Thread Tools

Display Modes

Unknownone · 08-09-2005, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vigilante

Back when everyone was talking about signing Antonio Daniels, I was saying I wanted Duhon, not Daniels, and that he would come at a cheaper price. Seems like Babcock was thinking the exact same thing.

I think their wasn't a free agent on the market that is a better fit for our team than Duhon. He is as unselfish as they come; a pure point guard, and can really defend really, really well. He also showed the ability to hit open shots last season. He is the anti-Rafer, pretty much.

People tend to forget this, but Duhon was a McDonald's All-American (and won the Naismith Sportmanship award at the game that year) as a high school senior from Slidell, LA - I'm far from the biggest Blue Devils supporter (sorry BUTR), but Duhon's commitment and drive to win durin' his 4 years @ Duke impressed me to no end; he deferred to his backcourt mate Jay (then Jason) Williams when both started (displayin' unselfishness then) - there have been a litany of knocks against his game and handle, but he's a pass-first PG who wants nothin' else but to win - comes from a successful program in Durham, NC and has no obvious ego... What's not to like about him as a player on your squad that wants to win the right way?

I believe I mentioned him as a coveted player (from my vantage point) in a thread concernin' Rafer about a month or 2 ago; I'm not overly optimistic about the Raptors bein' able to secure his rights, but am heartened that Babcock and company aren't just payin' lip service to their rhetoric (and instead of tryin' to cajole and coddle Rafer, are willin' to turn elsewhere, in effect, admittin' his/their mistake - you could have a GM who's stubborn and refuses to acknowledge the truth, thereby hinderin' the team indefinitely as his ego gets the better of him in tryin' to prove the naysayers wrong - in this case, about Rafer)... Kudos for seein' that character is equally as important as ability/talent...

SkywalkerAC · 08-09-2005, 05:18 PM

Anyone else think this is Babcock's method of getting a point guard he wants that the Bulls formerly had- if they don't match we get Duhon, if they do our chances of landing Jay increases. The backup plan is Cook of course.

**madman** · 08-09-2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkywalkerAC

Anyone else think this is Babcock's method of getting a point guard he wants that the Bulls formerly had- if they don't match we get Duhon, if they do our chances of landing Jay increases. The backup plan is Cook of course.

i doubt he is trying to get someone who used to play for the bulls, its just that 2 of thet best FA point guards are former bulls,

**speedythief** · 08-09-2005, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkywalkerAC

Anyone else think this is Babcock's method of getting a point guard he wants that the Bulls formerly had- if they don't match we get Duhon, if they do our chances of landing Jay increases. The backup plan is Cook of course.

Maybe, but with the Bulls out of the picture are we automatically a front runner for him? Last thing he was saying was that he wanted to go to a winning team.

SkywalkerAC · 08-09-2005, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedythief

Maybe, but with the Bulls out of the picture are we automatically a front runner for him? Last thing he was saying was that he wanted to go to a winning team.

I don't know. Last I heard he was pretty happy that the Raptors were showing major interest. Cavaliers or Twolves would be my personal guesses but I really have no real idea where he's at.

The thing is that he threw out an offer that will cost his own suprise rookie if it goes through (or at least I would think so). If Duhon were matched, I really do think we'd have a decent shot at keeping Bonner AND signing Jwill. I don't know how much other teams can offer Jay but the only team I'm seeing with a better chance at playing time is Cleveland...

Aesop · 08-09-2005, 07:41 PM

Just an interesting bit of trivia...

Matt Bonner was traded by the Bulls to the Raptors for a future 2nd round pick. That pick was used by the Bulls to select Chris Duhon.

AirBonner · 08-09-2005, 10:43 PM

I think this signing makes a lot of sense because it will allow the raps to run an offense with Duhon and Rafer similar to Duhon and Gordon. Like rafer, Gordon is a terrible defender and that is why the Bulls defense relied on Duhon so much to cover him.

I think this is a very logical move by babcock because of what it will allow the team to do with there guards. I wouldn't be at all suprised if babcock made this move with the intention of augmenting alston's game rather than replacing him altogether.

butr · 08-10-2005, 07:58 AM

With SAR not going to the Nets, the Bulls may prove to be a candidate. But he will cost the full MLE.

If the Bulls match, they truly value Du's services.

VTRapsfan · 08-10-2005, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedythief

And in the meantime Matt reads this message board, as I know all Toronto Raptors players and team employees do

Am I missing some sarcasm, or do they really read this? That's pretty cool if they do.

**speedythief** · 08-10-2005, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaptorsCB4

Am I missing some sarcasm, or do they really read this? That's pretty cool if they do.

