Tag Archives: Ed Stefanski

by | July 18, 2012 · 10:35 am

Summer League Offering Questions for Raptors Brass

Summer league is a time for many things in the life of the NBA.  It offers teams a chance to fill their rosters with young and upcoming players.  It offers older players a chance to earn their way back to the promised land of the NBA or an increased role of their current team.  It also gives first and second round draft choices and opportunity to show their new teams what they can do.

For Bryan Colangelo, Ed Stefanski and Dwane Casey this years summer league offers them a chance to fill the last few roster spots and get a chance to see more from players they didn’t see enough of last season.

This year there ar three key questions Bryan Colangelo intends to answer from observing this years summer league team.

Who is the Raptors 3rd Point Guard?

Ben Uzoh comes into Summer league play as the clear favourite to win the third PG spot. With young Point Guard Tu Holloway no longer on the Raptors roster it is going to take a miracle for Uzoh to lose the job, or a trade.  That being said, he’s done a lot so far to earn the roster spot.

Ben Uzoh has the inside track on a roster spot with the Raptors but needs to show he can run the offense and stay in control.

Uzoh works hard on both ends of the floor and so far in Vegas he is showing he can run the offense with control.  He seems to be becoming more confident at the helm despite a scary looking assist to turnover ratio.

Uzoh is fast and, like newly acquired Kyle Lowry, he is a point guard that can rebound the ball well.  This is a trait that Dwane Casey loves in his point guards.  Uzoh is fast as lightning and certainly knows how to score, but needs to limit the turnovers and continue to show a strong commitment to defense if he is to be effective as the floor general.

Uzoh will likely stick with the Raptors provided they don’t make any moves involving point guards.

Was Terrence Ross a Good Draft Selection? 

Raptor fans, fickle as always, were not immediately impressed with the draft day selection of Terrence Ross.  Fans wanted Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers, or some other player they had seen on TV prior to the NBA draft in June.

Ross, however is off to a pretty good start in Summer League play averaging 15.3ppg and has been one of the go to guys for this Raptors team.

Obviously three games doesn’t do a whole lot to change the minds of those that didn’t want him, but there is a lot to be impressed with.  He has an absolutely beautiful shot and seems to know how to score in bunches.  This is something the Raptors could use at the shooting guard position as Demar DeRozan has been great driving the ball but has had his fair share of issues shooting the ball.

Ross is also a strong defender and is likely to give opponents fits on the defensive end of the floor. He seems like a Dwane Casey kind of guy.  Casey seems to like what he has seen from Ross at the University of Washington and now in summer league.

“We need scoring…We’re going to need that from Terrence when we begin our veteran training camp. We need scoring punch off the bench… it’s important that he comes in with that scoring mentality.”

The Raptors are hoping that the scoring touch he has shown thus far during the summer will carry over when the season starts.  They need scoring depth off the bench from the wing.  Ross will be counted on to provide it, even though he’s just a rookie.

So far the kid has been impressive and seems destined for heavy minutes.

Ross looks every bit like a player that Raptor fans are going to like a whole lot.  He may not have been the first choice of the Raptors fanbase, but like other picks before him, he may win them over yet.

Is Ed Davis part of the Raptors core? 

Despite what Head and Shoulders has said for years, Ed Davis is getting a second chance to make a first impression with the Raptors this summer.

Ed Davis was considered an absolute steal last year at 13, but struggled at times last year to find consistency.  He played well for a game here or a game there, but wasn’t able to string a number of good games together for an extended period. His minutes were not consistent and seemed to find himself in the Dwane Casey doghouse for parts of the season.

If he is going to make the most of his summer league audition he is going to have to show consistency and toughness.  These are traits Dwane Casey wants in his players and Ed didn’t always show it last year.  As the clear leader of the summer league team, this is his chance to make amends.

Davis is an elite rebounder so the Raptors brass isn’t particularly concerned with that aspect of his game.  They want to see him score.  They will be paying close attention to how Davis performs in the post, how he shoots the ball and whether or not he is able to create second chance points.

Ed is the most experienced player on the Raptors summer league roster and often the offense will revolve around him.  Davis needs to seize the opportunity.

Davis doesn’t have a set role on the Raptors next year.  He has long been rumoured to be on the move as part of a Calderon package and could find himself the odd man out if he does in fact stay.

Davis needs to show the Raptors brass that they need his rebounding skills and that he has developed a strong move to the hoop and an increased ability to work the post.

If Davis doesn’t dominate the Summer league he may find himself on the outside in the battle for minutes at the PF position.

This is a chance for Davis to have some say over his own fate.  So far he is averaging 23 points per game and is showing he can be a bigger part of the Raptors team, if they want him to be.

Uzoh, Ross and Davis all have the opportunity to have some control over their role for the Raptors this coming season. So far, all three are showing signs they belong in Raptor red this fall.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | May 29, 2012 · 9:28 am

Lady Luck not Really a Raptor Fan

On Wednesday night the Raptors, and their fans will be hoping and praying for some lottery luck to help expedite the turnaround of this franchise. Whether it’s a rabbit foot, a troll doll, or a purple horse shoe, fans will be bringing out their lucky charms to help send the Raptors positive energy in the hopes that one of the Raptor ping-pong balls comes out first.   

Though the team has shown glimpses of success and has a great deal of free agent money to spend, The Raptors really lack a clear franchise player. This type of player is available, but not likely if they stay where they are at the number 9 spot. 

Either Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could turn the Raptors fortune around immediately if the Raptors were to have the opportunity to select them.

The days of Vince and CB4 are gone.  Although there is little reason to doubt that Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan will turn into serviceable players, they likely are not going to become franchise players.

This NBA draft offers a couple of almost sure shot superstars in the opening round in Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  The Toronto Raptors are currently slated to draft 9th if everything stays the same, but could move up or down depending on what happens around them.

Lady Luck needs to smile on the Raptors at this Wednesday night lottery.  I hate to say it, but it isn’t likely to happen.

Take a look at our draft lottery history. 

The Toronto Raptors have never really had great success in the draft lottery.  Even in their first season they were put in the 6th position by the NBA offices.  Something that had never happened before until Canadian expansion.  True, the Raptors went on to draft eventual rookie of the year Damon Stoudamire, but still, a lottery win could have been exciting and the team missed out on players like Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett and Michael Finley all who went on to have better careers than “Mighty Mouse”.

The Raptors actually won their second ever draft, but because of league rules were forced to draft 2nd.  That turned Allen Iverson into Marcus Camby.  Don’t even mention that Isaiah Thomas missed out on Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Peja Stojakovic.  Luck just wasn’t on their side.

The Raptors have only ben able to draft in the first position once in their history and chose Andrea Bargnani. Six years later, the Raptors are still searching for their franchise player.

The Raptors did eventually strike the number one overall pick in 2006, the same year the NBA ruled that it would no longer allow underclassmen to declare for the NBA draft.  Had high school students been given that opportunity that year, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant would have been very serious possibilities to join the NBA.

Nothing against Andrea, he has turned into a very good player and probably one of the top five players from that draft, but I’d rather have Kevin Durant.  I think everyone in the history of time and space would agree with me as well. We may have actually dodged a bullet with Oden, but still, the universe has seemingly been against us. 

Lady luck just hasn’t got it done for the Raptors.  They’ve had to make the best out of their poor draft position and, for the most part, they have.  Early on the Raptors found diamonds in the rough in Tracy McGrady at number 9 in the 1997 draft, Morris Petersen at number 21 in 2000 and DeMar DeRozan at number 9 in 2009.

They were also able to create their biggest success through a draft day trade that moved Antawn Jamison to the Warriors for Vince Carter.  The rest is, of course, history.

It would seem that Bryan Colangelo, Ed Stefanski and Dwane Casey are going to have to make the best of their current draft position, but you never know.  This could be our year.  This could be the year the Raptors get to draft that highly touted “game changer” that has alluded them since the franchises inception.  I mean it is mathematically possible according to Jay Satur  but it really isn’t all that likely.

Raptor fans are better to hope that some bigger names drop for some inexplicable reason like Peterson, DeMar and Ed Davis did in their draft years. Or the Raptors will have to hope Bryan Colangelo does his homework as he appears to have done with last years surprise Jonas Valanciunas. The pick was widely panned at the time until common sense and the opportunity to see him play changed people’s minds. 

Still, at the end of the day; I’ll cheer for our 12.3% chance of landing one of the top three picks and our 3.5% of winning the whole thing.  It could happen.

I mean it’s already happened twice.

Hopefully this time it will land the franchise player the Toronto Raptors so desperately need.

And if not, well we’re going to have to trust the Raptor brain trust to make a smart move at a lower position.  Something, we know, they have been able to do over the years. 

Happy Draft Lottery Day folks!

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | December 6, 2011 · 10:10 pm

Raptors on the Prowl for Talent

This shortened Free Agent Frenzy promises to be unlike anything we have ever witnessed in the NBA.  Players will be moving from team to team at a rapid pace and  by the end of the week you will need to pick up a programme to identify your home team’s starting lineup.

Here in Toronto, it is pretty clear that the Raptors need everything and anything to help the club compete with the upper echelon of NBA teams.

They are blessed with some capspace and have players with favourable contracts they could move in separate deals to acquire additional talent.

What is a GM to do?

Bryan Colangelo is in the first year of a short two-year contract as has beefed up his front office with the addition of Ed Stefanski and Dwayne Casey will, no doubt, be looking for more players that fit his philosophy.

There are plenty of players out there that could help the Raptors.  I mean anything outside of another 7 foot Italian centre would help this ball club.  There is also a growing feeling that the Raptors would be better off to avoid the free agent frenzy entirely this year a nd save up for next summer when they will have additional capspace and, potentially, a top three pick.

Tough decisions await in the days ahead.

Let’s take a look at some possible targets and see whether we think they might fit in with this years incarnation of the Raptors or whether the Raptors should pass.

1) Tyson Chandler – We don’t have a true centre, Dwayne Casey turned Chandler into a superstar during the NBA playoffs, he plays defense and could provide help for Andrea Bargnani under the rim.   It all seems to add up to taking a chance on Chandler.

But here’s the rub.  It is going to cost something stupid to get him in Toronto.  He is a great player and definitely fits in with the current roster, but that money (likely upwards of $10 million) would be better spent at another time.

Verdict: A difficult Pass – save the money and spend it strategically later.

Raptors might be better off to avoid tempting options like Tyson Chandler.

Chuck Hayes – Um, a 6’6′ Centre? Really? This aint the NCAA. 

Before we all get snarky, he is actually a very efficient centre.  What he lacks in height, he makes up for in effort. He fights for the ball, defends the post very well and sounds like a player that coach Casey would love.

He also won’t command $10 million a year and might actually lead by example when defending the paint.

Verdict: A cheaper centre option.  Ignore the size, this dude can play.  Definitely worth a look, especially if the price is right. 

Shane Battier – Rumour has it the Raptors are still on his final wish list of teams.  He is a natural leader and a winner.  This is the type of player that comes in and puts a team over the edge. You don’t hesitate if you have a chance to add a player like Battier. 

Suffice it to say I don’t think Toronto is the right fit for Battier.  Sure, it would be great for us, but not for him.  He would be a great veteran presence for players like Demar, Amir and Bargnani to learn from and he would instantly become one of the best forwards we’ve ever had.

Why would he do it though?  He has a shot at an NBA championship with the Heat.  That would be a destination that would make a lot more sense from his perspective.

Verdict – If he’s interested in logging lots of minutes and playing the role of veteran leader, then I say sign him up.  I just don’t see it happening.  He’ll go for the ring in South Beach. 

Marc Gasol – What a dream signing, huh?  Gasol playing with Calderon again, a tough big centre, a budding superstar joining our team.  It would be nice to be the ones stealing a young star player from another team for once.

He’s not gonna come cheap and the Raptors likely don’t have what it takes to steal him away from Memphis. He’d be a great addition, but the timing of his availability just isn’t right.

Verdict: A pipe dream.  But a wonderful one, nonetheless. 

Samuel Dalembert – Another big man who would help move Bargs over to the 4 position where he will, theoretically, be more comfortable.

He’s a strong, shot blocker and he’s Canadian.  Plus, how awkward would it be hearing Leo discuss Dalembert on a regular basis?  Could be worth it for that reason alone.

