Ed Davis Gives Weary Raptors Fans Something to Be Positive About

 Toronto  No Responses »
Dec 082012
 

There has been little to be positive about in terms of the Toronto Raptors, but Ed Davis might be the rare exception.

While Toronto has struggled its way through this NBA season, Davis’ play has been one of few bright spots after a season in which he, along DeMar DeRozan, both seemed to take major steps in the wrong direction in their development. Davis has started to show signs of maturity on and off the floor.

Hard to focus on anything positive after a pathetic effort from the Raptors in Utah that has fans demanding answers. Davis was not much of a factor in this one, as he struggled then left the game after bending his left ring finger while diving for a ball.

It was said via Twitter from several Raptors’ media in attendance that he had X-rays that came back negative. He was in theory able to return, but given the state of the game, Toronto decided not to risk it.

Davis had a bad night before the injury with no points, a rebound and a couple of fouls. Prior to tonight Davis had been fairly consistent. Things had been going well for Davis, since a game that sparked controversy from his good play and the poor play of Andrea Bargnani. The game was against San Antonio and ended in a double-overtime loss.

Davis had a double-double in that game of 15 points and 14 rebounds with a career-high eight offensive boards. I said at the time it was the best game of his career for the Raptors, having seen them all. Yet Ed and I—who was in attendance covering the game—were both spectators for the overtime. Raptors coach Dwane Casey would on that night pledge his allegiance to Andrea Bargnani, and things have been terrible for Toronto since.

Ed Davis however, has thrived since that time. Excluding tonight in Utah he has scored in double figures four of the last six games, including the performance against the Spurs. He had another double-double in a tough loss to the Kings in which he again would only be watching at the end of the night thanks to Casey’s decision. 

In this six-game window Davis has averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds a game as well. He’s also had five blocks and three steals, never shooting below 50 percent in any of the six games.

Ed Davis has had a bumpy start to his NBA career, not many would deny that. He missed training camp in his rookie season and than had a rushed camp thanks to the NBA lockout in year two. This season he was able to experience his first full training camp and preseason, after an experience at Las Vegas Summer League in which he was a major focus.

There was a change in Davis, and it was something I noticed right away covering the team’s media day. Davis had always been a fairly quiet guy, not mean at all, but not engaging. I was taken aback when Ed approached me and said hello, and we exchanged pleasantries.

This came after a surprise Twitter exchange we had in the spring not long after the draft. He told me through my Twitter handle (@DinoNationBlog) to keep sleeping on him. I have never asked him what caused him to tweet this my way. I think it was based on some tweets I had made about the possibility of him being traded, as part of a deal for the Raptors eight pick in last year’s draft.

That was a possibility, but it was not meant as me reporting, or speculating, but more as a joke to someone I know that is a huge Ed Davis fan. A lesson learned in social media for me for sure. This thought came to me after as to why Ed might have tweeted that. Instead, I just responded with that, I was rooting for him to prove his doubters wrong in Las Vegas.

Won’t break out the Vegas stats for you, but he did lead the Raptors in scoring, and over the summer he reconstructed his jump shot with the help of Raptors’ coaching staff. He is pretty proud of the work he put into it. I had an interview with him about it and you could see the pride beaming from his face.

While DeMar DeRozan’s improved play was noted earlier in the season, Ed’s play deserves mention too. He faces a great, yet tough situation, in being the backup to public enemy No. 1 these days in Andrea Bargnani.

Can Ed remain motivated and keep playing at this high level, despite averaging a career low in minutes this season under Dwane Casey?

Time will tell and as Ed Davis told me, sleeping on him might not be a good idea. Many were heading into this season after he struggled in 2011-12. In a crowded Raptors’ frontcourt he is starting to make himself noticed. He is also getting a lot of fans jumping off Bargnani’s bandwagon and aboard his.

I’m not ready to declare him the most popular backup next to Tim Tebow or anything. Still, the number of Ed Davis’ supporters is trending up. Impressive in a situation when almost everything connected to the Raptors is trending in the opposite direction.

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Pau Gasol Not Adjusting to D’Antoni’s System, Should the Raptors Swoop In?

 Toronto  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 

To say Pau Gasol looks like a lost puppy in the Lakers new offensive system is an understatement.

Plagued by tendinitis in both knees and by the overall aging process, Gasol has looked a step slow this season with the Lakers, and many experts think he cannot adjust to new head coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system.

