Built Ford Tough

Bargnani at the small forward is an absolutely retarded idea. He can't play small forward. I don't care if Bargnani is an awful rebounder, playing him at small forward is an absoutely stupid idea. It didn't work with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal, so why exactly would it work with Michael Beasley and Marcin Gortat?

I like getting Collison as that acquisition would solidify the Raptors backcourt for the next 4 years with him and DeRozan, but I question whether or not picking up Okafor is a smart move. I'd be all for it if the Raptors could dump Turkoglu on somebody, but if they don't move him and wind up acquiring Okafor, they are going to be completely screwed financially for the next 5 years. Could you imagine paying Okafor: $52M over the next 4 years Bargnani: $50M over the next 5 years Turkoglu: $44M over the next 4 years Calderon: $29.2M over the next 3 years ?? That is just dreadful. With that said, getting Collison would be very nice, and if the Raptors could dump Turkoglu and/or Calderon, I could live with paying Okafor because he would compliment Bargnani fairly well and he isn't an awful center.

Like BlueDevil said, I was hoping that Colangelo would sign Pietrus when he gave Kapono that absurd contract. I think he would be a very good backup for DeRozan, assuming that he wouldn't have a problem coming off of the bench on a team like Toronto. As for Gortat, I've never really understood wht the fuss was about. I think he is drastically overpaid and is nothing more than a decent backup center. I admit to not having seen him play all that much, but even when I have watched him play I never came away thinking that he has been held back by Howard in Orlando. Acquiring him makes sense though in terms of moving Bargnani to the 4 and not rushing both Davis and Alabi, especially Alabi. He can allow them to come along slowly and be a serviceable enough center for the time being. Despite my feelings towards Gortat, obviously I would jump all over this deal. The Raptors don't save money for the first two years, in fact, they actually will be spending more money than they would if they simply kept Turkoglu, but once Pietrus' contract finishes after the 2012 season (I'm assuming he picks up his player option for 2011/12) the Raptors will be saving around $5M or so, which makes the deal worth it. If this trade happens and the rumoured Bosh S&T happens, the Raptors are going to have an absolute cluster[expletive] at the 4/5 spots next season, especially if the Raptors use Beasley as a 4 and not a 3. PG: Jack/Calderon/Chalmers SG: DeRozan/Pietrus SF: Beasley/Weems PF: Bargnani/Davis/Johnson/Dorsey C: Gortat/Anthony/Alabi God, that lineup is awful.

I'm not the only one that absolutely loathes that package, right? The only thing that I am even remotely interested in is Beasley and the TPE. I'll pass on Chalmers and Anthony. Not only are they pointless on this team (well, at least Chalmers) but they reduce the TPE which is the most valuable thing in this trade as far as I am concerned. If I was Colangelo I would tell them that if they want Bosh in a S&T that I want our pick back and the TPE. Only then would I take Beasley back as well. If Miami doesn't want to give that up, I'd just tell them that they can sign Bosh outright. I'd have absolutely no interest in this package if I'm not getting my 1st back. And I call BS on this being premmature. This trade is a done deal if you ask me. The only reason why people are refuting this is because they are afraid of being charged with tampering.

I think I might have to take a trip down to Vancouver this September. Hopefully this will be a stepping stone to Vancouver possibily getting an NBA team back. I still think that it was complete BS that they moved the Grizzlies out of Van, especially since they moved it to a city like Memphis. I have mentioned it plenty of times that the NBA moved the Grizzlies out of Vancouver premmaturely and never really gave them any chance of succeeding and I stand by that statement. I'm not holding my breath though. I can't see Stern allowing a team in Vancouver again.

I just thought that I would point out that I don't necessarily think that Bosh's intentions were to diss the Raptors by posting this. I think he is just excited at the new possibilities that are ahead of him and he can't control his emotions. I think it is safe to say that I overreacted in my last post and was jumping to conclusions. By saying "After all these years" he could be refering to a number of things such as finally getting a max contract or something like that. However, with that said, Bosh may not mean for his words to mean something, but by saying that, whether it was subconcious or what, they clearly mean something. I think these comments were the final straw for me though. I've brushed off all of other ridiculous comments on Twitter and I think this one finally got me to the point where I was just sick of hearing about it, haha.

They don't need Yao to have a solid season, but they absolutely need Yao to win the division as far as I am concerned. I don't see the Spurs falling off hard enough for the Rockets to be able to overtake them without a healthy Yao (or at least healthy by Yao's standards). I guess it is possible if the Mavs lose Dirk and the Spurs fall off more than anticipated, but I would be shocked if the Rockets won the division without Yao playing 60 games at least. I can see the Rockets maybe adding a couple of more wins to their total and pushing the 45-47 win mark next season if everything works out perfectly for them, but I don't think that is enough to expect a division championship.

Well, judging from what we know already and can expect from free agency, I think it is safe to rule these teams out from winning their respective divisions: Atlantic Toronto Call me crazy, but I don't think we can rule the Sixers out just yet. If the Celtics lose both Allen and Pierce to free agency and Garnett continues to regress (and not to mention Perkins being out until Janurary at least probably) they are hardly a sure thing. New York and New Jersey are completely relying on free agency and if they strike out they could quite possibly be terrible again. It is a longshot, I know, but I can't rule Philly out just yet. They could quite possibly win this division and if things don't work out, it could go right back to the "Titanic" days. Central Detroit Indiana Even if the Bulls don't land any major free agents and have to settle for a David Lee(which wouldn't be terrible, but not an Amare or Bosh either) or Rudy Gay, they are still clearly better than these two teams. If Cleveland retains LeBron they will probably be the favourites and the Bucks could find the division right in their hands if the Cavs lose LeBron and the Bulls don't get anybody in free agency. Southeast Charlotte Atlanta Washington I don't see Johnson staying in Atlanta at all and this is really between the Magic or the Heat. If the Heat's free agency plan comes to fruition, they can steal the division from the Magic. If not, it is the Magic's division no questions asked. I will be absolutely shocked if somebody other than the Heat or Magic win this division though. Northwest Minnesota This is probably the most wide open division. Anyone of Utah, Denver, Portland or OKC can win this division. The Wolves are the only team who clearly has no shot at winning the division. Utah will be hard pressed without Boozer, but even then, Millsap is no slouch. Pacific Golden State LA Clippers Sacramento Phoenix Lets be real, nobody is touching the Lakers. This is far and away the easiest division to predict. The Lakers will win it without any challenge. Southwest New Orleans Memphis This is a three team race that could be won by whoever doesn't fall apart first. The Spurs are aging, the Rockets future hinges Yao's unreliable shoulders (or should I say feet?) and the Mavs could lose Dirk. If Dirk comes back I think it is safe to assume that the Mavs will win the division, but even then, the Mavs aren't getting any younger either. All in all, I think the only two logical choices are the Atlantic and Northwest. The Atlantic may come down to whichever team doesn't suck the most, while the Northwest could possibly have 4 55+ win teams. It really is a toss-up between these two divisions though. I'm honestly not even sure where I am leaning, but if I absolutely had to pick one, I'd go with the Northwest.

Call me crazy, but after all of the [expletive] that Bosh has pulled since the season ended, give me the Carter saga all over again. I know that Carter dogged it which completely shot his trade value, but at least he made his intentions clear and didn't lead the organization along and keep them guessing about what he was going to do. Carter wanted out and he let the Raptors know it. Bosh made it sound like he was committed to this team long term, and who knows, maybe he was up until these past two seasons (although this Tweet makes you doubt that) and then once this season finished, he basically washed his hands of everything to do with Toronto. If what Colangelo said the other day is true, he hasn't even had any communication with Bosh for a month now which just goes to show that Bosh probably had no intention of ever even considering the possibility of staying in Toronto. Don't get me wrong, Bosh has every right to want out of this team. They have had him for 7 years and the best player he has ever played with was TJ Ford. Their inability to surround him with any sort of talent wouldn't exactly make me want to re-sign with the team either. I just am getting fed up with the backhanded comments directed towards the organization. If you want to leave, go ahead, but at least leave classy. Is there really a need for these kinds of comments? I respect Bosh for everything that he has done for the Toronto Raptors franchise and without him the post VC days would've been absolutely terrible, but I really don't see the need to make these kinds of comments. If you want to say that you are excited for free agency, go right ahead, but why include that you have been looking forward to this day for "All these years"? EDIT: I'm not going to lie though, I laughed when I first saw that comment on his Twitter page.

Purely speculation on my part, but I believe he has known where he is going for a while now and all of the comments he has made over the past month have just been to draw attention to himself. I think it has been pretty much a done deal for him to go to Miami for a while now. I just don't see him not going to Miami considering he friendship with Wade, how well they would compliment each other and the fact that him and Wade have the same agent. There have just been too many signs pointing towards Miami to ignore, at least as far as I am concerned. I think I just held out hope that he may possibly stay in Toronto that I turned a blind eye to all of the signs. Well, that and because I desperately want to see Miami strike out in FA, which won't happen. The only way I think he won't go to Miami is if him and James pair up in Chicago, but even then, I can still see him signing in Miami instead of Chicago because of the city and the opportunities that they provide him with outside of basketball.

Ouch, has he really been waiting that long to get out of Toronto?

http://sparrowsonline.net/basketball/uploaded_images/ept_sports_nba_experts-914656833-1242654241-724515.jpg "Yes Coach!" Ok, I'm done hi-jacking this thread now, haha.

Pffttt.... Those teams got nothin on: DeRozan, Weems, Davis, Alabi The Summer League Championshiop won't be the only championship this group hoists. Oh yeah, don't forget about this guy: http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/uploads/av-125.gif

I updated the first post with the Raptors SL schedule and what the roster looks like so far. How awesome is it that the Raptors have possibly 3 of their starters playing in the SL and also their possible primary backup center? I'm so pumped for the start of next season. PS: Does anybody else want to see Belinelli play PG during the SL? I know it won't happen with the Italian National team and all, but I think it would be really great to see him work on his point guard skills and playmaking. He would be so much more valuable to have if he was able to still contribute when his shot isn't falling.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/tim_chisholm/?id=326022 One word: BALL On a more serious note, it does make some sense to keep him with Bosh leaving, as much as I hate to say it. With Bosh leaving the Raptors have absolutely nobody that can create any offense. As much as I like Jack, he is average at best at creating his own offense and he has never been a great playmaker for others either. Bargnani is still more of a catch and shoot/one or two dribble guy. Davis and Alabi are both raw. Calderon is a shooter and pick and roll player. Belinelli is way too inconsistent. So unless one of DeRozan or Weems suddenly develop into a viable threat off of the bounce, which I wouldn't count on, this team is in need of somebody to create offense and Turkoglu, as much as I dislike him, is capable of doing that. This doesn't mean that I want to see him on the team next season though. I'd rather watch an incompetent offensive team than have to watch Turkoglu on this team next season, but I am fully expecting him to be on the team next year, and he will have the promminent role that he so desperately wants.

Pretty much what my thoughts are, except I desperately want to see Turkoglu traded before next season so that the team will truly become "The YoungGunz" team. As much as I like Bosh, I never had the same type of attachment to him as I did Carter and while losing Bosh is going to suck, it won't nearly be as bad as when the Raptors traded Carter. I honestly think that it is something that is necessary for the franchise to move forward, as well as for Bosh as a player. Things aren't VC bad, but it is quite clear that a change is needed for both sides. There comes a point in time where a franchise and its franchise player need to sit back and asses the situation to see if it makes sense for both of them to continue to co-exist, and honestly, I don't think it makes sense for either side anymore. Obviously I would welcome Bosh back and would be completely ok with him re-signing, but I am also just as comfortable with the notion of him leaving. The thing that worries me is Colangelo though. If the Raptors lose Bosh they need to commit to a rebuild. No more "retoolings" or whatever else Colangelo likes to call them. If the Raptors lose Bosh they need to 100% commit to a rebuild. Sadly, I don't see that happening.

Come on, this is such BS... We all know that LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amare and Johnson are going to go to Miami. They will also sign Nowitzki, Boozer and Allen for the vet minimum and then half way through the season they are going to trade a 2nd round pick for Kobe Bryant.

Colangelo was on the Prime Time Sports earlier today and I only caught part of it, a recap is posted on RealGM, so I'll highlight some of the main points over here. -Basically said that Bosh is gone and that the real question is whether or not the Raptors will get a sign and trade worked out. -Since Colangelo took over 4 years ago he has involved Bosh in every single major transaction that he has made. -Doesn't sound like Turkoglu will be moved. -Thinks losing Bosh and Turk in the same offseason would make the team too bad. -They're (Raptors and Henry Thomas) don't seem too thrilled about the way he has been promoting himself on things like Twitter, etc... -It is also sounding more and more likely that if a sign and trade were to happen, the only thing that the Raptors will get in return is a TPE and won't get any sort of value back in terms of draft picks or players. -Bosh has basically had no communication with the Raptors for a month now. -Raptors will have to move on and evolve. Ed Davis selection may have been the start of a new era in Toronto. There is more, but it is just the typical Colangelo talking but not actually saying anything garbage or just reiterating stuff that we already knew/assumed. I think it is safe to assume that if a sign and trade is worked out between the two, which doesn't sound like the guarantee that it was before, all the Raptors are going to receive will be a TPE, a mediocore player and maybe a draft pick along with it (which wouldn't be all that bad in my opinion). Then Colangelo will use that TPE to overpay for an above average free agent (which would be terrible) and the Raptors will continue to be a complete joke in the present and have no flexibility heading forward. Yippee!!!!!!!! I wouldn't be opposed to simply receiving a large TPE if I had faith in Colangelo not blow it on some average free agent that will only [expletive] up the Raptors draft position next year, but I think it is safe to assume that Colangelo will manage to make a move that makes the Raptors a team who isn't good enough for the playoffs but isn't bad enough for a top 5 pick. I love being a Raptors fan. EDIT: Take these comments how you want to. Colangelo has always been the kind of GM who's comments you take with a grain of salt.

I think the gods deleted it.

They will even make a push for a Joe Johnson sign and trade if that would mean luring Bosh to Houston, however they are hesitant to part with Kevin Martin to get him. http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/06/rockets_plot_longshot_pursuit.html I guess this could go in the "Rockets Wooing Bosh" thread, but I figured I would make a new thread as it would get more attention. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I would absolutely love it if Bosh agreed to be traded to Houston. Since it is looking like the Raptors are going to be rebuilding and that there is a good chance the Knicks won't land the marquee free agents that they had hoped for, those Knick draft picks would be an absolute god send. Although Hill holds less appeal with the Raptors drafting Ed Davis, I would still love being able to get those two picks more than anything other than Bynum from the Lakers, but that doesn't look very likely. Sadly, I don't see Bosh agreeing to go to Houston unless the Rockets have an amazing sales pitch. If they did land Bosh though, they would be a very formidable team assuming Yao is able to come back healthy (which is hardly a safe assumption). It is interesting seeing them possibly pursue Joe Johnson if it means landing Bosh as well. Morey must really feel that Bosh would be able to vault them into the elite in the West because I honestly don't even know how much of an upgrade Johnson would be over Martin when you take their contracts into consderation. If they were able to land Johnson without giving up Martin (huge long shot) though, that team would be absolutely filthy.

Wasn't the 7th contingent on Hamhuis signing with the Flyers? I don't remember where, but I remember hearing/reading that the Flyers only got the 7th pick from the Preds if Hamhuis actually signed with the Flyers. Not that it matters much. I actually think that the Flyers would be better off spending the money that it would take to sign Hamhuis and focusing it on Nabokov plus a dependable 5th defenseman. Obviously it would have been great for Philly if they were able to sign Hamhuis, but with Pronger, Coburn, Carle and Timmonen already on the roster, I think it would be more worthwhile for them to go after the scenario I mentioned in the previous sentence.

I stumbled across this article on RaptorsHQ and thought that it was a really good article. That may be because it supports my thoughts 100% and sounds like something that I would write, but who cares, haha. Read the rest HERE Also, these two quotes basically sum up exactly what I have been saying ever since it was clear that Bosh was going to leave. Anyways, I don't expect much discussion out of this topic. I just thought the article was a good read and wanted to share it, especially those two quotes above.

I knew it was him for a while now, mainly because he would make the exact same posts/threads on here as he did on ISH. Also, this post: was pretty much a dead giveaway.

No biggie. Werdum actually didn't even land a single punch in the entire fight. Granted it was only a minute long and he spent basically the entire fight trying to secure a submission after getting knocked down during the opening 20 seconds or so, so that really doesn't mean much.