Toronto Raptors - We can't be pathetic forever, can we?

[sotola]

wow, 67 pts at the half, 10-14 from 3 pt land on the 2nd half of a back to back. and i bet it ends up a close game.

[T Dot O Dot]

we've won 8 out of 9 to improve to 11-20

dayum

no Big Baby, no Jameer Nelson, a rusty Hedo & Redick is having an off night.... that's the recipe for a blowout

The Nicholson kid from Mississauga has a smooth stroke, it's good to see him get minutes

[sotola]

yeah, the season isn't a total write off just yet. we are in game 31 of 82 but have already played 19 of our 41 road games and 18 of our 30 against the WC.

I still don't know what the answer to Bargnani is. I can't see any fit for him with this line up right now.

[sotola]

I really hope there is no substance to the Rudy Gay rumours. what does Rudy Gay bring that DeMar DeRozan can't give you at half the price? and you give up Ed Davis, Calderone (an expiring contract and playing great ball), and possibly picks? That strikes me as the kind of deal that I said I would have fired Colangelo for if they aren't committed to him long term... a "make a trade for the sake of making a trade" move.

I would rather stay the course with DeRozan and Ross.

but, how seriously can you take the rumours since Washington "would be willing to give up Okafor whose deal expires the following season in any deal for Gay according to sources"? Because Memphis really needs a big man with Gasol and Randolph.

[T Dot O Dot]

I'd do Bargnani + Jose for Gay in a heartbeat & it works under the cap

we'd be set at the wing positions and we can give Ed/Val/Amir all the minutes at 4/5

I also think Lowery will improve once he is the clearcut starter at PG

additionally, (and i hate to beat a deadhorse) the caproom we gain when Jose expires can be used to do what?

Overpay some offbrand free agent, that's what.

I'll take Gay, thank you.

http://basketball.realgm.com/tradecheck ... de/6204123

[Simitar]

I don't get the appeal of Gay.

He's a dead average NBA small forward across the board. The only places he stands out is he takes an above average amount of shots and hits them at below average efficiency.

And he's still owed 97 trillion dollars.

[sotola]

Calderone has a trade kicker so Bargs/Calderon wouldn't work by itself. Memphis would have to ship something back but why would Memphis want Bargnani with Randolph/Gasol. Do you really want to pay him 10M a year to come off the bench and shoot?

Calderon needs to be dealt eventually since I fully agree with your comment about cap space being useless in TO. We never sign anyone of value that we should take advantage of an expiring contract. I just don't think Gay is any better than DeRozan but makes almost twice as much.

If they knew they could flip Gay to another team (such as the ones rumoured to want him now) then I could see doing the deal to ensure you get something for Calderons contract but I wouldn't be willing to part with Amir or Davis right now in combination with Calderon FOR Gay.... and adding picks? that's insanely overpaying.

I agree with you Sim. I don't understand why Gay is "supposedly" attracting so much attention.

[T Dot O Dot]

was not aware of the trade kicker and I'd honestly question the judgement of any agent who would incorporate that type of language into a contract involving this franchise..... whatever

we have 2 options, draft better or trade. free agency is not going to help us land a name player, period.

I get Sim's point, GAY isn't all that.... but beggars cant be choosers, Id rather spend the caproom on a name player than load the roster with a bunch of Landry Fields clones

adding picks is out of the question

[yossarian1234]

Agreed with TDot on Gay.

Gay gives us something that we haven't had in a long time, a true SF with talent. He does have a heavy price tag but with this team, I think you take the gamble. But if we were to go after Gay, DeRozan's gotta go, use him to fill some other hole. I like DeRozan better than Ross right now but Gay and DeRozan overlap too much and Ross's new rookie contract is much more cap-friendly.

But if the price tag is Ed Davis or any picks, then I don't want Gay. Trading Ed Davis could mean keeping Bargnani around, that's something I definitely do not want at all costs. Ed Davis, Ross, and Valanciunas are 3 players that I'd want to protect right now unless the offered deal was incredible for us.

Bargnani and Calderon would be the players I want gone from the team via trade this season. On a related note, it's a damn shame what this team has relegated Lowry to. They didn't even give him a fair chance after investing a lottery pick on him.

