Gimme an "R"! Gimme an "O"! Gimme a "Y"!

You let it be known Dave!

But unfortunately, now all I am going to think about when I think of Toronto is how badly I want this guy Swirsky to suffer... i.e. the raps to lose, embarrassingly.

that it wasn't unanimous.  Roy's had a terrific rookie season but let's be honest, it wasn't as good as Shaq's, Tim Duncan's, LeBron's, and other guys who didn't get unanimous votes.  Unanimous would've put outsized pressure on him, I think.

And I'm pleasantly surprised that it was as close to unanimous as it was.  I truly expected east coast bias would lead to something like 3 or 4 votes for Barg.

-----Original Message-----
From: lukeschmidt@gmail.com
To: cswirsky@torontoraptors.com
Sent: Wed, 2 May 2007 2:36 PM
Subject: Try and find SOME objectivity next time

Chuck,

Either

A) You have more basketball insight than everybody else in the NBA who voted for rookie of the year?

or

B) You are a homer and made a homer pick?

I think it's pretty obvious. I realize you want to fly the banner for Canada and try and overlook the fact that the Raptors fluffed up on draft day, but Andrea (who might end up being the third or fourth best player out of last year's draft) is a straight homer pick. The award isn't "Best Rookie on a Playoff Team," it's "Rookie of the Year." Keep up the professionalism.

Best,

Luke Schmidt

Chuck's reply:

Bargnani was a significant rotation player on a playoff team
Put him on a rebuilding club receiving 35 min a game as a 1 or 2 option and I guarantee you he'll get 17 a game..
His PT increased in Jan-Feb. In that span the Raps went 18-9 and he won back to back ROM awards....

My reply:

But that situation is a hypothetical one. The award is for actual game production, not hypothetical production. Roy won ROM three months in a row and if he were on the Raps he probably would have played well enough to force the coach to make him the #1 or #2 option. McMillan doesn't give his rookies anything, they have to earn it.

Also, Roy was one of the most clutch players in the league, and obviously the most clutch rooks, as Jason Quick has noted below:

Nov. 4, vs. Minnesota: Trailing 86-85, Roy penetrates and passes to Juan Dixon in the corner for a three-pointer with 6.2 seconds left that completes a 16-point comeback. 

Jan. 6, at Sacramento: In his 14th game as a professional, Roy hits a fadeaway 15-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Blazers go on to win 110-105, ending a four-game losing streak. 

Jan. 21, vs. Milwaukee: With the Blazers clinging to a 96-93 lead, Roy makes a 7-foot floater with 14.3 seconds left to seal a 99-95 victory at the Rose Garden. 

Jan. 24, vs. Minnesota: Trailing 98-97 with 12.3 seconds left in overtime, Roy makes two free throws that prove to be the winning margin after Ricky Davis misses a long jumper. 

Jan. 27, at Memphis: With the score tied at 123-123 in the second overtime, Roy scores five consecutive points, the last with 1:10 left to give the Blazers an insurmountable 128-123 lead. 

Jan. 31, vs. Denver: Leading 91-88 in the final minute, Roy penetrates and remembers advice from Jarrett Jack, who told Roy he had been open in the corner. Roy finds Jack with a zip pass, and Jack hits a game-sealing three-pointer with 33.4 seconds left, ending an eight-game losing streak to the Nuggets. Prior to the pass, Roy scored 15 fourth-quarter points, tied with Zach Randolph for the most any Blazers player had scored in the final period this season. 

Feb. 2, at Denver: With the Blazers trailing 97-94, Roy hits an off-balance, leaning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left at the Pepsi Center to send the game into overtime. The Blazers lose 114-107. 

Feb. 6, vs. Phoenix: Trailing 96-93, Roy again executes one of his growing weapons: the pass to the corner after penetrating. This time, he finds Ime Udoka in the corner, and the shot ties the score with 32.6 seconds left. After Travis Outlaw blows a potential game-winning layup, Roy preserves the tie when he blocks Leandro Barbosa's 20-foot jumper at the buzzer. Portland loses 109-102. 

Feb. 9, at Charlotte: Trailing 86-83, the Blazers once again turn to Roy, who missed much of the second half while getting his right hand X-rayed. Despite taking just one shot after he injured his hand, Roy accepts the crunch-time responsibility and hits a three-pointer with 8.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime, and the Blazers win. 

Feb. 23, vs. Memphis: Trailing 102-98, Roy hits a three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left to get the Blazers to within 102-101. The Blazers have a chance to send the game into overtime, but Ime Udoka misses the second of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left. 

March 16, at Los Angeles Lakers: Leading 96-95, Roy makes a driving layup with 31.2 seconds left, but the heroics are nullified when Kobe Bryant sends the game into overtime with a three-pointer with 17.2 seconds left. Bryant goes on to score 65 points, leading the Lakers to the overtime win. 

March 20, vs. Washington: Leading 94-93, Roy makes a driving layup with 25.8 seconds left, helping the Blazers hold on for a 100-98 win. 

March 23, at Atlanta: Trailing 88-85, Roy hits a three-pointer with 17.3 seconds left to send the game into overtime. In overtime, Roy hits a key jumper, then seals the 102-100 victory by making two free throws with 4.3 seconds left.

April 4, vs. Utah: With the score tied at 87-87, Roy puts the Blazers ahead for good by making two free throws with 1:03 left. He seals the 94-89 victory by making two more free throws with 6.7 seconds left, capping his career-high, 29-point night. 

Still waiting for his next reply...
 

He knows as well as we do that Brandon was better this year, he just wants to be a snarky little punk, and make the argument for his guy because he can. I think he is just bitter or something, and is doing it just because he knows Roy will win anyway, and wants to annoy us. He reminds me of, say, like a little kid who just got in a big fight with his friend... and then later the friend tries to make up with him and offers him some candy, and then the first kid, still bitter, insists that he doesn't like candy, and that his aparagas is tastier than the ice cream anyways. Except in this case, the snivelling, bitter little kid has a legitimate vote.

I agree that the vote for Bargnani is absurd, but let's not get too caught up in that. What's done is done. This day should be about celebrating Brandon Roy.

And I'm sure he will make it a point to destroy Toronto for the rest of his career. :)

nondiscript r.o.y usaully espn news would interview the r.o.y. d.howard,c.paul,l.james,
a.stoudamire all was interviewed and plasterd
everywhere on espn b.roy instead gets little
picture on the right hand corner of m.kim and
a little 15.sec clip and then the nascar story.
way to go espn yet if it was t.thomas you'll
never here the end of it.if he played in denver
or s.a. he would've had the wall2wall coverage
he rightly deserves.congrats b.roy....

i always love to remind you guys that until are superstar to be gets to portland,can you guys stop treating b.roy like he's the savior.roy is a good player but he's not in the class of wade,lebron, melo,bosh,paul,d.williams.now when pricthard gets him that stallion type of player,roy instead avg 16.2 a game will be averaging about 19-22pts a game which would put him where he belongs a star player like s.pippen.and i get a very good feelin that player will be here by either 6/27/07 or 7/15 but that player will be in portland.but i do have a great feeling about the lottery in 20 days.a great feelings..

Here's Swirsky's repsonse to the email I sent him today:

"Understand and I respect your opinion and thoughts...I also believe that Bargnani on a Portland team would score at least 17 a night.  He played less min/ took less shots than Roy.
This is NOT an anti-Brandon Roy --I like Roy...he is a terrific player and seems like a wonderful young man.

Thanks for the e-mail.

Chuck"

At least he's being nice about it. Here's original the email I sent him:
Hey Chuck,
Just curious if seeing that you were the only 1 out of 128 voters to vote for Bargniani for R.O.Y makes you feel any differently about if you made the right choice.

I read your reasoning on Jason Quick's blog. I agree that Bargiani had a nice rookie season. But it's hard to give him as much credit as you do for Toronto winning 47 games. Look at all the other players they brought in. Seems like Garbajosa, Anthony Parker, Ford and Calderon, were just as valuable (if not more so) than Bargnani. Finally, having Bosh (and playing in the Eastern Conference) seems like the biggest reason they won 47.

Swap Bosh with Randolph, and/or switch conferences with Portland and I bet you'd find the Blazers and Raps in opposite situations (in terms of win totals and making the playoffs).

Can you honestly say that if Roy played for the Raptors and Bargniani played for the Blazers, Roy would not have still won rookie of the year???

John
ps I wouldn't be making such a stink about it, if at least one other voter agreed with you. But to cost Roy the historic distinction of being a unanimous winner is a bit annoying...

Gotta love B. Roy