Well, no time like the present to get things ready for 2009-2010...Raptors make their first big decision in management to kick off the summer.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4158208

Raptors sign Triano to 3-year deal
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Associated Press

TORONTO -- Jay Triano signed a three-year contract Monday to coach the Toronto Raptors, dropping the interim tag after taking over the team during the season.

Triano was promoted Dec. 3 after Sam Mitchell's dismissal.

The Raptors went 25-40 under Triano but finished strong, going 9-4 in their final 13 games.

"We have gone through an extensive evaluation process and have done a lot of soul-searching internally and came to the conclusion that Jay Triano was the right leader for this team as we move forward," general manager Bryan Colangelo said.

A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, the 50-year-old Triano became the first Canadian-born and Canadian-trained coach in the NBA when he was hired in 2002 as an assistant to Lenny Wilkens. He spent six years as the Canadian national team's coach, leading the squad to a seventh-place finish at the 2000 Olympics.

"Today it's a great honor for me to be really rewarded by an organization that I've been devoted to for the past seven years," Triano said. "I've spent an awful lot of time late at night here at the arena preparing for games. I'm just anxious and excited. Things won't change."

darn you fleung I posted this 1st lol, so you go and start a new thread

also from our home town paper today

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1563467

a bit of a brag here but Jay and I went to school together
His dad was my High school principal the year I graduated
His uncle live 2 doors down from me, Taught me how to play poker and was my grade school prinicipal. The whole family is awesome, and we try to get together every summer at a family neighbourhood party. They are awesome people. His brother Jeff played in the OHL and was drafted by the leafs but never did make the team. I use to play street hockey with his cousins. We had a lot of fun as Kids growing up and still have fun looking back laughing at those times. but with all good times was the pain and sad times. that I am not going to go into here.

geez...things looking worse in Raptorland...


Bosh not planning to sign extension with Raptors


Posted Jun 4 2009 7:13PM

TORONTO (AP) -- Chris Bosh doesn't plan to sign a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors this summer and is preparing to become a free agent at the end of next season.

Bosh is in the final year of a deal that will pay him $15.7 million. While Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo has spoken optimistically in the past about signing Bosh to an extension this summer, Bosh said that isn't his intention. He said leaving his status up in the air could actually help both himself and the Raptors, who missed the playoffs this season with a 33-49 record.

"[When] I signed a three-year [extension in 2006]... I had a goal in mind, and that was to put myself in the best position [in 2010] ... I'm thinking I just want to stick to my goal, stick to what I was doing," Bosh told reporters. "That's a part of the plan ... I just want to address things [after] next season. There's a reason why I did things the way I did them back then."

Should Bosh become a free agent in 2010, he'll join a crop of players that could include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash.

This doesn't change anything.

I don't think anybody at any point thought Bosh would sign an extension this off season.

First move...

Are we happy with this? I always thought there was a better way to use Kapono. Not thrilled to see him go.


Raptors send Kapono to Sixers in exchange for Evans

By Official Release
Posted Jun 9 2009 2:51PM

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has acquired forward Jason Kapono from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Reggie Evans. The trade will be finalized pending both players passing their physicals.

"We are very excited to add one of the league's most prolific three-point shooters in Jason Kapono," Stefanski said. "We feel that this move addresses our goal of improving our shooting from the perimeter.

"I want to thank Reggie Evans for his contributions to the team for the past two seasons and we wish him only the best."

Kapono (6-8, 215) just completed his sixth NBA season and has appeared in 321 career games with 61 starts, averaging 7.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game. The former UCLA standout won the NBA's 3-point contest in back-to-back years in 2007 and 2008 and is tied with Steve Kerr for the highest 3-point shooting percentage in NBA history (.454).

Last season, Kapono appeared in all but one game for the Raptors, averaging 7.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and a career-high 1.3 assists while shooting 43.2% from the floor, 42.8% from 3-point range and 81.0% from the foul line. He ranked 12th in the NBA in 3-point percentage.

Kapono was originally a second round pick (31st overall) by Cleveland in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent one season with the Cavaliers before being selected by Charlotte in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft. Kapono signed with Miami as a restricted free agent in October of 2005 and was a member of the Heat's championship team that season. Following two seasons with Miami, Kapono signed as a free agent with Toronto in July of 2007.

While with Miami in 2006-07, Kapono enjoyed his best season, averaging career highs of 10.9 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 49.4% from the floor and 51.4% from behind-the-arc, the fifth-highest 3-point percentage in a single season in NBA history.

Kapono finished his collegiate career as the third leading scorer in UCLA history behind Don MacLean and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He became the first Bruin to earn first team All Pac-10 honors all four years as well as the first player in school history to lead his team in scoring in four straight seasons.

Evans (6-8, 245) just finished his seventh NBA season and his second with the Sixers. In 79 games with seven starts last season, he averaged 3.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. Evans has ranked in the top-10 in rebounds per 48 minutes played in each of the past six seasons.

Good trade.

They save money and Evans is somebody who gives the Raptors something that they don't have which is rebounding and toughness.

Kapono was hugely disappointing and most of the blame was on him. He was a shooter who refused to shoot and he's a huge liability other than shooting.

Like a lot of players he looked much better than he really was playing with Shaq and D Wade in Miami where he had a ton of open looks because of them.

Ya, you make a good point with Shaq/Wade giving him good looks. Seems like the type of player that would do well with James-Cleveland. Too bad Kapono's defense is so suspect.

Where is the love??

GO TURKOGLU

ya, that's a pretty big signing that really fits with the Raptors style and chemistry. Hopefully this and the rumoured additions (Jack, Rasho, Delfino) fill-in the role player holes nicely.

This isn't too shabby a line-up:

Bargnani
Bosh
Hedo
DeRozan/Jack/Delfino?
Calderon

Pretty soft on the rebounding with that lineup.

To be honest I hate the signing of Turkoglu. It removes a lot of cap flexibility and I doubt he's really the addition that Toronto needed. Until last year he was an average player and only started for Orlando because Tony Battie was injured (or so I hear). It is still yet to be seen if he can run an offense effectively without a player like Dwight on the inside and a bevy of 3-point shooters surrounding him to give him maximum efficiency running the pick&roll with Dwight. Bosh is a different kind of player and I'm not sure how well Hedo will fit in around Calderon etc. I feel like at best he'll match this seasons stats and may revert a little.

I think Toronto may be competing for most euro lineup.

I think it also removes a ton of cap flexibility in the future.

I think you add quality players at a position of weakness and that's what the Raptors have done with Turk. He's a bit of a unique player. How well it will work on defense will be the question. Reggie Evans off the bench will help with their softness and rebounding.

Turk's big year was 07/08 and his stats actually weren't as good last year but the team as a whole was better and he made a lot of big late game plays.

I think the Raptors will go as far as Bargnani's development. If he continues to progress like he did at the end of last year he's going to end up as a fringe all star. His one on one defense is pretty good against most bigs and his rebounding fundementals on the defensive end were getting much better as he's actually starting to box out his man, I wish the same could be said for Bosh.

Basically the Raptors are going to start a front line that is going to be a matchup problem for almost all teams. It's hard to deal with 3 guys who are all 6'10" or taller, can shoot and are mobile.

Expect them to get even more International as Rasho N and Delfino are the most likely players to round out the roster if Indiana doesn't match Jack's offer sheet. Rasho loves Toronto and his family actually was living here while he played for the Pacers.

trading bosh before the deadline?

I really really doubt that happens.

I don't see a scenario where Bosh becomes a problem and demands a trade or anything like that even if he knows he isn't going to stay.

It's almost impossible to get fair value for Bosh in a trade during the season since the only way any team gives up much value for him would be if it's a team that Bosh is willing to re-sign with which means a top end team. Well a top end team isn't going to have the salary cap space to make a deal for Bosh and the Raptors aren't going to take crappy contracts back.

Plus the Raptors should be in the middle of the playoff mix in the East and they aren't going to just dump him and give up on the season.

I think one of two things is the most likely with Bosh.

1. He looks around and decides to re-sign with the Raptors. The salary cap is going to be much much lower next year than it is this year and there will be far fewer teams with the cap space to take on a maximum contract. Of those teams with the cap space how many of them will be somewhere that Bosh would rather be than Toronto. Plus the Raptors can pay him more money than anybody else and over more years.

2. If that doesn't happen then I think some sort of sign and trade deal will happen in the off season that brings the Raptors back some value for Bosh while still allowing Bosh to get his maximum contract.

I think Bosh just leaving as a free agent is the least likely thing and even if he does leave the Raptors will still have cap room with his and other expiring contracts to be in play in the off season to improve the team.

I just think that Colangelo looks at Bosh as having a lot of value to the team on the floor this season and in a worst case scenario he has a lot of value as an expiring contract/sign and trade asset that is going to be more than his value in a trade during the season.

ahh the sign and trade always slips my mind

http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/2009/07/r...al-is-done.html

Will the last American player on the Raptors please turn the lights out after they're traded away ?

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A...o&type=lgns



I love this trade. Get a young player with some upside for an over the hill George who probably wouldn't have played much at all for the Raptors.

how many years are left on george's contract? it seems like purely a money a move on golden states part

George is an expiring $1.6 million contract this year while Belinelli is $1.54 million this year, team option next year for $2.38 million and in 2011 his qualifying offer would be $3.37 million.

My understanding is that the Raptors also sent them some cash in addition to George.

I love this deal. It almost seems too good to be true. Not to say Belnelli is great, but he has a tremendous upside, wheras Gerorge doesn't. Plus, it give Bargnani another Italian to chum with. I like it a lot.

I hope the press is realistic about the Rap's chances this year. Last thing we need is a repeat of what the Jays did and have everyone crowing about a contender blah blah blah. I'd just like to see consistency and toughness, along with quality substituting. Just do that and you'll make the 2nd season (playoffs).

we know what Hedo and Bosh will bring (especially in contract year) and Calderon is looking good in the off season. The bench is DEFINITELY an upgrade. If Derozan and Bargnani are strong I think the Raps could challenge for 4th in conference.

I really like the Raps acquisition of Marco Belinelli, I think he is going to be deadly from the bench.

I'm not that huge on Jarret Jack tho. I just don't know why we spent so much on him to be a 2nd back up guard. I just think it would be awesome if the Raps traded Bosh/Jack for like Nowitzki or something. I doubt that would ever happen, but I just think it would be hilarious if we had like an all euro white team.

A guy I work with who knows basketball better than me says the Raps have a deadly 3 point shooting team. That being said, it doesn't mean much if they have no inside game.

GO RAPS!

I like where the Raps are and they certainly have 3pt threads but "deadly"? Bosh/Derozan won't/shouldn't be jacking up a lot of treys this season.

Guess it's a pretty dead time in the bball forum. Thought I'd throw some random stuff during the offseason low.

All time Toronto Raptors team?

5Camby
4Bosh
3Carter
2McGrady
1Stoudamoire (spell?)

At each player's peak, would this team be good enough to compete for a championship in any year?

Depends on how committed to defense they are.

Other than Camby I don't think I've seen any of the other four players play amazing defense. That probably answers my question...can't win without defense.

DAMMIT, I need next week to come so I can start complaining about how long preseason is!!

I seriously can't wait for the season to start. Hopefully it's not the typical Toronto pro sports team again this year.

I never notice the NBA preseason, because the NFL and CFB are going on.

On Friday I have my draft for the one third of a pair of season's seats that I buy.

Wish me luck.

Who's your #1?

there are 4 pre season and 41 regular season games and I take 15. I get one preseason and 14 regular season but I get whichever preseason game the other guy doesn't want.

For the 41 regular season games he gets first choice then I take a game then he takes 2 then me 1 then him 2 then me 1 and so on until all done so I don't know which game I'll take first. Home opener is Cleveland so that will most likely be my first choice unless he takes it.

He's gotta take that one, right? Home openers are the best and it's the debut of Lebron and Shaq. Plus: Lebron. Unless he really wants to see the Lakers and knows they'll only be in town once...

Which is why your strategy should be to pick the Western Conference teams you want to see first because you're only getting one shot at seeing them.

I think my list would look something like:

Lakers
Hornets
Blazers
Ex-Sonics
Spurs
Suns
Cavs
Magic
Heat
Bulls
Celtics

If he starts snatching up Cavs/Heat/Magic, then I'd bump them up to make sure I got a chance to see each of them at least once.

For me rivalry games also play a big part of things. Orlando games should be fun with Vince Carter there now who is still hated with a passion in Toronto and Turk in Toronto.

The other guy shares his seats with 3 other people and he tries to balance their needs so things can be all over the map. Last year I had Home Opener, Lakers, Hornets, Orlando, Cleveland, Houston ( my girlfriend is Chinese so seeing Yao was a big deal) among my top picks. His group loved the Celtics and I can care less about them to be honest, they bore me. I also like to balance things so that my games are spaced out and I don't have 5 games one month and none in another.

That's so sick, I'm so jealous.

So we just did our draft.

The other guy I deal with is the nicest guy in the World and knows that I like going to the home opener so eventhough he has first pick he tells me I can have the Cleveland game on opening night.

Here are my 15 games.

