2007-2008 Raptor Report Card

First of all, I want to thank all the people that read the first blog entry. As I write this, the hits continue to go up and whether you read the entire thing or just a paragraph, thanks. I’m new to this whole blogging thing so I’m not sure how many views would constitute a ‘successful’ debut but I feel good about the fact there have been 175 in the first 5-6 hours or so of its existence. Also, shout out to Arshan Jamshed, who did some graphical work for me for this blog, which will debut sometime in the future. I’m still working out the kinks of the set-up on here. Now, I’ll get on with the real business.

The Toronto Raptors had an up and mostly down season – we all know that. As a team, the collective production wasn’t what we were all expecting when they returned from training camp overseas in October. However, now it’s time to grade each individual’s performance this season – at least in MY opinion. I’m sure everyone has a different one but that’s what this is all about. To summarize, I will go through the roster player by player to do the pros, cons, outlook and final grade of each. Let me just clarify that the grades don’t mean “This guy is better than that guy”. It’s simply a reflection of their season, independent from everything else. And here we go..

Andrea Bargnani

78 GP, 10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.5 bpg, 1.1 tpg, 38.6% FG, 34.5% 3PFG, 84% FT in 23:53 mpg

Pros: Andrea Bargnani came in last season as the #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft and was being touted as possibly the next Dirk Nowitzki. By the end of the season, there weren’t too many people that were disagreeing with that. This season, Bargnani did improve his positional defence. He also kept the ball moving in the offence when it was swung to him and he attacked the basket just as well as he did last year. While those forays into the paint looked a bit awkward on television, they were effective for the most part. Unfortunately, the ‘pros’ section doesn’t have much to offer. Andrea basically took a step back in every other conceivable way..

Cons: Where to begin? Just looking at the statistics compared to last season, there were decreases all across the board. He didn’t shoot the ball with the same accuracy or efficiency; he didn’t score as much, didn’t rebound as much, didn’t block or steal as much and as a result, played a minute or two less. After the promise that his early career showed last year, he’s made a lot of haters and skeptics this year. His help defence has been non-existent for the second year in a row. He wasn’t able to find his jump shot even though teams left him open the majority of the time – whether it was by design or not. Andrea had all the same shots as last season and what did he do? Nothing. He was not an impact player for more than a handful of games this year and this isn’t the frustrating part. The HARD part is the fact he showed so much last year and instead of taking a step forward or even keeping the status quo, he took a step BACK. Like I covered yesterday after the exit interviews, everyone on the team knows Andrea’s importance to the team and what he means to their long-term development. He didn’t do anything very well for any extended period of time this year EXCEPT play tough positional defence because he’s a deceptively strong player. If Andrea sunk the same shots he did last season, would the result have been the same this year in the regular season OR the playoffs? Like Chris Bosh said, it’s better not to live with ifs.. in this case, it’ll just leave him irate.

Outlook: The team seems to have Bargnani’s summer mapped out pretty well. He’ll be having nasal surgery very soon to clear up a problem from that hit Alexander Johnson delivered in Miami against the Heat late in the season. Andrea will then presumably spend some time in Italy to rest, although he won’t be training with the national team like he has in the past. After that, he’ll be going to Las Vegas for a camp, then he’ll be working with John Lucas, which will hopefully toughen him up. The simple fact remains that this Raptors team will go as Andrea Bargnani goes. He has been a microcosm of their season this year with his inconsistent and sometimes downright invisible play. He was supposed to be the star to help Chris Bosh lead this team to a Championship in the future and I don’t think the window has closed on that chance. However, the fact remains that Andrea himself has to improve on his game and play with a lot more fire and passion. He has a lot of people in his corner but it’s fair to say next season is do or die for the 22-year-old. As Jack Armstrong says from a Bill Parcells quote, “Your first year, you don’t know. Your second year, you find out that you didn’t know. Your third year, you better know”. Enough said.

Grade: D-

Maceo Baston

15 GP, 2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.2 apg, He’0.1 spg, 0.3 bpg, 0.3 tpg, 68% FG, 70% FT in 6:54

Pros: Maceo Baston tried his best when he got onto the floor for the Raptors this year but the fact is it rarely happened and when it did, the game was already out of reach or they were in severe foul trouble. There really isn’t much to grade here.

Cons: Again, you can’t knock a guy for what he does on the floor when he gets seven minutes of playing time every five or six games of the year. He just wasn’t what the Raptors thought they might be getting but then again, there’s a reason the Indiana Pacers didn’t want him back in free agency last year.

Outlook: It’s funny how Maceo Baston got paid $1.8 million this year while Jamario Moon made the league minimum. Now, I know it’s not my concern how much each guy makes but it’s just ironic. Baston’s on the books for next year at $2 million from the Raptors’ biennial exception and I really don’t see him getting any more playing time than he did this year. They had such a need for interior toughness, defence and rebounding – qualities that he was believed to possess – but it obviously didn’t work out. I don’t see him getting cut and paid to do nothing so if anything, he might be thrown into a trade to make the salaries work. If he couldn’t help THIS season up front, he probably never will.

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Chris Bosh

67 GP, 22.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 2.3 tpg, 49.4% FG, 40.0% 3PFG, 84.4% FT in 36:12 mpg

Pros: Chris Bosh had another excellent, All-Star season. He ended up starting the game again due to Kevin Garnett’s injury and I think top to bottom, had a good year. He was one of the league’s top scorers, finishing in the top three or four guys in the East. He continued to rebound the ball at a reasonable pace considering he got a little more help this season than last. Bosh had a very good December, January and seemed poised to break out after the All-Star break but that injury held him back. I think we can all say Chris Bosh probably matured more off the court this season than he did on it. He has definitely taken on the role of a leader and everyone on the team knows who that guy is now, just in case they might’ve been doubting it after last year. At 24 years old, Bosh is a 3-time All-Star and does everything pretty well. I think he really proved himself in the playoffs this year too. Second only to LeBron James in the East as far as scoring goes, he put last season’s disappointing series against New Jersey behind him. They really roughed him up and even though I don’t think he saw that type of defensive intensity against Orlando, he might’ve gotten bruised up a lot more when the Raptors went small and he had to guard Dwight Howard. The fatigue showed but his playoff performance in the Game 4 loss was amazing.. there’s no doubt who the man in Toronto is.

Cons: Like anyone, Bosh has weaknesses. I think far too often, he waits before making a move and it hurts the team. CB4’s game is based upon speed and agility, being able to beat his man to the basket on that quick first step. However, when he squares up facing the basket and seems to posture himself a lot before making a move, the defences always seem to collapse on him, trap and force him into turnovers that lead to transition opportunities and fast break points. It’s not like this happens every possession because Bosh has learned how to pass out of double-teams better but it’s still something he needs to work on. Also, I’d like to see him go back down on the low blocks. I realize that mid-range jump shot is almost automatic but he takes himself out of rebounding position when he goes out there and on a team that struggles to grab boards, he has to consider that. I don’t think it’ll be a problem next year since BC will probably address it but just in case it doesn’t work out, Bosh needs to spend more time down low. He had Jamario Moon helping him on the glass this year so I can understand the decrease in rebounding. Chris’ overall defence needs to improve by leaps and bounds if he wants to be a true elite superstar. He may already be there but I think he can do even better. His positional defence is not good at all in the low post and he’s not playing out of position at the power forward spot so he needs to be able to guard his man and not be so easily overpowered. His help defence is better but the one block per game is nowhere near enough for a guy with his athleticism and length.

Outlook: Like I said above, Bosh could get a lot more blocks in a season than the one per game he got this year – I think that could be up near 1.8 or 2.0. There’s no excuse for it. He’s come back every year looking a little bit stronger than the year before. I think we all know he’ll never bulk up and be huge, and we should hope he doesn’t because it would kill the strength of his game. In all honesty, other than the defensive side of the ball, Bosh just has to keep doing what he’s been doing. I think if he got some front court help and additional complementary scoring, the Raptors would be a lot better off. CB4 may play in the Olympics this summer in Beijing for USA Basketball if they choose to bring him back. It’s a little up in the air since he missed last year’s tournament in Las Vegas with plantar fasciitis, which really hurt him early in the season.

Grade: A

Primoz Brezec

13 GP, 3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.1 spg, 0.2 bpg, 0.3 tpg, 44.7% FG, 66.7% FT in 8:24 mpg

Pros: Primoz Brezec brought the energy whenever he was on the floor this season. He took the open shots that were presented to him, crashed the boards and tried to get extra possessions for his team and just did a decent job overall. Again, he got limited playing time even though I think we all expected he might crack the rotation because of his style and the Raptors’ needs. It didn’t happen and I would estimate he played less than half of their final games after the trade deadline when he was acquired for Juan Dixon.

Cons: Primoz’ energy is both his biggest strength and greatest weakness. He managed to get technical fouls in back-to-back games at the end of the season. He talks way too much for a guy with his skill set. It’s great to have confidence and bravado but when that turns into arrogance – which he seems to have – you have to be put in your place. He spent a lot of time talking trash, jawing with the referees and of course, bad-mouthing Sam Vincent to anyone within hearing distance.

Outlook: Primoz’ deal with the Raptors expires and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. I would be very surprised if he was brought back to the team. Again, I liked his energy and enthusiasm but in the end, he was just another big that couldn’t contribute anything to the team as far as addressing their needs. It was funny having him here for that two-month cup of coffee but I’d be mildly shocked to find out he was signed to a new deal in Toronto.

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Jose Calderon

82 GP, 11.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 8.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.1 bpg, 1.5 tpg, 51.9% FG, 42.9% 3PFG, 90.8% FT in 30:18 mpg

Pros: Jose Calderon had an AMAZING breakout season. We saw flashes of brilliance at the end of last year when Jose started to transition from being just a regular back-up to establishing himself as being a worthy starter. This season, from beginning to end, Jose has been lights out. Yes, he’s had a couple bumps in the road here and there but nothing that lasted for more than a game at a time. Jose became the reliable, calming force on the team whether he was starting or coming off the bench. He proved that the first season he had in the NBA was an aberration as far as his shooting goes. He was great from everywhere on the floor for a perimeter player and managed to do something only Steve Nash is known for doing: posting at least 50% field goal percentage, 40% 3-point percentage and 90% free throw percentage. You can couple that with his efficiency as a playmaker that averaged over eight assists per game and led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio and you get a hell of a breakout year for Jose. Oh, and he’s got his own chant at the Air Canada Center too. Jose has always been a fan favourite here in Toronto and his conduct this season with the point guard controversy has been refreshing. He is a selfless star worthy of starting on most teams in the NBA. How can you argue with someone that’s just as good a player as he is a person?

Cons: There aren’t many for Jose. I subscribe to the theory that Jose didn’t shoot the ball as often as he could have. You would hear guys like Leo Rautins say it on TV as well. He’s so interested in getting everyone else involved, he ignores his ability to score. When he turns that corner for the diving lay-up, how often does he get blocked by anyone not named Dwight Howard? His three-pointer has become so reliable, it’s a surprise when it DOESN’T fall. Again, there’s not much to knock Jose Calderon for this season. He’s established himself as one of the premier point guards in the NBA and..

Outlook: Well, that could end up being a problem for the Raptors. Jose Calderon is a restricted free agent this summer so any offer he receives from another team can be matched by Bryan Colangelo. BC has stated since last season that he will match any offer tendered to Jose in order to keep him in a Raptors uniform. This is coming from a guy who will make a casual statement followed by a bold move. So what exactly does it mean when he makes a bold statement? You can bet he will do everything in his power to bring Jose back to the ACC next year. Now, it takes two parties to make a deal – or in this case, could it be three? What I mean by that is even though Jose would prefer to return to Toronto and BC wants him back, the situation with T.J. Ford looms ominously in the background. T.J. has gone public and said he can’t see himself coming off the bench for 82 games in a season. While he admits Jose Calderon is a starter in this league, I don’t think that means he wants him to start on THIS team. So with that said, Jose has to think about what is best for him professionally. He’s sure to get a long-term payoff on his next contract but what about the one after that? Can he maximize his total career earnings if he stays in Toronto splitting time with T.J. Ford for at least the next three seasons of Ford’s deal? After THAT, would he be able to get as much money as he would have if he was coming off a deal with a team where he was playing 40 minutes per game? There are a lot of variables that come into play and need to be weighed for this decision. Jose needs to do what’s best for himself and his family, as much as he would sacrifice for this organization. The more probable outcome is Jose is re-signed and T.J. Ford is promptly traded in the summer to address one of the team’s needs.

Grade: A+

Carlos Delfino

82 GP, 9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.1 bpg, 0.9 tpg, 39.7% FG, 38.2% 3PFG, 74.4% FT in 23:30 mpg

Pros: No one can say Carlos Delfino didn’t play hard for the Raptors this season. I think he really endeared himself to the fans early in the season in the third game. This was against the Boston Celtics at home, the Raptors were 2-0 and looking to make a statement against the hot new team in the NBA boasting their three All-Stars and likely Hall of Famers. He played very respectable defence on Paul Pierce and in general, his defence could almost never be faulted this season. No one stepped into the line of fire more times than Carlos to try and take a charge. Also, when it comes to the swingman position, no one attacked the rim as often as Carlos did. That probably isn’t saying much when the other guys were Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Jason Kapono but it’s still something. I really think he was this year’s Morris Peterson in that he made some trick shots inside on lay-ups, played gritty defence and hit some timely three-pointers. No one can say Mo coasted and the same goes for Delfino. I think he was the second best perimeter defender on the team after AP.

Cons: Now, as I compare him to Mo Pete, I’m sure a lot of you will notice there’s a negative connotation to that as well. Mo was notoriously inconsistent in his career as a Raptor and it really showed in the 2006-2007 season. The same goes for Delfino this year. He made the trick shots, played the defence and took three-pointers but far too often, those three-pointers were ill-advised and badly timed. Also, he seemed to think he had this unlimited range that I’ve only seen Gilbert Arenas and Vince Carter hit from in my recent memory. He was content to stand outside the arc sometimes even though he was one of the guys best suited to getting to the rim, which this team sorely needed. I can’t blame a season on Delfino but like Andrea Bargnani, I consider his performance a microcosm of what happened with the team: flashes of productivity cursed by inconsistency and bad decision-making.

Outlook: Like Primoz Brezec, Carlos Delfino is an unrestricted free agent this season. He said in training camp that he viewed this as his “last chance” to prove that he belonged in the NBA. I think it’s fair to say he proved that to himself and to GM’s around the league. However, I don’t think it would make sense to bring Carlos back to Toronto. The swingman position on this team was overloaded and unfortunately, it was overloaded with inconsistency, mediocrity and underutilization. Of the four guys that played the position this year, I think Delfino is the most expendable. AP is a great veteran presence, Jason Kapono gives this team a potent weapon that they shouldn’t let go after seeing him unleash on the Orlando Magic last week and Jamario Moon is far too athletic and energetic to let go for the money he’s being paid. Delfino will get a contract and obviously the raise that goes with it for a player his age. By next season, he’ll be 26 years old and I think he definitely has a place in this league. On this team? Not so much. There’ll undoubtedly be a new scoring threat at his position next year and it’ll be cramped as it is with the holdovers from this season.

Grade: C+

T.J. Ford

51 GP, 12.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.0 tpg, 47.0% FG, 29.4% 3PFG, 88.0% FT in 23:30 mpg

Pros: Statistically, it’s fair to say T.J. Ford had a much better year last season. Beneath the numbers? One could argue this was the Little Engine’s worst season in the NBA. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. It’s hard to find the positive points in a season for a guy that missed 38% of it and then had all the off-the-court issues he did once he was back. I will say T.J. did a good job keeping his turnovers down this year to just two per game, which is way lower than previous years. This could be a result of him playing six less minutes than last season but I think from the time training camp started, this was a new T.J. He wasn’t out of control as often as he was last year and seemed to slow down to make much better deliveries of the ball to his teammates. He still had the killer instinct early in the year and that game in Atlanta in December shows what he’s capable of when his body and mind are right and in sync. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough year.

Cons: As I’ve stated before, T.J. Ford was probably my favourite Raptor and I’m still wondering if he is now. However, too much has happened in the past two months that taints his name. I don’t think he’s a bad guy or has bad intentions – I think he genuinely wants to leave a legacy behind. With or without that injury he sustained in Milwaukee when Mark Madsen sent him to the ground, I think he still would’ve wanted to be the best point guard in the NBA. He just has that chip on his shoulder. Once he had to fight through all the things he has, I think that would fuel him even more to succeed and leave a mark on this game and league. The sad part is that personal drive has finally put the team in a compromising position. When he went down to injury, Jose Calderon took the reins and made it clear he was also worthy of starting on most teams in the NBA. For better or worse, he probably should’ve continued starting even after T.J.’s return from that hit in Atlanta. The fact is Ford tied the team’s hands when he began to pout and his production dropped off dramatically when he came off the bench. As a coach or even teammate, if you see a two-headed monster turning into one head because Ford just isn’t the same off the bench, it’s in the best short-term interests of your team to put him back as a starter just to salvage the season. However, Jose was wronged in the whole ordeal even though he suggested it. I think T.J. was on course for an unbelievable season. We saw it start in that same Celtics game early in the year and he had his best all-around game of the year against the Hawks. Then he hit the potential game-winning alley-oop lay-up against that same team that was negated. T.J. had some high highs but some very low lows and he got back to playing out of control basketball down the stretch of the season. When Anthony Parker is voicing his displeasure in the media over the ball handling on that West Coast trip, you know there’s a problem..

Outlook: I think I’ve covered this in the Jose Calderon outlook section. This rests partly – and maybe most importantly – with T.J. to decide where this point guard duo goes. Can he handle coming off the bench if Sam and his staff deem that’s the best thing for the team? Can he continue to handle a 24/24 split of the minutes? Could that change through some line-up changes that allowed the two of them to play together more often when the team goes small? It didn’t work this year so chances are it wouldn’t work next year either. I personally don’t think T.J. will be back next year and it’s an opinion shared by a lot of people. It’s a real shame because even though he may be more susceptible to injury, he still has the potential to be a star point guard. I think we all see flashes of that brilliance every now and then and it’s frustrating because unless it comes consistently, it’s not going to help you become a Championship-calibre team. I’ve always said “Jose Calderon makes the sure, safe passes and T.J. will make the ones you never saw coming”. He does a great job of probing the court and his vision is amazing but his attitude is what will decide his future here. If he can swallow his pride to be part of something really special, I’ll be surprised. Could it work? Yes. Will we get a chance to see it? No.

Grade: C (IMCOMPLETE could work too)

Jorge Garbajosa

7 GP, 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.1 tpg, 32.0% FG, 37.5% 3PFG in 10:30 mpg

Pros: Now this is really difficult to gauge for obvious reasons. The times Garbo was on the court, he still played decent defence and hit timely shots. I remember one game in particular early in the year when the Raptors were struggling, Garbo came in and started doing his thing and the ACC crowd went nuts. He just has that tough guy aura about him and Toronto fans love it. It’s the hockey mentality, I guess. But again, there’s not enough of a body of work to really say much..

Cons: I can’t fault Garbo for anything when the guy got a few DNP-CD’s due to his injury and then the few times he did play, it was for ten minutes. This is the definition of incomplete.

Outlook: As I touched on yesterday, Jorge Garbajosa will not be taking part in the Olympics with Spain. He was a big part of their World Championship team in 2006 and was a calming influence in the tournament last year even though he didn’t play a lot. Raptors fans always lament the loss of Garbo for last season and this season’s playoffs. I’m sure it eats him up inside that he hasn’t been able to play with his teammates in such important situations. I saw him at Best Buy downtown right before or after his surgery when he was wearing a boot over his injured leg buying PlayStation 3 games. The guy was miserable and you could tell he hated the position he was in with regards to the team. I maintain the Raptors would’ve beaten the New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic if they had Garbo at their disposal. He’s just so smart, tough and skilled that he’s invaluable to your team. When you hear people talk about that “glue” guy with the intangibles, that’s Garbo. Hopefully he returns next year at 100% in training camp so the Raps can get back to playing their style of basketball.. with a few new tweaks, of course.

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Joey Graham

38 GP, 3.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.1 spg, 0.6 tpg, 43.4% FG, 66.7% 3PFG, 84.4% FT in 8:41 mpg

Pros: I don’t think Joey was totally useless when he came off the bench this year. The problem is he was never playing with a purpose or like he had something to prove. He only got garbage time minutes and a few when the team had some injuries and needed a guy off the bench. His athleticism was still there this year but I just find it really hard to pinpoint a lot of positives in a guy that played once every two or three nights and only for eight or nine minutes.

Cons: Where do I begin? When Joey Graham was drafted in 2005, the Raptors were thought to have had one of the best draft nights of the entire thing. They took Charlie Villanueva with the 7^th pick, Joey with the 16^th pick and managed to get Roko Ukic and Uros Slokar in the second round. People believed that the Charlie and Joey picks could’ve actually been reversed and the Raptors would still be justified in doing so because Graham was considered possibly the best overall ‘athlete’ in the draft. He was bench pressing as much as the strongest guys – if not more. He was jumping as high as the best leapers – if not more. He just seemed like the perfect mix of size, strength and athleticism all injected into an Antonio Davis-like physique. So where did it all go wrong? Joey’s own head. For the last two seasons, Joey would talk a big game in training camp about how this was his year and his opportunity to make an impact. Then whenever he had one standout game after nine or ten, he’d talk about his God-given talents and how he always remained confident. News flash: you don’t have a lot you should be confident in. Joey has successfully wasted three years of his NBA career after effectively spending five years in college. What we have now is a player turning 26 in June who has a lot of ‘upside’ but hasn’t shown it consistently enough. When he got opportunities, he didn’t capitalize on them. On a team so desperate for defence and rebounding – areas Graham should excel in due to his skill set – it says a lot that Sam Mitchell hasn’t played him more. Where’s the work ethic? Where’s the drive and passion to be great? He claims to have it but like the saying goes, “You can’t talk the talk unless you can walk the walk” and right now, Joey’s got no legs.

Outlook: Who’s to say a change of scenery won’t ignite the flame under Graham after years on the bench? He still has all the tools but entering his fourth season, which teams will take a chance on him? I believe the Raptors exercised the option on his deal for next year so he’ll be with them to start the year if he isn’t traded in the offseason. Will it really matter? I don’t think so. The Raptors are going to be stacked at his position, especially if the team brings in that 20-point scorer they’ve been talking about. Joey will be buried yet again so I say move the guy and his $2.5 million. What a waste.

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Kris Humphries

70 GP, 5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.4 bpg, 0.7 tpg, 48.4% FG, 60.5% FT in 13:11 mpg

Pros: This is another guy who never cheats the team with his effort. When Hump gets into the game, he goes all-out in the paint and anywhere else he’s needed until he’s substituted out, drenched in sweat and panting for breath. That’s how every bench player in the rotation should leave a game, knowing they played until they couldn’t play anymore. Humphries was very good on the glass this year considering the minutes he played He attacked it on the offensive end and found ways to get his team extra possessions. I don’t know if he had the same impact he did last year down the stretch of the season but statistically, this was better. I think that’s a good sign considering BC extended his deal for another three seasons, ending in 2010-2011. His shot looked just as awkward as before, but it fell pretty well this season. He’s the JYD-type hustle guy this team needs once in a while.

Cons: I’m sure a lot of people have seen Hump’s scrums with the media where he talks about being a better player than he gets to show on this team. I think that’s accurate because he was a star at the University of Minnesota. It seems like if he got some consistent playing time behind the starters, he might be able to turn into something good but this is also what’s so frustrating about him. He’ll come into a game and take some ill-advised jump shots or be so zoned into trying to score that he’s missing open lanes to the basket or failing to swing the ball to the open man. This Raptors offence is predicated on ball movement and of course, shooting, and when you have a guy acting as a ball stopper once in a while, that stalls the offence. I can totally understand wanting to prove himself to the coaching staff but sometimes he goes a bit overboard and hurts the team. He needs to improve on his free throw shooting as well. As such a physical player, he can get there more often if he wanted to and when he does, he needs to hit at better than 60%.

Outlook: Again, Hump was extended through 2010-2011 so he’s got three seasons left on that deal. I’m pretty sure BC saw something in him to go out of his way to extend a guy that was coming off the books after the end of this season. I don’t know what he’s getting paid but I’m sure it’s not too much so it doesn’t hurt to have an energetic player like him on the team. I could see Hump being thrown into a trade as a filler contract just because the number will be so small even with the years left on it. However, the more likely outcome is he returns to the team as the first or second big off the bench. I just have a feeling Rasho won’t be back with the team next year.. we’ll see how that goes.

Grade: C+

Jason Kapono

81 GP, 7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.7 tpg, 48.8% FG, 48.3% 3PFG, 86.1% FT in 18:53 mpg

Pros: Jason Kapono is the best three-point shooter in the NBA. There’s no arguing that. He’s won the three-point shootout at All-Star Weekend two years in a row, as well as having the highest percentage from long range during the regular season over that same span. But to me, the best part about JK is that he doesn’t play a one-dimensional game. Previous “three-point specialists” just used a lot of movement, found their shots and they did their job. However, when teams close out strong on Kapono and force him to make a move, he always makes the right one. I’ve heard people talk about his lack of athleticism but intelligence will always make up for that – see Garbajosa, Jorge. He’s smart enough to take that one dribble inside and pull up for another shot or swing the ball to an open man. Also, like we saw in the playoffs this year, he is a big-time performer and will put his body on the line against the strongest guy in the league if it’ll give his team a better chance to win. He’s obviously a comedic voice in the locker room, always cracking jokes and making fun of himself and another impressive quality he possesses is professionalism. Here he is, the best shooter in the NBA with the accolades and statistics to prove it, and Sam Mitchell somehow didn’t find more time and touches for him in the regular season. In the five playoff games, he had more three-pointers than the final four months of the regular season combined. That’s insane. We’ve seen what he’s capable of when he gets hot like that game in Indiana back in December.. JK is downright scary.

Cons: There aren’t many. Obviously, Kapono isn’t the quickest guy and doesn’t really jump that high. His defence is his greatest weakness because he was almost a pylon in the regular season. However, he did show a lot of improvement in the playoffs by staying in front of his man. Whether or not that carries over to next season is anyone’s guess but if he had it in him then, he can do it any time. One part of Kapono’s game I don’t like that has to do with coming in off the dribble is that forced, quick-release tear drop he shoots in the lane. When he’s coming from the baselines, I don’t mind it but it always seems like he missed it from inside the lane when he’s making a dive cut or taking the ball in himself. It’s a really nit-picky thing to talk about but like I said before, for what Kapono is, he’s a hell of a basketball player.

Outlook: So the first season in Toronto didn’t go quite as planned but I think Sam took notice of the fact he has a spark plug on his bench capable of dropping 20 points on any given night. That’s a nice luxury to have for any coach – just ask Gregg Popovich. Now, I’m not saying JK is in Manu Ginobili’s league but he shoots the ball so well – better than anyone from outside – that you have to find opportunities for him no matter what. It would be irresponsible of the coaching staff and BC pointed it out in the final weeks of the season. I’m almost 100% JK will be back next season with about three years and $18 million left on his deal. Not only is that hard to move unless he’s packaged with someone another team REALLY wants, but I think his value to the Raptors hasn’t been seen yet. He did what he could in the minutes he was given and I have a feeling he’ll be an even bigger impact player next year.

Grade: B-

Jamario Moon

78 GP, 8.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.4 bpg, 0.7 tpg, 48.5% FG, 32.8% 3PFG, 74.1% FT in 27:48 mpg

Pros: Jamario Moon had what you could call a ‘fairy tale’ season. He’s played in countless different minor leagues in North America – even the Harlem Globetrotters – and managed to impress the Raptors brass at an invitational camp last year. From the moment I saw Jamario play, I thought he could help the team. I was a little disappointed he didn’t get into the rotation right away but it was understandable considering he had never played in an NBA game before. Moon can dunk, he can leap out of the gym, he can rebound, he isn’t a ball stopper, knows how to make the right pass, plays great help defence and his shot isn’t too bad either. This team was terrible when it came to athleticism last year because Joey Graham just didn’t pan out and everything else was based on execution and moving the ball. This year, Moon gave them what they desperately needed in the starting line-up: athleticism and length. I liken him to a poor man’s Tayshaun Prince and I’m sure people can see physical similarities as well as parallels in their games. Moon was amazing weak side defender this year, coming across the paint to swat shots. And I’m not sure if it was a lack of respect for his abilities or just being unknown but I noticed a lot of guys driving into the lane as if he didn’t exist, only to get the hell blocked out of them when he was playing them straight up the entire time. The Raptors didn’t have an answer for Luol Deng last season but this year Moon shut him down. It may be unfair to say a guy turning 28 this year is a rookie in the NBA, just as it may have been unfair to say it about Garbo last year. The fact remains it was his first season in a totally different environment, competing against a lot better talent and he didn’t get embarrassed. In fact, he made a name for himself around the league not only for his great underdog story, but for his leaping ability and appearance in the Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend. He’s a smart player as well and brings the energy on both ends of the court, leading the team in deflections, and always stays active.

Cons: Now, as good as Moon is across the board statistically and even with the intangibles, his on-the-ball defence leaves much to be desired when he’s out on the perimeter. If a guy is driving, Moon probably has the advantage. If he’s standing out on the perimeter making Apollo 33 second-guess what the next move will be, he’s at a big disadvantage. However, this isn’t something that can’t be fixed. Countless times this season, Moon would get barked at by Sam from the bench for not closing out strong on shooters and contesting those outside shots. Far too often, veteran players realized he would be anxious to block shots and with a simple head-and-shoulder pump fake, they had him up in the air to get to the free throw line. He relied on his athleticism a bit too much, backing off guys to guard against the drive but then only barely getting a hand up on their shots. For one, he’s quick enough to get a step closer and still stay with a guy if he chooses to drive. Secondly, if he DOES take that step in, contesting shots is less about jumping into the air and more about just getting your hand up and not in a token effort like T.J. Ford, but in an attempt to actually distract the opposing player and alter his shot. And of course, the main problem with Jamario Moon that’s been discussed ad nauseum: get to the rim! Jamario is so quick, so smooth, such a great leaper that he should be able to get to the rim at will. Opposing teams probably feel he has that potential as well, and they back off of him in order to make him shoot the mid-range or outside jumper, where his shooting percentages haven’t been that good. He has too many physical gifts to not get there more often. My personal opinion is the style of this team – living or dying by the jump shot – altered Moon’s style as well. He felt more inclined to shoot even though everyone and their uncle knew he was better suited to getting inside, but what can you do if a defence is playing so far off of you that you have to shoot? The alternative is not shooting and being taken out of the game by Sam.

Outlook: Apollo 33 has an unguaranteed contract for next season with the Raptors, paying him the league minimum. I would be shocked if that option wasn’t picked up considering how good Moon was for the team this year. As he stated on Tuesday, he plans to gain about ten pounds or so, bringing him to 215 pounds. If he can play at that weight, gain some strength and continue to do all the things he did this season, I’m all for it. This is a big year coming up for Moon because he could be in line for a multi-million dollar contract at the end of it. I think he’ll rise to the occasion and become a staple of the NBA – Moon’s finally landed. He’ll remain in the Raptors’ rotation next year, probably coming off the bench if they find that scorer they need to start in his place.

Grade: B+

Rasho Nesterovic

71 GP, 7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.7 bpg, 0.9 tpg, 55.0% FG, 33.0% 3PFG, 75.5% FT in 20:53 mpg

Pros: Even though he had his role on the team change several times this season, I think we witnessed the renaissance of Rasho’s career. Whether that’s due to the inspiration from his son’s birth or just getting back down to the basics, he’s had a very solid season. Obviously, the most important thing he brings to the team is his low post positional defence. He’s not the quickest guy and he doesn’t have much athleticism in his bag of tricks but he is a wily veteran and he’s deceptively strong, which is useful on the block. Rasho has been the anchor of the Raptors defence since he joined the team. Everyone says they can hear him talking on D, instructing guys in front of him where to be on the court and the Raptors still weren’t a very good defensive team even with him back there. With that said, they were in the top half of the league in statistical categories when it comes to defence. Whether or not that means anything is up to interpretation. Rasho always maintains a professional demeanour even though he probably feels he could start when Andrea Bargnani had such a bad year. He went from the bench, to being a starter, back to the bench and you never heard a word out of him. Like Tim Duncan said last year, “Rasho’s awesome”.

Cons: The defence is great when it comes to man-to-man but Rasho’s help isn’t very good. He doesn’t do much from the weak side, looks very sluggish at times when there are loose balls to be had and his lack of athleticism hurts against certain big men in the league. He’s also making a pretty penny at $8.4 million next year, which is a lot of money for a guy who will probably be coming off the bench if he stays on the team. But as far as this season goes, I don’t think Rasho ever really hurt the team. He is who he is and he plays in a way that gives you a chance to win if you’re willing to sacrifice in other areas.

Outlook: In the long-term view for this team, Rasho will not and should not be a part of it. I think BC has made it very clear that he plans to make next season a winning season and to do so, moves will need to be made. With an expiring contract worth as much as Rasho’s is, the Raptors could use that leverage to get the guy they need while removing a pricy piece that doesn’t fit in the future. As I said before, Bargnani will most likely be given his second try as the starting center next year so why keep Rasho on the bench making as much as he is? I think you can get similar tenacity from Kris Humphries and give up a little with size and defence. Who knows who the Raptors will draft? There are a few bigs that could be picked around the Raps so you never know how this could shake down. To conclude, don’t be surprised to see #12 gone next season, or replaced by a new one. It’s nothing personal – just business.

Grade: B-

Anthony Parker

82 GP, 12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg, 1.1 tpg, 47.7% FG, 43.8% 3PFG, 81.6% FT in 32:06 mpg

Pros: AP is another one of those ‘glue’ guys, like Garbo. When you look at his game, you can understand why he became known as the best player not playing in the NBA when he was in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He plays very good man-to-man defence, knows how and when to swing the basketball to the open man, has a very accurate shot from anywhere on the floor, is fairly consistent and rebounds at a decent rate for a shooting guard. He’s a veteran force in the locker room and, I think, a good leader alongside Chris Bosh. He’s hit some big shots in his Toronto career, helped them a lot in last season’s playoffs and I think he has a lot more left in the tank. It’s kind of funny how consistent he is from year to year, with only fractional changes in production in every single statistical category. He was one of the league leaders in three-point shooting percentage for the second year in a row, which isn’t surprising considering his form. When he comes off those screams and squares up to the basket after the catch for the fadeaway jump shots, it really reminds you of when Michael Jordan used to do the same thing. Now, I’m not stupid enough to be comparing AP to the best basketball player of our generation – and probably ever – but the shot looks very similar and he’s always fluid in his motions. He knows how to play the game and he does everything reasonably well.

Cons: Like Jamario Moon, AP is an all-purpose player that seems to shy away from going inside. In training camp, AP outlined attacking the basket as one of his goals and something he would need to do with more regularity for the team to have success. Other than Chris Bosh, no one really got to the free throw line consistently this season. It helps that CB4 was a league leader in this category but one man can’t carry an entire team on his back. AP really needed to assert himself more and while he did do it when it was obvious the team needed it badly in individual games, it’s not something we saw him do every night. With that said, it’s probably a testament to his unselfishness that he didn’t want to force his offence because that’s not what this team has been about or found success with. However, he really does need to work on getting there because he’s more explosive than people give him credit for. Last season, he dropped two vicious dunks on the Indiana Pacers and there’s no reason we can’t see a few of those each month..

Outlook: AP’s in the final year of his contract next season, getting paid roughly $4.55 million. That’s a pretty good bargain for a player of his calibre that does so many things for your team and provides leadership. With that said, it’s pretty obvious anyone and everyone not named Chris Bosh and probably Andrea Bargnani will be involved in trade talks because there are so many movable parts on this team – not necessarily because of what they do on the court, but based more so on how their contracts are structured. I could see AP being moved as filler but in my personal opinion, I’d rather have him stay with the Raptors and continue to provide everything he has since he’s been here, as well as more driving. Every team needs a few vets to keep things even and I hope AP and Garbo are those guys.

Grade: B

Sam Mitchell

Pros: Sam’s always been what you could call a ‘player’s coach’. Like Chuck Swirsky outlined before, Sam can talk the talk because he’s walked the walk. He’s been a benchwarmer in the NBA, a regular rotation player and a starter. So no matter who comes to seek his advice or ask for an explanation of why their playing time is what it is, Sam can speak to them all from experience and they know he’s been there. When you have the respect of your players, it’s hard to ever be “tuned out” as the media loves to say. I find it humourous when people talk about how Sam doesn’t have any plays and he doesn’t know how to teach defence. First of all, if the league isn’t able to stop your pick-and-roll – the same play you’ve been running for four seasons – how does that constitute having no plays? Secondly, all Sam did in his playing career was play defence, get those garbage buckets and hustle all over the floor so blame the personnel - don’t get personal.

Cons: Now, to temper what I said above about the pick-and-roll, that’s not to say it’s all Sam should run. I totally agree that he needs to diversify his plays out of timeouts. All good coaches are able to draw up plays and get execution out of timeouts when they’re needed. Of course, half of the responsibility is with the players and the other half is with the coach to put them in the right situations and maximize their talents. Is Sam the best Xs and Os coach? Of course not. Can he get better? Yes, and I’m pretty sure he will. His substitution patterns have also been odd at times this season, where he would take Jose Calderon out of the game when the team was making a run and replace him with a cold T.J. Ford, who promptly gave the game away a couple times. I have to give Sam some more rope here because dealing with that whole point guard fiasco has been hard and any coach would struggle with it. Also, he seemed to struggle with how to deal with Andrea Bargnani’s minutes. He had him back and forth early in the year but in any event, I place most of the blame on Bargs for not living up to expectations when he got all the same opportunities.

Outlook: I liken a coach like Sam to a player with a lot of potential who just hasn’t put it all together yet. If you’re not willing to give up on Andrea Bargnani because of his talents, why would you give up on Sam when he’s gotten to the playoffs two seasons in a row? As soon as he got a competent team, they were competing. I don’t think he’s had the type of players you could call “Sam guys”. Every coach has their type of players that embody what they’re about. If Sam gets a couple bruisers like that next year, they’ll be even better than 2006-2007. Remember, Mitchell-coached teams in Toronto have NEVER struggled to put points on the board in any of the four seasons. It’s all about defence now – that’s what makes a great team. Ask the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. Now that BC has cleared up the fact Sam WILL be back next season, we know he’ll get another shot with a roster that has hopefully been improved upon. If he doesn’t, THEN people should call for his head. You can’t blame the guy – even with his flaws – for the inconsistency and underachieving of so many of his players.

Grade: B-

Bryan Colangelo

Pros: From last season to now, BC didn’t change much and that was by design, he claims. I take his word for it because some of what he said on Tuesday makes sense. He brought in Jamario Moon, who turned out to be the team’s starter for almost the entire season. Kris Humphries was re-signed to a medium-term contract extension that probably pays him decent money but would make him a big bargain if he continues to improve. Also, Carlos Delfino was traded for in July for two second-round draft picks, which I think was a steal. As much as people like to play up the fact scouting departments show their worth in the second round, how often do we see players make an impact out of that area in the draft? It’s underrated and you’ll only find a few diamonds in the rough. Jason Kapono was signed to a four-year, $24 million contract, which I think was a good move to make. Sam Mitchell was, of course, granted his long-term extension with the team, making him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA. I think it was a good move for the organization because when was the last time a coach was re-signed here? Sam is now the longest-standing coach in Raptors history and I think he’ll be here for a while yet.

Cons: I’ll have to say that while I don’t dislike the move he DID make in signing JK, I’m disappointed in the moves he didn’t make. BC failed to address the team’s glaring needs and I think I’ve mentioned them at least five times in this blog. His logic was “So we can’t rebound? Well, let’s get Kapono and just miss less shots!” Obviously, I’m joking around a little but he really could’ve used that money on someone else. Then again, the market wasn’t bursting at the seams with the type of guys we needed on this team. He also made a bad signing with Maceo Baston. I know it was just $3.8 million over two seasons but Mace made no impact on the team this year and it’s a shame.

Outlook: He has a lot on his plate. BC has to deal with the point guard situation. He also has to get ready for the NBA Draft in June, where the Raptors will have the 17^th overall pick in the first round. After that, I’m sure he’ll be looking at a variety of trades that will land Toronto that secondary scorer and slasher they desperately need. I have a feeling he’ll address the size issue through the draft but then again, I’m not a GM. The way I would do it is look at getting size and bulk up front to come off the bench behind Bargnani then look at pedaling T.J. Ford and the expiring contracts into the secondary scorer to put up 20 points per game with Chris Bosh from the wing position. So as you can see, BC will be just as busy as he was back in 2006 when he overhauled the team. I don’t think the changes will be as drastic this summer but I’m sure they’ll be more impactful. He went down the road he did last season and now he can reflect on how the moves went. They say hindsight is 20/20, well, so is Dwight Howard. And if the Raptors hope to battle him in the future, they need to get tougher.

Grade: B-

So there you have it, a rundown of the entire roster, head coach and GM. I left Darrick Martin out because, really, who cares? I know he provides leadership and a voice but I didn’t think it was worth the time. Thanks for those of you that read this or will even read it in parts and spurts one at a time. You’ll have to bear with me because I realize it’s EXTREMELY long but I wanted to really go in-depth about each player and leave as few stones unturned as I could. Hopefully you enjoy it and I get a lot more feedback on this blog because the first one was a success in my eyes. (Credit to Google and Yahoo! for the pictures)

Check back often because my next blog will be a surprise. Why? Because even I’m not sure what it’ll be about. I’m thinking either an Offseason Plan, Playoff Review/Preview to this point or something similar. Feel free to leave questions in the comments area if you have anything you want to ask me. I’m not claiming to be an expert but some of you are obviously reading this because you respect my opinion. Thanks again, until next time..

-Mark R.