HoopsHype.com Columns

What are they waiting for?
by Dean Serravalle / July 8, 2002

With the free agent signing day fast approaching, the Raptors haven’t yet said the magic words to Keon Clark, mainly; “We’ll do anything to keep you here.” Instead, they’ve danced around the issue well aware that losing him might be a regret similar to that of losing Tracy McGrady. Unfortunately, the Raptors talk as if they have no other choice, and simply put, they really don’t.

After signing and shall we say, over spending, on free agents Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams and Alvin Williams, the Raptors find themselves in the unenviable position of admitting that their risks from last year really didn’t pan out. The scenario was supposed to be, sign Davis, Junkyard Dog and Williams, prove to Vince Carter that he made the right decision to stay in Toronto, bring in another former NBA championship hero in Hakeem “The Dream”, pay him big dollars and make a mad dash to the NBA Finals.

What resulted from this vision was a knee injury to Vince Carter, a team that looked, at times, too comfortable not to make the playoffs and a failed experiment at the center position with The Dream. Plug in Keon Clark, the wildcard, who stepped into this predicament to perform admirably, especially in the playoff series against the Pistons and you have yourself a dilemma, especially if you’re inches away from the luxury tax. Is signing Keon Clark to a long term deal the answer to the Raptor’s quest for a championship, or do they hold and double down on another more enticing free agent in next year’s pool, like Tim Duncan?

If you’re Keon Clark’s agent, you’re pre-booking a vacation in the Bahamas right now. He’s got the Raptors right where he wants them, and a slew of teams waiting in the wings. If the Raptors do match an offer for Keon Clark, they will probably exercise the sign and trade option. Back loaded at the power forward position, and shackled by guaranteed contracts to Yogi Stewart and Michael Bradley, whom the Raptors can’t give away, trading Keon Clark can solve vacancies at the point guard and center position. Some might argue that Keon Clark can play center, and that the Raptors have recently traded away their draft pick for point guard Lindsey Hunter. However, the Raptors are sure that Keon is more of a threat at the power forward position, while Hunter is better suited to a backup role.

As for Keon Clark, he seems calm and indifferent to the Raptors’ stalling techniques. He has said all along the way he enjoys playing in Toronto and is enamored by the golf courses available in the city. An avid golfer in the offseason, he has ironically been criticized for spending more time on the greens than on the court further developing what coach Wilkens once remarked as “scratching the surface” of his talent. With widespread opinions such as these in the NBA, Keon Clark is sure to find himself in a win-win situation.

So, as the clock ticks, and the execs at Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, brood over the future of both of their teams, the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs, another franchise that took a shopping spree with free agents last summer, they are indeed referencing old textbooks from previous economic classes looking for a loophole. Is it a wise decision to let Keon Clark, a young, athletic talent with upside, slip to another contending team? Will the apathy to sign him disappoint key players like Vince Carter and Antonio Davis, who are well aware of Keon’s contributions? The ball is in the Raptor’s court, the shot clock is at three seconds, and they look as if they are going to pass instead of shoot.

Dean Serravalle is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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