He gets it!
Getting the ball rolling is rarely met with praise or applause but you've got to start somewhere.
Overall grade and accomplishments: A-
Why did the Raptors get such a high grade from me when it looks like they didn't do much at all? Because they finally did some house cleaning that was probably long overdue. Yes, Colangelo did get them Rudy Gay and he could end up being a great perimeter weapon for them. Whether you think he's deserving of his contract or not, the team did find a way to play much better in the second half of the season with him. We don't know if that will continue into next year, but we've at least seen evidence that they can play better with him on the court.
The departures of Colangelo and Bargnani prove to the organization and the fans that the past won't be held onto any longer. Few executives are as aggressive and savvy in the trade market as Ujiri and with his scouting team in place, we could see this team turned around in a relatively short amount of time. You have to find a direction before you can start moving and it's easy to feel like Ujiri is good at finding direction for a team.
The moves to the roster were minor for the Raptors, but if we see them get back to the 2011-12 defensive effort and execution that brought about such nice expectations for the team coming into last season, they may not need to do a whole lot. DeMar DeRozan could stand to make more jumpers, Rudy Gay too. And while Jonas Valanciunas has gained some bulk to his frame and started playing more physical basketball against lesser competition, we still need to see that at the NBA level, in real NBA games to know he's ready to make the leap.
It's just good to see the Raptors can finally move into a new era of basketball without the old one glaring them in the face. Change isn't always fruitful, but it often can be very good.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-...oronto-raptors
Why did the Raptors get such a high grade from me when it looks like they didn't do much at all? Because they finally did some house cleaning that was probably long overdue. Yes, Colangelo did get them Rudy Gay and he could end up being a great perimeter weapon for them. Whether you think he's deserving of his contract or not, the team did find a way to play much better in the second half of the season with him. We don't know if that will continue into next year, but we've at least seen evidence that they can play better with him on the court.
The departures of Colangelo and Bargnani prove to the organization and the fans that the past won't be held onto any longer. Few executives are as aggressive and savvy in the trade market as Ujiri and with his scouting team in place, we could see this team turned around in a relatively short amount of time. You have to find a direction before you can start moving and it's easy to feel like Ujiri is good at finding direction for a team.
The moves to the roster were minor for the Raptors, but if we see them get back to the 2011-12 defensive effort and execution that brought about such nice expectations for the team coming into last season, they may not need to do a whole lot. DeMar DeRozan could stand to make more jumpers, Rudy Gay too. And while Jonas Valanciunas has gained some bulk to his frame and started playing more physical basketball against lesser competition, we still need to see that at the NBA level, in real NBA games to know he's ready to make the leap.
It's just good to see the Raptors can finally move into a new era of basketball without the old one glaring them in the face. Change isn't always fruitful, but it often can be very good.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-...oronto-raptors
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