Sam Smith woke up this morning and couldn’t figure out what to write, so he thought he’d make something up. He came up with this. Let’s play along though, commenter BujuBosh came up with this trade idea which would send Nash, Barbosa and Barnes to Phoenix for Calderon (BYC), Kapono, Parker and Jamario Moon. The best player in this trade might be Nash but I think Jose Calderon’s inflated NBA value might be high enough for this to happen. Is it a good trade for Toronto? I don’t think so, we already saw how Dallas got burned trying to acquire a PG whose best years were behind him. And they were much more serious contenders than we are. Instead of a quick-fix which is what a Nash trade would be, I’d opt for going young and rebuilding. Or even status quo.
John Hollinger’s take on the Raptors recent good play (3-2 in 2009):
Toronto might have lost 115-109 in OT in Boston on Monday, but there’s a lot of things to like about how the Raptors have been playing of late. Roko Ukic (16 points Monday) has looked like a real NBA player lately, they’re finally playing Kris Humphries after half a season of hearing me beg them to play him, and the reinsertion of Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker as starters has helped seal up the leaky perimeter D. Now if they can just convince Jason Kapono that he’s a 3-point shooter, they’ll be most of the way there.
But the big change has been from Andrea Bargnani. The frustrating Italian was as worthless as any player in the NBA in the season’s first month and a half, but has played his best stretch of basketball since, shooting the ball confidently and consistently while Jermaine O’Neal sits out and raising the question of whether the Raps should bench and/or trade O’Neal once he returns from injury.
Bargnani’s month-by-month splits jump off the page — in seven January games he’s averaging 20.6 points on 53.6 percent shooting. He’s made 60 percent of his 3s, grabbed six defensive boards a night and he’s even gotten to the line occasionally.
I mentioned last week that we should monitor whether this is more than a little hot streak. It’s becoming apparent that it’s something more momentous — and that after two years of more fizzle than sizzle, the Bosh-Bargnani pairing, for whatever reason, is really clicking. All that has the Raps on a trajectory to salvage their season and, perhaps, make it to the playoffs after all.
It’s a shame that our goals have gone from winning a playoff round to making it to the playoffs. Those of you who actually voted correctly in the What would be considered a successful season? early season poll need to stand up and take some credit.
Here are those results in which 240 people voted:
| Playoff Appearance | 2% |
| 1st round win | 9% |
| 1st round win, good fight in 2nd round | 46% |
| 2nd round win | 16% |
| 2nd round win, good fight in EC finals | 16% |
| Eastern Conference Champs | 11% |
Now to Joey, how many here at the start of the season thought he’d be out of the NBA in a year? Lots of hands going up there. Graham was the most to gain from Sam Mitchell’s firing, check his numbers under Triano and Mitchell. They’re not mind-blowing but you can tell that he’s made the most of his opportunity. What the stats don’t show is that he’s been the most aggressive Raptor this season. He’s always been driving the paint but of late he’s added – dare I say this – a new dimension to his game where he catches the ball in the paint and executes a scoring move. I don’t want to call it a post-up but its something going to the rim!
| MP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell | 12:25 | 4.71 | 2.71 | 0.29 | 0.21 | 0.14 |
| Triano | 21:47 | 7.82 | 3.77 | 0.77 | 0.50 | 0.14 |
On the other end, Triano’s not been kind to Hump. A lot has to do with Jake Voskuhl’s signing, him getting bruised up and his “I need to score ASAP” play when he does get in. The numbers support the thoughts:
| MP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell | 11:17 | 4.93 | 3.35 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.29 |
| Triano | 06:58 | 3.00 | 1.69 | 0.31 | 0.23 | 0.08 |
55 Raps
We can all say this…Hump will always be better than Hoffa, but that’s how low of an expectation I am looking at. Praise Colangelo for the trade of Hump for Hoff, but I don’t mind bashing B.Co for giving him an extension on a team that can’t use his “skills”. I just feel a team like San Antonio or a good team will use him better and fit him into a system more responsibly than the Raps are.
I admit, Nash for Calderon STRAIGHT UP is a terrible trade for the Raps. But that is not the situtaion we are currrently debating. The possibility of picking up Barbosa and Barnes is very attractive and should at least be considered. You will never get something for free in sports, we have to give up something too. I’m just saying that it is at least worth thinking about.
Ultimately I think Jose is a top 10 point guard in the league. I have watched him throughout his entire career with the Raps and he has done nothing but improve in every area of his game and I am confident that his D will get better. For anyone to say that his talent has piqued is just crazy. But we need help on the wings. And we have very little young talent (BTW Barnes and Barbosa still make us younger) and little draft options.
Finally, I agree that waiting and not panicking is important, BUT if we wait to long Bosh may leave and then we are fucked. We may need to bring in a vetran like Nash (even to our detriment) to keep Bosh happy. It’s a fine line though…
also keep in mind that Ukic is showing a lot of promise…two years of playing behind Steve Nash could do wonders for his game and he could be poised to take over as a quality starting 1 once Nash retired…
Arsenalist-you say that you would opt for young and rebuilding. Does that include Bosh? If so do you think he will stay here given the status quo?
Yes, I would like Bosh to remain on this team but he obviously needs another player at his level or above him in order for this team to go anywhere. Is Bargnani that player? Not right now but he might be, so the question is whether Bosh is willing to wait out Bargnani’s development or will he look for another team which already has a second star ready? Somebody said this a few days ago and it was the Rap of the Day – Colangelo needs to convince Bosh that Bargnani’s the second star that can take this team to the next level. If he can pull that sell job off then Bosh is staying, if not, we better make a trade to get someone here OR ship him off. The last thing I want is another T-Mac.
It’s 2009 (odd year), you know who is lurking. But I wonder, Phoenix is going to peak properly this year. Do you who keep bringing up Phoenix realize this is their play for the whole thing, now, this year? This is an unknown now to most, I would say the sleeper. So when you propose this Phoenix stuff, are you on the same page as them?
I am in agreement with Solomon as starter and it seems Triano might actually get this, in spite of Sunday’s colossal blunder.
Forget the nash for calderon trade, that will be a horrible move for the raps. If we had a small light of hope in the future of this team, a trade like that will destroy those hopes. I think Calderon is the answer at the PG despite his defensive problems. As arse said, he has improved in every area of his game since he arrived so i’m confident he’ll work hard on his defense.
BC has to convince Bosh and Bargniani that Il Mago is the second option on offense. With confindence I think Andrea will be an extraordinary player for us, he can live to the potential that made them a number one pick.
What we have to solve is the wings problems, neither Graham, Kapono nor Moon are the solution to the SF spot. I think AP is excelent at the SG and with a good starting line up around him, he can put easily 12 points per game as he did last year.
The O’neal to the bulls talk made me think of this possible trade without landing a guy like Hughes that could destroy the team chemistry
see:—>
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=3428~2817~739~356~2456~3028~3249~615&teams=28~4~28~18~28~28~18~4&te=&cash=
NYK: Will get their SG, a proven scorer that will fit perfectly in the D’antoni System and his contract experied in 2010, just how they want in order to get LeBron. Jamario is also and athletic wing player that will help them in the defensive end. In the other hand, they only give up on Gallinari potential (Rose and Robertson hardly play this season)
TOR: Get 3 great wing players, one with a great potential (Gallinari) and another who will help them right now (Thabo Sefolosha). Plus seven millions off in cap space with Rose expiring contract.
Chi: Get their much needed center in JO and get rid of the big Hughes contract.
Chicago is shopping the three players right now and Hughes said he wanted to be traded.
I know that maybe Chicago or NYK might not want to trade Thabo or Gallinari but if we can manage to add only one of them, we will be fine as well.
Actually Arse, it was me who added Barnes to the mix, not Victor
Fixed. Let not people call me unjust.
I think I picked a 2nd round win. Expectations were high after last season… and I guess those have been thoroughly shattered by now.
