Swirsky

by Chuck Swirsky
--raptors.commentator
June 27, 2002

With the trade of Kareem Rush to the Lakers along with veteran Tracy Murray the Raps felt they had to add a veteran backcourt man now instead of in the future when they acquired Lindsey Hunter along with rookie forward Chris Jefferies.

Hunter will replace Chris Childs as the first guard off the bench and will add solid veteran presence in the locker room. With Alvin Williams undergoing surgery to both knees and one ankle this offseason the Raptors had to protect themselves in the event he goes down during the year.

Lindsey Hunter can play either guard position. Robert C. Mora/NBAE Photos

The Raptors will be counted on to be a major contender in the East and the bottom line is this --- can you turn a seasoned club over to a rookie (ex. Dan Dickau or Frank Williams) and expect to not only get in to the playoffs but go deep in the playoffs? The Raptors obviously felt they needed a veteran. Lenny Wilkens likes experienced players who know how to play the game. Hunter is an intelligent player who knows his strengths.

Jefferies has a ton of upside and should be able to contribute. In fact I believe if he had not suffered a knee injury in his last year of college he would have been taken ahead of Rush. One scout I talked to on draft night told me that he has outstanding upside and the Raptors will have a terrific player if his knee holds up.

The book on Jefferies is that he can defend and pass well. Rush, in my opinion, will be an outstanding pro player. He can score and is tailor made for the NBA but give Jefferies a chance to find his comfort zone in the league before making an evaluation.

A final thought on this deal. I want to wish Tracy Murray all the best. This is a dream come true for him. He goes home and has a shot at winning a title. He was looking for increased playing time with the Raps and that just wasn't going to happen. He was a class act off the court and will be missed. I had the pleasure of getting to know him the past two years on a professional and personal level and he was always accessible and considerate to others.

Now the tough part begins as teams are salivating to get their hands on Keon Clark. The Chicago Tribuine is reporting the Bulls have a great deal of interest in Clark as the Knicks and Sixers do. With Antonio McDyess going to the Knicks will he attempt to recruit Clark to the Big Apple? Will Clark, a downstate Illinois native, return home? Remember the Raps can match any offer but don't want to pay a luxury tax. Stay tuned.

Come training camp the Raptors coaching staff will be called upon to get the most out of players such as Yogi Stewart and Michael Bradley. They've got to find out if they can play and if so how well. I believe they can contribute. All they need is time on the court and confidence.

Check back on raptors.com soon for my comments about the rest of the NBA Draft and teams around the league.

Email your questions on the Raptors.

Always a pleasure,
Chuck Swirsky