[T Dot O Dot]

apparently they want Ross, Jose & Val

they also wont deal with the Wizards unless they include Beal which is too pricey for the Wizards

[sotola]

I hate to say it but I would only want Gay if the trade was Calderon and DeRozan which works financially since DeRozan is still in the last year of his original deal. and no first round pick - if they want a couple 2nd rounders... fine. and I really like DeRozan since he has improved every year and never once complained or sulked about being in TO.... and he re-signed long term. I don't WANT to trade him but that's the only deal I would make for Gay.

Memphis gets a valuable short term PG and a player that is ALMOST every bit as good as Gay but at a far cheaper price. They benefit short term and long term. They reduce their payroll and have their line up largely intact in terms of talent.

A backcourt of DeRozan, Gay, and Ross is redundancy. and I agree that Bargnani doesn't fit the style of play Casey will want that trading any of the other bigs is just dumb. I just can't see too many teams wanting Bargnani that I believe we will be stuck with him until he finds his game again.... .if he finds his game again.

[Simitar]

Gay is more "name" than on court value.

He's a poor/disinterested defender. He doesn't give you the playmaking you'd like from a wing, and while he's very athletically gifted, he's far too prone to settle for long 2 point shots.

I'd also be nervous trading for a guy who is having the worst year of his career (while also taking the most shots he ever has).

[sotola]

agree Sim... something about U Conn alum that just never pans out in the NBA. They all come into the league as high lottery picks because of their athleticism and "potential" and yet rarely do they ever become perennial all stars.

Most of them seem disinterested on the defensive end except for the bigs; but most of the bigs can't walk and chew gum at the same time offensively.

I would really rather pass on Gay under most scenarios but Davis, Calderon and picks???... absolutely no thank you.

[T Dot O Dot]

would you do Calderon & Bargs?

[Jungle Rat]

Only if they made me breakfast the next morning.

[yossarian1234]

Calderon and Bargnani would be ideal situation for Raptors but we all know Grizzlies would never go for it.

[sotola]

would you do Calderon & Bargs?

If I am Toronto..... in a heartbeat

If I am Memphis.... under no circumstance. Bargnani can't play 3 which makes him a bench player behind Gasol and Randolph. That leaves Memphis without a legit SF and an overpaid shooter off the bench. The only way I could see that kind of deal if I am Memphis is if the Raps throw in an unprotected first rounder... and then I MIGHT consider it.

and I don't think the Raps can afford to throw another future lottery pick out the window UNLESS they know they can swap one of the SF's somewhere for someone they can use now and in the future.

[sotola]

the one thing I don't want the Raps to do anymore is trade for the sake of trading. Colangelo has done really well at the draft, given some time, with marginal first round picks. Only V was a really high pick but Davis seems to finally be working out, Ross is a keeper (and definitely will reach that "ceiling" of good bench player as some predicted), and even Acy is working out (and he might stay in the league more than a year or so).

I would just ditch Bargnani for an overpaid PG somewhere and get the best deal you can for Calderon. Let Lowry run the show and stay the course with the young guys. I would try and deal Calderon to a playoff team to get into the first round and take over one of their bad contracts.

The kids are alright. I would rather watch them play with the journeyman (Anderson) and continue to let them grow.

[T Dot O Dot]

so far at the halfway point of the season we have been issued 2 apologies from the league & could possibly get a 3rd from last night in Philly : http://www.nba.com/official/

With one second remaining in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bulls-Toronto Raptors game on January 16, officials called a foul on Chicago’s Joakim Noah as Toronto’s Amir Johnson gathered the ball while driving to the basket. The officials ruled the foul was on the floor but upon review at the league office, the video replay confirmed that the foul should have been called a shooting foul with Johnson receiving two free throws.

[sotola]

unfortunately that game is gonna happen alot against the teams we are NOT supposed to beat.

Dot - did you expect otherwise? The above was my quote after game 1 this season. I expected that. Bad teams have to prove themselves in this league (which I think is bs in terms of being a legitimate "professional" league) but the Raps have dug their own grave in many of the games. I personally don't understand why the league continues to say "Yep, we screwed up... sorry about that". I find that more insulting than just saying "Saw nothing wrong with the call". Because unless you know whether they actually DO anything about it, sounds like "let's just tell the Raps (or ANY non-elite or non-large "basketball" market) fans we know how they feel until we screw them again".

I love basketball but the NBA has, by far, the most one-sided officiating of any professional league in North America. Soccer in Europe is just as bad as the NBA, but the NBA owns NA in one-sided officiating (to the league's benefit).