from the Raptors, a sign-and-trade Carlos Delfino + Roko Ukic
from the Milwaukee Bucks, Amir Johnson + unnamed playerSonny Weems
Smith expects the deal to be finalized within the next 48 hours.
Sigh.
While I trust that Bryan Colangelo is completing a good deal here, I will miss Roko and the rock star potential he showed.
And, of course, Roko leaving will have a significant impact on this site. It will certainly still be a Toronto Raptors blog, but which Raptor will be my new focal point?
Let’s wait and see the deal in its final form first.
I was surprised at how raw Ukic really was. I didn’t expect a refined product but was hoping for him to be of reliable service, after all he’d been playing regularly on some of the better teams in Europe for a few years. The thinking was that instead of playing four years of college ball he got his learning done through a different, maybe even a better, means. Turns out there’s no real substitute for NCAA training and I was a fool for even entertaining that thought.
On the whole, a pretty positive review and scouting report by Arsenalist, although the outlook is rather sober:
In the best case, he’s the slasher and distributor that we need, in the worst case he’s a guy you can’t afford to have on the floor because he doesn’t threaten without the ball.
C’mon, Roko, get cookin’ this summer. Justify our jersey love.
The year is done and the report cards are in. How did our student, Roko Ukic, do in his first year at the NBA School of Hard Knocks? The principal opinion belongs to Bryan Colangelo, who says, “the kid needs a chance,” but also ”the jury’s still out,” and made the backup PG spot the top priority this summer. Ominous.
What did Roko do well, and what does he have to work on? Here is the list of comments from the internets. Read more »
With the Toronto Raptors’ 2008-09 season winding down (”2008″ – that felt weird to type), the local beat writers are looking to the future, specifically the development of Our Roko Ukic.
With minutes, you get more comfortable. It helps with your decision making first of all because you are not afraid you will go out if you make one mistake. With everybody it is like this, but especially with me. I am the type of player that needs to have at least five or seven minutes to feel comfortable and then I can be much more productive.
Coach Jay Triano is more comfortable now giving him those minutes. Why, Coach?
I think he’s starting to share the basketball a bit more and a bit earlier. He’s not dribbling it so much. When he does that, it makes him more dangerous as a driver. I thought (Friday) night [vs. the Thunder] was one of his better games as far as his balance between sharing the ball and driving to the basket.
Basketball is not like working in a factory: so I will work 10 hours and I will produce 10,000 pairs of shoes.
OK, I’m sure Jose worked (that summer). But I think that gold medal in ’06 (at the world championships) in Japan helped him more than all the work that he did.
Confidence is something that you can’t buy. You can practise your pull-up for 10 years, but if you don’t have the confidence to make it . . .
[pointing to his head] It’s in here.
Back to your playing time, Roko. Do you often ask the coaches why it goes like a yo-yo?
They don’t have to be so nice to me and talk with me all the time, and tell me why this, why that. I know I’m a rookie and I know sometimes I’ll sit without an explanation. That’s cool with me.
[...] I’ll try to work hard on my (weaknesses) and I know what I’m not good at.
Good to hear. Let’s hope you also get a good run with the Croatian nationals this September.
Here’s Roko with the winning basket at the Croatian Cup five years ago. Listen to the crowd chant his name!
Look at my new header! It was designed by none other than Mark Haven Britt, graphic artist extraordinaire, of Garbage Time All-Stars fame. I think it really captures what this blog is about: the Toronto Raptors, Roko Ukic, and the potential for Ukic to become as good as Pete Maravich (I keed, I keed). A thousand thanks, Mark!
Another thousand thanks to Nels for putting up the header, as well as moving Pete Marasmitch to Wordpress in his mighty fantasy basketball arms. Be sure to click on his ads, friends.
What do you think of the new header? Delicious, or sacrilicious? Please comment.
For those who worry that Roko Ukic isn’t getting enough minutes in games: he’s getting plenty of time at practice, and plenty of attention from the Raptors staff. Read more »
