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TORONTO RAPTORS ( 2006 - 2007 ) Edition
07/11/2006
James agrees to deal with Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mike James won't be back with the Toronto Raptors next season.
Desperate for an experienced, reliable point guard, the Minnesota Timberwolves went and got the best one left on the free-agent market on Tuesday.
They reached an agreement with Mike James on a four-year deal, James' agent told The Associated Press.
James, who is coming off a career year for the Raptors, will get the Timberwolves' full mid-level exception, which is worth about $5 million US in 2006-07.
The veteran averaged a career-high 20.3 points and 5.8 assists for the Raptors last season and instantly solidifies the Timberwolves' shaky point guard situation.
Before signing James, the Wolves had injury-prone veteran Troy Hudson, inconsistent Marko Jaric and rookie lottery pick Randy Foye as their primary ballhandlers.
Former MVP Kevin Garnett pleaded with Timberwolves' management to surround him with more veterans after the team missed the playoffs for the second straight season in 2005-06. And Garnett made a personal call to James on Tuesday morning to convince the 31-year-old spark plug to come to Minnesota.
''They had a great conversation and that meant a lot to Mike,'' James' agent, Bill Duffy, said. ''Garnett told him he needed him there. That says a lot about Garnett to do that and it says a lot about Mike that Garnett wanted him.''
Timberwolves spokesman Mike Cristaldi said the team could not comment during the NBA's moratorium on free agency, which ends Wednesday.
It's been quite a rise for James, who was undrafted out of Duquesne and started his NBA career as a free agent with Miami in 2001. He bounced around to Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Houston over the next four years before bursting onto the scene with the woeful Raptors last season.
In his first full season as a starter, James ranked fourth in the league in three-point shooting (44 per cent) and 11th in three-pointers made (169), becoming one of the most coveted point guards on the free agent market this off-season.
The Rockets and Mavericks also were in contention for his services.
James' shooting prowess was one of his biggest selling points for the Wolves, who are in desperate need of quality perimeter shooters to stretch the floor and take pressure off of Garnett in the post. They traded sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak to Boston at mid-season, lost three-point specialist Fred Hoiberg to retirement after a heart ailment and will be without top rookie Rashad McCants until at least mid-December while he recovers from microfracture surgery on his right knee.
The Timberwolves swapped lottery picks with Portland on draft night to acquire Foye, but the Villanova guard is more of a slasher than a three-point shooter. The team is also unaware when Hudson, the only other reliable three-point threat on the roster, will be ready to return from a bothersome right ankle injury that limited him to 36 games last season.
James should help fill that void while providing the up-tempo style that coach Dwane Casey wants to install in a team that too often got bogged down in the halfcourt last season.
The deal also jeopardizes Marcus Banks' future in Minnesota. Banks came over from Boston in the Szczerbiak trade and was up and down as the Timberwolves' starting point guard. Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale had said re-signing Banks was a priority, but now the team has a glut at point guard with James, Jaric, Hudson and Foye.
Banks' agent, Michael Higgins, did not immediately a return phone call from The Associated Press.
Duffy said James can't wait to start feeding Garnett in the post.
''He has a lot of respect for Garnett,'' Duffy said. ''It looks like it should be a good fit.''
07/07/2006
Ford happy to be a Raptor, wants to win
TORONTO (CP) - Like a refreshing gust of cool air off Lake Ontario, T.J. Ford blew into Toronto on Friday and delivered the sort of message Raptors fans have been longing to hear.
The time for winning is now.
"I think the winning attitude is definitely going to be here as soon as training camp's started," said Ford, who was acquired in a trade from Milwaukee last week. "I think we're definitely going to be a lot better than we were last season.
"We're young and I think we're going to be energetic and we're going to be entertaining and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Ford couldn't be any happier to be in Toronto, where he'll get a chance to direct what promises to be an up-tempo offence.
It's also clear he has no problem playing in the NBA's lone Canadian city after fielding the typical series of questions on the topic.
"I just know it's cold," he said with a laugh.
"But I'm really excited to be here. I don't think people really understand how excited I am."
There's good reason for the enthusiasm.
Since being brought into the fold as president and general manager earlier this year, Bryan Colangelo has drastically remade the Raptors. They bear little resemblance to the team that went 27-55 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Enter Ford, a lightning-quick point guard who missed a season and a half after suffering a contusion of the spinal cord. He's healthy now and happy to be in a position to lead a team.
It's the kind of match that should benefit Ford's teammates.
"I'm definitely trying to get my assists up and definitely trying to put players in the right situations for them to better themselves," he said. "It's my job to come in here and just try to make everybody happy and get everybody involved."
It's what a good pass-first point guard does. Think Victoria's Steve Nash, the two-time reigning league MVP.
Colangelo spent 11 years as the GM of Nash's Phoenix Suns before coming to Toronto. He seems intent on building the same sort of high-octane offence with the Raptors.
Ford, for one, thinks Toronto could very well become Phoenix North.
"I don't see why we couldn't be," he said.
It all starts with Ford and Chris Bosh.
The pair became good friends while attending various events together ahead of the 2003 draft and hope that chemistry carries onto the court.
They could be the sort of dynamic duo not seen in these parts since Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady consistently brought fans at Air Canada Centre to their feet.
"(I want to) come in and play hard and try to have the city enjoy basketball like it was a couple years ago," said Ford.
In addition to Bosh, the 23-year-old Ford is also familiar with coach Sam Mitchell.
Mitchell was an assistant with the Bucks during Ford's rookie season and was one of the main people within the Milwaukee organization that initially pushed him.
"I know his personality and what he's expecting," said Ford. "And I know how crazy he can be at times."
Ford said his spinal injury, which he suffered in February 2004 after falling hard on his tailbone during a game, brought several things into perspective for him.
It's provided a new lease on life.
"I learned to cherish every moment of life," he said. "You never know, the things that you love most can be taken away at any moment and any time."
Ford has the kind of attitude and enthusiasm that will most certainly endear him to fans and teammates.
He's thrilled to be here and he's ready to help turn around a sagging franchise.
"Our ultimate goal is to get to the playoffs," said Ford. "We definitely want to surprise a lot of teams and surprise a lot of people."
07/07/2006
In Vegas - Bargnani Is Real Deal
When the Toronto Raptors did the expected and chose Italian Andrea Bargnani number one, no one was surprised - but many wondered if it was a good idea. Was he going to be another Darko Milicic and waste away on the bench? Would he become another Dirk Nowitzki? The thing is, no one had seen this guy play unless they had been to Italy to watch some games. So what's the answer?
