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by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jun 21, 2010 12:00 PM EDT in Daily Links

ESPN's Free agency Dime highlights 10 things to know for free agency. One thing is for certain, NBA free agency opens up an offseason of change.

Can Chris Bosh be the best player on a championship team?

Bosh is considering the New York Knicks, with or without LeBron James. But it might not matter if the Cleveland Cavaliers can initiate a sign-and-trade deal to acquire Bosh from the Raptors.

Playing the Bosh blame game.

SI.com's Ian Thomsen asks whether VCU's Larry Sanders could be the replacement for Bosh. But if Cole Aldrich is still on the board, as Thomsen predicts, it would be tough to see the Raptors passing on the Kansas big man. Both Sanders and Aldrich are listed among the top five centres in the Draft, according to USA Today.

Here are five guys currently projected to go in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft who are worth taking a chance on.

Ron Artest is an NBA champion, and it all makes sense now.

The Raptors ranked 19th in Basketball-Reference.com's final 2009-10 BBR Rankings.

Unfortunately, the Raptors never talked Turkoglu trade with the Kings. Let's hope they are talking trade with someone though.

If you think the Raptors' front office has problems, check out the hot mess otherwise known as the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Damning article by Ryan Wolstat. This article encapsulates my problem with BC very clearly. First, there was a lack of resources dedicated to the analysis of statistics. Then when finally the resources were invested, they were totally ignored. My opinion is and has always been, that no matter what, BC was going to MAKE the Bargani selectoin work. He would ignore statistics and subsequently what was best for the team to ensure his golden calf had oportunity after oportunity, even when not deserved.

That is what is so tragic about this mess. The fait of the Colangelo era was sealed 4 years ago almost to the day when Bargani was drafted. Now we have a washed up malcontent turd bucket of a small forward who wants out, a franchise player catching the first thing smoking out of town, almost 30 mil owed to an aging defensive liability of a PG and, umm… Bargani. BC should have looked to trade Bargani last offseason instead of signing him to that bloated long term contract.

by MAS11 on Jun 21, 2010 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

MAS11

“In an age of spin, al-Sahaf offers feeling and authenticity. His message is consistent — unshakeable, in fact, no matter the evidence — but he commands daily attention by his on-the-spot, invective-rich variations on the theme. His lunatic counterfactual art is more appealing than the banal awfulness of the Reliable Sources. He is a Method actor in a production that will close in a couple of days. He stands superior to truth.”

by renato on Jun 21, 2010 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

oops, I meant..

“In an age of spin, MAS11 offers feeling and authenticity. His message is consistent — unshakeable, in fact, no matter the evidence — but he commands daily attention by his on-the-spot, invective-rich variations on the theme. His lunatic counterfactual art is more appealing than the banal awfulness of the Reliable Sources. He is a Method actor in a production that will close in a couple of days. He stands superior to truth.”

by renato on Jun 21, 2010 1:32 PM EDT reply actions

Comence eye rolling sequence....

by MAS11 on Jun 21, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Funny quote. But I’m afraid MAS11 is pretty much dead on in his analysis.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jun 21, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

for a while

I thought MAS11 was just your alternate login…

by renato on Jun 21, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m a huge numbers guy.. but as much as I keep trying to work it, it’s just not as applicable in bball. You think Lakers or Celts based their team on #s?

by Ustation on Jun 21, 2010 4:49 PM EDT reply actions

The other big issue that year, that is was a year of busts: Patrick O’Bryant, Saer Sene, Shelden Williams, Tyrus Thomas, Adam Morrison, Joel Freeland. It was an unfortunate year to land a #1 pick.

According to the Mock Draft #s, Branden Roy was ranked 8th.. so lets not be reviosionists..

by Ustation on Jun 21, 2010 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

No one is being a revisionist...

regarding the draft. My point is, no matter how you looked at it, whether scientifically through statistics or anecdotaly or just by plain watching, Bargani/Bosh never worked and was never going to work. BC should have realized this and made a move, but he stuck with Bargani and the result is we’re loosing Bosh and we as Raptors fans are now stuck with Bargani…

by MAS11 on Jun 21, 2010 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions

So what if BC had traded Bargnani and then Bargnani had blossomed on another team. Then we would be blasting him for being hasty and not giving Bargnani a chance to develop.

by DW19 on Jun 22, 2010 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the B/B play is a tad overated.. the biggest issue last year was the triangle of death (Bargs/Calderon/Hedo).

The heart of the issue lies in the third/fourth player with B/B. I betcha if we had a lockdown SG defender, a cutter SF and an average PG defender, B/B wouldn’t be an issue.

As much as I’ve been all over Bargs all season for being soft (which he is), his single biggest issue almost isn’t about him.. it’s the guys in front of him. As soon as the opposing SG/PG breaks down our SG/PG he’s lost. And unfortunately that happens alot.

Wolstat’s use of the stat is misleading try looking at Bargs + Calderon.

He had when B/B = Ofense 112.63 Defence 113.38
Bosh-No Bargnani 108.45 105.69
Bargnani-No Bosh 101.00 109.75

The JC, Beli, Wright, Amir, Bargs line: 95.7, 155.7!!!!!
Flip Hedo in for Beli and Jack in for JC: 121.8, 142.86 (still awful but the difference is huge)
When you have Bosh Bargs and Calderon: 107.81, 132.84
With Bosh Bargs Jack its: 112.90, 122.58

Again.. a lot of the issue is JC. Don’t get me wrong, the D is awful overall.. but I can lay you stats as how it’s really because of the SG/SF.

by Ustation on Jun 22, 2010 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry one more line for comparison..

when it’s Jack, Weems, Derozan, Johnson, Bargs its actually a respectable: 115.07, 91.89. A rare +23.18

mind you when it’s Bosh instead of Johnson it was : 115.28 and 90.00. And that was the starting lineup I wanted for most nights.

by Ustation on Jun 22, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Some of those lineups must have tiny samples – no squad lets up 155.7 pts/100 defensively. Opposing team would have to shoot 78%

by bigweeze on Jun 23, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually, it is being revisionist to suggest that we shouldn’t have taken Roy even if it meant we traded down in the draft. You forget what our team looked like on draft day 2006. We had Bosh, Charlie V, Rasho/Bonner (don’t remember if Bonner was traded before or after the draft) and not much at the 2 guard positions. Instead of drafting a guard to complement the plethora of forward/centers we had on the team he drafted another forward/center. Even if traded down and drafted Rudy Gay our team would have been further ahead. They often say that drafting for need instead of taking the best player available is often a good way to kill your team but in this case maybe it would have been the best thing for the team long term. The other irony is that everyone compared Bargnani to Dirk who plays the PF and then you have an all-star PF already on the roster and under contract so why the hell would you draft a player who projects (and we have now all seen) to play the same position as your best player?

by McGateway on Jun 23, 2010 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

i dont think...

I don’t think bosh is as good as gone just yet..it really all depends on what happens with hedo and the night of the draft..and again bosh has said (go to realgm.com) today that he wants to be “the man” and he wants a team build around HIM that’s why he’s been distancing himself from Lebron..that’s why I don’t think he’s going to either Cleveland or Miami cause if he goes he’s playing second fiddle to those 2. I really believe if we get something for hedo and the draft turns out good I really think he’ll stay

by sherwin316 on Jun 21, 2010 5:57 PM EDT via mobile reply actions