It’s January 22nd & Scott’s Saying….
…..if Heath died from a drug overdose, good riddance. If he didn’t, DID THEY FINISH SHOOTING THE NEW BATMAN?!?!?
One of the new security measures used at the ACC last year was the handing out of yellow slips of paper as your "first warning" if security thought you were out of control (read: drunk and disorderly (*not applicable to Carlton the Bear)). Amazingly, this usually works. This shuts up the loudmouths. However, it makes me remember when they handed one to a lawyer friend who is a season ticket holder all because he asked the security guard to stop talking during the national anthem. That has now led to him considering laying down a lawsuit. Weeee. Anyway, maybe they can use the yellow ticket system in New York. Sure would beat being followed by a group of reporters, no?
Stathead alert: some smart puppy got so pissed at Isiah that he decided to sit down and make a list of the best and worst GMs and their teams in the last 6 seasons. Your god Bryan Colangelo is ranked 11th (and only is a GM because of nepotism) and our lovely Raps are plunked in 26th in the league. The article looks at on-court success and fiscal responsibility. That explains it.
I love LeBron more and more all the time. I was indifferent when he first entered the league, but he has won me over. Case in point: I think my jaw actually dropped and my blood pressure raced upwards when reading that his new shoe is a tribute to the best team in professional sports history: the New York Yankees. Sccchhhweeeeeeeeet! Clap. Clap. Clap clap clap.
RANT ALERT….RANT ALERT….RANT ALERT…..RANT ALERT…..
"I will not screw up one group to try to get somebody going, and then you got two groups screwed up."
This is Sam Mitchell talking today about the return of TJ Ford. He claims he will sit TJ in favour of Jose if TJ blows chunks. If you play poorly, you don’t start. Ummm…unless you are a waste of a first overall pick, Italian, and the love child of the Godfather of Italian basketball. You, my friend, take your time. You go out and foul at a rate greater than the number of times Charles Barkley hits up a Krispy Kreme. You know as well as I do that his persistence at fouling is the only thing keeping him off the floor and torturing us with his play. What was the brain trust suggestion last month? Make him a starter!! Yup. Hey, kinda flies in the face of what Sam is saying here, no? They tried to keep Humph down, but he fought back. We have good Joey/bad Joey, but at least we have some good Joey. I’d risk saying we have seen more good Joey than we have good Pasta Boy. I’m sure even Cluck Jerksky is running out of positives. Wonder if the question "What is the worst waste of a #1 pick by a Canadian team" was on his citizenship quiz.
I’m sick and bloody tired of "oh, you have to give him time". Wasn’t that one thing we supposedly were not going to have to do? Young kid, played with professionals since he was 14, was ready to go, blah blah. Teams aren’t even defending him yet. Imagine if he actually gets hot and people pay attention?!?! He looks like a lost puppy now. If they put a man on him and get physical, he’ll probably look like Jackie Christie being told Doug wants a divorce.
Now that Ferguson is gone, I truly hope the eyes are turned to Colangelo. He is not the man with the golden touch. Bosh must be looking at 2010 and licking his lips.
Ah, to dream of Marcus Williams….
w00t.
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 3:07 am
i don’t know if thorn and ferry should be ranked ahead of colangelo. i agree that bargnani shouldn’t be handed minutes; no one else on this team gets that courtesy. everyone earns their time, and he is the golden boy with the lead payload…so upsetting.
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 7:17 am
Great, great clip. It’s obvious that BC is a one man show… and I honestly like the way his thought process works. He puts out feelers in a hope that if he can’t reach someone to get Williams, someone looking to deal a pick could call him. On top of it, he seems well respected in the league… with a little bit of charisma. Not really sure what other GM’s think of him.
In addition, he tries to put himself in the other GM’s shoes which is extremely important when trying to figure out who to dangle.
Lastly, I can’t believe how little everyone else does in the war room. If my boss asks me a question on something important, I give him a straight answer without stuttering. I don’t get wishy-washy.
With all these overpaid execs in the same room, all of them should be trying to do something instead of looking like slack-jawed yokels. I thought BC was supposed to be surrounding himself with knowledgeable ball people?
Spudz
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 7:19 am
In reference to Bargnani, looks like we are bringing in a special coach just for him!
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/50447/20080122/raptors_want_to_bring_in_special_coach_for_bargnani/
Maybe we should get someone to wipe his face should he miss his mouth with the gatorade cup.
Oh LaMarcus… how I wish BC listened to us.
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 9:26 am
Ah yes, LaMarcus. A guy who will be a solid 14 pt, 8 rb per game career. Why take a chance on something that might be special, WE COULD HAVE HAD JOE SMITH 2.0!
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
Yes, having an unselfish big man who knows how to box out and shoots high percentage shots is way worse than a 7 footer that shoots (0.375) from everywhere and doesn’t know how to play defense.
Bargnani still hasn’t learned not to pick up his pivot foot before he starts dribbling. Aldridge is a large part of the Blazers turn around (and yes, Roy is amazing) and is shooting nearly .500… already averaging 17.3ppg,7.4rbg, 1.2bpg. He leads Bargs in EVERY category except for FT shooting.
I’ll take JOSH Smith 2.0 over Araujo Fouling Machine 2.0 any day.
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
My point wasn’t “which player is better”, my point was which player was the right pick. What I’m suggesting is that Bargnani was low-risk high-reward. He may end up being terrific - or, he may totally bust. We passed up on a decent but unspectacular big man on the chance to get a special player. That was a risk that a good GM takes, IMO…
Jan 23rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Don’t give Colangelo too much credit in that clip. Every other Raptor GM did the same thing, as do other GMs, outside of teams who have only one pick and it’s high. The warroom clip of Grunwald when we had a mid-teen pick was beautiful. He was working from the sound of the opening bell as he was watching guys he wanted getting plucked off the board.
How is this for basketball minds: the guy who dials the phone on Colangelo’s behalf used to work in the group sales department for the Raptors….until BC cleaned house later in the year. Guess he done did dialed no good.
Jan 24th, 2008 at 5:42 am
Kenz,
I know what your saying. Orlando did the same thing with Dwight Howard the year they took him over Okafor. Worked out well for them.
That being said, I think you underestimate high-percentage back to the basket big men. Everyone knew that Aldridge would have been a good solution in the key and that Bargs was not. BC chose the riskier pick but I don’t think he viewed this pick as a risk. He looked very hard on who he thought would fit our system, but I think we would have been much better with two 6′10 PF/C’s down low kicking the ball out to start offensive movement. IMO, this is what we’re lacking this year.
Had he been able to change his mind now, regardless of the talent available at the PF/C position, I think he would have taken Roy. There is something about this kid’s demeanor on the court that is really, really something.
Jan 24th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Spudz: But is Aldridge that guy? An honest question, I really haven’t seen enough of him to say, but my limited impression is that he’s a little soft in and around the basket - I could be way off base on that, tho.
Still not sure he would have taken Roy. I agree that Roy > Ford, but Calderone has really been the wild card in the whole discussion. Who would have thought he’d turn out to be as good as he’s been? Certainly not me. Colangelo’s a genius for grabbing Jose! (Yah, I know, Jose was Babcock’s boy, I just like getting Scott’s blood pressure up a bit
Jan 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Portland is looking for a PG to play alongside Roy, who they want to move to the 2 spot. It appears they think he would be a more impactful player working from the wing.
Aldridge, within that draft class, is the guy. He may not ever be a max contract player, but he is going to be valuable in this league until he gets injured beyong repair, hits 35 years old, or starts playing for the Knicks.