Oct 15th Houston - preseason

Oct 28th Cleveland - home opener
Nov 11th Chicago
Nov 22nd Orlando
Dec 8th Minnesota
Dec 13th Houston
Dec 20th New Orleans
Jan 17th Dallas
Jan 22nd Milwaukee
Feb 3rd New Jersey
Feb 24th Portland
March 17th Atlanta
March 31st Clippers
April 4th Golden State
April 14th New York

To me having games spread out during the season is as important as opponents. I've already seen all the teams and great players live so not seeing the Lakers isn't going to kill me.

Pretty awesome about the home opener...

well, the season's started good (sw)...Bosh is injured and will miss start of training camp. Not much details...hope it's not covering up something bigger.

Home opener vs the Cavs was a lot of fun. Sell out and a very lively crowd.

Bargnani couldn't be guarded by any of the Cavs big men. Only when the Cavs went small and they had LeBron guard him did the Cavs slow him down. He showed some new moves that I don't think he's had in his arsenal before.

The refs in this game cheated for the Cavs more than maybe I've ever seen a team be cheated for. Was disgusting. My biggest problem with the NBA is the officials and how much they cheat for certain teams and players.

DeRozan looked very poised for a young rookie in his first game and did a lot of good things and didn't seem to make any glaring mistakes.

Jack and Wright are going to shoot the Raptors out of some games this year as neither of them is a good outside shooter but they will both take shots when they should be letting somebody else do it.

Belinelli played well and has an offensive flair that is fun to watch. He isn't afraid to take a shot and I'm sure there will be times that he'll take too many of them.

I just love Rasho. He's such a pro and always seems to be ready to play for how little or much he's needed.

Bosh is Bosh. Forced a bunch on offense when he should have moved the ball to somebody else. His defense as usual was barely adequate. He just doesn't have a very high basketball IQ in my opinion.

The defense that Calderon played was my biggest surprise of the night in a good way. He seems so much quicker laterally this year compared to last when he was a total pylon with his injury problems. He's never going to be a great defender but I thought he did a good job tonight.

The Raptors have a very tough schedule to start this season with a lot of road games and a lot of games against top teams. A win against a what should be a good Cavs team to start the season makes me feel a lot better since I'm expecting some rough patches early in the year.

Ya Bargnani looked great, and Derozan was a lot better than I thought he would be. Couldn't believe he was starting when I saw the intros.

Bosh in his postgame interview wasn't happy at all with how he played, so I'm sure he would echo what you said, kinda.

Does everyone in Toronto love Nesterovic for some reason?

The idea of starting DeRozan is get him his minutes with the starters at the start of the first and third quarters and others will finish the game.

People here love Rasho for a few reasons.
1. Some like me really appreciate the little things that he does and how much of a pro he is on and off the court. His basketball IQ is very high and he knows what to do and not to do. I guess I have a soft spot for big guys who know how to use the fact that they are big and use that fact and good positioning etc as opposed to just being an explosive athlete.

2. Rasho never wanted to leave Toronto when he was traded to the Pacers. His wife stayed living here while he played for the Pacers since they love the City so much and one of his kids was born here. A lot of fans like him because he likes us and wants to be here unlike some others who didn't want to be here. Rasho has said that he plans on keeping a home here in Toronto when his career is over.

Tottally agree with this. I watched the second half and it was ridiculas. To bad the NBA is gonna bury that book by that crooked ref.

Only saw the highlights but I love how they kept showing Lebron plays while trying to ignore that most of the time they were down 10+

I watched the repeat of the game today on Raptor TV and the refs were even worse and more one sided than it appeared live. Digusting how bad they were. At least the replacement refs when they made bad calls did it both ways.

I agree the refs were horrible.

I am in love with this team though. Bellini is f*cking awesome. I told you he would be sick! Lets get the W tonight against Memphis!!

Wright and Evans are going to be heroes in Toronto. I think both will fill the roll that JYD did years ago. Not the most talented by any means but a ton of hustle and Toronto loves those guys.

Ah what a crappy ending. I'm not a huge fan of Wright at all. I have no idea why they had him in late at the end of the game. I would have rather they had DeRozan or Bellinini in there at the end of the game. Even though I prefer Bellinii, I would have thought DeRozan deserved to play the end of the the game, he was hustling all game from the wing with some key offensive rebounds.

Ok Raptor fans...I think we'll be alright. Still lots of upside potential with this team. Don't hop off the bandwagon until we hit Game no. 15!