Off-season In Review: Part II

The Toronto market is unique in many ways when it comes to sports, the fans are fickle, they are passionate, and they are tough, especially on superstar players in their respective sports.  The Toronto sports landscape is littered with examples of players with all-world talent at the top of their sport and somehow are made out to be villains for either their lack of passion, toughness, or love for Toronto.  The most popular athletes in the annals of Toronto sports history are the men that embody those aforementioned traits.

The Toronto Raptors are especially known for this.  At one point during the end of the Vince Carter era, when his spell was beginning to rub off he joked that Matt Bonner, a rookie forward that looked more like a medical specialist working in a lab then a 3 point specialist working on the hard, was the most popular Raptor on the squad, he could probably run for Prime Minister.  Carter was probably right on one of those proclamations.  

Many publications and websites have been doing "Best Ever Raptors" polls to try and determine which Raptor was the "best" Raptor of all time.  From a a statistical standpoint it would have to be either Vince Carter or Chris Bosh given that they lead almost every statistical category in franchise history.  This has not been the case, players such as Alvin Williams, Morris Peterson and Charles Oakley usually top the lists.  This is because they embody what Toronto sports fans truly value, toughness, passion for the city and the sport and a love for the game and community.

It is strange that for such a white-collar city, there is such a blue-collar longing towards the fans sports heroes.  For these reasons, and for his play on the court one of the off-seasons newest acquisitions will undoubtably be amongst the "best" Raptors of all time mentioning in years to come.

Jarrett Jack has embodied those characteristics throughout his career in the NBA and now with a guaranteed contract of approximately $20 million over the next 4 years and entering true veteran status by heading into his fifth season in the NBA he has the confidence and security to put those characteristics together along with his strong leadership and developing talent on the basketball court to be one of the biggest acquisitions and arguably most important of the off-season.

The Good

It is tough to describe what is so good about Jarrett Jack.  At first thought there are so many positive attributes to the 25 year old from Fort Washington, Maryland.  Though at first glance nothing would seem to jump out at you.  His career averages of 10.4 ppg, 4.0 apg and 2.7 rpg while shooting a very average .446 field goal percentage and .339 3-point field goal percentage do not excite you.  Sometimes what is on paper, and the statistics are misleading and one must read between the lines.  The attributes that Jarrett Jack brings to the Raptors are what turns average teams good, and good teams great: intangibles.

To start with, many people envision the tandem of Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack to be what Jose Calderon and TJ Ford never could be.  The two headed monster with a pass first, uber-efficient point guard starting with a change of pace, shoot more often (not first) point guard that can/will create his own offense.  The biggest change between TJ Ford and Jarrett Jack is attitude.

When Jack speaks you cannot help but believe every word he says.  He is well spoken, he listens to a question, thinks about it, then answers honestly.  So when he says like so many other athletes that he wants to do whatever he can to help the team, whether it is coming off the bench or starting, you can't help but believe him.

The key to this Raptors squad that will allow them to win more games, and play longer into the extended season based will be chemistry and the system that is implemented, rather then pure talent.  Make no mistake, the Raptors have talent but are not at the level of the Spurs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic or Cavaliers.  For the Raptors to be an upper-tier team they will have to inherit the same type of approach and attitude that Jarrett Jack brings, and Jack although only 25 and a first year Raptor will be a leader on this team and impose his will in the locker room.

On the court Jack is coming off his most impressive season statistically.  He averaged 13.1 ppg, 4.1 apg and 3.4 rpg shooting .453% from field goal range and .353% from 3 point field goal range in 2008/09.  While Jack is not overly tall at 6 foot 3 inches, he has the strength and weight at almost 200 pounds to play both the point guard and shooting guard position.  Many times he and Calderon will be on the floor together with Jack guarding the opposing shooting guard and playing the point on offense allowing a more efficient shooter in Jose Calderon to spot up for open jump shots off of Jack's creation at the offensive end.

Jack is also a good rebounding point guard that has said in the past he takes pride in rebounding especially at the point position.  For a team that has in the past, and will continue to be starved for rebounds, this is a very welcomed change from guards in previous years that would rather leak out on the break then mix it up for rebounds.

