Linas Kleiza - The Rising Star

[[SJJ]]

This **** happens every year. We get a player on the cheap, then the Raptor fans add their unrealistic expectations on the player only to be disappointed during the season.

It's been the same with Chuckfino, Belinelli, Adams and Will Solomon. Please be realistic and let the man play his game.

Ya because BC has never pulled out a gem before.

We'll cross that bridge if it comes but I have to agree with Dilla on this one - Us Raps fans are notorious for over-hyping certain players beyond the point of delusion which makes us turn on players all the time. Sure Kleiza is playing like a man possessed right now, and I've been one of his biggest supporters ever since he signed that offer sheet - but we just need to let him play his game and not turn on him if he doesn't net us 16ppg.

[ontnut]

This **** happens every year. We get a player on the cheap, then the Raptor fans add their unrealistic expectations on the player only to be disappointed during the season.

It's been the same with Chuckfino, Belinelli, Adams and Will Solomon. Please be realistic and let the man play his game.

Ya because BC has never pulled out a gem before.

We'll cross that bridge if it comes but I have to agree with Dilla on this one - Us Raps fans are notorious for over-hyping certain players beyond the point of delusion which makes us turn on players all the time. Sure Kleiza is playing like a man possessed right now, and I've been one of his biggest supporters ever since he signed that offer sheet - but we just need to let him play his game and not turn on him if he doesn't net us 16ppg.

LOL I remember when some people were talking about Roko Ukic being serviceable, some even saying he'd be our starter, and if given a couple of years, could become a good pg in this league with good slashing ability. Jamario Moon was supposed to be the second coming of Gerald Wallace. Jason Kapono was being compared to Ray Allen and Jose Calderon to Steve Nash because of half a season and don't get me started on Pops. Just because BC is able to find a decent player from the garbage bin every so often, who excels for a crappy team, doesn't make that player some sort of amazing gem.

[[SJJ]]

^^hahaha - I remember when we signed Kapono, we had posters claiming he'd be just as good as prime Peja.

[ash_k]

Some of you guys got it totally wrong..Jamario Moon was totally unproven, but had such great athleticism/length and a good 3pt shooter in the NBDL that the potential was there but the attitude just wasn't.

The only thing that Kapono had proved in the league prior to coming to TO that he was a dead-eye open-set-shooter especially benefiting for teams collapsing on Wade and Shaq.
In Toronto he tried to do all kind of things you've never seen him do.

Roko was never given a chance to improve, just think of the dramatic improvement of Jose. Roko only had one year: I personally believe He should have come to the league much sooner!

Now, Kleiza is a proven talent at all level , he has demonstrated his scoring Prowess at all level of Basketball.

You just cannot compare (Beli, Delfino, Kapono, Moon) to Kleiza

I expect Kleiza to average min 17ppg for us (unless nobody can't restrain Sonny for chucking!!!)

Go Raps!

[ontnut]

Some of you guys got it totally wrong..Jamario Moon was totally unproven, but had such great athleticism/length and a good 3pt shooter in the NBDL that the potential was there but the attitude just wasn't.

The only thing that Kapono had proved in the league prior to coming to TO that he was a dead-eye open-set-shooter especially benefiting for teams collapsing on Wade and Shaq.
In Toronto he tried to do all kind of things you've never seen him do.

Roko was never given a chance to improve, just think of the dramatic improvement of Jose. Roko only had one year: I personally believe He should have come to the league much sooner!

Now, Kleiza is a proven talent at all level , he has demonstrated his scoring Prowess at all level of Basketball.

You just cannot compare (Beli, Delfino, Kapono, Moon) to Kleiza

I expect Kleiza to average min 17ppg for us (unless nobody can't restrain Sonny for chucking!!!)

Go Raps!

Case in point.
Roko Ukic needed a chance to improve? We're talking about the same Roko Ukic who competed with Will Solomon for a starting PG spot and still only got 12 minutes a game, averaging 4pts and 2 asts on 38% shooting at age 24. This Roko Ukic?

