A Toronto Raptors Association - Discontinued. See Inside

[Clutch]

"Kirilenko only scored 5 points, bothered by flu-like symptoms"

Jordan he is not

great roster you've assembled and dynasty you've got going; keep it up

[john26]

john26's Raptors Blog - The Name Game
13 April 2009, 3:11 pm


Rudy Fernandez's numbers may not wow you, but there's no doubt he's a great player.

Rudy Fernandez needs a nickname, so let me just propose one - The Hitman.

For starters, he has made the most three pointers in his team at 87 but on a 37.1% shooting clip and third on his team on True Shooting Percentage at 57.3% behind starters Bargnani and Butler. He averages 10.7 ppg on 24 minutes of playing time per night, ranking sixth in rookies at scoring.

Why does he deserve a nickname? He's shown flashy dunks, off-the-dribble jumpers, one-hand teardrops, double-clutch layups that weave through double teams then into the basket. Is he paralleling his countryman, Jose Calderon, who posted nice numbers last year only to miss out on an All-Star spot he certainly deserved because of lack of name recognition?

He also gets in times where he becomes a chucker - and this point gets stronger when we visit that game on April 4, 2009 when Rudy Fernandez scored 25 points on a 7-18 shooting from downtown. Yes, from downtown, fellas. That's a Quentin Richardson night, when you attempt 18 shots from beyond the arc and make 7 of your 9 field goals there. But...

He's a crafty player - can also create at the point when necessary (which was surprising to see this year), can finish to the basket easily or take his man to the perimeter only to isolate himself for a long-distance shot.

Do you need more evidence on his decision making? Let's recall that game against the Bobcats on the 20th of March, when he collected 8 assists, after him and Anthony Parker (our second string point guard) shared the duties at the point?

Yes, these are just SOME games, but let's not forget that he's been a great scorer for us before. Remember that time when Bosh, Calderon, and Parker missed the first quarter of the season, and we had no go-to-guy? And we invested 3 million on Ersan Ilyasova only to make a towel-waving act on the bench? He stringed some nice games from November 19-26.

Will he be the Raptors next best one-on-one player behind Chris Bosh and Caron Butler? He'll certainly have to get tougher on defense, but 1.1 steals per game for a player who appears for barely 25 minutes a night is saying something. He can clog the lanes, but not like a 7-foot classic center.

And take note, all these he has achieved on his first season in the NBA, while previously playing for his former Spanish team in Europe, where the athletically challenged American prospects go for financial help and flourish.

Need me to translate that to Spanish?


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Comments welcome.

[john26]

Sorry to disappoint any followers, i'll have to discontinue this because there's no fun anymore, it's been to easy with too many good players. I think you guys can estimate how far this team will go.

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RAPTORS GENERAL MANAGER STEPS DOWN
14 Apr 2009 12:14 PM EST



The Toronto Raptors have announced today that GM Bryan Colangelo has stepped down from his position and as head director of basketball operations for the Raptors. It is believed the main cause is 'family issues and personal reasons'. Assistant GM Maurizio 'Mo' Gherardini has been promoted to general manager.

"I think I have done enough to please the fans and now is my time to step down and let someone take advantage of this big opportunity. I have tried my best to be the team's GM and I think it's time for me to focus on other priorities," said Colangelo.

Colangelo will be remembered for sure by Toronto, after all the work he's done, bringing two all-star caliber players in Caron Butler and Andrei Kirilenko while keeping the main core of Bosh and company. His versatility in the front office has been a valuable asset to making the Raptors a powerhouse team in the East, and have now secured their third straight playoff berth in his time.

"It was a pleasure working here in Toronto. I am glad that I was able to experience this opportunity. I'll never forget this experience," Colangelo added.

Colangelo will be joining a list of big names of those who have left the franchise in the past few years, including Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chuck Swirsky, and Damon Stoudamire.


Via Press Release
Toronto Raptors

[kibaxx7]

That sucks man. It was a great story.

[cavs4872]

This was one of the most successful NBA 2K9 Associations. All Associations get boring after awhile though. Just ask thierryhenry50. It was good while it lasted.

[Lamrock]

Thats pretty lame. You were 74 games in with 8 to go. Your team wasn't even that stacked anyway. Both your centers are oversized SF's, and Butler and AK-47 aren't all-stars any more.

[kibaxx7]

This was one of the most successful NBA 2K9 Associations. All Associations get boring after awhile though. Just ask thierryhenry50

[john26]

thierryhenry50, XxCavaliers, thanks guys, i might start a new one soon, with different style and better presentation, lesser games

Lamrock, yeah, but the thing was, everyone wanted the ball

[Its_asdf]

It's unfortunate, but it happens a lot with many dynasties/associations. I was a pretty avid follower of this one even though I didn't check the forums for a while due to work.