Many thought coming into the league that Jarrett Jack would be a solid professional with a very low ceiling, insinuating there would be very little potential at age 21.  Well Jack has worked hard at improving his game to the point where he was a starter last year on Indiana and would be a capable starter on most teams.  Now at age 25, there is still room and potential for Jack to develop even further with the Raptors.

The Bad 

Jarrett Jack is not TJ Ford.  Based on pure talent and athleticism, TJ has the edge on Jack and most point guards in the NBA.  So while what has been deemed "Forderone" blazed bright for a year and flamed out, "Calderack" or "Jackeron" depending who you talk to, will burn like an old oil lamp, long and steady, maybe even a bit boring and smelly at times.  It will be a strength to the team, but not a nightly game changer that the last pairing was.

Jack's numbers have been average and at times underwhelming throughout his career.  A career average of only 4.0 apg takes some time to get used to especially when you are used to a prolific passer like Calderon.  While his 3 point percentage is respectable at almost .340%, it is not great and for a team that most nights will have to rely on out-shooting the opposing team, especially from behind the arc, you'd like to see those statistics raised this year.

Jack has been lauded for his defensive intensity ever since he has been signed.  Intensity is all well and good but unfortunately defensive talent is an entirely different animal.  Jack, much like Calderon lacks the lateral quickness to keep up with most point guards in the league, especially the new young breed that pride themselves on an up-tempo running game.  He is one of the rare guards that is better defending out of position (shooting guards) then in position (point guards) and that will help offset his liabilities guarding point guards.

At $5 million a year, the Raptors may have overpaid for a back up.  $5 million is below the league average and Jack is an above average player, so one can make the case that he is underpaid.  This however does not take into account when a player gets paid, the economic landscape at the time, and what the market would bare.  There were no real indications that another team was in any real pursuit for Jack, therefore the Raptors may have been able to land him at a cheaper price.  Also by signing him to a 4 year deal, along with Caleron's contract running for another 4 years, you ultimately give up on a young point guard with potential in Roko Ukic.

The Outlook 

The Raptors will be going back to what made them successful and one of the best stories in the NBA in 2006/07.  A team that can shoot the ball well, and has depth especially at the point position.  Jarrett Jack is a great compliment to Jose Calderon in a back up point guard role as well in his ability to play with Jose.

What Jack will bring to the table that will be of most importance are his intangible skills.  Jack will no doubt be one of the leaders on this team on and off the court and if he is able to rub off on his teammates this team has a real shot of making some noise in the playoff season for the first time in 8 years.

Grade: B+

- J.Moore

New deal in the works?

At some point I am going to resume my "off-season in review" pieces, but until then I am more then happy to write about real news...

According to various reports Mr Colangelo is at it again with a familiar twist.  According to reports Colangelo is looking to deal Marcus Banks, the little used 4th string point guard with an albatross of a contract ($4.53 million this coming season, $4.8 million next season).  This is no surprise of coarse and not much in the way of news.

The real news is the fact that Colangelo may have actually found someone to take Marcus Banks off his hands.  The proposed  deal would send Marcus Banks to the Dallas Mavericks for Guard Matt Carroll.  Carroll's best season came in 2006/07 playing for the Charlotte Bobcats.  He averaged career highs in minutes 26.1, points 12.1, rebounds 2.9, and assists 1.3, he also shot .433% from field goal range and .416% from 3 point range.  Carroll has averaged 7.9 ppg and has shot .400% from 3 point range.

The Good 

This deal is a classic Colangelo trade.  It will probably fly under the radar (if it is consummated) but could provide dividends in that it essentially rids the Raptors of a player that would not play a significant minute this season in Marcus Banks, with a contract that was deemed virtually un-tradable.  The Raptors would recieve the type of 3 point specialist that Colangelo and coach Jay Triano love, and the type of shooter that works well in the Raptors system.  

Carroll would be the 5th wing on the depth chart if this trade becomes official.  However with so much unproven talent on the wings (i.e. DeRozen, Belinelli, even Wright) Carroll could step in and be productive off the bench if one of the before mentioned players falters for a prolonged length of time or is injured.  Depth in any variety is never a bad thing.

As mentioned above, Carroll is the type of player Colangelo loves, a big guard that can shoot the 3.  Triano was that type of player for the Canadian National team so it makes sense he also lis infatuated with shooters and works hard to get them involved in the offense.  This was prevalent many times last year when Kapono was in the game, the problem was our 3 point specialist at the time had a severe allergy to shooting 3 point shots and much preferred turning the ball over and going for a tan.

The Bad

As my boy Doug Smith point out in his blog today:

http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/

The Raptors will save about $700 thousand over the next two seasons as the next two years on Carroll's contract are cheaper overall then Marcus Banks'.  The problem is that Carroll has an extra two years on his contract after 2011 (when the Banks contract expires) that will pay him $3.9 million and 3.5 million respectively.  While this is not a huge salary and is well below the league average (roughly $5.9 million per year) if Carroll does not prove to be useful the Raptors may find themselves in a similar situation with Carroll as they were with Banks for a longer period of time.

The Outlook

The key to this deal that many seem to over look is the fact that Colangelo would be doing his best cupid impression.  He would be reuniting two old cowboys that just can't quit each other.  On July 19 2006 Marcus Banks signed with the Phoenix Suns and two men would be forever linked in any transaction that either one was apart of.  When Shawn Marion was dealt to Miami for Shaq, Marcus Banks was there, when the trade finally went through to send Jermaine O'Neal to Miami for Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks wasn't far behind, it only seems fitting that we reunite these two one more time in Dallas.

From a financial standpoint, taking a closer look at Carroll's contract, it is a top heavy contract that declines in salary every year unlike most NBA contracts.  The main portion of the contract has already been paid out which softens the blow that two extra years on his contract gives the Raptors.

The main thing is that once again Colangelo has managed to turn nothing, into something, and if the deal does through, he will get the most talented player in the deal.

- J.Moore 

  

The deal is expanded and done.

So, looks like someone was way off!

I will take back the proclamation that the off-season was over because just as I start my off-season review and begin pieces on who should be rewarded the last roster spot Colangelo does it again!

Yes after an off-season with enough activity to make your head spin, Bryan Colangelo could not help providing one more twist in the story.  The Raptors have agreed in principal to sign and trade guard Carlos Delfino to the Milwaukee Bucks for forward Amir Johnson, and trade guard Roko Ukic for guard/forward Sonny Weems according to multiple sources.  The trade should be approved by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

This latest move should end a busy off-season in which Colangelo has overturned almost two-thirds of the roster.  I say should because I know better now then proclaim an off-season over until I here it from the proverbial horses mouth.

I have given this trade some careful consideration and for now all I can come up with is that it was a solid trade for all parties.  Roko Ukic was destined to be on his way out of Toronto once Colangelo signed Jarrett Jack to a 4 year contract.  That signing along with the contract extension to Jose Calderon last year solidifies the Raptors point guard situation for the next 4 years.  Also, Quincy Douby's solid performance at the end of last year and summer league showing that he could handle point guard duties made Ukic expendable.  Delfino, as mentioned in the previous piece, was asking for more years and money than the Raptors were willing to concede so they acquired Marco Belinelli from Golden State who does many of the same things on the court as Delfino at a lower price, higher ceiling, and a younger age.

In essence, the Raptors are giving up nothing of significance for a player that could make a push to be in the regular front-court rotation or at the very least is better injury insurance then Patrick O'Bryant and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, if he were to be signed.  While Amir Johnson has been in the league for 4 years, he is only 22 and is still thought to have the potential of being a good player.

The Raptors get:

• A young big man with potential who can block shots, rebound, provide energy and finish strong around the basket.  Johnson has limited offensive range but can be an effective offensive rebounder.  Johnson is not the best one-on-one defender, however does possess good off-the-ball shot blocking skills.

The Bucks get:

• A potential starter at the wing position in Delfino that can shoot the 3, create his own shot, create for others and defend adequately.  While Delfino is inconsistent there will be nights where he will do enough to be your x-factor.
• A back up point guard that can create his own offense by driving to the basket, good passing skills and a player that can perform under pressure.  Ukic must improve in may areas, most notably consistency, but has the potential to be a good player.

Grade: C+

Oh, and Sonny Weems?  He's got a cool name...

- J.Moore 

More on Carlos and chatter...

Posts referring to the off-season as unofficially over may have been premature.

Colangelo seems to be heating up again and ready to make a move or two more before he steps aside to let his new coach take the reigns and start training camp.  According to Marc Stein of ESPN,  Colangelo has been actively shopping Carlos Delfino hoping to move him in a sign and trade deal.

"NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Monday that the Raptors are actively trying to move swingman Carlos Delfino in a sign-and-trade arrangement."

- Marc Stein, ESPN

The team closest linked with Delfino outside of the Raptors this off-season has been the Milwaukee Bucks.  A few weeks ago they were rumoured to be pursuing Delfino and looking to sign him outright as a free agent, however with Milwaukee trying to keep costs low and Delfino becoming moot in Toronto due to the acquisition of Marco Belinelli from Golden State, the partnership seems more realistic.

The name that has been linked in the deal?  Amir Johnson.  Johnson has career averages of 3.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg as well as 1.1 bpg.  Though he has been in the league for 4 years, all with Detroit, Johnson has has been playing behind Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess receiving limited action.  

Johnson would have to fight Rasho Nesterovic and Reggie Evans for minutes off the bench but he is an athletic rebounding and shot-blocking forward that would prove to be useful if there was an injury in the front-court.  If this move came to fruition, and it is a long way from being done, it would likely end any chance the Raptors would sign Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

In other news, there has been rumours of the Raptors having interest in Sun Yue, a 6 foot 9 inch small forward that is affectionately known as the Chinese "Magic" Johnson.  Yue was recently cut by the Los Angeles Lakers.  While there may be passing or mild interest in Yue, do not expect him to be a Raptor anytime soon.  Yue has still yet to prove himself of being truly capable of playing in the NBA and the only way I could see him becoming a Raptor is as a training camp invitee on a non-guaranteed contract.

- J.Moore 

A quick update on the last roster spot

While there isn't much in the real news category, there are a few interesting blurbs I have seen this morning from different Internet sources.

A British newspaper has reported that Pops is indeed drawing interest from at least one other NBA team:

"He is at the centre of a bidding war between his club and the Houston Rockets"

- London Evening Standard

Now, there is no doubt in my mind that Houston may have interest in Pops, considering he is the kind of hard-nosed athletic rebounding forward they typically draft (i.e. Landry, Hayes, Dorsey).  However, I do believe "bidding war" is a slight overstatement.  Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors seem to be dormant rather than aggressive, especially for a player that would be the fifth big in a rotation of four.

The other surprise at the bottom of the cereal box pertains to our old chum Mr. Delfino.  Website www.basket-spot.com is reporting that the Carlos Delfino experiment in Russia with his club Khimki has ended and that Carlos will definitely not go back to Russia.

"As for the Argentinian, it was the outcome of a troubled season which included injuries, misunderstandings with the coaching staff, lack of payment and subpar performances. The recent "lack of communication", as mentioned by the player, sealed the fate of the guard. Delfino will now look for a club and returning to the Toronto Raptors is a possibility, while speculations put him in Real Madrid as well."

- www.basket-spot.com 

Many believe the Devean George trade for Marco Belinelli has taken Carlos Delfino out of the picture entirely for the Raptors.  I was one of those people, considering Marco's game is so similar to Carlos.  They can both shoot with range, handle the ball well, pass the ball and in a pinch can play the point guard.  However, Delfino does provide superior defense and rebounding which is our biggest weakness.  Plus, if we can sign Carlos to a one year deal at a moderate price (4-5 million) it may be the Raptors' best option.

Can you ever really have enough talent?

We will see... 

- J.Moore

Offseason In Review: Part I

Now that the off-season is unofficially over, I thought it may be the best idea to look back on the summer that was and dissect the moves that Colangelo has made, and in some cases, not made.

While a general overview of the off-season may suffice, why don't we kick it up a notch and take this player by player.  We will look at their past, present, future and the relevance to our beloved Hogtown Dino's.  It would seem the logical place to start is with the biggest acquisition of the off-season and quite probably the biggest player signing in Raptors history: Hedo Turkoglu.

Since December 14, 2004 the Raptors' biggest problems has been a reliable perimeter scorer, athleticism  and perimeter defense.  There were a few failed attempts to rectify this problems; see Joey Graham, Charlie Villanueva, Anthony Parker and to a lesser extent Jamario Moon.  These attempts, however, were fools gold and lasted-in some cases-far too long.  After a brief experiment trying to re-create the twin towers, Colangelo and his brain trust, accountants, and capologists concocted one of the bigger coups and best trades in franchise history.

Heading into the off-season the options were clear cut black and white: sign Marion to a moderate contract and gain financial flexibility by receiving the mid-level (5.9 million) and bi-annual (1.9 million) exceptions.  This would allow for added depth, but would rob us of a consistent perimeter threat.  The other option would be to renounce the rights to all of the Raptors' free agents (including Marion) and spend the resulting 10 million dollars on a man Colangelo had long coveted in Hedo Turkoglu.  In this scenario, the Raptors would have to forfeit the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions and in essence sacrifice and depth but gain a reliable perimeter scorer.

Well Colangelo decided to take a black and white situation and turn it gray.  He worked out a complex multiplayer trade that would allow the Raptors to sign and trade Marion, receive Turkoglu in a sign and trade, gain two serviceable wing players in Devon George and Antoine Wright and preserve the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions in one swift stroke.

The Good

So what will Turkoglu do for us on the court you ask?  Finally for the first time in almost 5 years we have a legitimate perimeter scorer who can create his own shot.  This is key because if you look back in history, every big man has needed help especially at the end of games.  A wing that can take off some scoring pressure is especially helpful at the end of games.  Lets take a look at some examples:

• Boston Celtics- Kevin Garnett has Paul Pierce
• San Antonio Spurs- Tim Duncan has Manu Ginobili
• Miami Heat- Shaquille O'Neal has Dwayne Wade
• LA Lakers- Shaquille O'Neal has Kobe Bryant
• Houston Rockets- Hakeem Olajuwon has Clyde Drexler
• LA Lakers- Kareem Abdul Jabbar has Magic Johnson
• LA Lakers- Wilt Chamberlain has Jerry West

I am sure you are catching what I am throwing at this point.  Chris Bosh is an outstanding player but any big man, regardless of how good he is, will inevitably need perimeter scoring to be successful.

The scoring Turkoglu brings is just the first layer.  Turkoglu is an outstanding passer and playmaker.  This takes pressure off of Jose Calderon to always be the only one running the pick and roll with Bosh and Bargnani.  There could be many points during the season where Calderon is playing a similar role as Morris Peterson, Anthony Parker, and to a lesser extent Jason Kapono, camping out in the corner and hitting open 3's.  It is a very real possibility that Turkoglu's scoring average goes down this year, and Jose's scoring average goes up just based on open looks Turkoglu creates.

So Turkoglu benefits Bosh and Calderon.  Plus, having the option of  Turkoglu running the pick and roll with Bargnani, another great shooter, can take the ball to the basket and are very good passers must scare opposing coaches.

In essence, Turkoglu will benefit any player around him, particularily from an offensive standpoint.

 

The Bad

The Raptors were far from the best team defensively last year with their most glaring defensive hole at the wing position.  Raptors wings could not keep their man in front of them in years past and Turkoglu definitely does not bring any relief in that aspect.  Turkoglu is an average to below average defender with very little athleticism or lateral quickness.  While he does have a strong understanding of the game and high basketball IQ, there is no doubt that if he were to be guarding the Kobe's and Lebron's at the end of the game, we would be exposed.

Hedo will be 30 years old when the season starts.  While this is by no means over the hill, players on their second contract (third if you include rookie deals) are usually on the decline as far as efficiency and production.  By giving Turkoglu a 5 year $50 million contract, we may have handcuffed ourselves as soon as 2 years down the road if his production falls off (see Wally Szczerbiak).  Hoever I tend to agree with many who say that Turkoglu is a young 30 years old because he does not rely on athleticism, has only played major minutes the past few seasons and has no injury history.

The Outlook

The key to this acquisition is looking at it in a big picture format.  A worst case scenario would be Bosh leaving for free agency, signing with another team and the Raptors receiving no compensation.  Would you rather go forward with a core of Calderon, Bargani and Turkoglu or Calderon, Bargani and Marion?  The former is much more appealing than the latter.  Add to the equation that with some seasoning and development Demar Derozan could provide similar attributes Marion brings, the Turkloglu acquisition is the clear cut favourite.

Grade: B+

- J.Moore

Getting Started... After all has been done

Good morning/afternoon/evening,

In my first attempt at this medium they call blog (you'd think they could come up with a better name) I would like to outline a couple things so we can all start this Raptors Today journey on the same page.

I am not, nor will I pretend to be an insider, expert, professional journalist or professional pundit.  So I apologize for that now if you are disappointed...  I am however, a Toronto Raptors fan that has followed the team since its inception with a strong knowledge of the game, the team, it's history and the inter-workings of the NBA.  I am not going to bore you with goofy fantasy trades aka Kobe for Banks/Wright/and filler, or come up with getting Bill Walton as our big man coach to provide national exposure and providing the coaching acumen that will put "us" over the top!

What I hope to do is throw out a couple facts, give some analysis, some opinion, wrap it in some attempted humor from time to time and you can let me know how I'm doing, deal?

Now I may have picked a poor time to get started on this blog considering that for the most part, barring and Colangelo-ian shenanigans, which after this offseason we know could happen at any time, the Raptors offseason is over.  The one exception being the final roster spot.

There seems to be two unique and passionate factions of the Raptors populace that have distinct opinions about this final spot.  Part of the population, for the most part we'll call them, the "fans", are drumming up the many possibilities in their heads on who this final spot should go too to improve our roster.  The other faction, lets call them the "media" do not seem to care because they feel the final player will be in civvies most nights and make no impact on the roster.

Now while for the most part I do agree that the final player to be added will have little impact on the court I do believe there is some value in this last player and that he could provide dividends down the road.

If we look at the balance of the roster, there are:

• 4 Point Guards- Calderon/Jack/Ukic/Banks
• 5 Wings- Turkoglu/Derozen/Belinelli/Wright/Douby
• 5 Bigs- Bosh/Bargnani/Evans/Nesterovic/O'Bryant

It is clear that there is an imbalance from the backcourt to the frontcourt.  If we also take into account the deficiencies on our roster have and will likely continue to be perimeter defense and rebounding the likely direction would be to obtain a small forward or power forward.

My opinion for some time would be to pick up a hybrid or stretch four (a power forward that can stretch the defense with his shot, usually also being able to guard small forwards).  While names such as Carney, Udoka, Singleton and even Joey Graham have been brought up, isn't the awkward elephant in the room Pops Mensah-Bonsu?  Is he not like that ex-boyfriend/girlfriend that all your friends like and is really great but your just not feeling it anymore?  There is no doubt that he wants to be back with the Raptors, the fans all seem to want him back but Colangelo and his MLSE brass seem to be playing the field until they settle.

While there is no doubt that those other four players would provide something Pops cannot (any shooting ability) and seem to be a better positional fit, Pops just seems to be the destined player to fill out our roster.  He can rebound, run the floor, and provide energy which is key because considering Nesterovic and Evans (primary back up big men) have the combined age of 96, youth and energy are some important traits if one of them were to suffer an injury.  The man they call Pops would be much better then Patrick O'Bryant whose main contributions would seem to be the fact that he has a cool Irish name for our Saint Patty's Day game.

Listen, in the end, the "media" is probably right, the last roster move will probably mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, but really at the very least throw the fans a frickin bone here... 

- J.Moore