Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Andrea Bargnani

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

  • #76
    Bargnani's future murky in Toronto

    Raptors president/general manager Bryan Colangelo said a lot at Monday's season-wrapping media conference but one of the biggest takeaways was this: The Andrea Bargnani (209-F/C-85) experiment is either coming to an end or will be drastically altered.

    With Bargnani's future in Toronto rather murky, Colangelo admitted the obvious. 'Miscast' as a centre, Bargnani was not thriving or lifting the team from that spot.

    'We need a bigger, better post presence,' Colangelo said, noting that seven-footers who excel on the boards and defensively are keys to success.

    'Defending the rim is one of the main weaknesses we have, we need to get a guy who rebounds the ball.'

    Colangelo said nobody on the roster is 'untradeable' and did not discount the possibility he would move the top selection of the 2006 draft, but said either way, a centre must be added.

    'The biggest need is we have not paired a legit five (centre) next to Andrea Bargnani. He's our five because we don't have anybody else to play that position at his size.'

    Continued Colangelo: 'I don't know if he'll ever become a better defensive player than he is. But can he be a better rebounder? Absolutely. That's a mindset, that's a desire thing. He knows he can do better, but doesn't focus on it.

    'Whether Andrea is here or not, we need a guy who can do those things.'

    Colangelo noted the team has the cap flexibility that many teams lack heading into a new collective labour landscape and will be in position to spend to sign one of the many free agent centres on the market.

    'There are a number of free agent bigs both restricted and unrestricted that we'll have to consider, that fit the bill,' he said.

    'I had that guy last year in a deal that fell through. Look what Tyson Chandler has done to Dallas' defence.'

    Coincidentally, Chandler finished third in defensive player of the year voting on Monday.

    Chandler, of course, was not acquired in the off-season along with Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans, only because Charlotte owner Michael Jordan nixed the done deal.

    Colangelo said that incident, along with an avalanche of injuries led to a change in direction and a year of rebuilding.

    'We had thoughts of being a competitive team. That was derailed. At some point you conclude it's best to go in a different direction,' he said.

    'We embarked upon a plan in late November, developing our youth, acquiring additional assets, preserving cap flexibility.'

    Colangelo did a solid job of that, adding Jerryd Bayless and James Johnson to the mix, while head coach Jay Triano helped develop youngsters like DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson.

    The team is certainly in a lot better spot than it was a year ago when Chris Bosh bailed and Hedo Turkoglu was still on the books and Colangelo is right in claiming that both DeRozan and Davis would go a lot higher than 9th and 13th if the 2010 and 2011 drafts were redone today.

    Colangelo knows that this draft (the Raptors will pick somewhere between one and five depending what happens at the May 17th lottery) will bring another strong asset but also realizes Toronto's awful three-point shooting must be addressed, as well as the centre issue.

    The veteran GM certainly won't give away Bargnani.

    'The enigma of all enigmas is Andrea ... he's proven to be a legitimate 20-point scorer and I think he has more where that comes from and has another level to reach,' Colangelo said.

    'Clearly he has not done the things that we would all like to see and that's get better at rebounding the ball and defending the rim. He's far from a perfect player but he's a valuable asset for this organization nonetheless ... a considerable asset for this organization despite what many think otherwise.'

    Colangelo did well in both selling Bargnani while not ignoring his obvious failings.

    Now he must either find another big man who will help Bargnani fulfill his potential or, more helpfully, send him to a team that can better utilize what he does provide and can more easily deal with what he doesn't.

    Courtesy of www.torontosun.com
    Die Liebe wird eine Krankheit, wenn man sie als eine Heilung sieht
    Artificial Nature

    Comment


    • #77
      First, I think Colangelo is right to be thinking that teams shouldn't go through "rebuilding processes" that take five years. If a team fails miserably, blow it up and try again. Don't assume the players will be better next year - be proactive. Keep a few guys and try to trade the rest.

      Second, I think Bargnani could thrive on a team that has a few big guys who don't mind being tough. Imagine Bargnani playing with Jerome Williams or Ben Wallace. In today's NBA, I think he could thrive with a team like OKC, where other players can rebound. Problem is that OKC can't afford him because his offensive skills (huge) raise his salary tremendously.
      "I really like the attitudes of eagles. They never give up. When they grab a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn't matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of [an] eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn't let go." -- Donatas Motiejunas

      Comment


      • #78
        Bargnani wants a trade?

        Andrea Bargnani ignited rumors and speculation that he could be welcoming a trade to a city with a warm climate as TSN has reported

        "I want to stay in Toronto, at least this is the politically correct answer. If I am to go somewhere else, I'd like a warm climate city and a team where I can actually play my role."
        Sacramento Kings
        HERE WE STAY UNTIL THE COWBELLS COME HOME

        Comment


        • #79
          Good Call Stuart..!

          Comment


          • #80
            Traded to the New York Knicks.
            Sacramento Kings
            HERE WE STAY UNTIL THE COWBELLS COME HOME

            Comment

            Working...
            X

            Debug Information