He certainly fills a need and wouldn’t demand the ridiculous price tag the other free agent centres would.

Verdict – Not my first choice (I’m a Reggie guy), but he gives us what we need at the 5 and having a Canadian on the team would be an added bonus.  It would have to be a short contract though, as Big Sammy is on the decline.

Reggie Evans – With all the talk about the need for a centre and toughness at the 5 position, Reggie seems to be a bit of a forgotten man.  He fills needs the Raptors have and can still be that veteran presence in the locker room.  He already hangs out with most of the young Raptors (if I am to believe twitter anyway) and seems to have their respect.

He’s tough, he rebounds, plays defense, is a great locker room personality and will come relatively cheap on a short-term deal.

Verdict: Sometimes the best answers are the ones staring you right in the face.  Might be the best option out there for Toronto.

Whatever way Colangelo and the Raptors front office decides to take us, the next couple of weeks are going to be super exciting.  Trades, signings and eventually: actual basketball.

Can’t wait.

***
Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | December 4, 2011 · 7:51 pm

Raptors Hoping to Bring the Thunder in “New NBA”

So it didn’t take too long to realize that this new Collective agreement in the NBA might not be that different from what was in place before the lockout.

The deal hasn’t even been ratified and already Chris Paul has demanded a move to a big market NBA team.  Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and who knows who else, are likely to follow.

Isn’t this what the lockout was trying avoid?  Or was I just drinking the Kool-aid with all the other fans who cheer for teams in smaller markets?

I thought the league and it’s owners wanted to avoid another Miami Heat situation.  I thought they weren’t going to let the big markets rob the smaller markets of their star power.

Here in Toronto, we are all too familiar with the process of stars wanting out of our city.  Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh all left when they finally had the opportunity to go to a big market team or demanded a trade elsewhere. These moves crippled the franchise during the years afterwards.

Amir Johnson and Demar Derozan offer the Raptors hope for the future. They help form a growing nucleus.

What’s to stop this from continuing?

The new CBA has a soft cap, meaning there are lots of opportunities to keep the rich teams rich. 

Teams like New York, Miami and Boston will continue to be allowed to stock their teams with multiple superstars while smaller markets feel the blow of losing stars they intend to build around.

The CBA does include  a higher luxury tax to try and disuade owners from overspending but it will only do so in a limited capacity.  The Mark Cubans of the world will pay what needs to be paid to keep their teams winning.

There are provisions in the new CBA which will allow teams like the Raptors to offer more money to their rookies if they perform the way that Derrick Rose did this past year. This CBA addition may actually help  teams like the Raptors keep their young stars longer. 

The amnesty rule is another interesting nugget that could help the Raptors as well.  Shedding the contracts of a Jose Calderon, Linas Kleiza or Andrea Bargnani may help clear capspace for the Raptors so they can spend money on the free agent market or make a smart trade. Hopefully they take advantage of this rule at the right time and don’t rush to make space for a Tyson Chandler or Nene.

The reality for the Raptors is that they are going to have to look to the Thunder for inspiration.  That franchise and it’s success should be the blueprint for smaller market teams like the Raptors.

The Raptors, like the Thunder, are not going to be able to draw players in with their big city media coverage or long basketball history the way a New York or Chicago can.

The Thunder have built a success by drafting smart and making smart decisions, not going after big free agent splashes.

The Thunder drafted well.  Kevin Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Harden are all draft picks that were rewards for finishing at the bottom of the league.  Those players have come together to form a strong nucleus.

The Thunder coupled those picks with smart trades and free agent acquisitions that added depth and character.  Guys like Kenderick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha and Nate Robinson add character and depth to the core of young players.  They didn’t make ill-advised signings like Jason Kapono or Yogi Stewart.

The Thunder were a Semi Final team in the Western Conference last year.  They did this all without the glitz and glam to draw in a Lebron, a Kobe or a Howard.  They’ve done it largely through smart decisions and can now attract free agents by winning basketball games.

The Thunder are the model that the Toronto Raptors need to follow going forward.  Draft smart, sign role players to reasonable contracts, and avoid handing out bad contracts to players coming off one good year (just say no to Tyson Chandler at $10 million per season).

