You Didn’t Tell Me It Was ‘The Basketball Jones’ Day On ESPN!
1. Ahem. [The Sports Guy]
2. A few questions for Mr. Bryan Colangelo. [Daily Dime ‘07-08 Raptors Preview]
Beyond Captions
So, I was sitting around and I started thinking about what the Raps are gonna do this off-season. I envisioned GM Bryan Colangelo in total relax mode, gently swirling an expensive glass of wine with a cell phone on his ear, talking shop.
I thought, hey, maybe I should relax with some vino too, you know, sort of toasting the end of the season. I poured myself a deep red ‘06, took a sip, and said, “Who am I kidding here?”
I fluttered back to my feelings about the Raptors in February, 2006. I had almost given up hope. Playoffs was a word saved for the city’s elite — the Rock & Argonauts — but ever since Colangelo arrived, this city believed in a man that has paid huge dividends in a short amount of time. The BC era in Toronto has really been astonishing.
What makes this guy so good? There are many traits to sort through. Like those high collared shirts he wears, the man is bold. He makes unpopular moves like trading Charlie Villanueva for T.J. Ford because he loved Andrea Bargnani — a move many, many people ridiculed. He listens to the people around him and he sees skills in players that others might not. When his hand was forced with Joe Johnson in Phoenix, he was able to obtain a decaying Boris Diaw and draft picks. He acquired an Argentine in a similar situation last week by getting Carlos Delfino for basically nothing. He’s constantly looking offshore for talented winners and brought in the future 1st non-American GM in Maurizio Gheradini. He’s gathered guys playing abroad that have the essentials in Jorge Garbajosa and Anthony Parker for minimal costs. He puts players in a system where they have FUN! and are likely to play a little over their heads, but he knows the difference between a filler and a superstar. He can then trade those spare parts that overachieved and probably get a little more than what they’re worth because of it. I like this example: he signed Quentin Richardson and traded him a year later in a deal for Kurt Thomas.
That’s why I see a couple trades in Toronto’s future. The foundation is in place with Chris Bosh, Ford and Bargnani but some tinkering needs to be done. The parts that are being recycled around them need a little work but the cap space isn’t spacious at all. Their main options are signing a player to the mid-level exception, performing a sign-and-trade with Morris Peterson (who they apparently almost traded for Andrei Kirilenko), or packaging players in a deal. I can’t believe how much expectations have changed in a year. The franchise was languishing with no light in sight but BC came in and carved the team up like a tappanyaki chef.
Photo: TFC Home Opener 035 by bgnewf.
Comments (6)T.J. Who?
A fascinating behind the scenes look at the Raptors’ war room during the 2006 draft. Mr. Colangelo apparently wanted Marcus Williams pretty badly.
Behind The Draft 2006 [YouTube] — via NetsDaily
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The Basketball Jones is a NBA blog and podcast, written and recorded five times a week by J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas and Jason Doyle. Comments, questions and cold hard cash are always welcome and much appreciated. Contact us.
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