The defense of this team leaves something to be desired, like everything.

“It’s not about offence,” Bosh said. “It’s about defence. We scored enough points. One-hundred some odd points is enough points. It’s about defence. You have to get stops. A team that plays hard like they do, if you give them a second chance, you’re probably not going to win.”

Do you think a team with Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan as their PF would have a lot of trouble defending? I don’t think so. And if Chris Bosh wants to be in the same sentence as those guys, he simply has to do more, and be more of a leader to his teammates. Expect more from them, and lay it all out there. Not to take anything away from Bosh, because he has been terrific this season, but the teams success on both ends of the court starts and ends with him.

How do you let The Milwaukee Bucks score 52 points in the paint? Allowing Bogut to score 27? If the Raptors want to hold on to their playoff spot, their going to have to do better. The Raptors will get another shot at the Bucks tonight, we’ll see how that goes.

Last game: Jan 20, Milwaukee Bucks 113 – Toronto Raptors 107
Next game: vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Jan 22 7:00pm ET

Chris Bosh is doing it all right now for the Raptors, rebounding, making three’s, and playing at a high level. Jose Calderon is really struggling right now, but its basically a whole new team, i dont expect him to continue to play this badly once he defines his new role. Andrea Bargnani has been impressive in the early going, the Raptors need him to play defense and rebound the ball more if they are gonna make the playoffs.

The Raptors live and die by the jump shot, they look really good some nights and not so good others.

The Raptors were by far the busiest team in the offseason, the two best moves were acquiring Hedo Turkoglu and Jarrett Jack. First round pick DeMar DeRozan is an athletic wing who will see immediate playing time. Antoine Wright and Amir Johnson were the raptors most underrated moves in the offseason, Wright provides defense at the wing and Johnson provides depth and athleticism up front. Jose Calderon is a great decision maker and has lead the nba in assist-to-turnover ratio the past two seasons. Chris Bosh is the anchor of this team, at least for now and thats why the raptors are a big question mark going into the season. The Raptors still rely too much on the perimeter and with so many new players it may take time to gel on the court.

Key Additions: Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Antoine Wright, Amir Johnson, Rasho Nesterovic, Marco Belinelli

Key Subtractions: Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono, Kris Humphries

Projected Starting Lineup: Jose Calderon/ DeMar DeRozan/ Hedo Turkoglu/ Chris Bosh/ Andrea Bargnani

Key Reserves: Jarrett Jack, Antonie Wright, Marco Belinelli, Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson

-Bennice

Just when it looked as if all was lost in Toronto and Chris Bosh would either walk away during the 2010 free agency period (if he wasn’t traded before hand) the Raptors somehow were able to pry away Turkoglu from the Blazers and bring in a capable scorer to take pressure off of Bosh and others. Will Hedo be enough to make Bosh want to remain in Toronto? Only time will tell. However, he those two can team-up and help propel the Raptors back into the playoffs that will make Bosh staying a little more likely. It’s hard to expect that Hedo can help the Raptors become an elite team in the Eastern Conference, but a trip to the playoffs seems more likely.

Hedo isn’t the only new addition to the Raptors. Toronto also signed Jarrett Jack to an offer-sheet that the Pacers have already stated that they will not match. Jack will assume the back-up role of point guard behind Jose Calderon, where he should be able to thrive. He’s coming off a career year in terms of scoring goes as he averaged 13.1 PPG last season for the Pacers, but a rift between Jack and Ford put the franchise in a situation where they had to choose one or the other and they opted to go with T.J. Ford to be their point guard of now and the future.

Everyone seems to think Bosh will be gone out of Toronto in the next season or two. There are plenty of teams interested in acquiring him via trade and if the Raptors don’t trade him off then, it’s not too hard to believe he’ll wind up elsewhere during that oh-so talked about summer of 2010. But besides the summer of 2010, are there any teams who can offer the Raptors a deal worth considering to trade Chris Bosh? The Raptors hold the 9^th pick in the draft and with a solid showing this off-season, maybe they can convince Bosh to stick around.

Jerry Colangelo has been credited with putting together a nice core in Toronto, but the results haven’t been there. That’s probably because the coaching seat has been forever revolving and until they get a good, quality coach I don’t think the Raptors will reach their highest potential as a team.

By: Dustin Chapman

Transactions

• Selected Roy Hibbert 17th overall for Indiana, as a product of this draft pick being involved in the aforementioned Pacers-Raptors deal.

• Indiana selected Nathan Jawai 41st overall for Toronto, which will also be included in the Pacers-Raptors deal.

Draft night was fairly uneventful for Toronto, as they had just one [second round] pick to look forward to. However, they got decent value out of the pick, getting Australian center Nathan Jawai 41st overall. Jawai was thought of as a potential first round pick heading into the draft, and has great size to go along with developing tools that could help him make an impact in the NBA. Don’t expect Jawai in a Raptors uniform in 2009, but after a bit of seasoning overseas, he may be able to help them down the line.

Grade: C+

“With the first pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select….Andrea Bargnani” announced David Stern almost two years ago.  At that point, many were comparing him to Dirk Nowitzki, one of the the best in the game.  Many thought he could be better.

After Bargnani’s rookie season had ended, he was showing flashes of amazing potential, and stepped him game up huge in the playoffs.  At that point, even more were sure he’d be something amazing.  There were faults in his game, yes.  But surely he would get the coaching he would need to make his weaknesses his strengths.  Not everyone believed; he would undoubtedly have to silence the critics before he could climb the mountain to NBA stardom.

