<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Young Texan likes club's direction Hiring Colangelo `convinced' him Apr. 17, 2006. 01:00 AM DOUG SMITH SPORTS REPORTER It may not be the moves the Raptors make in the future ? the lottery pick, trades and free-agent signings that are sure to come in a busy rebuilding summer ? that determine whether Chris Bosh signs a lucrative contract extension. It could be a move that's already been made that allows the all-star power forward to feel comfortable enough to remain in Toronto for as many as the next six seasons. In what was his strongest statement yet about his future, Bosh said yesterday the hiring of president and general manager Bryan Colangelo a couple of months ago is a major step in the right direction. "Them getting Colangelo, a well-certified general manager ? he has a good reputation around the league and I'm sure he doesn't want to mess up that reputation ? I think that was a very good move," Bosh said yesterday. "That convinced me a lot." What it convinced the 22-year-old Bosh of was that the Raptors are serious about making changes ? for the better ? to a team that's going to finish out of the playoffs for the fourth straight time when the season ends Wednesday night. And despite one of the worst records in franchise history ? Toronto can only win 29 games this year, which is fewer than any but three seasons ? there is a sense of hope around the team but that hope will be dashed if its franchise player decides to test free agency. Securing Bosh for the next six seasons ? that's how long a contract extension the Raptors can offer him ? will be the top priority for Colangelo this summer. As the team's best player as well as one of its youngest, the 6-11 power forward is the cornerstone of the team and losing him ? or having him play next season waiting for restricted free agency in the summer of 2007 ? would send a terrible signal to not only the team's fans but to players around the league about the Raptors. The questions will begin in earnest once the season ends after Wednesday's game in Chicago and Bosh said he's ready for them. Colangelo has already grown weary of talking about it because it's nonsensical to think he'd offer anything less than a maximum value contract to someone as good, and as coveted as Bosh. The Texan leads the team in scoring, 22.5 points per game, and rebounds, 9.2 per game, and is one of the best young talents in the league. "I'm prepared for it," he said of the speculation soon to start. "I've just been sitting on the bench playing out every scenario and I'll be ready for it." Bosh has never publicly given a wish list of things the organization needs to do to show him it's going in the right direction, speaking only in vague terms about "getting better" and "making the right moves" and "turning things around." Yesterday, he specifically pointed to Colangelo's hiring in late February as a bold statement from an organization that last handed the ultimate decision-making to a neophyte GM and career second fiddle in Rob Babcock. "I think just making the move earlier to get Colangelo kind of showed the organization wanted to get better," he said. That the Raptors need Bosh has never been more evident than in the last 14 games, 13 of which were losses, a streak broken by an upset win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Bosh sat out those games with a sprained left thumb that ended his season in late March and watching his teammates lurch and stumble down the stretch of close games was painful for him. "The light at the end of the tunnel? It's so crazy because we're right there," said Bosh. "I mean every game, besides the horrific start, every game pretty much we were in it. We got beat, really beat good, a few times, maybe like 10 times but every other game was close. Coach (Sam Mitchell) ran a stat by us, we lost by three 11 times. "I think we just have to keep working to get over that hump. We're so close. You don't quit on the last lap of the mile, you just try to get over the hump." Having someone with Bosh's abilities makes getting over that hump exponentially easier. "Like I tell everybody: `Don't worry, if the organization does what it's supposed to do, I'll do what I'm supposed to do. And everything will work out,'" said Bosh.</div> Link
Wow. Great news fot the Raps, its not done yet but its very nice to here that the hiring of Colangelo "conviced" him that we are going in the right direction. Im telling yall, Colangelo is Toronto's savior.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It may not be the moves the Raptors make in the future ? the lottery pick, trades and free-agent signings that are sure to come in a busy rebuilding summer ? that determine whether Chris Bosh signs a lucrative contract extension. It could be a move that's already been made that allows the all-star power forward to feel comfortable enough to remain in Toronto for as many as the next six seasons. In what was his strongest statement yet about his future, Bosh said yesterday the hiring of president and general manager Bryan Colangelo a couple of months ago is a major step in the right direction. "Them getting Colangelo, a well-certified general manager ? he has a good reputation around the league and I'm sure he doesn't want to mess up that reputation ? I think that was a very good move," Bosh said yesterday. "That convinced me a lot." What it convinced the 22-year-old Bosh of was that the Raptors are serious about making changes ? for the better ? to a team that's going to finish out of the playoffs for the fourth straight time when the season ends Wednesday night. And despite one of the worst records in franchise history ? Toronto can only win 29 games this year, which is fewer than any but three seasons ? there is a sense of hope around the team but that hope will be dashed if its franchise player decides to test free agency. Securing Bosh for the next six seasons ? that's how long a contract extension the Raptors can offer him ? will be the top priority for Colangelo this summer. As the team's best player as well as one of its youngest, the 6-11 power forward is the cornerstone of the team and losing him ? or having him play next season waiting for restricted free agency in the summer of 2007 ? would send a terrible signal to not only the team's fans but to players around the league about the Raptors. The questions will begin in earnest once the season ends after Wednesday's game in Chicago and Bosh said he's ready for them. Colangelo has already grown weary of talking about it because it's nonsensical to think he'd offer anything less than a maximum value contract to someone as good, and as coveted as Bosh. The Texan leads the team in scoring, 22.5 points per game, and rebounds, 9.2 per game, and is one of the best young talents in the league. "I'm prepared for it," he said of the speculation soon to start. "I've just been sitting on the bench playing out every scenario and I'll be ready for it." Bosh has never publicly given a wish list of things the organization needs to do to show him it's going in the right direction, speaking only in vague terms about "getting better" and "making the right moves" and "turning things around." Yesterday, he specifically pointed to Colangelo's hiring in late February as a bold statement from an organization that last handed the ultimate decision-making to a neophyte GM and career second fiddle in Rob Babcock. "I think just making the move earlier to get Colangelo kind of showed the organization wanted to get better," he said. That the Raptors need Bosh has never been more evident than in the last 14 games, 13 of which were losses, a streak broken by an upset win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Bosh sat out those games with a sprained left thumb that ended his season in late March and watching his teammates lurch and stumble down the stretch of close games was painful for him.</div> Source
