ed. note: Jeff, also known as Pete Marasmitch, is a fan both of the Toronto Raptors, Roko Ukic and Bryan Colangelo (oh wait, that’s three…). He has also written for Hoops Addict and theScore.com. A great family man, the type of motivational person all bloggers look up to and someone that has easily gained the respect of many. Jeff will be a great addition to an already solid writing staff here at Raptors Republic. Keep your eye out for his work.
Check out his first piece after the jump….
I was going to take this opportunity to rail about those overzealous Raptors fans who had their pitchforks out for Bryan Colangelo after just one sub-par season, those what-have-you-done-for-me-lately types who have forgotten those masterstrokes B.C. made in his G.M. career. But Blake Murphy already wrote a great piece defending “The Architect,” so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already.
22 Raps
HAHAHAHAHHA Genius!
Another thing that BCo did in this league was created the biggest and another big “Pipe-Bomb” ever amassed by a player and contract. It was he who created that Monster Contract for Stephon Marbury (equivalent to a nuclear dirty-bomb) and shipped it to New York for Steve Nash cap space, and it exploded in New York through locker rooms, upper management, and interns. Then he made the Q-Rich Mustard Gas pipe bomb and delivered it to the Knicks in exchange for Kurt Thomas that killed the Knicks quietly through toughness, IQ, fitness, maturity, and rebounding. YOu should of made a “B for Bryan-detta” poster as well: “It is not bad contracts that should fear New York, it is New York that should fear Bad Contracts!”
Funny stuff. But we should wait until this team wins a few games before we start anointing BC anything. Good to have a positive writer on board though.
Now that we have Rasho back
TJ Ford + Rasho = O’neal
Oneal = Marion + Banks
O’neal = Hedo, Jack, Wright, Belinelli and Banks
TJ Ford = Hedo, Jack, Wright, Belinelli and Banks
Nice Trade(s)!!!!
Am I missing something?
GO Raptors GO
Draft picks… you forgot the draft picks… with apologies to Jamario Moon and Cash… screw Macio Baston and Nathan Jawai…
TJ Ford + ‘08 Pick + ‘10 Pick = Hedo, Jack, Wright, Belinelli and Banks
Still no bad
Yeah… I guess the cost of the season (with the resulting plunge into the lottery netting a decent pick and a reason to pull the plug on the Sam Mitchell era) isn’t so tough to stomach. Couldn’t watch half the games because of TSN2 anyhow.
Machiavellian mastermind our Colangelo…
btw – Bunk Beds made my day
Charlie Villanueva = TJ Ford
Charlie Villanueva + ‘08 Pick + ‘10 Pick = Hedo, Jack, Wright, Belinelli and Banks
charlie v = vince carter
Guys I was thinking the other day…
We have a pretty good team but are we ever going to win a title? I know we have a nice core to make the playoffs for 3-4 years straight, but what about a championship?
I love what BC has done, but now that I think about it our roster is now filled with mediocre-good players. If you look at our core all of players are above average players but none are superstars and except bosh none are stars.
Like I was thinking what would take us over the hump? Our starting line-up is packed with good players but we all know we would never win a championship with a roster like this.
My point is what direction our franchise is going towards? Are we aiming at just making the playoffs consistently or are we aiming at winning a title? With these current long contracts I see our team making the playoffs consistently but never win a title. And I can’t think of one thing we can do currently to suddenly win a title without going over the tax specially since no American wants to come to Toronto…
I want to know what you guys think.
BTW nice comic!
This year I expect second round, maybe third. However, I think it’s important to look at some possible variable changes for 2010/2011…
This season looks like it will feature a very entertaining brand of ball, successful or not. This increases rating and revenues. On top of that, Toronto sports are putrid at the moment which will create lots of new fans by having a playoff run this year (past the first round).
Because the Raptors are still mediocre, BC can’t go 10 million into luxury tax because he would look like a jackass. If the Raptors have a 55 win season though, the money would be there to go over the tax for a 10 mil star-ish player to put us over the hump.
In my opinion:
One great season with the core in place plus resigning Bosh or another max player
–>
More fans, more revenue (Canada’s recession is milder), a legitimate basketball destination
–>
BC asks MLSE “You gave the Leafs 65 mil to play with in 2002, can I have that to contend for the Title?”
–>
We go into the tax with 7 starter calibre players and a well rounded bench.
Put down the daddy juice and step away from the computer
bosh is a superstar. somewhere between #6-12 in the NBA by every statistical measure, works hard, leads, nice guy. superstar.
I think the only thing standing between this roster and being a championship contender (one of the 4-6 teams who has a legitimate shot going into the playoffs) is time together and a few tweaks. that time would likely be 2-3 years as teams need time to become just that, teams.
I am NOT saying this will happen. I am saying that I do not think there is a huge talent gap between where they are and that.
look at cleveland outside of lebron and the raptors outside of bosh and tell me which roster you think is better. of course lebron is, imo, the best player in the league, but I think the point is germane.
