Ty Lawson (drafted by the Timberwolves and traded to Denver that summer).
LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant (drafted by Charlotte and traded to the Lakers that summer), Pau Gasol (trade), Andrew Bynum (draft), Lamar Odom (trade), Ron Artest (free-agency), Derek Fisher (returned through free-agency but initially drafted by the Lakers).
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant (draft), Russell Westbrook (draft), Jeff Green (drafted by the Celtics and traded to the Supersonics, now OKC, that summer), Serge Ibaka (draft), James Harden (draft).
Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard (draft), Jameer Nelson (drafted by the Nuggets and immediately traded to the Magic), Rashard Lewis (free-agency), Vince Carter (trade), Mickael Pietrus (free-agency), J.J. Redick (draft).
Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash (returned through free-agency but initially drafted by the Suns), Amar’e Stoudemire (draft), Jason Richardson (trade), Grant Hill (free-agency), Leandro Barbosa (drafted by the Spurs and traded to the Suns that summer), Goran Dragic (drafted by the Spurs and traded to the Suns that summer), Jared Dudley (trade), Channing Frye (free-agency).
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan (draft), Tony Parker (draft), Manu Ginobili (draft), Richard Jefferson (trade), George Hill (draft), DeJuan Blair (draft).
Utah Jazz: Deron Williams (draft), Mehmet Okur (free-agency), Carlos Boozer (free-agency), Andrei Kirilenko (draft), Paul Millsap (draft), Wesley Matthews (undrafted rookie signing).
It’s important to note that only after of building a winner through the draft and trading that teams are easily able to plug holes through free-agent signings. Some examples of this are Rasheed Wallace with the Celtics, Grant Hill with the Suns, and Ron Artest with the Lakers.
I also decided to look at some of the notable players on this current Raptors squad and see how they were acquired (trade, draft, signing).
Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh (draft), Andrea Bargnani (draft), DeMar DeRozan (draft), Amir Johnson (trade), Sonny Weems (trade), Jarrett Jack (free-agency), Hedo Turkoglu (free-agency), Jose Calderon (free-agency).
You’ll notice that the two, widely considered, worst contracts are Hedo’s and Jose’s (both of whom were signed via free-agency). With the exception of Jarrett Jack, the rest of the players who are considered valuable assets were either drafted or traded for by the Raptors.
This model isn’t limited to the NBA. To use the example of arguably the top three teams in the NHL, their top players last year were acquired through the draft. In Chicago, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith were drafted by the Blackhawks; in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar (before he left to Ottawa) and Jordan Staal were drafted by the Penguins; in Washington, Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green were drafted by the Capitals. Just like the example of Artest with the Lakers, the Blackhawks were able to woo Marian Hossa to Chicago because they already had a team in place ready for a championship.
This is the first year that so many top-tier players have been acquired through free-agency in the NBA. Amar’e, Bosh, and possibly LeBron (we’ll find out tonight on ESPN) are the exceptions to the rule and belief that winners are built through the draft and trading. When a team is drafting or trading, players usually have no choice but to go to the city that’s drafting or trading for them. All of the teams mentioned above have done excellent jobs of drafting superstars and making trades that have significantly improved their rosters. Here we see that this is where the Toronto Raptors organization has failed—NOT through a lack of free-agent willingness to play here.
By the looks of things now, the Raptors should be getting a high draft pick next year. It might take a while, but if the Raptors are to ever become successful, they have to hope to land a superstar through the draft to compliment the solid young pieces that are already in place.
6/9/10
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.
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.
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