04/26/24
May 25, 2006
Bosh not big on Bargnani: How much say should current players have in swaying the front office towards or in this case away from portential picks.
posted by gradys_kitchen to basketball at 03:25 PM - 13 comments
He's right about the lack of good centers in the NBA today. They are the key ingrediant to winning championships. I don't think it's the worst idea for current players to voice their concerns for what the team needs but it should in no way be the decieding factor. I haven't seen this cat play, but i'm a fair weather basketball fan.
posted by HATER 187 at 03:36 PM on May 25, 2006
But is Bosh doing it for the sake of helping his team or instead, to save his individual stats?
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:38 PM on May 25, 2006
Bosh may pay attention to his stats, but he strikes me as enough of a team guy that he's at least looking in that direction. That said, he's still young, and he's pretty much the man in Toronto now, and I suspect he felt like he had to step up and say something. Colangelo strikes me as the kind of guy who a Chris Bosh could call and talk to about this stuff if it was concerning him, especially so early in Colangelo's tenure with the Raptors. Maybe not (I'm not in Toronto, so all I get is NBA-wide news about this stuff), but that's a guess.
posted by chicobangs at 04:27 PM on May 25, 2006
I say they trade down. There aren't any players that really jump out at you, like a LeBron James or something. All of the top players are solid, but very even. I think they could trade down as low as 15- and still get a good center in Josh Boone. He would fit in well with Villanueva, and could complement Bosh well. The number 1 pick is a great thing to have- but I really don't see how the Raptors will not consider trading down.
posted by redsoxrgay at 05:48 PM on May 25, 2006
I don't want to rehash too much of what I said when Colangelo took over, nor do I want to cheat off Scott's Draft run-down. But I will hazard a guess or two: Trading down from the #1 slot is nigh impossible, especially in a draft pool as shallow as this years. The last #1 to be traded was Chris Webber for Penny in 1993 ( not a bad draft if compared to recent drafts). There really isn't a consensus #1 pick that a GM would be willing to trade up for. Scott's scenario of dealing Villanueva, a known quantity, for a pick, is more intriguing and more likely. If Villanueva and the pick could be sent off for a lead guard and a 11-15 range pick, even better! The big question is, does Colangelo set his sights on making the Raptors "Suns East", or does he reverse course like Don Nelson did (defensive minded Bucks to offensive minded Warriors) and mold a lock down defensive squad? This off-season should give us an (incomplete) idea.
posted by lilnemo at 06:46 PM on May 25, 2006
As a Raptors fan I say we just rejoice in the fact that it isn't Babcock or Grunwald making the selections this year. (However I am content with last years picks.)
posted by gp_rider at 06:50 PM on May 25, 2006
chris: PLAY bryan: MANAGE
posted by tommybiden at 08:56 PM on May 25, 2006
The Bargiani thing is a ruse. Colangelo is not going to draft him. I'd like to see them get a PG like Marcus Willams. A "banger" would also be good, but really not all that essential in today's NBA. Phoenix and Detroit are two teams that are regularly out rebounded. Dwayne Wade scored the most points in the paint this year. It's not the only answer (and I don't think Thomas or Aldridge are all that special, or spectacular. I wish Noah had declared SO BAD right now).
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:41 AM on May 26, 2006
I think Bosh's comments are being misinterpreted by some people. A reporter asked him what he thought about the idea of drafting Bargnani and he gave his honest opinion of what he thought would best suit the team. This Raptors club is softbatch and it would seem that the last thing they need to add is another finesse player. Bosh has grown in confidence recently and has started to embrace a leadership role on the team. Along with that, he's shown that he's willing to give honest, frank answers to questions like this. As long as he's not making ultimatums, I don't have a problem with it and neither will Colangelo. About the pick, I think Colangelo has the philosophy that the draft should be used to acquire the best available player, regardless of the team's needs. Then, you address those specific needs through trades and free agency. So it's quite likely that Colangelo will, in fact, draft Bargnani and then use the available cap space (in the $10-15 million range) to sign or trade for a player or players who can rebound, defend, block shots, run the point, etc. Personally, I would love to see Colangelo use the top pick on LaMarcus Aldridge, who has been training with Bosh this off-season. I think the two of them would form a formidable frontcourt who would push each other to improve and excel.
posted by Scott Carefoot at 09:57 AM on May 26, 2006
I don't understand why they think they need a big guy so bad. Bosh has a promising future as a post. Villanueva seems to be a good complement. THEY NEED 1-3. 2-3 if they can hold onto mike james. Adam Morrison brings a toughness that is exactly want they need. Not much defense, but then they could actually outscore some teams. Even Rudy Gay could be a good addition, he isn't a great leader... but he should have a bright future. I think that is the position they need. Also if they do lose Mike James, they can sign..... Sam Cassell, Flip Murray, Speedy Claxton, or Bobby Jackson. ALL FREE AGENTS that could easily leave their situations.
posted by Snikastyle at 11:01 AM on May 27, 2006
The Raptors have some fresh cap room too, don't they? I remember some big contract coming off the books this year.
posted by chicobangs at 11:37 AM on May 27, 2006
I covered the Raps salary commitments here chico.
posted by lilnemo at 03:02 PM on May 27, 2006
2nd question although my first is missing proper punctuation ... has anyone seen footage of Bargnani play? As a Detroiter I feel the potential pain of Raptors Fans, if they exist, because the media kept telling us Darko was the real deal yet no one could find anything but the grainest of public access quality footage of him playing.