Garbojosa was already replaced before season-ending surgery
globesports.com: Garbojosa was already replaced before season-ending surgery
The reality is that by NBA standards, Garbajosa is an average to below-average shooter. Defensively, he struggled to guard small forwards in the early going this season, which robbed him of the one advantage he had on others looking to crack a competitive lineup.
He might have come around had his leg behaved. But the emergence of Jamario Moon would have made it difficult for Garbajosa to find the 28 or so minutes he earned last season. Kris Humphries has fought hard to earn the spare minutes at power forward and centre as the designated “energy guy.” Joey Graham showed at the end of last season that he can be productive with steady minutes playing a combination of small forward and power forward, but he hasn’t left the bench, thanks to injury and roster depth.
The biggest contribution Garbajosa could have made to the Raptors would have been during last season’s first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Nets. The team needed some calm toughness and guidance. Maybe that would have been his time to shine.
No one was able to even guess yesterday when Garbajosa might be back and healthy again, but he might already be yesterday’s model.
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