A couple of bigs is just a first step on an okay night

So, everyone okay with Ed Davis?

I’m not going to say Bryan hit a home run by taking a 6-10 lefty power forward who dropped maybe four spots because it's ridiculously early to make any pronouncements but I do think Davis was the best player on the board at the time and seeing how that’s what the GM said he’d take, it makes sense that he did.

Now, I only saw Davis play a few minutes the entire season – and seeing how his season ended in February with a wrist injury, I’m not sure there are a lot of experts on his playing ability out there in this readership area – but he does look like a solid defender who can rebound and block shots.

At least in college.

They say he’s a competitor – a friend in the ACC area disputed that in an overnight e-mail – but the one thing he is, is a big man and given we’re probably running 95-5 that Bosh is leaving, getting a big man can’t be a bad thing at all.

And when people out there wonder why Davis “fell” all the way to No. 13, it’s probably worth mentioning that more than a few people had him at No. 9 to Utah so it’s not like he freefell down the draft ladder.

But overall, was it a good night?

I’d say good, with gusts to pretty good.

I like the fact they did what they said they’d do and buy a second-round pick and Solomon Alabi, the Nigerian kid we wrote about in this tome last week, was a pretty good pickup.

A project, to be sure, but a tall project who’s familiar with some of the folks in the organization. One guy I know who’s seen him play, the inimitable M. Grange ™ , says the kid has some game and that’s good enough for me right now.

All in all, I’d say getting a first round kid who comes with a reputation as someone who can defend and a promising big man to sit on the bench and learn has to be considered at least a partial success.

But it is only the first step.

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Now, was there more they could have done?

As it turns out, no. Aside from the public declarations that they tried to make a move up by contacting a couple of teams and that they tried to get into a late-first round slot, the word I got privately was with the way things were unfolding, they were content to hang where they were.

There were picks in play – this roundup of the night’s activities lays it out as well as I could and is much easier for me to link to that write – but nothing Toronto had to offer interested anyone dealing away selections.

Too bad. But not surprising, I guess.

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So, whither Bosh in all of this?

Well, the most interesting thing of the night was that Chicago will divest itself of Kirk Hinrich after the July signing moratorium is over and they’ll join Miami as two more teams likely with enough cap room to sign two maximum-contract players.

(I say likely because the cap numbers aren’t official yet and won’t be until early July).

That makes another team even more of a player in what I think is going to be a summer we’ll never forget. And, sadly, one that will make for lots of work for moi.

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Speaking of, the more I talk to more people in the Raptors organization, the more overwhelming the feeling is that Bosh is gone and they are absolutely looking at sign-and-trade transactions.

The trouble is, there has been no hint whatsoever from Bosh or his people of where he’d like to go, which kind of hamstrings Bryan at the moment.

I’ve said this all along:

I think Bosh wants to be wooed, he wants to be wined and dined and told how important he is to this or that franchise and won’t make a decision on where he’d like to go until that process is complete.

So I don’t think there’s a list and if there is even in the dark recesses of his mind, it’s a lot longer than just the teams with cap room to sign him outright.

Some day early next week we’ll sit down and go over the league and try to find 10 or 12 franchises that may have a legitimate shot at getting him.

But don’t for a second think the list is small or even finite.

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As we were anticipating the drama of Thursday night, there were moments of reflection, as there always are on Draft Night.

And got to thinking about the worst ever.

And 2007 won hands down in my mind.

That was the first time we sat around all night waiting for something to happen and it never did.

So, as is tradition, a Gaggle of Grunts retires to a post-draft cocktail and we’re all sitting around bemoaning the boredom we’d just been forced to endure when the e-mail hits with the breaking news.

Raptors acquire some dude named Giorgos Printezis – the 58th pick in a 60-pick draft – and it sends shockwaves through us.

(By shockwaves I mean the rolling of eyes, general disgust and thoughts of, “man, Bryan just cannot help himself, can he?”)

Out come the computers – thank goodness for wireless capability at our favourite watering hole – we all type about two paragraphs while asking each other: “How do you spell this cat’s name? Where’d he play last year?”

And then we go back to bemoaning the boredom we’d been forced to endure.

Fun times.

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Okay, okay, okay.

An earthquake is a geological event, not a meteorological one.

Point taken.

Still, it was pretty cool, no?

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Why didn’t Turk get traded Thursday night?

Well, one theory espoused in the last couple of days by people who chatter is that because of the Bosh uncertainty, Bryan wants to wait to see what happens there before divesting himself of another talent and leaving his cupboard even more bare.

I guess I can see the logic in that – see what he can get for Bosh before seeing what he needs to get for Turkoglu – but I believe that if there’s a deal out there for Turk right now, he’s got to do it and worry about the consequences of the Bosh thing later.

I am told there are “a handful of teams” out there looking for Turk possibilities (one of them to kick the tires was Orlando, according to this story from my man Brian) and I think Bryan needs to be more active in getting a deal done sooner rather than later.

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So, I’m still all over the Black Stars – and Super Son was in mourning when the Azzurri went out (not to mention my pal sitting on the next stool) – but if there’s a better team nickname than Blue Samurai, I haven’t heard it.

That’s very cool.

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You know, I’m sure every draft pick was pretty darn happy to hear his name called Thursday night but I am virtually certain no one was happier than Andy Rautins.

And good on him, really.

When I talked to him on the phone for this tiny piece, he was elated and for good reason.

The Knicks are maybe the best place he could have landed and it’ll be interesting to see if his shooting abilities (it is a “very defineable NBA skill,” was how Bryan put it earlier this week) are good enough to land him a gig with a team that loves to shoot.

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If you promise not to send diatribes that say: “I wanted them to take so-and-so and how in the world could they screw the draft up so badly? Your thoughts?” questions, you’re welcome to click here to get into the super secret mailbox.

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Comments

[Eddy]

Not a bad night considering. I agree that it would be great to see the two self-absorbed malcontents ushered out of town as soon as possible, so we can begin the hate fest and add them to the Carter, McGrady list of despised people. That's if Ru Paul can drag himself away from the mirror long enough to decide which town is best able to absorb his magnificence.

[AT]

Doug,
are you saying they are specific trades on the table right now for hedo BC is waiting to see what happens to CB? Any idea of the level of talent we he might be getting in return (i.e., such as a starter or good 6th man)?

Blogger's note: Not sure exactly who is involved but believe talks to be well underway

[Jerry]

Colangelo needs to get rid of Turk as soon as he can. Nothing positive can come from him still being on the roster this fall. He should look for all he can get in return but if there was a legitimate deal with value to be had last night he definitely should have pulled the trigger.

[Matt Kovacs - Age 13]

The questions that the reporters were asking Ed Davis after he was drafted were pointless! All of the questions were about the GST in Canada compared to the U.S.

[Derek H]

So far we have Aditya with his pick a Doug comment and critique it comment to make him feel like a know-it-all and feel good for the day. Now all we need is one of Adrian's 'i love bosh and why is colangelo and the organization not making a parade for bosh' comments and my reading will be complete for the day.

[james]

I don't know much about Davis other than youtube videos where he looks like a solid guy who can grind and bang. It troubles me that he didn't even want to come and work out below top ten though...I mean he was injured for most of the season any way...he must have an ego issue.

[doug]

I agree with Jack Armstrong's diatribe about that imbecilic reporter not asking questions but passing judgements on Toronto and our tax issues which were totally wrong...it was a pathetic performance by said reporter please let us know his name so I know to never read his articles again or know to discount all and anything he says...he reminds me of that reporter from Chicago who refused to stand for our national anthem i am tiring of these asses.....good pick by the raps and a no-lose situation picking up Alabi ...this is the tip of the iceberg as teams are sitting and waiting , once the dominoes start falling all hell will break loose...it would have made this a summer for the ages if it was a strong draft class coupled with a strong free-agent class, then last night would have been truly interesting...

[BC]

Funniest tweet of the night:

mopete24
"Congrats to Cole Aldrich on being drafted to NO, welcome to the fam... "

(just before him and Aldrich were traded to the Thunder)

[james]

With the Bosh issue you hinted at, you implied that his personal list is a lot bigger than just those who Bryan could transact with and get a sign-and-trade..but my question is:

Don't you think he would rather sign for the max $ Raptor contract here and choose between a short-list rather than making less on another teams max offer but potentially having a better chance at a championship?

How much monetary difference is there between the max offer Toronto could offer him versus the other teams?

Blogger's note: That's a mailbag question, too involved for here. Short answer: I don't know and about $30 million

[Patrick]

Doug,
Devlin Tweeted last night that BC said, "we will be announcing another transaction that can't be announced right now according to NBA rules but should be announced tonight."

Any idea what that may be?

Blogger's note: Solomon Alabi, as we reported last night

[Derek H]

About Bosh. He said he wants to be the man ie leader of a team. Well I have to question that. Because it sounds like he wants to see what lebron ego man decides to do and possibly also to see what Wade does and then play with one of them. Is that being a leader? If he wants to be a leader then he should say the hell with what these two are doing. I am doing this or that regardless. If he plays with one of them he is not going to be the man. It is very possible that he will be playing with one of them.

[joe]

A good night for the Raptors. Both kids have potential and I think Davis is highly underrated. Will see what happens.
Couple of questions:
1. With Davis' arrival, does that make it more likely that we've seen the last of Reggie?
2. What did you think about Avery Bradley falling down to the Celtics. Would they be preparing for life without Ray Allen?

Blogger's note: No, and that along with the dire need for a backup PG

[adam]

Devlin said last night that there are 8-10 solid trades in the works, can you verify what some of these might be?

Blogger's note: No, I cannot

[City Country]

Hey Doug, thanks for the reporting.

Spidey-senses weren't quite on this time though were they (re: lots of Raps action leading up to and immediately following the draft).

So Davis was certainly a 'we weren't thinking about him because we thought he'd definitely be gone, but hey since he's still here why not' pick, eh?

I would have liked the Raps to get Bledsoe, but understand that 13 was a bit high for picking him...I was happy my other team, OKC, got him...until they traded him. Wow, OKC was creatively active yesterday...maybe your Spidey-senses were just tuned into OKC's frequency accidentally?

[Christifah]

Morning Doug,

For all the "yardies" in Canada, just wanted to point out that Jamaica had a player taken at #44 in the draft; Jerome Jordan to the Bucks. He is however not the only Jamaican nor only Jamaican Center to be taken in the NBA draft. That honour belongs to one Patrick Ewing.

[SeanG]

Magic should try harder to get Hedo back ( at a discount). Im not saying Hedo wasnt a massive disappointment last year b-cuz he was. But he is a perfect compliment to Dwight Howard. I really loved his game b4 he was a raptor, ( he was my favorite non raptor b4 they even talked about signing him) and then he came here & seemed totally disinterested out of shape & lazy for the whole season. But still, I think he would play hard again for Stan Van Gundy in Orlando, When Turk plays like he can, I think he is a huge X-factor in winning games with his ability to effect the game in so many areas (rebounding, passing, scoring) obviously just about every raptors fan disagrees w/ me on that after last year (understandebly). But if im Otis Smith im trying very hard to bring Hedo home to Orlando, for "60 cents on the dollar" or however that saying goes.

[Derek S]

Hi Doug,
Two things.

First - I was watching the draft last night on the Raps channel, and shortly after Ed Davis was selected, they cut to a piece with him taking questions from the media in attendance. The first question they showed, was some reporter who spent several minutes "scaring him" with comments about how Ed better get a good CPA, about how incredibly high the taxes are in Canada, and how complicated the accounting was going to be, etc., and then finished with "so how do you feel about all that?" All I can say was that it was ignorant and completely inappropriate. Its no small wonder that some athletes have a "phobia" about going north of the border when they get that kind of crap thrown at them.

Second - with regards to the Bosh situation. I realize that this would be sort of like "playing chicken", but if the Raps really wanted to keep Bosh, wouldn't it improve their chances to say that they're NOT willing to participate in a sign and trade? The only "carrot" the Raps can dangle to Chris is that they can offer more money than other clubs. By saying that they're open to a sign and trade, CB can have the best of both worlds - get maximum money and go to the team of his choosing. In that scenario, its hard to understand why he'd want to stay? If the Raps refused to agree to a S&T, then Chris would be forced to choose between giving up a substantial chunk of change, just to get a change of scenery. The risk of course is that if CB does decide to give up the money to go elsewhere, then the Raps get "nothing" in return. But the general consensus thus far seems to be that they're not going to get "equal value" in return anyway, so I think it might be wiser to just keep saying "we want you to stay, you're our franchise player", refuse to do a S&T, and force Chris to make a tough choice, rather than an easy one.

[Felix]

with the drafting of ed davis, does that surname instantly become the most prolific surname in raptors history (joining antonio and hubert) breaking the three-way tie between the williams' (walt and alvin) and jones' (popeye and fred)? or am i missing someone?

Blogger's note: You forgot Jerome, Aaron and Eric Williams; the runaway leaders

[Dave in Oakville]

Nice piece Doug! I would have thought you would be stoked about the coming summer. I suppose the Chinese curse is true "may you live in interesting times".

