http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/22732 Recent articles about Jorge Garbajosa en-us I'm having a hard time with the few glimpses of players and the constant jawing. I'd be happy to know that the Raptors were all hidden away from all other life-forms. I would like to have them feel completely unwilling to share any basketball court with any other team by the time they come out of their confinement. I would like to see their actions when it is time to see them in action. But instead I get oceans of words about things that are still basically in the abstract. And of course I can't resist those words. All the talk is delicious. It is all at least saying that the wait is almost over. But if I had my preference, I could enjoy the wait in silence. I just want every one of them directing their thoughts towards what matters. I want them doing that intensely. I want their brains to be toughened up as much as every other muscle. Think of what a Joey Graham could amount to then! Well, maybe not. It is too hard not to suspect that all of the post-scrimmage vows, and hows, and who's, and poo-poos are just getting in the way of what really matters. Of course, that's being over-reactive, but I still have the sense that whatever might be distilled each day in training, gets a little watered-down when the microphones swarm in at the end, over-exerting a phallic primacy that just reeks of an overlying impotence . Shouldn't every Raptor, right down to the guy that does the laundry, be meditating while listening to recordings of tree-frogs, and sipping green tea infused with Gatorade? I mean for a week anyways - just lose all the face time. Would it kill them? Or us? Why can't we just cut the media out of the picture? Especially when we can all hear all there is to here while they are preparing for real if we all just put our own ears to the gym door. You just have to know how to use all the features in Google Earth. Go to 45º23'08.83" N, 75º41'34.73" W. Swoop down towards the horizon so that you can see the side of the building. You'll find a blurry door up close. Hold a drinking glass to your ear, and press it up to the door on your computer screen, and listen in. I've been doing it all week, and it's almost as good as being there. I guess since the camp in Ottawa is all but done, your chance to try this yourself at home will have to wait for another year, and you'll just have to rely on filling in all the blanks left by the traditional media coverage. It's just as well, since you have to sit through a lot of names yelled out, some hoots and howls, and basic muttering before you get something worthwhile. It's a bit like watching Raptors TV. But just like with that vaunted broadcaster, it is worth it all in the end, when you manage to get your screen-saver deactivated, and you finally get gems like this: "Y'all gotta understand now, gosh darnit, what it's going to take to make this team a real success. We have got to establish a strong identity, and each and every one of us has the perfect opportunity to help make that happen by following the lead of Chris and Jermaine. Now those are the guys that are going to get to be in all the big interviews, and have their pictures in the paper, and there are a few other guys that are going to get their chances to take the big shots. But that don't mean a thing when it comes to the identity of this team, dag nabbit. None of that stuff is any more important to establishing this team's identity than the kinds of things that some of you guys just looking for a few extra minutes can do. Again - you just have to follow what Jermaine and Chris are looking to do, and I'm talking about the defensive end of the court. Now last season we just couldn't afford the luxury of relying on an anchoring of our defense like we can now. Right off the bat we had to look at dealing with Garbo's toughness needing to be replaced. And then with Chris and TJ getting hurt, I mean I'm proud of how hard we fought, but it was really a disservice to some of you as players the way you all had to play outside of your normal, everyday roles. And it was a disservice to those guys who would have loved the chance to play outside of their roles and try to do more, and I just had to put some limits in place somewhere. There was just going to be a ceiling in place regarding our success. All because we could not establish an identity. We ended up being a little something different every night. And I'll tell you that being able to rely on defense like we can this season, would have made all the difference in the world." "This season we can all really play a part by staying within our roles. And you guys that want to play more minutes need to look no further than helping a guy like Jermaine on the defensive end. You look at guys like Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell, and they were in the same sort of situation, and now they are recognized for being invaluable components. If some of you guys can take it upon yourselves to use our anchors inside, and then make life even more miserable for opposing teams on the perimeter and in transition, then it's going to mean that we can all run more, we can all play more freely and relaxed on offense, we can keep some of our big weapons fresh and healthy throughout a marathon of a season, and I will be the first to give you all the credit in the world motherfugbug. Not only that - but you will be here and winning for as long as you are physically able. That's where you're longterm stability lies, and again I'm sorry that last season so many of our guys ended up working to fill holes instead of using their abilities to really help each other. I hope we can all accept that there were some circumstances that we could only go so far in overcoming, and now we can all come together and actually make our own circumstances. We can start now, looking towards creating a team that can overcome so much more, and not seeing any of those limits we faced before. OK? Let's go. "OK - so maybe they don't need meditation as long as they have Sam's incantations. We'll be able to judge that, and whether you can believe my technical wizardry, once they finally put their plans into action. Let's go indeed. This article courtesy of •LX• Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:12:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344477 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344477 The heat is on and it's finally time to start cooking. Actually, as I write this, all the players are taking sexy pictures with vaseline artfully applied to the lenses, producing a season's supply of promotional shots that will end up in the papers and websites, as well as on the new scoreboard screen; all in the attempt to get us as excited as the kind of food-porn cooked-up by Nigella or Rachel or Ingrid. But the head chefs at chez ACC have hopefully put together the right ingredients that will feed us all well beyond media day. Going right back to when Chef Colangelo first arrived, he immediately saw the need to season up the venison that was still a little too rare in the play of Chris Bosh. A big dash of playmaking from TJ Ford really helped bring out the complexity of the main ingredient. Rasho's starchy presence helped the Bosh beef from getting too overcooked and falling apart. And of course there was all the european herbs topping it all off a la Jamie Oliver. Luvverly-Jubberly. Or was he more cutting edge than that? An Iron Chef Morimoto? Of course his willingness to surround himself with friends and make decisions by consensus makes him resemble that french-canadian guy named Ricardo, proving a little overly satisfied with his meagre tweaking with the addition of Kapono. And picking Bargnani at number one made it seem that he was aspiring to be in Lidia's Kitchen, or Giada's bust-line (if only Andrea could prove to be that kind of a bust). Whatever the case, he has chosen his ingredients fairly wisely over the years, and left the pot to be stirred by Gordon Ramsay as played by Sam Mitchell. Last season, things got a little bitter with Garbajosa feeling as though he was being burnt, and then all the salt provided by TJ just wasn't needed in as many dashes. It got tough to keep all the ingredients in just the right balance, no matter how many f-words got tossed around. The initial introduction of TJ had enhanced Bosh's gaminess, but also brought out the best flavors in the more standard potatoes and carrots supplied by Rasho and Humps. But eventually all the herbs and seasonings weren't coming through enough. It was time to see how Bosh could work best as the main ingredient, with Jose adding his expensive designer salt. Was a wing the answer to make it all complete? A beautiful wing delicately protruding out from a golden side of quail? That might have been a nice side-dish. Certainly it would have improved upon the standard hot-and-cold chicken wings that were already in place. But I think our head chef did well to add the JO gravy, and settle on a stew that allows for strengths to come in every spoonful. Where TJ was able to raise the profiles of some of the weaker elements in the mix, Jermaine O'Neal is going to help bring out more reliability in some of the other ingredients that were good on their own, but wilted like overcooked greens when stuck in the heat to long. Parker, Kapono, and Moon are all going to benefit from being smothered in O'Neal's rich sauce (I know - the metaphor is really dying now). Even some of the new guys like Adams, Ukic and Solomon, have a good chance of finding themselves as tasty comfort food. It all starts in making the right statement. Last season's soup could pack a punch, but the flavor didn't always stand up from start to finish. Too often the attempt to finish things up on one end of the court in order to enhance the taste of the offensive palette, just fell a little flat. This dish still needed more body. A frontcourt mix of Rasho, Bosh, Bargnani, and Humphries, just couldn't hold everything together enough in the less-sweet parts of the game. They too often ended up boiling over around the opponent's basket, batting the ball around without being able to own the required amount of space. There was too much over-stirring by everyone in the mix, just to get some control of each night's fare. If the opposing team turned up the gas on the boards, then the Raptor cuisine would likely fall apart. Now with Jermaine taking up more space in the mix than a Rasho ever could, all the other ingredients can let their flavors leak out on offense and leave the opposing teams getting burned. Bosh will not have to work extra hard to try to facilitate the odd break by first securing the rebound, and he'll be able to beat his own guy down the court more often, where he can then really turn it on like a Kitchen-Maid mixer. And all the meat on all our wings can just slide off the bone and compliment the whole dish rather than show up as a strong counterpart on the side. That's the meal I'm looking for. I think that's the menu drawn-up by Colangelo and Mitchell. They've gone high-end with this stew, but not forgotten the pleasures of down-home. Unlike, last season, we shouldn't be desperate to see the dessert table to quell our hunger. And we shouldn't need constant servings of individual appetizers to keep us aware of the promise of what's cooking. I look forward to just letting it all simmer, and let the masters figure out what to add to make it just so. Luvverly. This article courtesy of LX Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:48:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341139 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341139 Pretty witty story. It's about a Raptors fan struggle to convince his wife that the new look Toronto Raptors will thrive this season without the likes of Carlos Delfino & Jorge Garbajosa. Hopefully for his stake his convincing to his wife doesn't backfire in his face. ;) Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:08:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/338192 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/338192 With nations around the world having improved by leaps and bounds and Team USA re-emerging, where do all these great and exciting teams rank relative to each other? Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:47:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335796 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335796 This game had it all : three-point shooting, fastbreaks, even a great white guy dunk. The US threatened to pull away, but Spanish guards Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez made key baskets to keep Spain in the game. With less than 2:30 to go, the Spain was within 4, but the US hung on, and won 118-107. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:20:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311803 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311803 Overview : On Sunday, the basketball tournament culminates with its gold medal game in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The redemption-seeking United States are the heavy favorites over world champions Spain, and with good reason : Team USA is by far the most talented and athletic team, and they have been steamrolling opponents. In fact, almighty Spain was one of USA's worst victims, losing by 37 points when they faced off in group play. So how can Team Espana be the ones to redeem themselves and at least give themselves a chance at gold? 1. Play Raul Lopez and Juan Carlos Navarro : This holds especially true if point guard Jose Calderon can't go. Calderon is a big point guard who is effective in all facets of the offensive game, and his distinguishing characteristic amongst the Spanish point guards is his ability to drive and finish at the rim. There is really no way to fully replace that capability from the point guard position, but in playing Lopez and Navarro plenty, at least you get accurate outside shooting and slick ball-handling and passing. Both are probably too small to finish in traffic, but they do everything else well. If you need finishing skills, then Rudy Fernandez can handle that. Because they are good ball-handlers and passers, Lopez and Navarro can help Spain handle USA's pressure defense. Morever, because they can either get into the lane and kick out or shoot if the right opportunity presents itself on the pick and roll, they can put constant pressure on the American defense. 2. Pack it in on defense : The United States struggled against the Argentine zone defense in the semifinals. Who knows what could have happened if Manu Ginobili could play? Spain has big shotblockers inside (the Gasol brothers), good help defenders (Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Jimenez) and good perimeter defenders (Lopez, Ricky Rubio). Have quicksters like Lopez and Rubio pressure at the point of attack, help defenders like Garbajosa and Jimenez help out, and the Gasol brothers clog the middle. It's much easier said than done, but stuff 'em inside and put a hand in their face outside. Of course, to do so, Spanish coach Aito Garcia must... 3. Mess around with lineups : Basically, Spain needs lots of ball-handlers, shooters and passers. Except for Rubio, who can't shoot, the entire Spanish guard corps are capable of performing the three skills at a high level. I think Spain can give themselves a chance by trying a small ball lineup, sometimes even with four guards, for stretches of the game. Since every Spanish guard can penetrate, shoot and pass, having them slash and kick can make the US pay, especially if one or two shooters get hot. It would also help them against the press. In this scenario, perimeter players without slashing or ball-handling skills such as Carlos Jimenez or Felipe Reyes would be relegated to spot duty depending on matchups, but Spain needs all the ball-handling and slashing it can get. On defense, if Spain has a lineup of Pau Gasol, Garbajosa, Lopez, Navarro and Rubio on the floor at the same time for example, the quick and low Lopez could be the defensive spearhead at the top, with Rubio and Navarro on the wings and Gasol and Garbajosa guarding the basket. Spain has versatile and various types of players on both ends, and Coach Aito must maximize his options, especially on defense. In closing : The United States is so talented, so athletic, and so hot that nothing may matter. However, nothing is set in stone until the medals are being handed out on the podium, and Spain needs all the creativity and help it can muster. I have had some questions about the Spanish team in the Olympics. Firstly, why isn't Juan Carlos Navarro playing that much? He has been the heart and soul of the Spanish team and good things have happened with him on the floor. He gives the Spanish team an unpredictable attacker and a smart, if not entirely effective, defender. Also, where is the hunger in the Spanish team? Unlike Argentina's Golden Generation, which had to brutally slay the United States twice on its way to legendary status, it seems as if the talent and circumstances just fell into place for Spain. Sure, they were 2006 World Champions, but I have a feeling that this team is already basking in its success and not close to maximizing its talent. China and Lithuania, teams without depth or a corps of A-list ball-handlers, should not be making the Spaniards' feets sweat and hands shake in a tournament as important as the Olympics. The United States may have the most individually talented players, but different types of players are optimized in different types of games. Spain's roster is filled with versatile and complementary players, and they play a free-flowing style that depends as much on the players' creativity as the discipline. They can certainly give the Redeem Team a run in international competition, and Spain has no excuse to be blown out again. If things change for the gold medal game, and Spain plays its best game ever, then it has a shot. If not, Spain will become another lamb in the Team USA conquest. Basketball fans and observers don't want to see another blowout. We want to see a tightly contested match, regardless of who wins. Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:39:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311446 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/311446 USAIN BOLTS THROUGH MY HEART "We have the best coffee on the planet. We have Bob Marley. And now we have Usain Bolt. We are overjoyed and overwhelmed" – Jamaican Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports Olivia Grange. Usain Bolt broke former U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:41:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310603 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310603 Things bode well for Spain as Pau Gasol dunks and screams his way to 20 points in Spain's 72-59 victory over Croatia. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:01:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310488 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310488 Josh Childress. Carlos Delfino. Bostjan Nachbar. Jorge Garbajosa. Flip Murray. Earl Boykins. Loren Woods. and now Dan Dickau. My only concern with all these defections is, who exactly is going to be available on my NBA fantasy league's waiver wire next season? By my last count, there are only like six or seven active Barrys [...] Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:12:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305310 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305310 If for some reason you haven't seen that picture, you should. It's a team photo of this year's Spanish National Team mocking the eyes of their Olympic hosts (...and it was a full-page ad). If you think it's funny, fine, cool, whatever. What's more important to me is that is the double standard in place here. Sure, Spain is getting their slap on the wrist from some media channels both print and broadcast, but can you even comprehend the uproar if Team USA did this?...[continued] Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:54:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304535 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304535 Let's start with a couple of Olympic notes. Team USA opened their quest for a gold medal with a 101-70 win over Yao Ming, Yi Jinlian and the Chinese team. USA was up just 12 points at the half but took over in the second half for the 31 point win. It was nice that Yao opened the scoring with a 3. He deserved to have his home fans get excited and cheer him on. Just an observation, but Yi looked pretty bad. If I were the Nets, I'd be a bit worried about now. Next up for the US men's team will be Angola on Tuesday. The USA Women's team won their 27th straight Olympic game as they easily dominated China 108-63 I really like Lisa Leslie. She is a class act all the way. One of the Chinese players went down and it was Lisa Leslie who went to her and helped her up and off the court. The US woman's team is so dominant that it is hard to see them losing even one game. This has nothing to do with basketball but it was so thrilling to watch the men's 400 meter swim relay last night. The French team was the favorite to win and the US team was a serious underdog. One of the French swimmers said the Americans weren't goint to win and the the reason they came to Beijing was to crush the American team. Watching the race, the French swimmer was ahead down the final stretch but Jason Lezak came on strong and passed him to touch just hundreds of a second before him to win the gold. It was so close they had to watch the results board before knowing who won. It was pretty exciting to watch. The race was so fast that even the 4th and 5th place swimmers who didn't medal beat the existing world record. This gives Michael Phelps 8 career gold medals and a chance to make history in these olympics. One more medal and he will surpass Mark Spitz for the most career golds in his career and he still has 6 more races to compete in. He has a chance to win a record 8 gold medals in these olympics. I'm pulling for him. Exciting stuff. Thanks to our friends at one of my very favorite Celtics' blogs, Lex Nihil Novi, I was able to find this 5 DVD set from the Celtics' 17th championship run. According to the photo, it has 5 DVD's with the 4 wins in the finals along with the incredible game 7 against LeBron and the Cavs. Amazon is offering it on a pre-order basis with release promised for October 28. A league source reports that the Cavs might be pursuing Bucks point guard Mo Williams. All the details aren't known, but the Cavs, Bucks and Oklahoma City are reportedly involved in what could be a 3 team trade. The Cavs have long coveted Michael Redd, but the Bucks have made it clear that he is not available. The speculation is that Delonte West will be included with a sign and trade as the Cavs haven't been able to come to terms with him and it wouldn't make sense to have both Delonte and Mo on the same team as both would expect to be starters. I think the Cavs have been unfair to Delonte. He is their starter and they aren't offering him as much as they gave their back up. I wouldn't mind seeing him take the qualifying offer from the Cavs and come back to the Celtics next season. There were rumors that Danny had made an offer for him this season. Whatever happens, I hope he ends up in a good situation because he is a good kid and a good player. Jorge Garbajosa returned to the court playing for Spain in the Olympics. It was 2 years ago when Celtics fans witnessed the then Raptor going down with a horrible leg and ankle injury that could have been career ending. That was a bad year for the Celtics fans as they also witnessed their own Tony Allen go down with a season ending injury. But Garbajosa's injury looked so bad, it could have ended not just his season, but his career. His 13 minute stint for Spain marked the end of a gruelling period that included thousands of hours of rehabilitation and two surgeries. I am glad to see him back on the court. The Celtics have no players in the Olympics but there are plenty of other NBA teams with players competing. Here is a list of the players who are competing for teams other than the US team. Argentina has 5 including Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls), Fabricio Oberto (San Antonio Spurs), Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) and Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors). Australia has Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks). China has Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) and Yi Jianlian (New Jersey Nets). Croatia has Roko-Leni Ukic (Toronto Raptors). Germany has Chris Kaman (Los Angeles Clippers) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks). Lithuania includes Linas Kleiza (Denver Nuggets) and Sarunas Jasikevicius (Golden State Warriors). Russia has Andrei Kirilenko (Utah Jazz). Spain has 6 players including Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers), Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trail Blazers), Jose-Manuel Calderon (Toronto Raptors), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies) Juan Carlos Navarro (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jorge Garbajosa (Toronto Raptors). Thanks to Tom Halzak of the Connecticut Post for pointing out this comment from the Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: Think back to the Boston series. The Pistons, focused on stopping Kevin Garnett, wound up getting punched in the gut by Kendrick Perkins. Neither Rasheed Wallace nor Antonio McDyess could handle his athleticism, and Jason Maxiell, at 6-7, couldn't handle his size. Perk gets some well deserved props from the Detroit media. Detroit signed Kwame Brown with the express purpose of trying to match up with Perk. I still see people questioning Perk's effectiveness. Perk does everything that is asked of him by his coaches and that makes him very valuable. He is willing to do the dirty work without getting a lot of the glory. He does so much that doesn't show up in the box score. He may not get the rebound, but he boxes out so his teammate can. He may not score the basket, but he sets the pick so his teammate can. His value to the team can be most clearly seen in game 5 of the Finals. In games 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom are basically ineffectual and aren't a factor. But in game 5 when Perk wasn't in there, they became unstoppable forces. Perk deserves a lot of kudos and it is nice to see him getting some. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:32:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303934 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303934 RaptorsForum Contributor - LX The Raptors of the past two seasons were similar to the Grizzlies under Hubie Brown. They surprised people, over-achieved and raised expectations, all while making use of a deep bench that was often indistinguishable from the starting lineup in terms of abilities. And that depth went from being a notable strength that the coach did a good job of taking advantage of, to a cause of division that in the Grizzlie's case lead to a full-scale rebellion, while in Toronto it brought recognition that within all that depth there was no way to find a solid second option to Bosh or the kind of toughness that was lost when Jorge Garbajosa suffered his terrible injury. In Memphis, Hubie Brown lost his locker-room, and his job. In Toronto, Sam Mitchell succeeded in at least keeping the ship upright while storms brewed all season long, beginning with the turmoil of Garbajosa's status, moving through the various difficulties represented in the form of Andrea Bargnani, on through any number of players unable to fill roles with key pieces missing due to injury, and ending with two point guards outgrowing their ability to benefit from sharing the same duties. The season was a disappointment, and many fans called for "blowing it all up" as the Grizzlies had, but there was enough left intact here that they could still find something to build upon. More than the clashing of egos that Hubie had to deal with, the Raptors suffered mostly from the lack of Garbajosa. I believe there is a Garbajosa-effect that can be identified from the results of the season he played, and the one where he wore a suit. When he played, he brought the cohesion among the starting line-up and the bench that proved so effective. He could play alongside any part of the rotation, and usually it resulted in steady play no matter who was on the floor or not. The guy knew what needed to be done, and when, and he put those things ahead of stats. As a result, we saw good, effective play from Bargnani, Graham, and Humphreys, and less pressure on the point guards and Bosh. Graham alone picked up Garbo's knack for the ball fake and used it to raise his own basketball IQ by about 35 points. Without Garbajosa there were just too many players trying to do too much, and not all that smartly, particularly from the wings. While the pressure on the defense, the reserves, the franchise player, the number one pick, and the two point guards kept mounting. The Raps became more compartmentalized, and less of a well-constructed team. You can merely look at the difference at home and on the road during Jorge's first season here. He played poorly on the road in general, not being well-equipped to handle the NBA schedule. And what the team missed in far too many road losses the year before, is just what they missed for all of last season. Or look at the play at home last year, when opposing teams too often appeared completely comfortable, unlike the previous year when Jorge was at his best. The numbers often looked nice, the defense was better statistically, Moon added some athleticism and scoring, but the problem lied exactly where the only numbers that mattered were those in the win column - the area that Garbo proved to be so adept at understanding. In addressing the weaknesses at the end of the season, Bryan Colangelo noted two particular problem areas - the need for a 20 point scorer (which was assumed to take the form of an aggressive wing player), and the need to improve defensively with an injection of toughness that he felt had been missing since they lost Garbajosa. So the blueprint moving forward looked fairly clear: add a couple of players through transactions and the draft. But for myself, as a fan, I was not hearing many names that made me feel like the puzzle would be closer to being solved. It was more like the feeling of satisfaction, shallow and fleeting, of getting one side of a Rubik's cube a solid color. I really wanted the loss of the Garbajosa-effect to be addressed, and failing that, then I figured they might as well blow the Rubik's pieces up and start gluing them back together as they were meant to be. I wanted a veteran presence who knew what it takes to win, could play physical, remain mentally tough and allow for real gains to be made with an improved defense. And Jermaine O'Neal represents just about the perfect player to fill that resume. In acquiring O'Neal, Colangelo veered away from what looked to be his primary concern - the 20 point scorer - and instead pulled the trigger on the guy who would provide the Garbajosa-effect, while bringing increased leadership and furthering the potential of the offensive threats that already exist here. Had the focus of JO's addition been all about offense, then I would have continued to feel like the team was a little bit lost. But everything that has been said so far points to that Garbajosa-effect. It's all about the defense first. It's all about sacrificing numbers. It's all about the little things, sustaining the attack as a team no matter who's on the floor, keeping everyone accountable, and making opposing teams pay for any letdowns. Actually, it sounds like the Garbo-effect on crack. Here's a question that doesn't get asked. Would this have happened if we had a D'Antoni at Colangelo's side? Or would we instead be looking at a smart-though-soft player like Diaw? Or a strong-but-hard-headed guy like Maggette? Or who knows what - Quentin Richardson? I think it's safe to say the team would have looked very different. The next step would be to ponder what Bosh might bring in a blockbuster deal to fully complete the makeover. This team would have been like a Junebug in late July; its days numbered; the stink always imminent. And maybe quickly enough a different approach could have worked just fine, although it's not like the formula in Phoenix proved to be timeless and golden. I personally loved the team from two seasons ago, and I'm happy to think that the knowledge of that team, which Sam Mitchell aptly proved that he possessed, allowed for the current team to move forward this season upon what was built then. And now you have Mitchell, along with three solid players like Bosh, O'Neal, and Ocho Loco, all staring down the defining moments of their careers, and looking to bring the rest of the team along with them. Bosh has a chance to prove his abilities defensively, Calderon gets to show his mettle as a starter for a full season, and O'Neal will savor the opportunity to demonstrate that his career is far from over. Everyone else just gets to feed off of that and work to get better. I couldn't ask for anymore. It's no guarantee for success, but it's a hell of a start and a good adrenaline rush for anyone feeling like a Junebug in late July. David Stern - make this summer end already! Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:26:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296832 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296832 They're not exactly blip players, so we have to take notice. But at the same time, they're not exactly superstars, so it doesn't make the headlines. Slowly but surely, Europe has been snatching away our low to midlevel free agents and at least a handful of talented prospects. The floodgates have opened. Tiago Splitter, Juan Carlos Navarro, Sasha Kaun, Carlos Delfino, Brandon Jennings, Primoz Brezec, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, probably Jorge Garbajosa, and now, possibly, Josh Childress. (Edit: According to ESPN, Bostjan Nachbar has also shipped out -- to Russia, for $14.3 million over three years. Nachbar noted that "the NBA had better be careful. European teams are offering a lot of money. It's much more, considering there are no taxes, than what I could make signing for the midlevel exception.")While Jennings is likely the biggest name of the summer to head across the pond, Childress would undeniably be the best player. He's talented, committed defensively, has a sweet fro, and is incredibly efficient on offense…and is being rewarded by Olympiakos with a three year, double-optioned, $20 million dollar offer...[continued] Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:36:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293811 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293811 Spanish forward Jorge Garbajosa has acknowldeged that both the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have called to ask about his health and availability. The 31-year-old Garbajosa, who spent just over a season with the Toroto Raptors, played 67 games in the 2006-07 season, averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds before suffering a grisly leg and ankle injury that ultimately ended his NBA career. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:04:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289700 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289700 The Herald reports that the MRI on Paul Pierce's knee shows no serious damage that would require surgery or hinder him into next season. Danny Ainge described the injury as a sprained MCL and a bone bruise. There were many Laker fans at the time who doubted he was injured at all, but Celtics fans know Pierce's high tolerance for pain and appreciate his play on a knee that may have kept most players on the bench. It is good news that the knee is fine and there will be no lasting effects from playing on it. The Wolves signed first round pick, Kevin Love, to a 2 year contract with a team option for a third and fourth year. He will play on the team's Summer League team in Vegas. Craig Smith won't be playing as he is a restricted free agent and has not signed a new contract. The NY Post reports that the Nets have signed Jarvis Hayes to a two-year deal (the first year guaranteed) for $3.9 million and Eduardo Najera for four years and about $12 million. The addition of the two forwards give the Nets 15 players and pretty much eliminates the possibility of Bostjan Nachbar returning. Nenad Krstic is likely going to be a piece in a sign and trade. The LA Daily News reports that the Lakers have shows interest in the Raptors' free agent Jorge Garbajosa. Garbajosa could serve as a backup to fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, who will shift from center to power forward next season with the return of center Andrew Bynum. Gasol is very familiar with Garbajosa as they both played on Spain's national team that won the silver medal at the 2007 European championships. Newsday reports that the Cavs are shopping Wally Szczerbiak. The Nets reportedly declined a trade that would have sent Vince Carter and his hefty contract to Cleveland for Wally and his expiring contract. There is a report on SI.com that the Knicks have rejected a proposal from the Clippers to trade power forward Zach Randolph for cap relief according to league sources. The Knicks feel that Randolph is going to play well in their new coach's system and could bring them a lot more than just cap relief next season. Newsday adds that the Knicks want the Clippers to include Eric Gordon, the 7th pick in the draft, in any deal that would send Randolph to the Clippers. MetroNews.ca reported that the Pistons are making a big push for Houston's Tracy McGrady. But, a Detroit News article denies that they are anywhere close to a deal for the Rockets' star saying that the Rockets are just one of several teams they have talked to about a trade. It is quite possible that the Pistons' long time starting unit may not return intact next season as the Pistons actively pursue trade possibilities rather than seek out free agents. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:00:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289458 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289458