Bryan Colangelo addressed the media via telephone conference today for his first public comments on Free Agency, The Nash attempted signing, The trade for Kyle Lowry that was made official today and the offer sheet for Landry Fields. He also managed to get in talk of Jonas and the draft choices this season of Terrance Ross and Quincy Acy. Remember how the Raptors were going to make the playoffs this year? That has been tweaked to contend for a playoff spot. While Colangelo is never one to lack confidence today was no different but that is a tweak to the expectations level that was set entering into this process. As for the future of Jose Calderon that remains very much in the air but even Colangelo admitted that Jose was "not thrilled about the trade" and likely not about the Raptors pursuit of Steve Nash although that was not stated.
Colangelo stated "There have been multiple inquires about Jose's availability since speculation began about Lowry being acquired." Colangelo said teams were inquiring both about trades and the possibility that Calderon could be amnestied or bought out by the Raptors. Colangelo suggested that a few trade ideas had been put forth by other teams. In terms of the new point guard coming in Colangelo classed him as a "starting caliber point guard" he left it for Casey to determine if he would start in a situation that saw both him and Calderon remain on the roster to start the season. Where things get murky for me is what the Raptors will do if Calderon in fact moves. As we told you a few days ago the Raptors had to rescind their qualifying offer for Bayless. So if Calderon is moved or amnestied that would leave Lowry as the only point guard on the roster. That is a problem. It might be something you could fill with someone from the summer league on a minimum deal. Bobby Brown is said to be getting a second look from the Raptors as an example. Safe to say no matter what happens the Raptors have some issues to address at the point guard position. Everyone in Toronto loves a good point guard controversy right? If you had been successful in landing Steve Nash this is not an issue at all. One of the many differences in Lowry compared to Nash. Still it would appear Jose Calderon is less than thrilled by the actions of his team in NBA as he prepares to represent Spain in the upcoming Olympics in London.
So what of that whole Steve Nash thing? What does Bryan have to say about that? Colangelo had this to say on the failed attempt to land Steve Nash. "Obviously our number one target in free agency was Steve Nash for a multitude of reasons." That obviously didn't happen for Colangelo and the Raptors moved on to make a deal with Houston that Colangelo claims had died off at the draft and was revisited on July 3rd as the Raptors were waiting to hear from Steve on his decision. Colangelo still feels the team's goals have not changed despite his thoughts on Nash. "Steve Nash is a not only a special player but a special person and obviously means a lot to this country and would have for our organization. You can only control what you can control. I respect Steve a great deal for making his decision with family first and probably basketball second." Colangelo said he can't fault a guy for that. Colangelo claims, the expectations for the off-season was not just about Nash, but about adding two lottery level talents as additions to the roster. He points out if you have not heard this 100 times at least already that Jonas Valancuinas would be arguably the second pick had he been in this draft class. But still this has to be a blow for the franchise overall in terms of attracting free agents in the future? "Not at all." Colangelo would state some what strongly. He would elaborate when asked to do so. "You have to look at the circumstances that Steve put forth and take them at face value. I truly believe there were family issues and well as competitive issues, the timing of such may have not been ideal. But it was something that was considered for all the right reasons." If you believe Bryan or not the perception in the fan base has been pretty clear on this topic. Most feel Toronto has had and continues to have a problem in bringing in top name talent via free agency. This was another reason why had the Nash deal happened it would have had a impact on the Raptors in a positive way. But without it happening it only strengthens the idea that the Raptors can not land top end free agents. Colangelo contents agents were calling looking for deals for various clients. However, one has to wonder if a Raptors team with cap room is just seen as pawn in the game of free agency chess to get guys deals elsewhere at this point.
Still many feel including those that were not on board with Nash deal that Lowry who the Raptors have picked up is an excellent basketball move and Colangelo seems very happy when talking about the move he was able to make. "We're getting a terrific player, a great value and a chance to have a player grow into the future of the position for the Toronto Raptors." Colangelo would continue later in talking about Lowry, "Kyle is a bulldog, labelled a bulldog by players, coaches everybody that plays against him." Bryan feels that he will add some toughness and grit to the Raptors along with other players coming into the mix. He raves about all the statistical data and analytical statistical info.
There was also lots of talk of Landry Fields who many felt the Raptors signed to an offer sheet as part of their push to sign Steve Nash. Colangelo does admit that was part of thinking behind the move but also was a player they value on his own merits. "It was a combination of both, I will acknowledge that he was a significant or valuable piece in a potential sign and trade with Phoenix, but what we feel we have gotten in Landry Fields (Assuming Knicks don't match) a very valuable piece. For a team that is looking to add depth at really two spots as we see him a swing player between the 2 and 3 spots." Colangelo continues on to rave about Mr Fields " He rebounds the ball well at small forward or as a big two. We think that he is a high basketball IQ , Trustworthy performer, that knows how to raise the stakes everyday in practice and knows how to raise his level every time the team steps on the floor for a game." Wow no wonder Spike Lee loves this guy. I have heard more talk of how hot his girlfriend is and the fact he had Jeremy Lin sleeping on his couch in recent times. That said Colangelo maintained a lot of Raptors evaluations were based on his rookie season in which most would agree he was pretty outstanding for the Knicks. As for the Contract? Colangelo in the course of the presser said that you ultimately are going to over pay in free agency and even more so in restricted free agency. He also noted that people seem to have an issue with any contract he signs. That said they are confident based on their evaluations he can live up to the deal in place. Someone has to be.... right? Most feel the Raptors are in a sense giving the dollars Kyle Lowry deserves to Fields and that Fields should make the money Lowry is pegged to earn. Whatever the case may be it adds up to the same.
There was still lots more and will rap this up with some of the other things mentioned. Let's start with Summer League. Early indications are coach Casey is thrilled with what he has seen from Terrance Ross the Raptors first round pick. In general you can expect an uptempo style from the Raptors in Summer League. Bryan said that they see Jonas projected as an elite level center in the NBA ultimately. They feel he will develop faster than people might think. Those people would not be in the fan base though right as some folks already have this kid being the second coming. No doubt without Nash and the shield that he would provide all it will be very interesting to see how Jonas does. There was quiet talk the Raptors were not thrilled that he will miss Summer League as he was able to help his country along with soon to be teammate Linas Kleiza qualify for the Olympics in London. You will never hear B.C say that though as the NBA does not like that sort of thing. If you are hoping for an Andre Iguodala type trade allow Bryan Colangelo to pour some cold water on that indirectly as he feels that Raptors have addressed the small forward position and if no moves were made is content with what he has on the roster assuming Fields offer is not matched. Colangelo did make a point they were still active in looking to improve. Raptors obvious still have Calderon hanging in the wind as trade bait. What he also confirmed though is the team with out using the Amnesty provision would be capped out with the current roster and salaries that are yet to be added. Fields and Acy to name a couple.
In the end Colangelo put on a brave face and tried to convince all that Raptors were still building towards a bigger and brighter future. Some how that seems hard to see for the casual fan of this team. Can they be better? It is possible but what is also true is the Division around them has improved at a much more dramatic rate and having a super team in Brooklyn if a Dwight Howard deal were to happen would only increase that. Lots of time before the season starts but almost everyone feels there is more work to do even Colangelo I would suspect.
Showing posts with label Steve Nash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Nash. Show all posts
7/1/12
Raptors Are All In On Nash
If you are not familiar with poker term "All In" basically it when a player declares they are pushing all their chips into the pot. This is basically what the Raptors have done with their pursuit of Steve Nash. The first and foremost is in what they plan to be offering the two time MVP in terms of dollars. The reported figure will be 12 million for 3 years. There seems to be a debate on if all 3 years will be guaranteed, or if the third year in which Nash would turn 41 years old is team option or not. Still however you cut it, the Raptors it is safe to say will have the highest bid in the game. While some have criticized this move here is a couple things to consider. First the Raptors would amnesty Jose Calderon in order to make this offer who was set to make 10.5 million dollars this season. That would now come off the Raptors cap and basically double the amount of cap room they have. Also at least for the upcoming season they are only paying 1.5 million more to have Nash as their starting point guard. Not a bad deal really. In terms of people that are not fans of Calderon it is a bargain just to get rid of Jose at all.
The second thing to consider is how one of the new soon to be owners managed their baseball team this season. There was a lot of buzz for the Blue Jays just like the Raptors have now heading into the baseball off-season. The Jays were rumoured to be in the hunt for the prize of MLB Free Agency Prince Fielder. As it turned out they did not even step to the plate on that one. They also were reported as the team that was going to land Japanese sensation Yu Darvish. However although the Jays were in the hunt their bid to acquired the rights to the Japanese pitcher fell far short of the over 50 Million Texas paid for just his rights. The result of these two failures by the Blue Jays was a lot of disgruntled and unhappy fans. If the Raptors had made it known they were in the hunt for Steve Nash and only made a token offer to see if he would bite, let's face it they would be loudly attacked. Raptors fans lost their mind over a draft pick at 8, there is no telling their reaction if the Raptors allowed themselves to get out bid on Nash.
But it isn't just money the Raptors are packing. They have Wayne Gretzky riding shotgun. Yeah the hockey player you might have heard of him. According to Michael Grange the Raptors have a taped message from "The Great One" making a plea or case for Nash to come to Toronto. But not just that, Wayne will be on stand by on the phone to talk to Nash as well. Nothing has been said of what Gretzky might say. However Wayne in past has talked about how he came close a few times to landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career. In fact one of those times apparently was before he ended his career in New York with the Rangers. If Wayne told Nash a story of regret that he never had a chance to play in Toronto that would make a powerful message you have to figure for Nash. This let's face it is likely his last contract in the NBA especially if it is going to be for 3 years.
The Raptors also have plans to talk about opportunities for Nash in his post NBA Career. A pitch not unlike the one Jack Armstrong laid out in his interview with us just prior to the NBA Draft. Colangelo and company are expected to met with Nash this morning. He will also talk with the Knicks today according to several reports. NBA-TV says Nash will also talk with Miami, Indiana and the Suns. Portland who was rumoured to be on Nash's list took themselves out of the mix you have to figure by offering Roy Hibbert a max contract. It appears the Raptors will have the first turn at bat with Nash and that may be a good sign. Those hoping for the Canada Day Movie finish to this story might not get it. If he indeed plans to talk to 5 teams I can see that happening in the span of 12 hours. Maybe it could and maybe after hearing the Raptors pitch it might be just a case of can anyone top this?
Two other potential players in this mix would be, the loser of the battle between the Mavs and Nets for Deron Williams. However, they may be to late to the party as Nash has made it known he does not want this to be a lengthy process. He also will not be having a special on TSN or Sportsnet to announce his decision I would think. The Raptors have really taken the bull by the horns and clearly have been making their pitch known through the media. It is a wise move as it might do a couple of things. If a team is sitting on the fence about Nash or off trying to pursue someone else, they likely don't waste their time knowing what the Raptors have offered. Also they have let it be know to all of Canada what Steve Nash would be turning down if he ultimately were to decide to go elsewhere. This is something the Jays never did in the cases I mentioned above. We have no idea to this day if they offered anything to Fielder or what they bid on Darvish. To have that made public knowledge might make Nash inclined to take the deal and not disappoint a nation of people that would love to see him take it. Well most of the nation anyway.
Let's not forget Bryan Colangelo won a Steve Nash sweepstakes already bringing him back to the team that drafted him in Phoenix. Now Colangelo is attempting to bring Steve Nash home to his country. He clearly has made one hell of an effort based on all the information that is out there.
All of that said this situation has gone so far now that ultimately this is going to be the biggest moment in history of the Raptors or perhaps the most epic failure in history of the organization. Colangelo has never been afraid to take big gambles. This in many ways might be the biggest of all. If he fails to succeed bringing Nash home to the Raptors there really is no plan B or C that will measure up in terms of excitement for fans. Especially those casual fans that would be most impacted by this move. The Raptors become instantly relevant to those people if Nash comes on board. Even if he does deliver, you have a point guard with a history of back trouble that is not getting any younger. Also you have spent a lot of money to get him and you still are likely in need of a starting small forward to make this truly work. James Johnson, Sonny Weems or moving Demar DeRozan to the position is not going to cut it. While Terrance Ross who the Raptors drafted is not expected to start this season.
Still that is something Colangelo will be happy to figure out once he has this deal all done. Clearly this is the biggest risk of Colangelo's career with the Raptors. It is far more risky than the trade that blew up in his face for Jermaine O'Neal. This is one where people are emotionally invested and if he fails to deliver the goods there will be a lot of sad Raptor fans that will quickly turn to angry ones. At the end of the day though Colangelo has a lot of guts and on some level you have to respect that. All we can do is wait and see what happens. Even if this does get done the official announcement and signing will not take place till July 11th as by that time the NBA will have set the cap numbers for the upcoming season. So will see how ultimately this news comes to light. Who knows Steve Nash might even tweet it. Till we get a tweet, smoke signal or whatever it is just a waiting game.
The second thing to consider is how one of the new soon to be owners managed their baseball team this season. There was a lot of buzz for the Blue Jays just like the Raptors have now heading into the baseball off-season. The Jays were rumoured to be in the hunt for the prize of MLB Free Agency Prince Fielder. As it turned out they did not even step to the plate on that one. They also were reported as the team that was going to land Japanese sensation Yu Darvish. However although the Jays were in the hunt their bid to acquired the rights to the Japanese pitcher fell far short of the over 50 Million Texas paid for just his rights. The result of these two failures by the Blue Jays was a lot of disgruntled and unhappy fans. If the Raptors had made it known they were in the hunt for Steve Nash and only made a token offer to see if he would bite, let's face it they would be loudly attacked. Raptors fans lost their mind over a draft pick at 8, there is no telling their reaction if the Raptors allowed themselves to get out bid on Nash.
But it isn't just money the Raptors are packing. They have Wayne Gretzky riding shotgun. Yeah the hockey player you might have heard of him. According to Michael Grange the Raptors have a taped message from "The Great One" making a plea or case for Nash to come to Toronto. But not just that, Wayne will be on stand by on the phone to talk to Nash as well. Nothing has been said of what Gretzky might say. However Wayne in past has talked about how he came close a few times to landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career. In fact one of those times apparently was before he ended his career in New York with the Rangers. If Wayne told Nash a story of regret that he never had a chance to play in Toronto that would make a powerful message you have to figure for Nash. This let's face it is likely his last contract in the NBA especially if it is going to be for 3 years.
The Raptors also have plans to talk about opportunities for Nash in his post NBA Career. A pitch not unlike the one Jack Armstrong laid out in his interview with us just prior to the NBA Draft. Colangelo and company are expected to met with Nash this morning. He will also talk with the Knicks today according to several reports. NBA-TV says Nash will also talk with Miami, Indiana and the Suns. Portland who was rumoured to be on Nash's list took themselves out of the mix you have to figure by offering Roy Hibbert a max contract. It appears the Raptors will have the first turn at bat with Nash and that may be a good sign. Those hoping for the Canada Day Movie finish to this story might not get it. If he indeed plans to talk to 5 teams I can see that happening in the span of 12 hours. Maybe it could and maybe after hearing the Raptors pitch it might be just a case of can anyone top this?
Two other potential players in this mix would be, the loser of the battle between the Mavs and Nets for Deron Williams. However, they may be to late to the party as Nash has made it known he does not want this to be a lengthy process. He also will not be having a special on TSN or Sportsnet to announce his decision I would think. The Raptors have really taken the bull by the horns and clearly have been making their pitch known through the media. It is a wise move as it might do a couple of things. If a team is sitting on the fence about Nash or off trying to pursue someone else, they likely don't waste their time knowing what the Raptors have offered. Also they have let it be know to all of Canada what Steve Nash would be turning down if he ultimately were to decide to go elsewhere. This is something the Jays never did in the cases I mentioned above. We have no idea to this day if they offered anything to Fielder or what they bid on Darvish. To have that made public knowledge might make Nash inclined to take the deal and not disappoint a nation of people that would love to see him take it. Well most of the nation anyway.
Let's not forget Bryan Colangelo won a Steve Nash sweepstakes already bringing him back to the team that drafted him in Phoenix. Now Colangelo is attempting to bring Steve Nash home to his country. He clearly has made one hell of an effort based on all the information that is out there.
All of that said this situation has gone so far now that ultimately this is going to be the biggest moment in history of the Raptors or perhaps the most epic failure in history of the organization. Colangelo has never been afraid to take big gambles. This in many ways might be the biggest of all. If he fails to succeed bringing Nash home to the Raptors there really is no plan B or C that will measure up in terms of excitement for fans. Especially those casual fans that would be most impacted by this move. The Raptors become instantly relevant to those people if Nash comes on board. Even if he does deliver, you have a point guard with a history of back trouble that is not getting any younger. Also you have spent a lot of money to get him and you still are likely in need of a starting small forward to make this truly work. James Johnson, Sonny Weems or moving Demar DeRozan to the position is not going to cut it. While Terrance Ross who the Raptors drafted is not expected to start this season.
Still that is something Colangelo will be happy to figure out once he has this deal all done. Clearly this is the biggest risk of Colangelo's career with the Raptors. It is far more risky than the trade that blew up in his face for Jermaine O'Neal. This is one where people are emotionally invested and if he fails to deliver the goods there will be a lot of sad Raptor fans that will quickly turn to angry ones. At the end of the day though Colangelo has a lot of guts and on some level you have to respect that. All we can do is wait and see what happens. Even if this does get done the official announcement and signing will not take place till July 11th as by that time the NBA will have set the cap numbers for the upcoming season. So will see how ultimately this news comes to light. Who knows Steve Nash might even tweet it. Till we get a tweet, smoke signal or whatever it is just a waiting game.
6/29/12
Draft De Ja Vu?
First before we get into what the Raptors did last night I just want to thank the folks at St Louis Wings for being our hosts for another year for the NBA Draft. Thanks to everyone that came out and had fun with us as well. No matter what the Raptors do in the draft it has been proven the last couple years that will have fun on NBA Draft night. As for what the Raptors did let's first take a walk down memory lane.
Mighty Mouse was back in the house for the Toronto Raptors as he was a guest for the Raptors draft party down at the ACC. He of course played at Arizona and in the Pac-10. The draft that year was held in Toronto at Skydome. The crowd that night would boo the eventual rookie of the year that night the crowd wanted Ed O'Bannon not the small point guard from the Wildcats. Speed ahead to modern times and the Raptors were picking and headed to that same conference for their pick. Terrance Ross from the Washington Huskies and now the Pac-12 was not on anyone's radar for the Raptors at 8. Most had Ross pegged to go in the mid-teens in the draft. So why did the Raptors go there? According to them it was a combination of his ability to shoot the ball and do it from distance along with his defense. It is not a case of complete De Ja Vu as I am pretty confident in saying Ross is not going to be challenging for Rookie of the Year. The Raptors hope they might have that in form of Jonas Valanciunas, that would their hope anyway. If there is an Ed O'Bannon in all of this that might be Austin Rivers who many felt the Raptors would select. That said just like Ross is likely not going to win Rookie of the Year, it is doubtful Rivers would be a complete bust.
Tank Nation will look to a few wins down the stretch of the season that forced the Raptors into a coin flip with the Golden State Warriors. In winning that coin flip the Warriors ended up with Harrison Barnes who many believe that if he was there the Raptors would have surly loved to pick him at 8. Let's face it there are always a lot of would of and could of situations in an NBA Season. If Andrea Bargnani does not get injured are the Raptors even picking at 8 in the first place. If he was healthy the Raptors likely are even deeper in the pool in terms of their pick. While I love Raptor fans some of you tend to over react just a bit at times. No more so than at the draft it seems. Can I tell you Ross was a terrible pick. No I really can't. In terms of seeing him play with the NBA Lockout I can't say that I caught a lot of Washington Huskies games this year. I am pretty sure not to many people in Toronto Canada were checking out the Huskies on regular basis. Ultimately it looks like Ross will have a chance to be a roll player with specific tasks in terms of making shots and defending. If that guy that everyone says is coming home to Canada actually does, Ross would be a nice player to play along side him at times with Demar DeRozan who is looking a little bigger playing at small forward. If Nash does indeed come along with Jonas already coming the amount of pressure on Ross will be small. If anything by what he wore last night I know a girl that will be a fan of his just based on that.
Now the Raptors had two more picks in the 2nd round and as promised at 56 the Raptors drafted a Euro at 56 that will not be part of the roster this year so let's not even bother talking about that. I had half seriously and half jokingly said I was more interested to see what the Raptors would do at 37 than I was at 8. While nothing is a sure thing and especially in the 2nd round that is true, the Raptors may just have finally hit a home run in the second round. If you were a fan of Reggie Evans and the way he played basketball just go down to Real Sports and get a Jersey with Acy on the back. From the first time I saw Quincy Acy play at Baylor I nicknamed him "Baby Reggie" because he looked like a clone of Reggie Evans. Turns out the comparison is not lost on him as well as he mentions Evans as one the guys he patterns himself after. This kid just flat out works. Ed Davis if he ultimately is around just got someone that will push him for minutes in a major way. Dwane Casey is going to LOVE LOVE LOVE Quincy Acy. This guy is nothing but hustle with a big old beard. Raptors fans have always respected hard working blue collar players and that is what Quincy Acy is.
So at the end of the day the Raptors still have a lot of work to do for this team to be a playoff team. But they did get some pieces to a puzzle last night. The largest piece of the puzzle is likely still Steve Nash. Once that domino falls it would lead to an exciting era for the Raptors regardless of anything else that happens. Still just Nash alone will not be enough, it will take some more moves and work to be done. It is exciting times for the Raptors. July 1st can not get here soon enough for people. I was able to drop in at the ACC and speak with Amir Johnson and Demar DeRozan prior to the draft and will get those interviews up in some form or fashion later today or Monday.
Mighty Mouse was back in the house for the Toronto Raptors as he was a guest for the Raptors draft party down at the ACC. He of course played at Arizona and in the Pac-10. The draft that year was held in Toronto at Skydome. The crowd that night would boo the eventual rookie of the year that night the crowd wanted Ed O'Bannon not the small point guard from the Wildcats. Speed ahead to modern times and the Raptors were picking and headed to that same conference for their pick. Terrance Ross from the Washington Huskies and now the Pac-12 was not on anyone's radar for the Raptors at 8. Most had Ross pegged to go in the mid-teens in the draft. So why did the Raptors go there? According to them it was a combination of his ability to shoot the ball and do it from distance along with his defense. It is not a case of complete De Ja Vu as I am pretty confident in saying Ross is not going to be challenging for Rookie of the Year. The Raptors hope they might have that in form of Jonas Valanciunas, that would their hope anyway. If there is an Ed O'Bannon in all of this that might be Austin Rivers who many felt the Raptors would select. That said just like Ross is likely not going to win Rookie of the Year, it is doubtful Rivers would be a complete bust.
Tank Nation will look to a few wins down the stretch of the season that forced the Raptors into a coin flip with the Golden State Warriors. In winning that coin flip the Warriors ended up with Harrison Barnes who many believe that if he was there the Raptors would have surly loved to pick him at 8. Let's face it there are always a lot of would of and could of situations in an NBA Season. If Andrea Bargnani does not get injured are the Raptors even picking at 8 in the first place. If he was healthy the Raptors likely are even deeper in the pool in terms of their pick. While I love Raptor fans some of you tend to over react just a bit at times. No more so than at the draft it seems. Can I tell you Ross was a terrible pick. No I really can't. In terms of seeing him play with the NBA Lockout I can't say that I caught a lot of Washington Huskies games this year. I am pretty sure not to many people in Toronto Canada were checking out the Huskies on regular basis. Ultimately it looks like Ross will have a chance to be a roll player with specific tasks in terms of making shots and defending. If that guy that everyone says is coming home to Canada actually does, Ross would be a nice player to play along side him at times with Demar DeRozan who is looking a little bigger playing at small forward. If Nash does indeed come along with Jonas already coming the amount of pressure on Ross will be small. If anything by what he wore last night I know a girl that will be a fan of his just based on that.
Now the Raptors had two more picks in the 2nd round and as promised at 56 the Raptors drafted a Euro at 56 that will not be part of the roster this year so let's not even bother talking about that. I had half seriously and half jokingly said I was more interested to see what the Raptors would do at 37 than I was at 8. While nothing is a sure thing and especially in the 2nd round that is true, the Raptors may just have finally hit a home run in the second round. If you were a fan of Reggie Evans and the way he played basketball just go down to Real Sports and get a Jersey with Acy on the back. From the first time I saw Quincy Acy play at Baylor I nicknamed him "Baby Reggie" because he looked like a clone of Reggie Evans. Turns out the comparison is not lost on him as well as he mentions Evans as one the guys he patterns himself after. This kid just flat out works. Ed Davis if he ultimately is around just got someone that will push him for minutes in a major way. Dwane Casey is going to LOVE LOVE LOVE Quincy Acy. This guy is nothing but hustle with a big old beard. Raptors fans have always respected hard working blue collar players and that is what Quincy Acy is.
So at the end of the day the Raptors still have a lot of work to do for this team to be a playoff team. But they did get some pieces to a puzzle last night. The largest piece of the puzzle is likely still Steve Nash. Once that domino falls it would lead to an exciting era for the Raptors regardless of anything else that happens. Still just Nash alone will not be enough, it will take some more moves and work to be done. It is exciting times for the Raptors. July 1st can not get here soon enough for people. I was able to drop in at the ACC and speak with Amir Johnson and Demar DeRozan prior to the draft and will get those interviews up in some form or fashion later today or Monday.
6/15/12
Hope is Back In the House In Raptorland
I can say that the last year or so has been the most painful in doing the Dino Nation Blog and just in general as a Raptor fan since the very start. There was a long and painful off-season that was all about the NBA Lockout. It was a dark and dank time that offered no signs of hope for the coming fall. Even when the lockout came to an end sometime in November it did not really offer much hope in terms of the Raptors. Bryan Colangelo made it pretty clear by his words and his actions that the Raptors goals had little to do with what would actually take place this season. At least in respect to challenging to be back in playoffs. The Raptors basically were back to square one almost in some senses. They had a new coach that was going to "Change the Culture" of the Raptors. We have heard this before many times. To his credit, if anything this was accomplished this season, Dwane Casey actually did that. It was the flickering of that hope coming back. It had been all but erased when Chris Bosh took his talents to South Beach. The Raptors can say what they like about that, but they clearly got caught with their pants down in that whole situation. They were ill prepared to move on to a new era without Bosh as the centerpiece.
This off-season the Raptors have the chance to move forward from the abyss they have been in since Chris Bosh left. The buzz is back around the Raptors as they have been the most talked about team heading into the NBA Draft and NBA Off-Season. Colangelo offered no hope last season with the promise of hope in this season to come. He even did that in terms of his draft pick last season taking Jonas Valancuinas. Which at the time was not the most popular choice with many Raptor fans. After a year most folks have had a change of heart. That might be in part because of the Raptors marketing of their pick constantly, or it might be that Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker the two guys most fans wanted, have been below expectations at the start of their NBA careers.
The excitement is back in the Raptor fan base and you only need to spend a day on social media like Twitter to see that is. The danger is the excitement is based on rumours, talk and buzz. Bryan Colangelo to keep this momentum going needs to answers this buzz with actions that live up to it. Which could be pretty hard to do when all is said and done. We have heard names like Steve Nash, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and others as being possible Raptors. There is also a buzz around the draft as well and what the Raptors could do with 8th pick if they in fact keep it. Colangelo has done nothing to throw a wet blanket on these expectations so you have to believe he is going to try and match them or exceed them. This is by far the most challenging off-season for Colangelo in his time in Toronto. To say that it is make or break for his legacy and long term job security is not speculation as much as it is fact.
I have said many times that in all sports what a sports franchise is in the business of really doing, is selling this idea of hope to it's fanbase. The Raptors are once again able to do that with fans having some realistic and some not so realistic expectations for this franchise and the players that make up the roster and those who could. If at the end of this off-season the Raptors can be considered a playoff team or a contender to be one that will be the first step in restoring some real hope for this franchise. Something that has been hard to do even when they had Chris Bosh for the last couple years of his run here in Toronto. It is always a good feeling to have hope for the future. Not just in sports but in life in general.
The next step in this process of hope might not be so easy. It is the same one that 27 other NBA Teams will face. That is how on earth can you be a serious contender for a NBA Title. If the first two games of the NBA Finals have not convinced you that OKC and Miami is on another level from the rest of the NBA you will eventually learn this lesson. It is more than logical to think we can be on the verge of a Celtics vs Lakers type of rivalry that could dominate this decade. But the Raptors are far from worrying about those monsters that lie ahead they would just like to get back to the post season and be part of that conversation. In a season that might include the NHL being on the sidelines with their own lockout. This is a time to capture the hearts and minds of the casual sports fans in Toronto and Canada. The Raptors had this handed to them before when the NHL missed an entire season and they missed out on that golden opportunity. They now may get a rare second chance to get it right. This a long with the fact you have a fan base that is starting to feel like they have seen it all before and tired of excuses and want to see some results. The time is now for the Raptors to be on the attack. We have 15 days to July the 1st and the Raptors in that time need to find a way to make all the right moves and cash in on all this buzz and hope that has been created.
This off-season the Raptors have the chance to move forward from the abyss they have been in since Chris Bosh left. The buzz is back around the Raptors as they have been the most talked about team heading into the NBA Draft and NBA Off-Season. Colangelo offered no hope last season with the promise of hope in this season to come. He even did that in terms of his draft pick last season taking Jonas Valancuinas. Which at the time was not the most popular choice with many Raptor fans. After a year most folks have had a change of heart. That might be in part because of the Raptors marketing of their pick constantly, or it might be that Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker the two guys most fans wanted, have been below expectations at the start of their NBA careers.
