Published: October 5, 2009
If you want to agitate Bryan Colangelo, all you need to do is question the merits of signing a 30-year-old Hedo Turkoglu to a five-year deal.
At the time of the signing in July, some fans questioned why Toronto would invest so much money into a player who would be eating up a large portion of the teams salary cap when he was 35.
Those whispers got louder once Turkoglu arrived to camp last week with a minor injury after a busy summer that saw him play in the NBA Finals and then represent Turkey at the European Championships. Hardly the kind of summer Raptors fans envisioned for Turkoglu when they wanted their star acquisition to arrive in training camp rested and ready for what is hopefully a long season.
After talking with Colangelo during the Raptors media day it became painfully clear the Raptors front office and coaching staff don’t share the same concerns as fans and some members of the media.
“He’s 30 and there was no concern about his age,” Colangelo blurted out before the reporter could even finish his question about whether the general manager was worried about Turkoglu’s age. “I had no concerns about giving Steve Nash a five or six-year deal at the age of 30 and he far exceeded anybodies expectations.”
That’s the kind of statement that will grab the attention of Raptors fans. Heck, it will probably grab the attention of any basketball fan in Canada.
Nash has long been heralded as everything right with basketball in Canada since he helped lead the national team the Olympics back in 2000. Once the talented point guard won back-to-back MVP’s he essentially became a basketball god in Canada.
Nash is so heavily regarded in Canada that over the past two seasons he has been a bigger draw for the media than LeBron James, Yao Ming or Dwyane Wade. Trying to get a question in during a media scrum with Nash is next to impossible as the media horde surrounding him swells much larger for him than any other NBA player.
So why would Colangelo throw out Nash’s name as a way to compare his new acquisition? It turns out a lot of the characteristics that Colangelo admired in Nash are shared by Turkoglu.
“35-year-old players are 35-year-old players. I don’t think Steve (Nash) ever did it with his pure athletic attributes, it was more what he did to prepare himself for the game of basketball and the guy is just a competitor,” Colangelo explained to the media recently.
“Hedo (Turkoglu) is going to be in the same way a very smart player. He’s going to make the right decisions. He’s going to get people the ball when they need to get the ball and he’s going to make big shots and big plays when he needs to. That’s just the kind of player he has proven to be over the course of his career.”
When looking at players as they age, general managers tend to shy away from jump shooters or slashers once they turn 30 because that’s when their legs tend to leave them. Nash and Turkoglu appear immune to this as they aren’t jump shooters – they’re the kind of player who use their mind to gain an advantage on their opponent.
Neither player is known for their physical attributes, yet they’ve become successful in the NBA due to their ability to use the physical tools they possess while being more cerebral on the court.
“He’s definitely not a high flyer, but he is a cerebral player,” Colangelo explained. “And talent comes in many forms: decision making, play-making. He’s got all that. He’s 6′10″ and he can handle the ball like a two guard. I’ve got to say his versatility is his biggest attribute but also his mindset on the court. He’s not afraid to take big shots at the right time and hopefully he’ll help us win some basketball games.”
Just like Turkoglu, Colangelo isn’t afraid to take “big shots” when it comes to trades and free agency. However, unlike when a player misses a shot and it effects the outcome of a game, Colangelo’s gamble with Turkoglu is much larger because if it doesn’t work out it will hamper the Raptors salary cap flexibility for years to come.
Here’s to hoping Colangelo is correct in assuming the fact Turkoglu is a cerebral player helps him achieve a high level of success playing well into his thirties.
3 Comments on "Colangelo Compares Turkoglu To Nash"
brothersteve on Mon, 5th Oct 2009 11:27 am
The concerns over Hedo’s age are bordering on STUPID!
Hold the phones the 4 best teams in the league went and got older guys to be able to compete this season. Not to mention the best players on many teams are OLDER than Hedo.
I’m sure Peirce, Allen, KG, Wallace, House, Kobe, Artest, Carter, Lewis Shaq, Big Z, Anthony Parker, Kidd, Dirk, K-Mart, Hamilton, Shane Battier, Steve Nash, Duncan, McDyess, Okur will all be glad to hear they are about to steal their employers money as their games sink into the abyss.
Really!!! The league is full of productive over 30 year olds at every skill level.
Ryan McNeill on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 5:19 pm
Hi Brother Steve – Thanks for taking the time to comment… but I have to offer a bit of a rebuttal.
How could concerns about age be stupid? When you buy a car doesn’t it’s age come into play? I can’t help but think that as a general manager when you invest in a player his age should be considered as well.
You’re telling me Sheed is worth a long term deal? I sure don’t. Over the past few years he’s shown steady decline and by the time he enters his last year he’ll be grossly overpaid. Heck, you could argue the Celtics will only get bang for their buck this season.
As for the Lakers, a lot of writers and fans feel the team would have been better spending that money on Ariza. You would have to include me in the group of people who feel Ariza would have been a better fit since he’s younger and already knows Jackson’s sets and is comfortable with his coaching philosophy.
Orlando got Carter but I believe he only has two years left on his deal. I would make the argument Orlando is better taking on his two years of salary rather than the five years Turk would involve.
Cleveland only has Shaq for one year so that’s an easy gamble to take. Besides, they only gave Sasha (who I believe has yet to even sign with an NBA team for this season).
I also noticed you wrote about this on your blog. I plan on reading the article and leaving some feedback on your post as well.
Brendan de Haan on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 8:31 am
Allen – Injury Prone
KG – Injury Prone
House – I dont know why you even have this guy on your list
Artest – Diaster Prone
Carter – Injury Prone
Shaq – Injury Prone
Big Z – Injury Prone
K-Mart – Injury Prone
Duncan – PLaying on 1 Leg
McDyess – Injury Prone
So why in the hell would I give these guys long term contracts when they are all over 30 ??
Hedo is signed for 5 years. Hedo is at his high point right now and can only go down from here. Hedo will give us 2 good years and thats it. Then we will be stuck with his contract and 3 crappy years or until we can move him. This was the first thing that B.C has done that I do not approve of.
Age has a lot to do when you sign a player in any sport. If age has nothing to do with it then why did Favre only get a short term contract with the vikings when he is 40 and playing well ?