With Dwight Howard now in town, Gasol’s role with the Lakers has definitely changed, and his numbers have supported that claim.

Having a career-low year in both points-per-game (12.6) and field-goal percentage (42 percent), Gasol’s start to this season hasn’t been pretty.

Gasol is currently out of the lineup with his knee tendinitis, and legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant is getting on him about his struggles.

Some quotes directly from Bryant in the source below:

“I want him to dig in and be determined, not discouraged,” Bryant continued. “We should go to him more on the post because he can dominate from there as he has to the tune of two rings. I’m sure we will adjust and figure out a balance when he comes back healthy.”

“I know his knees have been hurting and that can be frustrating because you can’t do physically what you are used to,” Bryant said Tuesday. “I just don’t want him to sulk about the change of things.”

“Put your big-boy pants on,” Bryant said after the loss that dropped the team’s record to 8-9. “Just adjust. Just adjust. You can’t whine about it. You can’t complain about it. You have to master what it is that we’re trying to do here and Pau is talented enough and he’s good enough to be able to do that.”

Bryant is not worried about losing Gasol to a trade however:

“We’re not going to lose him,” Bryant said. “That’s just not going to happen. I’ve been around him long enough. I know how to deal with him.”

That’s where the Raptors rumor mill begins to churn.

According to a report by ESPNLosAngeles.com, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak has supposedly contacted Gasol’s representatives and told them the team would have to explore trade possibilities if Gasol cannot adjust to the new coach’s system.

Will Kupchak be calling Toronto about the availability of two players?

Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani are also stars with the Raptors who are not really fitting into the new coach’s system, which focuses more on defense rather than offense.

When the Raptors were contemplating amnestying Calderon, the Lakers were likely ready to pounce on him.

Bargnani, on the other hand, has struggled at both ends of the floor this season.

Inconsistency, and just an overall lack of emotional engagement, have led to him being in the center of trade talk, as well as trash talk from Raptors fans.

Both of their defensive deficiencies can be made up by the defense provided by Bryant, Metta World Peace and Dwight Howard. Plus, they have solid veteran leadership from Bryant, Steve Nash (when he returns) and sixth man Antawn Jamison, so the responsibility of leading the team will not be on the two European players.

As for Gasol, a change in scenery may be a great option for him. Playing in a more defensive system with players who will look to him to lead from the frontcourt could see Gasol return to form.

His veteran presence could be used to help mentor both Jonas Valanciunas and Ed Davis in their ascent up the NBA frontcourt ranks.

A trade that involves Gasol and, say, Steve Blake for Calderon, Bargnani and Alan Anderson is a trade that makes sense for both sides and works under the CBA.

 

Potential Raptors Lineup:

Kyle Lowry/Steve Blake/John Lucas

DeMar DeRozan/Terrence Ross

Mickael Pietrus/Linas Kleiza/Landry Fields

Pau Gasol/Ed Davis

Jonas Valanciunas/Amir Johnson/Aaron Gray

 

The question is: Do the Raptors take the risk and pull the trigger?

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What Toronto Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas Will Prove About Andrea Bargnani

 Toronto  No Responses »
Oct 212012
 

Jonas Valanciunas is likely to once and for all establish the legacy of Andrea Bargnani one way or the other.

That’s a pretty bold statement to make, that a rookie is going to define the career of a veteran entering his seventh season in the league. The reason why the statement can be made is the bold contrasts between the two players. Some have called Jonas the “Anti-Bargnani” as a way to justify his selection and explain to Raptor fans the notable differences between the two players.

Andrea Bargnani is basically a flat out scorer, and is all about offense. Even his former coach, Sam Mitchell, admitted as much in the NBA-TV preview of the Raptors, that you might have seen this weekend on NBA-TV Canada. Andrea is rarely going to have big rebounding nights. He is likely never going to be a defensive standout on any level.

Jonas Valanciunas, on the other hand, is an aggressive defender and attacks on the glass. In a perfect world, and in if things meet the Raptors vision, they are the perfect complements to one another on the floor. You will have Andrea on the outside dropping three point bombs and Jonas in the post and running pick and rolls with Kyle Lowry.

Sounds great doesn’t it, a modern version of the “Twin Towers” that the Raptors can count on for the next decade.

