Bleacher Report - Articles by Robert Seagal

Expect Big Shakeup in Raptorland

Robert Seagal — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:46:12 -0500

If I could be serious for a moment—and it is hard to be serious or to be taken seriously when you're a fan of the Toronto Raptors these days—this team is quite possibly the worst-coached Raptors team I have ever seen. Period.

They're officially the worst defensive team in the past thirty years.

Numbers don't lie. Per 100 possessions, they surrender 118.3 points. They allow opponents shoot almost 50% from the field. They've allowed the Hawks to score the most points in franchise history and have given the Bobcats their most lop-sided victory in their history. We're just getting started. We're only a quarter way through the season!

So what is so fundamentally wrong with this team?

For whatever reason, their rotations are bad. They have players who routinely miss their coverages, never help on penetration, seem to have no game plan, lack control on double teams, and worse still is that it remains a team composed primarily of poor individual defenders.

So what exactly happens to an average defender like Hedo Turkoglu when you remove Dwight Howard, replacing him with Chris Bosh? He becomes exactly what he's been his whole career prior to Orlando—a sub-par defender.

However, to peg this on Turkoglu would be very unfair. The fact is, the entire starting line is average to below average on defense. Players like Bargnani, DeRozan and to some extent Turkoglu are capable of playing respectable defense and certainly do so in short spurts.

Players like Calderon and Bosh, however are just so bad at the other end of the floor that it puts so much strain on the other three to do something they simply can't. And while we're on it, why has Jose Calderon spent what seems like the whole season guarding power-forwards?

But this starts a little higher than Calderon and Turkoglu. It starts at the top.

For whatever reason, the past three years has seen a shift in Bosh's personality from bad to worse. Ironically, his finger is always pointing at someone else much like in the picture. When times are good, he says "I have to keep putting this team on my back". When times are bad, "WE have to start going out there and showing some pride. Yes I'm mad."

Bosh needs a reality check. If this team is bad defensively, he's one of the biggest culprits along with Spanish amigo Jose Calderon. However, if this team is ever stagnant offensively, he has no one to blame but himself.

How often this season have we seen the lineup of Jack, Wright, Belinelli, Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani go on huge runs, only to have Bosh step in and muck it up with his predictable isolation moves, untimely 3-pointers, random and unsuccessful flicks at the rim, and awkward fade-aways?

Here are some numbers to crunch. Bosh averages 2.6 assists per game in games won, only one assist for games lost. In games won, Bosh attempts about fifteen field goals per game and in games lost, he attempts over seventeen. There's a one block differential in games won and lost as well, and Bosh has been twice as likely to shoot a three pointer in games lost.

What we have is a simple, but complex conclusion—get the ball out of Bosh's hands! The more he's asked to have the ball in his hands, the worse the team plays.

Usually, the better your star player plays, the better your team plays.

Take for instance Kobe Bryant, who averages 19 points per game in losses and over 30 per game in wins, or Kevin Durant who averages less across almost every category in losses than in wins for the Thunder.

Conversely, Andrea Bargnani averages fewer shot attempts, points, blocks, rebonds, touches, and worse percentages in losses than he does in wins. Lately, we've seen a rather disinterested Andrea Bargnani, and I can't say I blame the guy.

He's sitting there, easily capable of averaging over twenty-five points per game, being frozen out game after game and still on a losing team. Despite his sacrifices, he watches Bosh audition for the league in some last-ditch attempt to show the world he's worthy of the maximum contract he so desperately wants next season.

In Bosh, the Raptors have a leader who isn't one. He doesn't put the team on his back, he just steps on them. He doesn't make the players around him better. In fact he's made almost every player around him worse.

If the Raptors are a lottery team, they might as well do it while developing talented youngsters like DeRozan, Bargnani and Johnson. It might be time to end the Bosh-Jose experiment and let someone else try to mask their defensive woes for the rest of the year.

If the Heat are offering Beasley, the Raptors would be wise to accept the talented scorer. If someone is offering future first rounders, prospects, and expiring contracts, the Raptors would again be wise to accept.

Toronto has to be the first team to realize Bosh's actual worth. The more he attempts to shoot this team to victory, the further he slips from superstar status, and the closer he gets to super-talented chucker and B-level star statuses.

There truly isn't a significant difference between players like Granger, Bosh, and other complimentary players playing star-roles while putting up big numbers. True stars make those around them better. The better they play, the better the players on the court with them play.

True stars rise and take their whole team with them. Players like Bosh succeed at the expense of ball movement and the success of everyone around them. What is the difference between Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh?

About ten touches and seven points per game.

Whatever Bosh gives you in rebounds, Andrea gives you in better defense, passing and better box-outs. Both are equally capable of leading 7-13 teams. However, starting next year, one will be making almost twice as much as the other.

Let's hope for the sake of this team's future that Bryan Colangelo makes sure someone else is writing Bosh's paychecks very soon.

Toronto Raptors Gameplan Lacks Structure, Creativity, and Discipline

Robert Seagal — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:12:05 -0400

Forget their win against Cleveland, where the hot-shooting Raptors caught a sleeping Cavaliers team and still managed to nearly lose a twenty-one point lead. On Friday night, Toronto headed into Memphis to face a depleted Memphis ball club which was missing Allen Iverson due to an injury. They lost.

The problem in Toronto is still largely the same as it has been for about three years in a row now. It starts at the top, where if we are to count Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh as the team's two best players, the Raptors are in some serious trouble. General Manager Bryan Colangelo's love affair with the vision of having those two remain a part of his core will keep this team in a cycle of mediocrity.

With Jay Triano at the helm, the Raptors were expected to improve on last year's performance. However, even with a much improved coaching staff around him, Triano still looks clueless. The offense lacks discipline, and despite boasting one of the most talented front-courts in the league, it also lacks any sort of creativity.

It remains an offense which runs through Bosh, and this remains the problem. On Wednesday night, Bosh played a lesser role in the offense, and this allowed the ball to move from side to side, and also allowed for Andrea Bargnani to score twenty-eight points in under thirty minutes. The result was a twenty point lead in the first half against a team most expect to contend for a championship.

On Friday night, Andrea started out 0/5 and pretty much never got involved in the offense again. When he did get a chance to get involved with the ball in his hand, the Raptors took an eight point lead in the second half leading 88-80.

Even in the win against Cleveland, we can see a less involved Andrea Bargnani in the third quarter melt-down as the team tried to force-feed Chris Bosh who had had a forgettable first half.

This team's tendency to force-feed Bosh and clear out has always led to a very stagnant offense with little movement, no opportunities for second chance baskets, and little hope for consistent victories. The more this team relies on Bosh and Calderon, the more predictable the offense becomes.

Both are very limited play-makers, and tend to stop the flow of the basketball game and put their hand-print on the game in the worst way.

With Calderon, this comes in the form of slowing down the pace of the game, which hurts the team considering he plays for one which has no chance of winning basketball games playing this way. With Bosh, it just comes from bad shot-selection and ball-stopping while doing nothing for the players around him.

No one will complain with Bosh's performance for the first two games statistically, as he's been quite impressive statistically. However, how does the team do whenever he becomes more involved with the offense? The debate will never end. Some will say, Bosh only becomes involved when the rest of the team really struggles. Others will argue that the team struggles when Bosh calls his own number a few too many times.

Whether you use the third quarter melt-down against Cleveland, the embarrassing loss in Memphis, or the last six Raptor seasons as an example by which to make your judgements, Bosh's offense comes at the expense of ball movement.

It disrupts the offensive flow of the game because for some reason, he's incapable of scoring within the flow of the game, and equally incapable of creating offensive opportunities for his team mates.

Despite his added weight, there is little to no improvement from Bosh defensively, and he remains to be the same player from last season, just a little more eager to shoot and call for the ball. Raptor fans may in fact feel they're paying to see the Toronto Raptors play. However, they may in fact just be paying for an 82-game audition on Bosh's part.

Zach Randolph had some choice words regarding the Texan last season, claiming he's "better than Chris Bosh". Statistically, Bosh may have an MVP-calibre season. Realistically, on Friday night, Zach Randolph was better than him in every way. Six years and $130 million is what Bosh is seeking. Good luck to who ever gives it to him.

Hedo Turkoglu and the Raptors: A Match Made in Hell

Robert Seagal — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:45:24 -0400

With the recent addition of Hedo Turkoglu, the Raptors have essentially eliminated any chance of getting enough depth to compensate for their lack of overall star-power. They will be heading into next season with a projected starting front court of Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.

The problem is that while Bargnani played at an All-Star level for the latter half of last season and Turkoglu was arguably worthy of an All-Star selection himself, Bosh is not a great candidate to be a primary option and he’s shown it for many years now.

Some may be tricked into thinking that Turkoglu was the engine that sparked the Orlando attack last season, but those people really don’t understand basketball and what exactly it is that Dwight Howard does.

While no one would confuse him for being an elite passer or a dominant offensive player at this stage, Howard’s presence in the paint offensively and defensively allowed the Magic to pass by with players like Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu as primary scoring options.

I’ll stress defensive impact more than offensive, because the Orlando Magic didn’t have exceptional perimeter defensive players by any stretch. What Dwight did was allow players like Lewis and Turkoglu to look like passable defenders. With Chris Bosh, the outcome doesn’t look quite so promising.

Forget that Turkoglu will be a year older, because his game isn’t overly dependent on his physical abilities, but you’d have to assume this will be one of the worst defensive teams in the league next season if it remains as is.

The only passable defenders they have are backup point guard Roko Ukic, potential starter DeMar DeRozan and perhaps center Andrea Bargnani.

Turkoglu isn’t quite on the horrific level of Bosh and Calderon, but he certainly isn’t Ariza, Artest or Marion. He will have a difficult task ahead if he’s being asked to mask the weaknesses of his starting point guard and power forward while picking up the rebounding for one of the worst rebounding centers in recent memory.

The Raptors had a chance to truly become a better defensive team after they dealt weak link Jason Kapono for Reggie Evans and followed by drafting DeMar DeRozan. The Turkoglu signing which signals the end of Marion’s stay north of the border essentially makes the Raptors a worse defensive team than they were last season, and they were among the worst in the league to begin with.

Offensively however, while the Raptors did get a much-needed creator on the wing, they’ve signed a player who at his best is a great complimentary player. In Toronto, the question people should be asking is, who the hell is he complimenting?

Turkoglu is ideally a great second or third option on a decent team, much like Bosh or Bargnani. The Raptors don’t have the pieces to orchestrate a deal to get a primary option ala Joe Johnson or Brandon Roy on this team.

Thus, the Raptors go into the season with a line-up which features a rookie swingman with some potential, and four players who essentially all play at about the same level in terms of production with slight variance based on shots attempted and role played.

Not one of them is a top-20 talent in this league, not one of them can actually take over a game and not one of them is good enough defensively to make up for the piss-poor defenders around them.

The only logical move at this point is dealing Bosh for defensive help in the front court and perhaps additional depth and working on a 3-man offensive attack with Turkoglu, Calderon and Bargnani.

Role players can make a world of difference, and outside of perhaps Reggie Evans, there isn’t a player on this team who’s effective at doing small things without the ball in their hands.

We’ve seen Andrea Bargnani struggle when he wasn’t a clear second option on offense. Jose Calderon’s entire game is about ball movement and keeping defences honest with his jump shot. Bosh is a black hole on offense and requires isolation situations to be effective. Hedo Turkoglu is being brought in as a creator and will need to have the ball in his hands as well.

At this point, if the Raptors don’t deal either Jose or Bosh to strengthen their defence and create some touches for youngsters DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani, they’ll be headlining the John Wall sweepstakes pretty soon.

Not to mention, they’ll be stunting the growth of the two players they’ll be looking to build around in the event that Bosh leaves in DeRozan and Bargnani.

The roster as it’s currently structured doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. There is a complete overlap in abilities, incompatibility in regards to players meshing with other players, and a disturbing message being put across to the fan base, which is: we don’t care if we’re the worst defensive team in the league provided we can score.

The option of adding Delfino and Marion gave the Raptors both depth and defence. Adding Turkoglu robs them of flexibility, depth, defence and rebounding, and does so for a player who doesn’t necessarily fit in with the team’s top-three players.

This move wreaks of desperation and haphazard planning. It screams that the team is looking to make noise at whatever cost necessary in order to show Chris Bosh they’re serious about contending.

