So Long Pops!

by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Jan 5, 2010 1:28 PM EST

The team just announced that it has released Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Since being picked up (for the second time in two seasons) he averaged 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and just shy of 7 minutes of playing time in 16 games.

Not a particularly surprising move and given Reggie should be suiting up soon, fairly inconsequential. His season highlight would easily have come when he destroyed the Raps in a pre-season game.

There's now an open roster spot. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone BC decides to bring in on a short term basis.

Any suggestions?

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Hmm

I actually find this move very strange. He must be a guy who causes problems in the locker room because, really, why would you get rid of him when the guy behind him is Patrick O’Bryant—maybe the worst player the Raps have ever had???

Unless Evans plays tonight, why not just dump Nesterovic and that way we have a back up should Amir Johnson. Rasho and O’Bryant bring NOTHING to the team, while Pops was at least some emergency energy and a fan favourite. Colangelo must have a rule that 33%+ of the team has to be Euro at all times . . .

by Original Aaron on Jan 5, 2010 1:30 PM EST reply actions

because

POB has a guaranteed contract and by waving Pops they instead save money….

by renato on Jan 5, 2010 1:32 PM EST up reply actions

Worst Raptor ever?

Umm, there were some truly dreadful players for the Raptors so I don’t think it’s likely POB’s the worst ever. Just the worst on this team.

Really, POB’s very good at the things that a 15th player needs to do: look good in a suit and not cause trouble.

As renato points out, POB has a guaranteed contract so they pay him whether they waive him or not and that money counts against both the cap and the tax threshold. BC made the decision before the season started that a year POB on a guaranteed contract was likely to be cheaper than a replacement scrub + the guaranteed part of POBs contract, especially if said scrub’s contract took them over the tax threshold, where it would count double.

Rasho is the backup centre for Andrea. Johnson and Evans and Pops are all backups for Bosh. Pops had a non-guaranteed contract, so away he goes.

by siggian on Jan 5, 2010 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

I'll give you a Worst Raptor Ever

Vincenzo Esposito is the worst Raptor ever.

by siggian on Jan 5, 2010 2:16 PM EST up reply actions

you guys have something against Italians, don't you?

BTW in a recent interview Esposito said he left the NBA because it was not a league but a circus…

by renato on Jan 5, 2010 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

No, just that guy :P

He never really stood a chance even if he’d had decent talent. There are a lot of other contenders for the title. I’m not even sure that POB makes the second team.

by siggian on Jan 5, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

That almost deserves its own post

First Team All-Craptor
PG – Negele Knight
SG – Vincenzo Esposito
SF – Chris Jeffries
PF – Uros Slokar
C – Rafael Araujo / Mengke Bateer / Nate Huffman (tie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Raptors_all-time_roster

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 5, 2010 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

Neg, only played in six games.. cause if that’s the case, there’s a lot of 1 game wonders!

by Ustation on Jan 5, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

not sure Slowcar was that bad,

by renato on Jan 5, 2010 5:48 PM EST up reply actions

Slokar should not be there.

Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious

by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Jan 5, 2010 8:34 PM EST up reply actions

Good Work Stance,

I don’t know how many painful memories were dug up while coming up with that list. Of the ones you’ve provided, I’ll go with Huffman. It doesn’t get much worse then damaged goods right out of the box. We’ll have to give a pass to any obscure draft pick that never even made the team. DeAndre Hulett came to mind for some reason.

Slokar had the skills of a shooting pf, and he did have some decent scoring games. Just didn’t have the physical skills to keep up. I give him a pass. In terms of return (or lack thereof) on resources invested, Araujo (8th overall pick in 2004) and Michael Stewart (6 years at $3 million per) are close contenders with Huffman. Aleksander Radojevic (12th overall, 1999) is not far behind either.

by Yardly on Jan 5, 2010 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

Um...

Original Aaron, isn’t Pops British? Hence, cutting him would DECREASE the “Euro” percentage on the Raps.

by Posterized on Jan 6, 2010 5:27 AM EST up reply actions

Nominations for the worst Raptor that got any burn:

1. Rafael Arujo
2. Chris Jefferies
3. Micahel Bradley
4. Yogi Stewart (he averaged $3.5M a year what?!)
5. John Thomas
6. Donald Whiteside
7. Jimmy King
8. Vincenzo Esposito
9. Jermaine Jackson.. ok he didn’t get any burn, but I just loved the name

Those would be my nominations.

by Ustation on Jan 5, 2010 3:38 PM EST reply actions

Hmm I’ve got to got to give it Hoffa, and a close 2nd would be Jefferies. Those two helped destroy the franchise.

by Ustation on Jan 5, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

Yep, that list is pretty brutal. Except John Thomas — he wasn’t bad.

Kornel David, Sharone Wright and Robert Archibald should also be in the conversation. Haha.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 5, 2010 4:12 PM EST up reply actions

You cannot bust on Wright. He wasn’t bad, it was just bad luck that he got into a car accident that ended his career.
Names forgotten on your list.

Corrie Blunt.
Fred Jones. Talk about overpaid for what we got.
Eric Montross. Paid to sit on injured reserve.
Lamond Murray. How can you forget this ass clown.
Eric Williams. We traded Vince Carter for that idiot.

and the winner for the worst Raptor player (based on Salary, timed played, slap in the face value) is Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwan. He of 61 games played, 7.1 pts, 6.0 rebounds (and yall hate on Bargnani for that stat) and 1.5 blocks. His salary was over 10 mil per season and after he retired (after 1 season played) he gave Toronto the extra slap in the face of having his jersey retired by Houston in a game against the Raptors. Sweet huh?

One more player to mention – Corliss Williamson. Remember him? I wish I didn’t.

by McGateway on Jan 6, 2010 7:37 AM EST up reply actions

wtf

why!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they better sign him to at least 10 day contracts cause he was a pretty darn good player coming off the bench.
energy, hustle, spectactular dunks, makes fans happy, team gets excited, great guy. – thats what we need in a back up (who is also pretty darn cheap).
what position do we need most in case of emergency? i think its pf and possibly center, and thats what pop is. dang. wtf

by tea time on Jan 5, 2010 11:17 PM EST reply actions

This move could be a prelude to a trade of some sort as well. Not that it means it is going to happen tomorrow but by freeing up a roster spot now, they leave themselves some wiggle room if they need to make a move down the road and take on additional players. I am guessing that has factored into it as much as the salary savings. BC is getting pushed into a difficult spot (created himself) as this team is obviously not good enough to contend long term and he will either have to make a move to try and keep Bosh or move Bosh himself before he loses him for nothing.

by McGateway on Jan 6, 2010 7:40 AM EST reply actions