OFFICIAL: Landry Fields is a Toronto Raptor

[DoNDaDDa]

Fields is a solid role player. Why pay a role player $20 million over 3 years?

not saying i like the $ just the player.. hes RFA & hes cheaper then Batum.. you have to over pay a little in these situations.. or teams just match.. BC also may be hoping they do match though so well have to wait & see how it plays out i guess

[Matt52]

Yeah I saw comments like him being a 'lock-down defender' (have you all watched Fields play for the Knicks the last 2 years? He's no lock-down defender) or reverting to his 8ppg averages in his rookie year.

If Nash wasn't considering signing here would everyone be as joyous about this signing as they are now? lol

This is getting insane

Considering....

1) Knicks played no defense until Woodson arrived,
2) stats don't back up your claim,
3) Knicks were +5.5 with him on the court and -0.2 with him off

.....I call B.S.

The biggest issue with Fields is his drop off in offensive production - which coincidentally coincided with the arrival of Carmelo "Ball Stopper/Team Quitter/Me, Me, Me" Anthony.

[Letter N]

Role player who can shoot the three, defend, hustle, and high IQ. Im sure he is going to blossom over his years here! He is one of those veteran young players.

Let's hope so, because you can't blame all his failings last year to Melo. His numbers dropped across the board, including FG%, 3pt% and FT% (significantly).

maybe we can just put it down as sophomore slump and stay positive

[enlightenment]

Nooooooo....Id much prefer we stuck with Jose then sign Lin... if BC signs Lin he is Linsane!!LOL

i doubt it comes to that anyway as im sure Nash will be a Rap. why on earth would nash want to watch melo play iso all night he'd be scratching his eyes out buy mid season for sure..

Im sure Nash sees the Raptors as a better option, we are more functional then NYK in my opinion, but is Lin really that unattractive?

[MangoKid]

As someone that follows both teams, signing Fields is a stroke of brilliance. Dude is a baller. He shoots 35% from 3, which isn't fantastic, but isn't bad as well. His FG% is always hanging around 50%, which is pretty damn good for a wing. He's got loads of ball IQ, he's fearless going to the rim and is a good rebounder. He has the potential of being good on D as well. He'd be Toronto's starting 3 if the season started today - and to top it all off, he just turned 24, so he's young. I can't see how this is a bad signing.

[Jon_Wade]

If he does play small forward then 6 rebounds a game, a really good defender and a high 30s 3-point shooter if he can do some occasional ball-handling then I see no reason why he couldn't become a very good starter in this league, he has only been in the league 2 years and one where when Melo screwed up the team and also Lin wasn't favorable to getting the ball to the other perimeter players(though very good at getting it to the bigs IMO)

[MangoKid]

not saying i like the $ just the player.. hes RFA & hes cheaper then Batum.. you have to over pay a little in these situations.. or teams just match.. BC also may be hoping they do match though so well have to wait & see how it plays out i guess

And let's be real too, Batum was never gonna be a Raptor. How much could they offer him? Max 14 mil per? I'm sure the Blazers could match.

[DoNDaDDa]

Im sure Nash sees the Raptors as a better option, we are more functional then NYK in my opinion, but is Lin really that unattractive?

yes.. hes ok but not better then Jose.. & i doubt he ever lives upto the stretch of games he put together..i think the flash in a pan label is bang on

[geo]

hollinger tweeted that the contract is a joke because 3rd year is about 9.8 mil....the contract is averaged out for toronto right?

[planetmars]

I won't deny that 3 years / $20M is high for Fields.. but there are several role players in the league that make just as much.

Quick glance through salaries in the $6-8M range:

A. Miller - $7.8M
Barbosa - $7.6M
Nelson - $7.6M
Felton - $7.5M
T. Young - $7.4M
Outlaw - $7M
Thornton - $7M
Udrih - $7M
Ariza - $6.8M
Reddick - $6.7M
Nocioni - $6.6M
Pietrus - $6.5M
G. Davis - $6.3M
Prince - $6.2M
Beasley - $6.2M
Gooden - $6.2M
Matthews - $6.1M
Childress - $6M
Garcia - $5.8M

Fields will be overpaid.. but when has getting a free agent been easy for Toronto?

I personally don't see Fields as a liability. I think it will be hard to move him in his 3rd year - even as an expiring.. but I don't think it would be difficult to move him in his 2nd year - and the cap hit is not too outrageous. Plus Fields is only 24.

Personally I wish NY matches. But if we get him it's not going to be the end of the world.

[MangoKid]

At this point, amnesty Calderon, sign Ilyasova and call it a day.

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

Considering....

1) Knicks played no defense until Woodson arrived,
2) stats don't back up your claim,
3) Knicks were +5.5 with him on the court and -0.2 with him off

.....I call B.S.

The biggest issue with Fields is his drop off in offensive production - which coincidentally coincided with the arrival of Carmelo "Ball Stopper/Team Quitter/Me, Me, Me" Anthony.

When Melo was injured from Feb 8-19, Fields avg close to 17pts/7rebs/5asts at 33mins per game.

[Matt52]

hollinger tweeted that the contract is a joke because 3rd year is about 9.8 mil....the contract is averaged out for toronto right?

Yes.

Hollinger is a joke when it comes to Toronto.

He is either ignorant or has a personal beef with Colangelo.

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

At this point, amnesty Calderon, sign Ilyasova and call it a day.

#winning

[Matt52]

When Melo was injured from Feb 8-19, Fields avg close to 17pts/7rebs/5asts at 33mins per game.

I'd check those numbers again. That or my math is wrong.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelo.../landry-fields

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelo...armelo-anthony

[joey_hesketh]

Im sure Nash sees the Raptors as a better option, we are more functional then NYK in my opinion, but is Lin really that unattractive?

Jeremy Lin is a very attractive man ... all things considered.
Unfortunately, his looks have nothing to do with his Basketball abilities.
(HAH! See what I did there?)

What gives me pause when it comes to assessing Lins game, is how overwhelming the green-cloud of 'Hype' is hanging over his head. Its very difficult to assess ones abilities honestly when there is so much rhetoric being bandied about.

I watched enough of the 'Linsanity' last year to know that, Yes, the kid can play. Theres no denying that.
But can he play in a system where protecting the Ball, is valued more than producing the Flashy play?
I'm not so sure on that one. His turnover numbers were off-the-charts.
And going by the PPR, Turnovers are valued as more detrimental than Assists are beneficial.
And by my count, Lin is a detriment.

[MangoKid]

#winning

..oh, and get Nash too..ha ha.

[ceez]

Fields 2P% improved from 50.2% to 55.7% playing with Lin last season.

Imagine with Nash?

[RaptorsFan4Life]

Calderon isn't that much worse at setting up players around him than Nash...

[MangoKid]

Fields 2P% improved from 50.2% to 55.7% playing with Lin last season.

Imagine with Nash?

And Fields is a smart guy. He knows where to be on the floor. Nash could set him up quite nicely.

I'm amped for the Fields signing. I love, love, love that kid.