RaptorTalk

Big Money Offers To NBA Players From Europe Are Worth Considering

RaptorTalk — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:29:56 GMT

By RaptorTalk

There is a lot of conversation about NBA superstars like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant being open to big money offers from European basketball clubs.

Recently, solid NBA players like Josh Childress and Carlos Delfino accepted more money to play in Europe.

While I don't expect a mass exodus of NBA players to Europe, I do think we'll see more guys choosing to play overseas. The stronger Euro coupled with deep-pocketed Euro team owners (who have no salary cap to contend with) will dangle very large money which is greater than the NBA can offer in some instances.

Based on the depressed state of the US economy (multi-trillion dollar deficit and hundreds of billions in US currency spent on foreign oil), the Euro will remain stronger for at least a decade or more.

Bottom-line is that 'money talks' and a 3 year, $15 million deal (virtually tax free) can leave a young man set financially for life. So why would he accept say $3 million per year (pre-tax) to stay in America?

Lets assume a player accepted $9 million in the NBA. After tax, assume they're left with $6 million and over the course of the 3 seasons they spent $1 million and don't get another contract. They net $5 million to live on for the rest of their life.

Now you must leave the principal alone and live off interest. Assuming 5% return, that player gets a pay check of $250,000 annually forever.

Under that same scenario in Europe where he was offered $15 million, he would pay virtually no tax and be left with $14 million after spending $1 million.

Now that player would live the rest of his life clipping coupons that pay $700,000 annually forever!

That's a big difference and its one that makes Europe attractive for mid level players and those in the twilight of their careers. Also, it’s a great option for a restricted free agent who is being low balled by his NBA team.

Anthony Parker was on the FAN last week talking about his mega offer from Greece (the money that Childress eventually received). I'll bet AP would have accepted the offer if he could. At his age, the extra millions would help his retirement.

Every dollar counts as you get older. There are many stories of pro athletes who make a few bad investments and suddenly are left with nothing. The extra millions from Europe can provide an important cushion.

Also, NBA agents may very well push their clients towards Europe. In the above stated scenario ($9 million vs. $15 million), the agent stands to earn an additional $120,000 if his client accepted the European offer.

Most NBA players will choose to stay in America, but some may be tempted to cash in big time overseas.

On the other hand, you will always have guys like Will Solomon who turned down $1.7 million tax free in Europe and accepted $711,000 with the Toronto Raptors to prove to themselves, family and friends that they are NBA calibre players. There is something to be said that "I played in the best league in the world"!

Chuck Checks In From Chicago

RaptorTalk — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:42:38 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Thursday, July 31st was Chuck Swirsky’s final official day in Toronto. Over the years, many fans looked forward to their Daily dose of 'Chuck Checks In'. From now on CCI will have a very distinctive Chicago flavour on Bulls.com.

For those who missed it, here are Chuck’s latest comments in CCI Chicago edition relating to Toronto and the Raptors.

On Toronto and Chicago

On Thursday I paid farewell to Toronto and the Raptors organization. My ten years in Canada were wonderful and educational. I appreciate the Raptors organization for giving me an opportunity to broadcast NBA ball.

Toronto is a world class city. As I look ahead to some outstanding years ahead as radio play-by-play announcer for the Bulls, I am excited over returning to Chicago. It is the best sports city in the world.

Chicago's passion for baseball, football and basketball is second to none. With the Blackhawks on a meteoric rise, Chicago is the place for sports.

On the Toronto Raptors

I am projecting the Raptors to finish second behind Boston in the Eastern Conference. I think Jermaine O'Neal will be a huge plus and take an incredible amount of pressure off Chris Bosh.

The Calderon-Ford debate is over and both should thrive with their respective teams. If Calderon goes down for any period, it will force Roko Ukic to step up and I'm anxious to see him play. As always, health is the key, as it is for every team, but good days are ahead for Toronto.

Jack, Jack and More Raptors Jack

RaptorTalk — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:43:40 GMT

By RaptorTalk

HELLO! Plenty of great news this week for fans of the ‘Coach’ Jack Armstrong!

Not only will we be seeing a lot of Jack on Raptors broadcasts, but he will be a daily fixture on Toronto radio, too.

Jack Armstrong will become the weekday afternoon co-host on the FAN 590 from 2:00 to 4:00 along with former NHL general manager, Doug MacLean. The new show is called 'The Game Plan' and it launches in mid-September. Jack and Doug replace Chuck Swirsky who bolted town for the Chicago Bulls radio gig. 'The Game Plan' essentially replaces the 'Swirsky Show'.

Jack Armstrong and Leo Rautins will be returning to their regular roles as TV analysts, but with a different network split. As we reported earlier, Armstrong will be the full-time broadcast analyst on TSN, with Rautins serving as a studio analyst alongside Rod Black – meaning that Brian Heaney is out of the TSN picture. Armstrong will also serve as "a hoops insider" on TSN's SportsCentre.

Leo will be the lead analyst on CBC and The Score. Both men will work along side new play-by-play man Matt Devlin.

Both Armstrong and Rautins will work on various roles on Raptors NBA TV, including contributing to the network's pre- and post-game shows.

In our opinion, Jack Armstrong is the #1 broadcaster in Raptorland. It is fantastic to have the gravelly voiced coach from Brooklyn back for his 11th year.

All 82 Raptors Games on FREE TV

There will be no games shown exclusively on Raptors NBA TV in the 2008-09 season after it showed 12 games last year. Fortunately, the ridiculous experiment seems over.

This is great news for basketball fans and the best way for MLSE to build the Raptors brand across Canada!!

Draft Express Likes The Will Solomon Signing

RaptorTalk — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:16:04 GMT

By RaptorTalk

There has been a lot of talk about the Will Solomon signing - both pro and con. Problem is that virtually no one who is commenting has ever seen Will Solomon actually play basketball.

