The first of five pre-season games was Saturday night (it’s amazing to think they used to play EIGHT exhibition games) and another road training camp is in the books.
asserted
camp → ’ → books
Do you think the punishment meted out by Adam Silver to Kawhi Leonard is, in Silver’s mind but not stated by Kawhi, with the understanding that Kawhi knew what was going on all along?
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what → think → understanding
Also, I love the first round best-of-three in the WNBA.
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I → love → WNBA
At no point has Kawhi admitted any culpability publicly — his first statement went only as far to say that “I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle” — so I cannot speak to what he would have told, or not told, Silver or any investigators.
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he → admit → Silver
It stretches credulity to think he wasn’t aware of many things but there is nothing to prove that at this point.
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he → stretch → point
But whatever Silver heard, or was told, obviously satisfied him well enough to levy the relatively light penalty.
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Silver → hear → penalty
I’m not a huge fan of best-of-three; I think it tilts things too much in the favour of lesser teams.
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it → ’m → teams
A best-of-five first round might be better but if you’re a big fan of upsets, the shorter series works.
uncertain
series → ’re → upsets
I’m aware that NBA officials visit training camps to go over “points of emphasis” that they will be applying in the upcoming season.
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they → ’m → season
How are they arrived at?
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they → arrive → How
Do they consult with coaches and players?
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they → consult → coaches
And are the points in a form that they can be cogently conveyed to the public?
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they → convey → public
It would be interesting to see how they hold up over the course of a season.
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they → see → season
The points of emphasis each season come out of recommendations from the team’s competition committee that includes league basketball operations people, general managers, players and coaches and which meets about three or four times a year.
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which → come → times
It certainly is worth tracking through a season and we all do.
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we → track → season
As a joke (between writers, broadcasters, GMs, coaches and players), the over-under for when things go back to the old way is about American Thanksgiving at the earliest and Christmas at the latest.
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things → go → latest
The Raptors haven’t had their visit from the league yet but the points of emphasis are out for public consumption.
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points → have → consumption
As an aside, I give the league all kinds of credit for transparency in such matters, too.
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I → give → matters
Hi Doug,
Jamal Shead, the 45th pick in 2024 draft, cashes in with $24-million extension after becoming a key part of the rotation.
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Shead → cash → rotation
Jamal Shead, the 45th pick in 2024 draft, cashes in with $24-million extension after becoming a key part of the rotation.
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Shead → cash → rotation
That was great news about Jamal Shead being extended.
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Shead → extend → ?
My only concern is that it may augur poorly for Toronto attempting to re-sign RJ Barrett given the existing salary constraints.
uncertain
Toronto → augur → constraints
I appreciate that the team is close to both the first and second aprons, but it really seems sad to potentially lose a homegrown Toronto player, who loves playing here, especially one as talented as RJ.
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who → appreciate → RJ
In your opinion, are the Raps going to make a serious effort to re-sign RJ, or will he be used as trade bait to acquire a player (e.g. a centre) where the team lacks depth?
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team → go → depth
All the best,
-Marshall A.
I have been assured that there is no correlation between the Shead extension — which is a huge bargain for the Raptors made even better by the fact there’s a team option on the third year — and any talks that might happen weeks or months from now with Barrett’s agent.
uncertain
that → assure → agent
It’ll take some financial wiggling but GM Bobby Webster and his people know their budgets, the financial realities and what it might cost to extend Barrett and feel they can do it.
uncertain
they → take → it
Maybe it takes other deals, maybe it takes a longer term at shorter money for Barrett, maybe it’s a combination of each but if they are adamant that they have to do it, they can.
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they → take → it
And until the team plays and everyone sees how it performs, how it meshes, what happens with the development of other Raptors, it’s really a moot point.
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it → play → Raptors
Years ago we went all in for Kawhi and it paid a great return even though the Raptors traded one of the city’s favourite players.
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Raptors → go → players
Any chance at all of trading Barrett and Jakob Poeltl along with a draft pick to make a trade work for Anthony Davis?
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trade → trade → Davis
It would put the Raptors in a fine position to win the East if — BIG IF — A.D. stays healthy.
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A.D. → put → East
Would you do it or am I totally just wishful thinking?
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I → do → it
I’m not entirely sure the Raptors would be best served obtaining a guy (Davis) who’s always hurt to pair him with a guy who’s been often hurt (Kawhi) and then have to pay him (Davis) something north of $45 million (U.S.) or $50 million next summer because the Raptors have no interest in taking just a one-season swing.
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Raptors → ’m → swing
So, I wouldn’t do it.
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I → do → it
I do think you’re doing some wishful thinking.
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you → think → thinking
I’m pretty sure I’ll say this more than once: Until the Raptors see this team play 20 or 25 or 30 games, they aren’t going to do anything of substance.
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they → ’m → substance
Hi Doug,
It’s almost here, and we can’t wait!
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we → ’ → ?
Like Halloween, we all want treats and hope that tricks are against our opponents!
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tricks → want → opponents
But until they start playing, there’s some questions:
1) Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that we extended Jamal Shead through the Kawhi era, but I thought there was no money left under the cap.
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I → start → cap
Is he getting paid a dollar this year, and $23.999 million the next two years?
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he → pay → dollar
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