After doing the Phoenix deal, I woud make this trade…
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=498~510~615&teams=28~28~14&te=&cash=
Toronto’s Lineup:
Nash/Ukic
Graham/Barbosa/Soloman
Marion/Barnes
Bosh/Hump/Voshkul
Bargs/Magloire/Jawaii
Nice Lineup
Colangelo is working on SHAWN MARION for JO deal as we speak.
Man, what a great trade in itself, raps get rid of JO (# 1 pick Bargnani owns his spot rite now + future looks bright ). On the other end, they get an athletic wing who can do it all and likes the fast break … will be on the receiving end of lots of Roko’s passes as they push the ball.
It’s official that with this trade Raps are making a leap forward and when the line-up gets to something like this next year, they’ll be rdy to get this current crappy team to the next level and make a run deep in the playoffs:
PG- Ukic/Calderon
SG- …. (new trade or AP/Kapono)
SF- Marion/Graham/Moon
PF- Bargnani/Hump/ Voskuhl
C- Bosh/ (Jawai?)
Bosh can play PF too.
Again, Ukic isn’t our starter, Jose is and will be for a long time. Getting Marion could be the solution at the wing but I don’t see him re-signing with us next summer, plus marion seems to be lost without the D’antoni system and nash passing him the ball, so I don’t know if it’s good for us or not.
but if you make my 2 proposed trades…the raps would be sick… if Marion doesn’t re-sign, you have 17 million to play with this off-season. Honestly with these 2 trades we are a good playoff team, surely to advance to the second round.
I bet Bosh’s agent is telling the MLSE to shore up the team with good trades or trade Bosh … with the preference being the latter choice.
Again .. Bosh is losing market value playing for the Raptors, and you can bet your bottom loonie that come 2010, the MLSE will attempt to downgrade Bosh because he didn’t make the Raptors into a playoff team … and that he should re-sign with the Raps accepting a lowball contract offer.
Bosh and the Raptors must part ways sooner or later, and I vote for sooner and start the rebuilding process.
Shawn Marion cannot create his own shot. Neither is he a knockdown perimeter shooter.
Marion is a better basketball player than either Moon or Graham but, IMO, he is not the answer for the Raptors on the Wing right now, at least, not with his current price-tag.
khandor you are simply wrong, if we traded jose and co. and brought in nash and co. marion would fit nicely with this team.
So basically, we should just reassemble the Suns from 5 years ago, with Bosh being the new Amare and AP being the new Raja Bell.
I would be more sold on this if the players involved could also all reverse age themselves 5 years.
Interesting discussions ….
I think the Jose for Nash trade idea has a lot of merit for the Suns. They’re an older team that has to start looking to re-tool, they can either do it now or put it off for 6-18 months, but either way they’re going to have to do it, it’s just a matter of time now. I wouldn’t really mind either way (I don’t think it changes much in either direction) if the Raps did that type of deal or not. It’d be a lot of fun to watch Nash play for the Raptors over his remaining years.
I’m a fan of the Jermaine O’Neal for Shawn Marion trade idea. I think it’d be a good deal for both teams, but I think you’d most likely be letting Marion walk at the end of the season. I like the deal because it brings the cap space forward 12 months and gives you a very talented player in the meantime.
———————————–
The Raptors won’t have enough cap space to acquire a fifth star after paying Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. That foursome is not good enough to win an NBA title, with Boston/Orlando/Cleveland around in the East it’s probably not even a legitimate contender either … that’s why you need the fifth player.
The team would still need that multi-dynamic wing (Joe Johnson is my favourite example for this type of player) who can create for both himself and his teammates. As Khandor was saying, Marion is a lot of great things but he isn’t that.
I don’t think Bosh, Marion or Bargnani would be willing to take a pay cut. Maybe if Steve Nash was willing to take a huge pay cut (say down from $13mil to $5mil) and you got good deals on Marion (unlikely) and Bargnani (too early to tell), you may be able to make it work … but probably not.
————————————-
Anyway, I don’t think Steve Kerr is ready to blow up that team and retool. So I don’t think the trade idea could come true.
The Marion-Jermaine is a possibility.
Nash for Calderon STRAIGHT UP is a terrible trade for the Raps. But that is not the situtaion we are currrently debating. The possibility of picking up Barbosa and Barnes is very attractive and should at least be considered. You will never get something for free in sports, and we need scoring on the wing (which Barbosa provides) and defence (Barnes is good defensively). Raptors would give up crappy wing players to UPGRADE at the wing, while somewhat downgrading (more in age than ability) at the PG spot. It’s not a bad trade overall, just when you only compare NASH and JOSE. LOOK AT THE OVERALL PICTURE.
Then trade O’Neal down the road.
Dave, the knock on Marion is that he cannot create his own shot and does not have a well-defined game. He’s not a guy you can give the ball to in the fourth quarter and ask him to either score or create. He’s a great second option on a team with a visionary point guard. I’ve always been saying that he’s a product of the Phoenix system more than anything.
The one thing he would definitely add to the mix is perimeter defense which is huge for us but I don’t think he’ll have a great impact on the offensive end, not unless he develops some great chemistry with Jose Calderon, like he did with Nash (unless of course we acquire him too).
As you alluded to already, I would much rather us throw our money at Joe Johnson. He’s a player who you can give the ball to at the start of the possession and will either get a good shot or attract enough attention so others might. I don’t think Marion can do that.
But seeing how O’Neal is basically giving us nothing right now and that Marion’s contract ends sooner, I would not be entirely opposed to that deal provided its not the only play we make. If I’m Bryan Colangelo I’d call the Warriors and start asking about Monta Ellis and work my way down their roster. Then I’d call OKC and talk about Jeff Green. Aim high, always.
Dave all valid points. Let Marion walk after the season, we would have a lot of cap space to work with this summer. If we could sign him to a good deal then, even better. I still believe these deals would shore up our current deficiencies.
Simon:
This would not be the suns from five years back, it would be a lot different. Do you think before you write anything? Three players from that team don’t constitute the same team.
Toronto’s Lineup:
Nash/Ukic
Graham/Barbosa/Soloman
Marion/Barnes
Bosh/Hump/Voshkul
Bargs/Magloire/Jawaii
IMO we would get past the first round with this lineup. Which is a lot better than probably not getting into the playoffs this year.
with the Marion deal: i would be interested to know how he feels playing for the Raps. He didn’t like being in Phoenix any longer, and there were grumblings all through the Colangelo era. Maybe they do not mesh, even though the Marion of old was a perfect fit for Colangelo’s team. Also, Marion doesn’t address our need for a cutting perimiter player – I do like his defensive presence though. He was always the lockdown defender on that run and gun Suns team.
Whenever a player shows that tendency to complain, I worry about their possible desire to avoid Toronto. Maybe it is my ‘nobody wants to play in Toronto’ phobia, but I just don’t know.
Khandor, would you be averse to acquiring Marion for the purposes of making a run at Marvin Williams of the Hawks (after his release at season’s end, of course)?
I don’t think think the Marion trade makes us a better team offensively, it makes us a better team defensively–which will still amount to more wins and a better team. Do you think Pierce or Allen goes off for forty on us if we had Marion to defend one of those one on one?
I think not.
Beggars can’t be choosers. We’re not getting Jeff Green, or JR Smith (unless we take back Kenyon Martin)or any other slashing wing of any quality at the moment. Those kind of talents aren’t just waiting to be pluucked from other teams–they’re tough to get.
We could get Hughes from Chicago, but I like the early cap space better. There is no way we can compete with all those US cities in 2010. It’s just not happening, so JO’s capspace is not nearly as valuable to us than to other teams. I mean, we could try to pry Carter out of Jersey–but they’re better than us right now and it would take an injury to Devin Harris to make them even coinsider tanking.
Just take the deal, get us young wright and run.
Why is it felt Marion is available, or is it more them needing JO?
No Way PHX trades Nash, unless theyre completely out of the playoff race or Shaq/Amare get injured for the rest of the year. Kerr made the richardson trade because after the Lakers the West is pretty open.
I see a Chiago Toronto trade, and despite popular opinion, I’m a fan of Larry Hughes. He’s a good basketball player who couldn’t play with Lebron James and was/in in a crappy rotation in Chicago. Sure he takes tough shots and is injury prone, but he would be an immediate upgrade at the 2 spot.
If I were BC I would trade: JO/Moon for Noah/Hughes/Nocioni
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=356~3224~2456~3249~615&teams=28~28~28~4~4&te=&cash=
Bulls get cap space for ‘10 and get on nocioni’s contract and Noah’s attitude.
Raps get a young big man behind bargs/bosh, a tough tweener in nocioni to come off the bench (I don’t really like him, but he’s needed to make salaries match) and Hughes to take some of the minutes from AP
Calderon/Ukic/Solo
AP/Hughes
Graham/Kap/Nocioni
Bosh/Nocioni/Hump
Barg/Noah/JV
Noah/Thabo/Tyrus Thomas all being the interchangeable young guy, and BC may include Kapono to combat Nocioni’s horrible contract.
Next Year I believe the Hughes contract (13mil) would be a better contract to have cuz the other team wouldn’t need to included so much filler.
I think next year, BC would STILL need a scoring wing, but would have much better assets to attain one (2 young Big Men beside bosh, Hughes Expiring, Ukic showing some potential)
That would be my plan anyway.
Good basketball judgment and patience are key ingredients to building a championship calibre team in this league.
Trading for a player like Marion … who doesn’t fit with Bosh, Bargnani & Calderon … is not the way to go, IMO.
Neither is trading for players like Nash, Barbosa and Barnes … when you already have Calderon, Ukic, Parker, Delfino, Moon, Graham and Kapono on your extended roster.
First. The Raptors should never have traded for a player like Jermaine O’Neal.
Second. Now that they have, however … The Raptors should not make things worse than they need to be and, in panic mode, acquire players that will not be part of their core group down-the-road, just to make the playoffs this season.
If they can make the post-season this year with the team as is … that’s no problem.
If they can’t … that’s no real problem either. All it means is that Bryan WAS WRONG when he traded for Jermaine O’Neal. Good GM’s are wrong every once in awhile in this league on a consistent basis. It’s the average-poor GM’s who compound their mstakes by making more miscues in a vain effort to quick fix them.
The Raptors should be standing pat right now and not shopping their entire team around the league just to try and make the playoffs this season … which would be properly categorized as an ego-driven move by their hoops’ brain-trust that is looking rather silly at this time.
In common wagering parlance … what they are doing currently is referred to as “chasing” … which is never a good thing … instead of stepping back, re-grouping, taking their foot off the gas, and developing a sound long-term plan for substantial improvement.
Agreed with khandor here. Getting Marion for the rest of the year and Nash for a year and a half is hardly going to make a dent this year. Even if those trades did go down, it’ll take another month for them to gel (more excuses blah blah) and by the time they do, we’ll be fighting for 7th or 8th which means getting executed in the first round. More importantly, it delays the rebuilding/retooling mode this franchise MUST go through where it needs to acquire young NBA-caliber talent through the draft or trade.
Contending teams that have to make a run apply bandaids to hide a particular deficiency, that strategy doesn’t suit the Raptors who are far from contenders. Their problems are of a deeper nature and need to be resolved carefully and with patience, even if it means conceding this year and the next and/or losing Bosh. I’d love to have him on this team but since BC has provided him with a crap supporting cast, he’s being wasted here.
I agree with Khandor on Marion as a fit for the Raptors long-term but the cap space Marion creates next year has to be figured into a deal. If the Heat were willing to part with Marion and a guy with (limited) upside like Dorrell Wright I think they might trump Chicago as a trade partner for JO. Getting Marion while holding onto Graham and Parker gives the Raptors something like $16 million under the cap (not the tax) once Garbo’s contract comes off the books. And both Chicago and Miami have parts and ‘09 cap space that would make it worthwhile for BC to trade JO now. I’d consider taking Hughes if Gooden’s expiring contract came along with it (although I’d try to hold out for another young wing like Sefalosha). But Colangelo should be picky about what kind of deals he would be willing to do now for JO. If it doesn’t make the team better by the start of the ‘09-’10 season then just hold onto JO and his huge expiring. Maybe next year a team like Washington is willing to blow itself up for cap space alone.
You guys are huge homers.
Calderon is not a top ten point guard in this league – not even an argument. His defensive shortcomings are so obvious that he makes Parker look like a stud.
The Raptors were never getting past the first round.
JO was never going to play more than 55 games and was never going to look athletic or return to old form – history speaks for itself. Any inflated expectations on his arrival were a huge waste of time.
Every year I offer a bet to all my friends, and even pay 2-1 odds just to entice people. The Raptors will not win more than 45 games. I started this bet in 2000 and I think I’m 7-1 now. This year’s a mortal lock (unless the Rap’s decide to win 20 in a row at some point). How people think this is a 50 win team is beyond me. But who am I to complain, I get paid out serious cash every year.
The people who picked the raps to win the second round, or even contend in the second round (let alone win the east??) need to stop solely reading Toronto websites. Expand your horizons a little and try and approach the league on an even keel. Spend a little, purchase ESPN insider and get caught up with reality. Perhaps purchase the NBA league pass and watch a little basketball without the Raptors in it – I think you’ll be surprised at the quality of the league.
Swartsky or whatever his name was got shipped to radio for a reason, he was the biggest homer in the league. Didn’t he vote for VegLa or something for rookie of the year and lose his voting rights? So much delusion it’s not even laughable. I blame him for the high expectations and unreasonable biases to this basketball club.
This team has talent to finish maybe 7 – 12th in the east. If you can’t see this then make like Helen Kellar and start yelling for help.
I will say this though – you guys run a heck of a blog here. A lot of heart on here – well played.
Of course people are homers here – lol, look at the name of the website… you must be really proud – winning “serious” money from your friends betting on the number of Raptor wins… define serious money – are we talking $15, $20, maybe even $30? You’re a hero. And a whiz.
I dare you to find another site that is more critical of the Raptors while not sounding like total fools.
Arsenalist – sorry for the confusion.
I appreciate the ‘actual’ writers on his blog – like I said – great blog. It’s the comments of the average fan that I find hilarious.
See that’s just it Andrew – I’m not a hero or a whiz….especially when the house pays out 90% of the time.
I’d go more with logical, rational and ‘his friends say he has the abillity to use common sense’.
Although from your standpoint, when you see a 7-1 record (something out of the ordinary in Toronto), I guess the word hero would come to mind.
It’s all relative right?
And you’re correct, I shouldn’t have used the word ’serious’. But the bets were minimum $100, max $300, and is usually offered to about 20 people a year. Last year I had nine (maybe eight)takers and I think I netted $1,500. Hardly a weeks pay, but enough to have a hilarious weekend with.
Like fans in Chicago/San Franciso/Phildelphia didn’t also have extremelly high expectations about the talent on their teams. Sports is not a science, there are too many unpredictable factors involved to be able to make accuarate predections.
Many ESPN insiders chose the Raptors to win 50 games this year. Nobody thought Cleveland would be THIS good.
If you are not touching the core of Bargnani, Bosh and Calderon and you trade JO for Marion, what is the harm? At least you become cap friendly a year earlier plus get some help at the 3 spot. No harm no foul, and I would go with the deal. At least then we have someone to counter the KG alley-oop and even produce some of our own.
And Tallin, I didn’t see your predictions before the season started, so I suggest you stop patting yourself in the back and do your masturbating at home pls.
I’m reading less and less your comments because I got sick of manager and/or coach wannabes. All that noncence…
and Steve B, yet you are here…!
I wasn’t aware of this site at the start of the year.
You can count on a post next year. Something to do with 45 W’s or less.
I know – real creative.
I love to masterbate!
Khandor says:
“Neither is trading for players like Nash, Barbosa and Barnes … when you already have Calderon, Ukic, Parker, Delfino, Moon, Graham and Kapono on your extended roster.”
When did Delfino sign with the Raps again Khandor?
Tallin-most people come here to offer CONSTRUCTIVE criticism about a team and sport they are passionate about.
Trying to open the eyes of the average fan is quite constructive IMHO.