That's why we think that our friend Jon Givony of Draft Express has an opinion worth listening to. Jon and the guys at Draft Express have actually scouted Solomon, albeit mostly on tape.

Upon hearing of the signing by the Raptors, Givony commented, "Great signing. Came highly recommended from my end. Will is an NBA talent all day long, a clear-cut rotation guy." Givony's only reservation is whether or not Solomon's personality fits. According to the Toronto Star, Will and Sam Mitchell met in advance of the signing and at this point both coach and player are on the same page.

Solomon is an experienced 1/2 guard who will back-up both positions. Having signed for the minimum, this is a low risk deal which could prove to pay much larger dividends as we move into the 08-09 campaign.

Back in February 2008, Draft Express provided this assessment of new Raptor Will Solomon on www.draftexpress.com:

" One of the top scoring guards in European basketball has taken his game to a whole new level this season, at the ripe age of 29. All the years of experience at this level seem to have come together and produced a much more mature player, as his numbers are up across the board individually, but he’s also lead one of the youngest teams in the competition to the Top 16 stage as well, which is not a bad feat.

We’re talking about an outstanding athlete who is blessed with terrific scoring instincts. Solomon is a very quick and explosive guard who can put the ball in the net in many different ways. He’s a terrific ball-handler with either hand, and is particularly adept at using the pick and roll. He has a nice mid-range game, able to create separation sharply off the dribble, and can create a shot for himself out of nothing on a broken play, with the greatest of ease—sometimes to finish with a powerful dunk.

Solomon is a very good shooter with his feet set, but the pure volume of shots that he takes really kills his percentages from behind the arc. In short, Solomon is a scorer through and through, and that’s what he’s always been known for.

This year, more than ever, though, Solomon has proven himself as at least a decent playmaker as well. He has very good court vision, and can really move the ball around with purpose, even if he doesn’t have very much talent at all besides him.

Watching his film, it was hard not to notice how many times a good pass of his would go unrewarded with an assist because of a turnover, brick, or bobbled catch by one of his extremely young teammates.

With that said, Solomon isn’t immune to making mistakes himself. He doesn’t always let the game come to him, trying to thread the needle on some impossible passes at times, taking bad shots early in the shot-clock, over-dribbling, and running into brick walls.

He’s been known his entire career for his mental lapses, and even though his turnovers are at a career low this season (while his assists are at a career high), this is still a problem that plagues him at times.

Defensively, we see some of these same problems as well, just on the other end of the court. Solomon has excellent lateral quickness and an unbelievable wingspan (measured at 6-9 ¼ at the pre-draft camp in 2001) for a player his size, but he lacks strength, focus and awareness. He can play some pretty good on-ball defense when he puts his mind to it, but as a team defender he often looks lost, gambling for steals and struggling to fight through screens on the pick and roll."

RaptorTalk simply can't see how Bryan Colangelo can lose with this signing.

Will The Bulls Get The New Chuck Swirsky Call?

RaptorTalk — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:11:07 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Will the Chicago Bulls and their fans get the "new" Chuck Swirsky?

Are you kidding me? Well, it seems that might be the case.

The source? None other than Chuck Swirsky himself.

RaptorTalk picked up this little nugget buried deep inside the most recent edition of Chuck Checks In - Chicago Edition.

Question: Chad from Toronto: Chuck, it's strange reading CCI on Bulls.com but we thank you for the ten seasons with the Raptors. Will you bring the "salami and cheese" to Chicago?

Answer from Chuck: Thank you for the support Toronto gave me the past ten years. I love the city and the spirit of the fans for sure. The "Chuckisms" will stay in Toronto. The fans in Chicago will get an enthusiastic call—a straight call—and I look forward working with Bill Wennington. Sitting along side Jack Armstrong and Leo Rautins was a pleasure. Two very good analysts. I'm glad to see both guys will be staying around after receiving new contracts.

It appears that the Chuckisms will not be travelling to the Windy City. Instead, Bulls fans will get a "straight call" from Chuck.

What does that mean? The way I see it - the Bulls fans will hear some of the finest radio calls in the entire NBA! I have long been of the opinion that Chuck Swirsk was at his best in the early days when he called Raptor games on radio with Jack Armstrong. We were treated with an informative game broadcast which was punctuated by the occassional "Ka-boom" for emphasis whenever "Air Canada Carter was on the runway". "T-Mac to the Rack" was another favourite that added excitement to Swirsky's game calls.

Even with Chuck's departure, after the Raptors' first three ball each game I expect to still shout out loud "Ring It Up"! No doubt, that was my favorite Swirsky catch phrase.

On the other hand, there are Chuckisms I won't miss. Some of those which we heard over the past few years seemed a little forced or contrived like "18 Parkerville Court", "Apollo 33", "Golden Graham" and "Another MP3 Download". Of course, I won't miss "Salami & Cheese" or the silly story that was behind its creation.

Thursday, July 31st is Chuck's last day on the FAN 590 and his final broadcast. Hard to believe that ten years have gone by so quickly. Here's to wishing Chuck Swirsky all the best in his new gig in Chicago.

Now its time to turn the page.

Jack Armstrong Close To Joining TSN Raptors Team

RaptorTalk — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:57:44 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Hel-l-l-l-o-o-o-o! The Coach is back!

Despite fears of many fans that Jack Armstrong would not be providing color commentary on Raptor games next season – it looks like Jack will definitely be returning. Steve Simmons reported the news in his Toronto Sun column:

“Good news for basketball fans: Jack Armstrong is close to signing a contract with TSN that will keep him on the air for Raptors games and more.”

