Colangelo Speaks To Season-Tix Holders (July 20/10)

[Pizzaman]

I like the direction we are going in. I've said it from the start of F/A that this was now Bryans team, I don't even believe he really tried to push Chris to resign but rather just said it to please people over! I want MLSE to give him a 2 or 3 years on his contract, at most. He has the chance to whip it into something good.

The problem I do have however, is this issue with 'tank' or 'no tank.' For me this stands with MLSE as a whole, BB won't do it with the Leafs, and I think that team is doomed and now BC won't do it with the Raps. We have a great young core. DD can grow to be a great franchise, Weems will be a great Role player, ED could be a great starting PF big man. But we should consider tanking going for a good PG in the draft, and maybe picking up a 2nd rounder from someone. It's time to watch a young team on the floor and draft good young players.

No more building off the fly, the future lies within:
Ed,
Demar

Role players include but are not subject to:
Amir
Weems
Jack

Your first few lines started to make some sense then you went completely offbase with the tank bs. Only losers tank on purpose. That is only for pussies who cannot actually build a team of guys that want to win. There is no place for tanking in any sport professional or otherwise and if I thought it was being done on purpose I would stop going to games and stop watching games. It's no different than game fixing for money. Also you missed Bargnani in the future of this team

[DarkKnight]

Your first few lines started to make some sense then you went completely offbase with the tank bs. Only losers tank on purpose. That is only for pussies who cannot actually build a team of guys that want to win. There is no place for tanking in any sport professional or otherwise and if I thought it was being done on purpose I would stop going to games and stop watching games. It's no different than game fixing for money. Also you missed Bargnani in the future of this team

Completely agree. You can still build with young guys and still trying to win. Tanking should NEVER be an option.

[Balls of Steel]

The Raps and MLSE need BC more than most people think. Why you ask? Well, in this market and country, you need a GM that people will take seriously. The only way we can keep this going is someone like him to recruit and sign players for us. Think about it, every "star" leaves the team for the supposedly greener pasture down south. If the likes of Cleveland and now New Orleans cannot keep its star players happy, what chance do we have as a Canadian team? Pritchard, Presti and the Bufords of the league are great but they are based in the States, not Canada. I mean we can always have Babcock tight? The only other GM that I gave props too was Grunwald.

This is now Colangelo's team (hence the stagnant offence comment), and it will be fine. It would be a logical choice to extend his contract to 2-3 more years. Then we'll see.

As for tanking... please. It has never worked for any sport and I'm not going to even bother with examples.

[Matt52]

The Raps and MLSE need BC more than most people think. Why you ask? Well, in this market and country, you need a GM that people will take seriously. The only way we can keep this going is someone like him to recruit and sign players for us. Think about it, every "star" leaves the team for the supposedly greener pasture down south. If the likes of Cleveland and now New Orleans cannot keep its star players happy, what chance do we have as a Canadian team? Pritchard, Presti and the Bufords of the league are great but they are based in the States, not Canada. I mean we can always have Babcock tight? The only other GM that I gave props too was Grunwald.

This is now Colangelo's team (hence the stagnant offence comment), and it will be fine. It would be a logical choice to extend his contract to 2-3 more years. Then we'll see.

As for tanking... please. It has never worked for any sport and I'm not going to even bother with examples.

Yes tanking would be bad for all parties - BC, Raps, MLSE, and most importantly fans. Remember when Boston tried to tank to get Oden? They sat Pierce and just about everyone else who could bounce a ball, had the worst record but fell to 5th in lottery. Granted it was the best thing that could have happened to them -especially given how Oden's career has played out- but that is not the point. You don't take chances like that as you compromise yourself in the end. Boston might not have been the best example here but, again, hopefully you get the point.

[Hassan]

nice find. sounds like bc was giving out more info then he should have and that's why he didn't want it to be recorded.



argh, I hate when people do that. you're in canada it's english especially in ontario.



so true. he just couldn't say it with chris on the team. Colangelo can finally work his magic and turn this team into a contender.

being an immigrant myself when you meet someone of your race you don't want to speak english with them you want to speak your own language so i get where thats coming from

[gunr4life]

Sleepz. I'd be there slappin him with you.Toronto is so lopsided on this issue. You can say whatever about anyone just leave the euros alone. Just as a refresher, the vast majority are not saying that europeans or anyone else can't play ball, what is meant is that the players with the right approach and attitude we haven't had from Brian's picks. Also you can't have a whack of them on a team, more like a sprinkle.

Very interesting and your memory of the conversation is some Rain Man type stuff. lol

If BC said the stuff about "the guy has a ton of 'brother' in him" in front of me, I'd slap him upside the head. If anyone says anything about 'Euro's' everyone's up in arms but he makes a comment like that and it's cool? I'm on the other side of the fence on this one so I don't like it.

As for the not being tied down to a Max contract and 'stagnant offence' comments, he wasn't saying any of that stuff before Chris left, but I'm not surprised.

Very interesting read though and glad you were able to retain so much info. Next time try and get his cell #!

[Arenick]

Like everyone else said...good read Game Breaker, very good on your part. Didn't hear about that Rasho thing, very suprising to me. I think the team we have right now...with some possible tweaks here and there...has the possibility to get to the playoffs.

[sleepz]

He should not have said the "brother " thing if he said that. He shold have said he's played with many Americans and understands the NA game and ...blah blah blah.
Meantime you're right about getting slammed on the Euro thing if it comes up and people who say it should be slammed. BC was right when he said he looks for good Bball players regardless of where they come from.
Good to hear him be honest about not being tied to a max deal for a guy who is not max deal worthy, and the stagnant offence thing was a classic slam against none other than the non max worthy player himself. I like where this team is headed and building a team takes time. Look at the Leafs...I don't have that much time lol yet their fans are diehard.

I don't think he's being honest about any max deal or stagnant offence. They offered him a max deal quite some time ago and he has continually said that Chris is a max player and one they want to build around. He struck out in that regard, so now comes the change of opinion and 'spin' which is classic Colangelo. Just like 'rebounds are not a problem when you are making more shots' lol. This guy tells people what they want to hear.

The offence was 'stagnant' now but they weren't saying that during the year and they were running sets to Bosh cause he was the most efficient player on the team. Blame Triano for not running sets with cutters and movement, but to say Bosh made the offence stagnant now is a huge cop out and is typical Raptor crying and spin doctoring. If that was a problem why were all the sets going through him, and to suggest he made it that way is nonsense as no one had a gun to their head. It was their best option to win as the rest of the players on this team are marginal or 'developing' talents. Some players on this team have been 'developing' for 5 years now.

[vino]

Wash you mouth out !!!!! The lottery is just that a lottery for every Dwight Howard there is a Kwame Brown, yeah we could tank and get a high draft pick but lose any respect we have left from future FA signings.

That is why NJ lucked out with any big name free agents, the loser mentality.

Respect from future FA?! what are you talking about?? how much respect the Raps have now?? There is not too much to lose there... the so called "respect" is essentially a winning history a club has, or has not in our case.

FA decide to join a certain organization based on various factors; primarily: money, fit (position, ability to start), potential to win (mostly veterans), family matters, etc... the so called "respect" is something people refer to in the absence of better explanation

Purposely tanking is absurd. I'm not supporting it, but I truly believe Toronto should build through draft. We have some potential now and we just need to add to it. A young talented point guard is the first piece. And we do not need a number one pick for that (example: Jennings). By the way, some one here mentioned John Hammond yesterday... and there is a nice article on NBA.com about this dude today:

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/feature...s=iref:nbahpt1

[Fon Riego]

Thanks for the post GameBreaker, good read.

About the 'language issue', the only two players that could speak to each other in another language than english are Belli & Bargs, the italian speakers. Maybe Rasho, as Slovenia is near Italy and a buch of slovenians live there. Jose doesn't speak italian and I don't think Turk does...

A little surprised too about Rasho being loyal to Turk. Seems that we're missing a lot about last season locker room...

[Raptorsss]

Does anybody remember the Turk fiasco? He went out to a club that had just European Raptors. The fact that the team was divided off the court was a problem.

I am sorry, but if you can't hang with the young gunz off the court, then your not part of the future of this team. We want to model this team after OKC (the tighest team off the court) so having players that want to hang with each other is imperative.

[Fon Riego]

I disagree...a good relationship between players is needed, but I don't think that hang off the courts has to be an imperative to be a succesfull team...

[it is what it is]

good read....
The Barnes thing does not wash with me....

He should have known about the Magic not being able to give Barnes that kind of money.
Basic CBA rule...Heck people on this site where like how is this deal going through...

He should have a list of players who fall into this sign and trade category and he did not...

I have always been a BC guy but this is black mark...Not so much because we did not get Barnes but because he proved he was a sleep behind the wheel.

[SirChillyMost]

Players don't need to hang together off the court it's all about respecting one another, the team goals and competing as a team to win games. Players usually range in age plus some have families or just different outside interests. A team meal once in awhile is a good idea but it's a choice thing not a force thing.

If players see certain players (Bargnani) getting treated with kid gloves and not being held accountable for their on court mistakes that could cause some division among the players. Jack & Wright both wondered alound in the media wtf was Jay doing in relation to payer accountability. It starts at the top w/ MLSE who delegates Basketball operations to BC trickles then down through the Head coach to the players. Put players in a structured enviorment where they know what to expect and are held accountable, they will most likely play cognitive team basketball otherwise you'll have the Raptor's circus, sponsored by BC, which ends up with Bargnani as the Franchise player.

[LBF]

Gamebreaker - thanks, best read of the off-season thus far.

I wonder who he is thinking of regarding the one player who brings it all together?

If MLSE gets rid of him, they are a fool. His decisions at the time have been applauded (JO, Turk) but when they don't work out he is damned. The greatest thing about BC is he admits failure and usual gets a positive out of it - he did it with JO, Marion, and now Turk.

still don't understand how marion was a failure