Is there more coming? There has to be.

I’d love to sit back and digest exactly what this team is going to be like next year but you know we can’t for one simple reason: Bryan can’t be done.

No way.

The way I see it, there are still two crying needs on this roster: some frontcourt depth and a starting small forward.

I don’t think a frontcourt of Amir Johnson, Andrea Bargnani, Ed Davis and Reggie Evans is good enough by any means and whether it’s finding a starter to let Johnson come back off the bench or finding a suitable backup who’s long and athletic, something has to be done.

As for the small forward?

I think you diminish the energy of a second unit if you try to play Weems and DeRozan together and there will be some size and defensive issues to deal with when they are on the court at the same time.

Kleiza? I’m not sure he’s a great fit in a ball-movement kind of offence that wants to run a little bit. He’s a good player, no question, who can do a lot of things but I don’t know that he’s ready to handle extended starters minutes right at that moment. Maybe he evolves and eventually does, right now I’m not convinced he’s ready.

So where does a GM turn?

He turns to his assets and tries to turn them into better assets, and right now the assets he has are point guard depth, that big trade exception and the expiring contracts of Reggie Evans, Marcus Banks and Marco Belinelli.

What they can fetch is entirely unknown and to sit here and guess is folly.

I don’t know – and don’t imagine I’ll ever find out – just who is available out there. I’m going to try to find out a couple of names that they may have asked about and see where that leads us but in this day and age, there seems to be a lot of clamming up being done by GMs, scouts, contacts throughout the league.

But rest assured, if you or I can see the deficiencies in this roster, you know full well that the guy in charge does and if there’s one thing we’ve come to learn about Bryan, it’s that he’s more than willing to make a deal  he thinks will improve his team.

When does it happen? Who knows. I’d bet sooner rather than later because he’s out in Vegas surrounded by dozens of other GMs and that’s like a perfect storm to a trade-minded guy.

-

Turk for Barbosa?

Pretty good deal, I guess.

Gets Bryan out from under a so-so contract he gave out, saves about $23 million or so over the life of the deal and Barbosa, if he’s healthy, seems like a pretty good fit for a team that wants to run a bit.

And there’s no reason to think he won’t be healthy; I’d have been concerned if a 27-year-old speedster had leg problems or knee woes, but a wrist injury? They’re easily overcome and there’s no reason he can’t be back to his usual self when next season rolls around.

Where’s he fit?

Well, he’s a backup combo guard no doubt about it; I think one of the plans was to let him and Diaw work in some kind of tandem running things on the court together but of course that plan was waylaid when the Charlotte deal was scuttled.

But Barbosa’s a valuable piece and I can see him fitting in pretty well. He can get around his man, he’s lightning-quick on the break and he brings a level of speed to the Raptors that they’ve only ever had when T.J. Ford was here.

-

It’s good, I guess, that the Heroes Of The Hardcourt, Summer Edition, have Thursday off.

They can go get sized for their rings.

-

Mail? Let’s take one more shot (well, we’ll probably take another one tomorrow) and see what we can get.

Click here if you’d like to send a card, a letter, a greeting but no rants, okay?

I’m thinking that with the summer upon us soon it might be time to scale back just a wee bit; the plan will be, I presume, to do the usual pap and drivel here Monday to Friday and then just have one omnibus weekend mail bag so I can maybe get some extra downtime on weekends.

Sound okay?

Am going to try to start it this week but that just means Bryan will come up with something silly for me to do Friday and react to on Saturday.

-

Hey, how about my Argos!

2-1? That’s juggernaut city, folks. And, having covered them all of one day, I’ll take ownership of their turnaround.

And I do like Chet, er, Cleo Lemon as a pivot.

-

Back to Summer League for a second.

You know what I think of it and I haven’t watched a single second of a single game but I have talked to people who are out there because I figure you want to know what’s going on.

The word:

DeRozan and Weems look really good, lots of good chemistry; DeMar seems to have worked quite hard in his ball-handling and they’ve had some highlight reel stuff. That’s to be expected, of course, since they’re facing mainly non-NBA talent, but the thing people are most impressed with is the improvement in things like ball-handling, defensive awareness and cohesion.

Early reports on Ed Davis? Athletic, hasn’t had moments of mind-wandering too often, can keep up athletically and has more offensive game than some thought, at least at the summer league level. Seeing how he hadn’t played five-on-five since February, everyone seems pleased with progress.

Solomon Alabi? First day, got this: “Hope he likes Erie.” Since then, he seems to have become more comfortable. Remains a long-term project.

And now the guy everyone wants to know about: The New Legend Joey (Not Tommy) Dorsey.

