toronto raptors linkage – oct 4
The Raptors drafted Ukic 41st overall in 2005, but chose to leave the six-foot-five guard in Europe to develop his game. Three years later, Ukic is stronger and wiser. And with point guard T.J. Ford now gone, there’s an opening as a backup on the Raptors roster behind Jose Calderon that could be his to fill.
“We both decided that this year is the best timing (to join the team),” Ukic said. “I think I got a lot more mature than I was three years ago when I was drafted and I can help right away. If I came three years ago, I would have to sit maybe one or two years and then maybe I could help.
“Right now I think I’m ready to step on the court and that is the biggest difference.”
“Here, it’s not easy to beat a guy, (in Europe) I was beating everybody easy,” Ukic said. “Here, when I make a mistake sometimes it’s because someone is really good and I cannot beat him. I just need to play more with my head and less with my instincts, thinking more than just playing physical as I did in Europe.”
Raptors assistant coach Gord Herbert, who was hired by Toronto this past summer, knows European basketball well after coaching in the Euroleague for the past 14 years. The former Canadian national team player has been working with Ukic for the past couple of weeks, and said the young Croatian has looked good early on.
“It will take a little bit of time for him to understand the NBA game, how the NBA is played, the different roles in the NBA game,” Herbert said. “When he first came, he was at first taken aback, but he’s had a great training camp so far, he’s trying to play the way Sam (Mitchell, Toronto’s head coach) wants him to play, he’s trying to play the team way. He had a tendency in Europe to play a little bit of one-on-one, because he’s a young kid who’s very creative. But he’s moving the ball, he’s passing the ball, he’s trying to play the right way, and playing very unselfish.”
Bosh hasn’t always been an extrovert, the kind of guy who can keep a team loose and the mood light, but having seen the impact an outgoing and sometimes over-the-top teammate can have on a team this past summer at the Olympics, he is determined to do that and whatever else it takes.
“I see what other guys do,” Bosh said. “I don’t care for being quiet anymore. I like to have a good time, I like to speak up, make guys laugh and keep the mood light. Sometimes you need it. Sometimes you might come into work and you’re feeling groggy and today’s not going to be your day. And then someone comes in joking and everything and that just make it easier.”
Bosh says he’s ready to be that guy.
He got a close look at how important that kind of presence can be this summer with LeBron James and Dwight Howard, who between them kept things as loose as you will find on a team playing for a nation’s reputation, albeit a sporting one, on the line.
“The experience was so much fun, being around those great guys and learning different things about different guys,” Bosh said of his time preparing for and being in Beijing. “Everyone on that team had different leadership qualities. When we were all together we just wanted to have fun. When it was time to work, we came together and worked. But when it was time to have fun we did that and it built that camaraderie. I’m trying to bring some of that here, just try to have fun this year.” With Team USA it was Howard and James who simply refused to let anyone have an off day, even an off practice.
“Every practice that we had, if they saw guys just kind of feeling (sluggish), they would come in and start joking around,” Bosh said. “You know, they would still be working hard but at the same time they were making sure the mood was light to wake guys up and make sure they were enjoying themselves.”
Bosh said the Raptors as a whole let the camaraderie that was so important to the team’s success the year before, slip a little bit last season and that contributed to the step back the team took.
“I think we just got content,” Bosh said. “We got really content. All the things we were doing the year before (to build chemistry) we just didn’t do them. You don’t think small things like that will wind up helping you win more games on the court because you have the same guys and we’ll keep doing the same things we did before. But things like that are important.
“This year we’re looking to have fun,” he said. “We’ve got a good mix of younger and older guys, a bunch of good guys. We just have to make sure we do those team events, go out together, you know, just hang out really and that’s not too hard to schedule.”
The 12-year veteran played in just 42 games last season with the Indiana Pacers (34 as a starter) so a little rust is to be expected. While he and Chris Bosh slowly are getting a feel for each other, that too is going to take some time.
“It’s a work in progress, but each one has to carve their own space out,” Mitchell said. “Jermaine is still trying to find his niche. If you watch, and he’ll tell you, he’s looking to pass more than he is to score, but I’m telling him when he gets in the paint ‘Score the basketball.’ ”
Even in his drills, Mitchell tries to replicate game conditions as much as possible. A favourite is the foul shooting drill where he calls each member of the team to the line individually to take three foul shots. For every miss, the entire team runs a down-and-back. O’Neal missed all three of his attempts Thursday.
Mitchell said there always is a method to his madness.
“You make them shoot three because it’s an odd number,” he said. “They’re used to shooting two, so make them make that one more. Make them think about it.”
Sending them out one by one instead of having all of them shoot at their own basket also has a purpose.
