March 8, 2005

BABCOCK’S TENURE WILL BE JUDGED BY OFF-SEASON MOVES

      It may appear as if the Vince Carter trade has been an abysmal failure for the Toronto Raptors—so far.  It may appear as if the drafting of Rafael Araujo has been an abysmal failure—so far.  It may appear as if the signing of free agent point guard Rafer Alston has been an abysmal failure—so far.  There are also concerns about the hiring of coach Sam Mitchell, and there are definite concerns about a team that seems unable or unwilling to play defense.  All these factors are negative marks on the first year report card of GM Rob Babcock.  But that card can still be graded as incomplete—so far.

       Let’s address each of those moves on an individual basis.  First-- the big trade of former franchise player Carter to the Nets.  At present the Raptors have not received any compensation from that deal as none of the players involved have contributed to the club.  Eric Williams has seen the most action—though after an initial flurry his play has dropped to such an extent that he cannot be considered a future contributor.  Williams appears as if the trade has sent him into a state of depression and after signing with his hometown Nets in the off-season—to simply be at home with his daughter more—he has not been able to bounce back from the trade.  Maybe an off-season will turn his mood around.  Aaron Williams was a spare part to begin with and Alonzo Mourning was never going to play here—good riddance.  There are those two first round draft choices—the Raptors will have two, including their own, first-rounders for the next two years—and those players need to contribute.  But mostly the trade was simply an addition by subtraction.  Carter was becoming a distraction on the club, and his lousy work ethic and lousy mood were endangering the new sense of pride and effort that Mitchell and Babcock were trying to engineer.  It is also not a coincidence that as soon as the report came out that Carter had blabbed a play to the Seattle bench that Babcock moved Carter for the best available offer at the time.  Carter had to go.

       The drafting of Araujo is still, and will continue to be, a work in progress.  The big center has shown flashes of his skills and abilities but on far more occasions has shown that he just doesn’t have the instinct, the knowledge, or the experience to be a player in this league, yet.  But his work ethic, and his eagerness to learn show that he has the potential to become an effective NBA player.  He has the skills to be a post presence for the Raptors with his ability to shoot and to pass out of the post.  Once he understands positioning and movement, and once he gains a measure of confidence Araujo will become a contributor. How long it will take before he becomes that player is the question.  Remember all-star center Ben Wallace kicked around the league for a few years before he found his game.

       As for Alston—it is becoming more apparent that the reason he was successful last year in Miami was because he was a back-up.  He doesn’t have the passing instincts or the shooting touch to be a starter in this league, but if the Raptors are able to acquire either an experienced front line guard or draft a talented youngster then Alston could be a valuable member of a guard rotation.  Of course if Alston balks at having to share his minutes then he should be moved before he becomes even more of a distraction for the team.

       Mitchell has had a difficult year.  And, this being his first year, it is not enough time to judge his ability to run an NBA team.  He has had run-ins with a few members of the club and needs to find a way to control his outbursts and his emotions.  He also needs to find a way not to come across as bitter, impatient and condescending when talking with the media.  Toronto may be a larger market than he’s used to, but after one season he should be able to come back next year and have a greater expectation, and comfort level, with the job.  The one thing Mitchell needs to do, though, is bring in an assistant coach whose forte is defense.  This team needs more defensive instruction than the present day coaching staff seems able to provide. 

      This off-season Babcock needs to address the team needs and get this club up to the next level.  The team needs to be .500 or better next season for them to continue to grow.  The playoffs cannot continue to be out of reach; the players must experience it sooner rather than later.  And it has to happen next year or Babcock’s reign as Raptor GM may be a short one.