The excitement is back in the Raptor fan base and you only need to spend a day on social media like Twitter to see that is. The danger is the excitement is based on rumours, talk and buzz. Bryan Colangelo to keep this momentum going needs to answers this buzz with actions that live up to it. Which could be pretty hard to do when all is said and done. We have heard names like Steve Nash, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and others as being possible Raptors. There is also a buzz around the draft as well and what the Raptors could do with 8th pick if they in fact keep it. Colangelo has done nothing to throw a wet blanket on these expectations so you have to believe he is going to try and match them or exceed them. This is by far the most challenging off-season for Colangelo in his time in Toronto. To say that it is make or break for his legacy and long term job security is not speculation as much as it is fact.
I have said many times that in all sports what a sports franchise is in the business of really doing, is selling this idea of hope to it's fanbase. The Raptors are once again able to do that with fans having some realistic and some not so realistic expectations for this franchise and the players that make up the roster and those who could. If at the end of this off-season the Raptors can be considered a playoff team or a contender to be one that will be the first step in restoring some real hope for this franchise. Something that has been hard to do even when they had Chris Bosh for the last couple years of his run here in Toronto. It is always a good feeling to have hope for the future. Not just in sports but in life in general.
The next step in this process of hope might not be so easy. It is the same one that 27 other NBA Teams will face. That is how on earth can you be a serious contender for a NBA Title. If the first two games of the NBA Finals have not convinced you that OKC and Miami is on another level from the rest of the NBA you will eventually learn this lesson. It is more than logical to think we can be on the verge of a Celtics vs Lakers type of rivalry that could dominate this decade. But the Raptors are far from worrying about those monsters that lie ahead they would just like to get back to the post season and be part of that conversation. In a season that might include the NHL being on the sidelines with their own lockout. This is a time to capture the hearts and minds of the casual sports fans in Toronto and Canada. The Raptors had this handed to them before when the NHL missed an entire season and they missed out on that golden opportunity. They now may get a rare second chance to get it right. This a long with the fact you have a fan base that is starting to feel like they have seen it all before and tired of excuses and want to see some results. The time is now for the Raptors to be on the attack. We have 15 days to July the 1st and the Raptors in that time need to find a way to make all the right moves and cash in on all this buzz and hope that has been created.
5/22/12
Vinsanity, Linsanity and Insanity
Today starts a new era for the Dino Nation Blog. I am excited to get Team DNB rolling. I hope you will enjoy the contributions of the team I have put together. The hope is at the end of the day we end up with more content and better content for you the readers, listeners and viewers of the Dino Nation Blog. Having people that I can count on will allow me to focus on doing more audio and video content moving forward. It will also give me a chance to work on other things like attempting to get more guests for the Starting 5, planning some events to involve you more in the Dino Nation Blog and focus on building a big and better Dino Nation Blog in general. That in a nutshell explains why #Team DNB was created. I am still looking for more people to potentially be part of our team. The goal is to have a strong well oiled machine by the time the Raptors get ready to start next season in the fall. So I hope you will enjoy this and will enjoy the new people and content and fun this will hopefully create for you as a DNB reader. That all said, I still will be writing here and haven't done that in about a week, as I took some time off to take a break and get these new folks all set up to be part of DNB. So in the famous words of Reggie Evans LET'S GET IT!!
While I was away if you had told me we would be talking about Vince Carter on the first day I was back that probably would have made me chuckle. He did an interview with the guys from Raptorblog on The Score. While the interview was well done and interesting, it in the end was typical Vince Carter. The one thing that seemed to get everyone talking was the fact that Vince said he would be willing to consider returning to Toronto. This seemed to shock people and it was almost like the Raptors were actually considering that. I don't think an older version of Vinsanity is what the Raptors have in mind for solving their issues at small forward. Carter has never been the greatest defender in the world either. I am all for Vince having his day in the sun returning to Toronto to have his number retired some day. I just don't care to see him back for a second run with the Raptors. Antonio Davis did that once for a little while and it only showed that he was a shadow of his former self. Ultimately Vince Carter has reached the point in his NBA career that if he wants to keep playing can he really rule out any team to play for at this point? It is not like people were knocking down his door last year before he eventually signed in Dallas. It is not like how he performed with the Mavs has made his value increase at all. So while it would be interesting for writing and create lots of interest, both positive and negative, the idea of Vince Carter coming back to the Raptors is kind of far fetched and doesn't make any sense.
Speaking of not making sense that brings us to Jeremy Lin and the Raptors supposed interest in him. Keep in mind I was the guy and this was the blog that suggested the Raptors get Jeremy Lin last off-season before there was a Linsanity and a ton of hype attached to him. This was as an economically friendly flyer on a kid that might have some talent. The truth is the Raptors getting into a game of chicken with the New York Knicks for Jeremy Lin only benefits them if they lose. Jeremy Lin is going to get paid too much money by some team based on two things. Potential and buzz, will drive the price for Lin beyond what he truly deserves to make. If the Raptors are in this just to force up the price on Lin and make their division rivals the Knicks spend more money than they want too, that is a smart move on their part. If not and they bring him in to be the starter that would be a big mistake and a massive change from Jose Calderon. While Calderon has never been liked by me, I am happy to admit he is very efficient and rarely turns over the ball. Even at the height of Linsanity people who questioned if it would last, brought up his high turnover numbers. On a young and developing team looking to take the next step, I am not convinced that you want a starting point guard that is turnover prone. Ideally you would love the idea of Lin as a back up, playing behind a Jose Calderon or perhaps a Steve Nash. That said he is going to demand to many dollars for that to be a realistic situation. At the end of the day the Knicks will likely have the bird rights to Lin and will no doubt use them to keep him. So if you have dreams of Linasinty invading the ACC on a nightly basis they are best left as dreams. I like Lin and still think he could be a player at some point but not willing to gamble on it with a big money contract. This is why it made sense to grab him last season when the cost was next to nothing.
The Raptors getting Steve Nash makes more sense in the short team for them. If they can do that and find a developing young point guard to play behind him, that is the ultimate best case scenario for the Raptors. The Knicks are also interested in him. If you can only have one of two guys between Lin and Nash, the answer should be obvious. The danger for the Raptors is that the Knicks could have a way to have both if Nash is willing to take less money to play in New York. Nash will have many options depending on what his price tag will be and what his intentions are in terms of wanting to win a championship. It is a longer and much more unclear journey here in Toronto. That said when Nash was in this position before it fair to say that the Suns were not exactly a contender in for anyone after a horrible season missing the playoffs. Steve Nash was younger than though and had a long future to look forward too. Now his future is not nearly as long and his window to win a ring is small. The fact he is coming to the end of his career could be a benefit to the Raptors or a curse depending on what Nash is truly thinking.In the past Nash has expressed a desire to end his career playing in Canada and the Raptors are the only game in town to make that happen. However to convince Steve Nash that Raptors can reach an NBA Finals in the East before his time in the NBA is done is a tough job to sell. Bryan Colangelo sold Steve Nash once before but this time around will be much tougher. If it is a case of Nash or Lin the buzz created by Nash will play much better in Canada for Nash while bringing in Lin would open eyes south of the border. The risks with Steve Nash are all about health and age. No one will question his talent as two time MVP and a future hall of famer.
The one thing not being talked about in all of this is what becomes of Jose Calderon. If the Raptors truly are targeting both Lin and Nash this makes you wonder what that means for Calderon. It would seem unlikely the Raptors keep him especially if Nash ends up being the guy. So what would the Raptors be getting if they tried to move Calderon. That is a part of this whole equation that might be interesting. Could the Raptors deal Jose and add some more pieces to make this a better more attractive landing spot for Steve Nash? They just might be able too. One thing is clear based on the off-season buzz that has already started before the playoffs have even ended, it is suggesting the Raptors are going to be active and be a part of a lot of stories. Most of which are based in speculation and not fact. At the end of the day Bryan Colangelo's reality whatever it ends up being needs to be very good. His job could ultimately depend on it.
While I was away if you had told me we would be talking about Vince Carter on the first day I was back that probably would have made me chuckle. He did an interview with the guys from Raptorblog on The Score. While the interview was well done and interesting, it in the end was typical Vince Carter. The one thing that seemed to get everyone talking was the fact that Vince said he would be willing to consider returning to Toronto. This seemed to shock people and it was almost like the Raptors were actually considering that. I don't think an older version of Vinsanity is what the Raptors have in mind for solving their issues at small forward. Carter has never been the greatest defender in the world either. I am all for Vince having his day in the sun returning to Toronto to have his number retired some day. I just don't care to see him back for a second run with the Raptors. Antonio Davis did that once for a little while and it only showed that he was a shadow of his former self. Ultimately Vince Carter has reached the point in his NBA career that if he wants to keep playing can he really rule out any team to play for at this point? It is not like people were knocking down his door last year before he eventually signed in Dallas. It is not like how he performed with the Mavs has made his value increase at all. So while it would be interesting for writing and create lots of interest, both positive and negative, the idea of Vince Carter coming back to the Raptors is kind of far fetched and doesn't make any sense.
Speaking of not making sense that brings us to Jeremy Lin and the Raptors supposed interest in him. Keep in mind I was the guy and this was the blog that suggested the Raptors get Jeremy Lin last off-season before there was a Linsanity and a ton of hype attached to him. This was as an economically friendly flyer on a kid that might have some talent. The truth is the Raptors getting into a game of chicken with the New York Knicks for Jeremy Lin only benefits them if they lose. Jeremy Lin is going to get paid too much money by some team based on two things. Potential and buzz, will drive the price for Lin beyond what he truly deserves to make. If the Raptors are in this just to force up the price on Lin and make their division rivals the Knicks spend more money than they want too, that is a smart move on their part. If not and they bring him in to be the starter that would be a big mistake and a massive change from Jose Calderon. While Calderon has never been liked by me, I am happy to admit he is very efficient and rarely turns over the ball. Even at the height of Linsanity people who questioned if it would last, brought up his high turnover numbers. On a young and developing team looking to take the next step, I am not convinced that you want a starting point guard that is turnover prone. Ideally you would love the idea of Lin as a back up, playing behind a Jose Calderon or perhaps a Steve Nash. That said he is going to demand to many dollars for that to be a realistic situation. At the end of the day the Knicks will likely have the bird rights to Lin and will no doubt use them to keep him. So if you have dreams of Linasinty invading the ACC on a nightly basis they are best left as dreams. I like Lin and still think he could be a player at some point but not willing to gamble on it with a big money contract. This is why it made sense to grab him last season when the cost was next to nothing.
The Raptors getting Steve Nash makes more sense in the short team for them. If they can do that and find a developing young point guard to play behind him, that is the ultimate best case scenario for the Raptors. The Knicks are also interested in him. If you can only have one of two guys between Lin and Nash, the answer should be obvious. The danger for the Raptors is that the Knicks could have a way to have both if Nash is willing to take less money to play in New York. Nash will have many options depending on what his price tag will be and what his intentions are in terms of wanting to win a championship. It is a longer and much more unclear journey here in Toronto. That said when Nash was in this position before it fair to say that the Suns were not exactly a contender in for anyone after a horrible season missing the playoffs. Steve Nash was younger than though and had a long future to look forward too. Now his future is not nearly as long and his window to win a ring is small. The fact he is coming to the end of his career could be a benefit to the Raptors or a curse depending on what Nash is truly thinking.In the past Nash has expressed a desire to end his career playing in Canada and the Raptors are the only game in town to make that happen. However to convince Steve Nash that Raptors can reach an NBA Finals in the East before his time in the NBA is done is a tough job to sell. Bryan Colangelo sold Steve Nash once before but this time around will be much tougher. If it is a case of Nash or Lin the buzz created by Nash will play much better in Canada for Nash while bringing in Lin would open eyes south of the border. The risks with Steve Nash are all about health and age. No one will question his talent as two time MVP and a future hall of famer.
The one thing not being talked about in all of this is what becomes of Jose Calderon. If the Raptors truly are targeting both Lin and Nash this makes you wonder what that means for Calderon. It would seem unlikely the Raptors keep him especially if Nash ends up being the guy. So what would the Raptors be getting if they tried to move Calderon. That is a part of this whole equation that might be interesting. Could the Raptors deal Jose and add some more pieces to make this a better more attractive landing spot for Steve Nash? They just might be able too. One thing is clear based on the off-season buzz that has already started before the playoffs have even ended, it is suggesting the Raptors are going to be active and be a part of a lot of stories. Most of which are based in speculation and not fact. At the end of the day Bryan Colangelo's reality whatever it ends up being needs to be very good. His job could ultimately depend on it.
5/10/12
The Steve Nash Project
From the day Bryan Colangelo set foot in Toronto as G.M, the idea or dream that he could bring Steve Nash home to Canada was alive and well. Just when you probably thought the idea was dead there is one last chance to bring Steve Nash home. If Canada Basketball can do it, why not Bryan Colangelo too? You have to figure where Steve Nash decides to go will be the end of the line for him in terms of his career. The problem starts when you understand why Steve is leaving Phoenix in the whole first place. It is to have one final run at a championship right? That isn't exactly the Raptors future in the next three years is it? Can Bryan Colangelo convince Steve Nash otherwise? He did convince him to leave Dallas and comeback to the team that originally drafted him in the Suns. It was not like the Suns were looking like a playoff contender at the time. In case you forget the Suns were 29-53 and looked nothing like a team that would turn into 62-20 team the next year with Steve Nash as part of the mix. Mike D'Antoni who took over during the season before Nash arrived was only 21-40. That all said Steve Nash had time to wait if things had not made such a dramatic turnaround.
It is also not like Steve Nash thinks like everyone else does in many ways. It seems hard to imagine that Nash would take the easy route to a title and take his talents to South Beach. Although he did say he would consider it in an interview late in the season. He said at his press conference where he was named G.M of Canada Basketball that he would consider all situations that were presented to him. Does the idea of coming back home to Canada appeal to Steve Nash? He has said in the past it does. Also former Raptor, Nash team mate with the Suns and soon to be fellow free-agent Leandro Barbosa said that Nash has said to him he would like to end his career as a Raptor. Colangelo said even when trading Barbosa to the Pacers the Raptors would consider bringing him back. As we learned earlier this year the Raptors had a chance to bring Nash to Toronto long before Bryan Colangelo ever appeared in Toronto.
Still Steve Nash is starting to show signs of his age and this whole idea seemed much more appealing a few years ago than it might today. You would also want to have a point guard of the future for Nash to mentor behind him. Although with Nash's injury issues and not being able to play the same amount of minutes he has in the past a raw rookie back-up might not be great. Jose Calderon if he was willing would be an excellent and perhaps over qualified number two behind him if he were to remain. Calderon in a contract year despite being the team guy that he has always been labeled may not embrace this idea to much. If he did stay the Raptors point guard play would rank among the best in the league. You could also move Calderon and find that point guard of the future. Still the Raptors would be wasting an opportunity not having a point guard of the future as part of the mix if Nash was here.
If Colangelo is going to bring in Nash you would need to address some things with this roster beyond that in order for Nash to really be successful. Which makes the idea of Jose as his back-up seem unlike at best given he is set to make over 10 million next season. Nash is going to get paid a rather larger amount one would figure even at his advanced age. What the Raptors truly lack for Steve Nash to be successful here is three point shooting. You could likely bring back Barbosa and that would give you one shooter but you would likely need another. That likely has to come at the small forward position. If your starting line-up is going to be Nash, DeRozan, Bargnani and Jonas you need a second option to shoot the three beyond Bargnani you would think. Whatever the case, the Raptors would need more than just Nash to make a dramatic turn around. That team that Nash joined in Phoenix already had a lot of talent in place with guys like Stoudamire, Marion, Joe Johnson and Barbosa. Does a group of Bargnani, DeRozan, and Jonas along with a draft pick to come offer enough? It is up for debate and Steve Nash is not that same guy that walked into Phoenix and ended up winning two MVP awards.
Nash has never been known as a defender in his time in the NBA. Dwane Casey is all about playing defense. That said in his later years with the Suns the focus had changed to a more defensively responsible team. In addition if Casey found a way to hide Jose Calderon on defense in his scheme, he can find a way to hide Steve Nash.
There is a part of you as a Canadian that can't help but want to believe this is possible. Unlike the Raptors signing of Jaamal Magloire, this is a Canadian that would fill seats at the ACC. Steve Nash instantly makes the Raptors more relevant just by showing up and putting on a Raptors number 13 jersey. The same things that make him viable to run Team Canada, are the same things that would work in terms of marketing side of the Raptors. There is no question that MLSE in it's new form with both TSN/Bell and Sportsnet/Rogers would love to have Canada's greatest basketball player in their organization. It will mean a huge jump in ratings for the Raptors potentially and it should establish them truly as this national brand that they have tried to be since the Grizzlies left for Memphis. In terms of non-basketball related things this is a slam dunk in terms or marketing, merchandising and ratings.
There is also the fact that Colangelo's job is on the line. That plays a factor in this for him obviously. If there is one thing we have learned about Bryan Colangelo in his time here, it is that if he likes a player that seldom changes. We have seen many former Suns end up Raptors and his extreme loyalty to his number on pick in Andrea Bargnani. Once Colangelo likes a player, it seems to stick in his mind. The irony in all of this is the last time this happened in Phoenix it was Mark Cuban that questioned how much Steve Nash ultimately had left. Two MVP trophies later the answer was clear he had a lot left. These days it would be more than Mark Cuban that would question how much Nash has left. Deron Williams is the guy that the big name teams will be chasing with Cuban at the front of that line.
The major concern is when things go away for a point guard it tends to be a fast and painful process. Still is the chance to create something truly special to hard for everyone to pass on including Nash? I guess will find out eventually. The one thing that is true be it a good move or a bad one, if Steve Nash is coming to Toronto, the Raptors will have more attention than they have had since the days of Vince Carter. I fight with if this is a good idea or not basketball wise. It is hard to be objective about Steve Nash. It is also hard to go down this road again on if he will come here or not. The one thing that is good is this is last time we will regardless of how it turns out. While I believe Steve Nash can truly save Canada Basketball in many ways. I have a harder time with him as a player saving the Raptors as well. Colangelo has made worse gambles in his time here than betting on Steve Nash. I just wonder if this was a move that would have worked better when Jay Triano was coaching and Chris Bosh was still around than it does now.
It is also not like Steve Nash thinks like everyone else does in many ways. It seems hard to imagine that Nash would take the easy route to a title and take his talents to South Beach. Although he did say he would consider it in an interview late in the season. He said at his press conference where he was named G.M of Canada Basketball that he would consider all situations that were presented to him. Does the idea of coming back home to Canada appeal to Steve Nash? He has said in the past it does. Also former Raptor, Nash team mate with the Suns and soon to be fellow free-agent Leandro Barbosa said that Nash has said to him he would like to end his career as a Raptor. Colangelo said even when trading Barbosa to the Pacers the Raptors would consider bringing him back. As we learned earlier this year the Raptors had a chance to bring Nash to Toronto long before Bryan Colangelo ever appeared in Toronto.
Still Steve Nash is starting to show signs of his age and this whole idea seemed much more appealing a few years ago than it might today. You would also want to have a point guard of the future for Nash to mentor behind him. Although with Nash's injury issues and not being able to play the same amount of minutes he has in the past a raw rookie back-up might not be great. Jose Calderon if he was willing would be an excellent and perhaps over qualified number two behind him if he were to remain. Calderon in a contract year despite being the team guy that he has always been labeled may not embrace this idea to much. If he did stay the Raptors point guard play would rank among the best in the league. You could also move Calderon and find that point guard of the future. Still the Raptors would be wasting an opportunity not having a point guard of the future as part of the mix if Nash was here.
If Colangelo is going to bring in Nash you would need to address some things with this roster beyond that in order for Nash to really be successful. Which makes the idea of Jose as his back-up seem unlike at best given he is set to make over 10 million next season. Nash is going to get paid a rather larger amount one would figure even at his advanced age. What the Raptors truly lack for Steve Nash to be successful here is three point shooting. You could likely bring back Barbosa and that would give you one shooter but you would likely need another. That likely has to come at the small forward position. If your starting line-up is going to be Nash, DeRozan, Bargnani and Jonas you need a second option to shoot the three beyond Bargnani you would think. Whatever the case, the Raptors would need more than just Nash to make a dramatic turn around. That team that Nash joined in Phoenix already had a lot of talent in place with guys like Stoudamire, Marion, Joe Johnson and Barbosa. Does a group of Bargnani, DeRozan, and Jonas along with a draft pick to come offer enough? It is up for debate and Steve Nash is not that same guy that walked into Phoenix and ended up winning two MVP awards.
Nash has never been known as a defender in his time in the NBA. Dwane Casey is all about playing defense. That said in his later years with the Suns the focus had changed to a more defensively responsible team. In addition if Casey found a way to hide Jose Calderon on defense in his scheme, he can find a way to hide Steve Nash.
There is a part of you as a Canadian that can't help but want to believe this is possible. Unlike the Raptors signing of Jaamal Magloire, this is a Canadian that would fill seats at the ACC. Steve Nash instantly makes the Raptors more relevant just by showing up and putting on a Raptors number 13 jersey. The same things that make him viable to run Team Canada, are the same things that would work in terms of marketing side of the Raptors. There is no question that MLSE in it's new form with both TSN/Bell and Sportsnet/Rogers would love to have Canada's greatest basketball player in their organization. It will mean a huge jump in ratings for the Raptors potentially and it should establish them truly as this national brand that they have tried to be since the Grizzlies left for Memphis. In terms of non-basketball related things this is a slam dunk in terms or marketing, merchandising and ratings.
There is also the fact that Colangelo's job is on the line. That plays a factor in this for him obviously. If there is one thing we have learned about Bryan Colangelo in his time here, it is that if he likes a player that seldom changes. We have seen many former Suns end up Raptors and his extreme loyalty to his number on pick in Andrea Bargnani. Once Colangelo likes a player, it seems to stick in his mind. The irony in all of this is the last time this happened in Phoenix it was Mark Cuban that questioned how much Steve Nash ultimately had left. Two MVP trophies later the answer was clear he had a lot left. These days it would be more than Mark Cuban that would question how much Nash has left. Deron Williams is the guy that the big name teams will be chasing with Cuban at the front of that line.
The major concern is when things go away for a point guard it tends to be a fast and painful process. Still is the chance to create something truly special to hard for everyone to pass on including Nash? I guess will find out eventually. The one thing that is true be it a good move or a bad one, if Steve Nash is coming to Toronto, the Raptors will have more attention than they have had since the days of Vince Carter. I fight with if this is a good idea or not basketball wise. It is hard to be objective about Steve Nash. It is also hard to go down this road again on if he will come here or not. The one thing that is good is this is last time we will regardless of how it turns out. While I believe Steve Nash can truly save Canada Basketball in many ways. I have a harder time with him as a player saving the Raptors as well. Colangelo has made worse gambles in his time here than betting on Steve Nash. I just wonder if this was a move that would have worked better when Jay Triano was coaching and Chris Bosh was still around than it does now.
5/8/12
Steve Nash In Charge Of Canada's Basketball Future
In the past Canada Basketball has done a lot of things wrong it probably started with the firing of Jay Triano. This also led to the end of Steve Nash playing for Canada. He is now back not on the floor, but he is now back in the roll of G.M or basketball Czar whatever title you like to put on it. People have made the comparison to Wayne Gretzky running Team Canada in Hockey. This is different though as Nash has no plan to retire from the NBA anytime soon. He will have Rowan Barrett acting as the Assistant G.M while he continues his NBA Career. That said a phone call from Steve Nash to come play for Canada Basketball would carry a lot of weight with young stars that are coming up in Canada. That perhaps begins with Tristan Thompson and does not stop there.
Steve Nash coming back to the program would obviously open up the door for Jay Triano to return in some roll. It isn't clear if it would be in his same roll he once had at head coach. This is the first time in a long time that Canada Basketball has done something that is universally applauded. Canada Basketball has always had issues with money adding the face of Basketball in Canada should only help in bringing money into the fold.
In case you were wondering someone did ask the question Raptor fans might be interested in. Will Steve Nash consider coming to Toronto to play for the Raptors? He didn't say no. He said he has not even begun to consider his options in terms of the NBA. However, he said he would consider every situation presented to him. This press conference was held at the ACC and I am sure Steve would have talked to his old friend Bryan Colangelo right? The idea of Nash playing for the Raptors does seem a long shot given the amount of time he has left in his career and his desire to still win a championship.
Nash said in this press conference that greatest accomplishment in basketball was playing for Team Canada. That might seem strange for a two time NBA MVP to say. That said, it likely does not surprise anyone that he said it. This will be a positive move for Canada Basketball and will or should get this ship that has been drifting along heading no where. Now Canada Basketball has a captain to guide the ship and it has a huge amount of talent that all grew up watching Steve Nash that he should be able to bring into the fold.
Finally Canada should have it's full amount of basketball talent at it's disposal to try and go out and compete with the rest of the world. Canada failed to qualify under Leo Rautins for the London Olympics and now the goal and challenge belongs to Steve Nash to get Canada to the World Championships in 2014 and the Olympics in Brazil in 2016. The roster for that team should be the best that Canada has every put together with the amount of talent out there and Steve Nash being the guy responsible for bringing it together.
Steve Nash coming back to the program would obviously open up the door for Jay Triano to return in some roll. It isn't clear if it would be in his same roll he once had at head coach. This is the first time in a long time that Canada Basketball has done something that is universally applauded. Canada Basketball has always had issues with money adding the face of Basketball in Canada should only help in bringing money into the fold.
In case you were wondering someone did ask the question Raptor fans might be interested in. Will Steve Nash consider coming to Toronto to play for the Raptors? He didn't say no. He said he has not even begun to consider his options in terms of the NBA. However, he said he would consider every situation presented to him. This press conference was held at the ACC and I am sure Steve would have talked to his old friend Bryan Colangelo right? The idea of Nash playing for the Raptors does seem a long shot given the amount of time he has left in his career and his desire to still win a championship.
Nash said in this press conference that greatest accomplishment in basketball was playing for Team Canada. That might seem strange for a two time NBA MVP to say. That said, it likely does not surprise anyone that he said it. This will be a positive move for Canada Basketball and will or should get this ship that has been drifting along heading no where. Now Canada Basketball has a captain to guide the ship and it has a huge amount of talent that all grew up watching Steve Nash that he should be able to bring into the fold.
Finally Canada should have it's full amount of basketball talent at it's disposal to try and go out and compete with the rest of the world. Canada failed to qualify under Leo Rautins for the London Olympics and now the goal and challenge belongs to Steve Nash to get Canada to the World Championships in 2014 and the Olympics in Brazil in 2016. The roster for that team should be the best that Canada has every put together with the amount of talent out there and Steve Nash being the guy responsible for bringing it together.
3/9/12
Raptors History Could Have Included Steve Nash
So it is an off day and nothing is really going on. To be honest I wasn't even going to bother writing anything today. I was watching Prime Time Sports on the Fan 590 and heard something pretty mind blowing. John Shannon who is known as hockey guy from the most part. However, he did use to run both Raptors TV and Leafs TV when they started. The topic of Steve Nash came up and he drops a bombshell that Glen Grunwald was offered and turned down this trade in summer of 2001:
To Dallas:
Vince Carter
Antonio Davis
To Toronto:
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Now it is important to put this in context. This offer was made the Summer after the Raptors most successful season in their history. It was when Vince Carter was a three point shot in Philadelphia from sending the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was also thought of as one of the best players in the game. In arguments with Kobe Bryant as who was the best player in the game. The leading vote getter for All-Star Weekend. Basically at the very peak of Vinsanity.
Steve Nash had not won a MVP award let alone two. Dirk was considered a good player but not a great player at that time. So if the Raptors had made this trade a lot of folks might have lost their minds from a basketball perspective. Vince Carter would have been the best player in that trade and it would not have been close. You could argue Antonio might have even been even with Dirk or not that far below.
Now we all know what happens after that. Which is what makes this story seem so horrible. Nash went on to win two MVP's, Dirk even has won one. Vince Carter never has won one. His career took a dramatic turn in the other direction before eventually being part of one of the worst trades in Raptor history. This was before Antonio wanted his kids to not learn the wonders of metric. He was to busy counting the cash he would get that summer, as did Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter would sign his extension.
You have to wonder how different the entire sport of basketball could have been had that trade happened. There is no guarantee that Nash would have done all that he did. He would have had a large microscope of media attention unlike he had ever seen in his career. Same would be true for Dirk. Still the idea of Nash being here with his whole career still in front of him is a lot more appealing than watching Jaamal Magloire try to hang on to what is left of his NBA Career.
So feel free to hate Glen Grunwald for screwing up the Raptors long before Rob Babcock even had the job. Still if you are honest about it for Grunwald to have made that trade would have took some serious balls on his part. It also would have looked like a win for Dallas at the time. We have 11 years of history that tells us it wouldn't have been the case. The thought of trading Vince at the time would have been insane. After all this was the franchise that fully endorsed and allowed him to attend his graduation in North Carolina the morning of the biggest game in franchise history. It was not like they were going to trade him for almost anyone in the league short of maybe Kobe Bryant or Shaq.
So there is a moment in Raptor History that never was. It is also a moment that could have changed this franchise forever. Basketball in this country might be totally different from how it is today. Sadly will never know what might have happened. If Steve Nash was to come now and finish his career in Toronto at some point it would not have the same impact as this potential trade could have had. Back to the rebuilding project tomorrow and reality.
To Dallas:
Vince Carter
Antonio Davis
To Toronto:
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Now it is important to put this in context. This offer was made the Summer after the Raptors most successful season in their history. It was when Vince Carter was a three point shot in Philadelphia from sending the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was also thought of as one of the best players in the game. In arguments with Kobe Bryant as who was the best player in the game. The leading vote getter for All-Star Weekend. Basically at the very peak of Vinsanity.
Steve Nash had not won a MVP award let alone two. Dirk was considered a good player but not a great player at that time. So if the Raptors had made this trade a lot of folks might have lost their minds from a basketball perspective. Vince Carter would have been the best player in that trade and it would not have been close. You could argue Antonio might have even been even with Dirk or not that far below.
Now we all know what happens after that. Which is what makes this story seem so horrible. Nash went on to win two MVP's, Dirk even has won one. Vince Carter never has won one. His career took a dramatic turn in the other direction before eventually being part of one of the worst trades in Raptor history. This was before Antonio wanted his kids to not learn the wonders of metric. He was to busy counting the cash he would get that summer, as did Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter would sign his extension.
You have to wonder how different the entire sport of basketball could have been had that trade happened. There is no guarantee that Nash would have done all that he did. He would have had a large microscope of media attention unlike he had ever seen in his career. Same would be true for Dirk. Still the idea of Nash being here with his whole career still in front of him is a lot more appealing than watching Jaamal Magloire try to hang on to what is left of his NBA Career.
So feel free to hate Glen Grunwald for screwing up the Raptors long before Rob Babcock even had the job. Still if you are honest about it for Grunwald to have made that trade would have took some serious balls on his part. It also would have looked like a win for Dallas at the time. We have 11 years of history that tells us it wouldn't have been the case. The thought of trading Vince at the time would have been insane. After all this was the franchise that fully endorsed and allowed him to attend his graduation in North Carolina the morning of the biggest game in franchise history. It was not like they were going to trade him for almost anyone in the league short of maybe Kobe Bryant or Shaq.
So there is a moment in Raptor History that never was. It is also a moment that could have changed this franchise forever. Basketball in this country might be totally different from how it is today. Sadly will never know what might have happened. If Steve Nash was to come now and finish his career in Toronto at some point it would not have the same impact as this potential trade could have had. Back to the rebuilding project tomorrow and reality.
1/24/12
Raptors Chance To End Their Pain
This is the night where the Raptors can put an end to this losing streak. First reason being is it is likely that Andrea Bargnani will return tonight. Second they face a Suns team that is on second night of a back to back, as they were in Dallas last night with the WWE taking over their home. Telfair will be sitting tonight out for the Suns tonight as he received a flagrant 2 foul last night in Dallas and that is an automatic suspension for a game. Suns are 6-10 and have a 3-4 record at home. If there was a night that was set up for this steak to end tonight would be the night.
If it doesn't happen here is two reasons why it won't. Steve Nash always plays well when he knows Canada is watching. This game is on the main TSN likely because of him and him alone. Also the Raptors have been getting abused on the glass of late. The guy that could take advantage of that is Marcin Gortat. He had a huge double double in a loss to the Mavs. The potential return of Bargnani is going to help many things but rebounding is likely not one of them.
Raptors need to begin getting the starters and the start of games heading the right direction. The Raptors starting 5 without Bargnani has been positively awful. The Raptors must find a way to stay in the game early to have any chance to be in the game late. If Bargnani is back and able to score like he is capable this will be a big help in that regard.
3 Keys:
Make Nash A Scorer: You would rather see Steve Nash score 30 then have 15 assists. If he is able to get his team involved it makes the job that much harder. He will likely have to play some extra minutes with Telfair out from the suspension. On a second night of a back to back as well.
Rebound: Raptors have been awful on the glass and it has really been a big reason why they have not been able to be competitive of late. Everyone needs to crash the glass. Harder to do when playing zones on defence but not impossible.
Secondary Scoring: If Bargnani is back the Raptors are still going to need others to step up and score with him. Demar DeRozan or anyone else needs to take advantage of the return of Bargnani. If he isn't back this is still important. Raptors have been getting decent production from Barbosa and Kleiza off the bench of late.
If the Raptors don't take advantage of this gift a win in Utah or Denver seems highly unlikely. The Nets would be the next likely spot when searching for a win. But after losing 4 games on the road in West heading back East that doesn't seem as likely. Raptors mantra tonight needs to be 8 is enough and we would all agree with that.
If it doesn't happen here is two reasons why it won't. Steve Nash always plays well when he knows Canada is watching. This game is on the main TSN likely because of him and him alone. Also the Raptors have been getting abused on the glass of late. The guy that could take advantage of that is Marcin Gortat. He had a huge double double in a loss to the Mavs. The potential return of Bargnani is going to help many things but rebounding is likely not one of them.
Raptors need to begin getting the starters and the start of games heading the right direction. The Raptors starting 5 without Bargnani has been positively awful. The Raptors must find a way to stay in the game early to have any chance to be in the game late. If Bargnani is back and able to score like he is capable this will be a big help in that regard.
3 Keys:
Make Nash A Scorer: You would rather see Steve Nash score 30 then have 15 assists. If he is able to get his team involved it makes the job that much harder. He will likely have to play some extra minutes with Telfair out from the suspension. On a second night of a back to back as well.
Rebound: Raptors have been awful on the glass and it has really been a big reason why they have not been able to be competitive of late. Everyone needs to crash the glass. Harder to do when playing zones on defence but not impossible.
Secondary Scoring: If Bargnani is back the Raptors are still going to need others to step up and score with him. Demar DeRozan or anyone else needs to take advantage of the return of Bargnani. If he isn't back this is still important. Raptors have been getting decent production from Barbosa and Kleiza off the bench of late.
If the Raptors don't take advantage of this gift a win in Utah or Denver seems highly unlikely. The Nets would be the next likely spot when searching for a win. But after losing 4 games on the road in West heading back East that doesn't seem as likely. Raptors mantra tonight needs to be 8 is enough and we would all agree with that.
5/5/11
Bargnani Trade Game
It has become pretty clear that the Toronto Raptors have an appetite to trade Andrea Bargnani, as much as he has for Primo Pasta and sauce. So today in the blog I am going put on my fantasy G.M hat and see if I can find a deal that makes some sense. The first team that came rushing to mind in wanting to unload Bargnani was the Golden State Warriors. Why them? Well they really have never cared about defence and Bargnani's ability to score and shoot three's fits right in the mix with what they do.
So here is the best deal I could come up with that might make some sense for both sides.
To Golden State:
Andrea Bargnani (PF/C)-(Done for Andrea's Benefit)
Jerryd Bayless (PG)
Solomon Alabi (C)
To Toronto:
Andris Biedrin (C)
Jermey Lin (PG)
Not the greatest trade but Biedrins will rebound and can be a legit 5 in your line-up. Bayless will need to go anyway assuming you can not move Calderon and the Raptors target a point guard in the draft. I tried working this trade to include Udoh or Wright and could find not scenario that made any real sense for the Raptors. Lin is a project and makes for an excellent 3rd option at the point and can develop into a back-up you hope for when Calderon is off the books. Maybe you add a swap of first round picks for Raptors 1st pick this year for Warriors first next year in a stronger draft class. But that would leave you very thin at PG. MLSE would love to have Lin to engage the Asian Community. When he came this season there was a lot of interest from them when the Warriors paid a visit.
The New York Knicks were said to be interested in Andrea Bargnani and again another team not known for it's D under the current coach they have. How interested would they be? Well this trade would test the limits of that. I can not find any trade that makes any sense for the Knicks given their plan to try to bring in Chris Paul. If Calderon's deal was a year shorter you could come up with some things that make sense but it isn't. So despite the rumours it doesn't seem like New York is a likely landing spot. Which is to bad given they have some interesting players like Landry Fields who would be someone you would want to see come back the other way. Assuming Barbosa picks up his option you might be able to take a second look at this trade option again. That 7.1 million off the books along with Bargnani makes it more interesting for the Knicks.
How about Orlando no way Andrea Bargnani can play the Center there. Dwight is already making up for a ton of poor defenders anyway and Stan Van Gundy never liked his hair anyway. I tried to make this on work but gave up after many failed attempts. I was attempting to bring back J.J Redick and another piece in Ryan Anderson but I was denied based on the BYC's in both Redick and Bargnani's contract. Stan Van gets to keep his hair and we look for another partner to trade wiith.
Here is one if the Suns are truly crazy it does work math wise but doesn't really stand up to the whole logic test. But this team did trade for Hedo Turkoglu right?
To Suns:
Andrea Bargnani PF/C
Jose Calderon PG
James Johnson SF
Raptors 1st round pick 2011
To Toronto:
Steve Nash PG
Marcin Gortat C
The only way this happens is if 2 things are true. One that Steve Nash truly wants to leave the Suns and come home to Canada with the chances of a title in his final years being limited. Two that the Suns are convinced they can find a point guard of the future with the Raptors pick (TBD) in the draft. For that to happen you would have to believe that guy would be Irving and thus the Raptors would be trading the 1st overall pick because seems doubtful Irving would slip to 3rd or lower. The Suns would have to be insane to do this or have a gun put to their heads.
The point to all of this is moving Bargnani will be difficult to say the least. What you need is a trading partner that is a team that is not worried about his defence and has a significant need for his scoring. The BYC on his contract also makes moving him a challenge as well. That subtracts value of his contract in terms of trades. It will be difficult to make it all work but if Bryan Colangelo has showed us anything in his time here, it is that he can find ways to make deals happen. Well deals not with the Charlotte Bobcats. This is of course assuming that Bryan is the trigger man on this deal. Which we are still waiting to hear from MLSE on. Must be caught up in Leafs Playoff Fever....Wait a minute. About the great success the soccer team has had at the start of the MLS season....Um NO. To busy counting money and looking to get out while the getting is good for the Teacher's Pension Fund....DING DING....WINNER!!!!
The one thing that I have taken away from my own observations and talking with others like Jack Armstrong yesterday, is that there is no way the Raptors can start the next season with Calderon and Bargnani on floor as starters. If they do this off-season will have been a complete failure. A lot of their ability to do so will be determined by the new CBA whenever that is finally agreed too. As such all these trade ideas will need to be revisited anyway as the rules will have changed and may make trades easier or harder to execute. I have said this so many times in the last few months, it is hard to evaluate where this team is heading based on that. It is like trying to find a town you have never heard of with no maps or GPS. Not exactly easy. But what seems very easy to figure out is Bargnani is clearly on the market and likely the best asset the Raptors have to trade that they are willing too.
3/23/11
Snow in Toronto, Suns in Arizona
It is your DNB preview of the Raptors and Suns. Here is my breakdown as we talk about Suns coming into this one off a triple OT loss to L.A. No secret the Raptors would like to take advantage of that with a fast start in this one. Have a listen to all my thoughts on this one.
Check back for the Recap in the AM. When is SPRING COMING...Like SERIOUSLY!!!
2/26/11
Cheer Nash, Boo Vince and Raptors Meh!!!
I have been to my fair share of games at the ACC as both a fan and covering games. That being said I can not recall a more weird vibe for a game at the Air Canada Centre. Vince Carter was announced and if you thought Toronto had moved on to hating Chris Bosh, think again as the boos rained down as they have for 7 years now. But right after those boos there were cheers for the greatest basketball player that Canada has ever produced in Steve Nash. That set the stage for the night. The Cheers for Nash would fade away but not the Boos for Vince. But Vince Carter seems to feed of it and Alvin Gentry post game said he was booing at Vince during practice to prepare him for this. It got a laugh from the media but VInce has done this a time or two before and most times with great success. Tonight would be one of those nights. It would getting going early as well.
After the Raptors got the opening bucket a long alley opp from Nash to Carter and it was on like Donkey Kong with Vince and the crowd. Yeah that is a dated reference but Masetro Fresh Wes did halftime so were kicking it a little old school in the blog. Frye a wide open three pointer on the Nash dime. Spin and the fade and Vince Carter scores a great move that got no love in Toronto of course and Suns were off and running up 9-2. This continued to go south on Great White North night at the ACC with another open Frye 3 and it was 17-6 Suns. Bargnani an aggressive move on Frye draws contact but only 1 of 2 at the line. Suns were up a couple touchdowns just 6 minutes in this one with score 21-7 Suns. V.C with a three and Raptors offence what there was of it came from Bargnani scoring 10 of Raptors first 12 points. James Johnson the only other bucket. Another Frye three and Gortat score inside and it was 29-12. Time out Triano but it was far to late as V.C with a slam not long after the T-Dot time out. Nash the miss but not rebounding and Gortat with the put back. When the dust settled the Raptors dug a huge hole down 35-14 and honestly they would be hard pressed to dig out from that. Vince Carter had 11 in quarter and had lots of help. Bargnani had 12 in quarter and had next to no help.
Jerryd Bayless in the game and got it rolling early with a basket then draws a foul to get to the line. Vince Carter was resting as Bayless had a quick 4 points. So was Steve Nash and with no Aaron Brooks yet the Suns were without a legit back-up point guard. Pietrus another three ball and Suns had a 40-20 lead in the early moments of the 2nd. DeRozan would get fouled and finally get on the board at the line. He would struggle with foul trouble through out the night. Steve Nash I believe has never lost at ACC since returning to the Suns and you had the sense that trend would continue tonight. Nash had 7 assists in that first quarter by the way. DeRozan got a two handed jam but the Raptors were behind 22 with the score 46-24. Suns were up 23 when the unfamiliar number 25 checked back in but a different number and that beard did not trick the fans from booing V.C some more. On the broadcast they had some comedian with Jack and Matt and we needed some jokes beyond the Raptors performance on the floor that was brutal. I didn't get that luxury being at the game live. Nash to Gortat for the slam to make the lead 59-38 with under two to play in the half. Vince finally missed something with about a minute to go. Sonny Weems got rejected to close the half taking a long jumper and that kinda summed up the first half for the Raptors. It was 60-42 for the Suns and Raptors had 9 turnovers and no sign of defence at all.
Even the Maestro Fresh Wes halftime show lost some of it's lustier for me after watching that first half. The Raptor showed more effort busting some dance moves than the team did playing defence in the first half. Raptors started the 2nd half on a bit of a run with a DeRozan score and then a rare Bargnani slam dunk and the lead had shrunk to 12. Time out Alvin Gentry to get his team re-motivated. Frye scores in the paint out of the time out and an ugly miss from three for James Johnson. Nash undressed Calderon and dropped it off for Lopez for the easy two in the paint. After a Raptor bucket it was a repeat performance from Nash to Lopez and he had 11 dimes. Jay Triano was reaching the boiling point and got a rare technical foul for him. Didn't exactly fire up the troops at 72-55 in favour of the Suns with still over 6 minutes to play in 3rd. The Polish Hammer was playing well as he got an easy score and Raptors had showed very few signs of a defensive pulse the entire evening. He would close the quarter strong and had 16 points and 6 boards off the bench for the Suns. Vince Carter coming out of a time out looked at Devlin and Armstrong singing Living on a Prayer and just smiled and laughed. Vince had more then enough time to have a chuckle. The Raptors on the other hand were no laughing matter and their former franchise player was well on the way to having the last laugh again on his former club. Raptors were down 24 heading to the final quarter down 86-62. They were getting beat down on boards as well with Suns holding a 33-23 edge.
