07.20
Now Khimki BC, a team from Russia, signed Carlos Delfino this week, leaving the Toronto Raptors for a nearly 3 million euros annually.
One expert on the matter says that equates to an NBA salary of more than $9 million when you factor in the exchange rate and the tax money Delfino won’t have to give back.
The same team is also trying to sign Delfino’s former Toronto teammate, Jorge Garbajosa, despite interest from the San Antonio Spurs.
Garbajosa is fresh off securing his release from the Raptors last month after a serious leg injury.
Garbajosa has been rumored to accept a deal from his hometown club in Spain, Unicaja Malaga.
(video) Warriors vs Raptors
It just so happens that I’m not a huge Jermaine O’Neal fan. Despite his imposing physique, he’s far from being a power player. Indeed, he’s repeated on several occasions his reluctance to play the low post. Also, his defense is barely adequate, which eventuates in his being in chronic foul trouble. Plus, he rarely delivers when a critical game is on the line. So don’t be deceived by his numbers.
The NBA has its own foreign legion, men who travel the globe looking for the next great players. Italian Maurizio Gherardini is widely regarded as the top basketball executive from Europe, having moved to the Toronto Raptors as assistant general manager from Italy’s Benetton Treviso club.
Gherardini has witnessed the growth of basketball’s popularity in his homeland, where games are shown on television most nights of the week. In recent years, Italians Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli have been selected in the NBA draft. This summer, Danilo Gallinari of the Olimpia Milano club was among the top 10 draft picks when selected by the New York Knicks.
Italian players are following in the footsteps of Serbian, Croatian, Spanish and Russian players, who have been part of a European exodus to the NBA since the mid-1990s.
Gherardini says: “I believe situations have shown you may find talent around any corner. There is no place where there are going to be better diamonds than other places. Spain is probably the best model in Europe and I would expect to see more players coming from there. The former Yugoslav republics have been the biggest producers of players in Europe, somehow because of their love of the game and the physical structure of people in the area, and so I expect that to continue.
“I think South America will always be a continent to look at. I think Africa, if the quality of the teaching keeps improving, if they are capable of putting together simple structures to work on their games, has a great possibility of developing intriguing talent for the future,” he adds.
Toronto built a nine-point advantage in the third quarter but the lead did not last long as Golden State finished the quarter within one point of the Raptors. Randolph let the Warriors in the quarter scoring seven points.
An evenly fought fourth quarter had the score tied with just over one minute to play, but the Warriors proved too much for the Raptors who outscored them by seven down the stretch to earn the victory.
The Raptors had five players in double figures including Desmon Farmer with a team high 22 points and John Lucas who chipped in with 14 points.
The Raptors finished their summer schedule with a record of 1-4
Croatian star guard Roko Leni-Ukic has been busy this last week, not only is he trying to help his national team qualify for the Olympics, but he’s signed a three-year deal with the NBA team that drafted him three years ago, the Toronto Raptors.
In 2008 Ukic led his team, Lottomatica Virtus Roma, to the Italian League finals and the 23 year old believes he has improved, has matured, and is ready to handle the NBA. “If I will play 15 minutes per game, I am happy.” Roko said.
Roko-Leni Ukic and current Toronto point guard Jose Manual Calderon have been tied to each other since 2005. Back when the Raptors drafted Roko-Leni Ukic with the 41st overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, only to see the Croatian decide to remain in Europe, the two have been linked. With Ukic staying overseas, the Raptors needed to find a replacement. They ended up signing the little-known Calderon.
When Jose Calderon left his team TAU Cerámica Vitoria for the NBA, the European team needed a new point guard, so… they signed Roko-Leni Ukic.
Now, Ukic will be coming to North America, to play backup to Calderon. Odd, no?
Here is Carlos’ reason to come to Europe again:
“I really wanted to return to Europe. Khimki is an ambitious club that will soon become one of the strongest in Europe. I will do my best to make it possible.” (via eurocupbasketball.com)
Additional note: The NBA should no longer have an NBA Europe. The Raptors spent too much time in Europe – Everybody wants to play here now!
However what might really be the deciding factor in any final transactions is of course the almighty dollar. If Toronto decides that spending whatever they have left on another point guard is the way to go (and who knows how much money they have to work with) then Giles might be out of luck.
And can Toronto get that final point guard or combo-guard from their Vegas league roster? I still so no however I’d like to see Daniel Ewing get some more minutes. I thought he played much better than Lucas in terms of running the show against Philly but once again it was Lucas who got the crunch-time minutes. And against LA last night, Ewing was back to playing under 15 minutes and splitting back-up point guard duties with Jaycee Carroll.
In baseball they talk about one-run games and how great an indication that is of how good your bullpen, fielding and pitching is. In much the same way your record in close NBA games tells you what a team is capapble of when push comes to shove and you have to go that extra yard and execute that one crucial play down the stretch. I’m hoping that the addition of Jermaine O’Neal will, more than anything, add an extra offensive option that will allow us to get good looks when it really matters – with 3 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The PNR and Bosh Post-Ups become awfully predictable when you’re running them all game long and that’s why they hardly fool anyone in the fourth. A bit of offensive creativity is what could put this team over the hump of mediocrity which is so rampant in the East.
(video) Nathan Jawai
Good news for basketball fans: Jack Armstrong is close to signing a contract with TSN that will keep him on the air for Raptors games and more
The Raptors got 22 points from Desmon Farmar (8-12 from the field). Joey Graham looked like the most NBA ready player physically. He had 13 points and eight boards. Athleticism has never been an issue for Graham as he continues to search for his role in Toronto.
“Aussie” or “Baby” Shaq Nathan Jawai is certainly a big body. He too looked like he has NBA potential en route to 13 points and five boards in 17 1/2 minutes.
John Lucas led the Raptors with seven assists. Blogger Rod Benson had four points in six minutes of play.
There have been a handful of breakout performances from little-known players like Brown since the games began at UNLV on July 11. Anthony Roberson quickly earned a guaranteed contract from the Knicks. One Eastern Conference executive is convinced that Anthony Tolliver will make San Antonio’s roster as a “shooting 4-man.” Some recent second-round picks have been eye-catching as well: P.J. Tucker as an undersized (but rugged) power forward on the Grizzlies’ squad and Nathan Jawai, Toronto’s so-called Australian Shaq, just to name two.
Slovenian center Primoz Brezec (216 cm, 1979) confirmed for several Slovenian media, that he will continue his career in Lottomatica Roma. He spent last 7 seasons in NBA playing for Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Union Olimpija Ljubljana, AXA FC Barcelona and Real Madrid were interested in him too.
He was very disappointed in last two seasons because after some injuries he didn’t get enough playing time to show that his two good seasons with the Bobcats weren’t coincidence. He was traded two times last season and this seems to push his patience over the limit.
He will officially sign probably on Monday and will play in Roma for one year. Financial details are unknown.
Jack Armstrong in the TSN fold (and Chuck Swirsky gone forever) just as I get cable for the first time in 3 years? PRICELESS.
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