Our sources (which I trust implicitly) say it’s too early to confirm and there are 2-3 balls in the air.
From our understanding, Doug Smith’s post about Roko & Carlos going to the Bucks for Amir + filler is closer to the truth than a straight up Carlos for Amir. One hitch is that Carlos must agree to at least a 2 year deal for any deal to be done with Milwaukee.
Smith brings up a good point: do you give up on Roko? Could he turn into another Carlos Arroyo?
Keep your eye on our newsfeed for any developments.
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True, another Carlos Arroyo might probably happen if he joins another team’s system, but to dampen any exasperation, Carlos Arroyo only shined for 4 – 5 years at best before he slipped into mediocrity or non-existence. If Ukic is shipped, only one Babcock relic remains in the Raptors, and we all know who he is (clap-clap).
Chris Bosh? :)
Chris Bosh draft was Grunwald’s last ditch effort to save his job, not a bad move though. If Babcock had drafted the elusive 2003 class he would of drafted Whitey McWhitester from No Talent Univeristy.
JASON KAPONO!!!!!!!!!!!
Unless you are joking….lol :p
I believe its Jose :S ?
i think jose was babcock
“However, he’s a freak of an athlete. Johnson has made at least one crowd-wowing play every time I’ve seen him perform, whether it be a flying swat or a soaring follow dunk, and despite his slender frame he’s a superb rebounder. Right now his biggest issue is his propensity for turnovers, but otherwise he appears to be one of the game’s top big man prospects, a Marcus Camby in the making. ”
HollingerESPN
oh shit! if this goes through the raps have some added Defense.
Hollinger is also the guy who thinks Hump can be a starter
He’ll never be Marcus Camby, but I’ll take the defence, athleticism and hustle
Hmmm..If it is Amir Johnson, it means Patty O’Bryant will be waived for sure (YES!) no doubt or probably Pops might not come to our team (hell, after last season he should join us as a 15th Garbage-man or fan fave). I wonder who the filler would be? Joe Alexander? HAHAHAHA; he will be on FairChildTV and OMNI 1&2 and speak Mandarin to us. At least BCo is taking some advice from us to use our useless pieces to get “hidden gems” off other team’s benches. Grunwald did it to get Keon Clark and Tracy Murray.
if it is joe alexander i would take him over anyone on that team outside of michael redd. that roster is deplorable…barely nba talent…joe alexander would be a gift over dan gadzuric and fransisco elson
only thing is besides amir everybody on there bench is horrible, wow they look like the worst team in the east right now. they should be called the Milwaukee mike reddz
only thing is besides amir everybody on there bench is horrible, we should try and net luc mah bounte or watever his name is to fill, unlikley they’ll give him up tho, but then again they let charlie v and jefferson go for nothing, and sessions actually im belivin BC can pull that off now that i think of it.
BC = slick
bucks = bad moves
If we get Mah ba Moute, it would be the heist of the season and we secure a fine future asset.
Not to mention the funnest name to pronounce in the NBA.
Yes, even funner than Mensah-bonsu!
Delfino & Ukic for Johnson & filler would be a good trade, as long as the filler has an expiring contract! We don’t want another Marcus Banks scenario!
I like Johnson’s long-term potential, especially knowing that Evans will only be on the Raps for 2 season max. If Johnson performs well this season and gets re-signed, Evans’ expiring contract would be a good asset to have next offseason.
Im hoping the unnamed player is Luc Mbah Moute,
But instinct tells me its Bruce Bowen.
Scratch that, he was waived.
Bowen was bought out… try to keep up! lol
Amir Johnson … 6′ 11″ … 210lbs. …. and listed as a PF … are you kidding ???!!!!!
He would need another 40lbs to survive in the NBA as a rebounder..!!!!
Roko, Jack and Jose are all PGs and not strong SG types … so I can see Roko being traded and replaced by Quincy who has more upside than Roko.
But the Ratz need a decent SF backup for Hedo … so obvious.
The Ratz are now a lopsided loaded club with no proven SGs or backup SF. Sounds familiar …???
The difference is that this season the Raps are just missing a proven backup SF… in past, the Raps were missing a proven starting SF… BIG difference! Hedo is proven and should get 32-36 mins a night.
As for SG, between DeRozan, Wright, Belinelli and Jack (when he’s not backing up Calderon @ PG), I think the Raps will be just fine at the SG position.
I do agree with you however, that the Raps should still get a backup SF. I just don’t think it’s as big a deal as you make it out to be.
Antoine Wright is a proven defender. He will not put up big offensive numbers, but we do not need him to. He can play SF is spot as well.
We also have Jack who is proven at SG – Indy’s best lineups had TJ at the point and Jack at the 2 guard. At bit small, but can work.
And then you have Belinelli and DeRozan, while both need to “prove” themselves more – one is likely to work out.
What was the option? NOT S&T Delfino and you would get…??
Not really? Unless you think a backup SF is the same as a starting SF. Come to think of it, those years, we had SGs and SFs that had proven they weren’t starter material, and you’re complaining that this year we don’t have a backup SF and are probably more solid at the 2 as well?
Amir Johnson is 6 ft 9…. and if you have seen him play (and Im assuming you havent) he is anything but weak.
It has been written on NBA.com that he grew to 6′11”, I’ll see if I can find a link.
I’ve seen listings at 6′9 too, regardless of his actual numerical height, his play is BIG, period. I like this move right here.
i can live with bowen just for the corner 3 and some defense even tho he old, he is a annoying defender
Is everyone nuts???
Delfina roko for Amir is already the swindle of the century….
But you want their lottery pick from a year ago, or mbah moute too?
Calm down.
Even adding Bruce Bowens right kneecap would be a gift from the gods.
Bowen is not on Milwaukees roster people.
Trading a player who will average at least 10+ ppg in Milwaukee for a guy who averages 3 points is not the swindle of the century. calm yourself down.
Everybody on here was complaining about the Raps D and boarding abilities. Anybody who’s seen Amir play knows he addresses those, plus he still has so much potential!
And on the bright side for all the Pops haters, this move dramatically decreases the chances of him being on the squad…
But I say waive O’Bryant and bring back Pops..
i member i said the raps should sign and trade delfino when we got marco and sum1 shot my idea down really quick.
at least BC agrees :p
I was probably one of the people who shot you down. Gloat all you want though, because the situation back then and the situation now is much different.
Back when you proposed the S&T, Delfino was demanding around $5 mil a year on a multi-year contract, because it wouldn’t have made financial sense to accept a much lower salary than what he was getting in Russia, while having to pay his own $500,000-$800,000 buyout (not clear if it was in Euros or already converted to US dollars) as well. No team would want him for $5 mil when they could get similar talent for $2-3 mil, unless they were giving up a bad contract, which would not have been in the Raptors’ best interest.
This time around, Delfino is no longer under contract to Khimki (whether due to him paying his own buyout, the team buying out the rest of his contract, or voiding the contract somehow i.e. for lack of payment), so his asking price could be as low as $3 mil, I’m guessing. Makes a S&T much more plausible, and is the big difference you’re failing to see yet again.
The Blogmaster AD had a good idea and it came to fruition. The problem is a lot of people suffer from over analyzing situations at hand instead of just accepting that its August and a lot can change between this time a training camp. Ie. Delfino.
blah blah blah, here we go again, the point is what i originally said is wats happening, how many times does that happen for you?
As an Amir Johnson fan, I like the move. I saw potential in Roko but, with Calderon and Jack locked up long-term, he was expendable.
So, who will the second player be? Jodie Meeks sounds fine to me, heh.
I’ve been a big Amir backer for the last four years and have talked about his upside since 2005 (watching his career closely as a long-time ‘Stones fan).
However, his NBA smarts have never caught up to his athletic ability. He’s the most foul prone player in the NBA and makes countless mistakes every time he’s on the floor. He was mentored by great big men in Detroit for his entire career (Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Chris Webber, etc.) and hasn’t shown the ability to learn from any of them. He’s still as raw today as he was four complete seasons ago.
…..And I don’t buy that floor time experience stuff. He was given a chance to start in Detroit and couldn’t earn his keep and soon lost all his burn to Kwame Brown (embarrassing).
I’ve always loved Amir and would nothing more than to see him come to TO and succeed so I could watch him play for years to come. I just don’t see it happening anytime soon. I’d love to be wrong here.
I almost forgot. He was trained under the tutelage of Primo for a year as well!
B.C is the man!!!
If this deal happens it would be amazing for us. We don’t need carlos and roko anymore, both deserves playing time one way or another. we get back a developing big and i hope the filler is mbah moute. can anyone say atlantic division title?
I’d think that Mbah a Moute would be the principle in any trade he’s in. In one year who showed far more potential than Amir has in 4.
Not a fan if this is how it goes down. I have never been high on Johnson, even though he is still raw and young (22).
I would be estatic to hear this develop into us geting Mbah Moute as well. Its a long shot but that would give us the “win” in this deal.
hey the bucks have been making bad decisions all summer, one more wouldnt hurt
i thought delfino to the hornets for julian wright be be nice too
Unfortunately I can’t see Milwaukee giving up Mbah a Moute… he is a good, young SF with potential, who is signed for 2 seasons for under $1M and they are trying to increse depth at SF/SG position… no way Milwaukee trades him.
Maybe BC will take back Ridnour’s $6.5M expiring contract as the mysterious ‘filler’ (the Bucks would have Ukic & Jennings @ PG)… and trade away Banks to even it out! lol One can dream…
Amir Johnson would be a great player for this team – he rebounds well enough, is super athletic and is not going to start (so you don’t have to worry about his minutes). He’s going to get crazy dunks and awe-inspiring blocks and ignite the crowd. He’s a better version of Pops. Consider also that Delfino was/is injured and hasn’t played in the league in a year or two; he also doesn’t seem too hot on coming back to Toronto. Ship him off and let him play some minutes on a shit team.
Also, did Dee Brown vote for himself 4 times?
hahahahahahaha yeah i hope hes sitting someone and noticed that he got 4 pity/joke votes
UPDATE: Delfino due to sign a three-year deal and join Ukic in Milwaukee. Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems going to the Raptors.
What is the skinny on Sonny Weems. Is he just filler or will he be a sleeper?
Does anybody know if Weems’ contract is guaranteed? Hopefully not, so we can waive him… along with O’Bryant, hopefully!
Only $175k of Sonny Weems’ contract was guaranteed a short while ago … I’m not certain but I think the rest may have become guaranteed on August 10th, but I’m not sure.
I found that link that I was thinking of
http://twitter.com/GeryWoelfel/status/2839696608
This was reported around the time when Weems was acquired from Denver.
It says that the rest of Weems’ contract becomes guaranteed on the 10th of August.
Sonny Weems , I think he is going to be waved :)
Sonny Weems is a 6-6 guard and only 23 yrs old, I would give him a training camp try maybe, see if he has got anything to prove.
I think Evans will be a great mentor for Johnson to learn from. At the very least, he’ll hopefully instill a good work ethic in Johnson, to help him improve his basketball IQ and harness his athleticism!
Its only talk I know, but if you look up Johnson’s player profile on NBA.com, there’s a video of him before summer league saying he’s ready to put in work… http://www.nba.com/video/teams/bucks/2009/07/09/sl.practice.090709.bucks/index.html
Amir Johnson followed up those promising comments by playing lousy basketball in summer league … I reckon his play during SL is one of the main reasons they’re trading him now.
im not tryin to be the negitive guy here, but what can evans teach him that ben and rasheed wallce, and antonio mcdyss couldnt?
ball handles
The Kaman crotch grab..
Yes, Sonny Weems! I remember his terrible lobs to JR Smith in the dunk contest. Kenny and Charles destroyed him, it was hilarious.
I hope he’s waived. I have not give up home on Ime Udoka.
what is strange is that both players are coming off trades, so there will be a wait time for this trade to actually happen.
Johnson’s trade status, where he can’t be traded along with another player, expires August 23rd. Weems’ status doesn’t expire until October 1st.
I thought they could do it as 2 separate trades (Delfino for Johnson would work), but Ukic for Weems won’t work, since Ukic’s salary is more than 125% + $100,000 of Weems’ salary.
Interesting…
Doug Smith suggested 2 simultaneous trades
Delfino for Amir
Ukic for Sony
I believe the Bucks have a couple trade exceptions, which could be packaged with Weems so he would match Roko.
It’d basically be like getting Pops, with more of an NBA body. I’m fine with that, but it’s not something I’m gonna get too hyped up about.
I might actually prefer an empty roster spot to a second player off the Bucks roster. Milwaukee won’t give up any of their worthwhile assets, so we might as well scour what’s left of the FA pool for a decent player forced to accept a minimum deal.
I think Carlos Delfino would have contributed a lot more to the Raptors next season than Amir Johnson would have.
The minutes just aren’t available at the big man spots. Bosh is likely to to take up 38 or so minutes, and Bargnani will get 35-36 minutes. That leaves about 22 minutes to be split up between Reggie Evans, Rasho Nesterovic and Amir Johnson. There just isn’t enough playing time available for each one of those guys to be a regular rotation player.
I like Amir Johnson … I just don’t see where the minutes are going to come from.
I think he’s injury insurance. If Bosh or Bargnani go down, then you’re relying on POB to become a rotation player. That’s unacceptable. If Turk goes down, I think it’s something you can deal with more easily. Especially if you turn Sonny Weems into something useful.
That’s going to be awfully tough to do considering Weem’s contract is peanuts and he seems to be a poor man’s Joey Graham with more defense and less offense.
Remember, Johnson started some games for Detroit.
Considering Rasho isn’t getting any younger and is not as athletic, Johnson could find a role 8-12 minutes a night
Considering on match-ups, Reggie Evans can be too short and slow if the Bosh-sub-for opponent is too fast and tall. We have some “talent” and flexibility to use for these front court match-ups and fast-break opportunities.
I think the feeling is here we were not going to come to terms with Delfino for whatever reason so making a sign and trade works best for the Raps.
We have 4 bigs not named POB that deserve to wear a jersey.
A fifth is needed. There is no way Bosh and Andrea are going to play 82 games and Evans and Rasho handling major minutes (especially Evans 20 min max as much as I like him) Johnson can battle Rasho and Evans for minutes when healthy.
Could we got more for Delfino and Ukic????
Maybe or maybe not?
Its really just adding Johnson to the main 10 man rotation all ready in place:
Jose Jack
Derozan Bellelneli
Hedo Wright
Bosh Evans
AB7 Rasho
Others
Douby
Banks (should be bought out and replaced with a SG/SF for a free agent 1 yr min contract) (Rodney Carney would be a name to consider here)
POB
Ukic
So by shedding Ukic (not in plans) and Delfino (asking for to much and Raps feel Marco Belleleneli and Wright and step in) they are getting that 5th big they need (POB cant be your 5th big as this spot is valuable over an 82 game season. Bosh and Andrea and Rasho probally miss somewhere between 30-70 games between them and Amir Johnson can help.
NICE SMALL MOVE.
Good move for Milwaukee too.
Delfino is a good player, no arguing that. But we basically just got a very athletic PF for a guy that played in Russia last season….
I mean, will he ever return to the NBA even?
I think you’re right, Dave. Delfino is the player who would immediately contribute more to this team. But Amir should play his way ahead of Evans (who we should all hope is now either out of the rotation or at most limited to 10min/game) and possibly even Rasho. I don’t think it’s crazy to think that he could be the first big off the bench in time. The fact that he’s a legit shot blocker is reason alone to do this deal. That he is 22, can rebound quite well and is still developing makes me nipples hard an me mouth dry.
Any way we can package POB & Weems’ expirering contracts with Banks for a solid Back-up at SF? Or is there some sort of loophole that would prevent us from using Weems a in another trade so soon?
Any GM who sends a serviceable back up for POB, Weems, and Banks and should be committed to the insane asylum. Come on. Please credit the other GMs in the league with some intelligence even if some of them do make some strange moves from time to time.
Memphis? or Minnesota’s Kahn for picking Rubio and not planning ahead on how difficult the buyout would of been? There are retards in the world still lol…
Memphis makes stupid deals when they try to save money. Therefore, the only way they’ll take Banks et al is if they can sneak Jaric over to us. I daresay Jaric would be even worse, if only because he’ll be paid even more to sit on the inactive list.
Minnesota may have made a questionable draft move, but honestly, anyone who makes a huge deal out of them drafting both Flynn and Rubio is just being overly dramatic. And maybe even a bit hypocritical. While people bash teams for drafting for need rather than the best player available, Minnesota went out and got the two best players available in the draft (even Lawson was a good pick at his draft spot, despite being another guard, though I’m not sure if they only picked him because that’s who Denver wanted). If they’re unable to turn that into something else later, then blame them for not being good at working the phones, but they’re definitely smart enough to not take our driftwood.
I’m not saying any of those player are any good. It’s just that quite a few GM’s around the league are coveting expirering contracts more than talent in these trying times. Swallow Banks’ contract to get two cheap expiring ones might seem like a good move to a GM that’s trying to set up for 2010 which some obviously are. Further, I’ve come to never underestimate the sheer idiocy of the move some GM’s in this league make. Can you say that every move that’s been made this off season has been completely fair for both teams. I reference George for Marco as proof. Speaking of which, it’s been about a month since Golden State’s done something stupid. They’re due.
dude did you do the math on your hypothetical there?
swallow banks’ non-expiring 4.5 mil contract to get 1.5 mil in expiring means that GM just took on 3 million… all for three talentless players who have no business being in the NBA
as siggian said every GM has some modicum of intelligence and rationale for their deals.
except isiah. he was a nutter
Your “proof” is weak. Golden State wasn’t going to re-up Belinelli anyway, so they saved on his entire salary this year considering BC is paying for George’s salary.
And there’s a problem with your assumption. For any team to take back Banks to try “to set up for 2010″, they’ll need to send back a contract that costs more than $4.75 mil in 2010. Since it’s unlikely a team would take on so much driftwood just to save a few hundred thousand, it’s likely that the returning player would cost at least $6 mil next year (i.e. Jared Jeffries or Marko Jaric). Do we really need a $6+ mil backup SF? Especially when he’d be the 12th (pushing Douby onto the IL) or 13th spot (which is on the IL itself)? Also, if the luxury tax level goes down as expected, however much money the other team is saving in 2010 is how much we’ll likely be paying double for, making that 12th/13th player cost $7-9 mil. If anything, you’d be the silly GM making that sort of deal.
Am I the only here who is thinking I would rather have Delfino for around 2 year averaging 3 million than having Johnson?
I mean common guys, do we really need Johnson? Delfino is a perfect fit at the back up SF, he can defend and shoot the ball. And on the other note we are giving up Ukic for literally nothing. Actually worst than nothing because we have to spend 700k to waive Weems…
I really do not see Johnson having a real impact.
The only positive I see in this trade is salary dump for the next year’s decreasing cap. Because we will save around 1.7 million on ukic. And also around 3-4 million if we were to sign Delfino.
I see this trade as more of a “financial” aimed trade than “it is going to make us better” trade.
It is still a applausable trade considering the situation of the Raps next year, but I wouldn’t be too happy about it making us better…
But Delfino doesn’t want to be on a team where he can’t contribute and play.
And does anyone know if he’s even ready to come back to the NBA?
He is coming back.
Amir’s deal expires. Delfino wants a min of 2 years. Plus I do think it makes us better, but its a side benefit of the deal.
.
If BC can send Banks somewhere, that would be the “coup de grâce” to a full summer. Slap me if I get stuck in that dream.
As for PF/C minutes – Bosh was 38 per game, and Andrea 34 (as a starter).
That leaves 24 minutes for:
Evans (Last year – 7.2 mpg)
Rasho (17.3 mpg)
Amir (14.7 mpg).
Total – 39.2
What is forgotten – as we try to work out minutes at these two positions – are the nature of injuries, DNP, and overtime minutes(slight as they might be).
Injury / DNP :
Bosh – 5 games
Bargnani – 3
Evans – 2
Nestorvic – 12
Amir Johnson – 20 games
I like the safety net, even if Jay has to do a little juggling. God forbid, someone goes down with a season ending injury.
.
I’m glad to have Evans and now Johnson. All of you wanted toughness. BC addressed that and now your complaining again that you rather have Delfino? LOL Fuck that little ball chucker.
Were gonna need this defense and shot blocking form these guys come playoff time. Bargnani will not get the job done for us.
Not only that, but having grit and rebounding in our second unit should increase the quality and intensity of practices.
Now, not only do you give CB and AB different challenges to work against (big center: Rasho; Skinny and athletic C/PF: Amir; etc), but if some of this great work-ethic rubs off onto CB and AB, then it can only make them better.
I am also really hoping that Colangelo finds a way to get Ime Udoka on the roster. That would make a hell of a defensive practice unit: Jack, Wright, Udoka, Johnson, and Rasho.
Amir Johnson might be some sort of flame lighter to Bargs’ nut-sac if he struggles on defense and defensive rotations. Remember that BC is looking at Amir Johnson’s expiring contract as well because it is financial relief, eliminating Delfino’s stupid negotiations, and Amir Johnson might be “playing harder” for a contract.
Sonny Weems = Jamario Moon
If so, that’s FANTASTIC news.
That means our 2nd/3rd string SF/SG is equally talented to our starting SF from the last couple years.
As much as Moon pissed me off when he was here, I wouldn’t have minded him for 12 minutes a game.
It was the crazy-missed-three-in-crunch-time-with-20-seconds-left-on-shot-clock-smile combo that got me.
No he’s not = Jamario.
PJ is probably just jking that he sucks.
Sonny’s played 55 minutes and scored 19 points in his entire Career.
Sarcasm is a fading art. Does anybody believe in the JOEY G curse?
http://www.nba.com/draft2008/profiles/SonnyWeems.html
The similarity is striking.
haha dam man they look SOO similar
I don’t undrestand why is anyone complaining. delfino would of almost been useless on our roster he was going to get about 15 min playing behind turkoglu. ‘d take wright any day who plays better deffence and started on one of the best team in the nba rather than delfino when he played ona good team pistons bearly got playing time. now u have on our second lineup : jack, belleneli, wright, evans/johnson, nesterovic/johnson.I admit u loose some rebounding at the tree spot but by adding johnson u get those rebounds back by macking him play instead of nesterovic in games where the raps needs to rebound and block shot. thats if the season Strated 2morow but u never now with B.c he might probably has a sf to back up turkoglu in mind.
Delfino would have started at SG and played the bulk of those minutes, for the simple fact that he’d be the second best rebounder in the starting lineup, and the best defender out of all our SGs.
The fact he can drill the 3 and handle the ball a bit is just gravy.
If Delfino was on the roster and got the starting spot, that would hinder the development of DeRozan and Belinelli. And I know BC didn’t draft DeRozan and trade for Belinelli for both of them to rot away on the bench.
Agree with that. The bucks are the winners in this trade. They get two good players, Delfino is ready to contribue, he could be the buck’s starting SF or their 6th man, he can defend, rebound, and score in a lot of ways. Roko has shown potential.
The raps insteed got a expiring deal of 3.5 mill and Sonny weems who hasn’t play a single good game in the nba, Amir johnson earned his money just with potential, he started a few games last season and avarage 3 or 4 ppg and 3 rpg in 10 min, he just started the game. The best part of his game maybe his shotblocking ability, but he’s not marcus camby!!!
Look at it this way, if Johnson played a full 4 years in college, he’d be a rook. We all know it usually takes time for a big man to develop in the league.
Look at JO when he came out of high school into the league up to the point when he became an allstar. It took him years to develop his game to the point where he could be dominant. I’ve watched Amir Johnson play quite a bit in the NBA, believe me I see his talent and potential. Let him develop.
Dang. Too bad they included Roko. I had high hopes for him. Mark my words, a few years down the line he’ll be starting for a decent team somewhere and we’ll be kicking ourselves. Snap.
We will not be kicking anything. We will still be excited that we have Jose and Jack at the 1, who are both better than Ukic will ever be. I hope he does develop, but it wouldn’t be here.
A very curious deal the Bucks made here.
The Bucks acquired Amir Johnson a couple months ago, claiming to have great interest in him. Even if it was just PR-talk, one could assume that his expiring contract was valuable to them.
This deal will cost the Bucks more both this year and next, which is very counter-intuitive after making all their money-saving moves this offseason.
My best guess is their interest in Amir faded after being able to sign Hakim Warrick to a very affordable deal. Warrick would start at PF, leaving their SF spot mostly vacant aside from Alexander and Mbah a Moute. Delfino might start at the 3.
I was hoping they could work Gadzuric and Banks into the deal somehow, or even less likely, have Alexander thrown in for one of our scrubs. However, this is a very solid trade for BC. Even if Johnson contributes nothing this season, we end up potentially lowering our salary obligations even more money next year, since Amir expires and Sonny has a team option on the second year of his contract.
How tall is He ?? I have seen both 6′9″ and 6′11″ !!! Which one is it ? Is he strong enough to play center ???
He’s definitely closer to 6′9 than 6′11. And no, he doesn’t have the body type of a true center; he’s more of an athletic post defender.
Oh, and calm down. =P
I read that he was 6′9″ when he was drafted (out of high school), but that he has grown to 6′11″ since (and bulked up to 240 or close to it).
Yeah, that could be true, and would be nice. I forgot he was drafted so young. He definitely still needs to add more muscle mass though.
yes, that is from ESPN:
Johnson is listed at 6-9 because that was his height when he turned pro out of high school, but he now appears to be 6-11 or even seven feet.
If this is true watch for Amir. Being 6+ I know what it’s like going through growth spurts and not really knowing your own body. Your a bit clumsy and uncoordinated until you get used to your new size. If this guy was playing pro while he was growing 3-5 inches, he was always under a bit of a handicap cause his skill was playing catch up to his changing body. I think its just a matter of time before it really clicks for this guy.
1. We couldn’t sign Delfino. We have no cap room. He wouldn’t sign for the minimum.
2. We were going to lose Delfino’s rights after this season anyway–and get nothing back.
3. We still needed a backup sf/pf.
4. If we didn’t get Amir Johnson, we end up with Pops.
5. Amir is better than Pops.
6. So basically we traded Roko for Johnson.
7. Roko was our 3rd string pg. Now that role is Douby–who outplayed Roko in the summer league.
8. We had no 3rd string sf/pf before this trade.
Conclusion: Roko and Johnson are possibly the same from a talent standpoint–but we needed a backup sf/pf more than a 3rd string pg.
Well we COULD’VE signed Delfino if we really wanted to cuz of the bird rights which is still in play but i doubt that we WOULD’VE so all in all Ukic is a devoloping talent and Johnson is a devoloping talent only difference is they play different positions.
Am I the only one who is amazed BC is still dealing? Will it ever end? Should it ever end?
Remember the articles on Raptors Republic with big pictures of Bryan Colangelo’s face, asking if he would ever make a move at the start of the offseason?
I like this move for the Raptors. BC is continually working, and he is addressing every need piece by piece in very underrated moves.
Amir Johnson is a great piece to have. He is young, athletic, plays defense, blocks shots, rebounds and runs the floor, plus he is working on adding a mid range jumpshot and some post moves. I am a huge Pops fan and would still love to see him back in a Raptors uniform, but to be honest, this may be a better long term move for the Raptors (as far as regular season success and future cap room goes). He is longer, taller and has more experience. Johnson seems like he would be a younger, taller, more upside version of Reggie Evans, or for hardcore raptor fans, someone with Keon Clark type potential and impact. That’s a great weapon to have coming off the bench, especially playing behind a multiple big men with wide varieties of skils.
Sonny Weems is a nice throw in. He was a rookie i believe either last year or the year before, meaning he is really young and as he is also very athletic, he may have some upside as well. Considering now that our backcourt has shooting (Marco), defense (Wright), and athleticism (Derozan), with scoring (Douby) there as well, it can’t hurt to have a 13-15th man that has just raw potential. Those guys can always be helpful and Weems is coming real cheap. If he is waived, or traded before the season, its not big deal (we could use the roster spot on someone else), but if he is kept, and shows flashes, then we’ve got another deep reserve guy.
Oh, and BC deserve massive amounts of credit for addressing every weakness this team had by the end of last season, while keeping the core. Bosh is the key to all of this, but now the team is structured for continued success and growth. We now have defense and rebounding and size in our frontcourt behind our studs (Bosh and Bargs). We have proven scoring at almost all the starting posistions. We have potential and upside in a position where we had no depth last season. We have quality leadership and veteran players. We have excitment, and shooting. We can win in a number of different ways.
Now, just imagine, with all that we have if Demar Derozan (the X-Factor) some how became as productive as say Dwyane Wade (just dream with me for a minute, and remember how much little hype Wade had coming out of college and see how he developed in the NBA, and think realistically why Derozan couldn’t do the same). The Raptors would be a huge force. Start the damn season already…I’m Jarrett Jacked!!!
Do you have ultimate confidence in Triano’s NBA coaching ability to create a cogent team that will click together under stiff competition ???!!!
How many games into the season will it take before the grand experiment is completed and the Ratpors settle down to their lowest level of competence ..???!!!!
Either way, we gotta wait til the season starts. I can’t speak on Triano until I’ve given him a legit chance. I’ll get at you in December about that.
So you luv the individual players .. but yer not certain if they will constitute a legit NBA-quality team until December.
Triano will now make or break as a NBA coach with this bunch of disparate players, most of whom have never played with each other or in the NBA …. and it’s uncertain whether Bosh and Bargs can work together either …. hmmmmmm
Double hmmmmmmmmmmm …..
I have no reason not to have confidence in Jay. He has been around since the Raptors were good under Lenny Wilkens. He’s seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and then more good, bad and ugly again. He has a staff that will work hard to diminish the deficiencies of last years team and has a lot of respect based on his work with US Basketball. He is the perfect guy to lead this team right now.
That being said, As Dr_Claw mentioned, its too early to start questioning him on moves and decisions that he hasn’t made yet. All, we can say is that he’s got all the pieces to make this team into a serious contender. What he does with them remains to be seen.
Also, it doesn’t matter how many games it takes, if this team makes the playoffs with rhythm, health and confidence down the stretch.
Yup … ignorance is bliss and fantacizing is deluding when yer ignorance of reality takes over …!!!!!
So you have the ultimate confidence in Triano, Bosh, Bargs and Jose to rally all the new players into a contending playoff team … because they belong to the Toronto Ratpors and the t.h.fans ‘luv’ them no matter what …!!!!
I’M BETTING THAT BOSH WILL REQUEST … NAY, DEMAND A TRADE BY DECEMBER …!!!!
Whateva man. I have more faith in Jay Triano than I have in Lawrence Frank, or Scott Skiles, or Larry Brown or Mike D’Antoni or Jim O’Brien, or Erik Spolstra, or Vinny Del Negro, in that Jay will be able to turn his team in to playoff force before anyone of these coaches do with their current teams.
I’m betting that Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade will demand trades too (psych!!). Who cares what your betting. You are running out of steam FAQ. Better you just stop right now. Haha.
This is the definition of insanity.
“I have more faith in Jay Triano than I have in Lawrence Frank, or Scott Skiles, or Larry Brown or Mike D’Antoni or Jim O’Brien, or Erik Spolstra, or Vinny Del Negro, in that Jay will be able to turn his team in to playoff force before anyone of these coaches do with their current teams.”
Prime candidate for FLUX’s collection of quotes for the end of the season.
Your boy Triano is going to have to do some serious work to even sniff the jockstrap of Larry Brown, Lil Frank and Scott Skiles. Those 3 take crap from no one, while your boy is too busy yelling at the refs and tossing clipboards.
No, forget it. This quote just made it to the top of the list. So in other words: all those team will be worse then the Raps. Got it.
I like how you somehow managed to bold the dislike button… made it much more satisfying to press.
Were you in diapers when Wade came out? He had little hype? WTF.
RR c’mon. No one under the age of 14 should be able to post, this is absurd.
Toronto Ratpors = Dog’s Breakfast …. so obvious..!!!!!
Bosh, Bargs, Jose …. the only returning core players.
Remaining 12 players … new additions, some questionable, and leftover scrubs.
Hmmmmmmm …. Now we watch Triano weave his head coaching magic to meld this bunch of disparate bballers into a NBA-quality playoff contending team with …. Super Glue …???!!!!!!
I wonder if Bosh is gonna stick around for the 2010-11 season to lead his Ratpors into the playoffs and a championship …. ya think …???!!!!
Or will he just play out his contract and take off in 2010 … for stability and opportunity … elsewhere …Hmmmmmm
FAQ, are trying to make a point, or just asking rhetorical questions just for the sake of the filling space with pessimistic counter arguments?
Who cares right now if Bosh sticks around or not. Fact is, for 2009-2010, he will be a Raptor, with the best team he’s been on since he’s been a Raptor, in a contract year, with max contract money in the discussion. Bosh is not a tool. He knows that TO can pay him the most money. He knows that the city and the country love him. He knows that if the team meets or exceeds their expectations now, they will be a force in the East and he knows that he could be the centerpiece of something special. He also knows that he can leave if he feels the team is not headed in the right direction, and could become a key piece in another US city with a large basketball market too. He knows all of that. Why should we bother wondering what he’s thinking or speculating until we actual see what the product on the court amounts to, and hear Chris talk publicly about what he wants to do.
Anymore Bosh leaving talk is really just a waste of comment space at this point. At least until the season starts anyways.
If we can get rid of POB (and maybe Banks) for anything, I would do it of course, but regardless, I would still feel thrilled, as most do, to start the season with this squad, even in the stacked Eastern Conference.
“Fact is, for 2009-2010, he(Bosh) will be a Raptor, with the best team he’s been on since he’s been a Raptor…”
Are you effing sane … Bosh, Bargs, Jose, even Hedo are being dumped into a bucket of SHIT .. and expected to come out looking clean????
The Ratpors are essentially a fully rebuilt team with no record of play whatsoever. They will have to compete as a ‘team’ within 90 days in the toughest bball league in the world.
YOU ARE FANTACIZING AND UTTERLY DELUDING IF YOU BELIEVE IN A MIRACLE … SO OBVIOUS.
Yes I am sane, and apparently, I’ve been exposed to more basketball than yourself. The last time the Raptors had a fully rebuilt team, they stumbled their way to an Atlantic Division title. This time, they have more potential and better players. This time, the core knows what they can do and what they need to work on.
Boston turned a team with about 6 – 8 new players into a championship team, from a last place team. The Raps could easily turn this team around into a playoff team in one season, now that they actually have talent and complimentary pieces.
A miracle would be this team winning the NBA championship this year. That, my friend, is a real miracle. Another miracle is them getting to the NBA finals, this year. I am not saying that any of that is happening. But there are 15 teams in the east, and this Raptors team on paper is more skilled, talented, and deeper than about 11 of them (with only Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, Washington as real threats). How it translates on the court, as I have said before, remains to be seen. But I surely am not fantasizing by saying this team will be good. You are delusional by asserting that this team will not be good without even seeing them play. Be gone with you.
Bosh, Jose, Hedo, and Bargs were dumped into a bucket of shit? Don’t they now make up the bucket? So they are all shit? My head hurts.
Hmmm… I wonder how long the current Boston roster had to play together before they DOMINATED the league and won it all in one season.
Wait for it… 90 days!!!
————-
Whether or not our players are the same quality as those players is another argument. The point is, I just DESTROYED your argument.
Can lack of familiarity be a factor for failure: yes. MUST it be a factor for failure: no.
The irony of your “body of work” on this site, FAQ, is that you sound more like a tribal honking fan than anyone else. Except that you sound like a bitter tribal honking fan who has been burned too many times by high expectations for this club. And I feel your pain there, because I gave up on them last year.
Dude you replayed to your own post. WOW…..
Repeating the truth make you dizzy ….?????
FAQ,
Tried to email you, but you don’t use a valid email address..so….
Please refrain from posting in all-bold type. It’s ugly and does nothing to get your point across. We’ve had great comments lately and don’t want to have them overshadowed by bold wars.
Thanks.
… is that all you can offer in this discussion … or are you siding with all the t.h. fans trying to assemble a team like they play with their Lego blocks …????!!!!
You are a very bitter person. Please go outside and enjoy the nice summer sunshine.
How does politely asking for a font change constitue siding with anyone in a basketball debate?
Is there any way to have a vote to get this guy off the forum?
Every time he starts with his pessimistic and idiotic rants it throws the whole thread off topic.
That and I’ve only seem him with negative feedback.
Annoying and childish-
1 vote here
This guy can be friggin annoying, but I’d take this guy’s retarded questions over Khandor’s condescending bullshit this season….
Bless you.
I LIKE KHAN BETTER. POLL!
WILL JOSE BE A MORE EFFECTIVE SHOOTER W HEDO ABLE TO TAKE OVER THE PLAYMAKING DUTIES?
WHERE DOES BELINELLI FIT? HARD TO SEE HIM EVER PLAYING W THE STARTERS GIVEN HIS SKILL SET (AND LACK THEREOF ON D).
I think Hedo will open up Jose’s game more.
Belinelli, here he has a chance to play his way into the rotation. Starting? (if that’s what you meant) I doubt it highly, but he could be a really nice piece of the puzzle. Envision what Kapono was supposed to be plus the ability to be athletic plus potential upside. If you’re athletic, there’s always a chance you can improve your D.
I believe that ignoring him completely will do the trick. We don’t have to be too hard with kids…
I agree. He’s is trolling. He gets a rush out of you guys arguing with him. The *only* way to stop a troll is not to feed it.
You could benefit from a little fresh air. Maybe even a girlfriend. Good luck.
I like the deal.
Delfino’s upside is determined, he is stop gap guy. One who does things well, but never excels at anything. Also, never seen a guy get to the hoop as regularly as he did and blow so many layups. It would have just been more of yesterday with this guy on our roster. Re-adjusting to the NBA’s speed is also going to be an issue for him.
As for Ukic being another Carlos Arroyo, I think that is just a stupid thing to say. CA was the best player on his national team by far. He was quick and looked upon to lead by other players. Ukic does not have this sort of history, even though he has played on many sub par rosters.
He has the size to be a match up problem, but not the confidence or awareness to recognize those situations and exploit them. His shooting is also very poor, this means that most defenders will slack off of him a few steps further negating his speed and size. This has been the case for a while and he still has done little to improve his shot.
Methinks you and others cannot see the forest for the trees … i.e. you are unaware of the whole situation, only focusing on the individuals and ignoring the team aspect.
A bball team is not like you playing with yer Lego blocks … and admiring the different colours as they click together. A bball team must play as a team to succeed … and that’s problematic with the Ratpors now.
Three returning core players and 12 unproven players … that could be a recipe for disaster … or a miraculous fantastic incredible historical happening … !!!!!
Your last line is the complete truth and judging from what I know of the players ability and personality wise, I’d have to say it’ll be closer to the latter.
So you have ultimate faith in Triano’s NBA coaching abilities, plus the personalities of the new players that lead you to conclude the Ratpors will wow the league with their fantastic team play .. by December, or sooner perhaps???
I wonder if BC has a hidden secret parachute tucked away .. just in case …LOL
I actually have little faith in Triano, but I am hoping he will prove me wrong.
As for the team, I like the freshness, anything is better than the boring brand of basketball we played the last two years. I used to blow off events for raptor games, last couple of years I wouldn’t even blow off a nap.
You have “little faith in Triano” …???????!!!!!!!!!
So how is the ‘team’ to gel … the players coaching themselves when they are on the floor … or in practices ????!!!!!
Your ‘hope’ and ‘freshness’ does not a bball team make ….!!!!!!
Have you ever played bball on a real team ??????
You should chill out a little and stop repeating yourself in every post. Your opinion has been noted and repeating it adds little to the discussion.
Instead you should take some of that energy to Vegas, plenty of people have made vast sums knowing what the public does not.
My personal opinion is that this team will not make the playoffs, but that was also my opinion of the Garbajosa team which had 2 starters that where fresh to the NBA game. Cohesion isn’t always as simple as playing together, some players play for decades with teammates and still can never figure it out. Others bounce from team to team, only to find ideal circumstances for success by chance. There is just too much uncertainty for you to act like you know exactly what will happen.
My personal opinion is that this team will not make the playoffs, but that was also my opinion of the Garbajosa team wich had 2 starters that where fresh to the NBA game. Cohesion isn’t always as simple as playing togather, some players play for dacades with teammates and still can never figure it out. Others bounce from team to team, only to find ideal circumstances for success by chance. There is just too much uncertinity for you to act like you know exactly what will happen.
For me
(excuse the C/P mistake – wish I could edit it)
Have you ever done anything with any sort of team? (work or sports or whatever, seems like possibly you haven’t with the way you approach things)
SOMETIMES, a team has instant chemistry and click and even go beyond what they were designed to do. Conversely, sometimes a team can crash and burn.
What makes life exciting is there’s no way you can positively know either way what’s going to happen until it actually does!
Have you considered that maybe YOUR team experiences always lead to chemistry issues given your negative approach towards things? If you considered these boards a ‘team’, the rest of the team would call you the chemistry disrupter!
Methinks you and others cannot see the forest for the trees … i.e. you are unaware of the whole situation, only focusing on the individuals and ignoring the team aspect.
A bball team is not like you playing with yer Lego blocks … and admiring the different colours as they click together. A bball team must play as a team to succeed … and that’s problematic with the Ratpors now.
Three returning core players and 12 unproven players … that could be a recipe for disaster … or a miraculous fantastic incredible historical happening … !!!!
I don’t think any of us are ignoring the team aspect.
There is no sure way to know if you have a TEAM of unselfish players without actually putting them into a locker room for a few months to see where it goes.
You can say that player A, B and C are all team players, but without seeing the dynamics for firsthand, it is still just guess work.
Malone, was a team player, why could he not win with Kobe?
You and the others on this fine forum have no concept of “team” … you only slobber over individual players because most of you have never even played competitive team bball … so obvious.
If Triano can pull off the near impossible, they should give him a new multi-million long term contract …. after he wins COY and becomes a national hero ….LOL
HEY … ARSE, ALTRAPS … BETTER GET BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND ADDRESS YOUR ARTICLES AS TO HOW THIS BUNCH OF BODIES CAN BE FORGED INTO A LEGIT TEAM WITHIN 90 DAYS …!!!!!
:) have a nice day
FAQ your annoying, we get ur point but dude chill, why are u even bloggin to be negitive about shit that hasent happend, jus sit back and wait for the season, if coach k and BC’s dad like him, ill give im a shot
Wow, you’re really obnoxious. Maybe you should take not one, but two trips outside to enjoy the nice warm summer sunshine. In the words of a wise man… “so obvious” =)
honk honk tribal honker honkity honk honk
Calderon and Turkoglu are some of the “team/glue” guys in the league. Wakie, wakie.
some of these posts are unreal! BC has addressed all of the team needs: athleticism, toughness, depth that people have been griping about and this latest trade is a great final piece: Bellinelli makes Delfino unnecessary, and Ukic was outplayed in Vegas by Douby, so BC has traded them into useful parts — a great rebound/defence/toughness option in Johnson — a younger Evans, with Evans to learn from and the 5th big who can push for a spot in a 10 man rotation, provide injury insurance and makes O’Bryant irrelevant and/or ballast at the mid season trade deadline — and a cheap, athletic wing, Weems, to provide energy and practice strength.
The Raptors now have a strong 10 man rotation, numbers 11 and 12 are Douby and Johnson, both of whom can play if required, one young guy Weems, one trade ballast (POB) and one bad contract (Banks) — better than most teams, and a huge upgrade over last year’s team.
Chill and give BC some credit for a complete make over. Now they have to play. Triano will surprise people.
I wish I could “like” this comment more than just once. Thank you very much Graham Smith (no sarcasm at all) for your completely worthwhile post. I fully agree with everything you just wrote. Anyone who doesn’t see that is…hating for the sake of hating.
i added a extra like for ya lol
i fully agree with both of you, i mean wat else could BC do? but FAQ over here is tryin to be the blogroom bad guy or sum just in case the raps have a bad season he can say he right, but when were in the playoffs he’ll change his name and jump on the bandwagon.
hey FAQER do u even live in toronto? if you do then show some damn optimism, if not find another team and coach to talk shit about
… and I thought that the Ratpors were “Canada’s Team” …. now it’s only for those who live in Moronto …..LOL
I’ll actually have to agree with this point – you don’t have to be in Toronto to be a Raptors fan.
But then again, FAQ isn’t much of a fan. And the knock on the city was classless.
i dont know much about weems game, can sum1 fill me in on what kinda player he is?
This is about a year old, but it is still quite relevant when describing Weems.
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/sonny-weems
FAQ, I don’t get your point at all. Are you really arguing that a coach who has been in the organization for almost a decade (and coached international ball for almost that long as well) will have absolutely no chance to pull this into a cohesive unit?
Let’s look at the roster, shall we?
Starters:
Bargs
Bosh
Turks
DeRozan
Calderon
analysis of togetherness: Jay has coached these guys in some capacity for years (outside of DeRozan-who’s only playing 16 minutes a game tops anyway) and Turks who might be the most unselfish star in the league.
It’s a group of Euro passers plus Bosh and DD. Not hard to mesh or coach a team with people who actually pass. They are going to whip the ball around so much your head will spin.
Bench:Rasho
Evans
Wright
Bellinelli
Jack
Analysis:
Rasho was already here while Jay was, and Evans and Wright require no coaching –they are in the league for a very specific reason. Bellinelli and Jack will get most of the touches here, which fits their MO just fine.
Bottom line, this might be the nicest, toughest, most industrious, most skilled team we ever had, and most of the players have either played with each other, are Euros (who pass and shoot well anyway) or are expert role players who require little to no coaching.
How exactly does this present a problem for Jay Triano? He of the interational experience? No. Jack is a leader off the bench and Calderon is a leader in the starting lineup. There will be little for Jay to do except motivate and push (which won’t be hard given the strength of competition).
Ya, let’s look at the starting lineup …. Bosh and Bargs still haven’t meshed yet …. Jose will run the pick’n roll and then pass off to who?? .. Hedo?? .. DeDe?? … both of whom have never played together and DeDe has only one year of college ball…?????
The Ratz bench is even more feeble filled with dubious bench scrubs who couldn’t contribute to a winning playoff-bound team.
All you t.h. fans do is make a list of players and then call it a “team” … because you’ve never played real bball on a real team and don’t know what it takes to make a team a winner … yer just keyboard jerk-offs … sheesh ..!!!!
I might be stupid, but I actually have no idea what FAQ is talking about.
Says the guys who spends an inordinate amount of time being a “keyboard jerk-off” in this very forum.
Care to list your bball experience on real teams?
Amir doesn’t help much defensively. Matter of fact, he pretty much fits in with the rest of this team with respect to defensive suckage. His page over at 82games leaves me looking wistfully at Pops, and that says a lot. Amir looks to block every shot which sometimes causes him to become exposed on drives. This is offset by some hard work on the offensive end that would make Antonio Davis proud to call him his son. Don’t be looking for Amir to get more than 8-12min a game coupled with zero plays called for him. If Keon Clark had a bastard child, his name would be Amir.
Watching Carlos go is fine in my books. No way is he worth a 3 year deal. I’m with Arsenalist on this one: one year deal or go. He’s going and will rest his head in the hotbed of basketball called Milwaukee. If there is one city in the US that probably rivals Toronto on the “I’ll go there if they pay me more than anybody else and throw in a VIP membership at Le Club de Sexe”, Milwaukee is probably it. Great beer, though.
I’ve never quite understood the infatuation with Delfino OR Ukic. I think both are prime examples of how European ball rarely translates to the North American game and how over-seas talent is somewhat blown out of proportion. Baby steps and a spoonful of sugar should be taken.
RapsFan will be checking in tomorrow with more in-depth analysis of this trade.
Ukic had that goofy, Croat rocker’s son thing going for him. He’s destined to be a passable NBA backup but we won’t miss him during the Calderon/Jack era.
Re: Amir and Defense – his last year wasn’t as good, but the previous 2 years were – hard to say which is “correct” as he doesn’t get a lot of min. But given last year’s “issues” in DET, let’s hope its the former 2 years. We’ll see.
Completely agree that Delfino and Ukic are not great players. We have a bit of selective memory with Delfino – he took many ill-advised shots as well. Tried hard on D, which is why he was a favourite, but was not as good as an offensive player as we “remember”.
On a side note, I propose we trade FAQ to Milwaukee for a broken bottle of Old Milwaukee.
Stop whining, ya sucky baby ….!!!!
John Hammond denied that trade! He’s only offering the cap!
Amir doesn’t help defensively!?
and then u compare him to Keon Clarke=scary shot blocker with massive ups?
I think you will change your opinion when you see a raps player that tries on EVERY possession on defense and loves to do the dirty work.
Keon Clarke was fucking HUGE for us in the playoffs(even though he was an alocoholic)
having a shot blocker on your team intimidates other players, be careful about labelling this guy as “defensive suckage”-you might eat your words
well, here is an example of Liston’s “selective memory” comment. Sure, Clark was “huge” (achem) for us in the playoffs, but what did he do once those were over? Flash in the pan is a pretty good phrase to attach to him.
I’ll stand by my words. I watched most of the Pistons games last year and he jumps way too early. This gives him some nice blocks, but as the opposing guys learn, so does he. If he digs hard and offsets by being a beast in the offensive paint, then great. I actually think he will.
Does it really matter, though? Outside of guys taking games off due to injury, Amir won’t be a rotation player for more than 11-12min max.
He had a year last year that showed backward progress. Be great to see him turn it around.
“I think both are prime examples of how European ball rarely translates to the North American game and how over-seas talent is somewhat blown out of proportion”.
Disagree: I think the instance is more general and refers to how talent as it is perceived, and how it finally translates into solid players/stars or not; the geographical/cultural variable has a little role in this process, and it simply catches the eye because of its cultural aspects and differences. Anyone could name a long list of American talented young players that did not turn into good NBA players, and viceversa. And of course, a list of Euro players that are doing/did great in the NBA (Gasol, Kukoc, Parker, Garba, Hedo, a few Argentinians formed in EU, etc.). IMO, it has more to do with a USA-centric perception (prejudice?) than with anything else. Such a point of view probably had more sense 15 years ago than it has today.
I agree that the Raps are better off without Delfino right now though.
You lost your argument when you included Garbo in the “great” category. He was good and nothing more. If he was great, he would have found a suitor post-injury. Hedo probably doesn’t deserve the “great” moniker either.
NBA GMs boasted riches in Europe a few years ago and, coupled with recent success by European based teams (both national and local), it raised the level of expectations. Unlike your comparison of American based talent, which is a pool of 1000s, the *perception* is that the Europeans coming over are the creme of the crop, names that are at the top of their national teams.
Well, on Garbo I might have been carried away by my feelings towards the Raps…;-) But anyway, I was talking about solid players, and he might be included in that definition.
And yes, there might be a little hype about Euro players lately in the NBA, but that’s how it always goes with exotic flavors…Same thing in EU with the football (soccer for the Americans) players coming from Brazil or Argentina.
Tip off RapsFan on my comments here … otherwise he is going to get burnt really bad when I stuff the brutal reality down everybody’s maw … and he’s left with nothing but faith, hope and charity.
Reply meant for: AltRaps says: Aug 17, 2009 at 9:04 pm
blah, blah, blah.
what is your problem FAQ???
Obviesly it is not basketball game, nor Toronto Raptors, I would even say… nor Raptor’s fan base!!!
From all your text, the bigest problem is not BC, Raptors, but your fear, love and hate for Toronto as a mega city and wonderful place to live. Probably is some kind of physiological complex ( mental stage ) combined with personal arogancy and false sense of importance.
For you, it is not important what are you saying, no – what is important is to be against everybody else.
Maybe you are right, but doubt it.
Maybe you are asking for some kind of approval, but then you have chosen totally wrong aproach…
Maybe you are just a prick, like your name says and you cannot say nothing more than FAQ, FAQ, FAQ…
I really don’t know, but you do not belong to this band of fans and please, stop trying to make it dirty. It is not, people here have their own opinions, sometimes agreed sometimes not, but we all respect each other.
God bless you…
If we all ignore FAQ he will eventually go away…
Except that he is an immature jerk-off who seeks to compensate for his lack of confidence by seeking attention (which in turn makes him feel important, even if for all the wrong reasons).
Oh, and now that I exposed him (truth hurts, doesn’t it FAQ?) he will come here and post how I am a tribal honking fan who am too much of a dim-wit to see the obvious truth. Except that every immature jerk-off type of post he makes from here on out will simply validate what I just said.
So go ahead, FAQ, prove me wrong by being polite and constructive instead of repetitive, arrogant, and delusional. I dare you.
What’s wrong with his stats on 82games.com?
They actually look alright to me. Keep in mind he started a bunch of games for Detroit at the beginning of last year, so his defensive numbers were against much better players than Pops’ (predominantly) garbage time numbers.
Moreover, his rebound and block rates are quite acceptable, and he is the only Piston who is makes the top-five-man-unit nine out of the top ten permutations.
Defensively, his team is usually better when he is on the floor. This bodes well for the Raps, who got this guy essentially for free.
Roko, although talented, simply wasn’t going to get any burn here as a third string point. Moreover, the trade sheds his contract in the all-important 2010 year in exchange for two dudes who aren’t guaranteed past this season.
All-in-all, I think it’s a low risk high reward move, which is as good as you can ask for — particularly when nobody expected a move at all.
I think a few people expected a Delfino move. It was the only move we could make to get something of value back. I would have been shocked if Colangelo didn’t use it.
As I said above, if you factor in his style of play with his stats, it produces a type/style of player that needs to breed patience. As good as his stats were, they regressed on a Pistons team that, well, sucked, compared to years past.
I never said anything bad about the trade. Colangelo needed to use a commodity to round out the roster and he did. The only risk he took was cashing in on future potential for disappearing cap room next season, which I personally have zero issue with.
Colangelo said he would try to find a place for Roko to play this year.
A player’s GM, what a concept!
decent trade. BC strikes again!
it’s a good trade, coz, they finally got delfino out of the plans (he wants too much than what he deserves, and most likely would hinder the development of our prized rookie demar derozan), roko (became the odd man out after a poor showing from the team and the acquisitions of jaret jack and marco bellineli). amir johnson was a decent player last year for the pistons, a more defensive forward currently in the mold of stromile swift or tyrus thomas. an upgrade to pops (no disrespect). we now have a much deeper core (please get rid of banks and POB).
i think jose will score more and hopefully, he would be available for almost the whole season. most of the pressure from the ballhandling he had last season would be relieved by hedo. hedo can be our scottie pippen/lamar odom point guard, and jose can be our bj armstrong or derek fisher (without the defense) type of point guard, who does not carry the ball most of the time but could be deadly at the 3 point lane.
we are in a much better position compared to last year. JO’s acquisition was way overrated, as he was considered the missing piece, without checking the whole depth of the roster, which only added guys like hassan adams, roko, will solomon, nate jawaii. tj was undervalued and his disappearance hurt the team. good job, Brian Colangelo. i hope you give some tips to Jays’ GM JP ricchardi on how to run a team, in a league where Big American teams dominate.
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