Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo announced six front-office promotions yesterday, including Maurizio Gherardini, who moves from VP and assistant GM to senior VP of basketball operations.
Marc Eversley (formerly director of basketball operations) has been promoted to assistant GM of player development.
Masai Ujiri (formerly director of global scouting) has been promoted to assistant GM of player personnel.
Jim Kelly (formerly director of player personnel), entering his 15th season with the team, has been promoted to senior director of player personnel.
Steve Fruitman (formerly director of basketball finance) has been promoted to senior director of basketball administration.
Micah Nori (formerly advance scout) has been promoted to director of NBA scouting.
- Toronto SunThe plan still is to sign a minimum-salary combo guard who will sit on the bench and play in emergencies or if foul trouble hits both Jose and Roko in the same game.
I know Juan Dixon’s people have called Toronto – it was a call made right at the start of free agency – and he may be the default position right now.
Or maybe they have to gamble on a guy like Jaycee Carroll or one of the other guards they’ve scouted in various summer leagues (Utah’s on now to wind up the season).
But, again, this is not going to be a signing of significance. In a perfect Raptor world, where Jose’s healthy and Ukic gives ‘em 16-18 minutes a night every night, the 13th man is only going to get garbage minutes.
And that’s why it’s really not worth getting all worked up a bit.
Oh, and it won’t be Darrick Martin.
But wouldn’t it be cool if it was Sam Cassell? Be the best quote in that room. Of course, the fact that he looked absolutely done at the end of the finals might work against his signing but we’d love it.
Carlos did not get $10 million a year, he got about $5, I’m told, but when you factor in the usual tax-free status of salary plus perks like housing and transportation it adds up. But a base salary or actual money he’ll get to put in the bank? $10 million isn’t right.
There are many days left, and more activity to come, in the NBA offseason. At this stage, however, it is fair to say that the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors have made their move up the chart in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto, which was 41-41 and placed second in the Atlantic Division behind the Celtics, added former All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal in a big trade with the Indiana Pacers, a move that has made the Raptors a much more potent club. Like Philadelphia, the Raptors are banking on their new acquisition being healthy and ready to play.
A six-time All-Star, the 29-year-old O’Neal averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in just 42 games in 2007-08, and has been hampered by various injuries in recent seasons.
O’Neal and All-Star big man Chris Bosh are expected to combine to give the Raptors a dangerous one-two punch down low.
Toronto was eliminated by Orlando in round one of the postseason, and the front office expects bigger things this coming season and in the playoffs.
Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell is definitely on the hot seat, and likely has to lead the Raptors past the first round if he wants to remain on the sidelines up north. Toronto has won just one playoff series in franchise history, defeating the Knicks, 3-2, in the first round of the 2001 postseason.
Welcome to the newest edition of the CelticsBlog NBA page’s newest feature, Runnin’ Fives. Over the course of the next few months, we’ll be picking a five-man all-time team for each of the Association’s thirty currently active franchises. The rules are simple: The goal is to put together the best possible standard five-man line-up (two guards, two forwards, one center, with some room for finagling if need be) for each team based on the performance of the players while with said team. For instance, it’s hard to imagine Michael Jordan making the Washington squad or Karl Malone or Gary Payton challenging for spots in Los Angeles (or Mark Blount making any team, anywhere). We’ll be progressing from youngest franchise to oldest at the rate of one to two teams per week, pursuant to the workings of the NBA’s news cycle and availability of sources as we’ll be checking in with bloggers, beat writers, fans and anybody else we can get a hold of for insight on their teams. And of course, we’re always looking for your input, and we invite all readers to submit their own line-ups, honorable mentions, dishonorable mentions and everything in between in the comments section below. We eagerly look forward to hearing from you!
Today, we cross the northern border to take a look at the one of those two that has won a playoff game (and a series, too, but that’s just icing on the cake in this contest of former expansion teams). Let’s run fives with the Toronto Raptors:
(video) Anthony Parker
The Americans opened training camp yesterday with their 12-man roster that features only one true center, out to prove that in this case, size doesn’t matter.
“It’s not a concern really. We all play basketball and that’s what it’s about,” said Chris Bosh, a power forward for the Toronto Raptors who could end up as a backup center in the Olympics.
“If you look at other teams that play in other countries, I think we have a good post player for their post players. Their 5s move out a lot, they shoot the ball a little bit. I mean it really goes hand in hand with everything. We’re talented enough to make that small adjustment.”
At the end of the 2007-08 season it was clear the Toronto Raptors had a very good team, but it was also clear they needed help in the rebounding and toughness department. General Manager Bryan Colangelo addressed it the best way possible by sending an extra point guard (T.J. Ford) and a big man who didn’t rebound (Rasho Nesterovic) to the Indiana Pacers for All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. Now the Raptors, on paper, have all the tools to challenge the Boston Celtics for Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles.
Over the course of the 07-08 season the Raptors outscored, out-assisted, out-shot, and out-just-about-everything-elsed their opponents – except rebounding. At 40.07 boards a night the Raps finished 28th in the league in that category. Their rebounding differential of -1.54 was 22nd in the league.
With Jermaine O’Neal starting in the frontcourt alongside All-Star Chris Bosh, it would stand to reason they will definitely improve those rebounding numbers. O’Neal averaged just 6.7 rebounds a game last year, but he told HOOPSWORLD in Las Vegas he played the last season and a half on a torn meniscus. After taking the second half of the season off, getting healthy, and dedicating himself to getting in the best shape of his life, O’Neal is looking forward to a rebirth.
Making Jose Calderon the full-time point guard isn’t going to hurt either. Last season he dished 8.3 assists in 30.3 minutes a night while scoring 11.2 points on 51.9% shooting from the field (and 42.9% from three-point range). Being the undisputed starter should push his minutes into the 35-39 per game range, so expect his assists to hit double digits as Bosh and O’Neal give him plenty of options in the post.
- HoopsworldI notice that Garbo played 14 minutes or so, made a three-pointer and grabbed a couple of rebounds.
Haven’t talked to anyone who’s seen the game but I was told earlier this month that he looks the same as he always did. Doesn’t really run that well, can’t really jump that high but simply has a knack for making plays.
I know there were huge concerns n Toronto about how his surgically-reconstructed leg would hold up over an 82-game NBA season but if he can go 14-18 minutes of a 40-minute Olympic or Euroleague game, I’ve always thought he could probably tough it out for another three or four years, if he wants.
And that’ll make a lot of people happy. Garbo’s one of the good ones and it would have been a shame to see his career cut short by that play in Boston – a play, if you recall, that was pure hustle and work, trying to block an unblockable open dunk.
Remember yesterday I mentioned there may be a couple of Raptors lurking about the city this weekend for the 3-on-3 thing and other appearances?
Well, I heard it’s Kapono and Moon and they’ll be flitting hither and yon spreading the Raptor gospel.
And while I’m pretty sure the folks with the team will keep him busy, I’m guessing Kapono might try to find his way to the Abbey, being a golf nut and all.
The esteemed colleague D. Perkins reports that, while out traversing Torry Pines for the U.S. Open in June, he spied a rather tallish fellow among the great unwashed wandering the fairways.
Yep, our boy Jason out for a walk, watching golf.
Related posts:
Leave a comment