Built Ford Tough

The game will be on October 22nd and it will be against the Knicks.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/69/l_952b1c04aa8c422cb3ed83903b63633d.gif I never know what to expect from Silva anymore and we could just as easily see the Silva who destroyed Griffin or the Silva who played around with Maia, but I'd be scared for my life if I was Sonnen right now. It seems like he did a little too much trash talking and may have sealed his own fate. Silva doesn't even look mad, he looks more annoyed, which I think is even scarier. Also, Thiago Alves missed weight again, which isn't going to sit well with the UFC as it has been a continuing concern with Alves. I wonder how many more chances they are going to give him before they try and step in and make him fight at 185 as he clearly has troubles making weight at 170.

As for Sonnen, he is basically on the same level as Marquardt and Maia. The three of them are basically interchangable. Maia submitted Sonnen but was knocked out by Sonnen. Marquardt knocked out Maia but was beaten handily by Sonnen. Sonnen was submitted by Maia but dominated Marquardt. Maia has great Jitz but has striking, Sonnen has great wrestling but poor striking and Marquardt is good at everything but is great at nothing. Maia and Marquardt have both fought Silva and both were easily beaten. I expect that trend to continue. The three of them are all good fighters, but I don't see how anyone of them are going to give Silva anything that will cause him troubles. Like I said in that post, Belfort is the only guy in the Middleweight division that I can see giving Silva troubles, and I would still think that Silva is a pretty hefty favourite.

Curry's contract is an expiring as well though, so that wouldn't really have any sort of impact on a potential deadline deal where the Rockets will swap their expirings for something. In fact, it could be more valuable with Curry because he is a larger expiring than Jefferson is. Don't see how this wouldn't make sense for the Rockets though because it's not like Jeffries will play any sort of real role for this team with Ariza, Martin, Battier, Scola, Patterson etc... getting the majority of the minutes at the positions where he would potentially play. I would imagine that he would just sit on the bench, so you might as well just get the larger expiring to do the same thing. Then again, there is the luxury tax to think of and the fact that a team may value Jeffries' potential worth as a player and a contract more than just Curry's contract.

As long as the only thing that they are "consulting" him about is the NBA Draft, good move. If they are "consulting" him about anything else, well, good luck.

I hated Silva's antics against Demian Maia because Maia was nothing but respectful to Silva leading up to the fight and was actually trying to engage Silva (unlike Thales Leites), but I honestly wouldn't even be that upset if Silva were to simply toy with Sonnen all fight long simply because of how much [expletive] Sonnen has talked about Silva. I almost wouldn't mind if Silva were to put an absolute beating on Sonnen but never actually go in for the kill, choosing to simply beat on him for 5 rounds. Although, as a fan of MMA I would rather see Silva just put on the dominating performance that is expected of him. If you can finish the guy in the first round, you should finish him then. As for this being one of his toughest fights yet, I just don't see it. Yeah, Sonnen is a great wrestler, but that is literally all that Silva has to worry about. He doesn't have to think twice about Sonnen's striking or doesn't really have to worry about the possibility of him being submitted either. The only way that I can see Sonnen winning this fight is if he manages to smother Silva for 5 rounds and I just don't see it. Hendo was just as accomplished of a wrestler while having dynamite in his hands, yet Silva made quick work of him. I don't see him being able to take Silva down for 5 rounds straight without catching something on the feet or catching a knee when attempting a takedown. Even if he is able to consistently take him down, which I don't see happening, Silva has awesome Jitz and is constantly a threat to submit you from the bottom if you aren't constantly alert. He is also very effective at getting out of dangerous situations and sweeping his opponent or throwing up a triangle with those lanky limbs of his. I may be underestimating Sonnen (I certainly did when he fought Marquardt) but I just don't see him being able to do anything to Silva that Hendo wasn't able to do and Sonnen certainly isn't better than Franklin (although he may be a worse matchup stylistcally for Silva). I still think that Marquardt is better than Sonnen despite his loss. The only guy in the 185 pound division I can see beating Silva is Vitor Belfort though. As for the rest of the card, I'm excited to finally see the Fitch/Alves rematch. It seems like we have been waiting forever to see this fight and it is about time it is happening. I don't necessarily like the fact that the winner of this fight will fight the winner of GSP/Kos, though. Fitch is deserving, but Alves should have to work his way up a bit more before getting a title shot considering his last fight was a shot at the WW crown. I think if he were to win that he should fight the winner of the Jake Shields/Martin Kampmann fight with the winner getting a shot at the WW champ. Oh well, still looking forward to this fight. Hughes/Almeida should be a good one. Hughes will never be a champion again, but he is still a very good fighter and it should be a good test for Almeida in his 2nd fight at 170 pounds. He looked good against Matt Brown, but Hughes is definitely going to be a tough test for him. Lastly, the JDS/Big Country fight should be fine as well. Like Fitch/Alves, the winner of this fight will get a title shot against the winner of Lesnar/Velasquez so there is a lot on the line. JDS has the best striking in the heavyweight division and arguably all of MMA, while Nelson is just so well rounded. I don't give Nelson much of a shot in this fight, but he seems to be at his best when nobody is giving him a chance. I like both of these fighters so I'll be happy with whoever wins the fight, but I would bet on JDS winning. Don't care much for the Guida/dos Anjos fight, but this is an awesome card. EDIT: Wow, didn't realize I wrote so much, haha.

http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/2010/08/a-bunch-of-little-things-including-some-news-for-montreal.html So the Raptors will be holding their Training Camp in Vancouver, playing a preseason game against the Suns in Vancouver and now will be playing another preseason game in Montreal? Interesting to see them branching out of Ontario and moving into other areas of Canada. I'm curious to see what the game in Montreal is going to be like attendance wise. Like Doug Smith said, they tried having a preseason game there back in when the franchise was just getting started and the thing absolutely tanked. Obviously I expect it to do a lot better than that, but I'm curious to see how popular this will be in Montreal as I know very little about them as a potential basketball market.

Yeah because it's not like I said that the Raptors have problems in this thread or anything like that. Oh wait....

He's a hypocrite. Coming from the guy who cried to the Turkish media about the Raptors, tried to make ammends when it seemed like he wouldn't be going anywhere and is now blasting the organization once he has been traded to a different team. As for the team having problems, sure, of course they do. There are maybe a handful of teams in professional sports that you can legitimately say doesn't have any problems. It is just funny that this is coming from Turkoglu who was the biggest problem last season.

Thomspon had a solid rookie season and followed that up with a sophomore season in which he improved in basically every single statistical catagory He was a bit up and down last season as he started off great (averaged 15.3/9.6 and 16.6/8.9 in November and December respectively), hit a bit of a wall in the middle part of the season (averaged 9.1/7.8 and 9.8 and 8.9 in January and Feburary respectively) and then finished the season strong (averaged 14/10/2.5 in April). He showed glimpses of being a very good player last year, but with the Kings making the midseason trade for Carl Landry, trading for Samuel Dalembert in the offseason and then drafting DeMarcus Cousins with the 5th pick what is his role going to be on the team? Will he play 30 minutes a game like he has the past two seasons, or with these new additions will he see his playing time cut? How is he going to factor into the Kings rotation for this upcoming season?

I think it is pretty clear that in order for the Thunder to take the next step and solidify themselves as legitimate threats for the NBA Championship, they need to continue to see development from their young players like Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, Aldrich, Durant etc..., but I also think that they need to go after a legitimate power forward as I don't think that the Thunder can ever win an NBA Championship with a player like Green playing the 4. There are very few examples of teams winning an NBA Championship with an undersized 4, especially if he isn't complimented by an elite defensive and rebounding center (which is why the Magic are able to be contenders despite having Lewis as the 4). He doesn't seem to be improving much anymore, which isn't exactly a problem because he is a very good role player already, but if the Thunder are going to become contenders in the West, they need to add some size to their frontcourt. I think that is pretty obvious. So it begs the question, what does the future hold in store for Jeff Green and the Thunder? His contract is up at the end of the season and the Thunder are going to have to make a decision on whether or not they are going to keep him around. Should they try and trade him for a more traditional power forward? Should they use him as a 6th man? Should they continue to have him as the starting 4?

I think I would go with Kleiza instead of Weems, but it really depends more on who else the Raptors have in the starting lineup. The only positions that are clear right now is DeRozan at shooting guard and Bargnani at center (unless they make a move for a starting caliber center then he would slide to the power forward spot). If Jack and Johnson (or even Davis) are the other two starters, then I think that Kleiza fits a lot better with the starters than Weems would. Kleiza isn't as good of a defender as Weems is, but his ability to stretch the defense on offense and his solid rebounding would compliment the Raptors very nicely due to Bargnani's poor rebounding and DeRozan's lack of a consistent three point shot on offense. Putting Kleiza into the starting lineup will open up driving lanes for Jack and DeRozan as opposing defenses will have to respect the shooting ability of Kleiza and Bargnani (as well as Jack when he isn't slashing) and it would also open things up a bit more for Johnson down low for putbacks, lobs and dump ins. I don't think that this would be the case if Weems would be the starter as the only real pure shooter on the floor at the beginning of the game would be Bargnani (Jack shot the ball very well last season, but was an average shooter in seasons prior so I wonder if that great shooting season is an anamoly, or the real deal). It would really clog things up for the Raptors. Defensively, Jack and DeRozan are both solid defenders (or at least I expect DeRozan to be this season at least) while Johnson is a good defender down low, so I think that the Raptors can afford to have Kleiza's poor defense int he starting lineup. His rebounding ability would be a very welcome addition to the starting lineup and would help make up for his lack of defense. However, if the Raptors are going to keep Calderon in the starting lineup, I think it would make more sense to have Weems start due to his superior defensive ability. He isn't the long range threat that Kleiza is, but Weems would benefit more from Calderon's passing ability as he is better at moving off of the ball and is much more athletic. I don't think it is that big of a deal who starts though because I think that the two of them will basically split the time and will both see around the same amount of time. They'll probably split the time at the 3 and spend some time at the 2 (Weems) and 4 (Kleiza).

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/68439/20100730/bosh_claims_decision_to_leave_toronto_came_late/ I don't agree with the notion that he quit on the Raptors post All-Star break (although his play did slip up a bit, but he has always started the season strong and slipped up a bit post All-Star break), but I can't help but laugh at the comment about how leaving Toronto was one that he made after a long process. After hearing how Bosh and Henry Thomas had very little contact with Colangelo (assuming what Colangelo said at the beginning of the free agency process was in fact true, which I don't see why it wouldn't be), it sure makes it seem like Bosh had no intention of staying with the team. Even his teammates basically conceded the fact that Bosh was as good as gone once free agency hit, including Jarrett Jack who has had a long term friendship with Bosh dating back to their days at Georgia Tech. I have no problems with Bosh leaving and joining up with Wade in Miami because it is a role that he is clearly more suited to, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that he didn't have his mind made up about leaving Toronto for a while now.

Latest buzz: Shaq, T-Mac, more - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN I thought he played pretty well for the Raptors during the Summer League and he is talented enough to play in the NBA (as a third string scoring point guard), but unless the Raptors are able to move Calderon and Banks, he would be completely redundant on the roster. I like the chemistry that he has with the rest of the Raptors young players and he showed it during the SL. DeRozan and Brown have been playing pick up ball in LA with each other for a while now and Weems and him seemed to play well with each other during the SL too (as well as the connection to Amir Johnson as well). When you are filling out the roster with end of the bench players, it only makes sense to get players that have good relations with other members on the team and who wants to be on the team, and Brown does both of these things. However, unless the Raptors move Calderon and Banks, there is simply no room on the roster for him considering the fact that they are already over the league maximum of 15 players as it currently stands (I think at least, they might be at exactly 15).

It is an ESPN Insider article ( NBA free agency: Who's left in 2010 free-agent class? - ESPN ) so I'm not going to post anything more, but if this is true, I'm all for it under the condition that Calderon is moved so that he would actually be able to get some playing time. If the Raptors are able to trade Calderon and sign Watson, it basically hands the keys of the team over to Jack and he will become the undisputed point guard of this team for the upcoming season, which is what I want to see happen. Watson would be a very good veteran to add to this team especially considering how they are lacking in veterans to begin with. He would be a solid backup point guard for the Raptors. If the Raptors trade Calderon and Banks and bring in Watson and Brown, I would be pretty content with how Colangelo went about addressing the Raptors point guard situation, which was one of his main goals for this offseason. With all of this said, I find it hard to believe that he would go to the Raptors over the Heat considering the most he can be offered by both teams would be the minimum.

The Cavs seem to love to pick up ex-Raptors. Last season they signed Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon and now they sign Joey Graham. All they need to do is trade for Jason Kapono and they will be set in their quest to re-assemble the Raptors periemter rotation that was widely considered to be the worst in the NBA. On a serious note though, I've always liked Graham as he gives it 100% every time he is on the floor, but the guy simply isn't smart enough to ever play a large role in the NBA. He has all of the physical tools you could ask for (and then some), but his Basketball IQ holds him back from ever being anything more than 10 minute per game bench player (obviously on a poor team he will get more minutes though). Good for Joey though. I was wondering if he would be able to sign anywhere this offseason, so it is nice to see that he will still be in the NBA next year.

Raptors Republic released 7 more types: The other 4 are at this link: http://raptorsrepublic.com/2010/07/28/seven-more-types-of-raptors-fans/

I don't think this should come as a surprise to anybody. I think House was basically near the top of everybodies lists when it came to players that Miami would bring in to compliment James, Wade and Bosh. He is basically the ideal player to put alongside Wade and Bron though, so a nice signing for the Heat.

http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/ericsmith/2010/07/29/more-misinformation/ I'm not going to post anything of detail because Eric Smith said everything that I would've said in response to this (there is more in the link) better than I could've said it. I just love how the NBA needs to consider whether Toronto is a viable market but places like Minnesota, Memphis, Cleveland (before LeBron), etc.. are completely viable. I have no idea who "Mike and Mike" are so I don't know if they are people that shouldn't be taken seriously like some reporters/analysts or if they are clowns, so yeah, haha.

