The Raptors kicked off their season on a high note getting the 104-96 W over the Cavaliers. Sure, beating a squad of lesser talent isn’t something to write home about but there were so many good things happening on the floor for the Raptors it’s hard not to feel optimistic.

Leading up to the game, all we have heard about is how new head coach Dwane Casey is trying to change the culture and instill a defensive mentality into a team that has always struggled with the concept. Last night fans finally got to see the plan being put into action. 9 blocks, out-rebounding the opponent, shooting a better percentage than the opponent, and communicating on the floor (Bargnani got caught doing that on camera! BOOM). I was so focused looking out for the changes on the defensive end I didn’t get to fully appreciate the offensive efficiency and ball movement from the Raptors. Jose played the role of distributor perfectly, DeMar made an impact in the 4th quarter, Bargnani stayed focused on both ends of the floor, Johnson & Johnson were the perfect blend of energy and execution, and Ed Davis earned himself some more playing time.

This was one of the winnable games and though this season is not going to be measured by wins and losses, it is sure nice for a young team to get off on the right foot.

The Night in Numbers

53% The Raptors were hot from all over. For a team that was at the bottom shooting 3′s last season, they hit 43% of those. On the other end of the floor they held the Cavs to shooting just 41%
10 players saw the floor and each of them recorded at least 1 assist.
+8 on the boards. 9 of the 10 guys who played last night grabbed at least 1 rebound.
35 assists on 42 made FG’s. Not only were the Raptors moving the ball, they ended up finding the right guy to finish each time.
7 of the 10 guys who saw playing time scored in double figures, led by Jose and DeMar who had 15 a piece.
7-7 from the floor for Ed Davis. Should earn him some additional playing time in game 2.
2 Players (Jose, Amir) recorded double double’s. The 13-13 from Amir is not as surprising as the 15-11 from Jose considering who he is passing the ball to…

The Starting 5

Jose Calderon – It’s been a while since fans saw this Jose who was completely in control of the offense all night. He didn’t hesitate to shoot when he had to and even put in effort on the defensive end. This is the Jose Calderon that got the big contract some four seasons ago. For the first three quarters he directed the guys and hit the open man, but when it came to closing out the game, he knew the ball had to go to DeMar or Andrea. Calderon played like he was trying to secure his starting spot for the near future — mission accomplished.

Amir Johnson – Coming off ankle surgery in the offseason, Amir looked to have all the bounce back in his legs. He got the starting nod at C and logged 32 minutes without fouling out. Entering his 7th year in the NBA, this is the perfect opportunity for him to take things to the next level. Amir had a tough task guarding Varejao, who might have the edge when it comes to energy levels, but for the most part held his own. As good as he was defensively (13 rebounds, 2 blocks), Amir showed promise to be the primary pick and roll guy. Jose was able to hit him rolling to the rack on multiple occasions through the game and more often than not the play ended in points.

Pick and Roll – The Raptors executed the play to perfection and the Cavs never found a way to stop it. Calderon has always been good on the PnR but that was seen more in the Bosh days. Last night he showed the chemistry he has developed with Amir and they went to it almost every other time down the floor. As the season goes along, teams will have that leading off the scouting report but until someone can stop it, this will be the bread and butter move on offense for the Raps.

Ball Movement – As pointed out in the numbers, the Raptors had 35 assists on 42 made FG’s. That’s pretty ridiculous no matter who your opponent is or who is doing the scoring for you. In the 2nd preseason game, the offense looked like it had a long way to go but against the Cavs the Raptors focused on getting the ball to the right guy rather than “Player X”. They displayed a trust in each other rarely seen this early in the season and is a great position to build from.

Block Party – Way too often last season, the Raptors laid out the red carpet for opponents to form a layup line to the hoop. This was not the case last night as the Raptors had a man there each time to contest the shot. Johnson & Johnson combined for 6 of the Raptors’ 9 blocks but as a team there was a clear commitment to protecting the basket.

Up Next: Pacers @ Raptors. Wednesday, 28th Dec 2011 at 6PM.

The goal at the start was to create a community and it grew organically. The Raptors gave RTZ (Raptors Tweet Zone) tickets to bring guests to take in the live game experience. While at the game, guests use the hashtag #rtz and fans from all over who are watching can join in the conversation. Tweets using the tag go into the raptors.com live chat on game nights and a top 20 tweets post is compiled post-game on the tumblr giving fans a recap of the game while seeing if their tweet made it. This all became another way to recognize fans. After working with the team in making all this happen, the next logical step was to organize a night dedicated to fans who have been a part of this movement. Which brings me to RTZ Night…

RTZ night is more than a game. It is giving fans the chance to take in the game with people they have interacted with over the course of the season with some added bonuses that are listed below. We hope this is a success and we are able to keep bringing more events to a very rabid fanbase here in Toronto.

To purchase tickets CLICK HERE and use the Password RTZ

Bryan Colangelo’s first order of business was to lock up Amir Johnson long term. The last player ever to be drafted out of high school has found a home in Toronto and his brand of basketball has meshed well with DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. The three formed a fun, athletic unit and allow the team to play a much more uptempo game. Just two games into summer league it is evident that Sonny and DeMar have worked on their games and are tearing it up here.

This years draft also saw Colangelo picking up two young, athletic big men. Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi are very raw on the offensive end but have the makeup to run the floor and get easy buckets while paying focus more on the defensive end. Davis known for his shot blocking abilities may see time at the 4 and 5 spot depending on how much C Bargnani has to play during the season. Alabi may spend the season in street clothes but has the potential to grow into a solid Center.

There is a good balance of youth and veterans on this team now and with the departure of much maligned Hedo Turkoglu, the team seems to have good chemistry going forward.

I will be at the next 3 summer league games so make sure you follow me on Twitter – @Nat77 and check back here as I will post a daily recap of Raptor games as well as some early looks at other rookies in the league

Photo Credit: Ron Turenne/ NBAE

Don’t they look dapper?

The Toronto Raptors held their annual Red Party event last night and I had the pleasure to attend thanks to @fortressman. This has been the flagship event for the Raptors Foundation (now called Team Up Foundation) over the last 15 years and while I have attended in the past, last night was by far the best. The team has always been at the top of the list when it comes to giving back and this party does that while giving love to the fans who support them.

The event held at Muzik Nightclub, was sold-out to the tune of 800 guests who got a chance to mingle with the players and team personnel. The silent auction had something for everyone, including the “infamous” blue linen blazer worn by Reggie Evans while he was sidelined with an injury. To top it off, there was a surprise guest brought in for the event — none other than, Toronto’s very own “Drake”.

The tickets for the event are on the pricey side but with the proceeds going for charity there is always a nice tax write off involved. While most of the attendees were those who usually fill up the lower bowl at the ACC, it was nice to see some fans come out and support. The players were making the rounds and stopped to take pictures with anyone who asked. The club setting doesn’t lend to too many conversations but just getting a chance to share a few words with people involved with the team is always a great experience. By the time I got home I realized my throat was sore from trying to talk over the music all night.

The whole night is like eye candy for a Raptor fan. I got to chat at length with some of the radio and TV personalities and then moved on to cracking some jokes with Jarrett Jack. Never did make it around the whole place and totally missed Jose, Hedo and Rasho in the house. Oh and I missed out on the food too which was apparently to die for. But with me getting all dressed up, the last thing I was about to do was attempt eating kobe beef sliders while standing.

If I had to pick my favorite part of the night it would be the performance by Drake. As the rapper took the stage, everyone gathered around and even the players joined in as fans. I turned to see Reggie Evans mouthing the lyrics to the songs and DeMar DeRozan bobbing his head as he took it all in. While the suits may not have appreciated this as much, it was nice to see the players just let loose for one night.

My two gripes about the event were minor ones. Firstly, the silent auction was set up in a way it was almost impossible to see what you were bidding on. I got a Jamario Moon playoff worn autographed jersey a few years back and was looking forward to nabbing something but the display turned me off. Secondly, the gift bag had Olive Oil (!), a bag of chips and a coupon for a 12 pack of coke. Seriously? I got a pair of glasses last time with the Raptors logo etched on it. This time the best part of the gift was the bag it came in.

Overall, its definitely an experience I think any fan would love. If you can save up for a good cause and try to make it out next year it will give you a lifetime of memories you won’t soon forget.

• Read the Raptors.com recap of the event w/ photos (link)
• Read another recap from @Mrballer who attended as a guest (link)

50 games in the books. Crazy.

