05.23
Since the Toronto Raptors announced that play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky was leaving for Chicago because of family considerations, the team has been swamped with applications. But two announcers appear to have the early lead: Torontonian Mike Inglis and Matt Devlin. After 10 years as the Miami Heat radio voice, Inglis apparently wants to return home. But because he’s never done TV, the Raptors are also looking at Devlin, who has worked with TNT, the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Bobcats
Former NBA player and coach John Lucas says he will interview for the Chicago Bulls head coaching job.
There’s obviously the possible #2 pick, which would be Michael Beasley in this scenario, and Udonis Haslem, which would help the Raptors up front with his size, strength, rebounding and defence. He may be undersized at 6’8 but he reminds me a lot of Antonio Davis from the Raptors’ ‘glory’ days in 2001. That’s definitely the type of scrappy guy we need and wouldn’t it be amazing to have Beasley at 6’10? They would still need an athletic swingman to score from the wing if Beasley wasn’t brought here but that’s where their #17 draft choice could come into play, assuming it wasn’t dealt to Miami or any other team. The one hang-up of this whole thing is I don’t know how much Miami wants or needs financial flexibility right now. They had a lot of D-League minimum scale contracts last season as a result of injury. I haven’t looked at the figures recently but I think Miami will be doing alright.
If the Knicks use the pick, Coach Mike D’Antoni said they are likely to select the best player available, though they appear to be most interested in a point guard. Another option would be to trade for a point guard with a team that already is loaded at that spot, such as the Toronto Raptors (T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon) or the Bulls if they draft Rose.
Let me explain, there is a likelihood he’ll ask about the availability of the No.2 pick in some kind of blockbuster trade with Miami. Or if not, netting someone like power forward Udonis Haslem in some kind of package deal. Or even, big men like JaVale McGee of Nevada, Mareese Speights of Florida, France’s Alexis Ajinca or Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert for our 1st round 17th pick. The possibilities are endless with BC…
17. Toronto Raptors: C/PF Marreese Speights [Florida]. We learned that Toronto has no presence in the paint when Chris Bosh is out of the game. If he’s injured, God help the Raptors, they can’t do anything. They need another big [no, Andrea Bargnani doesn't count] in the worst possible way and if they can’t get one by trading TJ Ford, the draft will have to do. Speights is a banger who needs to work harder.
In the NBA, the New York Knicks need a point guard and sources tell me they’ve approached the Raptors with trade proposals for T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon..
You can argue with me that all of those NBA teams have been up and down during the past 22 years. No doubt the city of Boston will dwell on how terrible the Celtics were before trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. But seriously, please refrain, if only out of consideration for the fans of the Clippers, Grizzlies, Warriors, Wizards, Raptors, Nuggets, Hornets, Hawks, Bucks and Kings, none of whom have even sniffed a title game during that span.
But there’s always the draft, right? David Stern and all the other league officials will parade out the faces of tomorrow, give them a straight-billed cap and tell you, the long-suffering fan, that this pick will give your team a shot to win it all just a few short years down the road.
They’re wrong.
What’s remarkable is that those nine teams just mentioned combined for nine No. 1 overall draft picks since 1988. And they’re still miserable. Aside from the Hornets, does anyone see any of those teams actually having a shot to win the NBA Finals next season? I don’t.
The fact of the matter is the No. 1 overall pick just does not mean that much. Since 1985, only one team has won the NBA title after picking first overall — the San Antonio Spurs, who picked first twice, landing David Robinson and Tim Duncan. In fact, since 1985 only three top picks picks have won titles — Robinson, Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal, who won after he left the Magic for the Lakers.
Pacers get:
Jose Calderon (sign and trade) at $8M per year
Kris Humphries at $2M per year / ‘10
#11 rookie pick
Raptors get:
Jamal Tinsley at $6.5M per year / ‘11
Jeff Foster at $5M per year / ‘09
First round pick in 2009, #1 protected.
It seem inevitable the Raptors are going to get rid of one of their PGs. They will either sign/trade Calderon, flat out lose Calderon to a front loaded offer sheet, or trade TJ Ford. I have no clue what their draft desires are, but they could then package 11 and 17 to move up if they desire another athletic big man.
Oh my goodness, we have a Marty York sighting.
What is the likelihood that the Knicks and Raptors pull off an interdivisional trade involving TJ Ford?
i dont think i could stomach paying tinsley 6.5 till 2011. i like foster, and he is reasonably cheap, but it’s a bad trade…wow.
Raps Fans last blog post..Guess who’s coming to dinner? Some thoughts on Drafting #17.
Give the perceptions Pacers Digest has regarding Tinsley, Foster & their pick … it’s plain to see that it isn’t only Raptors’ fans who tend to OVER-ESTIMATE the value of their current stock of players.
At this stage of their career’s, Tinsley and Foster are strictly mediocre.
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Jeff – I wondered where he went…I knew he couldn’t have gone far. Stellar insight (achem). The trading history between NY and Tor is there, but I agree: sending someone that could potentially burn you for a few years to a team you could see 4 times a year plus playoffs leaves a lot to be desired. But, so does our roster.
Raps Fan – Foster is a solid, consistent player and comes off the books next year. Depends on what you want as a GM.
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