Linkage – July 19
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 89-71 on the back of Joey Graham’s 20-point outing on Friday during the 2008 NBA Summer League Presented by EA SPORTS.
“For us, it’s good to get a win because that’s first and foremost out there,” Graham said. “We’ve been playing well this week, and tonight we put it all together and we got a W, so we’re happy about that.”
The Raptors led the Lakers throughout the first quarter, outscoring Los Angeles by one, 24-23. The Raptors trio of Deji Akindele, John Lucas, and Graham combined for 18 of the team’s 24 points. In the second quarter, Toronto continued to dominate, beating the Lakers 23-15 before claiming a commanding nine-point lead at the half, 47-38.
In the second half, Toronto mounted a 15-point advantage, 69-54 with under a minute to play in the third quarter, before stretching its lead to as many as 26 in the second half.
(video) C.J. Giles
Former Piston Carlos Delfino has signed a three-year deal with BC Khimki according to Eurocupbasketball.com
The same way I slow down my car to stare at car accidents and move closer to people fighting so that I can get a better view, I find myself focusing on Joey Graham during every Toronto game.
I don’t know why, I just do.
Graham appears to be the perfect combination of speed and strength — two skills that play a big part in a successful NBA player. Why then has his career been on a steady decline since he was chosen with the 16th pick out of Oklahoma State in 2005?
He saw action in just 38 games this past season, averaging a paltry 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds as his confidence dwindled along with his playing time.
“Last season was tough for me,” said Graham following the Raptors’ 89-71 win over the Lakers in Day 8 action at summer league. “I didn’t really play that much.”
The fourth-year pro is in Las Vegas trying to get a head start on fixing what has been wrong with his game.
“I want to stay consistent,” Graham said. “The coaches asked me to come here and provide leadership, play defense and score points. I give myself a B minus.”
Graham posted 20 points and five rebounds Friday. That is right in line with his four-game average of 19.3 and six.
“I have some things I need to work on,” Graham said. “I want to rekindle the flame.”
A couple of teammates have really impressed the power forward.
“[Nathan Jawai] is very athletic and C.J. Giles is like a sponge,” Graham said. “He’ll be able to learn a lot from guys like Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh.”
Like everyone else, Graham can’t wait to see how O’Neal and Bosh play together.
“They both have all of the tools,” Graham said. “It’s going to be exciting to see how Jermaine fits into the chemistry of the team.”
Are there any team first athletes anymore? Someone who will put his ego or rep aside and do what’s best for the team. Maybe that means taking a seat on the bench more than you’d like or losing a couple points off your average, but sacrificing personal aspirations for the betterment of the team. Sounds crazy I know, but these types of athletes still do exist, they’re just a bit harder to find.
The Toronto Raptors feel they have found a player who possesses these qualities in Jose Calderon. Entering the off-season as a restricted free agent, the franchise took no chances in locking up the third-year pro to a five-year deal worth close to eight million a year.
Yet looking back on his time here, you can’t help but be impressed and a little bit surprised that Calderon would be in this position today. His transformation from a nervous, timid, turnover prone rookie to one of the most respected and efficient point guards in the league is a story that should not be overlooked.
A season that began with such high hopes ended with a disappointing elimination in the first round by the Orlando Magic. Heading into the off-season with Calderon up for free agency and Ford not ready to accept a demotion, a big decision loomed ahead as it seemed the two were destined for a break up.
So here we are, a week after the official announcement of the T.J. Ford trade to Indiana, and the news of Calderon inking a new contract extension. I guess some times it comes down to an athlete’s attitude. Do you want a player with a starter’s mentality or a winning one?
I think the Raptors gave their answer loud and clear this summer.
From the games that I have seen Jaycee seems to be more comfortable at the point guard position at the NBA level. The reason I say that is because when he is guarded one on one he is able to get into the lane and gets to the free throw line more when he was playing the point with the Nets.
Nathan Jawai makes an incredible first impression - especially when your first impression comes courtesy of a workout with Jermaine O’Neal where Jawai is more than holding his own. A true seven-footer, Jawai stayed with O’Neal step for step and dunk for dunk in a grueling post workout at Impact Basketball while Raptors’ GM Bryan Colangelo and head coach Sam Mitchell looked on.
It’s not hard to envision Jawai having an impact in the NBA this season when you see his 6′10″ 285-pound frame in action. Last year in Australia he averaged roughly 18 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field. He found much of his basketball inspiration from watching fellow Aussie Andrew Bogut.
“Andrew definitely influenced me because he was the number one pick and he’s from Australia,” says Jawai. “So I’ve been watching Andrew quite a bit, but also Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand a few other guys.”
As always, there will be an adjustment for Jawai as he makes the transition from foreign basketball to playing on the world’s biggest stage.
“It’s different here, but I’ve been playing against pros. It’s tough over there, but over here it’s definitely more athletic, a faster game and it’s definitely a different level from back home.”
It will also help that he’s spending some time with Joe Abunassar, who trains All-Stars like Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis, and Al Jefferson during the summer. One drill Abunassar had Jawai doing to work on his finesse game was a one-handed set shot from about eight feet. Jawai took to the drill right away, hitting the majority of his shots and showing the potential for a nice mid-range game.
“I want to help my team as much as possible,” said Jawai of his willingness to add tools to his arsenal. “I have a lot of hard work to do, but I’d love to win a third championship here. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Jermaine talks with Eric Smith of the Fan 590 about coming to Toronto, his health, and what went wrong in Indiana.
Tracy Murray. The former Toronto Raptor joins the ‘Late Night’ Vampire to discuss the relationship between NBA officials and players as controversy begins to grow around the game and gambling.
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