Toronto Raptors Free Agent Thoughts

The Toronto Raptors enter the 2009 off-season with some serious concerns. The back-up point guard was never seriously covered and was exploited many times last season. Roko Ukic showed some glimpses of production, but overall should be considered a third-stringer. Currently, the Dinos have no wings under contract besides Quincy Douby and sufficient depth needs to be added for the Raptors to even consider challenge for a playoff spot. We have the number nine pick in a draft that is short on high-end talent but plentiful in potential role players and BC must decide if he will pick a wing, or move up or down in the draft. Finally, Chris Bosh has stayed quiet with his intentions for next year and this casts a shadow on further roster moves as management needs to decide to hastily create a semi-competitive (non-elite) team for Bosh to be satisfied and stay or shift gears and engage in a full on rebuilding mode and have Bosh leave.

Currently the Raptors roster is:

pg: Jose Calderon, Roko Ukic, Marcus Banks
sg: Qunicy Douby
sf:
pf: Chris Bosh, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries
c: Andrea Bargnani

Note: team options to Patrick O'Bryant and Pops
qualifying offer to Joey Graham

The Raptors also have a couple of free-agents that they may wish to resign. They include: Shawn Marion, and Anthony Parker

According to hoopshype information, the Raptors have 43,285,411 in guaranteed salary for next year, 2,356,420 in team options and 3,441, 104 for the qualifying offer. This is hoopshype's breakdown of salary for the Raptors over the next four years.



The Raptors have roughly 45 million in guaranteed salaries for next year. According to Dave's excellent series of articles of NBA team's salary commitments, he predicts the salary cap to be at 58 million and the luxury cap to be at 69.4 million.

With this information in place, the raptors have approximately 13 million dollars to play with to either add a big free agent signing and some cheap pieces or a mix of depth at reasonable (say 4 million dollars) contracts.

A list of unrestricted and restricted free agents could be found here. The unrestricted names that pop out at me are:

Ronald Murray (Atl)
Eddie House (Boston)
Lindsey Hunter (Chicago)
Ben Gordon (Chicago)
Wally Szczerbiak (Cleveland)
Brandon Bass (Dallas)
Dahntay Jones (Denver)
Von Wafer (Houston)
Rasho Nesterovic (Indiana)
Trevor Ariza (L.A Lakers)
Quinton Ross (L.A Clippers)
Luther Head (Miami)
Rodney Carey (Minny)
Maurice Ager (NJ)
Anthony Johnson (Orland0)
Hedo Turkolu (Orlando)
Matt Barnes (Phoenix)

Restricted

Marvin Williams (Atlanta)
Glen Davis (Boston)
Linas Kleiza (Denver)
David Lee (New York)
Macin Gortat (Orlando)
Louis Amundson (Phoenix)
Rashad McCants (Sacremento)

Note: I tried to pick players that are not going to be immediately resigned by their clubs (Kobe, etc.) because its self-defeating and useless. Restricted free agents was given a bit more leeway, but not much more. I am also assuming no trades for simplicity. Maybe a trade article later on though.

There are several options that BC can go in this draft, the first of which being the home run

Option 1: The Home-Run Approach

This approach is trying to maximize your cap space in order to sign the best possible free-agent and adding cheap depth around it. For the Raptors, this means renoucing the rights to Graham and declining the team options on Pops and O'Bryant. This will give the Raptors 13-15 million in cap space, enough to sign a high quality free-agent that ranks just under elite. Some options are: Turkolu, and Lee (possibly). In truth, there are not many names that deserve that amount of money in this class. If the Raptors were to sign Turkolu to a 11 million dollar per annum contract and sign Maurice Ager and Dahntay Jones to 2 million dollar contract respectively, and adding their first round pick, their roster would look like:

pg: Jose Calderon, Roko Ukic, Marcus Banks,
sg: Dahntay Jones, Maurice Ager, Qunicy Douby
sf: Hedo Turkolu, First round Draft Pick (DeRozan?, Heraldson?)
pf: Chris Bosh, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries
c: Andrea Bargnani,

Depending on how Kris Humphries is doing, they may need to add another backup center (with the purchase of a draft pick?) and a swingman but overall, this team look fairly solid and capable of challenging for a upper seed in the Eastern Conference.

Some potential concerns may be the length of Turkolu's contract but this team looks well primed to grow together as the draft pick would take over for Turk and cheap free agent signings and draft picks will continue to regenerate the squad.

Option 2: Spread the Wealth

Another option is to spread the cap space on several mid-priced free agents with the idea being to gain the superior depth which made the Raptors so strong in 2006-2007. With this option, the Raptors may try to sign an Ariza (if the Lakers don't want him) to a 6 million/annum deal and Delfino to a 4 million/annum deal, Rasho to a 2 million/annum and Dahntay Jones to a 2 million / year contract. With the first round draft pick, the roster would look like:

pg: Jose Calderon, 1st round draft pick (Jonny Flynn?) Roko Ukic,
sg: Dahntay Jones, Qunicy Douby, Marcus Banks
sf: Trevor Ariza, Carlos Delfino
pf: Chris Bosh, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries
c: Andrea Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic

This roster also looks fairly competitive with the addition of some minimum contract players.

Option 3: Spread the Wealth (restricted style!)

Another way to spread the wealth would be to sign Macin Gortat to a 4 million dollar offer sheet, Von Wafer to a 3 million dollar deal (risky), Quinton Ross to a 1.5 million dollar deal, and Linas Kleiza or Marvin William to a 6.5 million dollar offer sheet. If all accept (unlikely), the roster would look like:

pg: Jose Calderon, Roko Ukic, Marcus Banks,
sg: Quinton Ross, 1st Round Draft Pick (Evans, Holliday, Flynn), Qunicy Douby
sf: Marvin Williams/ Linas Kleiza, Von Wafer,
pf: Chris Bosh, Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries
c: Andrea Bargnani, Macin Gortat

Another interesting option.

Conclusion

Even though much has been said about the lack of free agent possibilities and money, there are still several options that BC can navigate to get to the roster he wants. Generally, this options seem unlikely because of the lack of conisderation beyond the first year, but that was done internationally because I feel those squads can compete with those starting fives and depth added through cheap free agents or rookie scale contracts. I have aimed for younger players so the core can last for a significant amount of time and can have multiple shots at the championship.

Tentative Arsenal Fixtures for Next Year

The Daily Mail has released Arsenal's next season schedule and there are some interesting aspects to it.


The first thing that popped out at me was that we start away at Everton and finish at home to Fulham. I think its always nice to finish the season at home, but its unfortunate that we have to start away.

Another thing I noticed was a brutal end of January scheduling where we face Man United (H), then Chelsea (A) then Liverpool (H). This will probably be the make-or-break part of the season and could go a long way in determining who is the champion. Afterwards, though, our schedule looks very light and there is serious potential to run the table after those three fixtures.

In general, our schedule looks fairly balanced bar those three fixtures but it definately looks like January-Feburary will be our toughest months. It is important that we have (somewhat) easier fixtures near the end if we are involved in other competitions, but early matches verses United, City and Everton could prove tough while also trying to qualify for the Champions League.

FIFA Under 21's Day 1 - England vs. Finland

I want to discuss the first day of the international youth tournament with a focus on tactics, playing style, and emphasis on Arsenal youth (in the case of England).



England 2 - Finland 1

Scrappy win by the 10 - men team, as Finland proved to be an enthusiastic bunch. England lined up in a surprisingly defensive 4-5-1 formation, probably to combat the Finnish steel. The formation was:

-------------------------Hart-----------------------------
Crainey--------Richards-----Mancienne------------Gibbs
-----------------Muamba------Cattermole----------------
Walcott----------------Noble-----------------------Milner
------------------------------Agbonlahor-----------------

I found that the focus of the English attack was utilizing the speed of Walcott and Agbonlahor, and it was clearly apparent with the continual emphasis of the long ball in the early minutes. There was a couple of time where the central midfield trio tried to release Walcott, who clearly needed time to adjust to the sticky pitch and couldn't keep possession. The Villa boys Milner and Agbonlahor linked up nicely to create a strong chance which Cattermole converted. The defense on the play was horrible and it was clear that Finland was trying to adjust to the long-ball speed tactics.

However, the major problem with any long-ball tactic is that you are giving up possession far too easily and this was of major consequence to England. Finland played possession football and passed around well, and grew in confidence where they started to exploit the right flank of England. Eventually, one ambitious ball by Sparv was put over the top, and Sadik got goal side of Mancienne. This is a terrible position for a defender to be in, and Mancienne panicked and took down the oncoming Finnish player. This resulting action was a red-card and a penalty for the Finns, one which Sparv coolly converted.

England were clearly against it now, down to 10 men and needing a goal to equalize. This, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise as Stuart reverted to a two striker system in a 4-3-2 tactical switch. This switch allowed for more ball possession in the forward line and more ball possession. Walcott was sacrificed for Frazier Campbell, a player who played his trade for Spurs last year. The England team grew in confidence and took the lead by a 51st minute booming header by Richards.

The Three Lions showed courage to gamely hold on, and were close to conceding near the death had it not been for the heroics of Joe Hart. The Finnish threw men forward and had a couple chances that went begging.




Theo Walcott had a poor game for England and was substitute by half-time. He seemed to be lacking his usual trickery and was not exploiting his speed to get behind the defenders. The sending off was a convenient way for Pearce to re-arrange his tactics to get the desired result.

Gibbs, on the other hand, played an excellent game for England. He has really showed maturity at the back and the attacking instinct of an Arsenal fullback. His performances in the final games of the Gunner season coupled with a strong showing in the tournament would likely cement him as back-up to Gael Clichy.

I think Pearce originally got his tactics all wrong. While in theory it made sense to take the speed advantage, the result was that England kept losing possession and this did not bode well with nervous kids in the first match of a championship tournament. Pearce should have played an attacking 4-4-2 with the emphasis on the flanks. Some muscle in the middle of the park was necessary, but have three similar central players was redundant.

Overall, this was an alright win for England. They are way behind the quality of Spain and Germany, but I believe that the team will grow in stature as the tournament progresses. Stuart Pearce echoes by sentiment by stating.

We look a million miles away from winning the tournament,’’ Pearce said. “We’ve showed courage, commitment and character. What we need to show is more ability.

The team needs to hold possession and craft chances, as Spain and Germany have the players to destroy England. In note, Macin and Olier are the ones to watch for Germany and Sisy and Bojan are the starlets for Spain. As two of the three qualify for the latter stages, this win over Finland was mandatory.

What should Arsene Wenger's targets be this transfer window and at what price?

Arsenal are currently lying in fifth place in the standings, three points behind Villa for the fourth spot. They are six point behind first place United and have played one more game. This season has been very up-and-down and reinforcement is neccessary to help try to obtain a champions league spot and win the FA cup.

It is clearly obvious that we need a defensive midfielder. Song and Denilson may have potential for the future (which I doubt) but Song is crap and Denilson is too offensively minded and does not have the physical and mental attributes to be a defensive midfielder for Arsenal.

Another problem that has sprung up is the lack of creativity because of injury to our first team players. Rosicky and Eduardo have been out long term because of freak accidents, and recently Theo, and Cesc have been out for a while now. This lack of creativity, especially in our midfield, makes it difficult to break down teams that have 10 behind the ball. It would be good to get another quality player for the sake of competition, as some players on the squad have been complacent in their place. Considering how young some of these players are, this should not be the case.

Note: These are potential targets Arsene should consider, I am not endorsing that he should get every target, but pick one or two.

1. Andrei Arshavin

My favourite picture of him

Possibly the biggest newspaper story around was Arsenal's pursuit for the Zenit St. Petersburg player. The 27 year old player has won a ton of accolades in Russia including the Russian player of the year in 2006, included on the Euro 2008 team of the tournement and was voted the 6th best player in the Balon D'Or voting this year. His has willed his team to the UEFA cup last year, including beating Bayern Munich 3-0 on aggregate.

He is a very good player, with two good feet and strong creativity. He makes intelligent runs and can shoot from distance. He would be a welcome addition to Arsenal. Zenit are willing to sell, but are negotiating hard and have not really adjusted from their inflated 20-25 million asking price.

Fee: 16-18 million pounds (Arsene has had bids of 12 and 15 million pounds)

2. Mate Toth

I personally had no idea of who this guy was, but apparently Arsenal has already signed him. He is a 18 year Humgarian who impressed Wenger on trial. The fee is believed to be around 250000 (typical) He is a defender, but I am assuming that he will be one for the future. I went to look for some highlights, but this guy doesn't even have a youtube video!

Fee: 250,000 pounds

3. Miguel Veloso

Veloso is a 23 year old defensive midfielder who plays for Sporting Lisbon. He is a quality defender and can break up attacks. Veloso is also a very technical player and can fit within Arsenal's style of play. He is an integral part of the midfield at Sporting Lisbon, and as a result, it may be difficult to pry him away.

Fee: 12-14 million pounds

4. Joao Moutinho

A personal favourite of mine, this 23 year old is another midfielder playing for Sporting Lisbon. I watched him play for Portugal during Euro 2008 and he is a player who can play any position on a flat midfielder. He is a creative midfielder who preferred position is just behind the forwards. Everton tried to loan him last summer but Sporting refused is also is considered a very important figure at the club. He got serverely injured during the Euro Tournament, but has managed to come back to full fitness

Fee: 18-20 million pounds

Is Arsene Going to Sell?

People were worried that Arsene might decide to sell during this window. He, in fact, got a bid for a player. The funny bit was Arsene categorically rejected the bid but also said that Eboue is going to get an improved offer. An improved offer for what? What has he possibly done to deserve a better contract?

Bendtner recieved a bid from surprise German leaders Hoffenheim, but rejected it and says he wants to stay at Arsenal.

Conclusions

Interesting times at Arsenal. There is just over a week left in the transfer window and it is as likely for Arsene to get three of these targets as he is to get zero. Hopefully some reinforcements come and we can sustain a challenge for the FA cup, Champions League and Premier League in the second half of the season.

Raptors Sing the Motown Blues

Raptors 76 - 95 Detroit

Maxiell was a force against the Raptors

The Raptors continue to fall into the depths of the Eastern Conference basement with a loss last night against the Pistons. This was their seventh straight loss and the Dino's record now stands at 16-28. The possibility of reaching the playoffs is quickly becoming out of reach and our attention should turn to developing our young players and figuring out what we are going to do in the off season. (hopefully it involves grabbling a wing; whether it comes from the draft or as a free agent signing)

We limped into the Palace of Auburn Hills and the Prince abused us. He must have been thinking he was in a dream considering how favourable the matchups were for him. First Jamario Moon then Jason Kapono, this guy had a field day. He scored 25 points on 11-16 shooting; abusing us everywhere on the court and creating countless opportunities for his teammates.

We started the game very well as usual, running up to a 10-2 lead through the aggressive nature of Bosh. He started the game off with a drive and score; something he does not do often. He was also spreading the offense well and in the right position for offensive rebounds, grabbing three ones in the opening minutes. The offensive rebounds led to easy points for CB4 and he score 8 of the Raptors first 10 points. Detroit called a time out and substitued Maxiell for Johnson. The Raptors still played well and held a 14-6 lead when Jay made a huge mistake by substituting Roko for Parker. Stuckley saw Ukic and abused him into a foul, a offensive turnover and blew by him for a layup. Maxiell was a huge energy spark off the bench, and he managed to throw down four enormous dunks through screen and rolls and in transition. Raptors held though and lead 22-17 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, the Piston were just smarter than us. Their backup Will Bynum consistently made the right pass either to Rip or Prince off screen. He also had the tools to brake down our perimeter defense and create easy baskets for his teammates (I know, its pretty easy). Tayshaun Prince started to heat up and that was because Kapono was guarding him. He is such an awesome player, if I would wish for a three for the Raptors it would be the Prince. The Pistons clawed back and led by three by halftime outscoring the Raptors 29-21.

The wheels just feel off in the third quarter. The Detroit offense was so efficient, with all of their weapons scoring at ease. The Raptors decided to settle on the jumper and went away from the fundamentals which made them successful early in the first quarter. Rodney Stuckley was using dribble penetration, posting up and passing well. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince was scoring at will through screens and Rasheed and Maxiell were scoring on the inside. There were too many options for the Pistons and the Raptors could not contain them all.

The fourth quarter started and it had already felt like garbage time. Maxiell started off by showing O'Neal how to scoring with a fadeaway (probably Maxiell's first of the season), and McDyess scored on a nice layup and jumper. Rip Hamilton scored five straight points and the game was now out of hand at 87-67.

Best moment of the game was Nathan Jawai entering the game. Aussie Shaq started his career with a walk, must have been watching Kapono too much. He really didn't do anything else for the final three minutes, but at least he played! Will Solomon decided to hog the ball at the end jacking up shots, which was something I would expect to do.

Ukic showed some big problems when he entered the game. He got exposed on defense because he doesn't know the defensive awareness yet and can be forced into easy turnovers for the opponents. He needs some seasoning in the D league, but it would lessen the little depth we have.

Bargnani had an off-shooting night shooting 6-16, by still made the right decisions, he just missed shots he was making during this run. Joey scored 0 points in 22 minutes, he really did not get himself into the game. Parker continued playing the point, and played reasonably well and hopefully this would increase his trade value going into the deadline.

Chicago up next and hopefully the Raptors can stop the bleeding.