HOOPLOG: Donyell Marshall

Rookie Revue

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 08:54:10 -0800

It’s been about a month and a half since we checked in on this year’s rookies. There are two developments that will go on in the next few weeks that will have drastic effect on rookies. One is a negative: the vaunted “rookie wall” that threatens to hurt rookie numbers across the board. The actual effect of the rookie wall isn’t too clear, and it’s not definitely going to affect anyone in particular, but it’s something to think about. The other development is a positive: with a half a season under their belt, some rooks are going to start figuring out the game, force their way onto the court, and start putting up fantasy-starter-like numbers (see Raymond Felton as a perfect example). Anyhow, let’s go down the list:

Plug n’ Play

Andrew Bogut – Despite Joe Smith’s return to the court, Bogut is still a dependable second center in almost all formats. He doesn’t do anything particularly well other than shoot from the field (53%), but he does chip in enough points, boards, steals and blocks to be a fixture in your lineup.

Chris Paul – He’s the ROY. He’s getting consideration for the All-Star Game (which he shouldn’t, but that’s another story). Needless to say, he’s a great play and if you drafted him this year, odds are you got a steal. However, he’s also a classic candidate for the “rookie wall” effect, as he’s played major minutes all year, he’s small, and he’s charging all over the court at 100 mph every game.

Channing Frye – He’s in Plug n’ Play, but just barely. Less Antonio Davis means the potential for more minutes for Channing, but he’s just not earning them – his shooting is down since the new year and he’s still struggling to top 20 mpg. If he didn’t qualify at Center, he wouldn’t be here.

Charlie Villanueva – We’ve been hyping him since day one, and he’s starting to show some returns. Since the Rose trade, he’s put up 17/7.8 with 2.8 3’s and 1 block, starting numbers in any format. He’s a possible Donyell Marshall clone – and I mean that in a good way. But we’ll see how Antonio Davis cuts into his PT.

Raymond Felton – Felton is a brand new FBB favorite. He starting getting it together in January, and now in February he’s got 20/6.3/8 with 2 3’s and 2 steals. He’s also playing well alongside Brevin Knight, and while we don’t think he’ll maintain these numbers, he should put up at least 15/4/6 with a steal and a three.

Just Not There – Yet.

Sarunas Jasekivicius – I think it’s safe to leave Sarunas on the waiver wire at this point. We’ve waited all year to see him get starter’s minutes, but for whatever reason, he hasn’t gotten them. When Jamaal Tinsley went down with an injury (or eight), the minutes went to Anthony Johnson – not exactly a ringing endorsement for the ex-Terp. Still, we’ll keep him in this category.

Danny Granger – He’s very close to being a Plug n’ Play. In fact, I’m sure I’ll get a lot of flack for this. His last five games have been extremely encouraging, but let’s see him keep it up for another week or two.

Marvin Williams – I don’t think he’ll ever justify being drafted ahead of Chris Paul, but I’ve been impressed with Williams of late. He’s quite simply still learning to play the game. But his athleticism is unquestioned, his improvement has been steady, and he’ll be worth a late-round flyer next year. He’s no Darko.

Nate Robinson – If he can’t get minutes under Larry Brown with Stephon Marbury out, I don’t see any reason why he’ll get any sort of reliable minutes over the rest of the year. If he gets traded, though, there’s always a chance.

Nice Try - Maybe Next Year

Ike Diogu – Last month’s hot pickup is this month’s hot drop. He’s got promise, just not for this year.

Jarrett Jack – Listen – if you try and take minutes from our boy Steve Blake, you’re in for a rude awakening. Still, Jack has played very well and could be a nice fantasy player in the future.

Deron Williams – Milt Palacio? Really? Still probably worth a roster spot – if you’ve got room on your bench.

Luther Head – Last month’s hot pick … oh wait, I already used that line.

Salim Stoudamire – He’s not gonna get the minutes he needs to be productive, but he’s got Allan Houston-esque potential down the line.

Already Maxed Out

Jose Calderon – He’s a backup point guard on a poor NBA team. I don’t think there’s any reason to think he’ll be more than a complimentary piece this year, or even in later years.

12/2/05 Box Score: Sonics 115 Cavaliers 108

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 23:42:58 -0800

Tonight’s unoffical box score and Game Flow link.

