Jurassic Hoops

ESPN’s Chad Ford rates Raptors’ summer

Steve Clarke — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:25:04 +0000

Chad Ford had a lot to say about the dismal summer the Raptors have had thus far. Ford, one of ESPN’s lead basketball writers gives a full, and seemingly fair, assessment of the Rap’s current state of affairs. Here’s a look at his assessment of the team. For full Eastern and Western Conference team grades, click here.

Toronto Raptors:

GRADE: D+

“Key additions: Leandro Barbosa (trade), Linas Kleiza (FA), Amir Johnson (re-signed), Ed Davis (draft)
Key subtractions: Chris Bosh , Hedo Turkoglu , Marco Belinelli , Antoine Wright

We’ve focused on the pain Cavs fans have felt all summer. But what about Raptors fans?

Three years ago, when GM Bryan Colangelo arrived, it appeared that the Raptors were finally on the right path. Now? They may be in worse shape than the Cavs.

Losing Bosh was a huge blow, but it wasn’t the only one Raptors fans endured this summer. The team also essentially admitted that it made a big mistake in signing Turkoglu last summer and traded him to Phoenix for Barbosa. In a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to losing Bosh, the Raptors also overpaid Amir Johnson to take his place.

Top it off with a botched trade that would have landed them Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon (blame MJ for that one) and it’s been a pretty crappy summer.

On the bright side, however, the Raptors did get their hands on a pretty good prospect in the draft: Ed Davis. He was projected as a top-three pick before last season, but slid a bit because of injuries and a so-so sophomore year. But the talent, as Raptors fans saw in the summer league, is there.

The team also has to be pleased with the way Kleiza played in the FIBA World Championship. He should add a level of toughness to the team. And Barbosa may not be a star, but I think he fits Colangelo’s vision in the backcourt more than other guards he’s had in the past. It’s all small consolation, sure … but at least it’s something.

Grade: D+”

It’s hard to argue with Ford’s assessment. Let’s hope Colangelo has something up his sleeve to change the team’s prospects as the next few weeks pass.

Steve Clarke covers the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers for Fanball at JurassicHoops.com and Blazerstrail.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveClarkeNBA or contact him via email at sclarke22@hotmail.com

Jordan’s latest blunder: Bobcats waive Dampier

Steve Clarke — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:23:40 +0000

Rotoworld.com is reporting that the Bobcats have failed to pull off a trade of Erick Dampier and his valuable non-guaranteed, choosing instead to waive him. After he inevitably passes through waivers, he’ll become a free agent, almost ensuring he’ll never play a single game for Charlotte.

Dampier’s contract was perhaps the team’s most desirable trading chip, giving them an opportunity to make a deal to acquire a legit starting point guard, such as the Raptors’ Jose Calderon. Instead, they simply cut Dampier loose, likely leaving them with nothing more than a bit of cap space, and ensuring they avoid paying luxury tax.

In the coming days, Michael Jordan may again face the wrath of local and national media for failing to properly leverage a highly marketable asset.

Besides his notorious selection of Kwame Brown 1st overall, Jordan has been skewered by observers for questionable moves, such as selecting Adam Morrison over Brandon Roy, reneging on a trade with the Raptors earlier this season, re-signing the maligned Brown – a man he publicly berated on more than one occasion.

Trading FIBA selection Tyson Chandler for nothing more than luxury tax relied and a pair of players better known for cheerleading than production might end up being one of Jordan’s most critiqued decisions.

It should be noted that Rod Higgins is the team’s General Manager, but it’s no secret that Jordan is the puppet-master in charge of player personnel decisions, with input from Higgins and Coach Larry Brown, and ultimately, it was Jordan who will emerge accountable for the Bobcats’ failings.

Dampier talk Heats up

Steve Clarke — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:07:42 +0000

Who would have thought that Erick Dampier would be the focus of the basketball universe?

Media in the U.S. and around the world are watching keenly to see what Charlotte Bobcats GM Rod Higgins has in store for the man with what he calls, “the most valuable contract in the NBA”.

The latest rumors only confirm what has been rumored here on JurassicHoops for weeks – that Dampier and his non-guaranteed contract will be traded, not released, in the coming days.

The latest report from Miami, written by Heat beat writer Michael Wallace, indicates that Dampier has told friends he will try to sign with Miami if the Bobcats cut him loose.

If we assume Dampier has actually shared this info with Charlotte, it seems likely that the Bobcats’ best option would be to swap him – possibly to Miami, possibly elsewhere. This is a perfect opportunity for the Bobcats to acquire the point guard they desperately need, while dumping additional salaries to stay under the cap.