Raptors only lead in this game was at 2-0 and minus a minor miracle it would remain that way. No miracle would be coming in the 4th quarter. But in games like this chance for guys like Ed Davis to get some burn and he would score on a put back but the Raptors were still down 20 and this was really garbage time for the entire 4th Quarter. Nash and Carter could chill out on the first game of a 6 game trip for the Suns as they would not see the floor in the 4th quarter because the damage had been done. Carter had 17 points 7 rebounds and brought his D with 6 steals. While Nash struggled shooting going 2 for 12 with 7 points but had 11 assists and 7 rebounds as well. They watched bench guys taking care of business up 95-72 with 7:30 to go in this one. It could not soon end fast enough for most. After one of their best efforts of the year the Raptors had one of a long list of their worst in this game. The Starting 5 outside of Bargnani was not good on offence. He had 24 in the game. James Johnson got the start and getting the chance to watch it on T.V this morning seemed clear Sonny Weems was not thrilled by it. His play reflected it going 0 for 5 with just 1 point. Johnson was not as good as in his debut with just 6 points 3 rebounds and a couple steals.
In the end the Suns took this game by throat early like a team fighting to make the playoffs should. The game was over early in reality but after the other 36 minutes were played the Suns walked out of Toronto with a 110-92 win. Raptors need to find out what went wrong before Sunday as they place Nash's former squad the Mavericks who could do much the same to the Raptors if not worse. One of the most frustrating things about watching a young club play is the lack of consistency. But for a lot of reasons it was a pretty memorable night for me at the ACC but pretty much all of it had nothing to do with the Raptors. This had been first time I had every got to see Steve Nash up close. Well as close as I could get in the massive scrum he demands at the ACC. I will some day tell my grand kids assuming I have some that I saw Canada's best basketball player in my lifetime. I also saw Vince Carter who if he had pushed himself like a Kobe Bryant had the talent to be one of the greatest ever. They are vast contrasts. Steve Nash gets ever ounce of ability he has out of himself. While Vince Carter sometimes needs to be motivated to perform. Playing in Toronto has always done that more times than not.
2/25/11
DNB Preview From Starbucks
Today was a bit messed up so a quick tee up of tonight's Suns vs Raptors game from the Starbucks over by the ACC. Steve Nash and Vince Carter both in the ACC at the same time on the opposite side from the Raptors should make for an interesting crowd reaction. Kinda like CHEER BOO, CHEER BOO!!!. Vince will still get booed right? Or do we all hate Chris Bosh more now. Judging by the reaction to Bosh in comparison to Carter when he first came back probably not.
The Suns sit in 10th still not out of it in the West Playoff Race and did make a move yesterday sending Goran Dragic to Houston for Aaron Brooks. Will know once I hit the ACC if Brooks will go but it seems a safe bet he does. I don't quite understand the logic in the move for the Suns but not like I understand a lot of the moves yesterday except the ones made by OKC. They needed a some tough bigs and get one of the best defenders in basketball in post in Kendrick Perkins. The Raptors did nothing yesterday and James Johnson is it. I am not surprised at all by the Raptors lack of activity. Word on the street was they were trying to shop Reggie Evans and his expiring contract yesterday but never found a deal they liked? Colangelo also made mention of a lot of interest in the Raptors pick in the upcoming draft but he was not willing to deal it right now based on not knowing what it was. Just ask Leaf fans about dealing first round picks no matter what you get back in return. Isn't that right Brian and Phil. Wow a leaf reference in the Dino Nation Blog. That may be a first.
As for tonight's contest it will be interesting to see if Raptors can take any momentum from a big win for them it taking out the Bulls who beat the Heat last night 93-89. The negative side of me says it was the first game after the break for Chicago and it was clearly easy for them to overlook the Raptors with a big showdown with the Heat the next night. That being said the Raptors fought off a huge performance from one of main candidates in the MVP race in Derrick Rose and for once finished off a good performance. That is taking steps in the right direction.
Demar DeRozan took those steps as well as he was matching Rose at times down the stretch and we are seeing signs that DeRozan like Carter has may one day lead this franchise as it's main guy. DeRozan while a huge fan of Kobe Bryant also was a fan of Vince Carter and what he did. Demar has had to shots and winning the Dunk Contest like V.C did and both times ended in controversy. Back when Vince won he never had any props either he just had a far more dominate performance than anyone else. That is what the dunk contest is suppose to be. I am going to attempt to talk to both tonight will see if I have any luck but that is a short preview for tonight not in our normal format but I find it odd working on a computer in a Starbucks. This would not happen in a Tim Horton's in Hamilton. But happy to be back in Toronto my 2nd home mostly on Fridays. Also jacked for halftime tonight. Maestro Fresh Wes was the bomb when I was young. Let your backbone slide baby. But at my age that is likely not a wise thing.
Time to drink my coffee and get ready to head over to ACC. Be tweeting my face off from there pre-game on @Dinonationblog.
The Suns sit in 10th still not out of it in the West Playoff Race and did make a move yesterday sending Goran Dragic to Houston for Aaron Brooks. Will know once I hit the ACC if Brooks will go but it seems a safe bet he does. I don't quite understand the logic in the move for the Suns but not like I understand a lot of the moves yesterday except the ones made by OKC. They needed a some tough bigs and get one of the best defenders in basketball in post in Kendrick Perkins. The Raptors did nothing yesterday and James Johnson is it. I am not surprised at all by the Raptors lack of activity. Word on the street was they were trying to shop Reggie Evans and his expiring contract yesterday but never found a deal they liked? Colangelo also made mention of a lot of interest in the Raptors pick in the upcoming draft but he was not willing to deal it right now based on not knowing what it was. Just ask Leaf fans about dealing first round picks no matter what you get back in return. Isn't that right Brian and Phil. Wow a leaf reference in the Dino Nation Blog. That may be a first.
As for tonight's contest it will be interesting to see if Raptors can take any momentum from a big win for them it taking out the Bulls who beat the Heat last night 93-89. The negative side of me says it was the first game after the break for Chicago and it was clearly easy for them to overlook the Raptors with a big showdown with the Heat the next night. That being said the Raptors fought off a huge performance from one of main candidates in the MVP race in Derrick Rose and for once finished off a good performance. That is taking steps in the right direction.
Demar DeRozan took those steps as well as he was matching Rose at times down the stretch and we are seeing signs that DeRozan like Carter has may one day lead this franchise as it's main guy. DeRozan while a huge fan of Kobe Bryant also was a fan of Vince Carter and what he did. Demar has had to shots and winning the Dunk Contest like V.C did and both times ended in controversy. Back when Vince won he never had any props either he just had a far more dominate performance than anyone else. That is what the dunk contest is suppose to be. I am going to attempt to talk to both tonight will see if I have any luck but that is a short preview for tonight not in our normal format but I find it odd working on a computer in a Starbucks. This would not happen in a Tim Horton's in Hamilton. But happy to be back in Toronto my 2nd home mostly on Fridays. Also jacked for halftime tonight. Maestro Fresh Wes was the bomb when I was young. Let your backbone slide baby. But at my age that is likely not a wise thing.
Time to drink my coffee and get ready to head over to ACC. Be tweeting my face off from there pre-game on @Dinonationblog.
1/18/11
"NBAz in 7 Dayz"
Trade Steve Nash. Would you do it? Phoenix Suns President Lon Babby was asked this same question on his weekly appearance on KTAR radio in Phoenix. He says trading Steve Nash, their best player, is "not even in his thought process right now". Really? Knowing Nash is 37, Grant Hill is 38 and Vince Carter is 34 and the rest of his roster is in their mid-late 20s and no one else the club is building around, does Lon Babby really think we believe that? Please. Over nine years in a Phoenix uniform, Steve Nash has made 7 playoff appearance, was in 3 Western Conference Finals and the Phoenix Suns as a team has won 58.8% of the time with Nash in the line-up. These stats would mean a lot to a team requiring a Steve Nash - style of leadership. These stats would also mean a lot to a team looking forward to the future. Something the Phoenix Suns should seriously be thinking about. No one wants to talk about it because Steve Nash makes this team exciting and puts people in the stands. Without him, do you really think the residents of Phoenix, Arizona would line-up to buy season tickets to a club lead by Grant Hill or dare I say it, Vince Carter? Realistically, these guys are on their way out, too. Vince Carter is headed for Free Agency with his 20,000 career points and if I were Lon Babby, I would not pick up his 18.3 million dollar option. Rip off the band-aid - have the conversation Phoenix. If you are looking for ideas where to send Nash, a good Canadian boy would love to retire among family. NBA Commissioner David Stern is always looking for an opportunity to expand and promote the league. Why not give Calgary, Edmonton or even Vancouver another try Mr. Stern? I would be the first in line to buy a jersey. Let's talk about others in the NBA whose jerseys are increasing in value like Blake Griffin and his monster game Monday and honouring NBA Hall of Famers in the name of Martin Luther King, in Memphis.
Don't Fake the Funk...
Blake Griffin proved the naysayers wrong on Monday night. I have heard rumblings about Griffin being a one-dimensional player and can only dunk and jump high. Well, he mixed it up against the Indiana Pacers Monday when he had a career-high 47 points and 14 rebounds for his 27th consecutive double-double. Most can only dream of surpassing that stat through a Tim Horton's drive-through. He even went 9 for 11 from the free-throw line on Monday, one area he has worked on improving this season. This is only the third time in NBA history a player 21 years old or younger got 47 points and 14 rebounds in a single game. Hazard to guess who the other two are? Michael Jordan (Bulls, 1984-85, 49 points, 15 rebounds) and Rick Barry (Warriors, 1965-66, 57 points, 15 rebounds). So Griffin is now in an exclusive club. The league offers support to young rookies like Griffin to wade through the 'lion's den' that is the National Basketball Association. However, they still take it to heart. "People question the other skills and as a basketball player, you take that personally" (Blake Griffin commenting after Monday night's game). A little constructive criticism never hurt anyone, right? It certainly boosted Griffin's efforts.
Honouring "The Dream" - Martin Luther Jr. King Day
Say the name Martin Luther King Jr. in conversation and everyone has a story. I still get chills listening to his "I have a Dream" speech. In the United States, the third Monday in January is set aside every year to honour Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday which is actually January 15. Three sports figures received the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award on Monday - including two NBA Hall of Famers. Willis Reed and Lenny Wilkens were honoured Monday by the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis, the city where King was assassinated in April of 1968. The award recognizes athletes who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights, in the name of arguably, the most famous of all civil rights leaders. Along with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Reed and Wilkens were honoured with an on-court ceremony just before the Grizzlies' game against the Bulls began. Lenny Wilkens played cards at one point in his life with King and said the award was a huge honour. Willis Reed even went so far as to say Martin Luther King Jr. opened the door for more black Americans to go to college and perhaps make it to the next level as an athlete. I know some of you have only seen examples of segregation in movies and some of you might have, unfortunately, experienced it first hand. It is unbelievable what the power of free will can invoke in people and how it can affect the human condition. My heart goes out to those who have fought the fight, continue to fight and to those who experience the reason to fight for civil rights all over the world.
As always I appreciate your comments. Please keep them coming by following me on twitter @ddegraauw and on Facebook @Danielle de Graauw (purple jacket, red microphone). Thanks for joining me today. I will see you again this Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".
Don't Fake the Funk...
Blake Griffin proved the naysayers wrong on Monday night. I have heard rumblings about Griffin being a one-dimensional player and can only dunk and jump high. Well, he mixed it up against the Indiana Pacers Monday when he had a career-high 47 points and 14 rebounds for his 27th consecutive double-double. Most can only dream of surpassing that stat through a Tim Horton's drive-through. He even went 9 for 11 from the free-throw line on Monday, one area he has worked on improving this season. This is only the third time in NBA history a player 21 years old or younger got 47 points and 14 rebounds in a single game. Hazard to guess who the other two are? Michael Jordan (Bulls, 1984-85, 49 points, 15 rebounds) and Rick Barry (Warriors, 1965-66, 57 points, 15 rebounds). So Griffin is now in an exclusive club. The league offers support to young rookies like Griffin to wade through the 'lion's den' that is the National Basketball Association. However, they still take it to heart. "People question the other skills and as a basketball player, you take that personally" (Blake Griffin commenting after Monday night's game). A little constructive criticism never hurt anyone, right? It certainly boosted Griffin's efforts.
Honouring "The Dream" - Martin Luther Jr. King Day
Say the name Martin Luther King Jr. in conversation and everyone has a story. I still get chills listening to his "I have a Dream" speech. In the United States, the third Monday in January is set aside every year to honour Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday which is actually January 15. Three sports figures received the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award on Monday - including two NBA Hall of Famers. Willis Reed and Lenny Wilkens were honoured Monday by the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis, the city where King was assassinated in April of 1968. The award recognizes athletes who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights, in the name of arguably, the most famous of all civil rights leaders. Along with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Reed and Wilkens were honoured with an on-court ceremony just before the Grizzlies' game against the Bulls began. Lenny Wilkens played cards at one point in his life with King and said the award was a huge honour. Willis Reed even went so far as to say Martin Luther King Jr. opened the door for more black Americans to go to college and perhaps make it to the next level as an athlete. I know some of you have only seen examples of segregation in movies and some of you might have, unfortunately, experienced it first hand. It is unbelievable what the power of free will can invoke in people and how it can affect the human condition. My heart goes out to those who have fought the fight, continue to fight and to those who experience the reason to fight for civil rights all over the world.
As always I appreciate your comments. Please keep them coming by following me on twitter @ddegraauw and on Facebook @Danielle de Graauw (purple jacket, red microphone). Thanks for joining me today. I will see you again this Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".
10/14/10
"Basketball Beyond the Floor"
I am sad. I am sad because this edition of "Basketball Beyond the Floor" marks the last one of the season until next summer. But I am also excited since a new feature "Behind Enemy Lines" will be starting next week in its place here on the DNB. Please continue to tune in every Thursday when I will be taking a look at the Raptors' opponents for the coming week, talk strategy and everything else under the sun. Today, we will be discussing two books for the junior basketball fan: Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff by Mark Brown and Steve Nash: Most Valuable Player by Peter Bailey. Each book does its job in attracting the potential young fan and educates as well. However, both have different audiences and targeted for two different age groups. Let's dive in.
"Arthur" Does His Job
"Arthur! I love that show!" was the reaction I got when I tested this book out on a grade one student on my street. I know some of you might be thinking the student only got excited because of the television connection first but if it got them to read it or even get excited about a book about basketball, who cares. Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff has a few characters on the front smiling with a net in the background. First image of the story is very important for the young reader and potential fan of the game. It is not until page 10 the subject actually turns to basketball. Arthur's class writes to pen pals across the state (yes, American based) and Arthur over-brags about his basketball abilities only to find out his pal did too. I liked how this book used basketball terminology: "Arthur slowly dribbled in from the back court. Sue Ellen was guarding him again. Arthur had to keep dribbling no matter what, because once he stopped, he wouldn't be able to start again - he'd have to pass or shoot". I loved how this related the game's rules to the young reader in a very conversational way. However, without a glossary of terms at the back, the young reader not familiar with the terminology might get lost.
Also, every kid has their likes and dislikes and what drew my test case into this book, may drive another one away from it. Not every kid likes Arthur so the fact that the cover has some characters playing basketball on it might not be enough for them to read it. But if you can get them to at least page 37, you will have them hooked: "Now, Arthur, basketball is a game of parts. None of us is good at all of them - we each have our own specialty. For Francine it's dribbling. Binky has rebounding, Sue Ellen relies on her jump shot, Buster has positioning, and I have general conditioning". A very basic way to describe the game but an important way to do it for the target age group - grade one to three maybe. Though the younger kindergarten kids would definitely be able to follow along if an adult read it to them - it has many pictures in it and big print. At this age, they need to know however small or underdeveloped their talents are, it is still a valuable contribution to the team. If they don't enjoy some sense of confidence or success, the game won't be fun for them and sadly, will not stick with the sport.
Steve Nash - Our Greatest Export
I love the quotation from Steve Nash's High school coach Ian Hyde-Lay to start chapter one: "There was a kind of sparkle in his eyes that just tells you he's a little different than most guys". In Steve Nash: Most Valuable Player, author Peter Bailey does a good job of putting Nash's life to print. This book even has a glossary of terms at the back which was lacking in Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff. This book is geared for the senior elementary school student and any fan of Steve Nash looking for a quick summary of his rise to fame. You'll learn about his life outside of basketball such as being born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moving to Canada before his first birthday. But the real credibility for this book and Steve Nash as a mentor for young kids, came on page 6: "It was in grade eight that Steve first played basketball, and he came home one day and told [his] mom that he was going to play in the NBA when he got older. 'I didn't doubt him' she said. 'Whether he'd make it or not, you don't know, but I knew he was going to give it a heck of a try because he works hard for what he gets." This idea that kids need to be playing ball as soon as they come out of the womb to be successful at it is ridiculous. I think there is a tendency for kids to specialize way to early with the idea they are going to have a career in the pros one day. Steve Nash was obsessed with all sports but it was that obsession that almost killed his basketball career. His grades slipped and it wasn't until he switched to a private school in Victoria, concentrated on his academics and took a year off the sport, did he really improve as a player and as a student. I like how he was exposed to all sports and how he wasn't the tallest player but because he was the hardest working, he was the best player: "The drive to be the best, to prove himself over and over again, has always motivated Steve more than money or fame". Do yourself a favour. Start your Christmas shopping today. If there is a young athlete you have to buy for, get them this book and a basketball and see what happens. You may just thank me for it.
Flick Pick of the Week
I remembered seeing this one as a kid and it is more of a short cartoon than a flick pick. Look up "Goofy-Basketball Double-Dribble" on You Tube or just google it. I love how the 'mini' goofy finally gets his chance. It was made in 1946 before Disney went really "cute" and the clip shows the referee shooting at the player's toes to keep them behind the foul line so use discretion when deciding who to show this to.
Thank-you so much for joining me today and all summer here on the DNB for "Basketball Beyond the Floor". I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to doing it again next summer. This doesn't mean you stop reading and telling me about it. Reading is important whether it's a magazine, newspaper, internet article or a book - it keeps you sharp and in the game. So I will still say happy reading until we meet again on Tuesday for "Jiggly Bits" and after that for my new feature "Behind Enemy Lines" next Thursday. Have a great weekend.
"Arthur" Does His Job
"Arthur! I love that show!" was the reaction I got when I tested this book out on a grade one student on my street. I know some of you might be thinking the student only got excited because of the television connection first but if it got them to read it or even get excited about a book about basketball, who cares. Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff has a few characters on the front smiling with a net in the background. First image of the story is very important for the young reader and potential fan of the game. It is not until page 10 the subject actually turns to basketball. Arthur's class writes to pen pals across the state (yes, American based) and Arthur over-brags about his basketball abilities only to find out his pal did too. I liked how this book used basketball terminology: "Arthur slowly dribbled in from the back court. Sue Ellen was guarding him again. Arthur had to keep dribbling no matter what, because once he stopped, he wouldn't be able to start again - he'd have to pass or shoot". I loved how this related the game's rules to the young reader in a very conversational way. However, without a glossary of terms at the back, the young reader not familiar with the terminology might get lost.
Also, every kid has their likes and dislikes and what drew my test case into this book, may drive another one away from it. Not every kid likes Arthur so the fact that the cover has some characters playing basketball on it might not be enough for them to read it. But if you can get them to at least page 37, you will have them hooked: "Now, Arthur, basketball is a game of parts. None of us is good at all of them - we each have our own specialty. For Francine it's dribbling. Binky has rebounding, Sue Ellen relies on her jump shot, Buster has positioning, and I have general conditioning". A very basic way to describe the game but an important way to do it for the target age group - grade one to three maybe. Though the younger kindergarten kids would definitely be able to follow along if an adult read it to them - it has many pictures in it and big print. At this age, they need to know however small or underdeveloped their talents are, it is still a valuable contribution to the team. If they don't enjoy some sense of confidence or success, the game won't be fun for them and sadly, will not stick with the sport.
Steve Nash - Our Greatest Export
I love the quotation from Steve Nash's High school coach Ian Hyde-Lay to start chapter one: "There was a kind of sparkle in his eyes that just tells you he's a little different than most guys". In Steve Nash: Most Valuable Player, author Peter Bailey does a good job of putting Nash's life to print. This book even has a glossary of terms at the back which was lacking in Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff. This book is geared for the senior elementary school student and any fan of Steve Nash looking for a quick summary of his rise to fame. You'll learn about his life outside of basketball such as being born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moving to Canada before his first birthday. But the real credibility for this book and Steve Nash as a mentor for young kids, came on page 6: "It was in grade eight that Steve first played basketball, and he came home one day and told [his] mom that he was going to play in the NBA when he got older. 'I didn't doubt him' she said. 'Whether he'd make it or not, you don't know, but I knew he was going to give it a heck of a try because he works hard for what he gets." This idea that kids need to be playing ball as soon as they come out of the womb to be successful at it is ridiculous. I think there is a tendency for kids to specialize way to early with the idea they are going to have a career in the pros one day. Steve Nash was obsessed with all sports but it was that obsession that almost killed his basketball career. His grades slipped and it wasn't until he switched to a private school in Victoria, concentrated on his academics and took a year off the sport, did he really improve as a player and as a student. I like how he was exposed to all sports and how he wasn't the tallest player but because he was the hardest working, he was the best player: "The drive to be the best, to prove himself over and over again, has always motivated Steve more than money or fame". Do yourself a favour. Start your Christmas shopping today. If there is a young athlete you have to buy for, get them this book and a basketball and see what happens. You may just thank me for it.
Flick Pick of the Week
I remembered seeing this one as a kid and it is more of a short cartoon than a flick pick. Look up "Goofy-Basketball Double-Dribble" on You Tube or just google it. I love how the 'mini' goofy finally gets his chance. It was made in 1946 before Disney went really "cute" and the clip shows the referee shooting at the player's toes to keep them behind the foul line so use discretion when deciding who to show this to.
Thank-you so much for joining me today and all summer here on the DNB for "Basketball Beyond the Floor". I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to doing it again next summer. This doesn't mean you stop reading and telling me about it. Reading is important whether it's a magazine, newspaper, internet article or a book - it keeps you sharp and in the game. So I will still say happy reading until we meet again on Tuesday for "Jiggly Bits" and after that for my new feature "Behind Enemy Lines" next Thursday. Have a great weekend.
9/14/10
"Jiggly Bits"
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.
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.
5/26/10
Suns And Magic Are Not Done Yet.
Just when you thought you had it all figured out... the Magic and Suns said not so fast. It would still be a great surprise if the Suns or Magic make it to the NBA Finals. In the case of Orlando it would be historic as no team has ever come back from being down 3-0 in a series. People in Boston might be sweating just a little if they happen to be hockey fans as well. The Bruins had a 3-0 lead on the Flyers and blew it and now the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup. It makes you wonder why no team in the history of the NBA has ever been able to come back from 3 down. Boston knows the other side of things as well. The Red Sox came back from 3-0 down to beat the hated Yankees. Like Yogi Berra a famous Yankee said it isn't over till it's over. While fans in L.A and Boston looked ahead to see each other. People in Phoenix and Orlando are hopping to crash the party.
Many people love the tradition that is the Celtics and Lakers. As a kid I grew up in the 80's and was not a Lakers or Celtics fan. I actually liked the Sixers and Doctor J. Maybe it was because I played for the Sixers in my local house league here in Hamilton. It could just be that Julius Erving was a fantastic player. But most in the era were fans of Bird or Magic. All 3 were legends and the Sixers were able to break through and win a title over the Lakers in that decade. It was always big news in the 80's when the Finals did not include both the Lakers and Celtics. I guess with all due respect to Kobe Bryant and the Big 3 in Boston, there is no way to match the rivalries of the past. Not just Bird and Magic in the 80's but Chamberlin and Russell in the 60's. Also in those era's you did not have Salary Cap which made it much easier to keep teams together over a long period of time. Even in just 2 years since the Lakers and Celtics last met in the Finals the rosters have changed a bit. The main guys may be still there but the supporting casts have changed quite a bit.
If you are not a Lakers fan and not rooting for Steve Nash what is wrong with you? The guy got a black eye, busted nose and he just keeps going. Nash regardless of if he ever makes it to a finals will go in the history books as the greatest basketball player that Canada has ever produced. No mask on Steve Nash, he has a grit that I would gladly put against player in any sport. Age or injury it just doesn't matter to Steve Nash. If they handed out NBA titles for desire alone Steve Nash would have more than 1 ring. It is a brand new series with the Lakers tied at 2. The Suns use of a zone defense has slowed the Lakers enough to allow the Suns to outscore them. Phil Jackson is correct in saying it isn't as much about the Suns zone, as it his about his own team and their lack of defense.
But in a playoffs that have not had a ton of drama to them, it would be nice to see both Orlando and Phoenix make them more interesting. They have at least set the stage for a slim chance that Lakers vs Celtics may not happen. Which for many would be disappointing. However the odds are still very long for both teams. Not as much for Suns as it is for Orlando, who are left with zero room for error. Should be fun to watch. I will being doing the game 5 that majority of folks myself included never thought would happen. Magic return home where they have yet to win in this series to take on the Celtics. Should be interesting coming off that OT win in game 4.
Many people love the tradition that is the Celtics and Lakers. As a kid I grew up in the 80's and was not a Lakers or Celtics fan. I actually liked the Sixers and Doctor J. Maybe it was because I played for the Sixers in my local house league here in Hamilton. It could just be that Julius Erving was a fantastic player. But most in the era were fans of Bird or Magic. All 3 were legends and the Sixers were able to break through and win a title over the Lakers in that decade. It was always big news in the 80's when the Finals did not include both the Lakers and Celtics. I guess with all due respect to Kobe Bryant and the Big 3 in Boston, there is no way to match the rivalries of the past. Not just Bird and Magic in the 80's but Chamberlin and Russell in the 60's. Also in those era's you did not have Salary Cap which made it much easier to keep teams together over a long period of time. Even in just 2 years since the Lakers and Celtics last met in the Finals the rosters have changed a bit. The main guys may be still there but the supporting casts have changed quite a bit.
If you are not a Lakers fan and not rooting for Steve Nash what is wrong with you? The guy got a black eye, busted nose and he just keeps going. Nash regardless of if he ever makes it to a finals will go in the history books as the greatest basketball player that Canada has ever produced. No mask on Steve Nash, he has a grit that I would gladly put against player in any sport. Age or injury it just doesn't matter to Steve Nash. If they handed out NBA titles for desire alone Steve Nash would have more than 1 ring. It is a brand new series with the Lakers tied at 2. The Suns use of a zone defense has slowed the Lakers enough to allow the Suns to outscore them. Phil Jackson is correct in saying it isn't as much about the Suns zone, as it his about his own team and their lack of defense.
But in a playoffs that have not had a ton of drama to them, it would be nice to see both Orlando and Phoenix make them more interesting. They have at least set the stage for a slim chance that Lakers vs Celtics may not happen. Which for many would be disappointing. However the odds are still very long for both teams. Not as much for Suns as it is for Orlando, who are left with zero room for error. Should be fun to watch. I will being doing the game 5 that majority of folks myself included never thought would happen. Magic return home where they have yet to win in this series to take on the Celtics. Should be interesting coming off that OT win in game 4.
5/25/10
"Jiggly Bits"
I have to get something off my chest. I pledged my allegiance to the Lakers a long time ago based on the club's history among other things. I've been told recently based on this allegiance, I am supposed to hate any other club the Lakers have a rivalry with and by defacto, not associate with any fans of said club when they meet. I know sports fans are a superstitious bunch, but I think this is taking it a little too far. I remember when I was with "Off the Record" on TSN, we did a show on reverse racism in sports and I think this is exactly what this debate is about. Think about it. A friend of mine is a Boston Celtics fan. With the impending possibility of a Celtics-Lakers final, does this mean I am supposed to sever all ties with said friend? Disassociate with them based on the colour of their jersey? Smells a bit like racism to me. I don't care what team you cheer for, you and I can be friends. Just don't get in my face about Nash and Stoudemire and be all cocky and annoying about it. I will come out swigging just like Kobe, Gasol and the gang in game four of the Western Conference Final tonight. We'll talk about this, Orlando hanging on for dear life and Mike Brown hitting the high road in Cleveland. Let's get it started.
A Rumble in the Jungle - Suns are on board (2-1 series for Lakers)
You've heard it before in boxing, "a rumble in the jungle" but never before in basketball, right? How many times does Nash have to get smashed in the face before we start confusing the basketball court with a boxing match? In Sunday night's game, a fourth quarter foul on Nash broke his nose and you could see him on camera trying to reset it. He also has no plans for protective equipment or a tape job - just oh natural for Nash. And who said basketball players weren't tough?
Amar'e Stoudemire is certainly proving to be. He was playing aggressive and positioning himself to really connect on key plays. He had 42 points on the night to Kobe's 36 and outplayed the Lakers on THEIR two man game, 118-109. Nash and Stoudemire are really in sync and proved on Sunday they are not going to take this series lying down. I think the Lakers missed the little things and got out of their rhythm. They left Robin Lopez alone twice and twice using the same play, Lopez scored. And unless he comes right out and says it, I don't think he elbowed Derek Fisher in the head on purpose. I know some thought he should have got a technical foul but I don't think so. Good call. Really, this series has been all about who's on fire at any given moment. On Sunday, it was the Suns. Tonight, I hope it's the Lakers.
Keeping the Dream alive in Orlando (Boston leads series 3-1)
Rip the band aid off. Pull the plug. Put them out of their misery. Monday night's game was painful to watch. It dragged into overtime for the first time in these playoffs. This would have been cool if the series were tied or close to it. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series and I seriously doubt the Orlando Magic will be the team to break that record. If we take a look at the scoring stats from Monday's game, they are pretty even: Pierce with 32 points, 11 rebounds; Allen with 22 points, 5 rebounds and Garnett with 14 and 12. Pretty comparable to Orlando's top scorers: Howard at 32 and 16, Nelson at 23 and 5, Lewis at 13 and 5. So with no star or one player really dominating consistently, what was the difference in this game? Again, we need to look at rhythm, here. I think Garnett broke their focus with the technical foul he received in the 3rd quarter and Boston didn't gain any real momentum. It's not like they were outplayed - this game could have easily ended in their favour. Take a look at the final scores so far in this series. None have broke 100 and have only been won a handful of points - except for game three when Boston won by 23. Compare this to the Western Conference Final and you'll see each score is over a hundred and each game was won by more than ten points. Which means we have top scorers in both conference finals, but maybe in the Eastern final, they are concentrating on defensive strategies more and their top scorers are a little more consistent and even. If Boston doesn't want another repeat of Monday night's game, they need to start the game firing on all cylinders on Wednesday.
"As the World Turns" in Cleveland
You've done it. I've done it. You flip on your television and catch yourself watching a soap or some other emotionally salacious drama where someone knows their partner is on the way out and thinks a high stakes gesture is the band aid to fix it. Puleeze. This is exactly what is happening in Cleveland. General Manager Danny Ferry and the rest of the Cavs' big brass know Lebron James may be leaving Cleveland and also knowing Lebron's relationship with Mike Brown isn't exactly a match made in heaven, they turf Brown. I know part of the reason they did it Monday was to avoid paying him next year's salary had they waited any longer to fire him. Not sure if I agree with how they did it - no real announcement to explain why they made their decision, so it begs me to wonder what they are hiding. How are they going to attract a high profile coach at this point when they are not sure if Lebron will be there? Or Danny Ferry for that matter since his contract expires in June and there are no guarantees he will be around either. And what about Cleveland's assistant coaches? What a complete mess going into the draft and free agency season. No coach, possibly no GM and the likelihood of Lebron on his way out. To Cleveland Cavs fans everywhere: my heart goes out to you during this difficult time.
A Rumble in the Jungle - Suns are on board (2-1 series for Lakers)
You've heard it before in boxing, "a rumble in the jungle" but never before in basketball, right? How many times does Nash have to get smashed in the face before we start confusing the basketball court with a boxing match? In Sunday night's game, a fourth quarter foul on Nash broke his nose and you could see him on camera trying to reset it. He also has no plans for protective equipment or a tape job - just oh natural for Nash. And who said basketball players weren't tough?
Amar'e Stoudemire is certainly proving to be. He was playing aggressive and positioning himself to really connect on key plays. He had 42 points on the night to Kobe's 36 and outplayed the Lakers on THEIR two man game, 118-109. Nash and Stoudemire are really in sync and proved on Sunday they are not going to take this series lying down. I think the Lakers missed the little things and got out of their rhythm. They left Robin Lopez alone twice and twice using the same play, Lopez scored. And unless he comes right out and says it, I don't think he elbowed Derek Fisher in the head on purpose. I know some thought he should have got a technical foul but I don't think so. Good call. Really, this series has been all about who's on fire at any given moment. On Sunday, it was the Suns. Tonight, I hope it's the Lakers.
Keeping the Dream alive in Orlando (Boston leads series 3-1)
Rip the band aid off. Pull the plug. Put them out of their misery. Monday night's game was painful to watch. It dragged into overtime for the first time in these playoffs. This would have been cool if the series were tied or close to it. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series and I seriously doubt the Orlando Magic will be the team to break that record. If we take a look at the scoring stats from Monday's game, they are pretty even: Pierce with 32 points, 11 rebounds; Allen with 22 points, 5 rebounds and Garnett with 14 and 12. Pretty comparable to Orlando's top scorers: Howard at 32 and 16, Nelson at 23 and 5, Lewis at 13 and 5. So with no star or one player really dominating consistently, what was the difference in this game? Again, we need to look at rhythm, here. I think Garnett broke their focus with the technical foul he received in the 3rd quarter and Boston didn't gain any real momentum. It's not like they were outplayed - this game could have easily ended in their favour. Take a look at the final scores so far in this series. None have broke 100 and have only been won a handful of points - except for game three when Boston won by 23. Compare this to the Western Conference Final and you'll see each score is over a hundred and each game was won by more than ten points. Which means we have top scorers in both conference finals, but maybe in the Eastern final, they are concentrating on defensive strategies more and their top scorers are a little more consistent and even. If Boston doesn't want another repeat of Monday night's game, they need to start the game firing on all cylinders on Wednesday.
"As the World Turns" in Cleveland
You've done it. I've done it. You flip on your television and catch yourself watching a soap or some other emotionally salacious drama where someone knows their partner is on the way out and thinks a high stakes gesture is the band aid to fix it. Puleeze. This is exactly what is happening in Cleveland. General Manager Danny Ferry and the rest of the Cavs' big brass know Lebron James may be leaving Cleveland and also knowing Lebron's relationship with Mike Brown isn't exactly a match made in heaven, they turf Brown. I know part of the reason they did it Monday was to avoid paying him next year's salary had they waited any longer to fire him. Not sure if I agree with how they did it - no real announcement to explain why they made their decision, so it begs me to wonder what they are hiding. How are they going to attract a high profile coach at this point when they are not sure if Lebron will be there? Or Danny Ferry for that matter since his contract expires in June and there are no guarantees he will be around either. And what about Cleveland's assistant coaches? What a complete mess going into the draft and free agency season. No coach, possibly no GM and the likelihood of Lebron on his way out. To Cleveland Cavs fans everywhere: my heart goes out to you during this difficult time.
5/18/10
"Jiggly Bits"
Things are getting interesting. The Lakers are now playing like NBA Champions, Boston handed Orlando their first loss at home since mid-March and the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to survive amidst rumours of possible coach and player movement. Also, Raptors fans will be paying close attention to the NBA Draft lottery today since the first three picks in July's draft will be determined by the lottery. The rest of the lottery teams will select positions 4 through 14 in opposite order of their consolidated standings at the end of the regular season. So take the Raptors and say, New Jersey. The nets finished with a 12 and 70 record so they get 250 tickets placed in the proverbial draw. The Raptors finished with a 40 and 42 record and get 7 chances at possibly getting a first pick in the draft. It may look like the Nets are a shoe-in for a choice pick but that's why they call it a lottery, right? Anything can happen. Same goes for the playoffs and the Cavs' future, so let's get to it.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the setting Suns
I have been living accross the street from my neighbour Clayton for a few years now and I don't know why it took me this long but in one of our classic and heated 'driveway debates' over the weekend, he professed his undying loyalty to the Phoenix Suns. He even made the Canadian argument. Ok. Before we go any further, we all know my allegiance to the purple and gold. I appreciate Steve Nash's skills and I know he has a spot in the Hall one day. My will to cheer for the Lakers over the Suns does not stem from me anti-Canadian. Far from it. The Lakers have a rich history with Jamal "the silk" Wilkes, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson and now Pau Gasol and Kobe, to name a few of my favourites. Looking at the stats and looking at the history, the Los Angeles Lakers do it for me. Sure, everyone told me going into the playoffs Kobe and the gang were going to get sidelined since this was Lebron James' year to win the final dance. Instead, Lebron is at home wishing he had better prom dates around him and Kobe is laughing. Especially after last night.
So the Lakers take game one of the Western conference final, by 21 points (128-107). Finally, no more games won by a mere bucket. They needed to win like they did last night since there were so many questions about the Lakers bench compared to the Suns' bench. And then there's always Kobe's knee. Watching last night's game was like watching game tape in coaching school about how to run systems. The Lakers seem to have an answer for everything. They ran the triangle both offensively and defensively but it was on the defensive end that was key for them. This shut down Steve Nash and held him to only 13 points and 13 assists on the night.
Also, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson always preaches the third quarter push and Kobe listened with 21 of the 40 points he got last night coming in the third quarter alone. No question marks left about his knee after a performance like that. There were questions swirling around his abilities going into game one since Kobe didn't practice much with the team during the 7 day break they had since sweeping the San Antonio Spurs. But he did concentrate on shooting according to Phil Jackson and it certainly paid off huge against the Suns in game one. I am wondering though, what Suns Coach Alvin Gentry is going to change about their game plan for game two. Their strong point has been their bench, aside from Nash and Stoudemire. But with Lamar Odum putting up 19 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers as he did in game one, game two will be a challenge for the Suns if they don't show their bench is just as deep.
More than a Feeling - Boston over Orlando
"It's more than a feeling - When I see how Rondo and Allen play - I begin dreaming - Of an NBA final: Boston and L.A.....". Songwriter Tom Shultz took five years to write the original hit for the rock legend, Boston - however, wouldn't it be nice if my little diddy came true? If game one of either series is any indication, the dream I had last night is not too far off. They only won by four (92-88) but Boston showed Orlando they are not the only ones looking for a winning streak. This was Orlando's first loss at home since mid-March and was also Vince Carter's first taste of playing in a conference final. He was a sneaky little one on Sunday in game one, wasn't he? Missing a free throw on purpose so Jameer Nelson could get the rebound and lay-in. The gamble paid off but not in the momentum department since the Magic never lead once during the game and that's only happened once this season. In the first 16 minutes, Orlando scored 14 points, so Boston was making them play uncomfortable from the start. That's what you need to do with a team like the Orlando Magic who have been on a kind of "under the radar" streak with all this talk of Lebron or Kobe going to the final. Ray Allen was finding a way to drive the lane and not always sticking to the jump shots. This helped him put up 25 points and 7 rebounds on the night for Boston. Plus, Orlando's last opponent -the Atlanta Hawks- just seemed to lay down and take whatever they got dished, hence a swept series for the blue and white. Now, Boston is trying to prove to Orlando they are not the doormats to wipe their collective high tops on, but a real contender.
Cleveland - a "should he stay or should he go" situation
So what. Lebron James may or may have spoken to Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls about possibly carrying his number 23 over to the windy city. Just a rumour at this point. What the Cavs should really be concerned about is their coaching situation. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has denied reports he fired Coach Mike Brown and is saying the Cavs are merely in the evaluation process. Let's pretend after this evaluation process Mike Brown does leave Cleveland. I don't think he'll have trouble finding a job with so many NBA clubs shopping for a man of his skill. When a team shops for a new coach, don't they usually consult the Lebrons of the club to get their input? Think about it. The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to search for a new coach not really knowing for sure if Lebron James will be in the Cavs' line-up next season or not. Plus, remember we are embarking on draft and free agency season now and this is no time to go shopping for essentials.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the setting Suns
I have been living accross the street from my neighbour Clayton for a few years now and I don't know why it took me this long but in one of our classic and heated 'driveway debates' over the weekend, he professed his undying loyalty to the Phoenix Suns. He even made the Canadian argument. Ok. Before we go any further, we all know my allegiance to the purple and gold. I appreciate Steve Nash's skills and I know he has a spot in the Hall one day. My will to cheer for the Lakers over the Suns does not stem from me anti-Canadian. Far from it. The Lakers have a rich history with Jamal "the silk" Wilkes, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Magic Johnson and now Pau Gasol and Kobe, to name a few of my favourites. Looking at the stats and looking at the history, the Los Angeles Lakers do it for me. Sure, everyone told me going into the playoffs Kobe and the gang were going to get sidelined since this was Lebron James' year to win the final dance. Instead, Lebron is at home wishing he had better prom dates around him and Kobe is laughing. Especially after last night.
So the Lakers take game one of the Western conference final, by 21 points (128-107). Finally, no more games won by a mere bucket. They needed to win like they did last night since there were so many questions about the Lakers bench compared to the Suns' bench. And then there's always Kobe's knee. Watching last night's game was like watching game tape in coaching school about how to run systems. The Lakers seem to have an answer for everything. They ran the triangle both offensively and defensively but it was on the defensive end that was key for them. This shut down Steve Nash and held him to only 13 points and 13 assists on the night.
Also, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson always preaches the third quarter push and Kobe listened with 21 of the 40 points he got last night coming in the third quarter alone. No question marks left about his knee after a performance like that. There were questions swirling around his abilities going into game one since Kobe didn't practice much with the team during the 7 day break they had since sweeping the San Antonio Spurs. But he did concentrate on shooting according to Phil Jackson and it certainly paid off huge against the Suns in game one. I am wondering though, what Suns Coach Alvin Gentry is going to change about their game plan for game two. Their strong point has been their bench, aside from Nash and Stoudemire. But with Lamar Odum putting up 19 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers as he did in game one, game two will be a challenge for the Suns if they don't show their bench is just as deep.
More than a Feeling - Boston over Orlando
"It's more than a feeling - When I see how Rondo and Allen play - I begin dreaming - Of an NBA final: Boston and L.A.....". Songwriter Tom Shultz took five years to write the original hit for the rock legend, Boston - however, wouldn't it be nice if my little diddy came true? If game one of either series is any indication, the dream I had last night is not too far off. They only won by four (92-88) but Boston showed Orlando they are not the only ones looking for a winning streak. This was Orlando's first loss at home since mid-March and was also Vince Carter's first taste of playing in a conference final. He was a sneaky little one on Sunday in game one, wasn't he? Missing a free throw on purpose so Jameer Nelson could get the rebound and lay-in. The gamble paid off but not in the momentum department since the Magic never lead once during the game and that's only happened once this season. In the first 16 minutes, Orlando scored 14 points, so Boston was making them play uncomfortable from the start. That's what you need to do with a team like the Orlando Magic who have been on a kind of "under the radar" streak with all this talk of Lebron or Kobe going to the final. Ray Allen was finding a way to drive the lane and not always sticking to the jump shots. This helped him put up 25 points and 7 rebounds on the night for Boston. Plus, Orlando's last opponent -the Atlanta Hawks- just seemed to lay down and take whatever they got dished, hence a swept series for the blue and white. Now, Boston is trying to prove to Orlando they are not the doormats to wipe their collective high tops on, but a real contender.
Cleveland - a "should he stay or should he go" situation
So what. Lebron James may or may have spoken to Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls about possibly carrying his number 23 over to the windy city. Just a rumour at this point. What the Cavs should really be concerned about is their coaching situation. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has denied reports he fired Coach Mike Brown and is saying the Cavs are merely in the evaluation process. Let's pretend after this evaluation process Mike Brown does leave Cleveland. I don't think he'll have trouble finding a job with so many NBA clubs shopping for a man of his skill. When a team shops for a new coach, don't they usually consult the Lebrons of the club to get their input? Think about it. The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to search for a new coach not really knowing for sure if Lebron James will be in the Cavs' line-up next season or not. Plus, remember we are embarking on draft and free agency season now and this is no time to go shopping for essentials.
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