I talked some Raptors ball with Ryan Wolstat of the Sun’s Courtside blog, he gave us his thoughts on the free agent summer, our options at the wing and plenty of other Raptors topics. We also discussed whether irregardless is a word. Have a listen by clicking on the play button below or directly in iTunes. If you’re on a mobile device, you may download the file (10.4 MB).
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A summary of the interview after the jump.
- Agrees that irregardless is a word.
- Jack is an excellent signing and fully worth the $5M/yr. The contract doesn’t hamper us in signing a big because a Rasho signing is very possible. Doesn’t think we necessarily need to invest in a wing at this point.
- Believes the Raptors were at their best when their PG play was good for 48 minute under T.J Ford and Jose Calderon and that signing Jack is a step towards restoring that.
- Thinks Marcus Bank will be in a suit this season.
- The Bargnani signing had to happen since Colangelo had shown faith in him and not offering him a contract this summer would’ve been a sign of confidence not being shown in his game. Still prefers Bosh as a player over Bargnani.
- Quincy Douby has earned a spot on the Raptors ahead of Roko Ukic, points to his high draft selection as indication that he’s got the talent, it’s a question of it coming out. Douby credits Triano for his improved game. He might be playing bad competition in Las Vegas but he’s still been the best of the Raptors’ lot.
- Very disappointed in Patrick O’Bryant; expected him to play for a contract this summer league but now questions his effort level and desire to stay in the league.
- Carlos Delfino is asking for way too much money, especially given the economic climate. Better players like Matt Barnes can be had for lesser, the Raptors just happen to be stuck in a cap crunch. Much like me, despises the fact that Banks is clogging $5M of the cap.
- DeMar DeRozan was surprisingly good in summer league and although he expected him to showcase his athleticism, the scoring touch and composure were a surprise.
- Didn’t like the Turkoglu signing at first because of the lack of athleticism and length of deal but figures since his isn’t a quickness-oriented game, it could work out. Likes the fact that we finally have a player who can create, something we didn’t have at all last year. Doesn’t believe Bosh should be given that responsibility because of his position.
- Thinks it’s better to retain Bosh even though he’s not a top-tier player and that there’s no shame in having 13-14 guys in the league better than you. Believes that he hasn’t hit his ceiling and that it’s a question of him adding muscle to his body which will help him develop a post-up game.
You can follow Ryan and us on Twitter.
30 Raps
dope, thanks for the link. at first glance, it sounds like a fair assessment and i agree that bosh has yet to hit his ceiling.
btw, i don’t know if y’all check this yet but this is probably the best breakdown i’ve seen of Jarrett Jack yet-
http://caldeford.blogspot.com/2009/07/you-dont-know-jack.html
Anon, no need to copy & paste almost an entire blog post in our comments. That borders on theft and plagiarism. Thanks. Also, the link has been in our link section, and on the top of it, for a bit now.
lol
great stuff!
Great interview, well done.
Kleiza is getting interest from Olympiacos over the past few days and Karl said today he wants him back, so could be a tough road for the Raptors there.
Poor Banks lost the scoring title this year. Anthony Morrow scored 47 to rip the record from Marcus’ cold hands.
Curry was off the board when the Knicks were picking, otherwise they would have scooped him up.
Well done otherwise.
Imagine the numbers Curry would get in D’antoni’s offence. Now hes stuck on team filled with teeners like himself.
I know he was picked ahead of them, but teams tend to target players they are very interested in and trade up. Considering the hype surrounding the Knicks and their need for a PG, the fact that they didn’t trade up to get Curry and then passed on Jennings was surprising.
Ill podcast and like the song selection Halftime (not best song on the ILLmatic CD but its still ill).
DeMar, Bosh and Jack are having dinner according to Demar’s Twitter.
http://twitter.com/DeMar_DeRozan
Solid intro and outro music. I have to say, Wolstat is one of my favorite beat writers when it comes to the raptors, so its really enjoyable to hear his ideas.
I’ve been thinking this about Bosh for a little while now. Considering the work he says he is putting into his body and game, and considering that this is a contract year for him, I totally expect him to up his play. If you remember correctly, when he came into last year with his guns blazing averaging 25 + point and 11 boards, the crowds of fans were chanting “MVP”. Not only would I not be surprised, but I would be shocked if he didn’t put up similar numbers and up his stats and performance by another degree. Maybe his improvement will not come in stats, but in toughness. I think, however, it’ll be a mix of both. Some of you might say, he is going to get less touches now, because of Hedo, but if anyone’s numbers are going down its hedo turkoglu’s. I could see Hedo averaging similar assists and maybe a board or two more than previous, while putting up around 13-14 points a game. Bargs will drop around 18 a game, DD will in and around 10 a game and same with Jose. But with the creation Jose, Jack, and Hedo offer, I still see Bosh putting up 23+ plus points a night. Even if he only does it for this one year, I think he’s going to do it.
and if he manages to grab an extra board or two on top of that, we’ll all be singing his praises and will without a doubt, all be in agreement about giving him max money.
I’d much rather he forgo the points in lieu of more rebounds and most importantly more assists.
I pray for 16-18/10-12/5-7
Those numbers do not warrant a MaxDeal. In order for him to get the money he feels he deserves/wants he is going to have to put up numbers like he did at the start of last season. But he has to also make us believe that that those numbers are sustainable year in and year out, for him to be concidered a legit franchise player. But Arse makes a good point below regarding contract year stats, lets just hope this year makes him able to jump to that “next level”; and as i said before sustain it for years to come.
5-7 assists?… keep dreaming
Hence: “pray” and not “want” or even “hope”
It will probably never happen, but this team is top tier in the East if it does.
I really hopes Jose drops more than 10 man because you’d think he’s going to get his fair share of looks with Hedo handling the ball. Nobody can predict Bargnani’s point production, the guy is still an unknown. As I said, 1.5 good years, 1.5 bad years, what’s next is anybody’s guess, we’re just hoping that he’s turned the corner and will sustain production given minutes.
I think my position on Bosh is clear, he’s closer to his ceiling than most people think. Hopefully Hedo creates offensive put-back opportunities for him so he can up his point production and hopefully he realizes how to punish smaller players in the post and hopefully he commits himself to defense ala Kevin Garnett (same tools, different intensity, KG is a jerk, though). Forget about a post-up game, if it had to happen it would’ve happened by now, I’ve long since given up that dream.
The Catch-22 with him and a stronger body is that if he increases his muscle he will likely lose his only advantage against other PFs – quickness. I’d rather him continue doing what he’s doing and hit his FTs, all at the same salary. When crunch time comes make sure his role is to clean up the glass and he doesn’t touch the ball, let the guards take care of that.
And if you’re counting on contract years for Bosh to improve his game, what does that say about him?
Ryan had a good point, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush which seems to be the rationale for re-signing Bosh. But I’m open to the idea of trading him if we get equal value in return.
Well communicated, and yes, after thinking about what you said, I could see Jose putting up more than 10. I could also see Derozan doing the same and Bargnani putting up more than I predicted. However, you are correct in saying that I have no realistic way of knowing these things. I’m simply a gambling man and would think they are appropriate guestimates. Now while you doubt Bargnani, with another European play maker, and his development seemingly going in the right direction (noticing his new jump hook off of those clips you’ve been so kindly linking us to), I can really see him only progressing from here on out. Maybe, most importantly, is the fact that coach Triano will be running the show instead of Smitch, who clearly brutalized Bargs’ basketball self esteem.
Now while you’ve claimed Bosh has reached his ceiling (or is close to), I would say I agree. But he has shown what he is capable of. 25 and 11 is possible for this guy, given that he isn’t run ragged by playing too many minutes like he was at the beginning of last season, he could very well have that kind of output, regardless of the new faces in Hedo, DD and Jack. I agree with you on everything else about the guy though.
Now with regards to his performance during this upcoming contract year, I am not going to say I would endorse this kind of single season performance; unfortunately, it seems to be a common thing in this business, and I know night in and night out, he will demand touches and will have it in his mindset that he should be putting up monster numbers.
