Toronto Raptors Linkage – Aug 10
There was about four minutes left in the first quarter when Jorge Garbajosa rose, doffed his warmup suit and took a step onto a basketball court at the Olympics.
He did nothing outwardly special to mark the moment but in his heart and his mind, he knew how special it was.
The one-time Raptor, whose career was in jeopardy nearly two years ago after a grisly leg and ankle injury, fulfilled one of his life’s ambitions here Sunday, playing for Spain in its 81-66 rout of Greece in its first game of the Beijing Olympic tournament.
“I feel great,” Garbajosa aid after the game. “First of all because I am back playing again; second because I am playing in the Olympics, and third because I am with my national team, with my friends in the biggest tournament in the world.”
The 31-year-old forward played 13 minutes, with two points and three rebounds in Spain’s easy victory in preliminary-round action.
“Sometimes you have to take decisions that are sometimes difficult to do but when you feel inside that’s what you have to do, it’s better to do it,” he said. “Even with the injury - it was the worst year of my life - when I remember Toronto, I feel great.
“I left there lots of friends, I spent two great years for me, my first experience, I just have to say thank you to everybody there.”
You should know that Garbo looks in as good physical condition as I think I’ve ever seen him. Lost some weight, too. Looks to me like he could withstand an NBA season. -
Here’s one reason to love international basketball.
Two timeouts per team per half. Only called by the bench.
Oh yeah, all you Raptor fans wondering whether former second-round pick Giorgos Printezis will ever be in the NBA.
Probably not soon. A DNP-CD in a 15-point loss to Spain does not bode well.
Former Texas guard T.J. Ford will be playing for his third team in five years.
He was traded from Toronto to Indiana in July in a deal that sent Jermaine O’Neal to the Raptors.
Ford said it was tough being traded again, but he did not take it as an insult.
“If you look at some of the best point guards in the NBA,” Ford said, “you’ll see that most of those guys took a journey before they found a situation where they were able to be successful. Steve Nash — look at the teams he’s been on. Jason Kidd took a journey before he found a place where he was an All-Star player. Baron Davis and Chauncey Billups were traded. I’m starting to look at it from that standpoint, where I just have to take a journey that makes me stronger before I find a home. But I hope Indiana is it.”
excitement and optimism is clearly alive and well here in Toronto and all of Canada for that matter, for OUR team, the Toronto Raptors. Although the season is still more than two months away and three of our boys (Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and Roko Ukic) are currently representing other countries in Beijing, it doesn’t mean we can’t start looking forward to another year of Raptors basketball.
With that, here are 14 games to watch in the Toronto Raptors 14th season…and why to watch them of course.
Bargnani, first overall pick in the 2006 Draft, has just find out how difficult adapting to an NBA team, NBA rules and the NBA way of life is. A reserved, shy guy, Bargnani was stunned by the lights of the pro world and confused when he put on the Toronto Raptors jersey. According to Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini’s intentions, Bargnani should have been the starting power forward for the next ten years, but the choice has been shown to be wrong: A rookie season of 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and sad 42% field goal shooting, statistics not good enough for a number one pick, turned to a tragic second season in whom Bargnani saw his playing time (from 25.1 to 23.9 minutes), points (10.2), rebounds (3.7) and shooting percentage (38%) decline.
How this was possible? Obviously, the Italian 7’ combo-forward got used to Toronto, knew his teammates better, knew the NBA better … but the rookie wall came all the same. It’s hard to say if a reason for this devolution was Sam Mitchell, but this is probably one reason: The 2006-2007 BA Coach of the Year has never trusted Bargnani, feeling as though the Italian were imposed on the new management. Bargnani’s insubstantiality in the paint made the (negative) difference: The starting power-forward spot is well filled by an All-Star like Chris Bosh, and Mitchell sees in Bargnani only a center. But Bargnani hasn’t the weight, the moves, and the defensive ability to stay with big men, and thus the experiment with Bargnani existing somewhere between the bench and the starting five was a complete failure.
Now, Toronto has taken the opportunity to give to Bosh serious help in the line as Jermaine O’Neal comes to Air Canada Centre. The move is a clear signal to Bargnani: Marking the first change in big men (though possibly the last, as Nesterovic is now a Pacer, and Jawai is still immature) and with a contract entered its final year at $5.1 million with a team option in 2009-2010, this is Bargnani’s last chance to show his aptitude. Otherwise, his Canadian experience risks ending.
Yes, identifying excellence is one thing, but how about picking out the worst? And how about picking out the worst from a list that is way too long considering a franchise that has only existed for 13 short years?
Well…it’s not an easy job.
But it’s August and someone’s gotta stir up the pot right?
So here it is…five starters and a bench crew not worthy of the NBDL…or any AUAA team for that matter…
(video) Chris Bosh
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