khandor’s sports blog

Prior to the recent transaction between the Raptors [Bryan Colangelo], Mavericks [Donnie Nelson], Magic [Otis Smith & Dave Twardzik] and Grizzlies [Chris Wallace], this is what each of those team’s rosters looked like:

Coming out the other side, today, this is what they look like now, respectively:

Legend:
UFA – Unrestricted Free Agent; RFA – Restricted Free Agent; R – Rookie Player; TPE – Traded Player Exception; DP – Draft Pick; CC - Cash Considerations

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The Perspective From This Corner

The fact is, however, that the Cleveland Cavaliers [Danny Ferry] MAY have benefitted most of all from this specific transaction, as they subsequently gained unfettered access to Anthony Parker, the exact sort of complementary wing player they were searching for … to augment LeBron James & Co., in an effort to win their 1st NBA Championship. 

Your feedback is welcome in the “Comments” section.

“How to turn around the fortunes of your pro sports team”, NBA 101 Management Handbook, p. 23.

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Make a legitimate run for the 8th playoff spot in the 2008-2009 season

Add Vladimir Radmanovic [Lakers] in exchange for Adam Morrison

Add DeSagana Diop [Mavs] in exchange for Ryan Hollins & Matt Carroll

Decide NOT to trade Raymond Felton [PG]

Add Raja Bell and Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary [Suns] in exchange for J-Rich & J-Dudley

Add Juwon Howard [as a veteran Big off the bench] from the scrap heap

Decide NOT to trade Sean May AND to sit him on the bench  

Add Cartier Martin [OG/SF] and Dontell Jefferson [OG] from the pool of undrafted players

Add DJ Augustin [as a solid PG] from the 2008 NBA Draft

Add Alexis Ajinca [as a long term project, C] from the 2008 NBA Draft

Decide NOT to trade Gerald Wallace [SF/PF]

Hire Larry Brown to coach your team AND empower him to make trades

Retain Nazr Mohammed [as a solid veteran Big off the bench]

Re-sign Emeka Okafor, your 2004 No. 2 [overall] Draft Pick, as an emotionally stable, hard-working Center, who can Rebound & Defend his position, when others suggested that he was a “bad” long term investment for your team

Hire the most reknowned former player in NBA history to oversee the operation of your franchise [i.e. you know who]

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It’s not rocket science … and, your GM certainly doesn’t NEED to have been named a winner of the NBA’s Executive of the Year Award even one time, during his career to-date.

It’s half-time of tonight’s Raptors [6-7] vs Bobcats [4-9] game, and this is what the Box Score looks like:

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			Field Goals				Rebounds
	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
E. Okafor	F	11:13	1-2	0-0	2-2	+1	1	5	6	1	2	2	0	1	0	4
G. Wallace	F	16:57	5-8	0-0	7-11	-2	0	3	3	1	2	1	1	0	1	17
A. Ajinca	C	04:00	1-4	0-0	0-0	-3	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
D. Augustin	G	21:18	1-2	1-2	3-3	-5	0	0	0	2	0	1	5	0	0	6
R. Felton	G	20:01	2-5	0-1	0-0	-2	0	1	1	4	0	1	1	0	0	4
J. Dudley		12:00	3-3	0-0	0-1	-6	1	1	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	6
A. Morrison		08:50	0-4	0-3	0-0	-6	1	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
M. Carroll		06:41	1-4	0-2	1-1	-3	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	3
N. Mohammed		07:29	0-1	0-0	0-0	-2	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0
S. May		06:25	2-2	0-0	0-0	+5	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	4
R. Hollins		05:06	0-1	0-0	0-0	-2	1	1	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	0
S. Brown		00:00	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		120	16-36	1-8	13-18		5	14	19	12	10	7	9	1		46
			44.4%	12.5%	72.2%		Team Rebs: 4				Total TO: 9

