s pro, Ive never been a part of something like that

Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 00:49, Jun 30 2014

No matter what happens to these two parties this much seems almost inevitable: Toronto will take Harrison Barnes in the NBA Draft. Last year, when some thought Barnes would declare after one year at North Carolina, it was because he ended the season on a serious hot streak, filled a need for Toronto on the wing and was a player the organization could get fans excited about. This year, with everyone expecting Barnes to declare, hed represent a consolation prize for a team that didnt lose enough to secure a top pick and will take damaged goods because its better than settling for a raw power forward or reaching for a point guard. Whatever the reason, it seems like these two are destined to be together. The fact is that it isnt a horrible match. Barnes is a pure scorer who can shoot, and the Raptors desperately need shooters on the wing. Hes got some size and plays defence, and he is a very sharp player, but he never dominated at the college level like people expected him to and he too often seems content to play the game at 70 per cent rather than maxing out his talents while on the court. There is also the fact that over the course of the season two other wing players, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal, simply made themselves better fits for Toronto than Barnes did. Kidd-Gilchrist is like Dwane Caseys dream player; a natural leader at the small forward spot that plays all-out all of the time, excels at playing defence, rebounding and driving the ball to the hoop. Beal is a shooting guard with NBA range, a relentless offensive motor and is a solid passer and playmaker. If the Raptors got one of those two guys they could make fans feel like the losing this season was worth it. With Barnes... well with Barnes theyd be thankful that they had Jonas Valanciunas coming over. They could continue to sell him as the key incoming asset and let Barnes slide into a more complimentary role behind him. Given the Raptors season, though, thats probably what they will have to settle for. One of the "problems" that the team has faced since hiring Casey as their head coach is that this team tries too darn hard for a club in search of a high draft pick. They lost major parts to their system for long stretches - from Jerryd Bayless to Andrea Bargnani to trading away Leandro Barbosa - but nothing broke this clubs will. They are on pace to finish with a better winning percentage than they had last year (.327 currently versus .268 a season ago), theyve shown a stubborn refusal to back down to good teams and have notched wins against several of their lottery-bound counterparts (Cleveland, New Jersey, Washington, Detroit, New Orleans and Golden State). If and when they finish outside of the bottom five at the end of the season theyll have no one to blame but themselves for actually caring enough to try and win almost every game that they played. Unless the lottery gods smile on Toronto in May, there is a good chance that the only player on their radar that theyll have a shot at is Barnes, because his stock seems to have fallen far enough to land in Torontos range. Sure theyll try to trade up to take one of the more attractive assets, but the price may prove too steep that high in the draft to move up even one or two spots for a shot at Kidd-Gilchrist or Beal. Its not like landing Barnes is a sickening fate, and if the Raptors do so outside of the top-five then they are actually probably getting him at about his proper value. Getting him this year, though, carries a much different perception than getting him last year would have, and perception is key as the club looks to win back the fans it sacrificed to go down the rebuilding rabbit hole after Chris Bosh bolted for Miami. Of course, things could be worse. The Raptors could wind up selecting seventh or eighth in the draft, losing out on Barnes and having to pick from guys like Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger, Jeremy Lamb or Terrence Jones. Heck, at that point the club may explore trading out of the draft altogether. That fate doesnt seem likely, though. No, Barnes and the Raptors have been on a collision course for over a year now, and were just counting down the final months until it happens. Its almost time to stop fighting it. Both parties have shifted in their respective spheres and yet both still seem aligned with one another. Its not a matter of good or bad or right or wrong, its just inevitability. Well have to wait until May 30 for the next sign of this impending union, but at this point it just seems like a formality. Barnes and the Raptors arent an ideal fit (especially from Torontos perspective), but its good enough and that will probably be all it takes to make Barnes a Raptor at the end of June. Theyre just a little too potent and Barnes is just a little too underwhelming for it to happen any other way. Cheap NFL Jerseys . The Solheim Cup star aced the 160-yard par-3 16th, eagled the par-5 eighth after hitting to 4 feet and had five birdies and two bogeys at Victoria Golf Club to reach 11-under 133, one shot ahead of second-ranked Suzann Pettersen of Norway. Wholesale Jerseys . While French television station Canal Plus was waiting for an interview with Mourinho last week in Nyon, Switzerland, it filmed him talking with a Swiss businessman at a sponsor event. http://www.cheapnfljerseybest.com/. The 41-year-old American veteran completed the biggest victory of his career on Sunday, winning the Spanish Vuelta to become the oldest champion of one of cyclings three-week grand tours. Cheap Jerseys From China . UFC president Dana White confirmed the move in a text to The Canadian Press. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Antti Niemi stopped 41 shots for his fourth shutout, and Logan Coutures first-period, short-handed goal stood up as the Sharks beat the Rangers 1-0 Sunday for their sixth straight win.ST. JOHNS, N.L. -- The Worcester Sharks banged and crashed their way to victory on Saturday night. Worcester played a rough style of hockey for a 4-2 win over the IceCaps in American Hockey League play, rebounding from a loss in St. Johns the day before. The game featured six fights, 64 penalty minutes for the Sharks and 48 penalty minutes for the IceCaps. There were three misconducts including two ejections. "Thats their game plan, to come in and run us," said St. Johns centre Garth Murray. "I thought all of our guys stood up well. Theyve got an old school coach, with an old school mentality. Thats just how the league was ten years ago." James Livingston, Ryan Del Monte, Mike Connolly and Brandon Mashinter scored for the Sharks (21-14-9). Paul Postma and Carl Klingberg had goals for the IceCaps (28-12-6). IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge felt the officiating let the game get out of control. "Im not one to ever put fault away from our team if they dont execute the way they should, but both those games, especially tonight, was a game that was out of control because the ref let the game get played at an era of taking the game back to forty years ago," McCambridge said. "Thats not the way todays game is played." IceCaps captain Jason Jafffray was frustrated with the game, and the missed calls.dddddddddddd "It was one of the most frustrating games to be a part of. In ten years pro, Ive never been a part of something like that," Jaffray said. "How you get two-handed in the face and it goes unnoticed baffles me." The IceCaps began to take justice into their own hands. Murray ended up answering the bell three times in the game, which was a first according to the veteran. "I had three shifts and three fights. In ten years pro Ive never had three in a game, so its just one of those nights." Murray was thrown out of the game at 9:59 in the second period, following his third fight, but was still given the Mary Browns Hardest Working Player of the Game nod. McCambridge commended Murray for the way he stood up for the team. "Murray is a guy that battles hard for his teammates. Hes an ultimate leader, a guy that comes to work everyday and sticks up for his team." Jaffray felt the team could beat the Sharks by keeping their gloves on. "If you kept your gloves on all game you could probably run that team out of the building." Sharks Harri Sateri made 27 saves, while Aebischer made 19. The IceCaps were 0-for-6 on the power play, while Worcester was 1-for-3. ' ' '