Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Linkage for Jun 5 5pm to Jun 9 7am

Linkage for Jun 5 5pm through Jun 9 7am: Courtside – GTA stars Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph invited to world tournament; Raps second rounder coming over? In other news, Greek papers are reporting that the Raptors are serious about bringing over combo forward Georgios Printezis this season if buyout details with Olympiacos can be worked…

Linkage for Jun 5 5pm through Jun 9 7am:

  • Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh, Jamario Moon….and more – Peninsula is Mightier The latest Chris Bosh news, in case you had not heard, is that he will not be extending his contract with Toronto and will test the free agent waters come July 1st, 2010. As you can imagine, they are pretty pist off in Toronto…but isn’t this exactly what anybody would’ve expected? Even putting myself in a Raptor fans shoes…if Dwyane Wade came out tomorrow and said he didn’t want to talk anything about a new contract until next summer, that’s no surprise. That is just what basically every other pro-athlete would do. Now in the Raptors case, Bosh hasn’t come out and said he plans to stay in Toronto as Wade has done with Miami…but still, there is no new twist to the story. No surprises…just closure.
  • Toronto Raptors Could Be Very Busy Making Headlines on Draft Night 2009 : T.O. Sports Don’t sleep on the idea that the Raptors will trade out of the lottery in exchange for a mid-first rounder if they feel they can get as good a value at a later pick while shedding a bad contract like Banks or Kapono in the process.They would open themselves up to the possibility of signing one or two very good free agents and would be doing so in a market where there are few teams which can compete with the money the Raptors can spend.

    Whatever happens on Juna 25th, it is certain to be one of the most important days of the year for the Raptors who may be very busy or may simply end up doing nothing at all.

  • The Love is Gone | Dime Magazine Remember when all Raptors fans were in love with their team, specifically Chris Bosh? These days not so much.There’s been a definite backlash against Bosh this past year, partly, we’re sure, out of frustration because their team was so disappointing this past season. It appears that the realization that Bosh is most likely best-suited as a second option on a good team has made him a focus of fans’ ire.
  • YouTube – Chris Bosh – ESPN First Take Discussing 2010 and CD DVD Deal
  • Chisholm: Looking ahead to the Raps in 2009-10 The easiest way to start to get clarity to the picture of the forthcoming Raptor squad is to look at the absolutes with an aim towards whittling down the variables.First and foremost are the cornerstones: Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon. Despite rampant speculation and inferences from all corners, Chris Bosh will be a Raptor when the new season tips-off. Those three are the anchors for the coming year year, and so putting a unit around those three that maximizes their strengths and mitigates their weaknesses is going to be priority number one.
  • Dino Nation Blog: Bosh Thoughts And Finals If 29 other teams know that Bosh is going to become a free agent, how much would they be willing to give up for a very good rental player for a year? My suggestion would be nothing close to the true value of a Chris Bosh. We all saw the terrible trade that was made to get rid of Vince Carter. Bryan Colangelo would never make a trade that bad. However could even he, make a trade that would match the value of a Bosh? My answer to that is no. This is one of the reasons why I would make the focus to build a better team and a team that Bosh would like to be a part of moving forward.
  • The Money: Chris Bosh’s Extension « nbaroundtable Ergo, under a $60 million cap, the difference in the two contracts is about $35 million.Thoughts

    Chris Bosh will only pass up that type of money if he is appalled with the direction and future of the Toronto Raptors (in other words, Bryan Colangelo).

    I use a strong word like appalled purposefully, for emphasis of how strong Bosh’s negativity needs to be … because if Bosh is only somewhat concerned about Colangelo’s running of the club I cannot see him passing up that type of money.

  • Doug Smith’s Toronto Raptors blog – That play for Lee? Sam Mitchell drew it up years ago. It was what we shall forever call The Sam Play, a lob to the most unlikely guy on the floor, almost exactly the same play Sam Mitchell drew up for T.J. Ford the night the refs blew the timing in Atlanta and it would have been a spectacular end to a rather boring Game 2 of the NBA Finals if Lee had been able to finish.Kobe was impressed.
  • RaptorTalk: Bosh’s Star Will Always Shine Brightest In Toronto Brian responded by saying that he knew of no other fans who fall in love with their players like Raptors fans do. He went on to say that Chicago fans revered Michael Jordan in a manner which was beyond comparison – but James felt that the love that (then Toronto Raptors) Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady received surpassed by light years anything he had seen in the NBA except for Air Jordan.Brian went on to say, “if Vince or T-Mac were to ever leave Toronto, they would never be as popular or enjoy the complete fan adoration that they receive in Toronto.” Reflecting back on that statement, Brian was spot on!

    And that brings us to Steve Simmons’ point. Should Bosh leave the Raptors, he will discover that wherever he lands, he will not enjoy the celebrity status he gets north of the border.

  • 2009 NBA Mock Draft 1.0 | Bleacher Report 9. Toronto Raptors- Tyreke EvansThe get a two guard who is a great ball handler, Evans has a great wingspan and has progressed on his jumpshot.
  • Team Needs: Atlantic Division | NBADraft.net The biggest question with the Raptors involves Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Most believe that they do not mix well because both would rather face the basket than play with a defender on their back. Bosh is the franchise player, but Bargnani is a former #1 overall pick who, despite lots of criticism, is only 23 years old and has raised his averages every year (15.4 ppg last season). With lots of teams clearing cap space to make plays at the big names on the free market in 2010, it’s not out of the question for the Raptors to let Bosh go, use their money elsewhere, and try to develop Bargnani as their go-to guy.
  • No summer off for Cavs’ front office – CantonRep.com The dream scenario is prying Chris Bosh away from Toronto. The Cavs would need some luck to make this happen since the Raptors will be letting their fans know they can’t keep one of the NBA’s top young players in their city. But it is starting to become clear that the Raptors face a tough challenge to keep Bosh. Perhaps the Cavs will have karma on their side for all of the draft-pick giveaways during the days of Ted Stepien nearly 30 years ago and this will be the late return for not being able to draft James Worthy.
  • Cavalier attitude bad sign – BostonHerald.com The Cavaliers, who have out-performed Nadia Comaneci in a willingness to bend over backward for their star, have to wonder if there are any other stops to pull out for James.The answer – and we’re talking about satisfying James, not in terms of moves that could guarantee a trip to the Finals – may be taking shape in Toronto.

    Chris Bosh announced last week that he won’t sign an extension with the Raptors this summer, thus setting up free agency in the summer of 2010.

    With one season at $15.7 million left, Bosh isn’t especially tradeable, though the contracts of Ben Wallace ($14 million) and Zydrunas Ilgauskas ($11.5 million) would at least help make the numbers work.

  • Doug Smith’s Toronto Raptors blog – Jalen Speaks The Truth So I’m wandering outside over to Starbucks, hugely disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to see Jalen spread his unique brand of early morning cheer, when this big old Range Rover-ish thing pulls up, the door opens and there’s he is, all his Jalen Glory, sunglasses on, cellphone at his ear, big smile. Seems he’d been at a doctor’s appointment – even had the band-aid in the crook of his elbow where they took some blood – but was stopping by for his breakfast.After stopping to have a picture taken with some passersby, he sees a familiar face, big hug, handshake, a ‘how are you?’ and then he gets right to the heart of the matter.

    “How are they going to fix that mess north of the border? Bringing back Delfino going to be their big move of the summer? What’s that?”

    And then he’s off, up the stairs to hang out.

  • Hoops Addict » Flynn Would Mend Some Broken Hearts In fact, in many ways watching Flynn brought back a flood of memories of the first face of the Raptors: Damon Stoudamire.What does bringing up Stoudamire have to do with mending the hearts of Raptors fans? If anything, the mention of the first player to break the hearts of Raptors fans should only bring up doom and gloom as fans start to worry about their current franchise player, Chris Bosh, bolting town next summer.

    While Flynn and Stoudamire are both pint-sized point guards known to make fans cheer in delight over their heroics on the court, the difference is Flynn seems unlikely to break their hearts like Stoudamire did when he demanded a trade out of the city.

    “Toronto, being right over the border from where I’m at in Niagara Falls, basically makes me a Canadian,” Flynn joked while flashing his trademark smile. “It would be nice to come here to play because my family would be close and could come to see me play.”

  • NBA Rumor Mill: Celtics Shopping Rondo & Allen, Rasheed a Cav & Bosh Wants Out of Toronto | Sculu Sports Blogs I know this, the Raptors should try to trade Bosh as soon as possible. It beats the alternative of watching him walk out the front door with nothing in return. I don’t see any reason Bosh would stay in Toronto. He is never going to get the publicity he longs for if he stays up North. Does anybody in America really follow the Raptors, honestly?On another note, the Raptors can change their team name any time they want now. It was an unbelievably shortsighted move to name them the Raptors. Yeah it was cute for a while right after Jurassic Park. But the name is as played out as a Nelly CD. Let’s move on to bigger and better things. Chris Bosh is. Sorry, but it’s true.
  • Sports And The City: Deep Thoughts Chris Bosh isn’t signing an extension with the Raptors this summer. If you’re surprised, you’re probably not very bright. He wants to be a free agent, and he wants a max contract. I can’t blame him. I’d want the same.I’m not exactly a basketball aficionado. I don’t know much, but I do know that Bosh is not worth $130 million over six years. I can’t imagine Bryan Colangelo thinks he is, either.

    Whether he’s traded this summer or departs via free agency, Bosh will go do down as the second-best Raptor ever. It’s been swell, CB4.

  • NBA: It’s Better to be Terrible Than Mediocre in the NBA. « Trueball 4) Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh – After the trade of Vince Carter, Bosh became the franchise player and soon after led the Raptors to the 3rd seed in the East in ‘07 and in ‘08 the Raptors returned to the playoffs. Bosh is the main reason for the Raptors success but the team has not taken the next step because the front office hasn’t surrounded him with the necessary talent.
  • Bosh would be an upgrade, but don’t bank on it Morning Journal As many fans realize, he would be a perfect candidate for the Cavs’ front court, which needs a major overhaul. He could move in at power forward next to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. During crunch time, Bosh can shift over and play the “5” spot.But before anyone gets too excited about the possibility, it’s going to be extremely difficult to pry Bosh loose from the Raptors. The Cavs just don’t have a ton of assets.

    In the best-case scenario, the Cavs could deal forward/center Anderson Varejao (in a sign-and-trade), guard Delonte West and contract fodder for Bosh. The Raptors might even want a draft pick.

    That’s a very steep price, of course, for a player who could become a free agent after one season.

  • Time for Cavaliers to assess the situation -The Modesto Bee Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors already has said he won’t sign a contract extension this offseason. He’s the guy the Cavs have targeted to join James in 2010 in their dream scenario.Perhaps the Raptors would trade Bosh this offseason. It would take a lot, but why wait, and, more important, why allow him to go to a team like the Chicago Bulls, where he would torment the Cavs for years?
  • Terry Pluto’s Talkin’ … Cavs looking at Anthony Parker? – Cleveland, OH Sports Blog Keep an eye on Anthony Parker, a free agent. He’s a legitimate 6-6, an above-average defender who has shot between 39 and 44 percent from 3-point range over the last three seasons with Toronto. He’s a 11.8 scorer for the Raptors, 13.5 points while averaging 39 minutes in 11 post-season games. The Cavs tried to sign Parker in the summer of 2006 when he came back from playing overseas, but were out-bid by Toronto. The only downside is he’ll he 34 on June 19. But he’s considered a durable player who has missed only two games in the last two seasons.
  • Sportspolymath: NBA Mock Draft 9.Toronto
    Raptors

    Jordan Hill

    PF

    Arizona

    It’s pretty obvious Chris Bosh will either be traded or leave on his own accord in a year or less, so Hill falling makes him a must take for Toronto. Having him play next To Bargnani will soften the blow when Bosh leaves, which seems inevitable

  • ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd Urges Chris Bosh to Sign With Cleveland in On-Air Interview | Sports Fan Goods On Thursday, Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh, a free agent in 2010 and the subject of some trade rumors, appeared on ESPN Radio’s “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. And if it makes you upset whenever anyone urges LeBron James to sign with New York, then you can feel for Toronto Raptors fans on this one.Naaaaaaaaah.

    Here’s a transcript from Cowherd’s interview with Bosh, which can be heard here:

  • Chris Bosh: Wade-NBA-extension-Winderman — South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Good for Chris Bosh. He took a stand. There will be no extension this summer, the Raptors power forward declared last week. Instead, his next contract move will come at the July 1, 2010 start of free agency.
  • Where in the World is Chris Bosh? Back in the T dot… Chris Bosh was back in Toronto today, promoting his new iPhone app. Apparently this new app will have Bosh’s latest stats, pictures, videos and off court updates.
  • Jonny Cash – Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician The Raptors have the ninth pick in the draft and though they might not have point guard as the top priority on their checklist, they brought in Jonny and five other players to workout. On Brent Axe’s radio show, Mike Waters felt as though this was more of a base-covering move rather than a serious look at Flynn. No worries, plenty of teams seem happy to take him.Chris McManus over at WAER Sports put together a list of NBA comparisons for the trio of SU players entering the draft. He sees Jonny as a Rajon Rondo/Chauncey Billups-combo. High praise, though Jonny has much more of a propensity for showing up when it matters most than Billups. (Does it tell you everything you need to know about me and my knowledge of the NBA that I don’t even know who that guy he compares Paul Harris to is?)
  • High on Holiday? – Raptors HQ Recaps the June 5 Workouts – RaptorsHQ.com Attending the workouts this year has been a fantastic experience.Unlike last year, where at times we only got to see small pieces of the workout action, this year the media has been able to see the Raptors’ staff run prospects through a whole gamut of drills. Yesterday was a prime example of that as Franchise and I soaked in almost an hour of action before getting to conduct some interviews.