While ESPN’s Marc Stein shot down the JurassicHoops discussion of a potential Calderon/Dampier deal, the likelihood of a trade just increased dramatically. If there’s an opportunity for Bryan Colangelo to participate in the Dampier sweepstakes, either as a straight trade or a multi-team deal, don’t be surprised at all if he jumps at the opportunity.

ESPN’s Marc Stein shoots down JurassicHoops.com rumor

Steve Clarke — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:47:59 +0000

Late Friday, Marc Stein of ESPN went on the record as disputing a trade rumor first discussed here on JurassicHoops.com.

For weeks, I’ve speculated that a Jose Calderon for Erick Dampier swap may be in the works. If this trade were to go down, it would most likely take place on Monday, Sept 13th or shortly thereafter, due in large part to the fact that Dampier and his sizable non-guaranteed deal would finally become eligible to be traded on this date.

The fact that Charlotte has been pursuing an upgrade at the point is no secret, as is the suggestion the Raptors would like to get bigger by trading a redundant asset…ie. Calderon.

Rumblings which began on this very blog spread like wildfire throughout the internet, leading Stein, one of ESPN’s lead NBA analysts, to comment on the story.

Stein from his @STEIN_LINE_HQ twitter account:

“Getting tweets asking if there’s any substance to internet rumbles about a Calderon-to-CHA deal involving Dampier’s contract. In a word? NO. Dampier does becomes eligible Monday to be packaged w/other Bobcats in trades. But I’ve been firmly told CHA and TOR not discussing Calderon”

He goes on to say: “Indy DID show interest in Calderon in AUG but traded for speedier/far cheaper Collison. Signs keep pointing to Jose starting season w/TOR”

Stay tuned on Monday to see if Stein’s firm “NO” plays itself out, or if JurassicHoops.com’s swap becomes a reality. Don’t be surprised if Toronto acts as a 3rd party to a larger deal, as well.

Will Jose Calderon be a Bobcat Monday?

Steve Clarke — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:20:34 +0000

As first discussed in a previous blog here at JurassicHoops.com, all signs point to Bryan Colangelo making a big play for Erick Dampier’s non-guaranteed contract on Monday. Today, Jarrett Jack spoke about the situation in a slamonline.com interview, commenting that the Raptors seem likely to make another move before training camp, and my money is on the Raps and Bobcats finally consummating a Jose Calderon-to-Charlotte deal.

Reports earlier today said BC has been considering making a play for Louis Amundson. Could a Charlotte-Toronto-Phoenix sign and trade deal work? My guess is where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Putting the Amundson issue aside, as I stated in that previous entry, the league’s collective bargaining agreement would allow for a deal such as:

Calderon + Reggie Evans + Marcus Banks in exchange for Dampier and Boris Diaw.

In this scenario, Charlotte gets their PG, Toronto gets bigger. Whether Dampier would ever take the court if acquired is another issue – if he were to be acquired, he’s said he’s agreeable to having his contract voided and re-written at a more reasonable number. Reports say Diaw is in terrible shape, so this is a factor to consider, as well.

Don’t be surprised one bit if Calderon says “Adios” to the ACC on Monday or shortly thereafter. Regardless of whether my speculation holds true, some sort of significant transaction by BC seems imminent.

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I’d like to take a moment to thank the fine Raptors fans in Toronto and elsewhere for making JurassicHoops.com the Fanball Blog o’the Month.

With your help, this site has begun to attract several thousand visitors each month. Please join me on Twitter @SteveClarkeNBA and check the blog often for updates.

Possibly the most anticipated event of the Raptors offseason will soon come to fruition at JurassicHoops.com: The Roast of Vince Carter. Join us to see what could happen if former Raptors personalities put Air Canada Carter in the hot seat.

Not long ago, Portland Trail Blazers teammates roasted Greg Oden, and the results were surprising. Click here for the gory details. I’d anticipate that Vince’s former cronies will be much more harsh…but only time will tell.

Shocking details of new ChrisBosh.com website

Steve Clarke — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:22:29 +0000

Former Raptor Chris Bosh successfully launched a legal challenge against a “cyber-squatter”, and now owns the rights to the website bearing his name.

The same squatter held domain names in the names of Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng, Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Tyler Hansbrough, Jared Dudley, J.J. Redick, and Chris Duhon.

It’s not known whether he also held domains of Joey Dorsey, Mamadou Ndiaye, or Mengke Bateer.