Halloween 2007, Game 1.  Bargnani puts up 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.  The Raptors romp the 76ers.  It seemed like a season to remember.  Game two, the Raptors defile the Nets by 37 points.  Bargnani puts up 21.  With Bosh and Bargnani playing the four and five, the future was brighter then the Toronto skyline itself.

The rest is a blur until May, when Orlando beats us in 5.  The off-season begins, 41-41. And we face a huge question.  Does Bargnani get amnesty?  His value right now is still high, and we probably could cash in somewhere.  Where exactly, is not important; but if we make the wrong decision, who knows what could happen; maybe it could be the difference between a championship and nothing a few years down the road.

What will it take to get Bargnani to take it to the next level? His good games were far from flukes, no question.  His talent is so unique.  We can’t possibly give up on him, can we? We’re all supporting him, and when Smitch didn’t for those few weeks, nothing changed.  My only other guess would be that Uros Slokar, who spoke fluent Italian helped comfort him, and let him relax a bit, I suppose.   Could that be it? Could he just be feeling alone? I am obviously not in the locker room, but I suppose it’s a possibility.

The two options are very clear, no question. The choice, not so much. Believe me, I am as confused as a drug addict doing calculus right now with all this.  But im hoping all the best for Andrea Bargnani.

       With two key dates approaching (Free Agent Deadlines & The Draft) the Raptors seem flexible.  We have excess talent at the point, and a whole in the wing, currently filled with question marks.  So, why doesn’t Bryan Colangelo simply put 2 and 2 together and trade TJ Ford, or perhaps sign and trade Jose Calderon, and trade for a player like Corey Maggette.  Then draft a big man at 17, and we’re set.

       Why won’t Bryan Colangelo doing that?  Maybe he will.  It seems to be everything we need.  Would it make too much sense? Probably.  Bryan Colangelo has a knack for doing the unexpected, then it turning out well. 

       If that’s all we do, I can see us eclipsing our 47 win record.  But why can’t we turn ourselves into contenders?  That’s what everyone wants;  The Celtics did it, the Lakers did it, and heck even we did it.  But unlike two years ago, why can’t we take it to the next level?  And for the first time ever since the inaugural season in ’95 earn some real respect. While staying young.

       Forget the depth, it took us to the middle of mediocrity.  So, while we’re paying Jamario Moon less then a million a season, lets take advantage of it, package him with Delfino, and lets get a first round draft pick  (drafting a SG to replace Parker as he ages).  Lets do what we can do to get a Gerald Wallace or Luol Deng (just throwing names out there) draft a tough big man with 17, and make Andrea Bargnani fight his heart out for minutes. 

      And as the season goes on, lets get rid of Rasho’s Expiring, and pick up what we lose during the season, whether its to injury or falling below expectations.  Bottom line is, forget the depth, forget the two point guards, the 2 and 3, and for that matter; everything but Bosh.   We were in a similar spot of building around Bosh two years ago but now we have more options.  Don’t expect something simple, I think Bryan Colangelo is going all out to put us back on the map.  And use innovation with decsions over prowess.

Again guys, hopefully im back for a bit, today was just an overview of what I hope to be writing about over the next few weeks.

June 3
SG – Wayne Ellington (North Carolina)
SG – Shan Foster (Vanderbilt)
SG/PG – Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State)
SG/SF – Danny Green (North Carolina)
SG/SF – Malik Hairston (Oregon)
SG – Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky)

June 4
C – Jason Thompson (Rider)
PG – Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga)
PG – Drew Neitzel (Michigan State)
C/PF – Robin Lopez (Stanford)
C/PF – Kosta Koufos (Ohio State)
PF – Ryan Anderson (California)

June 5
C – Alexis Ajinca (France)
SG/SF – Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis)
C – DeVon Hardin (California)
SG/SF – Mykal Riley (Alabama)
SG/SF – Brandon Rush (Kansas)
SG/SF – Bill Walker (Kansas State)

DraftExpress’ Raptors Workout Schedule
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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

According to the Toronto Sun, Raptors center Rasho Nesterovic has elected to pick up his 2008-2009 player option, which will keep him in Toronto for one more year.

Raptors centre Rasho Nesterovic exercised the player option on his contract for next season yesterday.

The 7-foot, 270-pounder averaged 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 71 games last season, his second with the Raptors.

Nesterovic, who will make $8.4 million US next season, has averaged 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 699 career games with Minnesota, San Antonio and Toronto.

He was a member of the Spurs’ 2005 championship team.

That’s right, Stephen A. – “Rahh-sho Ne-ster-ovic.”

The ten-year NBA veteran may not have held career averages, but his play to close out the regular season was more than a pleasant surprise. When second-year disappointment Andrea Bargnani was demoted from the starting lineup in late March, Nesterovic grasped his new opportunity with the ambition of a new man. Throughout the final 20 games of the regular season, Rasho unexpectedly held averages of 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.

The 2008-2009 season may very well turn out to be a career-year for the Yugoslavian big man. It’ll be interesting to see if he can pick up where he left off at the back-end of this season. God knows, Toronto could use a reliable center.

Should he not appease Sam Mitchell and his coaching staff, however, Toronto may finally have a trading chip to play with. Nesterovic’s $8.4 million expiring deal will be of value around the league.

Regardless, it’s safe to say that Nesterovic is going to make Bryan Colangelo a happy man at some point.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman