Blake Kennedy, wrote a great post on RaptorBlog pointing out the offensive struggles we have seen this season but unlike him, I saw it coming. A new coach who preaches defense first, the minimal practice time to implement a new offense and above all, the lack of guys who can create for themselves.

Andrea Bargnani was playing at an All-Star level before he was sidelined with the calf injury and this team just doesn’t have the personnel to make up for the 20+ PPG they lose with him out. Jose Calderon has been playing like the guy who was rewarded with that fat contract but he rather stay in his comfort zone of being the distributer, a bit of a problem when he is one of the better spot up shooters on this team. The Rasual Butler experiment seems to have finally come to an end as he continues to struggle with the one thing he was brought in to do but his replacement James Johnson is not someone the team can rely on offensively.

Probably the biggest disappointment so far has been the inconsistency from DeMar DeRozan. James Herbert wrote in his defense, but no matter how you slice it, DeRozan has regressed. After the most recent loss to the Blazers, DeMar admitted he is aware of the issues — “The last couple of games I have not gotten to the line. I have to be aggressive. Just going to the contact and not trying to avoid it, that’s my main issue.” He is taking more jumpers and they each look too strong and too flat. Maybe it is the adjustment he made in order to hit the long range shot but it has hindered his mid-range game a lot. Last season DeMar developed a spin move in the lane as his go to move, he has gone away from that and his resistance to contact has led to his numbers going down in almost every offensive category.

You know that phrase, basketball is a game of runs? Well the Raptors have yet to find  a way to avoid 5 minute offensive dry spells to make their runs count. Until they can get consistant production from guys not named Andrea Bargnani, they are going to be a tough team to watch. Hellloooo (Jack Armstrong voice) Kevin O’Neill era revisited!

When the Raptors took on the Nets last week, coach Casey stressed that there were “no easy wins” in the NBA and the team proved that. Unable to close out on shooters and letting Kris Humphries grab 16 rebounds were two of the many factors that did them in that night. Deron Williams ran circles around Jose Calderon and when things weren’t going well on the offensive end, the Raptors started falling into bad defensive habits from previous seasons.

The next night against the 76′ers a similar pattern began to occur. 11 first half turnovers and the inability to find an offensive flow set the team back pedalling on defense. Inconsistency seems to be trend here early in the season. Outside of Bargnani, none of the guys have been able to produce constantly on the offensive end with the SF and SG spot being the glaring issues. James Johnson brings everything the team needs on D but is an absolute black hole on offense at the moment. Rasual Butler has yet to find that range he is known for and Barbosa is less blur and more bricks these days. DeRozan too has been unable to string together a few good games from start to finish. For him he may need to reconsider how he starts off — go to the basket instead of checking if your jumper is falling.

This version of the Raptors is not going to be breaking any offensive records but once they start scrambling to score, the easy rebounds and fast breaks lead to defensive breakdowns and the rest just spirals from there. Right now this team needs to stop worrying about scoring and just keep building on the new defensive fundamentals being brought on by coach Casey. “Old habits die hard” they say, in this case, those old habits are probably going to keep this team lottery bound for one more year. For a big group of the fan base, that sounds like a plan!

Up Next: Timberwolves @ Raptors. Monday, 9th Jan. 2012

Here is what @jaysatur from Raptors.com is looking for from tonight’s matchup

I didn’t write about the Raptors while they were on the road but it wasn’t because I was mad. I really can’t hate on this team. Even though they returned with four losses, there were silver linings in each of them.

Raptors vs. Kings: Two young teams, only one with a bonafide star. The Raptors came out with a lot of energy but were not able to sustain it for a full 48 minutes. Jarrett Jack’s struggled but Calderon stepped up and reminded Raptor fans why he earned that payday a few years back.

Silver lining — DeMar DeRozan had a breakout game and his aggressiveness was an absolute positive. 12 trips to the free throw line is just what this team needs.

Raptors vs. Jazz: The Raptors dug themselves a hole early, for a team with not a lot of talent, this did not bode well. Jerry Sloan actually had a plan to make Reggie Evans ineffective on the glass. The Raptors managed to put together their best 3rd quarter in recent memory which got them back into the game but a few timely 3′s from the Jazz put an end to that comeback.

Silver lining — The 3rd Quarter. Sonny Weems’ career high 23pts. Bargnani grabbed a season high 9 rebounds.

Raptors vs. Lakers: No one believed they had a shot against the reigning champs… except the 15 guys on the bench. The Raptors gave the Lakers everything they could handle but the lack of experience showed when it came to closing out the game.

Silver lining — Heart + Hustle. The Raptors lack of talent may show on paper but they don’t hold back what they have. Amir Johnson got his groove back and DeMar held his own against Kobe.

Raptors vs. Blazers: They managed just 34 points in the first half and no one was surprised. There are going to be many nights where this team can’t get the shot to go down and they need to do the little things. The Blazers let up a couple of times but never enough to give the Raptors a real chance to get back in it.

Silver lining — The 3 point streak was in jeopardy but Jarrett Jack stepped up to keep it alive. It may be a stupid thing to hold on to but in a rough season, fans need something…

A Picture is worth a 1000 words

Just when you thought this team was getting things together on both ends of the floor, they come up with a game like tonight.

The home and home series has been a common occurrence in the NBA schedule this season. The 2nd game is always a tough get. With the Raptors riding a 5 game win streak, this was a trap game and they fell for it.

The team came out firing on offense but failed to stop the Pacers in the 1st half. The Raptors have made a habit of digging a hole and then making adjustments at half time. Tonight was different because the Pacers had game planned for various scenarios. They kept pouring it on to the tune of 42 points in the 3rd quarter and at that point the game was theirs to lose.

I could talk about the wasted offensive night from Bosh (35 points) and Bargnani (Career High, 34 points), or dwell on the fact that 3 of the guards went 1-17 on a night when the team was already playing short handed. Rather, I want to focus on the defensive end. This team has improved significantly in this area over the last 20 games, but old habits reared their ugly heads tonight.

The team was already playing short handed and Jay Triano had to wing it with his substitutions (which by the way seemed very odd tonight). While all this was going on, the team stopped communicating. Help defense was no where to be found, and the Pacers got pretty much anything they wanted in the paint.

I am a big proponent of Andrea Bargnani when it comes to his man defense. Tonight just seemed that he never got his head in the game until it was too late. Roy Hibbert abused him down low and with no communication on the floor there wasn’t anyone coming to help either. Bosh doesn’t have the same strength as Bargnani when it comes to holding guys out of the block but atleast he looked like he was trying.

I know this is just one game. Even though the Raptors gave up 130 points and allowed 7 guys to score in double figures, they can get right back on track with a win against the struggling New Jersey Nets. A good team would make sure to bounce back and make it look like that one loss was an anomaly. This team needs to keep the winning attitude and brush this game off.

One to the next one…

1. Bosh re-signs in Toronto
Raptor fans are used to their stars leaving, let’s hope things turn out differently this time. Chris Bosh is playing out of his mind and with each passing day the fans are growing ulcers from the stress of his departure. There are always the haters who don’t think he is worth it, but if there is one wish I have for the New Year it would be to lock Bosh up for the next 5 years. While he is at it, he may wanna contemplate a haircut.

2. Raptors win a playoff round
2001 was way too long ago. The fans need to let go of Vince Carter and it will only happen once this team gets to the 2nd round. The Bryan Colangelo era has been full of ups and downs but this is the best roster he has put together… its time they prove it.

3. Andrea Bargnani crashes the boards
Andrea is never going to average double digits in rebounds and I have come to terms with that. He has been known to play better in the 2nd half of the year and I would like to see his current average of 6.1 to be upped to 8 by season’s end.

4. Let DeMar Dunk
Not since Vince Carter have the Raptors had a bonafide dunker. Sure there was Jamario but he didn’t have the flair. This kid throws ‘em down with swagger and needs to be dunking on the rims at Jerry’s world in Dallas at the All-Star game. If you want to help him get there, visit the website Let DeMar Dunk and sign the petition.

5. Reggie Evans the player
For the first part of the season, we have gotten to know Reggie Evans the cheerleader. He has been a great presence on the sidelines but it is time he gets himself right and starts earning that paycheck. Amir Johnson has stepped in nicely to do what fans hoped to see from Reggie… but its time. It’s time we stop talking about his attire (crystals on jeans are still a no go for men!) and see him rocking some warmups.

6. Team D
It started off ugly, its gotten better, but they have a long way to go. If this team can come together on the defensive end they will be fighting for home court in the playoffs. Obviously the “protect our house” mantra hasn’t really worked. The house has been robbed clean! Time to switch it up, maybe they should just watch this video over and over and something will seep in.

7. Young Guns
My favorite part of this Raptors team has been the camaraderie between the young guys– Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson. I have to go way back in memory to remember seeing Raptor players showing pure joy on their faces and loving life the way these guys do. They have anointed Jarrett Jack the grandpa (even though he is 26) and have become a family along the way. Check this video and #freeamir

8. PG Rivalry
With Jose injured and Jack playing well, cue the PG controversy. Raptor fans have been through this before with the whole TJ/Jose thing and it didn’t end well. From my point of view, some healthy competition is a good thing. These two play a very different style and should be able to complement each other rather than make it a negative thing. I hope when Jose returns he is able to slide back into his role. Jack has had enough time to get to know the players which added together will only keep things running smooth for all 48 minutes.

9. Health
The Raptors have gone all season without Reggie Evans, a month with Jose sidelined and Wright is still not RIGHT. They have been lucky compared to what some other teams are going through, but these players are a big part of the plan. With Jose in the game, the offense seems to run smoother. Reggie would bring some much needed help for Bosh on the boards. Antoine is known for the one thing the Raptors lack – defense. Add these three back into the mix and it can only get better!

10. The 6th man in the Stands
Raptor fans had little to cheer for in 2009. The team missed the playoffs last season and played a lackluster style of basketball. The ACC wakes up in the playoffs but fans need to show it in the regular season. Toronto needs to become a tough place to play again and it starts with the fans in the stands… TDOT – STAND UP!

Anything I missed? If you have anything to add, throw it in the comments.

Chris Bosh will stay… but it will cost “Max Money”
He may be the forgotten man when talking about the class of ’03, but make no mistake he has always believed he belonged. With the way the CBA is structured, the Raptors maintain leverage in contract negotiations – $$ and length of contract. It was evident from the day he signed the 3 year deal, he was positioning himself to get the most money at the same time leaving the door open to go to a different team. He is still young and not at a point where he is chasing a ring, if anyone thinks money isn’t the driving factor in Bosh’s decision – they are delusional.

As a player who has had a history of knee problems, leaving $30 million on the table would be a huge risk. One bad break and he may never recover that money over the length of his career. The only way he would leave that cash is if he was guaranteed to make it up in endorsement dollars south of the border. With the economic climate unpredictable, and a significant amount of competition from other sports/teams, its highly unlikely that Bosh can be assured to have any major marketing money thrown his way. It doesn’t help that his style of play and position carry a low demand compared to Lebron, Tiger, Kobe, Jeter and Wade.

The option of leaving $30 million (approx.) on the table would only come into play if the team regresses to a point where he loses faith in the direction the team is going. If this is the case the likely destinations mentioned are New York and Miami. Both teams can give him a max contract (albeit less than what the Raptors can), but would be handcuffing the team by doing so.

New York has only 1 max contract available if projections of the luxury tax and salary cap for next season are on point. If that contract goes to Bosh, it means they can’t add Lebron or Wade to play alongside him. What is the lure to go to another struggling team that is essentially in a worse position than his current team? Miami could retain Wade and give Bosh a max contract but it would cripple the team in terms of depth.

Theoretically, it may sound like a good idea for Bosh to try to get in the spotlight, but realistically there are too many factors that make leaving the Raptors illogical at this point in his career.

Is he worth a Max Contract?
Bosh is going to get paid – one way or another. There are only a handful of superstars the rest of the teams have cornerstones. Chris Bosh may not be a 1st team All-NBA, but he is a franchise player who is the face of the Toronto Raptors. When a team is in a position to retain its franchise player, its highly unlikely that they pass on the opportunity.

Bryan Colangelo loosened his collar and went to work this off-season. One can make the case that these drastic changes were made to keep Bosh in Toronto. But, even if Bosh walks, the moves made this summer have left the team in a good position moving forward. The pressure is on Bosh to earn his contract as much as it is on anyone else in Toronto right now.

@raptorshq: A better showing than last year, but without solid defenders and rebounders in the starting five, another first-round exit.
@stackmack: excitement. enthusiasm. passion. intensity. competition. work ethic. unknown adventure. dunking prowess. athleticism. camaraderie. change.
@basketballbuzz: Raps will finish 5 or 6 in the east with a record of 45-37. CB4 all-star again. D is still an issue they will allow over 100pts pts!
@norsktroll: Lets say I’m happy my team isn’t on the hook for $130 million for Hedo, Bargs and Jack
@dinonationblog: A break out year for CB4, improved 3 point shooting but a team that will still have challenges on the Boards and D. Playoff team 5th
@altraps: team will not make the playoffs (barely), it will be an injury plagued season, Bosh will be traded in the summer. Raps win 38 games.
@Liston: 6th place. Balanced scoring. Better offensive system. Still allowing easy looks. Bargs still not tough enough. CB4 shines – best yet
@davesenior: I expect lots of talk about transition buckets without seeing any, and even less defense then last year.

Consensus: Mostly Positive

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Since this is my blog I figure I can use a lot more than 140 characters to tell it how I see it!

Going into the off-season it was evident that the product on the floor was not working and needed some repairs. As a man who hates to lose, Bryan Colangelo got to work. He pulled off this transformation in record time, leaving the Toronto Raptors looking they paid a visit to Joan Rivers’s Cosmetic surgeon and settled for the most expensive package – Result: completely unrecognizable!

On cue, I will now break down the Raptors post-surgery…

The Good: You go under the knife because you are unhappy with the way you look. Colangelo did just that with the Raptors, reworking every part of the team that wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. With 13 new faces on the roster from opening night last season, “new look” is a major understatement.

Weakness at the wing? Enter Hedo Turkoglu. Backup PG? Enter Jarrett Jack. Lack of toughness? Enter Reggie Evans. Need some veteran presence? Re-enter Rasho Nesterovic. No Bench? Enter players like Antoine Wright, Marco Belinelli and Amir Johnson.

It’s unclear if Colangelo went into this with a definitive plan but from the way it has gone down the new look Raptors should be vastly improved. With any cosmetic surgery, its all about “expectations”, and the real the result will only be visible once the bandages come off. If everything comes out as expected the team should be a shoo in for a post season appearance.

The Bad: Every type of cosmetic surgery has its healing time before the bandages come off. In the case of the Raptors, a major concern is how long will it take for this team to work out the kinks. With this level of change, I fear the adjustment period will go on longer than most would like. Every position on the team has been modified in some capacity. There are many steps the team will have to take before it the results translate into wins.

Rebounding was an issue in the past but until players settle into their roles and commit to working on crashing the boards, it will remain an issue. Team defense was non-existent, inject 10 new players and its bound to take time for them to get used to where each guy is usually on the floor, meaning there will still be issues with rotations and help defense. To top it off, all this change has to be managed by a rookie coach. He is respected by the few who were on the team last year, but building a relationship and understanding with the new faces is not going to happen overnight.

The fans will need to be patient. If the team tries to take off the bandages prematurely in order to get it rolling – there is a risk of breakdowns later in the season. Optimistic I may be, but a fair amount of growing pains are expected through the first part of the season.

The Ugly: There is always a risk when you opt for surgery and even the best surgeons can slip. Colangelo worked his scalpel to the best of his ability, but there is that chance that when the bandages come off that things don’t quite look like you had pictured them to. The newly constructed team is not immune to freak injuries, locker room issues and so forth. I have complete faith in Bryan Colangelo but one major injury could set this team back a year and a whole lot of $$

With the winds of change blowing through Raptorland, I found it fitting to share one of my favorite halftime shows. What Bryan Colangelo pulled off was almost as mind boggling as these two.

Words of praise from the believers

@gagangandhi I heard it happened, but there’s no footage. Can Bryan Colangelo really walk on water?

@leperdusier If Bryan Colangelo manages to get Matt Carroll (or a basketball) for Marcus Banks, I think we may have to declare another #BryanColangleoDay

@stackmack 9 new faces, 2 new coaches. 1st-year head coach Colangelo does not fear failure, he refuses to stand still w/ disappointment.

@dinonationblog If B.C moves Banks I have a new religion and it is Colangeloism and I suspect many Raps fans will convert.

@allancayenne Colangelo continues to work magic this off season. From now on I will call him Gandalf

@EliteGirlJen Is there anything Bryan Colangelo can’t do? I swear he once made wine from water…

@hoopsaddict If I were a GM and Colangelo was calling I wouldn’t pick up the phone

@the_tigercub If BC rally trades Marcus Banks, I’m gonna get drunk. Hammered. Beat me if you can.

@DeenLen I dreamt last night that Rob Babcock became NBA Commissioner & denied all BC trades, I woke up in the fetal position!

These are the dog days of summer when it comes to the NBA. You are trying to get excited about next season and summer league ball just isn’t cutting it.

Enter twitter…

I joined twitter about a year ago (@Nat77) and used it primarily to connect with other sports bloggers and fans. It was different from facebook because it lends itself to discussions. Slowly it began replacing my RSS reader and before I knew it I was addicted. Twitter has become a primary platform for athletes to connect with their fans and several athletes on twitter have echoed my sentiment, admitting the addiction.

Sometime last week, Charlie V(@cv31) challenged Chris Bosh(@chrisbosh) to see who could amass 50 thousand followers first. It’s not uncommon to see athletes conversing over twitter and this was a chance for fans to take part. The wager was that the loser would have to star in the winners video on Youtube. CV wanted Bosh to do the Shane Mercado and Bosh left it up to his “twitter army” to decide CV’s fate if he came out on the losing end of this. Bosh started off the challenge behind Charlie by about 2k followers but with the help of some major twitter spam, live chats and a entire country backing him – he managed to take the lead. The two started pulling out all the stops. Bosh pulled out the free stuff card and CV raised using the charity card.

This was all meant to be in good fun but at some point along the way it started to annoy the diehards. These guys were straight up begging – Charlie V even offered up $3100 worth of diamonds if he won! At any given time my entire twitter feed was taken over by the two, lost in the mix were tweets from people that were actually offering up intelligent material to ponder over. It came to a point I just wanted one of them to win quickly so my twitter could return back to normal. I found it amusing at times to see these athletes showing how bad they wanted to win even though this duel wasn’t going to be settled on a basketball court. No one likes to lose, especially two guys who play a sport for a living – winning is everything.

Late Tuesday night,  Bosh was down about 500 followers with under 1000 to go. It was the 4th quarter, it was go time and for a change Bosh came through in the clutch. He thanked his fans, CV gave him a virtual pat on the back and the world was spinning again.

In other news…

Lets NBA! – Trading away Jawai and Humphries suddenly left the Raptors lacking depth at the 5 spot. It has been widely rumored that the team is interested in bringing back Rasho Nesterovic using their bi-annual exception ($1.9M) Rasho has openly stated that he has always loved the city and the feeling is the team would welcome him back with open arms. The reunion will happen, the only question remains is – when?

Jacked Up – We are at the halfway point regarding the waiting period to see if the Pacers are going to match the offer sheet signed by Jarrett Jack to join the Raptors next season. Multiple sources have mentioned they don’t believe that Indiana is in a position to match but as we have seen this summer (See: Marcin Gortat) it ain’t over till the clock strikes 12. For what its worth, Bosh did have Jack as a guest on one of his live chats where the two spoke about Jack coming up to Toronto soon to find a place to stay – that is if bosh doesn’t plan to set up the bunk beds in his home. The two were roommates in college and from listening in on the chat, they seem to have maintained a solid friendship. I wanted the team to draft this guy in place of Joey Graham in 2005 and getting him now with the experience under his belt would be so much sweeter.

D Squared – The heir apparent in Toronto coming through “As Advertised” at NBA summer league. In 4 games, he has averaged 16.3PPG and 4.5RB (DD stats) He has been aggressive in all the games, his jump shot has been falling and aside from the production at the FT line, DeMar DeRozan is already proving to be just what this team needs. He has not shied away from having the ball in his hands in late game situations and the coaching staff have trusted him to make the correct decisions on the floor. With just 1 game left to go, he knows what he has to work on for the rest of the summer. There has been nothing but praise about this guy from the day he got drafted – check out this interview by Holly MacKenzie from the score – and we are still a few months from seeing him take the court in Toronto, but I believe this rookie will be in ROY conversations by mid January.

Delfino – $5 million? Apparently that’s what its going to take to get the former Raptor to return to the ACC. News came out yesterday that he was offered $4million a season and he was none to thrilled by that number. Personally, $4 million is still too much for a guy who didn’t show us enough the first time around and I would be hesitant to bet the bank on him. Sure he fills in some of the leaky spots in the rotation but I would much rather have Jack split time at the 1 and 2 and sign a Matt Barnes or Linus Klieza to fill the holes at the backup 3 spot. Either way we probably wont see any movement on this issue until the Jarrett Jack deal is finalized.

Every team wants to improve and most go the best player available (BPA) route, but I am convinced that the Raptors rank towards the bottom of the list when it comes to draft success. I have been following the team closely since 1997 and each year I cringe when the commissioner reads out the selection. Things started off well for the franchise with solid picks including Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady and Antawn Jamison (that became Vince Carter). You can knock Isiah Thomas for a lot of things he did while GM of the Raptors, but drafting players is not one of them. Since then it has been more of a hit and miss affair. When Glen Grunwald came on board as the GM, he brought along Jim Kelly as the head scout. Fans of the team often express their rage on draft picks and all fingers point to Jim Kelly who remains employed by the Raptors to date under the title of Senior Director, Player Personnel.

1st round picks since inception (1995): 15

Isiah Thomas Era (1995 – 1997): Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady
Glen Grunwald Era (1998 – 2002): Antwan Jamison (Traded-> Vince Carter*), Jonathan Bender (Traded), Aleksander Radojevic, Morris Peterson, Michael Bradley, Kareem Rush (Traded-> Chris Jefferies*) Chris Bosh
Rob Babcock Era (2003 – 2005): Rafael Araujo, Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham
Bryan Colangelo Era (2006 – 2008): Andrea Bargnani, Roy Hibbert (Traded)

The Raptors have never picked lower than 21st in the Draft and 9 of their 1st round picks have been of the top 10 variety. All that said, the names in the list above are far from stellar and there have definitely been some questionable picks along the way. I question why the team loves to draft based on a position they need to fill rather than the BPA. I question why the team is so caught up in character they overlook the pure talent of the player. I question the method to their madness! Of their 15 picks, the Raptors have pretty much blown 5 of them…
- Jonathan Bender was traded for Antonio Davis and that worked out better for the Raptors as Bender never lived up to the hype.
- Aleksander Radojevic played all of 12 NBA games and was the first of many big man busts to don the Raptor uniform.
- Michael Bradley managed to stay in the NBA 5 years but totaled only 173 games due to perpetually being on the injured list.
- Chris Jefferies had TMac’s sleepy look with no skill to go along with it. He made it through 2 years and a total of 72 NBA games
- Rafael Araujo somehow managed to suit up for 139 NBA games but to date this pick brings out the most rage from Raptor fans.

Every single one of these picks were made when Jim Kelly has had a major role in the scouting/draft process. I know its not fair to pick him out from what is probably a team but he has been the only constant during the time in question.

2nd round picks since inception (1995): 11

Isiah Thomas Era (1995 – 1997): Jimmy King
Glen Grunwald Era (1998 – 2002): Tyson Wheeler, DeeAndre Hulett
Rob Babcock Era (2003 – 2005): Remon Van de Hare, Albert Miralles (Traded-> Pape Sow*), Roko Ukic, Uros Slokar
Bryan Colangelo Era (2006 – 2008): P.J. Tucker, Edin Bavcic (Traded), Giorgos Printezis, Nathan Jawai

Looking at these names, there is not a single player drafted in the second round who has played at least 82 games in the NBA. That in itself is pretty telling number, because even though it’s not uncommon for players drafted in the 2nd round to never make it, a 0% success rate is sad. This information on its own may not mean much, but when you look at the percentages compared to overall draft results it gives you a clearer picture.

# of 2nd round picks – not including the Raptors (1995-2008): 400
# of 2nd round picks who have played** in the NBA – not including the Raptors (1995-2008): 136

This shows that 34% of players picked since ’95 have played at least 82 games in the NBA. The second round of the draft is where teams take that stab in the dark and the players picked are raw experiments, or as of late, cap decisions.  Bleacher Report and Hoop Doctors have covered the topic of some of the best players to come out of the 2nd round.

This information may seem like a loose end but I will be back later in the week with part 2 of this series to tie it in with players who were passed on by the Raptors. Part 3 of this series will involve comparing the draft success of teams who have enjoyed a similar level of success to the Raptors over the past 15 years.

(*) Statistics of player acquired were used for this analysis
(**) Must have played at least 82 games to qualify
All data was collected from NBA & Basketball-Reference

What we gained: It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Raptors have lacked toughness and rebounding over the past few seasons. That problem is less of a concern now with the acquisition of Reggie Evans who brings both the qualities along with some heart. Calling him the next coming of Charles Oakley may be pushing it, but Evans has been in the top 10 in rebounds per 48 in minutes over the last 6 years. He is one of those guys you hate playing against but would love to have on your team. On the offensive end one can’t expect much. He doesn’t demand touches and when he does throw up the occasional shot you are sure to cringe. This actually works out better for the Raptors as he meets their defensive needs while not coming in the way of their offensive plan (see: Jermaine O’Neal). Colangelo has gone as far as saying Reggie will be the first man off the bench and we should be getting about 15-20 minutes of burn from him. The fact that we save about $1 million a year helps – Financial flexibility, toughness and rebounding makes this a match made in heaven for the Raptors.

What we lost: A pure spot up shooter who never seemed to be able to get his shot off. The thought of a guy to spread the floor was great but it never panned out and at almost $6 million a year Kapono’s price tag outweighed everything he brought to the floor. When the Raptors signed him to that huge contract they were expecting more than a 3 ball trophy from an All-Star game. One can blame the offensive system but in essence, with all his offensive abilities, an average of 7.7 ppg is just not good enough. Throw in the poor defense and the frequent traveling calls, Kapono was redundant on this roster.

Moving forward: Bryan Colangelo keeps to his word. The fact that he is fearless is the reason he is touted as one of the best in the business. As the Raptors season came to an end, he said there will be changes and this is just step 1. While all the media and fan chatter is around the future of Chris Bosh, you can bet Colangelo doesn’t plan to sit back and watch. He hates to lose and while the rest of the world speculates, I fully expect him to execute his plan to make sure his star player remains in Toronto next season and beyond.

Hardly a surprise, the Toronto Raptors made it official by signing long time assistant coach and most recently, interim head coach Jay Triano to a 3 year contract (final year is not guaranteed). Dropping the interim tag he becomes the first ever Canadian to be named a head coach, ironically for the for the lone Canadian team in the NBA.

A little history: Triano is the 7th head coach in franchise history. He joined the Raptors as an assistant under Lenny Wilkens in 2002 and served 7 years as an assistant (with Wilkens, Kevin O’Neill, and Sam Mitchell) before taking over midway through the 08-09 season. He also served as an assistant coach with the USA Basketball Select Team in 2007 and 2008 to go along with his international experience as a former head coach of the Canadian National team.

My take: This was a safe signing for the Raptors pure and simple. After dishing out a ton of money to Sam Mitchell,I don’t believe the organization was willing to go out and reel in a big ticket coach. Names like Avery Johnson, Eddie Jordan, Jeff Van Gundy, and even unknown Ettore Messina were floating around amongst the media and fans, but I think it was pretty much carved in stone at the end of the season that  Jay Triano would become the head coach of the Toronto Raptors long term. Was this the right route to take? Questionable. But the man with the plan, President and GM Bryan Colangelo, thought it was. My initial reaction to this signing was that it had to be financial decision, but after hearing BC in the presser and knowing how much he hates to lose -a fact that has been well documented- it seems to be a choice he really believes in. There are no more excuses now, he had the option to go out and get his own “guy” and chose to stick with Jay. Triano seems to be “co-operative” and probably has shown more willingness to carry out  Colangelo’s vision than former coach Sam Mitchell did. His coaching record from last season was far from stellar but I believe that has as much to do with what he had to work with than it did his abilities as an NBA coach. He has been doing all the right things since he got placed in this position and I give Kudos to Jay for sticking to the plan and in return he is rewarded with the job security he wanted.

Moving forward: Jay has been around the players on this roster from day 1, every single one of them has joined the team after he started with the Raptors so there is no excuse of familiarity. He is known to have a good working relationship with our “franchise” player CB4, and has played a big role in developing our future cornerstone, Bargnani. It is expected that Triano will get to put together his own coaching staff and early rumblings have names like Alvin “Boogie” Williams in the mix to come on board in some capacity. What happens from there lies not in his hands but in Colangelo’s, I believe a coach can only do so much at this level. He needs a better roster to work with and that is where the real work starts.

Colangelo has always been known to be able to shake up a team and have them do an about turn in record time- he has hardware to prove it.  If he believes that Jay Triano is the right man for this job, then as a fan I am going to put my faith in him. If this all works out, BC will once again be heralded as a “genius” and if it doesn’t, we can just “BLAME CANADA“

It was about a year ago that Chris bosh called out the fans in a video asking them to get behind the team and in return he received his fair share of backlash. What gives the player the right to tell the fan’s how to react at the game? Raptor fans have been bashed around the league for lacking basketball knowledge, cheering the visiting team and on most nights chanting for pizza in a loss but one thing no one ever should question is the passion of these Raptor fans… just ask Bill Simmons or Charlie Rosen.

Keeping the core intact, Bryan Colangelo pulled off some risky moves in the off-season that were to help the team get to the next level – GM FAIL! Luckily, its never been about winning or losing but rather about heart and hustle that will rally Raptor fans to get behind the team. Call it “The Hockey Mentality” or whatever – Toronto fans can bring it… they have proven it in the past. The talent may be lacking from this team, but more so on any given night there is no passion displayed by the team to win and I can’t help but point my finger right back at the leader of the team for setting examples. The same guy who called out the fans for not getting behind the team has me questioning what he has brought to that team this year. In the 30+ games atended this season there has not been a single instance where I was convinced that Bosh was trying his hardest. There are lots of excuses – Olympics, injuries and off nights but bottom line you want us to cheer? give us a reason to do so. This is not the worst season record wise for the Toronto Raptors in their short history, but this is the first time as a fan I felt I was being robbed by the team.