With Sportsnet having completely dropped out of the Raptors broadcast picture and TSN picking up more games, it looks like we will now see Jack Armstrong on TSN. Hopefully, this is a sign that TSN will increase their overall hoops coverage and that the Coach will become better known across the country.

Next season, it is expected that Jack Armstrong and Leo Rautins will split the color duties, while Matt Devlin will call all 82 games for television. Jack gets all TSN and RapsTV games, while Leo takes all Score and CBC games.

Last year, the broadcast of Raptors television games were split as follows:

Score - 30 games
TSN - 21 games
RapsTV - 12 games
Sportsnet - 12 games
CBC - 7 games

We certainly hope that Jack Armstrong will still be on the FAN 590. However, his appearances may be limited because he will now be a TSN employee. The FAN gives preference to Rogers and Sportsnet employees and limits appearances from broadcasters from TSN and the SCORE. Last Friday, Swirsky had Dave Randorf from TSN as a guest and its likely that's how Jack will appear on the FAN.

However, there are a limited number of hoops experts in the Toronto media and the FAN can't simply use Eric Smith, Paul Jones and Matt Devlin – so we hope to still hear a lot of Jack on the radio, too!

Jack Armstrong joined the Raptors radio team ten years ago after coaching NCAA ball at Niagara University. A native of Brooklyn, Armstrong lives in Lewiston, NY - a picturesque town which is a just across the Niagara River from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Nathan Jawai's Pre Draft Interview Before He Was A Raptor

RaptorTalk — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:07:29 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Nathan Jawai certainly appears to be destined to be a fan favorite next season. Besides being a bruising and quick big man, Nathan is articulate, engaging and personable.

The Golden State Warriors TV network conducted a great interview with Nathan back on June 4th, as he prepared for a pre-draft workout with the Warriors in the Bay Area.

At the end of the interview, Nathan answered a series of questions. Here are his answers:

Q. Lakers or Celtics?
A. Celtics

Q. Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A. Michael Jordan

Q. Sports Illustarted or ESPN the Magazine?
A. S.I.

Q. ESPN or CNN?
A. ESPN

Q. NBA Finals or NCAA Tournament?
A. NBA Finals

Q. Dancing with The Stars or American Idol?
A. Dancing with The Stars

Q. Helen Reddy or Nicole Kidman?
A. Nicole Kidman

Q. 3-pointer or Dunk?
A. RaptorTalk is not sure what the answer is! Seems he likes both.

Q. Luc Longley or Andrew Bogut?
A. Both

Q. Sydney or Melbourne?
A. Melbourne

RaptorTalk would like to add an additional question:

Q. Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors
A. Toronto Raptors, of course!

You can be sure that Toronto Raptor fans are looking forward to watching Jawai develop over the upcoming months! He very well could prove to be one of those second round steals that every club wished they had selected.

Nathan Jawai Signs Guaranteed Contract With Raptors And Will Play in The Las Vegas Summer League

RaptorTalk — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:49:37 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The Toronto Raptors signed centre Nathan Jawai to a two-year contract on Friday.

Jawai signed the deal with Toronto according to his agent Daniel Moldovan, just a day after being traded from Indiana as part of the T.J. Ford/ Jermaine O'Neal trade.

"We have agreed to terms with the Toronto Raptors on a guaranteed two-year deal, which is rare for a second round pick and certainly displays the promise they see in Nathan," Moldovan said.

We are thrilled that Nathan has gone to such a first-class organization and that he will be playing behind two of the true superstars of the NBA in Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh."

"What this means is that Nathan will not only be on the Raptors roster immediately, as opposed to developing further in the NBL, but he will be right in the thick of the minutes given that the team is going with a big-man rotation featuring O'Neal, Bosh, Bargnani, Jawai and Humphries."

The 21-year-old Australian was chosen in the second round, 41st overall, by the Indiana Pacers in last month's NBA draft. He came to Toronto as part of the deal for Jermaine O'Neal.

The six-foot-10, 280-pounder earned rookie of the year honours last season in Australia's National Basketball League, where he averaged 17.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in 30 games for the Cairns Taipans.

He is the first indigenous player from Australia to be drafted by an NBA team and will play for the Raptors' team in the Las Vegas Summer League, with the first game scheduled for Saturday.

No doubt, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo sees good upside in the Australian big man.

Full Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon Press Conferences On Video

RaptorTalk — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:47:55 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Today the Toronto Raptors held press conferences officially announcing the acquisition of Jermaine O'Neal from the Indiana Pacers and the signing of Jose Calderon to be the team's starting point guard.

No need for a lot of commentary. The videos of the pressers speak for themselves. However, it is worth noting that Jermaine O'Neal is very eloquent, thoughtful and composed.

Many NBA fans have the wrong impression of Jermaine because he was associated with the Portland JailBlazers and the Indiana "Auburn Hills Riot" Pacers. Clearly, those teams and some of the questionable actions of a few bad apples are not reflective of the kind of person that Jermaine O'Neal really is. He certainly appears to be a first class, well-spoken addition to the Raptors.

Here is video of both Toronto Raptors pressers:

Jermaine O'Neal Part 1

Jermaine O'Neal Part 2

Jose Calderon Press Conference

Many thanks to bicmacrexdale for making these videos available to Raptor fans!

Toronto Raptors Summer League Squad Ready To Hit The Hardwood In Las Vegas

RaptorTalk — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:56:46 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The Toronto Raptors announced the roster that will participate in the 2008 NBA Las Vegas Summer League from July 12th to 19th.

These 11 young men will have to set aside the oppressive summer heat in Vegas and all the other distractions in Sin City as they pursue their dreams of becoming legit NBA stars.

Former first round draft pick, Joey Graham is part of the squad. The hope is that a series of live games will help Joey develop his on-court instincts so that he can hopefully become a decent contributor next season. With the Raptors unlikely to re-sign Carlos Delfino, the door of opportunity has once again been opened for Graham.

Watching Danny Granger shine in a Pacers uniform only reinforces that Rob Babcock likley made the wrong draft selection. Its up to Joey to perform like a first round draft pick should and prove us naysayers wrong.


         Down the strip a mile or so and hang a left - that's where the guys will be playing hoops


It is also a reunion of sorts for a couple of Oklahoma State teammates - Joey Graham and John Lucas III. The duo led the Cowboys to the Final Four in 2004 and tied a school record with 31 wins. Lucas is the son of former Raptors special assistant and NBA star and former head coach - John Lucas. Lucas III has played professionally with the Houston Rockets and Benetton Treviso (Italy).

Also included on the roster are four players who were part of the Raptors free agent camp - Hassan Adams, Deji Akindele, Rod Benson and Coleman Collins. Only Adams has been signed to a contract at this point. Joel Bosh is the younger brother of Chris Bosh and he will make his professional debut following a four years at Alabama State.

The notable absence is that of second round pick, Nathan Jawai of Australia. One has to assume that Jawai may have faced some work visa issues, which are preventing him particpating. That is pure speculation, but one wonders why he is not on the squad.

Raptors Summer League Schedule

Saturday, July 12 vs. Sacramento @ 4 p.m. (ET)

Monday, July 14 vs. Denver @ 6 p.m. (ET)

Thursday, July 17 vs. Philadelphia @ 8 p.m. (ET)

Friday, July 18 vs. L.A. Lakers @ 8:30 p.m. (ET)

Saturday, July 19 vs. Golden State @ 6 p.m. (ET)



Raptors Official Summer League Roster

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birth Date	School
Hassan Adams	F	6-4	220	06/20/84	Arizona
Deji Akindele	C	6-10	240	04/03/83	Chicago State
Sean Banks	F	6-8	210	01/20/85	Memphis
Rod Benson	C	6-10	235	10/10/84	California
Joel Bosh	F	6-7	185	03/11/86	Alabama State
Coleman Collins	F	6-9	236	06/22/86	Virginia Tech
Daniel Ewing	G	6-3	185	03/26/83	Duke
Thomas Gardner	F	6-5	213	02/08/85	Missouri
C.J. Giles	C	6-11	240	09/25/85	Oregon State
Joey Graham	F	6-7	225	6/11/82	Oklahoma State
John Lucas	G	5-11	165	11/21/82	Oklahoma State

Best Guess Is The Raptors Have Less Than Two Million Dollars Available To Fill Out The Roster

RaptorTalk — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:58:13 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Now that the bulk of the Raptors roster is in place, the question on the minds of Raptors fans is "how much money does Bryan Colagelo have left to spend on additional players"?

The answer is “no one knows for sure”! That’s because we don’t yet have exact salary figures for Calderon and Ukic, nor do we know what the confirmed Luxury Tax threshold will be for next season.

Bottomline is that the Raptors do not want to pay the Luxury Tax and therefore, they must keep team payroll below that number.

Salaries of the Mascot and Nathan Jawai don't count against the cap!

According to the Toronto Star, “nine teams paid tax last year. It ranged from New York paying about $20 million to Phoenix paying about three. Boston ($6 million) and the Lakers ($4) paid into it, too. Of the nine, the Celtics, Lakers and Cleveland were the only teams to win a playoff series.”

Based on information available to us and our best guess-timate of the Luxury Tax threshold, it appears that the Toronto Raptors will have approximately $1,500,000 to $2,500,000 available to fill out their roster. The best guess would be a number that’s less than $2 million.

Here are the numbers RaptorTalk used to determine the salary dollars still available to Bryan Colangelo.

Projected Starters

Jermaine O'Neal - $21,352,500

Chris Bosh - $14,410,581

Jose Calderon - $8,000,000 (estimate)

Jason Kapono - $5,784,480

Anthony Parker - $4,550,000

Bench Players

Andrea Bargnani - $5,176,440

Jamario Moon - $711,517

Kris Humphries - $3,200,000

Roko Ukic - $1,000,000 (estimate)

Joey Graham - $2,449,184

Hassan Adams - $711,517

Nathan Jawai - $442,114 (not counted against luxury tax)

Jorge Garbajosa - $2,000,000 (estimated salary cap hit)

Estimated 2008-2009 Raptors Salary Total (excluding Jawai): $69,346,216

Projected 2008-2009 NBA Luxury Tax: $71,000,000 to $72,000,000

Excess Funds Available Below Luxury Tax: $1,653,781 to $2,653,781

The salary picture will be clearer after July 9th when all signings become official and the Luxury Tax threshold is announced by the NBA.

And On Canada Day It Is Twelve With Some "Hot Sauce"

RaptorTalk — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:40:23 GMT

By RaptorTalk

On Canada Day, the Toronto Raptors roster increased to twelve players (either signed or signed waiting for the official signing date of July 9th) with the acquisition of a little “Hot Sauce”.

The day began with Jose Calderon and Roko Ukic agreeing to terms with the Raptors, which was followed by a surprise signing – albeit one which could pay big dividends for Toronto.

The Raptors signed former Arizona Wildcat and New Jersey Net Hassan Adams to back-up the SG/SF position. Hassan is an athletic defender and a dunker with some notable hops. In college he excelled at rebounding, shot blocking and steals – all which fit the Raptors’ needs.

Hassan Adams earned the nickname "Hot Sauce" from former UCLA player and Pac-10 announcer Marques Johnson

Adams is no stranger to Raptors GM, Bryan Colangelo. As the GM of the Phoenix Suns, Bryan undoubtably saw a lot of Hassan in his 4 years of college.

