Barbosa Deal

Today, amongst all the trade rumours, the Raptors and Pacers pulled off a deal. The Pacers would get Brazilian speedster Leandro Barbosa and possibly Anthony Carter for a 2nd round pick.

This came to me as a shock at first. For all the Raptor fans out there, you may be thinking that this may be the worst trade possible! Well...it isn't. I was ready to scream at my computer screen at the first thought of it because Barbosa is worth more than what we attained. However, I went through a couple forums, read some articles, got some insight on how the Raptors would benefit, and actually, this was a really good move.

By trading away Barbosa and Carter, the Raptors do free up some cap space. With Indiana way under the cap, they were able to absorb their contracts. The Raptors don't get salary in return, which is what BC always wanted. They also get a 2nd round pick and will now have three picks altogether which may create another trade or bring in some nice pieces for the future. Eric Smith tweeted another good argument saying "they(Raptors) now have $7.6 mil in cap space to spend BEFORE July 1 if they wish (about $12 mil total)." The Raptors may be able to pull of some deals prior to the free agent signing which is ultimately a good idea because it can open up trades and gives the Raptors more flexibility on Draft night.

Barbosa would have rot here with the Raptors anyways. We would lose more games than win(obviously) and then we would be left deciding whether or not to sign him. Barbosa did express a LOT of intrest to resigning in Toronto so that may be a great move. Maybe Colangelo thought about nabbing a 2nd rounder now and then eventually signing Leandro to a deal come July 1st. Remember, this is only a rental for the Pacers and this is why a 2nd round pick was huge. No team would ever give up a 1st for a rental player unless it was like Dwight or some other superstar. I would rather get a 2nd rounder than nothing at all.

On the other hand, the Pacers get a nice scoring punch off of the bench. He can provide a nice boost of energy and score pretty much when he pleases. George Hill has been playing good ball lately while Collison hasn't developed as much as they liked! Barbosa is a good option! One other thing that intrigues me is the history that Barbosa and Granger have. Remember they had a little scuffle about each team's end game shenanigans? Haha, good times. Anywho, I bet Granger is happy to have him on his side now as they look to make a deep playoff push.

It is sad to see the Brazilian Blur leave after all he has done for the Raptors. All he did was provide a boost off of the bench, a scoring punch, a defensive demeanor, excitement to the ACC, and a veteran presence. He did all the things that the team needed. I did expect a trade to happen to either Barbosa or Jose because of the way they were playing but I didn't really want to see it happen. Both teams got better....kinda. Well, the Pacers got better and we just got more money. That is all.

Good luck to Leandro! I'll miss you in Toronto and hopefully you come back when the free agency period starts!

Ellis-Bogut

WOW! As the trade deadline approaches and all these rumours start heating up, we were lucky to have a blockbuster deal fall onto our laps tonight! The Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors decided on a deal that would send Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to GS for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown!

 To me, both teams got something they needed and wanted but I think Milwaukee got the better end of the deal!

Let's talk about the Warriors here first though. Okay. We all knew Monta wasn't apart of the long term plan in Golden State. His name was being thrown out there in numerous trade rumours and I guess it was a mutual feeling. The Curry-Ellis experiment could only last so long. Now, the Warriors nabbed themselves a legit centre! When healthy, Bogut provides everything you want out of your big guy. He can score around the hoop, post-up, rebound, block shots, provide an inside presence, etc. He just does everything! He's the definition of a centre! You put him alongside David Lee and you now have one of the toughest frontcourts any opposing team can handle! Andris Biedrins will now ride the bench like no tomorrow! It's sad how he couldn't come back to the player he once was!

 As for, Captain Jack, he's back! He hasn't been doing anything at all for the Bucks this year and maybe a change of scenery might help him out! We all know what he's capable of doing. He can flat out score and be reliable in clutch situations. Let's see if he'll do grasp the opportunity and run with it! Watch out for Klay Thompson to fill the void that Monta Ellis left. Klay Thompson has the potential to become a potent scorer in this league. All he needs is more experience under his belt. With this trade, it opens up the court and he may be in line for a great second half as he will be looked on to provide more of the scoring. Overall, the Warriors look solid BUT they did give up a hefty price.

Now, for the Bucks side:

Fear the Deer!!! They do lose Bogut who is unarguably one of the best 5's in the league but his injury would've sidelined him throughout this year anyways. They want a playoff push and this may be the best way to do it. Adding Monta Ellis gives them another player that attracts double teams. He can light it up in any given moment and he's as quick as anyone in this league. He gives Milwaukee what they have been lacking this whole year; a shooting guard! Carlos Delfino and Mike Dunleavy are great role players but they really need that legit starter to make a good run! I'm looking forward to watching this backcourt tandem of Jennins and Ellis. Brandon Jennings is one of my favourite players and pairing him up with another scorer only gives opposing teams to pick their poison. So electrifying, no?

Despite losing Bogut, the Bucks added Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown. Kwame Brown gives the Bucks another big body to use. He can provide some veteran leadership, I guess. There's really nothing much more to say about him.... On the other hand, Ekpe Udoh is a guy every team needs. Although his offensive game is limited, his rebounding and defence makes up for it. His shot-blocking ability is pretty darn good. Now, you put him in a defensive system with Milwaukee and there you have a guy who can provide instant energy. Look for him and Larry Sanders to become the young, new, up and coming defensive duo.

Why nobody love me?

I may be a little too excited for the Bucks on this trade but really, who can't be? They'll definitely have one of the more exciting teams in the NBA. I do know that they'll be in the thick of things come playoff time. As for the Warriors, they now have the third best big man combo after the Lakers and Grizzlies in my opinion. Yeah, I think they are better than NY, CHI and any other team with a dynamic frontcourt duo. Maybe you'll disagree but hey, that's the beauty of having your own opinions. Express your feelings in anyway you want!

 Bucks win. Warriors win..kinda. BUT hey, both teams are happy so we should all be happy! Great swap to start off the trade deadline fiasco!

Who said this trade deadline was going to be dead silent? I didn't expect this to happen but I really anticipated a splash to be made! Hopefully a bunch of other teams follow up and make a deal with as much magnitude as this one! It only brings excitement to the fans and creates a buzz around the league!

Who's next? Is it Dwight? Is it Nash? Is it Pau? I can't wait for more noise to be made by teams as we approach the deadline!

The Little Engine

Sad news for the basketball world today, but even more-so, this is some sad news for me. TJ Ford recently told reporters and the whole basketball world that he was going to step away from the game. After taking another big blow in a recent contest versus the Knicks, it was evident that his basketball career was coming to a close. He is and will always be one of my favourite players, let alone favourite Raptors ever. And although he isn't one of the household superstars in our game today, I, along with many others, look at him as an inspiration story.

Do you remember TJ in his days at Texas University? He made history for the school and for the NCAA. He was undoubtedly one of the best up and coming players. A First Team All-American and named the Naismith College Player of the Year! He was the first basketball player to get his jersey retired by the University of Texas. The future was so bright for him that only he could stop it.

Do you remember him being drafted 8th overall in what is the one of, if not, the best draft in NBA history? Scouts raved about his potential to become one of the biggest stars in the NBA. His small stature was not a factor. His quickness and his play-making ability was off the charts. His capability of running a team was so superb that he was compared to the likes of Magic and Bird. Now, that's some company to be a part of. He was eventually named to the All-Rookie 2nd team but he completed only 55 games.

The memories go by too fast that only a few of us will remember all the accolades he received. I doubt many people remember of even knew that he was a part of those things. Even I needed to do my research here.

But, there is one thing that all of us will always remember. It's the dreaded spinal cord injury he suffered in his rookie year. This was the turning point in his young career. This was where his world spun and looked as if it was the end. It looked very unlikely that he would be able to return to full strength on the court. The injury may have jeopardized his career altogether and all the potential that everyone saw, faded away.

He missed the whole entire 2005 campaign recovering from the spinal cord injury. It seemed as if the whole basketball world had forgotten about him but he worked everyday for as long as he could. He was determined to make a comeback and put himself onto the spotlight again.

In the 2005-2006 season, he made his miraculous comeback! It didn't even look like he missed a beat. His quickness was still there and he was playing at an all-time high. No one expected it. Or at least, no one expected it as soon as it was. He defeated the odds and went on to average a solid 12.2 ppg, 6.6 apg, and 1.4 stls. He was then shipped to my Toronto Raptors and his years there were probably the best of his career!

I remember him running up and down the court and Chuck always raved about his motor. He did not stop. He was giving 110% every game and he excelled as the starting point guard. The "little engine" was a nickname that I knew him as. I loved watching him play. He meshed with Bosh quite well and we won the Atlantic Division for the first time in our history! He was a big part of it. He and Jose Calderon created the best point guard duo in the NBA and it looked like the sky was the limit for the team! Despite losing in a 6 game series to VC and the Nets, the Raptors were primed to make some noise for years to come!

Sadly, the next year was kind of a setback. It all happened because of another injury. This time, Al Horford smacked TJ Ford on a fastbreak by accident and he fell hard. That injury sidelined him for numerous games and it wasn't the same after that. Colangelo dealt him to Indiana in a blockbuster trade that saw Jermaine O'neal come to the Raptors. TJ Ford did okay at best in his first season as a Pacer but then slowly faltered. Indiana was tough for him and his minutes diminished game by game to the point where he was a DNP on occasional nights. There were some questions about his attitude and his capability to adapt to the lack of playing time but he fought through it. He then signed with Spurs this past off-season and looked good. He was signed to fill the backup point guard role and to mentor rookie Cory Joseph.

Unfortunately, another hard fall and emotional scare on Wednesday was the last straw. He was knocked down by Baron Davis and then inadvertently stepped on by teammate Tiago Splitter. He lied down on the court for several minutes before being helped off.

This is some hard news to digest because of all the things TJ Ford went through. If he didn't get injured in his rookie year, there would be no doubt that he'd be one of the better point guards in our game today. If he didn't get hit by Horford, there would be no doubt in my mind that Calderon would be the one moved. I really loved his time in Toronto as well as in the NBA. He was an exciting player to watch. A true inspiration because of the things he went through. He's definitely going to be missed. He showed that even though it may seem like its over, it really isn't. Perseverance and hard work brought him back to the game he loved. I hate seeing someone like him to have his career cut short because of injuries.Watching the retirement announcement earlier today really moved me. I'm gonna miss this guy!

There is definitely more gas in the little engine.  He said that we won't see the last of him and I'm sure of it.