Things don’t always tend to go that way for the Raptors though, in fact they rarely do. Many times the Raptors’ strengths have become the greatest weakness in the end.

There was Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, that duo was going to team together and challenge for titles for years. Jose Calderon and T.J Ford were a dynamic one-two punch at the point guard position. Chris Bosh just needed another star alongside him to take the Raptors to the top so here comes, Jermaine O’Neal or maybe Hedo Turkoglu . You get the idea here, the Raptors’ plans have not always gone as expected.

Andrea Bargnani has not always been embraced fully by the Raptors fans. Along the way, they have fallen off and got back on the Andrea Bargnani bandwagon many times. Given that fragile loyalty you wonder what the impact of Jonas Valanciunas will be on this.

Raptor fans have always been quick to appreciate players that bring effort regardless of talent level. After being educated on what Jonas Valanciunas actually is and getting to see it first hand it’s obvious that he fits that prototype of a guy that brings “it.” Andrea Bargnani doesn’t fit that at all.

They are also as different off the floor as people as anyone who has spoken with both can see.  Both have English as a second language, so it is a bit of a challenge for both to express themselves in that language. Bargnani tends to come off most of the time as blunt and direct. Even with a better handle on the language that has not changed. Jonas on the other hand is much more warm and engaging in his comments.

The Raptors also took a year and half selling fans on Jonas and trying to show him in a positive light. They did a great job in that which helps Jonas but likely hurts Bargnani in the grand scheme.

What this all adds up to is Andrea Bargnani may have all his weaknesses exposed by the presence of Jonas. They will be more glaring and noticeable to even the most casual fan. You can sit someone down to watch a game, who has no interest in the sport and they could tell you which guy is busting his butt and which guy isn’t.

The other thing working against Andrea is the fact that patience has worn thin for him with everyone. It is time to produce and become the all-star player that many have expected him to be. Jonas has pressure too, but as rookie will be cut some considerable slack, in contrast to what will be given to Bargnani.

Andrea finally had a good performance in the preseason against the Knicks in Montreal. He led the Raptors in scoring and actually had seven rebounds and two blocks which is huge news when were talking about him. The Raptors have ten days and two preseason games left before opening night against the Indiana Pacers. That could be enough time for Bargnani to turn around what has been a horrible preseason for him.

It is also leaves time for Jonas Valanciunas to confirm what is looking more and more like a role in the starting line-up at center for him. This was something that has been a surprise for me. The Raptors seem confident enough to go with Jonas right off the bat. Something coming into training camp I didn’t see happening.

The contrast between these two could be a dynamic duo that will help the Raptors recover from the post Bosh era. It also could be the breaking point for Andrea Bargnani in the minds of Raptor fans and perhaps at some point the minds of the organization as well.

This season was always going to be a make or break one for Andrea Bargnani. What some might not have counted on was Jonas Valanciunas being the catalyst to making or breaking Andrea Bargnani’s run with the Raptors.

If Andrea can do what he does and have his weaknesses hidden by Jonas than it is a positive for the Raptors. If the opposite happens and Jonas’ hustle and determination exposes those weaknesses all of the sudden there is a big problem.

If that problem materializes and Andrea is a disappointment, this is a huge chance for Ed Davis to step up to the plate. If you have a struggling Bargnani, an improved Davis and a Jonas that is better than expected that might be a case to make a move.

The Raptors have always fought against the idea of trading Andrea Bargnani at every turn. So they are hoping for the optimistic point of view. If not you have to wonder how long it will take for Raptor fans to once again jump off the Bargnani bandwagon and want him traded again.

A big factor in if the Raptors could even entertain that idea, will be if they can find more offense beyond Bargnani. He, for all his faults, is easily the Raptors’ best option to put points on the board and their toughest match-up to defend on a given night in the NBA.

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NBA 2K13: Breaking Down How Accurately It Reflects the Toronto Raptors

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Oct 082012
 

There are some exceptions and issues but compared to the past, the Toronto Raptors look like the improved team they are in reality in NBA 2K13.

If you choose to be the Toronto Raptors in NBA 2K13, it might be more fun than the last few editions of the game. The Raptors in last season’s edition were ranked as one of the worst teams in the game. This year the Raptors’ moves in reality have made them a lot more competitive option to play the game with.