The Hassan Adams Story

Hassan is 6’4”, 220 lb. and native of Los Angeles. Selected by the Nets in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft in the 54th slot, Adams was injured in pre-draft workouts when ex-Raptor P.J. Tucker stepped on his foot.

Adams appeared in 61 games with the New Jersey Nets before his release prior to 2007-08. New Jersey waived Hassan because the Nets were up against the luxury tax threshold. Adams was cut by Cleveland in training camp in October of 2007 and then played in Italy for the remainder of last season.

Reports are that Adams was a standout at the Raptors recent free agent camp. Based on that performance, Hassan earned himself a one-year league minimum contract with a team option for a second year, in the same manner Jamario Moon did last season.

"It's a great fit for Hassan," said David Lee, Adams's agent. "He can lock down ones, twos and threes and will bring the Raptors the kind of toughness they haven't seen in a while."

That sounds exactly like what Raptor fans are looking for. Hassan should help solidify the Raptors’ porous perimeter defence and hopefully can be used to shut down the two’s and three’s that typically would torch the Raptors with career nights.

At Arizona under Lute Olson’s tutelage, Hassan earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior. His teammates included players Channing Frye, Luke Walton, Salim Stoudamire and Andre Iguodala. Adams finished his collegiate career as Arizona’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,818 points, he ranks second in steals (238) and eighth in blocked shots (85).

He is the only player in Pac-10 history to record 1,800 points, 700 rebounds, and 200 steals in a career. In his senior year, Hassan ranked third in the Pac-10 in scoring (17.5 ppg) and 12th in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Adams also led the conference in steals (2.6 spg).

While at Arizona, Hassan earned a degree in sociology from Arizona.

The 2008-09 Raptors Roster

With the signing of Hassan Adams, the Raptors' revamped 12 man roster looks like this:

Center: Jermaine O'Neal/ Nathan Jawai

Power Forward: Chris Bosh/ Andrea Bargnani/ Kris Humphries

Small Forward: Jason Kapono/ Jamario Moon/ Joey Graham

Shooting Guard: Anthony Parker/ Hassan Adams

Point Guard: Jose Calderon/ Roko Ukic

And Soon It Will Be Eleven

RaptorTalk — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:23:12 GMT

By RaptorTalk

There should be two new faces on the Toronto Raptors roster in the near future. It seems imminent that the Toronto Raptors will be increasing their roster to 11 players with the expected signing of two second round draft picks.

Reports are that former second round draft pick Roko Ukic will almost certainly be in Toronto next year and it looks like the Raptors will bring over this year's second round pick, Australian center Nathan Jawai, to allow him to develop. In fact, Jawai is already in Toronto and excited about joining the Raptors for the 2008-09 campaign.

Roko Ukic is 23 years old, 6'5" and 190 lbs. He will likely be back up Jose Calderon at the point, while also filling in at the two spot if needed. Word is he ready and anxious to join the Raptors.

Nathan Jawai became the first indigenous Australian to be selected in the NBA draft. Jawai, who grew up in the remote northern Queensland town of Bamaga, was selected in with the 41st pick by the Indiana Pacers and will soon be officially dealt to Toronto in the Jermaine O’Neal trade.

The 21 year old Jawai became only the 10th Australian to be drafted in the NBA (behind Ed Palubinskas, 1974; Luc Longley, 1991; Chris Anstey, C.J. Bruton, Paul Rogers, Ben Pepper, 1997; David Anderson 2002; Andrew Bogut, 2005; and Brad Newley, 2007).

At 6’10” and 280 lbs, Nathan is known as “Baby Shaq” in Australia and is said to possess a massive wingspan of 7’5”. Jawai is a powerful and explosive player. He runs the floor well and has nimble feet. Nathan is loaded with raw talent, but needs top tier coaching to become a true NBA player. In fact, even though Jawai was generally pegged to be selected in the second round, ESPN’s Chad Ford reported that he could potentially be selected in the late first round which speaks well of his potential.

According to a news report from down under, “Jim Kelly, who is the head scout for Toronto was in Cairns under last year to see Nathan play and we know that the Raptors are very impressed with Nathan," said Taipans coach Alan Black in a statement. "After talking with Nathan's agent he has been told by Toronto that they want Nathan to play with the club in the NBA next season, which is fantastic news.

"I'm stoked, I'm real happy at the moment," said Jawai in response to being drafted. He watched the draft in New York, but was not at Madison Square Garden. Instead he watched the draft on the big screen like the rest of us. "It was a bit funny because my name kind of got announced when we went to a commercial, so I was just sitting there and I was like 'whoops I just got picked'."

Last year, Jawai played for one of America’s top junior colleges - Midland Community College. However, he suffered a knee injury and decided to return home because he didn’t want to jeopardize his career without receiving proper rehab on his knee. While at Midland, he averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds on 49% shooting from the field in 14 games.

This season playing hoops in Australia, Jawai is averaged close to 18 points and 9 rebounds per game in 30 minutes. He shot 59% from the field. His NBL career high for points is 39, rebounds 24 and blocks is six.

In 2007-08, he was unanimously selected as the NBL Rookie of the Year and named MVP of the 2008 NBL All-Star Game after registering 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Jawai will have little or no pressure on him with the Raptors. On the "bigs" depth chart, he will be fifth - behind Bosh, O'Neal, Bargnani and Humphries. The hope is that with proper coaching, he can develop into a quality NBA center over time.

The other good news for the Raptors is that Ukic and Jawai make the roster younger - which I believe is needed. Plus, their contracts are reasonable by NBA standards. Ukic will likely sign a contract in the $1.5 million to $2 million per year range. While Nathan will be inking a deal which pays him around $700,000 annually, which is a bargain in today's NBA.