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	1	2	3	4	Total

Cleveland	30	18	31	29	108	Final

Seattle	26	32	23	34	115	ss="yspscores">

eams/sea">

Cleveland
Name	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
D. Gooden	32	5-8	0-0	1-2	5	7	0	0	0	1	1	11
L. James	45	14-27	0-5	6-8	0	3	8	1	1	3	1	34
Z. Ilgauskas	30	3-6	0-0	4-4	0	5	0	2	0	2	4	10
L. Hughes	47	5-13	1-3	10-13	1	3	6	6	0	0	5	21
E. Snow	22	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	3	6	0	0	0	2	2
D. Marshall	30	4-8	2-6	4-4	0	5	0	3	0	4	2	14
D. Jones	25	5-10	5-10	1-1	0	2	1	0	1	0	1	16
L. Jackson	4	0-2	0-1	0-0	2	2	0	1	0	0	1	0
A. Henderson	3	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
M. Wilks	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
S. Pavlovic	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
M. Andriuskevicius	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Z. Hamilton	DNP - Coach’s Decision
I. Newble	DNP - Coach’s Decision
A. Varejao	DNP - Coach’s Decision

Totals	240	37-77	8-25	26-32	8	30	21	13	2	10	17	108
Percentages:		.481	.320	.812		Team Rebounds: 14

Seattle
Name	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
R. Evans	15	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	4	0	1	0	0	2	0
R. Lewis	36	11-20	4-9	0-0	0	3	2	0	0	0	2	26
N. Collison	24	3-9	0-0	2-4	2	8	0	2	0	0	5	8
R. Allen	44	8-22	4-10	1-2	3	6	5	2	4	1	1	21
L. Ridnour	28	4-7	1-2	0-0	0	1	7	1	1	0	2	9
D. Fortson	14	2-4	0-0	1-2	2	6	0	1	0	0	2	5
V. Radmanovic	26	6-9	1-2	1-1	3	5	2	0	1	0	4	14
R. Murray	24	7-11	0-1	10-12	1	5	3	0	1	1	1	24
D. Wilkins	25	3-3	0-0	2-2	0	0	1	1	2	1	2	8
V. Potapenko	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
R. Brunson	DNP - Coach’s Decision
M. Cleaves	DNP - Coach’s Decision
M. Moore	DNP - Coach’s Decision
J. Petro	DNP - Coach’s Decision
R. Swift	DNP - Coach’s Decision

Totals	240	44-85	10-24	17-23	11	38	20	8	9	3	22	115
Percentages:		.518	.417	.739		Team Rebounds: 11

____________________________________________________________

PopcornMachine’s GameFlow (will be added when posted)

20 assists to 8 turn overs as a team. Would like to see more asssits, but that ratio is very nice.
As I was watching part of the game, Fortson was standing next to Donyell Marshall. I was reminded of just how wide Danny’s body is. He was two Marshalls wide, Marshall looked like a twig, like a piece of Danny’s hair had fallen off and was trying to get it’s own rebound.
Nice to see 3 Sonics with 20pts in a game, and Flip got to the line like a demon. It is concerning thought that he had over half (12 of 23) of our FTA’s.
9 steals as a team is great, and we won the battle of the boards by 8.

Cavs Clip the Clippers In Overtime 112-105

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 08:24:42 -0800

People were scratching their heads when Danny ferry wanted to sign Donyell Marshall to a contract. Their not scratching their heads anymore. Donyell Marshall’s three point play in regulation and his three consecutive three pointers in overtime help the Cleveland Cavaliers end their two game losing streak by beating the Los Angles Clippers 112-105 in [...]

Eastern Conference Preview - Atlantic Division

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 10:22:48 -0800

Boston Celtics

What can i say about the Celts? I'm confused by this team year after year. It's nice to see them do well, but sometimes i have to wonder how they do it? Paul Pierce of course is the only consistent scorer Celtics fans have known for years.

This off season they lost Antoine Walker. You know, when Walker came back to the Celtics last season and played next to Pierce again, it was like the good ol' days, before Walker got it through his thick skull that he had a better chance of winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks and eventually found himself in the worse position of playing for the bottom feeding Atlanta Hawks before he was traded at the deadline back to the Celtics. Once again Walker has taken off for greener pastures and is banking on Shaquille O'Neal's ability to win games and increase his championship aspirations. Walker has even stated he wouldn't mind coming off the bench in Miami. What? Antoine, say it ain't so... Aww.

Mark Blount disappointed last season after signing a big contract. Why does that happen anyway? The player isn't as hungry anymore? Now he's got enough money to buy all the "big man" dinners he can eat.

Ricky Davis was a legitimate sixth man award candidate last season and he brought his game to a new level, toning down on the head games he usually plays and concentrating on coach Doc Rivers' plan of action.

What i wonder now is who will play point guard for the Celtics? Gary Payton has decided to go off and hang from Shaq's nuts for another year in hopes of winning his much desired championship, and for that reason alone i am putting the official HEX on that Miami Heat. The only way they should win the championship is if they trade Payton to the Hornets before the playoffs. That's right, let "the glove" deal with that bit or reality.

The Celtics are deep at point guard still, very deep, but the skill level is questionable. They have young guards capable of shinning at different points, so it will be the coach's job to figure out who will bring the most to the table. Marcus Banks, Delonte West, Orien Greene and Will Bynum will all be competing for minutes at the point.

Another big question mark? Gerald Green. What will the rookie bring to the floor with him? Before the draft he was touted as the next Tracy McGrady, but he sunk from the projected top 6 pick down to where the Celtics picked him at number 18. The look on his face when he was passed by pick after pick was priceless.

Look for Al Jefferson to step up this year and be the starting power forward. Jefferson was the steal of the draft last season and showed a lot of toughness and his skills should be greatly improved after one season in the league.

My Picks:

Best Player: Paul Pierce
Best Rookie: Gerald Green
Prediction: 2nd (Atlantic), 8th (East)

Philadelphia 76'ers

The Sixers made an impressive push for first place in the Atlantic last season. After starting the year badly, Allen Iverson did his usual and saved the team from mediocrity until his teammates and some trades came to relieve some pressure.

The biggest move last season was the acquisition of Chris Webber, or shadow thereof. The power forward was one of the more dominant players years ago. Although he's shown he can still score points and bring down a bunch of rebounds, his paycheck still reflects the performance of years past and his contract along with Iverson's will eventually choke the 76'ers, so they have to win now! There is no time to waste.

The Sixers were able to re-sign most of the free agents they stood to lose and hopefully will benefit from the resigning of Kyle Korver, the sharpshooter and Samuel Dalembert, who seemed destined to make major money, even though he's just shown spurts of what people assume will be a great defensive game and decent offensive abilities.

I was reading another preview article this morning and the name Jamal Mashburn came up. I had to double check the date of the article. Mashburn has been gone from the league so long, he should have joined the cast of "Lost". It seems there is a possibility of Mashburn actually getting some playing time this season. I don't know, i don't buy it. Until i actually see Mash playing some pre-season games, or just plain suiting up for a shoot around, I'm not going to anticipate anything. However, if the Sixers were to get even 40 games out of a player with that kind of skill, it couldn't hurt, could it?

The guy that excites me the most is another solid pick from last years draft, Andre Iguodala. He doesn't seem to show at the top of the scoring sheet, but that kind of honor is obviously bestowed on Iverson and Webber at this point, but Iguodala does everything right. He's a decent defender, and exciting slasher to the basket and DAMN, he's got some hops, that's for sure. I look forward to the "other" AI getting more involved in the team's offensive schemes and I'm sure he won't disappoint.

My Picks:

Best Player: Allen Iverson
Best Rookie: *
Prediction: 3rd (Atlantic), 9th (East)

New Jersey Nets

Ok, first off, living in Toronto tends to skew your view of the Nets. No doubt the Nets were able to pick Rob Babcock's pocket in picking up Vince Carter. The picks Toronto acquired may or may not pan out and that answer is years in the future.

Jason Kidd is the heart and soul of this team and both Richard Jefferson and Carter will take the lead from Kidd. This is a powerful three headed monster we're looking at. If Kidd can remain injury free this season, there is no doubt the Nets will be contending for the top position in the Atlantic.

Carter and Jefferson have to be regarded as the top offensive duo on the Atlantic and the team isn't too shabby on the defensive end either.

Nenad Krstic became one of my favorite players to watch last season. After trading Aaron Williams to Toronto in the afore mentioned Carter trade, not only did Krstic find more minutes to showcase his skills, but he played well enough to earn more minutes than Jason Collins, who's been starting in New Jersey for years.

The off season has been a weird one for the Nets. The Nets' team doctors have uncovered a heart aliment in Robert Traylor and found what may turn into bad knee tendinitis in Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Not signing Traylor was that painful for the Nets, but I'm sure they will be feeling the loss of a player like Abdur-Rahim, who would have made the starting lineup completely well rounded and potent, might leave some fans in New Jersey wondering what could have been.

The Nets did solidify their point guard position with the signing of Jeff McInnis. McInnis is a decent point guard and may see some time as the shooting guard. The signing will also insure the team won't be left high and dry of something were to happen to Kidd this season.

The Nets' first round pick this year, Antoine Wright, by all accounts should be a solid contributor off the bench, a capable scorer and good shooter.

It's doubtful the teams impending move to Brooklyn will weigh on the players minds, but you can't completely discount something like that.

My Picks:

Best Player: Richard Refferson
Best Rookie: Antoine Wright
Prediction: 1st (Atlantic), 5th (East)

Toronto Raptors

Woah Nelly! Another year in Toronto, another set of Desperate Housewives set of dramatic events. The season hasn't yet begun and the media had a field day with GM Rob Babcock. ESPN simply murdered Babcock's pick of Charlie Villanueva on draft night. I must admit, i was sitting at home ready to bury my logitech mouse through my 21" monitor.

Babcock appeared to have been taken advantage of in the trade of Vince Carter last season, getting 3 players and 2 draft picks. None of the 3 players acquired proved to be starters on the Raptors, in fact, the Raptors had to deal with Eric Williams requesting a trade out of Toronto (which he's recently rescinded) and in a move that angered a lot of fans, the Raptors paid Alonzo Mourning $10 million dollars to simply not show up in Toronto, freeing him up to sign with Miami and back up Shaq.

Babcock was also quoted in the media recently as stating that this year's team WILL NOT win more games than last years team. It's true that the team lost Donyell Marshall, who was a good scorer and solid contributor to the team, but once again, the fans went crazy with "Fire Babcock" chants. It may be the truth, but damn, the truth hurts and it shows Babcock's unprofessionalism.

On the court though, things may not be that bad. Chris Bosh has emerged as a powerful weapon the team should move to make the number one option on offense. Jalen Rose is still a good scorer on any team, and when his head is into it, he can play good defense and change the scope of a game with his post skills. Let's hope he can admit the need of the young players getting some much needed minutes if this team is to move forward anytime soon. Rose has been rumored in trade talk with the LA Lakers, and Rob Babcock has stated there is a 50/50 chance of a trade before the beginning of the season and speculation has it, Rose's contract would be a nice one to get rid of.

Villanueva will be a question mark until the team figures out where he's going to fit on the court with Bosh. What ESPN had right in their diatribe, is that the Raptors drafted a player that plays the same position as Bosh, forcing one of the two players to play out of position. Although Bosh had some success playing center, his game is more tuned to the power forward position. Villanueva has been rumored to play the center position, which is possible, but he's also been rumored to play the small forward position, which would be interesting with his size, but most think his lack of foot speed will get him eaten up in the NBA game speed.

Joey Graham is a physical specimen as many are fond of saying. He's got a great NBA body, good work ethic and appears to be able to do everything needed on the court. I see some of Andre Iguodala's game in Graham and if that's the case, it's not a bad thing at all.

What can i say about the point guard? Rafer Alston was actually one of the best point guards in the East last season, no doubt about it. He could have had his assist numbers rival the best dimers in the league, but he did fall in love with his shot towards the All-Star break and the relationship with coach Sam Mitchell was strained towards the end of the season. If Alston understands the game plan this season and begins picking his spots more carefully, his play can open up the offense and give the young players some room to maneuver. Just gotta keep those emotions in check Rafer!

Oh, one more thing. Rafael Araujo has actually regressed if you believe his performance with the Brazilian national team this summer. The backup center on the team seemed to school him at most practices and his opponents on the court were able to get the best of him for the most part. It's true that "big men" take longer to develop, but this is going to be one of those players we will label as an undeniable bust if he doesn't log significant minutes with the Raptors this season. Not just because he was picked at number 8 in last season's draft, but because he's now 25 years old, which was supposed to be a selling point, "he's already a man and understands his responsibility", but was there a player in the league that looked more lost at times on the court? I watch a lot of basketball and i don't remember one.

My Picks:

Best Player: Chris Bosh
Best Rookie: Joey Graham
Prediction: 5th (Atlantic), 14th (East)

New York Knicks

Oh Boy! Hmmm... The Knicks is the team where talent goes to die, or so it seems. The team consists of high paid under achievers with attitudes to boot.

The best move the Knicks made this off season? No, it wasn't trading for Quentin Richardson, it wasn't signing an immobile center in Jerome James, it wasn't deciding to keep Allan Houston and pay him him incredible salary. Their best move was to sign a coach in Larry Brown that seems to make talent gel, regardless of the talent gathered, and damn, they can use some of that magic.

I will keep my Isaiah Thomas rant short, but damn, this guy knows how to spend money, doesn't he? Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Stephon Marbury, all players i believe are overpaid and are in New York because Thomas wanted them, he can only use the previous GM as an excuse for so long.

With the bad, comes the good. The Knicks were able to acquire Nate Robinson with the Phoenix suns 21st pick in this years draft and if the pre-season is any indication, Robinson is a steal. There is a video being circulated on the Internet of Robinson one-hoop catching an offensive rebound mid-air and dunking it back over 3 Minnesota Timberwolves summer league participants. Incredible, but how much playing time will Robinson get being a rookie and backing up Marbury?

I'm not comfortable predicting anything with the Knicks. I don't like the way the team is managed but i respect their coach's coaching ability.

The team might be a good position to get younger at the end of this season. Will someone trade some youth for Anfernee Hardaway or Tim Thomas? What do these players have to offer that any contender would want?

My Picks:

Best Player: Stephon Marbury
Best Rookie: Nate Robinson
Prediction: 4th (Atlantic), 12th (East)

2005 Fantasy Tiers by Position: Power Forwards.

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 08:54:32 -0800

Taken early, a power forward can really help shape your draft. Taking a center-esque PF like Elton Brand in the first couple rounds means you can hold off on a center for a good while. Taking a PF that can step outside and knock down a three like Dirk Nowitzki early means you can wait a bit before taking a SG or SF, and concentrate on the scarcity positions.

Taken late, though, your options drop pretty dramatically. Power forwards don’t go terribly deep, mostly because anybody listed as a F/C is undoubtedly going to be played as a center. Luckily, there’s only one PF spot on your roster. Still, it’s nice to have a couple of options at every position, so try to grab two of these guys:

Tier One:
Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki

These guys should be off the board after four picks – maybe three. Garnett is up there with LeBron for the top player in the game, while Nowitzki might not qualify at center anymore, but still is an incredible value as a 7-category player.

Tier Two:
Elton Brand, Jermaine O’Neal, Chris Bosh.

These are your faux-centers. They block. They rebound. They score. If they qualified at center (as they all once did), they’d have incredible value. But they don’t. Still, with centers being at such a premium, guys who act like centers are pretty useful. It may be the difference between reaching for a guy like Zydraunas Ilgauskas in the 4th and being able to wait for someone like Nenad Krstic in the 7th or 8th.

Tier Three:
Dwight Howard, Rasheed Wallace, Pau Gasol.

Admittedly, Chris Bosh likely belongs in this group. But we here at FBB really like him this year. Also, Rasheed Wallace probably belongs with the Centers, but seriously, he’s not a center. We had to take a stand. Anyhow, these guys all could end up with top-25 value, but could also end up somewhere in the 40’s on the player rater at the end of the year. You can’t be terribly excited about any of them, but at some point they do become the best pick.

Tier Four:
Carlos Boozer, Kenyon Martin, Chris Webber, Zach Randolph

I’m not a huge fan of any of these guys. All of them are injury risks, all of them have question marks on the court, and a two of them (Randolph and Boozer) are really 3-category guys, and that’s it. Still, if they slip late enough and you can grab any of these guys in the 5th or 6th round, they could be great value.

Tier Five:
Antawn Jamison, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Tyson Chandler.

These are some small tiers, huh? But that’s just because this position is so thin and varied. Here are the guys that you know you can have on your team and they’ll produce as long as they stay healthy. They might not produce a ton, but they’ll at least have marginal value.

Tier Six:
Donyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, Al Jefferson, Kurt Thomas, Darius Songaila, Troy Murphy, PJ Brown.

This tier are guys who really have an outside chance of being really valuable, but could just as easily be terrible, but JUST good enough that you can’t drop them. Every position has this tier – with Small Forwards it was the third tier. Here, it’s the sixth. DM is a huge fan of Donyell Marshall and he wants him to be much higher, but too bad! I think Troy Murphy could just as easily be a Tier 4 or 5 player.

Tier Seven:
Nick Collison, Eddie Griffin, Joe Smith, Kwame Brown, Vladimir Radmanovic, Udonis Haslem.

This tier could really be broken into high-risk high-reward guys (Kwame, Griffin) and low-but-solid value (Radmanovic, Smith). But we’re tired of all these three-person tiers. Given injuries, playing time, etc., all of these guys might end up with mid-round value, but some things are going to have to fall into place before that happens. Still, they’re all worth late-round flyers.

Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up positional tiers, with Centers.

Jones 3 Point Show in Cleveland

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:12:54 -0800

Link: ESPN.com - Cavaliers, Jones reach four-year, $15M deal

Damon Jones rolled the dice and found himself on the outside looking in with Miami. Let's see, he turned down the opportunity to play with Shaquille O'Neal and be on a team that will be favored to win the Eastern Conference title.

With all the shooters on the Cleveland Cavaliers, i question what Jones' role will be. Lebron James, Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Zydrunas Ilgauskas all need their own number of shots. Where does Jones fit in? He can definitely be an offensive spark plug off the bench but his defense is questionable and that was one of the main weaknesses the team wanted to address this off season.

However, Jones will improve the 3 point range and accuracy of the team overall, stretching defenses with his range may give Hughes and James more space to work off each other, but let's face it, Lebron will still command a double team almost every trip down the floor.

The Cleveland lineup will either feature Lebron James as the starting point guard (a position he's played before), leaving Jones to come off the bench or Jones will be the starting point guard and will let James shift to the small forward with Hughes playing the shooting guard.

Terry Pluto Loves Donyell Marshall

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 09:09:26 -0800

In a town where Larry Hughes and LeBron James grab the headlines, no one has been too excited about Donyell Marshall's arrival in Cleveland. No one, that is, except the Akron Beacon-Journal's Terry Pluto, who raves about Marshall today: General...

Cavs sign Hughes, Ilgauskas and Marshall

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 15:55:13 -0800

Cleveland has officially signed unrestricted free agents Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall to multi-year deals.

76ers eye Swift, Abdur-Rahim and Antoine?

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 09:13:46 -0800

76ers GM Billy King is making his own contacts on the free agent front, said to be focusing on Donyell Marshall, Stromile Swift, Dale Davis, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker and Christian Laettner, among others....

76ers eye Stromile and Donyell?

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 13:05:46 -0800

76ers GM Billy King opened the door more than just a crack yesterday, confirming the names of several free agents - including forwards Stromile Swift, of Memphis, and Donyell Marshall, of Toronto - whom they have contacted through their respective...

Character Guys

Thu, 12 May 2005 21:24:59 -0800

"It's the play under duress that frustrates me more than the suspension and the push of Tinsley"

"emotional stability is needed"

"The league is trying to change [its] image and I just feel like we need players that are going to respect the game more"

Is that clear enough for you? Is everyone getting the point?

Danny started his rebuilding project by gathering all the talent he could find. To do so, he had to sacrifice some guys that were high character guys. Those guys were aging and were not going to be very useful leaders from the bench or trainers table, so I don't have any problem with their departure. Nor do I have an issue with who was brought in.

However, the next step has to be taken. Now that we've got the talent, we need to develop the right kind of mindset. Some of that can be taught. The rest will have to be bought. So who can we bring in to make this team tough minded?

Well, I think we can rule out Kwitter Brown and Bonzo Wells. I tend to think a sign and trade for either Ray Allen or Michael Redd would be ideal for this effort. But despite my trademongering, those are long shots at best of happening. The reality is that its going to come down to "trenches" kinds of guys. Last year, I was very much in favor of signing Etan Thomas from the Wizards. The Wiz matched the Bucks offer, so it wouldn't have happened anyway, but he does fit the mold of solid role player who will do the little things needed to win.

If you could bring back old friend Eric Williams and offload Mark Blount in the process, would you do it? For the money savings and the character issues alone I would. Kurt Thomas would be a good option. Donyell Marshall could be too. Danny seems to be interested in veteran point guards. What about Eric Snow? I keep talking about needing to dump Raef's salary, but hasn't he been exactly the kind of solid vet that we don't have many of?

I guess by throwing out names I'm opening myself up to a lot of criticism, but I'm not trying to propose trades here. I'm just bringing up examples.

The bottom line is that this team is most likely going to have to go after someone who doesn't have the biggest name, but has a great personality and can provide the younger players with an example of a guy that does his job the right way. Or put another way, this team is full of Mannys and Millars (and maybe a Nomar?). They need a few Nixons and Variteks to take the next step.

Bell to the Bulls?

Sun, 08 May 2005 21:18:59 -0800

We can use a big who can shoot the ball from a distance Paxson said. We can use a bigger guard who can defend. Thats not taking anything away from Kirk and Chris but we do have a small backcourt. And we could use a little more athleticism on our roster.There arent many obvious targets to fill Paxsons wish list. Donyell Marshall a sweet-shooting big man figures to get better offers than what the Bulls will be willing to spend. Utahs Raja Bell is a possibility for a taller guard.One name worth considering is one who just burned the Bulls in the playoffs power forward Michael Ruffin. The former Bulls draft pick is an unrestricted free agent and might be worth an investment even though hes not a scorer.

Another Update from Rob Babcock

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 23:40:31 -0800

I want to begin by thanking all of you for your support. We had a challenging season and our fans have stayed with us throughout. Our primary goal this year was to establish our philosophy and develop a foundation that we can build on for the future. Our philosophy of team basketball with hard work, discipline and community involvement has been accepted by most of our players and all of our staff. We're not where we want to be in this crucial area, but I am pleased with the progress that we've made and I'm very encouraged about the attitudes of our young players. Our team and staff have been very active in the community, and we will continue to be committed to help our young people in every way possible.

On the court, we certainly struggled at times, and we've had many issues to deal with. We have not shied away from any of our issues and have dealt with each one. Some of these issues are ongoing and are not solved over night. We continue to work on those. Despite these challenges, we made progress this season. While it may be difficult to see on the surface, we have laid the groundwork for a good foundation. Sam has instilled a style of play that is exciting to watch. Our point production was up 14.3 ppg over last year. Our assists are up and our turnovers are down. Our field goal percentage is up from .418 to .444, our 3-pt percentage is up from .356 to .385, our FT percentage is up from .750 to .774.