One of the major problems is with the Raptors’ rookies. Terrence Ross might be rated a little on the high side—something we rarely say about a Raptor in a video game. He is a lights-out three-point shooter to an extreme degree. His overall rating is 71, which is more than generous compared to past Raptor rookies like DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis who started their video game careers ranked in the 60s.

On the other end of the spectrum you have Jonas Valanciunas, who gets zero respect in this game.

First of all, they have the entire announcement team pronouncing his name wrong. On top of that Valanciunas is rated far below Ross despite the fact he was the picked higher than Ross in the 2011 NBA draft the year prior.

He is given a rating of 58.

Considering that, in reality, most will expect Jonas Valanciunas to play more minutes than Terrence Ross, this seems wrong.

 

 

The Raptors finally made a decent pick in the second round this season. He is, of course, Quincy Acy out of Baylor. He was signed to a contract in July at the Las Vegas Summer League. This was prior to the Dwight Howard trade to the L.A Lakers. Yet Acy is not in the game at all?

 

 

In terms of uniforms, the Raptors have lots of options from—their basic three uniforms in white, red and black, and then retro purple-and-white from the Vince Carter era. In addition, you can make the Raptors into Huskies by choosing their blue-and-white Huskies retro uniforms—not to mention the much talked-about camouflage uniforms from last year and straight green uniforms for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Raptors have a lot of new faces this season, but for the returning players they all get some love in the form of higher ratings in this season’s game. Here is a list of the returning players with their ratings from this year and their overall rating last season in parentheses:

 

  • Jose Calderon 75 (72)
  • DeMar DeRozan 75 (72)
  • Andrea Bargnani 75 (74)
  • Aaron Gray 58 (54)
  • Amir Johnson 69 (67)
  • Linas Kleiza 63 (62)
  • Ed Davis 67 (66)

Kyle Lowry checks in as the best Raptor on the roster according to NBA 2K13 with an overall rating of 83.

There have not been many times in my life as a basketball fan/video game player I have been able to say this since 1995, but the Raptors might actually be a little overrated in this game. They still are in the bottom half of teams in the game, but a lot closer to the middle than in past seasons

The actual Raptors hope to mirror their virtual counterparts and be much improved this season. In NBA 2K13 they can compete with almost any team you put them against. The game settings could impact that of course, but I am speaking from the standpoint of the basic settings you have out of the box.

I am far from an expert video game player, but here are some tips to having success with the Raptors:

  • Bomb away with guys like Terrence Ross, Andrea Bargnani and Kyle Lowry. They all can make the three ball pretty consistently
  • Attack the basket with DeMar DeRozan and try to make some highlight dunks happen.
  • Amir Johnson and Ed Davis are good options to get you some garbage points on misses on the offensive glass. 
  • Pressure the ball with Kyle Lowry and be aggressive, looking for steals as long as you are not in foul trouble. 
  • Take advantage of pick-and-rolls and use them often.

A lot of those points could very well apply to the actual Raptors’ keys to success on any given night in the NBA.

In conclusion, you hope the Raptors can be as fun and competitive a team as they are in video game form this season. If they are, it should be a fun season to watch them on your television and play with them on your video game platform of choice.

For more on the video game beyond the Raptors in a general sense, there are lots of great articles here in the Bleacher Report community. Here is one that gives a good overview of the game as a whole, if you are sitting on the fence in terms of if you want to go out and buy it.

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the game as relates to the Raptors or in general in the comments.

Also, for all of the Canadian readers here at Bleacher Report, I just want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you were able to enjoy the holiday.  I would also be thankful if you cared to follow me on twitter @Dinonationblog . I do my best to respond to everyone both here on Bleacher Report and through social media.

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Is a Playoff Return the Only Way Toronto Raptors’ Season Can Be a Success?

 Toronto  No Responses »
Sep 202012
 

The word “playoffs” is being used in reference to the Toronto Raptors a lot these days. Honestly, the buzz from fans and media has me almost wanting to bust off in a Jim Mora playoffs rant. The Toronto Raptors do not have to make the NBA playoffs for this season to be considered a success.

It creates an expectation that may not be realistic for a team that is still fairly young. Is it the only way this Raptors’ season can be considered a success? In pro sports, the playoffs are usually considered the measuring stick for success, but the Raptors can still be a success without heading back to the postseason this year.

