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'You can't be experimenting' now, Mitchell says

LARRY MILLSON

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:51 AM EST 04/04/08

Raptors coach will go with a tried and tested formula the rest of the way ...Read the full article

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  1. Roger S from Canada writes: Simply stupid coach Sam. For Raptors to suceed in the Playoffs, Andrea has to perform. If he does do the thing, it is coach's responsility to get him working. Andrea is not "experimenting" thing, he is competitive advantage and he is real stuff.
  2. Roger S from Canada writes: No matter what, you have to play the guys like Andrea and Delfino heavy minutes now. no matter if they are clicking, or they just can do nothing right.
  3. andy c from Canada writes: andrea's gotta perform, kopono has to shoot better, moon has to be more aggressive, calderon has to pick up his play, TJ and delfino have to remain consistent and mars, jupiter and saturn's third moon all have to line up. do all those things and the raps should be fine in the playoffs right rog?: when was the last time the hawks were in the playoff hunt never mind the actual playoffs? should be a good game with two teams fighting for playoff positioning.
  4. Roger S from Canada writes: andy, you must know "prioritize" means. Mars, jupiter and saturn's third moon are not same animals. For example, Rasho can be ready at any moment, Andrea is another story. Same to Delfino. Kapono's failure is solely coach's fault.
  5. andy c from Canada writes: not animals, celestial bodies
  6. David G from Toronto, Canada writes: I have no problem with going with your best starters, but that doesn't explain why Kapono started last Sunday. That sure smacked of experimenting, Sam. In fact, the starting lineup has changed too often this season. Injuries have played a big part but it's no wonder some players don't know their role. If they go into a game and miss a shot, or make a mistake, they might not see the floor for another three weeks. I'm still mad at Sam for playing Bosh 46 minutes against Minnesota, a game that was a blowout two minutes into the second half. So yes, Sam still has a hand in some of the inconsistencies on this team.
  7. albert strauss from Toronto,Ontario, Canada writes: Every game with Sam is an experiment as are most substitutions
  8. albert strauss from Toronto,Ontario, Canada writes: PS I think Sam is right to go with Nesterovic. He has earned it and is producing. I think Bargnani may be a head case but has to be plugged in to give Nester an occasional rest or if Nester has a lapse
  9. andy c from Canada writes: i'm torn on bargs. we've all seen what his is capable of doing and the raps may have sacrificed a few wins early in the season to get him going (dnp's for rasho, in and out of the starting lineup). right now bargs has trouble with the second unit front courts of opposing teams how the heck will he hold up against playoff centers? knowing my luck after writing this he'll go off for 30 and 10 tonite against the hawks...
  10. Chris Yang from Toronto, Canada writes: Bargs is wildly inconsistent, but his defense has improved lately. He seems to have a problem against more athletic teams though, much like Jose. And his shooting of late has been horrific... he doesn't have the crazy backspin on his shots anymore and his form is off... maybe this summer if he goes back to Europe he can work on that again. Explain to me again why Bargnani not performing and Kapono doing poorly is Sam Mitchell's fault? This isn't NBA '08 where you're the head coach and you control the players using a playstation controller.
  11. Allan Wexler from Canada writes: Chris - while it's not Sam's fault that players don't produce, shooters like Kopono and Bargnani need to be in a rhythm to produce. Bargnani has been played in different positions all year and been asked to do things he has never done before so it's not so surprising that he has lost his shooting touch. A lot of it comes down to confidence and his is at an all time low. Kopono is a spot up shooter and needs to play regularly to be able to shoot. Sam needs to find a way to employ guys like this without ruining the chemistry of the rotation. That's a coaches job, more so in the NBA than at other levels. He seems to have found a way to do it with TJ, so perhaps he can find a way to get the others involved.
  12. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: I'm reposting my post from yesterdays Grange blog. RE AB: He is underperforming, unfortunately every single bust had potential, and while I won't call him a bust of a basketball player (yet) he is a bust for a 1st overall pick. You'd think Colangelo would have realized that a first overall should be a balance of potential and immediate contribution but somehow we are lead to believe that we need to wait 3-5 years. While that may pacify the neophyte or casual observer, anyone with any sense of reason whatsoever would realize that if you can't show improvenment from year to year you might never reach that potential. I can't believe that people defend him because he needs to learn the basics of help defense, following your shot, boxing out etc., etc., and then of course someone will comeout and say, 'give him time' to learn the 'new' position??? How can it be that a seven footer with all this supposed International expereince not know how to post up?? Even PGs know how to post up. If one word describes Bargnani its soft. Sure his occasional mumbling under his breath and deft open shot show something, but the real physical nature of the game is a big challenge to him and you see it in his infractions like offensive fouls, travels, and missed layups. I'm a Raps fan so I'm willing to wait cause I have no choice, but how long do you wait for? What if he plays this way next year? Technically you need to wait another 2 to be 'fair' to Colangelo. How much value is the franchise willing to lose on this investment for Bargs transformation to take place. There are 'Bargnani sucks' blogs appearing on the internet and every single reason given to keep him or defend him is rationally debunked. I am not as extreme as some of those views, partly because I don't think you could get much for him at the moment, but you have to call a spade a spade especially to get the message to Colangelo not to repeat the same mistake twice and draft the next Euro softy on potential alone.
  13. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Allan, I don't buy the excuse that he's playing different positions. There are basic basketball moves that are common to all positions at both the offensive and defensive ends and he has little comprehension of these. I don't recall a position in basketball which is defined by loafing around the perimeter and not playing defense. It's fine that he is getting better but his better is not up to standard and his inconsitency reflects his PT. His numbers are down this year and at some point the pro athlete must ovecome his confidence issues on his own. Keeping in mind that Bargs was a pro ball player prior to the NBA, if we are to believe that Bargs had improper training the surely Gherardini the Bennetton Treviso boss who personally recruited him, and is the Raps assistant GM/Coach responsible for finding competant players is certainly to blame. He then isn't the right person to be counted on to bringing the Raptors organization the right kind of players to build a winner. It was suggested on this board last year that Gherardini and Colangelo were after Belinelli, not much of a surprise but Belinelli is busting and is getting more DNPs than minutes.
  14. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: woohoo...we haven't had a good 'ol 'bargs as bust' debate/argument for, like, 3 weeks. beats the never-ending minutiae of TJ/jose. BigC - you & i haven't seen eye-to-eye on this from day 1, but it's not like we disagree entirely. but what would you have them do RIGHT NOW? they can't trade him, either now or in the offseason, 'cause what could they possibly get back for him? his ridiculously low level of play this year is made all the more poignant because of how well he played last year, and the fact that he stepped up & was an important player for them in the playoffs...which indicates, at least on the surface, that he's not a bust, and is (hopefully) just experiencing a huge (hEEE-UUUUge) sophomore slump (there's a reason there's a term 'sophomore slump'). it's a little stupid to continually go back & rehash what could have/should have happened (if we're going to go back & look at all the bad draft picks over the years, using everyone's favourite revisionist history slant, then there are about a 1/2 dozen other picks that need to be mentioned as well). the points you've made about where he should be are all valid...but that doesn't change anything, so i'm not sure how pointing them out does any good other than allowing us to vent. while i don't agree entirely w/ allan, what he's saying does have some credence...earlier in the year, all we heard about (when bargs was struggling) was how they just wanted him to defend & rebound, and not worry about his shooting so much. well, it's april, his shooting stinks, but his D & rebounding, even you'll have to admit, has definitely improved (considering where he was starting from, it would be practically impossible for him to have regressed further)...but we still see him getting yanked in favour of guys like hump, who don't seem to bring much more to the table from a rebounding/D perspective, and may, considering the offensive dropoff (potentially), take more off it. i'm just confused.
  15. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: BigC - look, i have no problem w/ bargs sitting if he's legitimately not playing well, especially if the guy replacing him (or subbing in ahead of him, as in the 'cats game) actually does the things that smitch wants. i simply don't understand why, if hump isn't doing those things any better, why it's so damn risky to just LEAVE HIM IN THE GAME SO HE CAN ACTUALLY LEARN HOW TO DO IT. did you watch the 7 minutes of PT he had against the 'cats? i asked this in like 3 other threads, but no one's responded: what exactly did he do during that time that warranted him getting yanked, and then not getting another shot? i realize that he was on the floor with the second unit when the 'cats made a run & caught up, but i watched the game closely, and what i saw was boykins making jose look stupid on about 6 straight possessions, forcing the post defenders out of position & leaving the key open for okafor. he touched the ball just a handfull of times, made one actually decent drive to his left (shockingly, he took that extra dribble & got all the way to the rim in a strong position, but couldn't finish), and on another possession took a wide-open 3, in which he actually had good form, it just rimmed out. i saw him aggressive (for the most part) on the defensive end, and he pulled in a couple boards. and then he was done for the night. y'know, i hate being lumped in w/ the smitch haters, but in this case, i just don't get it. i realize rasho's being playing out of his head for a while, and have no problem if bargs is sitting because rasho's playing better. but when i see that brainless sack of sh!t hump playing ahead of bargs, and not doing anything to deserve it, it just makes me scratch my head.
