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Ed is Officially Grounded! ;)

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  • Ed is Officially Grounded! ;)

    Absent new contracts for Jay Triano or Bryan Colangelo or a new collective agreement in the NBA, there is precious little the Toronto Raptors or owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment can promise anybody this Thursday morning.

    But Terry Davis has a promise for you, Toronto. Come the next NBA season, whenever it is, his son Ed is going to be 15 or 20 pounds heavier. Minimum. The Raptors rookie centre, who did more than merely keep body and soul together despite missing 17 games with a knee injury, already has an inkling he’ll be in the weight room a great deal. But in case he’s forgotten, his ex-NBA tough guy father will remind him the second he steps through the threshold of the family home.

    “He’s going to be sleeping in the weight room,” Terry said with a chuckle. “Matter of fact, I already have a pillow for him.”

    The Raptors ended another campaign at the Air Canada Centre Wednesday night and with the same old faces (Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon) not doing the same old things, the positives are down to the performance of Davis and sophomore DeMar DeRozan and, maybe, James Johnson, Jerryd Bayless and – what the heck, we’re feeling charitable – Amir Johnson. Frankly, you could back up the truck and get rid of everybody else without much of a peep from Raptors fans. The shelf life of Calderon has expired. Gone, like his quickness, and Bargnani’s benign stylings ought not to be far behind.

    Davis, the 13th pick overall out of North Carolina, is a keeper, despite needing every inch of his 6-foot-10 frame to carry the 225 pounds he claims. Davis, who turns 21 on June 5, has done more than merely survive. Entering the game Wednesday against the Miami Heat, his 13 double doubles led the Raptors – yeah, yeah, statistics on a bad team and all that stuff – while his field-goal percentage was first among NBA rookies. He was fourth in boards and third in blocks and had a shot at rookie of the month, when he is averaging 34 minutes a game.

    For many Raptors fans, Davis arrived on the scene during the Heat’s previous visit, when he knocked former Raptors star Chris Bosh to the floor in a game that the referees handed to the Heat 103-95. Davis had 13 boards, although it mattered not as the officiating crew upheld the established NBA rule that mandates a team with superstars can get away with whatever it wants.

    Terry Davis admitted he has been surprised at his son’s productivity. Not that he doubted the talent or the instincts – Terry Davis says his son has a real sense for the game – but, well, that body? Yikes. Yet Davis’ shot-changing wingspan and sure-footedness have stood him in good stead and allowed him to match up with bigger, heavier players.

    “The coaching staff there did a really good job developing Ed, to the point where I think he has a home in the NBA,” said Terry, who played 10 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Heat, Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets and was handed the nickname Chop by one of his coaches, Ron Rothstein.

    “I just thought he didn’t have the weight, you know?’ Terry continued. “I thought he’d be in a lot of situations where he’d have three, four fouls early. But he’s found a way to hold his own in the paint. It’s a man’s game down there, and Ed hasn’t shied away. I just think he’s going to be a terrific pro.”

    That word – pro – might not mean much on its own but when a player calls another player a “pro” it speaks volumes and goes well beyond a father’s pride. And so now Terry will seek to continue his son’s progression as another former NBAer, the sainted if not saintly Charles Oakley, did for him. Oakley, like Terry Davis, was a product of Virginia Union who went on to rampage through the NBA.

    “You feed off guys like that,” Terry said. “Oak got me in the weight room and told me if I wanted to stay in the league I needed to be tougher. He taught me how to develop a reputation, and as the years went on, I became more comfortable with it.”

    Davis has not yet developed a reputation, but after a season such as the one the Raptors just finished, that may not be an entirely bad thing. The feeling here is he is destined for better and – thanks to the faith of his father – bigger things.
    Source: The Globe And Mail

    Ed is their starting center by the beginning of next season. Book it.

  • #2
    That is one of the most enjoyable reads all damn year.

    PS: All articles that reference Oakley are inherently improved 25%.
    “I have no idea who Chukwudiebere Maduabum is, but on his Draft Express profile, he’s listed as Chu Chu. I think he’s worthy of picking just for that. He immediately is in the running for best All-Time NBA name.” -Tim W.

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    • #3
      Maybe Oak meets up with him in the summer? That would be some valuable time for Ed right there.

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      • #4
        bloodyhandedgod wrote: View Post
        That is one of the most enjoyable reads all damn year.

        PS: All articles that reference Oakley are inherently improved 25%.
        Ha yes.

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        • #5
          Apollo wrote: View Post
          Maybe Oak meets up with him in the summer? That would be some valuable time for Ed right there.
          Now there would be a great thing.

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          • #6
            Maleko wrote: View Post
            Now there would be a great thing.
            As long as Oakley doesn't teach him to throw two behind-the-back a game that fly into the stands, take 20-foot jumpers in crunch time, take stupid fouls in key situations that put the the team on the line, or get into fights with opponents after shootarounds over gambling debts.

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            • #7
              slaw wrote: View Post
              As long as Oakley doesn't teach him to throw two behind-the-back a game that fly into the stands, take 20-foot jumpers in crunch time, take stupid fouls in key situations that put the the team on the line, or get into fights with opponents after shootarounds over gambling debts.
              Or blow open layups in crucial playoff games. Argh.

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              • #8
                I will say this: I hope that ED doesn't approach the weight room in the old-fashioned, 'pump iron' way that gives you big muscles and not much else, because there's empirical evidence that suggests that approach contributes to injuries -- especially for those who are prone to them.

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                • #9
                  Those guys probably didn't go about it the right way. I'd need to see their workout regimes before taking that stance.

                  For example, if you neglect core training, the bigger you get and the heavier weights you lift will increase your chances of hurting your back.

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                  • #10
                    Maleko wrote: View Post
                    Now there would be a great thing.
                    Except Oak is an assistant coach with the NC Jordanaires. Don't need him whispering about coming home to play for MJ.
                    LET'S GO RAP-TORS!!!!!

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                    • #11
                      No need for Oak...Terry Davis is a hybrid of the Tree...Ed fill be just fine under his Dad's guidance.

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                      • #12
                        minks77 wrote: View Post
                        Except Oak is an assistant coach with the NC Jordanaires. Don't need him whispering about coming home to play for MJ.
                        Terry Davis and Oak are friends. That's probably already happened.

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                        • #13
                          Ed Davis will look like Arnold , next season.
                          NBADoppelgangers.tumblr.com

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                          • #14
                            I agree with some of the other concerns, I hope Ed doesn't end just packing on a bunch of weight around his body without properly training his core. 15 -20 pounds in one summer seems fairly reasonable though, if he balances cross training to keep his speed, I think he should be fine.

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                            • #15
                              ED should workout with Dorsey....imagine Davis with Dorsey's bod....watch out Dwight....CB?

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