The key to constructive criticism is to be honest and clear every step of the way. A biased view is not clear or honest – just trying to help.
Glad to hear you have passion – keep the fire alive!
FYI- I wrote this article about a month ago on raptorstalk.com
http://www.raptorstalk.com/2008/12/06/why-stop-with-triano-when-you-could-get-nash-and-have-a-reunion/
TAllin,
Opening eyes? : )
Welcome aboard … to this fine site!
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BujuBosh,
Read the word “extended” in what you quoted above. [i.e. with the first right of refusal, re: Delfino]
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Sam,
As a general rule, in the NBA … IMO … Birds in the hand are more valuable than birds located somewhere off in the bush. : )
But the Raptors are missing a few birds no? And JO is not (or is an extra) one in hand either if Bargnani keeps playing the way he has played this month
BBD,
——————–
Many ESPN insiders chose the Raptors to win 50 games this year.
——————–
Many ESPN insiders do not know what they are talking about when it comes to deciphering correctly the goings-on in the NBA.
——————–
Nobody thought Cleveland would be THIS good.
——————–
The Cavaliers are not as good as they’ve seemed so far.
I still think he’s a hero. Whether he does or not. Though there are problems with his story… He’s been making the same bet since 2000 – that the Raptors wouldn’t win 45 games – for “serious” money… Now there may be homers in this city – but I don’t think anybody would have bet the Raptors would win 45 games in the dark years – think 02/03 thru 05/06 – even that first year Colangelo came on – 06/07 When they won 47 games – they far exceeded everybodys expectations…
But I’m sure he did – winning thousands of dollars in the process. We are, afterall, a bunch of homers. And he is a hero. And a whiz.
hahahah….ah – the basic mind at work. I love it.
Way to rack your brain and come up with that theory Matlock.
I’ve had a standard bet of 45 wins a year. This year I offered 2-1 odds. This has changed in the past.
Here’s a hockey terminology – something you might understand:
Keep your stick on the ice and your head up in the corner!
BTW – I’m looking forward to making the same bet with you next year….No Homer can refuse it:)
i think the nash-calderon trade would benefit the raps as well. yes, nash is old but he can still dish and shoot. i believe a player like him can make bosh better, like what he did with amare. bosh has been struggling, and i think his confidence is low esp when he faces his worst nightmare KG. and a player like nash can help him gain his confidence back, since triano’s system is fast paced. calderon i think is slow and is more of a halfcourt guy. his play would work in phoenix since the suns are mostly dpended on shaq. plus barnes is an upgrade at the wing and barbosa can be another energizer and could mesh well with roko. i think we should not yet get rid of JO but we should not rush his return. we’re gonna need him come playoff time (if we make it), not as a starter but a center off the bench. bargs should be the starter.
hopefully we could draft a decent shooting guard since AP is old,and kapono is hot n cold.
Sam,
IMO …
Real life players and real life draft picks are birds in-hand, Cap Space is not.
Cap Space is meaningless.
Cap Space has yet to make a bucket in the NBA.
Cap Space only attains a state of meaningfulness once it’s been transformed into real life players and/or real life draft picks.
… in a sense, Cap Space is like retaining your virginity. Intrinsically, it is extremely valuable. In real life, what is much more meaningful is who you eventually USE/lose it on. : )
I’m not touching the virginity metaphor.
Agreed, cap space is only as good as what you spend it on but I’m fairly certain you don’t that the $21-23 mil. that will be paid to JO for the next 2 years is the best use of limited resources. Getting cap space for that huge contract is the first step in rectifying a mistake. JO is an OK player but he eats up so much space that might be better used elsewhere. Marion addresses some needs (rebounding and defense on the perimeter) and gives the team added flexibility since he is unlikely to be resigned for the same amount of money he got last contract (from Colangelo I believe . . . )
With most of JO’s cap space available in the summer of ‘09 Ben Gordon and Josh Childress become possibilities for the Raptors. I think both (or either) of those players would be an upgrade on the current crop of 2’s and 3’s on the Raptors roster.
There’s a “think” missing from the first line of the second paragraph
так-то ничего, Давайте еще по теме!!.