People are being very optimistic about the Raptors’ chances. Perhaps that is the fault of Bryan Colangelo and his past success when he first arrived in Toronto. He took the Raptors and made a massive turnaround, with a ton of offseason changes that won the team’s only division title in history.

The Atlantic Division has changed a lot from back in 2006-07. The major change was the next season, with Boston making the moves that created their “Big Three” with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. They became the class of the division. Since that time, the rest of the division has gotten stronger while the Raptors have taken steps backward until fairly recently.

The Knicks have Carmelo Anthony along with a formidable cast. Philadelphia went out and got Doug Collins out of the broadcast booth to coach on their sidelines. They now have given him a major piece to build around in Andrew Bynum. The Brooklyn Nets’ gamble paid off, as they were able to re-sign Deron Williams and he now has Joe Johnson and an impressive cast around him.

What was once called the “The Titanic Division” by many fans and media is no longer that. This makes the climb back for the Raptors this time around a greater challenge. Yes, the Raptors are improved, and there’s no question they should be better. But to hang a “playoffs or bust” tag on this team is not fair or logical.

If the Toronto Raptors show improvement and signs that they are still heading in the right direction, that should be more than enough for this franchise at this point. The Raptors have even tempered expectations, changing from making the postseason to contending for the playoffs. What the Raptors need to do is play meaningful games in late March and April.

If the Raptors are doing that, this season will be a success and a building block to brighter days ahead. 

If Jonas Valancuinas is showing the promise people expect right away by the end of the season, that is a positive. If Kyle Lowry is fully established as the starting point guard, that is a positive. If we see DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis have bounce-back seasons, that is a positive. If Terrence Ross shows promise and Quincy Acy shows the ability to be a role player, those are positives, too.

If this team can maintain and improve on its defensive agenda, that is a large positive as well. If a young team gains playoff experience, that is never a bad thing. It is not the end of the world if they don’t this year. 

It also is not a true sign a corner has been turned. Want an example? The Charlotte Bobcats made the postseason not that long ago. It didn’t exactly become a jumping-off point to success for them, did it?

The Raptors’ goal should be to be a contender in the Eastern Conference and ultimately an NBA Champion. The fact of whether they become first-round fodder for the Heat or Celtics is not going to impact on that goal one way or the other.  Ideally, it would be nice to see the Raptors make the postseason again—it is not a requirement for this season to be considered a success.

It is a combination of a lot of things building toward a greater goal at the end of the day. Raptors fans have seen this team make the postseason before.

If they have to wait another year to have a team that is more capable of making some noise in the playoffs, that should be acceptable to people—as long as they are seeing the improvement that is required for them to be that type of team in the future.

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Toronto Raptors 2012-13 NBA TV Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

 Toronto  No Responses »
Aug 212012
 

The Toronto Raptors finished the 2011-12 season with an overall record of 23-43. Andrea Bargnani led the team with 19.5 points per game, Ed Davis led the team with 6.6 rebounds per game, and Jose Calderon led the team with 8.8 assists per game. The Raptors ranked 28th overall averaging 90.7 points per game while ranking 9th overall allowing 94.0 points per game.

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Lakers Trade Rumors: Why Moving Gasol to the Raptors Makes Sense for Both Teams

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Jul 022012
 

It’s high time the Los Angeles Lakers traded Pau Gasol. And the Toronto Raptors may be just the trade partner that L.A. is scouring the league for.

The time is ripe for the Lakers to completely transition from the Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol era into the Kobe Bryant/Andrew Bynum era.

You can argue that the shift from the Bryant/Gasol Lakers to the Bryant/Bynum version took place last season, when Bynum surpassed Gasol in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and PER for the first time ever.

After getting bounced handily in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year, it’s clear that the frontcourt tandem of Gasol and Bynum has hit the wall, especially in Mike Brown’s system.

Bynum’s growing role in the offense has crowded Gasol out of the post and into an uncomfortable spot-up jump shooting role. The fact that Gasol still averaged a 17-10-4 is a testament to just how talented a basketball player he is.

However, for two postseasons in a row it’s been evident that the two big men can no longer share the post effectively enough for the Lakers to contend for a championship. Since the start of the 2011 playoffs, Gasol’s postseason numbers have nosedived to a pitiful 12.8 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting, a precipitous drop off from his career averages of 18.6 points on 52 percent from the field.

