This is the same question many Raptors fans have been scratching their heads asking themselves.

David Andersen is a 6’11 30 year old center from Australia, and he was acquired from the Houston Rockets for the Los Angeles Clippers 2015 second round pick and cash, a pick the Raptors acquired the pick via the Hassan Adams trade.  Andersen’s contract, with only one year remaining with a team option, will fit into the trade exception acquired in the Turkoglu-Barbosa deal.

These are Bryan Colangelo’s comments regarding David Andersen:

“David is a skilled big that gives us some insurance at the backup centre position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “He will also bring a veteran presence and savvy to a relatively young team.”

Andresen projects as nothing more than depth in our lineup unless injuries hit. With that said he is one of only two true centers currently on the Raptors roster, and has showed glimpses in his short NBA carer as he set a career highs with 19 points vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, and 11 rebounds vs the Indiana Pacers.

David Anderson has limited upside but projects as a plus rebounder with a knack for corralling offensive boards.   He has range out to 15 feet and can be disruptive in the paint when he uses his length effectively.

What this move does tell us is that Bryan Colangelo will no longer being going all out to address front court depth and that he will looking for the best player available in future trade discussions.

Without further adieu here is some analysis, if you want the verbatim transcript give the interview a listen.

On Linas Kleiza

Bryan Colangelo said he sees Linas Kleiza as the starter at 3 and that he also sees him as a player capable of playing some power forward. He went on to say Kleiza is the starter for now which indicates he is looking for another small forward to add to the team (as we have learned from failed deals for Diaw and Barnes).

Kleiza is a decent fit and the truth is one of either Barbosa or Kleiza need to start or we risk losing out on the maximum value Kleiza and Barbosa have to offer the Raptors. If they are not a starter they need to be the 6th man, any other role would limit their effectiveness.

On Chris Bosh

Colangelo also intimated that Chris Bosh likely checked out on the Raptors after the all-star break when it was decided he was going to join Wade in Miami and decided against risking further injury in a contract year.  Colangelo said there were ‘voices speaking to him at all star’, and that now ‘it is pretty obvious who those voices were’.  Colangelo also said that Bosh was cleared to return from injury but chose not to play; likely in an attempt to save his body in a contract year…this is disheartening to hear because it means Bosh gave up on the Raptors and mailed it in…much like Vince Carter.

Colangelo is just echoing long held sentiments that were never confirmed: Bosh did quit on the Raptors, the Miami plan was hatched when LBJ, Wade and Bosh signed their deals; and the Raptors were never really in the running to retain Bosh’s services.   If you haven’t gave the interview with Bob McCown a listen yet, when you get 10 minutes give it a listen.

Are any deals on the horizon?

Bryan Colangelo stated that there are some deals being considered and deductive reasoning and a little reading between the lines leads one to believe that he is currently looking to address the small forward position; which also indicates he does not see DeRozan as a small forward in this league.

We also know that Colangelo is looking for an additional big with starting center potential. There aren’t many of them available but Okafor would appear to be a good fit, but any deal for Collison and Okafor would likely start with Colangelo favorite Andrea Bargnani.

BC indicated that there is a mini trading lull while teams try to reorganize themselves and perhaps also inquire about the availability of Chris Paul.  There was a trade last night so deals are still possible.

This was a solid and candid conversation Bryan Colangelo had with the Fan590’s no-nonsense interviewer Bob McCown…maybe the two factors are related.  In any event it is good to hear from BC’s mouth that Bosh was indeed an issue down the stretch and that he did indeed check out after all-star break.

How does this interview make you feel Raptors fans? What is your opinion of Bosh now knowing he checked out on the Raptors? We want to hear your comments and thoughts! Leave a comment below or send us an email at raptorcity@raptorsdigest.com

First let me make this disclaimer, there are some young point guards, if available that the Raptors absolutely have to pursue and that list starts with Chris Paul who according to his list, has no desire to play in Toronto, but you have to make the call anyways for someone of his talent.  Darren Collison is likely off the list with the recent Chris Paul news becoming public. Tony Parker would be a great addition but would most likely bolt during free agency to New York. The Raptors should also pounce if Ty Lawson, Johnny Flynn or Ricky Rubio become available.

