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by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Aug 22, 2009 12:07 PM EDT in Daily Links

ANDREA BARGNANI: THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
NBA.com’s 2006 NBA Draft GM Survery -- nbaroundtable
Revisiting NBA.com's 2006 GM Survey, which tabbed Andrea Bargnani as the rookie who would be the best player in five years.

AMIR JOHNSON
Amir Johnson ready to run with Raptors -- TheStar.com
Johnson is looking to rent rather than buy in Toronto.

Trade from Bucks did not shock Johnson -- National Post
After serving as Rasheed Wallace's appentice, Amir Johnson promises to talk on defence. Heck, if he even PLAYS defence that will probably serve as an upgrade over last season.

Johnson hoping to add energy to Raptors -- CANOE -- SLAM! Sports
Johnson appeared in 62 games with the Pistons and led the team in field goal percentage at .595 before a trade moved him to Milwaukee in June.

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Ghosts from the past

Funny, I thought he had an even higher %. But thanks for finding.

This is the year for that poll to show its worth. Bargnani will play solid, both ends of the floor.

Couple of you guys out in blogosphere have been drooling for Johnson – lets see it play out. If both he and Bargnani have that breakout season, as that guy the other day predicted, we will crack the big 3.

by Tinmann on Aug 22, 2009 3:57 PM EDT reply actions

Johnson looks like he’s going to be a nice addition off the bench. I can even see him beating out Reggie Evans for playing time. But unless he gets the fouling under control, it’s probably going to put a ceiling on how much of a “breakout” he ends up having.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Aug 22, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think Johnson will get enough minutes to be a breakout player.

Bosh will be getting his 36-38 minutes and Bargnani will be playing another 35-37 minutes. Even if Amir got all of the bench minutes, with Rasho + Reggie not playing, he’d still be only playing 20 or so minutes a night. Not enough for a breakout season.

Amir would need Bosh or Bargnani to have a season ending injury … and then would need Triano to give him their minutes … and then he may or may not show enough to have a breakout season.

NBA Roundtable

by NBR on Aug 23, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought the percentage was higher as well…I think I was mixing up Bargs percentages in that category with Roy’s for ROY.

by Assistant GM on Aug 22, 2009 9:18 PM EDT reply actions

How was that Summer Games final?? As good as any game I’ve seen in a while. Great job kids. Future NCAAers there for sure.

by Ustation on Aug 22, 2009 10:15 PM EDT reply actions

Hadn’t seen the NBA Roundtable blog before, read some of his stuff and it seems that he has quite a good perspective on the league.

Here is his take on Banks for Carroll.

Thoughts On The Rumour

Dallas Mavericks — This trade would be an amazing coup for the Mavericks. Getting out from underneath that horrific Matt Carroll contract would be some achievement.

Toronto Raptors — This is plain stupid. They’d have to be idiotic to make this deal. Adding this type of long term salary and gaining so little talent in return would be a disgracefully bad decision.

…

Side Note: Instead of paying Matt Carroll $16.4 million, a team could instead just sign a minimum contract wing who is a superior basketball player. Crazy idea, I know!

Conclusions

Matt Carroll’s contract is to be avoided. It’s a terrible deal. One of the worst, if not the worst, in it’s pay bracket ($4-5 million per annum).

The only way any team should even contemplate taking on his contract is if they’re getting one heck of an incentive from the seller. Say future first round draft picks, or someone who is actually a good player. Short of that possibility, the potential acquiring team needs to say "no" emphatically and hang up the phone immediately.

PS — Anyone else having Jason Kapono flashbacks?

Come on, the Raptors just got rid of the guy and is terrible contract, and now, the Raptors are going to acquire a comparable (worse?) version of Kapon with an even longer + more damaging contract?

Those were pretty much my thoughts exactly. Anyone know if this deal is dead yet?

by bigweeze on Aug 23, 2009 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

Also, he spells rumour with a U so he must be Canadian (or British).

by bigweeze on Aug 23, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: A potential Carroll move and BC

Following up on a prior thread, I think a max amount of cash (3M) would be a starting point to make a deal like this more palatable. However, this is assuming that BC can use that cash, packaged with a roster player, for a better player who can be an asset in the longer term ala George for Belinelli. Picks and roster players would be great options as well.

NBR outlines the reasons against the move quite well, agree with them all. A minimum contract replacement following a buyout is convincing enough.

I appreciate the fact that BC, not unlike the Great Houdini, is able to get himself out of the elaborate cap shackles that he willingly places himself in time after time. My question, is whether that energy could be better spent using Carroll’s cap space to find a worthy addition to the roster in two years time when Banks expires? Having Carroll’s salary on the books in 2012 and 2013 could be the difference between being able to resign an existing player using the Bird exemption, or being able to use the MLE that year.

Or would people rather BC book a weekend retreat in 2011 for the entire basketball operations staff. He could then conspire with Fruitman to trade Carroll’s remaining two years for a slightly better player on a similarily overpriced four year deal, If that’s what progress is, we need to aspire to greater things.

by Yardly on Aug 24, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions