MLSE Still High on Colangelo

[Apollo]

“He came in with great DNA and great credibility and this is a tough time for Bryan,” Richard Peddie, the chief executive officer of MLSE, said. “He's feeling it.”

Those close to Colangelo describe him variously as humbled, worn and humanized by the recent turn of events. “He's getting banged on by a lot of people,” said one source, requesting anonymity. “A lot of people are nervous.”

Peddie remains confident in his team president, but stopped short of saying a contract was in the midst of being inked. “He's in the last year of his contract and we will probably talk to Bryan about an extension but nothing is going on right now,” Peddie said. “… Bryan will go to the board in the next month or two and talk about his plan for the next year and everyone will see if Bryan is comfortable with it and we're comfortable with it and that will dictate what we do in the future.”

But pressed, Peddie suggested Colangelo will get a chance to rebound from two seasons where the Raptors fell well short of the Colangelo's own public expectations.

“I think he wants to stay [and] it's a two-way street. I still think he's really an excellent choice. I really do,” Peddie said. “ I look around and think, geez, who else would I want?”

Publicly Colangelo is hardly shrinking from the challenge, sounding almost defiant in his defence of a roster that went 22-10 in between a 7-13 start and its 11-19 finish.

“I don't view this as a team that needs to be dismantled, with or without Chris,” he said in interview before leaving for Europe where he will be scouting the Euroleague Final Four in Paris.

“I have an insatiable desire to succeed,” he said. “[And] I'm basically looking at the next four years as the next step. This doesn't happen over night. But you deal with [the obstacles] and you keep pressing forward.”

Globeandmail.com

I think this off-season is make or break time for Colangelo. He worked really hard and shook things up last off-season. He put forth great effort but the results were not where people had hope. I think he will aggressively attack this off-season, just like the last. Here's to hoping he can get some luck this time around.

[Buddahfan]

His problem is that he has given some really bad contracts. Maybe he can pawn them off on some other GM in exchange for better value for the dollar; i.e. Canadian or American it wouldn't matter

[Apollo]

It's always been his problem. Look back to the Marbury contract. He managed to dump that and come out looking golden. He acquired Penny, who had a horrible contract that was worse than the Hedo deal but at least Hedo can still play and there is hope that he could regain his form next season. He managed to move Penny.

Kapono was a horrible contract in Toronto but he moved it, and brought in a guy who can fill a hole and who has less years owed. With the Jose contract, it looks bad right now, but at the time it looked really good. Other teams on the market were going to pay it. His phone was ringing off the hook back then for Calderon leading into his free agency.

[Buddahfan]

It's always been his problem. Look back to the Marbury or the Penny contracts. Both those contracts he managed to dump and come out looking golden. That Penny deal was worse than the Hedo deal because at least Hedo can still play and there is hope that he could regain his form next season.

Kapono was a horrible contract in Toronto but he moved it, and brought in a guy who can fill a hole and who has less years owed. With the Jose contract, it looks bad right now, but at the time it looked really good. Other teams on the market were going to pay it. His phone was ringing off the hook back then for Calderon leading into his free agency.

Maybe all of this is the main reason that so many long term Raptors fans are concerned that BC will give Johnson a bad contract. I hope not. As big a fan as I am of Johnson I like to see a player only get paid for what they worth or maybe even a little less. Let them earn more money is my thinking.

[Apollo]

I edited my first post after hitting send. I remembered that he traded for Penny. Anyway, Colangelo has never got himself into trouble by signing or trading for big men with the exception of Jermaine O'Neal and one could argue if he had just held on that contract it wouldn't have been trouble at all. If anything, Colangelo's record with forwards and bigs has been great. Because of this I'm not worried about Amir getting overpaid. If someone drops a big contract on the table they're paying for potential. If that happens I hope Colangelo folds his arms but I don't think Amir will see a big contract. The reason is due to the economy and the new CBA. Teams aren't going to be as likely to gamble on giving unproven talents big contracts because A.) Most can't afford it and B.) Most want to wait and see what happens with the new CBA and don't want to get burned by a moderately inflated deal that turns out to be greatly inflated due to a lowered cap number. I read an article around mid season where the writer was suggesting, based on unnamed sources, that after we see the big name free agents all signed that the market is going to rapidly dry up and a lot of the mid-bottom tier guys are going to be left fighting over minimal scraps. Sort of like what happened last off-season, only far worse.

[Kennay]

I believe this title of the thread still works if you took away the last two words.

[Tim W.]

This is the first time Colangelo has ever had real doubters, so it will be interesting to see what he does. I don't like the fact he says the team doesn't need to be dismantled if Bosh leaves, although what he says isn't important. And if he did say it needed to be dismantled, then the value of the players plummet, so I guess it's not a bad thing.

[Dave]

Anyway, Colangelo has never got himself into trouble by signing or trading for big men with the exception of Jermaine O'Neal and one could argue if he had just held on that contract it wouldn't have been trouble at all. .

Tom Gugliotta?

Also, in the Jason Kapono frame of things (expensive role player), Luc Longley?

Because of this I'm not worried about Amir getting overpaid.

The reason folks should be unconcerned about Amir Johnson is that there is no market there for him. He will not get an offer above the MLE and any offer at or below the MLE is a good contract.

It's a no-fail/no-downside zone ... well, unless Colangelo decides to let him leave.

[Dave]

Bryan Colangelo will do a very good job once he gets over his Andrea Bargnani fascination.

Until that happens, the failures will continue to mount.

[Dave]

Bryan Colangelo will do a very good job once he gets over his Andrea Bargnani fascination.

Which is why I would be happy to hear MLSE signing BC to a contract extension

[LBF]

i remember an announcement that they signed both burke and colangelo to contracts through 2012.

it was on the score and tsn like i don't know 4 months ago. which one is false then?

[Buddahfan]

Bryan Colangelo will do a very good job once he gets over his Andrea Bargnani fascination.

Until that happens, the failures will continue to mount.

Maybe if he realized how the Raptors fans really feel about Bargnani he might be willing to pull the trigger and move him. Bargnani is very tradable.

[Apollo]

i remember an announcement that they signed both burke and colangelo to contracts through 2012.

it was on the score and tsn like i don't know 4 months ago. which one is false then?

This coming season is his last on contract as far as I know.

[rdiaz101]

It's too important of an offseason to even think about letting him go, so i hope he can work something out with the whole Bosh situation sign or trade which ever is best for the team.