First things first, please pronounce his name correctly. It is not "Barg-nah-nee." Please, my college Italian professor as well as any Italian cringe when they here that. The correct pronunciation is "Barn-nya-nee." Please, don't make anyone go into the etymological roots as to why that is what it is, just please accept it and pronounce it correctly. Italians everywhere will thank you.
Back to hoops. Bargnani can flat out play. He's big, he's smart, he can shoot from anywhere on the floor, and he can even dribble a bit.
Keep in mind this guy is over seven feet tall. Players that tall aren't supposed to have handle. They aren't supposed to shoot three-pointers. They aren't supposed to wow the crowd with the depth of their talent; guys that tall are paid to be big and rebound - take up space in the middle.
Forget all of that. Forget what you know about seven-footers. And forget about Nowitzki too. Bargnani is going to be a star in the NBA and he's going to do it his own way. In his first game in Las Vegas against the Washington Wizards, playing for the first time as an NBA player in front of fans - and media - who were all curious as to what they would see, Bargnani was nothing short of outstanding.
One of his first trips down the floor he spotted up on the wing at the three-point line and drained a three-pointer. He had no hand in his face because the defender didn't think he would shoot. That smooth shot brought gasps from the crowd who weren't expecting it; he didn't see any more open jumpers the rest of the game. Not that it stopped him from shooting, he just made it over the outstretched hands.
Bargnani isn't all outside shooting either. His base is extremely solid and he sets very good screens, getting nice open looks for other Raptor shooters. He also uses those strong legs well in blocking out under the glass, but he doesn't have great lift and needs to get a little more aggressive on the glass. His upper body isn't quite as strong, but he has the right body type to be able to get bigger with a good weight training program - which he will definitely get with the Raptors.
He also needs to get used to the rules of the American game and how the officials call it state-side. He got called for a couple moving screen fouls and a three-second violation. None of these are bad things, they just take getting used to. Coaches will pull him aside, point out he absolutely needs to stay still on the screens, and he will learn.
That's another thing about Bargnani - he's a smart player. He seems to be able to recognize when he can attack, when he should make the extra pass, and when to attack on defense. He loves to run the floor because he knows big men get rewarded for running the court in transition - although he does need a little more conditioning, which will come in time, just like the weight training.
All of that was good in Game 1, but that wasn't the most outstanding play of the night for him; that wasn't the play that left the remaining crowd (the Raptors were the late game and it wasn't over until well after 10 pm Vegas time) gasping in shock. Yeah, like the rest of that wasn't enough.
The play of the night had Bargnani on the left wing, about 25 feet from the hoop. He got the pass from the point and pivoted towards the hoop. Aware of his shooting ability, the defender came out hard and bodied him up. Bargnani stepped back, put the ball on the floor, faked left and crossed over right. His defender could not keep up and Bargnani schooled him for a lay-up.
Shock doesn't quite describe the reaction from the crowd...perhaps full-fledged disbelief? Big men don't make moves like that, not even Nowitzki. His moves are so smooth he can't be compared to Nowitzki. He could become just as effective some day, but he will be different. He can play the three, four, and five and even though his best position may be the four (not with Chris Bosh around) his abilities dictate he will see time at all three positions. Imagine a starting lineup with the front line all 6-10 or greater. Think that doesn't have Sam Mitchell salivating, with Morris Peterson ready to nail outside jumpers off of passes?
But hey, the Toronto Raptors knew that - that's why Bryan Colangelo and his team made Andrea Bargnani the number one pick in the draft. It won't be a mistake.
07/01/2006
Raptors ship Villanueva to Bucks
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors finally filled their gap at point guard, but it came at a high price.
The Raptors sent forward Charlie Villanueva to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday for point guard T.J. Ford and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Villanueva was coming off an excellent rookie season for the Raptors. He averaged 13.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games, including 36 starts, and was named to the NBA all-rookie first team.
He set club rookie records for points with 48 and rebounds with 18.
The Raptors were widely mocked for taking Villanueva seventh overall in the 2005 draft, but his solid rookie campaign made him an attractive player to other teams. With the Raptors deep up front after drafting Andrea Bargnani with the first overall pick Thursday, trading Villanueva to fill the gaping hole at point guard seemed like a sensible move for Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo.
''Charlie proved to be one of our more marketable players,'' said Colangelo. ''Obviously there was some disappointment in his voice (when told of the trade), but he understood where things are with this team and where we're trying to go.''
In Ford, the Raptors get a quick playmaking guard who had a solid season with the Bucks. Ford averaged 12.2 points, a team-best 6.6 assists and 35.5 minutes last season. He rebounded from a spinal-cord injury that sidelined him for a season and a half.
Ford was the eighth overall pick in the 2003 draft.
''We really like what we've seen from T.J. in the past year,'' said Colangelo. ''He's a lightning quick guard, he's got great playmaking ability and we feel he is the perfect fit for the type of team that we would like to become.''
Colangelo said he has not had a chance to talk to Ford, but Bucks GM Larry Harris said the guard was favourable about coming to Toronto.
Colangelo also said that the Raptors looked into Ford's past medical problems before making the deal.
''Obviously you do your due diligence, and suffice it to say we were comfortable moving forward on the basis of the information that we had,'' said Colangelo.
Harris hopes Villanueva will fill the team's need for a power forward to complement seven-foot centre Andrew Bogut, the top pick in the 2005 draft.
''Acquiring Charlie takes care of a primary need we had going into the summer,'' Harris said. ''He's a gifted power forward who knows how to score both inside and outside. ... The outstanding rookie season he had last year is only the beginning of what he's capable of achieving.''
The Bucks, with a revamped roster and Ford as floor leader, reached the playoffs with a 40-42 record last season. It was a 10-game improvement from the previous season when they didn't make the playoffs.
In the playoffs, they lost 4-1 to Detroit in the first round.
''He was an inspiration to all of us when he found the will and strength to fight back from the neck injury he suffered during his rookie season,'' Harris said. ''We wish him much success in Toronto.''
According to Harris, the discussions with the Raptors started about Milwaukee's veteran centre and Toronto native Jamaal Magloire, and they evolved into the deal that was announced Friday night.
06/29/2006
Raptors take Bargnani first overall
TORONTO (CP) - Bryan Colangelo dipped into the old country to kick-start the Raptors' renaissance.
Toronto selected Andrea Bargnani first overall in the NBA draft Wednesday, making the Italian big man the first European taken at the top spot in draft history.
In a draft with no consensus No. 1 pick, Bargnani's selection ends weeks of speculation around what Colangelo would do with the pick. In the end, there was no drama, as the GM stuck with his plan to draft the young Italian he's been eyeing for weeks and build for the future.
''He's a terrific young man, he's got a great background and he's really emerging as a player right now,'' said Colangelo.
The lanky seven-foot, 250-pound forward strode across the stage at Madison Square Garden in his new black Armani suit when NBA commissioner David Stern announced the pick. Colangelo remained with his staff in Toronto.
''I was very, very surprised,'' Bargnani said in a conference call from New York. ''I was very anxious when I was sitting at the table and when they called my name it was an incredible feeling.
''I'm very happy to go to Toronto, it's a perfect situation. It's a very nice city, very international, there's a big Italian community.''
The Raptors later selected Texas forward P.J. Tucker with their 35th pick. The six-foot-five, 225-pound forward was a second team All-American and Big 12 player of the year.
Tucker is said to be an intense, physical player, though undersized at the forward position.
The Raptors used their final pick of the draft, 56th overall, to select Bosnian forward Edin Bavcic, but promptly traded him to Philadelphia for cash considerations.
With the acquisition of Bargnani, who's known to Italian hoops fans as Il Mago - the magician - the league's lone non-U.S. team became even more international.
Last week, Colangelo hired former Benetton Treviso general manager Maurizio Gherardini as his assistant GM. That came on the heels of acquiring Slovenian centre Rasho Nesterovic in a trade with San Antonio for Matt Bonner and Eric Williams.
Bargnani, who will make $3.6 million US in his first year with the Raptors, played for Benetton Treviso in Italy the past three seasons. He recently led the team to the Italian Lega A title, earning Europe's Rising Star award for 2005-06.
''I'm aware that people have not seen me play so I have a lot to prove,'' said Bargnani, who left home at 16 to play pro ball.
Colangelo had done his homework on Bargnani in recent weeks, which included sending head coach Sam Mitchell and senior advisor Wayne Embry to Italy to check him out.
''When we looked at this pick, we wanted the best short-term and long-term solution,'' said Colangelo. ''And we felt that Andrea, producing and progressing the way he is as a young player, is clearly a player that can come in and fit into a young team with a young solid core, but he's going to develop longterm ... as (perhaps) the best player of this draft.''
Bargnani, who's drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, is quick and athletic for his size and has range beyond the three-point arc. He has fluid shooting mechanics with a good release.
But despite his pro experience - he's played almost 150 pro games in front of some hostile European crowds - he's expected to take a year or two to develop. His drawbacks are his lack of rebounding and defence, and his slender physique.
''I have to improve a lot in the low post because I mostly play in front of the basket,'' said Bargnani. ''That is something I have to work on with the coach.''
The Chicago Bulls selected LaMarcus Aldridge at No. 2, while the Charlotte Bobcats picked Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison at three. The Portland Trailblazers selected LSU forward Tyrus Thomas fourth, and the Atlanta Hawks took Duke forward Shelden Williams fifth.
Minnesota took Washington guard Brandon Roy at six, Boston selected Villanova guard Randy Foye with No. 7, Houston picked Connecticut forward Rudy Gay at eight, Bradley centre Patrick O'Brien went ninth to Golden State, and Mouhamed Saer Sene of Senegal went tenth to Seattle.
The night was punctuated by numerous trades. Portland acquired forward Raef LaFrentz, Dan Dickau and the rights to Foye from Boston for point guard Sebastian Telfair, centre Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick. The Trail Blazers then flipped Foye to Minnesota for Roy.
Aldridge's rights were dealt to Portland for the rights to Thomas and forward Viktor Khryapa.
Gay was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Shane Battier and Stromile Swift.
Colangelo tried to deal for another top-10 pick Wednesday, but the asking price was too steep - teams wanted sophomore forward Charlie Villanueva.
Bargnani's announcement drew loud cheers - plus the odd boo - from the floor of the Air Canada Centre where Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., was hosting a draft party for Raptors season ticket holders.
''I thought our organization tonight, we took a step forward,'' said Raptors swingman Morris Peterson, who took in the festivities at the ACC. ''We hopefully took the best player possible. And the moves (Colangelo's) made the last couple of weeks, bringing in Rasho, and then bringing in Andrea, two different kind of guys at the centre position. You look around the league and we need some size, we need some quickness.
''I thought it was a good pick.''
When Benetton Treviso played the Raptors two seasons ago in a pre-season matchup, Bargnani had an impressive 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes as an 18-year-old. The Raptors won 86-83. Bargnani still has the autograph of Vince Carter he got after the game.
Colangelo was pleasantly surprised by the tape of that exhibition matchup, and said the growth in Bargnani's game since then ''is remarkable.''
The first Italian in the NBA, Vincenzo Esposito, also played - albeit sparingly - for the Raptors, in the 1995-96 season.
The Raptors are also expected to sign Spanish forward Jorge Garbajosa in the coming weeks. Garbajosa, a six-foot-nine forward, played four seasons with Benetton Treviso before heading to Unicaja Malaga.
China's Yao Ming was the first non-American player chosen first overall in an NBA draft. The Houston Rockets selected him in 2002.
06/27/2006
European star Garbajosa to join Raptors
MALAGA, Spain (Ticker) - Spain international Jorge Garbajosa has confirmed he is heading to the NBA next season.
The Unicaja Malaga forward is set to join the Toronto Raptors where he will play alongside Spain teammate Jose Manuel Calderon.
"I haven't signed the contract yet because it cannot be done until July 1st," Garbajosa said in a press conference. "This is a new challenge for me, I am going to compete in the best league in the world and I cannot turn down this opportunity.
"This train only comes once and I have to take it. I hope the Unicaja fans understand my position and that they accept my decision."
Garbajosa, who averaged 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 18 Euroleague games this past season, is under contract with the Liga ACB for a further two seasons but announced that he will pay his buyout clause of an estimated at $2.25 million.
The 28-year-old is now planning to fly to Canada to negotiate his contract.
"In the next few days, I will travel to Toronto to meet the club, get to know the city, speak to them and try to begin my adventure there."
Garbajosa's arrival is another sign of the influence of Maurizio Gherardini, the new assistant general manager of Toronto who spent the previous 14 years with Benetton Treviso in Italy.
The 6-8 Garbajosa spent four years with Benetton, collecting the MVP award in the Coppa Italia before moving to Unicaja in the summer of the 2004.
Toronto is expected to select Benetton's forward Andrea Bargnani with the first pick in Wednesday's NBA draft.
Unicaja had hoped that Garbajosa would reconsider his decision after having played a pivotal role for the club to clinch the Spanish league title this season.
The Spanish international, who earlier this week was selected for Pepu Hernandez's FIBA World Championship squad, was voted the MVP in the ACB final playoffs.
"I thank the club for their effort they have made to try to keep me," he said. "I don't rule out in the future returning to this club."
Garbajosa will add to the growing Spanish influence in the NBA. In addition to the Raptors' Calderon, Pau Gasol has established himself as the Memphis Grizzlies' most recognizable face. Last year, the Orlando Magic drafted forward Fran Vazquez in the first round.
Barcelona's Juan Carlos Navarro is also eager to head to North America, but has been told he must pay his own release clause if he wants to leave.
06/27/2006
Report: Stojakovic opts out of contract
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Indiana forward Peja Stojakovic reportedly opted out of his contract on Tuesday, making the three-time All- Star a free agent.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Stojakovic said during the regular season that he would become a free agent once the season ended.
Stojakovic, who was scheduled to make $8.2 million next season, can now sign with any team when the free agent negotiating period begins July 1. Teams can begin signing players on July 12.
The Pacers traded troubled forward Ron Artest in exchange for Stojakovic on January 25. He averaged 19.5 points and shot 46 percent from the field in 40 games with the Pacers.
However, Stojakovic missed four of the six games with a right knee injury in the first round of the playoffs against the New Jersey Nets. The Pacers lost each game he didn't play.
Stojakovic averages 18.4 points per game 5.1 rebounds and two assists per game during his nine-year career with the Pacers and the Kings.
Indiana can sign him for up to six years, while other teams can only sign him for five due to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Bargnani a mystery to draft competition
06/27/2006
NEW YORK (AP) - As Andrea Bargnani told a curious media contingent about himself Tuesday, Tyrus Thomas sat a few feet away and was asked what he knew about the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
"I don't know much, but I hear he's a great player though," Thomas said. "He has to be a good player to be here." Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge is the other player prominently mentioned as the one who could be called first by NBA commissioner David Stern on Wednesday night. Surely, he must know something about his chief competition.
"I've talked to him and I've seen he's a great person," Aldridge said. "But I don't know anything about his game."
Bargnani is the biggest reason there seem to be more questions than usual so close to the draft. But even if his future rivals don't know him, he isn't a mystery to the Toronto Raptors or other teams with high picks.
Listed at six-foot-10 and 225 pounds, Bargnani has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki because of his outside shooting skills. He shot 37 per cent from three-point range in Italy's Lega A this season.
"People ask me about why a big guy plays outside," Bargnani said. "I always play outside since I was young because my coach told me to play outside."
But in the draft preview in the NBA final program, the NBA players Bargnani was compared to are Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Hedo Turkoglu.
Not exactly No. 1 pick material - adding to the reason there is so much confusion.
"Usually at this point you'd have a definitive 1-2-3 where, in some order, these three guys will be gone," said Kevin McHale, Minnesota vice-president of basketball operations. "The guys they are talking about being No. 1 easily could be there at No. 6. It is very muddled."
Bargnani and Aldridge are the players most frequently pegged for the top spot, though LSU's Thomas and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison also have been mentioned. Washington's Brandon Roy and Connecticut swingman Rudy Gay also likely will be gone after the top few choices.
The players aren't the only ones in the dark. Even teams in the lower half of the lottery have no idea who will be available when it's their turn to pick.
"Usually, by this time, you've got a pretty good idea about who will be there," said Houston GM Carroll Dawson, whose team picks eighth. "It's not like that this year."
Chicago follows Toronto with the pick it acquired from New York in the Eddy Curry trade, then Charlotte goes third with its first selection since Michael Jordan came aboard. Portland, Atlanta, Minnesota and Boston are next, and Golden State and Seattle round out the top 10.
The Bulls also pick 16th, joining the Trail Blazers, Nets, Suns and Knicks with two picks in the first round. Isiah Thomas will select 20th and 29th for New York, two days after he was warned by Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan that he has one year to show progress or lose his job now that he has added the coaching responsibilities.
"It's a very interesting draft because we really don't have a great feel of what's happening above us," Thomas said. "A lot of teams are talking trades and really haven't settled on the direction they're going to go."
UConn is expecting a big night, with Marcus Williams and Hilton Armstrong potentially joining Gay in the lottery and three other Huskies possibly going later.
And even if the top of the draft may not be settled, the depth at the bottom could make it a strong one.
"There's no definitive No. 1 pick, but there are a lot of guys out there who are eventually going to play in the league," said Marty Blake, the NBA's director of scouting. "I'm more excited about this one than any in maybe the last 15 years. It's very deep. I think it's very exciting."
06/27/2006
They call him "Il Mago" (the Magician) - Andrea Bargnani
BOLOGNA, Italy -- Among the top prospects for the 2006 draft, Italian forward Andrea Bargnani is the mystery man, mostly unknown to NBA fans, who have heard more hype than facts.
His fans believe in the Magician. Critics warn that Bargnani and his supposed upside could vanish before their eyes, just as another Benetton player, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, never lived up to expectations after Denver drafted him in 2002.
Andrea Bargnani is not Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
Rinse. Repeat. Wash it from your brain.
The similarities are eerie, for sure.
Tall Euro. Great shooter. Plays in Italy for the same team. Compared to Dirk Nowitzki by everyone who sees him.
But Bargnani knows the difference. He knows that Skita had little playing experience before jumping to the NBA.
"From what I understand, he never played, right?" he asks in English during my sit-down interview with Bargnani in Treviso on Tuesday. I tell him that's true.
"Right. Then we are different."
Right.
Bargnani has played in 77 games this season. He's averaging 22 minutes per game in the Italian League and the Euroleague. Now that he's starting, he's playing 25 to 30 minutes a game.
His numbers for the season are strong for a player at age 20: He's averaged 11.9 points per game in the Italian League and 10.9 ppg in the Euroleague. Lately, he's been even more impressive. In the 12 games in the Euroleague in which Bargnani has played 19 or more minutes, he has averaged 15.2 points on 60-percent shooting.
"He has become a vital piece for our team," Benetton head coach David Blatt told me. "There is only a small handful of 20-year-old kids that you've ever been able to say that about in Euroleague competition. Defenses have to prepare for him. He's playing with and against men every night. When he plays well, we win. He's the real deal."
In fact, only three names come to mind as players at Bargnani's age putting up those kinds of numbers in the Euroleague: Toni Kukoc, Peja Stojakovic and Pau Gasol. All three might have been better prospects at this age, but it isn't bad company to keep.
Tskitishvili, on the other hand, played in roughly a dozen games, averaging six minutes and one point per game for Benetton in 2002. Game film was nonexistent. Every team in the league had to fly to Italy and watch the staff of Mike D'Antoni, then the Benetton coach, put him through an individual workout.
I fell under Skita's spell, just as many NBA general managers did. On assignment in Italy to do a story on Manu Ginobili, still relatively unknown to NBA fans, I met D'Antoni in Bologna and he told me about a mysterious 7-footer from Georgia who was more athletic than Dirk Nowitzki. The next day I was on a train to Treviso and saw him in the gym with D'Antoni standing by my side.
Here's what I wrote on May 22, 2003:
"Tskitishvili looked great. But, the comparisons to Gasol are way off. Yes, he's tall and European. But he spends most of his time on the perimeter, not on the low post like Gasol did this season on his way to NBA Rookie of the Year honors.
"After a 30-minute workout, it's clear Tskitishvili has the speed, the hops, the outside shooting touch and the ball-handling skills to rival any big man in the draft. He hit 10 NBA threes in a row at one point. His crossover would be phenomenal even for a smaller player. There is no stiff in this European."
New Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe ended up drafting him at No. 5 -- ahead of Amare Stoudemire. Later Vandeweghe admitted he had never seen Tskitishvili play in person. He relied on a scouting report from assistant GM Jeff Weltman.
The rest is draft history. A few weeks into the season it was clear that Skita had plenty of physical talent but didn't know how to play basketball. He was a workout wonder, a kid who looked amazing in drills and awful in 5-on-5.
Here in Treviso, people cringe when Skita's name is mentioned. No one in Benetton is willing to speak ill of a former player. But in every conversation, every gesture, the message is clear -- Skita was a bust.
Bargnani is their way of making that up to the many NBA people who were misled.
"I cannot say anything bad about Skita," Benetton GM Maurizio Gherardini said. "He's a good kid. What happened there was a very different situation and time. Bargnani is very different. He is a player. He's earned his minutes. NBA scouts have hours of game film to break down."
Bargnani is a big kid from a big city, the heart of Rome. His parents didn't play the game, but he knew at a young age he had the size and talent to play professional basketball.
"I learned how to shoot it and dribble in Rome," he said. "I was tall, but in Europe your coach lets you do everything to teach you the game. I am happy for this now. Maybe I learned it a little too much."
Gherardini heard about Bargnani from a former Benetton player who was ending his career in Rome.
"I got an e-mail from him and he said how great this kid was," Gherardini said. "It was unusual for him to recommend a player, so I got my staff together and said, 'Let's go and take a look.'"
Gherardini liked what he saw, but it took more than a year to convince Bargnani to join Benetton in Treviso.
"He was from a big city. Treviso is different," Gherardini said. "We had to convince him this was right for his basketball career. He had a lot of raw talent and we wanted to nurture it. We had one of the best coaches in the world [Ettore Messina] here. Eventually, he saw it was the best for his game to play here. He wanted to learn and he got to learn from some of the best."
Messina mentored Bargnani for two years before being followed by Blatt, the hottest young coach in Europe. Blatt was an assistant head coach when Maccabi won its first Euroleague Final Four in 2004 and then led St. Petersburg to the FIBA Eurocup in 2005.
What did he teach Bargnani?
"English," Blatt said with a smile. "I yell at him in English and one day he starts talking back. Now he's fluent."
Blatt wanted Bargnani to move from developmental prospect to rotation player this season. The team knew what the youngster could do: The year before Bargnani had wowed NBA scouts in Toronto in a preseason game against the Raptors.
"To play that way in that environment and be only 18 kind of gave him and us an idea of what he could become," Gherardini said. "However, he never let it get to his head. He's always been a down-to-earth type of guy. He's realistic and he has the right approach."
He had some success in his second season and Blatt thought he was ready.
"I told Bargnani he'd have to earn every minute he played," Blatt said. "Early on he struggled and I sat him. But he kept fighting through it. By January, he was an important rotation player. Now he's an integral starter."
On Monday and Tuesday, I was in Treviso watching Bargnani practice with his team for the Italian League championship. GM Bryan Colangelo of the Raptors, who holds the first pick in the draft, sat a few rows up with his scouting staff. To the left was Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy. Timberwolves GM Jim Stack also attended for one day.
At the gym, Bargnani made a powerful first impression. He looked huge, much bigger than last year at the Eurocamp.
Gherardini said that the NBA asked for official measurements two weeks ago. Their trainer measured him at 7-0 in socks, 7-1¼ in shoes. He's growing, gaining a centimeter in the previous five months. His standing reach was 9-2. He had put on some solid weight in his legs and calves in the last year, and according to Gherardini, he was up to 249 pounds.
The pressure on Bargnani these days is enormous. All eyes will be watching him in the league finals, which, if they go five games, will end five days before the NBA draft.
Not only does the ghost of Skita follow him everywhere, but also Bargnani feels pressure to become the first Italian to make an impact in the NBA. Even during the World Cup, this soccer-crazy country is paying close attention to Bargnani.
He casually blew off the question when I asked him if all of this attention was beginning to get to him.
"Obviously I'm very emotional," Bargnani said. "But I've learned to stay focused on what's important. I just want to help my team win a championship. I'm trying to separate the two. It's been a little harder this week. But my first desire is to help my team win. Then the NBA."
At practice, Blatt was all over Bargnani. He's yelled at him in a Boston accent, telling him when to rotate and help on the defensive end, and when not to. On the next play Bargnani got it wrong again, so Blatt was on him again.
The practices were pretty intense as Benetton prepared for its final series of the season. On Monday, the team worked on transition defense, with the players endlessly running up and down the floor. For a 7-footer, Bargnani was graceful, getting up and down the floor exceptionally well.
On offense, he pushed the ball up the floor and pulled up for 3-pointers on the break, looking deadly. With textbook form, he snapped the net with almost every J.
But Blatt says it's his quickness off the dribble that sets Bargnani apart from other players his size.
"I think he's a very good shooter," Blatt said. "But it's the guy's ability to create his own shot and get to the basket that will surprise people. He's just so quick and he wants to finish with a dunk. I think that's a key thing that NBA guys are seeing. He's not soft. He'll take the contact in the paint. But most importantly, he finishes strong."
Bargnani said he learned his moves watching Manu Ginobili play in Italy.
"I always liked how he plays," he told me. "Even though I was big, the coach let me try these things and I like them."
Defensively, Bargnani looked a little lost. Still trying to figure out when to stay home and when to help, he got his signals crossed at times.
He did show himself, however, to be an excellent shot-blocker. His timing and quickness off the floor gave him the ability to get to shooters, even when he was beaten off the dribble.
During the seven games I've seen on DVD this year, along with the few games I saw him play live last year, Bargnani spent most of his time on offense shooting long jumpers or taking the ball to the basket. He rarely posted up.
So this week's practice allowed me to see something new: Bargnani in the post. Blatt has been working with him on post play all season, and in practice he showed promise.
"To me, Andrea has all the tools to be a good post player," Blatt said. "He's just never been taught.
"He's always been so good at the perimeter stuff, he's been let off the hook. He can drive it and shoot better than most 7-footers ever. But the bigger and stronger he gets, the more [post play] is a real option for him.
"Look at him, he's not skinny or frail. He can handle it, so I've been trying to put him in those situations in practice and see how he responds. He's got great hands and he's skilled. To me, being a post player is about will. Do you really want to go in there? I think he's been warming up to it. He's realized some of his potential, but his upside in that area is enormous."
In the scrimmages, Bargnani showed skill. At one point he caught the ball in the paint, spun on his man and finished with a thunderous jam. On the next play, he started at the high post, spun and wheeled in to the basket.
There were a lot of mistakes along the way, too. But the early glimpses of him in the post made it clear he has the potential to play both inside and outside someday.
As one NBA executive left the court on Monday, he looked at me, smiled, held up five fingers and whispered, "Don't you think he can play a little five in our league someday?"
For many NBA teams, five is still the magic number.
The final act
They call Bologna "Basket City" for a reason. Even during the World Cup, the basketball fans of Climamio Bologna have hoops on the brain.
The team hasn't lost a home game since February 13, 2005. The fans quickly point to themselves as the reason.
"We are so loud," a Climamio Bologna fan says in broken English. "We will our team [to victory]."
The gym is tiny. Seats are stacked almost vertically. There's a newer, modern gym 15 minutes outside of town, but fans want their basketball here. The intimate setting is louder, and brings the fans closer to the court.
The roar begins an hour before the game. When Bologna hits the floor, it's feels like a tidal wave is about to crash down on the hardwood.
"This is," Blatt says after the game, "one of the toughest places to play in the world."
You don't have to tell that to Bologna's last opponent, Carpisa Napoli. The team arrived for shootaround before Game 5 last week and was turned away by security. Why? About 600 Climamio fans had shown up ahead of time and were blocking the entrance. Police told Napoli it wasn't safe for the team to enter.
When basketball is played in Europe, there are no good sports. Bologna's coach struck Napoli's GM in the face after Napoli won Game 4. Fans heat coins and hurl them at the players. If the home team loses, fans sometimes turn on their own team, requiring players to stay in the arena for hours before they're allowed to leave.
In this setting, Bargnani faces the biggest game of his life. Benetton is in the Finals. Colangelo, his potential GM, is sitting in the stands. He's about to be featured on ESPN.com. His every move is being watched. While other top prospects are ducking workouts or asking teams to bring them in alone, Bargnani is playing in top-level competition just two weeks before the draft.
One minute into the game, Bargnani gets it rolling. After he misses a shot on a lob and Bologna rebounds, Benetton's point guard Drew Nicholas steals the ball back and fires a pass to Bargnani in the paint. He takes one dribble, elevates and dunks it over former Bulls center Dalibor Bagaric.
A few minutes later, another steal leads to a feed for Bargnani in the paint. Another dunk. Two minutes later he gets a feed on the left baseline and makes a 15-foot jumper. He grabs a defensive rebound. Blocks a shot in the paint. Misses a 15-foot jumper and a fadeaway 12-footer as the shot clock expires.
Then Il Mago appears. With two seconds to go in the first quarter, Nicholas fires a long inbounds pass to Bargnani. He elevates over his defender and catches and shoots the ball in midair. It swishes at the buzzer.
Benetton leads the game 22-12. Bargnani has eight points on 4-for-7 shooting, two rebounds and a block.
Bargnani plays just five minutes in the second quarter because of foul trouble, but does hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He ends the half with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting, with three boards.
In the third, foul trouble keeps him out again, but he does have another magical play. With the shot clock down to two seconds, Bargnani catches the ball on the baseline and fires a fadeaway 20-footer shot that catches nothing but net as the shot-clock buzzer sounds.
In the fourth, with the game tied, Bargnani plays key minutes. He hits his third buzzer-beater of the game, this time a fadeaway 3-pointer in the corner.
After that miraculous shot, his shooting touch goes cold. Bargnani misses on a drive and then misses badly on a wide-open 3-point attempt. He makes his worst mistake of the night with just minutes left in the game when he passes on a 3-pointer, giving the ball to center Marcus Goree with no time to do anything but fire up a wild shot.
Blatt screams at Bargnani as he runs back down the court, "Shoot that! Shoot that!"
But in the closing seconds, Bargnani redeems himself with a terrific blocked shot that seals the victory.
Final score: Benetton 72, Climamio Bologna 69. Bologna loses at home for the first time in 15 months.
The review? Bargnani's performance was impressive, if flawed. While his stat line -- 16 points, 7-for-13 shooting, five rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes -- was solid, he made a number of defensive mistakes.
He often looked confused as to whom he was guarding. Blatt's demand that he guard threes, fours and fives in different situations seemed to have his head spinning. He also was pushed around in the paint by physical players such as Bagaric and Travis Watson. A few silly fouls kept him off the court a little longer than Blatt would have liked.
And on offense Bargnani was too passive at times, passing up shots.
But for his first appearance in the Italian League finals?
"I thought he was great," Blatt said after the game. "People forget how young he is and that this is his first year playing in games like these. I couldn't be prouder. He helped us win this game tonight from beginning to end. He makes mistakes, but he's been doing this at this level for one year. I've been doing it for 25 and I still make a few."
I talked to several NBA executives after the game, and all came away impressed.
"If you know anything about basketball overseas," one executive said, "then you know the type of pressure and competition that kid played against tonight. The players are better than college and the intensity is greater than just about anything you'll ever come up against. Do you know how crazy you all [in the media] would be going if an NBA rookie put up a performance like that in the Finals? He's going to be just fine."
"I'm not objective," Blatt said. "But I'm a big believer in his potential and I'm amazed at what he's been able to do. He has the basketball life of a 1-year-old. He's handled the pressure and scrutiny he's under beautifully. He has the physical tools and the mental and emotional makeup of a star. He's bigger, tougher and stronger than people think. He's passionate, willful and determined. If he can go to the right place, his upside is enormous."
Il Mago might eventually be a bust in the NBA. Or he might be star.
He might not become the next Nowitzki or Gasol, but he's no Tskitishvili either. Unlike Skita, he's performed on the big stage, without smoke and mirrors.
And maybe, just maybe, if he has one trick left up his sleeve, he'll be the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
06/27/2006
Raps pick up Villanueva, Graham options
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors have secured sophomores Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham, signing the pair of forwards through the 2007-08 season Tuesday.
The team retains fourth-year options that would keep both players through 2008-09.
The Raptors had until Oct. 31 to exercise their options on Villanueva and Graham in accordance with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo has said he wants to build the team around his young core of Villanueva, Graham and Chris Bosh.
The first of two Raptors' first-round draft picks in 2005 (seventh overall), Villanueva averaged 13.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games last season, including 36 starts.
He set team rookie records for points in a game with 48 and rebounds with 18. Villanueva finished the season second on the team in rebounds and double-doubles (12).
He was selected to play in the rookie game at all-star weekend in Houston, where he scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Villanueva also earned NBA all-rookie first team honours.
Graham was selected by Toronto in the first round (16th overall) of the 2005 draft, and averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 80 games, including 24 as a starter.
He scored a career-best 19 points and finished the season fifth among rookies in field goal percentage at .478 and sixth in free throw percentage.
06/27/2006
Colangelo: Raptors keeping the pick
TORONTO (CP) - After weeks of swirling speculation and rampant trade rumours, Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo insisted on the eve of the NBA draft he was planning to keep the No. 1 pick.
And he has pared his choice down to two players - reportedly Texas star LaMarcus Aldridge or Italian bigman Andrea Bargnani.
"At this point, it seems to be that we are more or less locked in at the No. 1 spot," Colangelo said Tuesday. "It's the day before the draft, and it appears we will utilize the pick."
With no undisputed top pick in Wednesday's draft, there has been plenty of speculation about what Colangelo may do at the No. 1 spot.
Colangelo admits he's fielded numerous calls about the pick since the Raptors won the draft lottery, but none has really grabbed him. To trade the pick outright for a player, Colangelo wanted someone of all-star calibre in return. To trade down a few spots in the draft, he wanted to get back a young player with decent potential thrown into the deal.
"There have been quite a few inquiries about the pick, nothing we felt was enough to change our course and use the selection," Colangelo said. "The offers that we received were not in the calibre that we felt it required to move the pick."
Still, the former Phoenix Suns GM has shown he's not shy when it comes to the high-stakes game of NBA trading and plenty can happen in the final hours before the draft at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"If someone came forward with something now that would knock us down and make us rethink the position, yeah, there's that chance (of trading the pick), there's time before the draft," said Colangelo. "But at the end of the day, we are sitting with No. 1."
Colangelo also made calls about acquiring another first-round pick, but nothing came to fruition.
"Are we still interested in acquiring another pick? Yes. Are there options right now? No. There's been some interesting and unique offers, players thrown at us. But we've gone through and systematically eliminated most of those opportunities," said Colangelo.
"But there is a lot of stuff flying around right now."<
Colangelo has already made two deals in the past couple of weeks, trading Rafael Araujo to Utah for Kris Humphries and fan favourite Matt Bonner plus Eric Williams to San Antonio for Rasho Nesterovic.
He also hired former Benetton Treviso GM Maurizio Gherardini as his assistant GM last week. On Tuesday, the team signed sophomore forwards Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham through the 2008-09 season and announced the hiring of Marc Eversley as director of basketball operations.
Colangelo's comments Tuesday came after weeks of keeping his cards close to his chest. But when asked whether he's a good poker player, he said he wasn't in the habit of spreading wrong information.
"I believe you never outright lie, it's not the way I want to conduct my business," said Colangelo. "You don't always tell everybody everything that you want to tell them though, you share information.
"To be honest, sometimes in this game, telling the truth is the best smokescreen of all."
Gherardini's hiring led to much speculation that Colangelo would take Bargnani first overall because of the Benetton Treviso connection. Gherardini was the team's GM before Colangelo hired him, the seven-foot Bargnani was the team's star, leading the Italian powerhouse to the Lega A title last week, and earning the Euroleague's Rising Star Trophy.
When Benetton Treviso played the Raptors two seasons ago in a pre-season matchup, Bargnani had an impressive 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes as an 18-year-old. The Raptors won 86-83.
"He didn't quite embarrass himself and did quite well," said Colangelo, who watched the tape of the game. "And to see where he was and where he is now is quite startling to see the progress that has been made."
The six-foot-11 Aldridge is considered perhaps the most NBA-ready bigman in the draft, named the Big 12 defensive player of the year last season. Plus he's also a friend of Raptors star Chris Bosh, one player on his roster Colangelo would like to please.
Meanwhile, the Raptors could make franchise history Wednesday by selecting Toronto's Denham Brown with the 35th overall pick. He would become the first Canadian player ever drafted by the team.
06/22/2006
Raptors add Gherardini to staff
TORONTO (Ticker) - Bryan Colangelo is getting international with the NBA's only true international franchise.
The Toronto Raptors on Thursday named Benetton Treviso general manager Maurizio Gherardini as the club's vice president and assistant general manager.
Gherardini becomes the first European to hold a senior management position with an NBA franchise.
It is fitting that he was appointed by Colangelo, who leaned on international help as president and general manager of the Phoenix Suns before leaving to take over similar roles with the Raptors.
"We are thrilled to have a globally esteemed basketball executive like Maurizio Gherardini join the Toronto Raptors," Colangelo said. "This is a ground breaking move for the league, appropriately with the NBA's only true international franchise."
Colangelo hired Suns coach Mike D'Antoni from the Italian League and acquired international talents such as Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw.
Gherardini, 51, has built Benetton Treviso into one of the most recognizable basketball organizations outside of the NBA. His squad captured the Italian Lega A championship Tuesday with a series win over Climamio Bologna. Benneton Treviso won four league championships (1997, 2002, 2003, 2006), seven Italian Cups, two Eurocups and made four appearances in the Euroleague semifinals.
Gherardini joined Benetton in 1992. Under his guidance, the club has become a training ground in Europe and a destination for NBA personnel to scout players. He has organized basketball camps, including the first coaches clinic in Europe.
06/21/2006
Raptors find a centre, dump a salary
TORONTO (CP) - Toronto Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo managed not only to acquire a centre but dump a salary in one fell swoop Wednesday.
Colangelo traded fan favourite Matt Bonner, seldom-used Eric Williams, and a second-round pick in the 2009 draft, to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, in exchange for seven-foot centre Rasho Nesterovic and cash.
Nesterovic fills a gaping hole for the Raptors, who have been in need of a true centre to help out star forward Chris Bosh. The move also rids the roster of the disgruntled Williams and his contract.
"We've got a lot of needs on this team right now and I think by acquiring a starting centre in the league right now - he started over 50 games for the team with the second best record in the league - we're filling a pretty big void on our lineup right now," said Colangelo.
In an unrelated move, the team also waived centre Robert Whaley. Whaley was acquired June 8 from Utah, along with forward Kris Humphries, for seldom-used centre Rafael Araujo, the Araujo trade being the first major move in the Colangelo era.