However, as most will agree, with two ‘competent’ point guards on our roster there is no reason to overspend to land a point guard, even when one of Jose or Jack is traded.

The Three Reasons

Brandon Knight, Josh Selby and Kyrie Irving.

All three will be college freshman this season and are expected to make immediate impacts in the NBA.  All 3 are currently in the top-8 on the ESPN 2011 NBA draft big board.

Kyrie Irving is the top rated point guard in this draft and is a perfect fit for the Raptors. A future franchise point guard, he can be a lock down defender and is the pure point with the quickness and scoring ability the Raptors need. You can see his ESPN draft profile here. Irving is currently slated to go as high as second overall in the 2011 draft.

Josh Selby is more of a combo guard when compared to Kyrie Irving and is an excellent scorer and finisher at the rim. Selby is also reputed by ESPN to be a tough and aggressive defender.

Brandon Knight was along with Selby and Knight a top-5 recruit in the country this year, and is a 6’4 point guard who should shine at Kentucky along with Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Enes Kanter.

Who would be the best fit for the Raptors?

The best fit for the Raptors will be Kyrie Irving but we are not likely to be bad enough to be in a position to land him, but there is reason for hope as the lottery balls drop in strange ways.

Irving’s pure point skills and defense are exactly what the Raptors need and with a player like Irving the Raptors will have completed their rebuild and will be ready to battle for the 6th-8th seed.

All three of these highly regarded prospects would be a good fit for the Raptors and provide a reason not to overpay in the pursuit of a starting point guard.

Would you really welcome a Darren Collison deal if it meant losing multiple assets and that we were saddled with Peja Stojakovic or James Posey?

The Toronto Raptors have finished summer league undefeated and the likes of DeRozan, Weems and Davis are generating a buzz in Las Vegas. The Raptors faced their toughest competition Friday vs the upcoming Sacramento Kings…but were still able to pull out the close victory.

DeMar DeRozan looked great as expected and has shown his improved handles and ability to create off the dribble. He has also shown extended, and more importantly, consistent range on his jumper.

Sonny Weems play has been a pleasant surprise despite his good play at the end of last season, and Bryan Colangelo was beaming like a proud parent when discussing Sonny Weems with RaptorsTV. He has been showing improved range as well as distribution skills which should win him more minutes in the Raptors rotation.

Joey Dorsey has played as advertised…as an undersized 4 who projects as one of the best per 48 rebounding bigs in the NBA, good to know with Reggie Evans and his expiring contract likely headed out of town. I have always been a Dorsey fan specifically because he is such a rugged rebounder something that Raptors have needed for a while. He will be good for Solomon Alabi and Andrea Bargnani our two 7 foot big men who need to take on some of Dorsey’s determination and nose for the ball.

Guard Bobby Brown formerly of the Clippers seems to have some nice chemistry with the ‘Young Guns’ and has displayed a propensity for getting to the line. You have to believe that if Jose or Jack leave Toronto he will get serious consideration for the 3rd point guard job.

Now for the rookies:

Solomon Alabi has looked really good, he will not be in a battle for a starting position but as the 4th or 5th big he can provide solid big man minutes. He needs to develop a mean streak in order to become more of a force as a rebounder, but he looks terrific on defense and runs the floor extremely well, something important for an up and down team like the Raptors.

Ed Davis has shown flashes of being able to make a case to start. Easily the most talented big on our team Davis should not be starting games on the bench. He has shown great touch around the rim, the ability to hit the 12 footer, and has also displayed his trademark defensive calling cards in blocks and rebounds. Having a big that thrives on the defensive end is a welcome and refreshing change for Raptor fans and Davis’ play in summer league clearly indicates that his injury is healed and that he is getting back in to basketball shape.

His hustle and tenacity on both ends of the floor will immediately endear him to Raptors fans and you have to believe if he is not in the starting lineup to start the season that he will force his way into the starting lineup sooner than later. Another part of his game that stood out is his underrated passing ability, he is to set up more than his fair share of plays over the course of the season.

This has been a really interesting summer league, and despite the low level of competition, you still have to agree that the future is bright with our young core of developing players.

Can’t wait to the regular season gets started and to see what other moves BC has up his sleeve.

Now for some summer league highlights:

Game 1 vs Suns

Game 2 vs Rockets

Game 3 vs Knicks

Game 4 vs Sacramento

Game 5 vs Hornets

If you want a reason, all you have to do is look at the New Jersey Nets who were said to be tanking for John Wall since the season opened. They put out one of the worst teams in NBA history and still did not land the #1 overall pick, or even #2 for that matter.

We will likely be a lottery team anyways so tanking is probably not necessary, and as stated above even tanking does not assure that you land your ‘tank target’ (see also the Celtics tanking for KD or Oden).

Harrison Barnes is a tantalizing prospect and is a likely franchise player in the NBA, and is a prospect that can undoubtedly lead his team to the next level…but as pointed out above, tanking does not assure you the drafts top prize…or even 2nd prize for that matter.

I would LOVE to add Harrison Barnes to the Raptors, and there are about 10 more prospects such as Perry Jones that could probably contribute to the Raptors squad right away following the 10-11 draft.

I know some of you are calling for the Raptors to tank, but besides not assuring yourself anything by tanking you also run the risk of hurting the development and confidence of the players currently on your team, this is especially pertinent when talking about a young team like the Raptors.

Bryan Colangelo himself has publicly stated that he refuses to tank and that he does not feel we need to rebuild, but rather that we need to retool.  His sentiments make sense because if you were rebuilding a team you would not already have young building blocks like DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis, Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems…not to mention Bargnani and Kleiza and to a lesser extent Solomon Alabi.

“I can’t tank,’’ Colangelo said. “I’m about competing and winning. I don’t plan to lose. That won’t happen as long as I’m here.”

Source: Toronto Sun

“I’m not buying the losing approach,” Colangelo said Thursday. “I’m not buying it. I’m not buying planning to lose. Plan to win. Plan to compete.

“My strategy, my approach, has always been to try to move forward and put the most competitive and entertaining team out there, and justify the investment that the people put into season tickets, corporate partnerships. And I don’t want to leave anything on the table in terms of that effort.”

Source: National Post

So to sum up….the Raptors won’t tank…and that likely means we will not have chance to land arguably one of the five most talented players to enter the draft since Kevin Durant.

That’s fine…I doubt many Raptor fans would sit quiet through 82 games of tanking anyways…heads would roll.

Would you be willing to suffer through a New Jersey Nets 2009-2010 type season to land a future all-star like Harrison Barnes?

We want to hear your thoughts Raptor fans! Do you support tanking? Why or why not?
Chime in below and leave us a comment or send us an email at raptorcity@raptorsdigest.com

As he proved late last year Sonny Weems is a valuable member of this teams young core, projected as more of a 6th or 7th man once our roster is in order, Sonny Weems is committed on both ends of the floor.

Young Gun and former NCAA Slam Dunk Champion Sonny Weems needs to be extended now, the least of reasons being you can get him for a lot cheaper now than at the end of the year. As we saw with Amir’s contract, extending a player before he hits free agency can save you millions.

Sonny Weems averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a starting guard this past year and had a career night with 20 points and 9 rebounds against the Knicks in March.

Sonny Weems finished April with averages of 14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals.

Sonny Weems is a key piece for the Raptors even though he does not project to be a star in this league. He is a great rotation player and is part of the “Young Gunz” nucleus that has Raptors fans so excited about the upcoming season despite projecting as a lottery team.

Weems still has plenty of upside and will only continue to get better so lets not write him as being a pure ‘role player’ until the final verdict is in. Like most NBA players, given the right opportunity he can shine as brightly as other decent NBA starters.

Sonny Weems brings commitment on both ends of the floor as well as great athleticism and defensive tools. Weems has the skill set and length to become a major force on the defensive end and Bryan Colangelo would be well advised to lock him up for 4 years with a team option for the 5th at roughly $2.5-$4 miilion a year.

Lets extend Sonny!

Raptors Digest has learned via Yahoo Sports’ Marc Spears that the Denver Nuggets will now decline to match the offer sheet restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza received from the Toronto Raptors.

The Nuggets have outbid the Dallas Mavericks for Al Harrington and no longer have the cap space nor the roster need for Linas Kleiza.

As stated before this is a good signing for the Raptors who get a young player with some upside who has already proven that he is a capable starter and 6th man in the NBA.  And as his 41 point night proves he can also score when called upon.

