Notable players tentatively scheduled to work out in front of Bryan Colangelo and co. include swingmen Brandon Rush, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bill Walker and centre Robin Lopez.
Walker and Rush were once considered top 10 prospects but slipped due to serious injuries they have since recovered from. The Raptors do not have a second round selection, but since most of the other players coming in are projected to land there, the team appears open to trading for one.
BUT . . .
hanging over all of these positive moves, whenever the Pistons go down in the playoffs, is the selection of Milicic with the second overall pick in 2003.
It’s not so much that the 7-foot Milicic has been a disappointment in his four NBA seasons. He won’t be the first premium pick to go down as a bust, nor the last. The real killer is that the three players drafted right after Milicic were Carmelo Anthony (by the Denver Nuggets), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
All have achieved All-Star status. Plug any of them into the Pistons rotation and use your imagination.
Former Kansas University basketball player Brandon Rush will work out for the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, the NBA team has announced. Darrell Arthur has said he’ll work out for New Jersey Wednesday and Charlotte on Friday.
There is a better chance of the Raptors shipping out Chris Bosh than Andrea Bargnani. It sounds ridiculous but as of today its a true statement. The fact is that we don’t know what kind of player we have in Bargnani, I mean we know that he has issues rebounding and playing defense and scoring but we don’t know whether those things are permanent problems or whether they can be corrected. Colangelo doesn’t know that either and isn’t stupid enough to trade him when his value is at an all-time low. Next season will give Colangelo a clearer idea of what exactly he has in the the second best player to come out of Italy over the last three years and he’ll decide next summer whether Bargnani can be part of the Raptors nucleus for years to come.
Bring Ben Wallace to the Raptors, than maybe they will rebound the ball.
- Petition site (no, really…a real petition)
Reggie Theus ( Sacramento Kings) and Sam Mitchell ( Toronto Raptors) are in their first head coaching positions, and both were happy to talk.
Who is the greatest player in NBA history?
*Mitchell: My favorite all-time player is Magic Johnson. You can’t say who was greatest, Michael, Wilt, Oscar , Jerry West, Jordan, Magic. Some say Russell, some say Wilt.
Has the game changed for the better or the worse in the last 25 years?
*Mitchell: I’d go back to handchecking, letting people put hands on people again in the open court.
If you were starting a new team, would you start with Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose?
*Mitchell: It would depend on what you need. If it’s a point, take Rose. That’s tough.
Do you like the rule that requires kids coming out of high school to spend at least one year in college before being eligible for the draft?
*Mitchell: I understand why they are doing it, wanting them more mature. It’s a tough issue, who is ready, who is not ready. You try to protect kids from making wrong choice, but you can’t always do that.
Does it make you uncomfortable seeing Charles Barkley doing analysis on television in light of his much publicized gambling?
*Mitchell: The thing people love about Charles is that he’s flawed, and not afraid to admit he’s flawed. He’s the only guy who can talk about it openly, and people will embrace it.
Commissioner David Stern recently expressed some unhappiness with all the pyrotechnics and often excessive distractions surrounding the games. Are teams putting too much emphasis on things like that?
*Mitchell: No, it’s fine. When you go to some other sporting events, there is nothing else. You go to a Raptors game, there is always something going on. Hockey, between periods, you just sit in your chair looking around. I kind of like what we do, always something to keep the fans stimulated.
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I don’t know how anyone can like all the noise and pyrotechnics. I sat up 10 rows or so once, and I think my face got burnt. I can’t imagine what it’s like on the floor. Do we really need to be “stimulated” all the time? Sam’s saying exactly what he should be, though.
Agreed on Charles Barkley. Honesty is underrated.
And regarding the Ben Wallace petition… WTF? That’s probably the worst idea I’ve heard since “sign Carl English.”
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i’d rather have english then wallace. paying big ben 12 a year doesn’t sit right with me, i can’t believe paxson paid him that much money.
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If you want a Ben Wallace clone try Joey Dorsey from Memphis, has all the attributes as a defensive rebounding monster.