Toronto Raptors Report Card: Power Ranking the Players of the Post-Bosh Raptors
Considering how much the Eastern Conference improved over the offseason and considering how poorly the raptors were expected to play, I would have to say we are right about at par with those expectations. Nevertheless, the Raptors are still stuck in the middle of two extremes; firstly they could finish as the bottom-dwellers of the Eastern Conference and get a lottery pick, or on the other hand, they could finish as the seventh or eighth seed in the playoffs and hang in there for a round or two, if lucky.
Ultimately, the fate of the Raptors depends on what types of moves they make before the trade deadline and whether they can get on a hot streak following the All-Star break (a win against Miami in their final game before the All-Star break would certainly go a long way in making this happen).
Team Record after 40 Games
2009-2010: 25-15 (.625 win percentage)
2010-2011: 15-25 (.342 win percentage)
Rather than focus on the performance of the team as a whole, I will direct my attention to the progress made by the main players at each position, in particular the young and upcoming talents.
Center: Andrea Bargnani
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The Raptors have one of the best offensive centers in the league in Andrea Bargnani; he is currently ranked third in scoring among centers with 21.5 PPG, trailing only Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire. However, he is ranked 13th in FG percentage among centers, currently shooting .463 percent.
Despite his below-great field goal percentage, he has been taking fewer three-point shots this season and is doing a better job of driving to the lane. If he can continue to do this we will certainly see that FG percentage rise in future seasons as he gains more experience taking the ball inside.
However, as great as Bargnani’s offence is he still has a lot of work to do on his defence and rebounding. He is currently ranked 23rd in BPG among centers with .86 BPG and his rebounding is no better as he is currently ranked 21st among centers in RPG with 5.8 RBP. Furthermore, Bargnani only has one double-double this season compared to the top-ranked (at the center position) Dwight Howard, who has 30.
Andrea Bargnani’s offensive game has been great so far this year; he has really embraced his role as the offensive star of this team. However, he really needs to work on his defence and rebounding, which have both decreased since last season.
Power Forward: Amir Johnson/Ed Davis
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With the early season injury to Reggie Evans, who was playing extremely well, the energetic Amir Johnson has been starting the majority of Toronto’s games at the PF position and splitting time with Ed Davis.
Johnson has shown some great improvement and he is really benefiting from the extra playing time that he is getting this season. You can tell that he is getting much more comfortable and he will gain some very valuable experience if he can stay healthy for the rest of the season and continue to play the same minutes with his usual energy.
In 25.0 MPG he is currently averaging 9.2 PPG (ranked 50th among forwards), 6.4 RPG and one BPG, this is a great stat line for Amir and it will only improve as he matures and grows more comfortable. It is also important to mention that he is currently shooting 56.9 percent from the field.
The other half of our PF duo that has replaced Chris Bosh is the rookie out of North Carolina, Ed Davis. Davis has really been playing great for the Raptors especially considering the fact that he missed training camp, exhibition games and the beginning of the season. In 21.1 MPG he is averaging 6.4 PPG, (ranked fourth among rookie forwards) six RPG (ranked second among rookie forwards, trailing only Blake Griffin).
Ed Davis has a very bright future ahead of him and he is a great piece for us to build around (along with Bargnani and DeRozan).
Small Forward: Linas Kleiza
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Everyone knows that the small forward position is where the Raptors have always struggled, ever since the departure of Vince Carter. The offseason acquisition of Linas Kleiza was expected to help us out at the small forward position, especially after seeing the way Kleiza played in the FIBA World Basketball Championship; however it was obvious that he was not going to be a permanent solution.
The bottom line is this is still the Achilles heal of the Toronto Raptors and until a solution to this problem is found, be it through trade or draft, I really have nothing else to say other than the fact that we need to go get a small forward that can play defence and can score and who we can build around.
Shooting Guard: DeMar DeRozan, Leandro Barbosa,
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DeMar DeRozan is the only player to start in every game this season and he is having a breakout year. In 33.3 MPG he is averaging 15.0 PPG (ranked 24th among guards and he is shooting 47.1 percent from the field (ranked 12th among guards), to go along with 3.4 RPG. He is really starting to drive to the rim more and he is shooting a high percentage when doing so; he needs to continue doing this and drawing fouls.
Much like the case with Amir Johnson, DeRozan is really benefiting from the extra minutes he is playing this season. He is becoming very comfortable out there on the floor and he will continue to be an important part of this organization for years to come. However, whether he can become more than simply an important part of the team, and eventually contend for a title all depends on who the Raptors put around him and the other young pieces on the team.
Leandro Barbosa has been a huge spark for the Raptors off the bench. He is the third-highest scorer on the team and in 24.8 MPG he is averaging 13.4 PPG while shooting 45.6 percent from the field. He is playing as well as he did in Phoenix when he won the Sixth Man of the Year award, and he is definitely in the race to win that award again this season.
Point Guard: Jose Calderon, Jerryd Bayless
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Ever since the Jarrett Jack trade, when Calderon once again became the starting PG for the Raptors, he has been playing great. Calderon is a pure point guard and he is definitely underrated (most likely due to the fact that he is paid so much). Nevertheless, he does not get the recognition he truly deserves. Calderon is not a flashy player; however, he is more than capable of running a team’s offense and getting his teammates open looks.
In 29.3 MPG Calderon is averaging 8.4 APG, with a 4.04 AST/TO (good enough for second in the league, trailing only Chris Paul), 10.4 PPG with a 44.6 3PT percentage (ranked fifth among guards). Calderon also grabs 2.7 RPG.
When given enough minutes Calderon will always be a very consistent player who really knows how to run an offense. The only knock on Calderon is his defence.
Jerryd Bayless, the athletic young point guard acquired in the Jarrett Jack trade, has been dealing with injuries lately, however he has been having a great season so far. He is playing well as the backup for Jose Calderon and his great defence and quickness driving to the rim are great complements to Jose’s game. Bayless could have a bright future with the Raps if he can just hang in there and continue to work hard.
Final Thoughts
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The Raptors are still dealing with the usual Raptors problems:
1. Poor defence
2. Lack of a consistent player at the SF position
This has always been the story for the Raps; however, I feel that they are now closer than ever to finally filling these gaps. With tons of cap space as well as the remaining traded player exception, the Raptors are in a perfect position to secure the consistent SF they have needed since the departure of Vince Carter, and with Bargnani, Davis and DeRozan to build around as well as the ever-reliable Jose Calderon, the Raptors are definitely sitting pretty for success in the long term, however, in the short term things are not looking up.
