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djsunyc
Posts: 44929
Alba Posts: 42
Joined: 1/16/2004
Member: #536
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Raptors have options, dilemmas
posted: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 | Feedback
• See also: Today's update on the Utah Jazz' workouts
People around the league are still trying to figure out what the Raptors are up to.
Are they drafting Andrea Bargnani? Are the really after UConn's Marcus Williams? Are they trading out of the draft altogether?
The latest intel is all pretty inconclusive at the moment.
The fact that GM Bryan Colangelo has sent his staff, including Wayne Embry, to Italy to watch Andrea Bargnani is significant. A source in Toronto claims that no one in the organization is as high on Bargnani as Colangelo is. In order to build a consensus on draft night, Colangelo wanted to make sure they had seen Bargnani enough to come to an educated decision.
He probably should've sent forward Chris Bosh as well. Bosh publicly said last week that he didn't think the Raptors needed Bargnani and seemed to be campaigning for LaMarcus Aldridge, a fellow Texan and former workout partner. Personal ties, more than basketball, are probably influencing Bosh. Aldridge is actually much more similar to Bosh than Bargnani is. Still Bosh's complaint is significant. He's the one guy the Raptors don't want to tick off.
If the Raptors did draft Bargnani, they could trade Charlie Villanueva (whose trade value is very high at the moment) for a player that plays the one or the five. Or they could decide to play a little like Phoenix and put Bosh at the five, Villanueva at the four and Bargnani at the three. The team would be long and athletic and could really score. Defensively they'd have some problems, but the league seems to be moving away from its obsession for bruising, physical centers.
Another option for the Raptors is to trade down a few spots in the draft and grab a player who fits a need. Numerous sources around the league are saying the Raptors are very open to trading the pick.
Bill Duffy, the agent for Williams, told me on Tuesday that Raptors loved Williams in his workout and had told him that Williams was in the mix at No. 5. The Raptors moved up to No. 1, and wouldn't consider taking Williams with the top pick. But if they swapped picks with a team like the Blazers, they could be in a position to draft him.
Here's why I think that scenario is unlikely. While Williams is the best pure point guard in the draft, he has a number of question marks that make his selection by the Raptors doubtful.
One, he went to Toronto out of shape. Duffy didn't deny that Williams was overweight, saying that Williams got a late jump on his draft training because of school obligations. Still, a point guard with a weight problem is the last thing a NBA coach or GM wants. Deron Williams overcame those objections last year by slimming down considerably before the draft. Marcus Williams, in contrast, put 15 pounds on top of his playing weight of 205.
Two, his lack of athleticism is going to be troubling to a GM like Colangelo, who had speedy point guards during his tenure on the Suns. Williams has great court vision, but his lack of speed makes him a poor comparison to Jason Kidd or Steve Nash.
Three, questions about Williams off the court, including those about his involvement in selling stolen laptops at UConn, have raised a red flag for NBA teams.
I'm not piling criticism on Williams. I've had him ranked as the best or second-best point guard in the draft all year and believe he's got a chance to be an excellent NBA player. He has an amazing feel for the game. And unlike many of this year's other prospects, he's ready to play now.
But all of those question marks, I believe, will hurt his draft stock a little.
If the Raptors do trade down to No. 4 or No. 5, I'd still expect them to target Bargnani or Brandon Roy.
Another scenario may be more plausible -- the Raptors could trade way down or out of the draft and grab a veteran player who could contribute immediately.
Sources claim that Colangelo doesn't want to delay the rebuilding process any longer than he has to and would be open to trading the pick to a team willing to give the Raptors a veteran he covets.
What makes some sense in this scenario?
The Pacers seem to be a team that might have to rethink how they're going to play in the future. Would Larry Bird trade Jermaine O'Neal for the No. 1 pick, Villanueva and cap relief?
The Grizzlies are another team that can't seem to get over the hump, and they are having financial difficulties. If the Raptors really want to go international, would the Grizzlies part with Pau Gasol for the No. 1 pick, Villanueva and cap relief?
The Knicks are the other obvious suitors, though it's hard to believe anyone on their roster could help them pry the Raptors No. 1 pick away. It would probably take Channing Frye, the one guy the Knicks seem to want to hold onto.
The Sixers are another team that would like to deal. Samuel Dalembert is on the block, and the Sixers likely would be willing to take back a player like Alvin Williams or Eric Williams, even if it meant swallowing a bad contract. The question is whether the Raptors would really take on Dalembert's huge salary ($55 million) for the next five years.
One more Raptors note:
Jay Williams' agent, Kevin Bradbury, told me that Williams will be in Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday working out for the Raptors. He'll then do a workout a week for select teams, trying to land a one-year guarantee on a roster. Williams has been rehabbing in Chicago all year and according to Bradbury is looking "100 percent better than he did last year."
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5/31/2006 5:00 PM