Step 1: The Atlantic
In my many years of traveling through Canada, I’ve learned a few simple lessons about our great neighbors of the north. They like their conversations friendly, their sports on the ice, and their Labatts blue. That said, it may come as a bit of a surprise to you that the sport of basketball was actually invented by James Naismith, a native of Almonte, Ontario. Modeling his new sport off a familiar children’s game in Canada called Duck-On-A-Rock, Naismith went on to create one of the most beloved sports the world over.
With this said, we here at Nobody Kerrs now turn our attention to our Canadian readership (certainly numbering in the 1000’s by now). Toronto, we urge you, jump on the Raptor bandwagon now, before it’s too late. Here’s a quick fact you probably weren’t aware of. While your beloved Maple Leafs are a game below .500, your other professional sports team has raced out of the gates to a blistering 7-0 mark. Now I can hear the naysayers already. “It’s only the preseason…” but please, hear me out.
As their record indicates, the kids up north must have played a lot of Duck-On-A-Rock over the summer. And it’s not just the local kids. New GM Bryan Colangelo has spent the last summer scouring the globe for the finest D-O-A-R players around.
(You may remember Colangelo as the previous GM of the Phoenix Suns, a little- known team that has quietly dominated the Pacific Division the last two years with maestro Steve Nash, a Canadian, running the show. Colangelo was instrumental in building the core group of Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire. Not surprisingly, Colangelo was awarded the 2005 NBA Executive of the Year Award as a result before becoming GM of the Raptors in February of 2006.)
In his search, Colangelo stumbled across the NBA’s #1 pick Andrea Bargnani, (a 7 foot three-point threat described by many as the next Dirk Nowitski) 2006 FIBA World Champions Jorge Garbajosa and Jose Calderon, and Radoslav Nesterovic, former running mate of our main man here at NK, the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett.
As evidenced by the recent FIBA World Championships, the international basketball scene has flourished in the past decade, providing equal competition with the USA year in and year out. Capitalizing on the increasing influx of quality international players to the NBA, Colangelo has instilled a European mindset, creating a shot-selective, perimeter-shooting based team led by the 6’10, 230 pound Chris Bosh, (arguably the league’s next Kevin Garnett.)
Though similar in theory to his Phoenix Suns, Colangelo’s new team ultimately lacks a premium point guard such as the one he left with Phoenix. Though lightning fast, T.J. Ford is both injury and turnover prone, and runs the risk of outrunning his slower-paced, jump shooting, European teammates. This established, I would have argued for Colangelo holding onto the fundamentally sound Charlie Villanueva and furthering developing Calderon as a point guard until a better candidate came along.
Nevertheless, as it stands, the new ‘06-’07 Raptors stand to make a viable run at the Atlantic, arguably the league’s worst division. Their main competition throughout the season will primarily come from the New Jersey Nets, led by the aging three-headed monster of Carter-Kidd-Jefferson. However, as is often the case, one or more of these three quality players will inevitably fall to injury throughout the season, leaving the division there for the Raptors to take. Though a bit bold, we here at NK are going out on a limb, tabbing the once-lowly Toronto Raptors to arise from the Cretaceous and storm through the sluggish Atlantic like a Raptor pack through a Brontosaurus herd.
Official Nobody Kerrs Atlantic Standings
1. Toronto
2. New Jersey
3. Boston
4. Philly
5. New York
And now, your Kerr quote of the day…
“Stoudemire is not Duncan.”
Once again, Brilliant. Thankfully, Nobody Kerrs.
(As always, your comments are welcome.)
In my many years of traveling through Canada, I’ve learned a few simple lessons about our great neighbors of the north. They like their conversations friendly, their sports on the ice, and their Labatts blue. That said, it may come as a bit of a surprise to you that the sport of basketball was actually invented by James Naismith, a native of Almonte, Ontario. Modeling his new sport off a familiar children’s game in Canada called Duck-On-A-Rock, Naismith went on to create one of the most beloved sports the world over.
With this said, we here at Nobody Kerrs now turn our attention to our Canadian readership (certainly numbering in the 1000’s by now). Toronto, we urge you, jump on the Raptor bandwagon now, before it’s too late. Here’s a quick fact you probably weren’t aware of. While your beloved Maple Leafs are a game below .500, your other professional sports team has raced out of the gates to a blistering 7-0 mark. Now I can hear the naysayers already. “It’s only the preseason…” but please, hear me out.
As their record indicates, the kids up north must have played a lot of Duck-On-A-Rock over the summer. And it’s not just the local kids. New GM Bryan Colangelo has spent the last summer scouring the globe for the finest D-O-A-R players around.
(You may remember Colangelo as the previous GM of the Phoenix Suns, a little- known team that has quietly dominated the Pacific Division the last two years with maestro Steve Nash, a Canadian, running the show. Colangelo was instrumental in building the core group of Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire. Not surprisingly, Colangelo was awarded the 2005 NBA Executive of the Year Award as a result before becoming GM of the Raptors in February of 2006.)
In his search, Colangelo stumbled across the NBA’s #1 pick Andrea Bargnani, (a 7 foot three-point threat described by many as the next Dirk Nowitski) 2006 FIBA World Champions Jorge Garbajosa and Jose Calderon, and Radoslav Nesterovic, former running mate of our main man here at NK, the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett.
As evidenced by the recent FIBA World Championships, the international basketball scene has flourished in the past decade, providing equal competition with the USA year in and year out. Capitalizing on the increasing influx of quality international players to the NBA, Colangelo has instilled a European mindset, creating a shot-selective, perimeter-shooting based team led by the 6’10, 230 pound Chris Bosh, (arguably the league’s next Kevin Garnett.)
Though similar in theory to his Phoenix Suns, Colangelo’s new team ultimately lacks a premium point guard such as the one he left with Phoenix. Though lightning fast, T.J. Ford is both injury and turnover prone, and runs the risk of outrunning his slower-paced, jump shooting, European teammates. This established, I would have argued for Colangelo holding onto the fundamentally sound Charlie Villanueva and furthering developing Calderon as a point guard until a better candidate came along.
Nevertheless, as it stands, the new ‘06-’07 Raptors stand to make a viable run at the Atlantic, arguably the league’s worst division. Their main competition throughout the season will primarily come from the New Jersey Nets, led by the aging three-headed monster of Carter-Kidd-Jefferson. However, as is often the case, one or more of these three quality players will inevitably fall to injury throughout the season, leaving the division there for the Raptors to take. Though a bit bold, we here at NK are going out on a limb, tabbing the once-lowly Toronto Raptors to arise from the Cretaceous and storm through the sluggish Atlantic like a Raptor pack through a Brontosaurus herd.
Official Nobody Kerrs Atlantic Standings
1. Toronto
2. New Jersey
3. Boston
4. Philly
5. New York
And now, your Kerr quote of the day…
“Stoudemire is not Duncan.”
Once again, Brilliant. Thankfully, Nobody Kerrs.
(As always, your comments are welcome.)
Your ankles have been broken by Tye Schulke at 12:55 PM
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