The Toronto Raptors held fan appreciation night this past Wednesday, though logistically, it would make more sense to do this at the end of the season. I am pretty sure they planned this after the Vince Carter trade but the game they chose was v/s the New Jersey Nets. Yes, the 4-43 Nets. Rather than the game being the story, it became all about the halftime show — featuring none other than Vanilla Ice.

There really isn’t much to say about the game itself (see: opponent). The Raptors came out with a win even though they were shorthanded and the halftime show surpassed my expectations (Video 1, Video 2). After all was said and done, the Raptors sat with a 27-23 record, coincidentally the same record they had at this mark in both their 47 win seasons.

Now that the team has shown its appreciation (albeit in a strange way), I figured why not return the favor and show my appreciation for each player…

Chris Bosh: Give him Max money now! Ok, that may be a little bold, but his level of professionalism and commitment is something I really appreciate. He is having a career year statistically and has left it on the floor each night. He is never going to be a lock down defender– I can live with that. He is not flashy player and never will be, but the proof is in the results. The positives in his game and what he brings to a team far outweigh the negatives.

Jose Calderon: I may get some hate for this but I do not want to see him leave. When Jose is in the game, I have a sense of calm that he will make the right play and it will end in something positive. On the defensive end, not so much… but the team can live with some of his shortcomings knowing they can make up for them with Jarrett Jack. Having moved to a bench role, Jose has become a scoring threat while making life easy for the 2nd unit. He may be the most valuable trade chip this team holds but I believe it would be a mistake to move him before the season is up.

Jarrett Jack: It was meant to be. See, when Rob Babcock draft Joey Graham, I wanted him to draft Jack. 5 years later, all is right in the world. Jack has lived up to the billing. He plays tough, is a great complement to Jose and has slowly become the leader this team was sorely lacking. Early in the season I noticed he was the most talkative guy on the floor and that has rubbed off on his teammates. Like he did in Indiana, Jack has taken over as the starter (not by choice) and has played his way into keeping that spot.

Hedo Turkoglu: It never felt like the right fit. While there have been glimpses of a borderline secondary star, the thought that he was signed for 5 years makes me ill. The idea of a point forward is great but hardly made sense on a team financially committed to two solid point guards. The Raptors needed a pure shooter/scorer and right now he is neither. He probably will never be, but having him in the game forces opponents to game plan for him which in turn takes some pressure off Bosh. $53 million sure is a lot money for a diversion though.

Andrea Bargnani: It took long enough. Andrea Bargnani carried the weight of being a #1 pick and only this season are we seeing validation for the draft spot. The biggest change I noticed is his confidence level. It felt like he was never comfortable with Sam Mitchell and we saw glimpses of what could be towards the end of last season under Jay Triano. He came in ready this year. He has developed his game to a point where he is mixing things up on offense while keeping his head in the game on defense. He has become a legitimate secondary scoring threat on this team and looks like he is enjoying every minute of it. That makes me happy.

Antoine Wright: Finally backing up his talk, Antoine has quietly become a solid rotation player. He was injured to start the season and soon after was buried deep in coach’s doghouse. Not playing didn’t stop him from trying to be heard and he was talking to anyone who would listen. I guess someone had to say it and while it seemed out of place then its obvious he has the ears of his peers. Bosh has a good relationship with him and that always helps. Now that he is making shots it would be a shame if the team traded him away come mid Feb.

DeMar DeRozan: Similar to how Bosh was thrown into the fire just one year removed from high school, DeMar has stepped into an NBA starting lineup and held his own. He has had to guard some of the best players in the league and he has accepted the challenge. He is usually the 5th option on offense which is why he doesn’t boast flashy numbers, but his work ethic and demeanor have shown me enough to know he will be just fine. I would like to see more plays run for him but maybe that will come in time. For now, I can just see he is loving every minute of his new job.

Sonny Weems: Talk about coming out of nowhere! A spare part in the Amir Johnson trade, Sonny has been the most pleasant surprise for me this season. He brings a little of everything onto the floor each night. A decent mid-range game, he can rebound well at his position and has dished out some memorable assists already this season. All this for a guy who probably spent the early part of the season planning his dance moves (video)

Amir Johnson: Energy – Hustle – Athleticism. Amir Johnson possesses all these qualities in abundance. He has been in the league long enough to know what works for him and the Raptors got him here at the perfect time. He is not as raw as I had expected and I love what he brings to this floor each night. You can see it in his eyes, he is loving it. He had a rough start to his career but is blossoming here in Toronto. This city embraces guys like him and its no surprise he has become a fan favorite. #freeamir

Marco Belinelli: I present you Mo Pete version 2.0 and this one makes no excuses. You give him the ball and he shoots. There is no such thing as bad shots in his mind. I think the team knew what they were getting when they traded for him and he has done nothing more, nothing less. He has been a big part of the winning and for that I am thankful, because I sure as hell know Devean George could not help this team.

Marcus Banks: For a guy who doesn’t do much he sure gets a fair share of hate from the fans. That is until he stepped in when Jose was out and showed us a little somethin’ something. Marcus Clanks may be what I call him but he has been a pro when it comes to his role on this team. He has kept himself game ready and has carried himself like a vet. Can’t ask for more from a 3rd stringer.

Rasho Nesterovic: He has spent more time laughing at the in-game entertainment than actually playing basketball, but that is fine by me. He is a winner. Now “Let’s NBA”

Patrick O’Bryant: While he hasn’t done anything but keep the bench warm during games, off the court is a different story. Twitter was made for guys like him. He has embraced the social media site and created a fan base solely off that. I never gave him a second thought until he opened up to the fans and with that he bought himself a ton of leeway in my books when it comes to actually, you know… contributing to the team.

Reggie Evans: He currently holds the role of cheerleader and I for one can’t wait for him to get back on the floor. Not so much to see how he can help but rather so I no longer have to see him wear crystallized jeans. Gotta give it to him though, being sidelined for so long he is always into the game. The first guy up to cheer his teammates and has a word or two for each of them. You can feel his energy and love for the game, someone with that much passion can only make this team better.

Coming into the season, the expectations were high. When the team sputtered out of the gates, fingers were being pointed in every direction. As the new year rolled around, the team came in on a 5 game win streak and the same fans that wanted an upheaval started to believe again. I have to admit I wasn’t sold but these past two wins have made me a believer. I’m not talking blind faith here… there is real change going on and it starts with team chemistry.

“Team Chemistry” was a phrase used a lot this summer as Bryan Colangelo pulled off a major overhaul of the Raptors. With 9 new faces, it wasn’t a matter of “if”, rather a matter of “when” this team would come together. Most were hoping for 20 games, but with injuries and a tough schedule that didn’t really happen. Game #36 was played last night and it was probably the first time all season that I could say this team had it. Chemistry that is. Knowing where your teammates like the ball. Talking on defense so your teammate is not left to out to dry. Moving the ball with purpose (31 assists v/s Orlando). These are all things teams that are on the same page do. Over the last couple of games the Toronto Raptors have looks like that kind of team.

This team has proven it is offensively potent. The next step is on the defensive end. The last 8 games have shown the team is capable and with the team chemistry improving so has the team D. At the start of the season, sitting by the Raptor bench, all I could hear was Micah Nori (Asst. coach) screaming out the defensive assignments. Slowly I began to hear Jack on D and now its become almost all the guys. Andrea is still too quiet for my liking, being the last line of D at the center position, but as his confidence grows so should his ability to do the little things like call out picks and such. Over the last couple of games the team has won on the heels of holding teams to a low shooting percentage. They are going into games with a defensive plan and sticking to it. Still not seeing much zone defense from the Raptors, which helps when you need to give teams different looks, but with more practice days in the next couple of months it should be on Jay Triano’s to-do list. This team is not going to be breaking any defensive records anytime soon but if they can pull themselves up to a middle of the road defensive team they will give themselves a chance to be in a good position for the post season.

Jose Calderon returned from injury at the perfect time. No one ever wishes a player to go down but it seemed to have helped the team that he was out. It gave the new players enough time to get used to playing with Bosh and as well as a chance to find their roles on this team. Jarrett Jack was trying to do too much at the start of the season but when he was relied on as the primary PG, he was able to settle down and bring a new dimension to the team. Hedo Turkoglu seemed lost at the start of the season. Under utilized and a non-factor in games, but with Jose sidelined got a chance to show his play making abilities and build a pick ‘n roll game with Bosh. With Jose the coaches know what they have. It took him being out for the coaches to figure out what they had in all these other players. Last night v/s Orlando, Jose came in off the bench and within minutes fans were reminded of what this guy can do. It was like he didn’t miss a beat. There is a sense of security with him on the floor and everything just seems to run smooth.