This trade comes a week before the NBA draft, in which the Raptors have the No. 1 pick. The two glaring holes in the Raptors roster were point guard and centre, but Colangelo said Wednesday's deal won't drastically alter how he'll approach the June 28 draft night.
"I think it affects it a little bit, not enough to actually alter the actual selection," said Colangelo. "Obviously we've got many holes to fill on the roster and we're still looking to bring in the best pieces. But we said all along that anybody we get in the draft is likely to help us more in the longterm than in the shortterm."
The 255-pound Nesterovic has three years left on his contract - an ideal length, said Colangelo, in terms of future flexibility - and is due to earn just under $7.3 million US next season.
He'll play alongside Bosh, who's expected to sign a contract extension on July 12. Colangelo spoke to Bosh about his new teammate and believes the two will make for a potent front-court combo.
"Chris wants to win, and he wants us to try to improve this team," said Colangelo. "He wants us to get bigger, stronger, tougher. Rasho is a seven-footer who knows how to push his weight around and be a presence in the middle and block shots and if not block shots, change shots with his length. I think it's going to be a nice fit."
Nesterovic has played in 548 games, and started in 456. But he had seen his role diminish this past season under coach Gregg Popovich.
The big Slovenian, who was originally acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round (17th overall) of the 1998 NBA draft, has averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over eight seasons in the NBA. He registered career highs of 11.2 points and 30.4 minutes during the 2002-03 season, and 7.7 rebounds per game in 2003-04.
Nesterovic scored a career-high 24 points against the Spurs on November 24, 2001, and grabbed a career-best 15 boards on three occasions, most recently March 5, 2004 versus Dallas. He'd seen his role diminish.
Bonner - or the Red Rocket, as he was known to his sizable fan following in Toronto - was due to make $2 million next season. He was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade June 26, 2003, and averaged 7.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in his two seasons with the Raptors.
Williams, who was acquired from the Jersey Nets in the Vince Carter deal of 2004, was owed $4.3 million US next season. But his role had diminished in Toronto, and he was vocal in his disappointment, publicly demanding a trade on several occasions. In two seasons in Toronto, he averaged 4.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.1 minutes.
Colangelo remains tight-lipped about his plans for the draft, although said there are still teams interested in swapping for the No. 1.
"There's tremendous talent at the top of this draft," said Colangelo. "(Texas forward) LaMarcus Aldridge came in and, if anything, confused us even more the other day. You're hoping for one of these guys to come in and stumble. Today, Adam Morrison (Gonzaga), Rudy Gay (Connecticut), Randy Foye (Villanova). . . they all came in and had a great workout. I think we're going to keep everybody guessing."
The Raptors also took a second look at University of Connecticut forward and Toronto native Denham Brown on Wednesday. The Raptors have the 35th and 56th selections, and Brown is projected to be a high second-round pick.
06/08/2006
Raptors ship BYU grad Araujo to Utah
TORONTO (CP-AP) - The Toronto Raptors traded bust first-round draft pick Rafael Araujo to the Utah Jazz on Thursday for forward Kris Humphries and centre Robert Whaley.
Drafted eighth overall by the Raptors in 2004, Araujo never met the expectations placed upon him in Toronto.
Former general manager Rob Babcock shocked basketball observers by taking the unpolished centre that high and his game has yet to develop to the NBA level.
Babcock was heavily criticized for his selection of Araujo at the time and the player's struggles partly led to the GM's dismissal in January.
Araujo averaged 2.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 12.0 minutes in 111 career games with Toronto.
"We wish Rafael well and feel this will be a positive move for both teams," Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said in a release.
Toronto fans often booed the six-foot-10 Araujo, who said in a conference call he welcomed the move back to Utah.
"I cannot say I'm a different player. I think I'm just more mature," Araujo said. "Sometimes it doesn't work for you how you think it should be working.
"One day fans boo you. Another day fans cheer you," he said. "I think that's part of sports."
Araujo plans to return to Utah for the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, then play for the Brazilian national team. He's spending the early summer in southern California, where he is working out with a trainer and improve his conditioning.
He'll need it to play for Utah coach Jerry Sloan.
The Jazz hope giving Araujo another chance fills a need Utah has at centre. Jarron Collins, who started half the season at centre, is a free agent and backup Greg Ostertag announced after the season he would retire.
The six-foot-nine, 235-pound Humphries was a first-round selection, 14th overall, by the Jazz in 2004. He's averaged 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 11.6 minutes in 129 career games with Utah.
The six-foot-10, 260-pound Whaley was Utah's second-round pick in 2005. He appeared in 23 games last season for the Jazz, where he averaged 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 9.2 minutes.
Araujo played two seasons at BYU in Provo, Utah - 60 kilometres down the road from where the Jazz play.
In his last season with the Cougars, the Brazilian centre was the Mountain West Conference's co-player of the year. He led BYU in scoring and rebounding with an average of 18.4 points and 10.1 rebounds. He shot 57 per cent from the field and made 72 per cent of his free throws.
02/28/2006
Raptors make Colangelo hiring official
TORONTO (CP) - Bryan Colangelo says it was simply time to ''jump off the ledge.''
When Colangelo accepted the job of president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, he left behind a Phoenix Suns franchise for which he'd worked nearly half his life.
Building on the foundation laid in Phoenix by his father and former Suns owner Jerry, Colangelo had cobbled together one of the most successful teams in the NBA in one of the league's biggest success stories last season.
The brilliant turnabout in Phoenix earned him 2005 NBA executive of the year honours.
With his future in Phoenix unclear, Colangelo said the Raptors are a perfect fit - a young team with a lot of flexibility on which to put his stamp.
''This is a great opportunity for me to take the next step, turn a page in my life. At the tender age of 40 I'm ready to branch out,'' said Colangelo.
Plus, his future in Phoenix had been uncertain, his relationship with managing partner Robert Sarver souring over the last couple of weeks as they tried to negotiate a contract extension.
''Given that the franchise sold a couple of years ago, and you've got a new ownership group in place that ultimately would perhaps want to carve their own niche in the market, it's a natural time.''
Jerry Colangelo, the team's first GM when it was founded in 1968, supported the move.
''We talked a lot about the ways things unfolded in Phoenix the last couple of weeks,'' said Bryan Colangelo. ''He encouraged me to explore the opportunity based on perhaps what we both looked into the future and saw.''
He's excited about his future in Toronto. He steps into a enviable situation, with salary cap room, a good draft pick and a budding young star to build around in Chris Bosh.
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Last edited by DigDeep on Jul-13-2006 at 17:52
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