It is likely that Roko and Nathan will be part of the Raptors Summer League squad next month.

Watching both young players develop in Toronto is something that all Raptor fans will look forward to next season.

And Then There Were Nine

RaptorTalk — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:47:50 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Bryan Colangelo has his work cut out for him over the upcomimg days and weeks. Last year the Raptors were a team with plenty of depth and arguably too many bodies of equal talent.

Today the Raptors roster has as few as NBA nine bodies.

Bryan Colangelo has essentially just traded 4 players (Ford, Rasho, Baston, Hibbert) for 1 player (J O'Neal). With Brezec (definitely) and Delfino (probably) moving back to the EuroLeague - the Raptors have a lot of holes to fill. Right now Toronto's roster consists of just 9 players:

Starting Five
Chris Bosh
Jermaine O'Neal
Jose Calderon
Anthony Parker
Jamario Moon

The Bench
Andrea Bargnani
Jason Kapono
Kris Humphries
Joey Graham

The other possible known entity is Roko Ukic, who could sign as the team's back-up point guard to Calderon. That still leaves holes for 5 more players.

Let the shoes drop

Now, before we can adequately determine the pros/cons of the Jermaine O'Neal trade (of we largely approve) - we need to let the other shoe (or two) drop. Bryan still has more moves to make.

Free Agency starts this Tuesday. Over the next two weeks I expect the Raptors to make a free agent signing with their MLE and a couple of additional acquisitions to fill out their roster.

If Bryan Colangelo can add a good wing player and a decent back-up point guard, the Raptors have a much improved roster over last year. Particularly if Bargnani can provide any level of contribution and/or show improvement over last year.

Here at RaptorTalk, we have been of the opinion that the roster needs a solid makeover. Some of the local media/ broadcasters expected only a tweak or two.

Seems like Colangelo sees it our way and that the 15 man roster will likely include at least 7 (yup -seven) new faces in 2008-09. If Joey or Parker are moved (still possibilities), that would mean a 50% turnover in just a few months.

Say what you want about Bryan - he's not a good loser and he is not one to stand pat. Last season was a disappointment and he's not going to let it happen again.

A Healthy Jermaine O'Neal Makes Toronto Raptors Winners In This Deal

RaptorTalk — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:12:18 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The Jermaine O'Neal acquisition comes down to the health of JO's knee. If he can play an average of 70 games over the next two years, then the Raptors come out of this as big winners, particularly if he's healthy come playoff time.

On the other hand, even if Jermaine's knees hold him back to 50 games or less per year, the Raptors still do not fare badly because O'Neal's massive contract comes off the books in two years.

So while this is a high risk/high reward acquisition - Bryan has not locked himself into say a long 4 year deal with little or no wiggle room. If Jermaine doesn't work out as hoped, then his expiring contract can be peddled as early as next season.

Jermaine O'Neal presumably checking out his now healthy knees

This morning, the Toronto Sun discussed JO's injuries and the prospect of his return. O'Neal believes his knee is healed and he can return to 20/10 status.

"Knee problems have kept O'Neal to an average of 51 games a year for the past four seasons while Ford's spinal stenosis condition limited him to just 51 games last season.

In O'Neal, the Raptors pick up another potential franchise player to pair with Chris Bosh, assuming O'Neal's knee problems are a thing of the past.

O'Neal, who is working out this summer in Las Vegas, seems to be of that belief.

In a post-2008 season interview with Slam's Michael Tillery in April, O'Neal addressed his knee problems specifically.

"Now my knee is healed," O'Neal said. "It's the best my knee has felt in two years. It's all about getting my cardio and my rhythm back, trying to be effective and learning how to punish guys all over again in the low post."

In the interview O'Neal said the 21/2-month layoff last year helped him not just physically but has motivated him to get back to the 20-10 guy he was before his knee problems.

"I'm taking it all back to the drawing stage," he said. "I've put together a great staff that's going to put my honour all back together. I'm not far from it. The knee is just about 100% strength. The healing part is already done. I'm really excited and very much looking forward to getting back on the court next year."

O'Neal has two years and about $44 million US left on his deal. When his salary does come off the books, it's going to free up plenty of money for the Raptors at a time when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bosh can become free agents."

The Deal is Risk for Risk

Bottomline is that the Raptors dealt away some injury risk and received back some injury risk. Based on the potential trade options available, this was the best acquisition by a mile. I would have liked Rip, but there is no way Detroit needs TJ, when they have Billups and Stuckey.

However, I would take Jermaine O'Neal above Boris Diaw or Webster/Frye or any of the other legit offers on the table. A healthy Jermaine O'Neal in the middle changes the whole complexion of the Raptors from a defensive perspective. It takes pressure off Bosh and moves him into the PF position. Bargnani benefits by now coming off the bench.

For the record, Jermaine O'Neal will be turning 30 during training camp. No doubt, Raps' rebounding improves with JO in the mix. When healthy, he's a 10 board per game player who can add a couple of blocks each game. He's 6'11" and 260 lbs, which is by no means undersized for NBA centers. While his offensive numbers percentages could be better, that's not his primary role in Toronto. As the Celtics proved - its all about playing tough defence, baby!

Don't for a minute think that this is the end of the dealing. I expect another shoe (or two) to drop in the next few weeks. Bryan will address the need for an upgrade on the wing.

JVG Likes it!

Jeff Van Gundy told ESPN that he believes this deal vaults the Raptors into becoming the third best team in the East behind Boston and Detroit.

Right now, I give this deal a 7.5 out of 10. If JO is injured, its a 6 out of 10. If JO remains healthy, it becomes a 9 out of 10.

At this juncture, we need to wait and see how it all plays out.

All Signs Point To Raptors Acquiring Jermaine O'Neal For T.J. Ford

RaptorTalk — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:55:51 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The Boston Celtics proved that defence and elite talent wins championship rings. It seems that Bryan Colangelo got that message loud and clear.

Apparently, all signs point to the Raptors acquiring Jermaine O'Neal from the Pacers for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, the Raptors' 17th pick in the draft and some filler.

This trade is the first step in a direction that will improve the Raptors overall defence and provide the team with a six time all-star to complement Chris Bosh. If Jermaine stays healthy, Toronto arguably has one of the strongest front court tandems in the NBA.

Of course, the Raptors still need to add an impact swingman before they become real contenders. But, let's wait and see what Bryan does over the upcoming days and weeks to address that situation.

The O'Neal acquisition also takes pressure off Andrea Bargnani who returns to his sixth man role he played as a rookie, where many observers feel he is most suited to play at this point in his career.

In his blog late today, the Toronto Star's Doug Smith said Colangelo had a number of offers but chose this one because....

"Sources said Bryan liked the O'Neal deal best because of the impact it will have on the court immediately and on the bottom line a couple of seasons from now.

O'Neal will make $44 million (US) over the next two seasons but will come off the books and give Colangelo a boatload of money to throw at free agents following the 2009-10 season.

Neither side is talking, of course, because nothing can be finalized until T.J.'s base-year compensation tag comes off the books on July 1. For that reason, Toronto will make the 17th selection in tonight's draft based on what the Pacers tell them to do."

Raptor GM Colangelo Is Poised To Make A Blockbuster Deal

RaptorTalk — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:11:03 GMT

By RaptorTalk

All indications are that Bryan Colangelo will not sit on his hands and wait for the Raptors to improve internally. In April he said that 2007-08 was disappointing and its clear he's ready to swing for the fences.

According to numerous media reports, the Toronto Raptors are actively pursuing a blockbuster trade that would bring Jermaine O'Neal north of the border, among other potential deals.

It seems that the Raptors GM is involved with the Indiana Pacers, the Phoenix Suns and at least three other teams for a total of five serious trade partners. Clearly, he wants to move T.J. Ford now and get this team back into contention.

The East promises to be much improved next season and the Raptors can't afford to fall back by sticking with the status quo.

Apparently, Colangelo has been involved in serious talks with the Indiana Pacers about acquiring 29 yearold center Jermaine O’Neal for a package that would include T.J. Ford, Rasho Nestervoic and possibly the 17th pick in the upcoming draft.

It was reported this evening that talks had broken down due to concerns centering around the health of T.J. Ford and Jermaine O'Neal - both of whom have a recent history of injury. However, there is no reason to think that the deal won't be resurrected within the next few days.

Word is that the Raptors are aggressively trying to move Ford and O’Neal is one of their prime targets, as is forward Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns.

It is also reported that Bryan Colangelo is in active discussions with at least three other NBA teams for trades of a blockbuster nature.

With the NBA Draft approaching on Thursday, I hope Bryan pulls the trigger or at least has a deal in principle set for July 1st. My preference would be to hold on the 17th pick in the draft because because there will be some decent talent available when it comes the Raptors turn to pick and a good young big man like a Robin Lopez would look good in Toronto.

These are interesting days for Raptor fans, indeed!

The Curse of Jersey #15 Ends Badly Once Again For The Toronto Raptors

RaptorTalk — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:55:14 GMT

By RaptorTalk

For the Toronto Raptors, its their version of the vaunted Sports Illustrated cover curse.

Its the Curse of Jersey #15!

Only twice in Raptors' team history has a player been awarded uniform #15 and in both instances the relationship between the player and the Toronto Raptors ended badly.

The two players were Jorge Garbajosa and Vince Carter.

We all know how Vince Carter went from being the most revered Raptor to becoming Public Enemy #1 in Toronto in the span of less than a year. While Jorge Garbajosa's saga was somewhat different, it still ended in a manner which had both the Raptors and Garbo agreeing it was best for the parties to part ways.

Of course, both #15's played completely different games. Garbajosa played hard and tough, while VC played soft and easy. But at the end of the day, they both left the Raptors organization in a bad way.

Rob Babcock got fleeced in the Carter trade and the franchise was set back for at least two years as a result. Garbajosa chose to disobey Raptor team doctors and played for Spain last summer which led to further damage to his recently broken leg. The cost to the Raptors was that he missed virtually all of last season, cost the team $4 million and took up a badly needed roster spot.

With the recently agreed Garbajosa buy-out, the Raptors reportedly save about $2 million in cap space and have an open roster spot for next season. However, the fact is that Jorge Garbajosa's overall cost to the Toronto Raptors amounts to a salary number in excess of $10 million for only one single productive season. Hardly what fans were hoping for when the Raptors signed Garbo.

While Garbo was a solid performer in his single season with Toronto, his departure leaves a sour taste with many Toronto fans. At the end of the day, because of his personal selfishness, Garbo will collect in excess of $7 million from the Toronto Raptors for what will amount to a mere 7 games played in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 season.

If Garbajosa wanted so badly to play for Spain in the Olympics and then return the Spanish league, he should have done the right thing and accepted a buy-out for the 2008-09 of $ ZERO.

Donaghy Alleges Other NBA Referees Involved In Purposely Affecting The Outcome of Games

RaptorTalk — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:58:57 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Who knew that when Dick Bavetta tossed Leo Rautins from an NBA game back in the 80's, the fix was on!

Of course, I'm kidding ...... but, it seems that Tim Donaghy may not be the only NBA referee who has been involved in potentially trying to purposely affect the outcome of basketball games he was refereeing.

In an attempt to either (i) come clean or (ii) save his own skin, Donaghy is singing like a bird to the authorities as he awaits sentencing for his crimes relating to fixing NBA games. Donaghy has told the FBI and authorities that league officials attempted to get referees to manipulate games.

Of course, the NBA and David Stern were quick to dismiss the allegations. However, often where there's smoke ... there's fire.

Hue Hollins, a retired referee, said that two FBI agents from New York visited him last summer and asked about both Dick Bavetta and Tim Donaghy, who admitted to working with gamblers.

Donaghy has said that a number of playoff games which he maintained were "fixed" by complicit refs - all under the direction of the NBA league office. Interestingly enough, all these games were refereed by Dick Bavetta. These are unproven allegations, but one cannot be too quick to dismiss these serious charges.

ESPN's Bill Simmons provided a list of these games along with his comments. It makes for interesting reading to say the least.

Here's the list from Bill Simmons:

"These were just the games that jump out in my mind (again, I could be wrong):

1999, New York Knicks - Pacers, Game 3 ... LJ sinks a game-winning four-pointer (called a continuation foul by referee Jess Kersey even though LJ was fouled a full second before he released the ball).

1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 6 ... Knicks last chance to close out Indy before the series shifts back to Indiana for Game 7 ... they get every call.

1999, Spurs-Knicks, Game 3 ... down 2-0, the Knicks get every call in their first home game and win their only game of the series.

2000, Knicks-Heat, Game 7 ... Knicks advance to the conference finals ... falling out of bounds, Latrell Sprewell awarded a timeout by referee Bennett Salvatore with 2.1 seconds left even though none of the Knicks called for one ... Sprewell admits after the game that he hadn't called a timeout ... the Miami players chase the referees off the court after the game, yelling that they had been robbed ... after the game, Jamal Mashburn tells reporters, "They had three officials in their pocket" and Tim Hardaway refers to referee Dick Bavetta as "Knick Bavetta."

2000, Lakers-Blazers, Game 7 ... LA shoots 21 more free throws and rallies back from a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes ... Shaq plays an illegal defense down the stretch, undaunted ... Rasheed Wallace absolutely gets manhandled down the stretch, yet doesn't get a single call ... up by four with 25 seconds left, Shaq body-blocks Steve Smith out of bounds and the refs don't make the call (the most egregious non-call in recent memory).

2002, Celtics-Nets, Game 4 ... Celts up 2-1 ... New Jersey Nets are inexplicably allowed to push and shove Kenny Anderson and Pierce while they dribble the ball ... a number of head-scratchers go against Boston, including three offensive charges down the stretch ... four different "bull-(bleep)" chants during the game.

2002, Lakers-Kings, Game 6 ... LA needs a win to stay alive ... from an officiating standpoint, the most one-sided game of the past decade ... at least six dubious calls against the Kings in the fourth quarter alone ... LA averaged 22 free throws a game during the first five games of the series, then attempted 27 freebies in the fourth quarter alone of Game 6 ... rumors that David Stern wanted to pull a Vince McMahon and declare himself "The special guest referee" for this game prove unfounded.

(By the way, I would feel remiss if I didn't share this information: Dick Bavetta was assigned to every one of the above games. That's an absolute fact. You can look it up. Doesn't mean anything ... I just felt the need to pass that along. It sure looks bad, doesn't it?)"

No doubt, this is a story we need to keep an eye on throughout the upcoming months.

Chuck Checks Out and Maybe Hazel Mae Checks In?

RaptorTalk — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:01:20 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Chuck Swirsky has 'checked out' of Raptors.com.

When Swirsky announced he was leaving Toronto to join the Chicago Bulls radio team, he posted on "Chuck Checks In" that he would continue to post twice a week until he left Toronto.

Seems that the plan ran amok at some point. Looks like CCI was quietly removed from Raptors.com after the May long weekend.

The team's website has completely deleted the link to CCI along with the Swirsky archives. So while Chuck will continue with his FAN590 radio show until the end of July, his affiliation with the Toronto Raptors appears to be over.

Fans of the Swirsk can continue to read CCL on the Chicago Bulls Team Site. Of course, instead of the Raptors, the focus is on the Bulls. In a recent post he called Bargnani's performance "inconsistent" which are words he likely would never have written on Raptors.com. It will be interesting to watch Swirsky comment on the Raptors now that the Bulls are his team.

By all accounts and rather quietly, it appears that Chuck Swirsky is no longer part of the Toronto Raptors organization.

Toronto sportscaster and 'free agent' Hazel Mae looks better in Raptors' red than did the Swirsk

On a side note, former Sportsnet Toronto broadcaster Hazel Mae has announced her sudden departure from NESN in Boston. Hazel spent four years in Boston after leaving Toronto and was hugely popular throughout New England. Rumour has it that NESN's latest contract offer was underwhelming to say the least.

Could it be that Hazel would decide to move back to Toronto and become a play-by-play announcer?

Of course, we're joking. But, Hazel Mae might be what the Raptors need to ensure that the key male demographic of males aged 25 to 55 are glued to their TV sets for 82 Raptors games a year! Hazel was recently voted Playboy's sexiest sportscaster.

Hazel left the Toronto sports scene in 2004 and transformed herself from sportscaster into a mega media star in the Boston area.

Sadly for Raptor fans, Hazel Mae as part of the hoops broadcast crew would simply never work. Can you imagine that every time the camera showed Hazel on air, we'd have Jack Armstrong sending out a big HELLO. Kinda distracting I'd say! Plus, Hazel's a big Red Sox fan while the Coach is a diehard Yankees fan.

Just saying.

BTW, Hazel hosted a popular highlight show called Red Sox Rewind. How about Hazel and Raptors Rewind? Here's a promo clip from NESN for those of you who would like to see Hazel as she looks/sounds today.