“Everyone is watching and there’s something at stake,” Mitchell said. “They’re on the line by themselves just like in a game. It’s different than just taking them into the gym with the coaches and letting them shoot (free throws). Here they are tired, just like in a game, and if you notice I saw Jermaine was winded so I put him up there first. You all saw Jamario miss the whole basket (late in the scrimmage) so I put him up there second. It isn’t a drill we do every day. I kind of hold it in reserve.”
“That’s some pressure, man,” Chris Bosh would say later. “You’re thinking, `I don’t want to mess up.’ Nobody wants to mess up in front of everybody. You want to concentrate. You’re on the spot and there’s more than just your teammates watching.”
As heart-pounding situations go, it wasn’t exactly Game 7 down by two with no time on the clock. But as O’Neal took aim, the club’s executive branch was sitting riveted at courtside. The media bloodhounds were either chowing on gratis doughnuts, or seriously considering it, in the bleachers. And the teammates who would soon be following him to the line for their turn – they were nearing the end of the third day of two-a-day workouts and were not in the mood for more self-propelled locomotion.
O’Neal missed one free throw. Then another. Then another. Each time he clanked, you could hear groans or observe eyerolls, and in slow unison one dozen NBAers with a collective income of more than $64 million (all figures U.S.) would set out on the same down-and-back sprint that anyone who’s ever played on a humble high school squad has likely dreaded.
“Sprint,” in this case, was a gross overstatement. Speed was not of the essence. But as Jason Kapono said: “It’s just the principle of having to run for punishment.” And Mitchell conceded that the team’s slimmed-down roster has meant little rest for the regulars in heated supper-hour scrimmages, so he wasn’t demanding more pep.
“If we had 18 guys and we were doing this drill, we would break ‘em up into two groups and time ‘em down and back,” he said. “The object of it was to get ‘em to shoot the free throws while they’re tired, not to see how fast they can run down there and touch the line.”
“Hey, he’s tired. He’s trying to get his legs back. That’s why I put him up there (first) … not to embarrass him,” said Mitchell. “But guys got pride. I promise you, if we ever do the drill again – and we don’t do it every day, I kind of hold it in reserve – but I promise you, next time, he won’t miss three.”
Said O’Neal, shaking his head: “I’m a pretty good free-throw shooter and to miss all three, I was, like, `Man!’ But the guys weren’t mad at me. Jose (Calderon) told me, `We need more cardio anyway.’”
The new Toronto point guard met his new coach one day last summer in Atlanta, a get-to-know-you session set up by Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo to make sure the two could co-exist before Solomon would be offered a contract to return to the NBA after six years in Europe.
Solomon and Mitchell met, chatted a bit and it wasn’t long into the conversation that the deal was sealed.
“He told me he’s a straightforward guy and that’s something I like,” said Solomon.
“Really, he was loose. You can talk to him not as a coach, but as a person. And at my age (30) and with my experience, I’m looking for a coach I can talk to, not just about basketball, but things, about life.”
Now, there’s little that Mitchell likes more than a conversation, the more free-wheeling the better, and he loves to lead any chat from one point to the next.
But Mitchell was even happier with what he heard from Solomon.
“Just the simple fact that he was willing to take less money (to sign with Toronto rather than remain in Europe), that told me everything,” said Mitchell. “I asked, `Why are you taking less money?’ And he was like, `Coach, I want to play in the NBA.’
“That was enough for me.”
Nathan Jawai left Raptor training camp yesterday to see an American-based physician for another opinion on the “cardiac issues” that have stalled his NBA debut.
The 21-year-old Australian is expected to have result of tests and the examination next week.
Coming off a busy summer that included an extended period with the American Olympic gold-medal team, the 25-year-old Bosh said yesterday he knows how to avoid any problems with breaking down from over-use.
“I have to stay in the weight room and stay strong, I have to make sure I stretch, ice the proper way, get therapy when needed,” he said. “And respect my body because if I don’t listen to it, I’ll break down.”
Joey Graham’s sore right hamstring is keeping him on the shelf a little longer.
Graham only took part in one of seven practices at training camp at Carleton University before getting injured.
“It’s a physical job, man. It’s tough,” said Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell, who at least can delegate when he’s tired. “It’s more than sitting in a room breaking down film. You have to get out and work with the guys.”
Evans has had it a little rougher than most this week. Like most of his 40-ƒ|and 50-something peers, he’s a former player with ankles and knees well past their warranty date. He went in for a minor arthroscopic procedure on his left knee just over a month ago and found himself in a bit of bind when it turned out he had two torn ligaments that needed repair.
But even though he’s limping, he hasn’t missed a practice. He just ices it down and gets on the floor without much fanfare. After all, there’s no disabled list for coaches.
“I’m a tough guy,” he says. “I’m old school.”
The reality, too, is he’s old — or at least at 53 he’s decades older than the world-class athletes he’s trying to push and prod to the next level, and there’s no way yet invented that doesn’t involve at least some risk to life and limb.