			Field Goals				Rebounds
	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
C. Bosh	F	23:07	9-10	0-0	6-6	+1	1	3	4	0	2	1	1	2	0	24
J. Moon	F	12:06	1-3	1-1	0-0	+3	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	3
A. Bargnani	C	20:49	2-9	0-1	1-2	+2	2	4	6	2	2	0	2	2	1	5
J. Calderon	G	16:52	1-5	0-2	0-0	+4	0	2	2	4	1	0	2	0	0	2
A. Parker	G	18:02	2-3	1-2	0-0	0	1	1	2	2	0	2	2	0	0	5
K. Humphries		08:49	0-3	0-0	0-0	+6	0	2	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
J. Kapono		07:28	1-1	0-0	0-0	+3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
R. Ukic		07:08	1-2	0-0	0-0	+1	0	1	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	2
J. Graham		05:39	2-2	0-0	4-4	+5	1	2	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	8
H. Adams		00:00	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W. Solomon		00:00	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J. O’Neal		00:00	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		120	19-38	2-6	11-12		5	15	20	11	10	4	8	4		51
			50.0%	33.3%	91.7%		Team Rebs: 2				Total TO: 8

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Tonight marks the first game this season, the Raptors will be without Jermain O’Neal in their 12-man line-up.

Since their blockbuster trade with the Pacers was consummated this past summer, this corner has repeatedly said that the Raptors did not NEED to make this acquisition at this point during their attempted climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Well, with O’Neal in their line-up, this team has performed at a .461 pace so far this season.

It says here & now that as long as O’Neal is not healthy enough to play for the Raptors this season … and, instead, their other younger and/or more athletic players [i.e. Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries, Jamario Moon, Joey Graham & Roko Ukic] get those available minutes of floor time … this team will perform in a similar or slightly better way as they’ve done to this point with JO as their Starting Center.

THAT’S how little this Raptors’ team actually NEEDS Jermaine O’Neal on the floor.

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UPDATE:

• The Raptors are up by 5 points with 4:58 remaining in the 4th Q.
• They are being hurt right now by keeping Kapono on the floor with Calderon, Parker, Bargnani & Bosh. J-Killa is simply not athletic enough to play beside Calderon and Parker and Bargnani, none of whom are High End NBA Athletes in their own right.
• Returning Graham to the game, for Kapono, or going with Moon, instead, will address this problem.
• Graham returns for Kapono.
• Raptors now ahead by 3 pts.
• Okafor with a hoop, Raptors now ahead by 1pt.
• Bosh hits a jumper from the TOTK. Raptors ahead by 3 pts.
• Calderon to Graham at the front of the rim for a dunk. Raptors ahead by 5 pts. Time-out [Full] Charlotte.
• Felton, offensive foul. Drawn charge by Bargnani.
• Augustin misses with a runner. Shot altered by Bargnani & Bosh in the lane. 
• Calderon makes a dribble left pull-up jumper over Felton. Raptors ahead by 7 pts.
• Steal by Graham.
• Raptors win, 93-86.

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Here’s the final Box Score and the in-game Play-By-Play for you to examine for yourself.

As the Raptors take the floor this evening versus the Bobcats they need to be aware that Charlotte has been playing good basketball of late … with the exception of their home-court Loss earlier this week to Toronto (Mar 31).

Wed Apr 02 CHA +3 Cle (CHA 114, Cle 118), CHA – W 
Mon Mar 31 CHA +2.5 Tor (CHA 100, Tor 104), CHA – L 
Sat Mar 29 POR -6 Cha (POR 85, Cha 93), Cha – W
Fri Mar 28 SEA +2.5 Cha (SEA 93, Cha 96), Cha – W
Wed Mar 26 LAL -14 Cha (LAL 95, 108), Cha – W
Tue Mar 25 UTA -13 Cha (UTA 128, Cha 106) Cha – L

Fully recovered from the re-aclimatization process linked with an extended Western Conference road-trip and a 1st home game malaise, the Bobcats should be operating at maximum capacity this evening.

In the aftermath of Toronto’s controversial loss at Atlanta, the Raptors (-9) need to take Charlotte seriously and ensure that (i) Offensively, Chris Bosh is the focal point of their attack, abusing the individual match-up advantage he has vs his Bobcats’ counterpart, Emeka Okafor (C), and (ii) Defensively, not allowing Jason Richardson & Matt Carroll to light them up from behind the arc, and Gerald Wallace to take the ball hard to the rim unimpeded.

If the Raptors attend to their business earnestly, this should be a hard-fought W for the Dinos.

If not, this is the type of home game that could very easily slip out of Toronto’s grasp.