Raptors HQ Lunchbox Links for August 18, 2011

by Adam Francis on Aug 18, 2011 12:30 PM EDT in Lunchbox Links

Let's kick off this edition of LBL with some lock-out talk as usual.

Former Raptor Chris Bosh Believes Owners And Players Will Get To A Solution Very Quickly, and gives his take on how things may go down.

Of course it's pretty hard to take Bosh very seriously considering his recent back tattoo which is...well...you judge for yourself.

David Stern has sounded the alarm, suggesting Labor Day As Key Date As Impasse Wears On, and Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski notes that NBA stars may face roadblock to play in China if they're looking to jump overseas.

More lock-out discussion in 95 Theses On The NBA Lockout: How To Fix Our Imploding League - if neither side will present a new proposal to end the lockout, SB Nation will.

And in their continuing This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things series, Quentin Richardson...

More after the jump...

Outside of lock-out talk, it seems that if basketball ever returns, the 2013 NBA All-Star Game is Headed To Houston.

While there's little going on in Raptors-land, Raptors Republic takes a look at the Impact of Not Having Summer League.

DeMar Derozan and Derrick Williams Go Back-and-Forth in Drew League action. While DD uses some crafty moves to get by the former Arizona stud on one possession, Williams comes right back at DeMar and schools him with an extremely dirty crossover of his own.

Two of DeRozan's teammates, James Johnson and Linas Kleiza, show up on on Hardwood Paroxysm's "Exercises In Futility:The 50 Worst NBA Rotation Players."

Considering these were just players 50 to 41, we very well may see a number of other Raps show up on this list before it's through.

On a much brighter note, the newest member of the Toronto Raptors, Jonas Valanciunas, ranked at the top of the Wages of Wins' FIBA All-Tournament Team. Big Val was named MVP by the journal, and it wasn't even close.

Former Raptor Jimmy King isn't all-tournament anything nowadays.

He's working to settle a child support claim that had him arrested earlier this month.

And finally this Saturday is Sports Day In "The Square'’ as Maple Leaf Square will be hosting a free interactive event for fans.

Among the activities?

A dunk tank featuring MLSE employees, including Richard Peddie.

Is it safe to say that Raptors' fans are already lining up for their shot?

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Lots of Good Talking Points On This Post by Adam

Now that Michael is on the other side of the tracks

Jordan said small-market teams would benefit greatly from a “hard” salary cap, and it would allow clubs such as Milwaukee to plan a future on key players

the rest of the article is about Michael talking mostly about Bogut

http://bit.ly/omc3kI

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

D. Williams Is A Rookie

yes a good one, but it appears that DeRozan spends his summer’s working on his offense more than his defense.

What DeRozan needs to do is spend two hours or more a day in the gym just playing defense and trying to guard people one on one.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 12:40 PM EDT reply actions

If DeRozan continues to play little in the way of NBA-level defence while failing to develop a perimeter shot, I’ll be happy to see him packaged with Bargnani and shipped off to Minnesota or some other sad-sack franchise.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Aug 18, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Painful to say that I saw the clip and had the same reaction…I mean Williams is quick for a big guy, but DeRozan made that look WAY too easy.

Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com

by Adam Francis on Aug 18, 2011 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

The Impact of Not Having Summer League

Ed Davis told me (in person at the Raptors Draft Party) that it’s difficult to find other big men to practice with,

I say BS.

There are plenty of big men to practice with. All he has to do his get off his butt and find one or two. I am sure if Amir wasn’t still in rehab he would be more than happy to practice with Davis.

Bad attitude man but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from the guy who dissed the D-League last season.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

Found that curious too…especially considering there are probably tons of D League level big men who could still school Ed based on their advanced knowledge of various fundamentals.

Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com

by Adam Francis on Aug 18, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

For Example Maybe He Could Practice With NC's Tyler Zeller

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/81570

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Ed could have tried to get in on that league that they put together in D.C. That had plenty of decent NBA guys in it.

by DW19 on Aug 18, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Absolutely.

Not to mention I spoke with him in the locker room after the last game of the season and it sounded like he had some stuff lined up. And coach Hughes confirmed similar stuff so I think that statement is a bit exaggerated.

Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com

by Adam Francis on Aug 18, 2011 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

In All Fairness

Maybe you could contact him, assuming that you aren’t employed by the Raptors or the NBA and do an interview with him.

It would be nice to get a first hand current interview rather than having to guess what he has been doing these last four months since the Raptors season ended.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Chris Bosh Believes Owners And Players Will Get To A Solution Very Quickly,

First Love and now Bosh. Both saying a deal needs to be struck quickly.

I think we are starting to see a crack in the players so called solidarity on a CBA deal.

No doubt IMO Hunter wants this impasse to go on for as long as he can. I also have no doubt that a number of players, especially those that have socked money away would be happy with a shorter 2011-12 season or maybe even no 2011-12 season at. Those are certainly players that don’t really give a hoot about the fans and are thinking only of themselves

I am still not optimistic that there will be a full 2011-12 season and still put the odds at no higher higher that 3:1 that the entire 2011-12 season will be lost.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 1:04 PM EDT reply actions

"No doubt IMO Hunter wants this impasse to go on for as long as he can. I also have no doubt that a number of players, especially those that have socked money away would be happy with a shorter 2011-12 season or maybe even no 2011-12 season at. Those are certainly players that don’t really give a hoot about the fans and are thinking only of themselves."
Buddah, you’ll need to explain to me how it is in the Billy Hunter’s interest for this "impasse to go on for as long as (it) can"?? Or for players to want NOT to get paid?? This statement makes no sense.

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 3:23 PM EDT reply actions

No I Don't

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

OK so we should just continue to ignore that rambling statement as utter nonsense.

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

You Do Want You Want

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL SMH...

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I Find It Interesting

that most here are spending more time talking about Bargnani then getting excited about Jonas play this summer.

Right now I would rather have Jonas in a Raptors uniform than Bargnani. If anyone disagrees then I suggest that they watch Jonas play.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Couldn’t agree more.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Aug 18, 2011 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure how we got here (nice slight of hand to change the subject)… But I agree with you.

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Was thinking the same thing MAS ;)

Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com

by Adam Francis on Aug 19, 2011 7:57 AM EDT up reply actions

CB4's tatoo

I’ve often defended CB4 in this space in the past, but that abortion of a tattoo is indefensible….

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 3:25 PM EDT reply actions

I will assume you meant abomonation as opposed to abortion lmao.

by McGateway on Aug 18, 2011 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

No I meant abortion. As in, using the most terrible, taboo, extreme language possible to describe how bizzar and awful that tattoo is.

by MAS11 on Aug 18, 2011 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I Posted A Short Synopsis of Today's LTU - Spain Game on The Jonas Thread

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 4:21 PM EDT reply actions

Erildas Erildas Budraitis
Again, Valanciunas was the most valuable player in Lithuanian NT 11 pts (3/5 FG, 5/6 FT), 5 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk in 18 min

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

i know im going to get alot of "WTF" comments but

i think boshes back tattoo is ok..ive seen a hell of alot worst trust me hahahah, bosh does seem positive that we’ll have a season and for some reason i think there will be a season too (wheather its a full or half season) i think they’ll be some basketball this season. Hey buddah seeing that your doing a great job keeping us up to date with how jonas is playing this summer (and i too have watched 2 games he has played in) would you take kanter or jonas in the draft if you had the choice? just seeing how jonas is playing and what he could become i think he’ll be the better player when all said and done but thats just me.

by sherwin316 on Aug 18, 2011 9:31 PM EDT reply actions

Putting Me On The Spot eh?

From what I have seen Jonas has improved measurably since last May when I first saw him. He does seem a little bigger (stronger) but I think the biggest change is that his confidence level is way up. As a result he is a lot more aggressive especially on offense. I attribute this to his MVP performance in U19 leading LTU to the championship.

I haven’t seen Kanter play this summer so I can’t comment on him vs Jonas at this point

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions

what is kanter doing this summer?

is he playing with his national team? or is he like other players and playing pick up ball in other leagues?

by sherwin316 on Aug 18, 2011 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

He Is Playing For Turkey

The problem is that I haven’t seen him play other than this one minute highlight film of him playing against the Ukraine. I think this is from Aug 11th in the " Sports Betting World Cup 10 ".

Enes Kanter in game action Thursday for Turkey, scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds in a win over the Ukraine.

http://bit.ly/nWrgGB

Turkey plays tomorrow vs Greece

Bitter rivals Turkey and Greece will meet in a friendly in Germany on Friday, starting the Beko Supercup 2011.

Turkey opened its preparations with the Spor Toto World Cup tournament held in İzmir, but the team’s performance has been largely disappointing. After a hard-fought win over Ukraine, Turkey lost to Serbia and Germany, ending the four-team tournament in the third spot.

Nothing about Kanter in the article though there is a picture of you know who. In fact there are two pictures of him. LOL

http://bit.ly/rl18y1

The Turkey – Greece game tomorrow may be on OleoleTV.com. Obviously if it is on at the same time as LTU vs Russia we all know which one I will be watching though I would love to see Kanter in action. I am sure I will in the EuroBasket 2011.

by Buddahfan on Aug 18, 2011 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions