<![CDATA[Raptors Forum | Toronto Raptors Forums & Message Boards]]> http://www.raptorsforum.com/f en Sat, 25 May 2013 00:03:35 GMT vBulletin 5 http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Raptors Forum | Toronto Raptors Forums & Message Boards]]> http://www.raptorsforum.com/f Who do you want? http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/who-do-you-want-25360.html Fri, 24 May 2013 23:33:21 GMT Supposed candidates for GM: Masai Ujiri Troy Weaver Mike Zarren Kevin Pritchard Tommy Sheppard Ed Stefanski Supposed candidates for GM:

Masai Ujiri
Troy Weaver
Mike Zarren
Kevin Pritchard
Tommy Sheppard
Ed Stefanski


Who do you want? ]]> Toronto Raptors jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/who-do-you-want-25360.html OVER/under Launch into Space round • May 25 http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/over-under-launch-into-space-round-may-25-a-25359.html Fri, 24 May 2013 19:00:46 GMT Image: http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx352/LXfour/d5ff4db3-a623-4fd6-ac39-5cb414bf91d5_zpsd8331d9b.jpg
]]> Toronto Raptors LX http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/over-under-launch-into-space-round-may-25-a-25359.html <![CDATA[Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri to meet with Raptors about taking over Toronto's front office]]> http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/nuggets-gm-masai-ujiri-meet-raptors-about-taking-over-torontos-front-office-25358.html Fri, 24 May 2013 16:15:50 GMT
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The Denver Nuggets have granted the Toronto Raptors permission to speak to the NBA's Executive of the Year, Masai Ujiri, and a meeting is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Masai Ujiri was named the NBA's Executive of the Year. (USA Today Sports)Unless Denver responds soon with a market-
value contract extension to keep its general manager, Ujiri is prepared to leave Denver for the chance to rebuild the Raptors organization, league sources said.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke is aggressively pursuing Ujiri to become the Raptors' general manager and plans to present an offer that will pay him nearly $3 million annually over the course of a multiyear contract, league sources said.

Denver has long been reluctant to pay its top front-office executives market value, and current contract extension talks with Ujiri are believed to include figures that are nowhere near the commitment that Toronto's willing to make.

Ujiri's contract with the Nuggets expires on June 30 and it's possible an agreement can be struck that will allow him to leave sooner.

Ujiri is one of the NBA's lowest-paid general managers, making below $1 million a year.

Ujiri, 42, was the voted the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year and has emerged as one of the elite front-office minds in the league. Since leaving Toronto in 2010, Ujiri has done a masterful job reshaping the Nuggets into a Western Conference contender in a post-Carmelo Anthony era.

Toronto has stripped one of Ujiri's mentors, president Bryan Colangelo, of ultimate say on basketball matters but Colangelo will remain on the business of the Raptors' organization. Ujiri had been the assistant GM for the Raptors, and his hiring would be hailed in Canada as a signal that the franchise is serious about again becoming relevant in the NBA.
Y! SPORTS

Holy shit, $3 million a year on a possible 3-4 year deal.....say hello to our new GM everyone ]]> Toronto Raptors m5racer http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/nuggets-gm-masai-ujiri-meet-raptors-about-taking-over-torontos-front-office-25358.html Terrence Ross to participate in NBA tour in China http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/terrence-ross-participate-nba-tour-china-25357.html Fri, 24 May 2013 16:11:25 GMT ---Quote--- The NBA announced Thursday that Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross will participate in the 2013 NBA Nation China tour this summer....
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The NBA announced Thursday that Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross will participate in the 2013 NBA Nation China tour this summer. Ross will travel abroad July 26-28 to the city of Jinan.

NBA Nation, the NBA’s largest mobile basketball playground, will return to China for the second consecutive year and visit 12 cities from May 31 to August 18, giving fans the chance to enjoy basketball contests, interact with NBA players and pose with the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.
The Official Site of Canada's Team | THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE TORONTO RAPTORS ]]> Toronto Raptors jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/terrence-ross-participate-nba-tour-china-25357.html Berger: Raptors pursuing Pritchard, Weaver. Ujiri in talks with Denver http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/berger-raptors-pursuing-pritchard-weaver-ujiri-talks-denver-25356.html Fri, 24 May 2013 16:08:41 GMT ---Quote--- MIAMI -- The Toronto Raptors have asked permission to interview Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard to head up their basketball...
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MIAMI -- The Toronto Raptors have asked permission to interview Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard to head up their basketball operations, league sources told CBSSports.com on Friday.

As with similar requests from teams to speak with assistant coach Brian Shaw for head coaching vacancies, the Pacers have indicated that they prefer to wait until their season is over to grant permission for interviews. The Pacers trail the Heat 1-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 2 on Friday night in Miami.

Pritchard, the former Trail Blazers GM who was hired by the Pacers at the behest of former team president Larry Bird, is said to be extremely happy in Indiana. The Raptors recently overhauled their front office structure, moving team president Bryan Colangelo to a role on the business side and opening up the search for a new head of basketball operations.

he Raptors job is attractive to potential candidates because the team does well financially and is prepared to commit significant resources to restoring the team to prominence. Former Staples Center executive Tim Leiweke is in full command of the Raptors' decision-making process and vision as president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.

League sources told CBSSports.com that one of the possibilities Leiweke has identified is teaming Pritchard with Oklahoma City assistant GM Troy Weaver, whose name has been attached to several front-office searches in the past two years. It is not clear whether the Raptors have reached out to the Thunder to ask permission to interview Weaver, though it is highly unlikely that Oklahoma City would grant permission for Weaver to entertain a lateral move.

Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, the reigning NBA executive of the year, remains high on the Raptors' list of potential candidates. Ujiri is engaged in talks with the Nuggets on a contract extension, though it is widely presumed in league circles that the notoriously frugal Nuggets would not be inclined to enter a bidding war to retain Ujiri.
Sources: Raptors pursuing Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard - CBSSports.com ]]> Toronto Raptors jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/berger-raptors-pursuing-pritchard-weaver-ujiri-talks-denver-25356.html B/R: To-do list for Valanciunas to return better next season http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/b-r-do-list-valanciunas-return-better-next-season-25355.html Fri, 24 May 2013 16:02:41 GMT https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647932-to-do-list-for-toronto-raptors-jonas-valanciunas-to-return-better-next-season ---Quote--- Work on... https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...er-next-season

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Work on Physical Conditioning

Standing at 6'11" and weighing in at a little over 230 pounds, Valanciunas has a solid enough base, frame and stature right now to continue to fend off some of the larger frontcourt players in the NBA.

However, his body is nowhere near where it could be from a strength and conditioning standpoint.

He's still very young, and he will get bigger as the the years progress, but hitting the weight room this summer and becoming a faster, stronger basketball player will be a must.

The Eastern Conference possesses some of the most menacing, prolific big men in the game today, including All-Stars Roy Hibbert, Joakim Noah and Brook Lopez.

They aren't getting any smaller. and neither will Valanciunas if he can add some more muscle during the offseason.
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Cut Down on Turnovers

In 62 games last season, Valanciunas turned the ball over 94 times, which comes out to 1.5 per game. That ranked him fifth-worst amongst his fellow rookies.

His personal turnover percentage (turnovers per 100 plays) was 17.4 percent, which had him in the bottom 100 players around the NBA.

There is going to come a time when double-teams in the paint become more of a reoccurring thing for Valanciunas during Raptors games. His decision-making is going to be put to the test even more so when he gets constantly crowded by defenders.

It's hard to question his offensive potency and his ability to put the ball in the basket with his array of post moves, but when the shot isn't there and he needs to find a teammate, that's where his control will really come into play.

His minutes are expected to increase, but those turnovers will need to come down as his PT gets bigger and bigger.
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Improve Jump Shot

As dominant as Valanciunas was around the rim (60 percent shooting from 10 feet or less), his ability to shoot the basketball from a distance was an entirely different story.

He only hit 32 of a possible 77 shots from longer than 10 feet, which is a lowly 41.6 percent.

It's not an essential part of his game, but Valanciunas would be able to keep opposing defenders honest if he had a more reliable jump shot.

Most of his offense comes from under the basket anyways (289 total shots taken from 10 feet or less), but a more consistent jumper would be a nice weapon to have, especially when going up against elite post defenders.
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Draw Fouls and Get to the Free-Throw Line

Centers who can consistently hit their free throws are few and far between in this league.

Amongst qualified centers (at least 1.5 makes per game), Valanciunas would finish third in the NBA by hitting 78.9 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe in his first season with Toronto.

However, he only ranked 14th in attempts at just 3.0 per game.

Opposing teams will learn to respect more of his post game and his ability to score in the paint as he builds up more of a reputation.

When that happens, Valanciunas will get to the free-throw line a lot more.

Until then, he's going to need to be more aggressive in drawing contact under the basket.

As a team, the Raptors finished fifth in free-throw shooting percentage at 78.8 percent, but only 14th in attempts with 22.3 per game.

A more imposing Valanciunas will undoubtedly help in that department.
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Develop a Tougher Persona and Build Overall Confidence in Himself

There were several instances during the regular season when Valanciunas decided to err on the side of caution rather than stand up for himself and his team when the moment called.

Why didn't he put up more of a fight, during and immediately after, when Clippers forward Caron Butler stole the ball from his hands at the end of a Raptors blowout victory back in February?

Why did he just stand idly by when Knicks guard J.R. Smith walked in for a cheap layup at the conclusion of a 110-84 New York victory?

When Tyler Hansbrough threw Valanciunas to the ground, nearly re-injuring his hand, why didn't he get in his face afterwards and call Hansbrough out for his blatantly dirty play?

This could be nitpicking at situations that don't need to be overanalyzed, but looking back on these moments in time, it would have been nice to see the rookie show some pride.

Valanciunas is no pushover, nor would he want to be perceived as one by the competition.

No one is asking him to become a goon on the court, but when the moment calls for it, a little passion and self-confidence isn't too much to ask for.
]]> Toronto Raptors jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/b-r-do-list-valanciunas-return-better-next-season-25355.html B/R: Best landing spots for top available players http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/b-r-best-landing-spots-top-available-players-25354.html Fri, 24 May 2013 15:56:12 GMT https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1650180-nba-free-agents-2013-best-landing-spots-for-top-available-players https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ilable-players ]]> NBA Talk jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/b-r-best-landing-spots-top-available-players-25354.html CBS Sports: Mavs targeting Howard, Jack, Bayless http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/cbs-sports-mavs-targeting-howard-jack-bayless-25353.html Fri, 24 May 2013 15:52:13 GMT
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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Mavericks have decided Chris Paul is unlikely to leave the Clippers, so they've set their sights on Dwight Howard as the big fish in the sea they want to get their hooks in.

As a result, with Rick Carlisle having destroyed Darren Collison's confidence beyond all measure Darren Collison having not worked out like they'd hoped, the team is going to need a new point guard. And the Star-Telegram has two names on the list:


The source said two point guards who interest the Mavs are Golden State's Jarrett Jack and Memphis' Jerryd Bayless. Both players figured prominently in their teams' runs in the current playoffs, and both will become free agents in July.

via Mavericks are preparing hot pursuit of free agent Dwight Howard, source says | Dallas-Fort Worth

Talk about your double-edged swords. If Collison drove Carlisle nuts, these two will have him Looney Tunes by lunchtime. Jack helped the Warriors into the playoffs as he became a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and then was a huge part of their playoff run. The question has always been about his decision making when it comes to breaking off plays and setting himself up vs. getting the ball to Steph Curry. Would he be more open to sharing in clutch situations alongside Dirk?

Jack has made it clear he wants to return to the Warriors after their success this year, but this is likely to be his last major contract and he needs to cash in off what he built this year. The Warriors have his "Bird" rights, but will be up against financial restraints with Stephen Curry's extension kicking in and Klay Thompson coming up on one in the next few years.

Bayless is coming into his own for Memphis but still has his decision making questioned, like when Lionel Hollins nearly had an aneurysm when Bayless launched a 3 from 30 feet out early in the shot clock during overtime of Memphis' Game 2 loss Tuesday.

So neither option is going to calm the waters, but both guys can step up, hit shots, and make plays. We'll see if the Mavericks decide to throw some of that loose change at them or gravitate toward calmer waters.
Report: Mavs targeting Howard, Jerryd Bayless, Jarrett Jack - CBSSports.com ]]> NBA Talk jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/cbs-sports-mavs-targeting-howard-jack-bayless-25353.html Revisiting the Lowry trade http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/revisiting-lowry-trade-25352.html Fri, 24 May 2013 15:04:21 GMT ---Quote--- The Deals Trade 1 Raptors trade Gary Forbes and 2013 #12 pick for Kyle Lowry. Trade 2 Rockets trade 2013 #12 pick (from TOR), 2013...
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The Deals
Trade 1
Raptors trade Gary Forbes and 2013 #12 pick for Kyle Lowry.

Trade 2
Rockets trade 2013 #12 pick (from TOR), 2013 #32 pick (from Cha, from OKC, from Bos), future top-20 protected 1st round pick (from Dal), Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb for James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward.

The Rockets
Michael Pina, of Red 94, TrueHoop’s Houston Rockets blog:

Trade 1: It’s understated how important this trade was for Houston. If the Rockets never acquire that lottery pick from Toronto (which looked a lot more appetizing when the deal was made), they aren’t able to compile a package juicy enough to pry James Harden from the comforts of Oklahoma City.

Trade 2: Armchair quarterbacking a trade that occurred amidst so many questions, after many of those questions have been answered, can be obnoxious. But it’s just so tough to imagine the Thunder going through with this trade if they knew James Harden had top-10 talent, Serge Ibaka had a disappointing ceiling, the “lottery pick” from Toronto would actually be outside the top 10 in a shallow talent pool, and, getting extra snarky, Russell Westbrook would hurt his knee in the first round of the playoffs (which NEVER HAPPENS if the Thunder kept Harden, since it occurred against the very team Harden led to the playoffs).

The Thunder
Royce Young, of Daily Thunder, TrueHoop’s Oklahoma City Thunder blog.

Obviously the Thunder were hoping for better than No. 12 when they dealt Harden. And while it certainly diminishes OKC’s return for a true star even more, it’s far too early to judge the trade completely. We don’t know what Jeremy Lamb will be, and we don’t know what the player OKC picks will be. Right now it doesn’t look like the Thunder got enough for Harden. But we all might feel differently about that three years from now. Fans and media aren’t normally that patient, but the Thunder organization is.

–

The Raptors
The Raptors ended up dealing Gary Forbes and the 12th overall pick this year for Kyle Lowry. That is, unquestionably, a deal I’d make over and over again. Lowry had an up-and-down year and was quite polarizing for the fanbase, in part because of his tumultuous play and in part because he took the reigns from a man that would be sainted if Toronto were the Vatican.

Calling Lowry’s season anything but a bit disappointing would be too cheery. He certainly wasn’t terrible, but his per-36 scoring was down, as were his shooting percentages across the board. His rebounding and playmaking made small gains and his turnovers decreased, but his defense also didn’t match the reputation he came in with.

In fact, offensively I wasn’t too disappointed with the man formerly known as KLOE – he didn’t hit the expectations that were based on priced-in improvement, and he still exhibits an inability to score and facilitate at the same time. But his role changed dramatically twice during the season, once when he came off the bench after injury and again when Rudy Gay was acquired. You can understand inconsistency with changing parameters of play, and the final numbers were just fine. That consistency issue won’t be forgiven next year though with a (hopefully) more stable situation

Defensively, however, I was more disappointed. This article isn’t meant as a full evaluation of Lowry, but it warrants mentioning that the “bulldog” seemed far more often to be chasing cars than protecting the yard. That is, he’s a risk-taker, which is fine when you have strong help defenders behind you (only Amir Johnson probably counts in this regard) but can be harmful when teammates have to help beyond their comfort zone to account for your cheating. At times, Lowry’s defense was suffocating and created turnovers. Other times, his gambles left the Raptors without numbers or scrambling to recover. Like with his offense, finding consistency will be the key moving forward.

But this is about the trade, and it’d be tough to argue Lowry wasn’t and isn’t still worth a 12th overall pick. Based on Win Shares, he was worth roughly $10M this season. Win Shares are a sketchy stat to take at face value, but the fact that this “value” far outstrips his $5.75M salary confirms that he was a bargain. He’s only on the books for $6.2M this coming season, another discounted year in financial terms. As a refernce point, only four rookies in the past three years have ‘earned’ that dollar amount based on win shares.

The 12th overall pick might end up being a usable rotation piece. That’s entirely possible, and as Royce pointed out above, you can never fully evaluate a trade until much later. But it’s difficult to think of a scenario in which two discounted years of Lowry plus the opportunity to sign him to a longer deal (assuming he settles and the new GM likes him) wasn’t worth a maybe-a-rotation-guy pick. And if it turns out to be a stud in five years, you can’t really fault the team for not seeing it coming, otherwise that player would have went earlier, anyway.

It’s unfortunate that Lowry didn’t make the jump to elite point guard as some where hoping. He was 23rd among “guards” in win shares, eighth in assists per 36 minutes, fifth in rebounds per 36 minutes, 17th in PER and 35th in true shooting percentage. Those are strong rankings but not “irreplaceable,” making the incoming GM’s decision about the long-term point guard position a tough one, although not one he has to make immediately.

Kyle Lowry was a mild disappointment this year, sure. But if you take the positive signs he shows, price in some maturity and consistency with a more stable environment, and look at the names in the late lottery, it’s a very tough argument that the Raptors didn’t make out well here. The Rockets used that asset well, and credit to them for that, but this is one move Bryan Colangelo can’t be criticized for on his way out the door.

Revisiting the Kyle Lowry Trade | Raptors Republic: ESPN TrueHoop Network Blog ]]> Toronto Raptors jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f5/revisiting-lowry-trade-25352.html <![CDATA[Duncan's wife files for divorce]]> http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/duncans-wife-files-divorce-25351.html Fri, 24 May 2013 14:51:13 GMT ---Quote--- Tim Duncan is reportedly going through divorce proceedings with his wife Amy. Court papers filed last week include a request that legal...
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Tim Duncan is reportedly going through divorce proceedings with his wife Amy.

Court papers filed last week include a request that legal discovery in the case be postponed until after the Spurs' last playoff game.

The Duncans met at Wake Forest when Tim was on the basketball team and Amy was a cheerleader.

Amy initiated the divorce proceedings on March 27.

Richard Orsinger represented Tony Parker in his divorce from Evan Longoria in 2010.
Report Tim Duncans Wife Files For Divorce - RealGM Wiretap ]]> NBA Talk jeffb http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/duncans-wife-files-divorce-25351.html