Raptors pick up Carlos Delfino for two second round picks. Seems like a solid pickup to me; Delfino's improved in each of his NBA seasons. Toronto sure is putting a lot of foreigners on the roster. The Pistons are shedding salary, I guess, but Delfino's contract isn't very expensive at $1.8 million.
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Delfino for Free
16 Jun 2007 05:30 pm
Comments (26)
Delfino's improved in each of his NBA seasons.
Being a Pistons fan with League Pass, I disagree. He showed some nice potential in his second year ('05-'06), but I didn't see any real improvement this year. His defense and rebounding are both good, but his jumper is inconsistent and his basketball IQ isn't very high. He's an OK swingman off the bench, but with the Pistons looking to get Amir Johnson into the rotation for the first time (now THAT guy has crazy upside), I'm fine with shipping Delfino off to some team that might give him more playing time.
"Toronto sure is putting a lot of foreigners on the roster."
That was my first thought on hearing of the deal. Colangelo doesn't mind playing to his stereotype.
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"Delfino for Free"
Meh. A couple of second rounders sounds about right to me. A first rounder would be too much.
Dude doesn't have much of a game. He's only 25, so maybe he can take his defense up a notch and start knocking down the open '3' at a greater percentage over the next few years, which would make him a solid backup for the Raps.
But he doesn't have much value for the Pistons. And when you're bumping up against the tax threshold every year, two million can be useful.
He's never particularly impressed me.
"The Pistons are shedding salary, I guess"
Nope. Just doing the normal tax threshold dance.
Perhaps you meant: relatively inexpensive at $1.8 million.
"Being a Pistons fan..."
Are you emotionally prepared for the possibility of Milwaukee making a crazy offer for Chauncey?
"Perhaps you meant: relatively inexpensive at $1.8 million."
Considering it's only double the minimum salary, no, "relatively" doesn't belong in that sentence.
You need to check out the accuracy of the May 15th Prophecy in regards to what is happing in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and the return of the Hidden Imam
lastdaywatchers.blogspot.com
I assume that Delfino will be a replacement for MoPete, who the Raps will let go.
Are you emotionally prepared for the possibility of Milwaukee making a crazy offer for Chauncey?
I'm seeing the rumors on that, but I'm not sure how much they can offer him. The guy who runs the Pistons website I post to says that Milwaukee looks to be about $12 million under the cap at a maximum, which I've also seen rumored as what the Pistons would be willing to offer him to start out with. Can the Bucks throw Ben Wallace money at him, i.e. more like $16 million a year?
Considering it's only double the minimum salary, no, "relatively" doesn't belong in that sentence.
It's a lot more than double my salary, and almost certainly many standard deviations away from the mean.
"It's a lot more than double my salary"
You really need to speak to your union rep. The players' CBA isn't even all that good of a deal.
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"Can the Bucks throw Ben Wallace money at him"
Not down on the weeds on this one either, but it'd be an area of of mild concern to me if I were in your shoes.
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And the J.R. Smith chronicles continue. Talk about your areas of mild concern. I love Bethlehem Shoals for his coverage of J.R.
You need to check out the accuracy of the May 15th Prophecy in regards to what is happing in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and the return of the Hidden Imam .
Umm, will do.
Indeed, if we were all NBA players, we'd all be millionaires and still well-represented by unions.
Not down on the weeds on this one either
Israel and the Pistons, Petey. Don't mess with me on Kentucky basketball either. And I bet you think you know more about movies than I do, but you don't.
"And I bet you think you know more about movies than I do, but you don't."
Dunno. I know more about movies than most folks, but there are always exceptions.
My brilliance is founded on knowing what I don't know.
You mean like Rumsfeld's "known unknowns"?
My brilliance is founded on knowing what I don't know.
If that's the case your posting strongly suggests you're not too bright.
Carlos Delfino? THIS Delfino?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?statsId=3728
I had this conversation elsewhere: his salary is irrelevant, its the roster spot he takes up thats more valuable. He averaged a career high 5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 16 mpg, and about 40% shooting this season. He was a mediocre backup, and you don't get first rounders for them.
This trade is interesting for two reasons: 1) along with the Houston-Minnesota trade it kicks off the NBA offseason, and 2) it may be the opening move for some big offseason moves by Detroit.
My guess from the Raptors' side of the equation is that they are thinking that Delfino will thrive in a more international environment. I remember reading about some cultural adjustment problems Delfino was experiencing when he first came to the Pistons, and I know that after drafting Bargnani last year part of the intention of bringing in players like Garbajosa and Parker (himself an American but with considerable international experience) is that having a specifically multicultural locker-room environment would help players adjust. There was a long story on TSN (Canada's ESPN) talking to Bargnani/Calderon/Garbajosa/Parker about exactly this topic, and Garbajosa in particular mentioned it in the context of his decision to sign with the Raptors.
It makes a lot of sense for Toronto to recruit foreigners. Toronto is not a popular destination for many american athletes (due to the level of taxation, less black american culture, not knowing anyone in Toronto, etc.). On the other hand, as a cosmopolitain city with an international feel Toronto is probably a great destination for a foreign athlete. Thus they can probably get better players for less cost if they go for foreigners.
So by that argument, Toronto is a good place for foreigners because they would specifically not want to play in the U.S.? That seems like a bold statement.
Also, is the whole taxation thing still an issue? I know that the drive to currency parity has improved that situation a lot, not to mention the widespread practice of owning property across the border and thus qualifying for out-of-country residency. (Actually, I'm guessing that's more of an issue for American-born athletes playing for Toronto.)
Actually, sure why not make the question that general: is Toronto still viewed as a specifically unpopular destination for professional athletes? I was under the impression that that had been changing.
"You need to check out the accuracy of the May 15th Prophecy in regards to...the return of the Hidden Imam ."
Is there any chance that maybe the Cavs could get the Hidden Imam for maybe the MLE? Can he hit the open jumper, or does he mostly just hide?
The Hidden Imam sounds like a foreigner, he'd have to sign with the Raptors.
I haven't heard of any specific disses of Toronto since Antonio Davis left. But I did get a kick out of the lack of response to Scott E. at the top, pointing out the fact that apart from Nash and Magloire (etc?), everyone in the NBA is "foreign" to Toronto.
Keep in mind, toronto is one of the (if not the) most multicultural cities in north america. Lots of foreigners is a plus for selling tickets.
"So by that argument, Toronto is a good place for foreigners because they would specifically not want to play in the U.S.? That seems like a bold statement."
Thats not the point at all. The point is that traditionally American players, for a variety of reasons, have not wanted to leave the US, even though Toronto would be one of the five best NBA cities to live in. To Greeks that played in the Italian league, or Serbians in Spain, perhaps the difference between Toronto and Detroit isn't such a big deal. At least, they don't feel the stigma.
Thus, its not that Toronto has an advantage attracting international players, its that they do not have the same disadvantage they normally do in trying to attract Americans. Thats my thought anyway.
Comments closed June 30, 2007.
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Heads in the Sand
Toronto sure is putting a lot of foreigners on the roster.
I feel like an idiot for asking, but this is sarcasm, right?
Posted by Scott E. | June 16, 2007 5:41 PM