Do we really need Mike James next year?

He can't retire (to benefit our cap room) if he plays more than 10 games in a year, or is it season? We were talking before like there were only ten games between the end of this season and the start of next that he can play before he goes back on the cap, even if he were to retire; he could play 9 games, be declared by a team doctor to be unfit to play, and would come off the books as soon the league okayed the retirement. This is obviously why BC is keeping him on the injured list: it just makes sense. AW is going to keep his extension money, battle it out in training camp, play a few games, and see how things go. AW knows what's going on and I doubt he'll insist on practicing through pain without court time as a reward when he already has his cheque. I'm predicting an early retirement next season, which would give us another little bump of cap room and make trades a lot easier next season.

Nice to hear that Alvin has been practicing, I guess I knew that he had been but certainly hadn't thought about it. Still, if Calderon is barely playing, there's no way that AW should get many minutes.

mike james is an odd case for this team. we're certainly important to him, but he's likewise important to us. will he be back? i don't know for sure but i wouldn't doubt it. we may not have his bird's but we have his early's. and that should be enough... i think.

but if we don't re-sign him, are we seriously talking about alvin williams? come on now. if this guy contributed another 5 mpg for the rest of his life i'd be surprised. probably shocked. the contract we signed with that man has turned out to be... well, certainly among the worst we ever signed with anyone, if not at the very top of the list. that's saying quite a bit. he's a 'good guy' and everything, we can talk about that till the cows come home, but the money and term he got for his value never matched (imo). this rehab, if he were actually allowed to be honest through the media and to the public, is at best- at best- a case of alvin being in denial. however, given what i've always thought of him and the high praise he's always received from his peers, i think he's trying to retire with at least an ounce of integrity- i.e. at least give it a shot.

the paramount consideration is of course the option on his deal, and 'ethical' players would likely feel guilty about picking it up, but it's a lot of money. even ethics and morality has a price these days. alvin's probably looking to somehow justify the cash- what is it, $15M? the above argument about his 10 game restriction is certainly playing a role, i think, and for that reason i simply wouldn't expect him to ever become a rotation player again.

but becoming the starting pg for a sam mitchell/bryan colangelo offense with youth flanking him all over the court? how soon we forget. the marriage between alvin williams and the toronto raptors will always be strong... but actually putting it in practice again is another issue entirely.

peace