Yahoo: Raps sign Linas Kleiza to 4 year 18.8M offer sheet

redred9 · Post #921 » by **redred9** » Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:34 pm

I'm a lot more excited about seeing young players hustle and run this season than I was about last year's agenda driven squad.

Supercollider · Post #922 » by **Supercollider** » Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:37 pm

DraftExpress.com wrote:Defensively, Kleiza shows his biggest limitations as a wing. While he plays with good energy and awareness, his footspeed is lacking. Kleiza has trouble challenging shooters without giving up the driving lanes. This problem is especially difficult to mask on a team that is as poor defensively as Denver.

Foot-speed isn’t the end-all when it comes to perimeter defense, but a slower defender like Kleiza must rely on tenacious ball-pressure with the knowledge that his help defenders will be in position to pick up the driving opponent. Kleiza doesn’t play intense perimeter man defense. He is more inclined to get into position and try and react to his opponent’s moves. Because of this, he gets beat on ball-fakes and counter moves off the dribble that take advantage of his slower reaction time.

Link

GideonRapfan · Post #923 » by **GideonRapfan** » Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:38 pm

redred9 wrote:I'm a lot more excited about seeing young players hustle and run this season than I was about last year's agenda driven squad.

I totally agree.

From my point of view, the Raptors' style of Bosh-ball these past few years has not been very exciting to watch.

Sure we scored a lot, but Bosh is painfully boring to watch.

I'm looking forward to a more exciting style of play, and that includes high-intensity, hustle defense from the young guys. (yes, I said "guys", not necessarily the "gunz")

Post #924 » by **JYD** » Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:40 pm

RapsFanInVA wrote:
RedX wrote:
Why the hate?

It's not really Kleiza's fault. The reality is starting to hit that we're a 35 win team with no star players so everyone is bitter.

We have the young gunz

DD Sonny Amir Davis + grandpa Jack

and the foreigners

Jose Turk Bargs Kleiza Alabi and Belinelli

and the expirings

Evans and Banks

bleh.

I don't think we're that 'good' (yet).

There There · Post #925 » by **There There** » Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:43 pm

Jose_Matador wrote:Kleiza on this team is useless, you can just tell that BC is trying to put together a 42 win team to salvage his reputation.

Right, because reputations worth salvaging are made with 42 win teams.

toronto_raptors · Post #926 » by **toronto_raptors** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:35 am

How long does Denver have to match this. I thought we signed him last Thursday so did we get him?

cp007 · Post #927 » by **cp007** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:04 pm

toronto_raptors wrote:How long does Denver have to match this. I thought we signed him last Thursday so did we get him?

The 7 days start from when they get the paperwork. Its a guess, but they probably got it on last friday, or monday.

The_Coach · Post #928 » by **The_Coach** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:09 pm

I'm quite interested to see how the season shapes up this year. A lot of speed and versatility... No major star seems to be a liberating prospect to me. No pressure to give the ball to a single guy in last second scenarios. Let's not forget that Bosh (as a PF) was not really suited to doing this. A "no-superstar" team might encourage a more system oriented (perhaps motion?) offense, not to mention a ton of fast breaks.

Reg00 · Post #929 » by **Reg00** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:17 pm

GideonRapfan wrote:
redred9 wrote:I'm a lot more excited about seeing young players hustle and run this season than I was about last year's agenda driven squad.

I totally agree.

From my point of view, the Raptors' style of Bosh-ball these past few years has not been very exciting to watch.

Sure we scored a lot, but Bosh is painfully boring to watch.

I'm looking forward to a more exciting style of play, and that includes high-intensity, hustle defense from the young guys. (yes, I said "guys", not necessarily the "gunz")

I'm with you guys. Been a Raptor fan from day 1, and I tuned this squad out the last couple years. Didnt' see a good mix. People don't realize that just because you score a lot, doesn't mean you have a good offense, and the record indicates that. Bosh ball was predictable and boring, NOT effective when meaningful possessions were to be had.

Now with a truly new environment around, I'll try and watch every game.

Oh yeah, and Klieza is the type of forward I like on offense. Multi faceted and makes his moves fast toward the basket, athletic, with range.

MrBojangelz71 · Post #930 » by **MrBojangelz71** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:18 pm

Jose_Matador wrote:Kleiza on this team is useless, you can just tell that BC is trying to put together a 42 win team to salvage his reputation.

Yes, by signing a solid young 25 year old player to a reasonable contract. Shame on you BC.

MEDIC · Post #931 » by **MEDIC** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:21 pm

The_Coach wrote:I'm quite interested to see how the season shapes up this year. A lot of speed and versatility... No major star seems to be a liberating prospect to me. No pressure to give the ball to a single guy in last second scenarios. Let's not forget that Bosh (as a PF) was not really suited to doing this. A "no-superstar" team might encourage a more system oriented (perhaps motion?) offense, not to mention a ton of fast breaks.

Totally agree with this Jack.

The "Bosh as our franchinse player" thing was not working & was boring as hell.

To be honest, I think it was getting in the way of developing the team & moving forward.

Unless we're going to have a franchise player that is a real game changer (Carter, Wade, Kobe, etc), I'd rather not have a system that is built on constant iso's for our main guy.

I don't think Bosh should have ever been in that situation. I think it was more political than rational.

quickymgee · Post #932 » by **quickymgee** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:26 pm

I find it hilarious really, that the majority of the board seemed to be clamouring for a "rebuild" with a "young core" like portland, or oklahoma. Well what do you want? Now that the raptors are pretty much there all of a sudden people are crying.

dagger · Post #933 » by **dagger** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:29 pm

quickymgee wrote: Now that the raptors are pretty much there all of a sudden people are crying.

That's what this board does best - cry, whine, belittle and complain.

Raps_Swingman · Post #934 » by **Raps_Swingman** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:40 pm

People here only know what they want on a day to day basis. Opinions change every time there is a new rumour.

DreamTeam09 · Post #935 » by **DreamTeam09** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:44 pm

I just want a top young flight pg and then we'll be set for down the road.

pass first · Post #936 » by **pass first** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:49 pm

So, has the matching deadline expired yet? Thread is a week old.

DrThreepointer · Post #937 » by **DrThreepointer** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:06 pm

Must be some time today, as all the articles are from the 8th.

Post #938 » by **Duffman100** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:10 pm

Any idea what time today we officially have him?

dagger · Post #939 » by **dagger** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:12 pm

Duffman100 wrote:Any idea what time today we officially have him?

I think it's tomorrow. The clock starts the first full day after Denver is served with the offer sheet.

AfricanSensation · Post #940 » by **AfricanSensation** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:14 pm

How many people are actually crying?
I see people loving the Turk deal and they were about to go wild after the Jose deal.
BC is cutting contracts, going young and bringing some athleticism. Now all we need to do is lose games while developping the young guys, draft well for a couple of years, and we are ready to go.

When BC does some dumb stuff we complain, when he wakes up we applaud him, but of course some would want us to applaud even the dumbest moves just to ensure that we are not labelled whiners and then applaud him again for realising that the move was dumb lol