What an eventful 24 hours it’s been. We always knew that the rumor mill would start spinning heading into July; but who would have thought it would spin as fast as this.
The calm before the storm..
A relatively quiet front in the rumour department was met by a surge of breaking news yesterday. It started with the hiring of Rex Kalamian, and escalated when the Raptors announced they’re extending the qualifying offer to Nando De Colo. It then peaked when Shams Charania dropped the LMA bomb, and got even more interesting when Wesley Matthews’ name was thrown into the mix.
Amidst all that, the Raptors acquired Luke Ridnour and got linked with Bismack Biyombo. Oh, and apparently Jerry Stackhouse will be unveiled within the next week or so.
Can confirm the Raptors hiring of 18-year NBA vet Jerry Stackhouse as assistant coach. Expected to be made official later this week or next
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 30, 2015
Undoubtedly, the LaMarcus Aldridge bit trumps everything for now.
The excitement of the Aldridge rumor initially started because the source was completely legit, and the rumor was then confirmed by Marc Stein of ESPN. Since the news broke out yesterday, it’s been made clear that the Raptors aren’t the only team on Aldridge’s radar – not that that should be of surprise to anyone.
The official list is as follows.
Lakers & Rockets get the first crack at LaMarcus on Tuesday night. Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Raptors are in Wednesday. Knicks on Thursday.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 30, 2015
Firstly, it’s important to note that if Masai did somehow pull this signing off, Aldridge would probably go down as the third best Raptor of all-time, and potentially the most important acquisition since Charles Oakley. Ergo, he would be the key piece needed to take the Raptors to the next level.
Aldridge would slot directly into the four spot – which works out perfectly for him as he hates playing at the five – and would compliment Jonas well. Raptor fans should know well how much it can sting playing against a player of Aldridge’s caliber. In two games against the Raptors last season, he averaged 11.5 rebounds and 23.5 points on a scorching 57.6% shooting.
To break it down even further to prove how insanely good LaMarcus Aldridge is, I’ll shift your focus to this year’s playoffs. He torched the Rockets in the post-season, punishing them from the mid-range and inside. Aldridge had back-to-back 40-point games in that series.
Imagine if the Raptors had that kind of weapon on their roster in the post-season. That’s no ordinary weapon, folks. That’s one of the best power forwards in the league, abusing one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Aldridge gets a knock from critics because he’s known to shoot a lot of mid-range shots, and his True Shooting % is just 52.8% (41st among NBA power forwards). Although, that’s not something that overwrites his overall output. Aldridge’s PER of 22.85 ranks third among NBA power forwards behind Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis. While he’s not known for being a defensive juggernaut, he’s still solid in that department. His size and length allow him to protect the basket even against the NBA’s elite big-men, and he’s quick on defensive rotations – jumping out to open shooters on the perimeter. Ergo, if Aldridge is matched-up against a stretch four, he won’t be exposed much. Likewise, he can take advantage of teams playing small-ball at the four by posting them up or shooting over them.
But it all could be a tease. If there’s one thing Raptor fans have learned over the past 20 years, it’s to not get your hopes up. Aldridge will be meeting with other teams, and according to the ever-reliable Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors are not the favorites to swoop the Blazer star.
So what’s the pitch?
It’s not all doom and gloom. Fact: LaMarcus Aldridge shortlisted the Raptors, and not the other way around, which means he has interest in Toronto. But, the competition is stiff.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovic, forward Tim Duncan & guard Tony Parker expected to attend LaMarcus Aldridge meeting, a source told Yahoo Sports.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) June 30, 2015
This won’t come down to money. Aldridge will get the max from whichever team he ends up with. The Raptors are going to have to pitch this city as if their life depended on it. Does his mom have a say? Offer her a nice Rolls Royce and a condo next to the most prestigious bingo hall in the 6ix. Drake will undoubtedly have a hand in this, since the Raptors have no actual basketball-related salesmen on the Pop/Duncan/Parker level. Is Drake on tour? Skype him in. Make sure Aldridge knows he’ll have VIP access to the best clubs on a nightly basis and he’ll be hanging out with ILoveMakonnen.
OK – maybe the last bit wouldn’t help at all. But the rest? Totally valid suggestions.
It needs to be made clear to Aldridge that he would be the star in Toronto. This would be his team. In a wobbly Eastern Conference, Aldridge would have an easier path to the Finals. He would be put on a pedestal, worshiped by a country, and voted in as a starter in the all-star game for years to come.
There is another interesting pitch: The Raptors could acquire his good friend and current teammate Wesley Matthews – but that would require a shake-up of sorts. If the Raptors were to sign both, they’d be near-crippled financially and would need to dump a contract or two. According to Tim MacMahon, Matthews’ devastating injury won’t stop him from asking for big money – somewhere in the 15m range.
Wesley Matthews is a great player who would be a terrific upgrade over Terrence Ross at the three. He’s a better defender, and a better shooter too. He would be the glue that could fit all the pieces together. If Aldridge would see that as an incentive, it would be worth even moving DeRozan or Lowry for. If it came down to that, Lowry might be the more expendable due to age and the abundance of quality point guards in the Association.
Paving the way..
What no one has talked about is what this acquisition would actually do for the image of the franchise, and what it would do to lure the most heralded free agent in 2016 – Kevin Durant.
A thought like that requires an imaginative mind, but you’re not going to attract someone like KD unless you already have a cornerstone like Aldridge already on the roster. A team with Aldridge and Durant would be an automatic contender coming out of the Eastern Conference.
Regardless of whether Masai lands Aldridge or not, the fact that Aldridge has shortlisted the Raptors as a destination means the franchise has taken a positive turn in the Leiweke / Ujiri era.