If the Lakers plan to continue utilizing the Spaniard in the diminished capacity they played him in last year, they would be much better off moving him especially when you consider his contract situation.

L.A. is paying Gasol $19 million a year to do a mediocre Chris Bosh impersonation. Bosh only got $16 million last season for the actual thing.

Enter the Raptors. They are ideal trading partners for the Lakers in a Gasol deal.

Here’s the trade: L.A. sends Gasol and Metta World Amnesty…er, Peace to Toronto. In return, the Raptors send back Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, and DeMar DeRozan.

Who says no here?

Toronto has made it clear that they’re tired of fruitlessly rebuilding year after year and want to finally give their fans a reason to cheer. How else would you explain them offering free agent (and more importantly, Canadian) point guard Steve Nash a three-year, $36 million contract that ends when Nash is 41 years old?

Trading for Gasol would be excellent bait to lure Nash north of the border. Right now, there’s not much there to entice the two-time MVP, who wants to play meaningful basketball games without purely ring-chasing. Add the most skilled big man in the game for him to work with, and now you’re talking.

The Raptors have been a frequent landing spot for international players. Acquiring Gasol (who’s from Spain) and World Peace (who’s from another planet) would continue that trend.

A revamped frontcourt of Gasol and promising Lithuanian import Jonas Valanciunas would give the Raptors some bite on their front line. They would finally have a big who can score with his back to the basket and World Peace —who seemed revitalized at the end of last season—would immediately become their top perimeter defender.

Bargnani has shown some flashes in his six seasons, but he has never lived up to his No. 1 overall draft selection. Replacing him with Gasol would be a definite short-term upgrade. It feels like the Raptors have been dangling Calderon for years, so losing him is no sweat. And by reaching for shooting guard Terrence Ross with the No. 8 pick in last Thursday’s draft, Toronto signaled that they’re not married to DeRozan at the 2 for the long haul, so he becomes expendable as well.

Think about their potential roster for a minute. The starting five would go Nash/Ross/Metta/Gasol/Valanciunas with Ed Davis, Amir Johnson, Jerryd Bayless, Linas Kleiza and Free Agent X coming off the bench. That’s a top-four team in the East.

Meanwhile for the Lakers, this is as much value as they’re going to get for Gasol.

As a 7-footer who wants to play on the perimeter and shoot jumpers all day, Bargnani is a perfect fit alongside Bynum. He’s a legit 20-point scorer who’s gotten better every year and at 26 years old is coming into his prime. Plus, he makes about half of what Gasol does and can be part of the Lakers’ future since he’s under contract until 2015.

Clearly the Lakers are desperate for a competent point guard, especially now that Ramon Sessions has opted out of his contract. Calderon, who’s been linked to L.A. in trade rumors on numerous occasions in the past, can provide them with a heady facilitator who doesn’t turn the ball over and can knock down open threes (career 38 percent three-point shooter). Although he makes $10.5 million next year, his deal expires at the end of the season, providing the Lakers with much needed cap relief.

In DeRozan, the Lakers get a young shooting guard who has a chance to be a really good perimeter scorer. Even though he had a disappointing year last season after breaking out in 2011, he’s the type of player you take a chance on because of his pedigree (one of the top high school recruits in his class and a top-10 draft pick) and his age (22). He’s been miscast as a go-to perimeter scorer at this stage in his career. Coming off the bench behind Bryant would give him some seasoning and give the Lakers some offensive punch off the bench, another glaring need.

DeRozan grew up in L.A. and played his college ball at USC, so maybe a homecoming would do him some good. Plus, he’s a restricted free agent next summer so the Lakers get one season to determine if he can replace Kobe in the future before needing to make a decision about whether to commit to him long term. It’s a low risk/high reward proposition for L.A.

You might argue that the downside to swapping Gasol with Bargnani is that the defense will suffer. Remember that was the same presumption people made last year when the Lakers gave Lamar Odom away for free. There was essentially no difference in L.A.’s defensive efficiency numbers between 2011 and 2012 and their opponents shot the same percentage from the field.

Last season, Toronto actually finished ahead of the Lakers in defensive efficiency rankings and Bargnani posted a significantly better defensive rating than in previous seasons. So under a good defensive coach like Toronto’s Dwane Casey, Bargnani has shown that he can be part of a sound defense. Mike Brown is a good defensive coach. I wouldn’t be overly concerned here.