We had some tremendous wins this year against some of the best teams in the league. We beat the world champion Detroit Pistons, the former champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Eastern Conference leader Miami Heat. Who will ever forget the magical night when Donyell Marshall tied the league record for 3 pointers and our team set the league record for 3 pointers in a victory over Philadelphia?

Through adversity and some very tough losses, our players and coaches never gave up. We always bounced back to compete hard the next game. We certainly have some major deficiencies in the defensive and rebounding areas, and we will certainly address those areas in the offseason. Improving our defence and rebounding will be one of our major objectives for next year.

We have some young players that we are very excited about for the future of this team. Chris Bosh had an outstanding season and with his continued hard work, we feel that he's a future all-star. Matt Bonner was one of the surprise rookies in the league this year and was very valuable to our team coming off the bench. He's a restricted free agent, we have the right to match, and we will make it a priority to retain him for the future. Rafael Araujo did not have the year that we anticipated, but he's a very hard worker and we still believe in his potential to be a contributor to this team. Pape Sow was able to get some playing time down the stretch and showed the potential that we saw when we drafted him in the second round. Like Matt, Pape is a restricted free agent that we will seek to retain. We have some solid veterans to help our young players along.

Rafer Alston admittedly had some areas to work on, but he has worked hard to improve his game and we feel that he was the most productive of the free agent point guards that were available to us (Derek Fisher, Troy Hudson, Carlos Arroyo, Brent Barry).

Jalen Rose had an outstanding season increasing his shooting percentages in all areas and averaged 3 ppg more than the 03-04 season. Mo Peterson also increased his shooting percentages in all areas and increased his ppg by 4.2, while giving us a consistent effort at the defensive end. Loren Woods is still a developing player but had some big games for us this year, and proven veterans Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and Lamond Murray are all capable of making contributions to our team next year. Alvin Williams continues to work hard to come back from knee surgery and we'll know his availability before the season begins. Donyell Marshall and Milt Palacio had solid years for our team and could certainly help us next year, but both are unrestricted free agents. Until the draft, trades and free agency are evaluated it's too early to determine if we'll retain them.

This draft will be extremely important for our basketball team. It's not a draft that has a lot of instant stars, but it is a draft that's deep with potential. With two first round picks and two second round picks, we have the resources to add some young talent to our team or help facilitate trades. We really beefed up our scouting department this year adding a Director of NBA Player Personnel, a Director of International Player Personnel and another European Scout. I am leaving shortly for two weeks of scouting in five different countries in Europe. Our coaches have designed comprehensive offseason development programs for each player, and we anticipate major improvements with everyone.

When I took this job last June, I said that it will take three years to get this team turned around. This season has been invaluable for our staff in that we now know all of our players inside and out, and we know what our strengths, weaknesses and needs are for the future. We have an outstanding company in MLSE, and my staff has learned how to work with the experience and resources we have to help build our team. Most importantly, we have learned what a great city Toronto is and what great fans we have. We know that the fans deserve a winning team that plays basketball the right way. We are committed to developing a team that will make our fans proud. Now that we know where we are, we can move forward with a specific strategic plan. Over the next two months I will be sharing with you portions of that plan as well as information on the draft and trade process.

I am very excited about the future of this team and I want to thank all of you again for your support as we continue to grow.

Marshall to Bulls?

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 12:03:14 -0800

There was a buzz about the Bulls, who visit the Raptors tonight, being interested in Donyell Marshall before the Feb. 24 trade deadline, but nothing materialized. The 6-9 Marshall, who can play either forward position, might be priced out of...

New! Updated! Top 20!

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 10:30:49 -0800

Tier One – The Elite.

1. Kevin Garnett, F – OK, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know I put KG at number two last month, and maybe I was being a bit rash. But no worries, after putting up 25/14.4/5.6 on 56.5% shooting so far in March, he’s reclaimed the top spot. Sorry.

2. Lebron James, G/F – Whatever his position is on the court, LeBron is definitely no lower than #2 on this list. His non-scoring numbers have taken a hit since the All-Star break, but the fact that he helps you in 7 categories – and is a major plus in points, steals, assists, boards, and FG% - puts him a step above the next few guys.

3. Shawn Marion, SF – Every year, it happens. Marion falls to the second half of the first round of your fantasy draft, and then by the end of the year he’s a top-3 fantasy player. Don’t let it happen next year. He’s the only player who averages over 2 steals and 1 block every game. Add in his double digit rebounds (a first for him this year) and his 1.3 3’s, and there’s no reason he should fall any lower than 5 in next year’s draft.