Now that CB4 – the newest Public Enemy #1 in Toronto – owns his own domain name, what kind of content could he possibly put on the site?

Believe it or not, I had a chance to preview tentative plans for the site, and was stunned to see what he had in mind. Here’s a synopsis of what we can expect to see on ChrisBosh.com.

Main page: Lucky readers can view a personal account of how Bosh quit on the Raptors, exaggerated injuries, and rode the pine when his team needed him most in order to protect his impending max contract. Also in the bio section is a very special bonus link which takes visitors to a live video where CB4 talks about how he’s completely incapable of being a true leader of an NBA team, and explains how he signed with Miami primarily to hide behind LeBron’s skirt.

Biography: He tells his family history here, finishing with a story about his upcoming wedding. This page features a lovely shot of him with his arm around Star Jones…or…huh? THAT’s his fiancée?? (My bad.)

Photo Gallery: The main elements of this page are shots of Bosh with LeBron and Dwyane Wade posing in front of the Miami crowd, looking like models at a Target fashion show. Also on the page are some great pics of Star Jones…I mean “the future Mrs. Bosh”.

Online Store: Hey kids! Want to look like Chris Bosh on Halloween? Get Mom and Dad to log onto the online store at chrisbosh.com to buy you a full CB4 costume: The package contains a rasta wig, a Miami Heat jersey, two basketball shoes, and a great big knife to stab any Toronto Raptors fan you see in the back.

Contact button: Click on this button to send an email to traitor@superfriends.com, or sign up to follow him on his Qwitter account.

We’re all looking forward to the launch of the real www.chrisbosh.com, where he’ll undoubtedly acknowledge the class and respect the Raptors organization and its fans handed him on a silver platter throughout his time here.

In return, the Raptors fans will undoubtedly cheer generously for their former hero when he returns to the ACC, right?

Back to school: Major homework for Raptors

Steve Clarke — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:36:09 +0000

Just like hordes of schoolchildren across Ontario returning to school today, Raptors players have their own lesson plans for the coming year.

If the students on the Raptors dedicate themselves to getting straight A’s on their assignments the Raps might have a fighting chance at exceeding expectations this season. After losing their best scorer and rebounder, the only remedy to their woes seems to be hard work.

Here’s a rundown on the individual lesson plans for each of the players under contract at this time:

Andrea Bargnani
Remedial homework required: Must be forced to spend the remainder of the offseason with Dennis Rodman. Needs to become more aggressive crashing the boards. It’s almost inconceivable that a 7-foot-tall human could go 40 minutes on an NBA court while grabbing just 2 or 3 rebounds – a feat he pulled many times. Must also cut turnovers.

Jarrett Jack
Remedial homework required: Must attend a Tony Robbins leadership course. Must maintain the highest level of maturity possible at all times – without any lapses – to be the true floor-general this patchwork roster desperately needs.

Linas Kleiza
Remedial homework required: Must hit the gym and practice 1000 free throws per day. Needs to focus on improving his FT percentage, and must not let his increased scoring workload take his attention away from rebounding and ball movement.

Leandro Barbosa
Remedial homework required: Must shoot jumpers from 2pm ‘til the gym closes every remaining day of the offseason. Scoring sank like a rock last year, and shooting percentage followed suit. Must increase production in steals and rebounds.

Amir Johnson
Remedial homework required: Must hit the treadmill – not to lose weight, but to increase endurance – because he’ll need the stamina to handle his shift from part-time to a full-time gig. He’s an absolute key to the Raps ability to stay competitive, so his interior defense, shot-blocking, and free throw shooting must improve.

Jose Calderon
Remedial homework required: While it still remains likely he’ll be swapped, if Calderon remains a Raptor, he’ll be required to attend the Walt Frazier/Chris Paul School of Defensive Wizardry to step up his game on the defensive end. He’ll also need to account for the massive fall-off in his Free Throw shooting and brush up on his field goal percentage, as well. Calderon’s calling card used to be his efficiency – he needs to deliver an efficient offensive approach to beat out JJ for the starting PG slot.

DeMar Derozan
Remedial homework required: DeMar will be required to spend 4 weeks tutoring with Dell Curry to brush up his long-range shooting. In addition to cranking up his perimeter offense, he’ll need to focus more on increasing his FG attempts, and should be mindful of effective distribution when he’s in double-coverage.

Quick reports:

Ed Davis: Hit the weights, shoot jumpers every single day.

Julian Wright: Practice 1000 mid-range jumpers every day…and when he’s done, take 1000 free throws.

