Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lamond Murray Talks Raptors: "Siberia" of the NBA?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Lamond Murray Talks Raptors: "Siberia" of the NBA?

    Lamond Murray would be on my list of least favorite Raptors but still, the guy gives some good insight you might not otherwise get:

    I think what’s going in Toronto is, they are using a lot of the international guys from across the world because Toronto does have an international flavour in terms of the various communities. People in Toronto come from all different places, which is one thing I loved being in Toronto. You can have Little Italy on one side of town and Chinatown on the other side of town. It was a melting pot of all the different cultures. There were people from Jamaica and from all across the world in Toronto. The team is a microcosm of the city. They do a great job in their marketing campaigns, getting people to come out to the games.

    In terms of players, they have a lot of young guys that are trying to find their way in the league. It is going to take a while for them to get a cohesive unit together and go out there and perform at a high level in order to get back into the playoffs.
    There used to be a stigma similar to what went on with the Clippers. If you are a veteran player and you get traded to Toronto, and you are on your last legs in the league, they basically sent you to Siberia to finish off your career. It used to be the same thing with the Clippers.

    However I think things are changing, the game has evolved and people don’t look at the teams like that anymore. I think Toronto has done a great job of bringing the right people in the front office and got some stability going on there with the franchise. As long as they keep bringing in players to add to their core group of players, they will be able to compete.
    Source: Canada.com

    It's nice to hear that the damage done prior to Colangelo getting power is slowly diminishing. I think people forget what a total fiasco things were when the Board(Peddie) was wielding its sword.
    20
    Yes
    65.00%
    13
    No
    35.00%
    7

    The poll is expired.


  • #2
    Has it gotten that bad that we are considered league wide in the same manner as the former Clippers? The first thing I thought of when I read that was how would peoples perception of the Raptors change if we were able to sign Jennings from the Bucks? He's not my first choice for a PG of the future, but he's young and it could go a long way to changing peoples mind about the franchise.

    Comment


    • #3
      I don't think it should be a shocker when it comes to the Clippers reference. Things really bad here for four or five years and prior to Carter being drafted things were really bad here as well. The Raptors have only made it out of round one once ever.

      The only player that could change American's minds overnight is Tim Tebow but last time I checked he was doing really well with the Jets.

      Comment


      • #4
        Apollo wrote: View Post
        Lamond Murray would be on my list of least favorite Raptors but still, the guy gives some good insight you might not otherwise get:



        Source: Canada.com


        It's nice to hear that the damage done prior to Colangelo getting power is slowly diminishing. I think people forget what a total fiasco things were when the Board(Peddie) was wielding its sword.
        To put Peddie in charge of 2 sports teams (giving him defacto presidential authority) was assinine. This is a guy who in his previous corp. positions worked at Colgate and Hostess Foods...toothpaste & chips!! He did well apparently with consumables but this was going to help running the sports franchises to the detail he did?

        Comment


        • #5
          I think Casey and the stability in the front office is certainly helping. To push them over the top on being a desired location they just need to win. Having a player like Rudy Gay or Danny Granger (just naming quality players who aren't super stars but come with credibility) would help draw talent as well as we'd be in the playoff discussion.

          Toronto is one of the best cities in the world and anyone who comes loves it. Tons of athletes from all sports basketball included rant and rave about it. The front office, coach, money and the product on the floor (chance to win) are what draws players and the first 3 are there it's just the last part that needs to come and seems like its heading that way!

          Comment


          • #6
            I think the one thing Toronto needs to have happen, to indicate to the entire league that they are truly a destination city, is for a top-tier American free agent sign with Toronto.

            The Raptors have drafted American players who developed into superstars and left. ie: Mighty Mouse, Vinsantiy, CB4
            The Raptors have signed top-tier non-American talent. ie: Garbo, Parker, Turk
            The Raptors have traded for top-tier American talent in their twilight years. ie: Oak, Davis, Curry, Bogues
            The Raptors have traded for top-tier American talent in their prime that spurned the franchise: ie: Mourning

            Once the Raptors can get 1 big time American born star to sign willingly with the Raptors, I think you'll see the biggest possible impact on the general perception of Toronto among NBA players.

            Comment


            • #7
              Taxes seem to be a excuse that come up regularly. Some thing that I would like to see the NBA do is have a "take home" cap. Every team would be able to offer the same amount of NET salary. Some teams like Toronto would have to spend more, but that would give them the option match teams in states that barely tax players (I.e. Florida)

              Comment


              • #8
                saints91 wrote: View Post
                Taxes seem to be a excuse that come up regularly. Some thing that I would like to see the NBA do is have a "take home" cap. Every team would be able to offer the same amount of NET salary. Some teams like Toronto would have to spend more, but that would give them the option match teams in states that barely tax players (I.e. Florida)
                That's a really good idea.

                Comment


                • #9
                  This is a great topic. For a long time, and it was probably Peddie's fault, the Raps were regarded as not just a bad team, but one that was as foreign as one in China or Europe. It's funny that Murray says that it was like going to Siberia, because I am positive that this is EXACTLY what it felt like to some players.

                  Remember, there are a lot of differences for some American's to come and live here. Maybe it's small things like they can't get the food they want, or maybe bigger like they can't find a community of people which share the same values, or maybe sometimes they are really patriotic and don't want to live in any other country (i.e. David Robinson would probably not have liked to be on the Raps for example). A good example is Antonio Davis who made that metric system comment...stupid yes, but he was nevertheless serious and this mattered to him.

                  Instead of marketing us as an amazing city, almost like a Canadian New York, we had bad teams, and our front office made players leave with bad tastes in their mouths resulting in them bad mouthing us around the league.

                  I think that enough time has passed that players who come here have started to realize that this is a great city and fun place to live (as evident by our win loss record in noon games on Sundays) and now that our head office is functioning properly and treating players well, we just need to put some winning seasons together and the stigma will be gone.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    CalgaryRapsFan wrote: View Post
                    I think the one thing Toronto needs to have happen, to indicate to the entire league that they are truly a destination city, is for a top-tier American free agent sign with Toronto.

                    The Raptors have drafted American players who developed into superstars and left. ie: Mighty Mouse, Vinsantiy, CB4
                    The Raptors have signed top-tier non-American talent. ie: Garbo, Parker, Turk
                    The Raptors have traded for top-tier American talent in their twilight years. ie: Oak, Davis, Curry, Bogues
                    The Raptors have traded for top-tier American talent in their prime that spurned the franchise: ie: Mourning

                    Once the Raptors can get 1 big time American born star to sign willingly with the Raptors, I think you'll see the biggest possible impact on the general perception of Toronto among NBA players.
                    Mourning was an above average role player in his post-injury days. Him telling the Raptors to go stick it was more a matter of what the team was rather than where the team was located. It was dumb move by Babcock because Mourning's contract was not insured because due to his health, he said he didn't want to play in Toronto and so Babcock had to have known he was playing chicken on his tricycle against Grave Digger. Babcock caved under the immense pressures... Carter on one side and Peddie on the other side. Typically when a star is moved the team either gets back a good player in return, or young prospect and expiring contracts or they get cap relief. The Raptors got none of the above due to Carter's unprofessional, unethical ways and Babcock's lack of competency. Ever have an f-bomb hang on the tip of your tongue? I have one ready for action every time I recall that stupid Vince Carter trade demand saga.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      it doesnt hurt when guys like jennings praise the women living here.

                      as far as skills goes I think the raps are going to have to reach at least the 2nd round before the reputation changes. I remember in the prime bosh years we still didn't get love from many analysts
                      Last edited by koncept; Tue May 22, 2012, 04:12 PM.
                      in masai we trust

                      water covers 98% of the earth, Mitchell Robinson covers the other 2%

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        All the Raptors gotta do is win the lottery and we'll never hear a word about this for decades. And I'm being completely serious.

                        OKC would be in this exact same situation were it not for them to strike gold. The drafting game is 80% luck and 20% scouting.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Tesla wrote: View Post
                          All the Raptors gotta do is win the lottery and we'll never hear a word about this for decades.
                          See: Andrea Bargnani
                          TORONTOOOOOO RAPTORSSSSSS

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            theycallmeZZ wrote: View Post
                            See: Andrea Bargnani
                            Meh, this isn't really that similar of a situation, we KNOW who's going to be #1 this year as opposed to '06 when it was a toss-up.

                            Besides, no GM ever gets a third chance

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I think that, with the cfl broadcasting a few games a year on the nfl network. It's rwally going to help open that barrier/misconception or w/e you want to call it.

                              Them seeing their fellow countrymen doing well here, some of their all-time collegiate players, and just see what this country is really like. I think it'll go along way towards not just athletes. But, the majority of the american public.

                              From what I understand, the amount of people they have compared to here and how many have not been outside the u.s. is pathetic. That's a big part of the problem in my opinion.
                              If Your Uncle Jack Helped You Off An Elephant, Would You Help Your Uncle Jack Off An Elephant?

                              Sometimes, I like to buy a book on CD and listen to it, while reading music.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X