This year’s winner of the Bryan Colangelo MLE Award was Linas Kleiza, a 6’8″ 245lb Lithuanian small forward who was imported from Olympiakos to bolster the Raptors defense, grit and three-point shooting. The Nuggets chose not to match the offersheet and instead chose to pay Al Harrington more money. We talk to the man from Roundball Mining Company, Jeremy Wagner, about Klezia’s strengths and weaknesses, Denver’s decision and more.
Grab the iTunes feed or the plain old feed. You can also download the file (12:20, 4.23MB).
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Summary:
- Played power forward in Missouri but switched to small forward after coming to the NBA.
- Added the three-point shot to his game and became one of the better 3-point shooters for the Nuggets.
- “Not a very accomplished defender”. Doesn’t have the lateral quickness to stay with most perimeter players.
- Undersized to guard a lot of post-players, a tweener.
- Overall, lacks defensive awareness, the year the Nuggets made the WCF every player stepped up their defense with the exception of Kleiza who still struggled.
- Tends to lose his man on the weak side when the ball’s being swung around. Defense was his weakness in Denver.
- For someone who was a PF in college, he doesn’t have much of a post-game despite his strength. The Nuggets did have Nene, Martin and Anthony so a post-game wasn’t asked of him.
- After developing a 3-pointer, he was effective driving to the right and getting into the lane. Very right-hand dominant player.
- Has become a very perimeter-oriented player, easy to classify him as a catch-and-shoot player, and if the jumper is falling, can use his drives.
- Athleticism: Doesn’t move well laterally but has great straight-line speed. Has a weird kind of explosiveness in that he “dunks on his way up” and surprises a lot of people with his elevation.
- Solid rebounder, uses his strength to get the rebounds. Good athlete but not to the degree where he becomes a good defender.
- Has a running hook from the lane which he can use if he can’t get all the way to the rim. Thatcould be a foundation for a post-game, but has never been able to consistently make turnaround jumpers.
- Has already proven that he can diversify his arsenal by adding a perimeter game, so it’s not a stretch to think that he can improve his post-play, especially given his bulk.
- The Nuggets not re-signing him last year was a financial issue where the team was trying to get under the tax, it had nothing to do with Kleiza as a player.
- Doesn’t like the Al Harrington signing, thinks the Nuggets overpaid for a guy who doesn’t do much more than Kleiza except perhaps shoot a better three-point percentage.
We also discussed Kleiza offline and Wagner added:
One thing I never mentioned that is important is Kleiza was a very streaky shooter in Denver. He had a line drive shot and the team worked with him a lot on getting more arc on his shot. It never really happened in Denver though and as a result he would be hot or cold. If you look at his splits from 2008-09 he shot 46.2% from behind the arc in December, but had two months where he shot less than 30% bottoming out in March when he made only 19.4% of his threes.
He is not bashful though as he never stopped shooting regardless of how poorly things were going for him. If Toronto wants him to play on the block more, I think it would be a good thing for his development.
He excelled playing off the attention that Melo and AI drew from the defense and had a lot of open shots. He thrived on being a third or even fourth option. If he is called on to create his own offense I think he will struggle to get good scoring opportunities.
That all being said, I do not know what he might have added to his game in Europe. Hopefully he will work out in Toronto.
Thanks again to Jeremy and be sure to check out Roundball Mining Company, a site with a seriously sick header.
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113 Raps
thanks arse, always nice to hear how the ‘other side’ feels about their former (& current) players. only think i wonder about is whether his opinion is skewed somewhat now that kleiza isn’t a nugget (kind of how some raptor fans are skewing bosh’s time in TO now that he’s gone).
also – am i the only one who remembers the little ‘incident’ between triano & kleiza from a couple years ago…it may have been the game that cost smitch the HC job, kleiza started yapping at (then assistant) triano out of the blue, and no one seemed to understand why. i think leo postulated that it may have been from their international competition. might have just been some friendly yammering.
I think a few people brought this up when his signing was first announced – no idea what to think of it though.
Doug Smith addressed this in a mailbag a couple weeks ago. From what I remember, it started by Kleiza getting into it with Hump (didn’t say why) and Jay stepped in. I don’t think Douggie said if/how it escalated from other.
Of course, he also added that it’s water under the bridge and both have moved on. Then he complained about free agency and the “arcane rules of the NBA salary cap”.
Here are Kleiza’s numbers from last year in Europe. Just a note that his stats were better in the Euroleague where and when it mattered most:
http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=GRE&PlayerID=39804
Here is another link to last year’s Europe tournament summary:
http://www.worldofbasketball.org/euroleague-basketball-2009-2010.htm
I’m actually excited to see Kleiza in Toronto. Not a superstar, but a quality contributor; could very well be suited for our starting SF if Weems/Derozan go cold…
In terms of rebounding, his numbers (see the advanced statistics) were basically identical with Carmelo. And yes, he’s just 25
“a first round pick and possibly more” from Toronto for Kleiza?
This guy is insane or must surely consider BC the Kahn of the east. I think he just likes ripping teams off. Actually come to think of it Denver may have tried to squeeze a bit much in a sign & trade (rather than the Raps using the mle). BC may have wanted to save the mle for Barnes.
Belinelli v 2 .
He will look good out there with Amundson.
Tinman you beat me to it !!!
I’m just getting a deja vu feeling here with the Belinelli version 2.
1. Both have been good enough for Euro but so-so for the NBA.
2. Both only really exited BC and the rest of the GM’s in the league kinda react the same … ie. “..who’s the guy Bryan signing now …”
3. Both are not consistant, but are a nice asset when they get going.
4 Both have got me excited in the off-season but will make me throw stuff at the TV by Christmas. (yeah I’ve had to buy 2 new rodgers since Belinelli became a Rap.)
5. I dunno, its just not there for me …. oh yeah and the Pod cast confirms it …..
I was excited about Chandler …. I was excited about Barnes … I dunno anymore …. is it Novemeber yet ?
You know its like realizing that the hot chick that you just met wants to bang you … is your long lost sister … you’re excited before knowing and then you have to go throw up after realizing what ‘almost’ happened.
I still want the kid, but I’m expecting to be yelling at him later.
My first thought was Kapono 2.0, but there’s an argument for Belli too.
Sounds like we got Garbojosa and Turkoglu love child. A guy with high basketball IQ who is a streaky shooter and isn’t very athletic.
what about the podcast makes you assume he’s not athletic? because he doesn’t have great lateral quicks? from what i can see, he’s well built, knows how to use his body, is a sneaky-quick jumper, and has above-average speed.
Arse, where’s/who’s the(former?) RR writer, who’s dream was for Kleiza to play for the Raps?
Dinosty. That’s it! What happened to that guy? Funny dude. Maybe not as funny as Scott, but pretty close. And thanks for the reply, btw. :P Jerk!!
Nobody came to mind, that’s why I didn’t reply. I’m sure he was joking if he said that.
I swore he had a post on it, I may be wrong. Either way, I think I vehemently dismissed even the remote possibility and when BC got him, that’s what came to mind.
Hey FLUX … BC has got to assemble a bunch of guys to provide some entertainment value for the t.h. fans at the ACC. Who knows, maybe there’s a Fab Five lurking on the roster … watch out NBA … here come da Raptor Roster … cockadoodledoo …!!!!
Yawn, someone wake me when we sign some NBA players.
Let me guess, we paid more for this guy than anyone would reasonably, including the club he played for before (who most likely has the best take on what he is worth).
Please, someone put me out of my misery. Is he worth more than Barnes to the organization? Ofcourse, he doesn’t play defence and will not know anything is missing on this club. So he will be content.
Bryan and Triano can talk defence with the best of them. When it comes to building a roster, its still about throwing money on players that are clueless off the ball.
“Jay why are wer the worst in the league at stopping the ball from going in our net?”
“I don’t know Bryan, I have the best roster money can buy, we need more meetings and defensive classes in front of the chalkboard.”
[TRIANO]: “We need to shoot more 3′s!”
lol one season in europe and everybody is down on this guy…
remember his nba career high is 40+ pts
If Keliza is what Jeremy Wagner describing him to be, then is it safe to say this was another awful signing by BC ?
…not that you’d want to jump to conclusions or anything
If I wanted to jump to conclusion, then I would have called it a bad trade now :)
I asked a simple question:
If Keliza prove to be a bad defender, weak in team defense ( like AB), then does this make this a BAD deal ?
Mehbe decent players don’t want to play and live in Toronto .. ya think???
I am just sick to my stomach.
The most pressing need for this club, is defense, and we blow all our money on another euroleague player.
Make no mistake, he is a euroleague player. If he cared about the game, he would be in the best league. Like all his kind, its just about the paycheck and less work (fewer games, relax have a siesta).
The Colangelo Raptors make me sick. I am done as a fan of this team.
easy there buddy, BC is doing his best to make the team competitive. whether this will backfire on him like his other signings, we’ll just have to wait and see.
i have no high expectations for the team this year, but am excited to watch the young players develop.
I am not going to wait and see anything… I am not going to be the sucker anymore be my guest. Go buy some ticket packs. Get yourself a t-shirt in “BC I trust”.
The dumbass is already calling out Bosh and saying he thinks he quit on the team. How proffesional. Not like Bosh talks to other NBA players. Wonder who has more clout in that group Bryan or Bosh. Throwing stones when living in glass house is not all that prudent.
What does BC gain by calling out Bosh? Hmmm, well he gets to show his insecure side to all of us. A bigger man would of moved on.
Bosh got a free ride for waaaaaaaaaayyyy too long. It’s about time somebody called him out and who better than BC. The guy has balls.
So professional of Bryan to call him out. Maybe him and the owner of the cavs can work on a letter to the fans.
What a joke. Pooooor, poooor, Bryan, never saw it coming. Now he decides to speak out about Bosh’s injuries. LOL. What a gutless weasel. Should of called him out when it was happening.
I have more respect for the toilet paper I use on my ass than Bryans leadership.
You’re on here talking about hatred and wiping your ass, and in the same breath going on about respect and professionalism?? Your co-workers must love you.
I am not a GM of this organization, I am just a fan with an alias.
I think Bryan Colangelo is a horrible GM. I am the pendulum and opposite of you fans that kiss his ass on a daily basis.
I am sure that if I posted what a great guy he is, I would fit in with you y’all nicely, maybe even be the best men at a wedding or two.
Too bad, my hate and anger are real. I am sick of this retard doing the SAME THING over and OVER again, and expecting different results. I am sure Bosh felt the same way. (I hate Bosh too, hope he goes for a swim in a rip tide.)
The Raptors were my girl a long time ago. I loved her, she said she would change but she didn’t. So I kicked her to the curb. Now all that wasted love, needs to be balanced by good old fashioned hate. The stupid chick still keeps showing up at the same places I like to hang out, so I need to put her in her place.
Her life sucks, her man is gambling the money away, and she keeps moving from apartment to apartment. What is a boy to do but remind her how right he was all along?
…and if you guys must know, I HATE BEING RIGHT, but being right, is what I am good at.
+1
For being a max guy, you’d want him to continue attacking the basket. He settled for way too many jumpers but they shouldn’t have had Bosh and Bargnani on the perimeter at the same time.
+10.
One guy was more capable of doing the dirty work, but had to sell his way out of TO. cue the “I prefer to play the PF position” clip on TNT.
And in no way was he going to do the dirty work for BC’s boy and let him collect all the glory from 3 point land, then end up in Minny or NJ, to be forgotten about, collecting a check.
FWIW, he did have an option to stay in Europe next year but opted to return to the NBA.
It seems that all the euro’s that played in the NBA, once they go back to the euro league, realize that they are in a Mickey Mouse league.
You also don’t get the same clout and endorsements back home as a euro league player. Jose is loved by everyone in Spain because he is in the NBA, his endorsements mean more to corporations than a typical player in the Spanish league.
Take Anthony Parker for instance. He could have easily taken more money anywhere in Europe and been the MJ of that league. He dud not, he wants to play in the best league in the world. He is a competitor. The Parker signing I liked, the rest of the wanabes I could care less for.
Kleiza going back to Europe tells me everything I needed to know about his make up. He knows if he stays in that dump his legacy and money earning potential in his retirement will be non-existent.
It’s like Beckham and the Galaxy. Did he do it for soccer, or the coin? How seriously do true soccer fans take him?
one more note: do not compare the us soccer (or whatever you guys call it) league to the european basketball leagues… its not even close, especially the spanish league and the euroleague are far better than most people here think they are…
and david beckham does not need more coin, but he also did not do it for the “soccer”, so yea it was all about money
Ah dude, you’re arguing against the very point you’re trying to make because HE’S PLAYING IN THE NBA!
Like every dummy who signs a contract over there, he realized it was dead end league. Real players wouldn’t be caught dead in that league.
If you are cheering for the euroleague in Europe, chances are you are an oddball. Your friends are probably looking at you wondering why you are not watching the greatest athleetes in the world (as in soccer). Why play second fiddle?
don’t get me on soccer players. they will never get my respect as the majority of them FLOP and act like PU**IES!!!
He left for $2m more in pay but more so for gtd playing time…not hard to understand.
Wonder who will be pimping cars for Ford in Canada now that Bosh is gonezo?!
easy boy.. i think there are 2 or 3 stereotypes you missed in your post..
maybe something about being soft or pizza or shaved armpits… and …wait! he is lithuanian… thats easy, right? lets just make a joke about stolen cars and/or vodka and sound funny and smart at the same time!!
“If he cared about the game, he would be in the best league”
thats the biggest piece of bullsh*t i´ve read on this site in a long time…
he played 4 seasons in the nba, then went to europe for one season (for 6 mil a year nevertheless, also recieved euroleague mvp honors), now he is back in the nba.
thats 4 out of 5 pro seasons played at the highest level…but… uhm, yea, he does not care about the game, i guess
Some nice racist remarks in your post.
Here for example is a non racist statement.
“The euroleague is subpar”
“Euroleague players have a hard time with the NBA game”
“Euroleague players stuggle with defense in the NBA”
“Euroleague players play half as many games to earn their money”
“The diffrence between the top teams in the Euroleague and the bottom teams is like night and day. Kind of like D-League to the NBA”
“I hate european basketball”
…no go bake a pie.
you did not get my post, like, at all
Dude seriously. Check yourself into a hospital and get some help. I’m worried you’re going to hurt yourself.
lol, the only people getting hurt are brainless Colangelo fans who think this roster is going to be competitive.
How about you come back in January, when the Raptors are pushing for their 9th win of the season, so that I can laugh at you and your idol some more.
Idol? Hardly. But it’s laughable how many people believe they are qualified to work in the NBA.
The GM with the perfect trade record is yet to exist. This guy admits his mistakes and moves on.
Wrong, I exist.
If you guys construct a golden “Murphy” idol, and make some t-shirts “in murphy I trust”. I promise to appear on white horse and pull this franchise out of this mess.
I can even be convinced to wear dress shirts with long collars, if that is what the fan base perceives as executive dominance. I’ll do the GQ thing to keep you guys licking my boots. However, make no mistake, first and formost on my mind will be payback basketball wise.
There are certain GM’s that took advantage of our organization and violated my predecessor in unspeakable ways. Riley, Bird, and Michael Jordan, payback will be a bitch. I don’t really feel I need redeem my predecessors honour, because that would mean following him around for the rest of his life, but I can redeem this organization’s honour.
So get on that idol and t shirt assembly line, and we will talk.
I can’t believe this much ink has been spilled and this much time wasted on freakin’ Linas Kleiza. Is this really what we are now reduced to discussing as a fanbase? Ugh.
We have no more cap space, we are done signing players. We made sure that we paid the most for this bum. So when things go wrong, no one will take him unless we sweeten the deal.
Our GM is an idiot.
We made sure we paid the most – that’s how free agency works, in case you hadn’t noticed. And, we didn’t even use the full MLE on him, in THIS OFFSEASON, where everyone is getting at least the full MLE except Darko.
What do you mean “Our GM”?
“The Colangelo Raptors make me sick. I am done as a fan of this team.”
Sounds like you gave him up. Go cheer for the Heat.
If I was a heat fan, there would certainly be a lot more cheering.
I am not going to watch this subpar product, that is certain. MLSE or Bryan have done very little to inspire confidence in their direction.
Defense was an issue the day Bryan joined. It is now 4 years later, and he still shores up the D by getting D-league talent, and overpaying for his personal fetish and adding more 3pt shooters.
“We can work on our weakness, or we can just make our strength stronger” (say that as if you just received a lobotomy in you speech centers – and than you will get the sound I am after).
Can someone please put a cork on Colangelos fork so that he does not lose an eye.
Murphy
Don’t waste your time with some of these delusional fans here.
Some of these guys are wearing their “BC is the GOD” sun glasses, drinking the “BC never does anything wrong” Kool Aid while walking on the young Ave.
Come back in Nov when Raptors start 0-10 and 99% of these guys will be asking for BC’s head.
No, no, no. You are forgetting the minimum 35 game “gelling period”, then talk of tough schedule, followed by “rookie wall”, while it’s all sprinkled with “bad luck”. Plus, don’t forget injuries. Jose hammy coming up for sure, cuz they’ll ride him to sell him.
So, you are looking around the end of January for Triano hate. But that will be washed away with talk of “new roster” and “getting used to life without Bosh”, still a “rookie” coach etc. By then playoffs will be around and talk of next year will start, because this one will be over.
Rinse and repeat – been saying it for years. BC has the excuses game on lock.
I’m not apologizing for BC. He was gifted a good situation when he took over and to say he has failed to impress is an vast understatement.
What I get real sick of, tho, is all you negative nancys claiming you “are done with this team” or “the raptors will never go anywhere”. If you really believe that, what the fuck are you doing here anyway? Seriously. Go bandwagon on the Heat forums. Or better yet, move to South Beach and go bask in the sunshine, talk trivialities with the fake chicks with fake tits, and hoard your coin under the favourable (sorry, favorable) tax structure like CB4. Don’t worry, we’ll survive without you.
Marc, I guess because then I would feel like a quitter? Umm how does that go? Winners never quit, quitters never win?
It’s not about hating the Raps, as a concept and NBA franchise. It’s about who’s running it and how they are doing it. Yes, until I see a Rap team that one can be proud of in any way, I will continue to not believe. And point out my dislikes and my displeasure.
And if weren’t for us “hater”, a BC statue would have been built in front of the ACC by now. Safe to say, many more people are coming around to the reality that BC is at best average and there are different goals in place, none of them having to do with winning… hence the Raps will never win anything talk. Some ppl are happy with 1st round playoff exits, some are not.
It disgusts me to no end that franchises with serious attendance problems have better players and coaches then we do, while we are served bunk product. And we (MLSE) don’t have a money problem, at all.
In the end, once you ID what you call “haters” – no one is forcing you to read their comments. Scroll away, my friend. Scroll away.
‘Winners never quit, quitters never win?’
so true. what happens if you never win AND you never quit?
When he starts getting lazy, and hits the IL because he is not used to the 82 game schedule (Just like every eurolegue player we signed before).
Don’t cry to me.
Jose still can’t handle 82 games and he has been in the league how long?
hahahah, i love the pessimism of this guy!!! especially against euro players…
I hate the euro league. Its a subpar product. The players are horrible. The league is unwatchable, even their championship games. Has anyone here bothered to watch one game? Wasn’t it difficult?
You have a higher chance of seeing me entertained by the WNBA than the euro league. The parody in the league is also questionable. The worst team, can be taken out by top ranked US High school team on any night.
‘The worst team, can be taken out by top ranked US High school team on any night.’
Noooooooooooooo way man. NBA players learn to play when they came to NBA. In HS and even in College most of them know a shit of basketball.
I’m from Spain and I don’t like Euro basketball too (most because of the 3pt line and the dimensions of the court), but the professionalism of those teams is really high. College USA’s players that don’t make the NBA came here to play and only a few of them learn enough of basketball to be useful. Athleticsm isn’t the only thing you need to play basketball.
Yah, Okay, that is why a 17 year old kid is running circles around that league, making its long time veterans look like paraplegics.
If Rubio comes to the NBA, he will find that there are plenty of players with his speed + wisdom/experience. He will be exploited like a brownie at a pedophile convention.
Didn’t take long for a 17 year old to dominate that league did it?
You have no fucking idea about eurobasket. Rubio isn’t dominating, he’s just a good player. Other good player was Scola, now a centerpiece of the Rockets. And Thiago Splitter, who really dominated spanish league last year will be an elite NBA player, you all will see.
When Rubio comes to NBA, he’ll find a lot of players with his speed, but no one with his experience. He was playing pro basket at 16. NBA players were exploiting kids in McDonald’s dunk competitions at that age, but still didn’t know what a pick & roll is. Euro players aren’t better suited for NBA than USA ones, and eurobasket is more more boring, but a 20 years old europlayer is far better in some many ways than a USA one, maybe except athleticsm, the most rated skill there, above basketball knowledge, IQ, unselfhisness and a lot more.
An spanish coach said some years ago in a press conference (and was fined for it) about a USa player in his team: he is a NAF (Negro Atlético Fraudulento = FAB: fraudulent athletic black). The point is that almost all USA players that came to eurobasket don’t know a shit about basket, they’re just athletic. Some of them, like Parker, learn enough to make it to the NBA. In euroleague, you must be much more than an athletic guy to play much minutes. Some of NBA players aren’t.
well said
your post saved me a lot of typing..
oooooh no, Rubio is coming… NBA point guards are shaking as we speak. I think Chris Paul just called Lebron for protection.
No one will have as much experience as this 17 year old kid? LOL.
Right, the only place to get experience is a sloppy washed up 3rd tier league that no one in the world cares about. This is why Andrea Bargnani came from there and could not rebound a lick. This is why Jose was considered one of the best euroleague defenders at his position.
I fear the euroleague, they have this thing called EXPERIENCE that we here in north America know nothing about. Please Fon Riego, gather us all around the camp fire and tell us of this ‘experience’.
(Hey Fon, what happend to that Chinese PG who scored 20 points agaisnt the US at the olympics? He must be as good as Rubio! Where is he playing now?)
HAHAHAHAHA!!!
First of all, I’m not a Rubio fan, he’s still a lot of work to do to could compete at the highest level. Don’t give for sure I’m one since I’m spanish. Experience is there, no matter if you don’t want to see it.
Calderon was NEVER considered one of the best euroleague defenders at his position. And if you knew something about eurobasket you’d know defence in eurobasket is considered in a different way. Is more about ‘team defence’ cause with a smaller court, one on one’s aren’t seen so often as in NBA, PG’s aren’t so exposed.
I like Calderon for what he bring to the game and for what he means to the team and the organization but I’m the first here throwing something to my computer screen when Rondo or whoelse schooled him, and asking for Jack to enter the game last season. In a better defensive team he wouldn’t be so exposed. Don’t blame him, is a team issue to help the PG because most of the attacks begin there.
Of course NBA is a better league with better players than the leagues in Europe, did you got that point alone? You are very smart ;)
The point is that at least spanish league (the only one I barely follow) isn’r a 3rd tier league as you say. Believe me man, maybe you are an NBA guru :D but have no fucking idea about euroteams. Basketball tactics have to be teached to USA players when they came, sometimes they have to teach them even what basketball is.
If the court were bigger, euro players would have to improve their mantoman defense, the league will become more enjoyable and I’ll become a fan for sure. At least I’d be looking at players who are normal people, not stupid kids that smoke pot, carry guns, go in weekend fights and use to wear the most stupid clothes and jewels in the fucking world. There are no attention whores in Europe like CB4, professionalism is key…sad the basketball games are soooooo boring to see…
And just two things:
-See the las Euroleague Final Four in Paris and tell me that basket is played in College in USA, THAT’s high level competition only overcomed by NBA. This year Barcelona F.C would overwhelm some NBA teams, FOR SURE, and you know which ones. I’ll love to see Colangelo’s ‘young gunz’ against experienced players like Mickael, Basile, Fran Vázquez, Lorbek, Navarro…Navarro alone could make my fovourite Raptor players’ seem like kids in basketball fundamentals, IQ and more. Of course, no in highflying, I’ll give that to the gunz :D :D :D
Some of this players don’t come to the NBA because they prefer playing in Europe, nearest home, just like most USA players don’t want to go to Canada to play basketball being 29 teams in USA.
-I don’t know where is that chinese PG. Who cares? Making 20 pts against a lazy USA ‘dream team’ that didn’t take that game seriously wouldn’t be so hard. Make a better statement man.
Look there is pleanty of HS kids that go straight to the NBA, they don’t even ponder the euroleagues. It is a league for stiffs and those that can’t make the NBA.
Everyone knows that when you career is up in the NBA, you can always milk the eurolegue for some bucks.
gerald green confirms this post
So does Lebron James.
jj is there an backside that you will not kiss?
yours, my main troll, yours
hahahahah love it
Wow dude! What a Hillbilly you are! The Euroleague top team couldn’t be handled by US High school team on any night… what are you a frikin moron? Keep your non-sense oppinion to yourself, Euroleague isn’t that trashy, everybody agrees that NBA is the the king/queen of basketball but EUROLEAGUE deserves some credit too.
P.S. What’s wrong with you people? Kleiza isn’t a euro player, wake up! He learned playin’ basketball at the US and he’s been in NBA for 4 seasons and he only played in euroleague for 1 season…. So yeah go ahead and call him a typical euro….
haha, I don’t love it so much…but it’s true, Tony Parker, Dirk, Marc Gasol…lazy people :D :D :D
The point is that: a euro player that comes to the league still being young has time to prepare his body to an NBA standar. If they came later (as Jose), they are suited to another schedules and have more problems to get used to NBA pace.
Can’t handle 82 game schedule? Did you miss the memo? He’s been in the NBA for 4 years, and took ONE year in the Euroleague. I think he may have SOME comprehension of what an NBA season entails.
Oh, and hit the IR like every other Euroleague player? Such as Anthony Parker, who played a vast majority of games for us?
Jose? Jose is your example, when he has been in the NBA longer than any of our other Euroleague players, and seems to have the least resistance to injury?
using part of the MLE on kleiza isn’t what’s going to make the raps suck this (& next) year. those seeds were sowed long ago.
Everyone take a time out. If BC has shown us anything it’s that he can change the roster completely over the course of an off season. When he first arrived he stripped the team and brought in a bunch of new faces, and has continued the pattern each off season including this one. Don’t fall in love/hate with any of the currnet players because there is a good chance that they won’t be around the season after this one.
Yes he has shown that trading away first round picks, can fix short term problems.
Which first round picks has he traded away during the off-season? I remember 1. It was the Hibbert pick for JO. You want to tell me all the others he traded away in the off-season?
There was a conditional first-rounder that he gave up to the Heat in the Marion trade, but we got that back now, so I guess it’s kind of moot.
Its not moot…
I trade you my rental car for your Cadillac Escalade. Than the next year I steal your wife who divorces you and takes the house and kids, and we decide to give you the Escalede to show you there are no hard feelings.
You are still a sucker.
“I didn’t want to go there. It was different. It was a whole different country. Toronto’s a great place. A fantastic city, it’s a metropolitan area, but you could tell you’re somewhere different. You could feel it, you could look at it, you can smell it, everything. All your senses tell you you’re somewhere different.”
IGNORANT AMERICAN.
this is what murphy wants colangelo to get.
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So you are saying that Amir Johnson is an IGNORANT AMERICAN?
Was Charles Oakley ignorant when he reported and played for this city?
Was Vince Carter ignorant when he resigned? Was Bosh?
The only people that are ignorant are the management, who keep making this destination Europe NORTH. Paying through the nose for euro players. It’s not like we are getting bargains, we are even overpaying for the euros.
Oakley didn’t want to come to Toronto and Carter and Bosh were RFA’s so they had no choice…bad examples.
We were talking about the off-season.
True nuf, my bad
how can anyone compare kleiza too Belli or kapono. Nothing alike those two. Kleiza is a beast he is as strong as an ox and can shoot. Belli is a 1/2 scorer and Kapono just a straight up jump shooter. Kleiza is a power 3 with shooting range. He can post up or drive to compliment is deep stroke. Perfect type guy to match up against melo or granger or artest. SOmething the raps lack.. Fans wake up and stop being so scared
Klieza scored over 40 points in a NBA game…He is still not reached his prime…Considered tough and can play both forward postions…
Is he going to be a saviour? NO
Is he a solid rotation player? Yes
This team has some good young players…Derozan, Davis, Weems should be good players in this league…
In the NBA your one lottery away from being back….
Barbosa could bounce back…
This team is not going to be as bad as everyone thinks…
Playoffs??? No
but when you think of potentail double digit scorers on this team…Lets take a look…
Andrea-Yes
Derozan-Yes
Jack-Yes
Johnson-He better for that money
Barbosa-Yes
Klieza-Maybe
Jose-maybe depending on minutes
Weems-maybe
Could the defence improve? yes
This team coulddo more then people think…
Is it not possible Derozan becomes a really good player this year and AB7 averages 20-8….Weems improves…
I think we are in better shape in the long term without CB4 and Hedo then with them…
Long way to go…but BC will make some moves too…
You can hate em all you want but I doubt he is going anywhere soon..
“Klieza scored over 40 points in a NBA game”
How is this even related to what was discussed under this article.
Most of the interview was about whether or not Keliza is a good defensive player, have the lateral quickness to stay with his man and has the IQ and understanding of the game to be an integral part of defense, especially help defense.
These were the selling points used by BC in his interview with the Media. Based on Arsenalists interview , those statements were load of Crap.
I am not going to jump into conclusion and say he is bad defender and … But if we assume he is, then just imagine him , AB and Jose on the floor at the same time.
Scoring 40 points has nothing to do with the needs of this team.
I rather give my MLE to a player who scores 8 points a game, but is a great defender and a rebounder in the SF position.
“I rather give my MLE to a player who scores 8 points a game, but is a great defender and a rebounder in the SF position.”
A great defender and a rebounder at SF cost more than MLE. Kleiza is an average defender and above average (for a SF) rebounder, but in addition to that he sees the court, passes and could glue the wings on the open court. Unfortunately the Raps do not have anybody to draw a double team, so he won’t see many open looks from 3… so do not expect a high percentage from deep
they took him cause Americans don’t want to play in canada. Plain and simple. it’s a foreign country. Athletes are a type of hero. At least, a local hero. No one wants to be a hero for someone else’s people. Canada might as well be Europe to them. You think any Canadian hockey kid who aspires to play in the NHL dreams of playing in Nashville or Atlanta? And there are even Canadian hockey fans of american teams. Certainly very few Raptors followers south of the border.
that’s the truth right there.
+1
I see it in that way too. Call me crazy, but I’m the kind of fan that prefer a worse averaged player that really wants to play for the Raps than a better one who doesn’t. Management should make it a main point when looking for somebody too sign.
ignorant kids hate colangelos approach. they are just to dumb to get it. most ignorant african american kids dont want to ball here and like bosh,who today stated he didnt want to be drafted here and that the air smells funny. once they get some fame or recognition their eyes get as big as jolly ranchers at the opportunity to bolt and go be gully in their own country. then like damon,twac and vc and soon to bosh, they realize the grass aint always greener south of the border…..i love bc’s approach. he’s scouring every league on the planet/continent for talent,talent that WANTS to be here. alabi is a prime example as he has ties with massai ujiri. linas genuinely wants to be here,so does jose and bargs just committed for 5 years. all we need is the right mix of players regardless of race. hopefully the young guns and “their” fans dont segregate themselves as it seems its now the young gun fans vs raptor fans and they are mainly the ones that hate bc, maurizio, bargs. they partake feverishly in bosh nuthugging, overhyping demar and they hate anything euro….sad commentary considering its 2010.
Now, the above has all the between lines of racist in the making.
In fact, I find that most of the euro fans were super racist to Bosh becasue he was stealing Andrea’s rebounds.
I know what racisim is. It is the was Sam Mitchell was treated by the media and SOME of the fans.
(If I hear another quip about some Italian guy feeling that my comments are racist I will jump out of your LCD screen and wack you on the forehead.)
Or TJ Ford for that matter. Or Isiah. Or and other former black player that wanted to be GM for the Raps. Just look at the coaching and GM roster over the years. Tell me what sunglasses is MLSE wearing?
Dude, we said no to Dr. J. W.T.F.??? Tell me what kind of players would have Dr. J brought in, on his reputation alone? Real ballers, that’s who.
Dr. J got busted for having possession of crack not too long ago, so i wouldn’t want him to be our GM anytime soon…
lol@u being emo…its cute.
Not as cute as you stereotyping a minority.
The Euro league is on the verge of bankruptcy, you know it and I know it. This is why players over there do not trust any of those contracts.
Getting a contract is one thing, getting paid is another. Lots of players don’t even bother fighting for their money, because half the countries are so corrupt that it would take years to address these discrepancies.
Now, not only do they lack talent, but also money.
euroleague is a joke
so is you being a raptor fan.
zap +1
for mr. murphy.
especially conerning mitchell.
This is for Murphy put it here since for some reason it is impossible to reply directly to this post of his.
“The only people that are ignorant are the management, who keep making this destination Europe NORTH.”
You made enough of a fool of yourself with your blantantly ignorant comments about euroleague, but at least you could have confined your ignorance to basketball, why poaching into geography?
Are you really sure Toronto is north of Europe? Every HS student should have an atlas, go and check.
keep your ignorance where it is best suited.
nice try, but he was simply inferring that TO/canada are basically the same as europe (to americans), just NORTH of them.
Nice try, but your exegesis of the text is even more intricated than the original.
He is criticizing the management for bringing in too many euro players, so I would assume that what the management (in his opinion)is doing is to make TO the north destination for the subjects that they are bringing in (euro), hence the north is refered to the overmentioned euros, hence Europe north, hence my comment.
fine, but what does ‘Are you really sure Toronto is north of Europe? Every HS student should have an atlas, go and check.’ mean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilnius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris
mh nothing, i thought it was self-explanatory. i always assume too much.
Moot point? Indeed, but you asked for it.
Anyway, Kleiza played HS and College in USA, nobody should see him as a europlayer. He learnt basketball in USA…
Re Kleiza playing in Europe for a year – it didn’t seem to hurt Brandon Jennings much. And Kleiza winning MVP for his one year there shows at least a little SOMEthing to watch for. He’s young enough – and seems smart enough – to maybe be one of those guys who continues to learn and improve to the point that all of a sudden, be at that next level. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s got.
Re Colangelo and some of the bickering – the bickering is understandable; we’ve had a tough summer. But, sometimes, the barbs seem pointed at regular Raptors fans as if it was THEIR fault that BC has done/not done all that he has/hasn’t. Who really believes that anyone here can genuinely influence what it is that he does? It’s fine to be frustrated, if you are, but seriously dudes … (and I know there are only a couple or so ranting, but still).
As for those who would prefer that one and all boycott the team – if that is, indeed, what some would like to see (?) (I can’t quite figure what it is some would have everybody do) – well … speaking for myself, I love the game, I love to cheer for the Raptors … and while I’d love to see a team that will challenge now and be a contender … if it’s not happening, don’t blame me for enjoying whatever team it is that we put out there. ‘Cause I do plan on enjoying it … and even bitching from time to time … but I’m gonna watch and look for as many bright spots as I can see. ‘Cause … what the hell else are ya gonna do?
Cheers.
Wow guys…Kleiza is set to earn an average of $4.6 million per season. Aside from the rookie scale contracts, he’s one of the cheapest players on the Raptors. It’s a very low-risk, potentially high-reward signing. Do we overreact much???
How long is it till the season starts?
Reading through most of these pathetic off season posts is such a waste of time.
Far too long… I hate summer.