<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Toronto Sun - Raptors general manager Rob Babcock set off a firestorm of controversy by predicting that his club may win fewer games this year. Babcock told the Toronto Sun earlier this week that, because the franchise currently is going through a rebuilding phase, chances are they'll win fewer games than last year. The Raptors missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season last year. Babcock's outspoken comments resulted in a backlash from fans, the media and now the players. On the Best Damn Sports Show Period, Raptors veteran Jalen Rose was incredulous that his GM would make such a prediction -- although it must be said that Babcock's statement clearly echoed the thoughts of many basketball insiders who believe that, because of the loss of veteran forward Donyell Marshall to free agency, the Raptors will have a very difficult time matching last year's 33-49 mark. Still, there are those who believe that the second-year GM should not have made such a prediction when the franchise is trying to win back support from its wanning fan base. "I've never been part of a situation like that -- and I'm sure I've never heard anybody in professional sports make a comment so negative that early in the season," Rose said. "Even bad teams have optimism. You don't want to take away the optimism so early in the season. The Bad News Bears coach wouldn't even tell (his team) that." Second-year forward Matt Bonner, who signed a two-year deal worth about $4 million US over the summer to remain in Toronto, took Babcock's comments in stride. "I'm keeping the faith," Bonner said yesterday from the IMG training centre in Florida. "Maybe the experts look at us on paper and see (the inexperience). But I don't think a youth movement is any excuse to write us off. "If you put it all together, any team can have a surprise season and make the playoffs. That happens pretty much every year. And I think we can make the playoffs."</div> RealGM
That really isn?t even a shot from Rose it?s a true statement. In professional sports anything can happen. You never know what the Raptors will do, I remember that year they made the playoffs without VC and that was a big statement for them they didn't give up then and they shouldn't now the season hasn't even began. Babock is just....... He traded Vince Carter for very cheap, he should have at least got Richard Jefferson back from the Nets and the list goes on of other lets say questionable moves he has made.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting B-22:</div><div class="quote_post">Babock is just....... He traded Vince Carter for very cheap, he should have at least got Richard Jefferson back from the Nets and the list goes on of other lets say questionable moves he has made.</div> While I would have tried everything in my power to get more value for Carter, it wasn't totally Babcock's fault on Carter. He wasn't even trying and many thought he wasn't the same player back in the early 2000's. At the time, Jefferson was flouring and trading him for a seemingly washed up Carter wouldn't be smart on New Jersey's part.
See, this is where it just boggles my mind to the point of driving me insane. Steve Buffery twists Babcock's words around, puts his article's title as "We have no chance: GM" when all Babcock ever said was we might not win as many games as last season and playoffs are probably a long shot, but that it will all depend on how quick the young players -- Graham, Villanueva, Bosh, Araujo, and Calderon -- gel together. I don't know how you would interpret it, but I would take it for what it says - If the young guys gel together relatively quick (which is a long shot and it will more likely take the entire season), we could have a better win-loss record than last year. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I would say it's probably a long shot," Babcock said in a telephone interview yesterday. "A lot will depend on the learning curve of our young players because we're committed to playing those young guys and we've got three rookies this year and we've got three rookies returning from last year. And Chris Bosh is just a third-year player. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There's a lot of players on our team who are young . . . and we think they're going to be good players for us in the future. It just depends on how quickly they adjust and how quickly they develop</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">While willing to admit his team may struggle this season, Babcock angrily dismissed as "irresponsible" a headline in a Toronto tabloid yesterday that suggested he believes the Raptors have "no chance" for the coming campaign. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"The message that we want to get out there is basically what our plan is," said Babcock, who is entering his second season as Toronto's GM. "And our plan is that we're building for the future. </div> Babcock was also on Fan 590 and said that he talked with players and their agents in regards to the article and had the opportunity to convey to his players that the tabloid misprinted what he actually meant and had the chance to tell them what his actual plans are - which is playing the young guys and let them determine what our record would be. Babcock never ever said the Raptors had no chance at besting last season's record. Get that straight.
^Exactly...... I think everyone who's still somewhat angered by Babcock's statement need to take a step back and realize the message he hoped to have conveyed. I agree that he did come across as being negative through his initial comments, but I still understood his overall message, which was a very positive one. But of course the media had to latch onto his one comment (which was, "I think if you look at us on paper, we probably will not win as many games as last year"), twist his words to make it sound much worse than it really was, and then wrote an article hoping to cause a stir throughout the basketball community...... and judging from the commotion it had caused, the media has played us once again. It's probably a good idea for Babcock to take lessons as to how to talk to the media, but we still shouldn't blow this one out of proportion. He chose the wrong words (which got twisted by Buffery) but the message he was trying to convey was still a positive one.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dunksworth:</div><div class="quote_post">^Exactly...... I think everyone who's still somewhat angered by Babcock's statement need to take a step back and realize the message he hoped to have conveyed. I agree that he did come across as being negative through his initial comments, but I still understood his overall message, which was a very positive one. But of course the media had to latch onto his one comment (which was, "I think if you look at us on paper, we probably will not win as many games as last year"), twist his words to make it sound much worse than it really was, and then wrote an article hoping to cause a stir throughout the basketball community...... and judging from the commotion it had caused, the media has played us once again. It's probably a good idea for Babcock to take lessons as to how to talk to the media, but we still shouldn't blow this one out of proportion. He chose the wrong words (which got twisted by Buffery) but the message he was trying to convey was still a positive one.</div> trust me, if you had seen buffery on sportsnet the following day you could tell he looked as if he got caught lying, which in media cirlces is a no no. but then again he writes for one of the worst tabloids in canadian history so its not as if his credibility took a big hit, i just hope the fans and readers of that particulary newspaper and to some extent all media should read and watch with a critical viewpoint.
^ Interesting... I wasn't aware that Buffery was on sportsnet the following day. Well, it's good to hear that he felt shame for his irresponsible actions...
