Tip-In: Davis'd - Griffin Kept Under Wraps in Raptors' 98 to 93 Win Over Clippers

He’s only 25..that’s not a kid?

I thought you was trying to funny when saying it..I just read post on here that even when bargs does actually have a good or decent game people still bash him. My fault for assuming that’s what you were doing.

It is overpaying if you can sign a player for less money then you did. Yes Johnson has played well so far this season (managing to stay our of foul trouble etc) but if BC could have shaved an average of a million or so per season, wouldn’t that have been even better? The complaint about his contract was as much a reflection of BC and the way he runs things as it was a hit on Johnson.

Nothing changes the game like a solid defensive Centre. Take Dwight Howard for example, you can pretty much design your entire defensive strategy around him (as Orlando has done). You can pair him with two small forwards and add in a litlle Jameer Nelson (not known for his defense) and they still have one of the best defences in the league. Hey, you can even play him with Turkaglu.

Another example, look at the job Chandler has done in improving Dallas’ defense this season. It’s remarkable what a defensive presence in the middle can do!

Its funny how almost every sport has the same theme, build strength up the middle and it makes it easier to do everything else. The PG and Center are keys to any defense and when you have strong players there it can make all the difference in your game planning.

I would be happy if he averaged 7.5 – 8 rebounds per game. I do not think he will ever get there though.

He’s legit and I think would be a great fit with Derozan on the wing.

It’s a tricky situation and that’s why I’m starting to lean towards trying to keep Reggie around.

The truth is that the youngters need to have a veteran or two around to show them the ropes. But Vets don’t like to come to losing situations. So do you offer Reggie something reasonable and hope he doesn’t get a better offer elsewhere? Do you let him go and then try to address the situation later hoping that a quality leader falls through the cracks? Or do you end up trading one of your younger players for some veteran help and hope they aren’t upset by being moved to a losing situation?

I remember Glen Grunwald moving Marcus Camby for Charles Oakley back at the beginning of the Vince era, then turning around and adding Antonio Davis for the #5 pick (Jonathan Bender) the following year.

We don’t have the kind of assets where we can afford to move something for veteran pieces right now. So my thought is that we keep a guy who’s already here and doesn’t seem to hate it here.

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The NFL is the land of … “had a contract .. now I don’t” .. kind of guarantee.
I agree – the dynamics in football are different. Basketball is more Star centric. As such, the NBA needs their stars. Griffin proved it last night – full crowd.
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As for what’s in store for this new CBA, I’m guessing on a few adaptations. If I had a chance to improve it, these would be a few items I’d changed. :

• Luxury tax – institute more of a hard cap. Start with a relative number that allows all teams to be within that cap, then go with a declining balance (reducing over time), until the hard cap number is met.
• Allow retention of players to have more bite. Designate one player to be “protected”, and not part of the hard cap, but with a % max value. That might allow for a Wade to remain on his team, but not allow for another “Wade”.
• Institute a one-per-year veteran salary that is League average or less. That would be in addition to a mid-level exemption. Veterans are important to a team, and especially to the league`s persona.
• D-League – I`d change this whole set-up. Incorporate a 5 year plan to emulate hockey & baseball, and bring the level of play to what it really should be – not some juvenile practice session. Allow teams to have a few designated players (above and beyond the 15 man roster), to float between D-League and the big league. One that is outside the salary cap for each NBA roster, but of course, with limits. This D-League available roster, could even have its`own cap (ie. 4 players – 10 million dollar cap).
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Sing it Preacher.

Exactly, lets try and build based on a model that has actually proven to work (i.e. has won a championship)

29 teams do this every year. The 30th team does it right, but has luck on its’ side. They also spend a ton of money getting there.

IMO, you don’t build a Championship model to someone else’s specs. You build to what the cards give you. I’m sure the Nets would love to think their draft pick was 1st overall, but sometimes luck doesn’t want to be the nice guy. And while there may be a magical key to past models, trying to replicate similar scenarios, is equivalent to putting square pegs in round holes. I prefer to mold a team from within.

….. Find me a team that has won an NBA championship in the last 25 years that was not at or near the top of the league in defense and rebounding.

You put those 2 criteria together, yet they can be mutually exclusive. Boston’s title team would be one that was last in rebounding. As for defense, I don’t dispute that it must be strong for a Contender. Not the best, but pretty decent. One can also find strong defensive teams, that are not Contenders, and will never be. The component, as Boston so proved, is scoring and defense. Not rebounding.
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As for the Dirk – Andrea comparables, they are more about associations and styles, than past records. Year 5 or not, the similarities are more pronounced with Dirk this year – defensive discussions aside. Dallas is ranking very high, and on there way to the best season in recent years. Some people see them as the dark horse for the play-offs.

Anyways, here are some numbers:
2010-11 Season Records

• Dirk – 34.5 min., 22.6 pts., 6.8 Reb., 2.5 Ast., 0.6 Stl., 0.8 Blk., 0.6 OReb., .520 fg% , .405 3pt% , .881 FT%

• Andrea – 35.8 min., 21.6 pts., 5.5 Reb., 1.7 Ast., 0.6 Stl., 0.8 Blk., 1.2 OReb., .447 fg%, .329 3pt%, .829 FT%

During this year, when Bargnani has had to deal with new issues (double teams most nights), he’s experienced growing pains. His 3pt shot has been off, and I think some pressure has been put on him to hit a few more. Which is not good, as Andrea should not be encouraged to help correct this Raptor shortage. I’d rather he be aggressive, going into the Post, like he did against Griffin & Jordan.

As much as this season is about teaching Davis & Demar, it should also be about finding Andrea’s niche to this team. Scoring is obvious, in getting points. But unlike his help defense, fouls drawn by Andrea helped keep off some critical players. To me, that’s defense by offense.
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As for Dirk, and being miles apart, he is currently tracking towards his 3rd worst rebounding season (average), the other two being his first 2 years in the league. I’d assume winning like they are, is more important though.

Even with Dirk and a payroll nearing NINETY MILLION, Dallas will still not win an NBA championship (partly because Dirk is weak and doesn’t do the things regularly that you need forwards to do to win in the NBA).

As I said earlier, a number of power rankings have Dallas in the top three. ESPN has them 2nd. Whether that’s good enough to win, I can’t guarantee. I do know, that if you asked any Raptor fan, they’d change places.
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While I don’t profess to completely understand all the dynamics to gelling a team, I do think you have to get to a good point first, before planning that great point celebration. How we get there, I’m sure we’ll debate endlessly. Neither of us may get the right answer. But as Einstein once said …. "If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
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“Their circles do overlap, and intersect, but they are not the same”

that applies to almost anyone. Demar has circles that overlap with Kobe if thats going to be the argument. Jose with Nash. Amir with KG. But that doesn’t for a second mean they are anywhere near or like those players.

Bargnani is not good enough to have a ‘model built around him’ , neither is Demar, neither is Jose, neither is Amir, or Ed Davis. Getting other players for the specific purpose of putting them around the existing guys is a waste of resources. The existing guys are going to need to fit around coming players… thats why the ones who are working the hardest and showing the most versatility will be the most useful going forward.

Aldridge was inexperienced while Bosh was heading into his prime (where Aldridge is now). If you change the dynamic and have Roys first three years now instead of in the past, don’t the Trailblazers look a lot more dangerous, especially in the East?