And since you mentioned it, I believe the football gods have spoken and it is only fitting that les blues and the azzuri are gone. Now we are almost guaranteed an exciting World Cup final (free of unsportsman like insults and headbutts). Personally, I cannot get enough of that crazy Maradona.

[Ryan]

Are there any players that did not get drafted that the Raps might try to sign (e.g. Zoubek or Torrence)?

Blogger's note: They'll make calls to a handful of guys now to see if they can get them on their summer league team

[KatWu]

Eddy is the new Adrian. Now, if he could just find his CAPS LOCK button....[Doug, if you post this, you'll be held accountable if either Eddy or ADRIAN stalks me. Happy Friday!!!].

Blogger's note: I've got your orange-clad back

[John S]

Hi Doug,

The ignorance of the American media is absolutely infuriating. Not sure if you saw the press conference after Davis got drafted when some idiot asked him if he's interviewed CPAs because of the taxes up here and he better keep his receipts. Maybe journalists could do some homework and contact a tax accountant or tax lawyer and ask about how athletes are taxed rather than speculate. A Canadian working in a foreign country is still taxed as a Canadian and is entitled to foreign tax credits. Not sure how it works for US citizens but it can't be that hard to find out.
And then some other idiot says something about it being cold up in Toronto. Really... is Chicago warmer? New Jersey? Philly? New York? Boston? Denver? But people don't talk about the cold there because the Amercian media thinks that Toronto is an arctic outpost.
And reading alot of media reports and comments about how Bosh wants to go to a bigger media centre than Toronto. Toronto is one of the biggest media markets in North America... only New York, LA and Chicago are bigger. Toronto has a bigger market and has no local competition. AND access to the rest of Canada... I'm pretty sure that Canada's population is bigger than New York, Chicago or Miami.
None of the US media cares about this but Toronto is ranked as one of the best cities in the world to live in by multiple consulting firms. And dare I say that Toronto is ranked higher than any other city in the NBA?

[LeeZ]

Do you think it would be safe to say that BC might be trying to pick up Bradley or Bledsoe via the trade route?

Blogger's note: No, I think those ships have sailed; Boston loves Bradley and Bledsoe's already been dealt

[Adrian]

``Maybe today Bryan Colangelo has to do something – anything – to show that he’s being proactive in trying to make improvements to his roster and set the stage for what I feel is the inevitable departure of both Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu.

Maybe he has to deal one of his point guards, maybe he has to get another first-round pick somehow, maybe he needs to package his pick with some contracts and make some kind of big splash.

The talk is cheap, it’s time for action. I’m not proposing some significant giveaway of talent but if this day ends with Toronto simply making the 13th pick in a so-so draft, people will feel it’s been a failure.

Me included. "

And now today, after the 13 is kept and what we get is a late 2nd rder- a friend of the organization at that:

``But overall, was it a good night?

I’d say good, with gusts to pretty good.``

The political speak and public relations around this team is astounding. I never knew before. You all need to be ashamed. This is sick. But I will fight till I die (in July). If something good happens I`ll give them credit but if not I won`t. These are two rookie rotation pieces at best for a team that needs a lot more and claims it needs a lot more and says it`s going to get a lot more. Nothing has happened and yet you feel the party atmosphere & complacency anyway. Unfortunate to say the least.

Keep talking out both sides of your mouth, Doug. And remember when you were downplaying the losses earlier in the year and that it probably won`t continue and mocking people for complaining and worrying because they`ll get it together and Bosh is probably 70/30 to stay? That lack of action, complacency, blind faith has led us to where we are right now. And we`re trying to make it seem like success. What a sham. I`m awaiting your apology for being so disastrously wrong, and Colangelo`s as well. What a sham.

I hope yòu enjoy the 50th pick in arguably the worst draft since 2000 (ever?). FYI, Pape Sow was picked 47th. But I`m glad Ujiri`s got his friend now. That`s where our priorities still are, I guess. That is our side of success. Cause for celebration.

[DougG]

I have no idea but I imagine the entire Raptors organization must feel insulted by the fact that Bosh, or his "people", haven't even bothered to call. Maybe they were too busy partying in the Laker's dressing room and couldn't find the time?
.
My guess is Lebron, Bosh and Wade will end up depised in most of the league, other than whatever town they decide ought to have a good NBA team, and which ones shouldn't. Not because they don't have the right to go wherever they collude in going to, but because of how they are doing it.