Turkoglu Joining Euro-Trash In Toronto

Hedo Turkoglu was the main man for Orlando in the NBA Finals. Now he’ll be the main man north of the border for the Toronto Raptors, whether Chris Bosh likes it or not. The 30 year-old Turkish native was on the verge of signing in Portland, but personal reasons brought him to the cultural hub of Toronto. Reports indicate that proximity to Turkey, the large Turkish community in the cultural mosaic of Toronto and the attractiveness of the city itself all lured Turkoglu to Toronto. It wasn’t about the money.

Surprisingly, it isn’t about winning NBA Championships either.

Let’s face it, Toronto stinks. The Raptors betting faithful were left with pockets full of lint after their team plummeted to a 33-46-3 ATS record last season, finishing as the fourth worst suckfest in the Eastern Conference. Sam Mitchell was the Coach of the Year in 2007, and in 2008 found himself looking for a new line of work. Colangelo moved T.J. Ford in a mind numbing trade for Jermaine O’Neal, who quickly became Shawn Marion instead.

The experiments in Toronto have all blown up in their faces, and Jay Triano has been entrusted with a team that never had a game breaker. With Turkoglu in the ranks, they now have that player. But the question is whether or not Toronto will ever put Turkoglu in a position to be the assassin he became in the NBA playoffs last season.

Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors’ top draft pick a few years ago, is their starting center. While Bargnani shows hot streaks of talent and potential, he can never maintain it. The fact that he’s softer than overcooked pasta makes Toronto’s front-court abysmal. Couple that with the fact that Chris Bosh is being outed as a doughy complementary player as well, things do not look good for Turk and the Raptors.

All things considered, why Turkoglu went from the Trailblazers at +2000 to win the NBA Championship, to a league joke like the Raptors (who are +10,000 to win the NBA title) is beyond me. Personal reasons aside, when you play to win the game like Turk does, you go to a championship contender.

Bright lights, family serenity and a $56 million contract aside, Turkoglu has made a career of playing for teams that could never get over the hump. He played for a legendary Kings team that never got past the Lakers. He played one season for the Spurs in 2003, but then bolted for the up-and-coming Magic in 2004. Those three teams were at least playoff contenders that simply failed to overcome the final hurdle.

The Raptors can’t even get to the dance, let alone drop a two-step. Turkoglu’s chances of winning a ring, along with the hopes of Toronto recovering as a betting underdog are as extinct as the team’s namesake.


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