Fire Sam Mitchell.

It’s a waste of money.

No, its not your money + you don’t get it.  The JO dice throw doesn’t work, this is the list of suitors Colangelo can give a rose to in 2010 (or maybe two of em, Mormon styles).

2010 Free Agents:

The Big Dawgs:
Joe Johnson
Ray Allen
Ben Wallace
LeBron James (player option, likely)
Dirk Nowitzki (player option, unlikely)
Josh Howard (player option, likely)
Marcus Camby
Rip Hamilton
Stephen Jackson
Tracy McGrady
Shaquille O’Neal
Dwyane Wade (player option for 10/11, unlikely)
Michael Redd (player option for 10/11, likely)
Tyson Chandler (player option for 10/11 - 50/50)
Eddy Curry (player option for 10/11 - 50/50)
Amare Stoudemire (player option for 10/11, unlikely)
Brad Miller
Manu Ginobili
Chris Bosh (player option for 10/11, unlikely)

The Rookie Contracts:
Shelden WIlliams (restricted)
Rajon Rondo (restricted)
Adam Morrison (brah ha ha)
Tyrus Thomas (restricted)
Rudy Gay (restricted)
Kyle Lowry (restricted)
Randy Foye (restricted)
Marcus Williams (restricted)
Josh Boone (restricted)
Renaldo Balkman (restricted)
Mardy Collins (restricted)
Brandon Roy (restricted)
Sergio Rodriguez (restricted)
LaMarcus Aldridge (restricted)
Quincy Douby (restricted)
Ronnie Brewer (restricted)
Andrea Bargnani (restricted)

Bryan Colangelo: “We have no intention of making a coaching change – period. It’s not an issue. He has three years left on his deal and what happened in the playoffs does not affect his status here. We lost to a very good basketball team.”

It begs the question: what’s the real deal? Surely, what happened in the playoffs isn’t enough to call for a coach’s job, especially after such a solid season…wait, this season was a FUCKING disaster. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey Bryan,

Sorry for all the memos this month (with the lack of home-town playoff basketball available and all, idle time abounds) but add one more thing to your off-season shopping list, please: Bulk.

(opposite pictured below)

A lot of depends on how you’re taught to read (and format), I guess…

Colangelo did answer one question Tuesday, pulling the rug out on the rumours surrounding head coach Sam Mitchell.

“All things should be put to rest right now when I say that I have absolutely no intention of making a coaching change at this time,” Colangelo said.

Media reports claimed Mitchell was on a shortlist of coaches being considered for the New York Knicks job, and that Colangelo had his eyes on Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni if he was fired by the Suns.

Colangelo called the rumours “ludicrous.

Woke up this morning, got myself a PG. Tarantino fast forward three years with me.

Head coach of the Raptors, Mike D’antoni, is on the podium surrounded by a throng of expectant media’ers. Flanked by the GM and his consiglieri, is the new free agent signing - #13, Steeeeeve Nash. Read the rest of this entry »

Memo to Bryan Colangelo:

Dear Bryan,

The following chart shows offensive fouls drawn (mostly charges taken) this season. Seeing that the Raptors’ highest ranked player is 55th, means EVERY team in the NBA could *almost* have 2 players more active defensively, before the Raps had their first…um, yea, just address this in the off-season. Step 1: Domain name.

Sincerely,

Anti-soft

April 24th, 2007. A dark day.

Smitch was named coach of the year. Inarguably a questionable award in itself, which can’t be linked causally on coaching merit alone. The sportswriters thought Mitchell beat Utah’s Jerry Sloan for the award.

In the Raptor’s case, personnel change more than coaching, was clearly the story.

The most used Toronto Raptors five man units in 05-06 were:

James-Peterson-Rose-Bonner-Bosh
James-Peterson-Graham-Bosh-Araujo
James-Peterson-Bonner-Villanueva-Bosh
James-Peterson-Villanueva-Bosh-Davis
James-Peterson-Rose-Villanueva-Bosh

Calderon was used sparingly, mostly because James was having a contract year, Rose was the incumbent incompetent and Mo P was the loyal lifetime Raptor.

Enter Bryan Colangelo and in 2006-2007, the most used units were:

Ford-Parker-Garbajosa-Bosh-Nesterovic
Ford-Jones-Parker-Garbajosa-Bosh
Ford-Parker-Graham-Bosh-Nesterovic
Calderon-Parker-Garbajosa-Bosh-Nesterovic

Hardly a dash of coaching genius(ok, he got them to play well together…1000’s of kindergarten teachers in sandboxes all through the continent are doing the same, at this very moment. Can we name them all co-winners this year?)

Case rested. If Mitchell doesn’t win the Auerbach, Colangelo doesn’t have unstated, yet league-wide pressure to re-sign him.

Let’s face it, a hyperanalytical GM with a nose for talent can’t POSSIBLY be on the same page as a tactically-blind former player who paid his dues, saying the right things, shmoozing his way to a coaching position. Actually forget same page, they aren’t in the same chapter, book, aisle, library or language.

The GM position in the NBA can be analagous to a blue-chip company’s CEO. The newswire is watching. No GM in the league, wants to be the one who didn’t resign the Coach of the Year. It doesn’t bode well for future hires, players or agents in conveying loyalty - a magnified character trait in this league, seeing as the coaching talent pool is realisticaly about 8 coaches deep.

So he did it, to avoid character suicide (and so Stern didn’t send the franchise back to Vancouver as a punishment.)

And so here we are. Damn you, April 24th, 2007. Damn you.