Bridging the Gap

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT in NBA Draft

Compared to the 2006 Draft, this time around things were quiet for the Raps and their fans. With no picks the focus here at the HQ turned to what the other Atlantic Division teams did to improve. With picks and trades, each team in the Atlantic started the night trying to bridge the gap between themselves and last season’s division winner.

Boston

Danny Ainge was feeling the pressure and there is nothing that can convince me otherwise. So much losing, a lot of young talent and an unhappy star in Paul Pierce. The rumours prior to the draft were flying fast and furious about KG and others. With the 5th pick in the draft there seemed little doubt that what Jonathan Givony had suggested in our annual interview, a Boston trade, was inevitable.

Before you could even get warmed up in your seat for the night Boston did make such a trade...but KG and Marion were not involved. Rather the Celts looked further west to acquire Ray Allen. The trade itself brought to Boston a multi-time all-star and former LSU product Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Shipped to Seattle was Wally World, Delonte West, Jeff Green and a future second rounder. Boston also selected PG Gabe Pruitt in the second round.

Now I for one believe the team who gets the best player generally wins a trade and so in my opinion, Boston is much better now then they were before Commissioner Stern took the stage to declare Greg Oden’s name. Boston had to deal some youth and bring in some veteran help and by bringing in Allen they now have their "big three." No doubt there is some concern over Allen’s ankles but we here at the HQ have seen many reader express a desire to bring Jesus Shuttleworth to the big smoke on many an occasion, both pre and post ankle issues. Well Allen will visit the ACC much more often now...just wearing Celtic green.

With Pierce, Allen and Jefferson the Celts have a variety of weapons. Pierce really is a "do-it-all" player, Jefferson seems to have turned the corner and is a great presence in the post, and Allen is a lights-out shooter. The inside out game with Allen and Jefferson could be deadly. Also in Boston’s favour is that they did not give up that much. Delonte is a solid NBA player but Wally Szczerbiak had spent more time on the injured list than on the floor and the Celts have enough quality young talent. I for one don’t believe the Celts mortgaged the future as suggested by many.

Much like the Raps, the Celts have a young group of players, who with another off-season will be much improved. Guys like Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo and currently injured Tony Allen should all improve over the summer. The two players the Celts took in the second round are no slouches either. Big Baby, provided he stays in shape, could turn out to be a nice front-court rotation player and Gabe Pruitt could add a nice scoring bunch in the back-court. Now with a couple of all-stars in the mix this team could surprise. If Cleveland can make the NBA Finals with James and a mediocre supporting cast, who is to say Boston can’t mix it up...until of course you remember who is coaching them.

If healthy, this team will be a whole lot better than people expect. Through the draft the Celts greatly improved, even if just in the short term.

New Jersey

So much talk has surrounded this team and whether Richard Jefferson is coming or going and whether this team is on the up or on the down. After beating the Raps last season in the first round they went on to fall to the Cavs. Much of the talk after their playoff loss was about the disappearing Vince Carter and the trouble they had up front. Rod Thorn, in an attempt to bolster the front-court made a high-risk, high-reward pick and attempted to address the front-court needs by drafting Sean Williams. No-one doubts this kid's talent and he should immediately be nick-named the "human fly swatter" as he blocks shots effortlessly and in bunches. Other than that move the Nets were quiet.

The drafting of Mr. Williams helps add another young body to the Nets front-court. Whether he succeeds or not, both on the court and off, only time will tell. Actually Williams really needs to succeed off the court or he may not be seen on the court. It was clear on the night of the draft that Dick Vitale did not think highly of Sean Williams heading to NY (or Zack Randolph who is discussed below) and for now the move with have only a marginal effect on the team. The Nets, much like the Raps were quiet on draft night making their pick and never to be heard from again.

The real improvement on this team has to come from guys entering their second and third year. Players like Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, Antoine Wright and Hasaan Adams each need to improve on their games.

Chad Ford gave this team an A- draft day grade. This is the perfect reason why grading drafts the day after is just STUPID. Sean Williams is a few drinks and a night club away from making this pick an F.

Compared to the splash the Celtics made on draft night the Nets made nary a ripple.

New York

The draft is never boring when Isiah Thomas is running the show. Last year people raked Thomas over the coals for selecting Renaldo Balkman. This year Thomas made further interesting picks with the selections of Wilson Chandler and Demetris Nichols. Chandler is a bit of an unknown. Nichols probably won’t see much floor time and neither of these picks will help tip the Atlantic Division scales in the Knicks' favour as a result. Give credit where credit is due though. Since his days as Raps GM Thomas has been a great evaluator of draft talent.