The defense is coming around and the offense is flowing. For all this to come together, the players have to accept their roles and embrace them. If you told me that Sonny Weems would be subbed in at the end of games for defensive purposes, I would have questioned your sanity. If you told me that Bargnani would be trusted to defend Dwight Howard without a double team, I would have questioned Jay Triano’s sanity. Thing is, slowly these guys are being put in positions to succeed which in turn helps confidence. Chris Bosh is the pillar but over the last few he hasn’t had to be the man. The supporting cast, the so called role players have found their role. Now it’s all about momentum. If this team has truly found an identity, they need to band together to build momentum and start making their push now rather than waiting for seasons end when all the other teams are thinking the same.

Elite teams keep their foot on the gas… the Toronto Raptors need to show they can keep up.

You can follow Ian on Twitter @Vulcanoboy and check his website www.iancartoons.com
Thanks to @TasMelas and @Stackmack for some great feedback along the way.

- Jose Calderon Cartoon
- DeMar DeRozan Cartoon

Special thanks to @stackmack and @TasMelas for inspiration

Jose Calderon Cartoon

A little background…

During the so called “off-season”, I relied on Twitter to get my basketball fix. Along the way I came across @Vulcanoboy who had won a contest run by Charlie Villanueva. We get to talking and he informs me that he is a cartoonist in his down time. With that said, I came up with the idea to run a series introducing the Toronto Raptors and here is the start of what I hope becomes something epic. The plan is to have the Raptors staring 5 introduced and if all goes well we will try to bring you once each month recapping how the team does on the court.

O’Bryant took to Twitter late this summer and started building his network by following each person back and conversing with them in 140 characters or less. He is not a marquee player but realized that using a platform like this would help fans get to know him. He became more than just the guy drafted 9th overall playing garbage time. And, it wasn’t long before fans were discussing Canadian health care or Milk in bags with Patrick.

Patrick began to get more comfortable and ran a few contests to get his growing fanbase involved. Recently, he pledged to give away tickets to every home and away game for a lucky fan if he reached 2000 followers on Twitter by opening night (Ed. Update: This is going to be a single pair for either a home or away game). Since he had already established a good rapport with some of the Raptor fans they decided to get on board to help get him to his goal. A day later things went a step further. Scott aka @AltRaps (www.altraps.com) proposed that if Patrick managed to get 2500 followers by the end of the month he would donate $500 to the Team Up Foundation (Toronto Raptors Charitable Org.) Upon hearing this O’Bryant offered to match the donation and from there on out the domino effect had begun. (read more here and here) Eric Smith from Raptors.com got a chance to speak to Patrick O’Bryant a few days back and even he sounds blown away with the way things have played out.

This charity has always been great at generating interest and getting donations through the teams relationships with the large corporations. This small gesture that was started by Scott, has now grown into a pledge for over $8000 to be donated to the charity if he reaches the goal. A fan generated donation to a charity that was previously looked at as one that doesn’t need small donations is a big step in the right direction. It just goes to show that even $25 can help towards the bigger picture. If you are reading this, I hope you have a better understanding of what we are trying to accomplish. You don’t need to have any $$ to give just get a friend or two and click here to #follow13POB13. With just over 500 more followers to go, we hope that with the power of social media platforms like Twitter the goal will be reached.

This has been a joint effort. Not only did the fans of the Toronto Raptors get involved, but people across Twitter and other platforms have stepped up to the plate. A quick shout out is in order …

@Romyaquino from Hip Hoop Junkies jumped on board with his contributions right away. He created the follow POB logo that a lot of the fans are using for avatars. (Get yours here)

@Liston @DeenLen and @SUNSFAN4LIFE – Die hard Raptor fans, got on board with the movement and have been working tirelessly to get fans to help Patrick reach his goal.

If you would like to Donate. Make sure you contact Scott – altraps@altraps.com or you can do so directly from the foundation website and you can put it in Patrick O’Bryant’s name.

1. Poppin My Collar – Three 6 Mafia
2. Checkmate – Jadakiss
3. We Takin’ Over – DJ Khaled
4. Run This Town – Jay-Z ft. Kanye & Rihanna
5. Guess Who’s Back – Scarface ft. Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel
6. I’m A Hustla – Cassidy ft. Jay-Z
7. Hustlin’ – Rick Ross
8. Big Pimpin – Jay-Z
9. This Is Why I’m Hot – Mims
10. All Eyez On Me – Tupac Shakur
11. Back In The High Life Again – Steve Winwood
12. Some Guys Have All The Luck – Rod Stewart
13. Man Of The Hour – Pearl Jam
14. Victory - Biggie Smalls & Puff Daddy
15. No Body Does It Better – Carly Simon
16. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop – Young Gunz
17. Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson
18. I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty
19. I Believe I Can Fly – R Kelly
20. If I Ruled The World – Nas

*Bonus Track* I’m Doing Me – Stephon Marbury

Note to readers: The name Rasho Nesterovic will always go hand in hand with the phrase “Let’s NBA!” If you don’t know why – This should explain it all. (Kudos to Lockdown from RealGM)

The Details: The whirlwind summer continues for Raptor fans. Bryan Colangelo kept the ball rolling by locking up Rasho Nesterovic for the 2009-10 season. This marks the 7th new addition to the team over the span of 2 months. The signing comes as no surprise as it wasn’t a matter of “if”,  more a when and for how long. Colangelo made it pretty clear at the Jarrett Jack press conference that his next goal was to bring back Rasho. Lucky for him, he was working with some leverage. Rasho is one of a growing number of players who WANTS to play in the great white north. He maintains his off-season home in Toronto and mentioned in almost every interview since he was traded that he never wanted to leave. Both sides seemed keen to get this deal done and the one year contract is a bonus. Once again, the mastermind of BC comes through – He gets the veteran he wants while maintaining flexibility for next summer

The Benefits: I liked the Rasho deal with the Spurs and I like it even better this time around. This move isn’t going to make headlines outside of Toronto, but Rasho brings to the table a lot of the intangibles that went missing last season. He is the definition of a “know your role” player. A perfect compliment to backup Bargnani at C – Doesn’t demand the ball on offense, rebounds well, can hit the occasional jumper and plays defence. My only concern would be having him and Evans on the floor at the same time as the front line on the second unit (hopefully won’t happen since Jay has shown a lot more competence with his rotations than the Smitch). As a Pacer, Nesterovic averaged 6.8ppg and 3.4rpg over 70 games but it’s not his numbers that make this signing a positive one. In his previous stint with the Raptors, he was a veteran presence in the locker room who served as a mentor for Bargnani. This time shouldn’t be any different. The stat sheet may be lacking but those aforementioned intangibles along with the ability to play one-on-one defense makes one believe this is another step to get the team back on track.

Looking Ahead: I love this deal for the team but it pretty much kills any chance of the team bringing back Pops Mensah-Bonsu. With only one roster spot remaining, it will likey be used on a wing player. Unless Pops was serious about his transformation, the list of probable players is a pretty short one which includes Carlos Delfino, Joey Graham or any available player that can be had for the league minimum. Personally, I would be perfectly OK if Colangelo stopped right now and left that spot available for possible tweaking during the season.

Marcin Gortat: The Orlando Magic lost Hedo and gained Vince. Over the weekend they added another front court player in Brandon Bass. When the Mavericks signed Marcin Gortat to an offer sheet, all signs pointed to Orlando letting him walk. Over the weekend, rumblings were that Otis Smith has changed his tune and the team is now expected to match the Dallas offer. They will essentially be paying $6M per year for a guy who will remain in the shadows of Dwight Howard. My stance? FREE THE POLISH HAMMER! Gortat has been a project for the Magic and has slowly been developing under the tutelage of Patrick Ewing. Bottom line though, he will never get much playing time on that team, where as in Dallas he had the chance to be their starting center sending Dampier to the bench or out of Texas. From this Fanhouse interview it seems Gortat is actually bummed at the idea that Orlando wants to keep him and Dallas may have to turn to plan B.