I'm just kidding, but I don't think it's such a stretch. Chuck visits the boards, so do Toronto rag writers. I assume anybody in the NBA that uses a computer probably visits the same basketball sites we do, so I don't think it's a stretch to assume that at least some NBA players browse around sites like ours.

skip2 · 08-10-2005, 03:50 PM

Long time reader (loving it, one of the best boards around), hopefully I'll have a few more posts, so let's start with this one, some of this is opinion based, but most is fact. Correct me if you see anything wrong though

:-

First of all, Chicago DOESN'T have the MLE. They have actual cap space, something the Raptors haven't had in a while, but will hopefully happen 2 years from now (after-Rose era here we come). Even if they DO plan on re-signing Curry/Chandler, they could do it no matter WHAT they give Duhon because they have their bird rights. Now to the Duhon situation

The reported "vibe" out of that city is that they will match, and MANY believe that that's exactly what Babcock has planned all along. It seems to them that this is just too perfect, Babcock has offered the a contract that is JUST on the border of what Chicago would match.

A 2.8 mil dollar start (or around there), for THREE years (again, exactly the length that Chi wanted). Don't get me wrong, Babcock would be estatic if they don't match, but I believe he's going in knowing that they will.

So whats the catch? Bill Duffy, Duhon's agent, just happens to be Jay Wil's agent. Coincedence that we were one of the first teams interested? I think not. Basically, by giving Duhon an upgraded cheque book yet STILL sendning him to Chicago has Bill Duffy "owing" us something. That something just may be J-Wil! This is exactly what a rebuilding franchise like ours need, low-risk High reward type players, and I believe we SHOULD do this. Not only that, but J wouldn't command ALL of what's left from our MLE I don't think, thus, we'd STILL have about 2 mil for Bonner. Wait a minute, I forgot to mention that this also makes Bonner and HIS agent sweat a bit, and they just MIGHT give in a little to get this signed quickly, as their "possible suitors" also seem to be running out, and a couple of more signings from Toronto and he may not be able to do anything except take LESS money to go on a different team (and he has said that he LOVES this city, so doubt he'd take LESS to go to another).. Not a bad thing at all, on one hand you have Duhon if they don't match at a VERY reasonable price, and on the other you have Jay Will and Bonner. Win-win (when was the last time the Raptors were in one of these? :P).

Hopefully that wasn't too shabby for a first post

.

SkywalkerAC · 08-10-2005, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skip2

Long time reader (loving it, one of the best boards around), hopefully I'll have a few more posts, so let's start with this one, some of this is opinion based, but most is fact. Correct me if you see anything wrong though

:-

First of all, Chicago DOESN'T have the MLE. They have actual cap space, something the Raptors haven't had in a while, but will hopefully happen 2 years from now (after-Rose era here we come). Even if they DO plan on re-signing Curry/Chandler, they could do it no matter WHAT they give Duhon because they have their bird rights. Now to the Duhon situation

The reported "vibe" out of that city is that they will match, and MANY believe that that's exactly what Babcock has planned all along. It seems to them that this is just too perfect, Babcock has offered the a contract that is JUST on the border of what Chicago would match.

A 2.8 mil dollar start (or around there), for THREE years (again, exactly the length that Chi wanted). Don't get me wrong, Babcock would be estatic if they don't match, but I believe he's going in knowing that they will.

So whats the catch? Bill Duffy, Duhon's agent, just happens to be Jay Wil's agent. Coincedence that we were one of the first teams interested? I think not. Basically, by giving Duhon an upgraded cheque book yet STILL sendning him to Chicago has Bill Duffy "owing" us something. That something just may be J-Wil! This is exactly what a rebuilding franchise like ours need, low-risk High reward type players, and I believe we SHOULD do this. Not only that, but J wouldn't command ALL of what's left from our MLE I don't think, thus, we'd STILL have about 2 mil for Bonner. Wait a minute, I forgot to mention that this also makes Bonner and HIS agent sweat a bit, and they just MIGHT give in a little to get this signed quickly, as their "possible suitors" also seem to be running out, and a couple of more signings from Toronto and he may not be able to do anything except take LESS money to go on a different team (and he has said that he LOVES this city, so doubt he'd take LESS to go to another).. Not a bad thing at all, on one hand you have Duhon if they don't match at a VERY reasonable price, and on the other you have Jay Will and Bonner. Win-win (when was the last time the Raptors were in one of these? :P).

Hopefully that wasn't too shabby for a first post

.

Welcome to the boards. Not to shabby at all. This was pretty much the first thing that came to my mind as soon as I heard Paxson was probably going to match. So yeah, I kinda beat you to the punch but I didn't even know they had the same agent and things like that can play a factor. As for JWill and Bonner, i think that splitting the MLE between the two of them sounds like a fair deal all around.

Then maybe trade Rafer for Luke Jackson (are the Cavs still a little below the cap?)? But that's probably a topic for a different thread...

Welcome again and keep up the good work.

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes