All Im going to say about this is that: "Its about god damn time."Quote:
Raptors release Babcock
MLSE CEO Richard Peddie said in Thursday's press conference the Raptors needed a more experienced general manager to lead the team to success.
TORONTO (CP) -- The Toronto Raptors, frustrated by a lacklustre season and string of poor results, fired general manager Rob Babcock on Thursday.
The move came one day after Toronto's record dropped to 14-29 following a 104-88 loss to visiting Chicago. It was their third straight loss.
Only New York (13-27), Atlanta (11-29) and Charlotte (11-32) have worse records.
"A general manager is evaluated in large part by the results of his decisions," team president Richard Peddie said during a news conference. "Unfortunately those results have not met our expectations."
Team adviser Wayne Embry takes over on an interim basis. A search for a full-time successor is underway, said Peddie.
The Raptors were playing their first home game in nine days after going 1-4 on a western road swing that ended in ugly fashion -- Kobe Bryant's historic 81 points in their humiliating loss to the Lakers, followed by defeat in Denver.
Toronto started the season at 0-9 and finished November at 1-15.
The Raptors were 47-78 on Babcock's watch, 33-49 last season.
Babcock joined the Raptors on June 7, 2004, in his first GM stint. He replaced longtime GM Glen Grunwald, signing a four-year deal with a Raptors' option for a fifth.
He inherited a team hamstrung by financial restrictions and with a superstar who wanted out.
Babcock arrived with a team-first philosophy and mandate to rebuild around young star Chris Bosh, hoping to assemble a roster of players who weren't just talented on the court, but decent people off it.
But he quickly discovered it wouldn't be easy, and questionable moves such as the Vince Carter trade and drafting centre Rafael Araujo dogged him to the end.
His rocky tenure in Toronto started less than a month into his new job when he selected Brazilian bust Araujo with the No. 8 pick in the NBA draft.
Then in the move that came to define his time here, he traded disgruntled Carter to the Nets on Dec. 17. 2004, getting little in return -- seldom-used Aaron Williams and Eric Williams, Alonzo Mourning, who cost the Raptors $10 million US to buy him out of his contract, plus two draft picks.
Babcock was also criticized for signing volatile point guard Rafer Alston to a $30-million-US, six-year deal in July, 2004. Alston became a major locker-room headache last season, getting in well-publicized squabbles with coach Sam Mitchell.
This past off-season was a little more promising, as the Raptors traded Alston to Houston for Mike James on the opening day of training camp, touted as one of Babcock's best moves.
He also signed free agent guard Jose Calderon, who is a definite keeper, and in the 2005 draft, selected Charlie Villanueva at No. 7 and Joey Graham with the 16th pick. Babcock took some serious heat for taking Villanueva, but the rookie out of Connecticut wasted little time in proving his critics wrong. And Graham has shown plenty of potential as a tough defender and decent scorer.
Babcock had preached patience, warning that his rebuilding Raptors would struggle this season. His blunt assessment in September surprised some.
"There will be growing pains, no doubt about it," Babcock told the Toronto Sun. "Whether we win or lose more games than last year, I think if you look at us on paper, we probably will not win as many games as last year.
"We more or less have the same team back with the exception of Donyell Marshall, who was an integral part of our team last year. We're replacing him with rookies."
Some also wondered about Babcock when it was reported that he wore earplugs to Toronto games to block out criticism from the stands.
The fans were quick to lose patience. Once one of the top teams in the league in attendance, the number of fans through the turnstiles has plummeted over last season and this year.
Toronto dropped to 16th in the league in attendance last season, and with the return of the NHL this year, things have been bleak for basketball at the Air Canada Centre.<
Babcock, 53, spent 12 seasons in Minnesota before his move to Toronto, his last two as Minnesota's vice-president of player personnel. His highlights in Minnesota included the Timberwolves winning 58 games in 2003-04, a franchise and Western Conference best; overseeing the team's drafting of former league MVP Kevin Garnett in 1995, and working with team president Kevin McHale on the acquisition of all-stars Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell in the 2003 off-season that helped propel the team to the Western Conference final.
Babcock has a Master's degree in secondary education and psychology from Arizona State University in 1977.
He played at Grand Canyon College, leading them to a second-place finish in the 1974 NAIA final regional rankings.
The Babcock name is well-known in NBA circles. His brother Pete is a former longtime NBA general manager and is the Raptors' director of NBA player personnel, while brother Dave is a director of scouting for the Milwaukee Bucks.