This is the way that it has to be for the Raptors.  Draft well and make smart use of capspace.

Colangelo and his team have a difficult task ahead, especially with the short leash of a two-year contract, but he needs to resist the temptation of a Tyson Chandler or Nene now to focus on building a core into the future.

Derozan, Ed Davis, Amir and Valanciunas all may be a part of the team moving forward (maybe even Bargnani).  Hopefully so will a couple of top five picks in the next two years.

The system will not allow the Raptors to build through free agent splashes, but the new CBA may help the Raptors build from the ground up.

Let’s hope the Colangelo, Stefanski and the rest of the Raptor front office are doing their homework.

Winning in this new NBA is not going to be easy, but winning means work.

***
Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | November 27, 2011 · 11:05 pm

Let’s NBA!

The news came at the very early hours of Saturday morning.  The lockout is over and a handshake agreement is in place to save the 2011-2012 NBA season.

The 11th hour negotiations saved what could have been a media nightmare for the NBA.  Questions remain however. Why couldn’t this happen sooner? Isn’t this deal very close to the one that existed months ago? Does this deal actually do anything positive for small market teams? What do the Raptors get out of this?

In the end, it doesn’t really matter.  NBA basketball is returning and fans everywhere are rejoicing.

It’s time to put away the anger, the bitterness and the hard feelings that may linger with this longer than necessary work stoppage.  It’s time to get to work.

For the Raptors, there is much to be done.

A new head coach now has less time to get his team prepared for the upcoming battle of the regular season.  Dwayne Casey has a difficult road ahead of him.  This ain’t the Dallas Mavericks.

Goodbye Dirk Nowitzski, hello Andrea Bargnani.  Goodbye Mark Cuban, Hello Richard Peddie.

Casey has a lot of work to do this season.  This team has been allergic to defense for as long as I can remember and they weren’t exactly scoring at will last year either.  Without a clear number one option, and a pretty thin bench Casey will have to get creative on offense.  It will be interesting to see what kind of a lineup he goes with and how he uses the teams speed to his advantage.

The NBA is back and soon the ACC will be rocking. Fans of the Raptors, however, will likely have to hold their breath for something big to cheer about.

In Dallas he was able to institute a defensive system that hid the deficiencies of lesser defensive players.  Congratulations Mr. Casey! You now have the task of hiding the deficiencies of Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. No small task.

Then there is the roster.  Full of holes and full of question marks.

Who is our starting center again?

What is this team going to do with a starting lineup of Calderon,Derozan , J. Johnson, Bargnani and Reggie Evans (if he is wisely brought back).  This lineup is not setting the world on fire.  What they lack in pure talent, hopefully they make up for with effort.

In the end, this year might be one where Casey gets to see what he has and what needs to go.  It will take time to put his stamp on the team.  It will likely take longer than a 60 game season. As always, Raptor fans will need to practice patience.

Then there are the personnel decisions that need to be made.

Will there be a player that will fall victim to the amnesty clause? (Bargnani and Calderon I’m looking at you)

Bryan Colangelo and his new right hand man, Ed Stefanski are looking over the new CBA and seeing what options they have.  There is some cap space that can be used and there is likely to be a number of free agents available for possibly bottom basement prices. Bring back Joey Dorsey? Julian Wright? Check out the open market and splurge on a bigger name like Jeff Foster or Joel Przybilla?

These next few weeks will be fast and furious, but if you’re a Raptor fan, is there anyone you’d rather have handling the situation than Bryan Colangelo?

Suffice it to say there is plenty of work to get done.  No time to sit around and bask in the glow of labour peace. The Raptors need some serious work and there isn’t really much time to do it.

What is certain about this year is that there will be a lot of player evaluation.  The Raptors have a number of young assets (A Johnson, Bayless, Derozan, Davis, J. Johnson, Bargnani) and it’s time to see which, if any, will be part of the core that moves forward.

Will Colangelo make trades? Acquisitions?

Without question, he will.

Hallelujah! The season is happening, now let’s figure this team out.

The year ahead is likely to be a rough road in Raptorland, but at least there is a season to enjoy.

Let’s NBA!!

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

Zan Tabak Herald

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