After an update, there's still some summer work to be done

An interesting chat with Bryan on the conference call yesterday after they finalized the Kyle Lowry deal, kind of a wide-ranging conversation, full of the predictable lauding of their summer acquisitions and a bit of frank talk about Jose, as you can read here.

Was nice to catch up and get some insight and confirm some stuff we all had been writing thanks to chatty friends but it was what it was, an update rather than a definitive statement about what next year’s team will look like.

It is far too early to figure out how they stack up against everybody else, really. Rosters are not at all set, there are free agents out there still looking for gigs and we really don’t know who’ll be where and doing what when November rolls around.

But how is the process unfolding to this point, how are they doing in the pursuit of more talent, more athleticism, improvement at all levels?

Guess it depends a bit on your perspective.

If nothing changes – and it surely will so this might be an exercise in futility – I think you can agree they are deeper at point guard (Calderon-Lowry beats Calderon-Bayless in my opinion), they are deeper in the front court (Jonas Valanciunas is an upgrade, no matter what rookie struggles he has in his first six weeks or so) and if they get Fields to along with Terrence Ross, you’d have to think they have a bit more depth at the wing.

Upgrades? Sure.

Is it enough?

Don’t know.

Bryan kind of shrugged off the absence of a small forward acquisition, a priority going into free agency, by saying he could see Fields there to augment Kleiza and James Johnson but I still see that as a bit of a weakness and it’s going to be an issue.

You’d think they should be able to shoot better, they should be quicker and a bit more athletic and they should be a bit better defensively if for no other reason that the lessons Dwane taught last year will have sunk in more and he’ll have more time to teach with a month of training camp and exhibition games at his disposal.

The danger, of course, is to sit pat now, to think they’ve done some business and let’s see how this all works out in the wash.

Can’t do it, and I don’t imagine Bryan will.

They need help at the three, it’s plain and simple, and while it might not have to be some $10 million a year guy, you can be sure Bryan’s looking to see who might have fallen through the free agent cracks.

It is forever thus, there is a big rush to get guys signed right out of the box and then teams stand back and take a look at their rosters and figure out what else has to be done.

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Can you imagine doing anything for a living for 50 years?

No, I can’t either.

(Although Super Grandpa worked at the same gig for almost that long, in the same office building, driving the same route to work for about 35 of those years and if that’s not old school, I don’t know what is)

Anyway, the point is that today’s the 50th anniversary of the first Rolling Stones concert – it’s been all over the airwaves – and the one question to Irregulars Of A Certain Vintage is this:

Stones or Beatles?

Remember back in the day when you pretty much had to be one or the other? Did you listen to the Stones and their somewhat edgy style or the Beatles and their more popular brand of world-changing music?

My memory is a bit vague – seems to happen when you reach this ripe old age – but there was a feeling you had to be one or the other.

Me? Probably more Beatles than Stones, at least at the start. Sure, now you can appreciate them both for what they’ve done, for the catalogue of quality performances they produced and for mere fact they are somehow going strong lo all these many decades.

And, like the Beatles, it’s impossible to come up with even a top 10 list of songs, isn’t it?

Let’s go with a typical one.

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Mail one more time, please.

Click, write, send, say hello.

Thanks.

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So what if the Knicks match the offer on Fields, which was signed Wednesday afternoon, making Saturday the big day and I’m sure it’ll be resolved sometime in the middle of the Blue Jays game when I’m reprising my role as a Seamhead Scribbler for a weekend?

Bryan put it as a 50-50 proposition yesterday – there’s been no indication from Glen what the Knicks are thinking – so there’s a chance Fields might not be in Toronto after all. It’s a change in the generally held opinion of what New York might do but, as we know, things change.

Anyway, it will free up just over $5 million in cap room to see what else is out there but I don’t know in this day and age just what you get for $5 million.

It will, however, put them back in play for a little while and that might make next week busy; don’t these people understand I have to go to London a week Monday and need some time to prepare?

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Wonder what we’re going to do here tomorrow?

Is this the slowest night of the sports year ever?

I’d say so.

No baseball, no basketball, no pucks, no football and I don’t imagine the TFCs (glorious victory last night, lads) play back-to-back so there’s not even that.

Thankfully, the Mighty Red Tigers are back in action, full report coming.

The rest of you? Have a nice quiet night.

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Hey, did you hear?

Dwight Howard didn’t get traded!!!!!

Of course, all this means is we’ll have to do this all again – likely three or four times – before someone does the admirable thing and puts us all out of our misery by acquiring him.

Sooner, please, rather than later.

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Oh, what the heck,

It’s long but it’s a favourite and would be near the top of a personal Stones list.

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Comments

[ad]

Im not at all satisifed with the fields signing. Hes the type of player you add when the team already has 2 or 3 stars as a good role player. Hopefully, NYK does match. If they do which which is unlikely, amnestying amir johnson would be a wise move. He is completely overpayed for his production. Anyways, that would create 12-13M in cap room and can bring in a real upgrade to the sf position. Hopefully not another mediocre player which BC loves collecting.

[511]

If Jose can be happy enough to want to stay while he comes off the bench ... perfectomundo! Fingers crossed on that. Re Beatles/Stones ... love the Beatles and always will BUT, to this day, I listen to the Rolling Stones WAY more. A few times a week (at least), truth be told. Even their later stuff is great to my ears.

[Mos High]

Im sorry, I like Jose but many of the posters make it seem that Jose has lead this team to the playoffs many of times. If Im not correct the only time Raptors made playoffs was when TJ Ford was on the team.

So when others talk about sucess, there really has been none. Jose seems to be a nice guy, but just like saying nice guys finish last. Jose is making $10,561,985 in the 12/13 year. Now that is alot of money for a point guard who really isnt elevating his team.

As long as lowry is healthy Im sure he makes a far greater impact then Jose.

As far as Rolling Stones a great accomplishment for a group 2 stay around for 50yrs (even if only 2 of the 4).
truley great, but I cant name one of there songs.

If your talking the mighty diamonds, toots and maytals, The Bob Marly & The Wailers those were the music playing in my house as a youngster

[Mark]

Beatles vs Stones? whatever... both fall short to Led Zeppelin.

[Mos High]

Oh Sorry everyone, one more thing to get off my chest.

Sandusky Penn State and Paterno,

First it really makes me sick that when Mike Vick shot and killed some dogs, yes dogs. That most of north america was on fire. If you listen to the radio stations people were calling in by the hundreds or thousands to voice there opinion and how much they hate vick and how much time he should serve in jail.

No Sandusky thing came went and now is back. I dont hear near the amount of hate or distaste regarding this low life and other who tried to cover it up.

Maybe because there is many many middle aged men who actually involve thereselves in these type of actions. I would all but gurantee, there is more pedophiles around us then people who shoot dogs out there.

Paterno should have been locked up!!

Blogger's note: I think you need to listen more, it's out there

[Stan]

Well if New York decides to match the offer for Fields, I would really like to see the Raptors use that 5-6 million in space by sending a package including "baby powder" (Johnson & Johnson...sorry, I had to) plus pick(s)/cap relief to the Grizzlies for Rudy Gay. JJohnson is now in Casey's doghouse and AJohnson's minutes could go to Ed Davis (I like Davis better in a young front court rotation with Bargnani and Valanciunas than I do AJohnson). And with Bayless now signing with the Grizzlies, it does fill their point guard need and eliminates Calderon and his 10.5 million contract as a trade chip for Memphis.

Obviously the biggest downside to obtaining Rudy Gay is his overpaying contract, but as we've seen, it usually involves offering above value contracts to get players to consider Toronto...and hey, at least he'd be under contract for 3 more years, which should be adequate time to build something when considering the pieces already in place. Now when you look at other potential and often talked about SF trade options such as Igoudala or Deng, Igoudala is only under contract for the next season, followed by a player option...which means he'd be bolting Toronto in a year and joining the latest craze "if you are and all-star, or were one at one time, join together to create a Harlem Globetrotters versus the Generals" theme. And Luol Deng as well is only under contract for 2 more seasons.

Anyways, to not make this "opinion" much longer, I'd like to see the Raptors go hard after Gay, give our Raptors a core of Lowry-DeRozan/Ross-Gay-Bargnani-Valanciunas for the next 3 years or so and then use Calderon's big expiring contract partway through the season to bring in yet another big piece to add to the playoff push.

[GM]

In ten years, the Beatles wrote over 200 songs, most of them that still stand up and are classics. In 50 years, the Rolling Stones have written over 400 songs, a few of which still stand up and are classics. So in 5x the years, the Stones wrote 2x the songs. Point Beatles.

I hope Jose gets to stay if he wants to stay. Wouldn't it be awful if they traded him away, then Lowry doesn't get along with the coach or doesn't like Toronto? Also, very few teams are lucky enough to go through an entire season without injury or sickness. Better to have depth.

[sam]

Hey Doug,
What's the biggest Raptor Legend?

That the HOTH are in full press mode to trade for either Rudy Gay or Igudala -
- OR -
Pops Mensah Bonsu

[capt kirk]

Doug have you had a chance to speak with Jose and see why he is "not thrilled"? Is there any reason besides not starting, (which can easily be determined by camp.) for his response? I personally think the point guard needs to be clearly dealt with before another TJ vs Jose situation arises.

[Cluck Kent]

Well, if Jose 'wasn't thrilled' about the Lowery acquisition then that's the first time in his 7 years in Toronto we've heard of him put his own interests before the good of the team.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Take a look at the body of music the individual Beatles went on to produce post-Fab Four, as well... it's quite the body. On the Stones side, the Charlie Watts Quintet has found more space on my iPod than the Beatles and Stones combined: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOH6IlZEa-w&feature=related
And @Mos High, good stuff. Much Taj Mahal playing in your house as a youngster? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxpjZnJJa0s&feature=related
Cheers, and I've gotta say, if this is the Raptors 2012-13 edition, with or without Landry Fields, another year's patience will have been tested and we're still banking on hope to bolster not quite prime-time talent.

[LeeZ]

@Geoff Read: Oh my. Keith Richards pratcially invented alt-country? Yeah, no. Sorry dude. The Byrds, with Sweetheart of the Rodeo (in 1968), featuring Graham Parsons (now HE practically invented alt-country) predated by a good three years the Stones' foray into alt-country, on Sticky Fingers and Exile. But nice try.

[LeeZ]

For what it's worth, here's Hollinger's take on things:
From Hollinger's insider article today

"Count me in among those who think the Knicks will match Toronto's ridiculous offer sheet for Landry Fields. New York doesn't care about salary. The Knicks have proved this, and they have just a three-year window with the Anthony-Stoudemire-Chandler group before they'll need to blow it up anyway. Fields' deal fits perfectly on that timeline, as do the arrangements for Kidd and Marcus Camby.

Besides, New York needs somebody to start at the 2 this season while it waits for Iman Shumpert to return from his late-April ACL injury. If the Knicks don't keep Fields, they need to use either Kidd or some minimum contract guy as their starting shooting guard. It will be bloody expensive, but New York has shown time and again that cost isn't going to stop it from getting a player."

[doug]

you know in regards to a previous poster and the lack of response to the Penn State situation to me it's a complicated issue, there has been a outcry and to bring down a elite program and coach such as Joe Paterno takes a lot...and these abhorrent crimes can't and won't ever be justified...but it also runs deeper then that, it's the Amercian public and their love of anything NCAA and putting coaches,programs on pedestals...this was a excellent article written a few weeks ago that I bookmarked, as people just give the NCAA this free pass ann recite the mantra of these kids getting a good education, learning leadership blah,blah,blah...it's a cesspool, tv is to blame, media, fans etc..I am not a fan of the NCAA and am totally opposed to b-ball players needing to stay 1 year never mind 1, 2 or 3....years ago there was a excellent eye opening article I read in S.I. issue, about kids being treating as chattels , having scholarships pulled, intimidated, kicked off campus after injuries etc...this newer article points it all out again, it's a sham and yes the Penn State situation is repulsive but to me the NCAA and television are complicit and it will get no better I fear...

http://hoopshype.com/columns/thomas/the-hypocrisy-of-the-ncaa

[Bob Wesley]

Hey Doug,You should check out the 1969 Altamont Sympathy for the Devil.better sound,hells angels,fights,naked woman,even a dog on stage!

[D-Mac Ottawa]

@LeeZ, as I was reading your just-posted post, Graham and Emmy Lou were warbling "Return of The Grevious Angel" in my ear buds. Thumbs up!
Speaking of alt-country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jroDrR7sWjw&feature=BFa&list=PL343286CD72557B5A

[Peter]

Marc Stein is reporting that Jose's agent is working with Bryan to find a suitable trade for both parties. Just hoping you'll have something to add in the morning blog, maybe.

[raptorsfan]

After reading some of the comments and Doug's blog, I just don't get it why people still high on Jose. How many years we're not in the playoff and how many times Jose is the start PG during those time?

I think they're making a run in the playoff and getting close to boston in the final year of Bosh when jose moved to back up jack but then bosh got hurt and they missed the playoff.

I just think they need a guard(pg or sg) to be able to do it all by himself.

Can someone tell me how many rings Jordan and Kobe won without a pass first PG? Look at the heat and OKC this year. Do they've that type of PG?

Someone who's able to dribble and creates his own shot anytime is more important than a pass first pg.

I think the raptors won't go anywhere if they still see Jose as the starting pg to run through the offence. I just don't know why people don't see it.