Obviously the biggest move though was obtaining Zack Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau from Portland for Channing Frye and Steve Francis. Franchise and I have debated this deal to great length. I think it is a nice trade for both squads, in particular for NY...which is not good news for the Raps. Zack Randolph is a beast in the paint. Averaging 23.6 and 10.1 boards a game Zack is a virtual double-double every night. Teamed up with Eddy Curry and David Lee and you have three quality front-court players, two of which are rebounding machines. There is no doubt about the fact that there is some similarity between Randolph and Curry’s game but they are going to cause tough match-ups and will really put a beating on an opposing team’s front-court.

The biggest questions for the Knicks is (a) whether trading Francis is an addition by subtraction, and (b) is there enough shots to go around. In regards to the first point the Knicks had to move Steve Francis and his huge contract. A back-court of Francis and Marbury wouldn’t work even on the best of days. As for the second, this is the real issue the Knicks will face heading into the season. Are they a team that loves to feed the paint? Are they a team that relies on their guards to do all the scoring (Marbury, Robinson, Crawford)? Or is it possible that the team gels and uses all of their talents? No doubt this Knicks team is talented and they do have a lot of good pieces. They have skill and depth at every position. Shooters? Check. Scorers? Check. Rebounders? Check. Hustle guys? You bet(Renaldo Balkman). The million dollar question will be whether this team can actually get it together. If they did they would be a nightmare for a number of teams in the Atlantic and the Eastern Conference...but provided Marbury still runs the show the chances are slim to none. Marbury couldn’t win a game of tick-tack-toe if he was playing against himself and I just don't feel he has the ability to help this team win.

The Knicks sure look better on paper as a result of the draft day dealings and it will probably result in a few more wins. That being said there are too many problems and characters in the locker-room. Can you imagine what would happen if they added Artest? Now that is a recipe for disaster.

Philadelphia

For once I will agree with Stephen A. Smith and I too think that the Philly team after Iverson was dealt was not as good as they appeared. Although they played decent ball after the trade, you can chalk that up to teams playing the 76ers and expecting them to roll over. A very youthful squad, the 76ers added to their youth by drafting Thaddeus Young and acquiring Jason Smith in the first round while taking flyers on Derrick Byers and Herbert Hill in the second round.

The 76ers are in the rebuilding mode to date and they made some nice moves in the draft to help fill the stables with young bucks. (Although I question the drafting of Young as it seems a little redundant after taking Carney last season while also having a young star in Iguodala at the SF position.) Of course if he was the highest guy on their board then so be it. Add in a mobile big man and a couple of second-rounders who could make the squad and you can’t knock their draft. This should undoubtedly help them in the long-term but this team is still looking towards the future.

The 76ers helped themselves with the draft but not to the same degree as some of the other Atlantic division teams.

Result

So what does it all mean for the Raps? Every team after the draft says they have improved but whether they actually believe it or not is another story. It sure looks like all of Toronto’s division foes made strides through the draft and the off-season will result in a variety of other changes. Each team seems to be on a different course. The Nets are simply adding pieces to make another run. Philadelphia is collecting assets. The Knicks are trying to find a combination that works. Boston is being run by people trying desperately to save their skin.

The key acquisitions for the division were obviously Allen and Randolph. Anytime your divisional opponents add big name players there has to be concern. That being said Raps fans can take solace in a old saying..."What glitters is not always gold."

HOWLAND

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Comments

I can't find anything about the Raps being involved in ANY of the summer leagues this season. Do you guys have anything on this?

by Aaron on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Aaron, I don't believe the Raptors are fielding a summer league team this year.

Completely disagree on the Celtics. No disrespect to Jesus Shuttleworth, but two surgically repaired ankles at age 32 can't be a good thing. That's the kind of gamble you take when you need one more piece to push you over the hump. Even with Pierce, Allen and Jefferson, does anyone believe that the Celtics are magically contenders? Moreover, saying their young players "should" improve isn't a given, especially with Doc Rivers coaching this mess. Jefferson is really the only player who has improved during the Doc era.

I'm a bit more ambivalent about the Knicks. True, they got rid of Steve Francis' horrible contract, but they picked up a worse one in Randolph's. If the trade is addition by subtraction for the Knicks, you could say the same thing about the Blazers. Randolph has great low post skills, but he also demands the ball all the time and plays no defence, a la Eddy Curry. Their guards are all me first scorers who don't play any defence either, and there's no true point guard to run the show. I just don't think you can build a championship contender by overturning half your roster every year. How many more guys will they need to unload to get Artest? What the Knicks should be doing is building around a core of young players like David Lee, Balkman and the recently departed Frye.

And did I mention that Isiah is still coaching this team? If there were a contest to determine the best basketball coaches in the world, Isiah and Doc would finish tied for second. Everybody else in the world would finish tied for first.

Philly's doing the right thing in rebuilding, although I question the pick of Thaddeus over Julian Wright. Wright's not a huge scorer but he does everything else well, and I think he'd be a better complement to Iggy.

That leaves the Nets. Taking Sean Williams is a gamble, but to me it's a lot more understandable than rolling the dice on Zach Randolph. He does give them exactly what they need, if he can keep his head screwed on right. Kidd's still a major force. Love him or hate him, Carter's a prolific scorer, although he's not a crunch time guy. Jefferson is one of the better two way players in the league and he's unselfish. Krstic, Collins and the improving Antoine Wright are nice role players. And Lawrence Frank can coach.

In conclusion, I see the Nets and the Raptors battling it out again for the division title.

by Skywalker on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Aaron - Unfortunately they're not playing in any this summer...and with the training camp in Italy this fall, it's going to be tough to get a good read on how players have done this off-season.

However we have been hearing good things about Bargnani...

by Franchise on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

No summer league for Rap's this year. Too many players in action with National Teams and not enough openings on roster.

by Johnn19 on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Just curious Franchise.

What are the "good things" you were hearing about Bargnani?

You sir, have perked my interest!

by sharpy on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Shouldn't your interest be "piqued"? I know mine is. I'm all a-twitter at the thought of a Bargnani who doesn't look like he's got a layer of padding on him.

by Frank on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Peace,

Let's go franchise, cough it up!!!!

Tell us all you know about this one called "Bargnani"...

One.

by Grounded on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The issue that no one wants to talk about is the biggest of them all. What about Bosh and his injury? What about Bosk and playing for USA? It seems that his plantar's faciatis (spelling?) was slowing him in the playoffs. Can we really have him hobbled:

by EaseMyPain on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Top 5 rumours we've heard about Bargnani;

5. He's added 15 lbs of muscle and now has the power to battle it out in the paint with Dwight Howard and the other beasts of the NBA.

4. He's developed a 42" vertical leap that allows him to dunk from the top of the key

3. Since he was bit wandering the woods near his home by a stray dog, when there is a full moon his beard fills out.

2. He's extended his three point shot all the way out to half court.

1. The biggest shock to everyone who saw Bargnani was that in one particular scrimmage it was noticed that he was playing NBA calibre defense. Seriously.

by Bedhead on Jul 7, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The word on Bargs is that he has been hitting the gym tonnes and is bulking up. He has the frame of a ford f-150, and with a bit of body work could really... I dunno where I was going with that.
The word comes from Colangelo who mentioned that he had seen a picture of Bargs, and that all his hard work was paying dividends.
That is about the only solid piece of information I have heard. Though there are 'rumours' that he may have been growing (and pushing 7’1"). I really don't know if that is possible at his age, or whether I’m a tard for even entertaining the notion. But I guess we'll see when he joins team Italia.
Which, as a side note: I am absolutely pissed that I will not get to see any of the European qualifying tourney! I’m in Europe for the summer, but I have to head back home at the end of August. This would be such a fantastic year to catch some games. Imagine seeing Spain vs. Italy!?

by TJ Caino on Jul 8, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I've been hearing similar things to what TJ Caino alluded to, including that Bargs has been putting in two-a-days in effort to work on both his body and game. If he shows up to camp after a summer of this type of work...look out Eastern Conference.

by Franchise on Jul 8, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Anyone who thinks that Isiah is as bad a coach as Doc is, is fooling themselves. I give Isiah credit, he got Starbury to dish it to Curry last year and if anyone can get Starbury to play point guard its Isiah. Don't forget he did coach Indiana for a few years and he may not have taken them to the promised land but he did get them into the playoffs. I can see NY winning at least 35 games (assuming Randolph doesnt party himself to death). One of the big problems for the Knicks is that for all his size, Curry is allergic to rebounding. Now he doesn't have to as Randolph can do it and lee off the bench. That is a huge plus. I agree that the there may be some issues with who gets the rock but I think Isiah is smart enough and demands enough respect from his players that he can work through it.
The Celts are a joke. The only reason I can think of for Doc to still be around is that Danny needs a fall guy if the team stumbles out of the gate (which is not out of the question). I am not sure why he extended Doc though ( his reason was lame duck coach but Mitchell was a lame duck and he managed to do ok so whatever) as it would have made it easier to dump him if he was in his final season.
Ive heard the arguement about Philly (teams didnt take them seriously) but my issue with that is that they played without Iverson from mid season so teams had to see them play tough without him and if I recall they started out poorly after the trade then really hit stride around the all star break.

by McGateway on Jul 8, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions