RealGM Toronto Raptors Front Office

Archives

Jul 17, 2008
You Want Some Wings With Those Fries Raptors’ Fans?

Jun 30, 2008
Raptorland’s New Carnivore

Jun 15, 2008
Lottery Summit: Toronto Raptors

Apr 21, 2008
The East’s Most Fateful Clash

Feb 21, 2008
Grading The Deal: Dixon For Brezec

Full Archive

Dixon Becomes Another Midas Touch From Colangelo

Authored by Andrew Russell - March 12, 2007 - 4:22 pm

Current Featured Columns

2008-09 Season Preview: Pacific Division

Shaq will be in Phoenix an entire season, Baron Davis has joined the Clippers, Maggette is with the Warriors and Artest is gone but the Pacific still belongs to Kobe and the Lakers.

Jason M. Williams. September 23, 2008.

Grading The Deal: Williams To Cleveland In Three-Way

Mo Williams just barely outperformed the first year of his new contract, but he gives Cleveland's offense a few more teeth.

Christopher Reina. August 13, 2008.

	Countdown To Take-Off Over the last few seasons, the Rockets have opened new seasons with skyscraper expectations, only to disappoint over and over again year in and year out. Can this season have a different ending or will this be another year plagued by injuries and turmoil? Derek Flack. September 30, 2008.
	The Mavs' Problem Child Josh Howard is a gifted player that is developing and improving all the time, but there is mounting evidence to show that his brain isn’t maturing at the same rate as his game. Leigh Ellis. September 21, 2008.
	Mark Your Calendars We may not know exactly who will be on the court when the season tips off for the Pacers on Oct. 29 against the Pistons, but we have a good idea of what the most interesting matchups will be. Andrew Perna. September 19, 2008.
More from RealGM's Columnists

RealGM Search

Bryan Colangelo continues to fire on all cylinders and the new addition of Juan Dixon at the trade deadline attests to his impressive GM tenure with the Raptors. This addition of hybrid guard Dixon adds to an already deep Raptor bench and affords head coach Sam Mitchell the luxury of flexibility. The former Maryland standout faced a shrinking role under head coach Nate McMillan’s system in Portland, but so far Toronto has managed to bring out his best. With increased playing time in Toronto uniform, look for Dixon to be a catalyst in a deep playoff run by the resurgent Raptors.

Analyzing the immediate impact of the trade, Colangelo and the Raptors are the obvious winners. Juan Dixon’s improved play has left NBA analysts further enamored Colangelo. Displaying to the NBA world his best King Midas impression, the Raptors GM has struck gold with his latest move.

What makes 6’3 Dixon such a valuable acquisition? There are a number of reasons why Dixon improves an already strong Raptors squad. First, Dixon is a scorer and has the ability to get hot off the bench or as a starter. Shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor in his first seven games with Toronto, he is a reliable option scoring at 11.4 points per game. Another key element to Dixon’s game, setting him apart from many is that he is a winner and a former NCAA national champion with Maryland. While this is not quantifiable via percentages or stats, it is definitely a trait that should not be overlooked.

Perhaps the biggest value Dixon brings coach Sam Mitchell is a serviceable body that can play either guard position. This provides peace of mind and potential relief against the threat of injury to the efficient Ford and Calderon combination. With the exception of the Raptors rebounding deficiencies, guard depth was an issue.

Frankly, Darrick Martin, while an excellent ambassador to the franchise, is not an option backing up the point guard position in the playoffs. His non-existent shooting threat and lack of quickness collapses the middle rather than spread the floor.

Dixon has managed the opposite effect as of late. Moreover, Dixon at the 2 allows Mitchell to play small ball and create defensive headaches for zone defenses. Overall Dixon’s insertion in the lineup has significantly contributed to improved Raptor shooting percentages in recent victories.

Commonplace in most NBA deals, is an ideology that in order to get something you need to give something up. Despite this ubiquitous proverb, Fred Jones departure from the Raptors doesn’t exactly impede the progress a strong Toronto. In fact, Jones had been virtually invisible on the post-game box score sheets for quite some time, and had seen limited minutes even further reduced. But he’s the former NBA dunk champion, you say?

Please… Tyrus Thomas and Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen have done well to ruin the prestige associated with that event. The dollars invested in Jones barely cracked the highlight reel this season, and a lofty 7.6 points per game and a less impressive 39% field goal shooting percentage had become easily expendable. Jones did not provide the explosive spark he was signed for, and as a result Dixon wasn’t exactly left with huge shoes to fill. That’s not to say Jones won’t bounce back in Portland, but he certainly wasn’t meshing well in a Raptors uniform, and Colangelo did extremely well to recognize this and move him.

While Dixon is not a marquee addition and certainly no franchise player, Raptors fans can continue to salivate over their new GM and the savvy transactions he’s made since landing in Toronto.