Things had gotten pretty stale around the Raptors lately. Once Bryan Colangelo finished with his offseason makeover, all we could do was speculate and look forward to the start of training camp. Well, it’s here, and two days in there are plenty of fresh stories in each local paper. At this point, nobody really knows what the team will look like on the floor, or how the new group of players will perform. Still, the local media has given the team plenty of love this week, and that’s an understatement.

Put it this way – After reading the stories from the start of training camp, I can’t find anything negative about anyone. From what I’ve read, every single guy is ready for a huge year, while Bosh and Turkoglu’s injuries are being glossed over. And now before anyone accuses me of being a “hater,” (a term I can’t stand), I should add that I expect good things from the Raps. This is more of a commentary on the media than on the players themselves – Again, nobody really knows how this team will play.

But check out the coverage:

From Doug Smith, this piece is yet another article raving about Marco Belinelli’s upside, while ignoring any and every fault in his game…. “General manager Bryan Colangelo raves about the kid, coach Jay Triano thinks he might be one of the big surprises of training camp, executive vice-president and Italian compatriot Maurizio Gherardini said “there’s something about him that’s different.”

Or this article from Frank Zicarelli on Antoine Wright. In case nobody realized, Wright was brought in for his defense. And he hopes to do a good job…mind blowing stuff.

Or this, from the National Post’s Eric Koreen, on Andrea Bargnani… “All signs point to continued maturation for the Italian seven-footer, whom the Raptors selected first overall in the 2006 NBA draft. In the off-season, Bargnani signed a five-year, $50-million US contract, so his mind should be at ease.” Well, I’m sure Bargnani’s mind will be at ease, but he sure as hell better perform. In case nobody realizes, the rest of the league has questioned Bargnani’s extension to no end, considering very good restricted free agents like David Lee have found the market pretty tough this year. In Toronto, though, everything is gravy.

And you don’t have to look far to find glowing first impressions of Reggie Evans and Jarrett Jack, along with pretty much everyone else.

Again, I’m not trying to say any of this is untrue. My point is that whatever you read during training camp needs to be taken with a grain of salt. This is the time when anything seems possible, when every team has playoff aspirations, and when new players are seemingly filled with unlimited potential – Remember the Jermaine O’Neal lovefest from last season?

With an entirely new roster, this was predictable, and a little enthusiasm never hurt anyone. Just remember to stay realistic – Until the team loses, nobody ever gets ripped.

-DL

When I think about my feelings towards Toronto Raptors’ head coach Jay Triano, it’s a little strange to think my opinions have changed without actually seeing his team on the court.

The man went 25-40 as “interim” head coach last season, with little evidence to suggest improvement was on the way. I, and many others, thought he was toast. It was a little surprising when Bryan Colangelo seemingly took the easy way out and hired Triano, especially because Toronto’s GM has never had much patience for failure.

In any case, Colangelo saw something – Triano’s relationship with the players, a late-season improvement…something – That led to Jay’s rehiring, and not everyone liked it. Again, it seemed like the safe move, that would keep the Raps mired in mediocrity for the next few years and beyond. After Sam Mitchell led the team to an 8-9 start, why hire back the guy who went 25-40?

But somewhere along the way, my feelings changed. At least until I see evidence to the contrary, I’m more confident in Triano’s ability to coach, and his basketball IQ, than I was before. I don’t think I’m alone (though maybe I am), and I think the change in attitude is largely based on the excellent two-part interview with TSN’s Tim Chisolm.

The interview, given in two parts (part 1 here, part 2 here), touched on everything from Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani’s development, last year’s struggles, offensive strategies, using Hedo Turkoglu, and Triano’s feelings heading into the current offseason. It’s surprisingly candid, and well worth the read.

More importantly, it showed, at least for now, that Triano really gets it. Implementing his ideas with a completely new team is an entirely different task, but I really liked what I read.

For example, on using Turk:

“If he rebounds the basketball then he brings it up like he did in Orlando, and Jose is excellent off of the ball so he’ll know where to space. The other thing that they did is they would run what they called ‘thumb-down, five-special’, which is just a zipper to bring him up to the top and then it’s a high screen-roll for him. Well, now we’ve got Jose on the side, they zipper him up and get him [Turkoglu] at the top, spread the floor, and he goes. The day that we made the deal I said to Micah [Nori, assistant coach, NBA scout] and our coaches “thumb-down, five special”, we’re adding that one, put that one in our playbook! And I like the way that we run it equally as well as the way Orlando did it. They’d just zipper him up, it’s a high screen with Dwight [Howard] and then Dwight rolls. Well, we’re gonna put CB in that and they lifted Rashard Lewis, so we’re gonna lift Andrea, we’ll put Jose in one corner and Belinelli in the other corner – who are they gonna help off of on the screen-roll? That’s why we’re just gonna roll CB down, with shooters all around him, and he’s going to have a chance to go right to the basket. It plays to his strength, it plays to Hedo’s strength as a playmaker, to Jose’s by catching the ball and making a play.