I like the comic concept, I hope you do more of those…
@rapman… It takes time to build a championship team. A championship team is built in steps. Rarely do you see a team go from nothing to a championship level. Boston did, but them and the Lakers are the NBA’s free-masons so they’re “allowed” to do that.
For any average NBA team though, its about good drafting, consistently excellent scouting and a healthy dose of luck. San Antonio has to be the prime example of this. It was a blessing in disguise when David Robinson went down with his devastating injury. The subsequent No 1 pick was Duncan. From there on in, it was good drafting and amazing scouting for underrated players that fit their needs.
In Toronto’s case, BC has to start somewhere and I must say it seems like he’s conjured up some magic given what he had to work with! He’s a master at flipping bad contracts into movable pieces and movable pieces into good pieces. So I definitely think the team is going in the right direction as long as the staff responsible for player movements does not get complacent.
Thanks for all the positive feedback, guys. It was my first real attempt at this format, so your comments are appreciated.
Just want to throw in my two cents here about the makeup of our team: the Detroit Pistons regularly fielded a championship contender with no real “superstar” in the lineup. Can it not be done again?
And, as enoss said, let’s not gloss over Chris Bosh. He may not be the most aesthetically appealing player compared to Kobe, CP3, LeBron James, etc., but he gets it done in many ways.
I would have to say that building a championship team requires a plan. Every year, all the GMs try and implement their plans, but only one can ultimately be successful. So the odds are stacked against you from the jump and injuries play a role – some guys underperform, some tank on you and some draft picks just don’t work out. But what a successful GM cannot do is blame his lack of success on any of these factors. That’s for the fans to do. The GM must work around these problems and often times, in spite of them. They must think of the long-term picture…so that when your all-star Jameer Nelson goes down, you’ve got Rafer Alston in reserve and not Willy Solomon.
Most important to the success of the GMs plan is having THE RIGHT vision. That’s tough to do. I sure can’t do it. I’ve been wrong a lot in the past too (I hate you J.O.). However, thankfully no one has put me in the drivers seat. And its a good thing too, because you need a long-term vision and it has to be the right one, or else you screw the franchise over for 3-4 seasons while you blow everything up and rebuild. All GMs have a vision – Isaiah had one, Rob Babcock had one, BC has one – but with only one ultimate championship team – some visions prove to be significantly better than others.
Like a lot of you, I like many of the moves BC has made this year – they seem to offset the damage he has caused with earlier personnel decisions. My problem is that I do not see them as evidence of a long-term vision. I do not see them as championship caliber moves – I see them as moves designed to put us back in the playoffs, correct past mistakes and restore our GMs reputation over the short-term. To my mind, the latest makeover is the third plan BC has implemented in the (lets call it 4) offseasons that he’s been with Toronto. The pattern, it seems to me, is that players are acquired, they don’t work out as expected and they are dealt. The standard that seems to satisfy a lot of the people on this board when it comes to BC is that 47 win season. Things that go wrong seem to be “beyond his control.” People seem to view the fact that we were in the playoffs two years in a row as a major achievement. We should be celebrating the man and his Cannelli suits. When I hear things like this, I often ask myself – Would this happen in other cities? Are these really our expectations?
If you are spending up to the luxury tax every year – as the Raptors are – you should have a decent shot of making the playoffs every year with your eyes closed – (16 squads do it every year, although the “architect” managed to trade our way out of them last season). I think most of the people on this site could manage the Raptors into the playoffs with that budget. Perhaps this latest plan will be a turning point for us. Perhaps it will be the “right” vision. But when you are locked into a pattern of where a GM is constantly fixing mistakes, I can’t help but feel that any championship success we have during his tenure will be by accident.
Mike I don’t really agree with you, but there was one point that I was pointing out in my earlier comment that you brought up.
The moves we made this year specially with the Hedo move, are short term success moves. The Hedo move would be good for 2-3 years to put us back in the playoffs, but giving Hedo 5 years at that much money at the age of 30, I really think would hurt us in the long run. This move would only make sense it we are planning to contend this year like the the Portland Blazers. But if we are just simply planning to make the playoffs this year, and even with his addition we see making the second round as a long shot is nonsense. However, for Portland it makes sense the most, because they have the pieces and they just need a veteran to take them over the hump.
Overall I like BC’s moves this year, but they are some questionable and very risky moves. I think we can all agree Hedo would not be worth 10-12 million in 3 years, but he is worth the money now. Bargnani might one day be worth 10 mil/year, but it is a risky move to have 5 year extension on an unproven player, that might just not make it, but might be a bargain in years to come.
All I am saying is, we know we are not going to contend this year, but is it worth the risk to make sure we make the playoffs this year, where by doing so, we are risking our franchise’s future? For all we know if these moves don’t work out we would be the New York Knicks of the last 4 years.
