Booche Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Shitty year for that longshot to come through but what the hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 wooo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 I know even less about basketball than I do about hockey so... why shouldn't the Raptors choose J.J. Reddick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 because J.J. Reddick can't create a shot for himself and won't be able to play defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister slippery Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 1st pick + Mike James to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett.everybody wins.and, i would love to have Reddick, but not as that high of a pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 How about 1st pick + someone (maybe Mike James in sign and trade) for Allen Iverson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister slippery Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 good call, bash.id rather have KG in the middle, but AI's pretty good, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted May 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 screw trading for a veteran............Get more picks later or take that center from Texas. Apparently they are liking that 7 foot euro-kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister slippery Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 got 2 internationals last year in draft that just aint ready.time to make a move that helps, now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted May 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 time to make a move that helps, now.No way. They still need a center to build around. The front court is filling out nicely and is VERY young. Draft another youngin', let the front three develop and grab a FA once the team is ready to make a real push. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister slippery Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 verily, you speak cleverly.id still like to see immediate impact, but you make valid points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted May 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 There are too many holes to get someone for the 'here and now' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 I think Colangelo will do the right thing, whatever that may be. If he can trade the pick and get another pick and a big man, he could draft a PG (like say Reddick, altough I'd rather have Marcus Williams). Or he could trade the pick for a pick and a PG and draft a big man (say Bargnani at a lower slot). Or he could just draft someone and then sign a stop-gap PG (like Speedy Claxton) until the guy overseas (Slokar?) is ready or until there is a premium PG available. I think it is more pressing to get a top flight PG then it is to get a top flight big man, at this point in time.BTW - No way we get Garnett or Iverson...especially not for Mike James, the guy is overrated by himself only. There may be one team out there that is stupid enough to give him lots of money for lots of years but hopefully it ain't the Raptors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 he could draft a PG (like say Reddick, altough I'd rather have Marcus Williams)Reddick ain't no point guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 he could draft a PG (like say Reddick' date=' altough I'd rather have Marcus Williams)[/quote']Reddick ain't no point guard. No? He can't play the 2 in the NBA, what other position would he play?I read somewhere that the Raps are very very high on Marcus Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 At least this past year, Reddick has shown a willingness to drive to the net. If he can't continue this in the NBA, he'll be a Steve Kerr-type shooting guard/role player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 yea good call...although ya think a Steve Kerr type role player is a worth a lottery pick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 yea good call...although ya think a Steve Kerr type role player is a worth a lottery pick?No way.Reddick will be a Top 15 pick. The Raps would be fools to draft him with their first pick, although he ain't no Arujo. Would you draft Alderige, Morrison (not much of post player) or the Italian dude projected at #1?Here's a site I've checked out every once and a while regarding mock drafts. Even if you don't agree with the placements, at least it'll give you a gist regarding what players to watch for:http://probasketball.about.com/od/nbadraft/a/nbamockdraft061.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 I read somewhere that Bargnani is moving up within most GM's charts, so as that site you listed suggests he would have gone 4th to the Raptors, just dont be so sure of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 I read somewhere that Bargnani is moving up within most GM's charts, so as that site you listed suggests he would have gone 4th to the Raptors, just dont be so sure of it. Ya, GM's can get a little antsy with doubt around draft time. Bargnani played well against Toronto two years ago, so at least they've seen him play in person. Interesting to see that Denham Brown has dropped off the 2nd round charts given his great March Madness showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Would you draft Alderige, Morrison (not much of post player) or the Italian dude projected at #1?Probably of those three I would take Alderidge. Although it would be interesting to see if the Raptors could trade down (maybe to 4 or 5) and pick Marcus Williams, I feel like he is the most complete PG in the draft and would be the best fit on this Raptor team that needs a solid pass-first #1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 People around the league are still trying to figure out what the Raptors are up to.Are they drafting Andrea Bargnani? Are the really after UConn's Marcus Williams? Are they trading out of the draft altogether?The latest intel is all pretty inconclusive at the moment.The fact that GM Bryan Colangelo has sent his staff, including Wayne Embry, to Italy to watch Andrea Bargnani is significant. A source in Toronto claims that no one in the organization is as high on Bargnani as Colangelo is. In order to build a consensus on draft night, Colangelo wanted to make sure they had seen Bargnani enough to come to an educated decision.He probably should've sent forward Chris Bosh as well. Bosh publicly said last week that he didn't think the Raptors needed Bargnani and seemed to be campaigning for LaMarcus Aldridge, a fellow Texan and former workout partner. Personal ties, more than basketball, are probably influencing Bosh. Aldridge is actually much more similar to Bosh than Bargnani is. Still Bosh's complaint is significant. He's the one guy the Raptors don't want to tick off.If the Raptors did draft Bargnani, they could trade Charlie Villanueva (whose trade value is very high at the moment) for a player who plays the one or the five. Or they could decide to play a little like Phoenix and put Bosh at the five, Villanueva at the four and Bargnani at the three. The team would be long and athletic and could really score. Defensively they'd have some problems, but the league seems to be moving away from its obsession for bruising, physical centers.Another option for the Raptors is to trade down a few spots in the draft and grab a player who fits a need. Numerous sources around the league are saying the Raptors are very open to trading the pick.Bill Duffy, the agent for Williams, told me on Tuesday that Raptors loved Williams in his workout and had told him that Williams was in the mix at No. 5. The Raptors moved up to No. 1, and wouldn't consider taking Williams with the top pick. But if they swapped picks with a team like the Blazers, they could be in a position to draft him.Here's why I think that scenario is unlikely. While Williams is the best pure point guard in the draft, he has a number of question marks that make his selection by the Raptors doubtful.One, he went to Toronto out of shape. Duffy didn't deny that Williams was overweight, saying that Williams got a late jump on his draft training because of school obligations. Still, a point guard with a weight problem is the last thing a NBA coach or GM wants. Deron Williams overcame those objections last year by slimming down considerably before the draft. Marcus Williams, in contrast, put 15 pounds on top of his playing weight of 205.Two, his lack of athleticism is going to be troubling to a GM like Colangelo, who had speedy point guards during his tenure on the Suns. Williams has great court vision, but his lack of speed makes him a poor comparison to Jason Kidd or Steve Nash.Three, questions about Williams off the court, including those about his involvement in selling stolen laptops at UConn, have raised a red flag for NBA teams.I'm not piling criticism on Williams. I've had him ranked as the best or second-best point guard in the draft all year and believe he's got a chance to be an excellent NBA player. He has an amazing feel for the game. And unlike many of this year's other prospects, he's ready to play now.But all of those question marks, I believe, will hurt his draft stock a little.If the Raptors do trade down to No. 4 or No. 5, I'd still expect them to target Bargnani or Brandon Roy.Another scenario may be more plausible -- the Raptors could trade way down or out of the draft and grab a veteran player who could contribute immediately.Sources claim that Colangelo doesn't want to delay the rebuilding process any longer than he has to and would be open to trading the pick to a team willing to give the Raptors a veteran he covets.What makes some sense in this scenario?The Pacers seem to be a team that might have to rethink how they're going to play in the future. Would Larry Bird trade Jermaine O'Neal for the No. 1 pick, Villanueva and cap relief?The Grizzlies are another team that can't seem to get over the hump, and they are having financial difficulties. If the Raptors really want to go international, would the Grizzlies part with Pau Gasol for the No. 1 pick, Villanueva and cap relief?The Knicks are the other obvious suitors, though it's hard to believe anyone on their roster could help them pry the Raptors No. 1 pick away. It would probably take Channing Frye, the one guy the Knicks seem to want to hold onto.The Sixers are another team that would like to deal. Samuel Dalembert is on the block, and the Sixers likely would be willing to take back a player like Alvin Williams or Eric Williams, even if it meant swallowing a bad contract. The question is whether the Raptors would really take on Dalembert's huge salary ($55 million) for the next five years.One more Raptors note:Jay Williams' agent, Kevin Bradbury, told me that Williams will be in Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday working out for the Raptors. He'll then do a workout a week for select teams, trying to land a one-year guarantee on a roster. Williams has been rehabbing in Chicago all year and according to Bradbury is looking "100 percent better than he did last year." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Jay Williams is an interesting possibility, I completely forgot about him. He would be a nice high risk/high reward PG for the Raps. I don't think the Raptors are going to trade Charlie Villenueva. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 (edited) There's a bunch of highlights of Bargnani on Youtube. From those clips, he does remind me of a poorman's Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki:http://www.youtube.com/results?search=Andrea+Bargnani&search_type=search_videos&search=Search Edited June 1, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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