If they don't make any more moves to add another center to the roster, I think he will actually get a decent amount of playing time next season (assuming he is still with the team). Moste Raptors big men are more suited to the power forward spot as Alabi is really the only true center on the team, and he is clearly a project and is not ready for NBA action right away. I think Andersen will get the majority of backup minutes at the 5 while Johnson and Davis get the majority of the minutes at the 4. There may be times that Andersen and Bargnani are on the floor together (as brutal as that sounds) as well. I definitely see him getting minutes this upcoming season assuming that the Raptors don't add any more big men though. His play will dictate how many minutes he gets as the season goes on, but he will be given an opportunity.

The Turkoglu TPE is the one that covered this trade, so the Raptors still haven't dipped into the Bosh TPE yet. As for the move, the Raptors got a backup center (which just goes to show how thin they are at the 5) for a pick that they probably never would've gotten in the first place (I imagine it is that Clippers heavily protected 2nd rounder they have). The Rockets are sending cash over to Toronto to pay for his salary so it doesn't really effect them financially. This move allows Alabi to spend some time in the D-League, which will be much more beneficial for his development than sitting on the bench with the Raptors. Best of all is that the Raptors now have basically $14M (give or take) in expiring contracts to work with, along with the $14.5M Bosh TPE. I know that Andersen isn't an expiring contract, but with a $100,000 buyout next season, he basically is as far as I am concerned. I'm definitely expecting Colangelo to try and make a significant splash around the deadline with the expiring contracts of Banks, Evans, Belinelli and Andersen and the TPE.

Found this on Raptors Republic and thought I would post it here. The other 4 are here: http://raptorsrepublic.com/2010/07/26/seven-types-of-raptors-fans/ Which catagory do you think you fall into of these seven? Also, for all of the non-Raptor fans who visit the board, which catagory would you put the Raptor fans on OTR into?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/lists/Five-worst-teams-in-the-NBA#sport=NBA&photo=11508163 I don't deny that the Raptors are going to absolutely suck this upcoming season (and I absolutely love it) but I question whether or not whoever wrote this even knows anything about the Raptors. First off, you can probably count the number of Raptor fans who weren't happy to see Turkoglu traded to Phoenix on one hand. It was clear that he wanted out and it was even more clear that the majority of Raptor fans wanted him gone even more than he wanted out. Secondly, how is this the least athletic team in the NBA? Since the VC days the Raptors may have been the least athletic team in the NBA, but I don't see how that is the case anymore. DeRozan, Weems, Davis and Johnson are all very atheltic. Barbosa is one of the quickest players in the league and Bargnani is a solid athlete for a 7 foot, 250 pound player. The only players who may get minutes this upcoming season who I would consider to be unathletic (by NBA standards) is probably Jose Calderon and maybe Marco Belinelli as well. Lastly, why won't the Raptors be able to run? More than half of their rotation this upcoming season are all better suited to an uptempo game. Guys like DeRozan, Weems, Johnson, Barbosa, Belinelli and Davis are clearly more suited to playing in a fast paced system. Hell, you can argue that Jack, Kleiza and maybe even Bargnani (as a trailer 3 point shooter) are more effective in a fast paced system. The only player on the team who is clearly more suited to a half court game is Calderon and he might now even be on the team next year. Again, I'm not delusional enough to think that this team is going anywhere other than the lottery, but I love how completely inaccurate this article is.

http://www.nbadraft.net/nba-summer-league-top-10-non-rookies Call me a homer, but I think you can make a very legitimate case that DeRozan was the best player in the Summer League this past season. I know that Wall had better numbers than him at first glance, but DeRozan's efficiency was remarkable (58 FG%, 60 something TS%, 1 turnover and almost a point per minute player). I know it is only Summer League and it is hardly a tell-tale sign of future greatness (Quincy Douby lit the SL up for the Raptors last year), but you can't help to come away with a positive outlook on DeRozan's future considering how much more comfortable he looked on the floor, particularly with the ball in his hands. Sonny Weems was also on the list at 7.

He had a chat with Holly McKenzie a couple of days ago and I thought I would post it. Won't generate much discussion, but it is nice to see somebody in the media actually speaking highly of some of the Raptors young players. Ever since Bosh has left it seems like there hasn't been a good thing said about the Raptors by non-Raptors related media. Anyways, here is some of the interview/chat, the rest is in the link. http://www.thescore.com/home/articles/53108-more-from-raptors-summer-league-holly-mackenzie-chats-with-david-thorpe