Only time will tell…
The way I see it is, no risk, no reward! Being a GM, nothing is for sure when you bring a player on. A player may have had a great season because it was a contract year. You may bring him on board and he doesn’t do anything for the team. On the flipside, you may find a player that’s ready to take his game to the next level. That’s how the business goes, and I think BC has a good nose for this.
As for Hedo, sometimes you have to overpay to get what you need. If BC didn’t give him that contract, he may not have been here right now. I think the fact the Raptors were able to get Hedo, especially taking him away from Portland, makes players, agents and scouts around the league do a double take and say “Maybe there IS something good going on in Toronto.” That alone makes this deal worth its price. Besides Hedo is a player that relies way more on his savvy than his athleticism so I believe he can still be a fairly effective player in 4-5 years.
Honestly, I think the Raptors have a strong squad right now. Every Raptor fan has learned not to raise their hopes up until you’ve seen the squad play into the new year, but I think 4th seed in the east, second round, is a reasonable goal this season. There’s also enough variables in the roster (DeRozan, Bargnani’s improvement, Bosh’s improvement etc.) that can cause expectations to rise higher.
I can’t wait for the season to start so we can start talking with substance because I agree this team will definitely be exciting. All we have to go on right now is speculation..
Dr_Claw comments on the Rapz playoff hopes.
You sound like someone that really pays attention to the Rapz. There was mention in previous comments about BC building a team for short term gain and rebuilding his rep.
If I’m correct, the Rapz will have a core of Calderon, Bargnani, Jack and Derozan under contract through 09-13, plus Turkoglu. I’m not saying this is the core to lead you to a championship, but we still have the 09-10 season to play. Regardless if Bosh wants to stay or go in the near future, I still feel BC has put together a core of players that can rebound quickly from such a loss. I’m sorry to say, but giving bosh 17+ mil as a max player would hurt us in the long run. “IF” and that’s a big “IF” things worked out in 09-10 season and Bosh was the usual Bosh, you know 22.0ppg, 9.5rbs/game. If Bargnani manages to improve on the rebounding and defensive end, we could use the 17+ mil for Bosh and turn it into two honorable mention all-stars.
I don’t think BC’s rep has been tarnished at all. You ask any of the good GM’s in the league and they will agree managing has its ups and downs. I think his pride was hurt more than his rep. On paper this team is just as deep as the 47 win team, some may argue deeper and some not deep enough. I would agree with that latter and say we are one combo PF/SF away from really opening some eyes. Too bad Lamar Odom is not available. I think 09-10 will be one of the most anticipated seasons in Rapz history. Get ready to witness why BC is the man in charge. Chemistry and some luck is all we need at the moment. After the all-star break dinner will be served.
Jarrett Jack = 25
Andrea Bargnani = 23
Hedo Turkoglu = 30
Marco Bellinelli = 23
Antoine Wright = 25
Rasho Nesterovic = 33
Reggie Evans = 29
I don’t see how acquiring these players can be labelled ’short-term gain’. None of these players are currently past their prime (Rasho can do now what he was doing 7 years ago), and only Hedo’s contract extends through his mid-thirties. Plus, it’s been argued that his game doesn’t rely on athleticism, so as long as his body holds up (no evidence to the contrary) there’s no real reason his game should decline significantly.
If anything, I think BC has put together a team looking well into the future, where the next few years he can fit in pieces that he thinks will turn the team into a championship contender.
Bosh is not a “superstar” playing in Canada – a ‘foreign’ country … but if he played for a US team he would get the Stateside hype he needs to be considered a superstar. He’s just a ‘good’ player who would complement a true superstar like Lebron, Wade, Kobe.
Dirk is a ’superstar’, but do you think Dallas would trade Dirk for Bosh (I wish) …????
If you look at the Raptor roster and look at the contract durations, you will see the core is Bargs, Jose, Hedo, DeDe .. even Jack and Belinelli … but NOT Bosh currently ..!!!!
If Bosh wants out and walks, BC will trade him for a couple of good athletic players with $10Mil max contracts. In fact BC may be tempted to pass on Bosh at league max contract and just talk him up as somebody BC wants to stay but secretly is planning to move anyway.
Have you noticed that the Raptor salary roster tops out at $10Mil .. and that may be BCs economic strategy for the Raptors, that plus Euro-izing the team … no max money all-star franchise player … too risky.
$10 Million is more than enough for a good NBA bballer … and a team stocked with such players is better entertainment and playoff potential than a team with a few costly, overpriced ’stars’ and a bunch of scrubs.
In my opinion, Bosh has become stale entertainment and won’t get much better playing with Hedo and Jack … he’s topped out … or has he ..??!!!
Yep, the dog days of the NBA season are officially here, as indicated by all the hope-addled crystal ball talk in full bloom. It’s fun for about a week. But I think I’ll go hibernate and check you again when training camp starts up. Happy speculating!