Parting with the declining and volatile World Peace would provide Devin Ebanks (assuming the Lakers hang on to him) a chance to prove he’s capable of a full-time rotation slot. Ebanks showed in college that he has the size and athleticism to be a plus defender in the NBA.

And don’t forget that since the Lakers are retooling their roster through a trade in this instance, it leaves them still with the chance to make additional moves in free agency. They can spend their exception money on a good defensive wing who can also provide shooting like, say, Brandon Rush.

In this hypothetical trade, the Lakers get rid of two huge contracts that are on the books until 2014, saving themselves a large chunk of change when the new harsher luxury tax rules kick in next summer. At the same time, they reload their roster for one more title run with Kobe with players who provide a better fit on the court and fill holes on the squad.

It also gives them a foundation for the future. The Lakers can go into the post-Kobe era with a core of Bynum, Bargnani, and DeRozan. Not bad considering how old their team looked last season.

It was a good run for Pau in L.A., but the Lakers know that if they want to make the most out of Kobe’s twilight, they have to cut the cord with Gasol in order to add new pieces to their championship puzzle. There may be no more ideal package out there than what the Raptors have to offer. 

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Raptors Rumors Round-Up: Nash to Toronto Gaining Steam, Bulls a Trade Target?

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Jun 252012
 

Captain Canada, also known as Steve Nash, is one of Toronto’s main free-agent targets as they attempt to spend some of the cap space GM Bryan Colangelo collected over the past couple of seasons.

In those deals, fans saw franchise leader Chris Bosh dealt for a very large trade exemption, and combo guard Leandro Barbosa shipped off to the Indiana Pacers for a trade exemption and a second-round pick.

According to Fox Sports Arizona’s Randy Hill, several NBA personnel executives have confirmed that the Nash-to-Toronto rumors may have real traction.

He states:

“I’ve been hearing that from people that would know,” said one Western Conference sharpie, sounding very much like the rest of us. “The Raptors may not be ready to win right away, but with (Andrea) Bargnani, (DeMar) DeRozan and maybe (Jonas) Valanciunas coming over next season, they could be pretty decent right away with Nash. And they could have enough cap space to get something done there.”

Valanciunas, the 7-footer chosen fifth overall by the Raptors in the 2011 draft, was the dominant player in last summer’s U-19 World Championships. According to reports earlier this month, there’s a strong chance he could buy out the last year of his European contract — the Raps are able to pony up roughly a quarter of that price — and play in the NBA next season.

Nash in Toronto obviously makes sense for both sides. Jose Calderon has done an admirable job guiding the Raptors with his steady play, but it’s obvious the Raptors need that extra bit of veteran leadership at the point guard position.

Nash, when teamed up with high flyers DeMar DeRozan and James Johnson along with big men Ed Davis, Jonas Valanciunas and potential All-Star Andrea Bargnani, gives the Raptors a powerful arsenal.

Toronto would obviously need to make a deal in order to open up space for Nash as a starter.

Rumors out of Chicago state the Bulls may be looking to unload either small forward Luol Deng or Joakim Noah for a trade exemption and a first-round pick.

This is where I believe the Raptors may get involved.

With Derrick Rose possibly out at least until December of next year, the Bulls could be in line for a replacement point guard.

That’s where the expiring Jose Calderon fits in perfectly. Calderon’s large expiring contract, coupled with either the Raptors’ eighth overall pick or Ed Davis, could net the club either Joakim Noah or Luol Deng.

A deal that was possibly discussed was Deng and the 29th pick for Calderon and the eighth pick. This could be expanded to include Noah and Ed Davis, with the Raptors also giving Chicago the Barbosa Trade Exemption, but I think that would be asking for too much. It’s not unrealistic, but I doubt the Bulls would give up that much to get an expiring contract, a young big man and a first-round pick.

The Raptors’ roster would look like this…

Steve Nash/Jerryd Bayless

DeMar DeRozan/Linus Kleiza

Luol Deng/James Johnson

Andrea Bargnani/Amir Johnson

Joakim Noah/Jonas Valanciunas

Looking at the roster, I think Toronto could easily contend for home-court advantage in the first round. A nice blend of passing, athleticism, rebounding and defense would give the Raptors quite the attack.

The NBA Draft is set to begin Thursday night, so this is just the start of what is expected to be a busy  week in the rumors department.

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