Today’s player analysis will focus upon the second piece the Toronto Raptors picked up in their deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, 2nd year guard Sonny Weems. Coming into 2009-10, Sonny only had 12 games under his NBA belt. Yes, they were with the very good Denver Nuggets, but Weems was definitely not considered part of what made them really good. Luckily for Raptors fans, Sonny quickly became one of the best players to suit up in a Raptors uniform this season, and could be argued to be the biggest surprise in competition only with AJ15. Let’s take a look at Sonny’s numbers:
Would the Rockets take on Turkoglu’s contract if it meant they would get Bosh? Why not? Shane Battier’s presence makes Ariza expendable, and since the Rockets are over the cap, they would have to come up with a deal that would be beneficial to the Raptors. Hill plus Ariza for Bosh doesn’t sound that great for Toronto, but a first round pick (or two) plus the salary cap relief of having Turkoglu’s salary off the books might be enough to convince the Raptors to pull the trigger.
As for Bosh, I’d suspect that he’d be intrigued with the idea of starting alongside Yao, Battier, Brooks and Martin. That would be a potent starting five.
It seems like ever since that rookie-year dunk on Shaquille O’Neal it’s been nothing but injuries, a disparaging video starring Kobe Bryant, injuries, embarrassing internet pictures in clubs and injuries and, uh, injuries.
It had reached the point that the latest injury news, a meniscus tear in his right knee announced just before the start of the second-round series against the Jazz didn’t bring wails of anguish or gasps of fear from Lakers fans. Instead it brought scorn and derision for the guy who can’t seem to stay on the court.
And then who shows up and takes a courtside seat at Staples Center to watch Game 2 of the Lakers versus the Jazz? Chris Bosh, the free-agent-to-be center who already popped up in a trade rumor for Bynum this season and would likely require Bynum to be sent to Toronto if the Raptors want to do a sign-and-trade with the Lakers this summer (although the buzz has Bosh heading to join Dwyane Wade in Miami).
Chris Bosh will more than likely be gone from Toronto before the start of next season.
The Raptors will need to add a big man with his departure, which is why I see Marshall’s dynamic center, Hassan Whiteside getting picked up by Toronto.
He and Evan Turner were the only two NCAA players to get multiple triple-doubles last season. If he is still there, the Raptors have got to get him.
For instance, when the Los Angeles Times sports blog made a post about his announcement last evening, they reported that Bosh had “96,000-plus followers,” a number that has swelled to nearly 102K in a span of hours. The wallpaper of Bosh’s Twitter page, for months, has been a promotional poster for his DVD. His recent tweets might not be a promotional ploy – it’s been months since his documentary was released – but it’s evident that Bosh is using social networking to build himself as a brand and product, which is totally understandable.
The problem is that you’re opening up a wildfire discussion to any boob or diehard with a 140-character opinion, which is especially problematic when you consider that Bosh will not listen to the hundreds, even thousands of responses. The decision about his future will be made by Bosh, his family, and agent, and will come down to where he can win, where he wants to live, and where can make boatloads of cash. If you’re a knucklehead from Sacramento or Minnesota, your team has no shot at landing a superstar like Bosh, so your tweets are fruitless. That goes for at least 20 other NBA markets that don’t have the cap room for Bosh, don’t need him, or are places he wouldn’t go to anyway.
Essentially Bosh is only kicking up a firestorm to further his public profile, by using the fiction of Twitter being a way to connect with athletes and celebrities.