  16. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Actually Yertu, I can't argue with too much you've said, I only bring this up because the same old excuses are brought up time and time again about why Bargs game is where its at, and then we go off and try and blame someone else for Bargs lack of game which is curious. I guess I am also put off by the extreme hype upon Il Mago's arrival. He never should have been taken. The fans were fleeced. On top of that its hard to separate Bargnani from Gherardini and Colangelo, whom I think will destroy any hope of competing for a championship. The only choice we have now is to wait and see. Ironically I do like Gallinari's game after reviewing some of his media and film. He's not afraid of contact, is physical and can jump and shoot, but he's not a top 15 pick. There are a ton of NCAA players who have the same skill set and more athletic ability. Galinari also seems to make the same moves, and could not get away with some of his arsenal in the NBA. For example his up an under will get blocked everytime. On top of that the quality of players Gallinari is playing against is not good enough to prepare him for the NBA. I have not seen his defense so I can't comment on that. That being said I would have no problem with late 1st round early second round.
  17. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: "Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: did you watch the 7 minutes of PT he had against the 'cats? i asked this in like 3 other threads, but no one's responded: what exactly did he do during that time that warranted him getting yanked, and then not getting another shot?"

    I really can't answer that, maybe you're right that a position has been changed regarding whether to play Bargs when he's not scoring contrary to what they were saying before. If I had to speculate I would say that with the imminent playoff positioning this view was changed, that's my best guess.
  18. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Guys, I have this feeling everything is going to come together for Bargs in the playoffs if he gets his minutes. All those jump shots that rimmed out, all those quick fouls where the other player barely touches him, all those other things are going to come to pass and he will make his shots. Anyways, I can't believe that a player of his talent last year has just taken a big jump back like that. All the accolades given to him last year. His shot like butter, his going to be a starter and share the attack with Bosh. Everything. If this is a sophomore slump, then it's the best kind. You know everything happens bad with two's and third time's the charm. Here's hoping and waiting for Barg's emergence. He is a talent, and will break out of this long slump.
  19. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: i fail to see the rationale in assuming that gherardini/colangelo will 'kill' any chance of winning a title...like there was a chance it would have happened sooner had they not joined the raps? while the team's role-players brought in by the current regime aren't exactly upper echelon calibre, there's at least been a blueprint for the future. there are movable pieces. there are future expiring contracts. there are young players with definite potential. there are young players playing to their potential, but who can still improve & mature. they have a young coach, still learning, but who has the respect of his team &, apparently, the ear of his boss(es). they have an ownership group who, while cheap, is so consumed w/ the leafs that they let BC et al run things w/o (noticeable) interference. as with any team, there are question marks, and areas of improvement required. but for all the ripping BC's received for his picks/moves (bargs, rasho, TJ), you can't argue that those moves weren't done with the best interest of building a winning team in mind. they've shown a willingness to take on salary if it'll improve the team, as well as emphasize scouting in areas oft-ignored by other teams. did anyone expect that they'd really (c'mon, i mean REALLY) be ready to compete for a title, or even an eastern conf. champ., in year 2 (2!) of a near-complete gut & rebuild? expectations (among media/fans) were raised last year, an epically horrible year for the conference in general, but i still believe that when BC joined the team, he had a 3-5 year plan for building a contending team around bosh, timed for when he enters his prime. think about it this way: how many teams have won a title in the last 20 years? that'd be 6. does that mean the other ~25 teams in the league during that time have been failures?
  20. Allan Wexler from Canada writes: We're all way ahead of the game here. less than 2 years ago this was a sorry franchise with perhaps one guy (CB) who looked to be an NBA player. Immediately, the new regime brought in pieces which overachieved and created an atmosphere where the fans felt that a championship was around the corner. They drafted not for last year or this but for the future and at that time they felt that AB was the best guy to build for the future. While his year has been dreadful, I, for one, don't believe that the final chapter in his career has been written. AP, TJ, JM have been valuable pieces to the puzzle and with the draft this year and next and the resulting cap room that will have been created by proper planning, the grading of this management team at this point is premature. The Raps are doing what the Leafs should have done. Start with a plan and have some patience. No one is giving BC a free pass, but to judge him or his team on a daily basis is unrealistic.
  21. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: i fail to see the rationale in assuming that gherardini/colangelo will 'kill' any chance of winning a title..." Its the euro craze, you can pull any number of articles available from legtimate sports sources including pre Barg articles to see the flawed philosophy of Gherardini and Colangelo in practice. They are blinded by their agenda and have a problem evaluating talent because of their bias. I can't see too many moveable players on this roster. My concern is that good basketball players will not want to play here because there will be too many soft Euros in Toronto. The Raps had much success last year because the East was weaker. BTW Boston takes it all this year and they were built in a year. Sure Toronto is in a different situation but I look at Colangelo and Gherardini with skepticism.
  22. warren standerwick from North Vancouver, Canada writes: bill cayman writes ". BTW Boston takes it all this year and they were built in a year.

    Whether Boston takes it all this year waits to be seen. Detroit, Orlando, San Antonio, New Orleans, Lakers, Phoenix, Dallas will have a say in that. I will say, however, that Boston better win this year, because they were not "built in a year"- they were "bought in a year".

    30 year old Pierce, 31 year old Barnett, and 32 year old Allan are paid 56 mil this year combined, and will be paid 60 mil next year, when they will all, obviously, be another year older.

    22 year old Bargnani, 24 year old Bosh, 25 year old Ford, 26 year old Calderon, and 27 year old Moon, make less than 39 mil combined.
  23. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: hey man, got no problem with skepticism. but considering that bargs was, is & likely will be the 3rd wheel (behind bosh & whatever PG they end up w/ next year), rasho is likely gone this summer or by next year's deadline, i'm not sure there exists this overwhelming 'euro' (or, more specifically, non-american) influence. do you consider AP a 'euro?' who else is there? jose, but i'm not sure he's part of your criticism of the raps as soft. roko? i guess you read more into gherardini's employment than i do - i don't assume that they're focusing on europeans just because he's part of the management team. realistically, though, are they more likely to find an impact player from a US college or from europe with the 20th pick? it's funny, i think sometimes we fall into the trap of calling teams 'soft' if they're A) a jump-shooting team, B) don't rebound well, or C) don't defend well, especially if they have euros on the team. but isn't the reality that these guys, as a collective, simply aren't that good a group of rebounders or defenders, and that their go-to guy happens to be an american post player who's as likely to settle for (and often make) a 20-footer as he is to post up? i mean, let's leave bargs out of the debate, since he's produced pretty much nada for 'em this year. their best post defender: euro. they've gotten their steadiest/best PG play from a euro. their biggest weaknesses (compared to the rest of the league) are at the 2 & 3 - both americans (AP playing in europe doesn't make him a 'euro,' does it?). biggest headache this year (outside of bargs): TJ. JK's been dissappointing, delfino enigmatic (i guess he qualifies as 'non-american'). hump...his season can best be summed up as 'AAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH.' gangsta - doesn't count (literally). i just don't see how the deficiencies in this team are related to their 'euro-ness.'
  24. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Guys, I really have this feeling had Bosh and TJ not gone down we would be a lot better than our record speaks. I don't see anything wrong with this team with TJ playing in this fashion, and I do think that we can beat most teams on most nights. What transpired all occurred in the dressing room where media, writers and players will pretend to share, but don't fully expose it, and I honestly can't see this team playing badly at this point. There's no soft Euro's, there are no problems with management. There are problems with coaching, which will be addressed in the off-season, but I really think the Raps will make a lot of noise in the playoffs this year. I hope we get Orlando, then build enough confidence to take Detroit after and surprise them, and then beat the Celtics in the East final.. LOL.. I can dream, but really, we have better shooters than any of those teams, and if Bargs can contribute with his shooting, TJ understands team basketball, and Rasho continues playing like how he's been playing, I bet you we take out a good team other than Orlando in the first round. No problems guys, let's be optimistic here.
  25. Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: players may not want to play in TO, but i kinda doubt it'd have much to do w/ the fact that there's a few euros on the roster (especially considering that by this time next year, there'll likely be as few as two on the roster - 3 if roko comes over).

    the weather. taxes. hassles going thru customs every road trip. lack of national US exposure/marketing. ignorance. those are more realistic reasons why FA's may not sign here, or why the raps may have to pay a premium (see: kapono, jason) to sign FA's. but if you're trying to tell me that your typical NBA player looks at the raps & decides he'd rather not play there primarily because of all those lily-white euros...man, that seems pretty far-fetched. as far-fetched as the notion that nash being white had anything to do with him winning MVP...
  26. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: who's bill cayman??...Yertu, my skepticism isn't without warrant. You do realize that Gherardini is also a consultant for European basketball teams and a Euroleague counsellor. The relationship between Gherardini and Raps player with Treviso is more than just coincidence. The bias was shown since day one of Gherardini's hiring. Did anyone actually believe that anyone else except for Bargs was really going to be picked? This bias is an over estimation of actual euro talent.
  27. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Big C, I see where you're coming from and Yertu you as well, but in the interest of the game Colangelo has done enough amazingly to get almost the best of Euro talent to play for us, more than capable of winning a title. A lot of people realize how far we've come. What's more is that the Canadian dollar is now stronger than the American and I don't think Gherardini is close minded in scouting American type players. He's amazing at scouting players that nobody here's about outside of America. A player is a player Big C regardless of where he comes, and Yertu, I really think Toronto is more respected than you think. We just doubt ourselves as Canadians.
  28. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Yertu Damkule from Canada writes: "but if you're trying to tell me that your typical NBA player looks at the raps & decides he'd rather not play there primarily because of all those lily-white euros...man, that seems pretty far-fetched. as far-fetched as the notion that nash being white had anything to do with him winning MVP..." I don't think its that at all, but players always look for familiarity and fit when deciding where to go as a FA because there is more teams vying for your services. They also look at the direction of the organization and its brain trust. While the Raps have not come out and officially stated that there is a push by the organization to forge ahead further into the Euro market, their activities, moves and marketing suggest that this is clearly happening. Trying to turn this into a race issue is somewhat misleading, its more of a philosophy, maybe partially based on the European success in International play. Bias and overestimation is nothing new to sports, its how you handle evidence which doesn't support your assumptions when you're the decision maker. I think its hard for both Colangelo and Gherardini to step outside of themselves especially when they've gone out pretty far this quickly. I don't think they have a choice anymore when it comes to Bargs, they have to keep him because if Bargs flops both their reputations will be damaged.
  29. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Rich from what I've been reading I believe that Gherardini is closed minded to American players (I wouldn't say completely), but there definitely is pressure on him to produce European players as his contacts in Europe as well as his position as a Euroleague counsellor would certainly suggest. It looks like a conflict of interest. If Gherardini wants to dispell this then he should step out of any position he has in Europe in an official capacity, and distance himself from and type of consultation work he undertakes. I am not saying that he should cut his contacts, obviously in his role he needs them but he should not be working in any capacity for anyone else.
  30. tino care from waterloo, Canada writes: On this euro-debate,i would like to point out that Gherardini and BC both have said that for at least the next 2 years only a couple of young players will be nba ready.That market is dry.As for nba players coming to To,money talks.Teams that have the cap space and the money will get the free agents on the market. Re.:Bargnani.
    It should be noted that he is not the only Rap that has regressed compared to last year.Of the 13 rap on the roster,plus Garbo and Martin,only JC has improved his stats .The rest has basically either the same numbers or worse. This year both as a team and individually there has been stagnation or regression, no matter if it is euro,american, black or white, player or (head) coach. Bc wanted improvement from whitin and it just has'nt happened.
  31. Toby Maloney from Canada writes: The problem with Bargnani is that for some reason Toronto and his defenders persist in trying to make a spot for him as a shooter, when he is an out and out defensive liability. Too slow to guard a 3, too weak to guard a power forward or box out a centre, and too apathetic to help out from the weak side or pull down rebounds. Same with Kapono. Who cares if we have another proverbial open white guy if all he is doing is taking away shots from someone else and then giving it away like a floozy on D? More floor time is just a euphemism for taking more shots. I'm sorry, this is supposed to be a professional basketball team. If someone needs shot therapy they need to do it in practice, and if they take time to get warmed up, use the time before the game not the first quarter. Honestly I can't believe the stuff people say to defend this guy, this isn't the D-League. He's earned the right to be in the NBA and he deserves the respect of the expectation that he will perform when his team needs him. If his team needs rebounds and inside play, then he has to either do it or sit out while someone else does. And yes, Yertu has a point about Humphreys. If he's becoming another Joey Graham, potentially physical but inconsisten and underperforming then he dopesn't deserve nminutes either, but putting in Bargnani instead just means giving up, and really we need to solve, I think with some off season trades.