“[Rafael] Araujo used to kill me,” Triano said of the washed-out, former first-round pick that never threatened the opposition yet who — at 6 foot 10 and a muscular 280 pounds — regularly imperilled the Raptor staffers who worked with him. “It wasn’t on purpose. But he would make a move and run right into you and he’s a big strong guy.”
It’s not just big guys who can cause damage. Small and fast — and in the NBA anything under 6 foot 4 and 220 pounds in considered small — can pack a wallop, too.
“One time we were doing shows with the guards and [former Raptors guard] Darrick Martin went full steam right into my chest,” Triano said. “I was in a lot of pain for about a week. He bruised my ribs.”
But it’s working with the ‘bigs’ that carries the most risk. At least in those instances the coaches come prepared with a hefty pad — more like a shield — that they use to hit and lean on the likes of Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal to mimic the banging and pushing that is part of life in the paint.
“You got to use that pad, man,” said Mitchell, who learned the hard way during his days as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. “Dan Gadzuric nearly killed me one time with his wild self.
“You come out there and think you’re Superman and you don’t need that pad? Someone like Jermaine O’Neal will hurt you.”
Obviously the first player all eyes were on was Jermaine O’Neal, and I would have to say it wasn’t a stellar showing. The context is important, naturally. It was O’Neal’s eighth practice in four days and after 12 NBA training camps I’m sure he knows that what he does when the lights come on in November is what really matters.
That said, to my eye he looked a little weary; a little heavy in the legs. I did see him make one tremendous spin move for a lay-up and knock down some mid-range fadeaways, but he was the first to his shorts on every stoppage. None other than Kris Humphries took advantage when he drove the lane on O’Neal and squeezed down a dunk on him.
Plus, Hump was killing everyone. One thing about Hump, he might have his flaws, but the kid can run like a guard and is in tremendous shape. He might have been the most impressive guy out there, leaving him poised to take over Joey Graham’s dubious mantle as the MVP of the intrasquad scrimmage. He made steals, ran the floor, drew fouls, blocked shots – and shot every time he touched it. Ah Hump.
Jamario Moon looked comfortable and assertive and fit. He was the first to most defensive rebounds and looked to put the ball on the floor with purpose in the touches he got, which is something I know he’s been working on. He also stepped firmly into a three-pointer after an on-the-money delivery from Will Solomon.
I understand Ukic was the best player in the scrimmage on Wednesday, but on a very small sample I would guess Solomon has the edge for the backup minutes at point guard right now. Ukic does have a sharp handle and is very quick for a 6-foot-5 guard, but his jumper is a work in progress, clearly. I can’t see anyone coming over a screen on him this season. Solomon is that much quicker and the mechanics of his jumper are a little more sound. Also as a 30-year-old he just seems to have a little more presence to him, though that’s hard to define, I realize.
So far in camp I’ve pretty much avoided the whole Andrea situation. Yes he’s put on some muscle and he’s not shy about taking his shirt off when the opportunity permits, so it’s hard to miss. And he’s generally seemed to have a bounce to his step and smile on his face that was missing for much of last year. In the scrimmage last night one of his first touches was a driving lefty lay-up to the middle from the low block that got a basket with Bosh guarding him. A move like that clearly comes from gym time: He simply didn’t have it in his arsenal before. On another occasion he caught the ball at the three-point line but took a determined dribble to create a better shot for himself from about 18 feet, much to Sam’s delight.
“I’m not quiet any more,” Bosh said Friday after the team’s final practice in Ottawa. The Raptors will have a scrimmage for fans Saturday afternoon.
“I don’t care for being quiet any more. I like to have a good time. I like to speak up, make guys laugh and keep the mood light. Sometimes you need it. As you know, you might come into work and feel groggy, just feeling like, ‘Uhhh, today is not a [good] day.’ And then if somebody comes in joking, you’re like, ‘Golly!’ That just makes it a little bit easier.”
Make no mistake: the Raptors have been Bosh’s team for at least three seasons now. But he admits that he was not naturally outspoken before.
But his experience with the United States Olympic team, and specifically watching LeBron James and Dwight Howard, has changed him.
“They always did that, every practice that we had,” Bosh said. “They told us that if they would see guys just feeling it a little bit, they [would] come in just joking around, and work hard at the same time. But [they are] making sure the mood is light so guys will wake up and enjoy the whole mood.”
“One thing I did learn last year when I was hurt was that I found out it’s kind of difficult to lead when you’re away from the team,” O’Neal said. “I think I would definitely give myself a D-minus in that aspect because I was so emotionally out of it because of [his injured] knee. You can’t really do that. And those are some of the stories that I can give Chris.”
“This year, we’re just looking to have more fun,” Bosh said. “We have a bunch of good guys, a mix of older guys and younger guys. We just have to make sure we do a couple of team events and go out and just hang out, really. That’s not too hard to schedule, really.”
“I think he’s building off that Olympic run,” O’Neal said of Bosh. “That demeanor, [he knows] to get excited when the team is at its most tired point and he is just being very vocal. That’s something that’s very important for the team.”
Here we have Chris Bosh enjoying some down time by just hanging out and playing a little Guitar Hero. (Actually, I think it might be Rock Band by virtue of the drum controller kit on the floor there, but I digress.) To me, it appears that either Chris is concentrating a bit too hard on his performance, or that he’s just not that into the Beastie Boys. Rock out a little, my man, that’s the whole point of the game!
Mitchell is a survivor, a third-round pick as a player back in the days when the NBA draft had three rounds and an alumnus of the CBA, the USBL, a stint in France and the inaugural Timberwolves fire drill. He isn’t stupid, either, and knows that his next-best career alternative would slice at least one zero off the back of his salary. But he doesn’t suffer fools gladly, which makes him more combative than some NBA players can tolerate these days. And deep down, he has the confidence that comes with the 2007 Coach of the Year award that he’d be employable again as a head coach, at least one more time.
Then there is the dynamic within management of the Raptors: General manager Bryan Colangelo has yet to hire his own coach, a move that — along with maneuvers on draft night — defines a team executive. Colangelo is committed to 2006 No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani well beyond the minutes Bargnani has earned or Mitchell has given him. And now oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal is in the house for what we all presume is a “second round or bust” season. But then, in the NBA, things can go bust way before May.”
2. What are the team’s biggest strengths? As long as Bosh and O’Neal can stay healthy the teams biggest strength this season will be it’s frontcourt. The Raptors talented duo have combined to play in nine All-Star games over the past decade and look to become the prominent front court duo in the NBA. Throw Jawai, Humphries and Bargnani into the mix coming off the bench and the Raptors have moved from being a team challenged on the glass to possibly one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA this season.
Overall, I’d have to say that I don’t really have an opinion on the new jersey, which, when it comes to jerseys is a good thing. The only complaint I have is the use of the silver for the names and numbers, as I think white would’ve been a better choice because it really would’ve made the names and numbers easily visible and really stand out with the red trim around them on the black background. Overall, though they did a good job and kept it simple.
The loss of Orlando left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth and the only mouthwash for it is success that comes early and often. This team is lacking confidence right now, the acquisition of O’Neal might add some swagger to the team but deep down it’s still a squad that’s gotten too used to a first-round exit. I’d like the Raptors to put up a slogan in the training camp facility: Orlando humiliated us. That should serve as plenty motivation for everybody. My point is that although I fully agree with Mitchell about taking precautions in camp, I don’t want it to get lost on the players that they have a tremendous amount of pride to restore and things to prove and the way you start doing that is going all-out from media day onwards.
Raptor Training Camp Reports
I chatted with Jose Calderon today about how important it’s going to be for him to step it up on the defensive end this season. He admitted that he has to be better. He knows that it’s going to be different - facing the TOP point guards around the league each and every night.
Calderon said he worked on his D this summer, but he’ll still continue on the Raps being a strong defensive TEAM; so he can rely on his teammates too. And, of course, communication and trust can make a difference on D as well … according to Jose.
Finally, the Spanish guard hinted that he thinks we could see the Raps throw out the odd zone D from time to time as well.
Yes, Jonesy and I will be back for all 82 during the regular season - and hopefully a long playoff run as well! But the pre-season is a different story. The FAN is the rights holder for Major League Baseball playoff games … so there are a ton of conflicts in October (nights where the Raptors play … and there’s a baseball playoff game scheduled as well). So we’re at the mercy of the balls and strikes.
However, I just got word that we could have the Knicks and Raptors on the FAN next Wednesday, October 8, unless the White Sox and Rays go to Game 5. If either team wins in 3 or 4, we’ll have New York and Toronto live at 7:00pm
Each of the L’s listed above is a very losable game for this Raptors team, this season, given (I) the losses of Rasho Nesterovic, Carlos Delfino and TJ Ford from last year’s squad, and (II) the expected improvement from other teams in the League that have re-tooled their rosters heading into this campaign … BY INCREASING their Quality Depth, e.g Philadelphia, Indiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers & Sacramento.
If the Raptors are going to avoid this type of backwards step this season … keep a close watch on how they do in their first 6 games AND the 15 games from Nov 30 to Dec 27.
Struggle early, like they did two years ago, and the temperature is going to rise significantly in Raptorville.
The power forward joins THE FAN 590’s Eric Smith on becoming the newest Raptor and on what type of game he brings to the team.
The starting Point Guard for the Raps talks to THE FAN 590’s Eric Smith at Raptors training camp in Ottawa to discuss his defensive game.
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