Fondly (or not) recalling camp fodder

Ooh! and Boy!

New uniforms tonight. Actual basketball players and coaches to talk to. Time in the practice gym. Seems like the season is really just around the corner. Can’t come soon enough.

The mood I’m sensing from the various correspondents we see here in this neck of the woods is anxiousness. And, believe me, when it’s time to talk about playing and coaching and games, I’ll be among the happiest dudes out there.

Just a few more days.

Until then …

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REUTERS FILE PHOTO

You want training camp fodder? Scroll down for the top-5 Raptors stories.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that there will be no training camp fodder when we get to Ottawa on Monday night.

Haven’t heard a word about any camp invitees; quite the opposite, in fact. In a couple of discussions with People Who Know, the talk is it will just be Sam and His Merry Band of Coaches and the 13 guys with contracts who land at Carleton.

Makes sense in a lot of ways.

Anyone coming to camp couldn’t make the team anyway and any time the staff spent teaching them would take away from the real purpose of the exercise, which is to get everyone on the same page quickly and ready for the season.

Usually, the guys who are added on are there because a GM wants to do a favour for a buddy (getting a client seen in exhibition games is a big plus for someone looking for a D League or a European contract), or for some long-term evaluation that very seldom, if ever, results in a guy with a camp invite ever coming back.

Trouble is, we’ll have no more good (read goofy) stories to do. No more Master P, no more Homicide. No more quirky angles about guys chasing their dreams and fighting through adversity and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I was trying to think which of the camp invitees was the most obscure, or which was the most colourful and those two – Percy Miller and Corey Williams – come quickly to mind. But here’s a partial list that should bring memories flooding back. Check out these blasts from the past:

Gioannis Giannoulis, one of the first (failed) forays into Europe.

Jacob Jaacks and Kendrick Spruel, signed Oct. 2, 2000, waived Oct. 5, 2000. They knew early they couldn’t play.

Ousmane Cisse (just for the great name)

And soooo many others.

The best year? Might have been 2000, when they brought to camp this illustrious group:

Kornel David (who stuck), Garth Joseph (still a far better story than he was a player), Taymon Domzalski, Curtis Haywood, Jaacks, Spruel and Jeff Sheppard.

That’s a heckuva list, isn’t it?

This year? No one. So sad.

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Okay, so what are the big stories heading to Ottawa?

If they had to be prioritized (and I know some of you like to do that), I’d say the top five go in this order:

Starting small forward

Is it Moon? Is it Kapono? What determines it? How they defend? How they shoot? How they interact with the two bigs?

Bargnani

Has he rediscovered his shooting stroke? How much better is he with his back to the basket? Can he defend fours and fives (although he didn’t look bad doing it at times last season)? Is he really bigger?

Bosh and O’Neal

How do they get along on the court? What does Sam have up his sleeve offensively for the two guys with quite similar games?

Ukic

How does a rookie fit in when he’s going to be asked to play a significant backup role at the most important position on the floor?

Sam

There’s a feeling this team could be very, very good if O’Neal and Bosh stay healthy and mesh, as I expect they will. What’s the coach got in his mind, especially offensively, to take advantage of the talent he’s got?

Fun questions, all.

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Speaking of fun questions:

Q: What about Ben Gordon in a sign and trade?  The raps could send Barg's and Kapono to CHicago for Gordon and maybe Noah. It would work for both sides and give Toronto a wing capable of creating his own shot, which is important for last play scenarios.

Francesco G, Milton

A: Forget about it. The Raptors have no interest in Ben Gordon, never have. They certainly don’t want to pay him what he wants and mess up their long-term financial situation.

I’m not a big Ben Gordon fan, actually; he’s a ball-stopper rather than a ball-mover and he doesn’t really defend that well. He can score, but on this team here, offence isn’t going to be a problem.

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Trivia time

Q: Name the three Canadians who’ve been in Raptor training camp.

Answer in a few paragraphs and NO LOOKING.

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More mail, with an Italian twist:

Q: Hey Doug, been reading your blog all summer and I'm hooked.  First time question here:
Do you think if Danilo Gallinari has a great rookie season (shows more potential/progress than Andrea Bargnani when he was a rookie or as of now), it might spell the end of Andrea's career as a Raptor. I know that your verdict is still out on Il Mago and I agree that he cannot be classified as a bust just yet, but Danilo seems to be built the same as Andrea with same skill set, but is willing to drive more and USE the body. God help the Raptors if the lowly Knicks find more success in Danilo than our Italian magician.

Am I way off?  Love to hear your thoughts of Danilo's impact if any on Bargnani's year.

Joseph R, Toronto

A: I don’t think one has anything to do with the other, actually. If Gallinari is better, it will be just more fodder for the fans and the scribblers but it won’t have any impact on what the Raptors do with Bargnani.

Not sure what to make of Gallinari, actually. I keep reading the Knicks have some concerns about a lingering back problem he’s had all summer but I have friends in Italy whose opinion I respect who tell me he’s got it all over his countryman in terms of skill, mindset and determination.

It will be interesting to watch but the problem is, if Gallinari’s back is a worry, it’s going to take some hype off that first home pre-season game here, won’t it?

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Wayne Yearwood, Mike Smrek and Rowan Barrett.

Hope you didn’t look.

Comments

[Matty-Pix]

Looking forward to another season of Sam Mitchell interviews where he gets ticked off easily, seems annoyed to even be there and doesn't give any direct answers.
-I'm not familiar with Soloman's game ... I've heard him described as a PG, and other times as an 'undersized 2'. Which is more accurate, as far as you know?

Blogger's note: They see him as a PG, rather than an undersized 2.

[Zaki A.]

Hi Doug,
Any update on Moon? Is he finally in town?

Blogger's note: Everyone can relax, he's here, I'm told, and all's okay. It was never a really big deal. Just a minor one.

[Bo Klymkiw]

Starting small forward

I'd prefer that Kapono start, for his shot, and for a change.

Bargnani

I don't personally care how he plays. It's all up to him now. I just hope that what he earns is what he'll get.

Bosh and O’Neal

I'd start with them together, alternate them in between, and end with them together.

Ukic

This is my biggest question mark! BY FAR!!

Sam

Another .500 season just won't do. We have to be better! Significantly better!!

[Derm]

I thought Keith Vassell had a courtesy invite years ago. What about the Grizz, did they invite any Canadians?

Blogger's note: Not sure about the Grizzlies; if memory serves, they might have had Peter Guarasci in camp once, but I'm not 100 per cent on that.

[Sean]

The scrimmage tickets at Carleton sold out in about 30 minutes this morning, crashing the university's ticket site in the process. Where are all these Raptors fans during the playoffs when we can't get the bartender to put the games on TV?

Should be a nice afternoon.

Blogger's note: You've got to get a better bar. Or bartender

[Miguel]

Hey Doug,

Any word on when the Bosh/Jose press conference is going to be held? I'm anxious to see the new uniforms, and the medals. On a related note, is there some sort of regulation as to how often teams can change their uniforms, and a limit on how many colours can be used by a team?

On an unrelated topic, who would you say was your favourite pre-season player that didn't make the team?

Blogger's note: I'm going to move these to tomorrow's mailbag.

[Dave]

Hey Doug, great blog! check it everyday. Anyway, I'm a little confused, hopefully you can help me out. About 2 weeks ago I stopped by the Adidas store at Yonge and Dundas square and was surprised to find the new raps jersey hanging on one of the racks at the front, they had a bunch. It was black, said "Toronto" on the front and had the little red maple leaf over the names. Since it was adidas and had official logos all over it, I'm sure it was the new jersey that is supposed to be unveiled tonight. I don't get it, was that a mistake on the Adidas side of things or are jerseys released by the clubs and leagues way ahead of their debut for the fans to buy?
Thanks,
Dave

Blogger's note: I have no idea but I'm sure they hope you bought one or 12.

[Edgar]

Wasn't Denham Brown training camp fodder 2 or 3 years back (early colangelo years)? I am almost positive because i remember reading about the outside chance he'd be the first canadian to play for the big team...

Blogger's note: He might have had a workout but was not signed to a training camp contract according to the team's all-time transactions list.

[Raptorman]

Dang! I got Barrett but missed Shrek and Trisha.

"What’s the coach got in his mind, especially offensively, to take advantage of the talent he’s got?"

Was that tongue in cheek? You think there might be a "Play #2" added to the high screen and roll?

[CRaptors]

Love the blog Smith... but on that list of 5 big questions for the season, you've missed a large one. In one word it's "INJURIES" - always has been their plague, always will be.

More specifically is Bosh's feet (the plantar thing) and O'Neil's knee. Any word on his rehab/conditioning coming into camp?

Thanks!

Blogger's note: Everyone's 100 per cent healthy coming in

[Jesse Neary]

Olu Famutimi wasn't in camp a couple of years ago?

Blogger's note: Not training camp, no

[John]

McLaren's at the corner of Elgin and McLaren has many TV's big and small and plays Raptor games.

[Poppa Vlazo]

"Blogger's note: Everyone can relax, [Moon's] here, I'm told, and all's okay. It was never a really big deal. Just a minor one."

So why bring it up if it was never really a big deal? Saying things like "I know he doesn’t have to be here, but he has to be here, if you get my drift" and referring to a very senior member of the Raptors braintrust as being disappointed sure makes it sound like it's something other than minor.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

Since Coangelo got here, there has been an "executive cool" attached to the Raps organization, and I think their steady, low-key progression has been amazing to watch. The Babcock era really isn't that long ago, and here we are, with a perennial play-off team, with three potential eastern conference all stars this year in Bosh, O'Neal and Calderon and a chance to think about the Eastern Conference penthouse. Plus, we aren't over the cap.

What is going to be interesting is to see where it goes from here. There are lots of ways to look at this team, but without a consistent scorer at the 2 or at the 3, the Raps are still a player away from the finals, I think.

But Coangelo has shown shrewdness and patience (the Bargnani pick aside). Who knows what will be available during this season, or next summer? Like O'Neal--and I think O'Neal is going to be great, even if he only scores 5 points a game, simply because he is a shot-blocking hunk of beef that takes the centre pressure off Bosh--that last piece of the puzzle might just be there for Coangelo to grab. If I'm Chris Bosh, I like the direction this team is going and it will make Toronto's max-money even more attractive in '10.

[Pete]

I thought Titus Channer was in, but maybe that was just for an FA camp or something along those lines.

[ML]

Personally I feel like Kapono should be given the opportunity of starting, at least on a trial basis. He has the ability to be a game-changer on the offensive end. (For example, that one game against the Magic in the 08 playoffs was a textbook routine in shooting.) Moon had a nice rookie campaign and brings some intangibles to the court, but he's merely a hustle guy who made his way into the starting rotation with hard work. (Which is great, by the way, but his game only reaches so far.) Kapono should work a little more for that five million a year.

On another note, will Hassan Adams get any burn this season? I'm interested to see what this athletic guard can bring to the team, though my more sensible side guesses his impact will be minimal.