mb666

Kleiza needs to leave Toronto. He does not fit into the Raptors system and would be a great role player on a contending team. The Raptors are one of the worst teams in the league and it's really a waste of time for him. You have fans, including some on this forum, that are cheering for a "season tanking".

Aside Bargnani, this team is comprised scrubs. Kleiza and Barbosa are really the only role players that should be on good teams. Demar Derozan is a scrub whose future is greatly exaggerated by Raptors fans. He's playing a lot of minutes for nothing. Sonny Weems has been solid, ball hogging to get a good contract after this $800,000 season. Weems is one of the best playmakers on the Raptors which isn't really saying much... doubt he would be a good role player on a contending team. He needs the ball to be effective, and on a good team he wouldn't be handling the ball. Calderon is a overpaid guy whose far past his prime. Amir is probably the only legitimate player that has proved his potential.

Kleiza is not a play-maker and no one on Toronto has the ability to set players up, including him. His game would be better suited for a Hornets, Spurs, Magic, Trail Blazers, Lakers, even Nuggets kind of team where their are catalysts in the offensive system. Kleiza isn't effective dribbling the ball... he needs a set up guy. Toronto is filled with guys trying to prove themselves, and they hog the ball. Kleiza is not that type of 1-on-1 player and lets the game flow to him. In Toronto there's no flow in the system.

I understand Kleiza wanted minutes but the Raptors were the wrong choice. He's playing on a "rebuilding" team where the coach is playing random guys every other night, or at least different sets/substitution order. Triano is trying to make something spectacular out of mostly garbage. It's inevitable that Kleiza will boil over like Turkoglu and other guys... management has been controversial. Hopefully he will get traded to a contender that better utilizes him. It's pathetic to watch guys like Derozan and Weems play over him. He doesn't fit here and is wasting his time. At least he got the salary.

Belsius

Maybe he could go to the Knicks and make them stink more.

Windex

every player that plays 5+ minutes can be a good role player on a contending team
so I dont like that excuse

mb666

Great comment...

Yes I would love for Kleiza go to the Knicks... they are 10-9 compared to Toronto's 8-11. They already beat Toronto in the preseason and play them officially Dec 8th.

Plus the city of NY sh!ts on Toronto. You have so many guys that would love to play in NY, whereas you have to pay players dumb $ to attract them to Toronto lol. I mean you possibly have Carmelo reuniting him in NY. Whose coming to Toronto? Even Dampier doesn't want to be here. Who will it be? Bayless?

Would be amazing for Kleiza to come to NY. His parents used to live not too far from me here in Long Island. Good idea Belsius... finally liking a post you made.

mb666

Well Kleiza was playing a similar amount of minutes when Denver was good and played well in the playoffs. He was far more efficient there as a role player.

Rather him come off the bench to back-up Carmelo, then fight for a position on a Raptors team whose coach tries something different every night and fans want to intentionally lose games to secure a "high" draft pick, assuming that will solve all their problems.

Belsius

maaan, so defensive....

mb666

Nothing really against Toronto... they tried and the project failed. It is what it is. He's not a playmaker and that's what Toronto needs. Doesn't fit here.

Kind of like how useless Calderon would be for the Spanish national team. You have a better fit in Rubio and Navarro (SG) is a beast in Europe... probably top 5 overseas.

Anyway, I think I promised myself I wouldn't respond to your silly posts so I can't be a hypocrite anymore and reply.

Belsius

A true tragedy

Acie

I love this guy.

mb666

Hey Kleiza's a bad fit on the Raptors. It is what it is. Raptors need a playmaker and a big defensive guy, neither is Kleiza. Toronto has like 6 SFs/SGs.

Kleiza is a offensive threat off the bench... would be a great fit on a contending team that needs some consistent offense.

Really pointless to hold Kleiza and play him 20 minutes a game and have him try create his own offense.... for $5,000,000. He needs to play with a playmaker and Toronto has none. Would fit on the Spurs IMO. Otherwise would rather have him play in Europe, make similar money and be a force. He was getting paid more in Greece on a shorter contract. Was one of Europe's most valuable players. It's a different game over there and he is well suited.

Acie

I agree, plus he's a guy with no position. Not fast or athletic enough to be an NBA 3 and too small to be a true 4. It reminds me of when Toronto had Corliss Williamson.

Benzo

I always thought Corliss looked like Bert

Acie

Bert can ball like a mofo.

Rycka

Maybe going back to NBA was a mistake afterall... it's still early in the season but this team doesn't suit him well. Ball isn't moving at all, pg position is crap compared to Toedosic with whom Kleiza played in Europe... i could even use word pathetic. Coach doesn't know how to use him or maybe he doesn't want to. w/e

fancylad

I like Linas Kleiza.

sloppi

+

until he got the offer he didn't even think about going back to the NBA...and it looks like he misses playing in Europe :/ i bet it's because of the fact that he can't make his own shots. Toronto needs a good playmaker to make him shine, because at this moment he just stands at the three point line, looking like he doesn't give a shit anymore.

...and strangely i think that he could play for the Knicks...would like to hear Spike Lee shouting out his name, heh.

MARTYNAS

I thought the same yesterday. I noticed he was not very happy sitting om the bench.

Actually, I think contenders prefers defensive players who can shoot. Like Barnes or Affalo.
Kleiza needs a team where he can play at nr. 4. He is PF. He has no awareness how to play at SF. He played at pf in Missouri, in junior championships, in Olympiakos. He played at SF in the national team and he sucked like he sucks now, when he was pushed to PF, he was great.
Yes, he is 6'8, a little undersized, but is one inch matters that much? 3 inches yes, but one? He can be PF, Randolph, Brand, Boozer, Jamison, Wallace, Scola, Millsap, Lee, Malone, Rodman, all of them are 6'9 or 6'8, all of them was great, but not all of them was a freaks of nature.
Secondly, he needs a good point guard. He sucks without good point guard. Last year he played with Euroleague MVP Milos Teodosic. Mantas Kalnietis showed his best game ever, mocked Rubio and Rondo, and was one of the best point guards in Turkey.
In conclusion, Kleiza is not a superstar, never was, never will be. He needs these elemens to play good, he can't play good in any conditions.



But he is not worse than Weems or DeRozan. I am sure he is better. He does not fit, yes he does.
Is Weems would be the best scorer in last year Olympiakos? He would do hair to Childress maybe, thats it. I mean 09-10 Plympiakos is probably even better team than Toronto now, and it's not a joke or hyperbole. I would take Milos over Jose, Childress over Weems any day. I don't remember who was main Olympiakos SG, but i remember they waived nba-10ppg scorer Von Vafer. And they still had shooter Yotam Halperin. I mean the real European shooter, Dragic or Gallinari are shit compare to him. While Raptors has player who can't shoot, but can dunk... wow... I will not gonna compare bigmen, because it's a Raptors forum (mercy).

fancylad

I actually think Linas is doing pretty well here given the circumstances. Like i am curious why you think he is dissapointing or he isn't enjoying himself. He's still a big part of the rotation and he's still scoring decently enough. Sure he has some off nights, but he's not Kobe Bryant. You guys know he's not as good as Kobe Bryant, right? just checking.

INSIDER

im kinda wondering the same thing...
he's averaging 10/4 here... he averaged even less his last year in Denver, and is playing the most minutes he has ever averaged in his entire NBA career.
so why again is he unhappy? and why again are you all clamoring to have him traded?

jeffb

Through an injury and at times inconsistent minutes he's not doing that bad imo.