    Watching these guys battle it out in drills does two things. First, it gives us a great opportunity to see how certain players match-up.

    Second, it makes you realize that while these work-outs really are just a small piece of what goes into evaluating a player, there is still a lot that can be learned.

  • YouTube – Chris Bosh Bobblehead – Double Double
  • Hoops Addict » Hoops Addict Podcast: NBA Draft Preview
  • Iavaroni joins Raptors | Toronto Sun His tenure as head coach in Memphis was short-lived, but Iavaroni is certain to give the Raptors a shot in the arm.”Passion and a real sense for detail,” Triano began when asked to list some of the attributes Iavaroni will bring to the coaching table. “He is unbelievably detailed with his approach.”

    Iavaroni will be spending a lot of time on the defensive end, where the Raptors were exposed far too often this season.

  • TheStar.com | Defensively challenged Raptors get new guru “My background has been player development and that’s what we need here,” the 52-year-old said in a telephone interview after working out a handful of draft prospects at the Air Canada Centre yesterday.Iavaroni’s been an assistant or head coach for 11 years in the NBA – working with such defence-minded bosses as Mike Fratello and Pat Riley – and was known as an intense defender during his seven-year playing career.

    Even with the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns, a team for whom instant offence was a mantra, there was a sense the Suns at least paid a little bit of attention to defence, primarily so they could get the ball back quickly and get going on offence.

    “If you want to have an up-tempo and a fast pace, then there has to be a great emphasis on getting back and there has to be a great emphasis on defence,” said Iavaroni.

  • Iavaroni joins Raptors coaching staff – The Globe and Mail English is the only returning member of last season’s coaching staff. An NBA Hall of Famer, English has mentored the Raptors big men.It appears that Gord Herbert, the former Canadian national team player from British Columbia, added to the staff last season and Mike Evans, who has spent two years on the Raptors bench, will not be returning.
  • Raptors announce coaching changes Iavaroni is something of a marquee hire for the Raptors, especially considering that this will be Triano’s first year as a permanent head coach in the league. The 52-year-old spent 10 years as an assistant in the league, most notably five seasons under Mike D’Antoni and current Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo in Phoenix.His first shot as a head coach in the league, with Memphis, was a misfire. But he certainly has a reputation and ample experience.

    “I’m a head coach with not a lot of experiences as a head coach,” Triano said. “So it’s nice to have somebody who has had that experience and has been where I am right now.”

  • Niagara Gazette – BASKETBALL: Jonny Flynn works out for Toronto Raptors Following the workout, Flynn told reporters he’d enjoy being selected by the team based closest to his Niagara Falls home.“Toronto being right over the border from where I’m at, Niagara Falls, I’m basically a Canadian,” said Flynn, flashing his resplendent smile. “It would be nice to come here, and be close, so my family and friends can come up and see me play.”
  • Toronto Raptors; 10 Prospects | Bleacher Report The Toronto raptors have the ninth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and its clear that they need to resolve their issues at the wing but recent news has shown that raptors like the Blair, Daye, Evans, and Derozan but there should be more choices for the raptors at number 9, its unilikely that they go big but in the NBA anything can happen and the lottery. Last year Lopez and Bayless took a nose dive and it’s most likely that someone in the top 5 projected mocks will fall down.These are 10 prospects who I like at number 9.
  • Flynn’s Toronto try-out : Sports : WSTM NBC3 Flynn seems to be more and more likely to become a lottery pick after an impressive NBA Draft Combine showing last week. Teams like the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards have shown interest in the point guard, and there’s also talk that the Sacramento Kings would be well served to pick Flynn at # –.
  • It’s Time for the Toronto Raptors to Break Open the Piggy Bank | Bleacher Report With Bosh out of the lineup Bargnani was averaging 15.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg, pretty close to his season averages.Yet, he only shot 35 percent from the floor and 27 percent from beyond the arc. For Bargnani to be effective he needs to be able to defer to Bosh, who will in turn get Bargnani his shots.

    When Bosh was injured Toronto was 2-3, the wins coming against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, and a healthy San Antonio Spurs (a mystery even to me, they were in the midst of an eight-game road swing though).

    Losses came against the Hornets, Cavs, and an ugly loss to the Memphis Grizzlies (78-70 Grizz).

  • Bryan Colangelo: A Case of Impatience and Missed Opportunities | Bleacher Report I attribute much of his problems to a case of tunnel-vision and failing to see the big picture.If every GM thought as he did, there would be no optimism in Oklahoma City and no hope surrounding a once-troubled Blazers franchise.

    It was puzzling that he re-signed Sam Mitchell and thereby stunted the growth of Andrea Bargnani. It was even more puzzling that despite realizing that his team had just been annihilated by New Jersey’s wing players, he over-paid to sign an atrocious defender in Jason Kapono.

    He passed on a potential Gerald Wallace for T.J Ford swap because he had concerns about Wallace’s health, and followed by adding a first rounder and an expiring contract to acquire a less talented, higher-paid, less durable Jermaine O’Neal. Hindsight may be 20-20, but wasn’t it obvious that the Raptors desperately needed an upgrade from Jamario Moon?

  • Hoops Addict » In The Scrum With Alex English Alex English talked with the media Friday afternoon about being back next season, what the process of resigning with Toronto entailed, what his role with the team will be next season, being comfortable with Jay Triano after working with him the past five seasons and he joked about his dislike for playing against Marc Iavaroni back when they were both playing in the NBA.
  • Hoops Addict » In The Scrum With Jrue Holiday Jrue Holiday talked with the media after his workout in Toronto about how his workout against Jonny Flynn went, why he didn’t want to dodge playing against another top tier point guard, what he learned playing alongside Darren Collison last season, why he decide to leave UCLA to enter the draft and a host of other topics.
  • Hoops Addict » In The Scrum With Jonny Flynn Jonny Flynn talked with the media after his workout in Toronto about the draft being full of talented point guards this year, he joked about almost being a Canadian because he was born and raised in New York and he explained why he would love to play for Toronto.
  • Hoops Addict » In The Scrum With Toronto Raptors Director Of Player Personnel Jim Kelly Toronto Raptors Director Of Player Personnel Jim Kelly talked with the media this afternoon about the high number of quality guards in the draft this year, the “game” involved in getting specific players in for workouts and the possability of Toronto drafting a player they haven’t brought in for a personal workout.
  • DC Pro Sports Report NBA Mock Draft 1.0 – DC Pro Sports Report 09. Toronto Raptors: SG DeMar DeRozan [USC]: He fits what De-Raptors de-need in de-backcourt and he’s just an immense physical talent who shouldn’t fall any de-further.
  • FAN590 – Audio From The Workouts I said I’d be back with some info from Friday’s pre-draft workouts at the ACC (with Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Chase Budinger, Damion James, Alade Aminu, and Goran Suton) … so here ya go …
  • Point guards work out for Raptors, opting not to duck each other – Posted Sports “That’s not what we do,” Holiday said. “That’s the point of playing basketball, playing against the best players.””That’s basketball,” Flynn added. “That’s what you live for. A guy like me, a competitor, I live for going against the best players. If I get beat, then hopefully I’ll see him somewhere else. But that’s the nature of the game. If you can’t get hyped up to play against the best, then you shouldn’t be playing.”

    Nonetheless, it happens frequently during draft season. The Raptors, who pick ninth and whose major need is for a swingman and not a point guard, should not be too adversely affected.

    But for the teams in the market for a point guard, or at least a guard who can play with or without the ball, things could get a bit dicey. In addition to Flynn and Holliday, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson and Eric Maynor are all point guards with a shot to be selected in the top 20. And they are not all co-operative.

  • khandor’s sports blog » Two possible draft picks for the Raptors Danny Green [OG/SF], as someone who fits into this category … available to the Raptors SHOULD they decide to follow the advice of this corner and trade down from the No. 9 slot into one of the lower positions of the 1st Round, or even into the upper part of the 2nd … in an effort to add at least 2 quality [i.e. athletic & skilled, with good upside and solid character traits] players in place of just 1 [perceived to be of a higher calibre among the first 10 picks].