Welcome to the Raptors Linas Kleiza, I look forward to you changing the perceptions of fans in Toronto regarding European players.  And hopefully you can help bring Bargnani along too.

The Toronto Raptors have done the impossible. With one swoop the Raptors have both got rid of Hedo and his ugly contract and acquired some much needed back court scoring.

The Raptors have traded Hedo Turkoglu for Leandro Barbosa, Dwayne Jones and a portion of the trade exception from the Amare deal.

The Toronto Raptors have landed Leandro Barbosa, 6th man extraordinaire from the Phoenix Suns.  The Suns are perpetually in cost-cutting mode with their thrifty owner and Barbosa became expendable this summer as J-Rich has found his groove and now that Dragic has stepped up his game.

Barbosa was a good investment as a 6th man, but as a pure SG backup playing behind a 30 minute per game player he made little sense to carry into the 10-11 campaign.

Barbosa is an ideal fit for the Raptors who are in need of some back court scoring as well as a competent 6th man.  Barbosa is also a capable starter at SG, his best position but can also play some backup point guard if needed.

The Raptors had been searching since the draft for a player similar to the Brazilian Blur, a potent back court scorer capable of starting or backing up the 1 or the 2; lucky for us we addressed both needs in one player.

Barbosa is a player who is capable of averaging 17 points per game given the requisite shots and minutes, but as stated above has really thrived in a 6th man role for the Suns where his speed and skill are more accentuated.

Barbosa is a good pickup and he will provide quality minutes backing up the 2 and the 1.

Barbosa is an excellent player who has had some brilliant career highs such spread across different games such as 41 points, 11 free throws made, 8 three-pointers made, 12 assists, 2 blocks, 6 steals and 10 rebounds.

Kudos to Colangelo for landing such a potent back court weapon as Barbosa.

Bobcats deal

The rumoured Bobcats deal is now dead in the water and Jose Calderon is unfortunately still a Raptors as Charlotte Bobcats G.M Michael Jordan had second thoughts about giving up Chandler as the team will sorely lack big men upon the departure of both Diaw and Chandler.

But no worries, Calderon is still a valuable piece and this deal may get revisited after Larry Brown talks to MJ.  Barbosa was the most important piece in any of the rumoured deals, and ridding ourselves of Turkoglu was a top priority.  Colangelo will work with his magic with or without the Bobcats.

Update: Chandler has been traded to the Mavericks and thus the rumoured machination is officially dead with no chance of resuscitation.

The Toronto Raptors have signed 25-year old former Denver Nugget and restricted free agent Linas Kleiza to a 4 year $18.8 million dollar offer sheet.  Restricted free-agent means that the Denver Nuggets will have up to 7 days to match the Raptors offer. But as put forth elsewhere, Denver will likely balk at paying this type of money for Carmelo Anthony’s backup, especially with a front-loaded offer of $5 million in the first year.

Best option?:

The best option out there was Travis Outlaw but the Nets were willing to spend more than the MLE ($7 million/year) on Outlaw and they got their man. Outlaw will be a good fit in New Jersey regardless of what happens with the rest of the roster.

Kleiza is a good signing for the Raptors once they realized Outlaw was out of their price range, he is younger and provides much of the same skills albeit with less athleticism and upside.

Is he a good fit for the Raptors?

Linas Kleiza will be a key cog in helping to transition to the new defensive philosophy and may help to alter Andrea Bargnani’s ‘softness’ issues as well.

Linas Kleiza is a good fit in his own right. He projects to be a competent 6th man who can provide two very important types of toughness: defensive and mental.  Kleiza is not going to put up 18 ppg, but as his 41 point and 9 rebound outburst against the Jazz can attest to, when given the opportunity and when he is feeling it, he can light it up (remember this was with BOTH Carmelo and Iverson on the floor logging heavy minutes).

Kleiza can be viewed as somewhat of a ‘glue-guy’ and he can help bring some sort of balance to a locker room that was, apparently, in disarray behind the scenes last season. Hopefully he can, along with Turkoglu, act as a bridge for the U.S and Euro players on the Raptors.