Jose’s probably going to have to get used to not having the ball in his hands as much, but I don’t think that that’s a problem.”

On paper, it sounds good, and it gives me confidence. What about you?

If you haven’t read the interview, I suggest checking it out.

And I’ll ask it again – Where do you stand on Jay Triano?

-DL

I am not a Bryan Colangelo basher. I drank the kool-aid along with everyone else. I thought he was going to be THE MAN. The guy who changed the Raptors fortunes. The proof, however as they say is in the pudding. So far the pudding is pretty f’n lousy. Until now however, no one has actually called out the GM, in large part, it says here, because no one in the media knows the game well enough to criticize him. I certainly don’t.

Well, Steve Simmons has finally called him and you can’t disagree with anything he has written:

” Bryan Colangelo appears to be delusional about the state of his Raptors.

He steadfastly grasps the notion that he believes in this wonky roster. He defends his players with the kind of vigour they lack on the court. And he keeps trading away first-round draft picks — two in the past two years.

The Golden Boy of the Raptors is no more. Where once, every word seemed believable, now he talks in bafflegab. His post-trade conference call, following the Jermaine O’Neal-Shawn Marion deal, sounded like an exercise in creative dance, full of expression but meaning what? The simpler the question, the more complicated the answer.

Two years ago, his plan for the future was built around the acquisition of T.J. Ford. That didn’t work. This season, it was built around the acquisition of O’Neal. That didn’t work. And now, the plan has been altered once again.

With Chris Bosh’s status in Toronto uncertain, and Colangelo talking about playing for this year with the Raptors second-last in the Eastern Conference and with interim coach Jay Triano’s record only 13-25, for the first time there have to be concerns about the direction Colangelo is taking this franchise.

Until now, he has been given the benefit of the doubt on just about every decision he has made. That statute of limitations is now over. ”

Thanks Steve, it is about time that someone called bullshit. I hope Colangelo proves to be half the GM that we were sold. That would at least make him mortal. I don’t expect every move to be a homer (or three pointer). I give Colangelo credit for dumping Jermaine O’neal quickly, as opposed to insisting that the move to get him was anything but a blunder. I have no clue if the Raptors can make the playoffs this year. I know that in any sport the way to get better is to build through the draft. I know that BC likes to deal away his picks- maybe spending time with Cliff has got him thinking Draft Schmaft…..

In any event kudos to Simmons for doing what others haven’t so far. Hopefully others won’t have to.

We have been reading about it for some time and it finally went down.  Hear is a quick review as I have been able to find them…

A good review of the deal from the Star:

” Toronto gets

Shawn Marion

30 years old, 6-7, 228

Season averages: 12.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 36.1 mpg, in 42 games, 41 stars

Salary: $17,810,000 this year, expires

Marcus Banks

27 years old, 6-2, 205

Season averages: 2.6 ppg, 1.4 apg,, 10.4 mpg in 16 games, zero starts

Salary: $4.26 million this season, $4.553 million in 2009-10, $4.87 million in 2010-11.

Cash considerations

Miami gets

Jermaine O’Neal

30 years old, 6-11, 260

Season averages: 13.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 29.7 mpg in 41 games, 34 starts

Salary: $21.372 million this season, $23.016 million in 2009-10.

Jamario Moon

28 years old, 6-8, 205

Season averages: 7.3 ppg, 4.6 rebounds per game in 54 games, 39 starts

Salary: $711,517 this season, expires

Conditional draft pick: tMy man Ira at the Sun-Sentinel reports it’s a 2010 pick lottery protected through 2014. If Toronto doesn’t make the 2010 playoffs and keeps the pick, they will give up a second rounder that year to the Heat. If the Raptors don’t make the playoffs between 2010 and 2014, they wouldd give up their 2015 first-round choice to Miami. ”

“Colangelo insisted Marion was obtained for more than his expiring $17.8 million contract.

“Shawn is a piece that should be given an opportunity to fit in with the team,” said Colangelo, who worked with Marion while a Suns executive. “He’s not necessarily a rental player, that’s not necessarily the case.

“Shawn could be a valuable piece with this team in this system. One of the by-products is future flexibility but this is as much about now as the future.”

Colangelo acknowledged the agreement on the draft pick and the attached conditions closed the deal.

“The pick really was the difference in us not making the deal for a long time,” he said.

Colangelo also tried to sell the merits of Banks, who failed in limited opportunities with the Heat.

“Marcus will add scoring and defensive punch to our lineup and should benefit from the change of address,” he said.

In the end, the Heat got the size it needed, while the Raptors get the cap space they covet.

“This is a win-win,” Colangelo said.”

That from the Sun-Sentinel

From the Miami herald:

“With this deal Miami improved in the immediate, resisted the temptation to trade Beasley and all that wonderful potential for a splashier deal now, and kept all its chips for the major play in 2010. The Heat also gets from Toronto a future non-lottery first-round pick, no small thing.

Right now it isn’t about adding another O’Neal. It’s about building, about keeping D-Wade happy. Imagine Wade surrounded by Bosh, by a blossoming Beasley and Chalmers. Imagine.

Bear in mind this Heat franchise was 15-67 just one season ago.

Now it is 28-24 at the All-Star break, better since Friday’s trade than before it, and poised to get itself back into title contention before long.

You feel a plan. See a blueprint coalescing.”

That one worries me the most folks as I don’t see that at all for the Raps- I don’t know much, but I don’t like a first rounder going the other way… Read the herald here…

Opinion from the star:

“Any time you get a quicker chance to add players, the better, in my opinion and now Toronto can be a player – in trades as much as anything – this summer.

Yes, they lose toughness but I think overall, a starting lineup of Calderon, Parker, Marion, Bosh and Bargnani is better than Calderon, Parker, Bargnani, Bosh and O’Neal. The Raptors bench of Kapono, Graham and Ukic is okay at the two-three and maybe the one spot but they will be thinner up front. Marion can play some four, though; there are those who thinks that’s his best position.

The money? Well, the Banks contract’s not great but Toronto may still have enough, depending on what it does in the coming summer, to get in on the tail end of the 2010 free agent sweepstakes. I’ll take a look at the financials more closely for the morning, though. The mind’s racing right at the moment.

The Heat? Pat Riley knew they were not nearly big enough to challenge the top three teams in the East, he loves big guys and Marion was not going to re-sign in the summer.

Overall, I’d say Toronto came out okay. Not great, certainly not slam dunk, but not a bad deal all in all. ”

Read Doug Smith here…

I am surprised at how little commentary there is on the deal and I have yet to see a comment from any of those involved…

Say what you want, but there is certainly a lot of chatter about Chris Bosh playing elsewhere:

“The Warriors put in their bid for Chris Bosh, according to a team source. Haven’t confirmed if it was just talks, or an offer was made. But unlike Phoenix, who is trying to dump salary, Toronto is looking for some ballers in return, but only if they are convinced they will lose Bosh, who can opt out after next season.
The Raptors, according to an insider, aren’t likely to move Bosh until this offseason. Though they are last in the Atlanta Division, the Raptors are one move away from competing for the eighth spot in the East. They are only 5 1/5 games behind N.J.
They’d prefer to find someone to put next to Bosh (I’ve heard they want Biedrins next to Bosh), but could end up moving him. Again, all this is just what I’m told.
Obviously, nabbing Bosh would require the Warriors to move a big name — Biedrins or Ellis — and some young talent to help Toronto rebuild. So this just shows that they are willing. The fact that they are throwing their name in the hat for these big players, even if futile, is a change in pace. These two were untouchable. Now, the Warriors are willing to play all their cards, even though they haven’t seen everyone healthy for a significant length of time yet.”

You can read inside the Warriors here or other hoops stuff here

Add to that this from Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel:

“Q: Enough drama. Pull the trigger on O’Neal. It is a win-win situation, especially if you can dump Banks’ contract. — Peter.

A: Not if there is any chance to land either Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. In this case, there is little penalty for caution. Plus, the All-Star break would make for a far easier transition.”

So we are going to see the start of the professional evaluation of one Justin Pogge.  It’s a good thing too.  At least when he is in net the pundits are going to have lots to write about.  One shot, he’s good the next- he’s a bum.  Burke and Wilson need to know what they have sooner rather then later and well sooner starts now.  If Pogge can’t play in the NHL we had better know now as the planning is well under way.  As one scout told me after the last game, Burke isn’t done his evaluations yet, when he is the dominoes will start to fall.  One evaluation that is obvious is that of Justin Pogge.

Sorry for the NFL thought, but I am curious, US newspapers are ceasing to cover the NHL in droves, yet our news outlets are all already down in Tampa for the superbowl.  Seems odd to me, does it to anyone else?

Doug Gilmour is a favorite.  Someone, anyone please explain to me why he told Damien he was paying for his current players to attend the event honoring the former captain this Saturday night while Steve Simmons’s story is that a penguins player is the one who actually paid for the tickets?  No really, why would Gilmour lie about something so small, he looks like and would be a liar if this is true.

Suspended not suspended, injured, not injured WHO CARES…enough already.  Why was this the only thing being talked about today?  There has to be something better to talk about then this.

I will say it again, there is no better player in the game today then Alexander Ovechkin.  He is the only player in the league I would pay to see, night in and night out.  He is strong, he is tough, he is animated, he is talented, he is the guy the NHL needs to start selling as the face of the league.

Have all the good rumor sources dried up?  Garrioch had the Leafs looking at Pronger, Hanky gave the Jay Bo to the buds his highest rating before a deal being done.  Where are all the good scoops?

The Avs are coming up this week.  Tucker and Red light Raycroft doing battle against their former teammates (or what is left of them).  It will be very interesting to hear the interviews with Tucker this week and then to see his sideshow Bob antics take shape against his former club.

Ok sports fans, who pulls the trigger first, Burke or Colangelo?  Which player gets dealt first, a Leaf or Jermaine O’Neal?

Once again the original ideas are clearly sparse these days. As one loyal reader wrote me an email “is it me or is Damien on auto-pilot”. In any event, Dave Perkins took Jeff Blair’s Toronto The Bad story and raised it with a feel good spin:

“The Maple Leafs have hit the all-star break losing 11 of 14 games, the Raptors have dived straight into the tank and, with pitchers and catchers on the horizon, the Blue Jays seem to have already surrendered their season, publicly managing expectations downward the way the Maple Leafs did so successfully last fall.”

9 am, who is ready for a drink?

“So, what to do? Not much except wait it all out and believe that this time, pain will bring gain. In the case of the Leafs, most fans expected this kind of situation and many wished for it; blowing it up is the best way to start over again.Raptor people would feel differently. This team began the season with reasonable expectations, but fell apart terribly. A flurry now and a finish from seven through 11 in the conference would put them into that wheel-spinning ground the Leafs inhabited for so many years; if you can’t be good, be really bad and start building again with a nice draft pick.”

No, I swear I didn’t write the piece. Perkins is right on though….

“The good news for the Raps is that it’s a shorter road back in the NBA and Bryan Colangelo still is a smart guy, even though he’s now on an extended hitless steak. If he can trade Jermaine O’Neal for a large expiring contract, they would have money to spend in the off-season. A 2009-10 team with Chris Bosh, a healthy Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, a lottery pick and a decent free agent, along with the usual spare parts, isn’t so bad. Things can change quickly in the NBA – in either direction.The Leafs, in the big picture, are actually having what sensible people would call a successful season. They’re losing with effort, most nights at least playing decent games while dropping points. As new GM Brian Burke undertakes what a friend calls “a de-Communization” of his team, they are inching toward the bottom and the subsequent potential draft bonanza.”

Ding ding ding ding…give the man a prize. As I have said before, this common sense thing, it’s really not that hard. this isn’t rocket science. “They are losing with effort, most nights at least playing decent games while dropping points” yes, I did just repost that. That is what we want them to do. Raise your hand which team you prefer, the Muskoka five effortless group of last year, or this years group???? This is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.

“The Islanders are in control of the John Tavares Sweepstakes, but the Leafs are only three points out of 29th place and who knows how the ping-pong balls will bounce? If both Tampa Bay and Ottawa make little runs, the Leafs will benefit. They potentially have chips to play with at the trade deadline. If either or both of Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky get rolling, they could depart for a taste of future. Jason Blake, who has been playing with interest lately, has three more years on his contract, but is looking as if he could help somebody else. He doesn’t have a no-trade contract.”

The Obama factor…The most dangerous word in the English language is HOPE…Perkins is using it now. We don’t mind the losing (not loosing) if there is HOPE! “A Taste of the future” EXACTLY!!!

“There are things Burke can do with an eye two or three years down the road, which is, realistically, when they might become competitive. Resurrection begins with good results in the draft, commencing in the lottery, which is why being bad – and .363 is as bad as it gets – doesn’t necessarily need to be the end of the world.”

Stop telling us how bad we are. It isn’t becoming and frankly it pisses us off. It’s interesting that Perkins rightfully leaves the Jays out of the discussion. Maybe he knows what we (with the exception of Eye) believe, that the right guy isn’t at that table. Hope, all we need is a tiny morsel of hope. If the right people are around the draft table there is hope. Guarantees? Nope. No such thing (death, taxes and self serving Berger Blogs excepted). Being so bad should have it’s payoff…Let’s see if the right guys are at the table.

“There is a HUGE difference between Hot and Attractive; a painting may be beautiful but I don’t want to bang a painting!” Kevin Malone- on the Office

“”Not quite,” O’Neal said. “We have some help from some teams in front of us. We’re only four [41/2 games] out of a playoff spot. You have to get a little bit of help, but if we do our job and do it at a better rate and more consistent rate, you won’t have to worry about winning 25 out of 30 games.” Jermaine O’Neal saying the Raptors aren’t out of the playoffs yet

With the Raps in a 7 game slump, on a slow road to nowhere, all signs seem to pointing to a deal being consummated.:

“Medical papers have been swapped. The long view is being stressed. And Pat Riley’s fetish for height remains unsated. After the Miami Heat president commented for the first time in months about his team’s personnel situation, it is difficult to take any view other than that a trade is in the works. Speaking moments after center Alonzo Mourning announced his retirement, Riley said Thursday while he appreciates his team’s current spot in the playoff race, long-term championship aspirations supersede current considerations.”The point is that the big picture always trumps the present moment,” he said. “While the present moment is important, I am not going to do something to take away from what I think we can see down the road.”

That from my favorite NBA writer, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. I used to read Ira and listen to him regularly on the Hank Goldberg show in Miami.

“A move that could satisfy both objectives could be a trade of forward Shawn Marion to the Toronto Raptors for center Jermaine O’Neal, whose contract expires at the end of 2009-10. Asked about the Heat and Raptors having swapped medical information on Marion and O’Neal, Riley said, “It doesn’t make any difference. I could have made the same request to five other teams, also. That’s just the normal process.”

Done deal? Maybe not…coming? Sure sounds like it…

“”I’ve had long conversations with Shawn and with Dan,” Riley said of agent Dan Fegan. “It’s not a very comfortable time for anybody. I value Shawn Marion immensely. He is a tremendous player and I’m sorry that this is going on right now.

“Shawn Marion, right now, he’s our second-best player on the team and I value him as that.”

The Palm Beach Post thinks it will happen soon, maybe not yet, but soon:

“if the trade does happen – and my guess is it will, ’cause Riley loves this stuff and the cart-and-horse thing wasn’t exactly a denial – Miami could use a four-headed center (O’Neal, Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire and Udonis Haslem) in mix-and-match style. That wouldn’t scare many teams, but it would only be for a while if the Bosh plan subsequently worked out. The Heat has a dozen games to play before the Feb. 19 deadline, and what’s worth remembering is that Marion-for-O’Neal is about Miami’s long-term future a whole bunch more than it is about the present attempt to remain a viable playoff contender. That, and how much Riley loves this stuff.”

Check out Ira’s article here…
Check out the Palm BeachPost here

Reports are abound that the Raptors and Miami Heat are talking swap. The story coming from one of my very favorite papers, the Sun-Sentinel has the following trade being discussed:

To Toronto: forward Shawn Marion and point guard Marcus Banks
To Miami Jermaine O’Neal.

Sources tell the Maimi Herald newspaper that “Toronto Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal reportedly believes he will soon be traded to Miami.”

Apparently the Heat have hit the pause button while they monitor Jermaine O’Neal’s health. Bryan Colangelo would like to pull the trigger ASAP.

“With $45 million due over the next two seasons, O’Neal’s contract would allow the Heat to maintain financial flexibility for a deep 2010 free-agent class that could include Heat guard Dwyane Wade.”

“Similarly Marion, whose contract expires after this season, has yet to find a comfortable fit with the Heat since arriving from Phoenix last season in the Shaquille O’Neal trade. He’s been a good defender and rebounder but has not approached the All-Star production he enjoyed in Phoenix. Banks, who came along with Marion from Phoenix, hasn’t been much of a factor for the Heat despite its need for a veteran point guard. His contract, which has two years and more than $9 million remaining, would allow the deal to work under NBA rules. Marion, 30, couldn’t work out a contract extension with the Heat before this season. In Toronto he would be reunited with Colangelo, who was the general manager in Phoenix until leaving for Toronto in 2006.”

The third Florida daily (the palm beach post) has the story as well:

“One Internet web site quoted a source close to O’Neal saying, “if he’s healthy it could very well happen.” O’Neal missed 12 games because of a right knee injury, returning Friday to score two points and grab seven rebounds in 17 minutes during a Raptors loss at Indiana. He is averaging 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds this season, one that has been a huge disappointment for the Raptors.”

I looked for more on ESPN.com and Foxsports.com but didn’t see anything….

The article in the sun-sentinel is here
The Miami herald is here
The Palm Beach Post is here