Most of you will recall that when T.J Ford returned from his injury he brought with him his trainer and mentor in John Lucas. This man is the reason at least in part that you have a T.J Ford to trade at all if the Raptors choose too. It was Lucas not just last season but after T.J’s first injury with the Bucks that rebuilt T.J Ford basketball wise. T.J Ford trusts and has faith in John Lucas. After all he has brought his basketball career back from the dead not once but twice. Through that long process of rehabilitation it only makes logically sense. Ford is not only a client he is a friend of Lucas and his son. So whatever the Raptors get in a Ford trade if it happens will be thanks in part to John Lucas.
But beyond Ford he actually became part of the Raptor Staff for a few months at the end of the season. He must have done a good job in working with the players. That can be the only logical answer to the fact the Raptors have intrusted Lucas to work with their struggling number one pick Andrea Bargnani. Whatever improvements or lack of improvements in Andrea Bargnani next season will at least be in part John Lucas responsibility. Can he make Andrea into something bigger faster and stronger. The Raptors are banking on the fact that Lucas can. Recently I asked Paul Jones Raptors Radio Play by Play man about the topic of Lucas and Andrea. I know Paul Jones is a fan of John Lucas. In fact if you know the story of this man you can not help but pull for him. I have shared it in the past in this blog but if you don’t know the story of him you really should make the effort to know it.
The Raptors this past weekend had the Jamario Moon Free Agent Camp. Well it isn’t named after Jamario Moon but it likely should be after his performance over the last 12 months. Here to we have the John Lucas influence. But not the elder John Lucas former NBA player and Coach. His son of the same name was one of the player looking to shoot for the moon so to speak. According to the accounts of Eric Smith of the Fan 590 the undersized John Lucas guard at 5 ft 11 was doing well in this oppurtunity. Lucas is a close friend of T.J Ford should he remain with the Raptors. He has been trying to break through into the NBA and he hopes that he can follow a path similar to Jamario Moon. It was Moon that impressed the Raptor brain trust enough to sign him to a contract and get an invite to training camp. From the first moment I saw Moon on my T.V Screen in Exhibition play as part of EuroLive Tour it was clear this guy had skills. Like the kids say or at least they use to say, Jamario Moon has HOPS. It was evident right away. The fact he would become a starter and go on to NBA Slam Dunk contest was not. John Lucas is a very different type player but would be happy with just half of the success Moon has already had. Eric had his eye on a few others from this camp and he wrote a blog on the subject of the Free Agent Camp. Click Here For THE RAP on Free Agent Camp
So the Lucas family is going to have an impact on the Raptors no matter what happens this off-season.
Canada Gets Ready To Take On World
Meanwhile also going on in Toronto is Canada Basketball Try-Outs. Denham Brown the Toronto Native that was a second round pick of the Sonics couple years back out of UCONN. He was a no show and appears to be out of the loop for Canada Basketball. Brown played in last summers qualifying tournament in Las Vegas. He was a regular contributor for that team and was thought to be a big part of this program. Eric Smith also has written about this camp as well. You can find info on how you can buy tickets to watch team Canada in the Hamilton and Toronto Area over the End of June and Start of July. The Games in Hamilton are over the Canada Day Holiday. So if you can get out and support team Canada you should make the effort to do so. So check out Eric’s Blog on Team Canada Camp
Lastly I am sorry that I wasn’t apply to get a blog up for you all yesterday. I was busy working on something related to the blog that will hopefully be good for it’s future. It isn’t anything that I can talk about at this point but it hopefully will be at some point. We will be getting ready for the NBA Draft this Thursday. Will trades happen before that? If they do the Dino Nation Blog will tell you about it and talk about it. Make sure you make your plans to join us for our Live Blog Draft Party that will start Thursday at 6:45pm. Come join in the fun with the Dino Nation Blogger.
Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Jamario Moon, John Lucas, Raptors Draft 08, Raptors Free Agent Camp, T.J Ford, Team Canada Basketball
June 23, 2008 at 8:23 am |
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