Reflecting on Babcock

We had another first over the weekend that I managed to miss until recently. Our friend from Italy became the first return visitor to Ike Krizzule Talks Sports. That, combined with the visitors we've had clicking on the link from my signature in my posts over on RaptorBlog (a site with well done articles, and good discussion), has made me think may be its time for another Raptor post. So here it is:

The Toronto Raptors are starting to take huge steps forward this season, and after years of struggling may finally be a playoff team again. Now much of the recognition will go to new GM Bryan Colangelo, and rightly so he's done a fantastic job, but I maintain that the work of Rob Babcock helped set the team up to make these moves.

Shortly after Babcock took the job it became apparent that he didn't really have room to do anything. The Raps, under the Grunwald era, had mispent their way to being up against the cap with little to show for it. When Vince Carter made his trade demands, after dogging it for months, it became clear to me that Babcock would probably be fired before he ever got a chance to prove his worth. Now looking back at his moves, I'll attempt to show that while he might not have been the best GM in the world he wasn't the laughingstock that some would make him out to be.

1. Drafting Rafael Araujo
This is the one that gets Babcock in some trouble. Araujo never did (and probably never will) develop into a good NBA player. But, in Babcocks defense:
a) the 2004 draft was probably one of the weakest in recent memory
b) the Raptors had Carter, Jalen Rose and Morris Peterson at the SG/SF positions, but only Donyell Marshall and a young Chris Bosh in the post. The 2004 draft (outside of the top 2 Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor) was even weaker when it came to big men. Al Jefferson and Andris Biedrins would have been better picks, but both were 18 at the time and the Raptors needed someone to play minutes immediately.
c) Babcock was hired shortly before the draft and didn't have the kind of time other GM's had to prepare for the draft.
Colangelo moved Araujo for Kris Humphries, another 2004 draftee, who has become a bottom end rotation big man for the Raptors

2. Signing Rafer Alston
The Raptor also needed a point guard, and with the little money they did have Babcock found one in Rafer Alston ($4M/season). Alston had his problems, he seemed to be a bit of a headcase and clashed with coach Sam Mitchell, but did provide decent play at the point. He averaged 14 points and 6 assists, about average for an NBA point guard.
Babcock moved Alston after his first year for Mike James

3. The Carter trade
Early into Babcock's first year it was clear that Vince Carter wanted out of Toronto. After playing poorly enough to destroy his trade value, and convince everyone that his knees might never allow him to play at the level we had been accustomed to seeing him, Vince demanded a trade. Other NBA GM's, like sharks smelling blood, waited out trying to steal Vince from this 1st year GM. Eventually Babcock took the best offer he recieved and trade Vince to the Nets for Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning, and 2 1st Round picks. Not the greatest return, but when a star player demands to be traded and has tanked for the past year or 2 its impossible to get market value (see the Sixers/Nuggets Iverson trade). Most of the Babcock criticism comes from this trade, but to the critics I say you'll never win a title with a player of Vince Carter's character, so good ridance to him.
Eric Williams never played to his ablities with Toronto and was included in the Rasho Nesterovich trade
Aaron Williams gave some big man minutes and was traded for a 2nd Rounder
Alonzo Mourning refused to report to Toronto, but was bought out saving cap space
Joey Graham was the net of 1 of the 1st rounders, the other was traded to the Knicks with Jalen Rose to clear cap space

4. Drafting Charlie Villanueva
Much criticized at the time of the pick, because criticizing Babcock was the thing to do, Charlie-V went on to have a great rookie year (finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting). It was a good draft but Villanueva was definitely a very good selection at #7.
Charlie was since traded to the Bucks for T.J. Ford

5. Drafting Joey Graham
Joey shows flashes of brilliance, but hasn't been able to break out yet. He's currently a good solid rotation player for the Raptors, with the potential to develop into a decent starter if he's ever able to get it all together. Looking back at the draft Joey was a good (not great, but not bad) pick at #16.

6. Signing Jose Calderon
Babcock saw something he liked in Spainard Jose Calderon and signed him relatively cheap (I can't find the information, but I seem to remember something like $1.5M/year). Jose struggled a bit adjusting to the NBA game, and the English language, his 1st season. Now, in his 2nd year, he looks much more confident on the court and gives the Raptors one of the best back up PG's in the league. He may even challenge T.J. Ford for starter minutes as the season progresses.

7. Trading Alston for James
Alston and Mitchell didn't seem like they could co-exist any longer. Babcock was able to move Alston for Mike James, who provided the Raptors with a season of career numbers before bolting for greener pastures. A good trade by Babcock, getting something of value for something he needed to get rid of.

There were more in there (Matt Bonner, Loren Woods, etc.), but I think I've typed more than long enough for now. In my analysis of Babcock I would say that he made 2 bad, although defensible, moves that led to all criticism (Araujo and Carter), 2 really good moves (Villanueva and Calderon), and 3 O.K moves (Graham and Alston --> James). He also helped clear the cap space that Colangelo was able to come in and use (Jorge Garbojosa, Anthony Parker and Fred Jones) to improve the team's overall depth. I won't argue that we aren't better off with Colangelo now, I think he's the best GM in the league. I just wanted to try to show that Babcock didn't deserved to be considered terrible either. His performance was about average, and there's plenty of teams out there who have a whole lot worse than average at that position right now.