Kid’s a bull, built like a linebacker and doesn’t mind contact at all. Has looked good and aggressive and solid on the boards. Is he a keeper? Depending on how many guys they end up with on the final roster, there are those who think he might just get some kind of non-guaranteed deal.

-

Comments

[Matty-Pix]

Why the questions about starting SF?
Didn't you hear that the Raps watched Adam Morrison workout?

[PK]

Doug, for those who are not familer with Kleiza's game, could you say his game is Garbo-ish?

Blogger's note: A bit more athletic, not quite the basketball IQ is the word I'm getting

[Jeff]

Doug, as always.. thanks for the info, and the good breakfast read.

[Jacques]

when I watched the raps beat the knicks last night, I saw Joey Dorsey at the line. He's the size of Howard. I think it will be smart to keep this guy around. We need a tough guy on this team.

[A.J]

Joey Dorsey is strong like bull

[Will]

Joey Dorsey is not the size of Howard, Joey is 6'7 in shoes...

[Rob.V]

Would have to agree. I've seen 2 of the 3 summer league games and Joey Dorsey looks like a man out there. I dont know much about his game however I was told he was good rebounder in college as well, so I gues we'll see.

Solomon Alabi - looks 2 years away (from being 2 years away)... from a Keon Clark. You can see the athletecism, but he needs to gain strength.

Ed Davis - did indeed show some offensive prowess however lets not kid ourselves. These rooks are not going to come in and be "game changers" next season.

Not getting Tyson Chandler was a bit of a blow because Doug is right, Colangleo is absolutley going to have to fill that hole at centre/pf.

Personally, if they do want to get back to a more up tempo game they should look at Matt Barnes for the SF position. Now, they might already have because I thought he said he there were multiple teams interested in him.

Dude, has Triano or Colangelo officially confirmed that they were going to get back to a run and gun system as with Colangelo's days in Phoenix?

Blogger's note: No one will ever duplicate Phoenix but I do think they'd like to run more to utilize their talents; but if you can't defend or rebound, you can't run efficiently

[Mat]

Hey Doug,

I watched all of 5 minutes of summer league ball yesterday. Yeeesh.

[Mat]

Hey Doug,

Top of the morning to ya!

@: Matty-Pix Adam Morrison? thats a joke right? i like the guy and wouldnt mind him being on the end of our bench a la Luke (30 points against philly) Jackson. Its hard not to root for a guy like him. I needs to grow his hair and stash back

[Jean-Marie]

Raptors fans will be glad to know (not exactly how Doug Smith explained it in the paper today: “Turkoglu has four years and more than $40 million left”) that the Turk has basically agreed to reduce his own contract especially for the Suns, cutting out a year and about 10 millions to go there. If we didn’t like him, the feeling was surely mutual, it seems!
What we get, in the while, is the hundredth shooting guard on the team. As you all remember, last year we had so many two’s and no one really effective. This year, we still lack a real point guard (as Jarrett Jack is another combo, actually) and a true centre to couple with Bargnani. And an above-average 3.
As a reader somewhere in the net rightly pointed out, we’re going fast from an extreme to the other, from a team with many ball-handlers, to another (Turk & Calderon departing) with no one. A new sharp and abrupt change of rout.
Consider this, tough: it’s simply impossible for Colangelo to decide all by himself. So, if culprits for the so called “lack of vision” must be found, please you all extend your research to the technical brass, too. Micheal Jordan certainly didn’t do us a favour by stopping the advent of Diaw and Chandler, but it seems like our future is - more than ever - up in the air. And, maybe, in shaky hands.
Let’s cross our fingers!!!

Blogger's note: You cannot renegotiate or restructure contracts. Can't happen.

[Matt M]

I too would like to see another big on the roster, although I'd be comfortable going into the season with this team, seeing exactly what they have, and then parlaying that trade exception into some young pieces when you find where the glaring holes are. My guess is that they need a good young PG but really there are no stars anywhere in this lineup right now. Still need two stars to be a top four team in this league.
I hope Triano treats Ed Davies like he did Derozan last year. Offer him the starting job if he practices hard and plays defense. Let him get used to playing against the best with consistent minutes (although foul trouble might preclude the 'consistent minutes' part). Next season is pretty much a transition anyways and I want Davies to become a player, hopefully, in the Kendrick Perkins mold.

[Lorie]

Morning, Doug
Joey Dorsey may be strong, but Tommy Dorsey sure could swing it (signature move: The Dipsy Doodle).

[Robert H]

Doug, if Calderon is moved what are the chances that Bobby Brown makes the squad on an unguaranteed deal? I've watched two of the three games and he seems like he could be another energy guy off the bench, or a third pg. He seems to play good defense, and handles the ball well, which would be very helpful if we trade Calderon. I remember a game last year vs the Bobcats where they pressured Jack and Banks full court for almost a full qtr, and we had no answer whatsoever.
Has his named popped up at all in conversations with anyone on the team?

Blogger's note: No, it hasn't yet. But it's three summer league games

[yertu damkule]

'...if you or I can see the deficiencies in this roster, you know full well that the guy in charge does and if there’s one thing we’ve come to learn about Bryan, it’s that he’s more than willing to make a deal to do something he thinks will improve his team.'

really? we're sure about this? last i checked, the raps were a pretty abysmal defensive team last year, and unless things change in a couple areas (PG/C), they won't be overly improved, even without Hedo. the idea that the areas of concern are SF & PF seems a bit out of whack, considering they just inked a couple guys who - while not overly offensively gifted - do bring some semblance of defense & grit. will the reluctance to accept that bargnani is a below-average defender/rebounder, and that this deficiency - at the most critical position for these attributes - is what is truly limiting the raps be BC's downfall?

isn't focusing on improving the team for the NOW doing a disservice to building a stable foundation for the future? isn't now the time to preach (& practice) patience?

as for summer league - you're right, it's not the best ball, but from what i've seen (and i have watched quite a bit, of the raps anyway) i've enjoyed. the progress noted for DD & weems is accurate, their confidence in handling the ball & looking for their shots is much higher than it was last year (to be expected). my expectations of davis are low, but he's actually showing me a little something. alabi is as raw as anticipated, but again, that's what we were expecting. i'm a little surprised, doug, that you'd poo-poo an opportunity to watch the guys this franchise is going to be built around, as though watching summer league is below your standards. a bit of a shame, i'm sure you're dutiful readers wouldn't mind a report that actually came from you directly.

finally - if dorsey doesn't land a roster spot, it will show just how short-sighted this management team is. i don't expect him to make much of a contribution, or be anything more than depth at the end of the bench, a guy you can throw into the game to up the energy level & cause a little havoc; but to ignore that he is, essentially, a more talented reggie evans is a shame. you can teach all kinds of things, but you can't teach a guy to care, and you can't teach 6'8" & 280lbs of muscle. it has nothing to do with prematurely annointing someone a hero or GOAT, and everything to do with recognizing a team's overall weaknesses & doing something to change the makeup & attitude of a franchise.

[Geoff]

If we get the right pieces, getting a starting SF and C might provide some desperately-needed defence, but it still leaves us without a reliable ball-handler. (unless you count Jose "Ole!" Calderon)

I don't see how starting DD and Weems together hurts our bench now that we have a 6th man award guy sitting there. They like each other, they play well together and they bring energy. If we're not likely to make the playoffs, wouldn't it be nice to at least watch a team work hard and have fun?

[Mark L]

As you said, from a chemistry perspective I think they should let Weems and Derozan play together and find someone else to come off the bench. The way they play together will add lots of energy to everyone else on the floor.

[Marc]

You mentionned the other day of another Eastern Conf team interested in Jose. Has to be the Pacers doesn't it? Seems like TJ's continued presence over there would complicate things.

[skeltm]

I watched all of the summer ball Rockets / Raps game ... when Sonny and Demar look like they could take over the game at will ... you know the caliber of bball they are dealing with. Good for Sonny and Demar, who should shine - impressed with Demar's shot confidence, Sonny looks the same ... but most of the other guys don't look too good.

I did notice how long and athletic Alibi is ... what I liked is that he could make his free throws, nice shooting form (non-Shaq-esque ... which is a good thing) ... the rebounding positioning and strength could be better ... but that, you can teach - 7'1" and soft touch you can't teach -good project to keep I'd think.

Joey Dorsey ... is more the size of Joey Graham ... but this guy's got a "mean on" and I liked the effort level around the rim ... doing the stuff we only wanted Joey Graham to do ... but not much offensive upside more than 2 feet from the basket ... maybe worth keeping around in 'plain clothes' for most of the season, or at most a few "Humph" minutes when we need a liitle more aggression around the hoop!

[Tony]

Hey Doug,

Have you heard of anything non-guaranteed for Bobby Brown(luckily not the horrible rapper) out of summer league.
He would be good for a non-guaranteed maybe?
He seems to have the support of Demar.
With summer league, I know....but could be an end of bencher.

[marcus rush]

Hope you get some rest,however, doubt that it is going to happen. Bryan is in full scramble mode as he should be. (It should be fun to watch Turk trying to keep up on the Sun's fast break--lots of short tugging.) That being said the deal seems a wash, except for the length of the contracts. That and that alone swings the deal in the Raps favor. The players are a wash.
With regards to Jose--Bryan is between a rock and a hard place. If he trades him to a contender--top 4-5 in either league--and Jose helps move that team further up in the standings he looks like he has been had. Take Atlanta for example, Bibbey flamed out in the playoffs and was one of their people who did not show up. Perfect destination but a risky one for Bryan. As for the Pacers they basically have nothing to offer as Granger is certainly not being traded and quite frankly it would be an insult to Jose for his years of service. (Although the Pacers with Jose are probably better than the Raps are with any pieces coming back from that potential deal.)
Tough being a GM and in a lot of cases they really earn their money. I get a real chuckle out of fans who want to receive a star in return for two pieces of soft rock. Or they have heard someones name--google it and think that player is the answer. Prime example is the recent posts suggesting that the Raps trade for Darren Collison. He might be okay but who knows. Most posters have never even seen him play. Could his numbers when he did start be a little bit inflated or a lot inflated? He played 40-46 minutes as a starter and his prime move was to try and go to the basket every time he touched the ball. The idea of a pass was a fall back position. Once teams realized what he was attempting to do his numbers dropped and the turnovers went through the roof.
One question for you Doug--Do you think that teams will start doing a different evaluation on point guards given what happened in the NBA finals? Rondo's inability to shoot the ball from beyond 10-12 feet probably caused the Celtics the series as the Lakers did not have to guard him from beyond that range and were able to double up on other players. I found it amusing listening to Mark Jackson talk about Rondo's passing when the only reason he passed was because his team mates would have killed him if he kept bricking shots when he was wide open. Pass up an open shot and give it to a guy who is double teamed.

[mike]

What are the odds of Jose being dealt as opposed to Jarrett Jack? (70/30, 80/20, etc.)?

[Mike D.]

Will/A.J./Jacques: Joey Dorsey is listed at 6-8 268, Dwight Howard at 6-11 265, so they're probably about the same width, and he's by far the summer league leader in rebounds-per-40. The real test will be how he does against DeMarcus Cousins in Saturday's summer league game.

I see him as a discount version of Reggie Evans, although he's probably more athletic, and a guy you could keep around to deploy against selected teams with bruisers in the middle. I'm not sure you need both him and Evans, but if BC trades Reggie I think it would be smart for the slender Raps to keep him around at a reasonable price.

[Words]

Hi Doug,

If the Raptors need a SF, what about Richard Jefferson? He is an athletic SF who could yield a big return for Toronto. I'm sure BC could pull a sign and trade with the Spurs to get Jefferson.

What are your thoughts about Richard Jefferson?

Blogger's note: I think his best days are far behind him and not at all what a team trying to build for the future should want

[Jason Thompson]

Ha, I love the Chet Lemon reference. (Every time I hear mention of Cleo Lemon I think "Chet" as well.) Interesting fact about Chester: after retiring from MLB he opened a chicken farm which he then sold to Sweet Lou Whitaker after his own retirement.

[Derek]

Hey Doug,
This whole Charlotte fiasco reminded me of the John Salmons "almost deal" a few years ago, where we "thought" we had him signed and he ended up going elsewhere at the last minute. That "near miss" ended up netting us "Fred Jones", so hopefully this missed deal works out better than that one.

I've only watch a bit of the summer league stuff, but from the bit I did see, it looks like DeRozan has bulked up a bit since last year. Not that he's going to be mistaken for Dwight Howard anytime soon, but his physique looked a little more similar to Sonny Weems' this year, as opposed to looking like a high school kid last year. Have you heard confirmation if that's the case (that he's bulked up a bit). Should certainly help his game if that's the case.

Dorsey is putting up decent numbers, although it is summer league. I still maintain that we would be fine with a center who could play defense and rebound well, even if there was little or no scoring ability in that player. You have enough shooters on the floor with our prospective players that you don't need your center taking a ton of shots. Get the rebound and kick it out (unless its basically a tip-in under the basket).

If the field of prospective center's is pretty thin right now, wouldn't you think that it might make more sense to give Dorsey a non-guaranteed contract for the time being, and see what he can do for half a season, and then look to make a move with the trade exception later in the year (say around the trade deadline), when there are likely to be more quality center's available (if Dorsey isn't getting it done)? Rather than just taking the best guy you can find available now (and possibly over-paying to get him)?

As for PG, if they're able to move Calderon - I think you keep Banks (and his expiring contract), as he's a decent back-up, and look for a young, unproven point guard. Someone similar to Roko a couple of years ago, or Dragic in Phoenix (as he was before the beginning of last year). Someone unproven, a bit of a gamble, but with potential upside, and definitely someone with SPEED. You take a shot and hope they work out and show you something.

I think it'd be a surprise if we contend for a playoff spot next year (despite Bryan's hopes), so I think this is the year to "swing for the fences" with a few young prospects and hope that one or two of them hits, so you can start building a foundation going forward.