Sonny Weems: Learn the phrase “Carpe Diem” to be prepared to seize the day when given playing time, just like he did last year. Practice 3-pointers to increase your value, and be prepared to hit a higher percentage of free throws.

Reggie Evans: Attend an MMA training course to get ready to crack skulls. Need to increase shot-blocking.

Joey Dorsey: Have a chat with Jerome “JYD” Williams about the kind of money NBA players can make by specializing. Crash the boards when you get minutes, and make sure you are a valued defender to coach Triano.

David Andersen: Pray for an injury to Andrea Bargnani. Enjoy the fact you have some of the best seats in the Air Canada Centre all season long…or at least as long as you hold this roster spot.

Five reasons I love Chris Bosh’s engagement

Steve Clarke — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:28:10 +0000

While most Toronto media outlets have been rather unenthusiastic about Chris Bosh’s engagement announcement, I’ll be the first to say I’m psyched up for CB4’s pending nuptials.

Here’s why Chris Bosh’s engagement is FANTASTIC:

1. The top 25 hottest NBA wives list will remain unchanged. His fiancee looks like a cross between Star Jones and Mariah Carey. If you doubt me, check out this pic of the fiancee…and Star Jones…and Mariah Carey.

2. If Bosh’s loyalty to his bride is as strong as it was to his NBA team, we should see an exciting divorce story in about 7 years. Oh, and he’ll disappear for about 11% of the time his family needs him…just like he missed about 9-10 missed games per season with the Raps on average.

3. His fiancee is approximately 5.0′ tall…making her one of the few people who still look up to him.

4. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are likely to be members of the bridal party. Wade will be the Best Man, while LeBron will be the d-bag who killed the hopes and dreams of the city of Cleveland…and an usher.

5. Did I mention his fiancee looks a lot like Star Jones?

Best wishes to the happy couple!

Steve Clarke covers the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers for Fanball at JurassicHoops.com and Blazerstrail.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveClarkeNBA or contact him via email at sclarke22@hotmail.com

Raptors lose a good one

Steve Clarke — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:02:13 +0000

On Thursday, the Denver Nuggets will formally hire Masai Ujiri as their new General Manager, nabbing one of Bryan Colangelo’s key assistants.

For the past 3 years, Ujiri has been a crucial part of the Toronto Raptors senior management team, first acting as director of global scouting, and ultimately serving as assistant GM to Colangelo.

He’ll have his job cut out for him in Denver, as he’ll be dealing with an ownership group reputed to meddle with decision-making of its basketball operations personnel. As well, one of his first assignments will be to address the Carmelo Anthony contract/trade situation, a challenge which would keep even a seasoned GM up at night.

Although I have no formal proof to back this statement up, it seems likely Ujiri is the first Nigerian native to hold a GM position with a major North American sport, and possibly the first African-born. Ujiri is a native of Zaria, Nigeria, and as such, it’s no surprise that he’s played a major role in the NBA’s “Basketball without Borders” international development initiative.

As Colangelo said, Ujiri is “one of the brightest young minds in the game.” Losing the well-connected Ujiri means losing privileged access to some of the most significant resources in international markets.

When people discuss Masai Ujiri, they speak about his wealth of contacts and connections. In his travels from his youth in Africa to prep school in Seattle to junior college in North Dakota to playing college hoops Montana State, he took in as much coaching and basketball knowledge as he could get, while developing relationships with basketball brains throughout the US. After college, he headed to Greece, Germany, Belgium, England and Finland, using the experiences to earn an International PHD in Hoopology.

It won’t be his first stay in the Mile High city. The Nuggets hired Ujiri in a scouting capacity back in 2003, leading to his eventual promotion to the role of director of international scouting. When he left the team in 2007, Ujiri suggested he might have some unfinished business in Denver, telling the Denver Post, “Maybe one day I’ll come back to the Nuggets. The Nuggets will always be family to me.”

It turns out his prophecy came true. The Raptors lost a respected member of their family, while the Nuggets and Masai will celebrate their family reunion in the coming days.

Steve Clarke covers the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers for Fanball at JurassicHoops.com and Blazerstrail.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveClarkeNBA or contact him via email at sclarke22@hotmail.com

Top 10 trades in Raptors history

Steve Clarke — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 01:46:59 +0000

It’s not too difficult to remember the bad deals made by Raptors management.

Look no further than the names Alonzo Mourning, Hedo Turkoglu, and Chauncey Billups to recall some of the horrors of Raptors trading history.