Now with response to what INFO said, I fully expect for Bosh to put up number similar or on par with the ones he opened up last season with. That was what I tried to communicate.
But then again, my opinions are guesses, just like yours.
I’m sure you’ve heard the “good player on a bad team” argument and Bill Simmons comparing him to Shareef Abdur-Rahim a couple years back. All I can say that so far in his five years in the league he’s done little to dispel that. Sure, the teams assembled around him haven’t helped matters but its not like he’s shown the class of a Tim Duncan, the dominance of Dwight Howard, the intensity of Kevin Garnett or the power-game of someone like Carlos Boozer. He hasn’t established himself the way the other guys have, his game has one strength which is quickness but we’ve seen even that get neutralized rather easily at times.
So is he a 24/10 guy? No doubt he can put those numbers up on a team that’s finishing 13th in the conference, but let’s see him put up those numbers with reduced touches on a solid playoff team and then maybe we can talk max-deal without making a funny. I think he can put up those numbers on a decent team but only if his supporting cast is such that he doesn’t have to field any pressure and can be a glorified garbage-man with an added ability to get to the FT line, much like he was in the Olympics.
If the Raptors are going to be one of those teams that’s consistently going to be 10M into the tax, fine, give him a max-deal but if we’re not then we have to distribute that money into at least two players who are either as good if not better than him. To sum it up: I do not want Chris Bosh to be the most talented player on the Raptors, that will never bode well for us.
I think you’d be wrong to say that he hasn’t established his own presence in the NBA. He plays differently than the players you listed (for the most part), and you could easily make the case that 3 out of 4 of those players are better than him, but that still leaves him at the top of his class. Carlos Boozer, for all of his power, will always be defeated by his frail body. Both Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will be retiring from this sport in only a few years time, and if not will find themselves struggling to contribute while burdened by injuries (see O’neal, Shaq). Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Jefferson, and a few other guys will soon be the best players in the world at PF, and given Bosh’s age handing out a max contract will see him continue this level of play all through out his prime.
Now I will agree that I have seen his game neutralized, and believe me, I’ve watched him dribble the ball off his knee/foot during many a late shot clock/game clock possession, but as you said, his role was different for those teams than they will be for this one. I do believe Altraps made some good points the other day in saying Bosh had adapted his game to play in the Olympics. Not only did he change the way he played, he was successful enough at it to warrant playing time over Dwight Howard. That tells me that he can learn to be affective with different players, different systems and even different roles; and no matter how much better Colangelo has made this team, it has nowhere near the star power seen on the Olympic squad. So, naturally Bosh will still be getting touches and still be finding ways to put up those kind of numbers.
Now addressing what you said about two players for the price of this one, well, lets be realistic and say that there is a next zero percent chance a trade would benefit us in that regard or that we could lure many free agents here next summer after his departure; I know we have pieces, but stars are one of the chief draws for free agents.
I agree in saying that I would rather have two good players for ten mil, but realistically that is not going to happen, so giving bosh a max deal and having him average 20+/10 + for the full 5-6 years, sounds like a good plan to me.
If you look at last years stats, there’s a clear correlation between Bosh being “run ragged” and averaging 25 and 11. I agree with Arse’s point about Bosh risking the loss of his quickness should he try to bulk up too much but, more importantly, that quickness is going to fade as he ages anyways.
Bosh is a jump-shooting PF who is able to shine right now because he also happens to be quicker than others. Those qualities alone are not what I find attractive in a power forward unless at least one of his SF and C bookends are the heavy-lifting type.
Also, the KG/Bosh comparison should be done away with. While Bosh said early on that he modelled his game off of KG’s, there remain glaring differences. For one, KG has a much better back-to-basket game than…well, Bosh doesn’t really have much of one to speak of actually. That same style of offense also allowed KG to become a much more proficient passer than Bosh, thus a better distributer. Finally, Garnett’s defense has been dominant at times, while Bosh has NEVER dominated at that end of the floor, nor has he ever been nearly as physical in his play as KG.
I’m annoyed by KG’s antics as much as the next guy, but the Bosh comparison doesn’t come close to ringing ture, in my opinion.
Blah, blah, blah…
How are you going to get two players as good or better then Bosh for the equivilent of one max contract. Not in this life time.
Do you really think max contracts are soley given out based on preformance. Like anything else in this world it has more to do with supply and demand.
Give Bosh what he wnats and keep him in town. If it’s not working out in a couple of years then trade him. It won’t be the same as VC because Bosh has integrity and probably wouldn’t go public with his demands.
Who knows, maybe this revamped roster will have similiar success to BC’s first year.
+1
Don’t agree with the Delfino part. Jack is not necessarily better than delfino, i saw him play almost all his career and he’s a very complete player. He’s a good defensive player and a natural scorer. Plus, although he’s young he has plenty of experience.
The issues to re sign him are basically contract negotiations, i guess every player says he wants more money than what he’s offer. I think it’s a move by his agent other than a dessire by delfino.
Don’t agree either with his opinion on Bargniani. His talent in unique in the world, there are only 4 7 footers in the league with his skill level (Okur, Dirk and David Andersen). He will eventualy live up to his potential, he will put 17 or 18 ppg per night. It was a great deal by BC, he will be a bargain in two or three years
Apparently, Matt Barnes is about to be signed by the Magic according to ESPN. Which means our options are dwindling…Hopefully BC can work things out with Delfino to get him for 4 million, but with less free agents on the market, and since we have Delfino’s rights and can basically sign him to any amount without it effecting our cap, it would be a small miracle. Delfino’s agent has BC by the nutsack.
Nice Interview. Sounds like your cutting down on your coffee’s, but still nailing some wicked tunes man!
Amature site, meh. It’s better then most “Professional” sites. At least here your not Kissin’ Ass to some Corporate Big Wig to to make sure the Dollar Bills keep flowing. BUT this site is on pace to be sucked into the ‘Glam & Sponsors’ and Commercial BullPooP. Be STRONG when that first BIG cheque arrives. Don’t let THE MAN buy you guys and start making HIS rules!
On another note…. I hope Bosh focuses on strenging his ‘Legs & Core’ and NOT just his UpperFrame. You can move guys BIGGER than you with a strong Core & Legs. Just use a ‘Lower Center of Gravity’ than your opponent & push with your ‘Thighs OR Hips’. PLUS Bosh already had Knee problems. Adding weight to his UpperBody will put more strain on his Knee. I’m sure/hope his Trainner is aware of that.
Bargnani legs look Thick. Yao Ming legs are like Trees all the way to his ankles…. but I guess that didn’t help his foot…that sucks.
Great interview, well done. Wolstat knows his stuff!
Great job Arsenalist, keep those interviews coming. The main thing I like about this site is that nothing is sensored. People can talk freely, and Bloggers are not pro cooperation guys that only talk the positive, they just speak their minds. When I go to the Raptors website or I watch the Raptors game with these commentators I want to puke. Bsing the whole time and saying nothing negative about the Raptors.
Aresenalist and Elliot, you guys are making great points. If you had to choose between Boozer, Bosh, or Garnett which one would you choose? I for one would choose KG for his defense, but then Boozer and Bosh are kinda tied.
But no team in the NBA has offered them that kinda of money. I for one would rather have two good players at like 10m/year than one bosh. Like a Richard Hamilton and a Tayshaun Prince. I know we could never pull off that deal, but the bottom line is there are many players that can fit his role for much less that will allow us to get another good player.
I would love Bosh to stay, but if he is demanding max salary then I would have to think twice about it!
looks like Barnes is going to Orlando !!!!the East is scary
could always try a trade with utah getting boozer and another decent play for bosh.
i think this site just got added to my main 2-3 sources for raptors news and discussion, easey
but *irregardless* is not a word, even though it is used often enough
IR*regard*LESS
it is a double negative, similar to “ain’t not” and actually comes out meaning “not without regard”, a.k.a. “with regard”.
… somebody scraping the realgm forums for material?
youtube, “puff puff pass” and start at 3m40s
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