Hakeem, Houston's Dream, Toronto's Nightmare

By SPA

Many people reading this will think of us as complainers, and sofa coaches. We would agree,  and admit that it is easy for us to sit back and criticize Glen for his mistakes after he's made them. However in your current jobs, if your manager made as many mistakes as Glen has in his, and cost your company as much as Glen has cost MLSE, would your manager still be employed?

Having said that, let me be the first to say the following:

We were proud of him when he realized that his Mark Jackson experiment was a mistake. Mark was too slow, if not too old for this league. Sure he could play the game offensively, but his inability to move his feet, and keep up with the young studs that were playing the point throughout this league proved to be too much of a liability.

We will also stand up and salute him for his ability to trade Aleksanadar Radojevic and Kevin Willis, essentially for Keon Clark and Eric Montross. After all, Keon had height, he had versatility and most of all he presented match up nightmares, even for Shaq. No centre could keep up with him, and no forward, except maybe Kevin Garnett was big enough to stop him. It seemed perfect! Antonio with his back to the rim, and Keon cleaning up where it was necessary.

So where did it all go wrong?

The Nightmare known as Hakeem.

Yes it was a gamble, but why? Why gamble with $18 million and a player who has not played in more than 58 games since the 96-97 season. That's at least 24 games a year on the IR list. Proponents of the signing argued that the signing would prove beneficial in the playoffs, would someone please explain that one to me. How does a player who can not contribute during the regular season, suddenly step up and produce in the play offs? If that is your justification for this signing, then please just leave this site now, because nothing I say will make any sense to you.

Grunwald blew it, plain and simple. the writing was on the wall. Houston did not want him back. Sure they were rebuilding, but if he could not contribute on a rebuilding team, then how could we expect him to contribute on a team vying for the number 1 seed in the east? In the end, Hakeem is back at home in Houston, costing us $6 million a season and Keon is part of arguably the best front court in all of basketball with the Sacramento Kings. Wow, the Kings management must love the Raptors. If Keon wins the NBA title this year, and believe me, his addition to the Kings makes them the favourite to do so, then he should send a thank you note to Grunwald for the blunder that is known as the Dream.