Kleiza is completely proven and can go 17 ppg MINIMUM?

[R1G]

bump

[Cool-Hand-Luke]

Kleiza for Mayor. Nuff said.

[LLJ]

He reminds me of mid-90s Tracy Murray. A man capable of averaging 18-20 ppg in a season, a couple of rebounds, not much of a creator.

[MrBojangelz71]

Cue the Kleiza is a soft euro bum void of defense about 5 games into the season.

I liked his game in Denver, wanted him prior to Hedo and am very happy we have him now. However, his game has limitations and we will be seeing them as the season progresses.
And as to be expected with this board, everyone singing his praises after one preseason game will be crapping all over him when he hits a bad stretch.

[J Wizzle]

the rising star? wow what a stretch. hes probably the 8th or 9th guy on a good team's rotation.

[svenska10]

Another guy coming to t.o. thinking he has the go ahead to chuck away, god dammit , the offense has to go through andrea if this team even tastes success.

I'm sorry but I don't think you've been watching these worlds... he has been shooting 61% from 2pt, and 43% from 3.

He is most certainly not chucking with those numbers, infact I remember he touched the ball about 2 times the whole 3rd quarter against Spain.

owned

[Anatomize]

We played possibly the worst team in the league in terms of talent and blew them out hard in PRESEASON, please temper your expectations for Kleiza for when we face REAL competition.

[LLJ]

We played possibly the worst team in the league in terms of talent .

Oh, so we played ourselves?

[J-Roc]

His impact will be JJ's 2009/2010 impact and contract for us, nothing less, possibly more.

Damn, I got excited at the thought of a cheap Joe Johnson.

[alpha]

Kleiza-- good player hopefully real good
but some of the posters in here...rate him anywhere from a buried on the bench player,on a good team to the next superstar...
It boggles the imagination.

[allenyang]

He's hedo 2.0

[Canucklehead]

He's hedo 2.0

So you're saying he's an upgrade. Good

[Lionel Messi]

At the time of the Linas Kleiza signing, many people on this forum were bashing it.. for multiple reasons.

Huh?
Who was bashing it?

I think everyone pretty much agreed that it was a good signing. He's cheap and at worst he was supposed to be a good role player.
At best he might be a 15-20 point scorer with some grit and toughness at the 3 spot.

I doubt he'll be a star though.

[dagger]

At the time of the Linas Kleiza signing, many people on this forum were bashing it.. for multiple reasons.

Huh?
Who was bashing it?

I think everyone pretty much agreed that it was a good signing. He's cheap and at worst he was supposed to be a good role player.
At best he might be a 15-20 point scorer with some grit and toughness at the 3 spot.

I doubt he'll be a star though.

Well, he's not going to be a superstar, but if he's closer to 20 ppg with decent percentages, he's still going to be in the top 10% of NBA players for scoring. There are what, a dozen players scoring over 20 ppg in the average season?

I believe a majority on this board welcomed his addition, but a minority saw it as symptomatic of a kind of signing the team should avoid, as if we should suck, spend three or four years drafting high and maxxing cap space. I, on the other hand, believe even bad teams that are drafting high will sign a few players to multiyear deals in the belief they can be good transitional assets. As the Nets demonstrated, there is a risk in having cap space and no stars to sign. The league has a minimum salary ($46 million this year IIRC). What you do is hope a player like Kleiza is either a hidden gem who can be part of a future playoff team, or becomes a quality trade asset.

[Laowai]

Klieza is without a doubt our second best player.
Only Bargs and he have the current potential at being the TOP TEN in there position this year.
Klieza could be easily 8 to 12 at his position.
Bargs depending on the inevitable injuries at C from 7 to 14
Both can be and are solid starters in the NBA.
The only other Raptor currently with that potential this year is Barbosa as a 6th man.
I love the attitude of DD, Weems & Amir but I would be happy if they became quality starter material.
Davis has an upside.

Our PG is both play well can both crack the Top 15 to 20 in the league.