All these thoughts went through my mind as I cheered through the game v/s the Indiana Pacers yesterday at the Air Canada Center. I have not seen that much hurt being put on a rim at the ACC by the home team since the days of #15. There have been games the Raptors had no business winning and some they threw away but on this day the fans rose from their seats not for the dunk or the win, but for the man who gave us a reason to cheer. In no way do I think Pops is the “Messiah” and will lead the Raptors to go 15-0 for the rest of the season, but for one day I walked out of the arena smiling knowing that the game of tug of war had been called off (for now!!).

Forget about playoff talk  and end of year awards, as a Raptors season ticket holder it’s that time of year again where I evaluate my ROI and wonder… will it get better? Multiple E-Mails and Phone calls from my account rep triggered off this open response to MLSE and the Toronto Raptors.

The Toronto Raptors are a business first and foremost and I understand that… my issue here is you need to keep your “investors” happy in order for them to keep funding your operation. I have been a STH for 8 seasons and hope to be again next year but all the flashbacks of the ’05-’06 season are making the decision much harder. I need a clearer idea on my return on investment before I fork out another 11 grand towards your product. I have heard your sales pitch one too many times and I need some answers before we move forward with this union

• You want the Fans to get behind your team, you want to reach out to a National audience, you want to fill your arena and get us to buy your $4 Cokes… What are you going to do that should make me believe next season will be any better?
• This year you don’t have the playoffs to use as a reason for us to give you our money in March you really think being in a lottery for a free TV is enough to lure me to re-up this early?
• How do you want me to maintain my loyalty to the team when you as an organization made a deal that eventually led to me not being able to watch 1/3 of the Raptor games?
• A discount on tickets is not going to cut it… what happened to all the other perks?
• As a team 9th in attendance and in the top tier when it comes to renewal rates do you not have money in the bank to provide us with real half-time entertainment anymore? Watching two guys miss dunk after dunk is only amusing the first time around…

Bottom line, I am emotionally invested in this team, but there comes a time when you have to separate emotions as a wise investor would and re-evaluate your position. For now the ball is in my court and I don’t appreciate being hounded by you every March when come October you are already coming up with excuses for why the season was a disappointment.

Signed,
Heels on Hardwood

PS: I spent the first 10 games of the season staring up at that HD setup you boasted about all summer long, unfortunately it was not in awe that I looked at it each time but rather I kept checking to see when it would actually work!!!

As you know by now I am all about the numbers. I know they don’t tell the whole story but you can get a pretty good idea how the game is going to go if you just look at the numbers… history don’t lie!

The Toronto Raptors have yet to find a player since Vince Carter who can have the ball at the end of games and you know he is going to make something happen. According to 82games Kobe Bryant is the most clutch player in the NBA and one could probably guess that without looking at the stats. This season we have seen the most unlikely players step up to take the big shots (Roger Mason Jr. WHAT!!) yet the Raptors turn to Bosh and time and time again he comes up empty. Today’s game against the Jazz was just another example when the Raptors were up 1 late in the 4th I turned to my friend and said “now its time for Bosh to blow the game.”

Thing is I am not just trying to point out to game winning shots but the little things like boxing out to get rebounds, knowing time and score, making the right pass or simply knowing to call a timeout. CB4′s hands turn to butter and all signs of having a basketball IQ seem to disappear at the 5 minute mark of the 4th. The stats rank him 30th behind players like Al Jefferson, Danny Granger and even his long lost best friend T.J Ford. When it comes to game winning shots bosh doesn’t even make the cut going 3-15, but with 8-8 from the line, 2 assists, 0 turnovers (albeit the Raptors haven’t been in a position to take too many of those this season so the sample size is small).

I understand that on most teams you don’t have the C or PF taking the last shot so its unfair to compare him to many on those stat sheets, but when the team has been built around him the least he can do is give his teammates a chance to come through when he can’t. Sometimes its about the little things, Chris Bosh has been in the NBA 6 years and he still remains the anti-Jordan when it comes to the last 5 minutes of the game.

Clutch stats from 82games.com
Game winning shot stats from 82games.com