4. Dirk Nowitzki, F/C – Center eligibility or no center eligibility, Dirk belongs in this tier. His scoring is at a career-high, as are his rebounds, but what’s really impressive has been his ability to get to the charity stripe this year. His 9.3 attempts per game are 7th in the league, and he knocks down over 85% of them. From a F/C, that’s incredible.

Tier Two – The Near Elite

5. Tracy McGrady, GF – The Rockets are on a 5-game winning streak and look to be a lock for the playoffs (and my pick for upset NBA Champion. There, I said it). And the turnaround has been led my Tracy McGrady, who is playing spectacular ball right now. His 29.3/7.5/5.9 so far in March is great, but his 2.3 steals and 1.9 3’s are even better. If only he got more blocks (only 3 in his last 10 games) or shot his free throws better, he’d be in the elite. But he’s a definite step up from the next couple guys on this list.

6. Allen Iverson, G – Yeah I know, this might be a little high, but AI is putting this team on his back right now. He’s #1 on the 30-day player rater. He’s averaging over 30 points AND over 7.5 assists this year. Plus 2.3 steals and 1.3 3’s? Awesome.

Tier Three – The Question Marks

7. Tim Duncan, F/C – You’ve seen me go back and forth on Duncan all year. We’ll let him settle in here on the list, because there’s something about a 20/10/2.5 guy with center eligibility. But there are serious concerns about his back. You’ll just have to ride him out at this point.

8. Kobe Bryant, SG – It’s been a strong March for Kobe, as he’s poured in 32.9 ppg, and knocked down an amazing 64 of his 70 free throws. All that scoring has meant less passing, though, and his health still worries me enough that he lands in the Question Marks tier.

9. Andrei Kirilenko, F – Finally a couple huge games from AK-47, amassing 52 points and 27 boards over his last 2. Unfortunately, these have been the exception to the rule – 15.7 points and 6.6 boards are far less than we had expected from someone who was picked as high as 5th or 6th in some drafts.

10. Jason Kidd, PG – There is nobody that would worry me more than Jason Kidd right now. The Nets are still 4 games out of a playoff spot, and will have to leapfrog Philly and Indiana to make it. Once they’re definitely out of it, Kidd will likely shut it down for the year. But until he does, he will continue to produce big-time. 3.6 steals over his last five? Awesome.

11. Gilbert Arenas, PG – Something just ain’t right with Gil, and it’s probably that knee. But his last 2 games has seen him fall off the charts in rebounds, he isn’t stealing the ball as well, and his shooting has been horrendous. The Curse o’ Les Boulez is lurking.

Tier Four – Solid Slashers

12. Jason Richardson, SG – Very quietly, J-Rich has been putting up a fantastic season out on the left coast. Career-high numbers in points, threes, assists, steals, and FG%. Possibly the best player taken in the 2001 Draft lottery.

13. Ray Allen, SG – His team might be exceeding expectations this year, but Mr. Shuttlesworth is having a down year for sure. Worst rebounds and steals since ’98, worst 3’s since ’99, worst assists since ’02, worst FG% ever.

14. Larry Hughes, SG – Back with a vengeance! Since returning from injury, Hughes has played like he’s got stick-um on his hands, grabbing 3 steals and 7.7 boards a game. With both Jamison and Arenas struggling with injuries, Hughes could have a huge last month.

15. Paul Pierce, SG – He’s been playing great since the return of Antoine Walker. His overall stats are certainly down from last year, but he should continue to play well through the rest of the regular season.

16. Vince Carter, GF – He fought through his first slump as a Net, and maybe he’s better for it. His rebounds since coming to the Nets (6.1) are his best ever, and most of his other stats are the best he’s put up in 3 or 4 years.

Tier Five – Just Ahead of the Pack

17. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C – I dunno what’s gotten in to this guy, but since the All-Star Break he’s been downright Duncan-esque, with 21.6/10.1 and 3 blocks. He’s going to be a very interesting draft pick next year. He could go as early as the second round, and as late as the 4th.

18. Mike Bibby, PG – No Webber. No Miller. So-so Peja. This is Bibby’s team now, even if it’s by default. And his numbers over his last five (21.4 points, 9.4 assists, 2 steals) suggest that he’s up to the challenge.

19. Dwayne Wade, PG – His improvement over last year has been remarkable. I had put a big red flag on him for this year’s draft, but next year I’ll happily take him at the end of the second round. He’s scoring 7.5 more ppg and dishing out 2.6 more assists than last year. Incredible.

20. Donyell Marshall, F – New rule. If you hit 12 3’s in one game, you get to be in the next New! Updated! Top 20! Enough said.