  32. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Let's be serious here. Bargnani is a 3 in a 7 foot body, and if he was making shots that he was making last year, you'd be seeing him on the floor most of the time, but he's not. I really believe that Mitchell had him on a short leash earlier in the season when he kept yanking him out after he picked up 2 fouls quickly, and then right after that his shooting started deteriorating. Remember the days when Bargnani got on the floor you thought, we're going to start getting tonnes of points? Well, those days haven't happened at all this season, but I really don't think we can solely blame Bargnani for this. It's Mitchell's indecision that has allowed there to not be a solid starting position in the first place, it's Mitchell's indecision to constantly apply the pressure of Bargnani being a 5 when he really is a 3/4, it's Mitchell's indecision that allowed TJ to go off on 9 out of 13 games to cost us wins where we would not be in this spot. We need somebody to coach Bargnani properly. He's still an amazing talent, and if we let him go, he's going to flourish under a better system that understands how to use him. Mitchell is just not that type of coach that understands what he has.
  33. Allan Wexler from Canada writes: Guys, the guy you're all forgetting about is garbajosa. I truly believe that his loss affected the makeup of this team a great dea because he brought some toughness which is sorely lacking. Irregardless of the fact that he is European, the game in the NBA has changed, and the skills that the Euros bring are not insignificant. Non Americans such as Dirk, Yao, Tony Parker, Barbosa are changing the style of play in the league and the trend is likely to continue. I think Gherardini sticks to the Euros because he was brought in to educate the Raps as to the talent overseas, but the final decisions are being made by the entire management team. The Euros the raps are are better than the non-Euros they could have had and I include Ap in that because without mautrizio, I don't believe the raps would have gone after him.
  34. Roger S from Canada writes: Trade TJ Kapono filler for Randolph, who will be for sale under Knicks new GM.
  35. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Allan, you speak the truth boy. Everybody always forgets the impact of Garbo, and really honestly and truly Euros are the way to go these days. Just look also at the impact of having somebody like Manu Ginobili. Guys, if we never had the make-up of team that we had now, who knows where we would be. Quite possibly fighting for a lottery pick, and not for playoff positioning. We all probably would agree that we should have had a better record than last year, but between the actual playing of the game there was dissention in the Raptors locker room no matter what anybody has to say. Let's see what happens in the offseason, and for now, GO RAPS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
  36. Big Cayman from South Toronto, Canada writes: Rich, Ginobili is not a Euro, secondly Garbajosa was brought in to aid in the euro integration of Bargs, sure Allan I can agree that this is the case, but let's not revise history and pretend that Garbajosa played well the whole season, because after his first injury he never recovered. How soon we forget the Garbajosa controvery which did nothing for team chemistry when it was rumoured and then reported that Garbo was unhappy with his minutes when he came back from injury the first time. So much for the bs belief that Euros accept their roles and put the team first, he even had Pao Gasol weigh in when it was really none of his business. Sure Garbo denied it in the Canadian press, but the story was widely reported in Spain, and Gasol was called on it in the US media. And remember the stink he put up regarding playing for the Spanish National Team when he should have been resting during the summer, talk about karma. Moreover AP is a product of the NCAA, but I can concede your point about him. However even if your contention regarding the Euros was true, which it is not, the Raps roster is weak in key positions which is better filled by non Euro NBA talent. But Rich I agree that it will be a very interesting off season.
  37. Rich Chan from Vancouver, Canada writes: Hmmm.. yes, sorry Big C. Forgot that Ginobili is South American. Well, whatever, what I meant to say was people that are not from America. LOL.. cuz in the end that's what it boils down to. I disagree with the Garbo thing. He looked like he didn't do too much when he was out there, but the impact was definitely felt.
  38. albert strauss from Toronto,Ontario, Canada writes: What does the genius who brought him over say about Barg s modest output? Wasnt he made asst GM?

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