Depth Chart Updates
Lots of changes from out last iteration now that the pre-season has come to a close. Injured players that are still quite a ways off like Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert have been removed, whereas shorter-term wounded are noted with brackets and should probably be avoided this week. Below are some changes I want to highlight. The additions in particular should interest deep leaguers:
Charlotte: added Jeffery Taylor
Cleveland: placed Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles as starters and Alonzo Gee as a reseve
Dallas: added Jae Crowder and removed Delonte West
Golden State: added Charles Jenkins and removed Richard Jefferson
Los Angeles Clippers: added Matt Barnes and removed Lamar Odom
New York: added Chris Copeland
Orlando: added DeQuan Jones and removed Quentin Richardson
Philadelphia: moved Thaddeus Young ahead of Spencer Hawes at PF and added Maalik Wayns
Portland: added Joel Freeland
Washington: added A.J. Price and Martell Webster
Toughest omission is Jan Vesely, who may start for Washington on opening night.
For the full the depth chart including those walking wounded, please click here.
Jeff,
The point is moot since Kevin Martin is now hearing Thunder, but I admit to being confused with your multi-team trade proposal that had Toronto basically swapping Calderon and DeRozan for Martin. I might have missed something, but I think that was the trade from the Raptor POV.
Admittedly, in past years, I wasn’t sure DeRozan was much more of a defender than the notoriously atrocious Martin. This pre-season seems to have changed that dynamic, as a stronger, more-focused Derozan is not letting other wings lose him with the barest of feints. A full training-camp under Dwane Casey seems to have gotten DeRozan to buy into the defensive scheme. That happened last year with Bargnani and it’s hope-inducing that DeRozan has joined the believers. So, suddenly, Martin’s (possible?) handful of more points production doesn’t seem like it might be worth the cost of Calderon, a very good backup point guard who wears down under starter minutes. And Martin remains a very high-volume shooter. On a team with Lowry and Bargnani, that’s not good for the chemistry. At least I don’t think it is.
Frankly, this trade is about one or two years late in being practical for the Raptors. Toronto’s in-season talent acquisition focus will be on a small forward. The Raptors hope that a combination of good health and good results for the team will make Calderon, Ed Davis and possibly even Landry Fields a package to take on a SF stud from an underperforming squad worried about a big ticket or a team desperately needing a steady PG in exchange for an emerging talent at the small forward spot. Of course, the expiring contract Calderon owns has its own trade value come February.
Even without Oklahoma City’s involvement, I just cannot envision the Raptors have ever seriously considered a proposal like yours THIS fall.
Just one man’s opinion, GM