Paul Millsap: The Utah Jazz are in a serious bind. They need to find a trade partner for Carlos Boozer which will then make it possible for them to match the offer sheet and retain the services of Millsap. They gave Okur a contract extension, but with Boozer picking up the option of his his final year @ $12.7M, they would have to go over the luxury tax to sign Millsap. The Blazers already got burned once in the free agent frenzy (See: Hedo Turkoglu) and are not taking chances this time around. Their offer sheet is structure to pay a signing bonus of $5.6M and most of the first years salary upfront. This means if Utah or any team would want to partake in this, they would have to sign over a check of roughly $10M right off the bat. The likelihood of that happening is slim with the times the way they are and this being the first major decision being made by the Miller family (who now run the Jazz since the passing of owner Larry Miller). The total amount for the contract on the offer sheet is 4 years $32M and unless the Jazz can find some trading partners real soon, it looks like Portland may have one more piece to their puzzle. Only problem is they are still lacking that play maker to play alongside Brandon Roy.

Other notable moves:

Grant Hill (Phoenix Suns) – After being courted by New York and Boston, Hill opted for the desert heat of Arizona. Phoenix gave him a chance to revive his career and repaid them by sticking around. The deal is said to be for $6M over 2 years with the second year being a player option.

Brandon Bass (Orlando Magic) – The Orlando Magic were oh so close, making it to the NBA finals in 2009 and adding a player like Brandon Bass is a great move for a team lacking a true PF. With Bass joining the team, Rashard Lewis can move over to his natural SF position. The deal is for 4 years worth $18M.

Antonio McDyess (San Antonio Spurs) – The Spurs are giving the Celtics a run for their money when it comes to sporting the “over 30″ lineup. The addition of McDyess is a solid one for a team whose window is closing fast. The 3 year contract starts at the full MLE which should keep him in Black and silver for the remainder of his career barring a trade.

Channing Frye (Phoenix Suns) – The Suns seemed to be blowing this thing up but now with re-signing Hill and talks of a Nash contract extension, the plans may have been altered. Channing Frye was lost in the mix in Portland and will get more playing time here but he is not a game changer and neither is his new contract which is said to be for 2 years @ $2M /yr.

Anthony Parker (Cleveland Cavaliers) – One of the classiest guys in the NBA, as a Raptor fan I am saddened by his departure. The Cavaliers may have lost out in the Artest, Ariza sweepstakes but they landed a solid guy who may not partake in the pre-game antics with Lebron and co, but for 2 years @ $3M/yr,  he will bring it every night on both ends of the floor.

Dahntay Jones (Indiana Pacers) – He was playing for the Nuggets on the cheap, defended Kobe in the playoffs and now has landed himself a 4 yr $11M contract in Indiana. A tough loss, Jones had become the defensive go to guy for Denver and a fan favorite. He will get more playing time and an elevated role in Indy as he continues to develop his game.

Zaza Pachulia (Atlanta Hawks) – 4yrs $18M is what it took to keep ZaZa in the ATL. The Hawks signed him just a day after re-signing Bibby to a multi-year contact and it is widely rumored they will be doing the same for Marvin Williams in the upcoming days.

Anderson Varejao (Clevland Cavaliers) – It seems that everything that went wrong with their negotiations a couple years back is water under the bridge as the Cavaliers dished out big time to keep Andy in Cleveland. 6 year deal worth $50M – overpaying much?

Mehmet Okur (Utah Jazz) – With the possibilities of losing Millsap and trying to trade Boozer the Jazz wanted to take no chances with Okur it seems. The two parties agreed on a 2 yr contract extension worth approx. $21M.

The Numbers
Upon hearing the news, the Internets went wild, most of the voices knocking the number for a yet to be proven guy. Sports fans tend to be hard to please when it comes to their team spending money. It’s a dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t situation. Its always a risk to give out these contracts (see: Jerome James) but if there is any man Raptor fans should trust right now its Bryan Colangelo. Looking at the NBA landscape the number is not as absurd as it sounds. Big men are a hot commodity and command a lot of money to start with, let alone a 7-footer with a definitive skill set. Fact is, Bargs was going to get paid eventually. A 7-footer who averaged nearly 20ppg on nearly 50% shooting post All-Star break. If he were to keep up that level of play next season and BC had waited to ink him, $10 million/season may not have be enough to keep his services in Toronto. I think Bargnani’s price goes up to $12 million/season if he repeats the success he had over the final 47 games of last season next year. Just looking at some of the recent contracts handed out to young bigs around the league – Andrew Bynum: 4 yrs @ $58M , Andrew Bogut: 5yrs @ $60M with $12M in incentives, Emeka Okafor: 6yrs @ $72M -Andrea’s extension is a much easier pill to swallow. It doesn’t necessarily mean he deserves the $50M or more $$ with continued growth in performance next season, but helps point out that if the Raptors weren’t willing to pay someone else would.

BC Knows Best
Even if some are okay with the numbers they are asking why now? With the economy the way it is and the cap and tax numbers expected to drop drastically, did Colangelo jump the gun? Part of this quick trigger move could be to defend the initial draft pick. Colangelo hedged his bets on Bargnani and has stood by his decision from day 1. Bargnani will always get every opportunity to succeed as long as Colangelo is the man pulling the strings. This move could also be looked as insurance for the club moving forward as Bosh, seems hesitant to sign an extension and commit long-term to the Raptors. If he does decide to bolt next summer the team will have a solid replacement in Bargnani, who probably is still best suited at the PF position. Then there is the “2010 sweepstakes” effect which may have come into play when making this decision. In 2010, a handful of teams are looking to make a splash in the FA market, Colangelo may have made this preemptive move to avoid risking losing Andrea to a team who may have come short in the 2010 lottery and choose to break the bank on a player like Bargnani. The final factor is the CB4 factor and is probably the most important at this point. Signing Andrea, Hedo and Jose long term is showing the commitment from the team and providing Bosh more reasons to want to stay. Knowing they will be fighting the odds next summer this move works best for all parties involved and there is no better time than the present when it comes to committing to winning.

Il Mago – The Future
Bargnani, the 1st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, had an good rookie season but followed it up with a horrible sophomore slump. This past season, somewhere along the midway point (or closer to when Smitch was fired), Bargnani awoke. He averaged 19.1 points, 6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game with a .469 FG% and a .435 3PT% through the last 47 games of the season.  Those aren’t All-Star numbers, but they’re solid. He also managed to set career highs in almost every statistical category. Add in the fact that he’s 7 feet tall and only 23 years old, things are looking pretty good from my vantage point. The knock on him is the rebounding and defense but I will go on record saying his man defense is better than our current franchise player. He is still expanding his game and there is no question he has a ways to go. Adding a low post game is definitely on the to-do list this summer along with getting stronger to battle other bigs in the league. The rebounding is still a point of issue and I don’t think he will ever be a great rebounder due to the way he plays his position (outside in) but it is not out of the realm of possibility that next season we see him averaging 7+ rebounds – I can live with that.

All this said… if nothing else, we know Dolce & Gabbana is thrilled Andrea has $50Million more to keep him in custom suits for the foreseeable future.

Jason DeCrow/Associated Press

With the 9th pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Toronto Raptors selected DeMar DeRozan.

Looking back at a sub-par draft track record, I think the team got it right this time. I haven’t been this happy with a Raptor draft pick since Chris Bosh and it’s only fitting going forward, a new category on HoH is created called “Raptor Rave”

It is no secret that since the departure of Vince Carter, the Raptors have been hurting at the wing position. The lack of scoring and a player who can create his own shot has been an ailment being treated by weak band-aids for temporary fixes. The selection of DeRozan finally gives the team a legitimate player who can develop into a version of the man they called Air Canada. On a day when the original Air Canada was sent home (traded to Orlando), DeMar comes into Toronto with a lot to live up to. Vince Carter put Toronto on the map, dunked his way to a max contract and whined his way out of town.

Coming out of a weak draft class, DeRozan has all the coveted attributes – Upside, Athleticism & Raw Potential. It will now be up to him to work through the summer, nurture his skills and come into the season vying for a starting job.

Shortly after being drafted, DeRozan hopped onto twitter and sent out this message: DeMar_DeRozan- Toronto here I come. Air Canadas back.

He may want to rethink using that name though, since the mention of it brings back a sour taste into the mouths of Raptor fans. I am all for someone taking over that nickname and putting Vince Carter in the past but it would be nice to give the kid a name of his own. With no Chuck Swirsky around, its up to the fans to come up with something before Matt Devlin comes up with a sorry ass nickname (see: J Killa).

Justin Walsh from Slam Online: Q&A with DeMar DeRozan
Raptors Republic: Linkage from 2009 NBA Draft