February 18, 2005

TRADES THE ONLY SALVATION FOR FLOUNDERING RAPTORS

      There is no possible way that GM Rob Babcock could think that this horrible season filled with internal difficulties and horrendous defense can be salvaged.  If he does then he should be immediately and ceremoniously shipped out of town locked in the back room of a smelly barge.  This has been a very challenging season—it all started by having his best player demand a trade and it worsened as the team drowned under a torrent of road games.  The situation has not improved—in fact it has actually gotten worse.  Much worse.  More players are demanding trades and his point guard and coach battle like the Bickersons.  The only hope for Babcock is to start shedding this year’s talent in a plan for a rebirth next year. 

       There are whispers in the wind, or should I say loud shouts, that the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to shake up their moribund roster.  Since Babcock has a familiarity with that club and with President and, now coach, Kevin McHale it would behoove the Raptor GM to look at the possibility of making a major swap with his former club.  I have a sense that there may something in the works here since each team has something the other needs.   The Raptors have the experienced scorers, namely Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall, that Minnesota desires and the Wolves have the salary cap room, Latrell Sprewell, the Raptors need.  The Wolves seemingly are desperate to shake things up and reportedly are having conversations with a number of teams including Portland and Miami regarding Sprewell.  They might even consider moving the problematic swingman to Atlanta for Antoine Walker in a move that keeps Atlanta on target for their expected clearance sale, and hopeful signing bonanza, in the summer, and gives the Wolves the cap space for Walker’s expiring contract in case the mixture doesn’t work.  In any event the Wolves need to add some fire to a club that was expected to contend for the championship and now sits out of the playoff picture entirely.

       The Wolves could certainly use Rose’s low post expertise since the only post presence the Wolves possess is Kevin Garnett, and KG’s knees are nearly worn down to the bone.  Marshall would also take the pressure of Garnett and would open up the floor for the team’s superstar.  The negatives in the trade are that Minnesota doesn’t really need offense as much as they need defense, and neither Marshall or Rose is known as a strong defender.  There is also some speculation that the Wolves wouldn’t be able to match salaries—though they would if they included aging center Earvin Johnson, a man the Raptors could use to teach raw rookie Rafael Araujo the finer points of the position.   

      The Raptors desperately need to free up some playing time for their future, and clear away some of the bad feelings if they hope to create a positive atmosphere as the club moves forward.  They need Matt Bonner to play 20+ minutes per game, they need Pape Sow on the court and not on the injured list, they need Araujo to learn his position from somebody who has played it, and they need to find out whether Eric Williams can play in this system or whether the New Jersey native will continue to mourn having been dealt away from his home.  They need to find a young point guard that can push Alston for playing time, and perhaps push the enigmatic and scatterbrained former schoolyard hero into being an NBA court general.  They simply need to clean house, and as much as Rose has been a positive influence in the dressing room and on the court, and has provided some much needed scoring down the stretch of games, if the team can exorcise his debilitating contract it will.

       The worst-case scenario is if Babcock is unable to make any trades.  The Raptors will undoubtedly lose Marshall this off-season, and gaining his $5 million space on their payroll does nothing to help them out.  They have already gained the mid-level veteran’s exemption with the Alonzo Mourning buyout.  The club would then be stuck with a roster made up of mediocre, and very similar, players that have no hope of making the playoffs this year and little hope of creating future interest for the fans. 

       There are too many clubs out there, however, that need to make moves for Babcock to completely strike out.  The Knicks, and Isiah Thomas, are always in the market—though the Knicks have very little that would interest a rebuilding club like the Raptors.  The Blazers are desperate to rid themselves of their problems—though the Raptors would be loathe to acquire more whining and troublesome players.  There are clubs like the Celtics, the Sixers and the Pacers—teams on the perimeter of the playoff race—that might be interested in some of Toronto’s talent, and some championship contenders like the Heat and the Spurs that might come across with some young talent or draft picks for someone of Marshall’s skills.

       It is imperative for Babcock to make the right move this time considering that his previous moves haven’t exactly set the world on fire.  The Carter trade looks like a travesty at this point, his signing of Alston has been questionable, his drafting of Araujo has been a mistake so far--especially considering Philly’s super rookie Andre Iguadala was taken immediately behind the Raptor big man--and the hiring of the over aggressive Sam Mitchell as coach has been less than a rousing success.  While the mistakes can be excused to this point—after all this year was going to be a season of transition no matter what—there have to be some positives from here on out.  Babcock has to make a move at the deadline, and the right move—and then he has to set the team up to make the best possible selections in the off-season with his numerous draft picks.  

      The Raptors can ill afford to come back next season with a club that continues to struggle.  The paying public has watched the club swoon for three years after three consecutive playoff appearances, and has now watched its franchise player whine his way out of town.  Too many solid players have complained about being in Toronto, and the perception that this franchise cannot produce a contending club has to end.   In his first off-season former GM Glen Grunwald drafted Carter and traded for Charles Oakley, thus giving the team a star player to build around and a floor leader that brought a winning attitude and a work ethic.  Babcock needs to do the same this off-season, and he will make things easier for himself if he can parlay some of his present assets into future gains at the trade deadline.  If not he might find this off-season to be as difficult as the previous one.