The 6’8 245 pound Linas Kleiza spent last year with Olympiakos in the Euroleague and averaged 17.9 points per game and led the Euroleague in scoring. Kleiza is a versatile player as he can play the 2 and the 4 though he is ideally suited for the small forward position.   Kleiza can also get to the line and set a career high in the aforementioned game against the Jazz with 14 trips and 11 free-throws made.

In 2007 Kleiza avergaed 18.6 and 5.4 rebounds with 4.6 trips to the line as a starting forward, which suggets his Euroleague numbers were no fluke, and despite being less heralded than a Travis Outlaw, Kleiza, especially considering his age, does have upside.

Contract

The contract may be a little longer than one would have hoped for when talking about Linas Kleiza but this type of length was necessary to ensure that Denver would not match our offer.

The fact that this is a front-loaded deal works in the Toronto Raptors best interests and later on this season we will likely be asking ourselves how we got Linas so cheap with all the crazy spending that went on this summer.

This deal and dollar amount is a win for the Raptors, even if some Raptor fans have never heard of Linas Kleiza.

All in all, good and underrated signing for our Toronto Raptors!

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel the Chris Bosh to Miami sign and trade has all but been worked out. They have reportedly agreed to the framework of a deal that will land Bosh a 6th year and an extra $18-$20 million and will net the Raptors a massive $16 million dollar trade exception, our 1st round pick we traded to Miami in the Shawn Marion deal, and a the Miami Heat’s 2011 1st round pick.

This gives the Toronto Raptors a lot of options and the ability to go look for a deal now, or to wait until the trade deadline when non-playoff teams will likely be in a salary dump frenzy in lieu of the new collective bargaining agreement.

There are literally tons of players who teams are looking to dump including: Andre Iguodala, Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Michael Redd, Elton Brand and Andre Kirilenko.

Other names that are rumoured to be available include: Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Darren Collison, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Charlie Villanueva, T.J Ford, Hasheem Thabeet, Baron Davis and Andris Biedrins.

It will be interesting to see what Bryan Colangelo will do with this sudden flexibility we have been given.  This deal also ensures we do not lose a high lottery pick like the Toronto Maple Leafs did this year.

If I had to rank a top five list of targets the Raptors should go after the list would look like this:

1. Chris Paul (not available, just call anyways)
2. Josh Smith
3. Darren Collison
4. Monta Ellis
5. Andre Igoudola
6. Al Jefferson
7. Emeka Okafor
8. Gilbert Arenas (no chance Colangelo takes him after refusing Beasley)
9. Elton Brand
10. Ben Gordon

If Josh Smith is really available he would be an ideal fit and would bring the ACC to its feet every night with his presence on both the offensive and defensive ends.  Darren Collison has the tools to be our potential franchise point guard. Monta Ellis is a terrific scorer. Iggy can score, rebound and play D. AJ is a beast down-low and can rebound with the best of them. Okafor is a defensive lynch-pin and can anchor a defense. Arenas has 28 and 6 potential. Brand has 20-10 upside. And Ben Gordon can flat-out score and hit the big shot.    All would be fine additions.

Lets judge Bryan Colangelo after this summer is over and the trade exception put to use, otherwise we are judging and critiquing prematurely.

The Picks

Getting back our pick for 2011 is perhaps an understated part of this trade, as many seemed to be zeroed in on what we can do with the trade exception. As the Raptors are still looking for a PG, Raptor fans would be happy to know that there are currently as much as 5 point guards ranked in the top 25 prospects for next year so we may be able to find a solution next year. We will likely be a lottery team or if not a 7th or 8th seed so the chances are next year will be the 1st year we have drafted a point guard in the 1st round since Damon Stoudamire.
The names to remember are Josh Selby, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Malcom Lee and Kemba Walker.

As a team that just lost its best player the draft, and a team with many exciting young players the draft is the ideal way to build this team back to contender level.

The pick we get from the Heat is also of great importance, it will likely be the 30th overall pick but a lot of interesting names went in the 2nd round this year including Devin Ebanks, DeSean Butler, Hassan Whiteside, Armon Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Solomon Alabi, Dexter Pittman and Willie Warren….all arguable first-round talents.

I just want to forewarn fans, the pick we acquired from Miami may already be in play in trade discussions, so dont be surprised if the Raptors use it as an asset in one form or another.