Next Offseason Could be Colangelo's Most Crucial

Kleiza confirms decision to play in Lithuania
22 Nov 2011, 09:24 PM

Linas Kleiza has confirmed that he will be coming back to play in Lithuania while the NBA lockout continues and the only choice left is between Lietuvos Rytas and Zalgiris.

"We’ll see how things pan out. I can’t say that the negotiations are intense, but the situation with Lietuvos Rytas is very clear, but I haven’t heard anything concrete from Zalgiris," Kleiza told 15min.lt.

Lithuanian businessman and professional poker player Antanas Guoga, who is a good friend of Kleiza, is ready to cover both the salary of the player and the insurance-related costs.

Guoga has confirmed that he has spoken to the Zalgiris owner Vladimir Romanov about the opportunity for Kleiza to play in Kaunas, but is waiting for him to field an offer. However, Guoga did admit that the final decision will still be made by Kleiza himself.

This is from yesterday on ESPN – Dallas Mavericks Report. I hope that BC finds a way to make this happen. ISTM that if BC tried to trade for Chandler last season and with Casey being the Raptors new coach that BC will be making a very hard run at acquiring Chandler before the 2011-12 season starts. JMO

Free agent Tyson Chandler dropped a bombshell Wednesday night, mere hours after teams were permitted to begin talking to player-agents. Chandler told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Chris Broussard that he does not expect to be a member of the Dallas Mavericks when training camps open in little more than a week.

“I would like this to be settled by early next week,” Chandler said. “I want to be in camp with my new teammates as soon as possible.” …..

In the end, where Chandler plays this season will be up to him. Right now, the man who helped prevent another one-and-done season, has left a trail of evidence that he will be one-and-done in Dallas.

Even in the event that the Raptors choose to move Bargnani, Davis seems poised to fill in that starting power forward spot where he will bring defense and rebounding, both of which the team desperately needs.

This statement has a lot of truth in it, as well as a certain amount of myth – all tied together. Rebounding (Bargnani aside), is not our issue. Toronto issues – in relation to this – are:

• Opponent fgm average. Raptors were the 8th best team in shooting (.465), but unfortunately were the 2nd worst team in opponent scoring (.482) – that`s defense (or lack thereof).
• 3 pt Shooting – Despite our overall good shooting, Raptors were last in 3 pt shooting, along with 3rd worst, in allowing perimeter shots. Again …… that`s defense. To me, this was our most serious issue (making them & allowing them). It affected our inside offensive game (imagine our scoring being even better), as well as our defensive response.

IMO, Toronto`s numbers did not reflect a 22-60 team. One can only imagine how Raptors would’ve fared, had we not experienced an unusual multitude of injuries that dramatically affected this team. For a collection of players that was lean on talent, it’s easy to understand the 2010-11 record.

If Casey can bump up the defensive strategy & play-book, Toronto – pending who they pick up (scraps or legit players?) – should have a better season. We can`t get worse when it comes to perimeter offense & defense, so one has to assume we`ll get better.
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Amnesty & Free Agency

For those who believe we should tank (quietly or not), and personally I think tanking is an affront to anything or anyone who’s a true sports enthusiast – BC will need to weigh adding talent now, versus next season. Colangelo needs to assess:

• Quality of talent in amnesty (especially if it’s cheap)
• The amount of Amnesty ’free agents’
• The quality of ’free agents’, or more so, the availability – how does Amnesty affect normal Free Agents.

If the best route (for BC), means being more aggressive this season, with it somewhat affecting our draft position next year, then so be it. We already have a top pick in our pockets (Jonas), and with a strong draft, who’s to say Brian can`t wrangle a second 1st round pick.

With all the focus on getting a Star in the next draft, we need to remember some relevant (and not so relevant) facts:

• Bosh was a Star – where`d that get us.
• Carter was a Super Star – where`d that get us
• Jersey had the worst record (2010 draft) – 4th overall pick
• Cleveland had the 2nd worst record last year – but got the 1st pick because of 8th (last) place Clippers.

It goes without saying that Toronto is doubtful in making the play-offs, despite my feeling it should be our goal. That in itself will get us into the lottery – where anything can happen.
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Name a team whose fanbase has wholeheartedly subscribed to tanking that ultimately became championship caliber?

Think of the perpetual bottom dwellers of the last few years, Clippers, Minnesota, etc. I would argue the prospect of those teams being considered championship caliber any time soon is limited, even with their having used an abundance of draft picks. Mention of Memphis reminds me of how a lot of people viewed Portland before last year, and even the enthusiasm for the Grizzlies has to be tempered somewhat given that it was the consequence of a Zack Randolph extension seeking renaissance and a Marc Gasol (losing a lot of weight before his free agent year) career performance.

My point is there are no automatic, easy to replicate paths to championship glory, so to be so onside with the notion of throwing away the season because the draft is supposed to be good is not something I’m on board with considering that so many variables are at play.

Of the last few years in terms of projected talent, the Sacramento Kings in drafting Evans and Cousins realized the best possible scenario of any teams having to suffer through bad seasons but how far away are they from playing for a championship?

My approach?

Get in the habit of realizing the most out of the talent you have, playing an identifiable brand of basketball rooted in a sound, cohesive philosophy that utilizes your players strengths, with the aim of winning every game. This way you will find those already in your system with the capacity to contribute to championship level play or at least allow these players to show the best of themselves so that you can trade them for better value.

Tanking for the sake of getting a chance at supposed franchise players (strange how some view every player projected to be in the top of a given year’s lottery to be automatically way better than all of the players already on our team) isn’t something I’ve seen work in the NBA context.

From Canada.com. Complete article on link.

Raptors chasing Tyson Chandler?

December 1, 2011. 2:01 pm

He is a great fit on the Raptors’ roster when looking at strengths and weaknesses. The Chandler, Diaw, Evans and Calderon deal also made a ton of sense last summer as it would have given the Raptors a lot of financial flexibility.

However Chandler is looking for a huge pay day with long-term security and will receive a contract that will be based on his play from last season. There is a good possibility that he might not replicate last year’s production.

There is also the risk of him being sidelined due to injury for an extended period of time or injuries limiting his play on the court. And he just turned 29 in October.

Colangelo has repeatedly mentioned the need to add the "right" pieces. He had tried to make a splash by acquiring the injury prone Jermaine O’Neal. His new right hand man Ed Stefanski fell for the same mistake with Elton Brand. Brand was also 29 when he signed with the Sixers.

Perhaps a younger alternative, like DeAndre Jordan, might make more sense as he brings similar skills to the table without the injury risks or the potentially massive contract.

I would love DJ but I doubt that Clippers will let him get away.

Regarding Valanciunas.

He is still only 19 and IMO maybe 3 or 4 years away from being a positive force in the NBA. Even then you never know how someone will turn out.

I would rather the Raptors go for a solid defensive Big Man to play Center right now and worry about a possible over abundance of very good big men when it happens. When you only win 22 games you need to look at improving ASAP and Jonas will not be able to help the Raptors do that for sure in 2011-12 and for who knows how long if ever.

In the minor league EuroCup

Games 5
MPG 25.4
PPG 16.8
RPG 5.6
FG% 75%
FT% 91%

In the major league EuroLeague

Games 3
MPG 18.0
PPG 8.0
RPG 6.3
FG% 50%
FT% 83%

His numbers so far are appreciably better in the minor league EuroCup.

LTU by the way is 8 – 0.

I couldn’t post during the lockout…I just didn’t have it in me. But now that the lockout’s over I’m getting excited again.

I’d be for grabbing a big like Chandler if it is in the 8 million a year range. He would tighten up our interior defense, and would be a good guy to have around to teach Jonas how to play the position in the NBA.

If healthy, Amir should start over Ed. Make Ed earn the spot by consistently outplaying Amir. This organization has a long and storied history of given starting spots without the player actually having to earn it. That needs to change.

As for tanking, It’s easier said than done. You’d never get a coach or a player to agree to tank. Not only that, but I’d suggest that the mindset of tanking would poison your entire locker room. You’d effectively need to replace everybody if that was your goal.

Now, a GM can help you tank by trading off valuable pieces and not getting anything in return, which I am in favour of to some extent…

Colangelo has to figure out what he has and then decide who’s worth keeping around and who isn’t. The goal (should be) to compete for a championship. Even if we get a stud in the draft, how soon could that happen? 5 years at least? So the idea should be to build towards that point.

I’d like to see BC pick up another lottery pick this season. If he doesn’t use the cap space on a guy like Chandler, I’d prefer he save it and try to use it as a bargaining chip to take someone’s bad contract at the price of a pick. Assuming the new CBA doesn’t screw us by changing the draft age this year, this will be a loaded draft and likely the best one for a few years. You should be able to get a good player in the low teens.

Finally, I wouldn’t use the amnesty clause now. I’d wait to see how Kleiza recovers from his injury, see if there’s a trade market for him and then go from there. It would be him or Calderon if you can’t find a trade for either.

1. Devlin will up the hype game for DeRozan and Davis
2. Bargnani still won’t be able to rebound.
3. BC will try and trade Bargnani before the trade deadline
4. Calderon will get injured again and miss a bunch of games.
5. Bayless will make Raptors fans say. Brandon who?
6. The Dance Pack will have at least one new routine
7. DeRozan will score 19+ ppg and his defense will still suck
8. James Johnson will make all Raptors fans everywhere dream about Harrison Barnes
9. Reggie will return
10. Barbosa’s wife will tell him he extends with the Raptors he will have to sleep on the couch.
11. Reggie will grab some other NBA players family jewels and/or hand.
12. Amir Johnson will commit the Raptors first foul.
13. Stefanski will bore Raptors fans with his interviews
14. Bargani’s team defense will still be horrible
15. Casey will try and use multiple forms of defense to hide Bargnani inadequacies
16. The Raptors will make at least one inconsequential trade.
17. The Maple Leafs will win more games than the Raptors
18. The Raptors will get at least one lottery pick next June
19. Come next March Raptors fans will be rooting for the Raptors to lose so that the Raptors increase their chances of drafting the Harrison Barnes.
19. Ed Davis will not eat at iHOP
20. Doug Smith will continue to be Doug Smith

17. The Maple Leafs will win more games than the Raptors

that ain’t no prediction.

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According to

Marc Stein

from ESPN.com:

Sources say Toronto is trying to be as aggressive as it can be in the big-man market in free agency and has informed the players involved that it intends to lodge serious bids for Nene, Chandler and restricted free agent Marc Gasol. In the unlikely event that releasing a player through amnesty could clinch the signing of one of those players, rest assured that the Raptors will go for it.

NBA and NBPA negotiations to resume next Wednesday on Level B items. If no agreement is reached on these items camps will not begin the following Monday.

Stay tuned for more on this.

Eric__Smith Eric Smith
Looking forward to chatting with @josemcalderon8 at 2pm today on The Eric Smith Show #Sportsnet590 #Raptors @eric__smith @Paul__Jones

According to nypost.com:

League sources acknowledge the Nets are among the more aggressive teams pursuing Denver’s Nene and while acknowledging the suitor field is densely populated, one rated their chances as "pretty strong" with the 6-foot-11 hulk. Denver, Indiana and Houston are among the strongest competition.

Nene is the Nets’ top free agent choice.

Nets have ‘strong’ chance to land Nene

I was in the middle of responding and had a problem with a Windows installation so I had to close everything down, clean the computer and reboot, So of course when I reloaded Firefox and came back into the website all the posts on this read were identified as read.

I am upgrading my entire network to W8-DP (i.e. alpha) and had a problem, which is now resolved, in installing Windows Live Essentials on one of the computers. Anyway now GTC. Windows 7 is such old news. LOL

I will take a look through the list of replies.

Just was looking through the APBR metric that ranks Amir Johnson as the 48th best player.

I would like to know how I can take a ranking system seriously that ranks Demar Derozan 358 and Brian Cardinal 157. Andrea Bargnani is ranked 268 while Shavlik Randolph is 253.

This system also ranks Amir Johnson ahead of Stephen Curry (60), Rudy Gay (70), Brook Lopez (75), Eric Gordan (82). Jose Calderon comes in at 173 behind the likes of Brian Cardinal, Hassan Whiteside, Michael Ruffin and Gani Lawal (WHO?!).

So I am all ears but how is this system accurate and suppose to be taken seriously and be the be all and end all argument for Amir Johnson being the Raptors superior post player, I am really sick of hearing opinions so some facts and numbers would be nice and not a system that has obvious flaws as shown by some of these absurd rankings.