But not all the moves made by Toronto GMs have gone sour. In fact, in the early years, the Raptors’ foundation was developed through several shrewd acquisitions.

Here’s a quick look at the 10 best trades in Raptors history:

10. Raptors acquire Kevin Willis from Rockets for Roy Rogers and the #s 16 and 18 picks in the 1998 Draft. Houston drafted Bostjan Nachbar and Mirsad Turkcan.

9. After finally ridding themselves of Rob Babcock, the Raps accomplish what the maligned GM had failed to do for months. Just a week after Babcock’s dismissal, Wayne Embry convinces a certain ex-Raptor GM (hint: his nickname is Zeke) to bring Jalen Rose and the $32.6 million remaining on his contract to the New York Knicks along with a draft pick (Renaldo Balkman) in exchange for Antonio Davis. This was Davis’ swan song with the Raps, as he was waived shortly thereafter.

8. Raptors acquire Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones (later waived) in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu. Regardless of how the on-court performance for the players involved pans out, this is a classic case of “addition by subtraction”. Time will tell whether the trade will move up or down the list, but for now, it has to be considered one of the best moves in recent Raptors memory.

7. Raptors pick up Tracy Murray, Keon Clark, and Mamadou N’Diaye from Denver Nuggets in exchange for Kevin Willis, Alex Radojevic, Garth Joseph, and a 2001 2nd rounder (Ousmane Cisse). The tall trio heading to Denver fizzled out quickly, while Tracy Murray became a key player in the Raptors offensive attack. Keon Clark was painted to be the centerpiece of the deal by Glen Grunwald, but it was ultimately Murray who made the phrase “Teeeeeeee-Time” a household expression in the early 2000’s. Another great dynamic of the trade? The discovery of a great saying: Nobody dunks like Mamadou.

6. Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems are traded to the Raptors for Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic. While Johnson and Weems’ stories are still very much unfinished, the Raptors gave up basically nothing for a bona fide starting power forward and a player who should work his way into steady minutes in ‘10-11. Ukic appears to be shaping up to be a modern Vincenzo Esposito, and the move represented a resolution to years of indecision about his future with the team.

5. Raps pick up Popeye Jones, 1st rounder in 1997 (John Thomas), and the right to swap ’97 first rounders with Minnesota from the Dallas Mavericks for Jimmy King and 1998 and ’99 2nd rounders (Ansu Sesay and Gordan Giricek). In exchange for practically nothing, Toronto picked up an aggressive rebounder who quickly became a fan favorite.

4. In what ultimately became multiple transactions, the Raptors acquire Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams, Gary Trent, two 1st round picks and a 2nd round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers for Damon Stoudamire, Walt Williams, and Carlos Rogers. Less than a week later, they flipped Kenny Anderson, Popeye Jones, and Zan Tabak to the Boston Celtics for Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, John Thomas, and Roy Rogers.

Net result: Stoudamire, W.Williams, Rogers, Jones, Tabak for A.Williams, Trent, picks, Billups, Brown, Thomas, Rogers.

3. Toronto receives Doug Christie, Herb Williams, and cash from Knicks for Willie Anderson and Victor Alexander. Christie and his wife became fixtures in Toronto, while Anderson and Alexander failed to produce much of an impression in the Big Apple.

2. In exchange for the rights to Jonathan Bender, the Raptors receive Antonio Davis from the Indiana Pacers. 2839 boards later, Davis remains the 2nd all-time in team rebounding history, while Bender averaged just 5.5 points per game over an injury-ravaged career.

1. In a draft day deal, the Raptors trade the rights to Antawn Jamison to the Golden State Warriors for the rights to Vince Carter. While the latter part of his stay in Toronto was a time we’d all like to forget, it’s impossible to overstate the impact he had on the NBA and the sports scene in general during his incredible rookie and sophomore seasons. For his first few years in the league, ‘Air Canada’ Carter was bigger than Elvis. Regardless of what happened later, Toronto fans were fortunate to witness the endless stream of highlight-reel performances Vince unleashed on the league.

As the 2010-11 NBA season approaches, Bryan Colangelo seems poised to swing another sizable transaction. Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans are the names most frequently mentioned as trade bait.

If he does swing a deal, here’s hoping BC is able to unseat one of the top 10 trades in Raptors history and improve this current team’s prospects.

Steve Clarke covers the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers for Fanball at JurassicHoops.com and Blazerstrail.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveClarkeNBA or contact him via email at sclarke22@hotmail.com