Well, not only will they not be contending for a very long time unless one of DeRozan or Bargnani accelerate their learning curve dramatically and become All-Stars, but they’ll be paying $53 million over the next five years to one of the most over-rated players in recent memory.

DeMar DeRozan: All Eyes on Me

Robert Seagal — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:51:23 -0400

I couldn’t help but stop dead in my tracks as I was browsing around for a new video game at EB Games to kill some time now that University is out.

This kid, who was not a day older than 12, turns to his friend and says, “You see the guy the Raptors drafted? My brother said he dunks like Carter.“

It isn’t fair to put this much pressure on a 19-year-old, one year removed from being a local superstar in Compton, California, but he certainly isn’t the type to run from it.

He’s been searching for a nickname, and one that keeps surfacing is “heir Canada.” Is it warranted?

Among the GM’s in the NBA, there is no better a talent evaluator than Colangelo himself.

Having drafting Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley and Barbosa among others without ever having a top-eight pick, one must wonder how special DeRozan will be.

This is even more meaningful when considering that Colangelo claimed he has a chance to be better than both Stoudemire and Marion. Is he really the Carter clone he’s being made out to be?

If you ask DeRozan, he’d probably tell you he has his sights set a little higher, and that’s the point isn’t it?

He isn’t trying to be Kobe Bryant or Vince Carter. He’s trying to be better than them. Draft analysts will probably tell you he’ll likely be nothing more than Caron Butler without the jump shot.

He has a chance to be a lot better actually. When evaluating a prospect, you assess their talent, their willingness to learn, maturity, and anything that may get in the way of them actually achieving their potential.

However, what separates Bryan Colangelo from most GM’s is his unbelievable ability to evaluate a prospect’s mental makeup.

Take DeRozan for example. Even before the draft, he was singing praises about Toronto and how he wanted to end up here. Where’s his head?

It certainly isn’t the money, because he would have gotten a much better deal being a higher pick, and a great market to play in had he gone to New York at eight.

So why was Toronto the perfect fit? Ask him, and he’ll say the same thing he’s said to everyone who looks at him with confusion as a California kid professes that he wanted to end up in Toronto, Ontario of all places. “It was the best situation for me.”

Clearly DeRozan took a look at the Raptors dearth of wing players and saw a chance to play big minutes off the bat.

He saw an opportunity to make a name for himself on a team which is close to playoff contention and whose best players are two big men, a point guard and a free agent combo forward.

He didn’t want to play his way into the rotation and shy away from the limelight. He wants the lights on him, and if what he did in the PAC-10 tournament is any indication, this is one guy who shines when the lights are brightest and when the task at hand is most daunting.

Everything that comes out of his mouth is about growth, winning, willingness to work, and playing the game on both ends of the floor.

If DeMar DeRozan is getting nicknames like “heir Canada,” it isn’t because of his ridiculous YouTube highlights or his vertical leap. It is because he’s the biggest reason for hope this team has seen since Carter himself.

At the press conference, he was asked about the Carter comparisons. “It’s nice to be called Vince Carter and all, but at the end of the day, I’m...just DeMar DeRozan.” If he ends up as good as I think he’ll be, I think just DeMar will be just fine.

DeMar DeRozan: Not Exactly a Project

Robert Seagal — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:02:55 -0400

I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic about the Raptors selection of DeMar DeRozan on Thursday night.

Not only did it mean that I was correct in my article which projected their draft board, but it also means that the Raptors just drafted an absolute stud who is going to shock the league next season.

You’ve heard that, with DeRozan, you’d have to wait a few years to see him really make an impact on the court.

I respectfully disagree.

DeMar DeRozan is far from a finished product, but he’s ready to make an impact today, and considering Jay Triano’s recent comments about potentially starting him, the Raptors seem to think so as well.

His skills make him a better NBA player than a college player due to his athleticism and ability to impact the game defensively. He’s still got a long way to go before he’s being talked about as a top-tier wing player, but he isn’t as far as some may think.

He has a great mid-range game, crafty foot work and he really developed his skills throughout his first year at USC. Unlike a player like Terrence Williams for example, one could really see the maturation and growth from game to game.

Given his mother’s medical condition, it was almost guaranteed that he would make the jump to the NBA as soon as possible.

However, had he gone back to USC for a second season, I have little doubt he’d be a top-five pick in a pretty loaded 2010 draft. He’s got scary talent, and he has the work ethic and desire to grow into a well-rounded basketball player.

So what can we truly expect from DeMar DeRozan as a rookie? He’ll likely have two seasons in one.

When he breaks in, he’s going to be inconsistent offensively. He might go off for a few nights that make you think he has a chance to be a superstar, and have other nights where he scores five points.

Ultimately, he’ll have to bring a consistent defensive effort to stay on the court through his offensive inconsistencies. Sometime in December however, I fully expect the light switch to go on.

This is a proud individual who has a serious toughness about him and I don’t expect him to wait till year two to show the league that he’s arrived.

One thing that all great players have is a switch that can be turned on and off. Like a Kobe Bryant or Vince Carter, DeRozan also has a switch that he can turn on, and the God-given talent to be an absolute force on both ends of the court.

It was this switch that earned him PAC-10 MVP honors, and it is this switch that separates him from your average 19-year old who can jump out of the gym.

He certainly has limitations at this point. He’ll be a much better three-point shooter than people expect, and I expect him to be a pretty good one in his second year, but at the moment, this would be an area of weakness. He also has to tighten his handle if he’s going to play as a shooting guard.

The only potential hindrances I can see in his cards at this point would be the players around him. While it is certainly a great thing that Calderon likes to pass, his game isn’t going to help DeRozan, much like it didn’t help Shawn Marion last year.

DeRozan can have a lot of success on isolation situations and by crashing the glass, but with Calderon, he’s going to end up taking a few more long range jumpers than he should.

Chris Bosh’s tunnel vision also doesn’t do much to help DeRozan. Bosh tends to miss a ton of players on cuts, and has a tendency to hold the ball and have his team mates simply stand around and watch him.

Another player who may end up hurting DeRozan is potential-Raptor Carlos Delfino who has never seen a shot he didn’t like.

DeRozan will have a lot of hurdles to cross in his first year, but having a few exceptional passers who take risks in the open court and are actually willing to allow him to create his own offense would certainly ease his transition.

With that said, Roko Ukic could be the wild card, especially if DeRozan ends up coming off the bench to begin the year.

Ukic is a much better play maker than he showed last year, and while he isn’t quite Rubio or Nash, I’ve seen enough of him in Italy and Croatia to say that he’s by far the best passer on this team with Bargnani as a close second.

How quickly DeRozan becomes an impact player for the Raptors is anyone’s guess. He could take a few weeks, a few months, or a few seasons.

However, I’m confident as ever that he will get there, and that when he does, the Raptors will have a blossoming star where they’ve needed one in the worst way since Air Canada packed his bags and flew to New Jersey.

Mid to Late-Lottery Picks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Robert Seagal — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:22:36 -0400

This article will discuss the good, bad and ugly sides of eight prospects expected to be picked after the fourth pick in the NBA draft. The players excluded from this evaluation are James Harden, Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet. Most of these players aren't thought of as lottery picks in a conventional, normal NBA draft. Like in any year, there will be sleepers and players who fall well below expectations. However, in terms of talent at the top, this is one of the weakest drafts in a while after Rubio and Griffin are off the board. Thabeet is an interesting prospect but he's mentally too slow and will probably be playing in a league which could have used him ten or fifteen years ago.

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Toronto's Draft Board: Inside The War Room With Bryan Colangelo

Robert Seagal — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:14:35 -0400

I'd like to caution that I am not Bryan Colangelo, and thus have no idea how

accurate these projections are.

However, they are based on interviews, insider information, rumors and other draft

projections. They're also based on need, and Bryan Colangelo's past selections

in the draft.

Without further ado, these are likely to be the top-14 players on the Raptors'

draft board on draft night 2009.

1. Blake Griffin (1)

This is a given. If they nab the first pick in some blockbuster trade for Bosh, they'll certainly be going with Griffin.

2. James Harden (2-6)

He appears to be the most polished and NBA ready guard in the draft, and he's still got plenty of upside to boot. For a team which doesn't have a single player signed at the wing for next season, Harden would be the best place to start.

3. Ricky Rubio (2-8)

The back-up point guard spot was something that gave the Raptors a lot of trouble last season, and they sorely missed T.J Ford as Roko Ukic and Will Solomon adjusted to the NBA game. If Rubio falls due to contract issues, he'll be hard to pass on.

4. Hasheem Thabeet (2-6)

With Chris Bosh's status up in the air, the Raptors would be getting a true center to play with Andrea Bargnani and may be more comfortable dealing Bosh with the 7'2'' Thabeet on their roster.

5. DeMar DeRozan (4-9)

They've promised him they'll take him at nine if he's there, and did so knowing very well that the four names before him would be well off the board by six. DeRozan has ranked poorly across most team's draft boards because he's being talked about as being a project.

Some insiders are claiming that the Raptors are much higher on his potential and project him as a much better prospect than he's being given credit for.

6. Tyreke Evans (3-7)

To answer the question: If Evans falls to nine, do the Raptors still keep their promise to DeRozan, the answer is more than likely yes.

Part of the reason why DeRozan is being projected so highly is because his background check came up clean. He's a good kid, a good student, and from all reports, extremely coach-able. It would be hard to imagine the Raptors taking a chance on Evans considering the red flags if DeMar is still on the board as well.

7. Jordan Hill (3-11)

It is very difficult to read where most teams' thoughts are regarding Jordan Hill. He's the second best big man in the draft by a landslide, and unfortunately for him, the majority of the teams picking in the top-10 are looking at other needs.

He's done very little if anything to distance himself from the other players ranked five through 15, but if DeRozan and Evans are gone by nine and the Knicks don't snatch him, he'll be a Raptor.

8. Stephen Curry (3-7)

The Raptors would probably be a lot higher on Curry if it wasn't for the fact that they don't really need him. He'd be undersized at the wing and would become the fifth point guard on a team with no wing players.

9. Gerald Henderson (9-17)

This is likely Henderson's hot spot. If he isn't picked at nine, word is he might fall and continue to fall well into the teens. It might be the fear of drafting Duke players after recent disasters, but the Raptors have narrowed their focus down to Henderson and DeRozan at nine, and one of them has to be there.

10. Jrue Holiday (4-16)

Holiday might be undersized at the wing position, but he's a big kid who might still have a little growing left to do at just 18-years old. He's very coach-able, and strong for a point guard. Some are projecting him to fall and others are claiming that he could go as high as the top five.

All in all, Holiday reminds me very much of Wade's situation in 2003, where people were saying anything from 18 to five. Holiday is projecting similarly, and it truly depends on trades and where Curry and Rubio end up.

11. Jonny Flynn (7-16)

They like him as a kid from the interviews following his workout. He doesn't fill a true need for a wing or a potential Bosh-replacement, but they'd take him regardless due to his leadership ability and his fondness for Toronto. As he said, "I'm practically Canadian."

12. James Johnson (9-18)

The Raptors had Johnson and Clark going head-to-head, and reportedly came away impressed with Johnson's toughness and ability to play at the wing.

He's probably carrying a little extra weight, and losing it would actually help him. Some have compared him to Paul Pierce, but this may be one of the worst comparisons since the Jordan Hill-Mikki Moore comparisons. Unlike that one however, this one makes absolutely no sense.

13. Austin Daye (12-24)

If the Raptors buy a pick in the 20s, it'll most likely be because Austin Daye slips. They were very impressed with him early in the workouts and after his terrible performance at the combine, they backed off a bit.

With some saying he may drop as far as the mid-twenties, the Raptors could have moved Kapono with Daye in mind.

14.Brandon Jennings (6-18)

He has the potential to be one of the best players in this draft, but for whatever reason, he's been pegged with the knucklehead label, and teams are cooling off on him. If he slips, the Raptors could buy a second pick to snag him.

However, they don't seem all that interested.

The Next Wave of NBA Stars: 25 Names to Watch

Robert Seagal — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:44:59 -0400

Five years ago, the league was gifted an incredible draft class featuring the likes of Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Josh Howard, Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman and yes, LeBron James. The year after, the league was introduced to the heir to Shaquille O'Neal's massive thrown in the form of a chiselled 18-year old, Dwight Howard. While those players have cemented their status among the NBA's elite players, many are simply scratching the surface and for the players on this list, the best is certainly yet to come. Without further ado, this is a countdown of the best and brightest players in the NBA who have yet to etch their signatures on the walls of NBA superstardom. If they continue to grow, most if not all of these players will one day be all-stars. One may even challange to be the greatest player of all time.

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DeMar DeRozan: Remember The Name

Robert Seagal — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:51:48 -0400

Born in Compton, DeMar DeRozan knows a thing or two about being tough. His maturity is astounding and his work ethic unmatched.

It surprised many people to see the guard struggle to find his place in USC as a freshman, but as his season came to a close, DeMar DeRozan gave USC fans a small glimpse of what could have been before entering the NBA draft.

USC produced the talented Nick Young in 2007, and star-rookie O.J. Mayo in 2008. DeRozan has a chance to be significantly better than both of them.

Like Gerald Henderson of Duke, DeRozan will benefit greatly from moving away from the college game, and he could prove to be this years Josh Smith, or this decade's Vince Carter.

When scouts break down his game, they claim he can't shoot or that he can't create his own shot. Private workouts have proven that he's a much better shooter than he's been given credit for, or his college percentages suggest.

Watching him in highschool, it's also fair to say that he's a much better creator than advertised as well.

When a player has the drive, work ethic, potential and the natural talent DeRozan does, one must raise an eyebrow at recent reports that he could slip to the tail-end of the lottery.

If DeRozan falls out of the top five, someone should be fired. If he falls past Toronto at nine, I'll personally start a riot on the streets.

Reports are out that if he's on the board, the Raptors have assured him that they'll select him. I won't be getting my hopes up because I can't for the life of me imagine how eight teams could pass on him. Thankfully, if reports are correct, Toronto won't be one of them.

Chris Bosh Ready for Breakout Season

Robert Seagal — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:21:24 -0400

Following a 33-win season in which he failed to make an All-NBA team and his team finished in the lottery, expect Chris Bosh to have a season of redemption in 2009-2010.

The question at this point is: which jersey is he going to be wearing when training camp kicks off in September?

After setting goals like being an All Star, averaging "20 and 10," winning the MVP award and a plethora of other individual accolades, it seems fitting that Bosh is set to make a huge impact on the court with his free agency one year away.

We might see him follow through on his goal to add weight, something he's been attempting to do for six years now. He might exhibit defensive intensity and effort. We might even see him play over 70 games.

The source of his motivation is clearly up to individual opinion. One might say that being called out by Shaquille O'Neal, Zach Randolph, and most recently by Amare Stoudemire may have lit a fire of sorts under Bosh.

However, one couldn't help but stand in awe at the Raptors' last season game as Bosh went on a rebounding rampage in order to average 10 rebounds on the season, weeks after the Raptors had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

One may say that missing the playoffs for the first time in three seasons may have inspired Bosh, especially after seeing Team USA teammates Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard playing in the finals.

Perhaps the best explanation is the same one used to explain past quotes from Bosh. It's hardly a secret that Bosh has been extremely dedicated to getting his face out there, from his many videos, his All-Star campaign, to his recent Iphone application.

Perhaps the true motivation is having to hear from numerous individuals that he isn't worth the maximum contract he's looking for, or that he'll only serve the purpose of being Robin to LeBron's or Wade's Batman should he leave Toronto.

One has to wonder if Bosh only gave the Raptors the same defensive effort he gave to his national team, if they'd have been a lottery team through four of his six seasons as a Raptor.

The latest talk of Bosh attempting to gain almost 20 pounds is bittersweet if you're Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors organization. On one hand, your best player has finally decided to put some much overdue time in the gym.

On the other hand, he's doing so on the verge of what is likely to be the biggest payday of his life.

Bosh will have a breakout season barring any serious injuries, and the Raptors may even win a round or two in the playoffs.

If Bosh is as driven by fame and money as I've figured him to be for the past three seasons, I'm absolutely counting on it.

Raptors Building Team Around Andrea Bargnani

Robert Seagal — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:17:54 -0400

What do Carlos Delfino, Rasho Nesterovic, Jay Triano and Marc Iavaroni have in common? Outside of the fact that three, if not all of them, will be members of the Raptors organization next season, they all seem to be beneficial to Andrea Bargnani’s overall comfort and development.

Bargnani has been on the record about his closeness with Delfino while he was a member of the Raptors, and clearly, Italian-speakers Rasho, as well as Jorge Garbajosa were part of the Bargnani-transition movement in his rookie season.

Word is also out that the Raptors attempted for the second time last year to acquire Bargnani's close friend Marco Belinelli from the Warriors in exchange for Joey Graham, only to have the Warriors ditch the deal at the last minute.

They moved Jermaine O’Neal to create minutes for Bargnani, added Marion to compensate for his lack of rebounding, and have now traded Jason Kapono for Reggie Evans to accomplish the same objective.

If you can read between the lines, Sam Mitchell wasn’t fired because he wasn’t getting his job done. He was, after all 8-9, coming off of two respectable seasons at that point. It was his knack for rubbing players, namely Bargnani, the wrong way.

Triano may have had a terrible season, but Bargnani flourishing under him actually netted him the job as head coach.

If anything, if the Raptors truly cared about pleasing Bosh, one might assume that their objective would have been to keep the coach that Bosh had such a great rapport with.

It was Colangelo who projected Bargnani as a first-overall pick when he was only 19-years-old, and it is he who made Bargnani the first-overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

If there is one thing you can take to the bank regarding the Raptors, it is that this team is being built to compliment Bargnani. It may be built around other players as well, but ultimately, every transaction, every coach they hire, and every move they make, they seem to keep Bargnani in mind.

While this information may rub some fans the wrong way, the fact is that Toronto has had a history of being unable to attract star players and a completely devastating track record when it comes to retaining them.

While Bargnani is far from being a superstar, he clearly has shown that he has the potential to be one. He’s also shown a love for Toronto, and while no one can truly know where a player’s head will be after two or three years, all signs seem to suggest that he will be playing in Toronto for a long time, and be doing so with a smile on his face.

Bryan Colangelo: A Case of Impatience and Missed Opportunities

Robert Seagal — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:52:55 -0400

Considered one of the top executives of the year, one has to wonder exactly what has been the motivation or logic behind some of Bryan Colangelo’s latest moves as the general manager of the Toronto Raptors.

While it’s admirable that he has a zero-tolerance policy regarding failure, one can’t help but wonder why fail, and fail royally is all he’s been doing for the better part of the last decade.

I attribute much of his problems to a case of tunnel-vision and failing to see the big picture.

If every GM thought as he did, there would be no optimism in Oklahoma City and no hope surrounding a once-troubled Blazers franchise.

It was puzzling that he re-signed Sam Mitchell and thereby stunted the growth of Andrea Bargnani. It was even more puzzling that despite realizing that his team had just been annihilated by New Jersey’s wing players, he over-paid to sign an atrocious defender in Jason Kapono.

He passed on a potential Gerald Wallace for T.J Ford swap because he had concerns about Wallace’s health, and followed by adding a first rounder and an expiring contract to acquire a less talented, higher-paid, less durable Jermaine O’Neal. Hindsight may be 20-20, but wasn’t it obvious that the Raptors desperately needed an upgrade from Jamario Moon?

Not only has he gifted two mid-first round draft picks to the Pacers and Heat respectively, but if Marion walks, he’s done so with nothing to show but a 33-win season, Marcus Banks, and a Gatorade bottle sitting where last season’s 17th overall pick should be sitting. This many blunders would have seen most GMs fired on the spot.

When the Raptors traded Jermaine O’Neal last season, I was on the floor pulling my hair out. It was obvious to both the casual observer and Colangelo himself that Bosh wasn’t going to sign an extension this summer. It was also clear that Jermaine O’Neal was ultimately going to be worth a hell of a lot more as an expiring contract this offseason than he was at the trade dead-line.

The Raptors could have gotten far more for Bosh at the deadline, and considerably more for Jermaine O’Neal this offseason.

If the plan was to improve the roster, why would Colangelo have squandered the opportunity to trade Bosh for prospects and expiring players with perhaps a draft pick?

He could then have used the cap space, along with O’Neal’s mammoth expiring deal in a trade to a team looking to shed some salary for 2010, and re-tool on the fly while perhaps grabbing multiple lottery picks in what is looking like a deep but overall unspectacular draft.

These are just some of many questions Colangelo will have to answer at some point if the team continues to struggle next season.

He underestimated Calderon and traded Charlie Villanueva for T.J Ford. He inked Ford to an extension immediately, not knowing that he would have to trade him two seasons later while adding deal sweeteners for an over-the-hill has been.

He’s now overestimated his ability to re-sign Bosh, and with news that Bosh will be opting out in 2010, he now faces a lose-lose situation. Does he re-sign Bosh and ultimately over-pay for him, does he trade him for sixty cents on the dollar, or does he simply risk Bosh walking away for nothing?

If he drafts a point guard in this June's draft, he'll once again have misread a prospect, and one he's very high on in Roko Ukic. In fact, his biggest errors come from not understanding his own players. He traded for O'Neal due to a lack of faith in Bargnani, Ford due to a lack of faith in Calderon, and will potentially draft or sign a point guard based on a lack of faith in Ukic. It would be a colossal error.

Bryan Colangelo should hang a picture of Marcus Banks, Jason Kapono and Jermaine O’Neal in his office and place it right across his table. Perhaps he’ll then begin to understand the sort of joke this franchise has become under his direction. I have faith that he’s capable, but fear that his ego and overall approach will cripple this team for the next decade.

Chris Bosh May Want a Max Contract, But It Won't Likely Come From the Raptors

Robert Seagal — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:55:36 -0400

When asked if he deserved a maximum level contract in 2010, Bosh responded without hesitation, "Yeah, without a doubt. Without a doubt."

The question which has suddenly risen however, is not whether Bosh wants the same money LeBron and Dwyane Wade will be looking for, but if he's worth it.

Max-contract players should to some degree play both ends of the floor, make their teammates better, and put fans in seats.

If the NBA is in fact as much a business as it seems to be, there is no worse investment than Chris Bosh at age 31 playing for over 25-million dollars. Not only is his game starting to become stagnant, but his team has gotten progressively worse over the time as well.

If a player who is legitimately a top-10 player in the league is healthy for more than 65 games, chances are slim to none that his team will miss the playoffs. That's exactly what the Raptors did last season.

People often place Bosh in the same catagory, or god forbid above Carmelo Anthony. How then, has Carmelo Anthony done so much more than Chris Bosh?

Even prior to Billups' arrival, didn't Carmelo Anthony routinely carry teams which were just as talented as the Raptors minus Bosh into the playoffs in the West? Lebron and Wade have each carried their teams to the finals.

If we're comparing, the Heat minus Wade are actually less talented accross the board than the Raptors minus Bosh. Is the difference between Bosh and a legitimate superstar like Wade 20 wins?

The Raptors went from Atlantic division champions to squeezing into the playoffs to being a lottery team, and it seems Bosh is the same player throughout.

The only season they truly had success, Bosh not only was not being asked to create, but also not being asked to carry the offense in the clutch; that was TJ Ford's job.

Therefore, if the Raptors were eliminated in New Jersey, it wasn't only because Bosh was being stopped by journeymen centers like Mikki Moore and Collins, but because TJ Ford isn't the type of talent who can successfully carry an offense.

The following year, the Raptors tried to go to Bosh more in the clutch and saw even less success. He just isn't cut out to be the main guy on any team, and doesn't bring enough in terms of intangibles to be a top notch complimentary guy ala Gasol.

Therefore, in Bosh you have a player who needs the ball to be effective, but at the same time is incapable of leading a team anywhere without a better player on the perimeter.

There's a reason most teams are targeting him as a side-kick for Lebron and Wade and only the Pistons seem convinced he can do it himself.

There has been no noticeable changes in his strengths or weaknesses from his first year outside of having a greater role. He still remains a bad defender, bad creator, and a less than stellar clutch performer without a post move he can remember twice.

His strengths have always been his quickness and ability to get to the line, rebounding and to some degree his mid-range jump shot.

However, a player like Bosh who has no low post game, little strength, and relies solely on quickness will regress very quickly into his third NBA contract. If the Raptors are stuck paying him one third of their cap space, they'll be in a tough situation to build a winner around him.

Considering how many games he's missed due to injury in the past three seasons and that the number tends to show that he's less durable each year, by age 28 he may be an absolute shell of his former self.

It's good to know that he's already made his plans to opt out and test free agency as well as his insistence that he won't settle for less than LeBron money clear. If Colangelo is proactive, he may still be able to turn Bosh into a few good players via a trade over the next two months.

Players like Bosh deserve about 13 to 14 million dollars per season, and if he's not concerned with what kind of chance he'll have at winning with himself being so over-paid, it's crystal clear that the only thing that matters to Chris Bosh is Chris Bosh.

While it'd be silly to ask a player like Duncan, Bryant or Lebron to play for anything less than the maximum amount payable, when second-rate stars like Bosh, Marion and Andre Iguodala ask for it, there's just something wrong.

Sadly, for the Raptors, they currently hold two of the most over-rated players in the league in Bosh and Marion. Luckily, both seem to be asking above their value and will hopefully be someone else's reason for throwing remote controls at TVs next season.

Bosh will fumble a simple pass with two seconds on the clock or he'll take a three from the top for absolutely no reason.

Marion will miss layups from point blank range in an unorthodox fashion. When announcers ask him about it after the game, his response will be a resounding and philosophical "it is what is is..man".

Phil Jackson May Have To Wait Another Season For 10th Ring

Robert Seagal — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:45:17 -0400

Going into the NBA Finals, to say the Los Angeles Lakers are favorites would be the understatement of the century. How the Orlando Magic even got out of the second round is still on most people's minds.

Allen Iverson may have to find a new nickname, because "the answer" to that question and most questions surrounding this series is Dwight Howard.

Closing off the lane, putting pressure on other big men to foul him, changing and blocking shots, and rebounding at an inhuman rate, Howard may not have been the MVP in the regular season, but he's certainly the MVP in the playoffs thus far.

It's because of him that a role player like Hedo Turkoglu or secondary stars like Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson look like unstoppable superstars in spurts. It is because of him that opposing guards cringe when they see the paint, or why opposing centers and power forwards tend to spend more time with a towel over their head than usual.

The Lakers' attack may have met its match in Howard, because if the Lakers had trouble with the Rockets, they're going to have just as much, if not more, against the Magic.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are main pieces. Limiting them means the Lakers will be depending on the not-so-reliable Lamar Odom and Co. to do major damage. Considering how much Odom will have to do on defense against Lewis and Turkoglu, perhaps this entire series rests on the broad shoulders of Andrew Bynum.

Gasol's numbers against the Magic were the worst against any team in the league. Nelson, who should be available to play, averaged his best numbers in two wins over the Lakers.

Therefore, it's almost shocking the Magic are underdogs going into this series. If Nelson returns and brings even close to what he was able to bring during the regular season, the Lakers' point guards will be in for some trouble.

If the Magic can stop Bryant from penetrating and keep him running around on defense guarding their shooters, they'll have a chance to close this series out in six games.

The rule of thumb regarding jump-shooting teams is that they tend to regress and eventually fall apart in the playoffs.

That rule might have to be re-worked to say that those teams tend to fall apart, unless they have the top big man in the game patrolling the middle. You learn something new every year.

Toronto Raptors Could Be Very Busy Making Headlines on Draft Night 2009

Robert Seagal — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:55:07 -0400

As the NBA draft approaches, expect both Chris Bosh and the Raptors organization to play a very convincing game of bluff in order to give the illusion that the months of rumors regarding Bosh's certain departure were simply false and that Bosh has ultimately decided that last season's late-season surge was enough to convince him to stick around long term.

The word around the league is that any team which trades for Bosh would get him for sixty cents on the dollar.

This is due primarily to the fact that Toronto has to trade him and also that any team with sufficient cap space could just as easily grab him as a free agent when he hits the market next season.

For all of his short-comings, most in the U.S regard him as a better player than Amare Stoudemire and that automatically makes him the best big man in the 2010 Free agent class.

If the Raptors can convince the rest of the league that Bosh will be sticking around in Toronto, they'll gain more value in any potential deal this summer.

They look to be making a great effort with a recent Hoopsworldarticle claiming Bosh was content in Toronto and him signing with a Canadian record label the day before.

However, many credible sources have highlighted that the Raptors have been aware of Bosh's intention to leave for many months and are also concerned with being the team that eventually pays him the max contract he's seeking.

If Bosh is indeed going to be moved, the NBA draft would be a great night to do it. There have been reports that teams like the Warriors, Bulls, Pistons and Miami Heat have inquired about Bosh.

Word out of Golden State is that any deal for Bosh would likely not include Anthony Randolph, their first round selection last season. The Chicago Bulls are certainly putting Derrick Rose off-limits and the Miami Heat are reluctant to part ways with Beasley with the idea that a player of his calibre on a rookie contract would be an excellent compliment to a potential Wade and Bosh combo in 2010 if Bosh indeed does choose to sign with the Heat.

Any deal involving Bosh on draft night would likely see a secondary star and a draft pick coming the Raptors way. That said, let's discuss a few realistic options for Toronto on draft night.

Chicago

The first deal would be from a team which has a very realistic shot at retaining Bosh in 2010. The Chicago Bulls are rumored to be shopping virtually their entire team outside of Rose and Noah and they could potentially offer a deal involving Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and the sixteenth pick which the Raptors could use on a forward they're extremely high on in Austin Daye.

The Bulls have been seeking a big man since they traded Elton Brand in 2001 and they may be very interested in pairing Bosh with their core of Noah, Rose and Ben Gordon.

The Raptors could seriously use a talent like Deng on the wing and would be paying a secondary star like Deng a lot less than they would end up paying a secondary star like Bosh next season.

Tyrus Thomas still has the ability to thrive in the open court and if the Raptors are serious about running considering they now look to have Marc Iavaronilocked in as their lead assistant, who better to run with a front court of Bargnani and Deng than an athletic forward like Thomas?

The Raptors havebeen talking with many teams about acquiring a mid first round draft pick and seem to be in love with Gonzaga's Austin Daye.

If the Raptors make this move, they instantly become a better defensive team and shore up their need for youth, athleticism, and length while getting some very exciting prospects in return.

If you remember, it was Deng who the Timberwolves were asking for as the primary piece in a Garnett trade only to have the Bulls reject the offer claiming Deng was untouchable.

Two seasons later, they've determined that he's overpaid and if the Raptors have faith that he can put the last season behind him, the Bulls offer of Deng, Thomas and the sixteenth pick is by far the best and most realistic option.

The consequence of making this move however is that it leaves much uncertainty regarding the offense in Toronto. Is Andrea Bargnani ready to be the first option or are they going to put their faith in Luol Deng?

Daye, Williams, Blair or whoever they net at sixteen will almost certainly be a non-factor next year. However, at this point, is anyone willing to part with an All-Star level talent for Bosh unless that All Star is Jameer Nelson or Mo Williams? I doubt it.

Memphis

While the Grizzlies have little to no shot at retaining Bosh, his deal expires following this season and grabbing him means an instant boost in ticket sales for one of the cheapest teams in the league.

They may be willing to part with Rudy Gay, some lengthy contracts and the second pick in the draft for a chance to add Bosh to a team which is currently loaded on the perimeter but features only Gasol in the post.

A team of OJ Mayo, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Chris Bosh may be enough of a draw for the fans that the Grizzlies just might make the move regardless of if Bosh wishes to re-sign next season or not.

With Gay and the second pick, the Raptors could net themselves a couple of spectacular prospects in Rubio and Gay as well as serviceable players like Milicic who still has some potential to add to a core of Bargnani and Calderon.

Calderon could then be dealt to perhaps fill a need for a shooting guard and Marion could be traded via a sign and trade to add a center. In the east, that team would certainly be no worse than last year's 33 win club.

Golden State

If the Warriors are willing to part with some of their youth to add an established star, players like Monta Ellis, Brandon Wright and perhaps even their lottery pick could be an interesting deal for the Raptors.

The Raptors will decide on what to do with Marion and Calderon only after they extablishwhat they'll be doing with Bosh. It would certainly make some sense to know where Bosh will be next season before drafting as well.

Considering how close California is to Texas, the Warriors may in fact have a chance to retain Bosh after his contract expires.

Miami

The Heat have less to offer in terms of multiple players than any of the other teams mentioned, but probably have the single best prospect the Raptors could net in any deal involving Bosh in the form of last years second pick, Michael Beasley.

If the Raptors can convince the Heat that they won't have a chance to grab Bosh next summer, the Heat may be tempted to deal Beasley to win now.

Riley was never crazy about Beasley to begin with and despite his potential to be a scorer, Riley seems to be concerned about Beasley's defensive game and maturity level.

They also have valuable expiring contracts like Jermaine O'Neal among others who could be used to bring in better players on longer deals from other teams looking to clear salary for the 2010 off-season.

Look for the Heat to then make a push at a championship while the rest of league tanks for John Wall and clears cap space in the hope of grabbing a superstar in 2010.

Detroit Pistons

According to Stephen A. Smith, the Pistons have regretted passing on Bosh in 2003 so much that they dealt Billups for Iverson strictly to make a run at Bosh in 2010.

If the Pistons are serious about making Bosh their franchise player, Dumars and company could offer a deal centering around Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton for the Raptors forward.

If Bosh can come to a verbal agreement that he'll re-sign in Detroit following the trade, the Raptors could net themselves a pair of wing players who instantly make them a playoff team while perhaps using Marion's contract to net themselves a big man to shore up their starting unit.

Witha team of Bargnani, Calderon, Prince, Hamilton, a serviceable center and the ninthpick with a potentially re-signed Parker and Delfino, the Raptors could make a very serious run at the playoffs next season.

Detroit would then build around Rodney Stuckey, Bosh and hope to add to that core via free agency this year or next. The Pistons get younger and the Raptors become a team which is instantly a threat to win home court advantage in the playoffs next year while gaining a serious veteran presence in the form of Prince and Hamilton.

Potential Trade-Down

Don’t sleep on the idea that the Raptors will trade out of the lottery in exchange for a mid-first rounder if they feel they can get as good a value at a later pick while shedding a bad contract like Banks or Kapono in the process.

They would open themselves up to the possibility of signing one or two very good free agents and would be doing so in a market where there are few teams which can compete with the money the Raptors can spend.

Whatever happens on Juna 25th, it is certain to be one of the most important days of the year for the Raptors who may be very busy or may simply end up doing nothing at all.

The Top 10 Players the Raptors Should Target in the 2009 NBA Draft

Robert Seagal — Sat, 30 May 2009 09:53:57 -0400

Selecting ninth in the upcoming draft, the Raptors should have a fairly good opportunity to pick up a young piece to pair with their core of Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon.

However, once one factors in the news regarding Pops Mensah-Bonsu's likely departure, the uncertainties regarding Kris Humphries and the potential departure of Bosh via trade, the Raptors look terribly thin up front.

In any case, the draft represents one of four opportunities the Raptors will have to seriously reshape last year's disappointing roster and will have to decide which holes they'll plug via free agency, a potential Bosh trade, a potential Shawn Marion sign and trade and which prospect's name they'd like Stern to call in June.

The word around most Raptor fans is that the team needs a shooting guard in the worst way and this draft will provide them in bunches.

However, if Colangelo is targeting a shooting guard via free agency or a potential trade, this draft presents its share of interesting point guards and big men as well.

The following is a listing of ten prospects the Raptors should give a very good look at, and where they'll likely be drafted.

Some of these players will be drafted ahead of the ninth spot and the Raptors would have to trade up a few spots to nab them.

Others will be available later in the first round and could be had by utilizing the money acquired in the Jermaine O'Neal trade to buy a draft pick as team's prepare for a declining economy.

10. Danny Green 6'6 - SG/SF - North Carolina

Green has a chance to stick around in the league for a very long time. He has great role player potential and is an amazing catch and shoot player. Such players excel in the run and gun style Colangelo and Triano are hoping to implement next season.

He'll likely be available at the end of the first round or the very beginning of the second round. While it'd be very ambitious to project him as a starter, his wingspan and shooting ability make him worthy of a serious look from the Raptors.

Range- Late First-Early Second

9. Victor Claver 6'10 SF/PF - Spain

NBA teams generally scout well in big basketball countries like Serbia and Spain and this makes Claver falling past the late first round very unlikely. While any team that drafts him will likely have to wait for a few seasons for him to come over, his potential is second to few in this generally weak draft.

If the Raptors are worried about hurting their cap space but want to acquire a solid player towards the end of the first round, Claver could end up a very worthwhile investment in the long run.

He's already developing a very good catch and shoot game while being a very good finisher around the rim. If he fills out, he could be a mismatch nightmare in a few seasons. The key is his health.

Range-Late First- Early Second

8. Earl Clark - 6'9 SF/PF - Louisville

Early buzz around Clark is that he might see his stock drop due to concerns regarding his mental makeup. If he falls past the Bulls at 16, the Raptors would be wise to roll the dice on the forward.

He's got the potential to be scary good and you can't say that for more than five other players in this draft. This draft will be rich in role players, but in Clark, the Raptors could grab a potential starter. At 17 and beyond, that is excellent value despite the red flags.

He possesses a very high skill to size ratio, and Colangelo has noted numerous times that this was a very important factor in his draft process. In terms of size to skill ratio, Clark is likely second only to Gonzaga forward Austin Daye.

Range: Late Lottery- Mid First Round

7. Tyler Hansborough 6'9 PF - North Carolina

Hansborough's college success should be taken with a grain of salt when actually projecting what type of success he'll see as pro, but certain elements of his game translate quite well.

He's not as short as originally thought to be, he's a winner with solid toughness and a competitive edge, he fits very well chemistry wise in Toronto and he provides post scoring.

He's got great role player potential and could have a very long pro career if he lands in the right situation.

His concerns defensively shouldn't be taken lightly as it'll be even more of a problem for him at the next level. However, his overall package makes him worth a look if the Raptors grab a pick in the twenties and especially if they've already decided that Bosh is headed out. He would be a fan favorite from day one.

Range- Mid First Round- Late First Round

6. Sam Young 6'6 SF - Pittsburgh

Young might provide the Raptors with what they lack most; a solid perimeter defender.

He's by no means young, but as with Tyler Hansborough, he's NBA ready, and perhaps in the current economy, it helps to have instant production from players on rookie contracts instead of having to wait a few seasons.

Young fits in very well to the Raptors roster if Marion is gone and actually provides some of the same things.

He's a solid athlete and rebounds at a high rate. He can play the three and four but will more likely be asked to play on the wing due to the fact that he's undersized at a shade over 6'5.

Range- Late First Round

5. Terrence Williams SG/SF - Louisville

Another senior, Williams actually has the potential to be a very good NBA player. The problem with him is strictly the space between his ears. He will likely drive his coaches nuts on the next level, and if we're talking skill, he's more or less as well-rounded as Tyreke Evans.

Much like Evans, he's got a spectacular wingspan which allows him to get into the passing lanes and he rebounds at an unheard of rate. If every rookie was given starters minutes next season, I'd bet my house that Williams would be the first to record a triple double. If he slips past 17, the Raptors should look to pick him up.

Range- Late Lottery-Mid First Round

4. Tyreke Evans - 6'6 PG/SG/SF - Memphis

With the success J.R Smith has seen this season, NBA GM's could be giving a very good look at Evans. He's got the potential to be an All Star level talent in this league.

The problem with Evans is mainly that he already thinks he is one. Expect a lot of Michael Beasley-like "I'm going to lead the league in scoring" type statements.

He doesn't deal well with differing and seems to flourish when he's in total control of the ball. Sadly, he neither has the skill level, nor the maturity to handle such a role on the next level. How he deals with that reality will likely be the deciding factor regarding if he's Tyreke Evans the All Star or Tyreke Evans D-League MVP.

He has to wind up in the right situation and playing under Jay Triano and the ever-passive Bosh would be just about the worst place an ego like Evans could end up. He needs to wind up on a veteran team with a stern coach.

That said, I highly doubt he slips past Golden State and New York at seven and eight respectively.

Range- Mid-Late Lottery

3. Jonas Jerebko 6'9 SF/PF - Italy

Defense and toughness with an amazing work ethic is a wonderful combination to find in the second round. Jerebko has the potential to stick in the NBA for a long career if he finds a team willing to develop him.

Having met him, he's an excellent person off the court and would fit the Raptors criteria for quality character guys.

As a player on the court, Jerebko has been able to improve tremendously and truly has an NBA body. Overall, Jerebko is playing against the same competition Bargnani played against at a similar age, and is doing very well.

He possesses a sixth sense on the court and seemingly never loses his composure. He also has an excellent set of intangibles.

Range: Early-Mid Second Round

2. Austin Daye 6'10 SF/PF - Gonzaga

Austin Daye is probably if not the most, then the second most talented player in this draft class. Think Kevin Durant light. Sadly, if you think Durant has weight issues, you haven't seen Daye. His weight is bordering on anorexia and it holds the rest of his game back.

He's a great shooter and has a very solid all around game. Due to his freakish physical attributes for a wing player, he also gets a ton of blocks every game. His numbers thus far in his college career are nothing spectacular but he plays on an extremely deep team and one that barely uses him.

While Daye might be a tremendous risk and reach at nine considering his weight issues and possible red flags regarding work ethic and his motor, he could wind up the best player in this draft in five years.

GM's will have to do the due diligence and give him a very close look. Early reports suggest that the Raptors are extremely impressed with him and would look to acquire a pick in the twenties to pick him up.

However, in such a mediocre draft, it'd be hard to fathom him falling out of the top sixteen.

Range- Late Lottery-Mid First-Round

1. Demar DeRozan 6'6 SG/SF - USC

DeRozan has All-Star stamped on his forehead. He has every tool in the world to succeed on the next level and the toughness and drive to put those tools to use. If we're talking potential, DeRozan has more than any player in this draft including Blake Griffin. He has no limitations at all.

He is a hard worker, good kid off the court, has a better than advertised handle, rebounds well, is as physically gifted a prospect as we've seen in years, and has the desire to get better.

Compton is becoming famous for producing NBA players and DeRozan could be the best one yet.

I have a secret suspicion that he's going to separate himself from the cluster of wing players in private work outs and some team will take him before six.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Raptors are giving him a very hard look considering he's one of the only names the Raptors have never mentioned.

For those who think Colangelo's transparency in 2006 with Bargnani is an indication that he's actually up front about his desired prospects isn't factoring that when teams have the first pick, they focus on selling the pick to their fan base as opposed to playing a poker match with the other 29 teams.

Perhaps the Raptors and Knicks are trying to throw off teams with the hype around Curry and Dejuan Blair that they've created. One thing is for sure. DeRozan will not slip out of the top 10. Whether he'll be around when the Raptors select is still uncertain.

Range- Early-Mid Lottery

Chris Bosh and NBA Draft Present Opportunities For Colangelo to Right Wrongs

Robert Seagal — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:26:31 -0400

While no one would suggest that Bryan Colangelo is in any way on the hot seat, this summer should give him some space to right some wrongs of the past two seasons.

Colangelo, a former two-time executive of the year has seen the glory of his inaugural season dissipate following some extremely questionable trades, signings, and draft picks.

Among these numerous errors was the terrible decision to extend the contract of former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, the coach he fired last season. In fact, the majority of his moves last season were made in order to correct past mistakes.

He traded TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and a mid-first rounder to the Indiana Pacers for the oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal to rid the team of Ford’s lengthy contract, after he prematurely gave the guard an extension the summer before.

He then ridded the team of Jermaine O’Neal’s contract by trading for Shawn Marion’s expiring contract, while throwing in bargain-forward Jamario Moon and a first round draft selection, which will likely see the Raptors missing out on a mid-first rounder in the loaded and promising 2010 NBA Draft.

When he’s not busy handing away first round draft picks, he is selecting second round busts like, PJ Tucker and Nathan Jawai. Neither player was able to crack the rotation on a Raptor team starving for interior toughness.

Today, the Raptors face an incredibly grim situation. They are starved for youth, have exactly two noteworthy prospects in Bargnani and Bosh, and the latter reportedly wants to head south for greener and warmer pastures.

The Raptors have wasted draft picks and spent money on players like Marcus Banks and Jason Kapono when they should have been trying to get younger. They have squandered numerous opportunities to rebuild while staying relatively competitive due to Colangelo’s impulsive management.

One problem with Colangelo’s management of the Raptors to date has been his reactionary approach. Following the first-round exit after being eliminated by New Jersey, Colangelo decided the team needed outside shooters to prevent opposing teams from triple-teaming Bosh. He followed by making Jason Kapono one of the most overpaid players in the NBA.

Following the first round exit against Orlando, he promptly added Jermaine O’Neal to combat the Dwight Howards of the league. Perhaps he forgot for a moment that there is only one Dwight Howard, and mortgaging your future while paying over twenty million dollars for an over-the-hill, injury prone Jermaine O’Neal was probably the worst way to go to remedy such a small problem.

However, his numerous failures thus far have been compounded by one man’s failure to be what he was supposed to be. How good would a Jason Kapono look next to a franchise big man who knew how to pass? How much better does re-signing Jose Calderon look if the big man behind him averages more than a pathetic 1.3 blocks per contest and actually has an ounce of toughness?

Colangelo’s biggest mistake wasn’t trading for O’Neal, trading away first rounders, trading for Shawn Marion, or re-signing Jose Calderon. His biggest error has been in reading Chris Bosh, and failing to realize that he simply isn’t the type of player who can lead a good team.

Great players make other players better. They do so because they are creators, leaders, or superb defenders who allow their teammates to play more freely. Bosh does none of these things, and yet he has remained mum on a potential contract extension this summer. Considering he’s hardly worth it, his rejection or lack of commitment to the Raptor’s maximum contract offer may be Colangelo’s biggest blessing.

While the majority of Raptor fans cringe at the thought of Chris Bosh heading south via trade or free agency, someone who truly knows Bosh’s limitations as a player and a leader may cringe even more at the idea of paying him thirty percent of their cap space.

In fact, any team which decides to ink him to such a deal will likely regret it towards the middle of his contract, due to his durability issues, combined with the fact that when players like him slow down with age, they become relatively useless.

After much thought regarding Bosh’s situation, I have come to the conclusion that it is in the Raptors best interests to deal Bosh for some youth and expiring contracts to a team he makes a commitment to sign with. Instead, the Raptors should look to rebuild around Bargnani and the youth acquired in the deal.

Bargnani is no more or less capable of leading a team than Bosh, and as an added bonus, he has the potential to be better suited for the role. As it stands, he is already a better passer, defender, and is far tougher mentally. Three thing, which happen to be Bosh’s biggest weaknesses.

In regards to the draft, the Raptors should be looking to get younger at the wing positions by acquiring one of the many prospects available, including Demar DeRozan of USC and Austin Daye of Gonzaga.

Sadly, Colangelo’s impatience may see him trade the pick or take a more NBA ready prospect. If this happens, one must question his knowledge, considering that his team itself is not NBA ready as it is currently structured. One must also question if the Raptors are actually delusional regarding Bosh’s true value, or if they are simply scared stiff of attempting to sell the trade to their fan base. As the old line goes, the NBA is a business.

How Statistics Screwed Up the NBA

Robert Seagal — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:30:24 -0400

Sometimes two and two don't add up to four.

Before you send me to an asylum, let me explain. It seems that there are far too many people who ignore their eyes in favor of what can only be called, "John Hollingerism".

A player is good or bad based on the numbers which fill the categories next to his name, and the more advanced they get, the further astray people are led.

The biggest victims are probably the team owners, who essentially pay for paper production. Such is the case with players like Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. Who could forget Andre Iguodala's comments regarding the weight his opinion should carry with the Sixers front office?

With those three guys, it's a case of second banana's getting first banana attention for all the wrong reasons.

Dwight Howard is complaining about touches?

Chris Bosh is holding the Toronto Raptors in the dark, saying he won't comment on the future while Colangelo is waving a max contract in his face. Hell should freeze over the day Bosh rejects a max-contract.

The bottom line is, if you put two first bananas on one team, you'd assume nothing less than the NBA championship would suffice. You could put Iguodala with Bosh and Howard, and still not have enough in them alone to get you there.

What about All-Stars like Danny Granger, or players like Shawn Marion?

These are all examples of what is truly wrong with comparing players through some statistical method. Even after adjusting for team success, one cannot gauge a player by their statistics alone.

Is Tim Duncan a worse player than Dwight Howard? There's no way in hell you're taking Howard in a Game Seven over the big fundamental, unless of course you're aiming to lose.

Is Shawn Marion a max contract player, and was he ever?

No, he was never one. He's a guy who played in an uptempo system and much like every player who plays in 82 games where there are about 25 more rebounds available due to pace than in an average NBA game, he padded his stats and did so on a winning team. His statistics may have made him an elite player worthy of a maximum contract, but in reality, he was simply a role player.

Orlando, Indiana, and Toronto better learn the lesson quickly. NBA games are not won on paper.

Sure, on paper maybe Zach Randolph is good, Chris Bosh is the best power forward in the league, Danny Granger is a prolific scorer, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was the next coming of Jesus, and Dwight Howard is the best player in the league.

The truth is, Randolph is horrible, Bosh is barely a top five power forward if that, Granger would be a third option on any contender, Abdur-Rahim should have been the third banana on a good team, and Dwight Howard is the best role player in the league.

Kevin Garnett: A History Of Racism

Robert Seagal — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:46:00 -0400

While Kevin Garnett has cemented his name in the NBA ranks as perhaps one of the greatest players to ever play the game, his antics over the last 14 years should raise some eyebrows as to exactly who he is and what he's about.

Minnesota and Boston may be among the first two NBA franchises which come to mind when discussing Caucasian fan bases or locations. Ironically they also happen to be the only two teams Garnett has ever played for. For his sake, perhaps a trade to Atlanta is in order.

It's no secret that Caucasian players represent a minority in the NBA, which makes the altercations Garnett has been involved in all the more troubling.

He's certainly had his troubles with players like LaMarcus Aldridge, elbowing him in the head, Tim Duncan, slapping him in the back of the head, and Antonio McDyess, as Mcdyess chased a retreating Garnett around the court as the two were separated by team mates. Who could forget Garnett getting absolutely abused with an elbow to the face by former teammate Anthony Peeler, as Garnett failed to react.

But if you're asking Zaza Pachulia, Jose Calderon, Marco Belinelli, Matt Bonner, Rick Rickert, Andrew Bogut, Wally Szczcerbiak or Rasho Nestervic, you'd probably discover that Garnett takes an issue with white players.

Against the Hawks, Garnett did just that with Zaza Pachulia on two different occasions, first elbowing the Georgian, and in the other altercation, laying him out with an illegal screen in a blowout Celtics victory.

Against the Raptors, Garnett hounded Jose Calderon up and down the court waving his finger in the Spaniard's face, pestering the guard on defense. What business does a guy like Garnett have guarding a point guard like Calderon on the perimeter? The altercation ended with Calderon complaining to the referees and then yelling at Garnett as he walked to the bench.

In a meeting with the Golden State Warriors, Garnett laid Marco Belinelli out with an illegal screen, elbowing the Italian as he fell to the floor. The commentators then stated that it seemed like "Garnett had taken a personal animosity towards Marco Belinelli".

In a meeting between the Raptors and Timberwolves in 2004, Garnett was taken down to the floor in what was simply a hard foul by Matt Bonner. When Garnett saw that Bonner was standing and pointing to the crowd, Garnett charged at him attempting to punch him, and Sprewell followed suit by taking a cheap shot at Bonner.

Garnett had an altercation with Bucks center, Croatian Aussie-born Andrew Bogut, in which Garnett was suspended one game for striking Bogut in the face as the two were battling for a rebound.

However, Garnett saved the best for his own team mates. While in Minnesota, he constantly pestered Nesterovic about not being able to match his intensity, and while the situation never resulted in a physical confrontation, it mirrored Jordan and Cartwright in Chicago far too well.

Also in Minnesota, Garnett took offense to team mate Wally Szczerbiak yelling at him to call out screens by barking back that he needed to play better defense. Garnett followed by punching Szczerbiak in the face.

Nothing has been a greater example of Garnett's racism than his striking Rick Rickert. Rickert scored a few times on Garnett in a scrimmage and his teammates started getting on him about it. The next time Rickert scored, Garnett punched him badly enough that Rickert required six stitches.

While it has been Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace who've drawn the heat for being the resident headcases in the NBA for the past decade, it's Garnett who's quietly been a menace to opposing teams and even to his own teammates.

It was Celtic legend Larry Bird who once stated that he took issue with seeing white defenders on him because he found it to be insulting. Bill Russell was another player who clearly came out and admitted that he had an issue with white people in general and that it was a fuel for the intensity with which he played the game.

Today Garnett is possibly the most glaring example of this mentality. Ironically, between Garnett, Russell, and Bird, they represent arguably three of the five or six greatest Celtics in NBA history.

One can't help but remark at the irony which this presents, considering that the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was once a way for fans to discreetly pledge their allegiance to one race or the other, and that it was the Celtics which represented the Caucasians with Bird, Walton, Ainge, and Kevin Mchale and the Lakers who represented the other side with Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabar.

Ironic that today, Boston's still largely Caucasian fan base cheers for Garnett and the Celtics unlike any other fan base in the league, despite the contents of this article. I'll say to them what I said to the Asian girl I saw wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt a few months after they were sued for their shirt design which read "two Wongs don't make a White"; knowledge is power, and cheering for racist players or global icons is problematic regardless of if they're for you or against you.

Novica Velickovic: Just What the Doctor Ordered for Toronto

Robert Seagal — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:23:32 -0400

Fresh off of being named the recipient of the 2009 Euroleague Rising Star award, which current Raptor Andrea Bargnani swept up in 2006 prior to being picked first in the NBA draft by the Raptors, Novica Velickovic is turning heads in Europe this year.

At just 22 years old, he's the heart and soul of his club, Partizan Belgrade, and the gritty forward is quickly turning into a very well-rounded player.

While at 6'9", some may say he's a tweener as an NBA prospect, and a sub-par athlete, you can't teach the kind of skills Velickovic possesses.

He's the glue that holds a team together. He does everything well enough to help a team win. He can defend, rebound, pass, shoot, score, and most importantly, he's a leader.

When Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo talks about how much he misses Garbajosa, one has to wonder if he even realizes that a player who's every bit like a young Jorge Garbajosa is currently mopping the floor with the competition in the Balkans.

One has to wonder why a player like Jason Kapono is currently making nearly $6 million a year, while someone like Velickovic ended up undrafted this past June. If we're comparing athletic ability, Velickovic is actually superior.

He's the better passer, defender, creator, finisher, and scorer, and five years younger to boot. He's great off the ball, smart in crucial moments, and like Jorge Garbajosa, he enhances the performance of everyone around him.

He's a facilitator, and as tough as nails. His nickname "Ubica" literally translates to "killer". If he went undrafted because he was one inch too short to play as a big, and a step slow to play as a wing, there is something seriously wrong with NBA scouting.

If the Raptors are looking at former draft pick George Printezis as a guy who can help them in the toughness department, a player like Velickovic would likely have a greater immediate impact in the same role because he's as NBA ready as any 22-year-old in the world.

The Euroleague is not kind to players as young as Novica, and for him to emerge as the leader of one of the top seven or eight teams in Europe shows that he's got the maturity of a vet, and at his age, that's truly rare.

While he may not get many offers from the NBA this summer, Novica Velickovic is in the hearts of the Partizan faithful, and I'm sure they'll be happy to cheer him on for the next decade while Jason Kapono sits at the end of the Raptor bench collecting enough money to feed a small country.

Has the NBA learned nothing from players like Nikola Vujcic, Luis Scola, and Jorge Garbajosa? Athletic ability doesn't mean you can play basketball. Just ask Gerald Green how many minutes his vertical leap is getting him this year.

NBA Draft 2009-10 Names To Watch Over The Years

Robert Seagal — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:45:57 -0400

Every year, we attempt to project which players will be studs, and which will be duds. Who will win rookie of the year, and who will get their GM fired over the All-Star break? The best question to ask however is how will these picks look five years from now?

Every draft has late-bloomers. Who could forget that Andrew Bynum was slated to go in the twenties, or that Manu Ginobili nearly went undrafted?

Over the years I've done some work in trying to prject player potential. Some examples of players who were picked significantly below where I had them projected from recent years were; George Hill and Nicholas Batum who should have gone between 15-20, Anthony Randolph and JaVale McGee who should have gone five picks higher each, and Brook Lopez who i had projected at four-five like many people.

In 2007, I felt Nick Young and Tiago Splitter should have been late lottery picks, thought Durant should have gone No. 1, and I had no faith in Jeff Green, but thankfully, the Sonics did.

In 2005, I felt Bynum was a top-6 pick, and would have picked him as high as four, and in 2004 I had Andris Biedrins, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, and Paval Podkolzine and Shawn Livingston as the best prospects after Dwight Howard.

That was a major mis-read, especially with Podkolzine and Livingston. I tend to miss prospects, such as Brandon Roy in 2006 who I thought would be a well-rounded Jarvis Hayes, or Jameer Nelson, but I would have never imagined would have been an All-Star.

We make mistakes, and everyone does, but let's try to project the biggest stars in the upcoming draft based purely on top-end potential. This is to say that if all things go perfectly, the prospect ends up in the right situation, works hard, stays the same health wise, stays focused, what is the best thing they can be.

The number one objective is to outline any hindrances in the player's development. Are they too short, too injury-prone, or are their hands simply to small, their shoulders too round, their lower body too weak?

We must go through, and the player who has the least possible hindrances is usually the top pick in this list.

This is in no way to say that the player will become the best. Surely dedication cannot be measured, and neither can we say how dedicated the coaching staff will be to developing this guy.

Starters/Sixth Men

10. Hasheem Thabeet

He will struggle on the next level to find his place in the new NBA. He's a little big, and I see injury troubles in the future, as well as a total inability to guard the modern center in the NBA.

He's not going to be much of an offensive force, but he has some potential there to be serviceable. His impact will come defensively, but I see him being pretty foul-prone and being quite an average NBA player into his prime. He might be a starter at some point, but I don't see All-Star.

Best Case Scenario: Much better Dasagana Diop

Worst Case:Johan Petro

Potential: 77

Projection:Top 5 Pick (5th Overall)

9. Willie Warren

I think Warren has a place in a fast-paced offense where he'll be free to jack shots at to his heart's content. He has a good feel for playing defense, but I don't see him being an elite defensive player at barely 6'4.

Best Case: Taller Jason Terry

Worst Case: Dujuan Wagner

Potential:79

Projection:Lottery (10th Overall)

8. Tyreke Evans

I see strong head-case red flags here and I certainly don't see him fitting into most NBA situations. His work off the ball needs work, and that's putting it kindly. He is talented, but how many teams are willing to hand him the keys to their offense in order for him to be effective? Not many.

He's got some solid defensive ability so the potential problems with him are all off the court and in his head. He'll never be elite, but he could be a very good player in this league.

Best Case : Larry Hughes

Worst Case:Willie Greene

Potential:80

Projection:Lottery (9th Overall)

7. Jordan Hill

I see a rebounder, a hustler, and a guy New York would love to have. He doesn't have a very polished game, and hasn't been playing very long, which means he lacks the feel that the "lifers' have. His intangibles are questionable, and his potential is something close to a cross between Nene and David Lee, which is a fantastic player if he gets there, but not a superstar.

Best Case: Nene Halario/David Lee

Worst Case:Chris Wilcox

Potential:82

Projection: Top 3 Pick (3rd Overall)

Potential All-Stars

6. James Harden

I have a feeling that he's going to be good, but I can't shake the feeling that he's going to fall short of being superstar good. He's got limitations galore. He's nonathletic compared to some of the other guys he'll meet on the next level, and lacks explosiveness, or the Go-to mentality.

Overall his potential is low, but his likliness of being a bust is also very low. He's coachable, and unselfish. He seems to be the type of player who would be most helped by playing on a very good team, and not being asked to carry a very bad one.

For his sake then, I hope his stock drops to the extent that he's picked between 8-12, because he could truly thrive on a team in that situation.

Best Case: Brandon Roy (less assertive)

Worst Case:John Salmons

Potential:82

Projection: Top 5 Pick (4th Overall)

5. Al-Farouq Aminu

He has immense potential, and I can't say much beyond that. He has the physical tools to be a big 3/4 combo and he's going to be the youngest player taken in this draft. He's coachable, and his potential is somewhere between Luol Leng and Josh Smith, which is to say he has All-Star type potential.

Best Case: Luol Deng/Josh Smith

Worst Case:Trevor Ariza

Potential:87

Projection: Lottery Pick (13th Overall)

4. Brandon Jennings

He's lightning quick, gets to the rim, has break down ability, and has spent a year in Europe playing pro-ball which should prepare him well mentally for the next step. He has high bust-potential, but also great potential to be a solid All-Star in this league based on his drive to become one.

Best Case: Allen Iverson/Tony Parker

Worst Case: Lou Williams

Potential:87

Projection: Lottery (6th Overall)

SuperStar-Potential

3. Blake Griffin

He's the number one pick across every Mock-draft, but look back to the start of this year and you'd be surprised to find him in the top 3. Now granted he did a lot of good work this past summer, but to be honest, his limitations are still there.

He's a great rebounder, but is he still on the undersized side? 6'10? I think not. Probably closer to 6'8 and change, and he's not a very good defender at all.

Comparing him to two other college superstars in Durant (2007), and Beasley(2008), he's probably the least skilled of the three, and is likely to disappoint anyone expecting a traditional number one pick. He'll likely be a solid rebounder from the get-go, but his overall productivity will be closer to Al Jefferson eventually.

Therefore, while he may become a great player in this league, he'll likely be nothing more than a top 20 type. He's also got some knee concerns people should be wary about.

Best Case: Brian Grant/Horace Grant

Worst Case: Rich man's Kris Humphries

Potential:88

Projection:Top 3 Pick (1st Overall)

2. DeMar DeRozan

I was tempted to put him at one, but I'm not certain he'll ever be that good. DeRozan has everything you could dream of in a player at the wing position. He can rebound, play defense, shoot a little bit although he needs work there, he can slash, and he's a big ticket athlete who'll be sure to become a favorite on ESPN top-10.

He's got superstar potential, but is a very good candidate to get lost in the shuffle and perhaps turn into one of the many other rotation wings in the league ala Tony Allen and J.R Smith. At worst he's going to be a solid rotation player with a few holes in his game. At best, he's a perennial All-Star and the second coming of Vince Carter.

Best Case: Vince Carter (Younger Slashing version)

Worst Case:Rodney Carney/Tony Allen

Potential:93

Projection: Lottery Pick (8th Overall)

1. Ricky Rubio

He's got passion, defensive ability, toughness, creativity, and the potential to be one of the best players to ever play this game. He's got it all. He's big for the guard position, and unlike Nash who many liken his game to, he impacts the game at both ends of the floor.

Best Case: Pete Maravich/Steve Nash

Worst Case:Sergio Rodriguez

Potential:95

Projection: Top 3 Pick (2nd Overall)

The NBA Just Isn't What It Used To Be

Robert Seagal — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:41:30 -0400

If you followed basketball in 1989 and fell into a coma, waking up today may shock you right back into one.

Sure, the shorts are longer and no one is complaining. Maybe the game is a little more sophisticated now, implementing more team-oriented attacks instead of the isolation-oriented game of the Magic Johnson era.

The big men seem to be far more polished, stepping out to the three-point line, and the guards are bigger and far more athletic today than they were 20 years ago.

Over this twenty year period of evolution, something else happened, and it happened ever so slowly that it almost went unnoticed. It seems the players exchanged their balls, and not the rubber ones, for friendship bracelets.

Gone are the days when a player would be slammed to the floor ruthlessly for attempting to enter the paint, and gone are the days of grit and defensive pride. How many true rivalries even exist in today's NBA? That was the point of sports in the first place right?

In today's NBA, the tough guys are sitting at the end of the bench, while those with an ounce of talent are at the salon getting manicures. If I'm being harsh, excuse me. One can only take so much before turning to college basketball for a sigh of relief.

Where's the pride? How does one justify laughing while your team is in the midst of a blow out, or dancing during timeouts? Soulja boy anyone?

Are NBA players taking lessons from the WWE? Sadly, through marketing and this blase on-court demeanor, NBA athletes become more and more like entertainers with each passing day.

Two instances which are actually quite current come to mind. Shaq called out Robin Lopez for not being physical with opposing teams when they entered the paint.

Now I'm sure Jordan did this to Bill Cartwright, but Lopez is hardly as soft as some of the other big men in this league who provide nothing in terms of lane intimidation. Sadly, not many Shaqs remain to call them all out.

I can't stress that lane intimidation does not come from shot-blockers alone, but from men who take pride in their manhood, protecting their team's paint, and winning.

In a second example, LeBron and the Cavs are playing Dwight and the Orlando Magic in Orlando. You would assume that such a match-up between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams would be filled with competitive fire and bad blood.

Instead, two of the NBA's marquee names are jokingly holding each other prior to engaging in a half-court shot competition. You can't be serious?

Needless to say, the Cavs were embarrassed by the Magic, who blew them out, but the display of the two superstars brought fans to their feet. This begs the question: have the fans lost their minds too?

There are few stars in today's game who respect the game of basketball more than the glamor associated with it. They're rare, and hopefully will be an inspiration for those who enter the league in the following years, and serve as examples for young players like James and Howard.

I'm not attacking the personalities of these two, or players like them. I have nothing but respect for the charismatic Howard and his desire to win a championship for Ewing, and James' overall impact on the game globally.

But where's the professionalism? Where is the desire to not only beat, but annihilate the other team?

I personally feel that the larger number of high-school players and underclassmen entering the league is a large reason for this, but perhaps the best counter-example is Kobe Bryant, so there goes that theory.

Players like Bryant, Duncan, Shaq, Wade, Durant, Roy, Billups, and Paul seem to have grown up learning from, listening to, and idolizing the right people.

Players like Howard, James, McGrady, Bosh, Bynum, and any other player who brings their personal relationships with players on the opposing team onto the court should probably go watch some Larry Bird highlights.

A life without dancing is a life not worth having. Just keep the dancing, singing, half-court shots, Soulja-boy dances, and general caring off the court.

Chris Bosh: The Make-Believe Franchise

Robert Seagal — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:22:34 -0400

Lack of exposure may be Bosh's best friend. In fact, outside of a silly "Deadbeat Dad" story, even the Toronto media has been overly generous to the Texan.

In any other market however, one would have to raise an eyebrow at his pathetic play this season.

Consider his play against the best teams in the league: he's averaged 17 points per game against the Spurs, 16.5 points per game in four games against Boston, 19 against Cavaliers, and an atrocious 12 points per game against the Lakers while shooting 35 percent.

Fading in almost every crucial and important moment in his career to date while managing to torch helpless sub-par teams who have no hope of guarding a versatile forward like him has, to my surprise, made Bosh a superstar in this league.

As I watched him dominate the Knicks today, I couldn't help but notice that his dominance had virtually no effect on the team's overall success. In fact, the Raptors seemed to get worse the more they worked through him.

The ball movement became non-existent, and overall, outside of three or four post moves, it was a plethora of out-of-the-flow jump shots, including a mind-boggling three-pointer, something he occasionally does despite the fact that he barely shoots 25 percent and plays for a team filled with shooters.

As I watched the Raptors-Knicks game, my friend who is a psychologist made an interesting remark regarding Bosh. "He's very reactive" he said.

He referred to Bosh yelling at his teammates after he himself was making mistakes. He slammed the ball into the ground after every Knick basket and yelled at the referee.

He added that Bosh is just a mentally fragile player who ultimately lacks focus and allows almost everything around him, from the defender, the referee, to the crowd to impact how he plays.

He would continuously miss players who were wide open, routinely miss defensive assignments, and continuously get out-muscled without much of a fight.

Sure, when one looks back on the night that the Raptors were officially eliminated from the playoffs, they'll say Bosh did his part as they note that his numbers were impressive. But unless you watch how he scored those points, you certainly can't grasp how much his ball-domination or being the focal point of an offense hurts his team.

In fact, when the Raptors finally started to go to Marion, they actually made a run and nearly won the game. For whatever reason, Bosh just hasn't developed the offensive awareness to understand when to shoot, when to pass, when to drive, or when to post up.

For whatever reason, he's just not a very bright player and it shows in key moments of any game.

He's a complimentary player who has no idea how to make those around him better. He's constantly double teamed and shares the floor with some of the best shooters in the league. However, he barely capitalizes on this, and continues to put his head down and charge into double teams, throwing up reckless shots, or launching fade-aways against guards from 18 feet away in the process

It has been a tough season to swallow, and to be honest, one can only hope Bosh is someone else's "superstar" next season.

Raptors Dish: Late Season Surge, Draft Prospects, and Summer Plans

Robert Seagal — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:33:51 -0400

The Raptors are not accidentally winning, or failing to tank. There’s a reason for this push, and it may not be as obvious to some as to others.

Like any business, the Raptors have to look at their financial situation. Colangelo has been on record saying that there was much parity in this draft between five and 15, further adding that there are many players he’s interested in drafting between 10—25. This opens the possibility of perhaps buying an additional draft pick. When asked if he would consider trading out of the lottery, Colangelo didn’t hesitate to say that it was certainly one possibility. Let’s add it up.

One statement in particular caught my ear. It was that Colangelo felt that if one could get similar players at five and 15, he seemed to favor picking fifteenth in this particular draft because of the salary assigned to the two picks. Now this isn’t to say that Colangelo prefers to pick fifteenth over fifth, but all things considered, he seems more concerned about the financial side of things than getting the highest pick possible.

For starters, the chances of season ticket renewals increase with every win, and the chances that fans will come to the remaining games this season is also better if they’re actually playing well and winning games. This is in no way to condone winning on the road, but the recent win streak the Raptors put together at home was quite a logically sound move.

Second, factor in the trade value of good players on bad teams. This could have been a great time to shut down Bosh, but there’s far more to be gained by show-casing him and showing the other teams who may want to trade for him that he’s healthy and back to being a productive player.

Thus, the positives of picking tenth instead of seventh are not strictly financial. Bosh looks better and healthier. MLSE is selling more tickets and stands a better shot at having a decent ticket renewal rate. Also, the Raptors pay less to the player they eventually pick despite the fact that they project that he will be more or less similar to players picked five picks higher.

Considering this economy, this has to be the major concern of this organization at the moment. This isn’t Mark Cuban, but instead a corporation which frowns on losing money at any cost. I imagine some high ranking MLSE executives had Jermaine O’Neal’s face and his maximum contract on a dart board prior to February.

The Raptors would be wise to take Griffin if they luck out and pick No. 1, and they may indeed do that. However, after Griffin, there is a major fall-off with no sure-fire star players. Considering the Raptors are pleased with Calderon and Ukic, and seem content with bringing back Bargnani and Mensah-Bonsu, the clear choice for a draft pick would be a wing player, or a backup centre.

I think there’s a fifty percent chance that Bosh is moved for a package involving an established wing player with some fillers or a few young prospects with a draft pick. They should look look to move some mistakes like Kapono and Banks with Bosh, but I have my doubts they’ll do this.

Finally, what exactly is available at the wing in the 2009 NBA draft? Some key names that jump out are James Harden, Gerald Henderson, Demar DeRozan, Tyreke Evans, Willie Warren, Chase Budinger, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Earl Clark.

If you're aiming for the best overall player now, clearly Harden has shown the polish to come in and make a difference immediately, and is mature enough to play third option to guys like Bosh and Bargnani.

If you're going for a home run prospect, a high risk-high reward pick, it doesn't get better than Demar DeRozan. The scouting reports are way off on this kid. Best case scenario, this kid turns into the second coming of Tracy McGrady. Worst case scenario, he ends up being a solid rotation guy with some serious defensive problems.

The fact is, outside of Griffin, and Rubio if he declares, there isn't one guy who jumps off the page. Harden is undersized, and is an underwhelming athlete at the next level. Jordan Hill is extremely raw, and Hasheem Thabeet while impressive might be less useful than he would have been fifteen years ago.

If you're picking at nine or 10, and DeRozan is on the board, provided that your scouting shows that he has some will to improve, this is one kid that's going to get at least one general manager fired. Hopefully, it won't be the one that picks him.

Chris Bosh Faces Ex-Girlfriend in Maryland Court in Custody Battle

Robert Seagal — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:21:58 -0400

On Nov. 26, 2008, Allison Mathis, former live-in girlfriend of Toronto Raptors forward, Christopher W. Bosh, filed a claim in the Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland, that Bosh had left her side as she was sick and seven months pregnant with their child.

The claimant is seeking sole custody of their daughter, four-month-old Trinity Meyers-Mathis. She claims Trinity is Bosh's daughter, and is demanding child support payments.

Vincent Wills, Bosh's Maryland-based lawyer says his client denies the allegations, among which were that Bosh had Mathis removed from their Texas home, which they bought for 1.6 Million dollars, and stopped supporting her financially only months after the two had intended to get married.`We're going to be filing our response to the filing within the next week or so,'' he said.

While these claims have yet to be proven in court, one would assume that this may explain Allison's absence in the ACC crowds this past season. Mathis claims that upon returning from Beijing, Bosh signaled that he intended to "move on" from their relationship. She was left without money or transportation and eventually moved in with her mother in her two-bedroom apartment.

She gave birth to a daughter, Trinity Meyers-Mathis on November 2, 2008. Trinity has seen her father twice, and both brief encounters were in a hotel room when the Raptors faced the Wizards on the road.

Chris Bosh's career just took a turn for the worse if Mathis indeed wins the case. Both his wholesome reputation, and potential marketing opportunities are going to be jeopardized.

It seems that Bosh's performance prior to November 26, 2008 had him screaming for MVP attention, and his performance after then has been on the whole awful. If the Raptors go as Chris Bosh goes, this might explain the abysmal season have had since December.

Bosh has been booed to no end at home games this season, and all talk was of him wanting out of Toronto. With the importance Colangelo places on players retaining a positive public image, one may say that a trade this summer seems even more likely today than it did yesterday.

Raptors Dish: Who Will Return for Toronto in 2009-10?

Robert Seagal — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:28:21 -0400

Through this disappointing 2008-2009 campaign, Raptor fans have had very little to cheer.

They've seen their offseason acquisition traded mid-season for a player who will likely sign elsewhere next, a franchise player who's failed to show up, a point guard they anointed an All-Star turn into the source of the team's woes, and two coaches fail to inject this team with anything that even resembles pride, desire, and heart.

But through the dark, there is generally some light. While there may be up to seven or eight Raptors returning to Toronto next season, these are the three that will not be moved come hell or high water.

The We-Won't-Move-'Emables

Andrea Bargnani

If you were one of the fans who questioned this guy's desire, what Andrea Bargnani has shown this season should certainly put to rest those doubts. Since stepping in for O'Neal, he's been a 20-point per game scorer, improving his rebounding and actually playing solid defense.

Furthermore, far too many times over these past four months, he's looked like the only Raptor who even cared.

He's shown emotion that was lost in translation through his first two seasons, he's shown the ability to show up in key moments, the mental toughness to fight bad starts and he's shown that given a full season under the role—he's an All-Star.

There are few player's in this league who are less likely to be moved this summer than Bargnani. Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Durant, Paul, Deron Williams, Yao, Duncan, Rose, and Brandon Roy come to mind.

For all the mistakes Colangelo has made as a GM—Bargnani has proven that he wasn't one of them.

His talent, size, and potential make him a player the Raptors will likely have around for the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, credit Colangelo for not succumbing to the temptation of pleasing Bosh by trading Bargnani for immediate help. The vultures had sensed blood in the air and put in offers for Bargnani this offseason.

Had Colangelo given in, I certainly can't imagine how many Raptor fans would be on suicide watch given what Bargnani has become this season.

Roko Ukic

While his numbers aren't staggering, his place on this team is cemented in stone. There is nothing short of him being a deal-breaker for a superstar that is going to see him in another uniform next season.

His work ethic, creativity, size, and coveted defensive ability at the lead guard spo, make Ukic an indispensable asset.

When Bryan Colangelo became the GM of the Raptors mid-season nearly three seasons ago, his first question was "Do we have enough to bring Ukic over?"

This team has been extremely high on him and if he can improve his jump shot, he's capable of being a contributor on a good playoff team.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu

I remember commenting to my girlfriend before Pop's first game as a Raptor that he was my third favorite player on the team already.

"But you havn't even seen him play!" she remarked.

Actually, if you've been watching the international scene, or the NBDL, you're all too familiar with what Mensah-Bonsu can bring. He's worth signing for a multi-year deal this offseason, and I certainly hope the Raptors stop showcasing him so much because some team going to throw some substantial cash his way if the word gets out.

He's an ideal hustle guy off the bench, and can easily be the Raptors' version of Chris Anderson, Anderson Varajao, or the handful of other energy guys who have destroyed this team over the past three seasons.

I would keep him here at something close to three years, seven million. He's more than worth it, and it'd be great to see him have a chance to stick with one team. I have not seen a standing ovation for any player this season prior to the response Pops received from the fans as the Raptors blew out the Pacers.

It was genuinely heartwarming to see the fans recognize him. I'm sure he'll carry that moment with him.

You'll Be Back, Unless Someone Else Wants You Enough

Jose Calderon

The Raptors won't have the resources to replace him unless they acquire a point-guard for Bosh. He's signed to a fresh deal, and considering this season was spent with a bum hamstring, perhaps Calderon can return to being the player the Raptors thought they re-signed last summer.

Jason Kapono

This move is mainly due to the fact that his contract is brutal. Considering what he brings, and he's had among the worst seasons of his career shooting this ball this season. He would likely go in a trade with Bosh, but this would only lessen the value of what the Raptors were getting back.

Joey Graham/Delfino/Parker

I'm sure one of these three players, if not two will be back. Having three would be redundant. If the Raptors however acquire a star wing for Bosh and move Kapono in the process, all three of these guys could be Raptors again next season.

Marcus Banks

Much like Kapono, he's a former member of the Heat that is locked into this roster due to the fact that he is grossly overpaid. If the Raptors can extract some productivity out of him, it'll be a bonus.

Nathan Jawai

Considering he had the set-back early this season with his heart, the Raptors will likely use the coming season to evaluate their second rounder over a full healthy season. I doubt they're attached to him, but with his attitude and work ethic, I doubt they're itching to move him either. He's got some potential yet.

Never a Better Time To Say Goodbye

Shawn Marion

There is about a 75 percent chance that Marion is elsewhere next season. This team isn't a contender, it isn't located in a warm climate, and the style of play is not suited to the Matrix.

The Raptors' best bet is a sign-and-trade. Unless something dramatic happens between now and the end of the season, Marion is the least likely Raptor to return.

Kris Humphries

The Raptors have actively tried to deal him two times already, and I'm not certain how much of a market there will be for him this coming offseason considering he's sat out the majority of the season with an injury.

All things considered, he's a hustle guy on a decent contract who also happens to be the youngest player on this team outside of O'Bryant. There will surely be a handful of teams who wouldn't mind taking him back in a big deal.

Patrick O'Bryant

Patrick O'Bryant has squandered his lottery-pick status and will likely be sleep-walking his way to the Euroleague next season. We hardly knew ya. He will not be back. You can lock this one and throw it into the bank.

Chris Bosh

This will be the Raptors' big move of the offseason. Along with the return on Marion, a lottery pick, and the mid-level exception, this will be the fourth and largest chip the Raptors will have to re-structure this team.

While I've been for trading Bosh for nearly three seasons now, it seems many have quietly entertained the idea this offseason. Every media source has him leaving, and where there's smoke, there is generally fire.

One might argue that even if Bosh had stuck it out and signed a max-level deal, the Raptors would be incapable of surrounding him with the players he needs to win.

Moving Bosh could prove to be extremely difficult due to the fact that to get anything substantial back in return, the Raptors would have to convince their trading partner that Bosh was willing to stay.

This limits the teams that Bosh can possibly be moved to, and currently, the only teams I see with the resources to land him without completely dismantling their core group are Chicago, Golden State, and depending on how high the Raptors are on Michael Beasley, the Miami Heat.

One thing is certain, Bosh will not be a Raptor in 2011. Will he be shipped this offseason? It certainly seems likely. I'd say there is a 60 percent chance he is shipped this offseason.

Four Biggest Holes in the Raptors' Roster

Robert Seagal — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:50:26 -0500

Overpaying for Substandard Talent

The total amount for their salary commitments ranks tenth in the NBA, but their money is invested in all the wrong guys. Let's analyze where the cash is going, exactly.

Almost $32 million is due to Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Jason Kapono, and Marcus Banks.

For a team which claims it has a bright future, these four contractual obligations seriously hinder any opportunity for significant improvement in the near future.

Throw big man Kris Humphries and his $3.2 million in, and you have nearly half of your entire salary devoted to players who are grossly overpaid for what they provide.

Frequently, these guys aren't even on the court; instead, they're wearing a suit. Bosh, Calderon, and Humphries have become quite accustomed to that attire this season.

Kapono is signed for the mid-level exception, yet is far from being the “average” player. He’s a defensive liability and a shooter who can’t (or at times doesn’t feel like) shooting the ball.

Jose Calderon, while paid quite reasonably for his numbers, is just not the core piece he’s been made out to be. Like Kapono, he can’t guard a pylon to save his life. Of course, unlike Kapono, he starts; but he plays a position for forty minutes per game where stopping lane penetration should be the primary objective.

Instead, Calderon takes a page out of the fans' book, using “the hand clap" as his defense. He masks his inability to shuffle his feet east-to-west by applauding the opposing player in hopes that the player will simply burst into laughter and turn the ball over.

Not only are the players not turning the ball over, they’re penetrating at will, and creating open shots, fouls, or generally killing any opportunity the Raptors have for being a fast-paced team.

Now to Marcus Banks, a player Pat Riley cleverly pushed into the O’Neal–Marion swap. He’s a streaky shooter, a good defender, but in the end, an undersized scrub shooting guard who makes poor decisions.

If Calderon is your starter, Ukic is your backup, why bring in a player who, even at his best, is still worse than Ukic?

Right. So you can pay a third-string point guard over $4million per year for the next three seasons.

Trading for Kris Humphries was one of the best moves Colangelo has made to date. But awarding him over $3 million per season with a player option was truly silly.

He simply isn’t smart enough to play significant minutes, and players like him are readily available in every single draft at the beginning of the second round. Certainly, he’s still young and provides the Raptors with some grit, but he’s a ball-stopper, average defender, incapable offensive player, and a general numb-skull.

While not the better player, fellow Raptor Nathan Jawai is a far better long-term prospect if he can stay healthy. If the Raptors can unload Humphries’ contract this off-season, they shouldn't hesitate for a second.

We now turn our attention to the man Shaq dubbed the “RuPaul of NBA big men”.

Chris Bosh is not in any way worth the salary he earns, much less the salary the Raptors seem ready to pay him in 2010. While drafting him was a sound move, anointing him a “franchise” player was premature.

I’ve stated emphatically for the past three seasons that Bosh simply isn’t a player you can build a team around. People simply don’t see how large a gap there actually is between a player like him and the talents he’s often compared to.

I’ve heard Raptor announcers saying that 2010 is the year of James, Wade, and Bosh. Ironically, he’s always paired with one guy or another.

There isn’t a team outside of Detroit that wants to bring him in as their main cog. Which begs the question, why are the Raptors so hell-bent on keeping him as theirs?

If he’s shown for over half a decade that he isn’t that guy you can just rely on to win big games in close situations, why even pay him? Why venture down the Minnesota-Garnett "nightmare road to mediocrity again," let alone with a player with half the talent of the "Big Ticket."

Coaching Woes

There hasn’t been a legitimate coach in Toronto since the disinterested and out-of-touch Lenny Wilkens, and there hasn’t been a guy who actually knows how to coach since the days of the “Diet Pepsi Man” himself, Kevin O’Neill.

I doubt the Raptors will be putting any investment into Jay Triano this offseason, and this opens the door for a new coach to come in.

Let’s pray for the Raptors’ sake that it’s either Van Gundy or Messina that they pursue, because this team could truly use a complete coach.

Mitchell may have said the right things, and Triano may call the right plays, but until this team can get a coach who can do both consistently well, they’ll have trouble against elite level teams. And with the very obvious exception of Boston, they all have very capable minds patrolling the sidelines.

Lack of Franchise

Back to the "dreaded wonder" himself, Chris Bosh. Outside of perhaps the Timberwolves with Jefferson, the Grizzlies with Gay, the Pacers with Granger, and the Wizards with Arenas, I can’t imagine a team with a worse No. 1 guy than the Raptors with Bosh.

Just how large is the gap between a Kobe, LeBron, or Wade?

Let's say all three swapped teams. Would one team fall off completely, or would another catapult to new heights? I doubt it.

What is the difference between having Chris Bosh, and someone like Howard, Duncan, or Garnett?

I’d say 10 to 12 wins is being extremely generous. Put Bosh on the Spurs in place of Duncan and they’re not in the Playoffs, much less contending for a title.

In Bosh, the Raptors have a player with glaring weaknesses; but worse, he's content with his weaknesses. He knows what’s wrong, but recently, has described the team’s problems by saying “we don’t defend," “we need to be tougher at the end of games," and so on.

I’d have a hard time saying "we," when it was me launching contested fadeaways over players who were six inches shorter than me. But Bosh uses the plural liberally, dodging the blame.

If Bosh is content with being a 20-10 guy, being an All-Star, and being a minor YouTube celebrity, then so be it. But let’s not put the label of "franchise player" on such an incomplete player; it’s just insulting.

The Point Guard-Oriented Attack

I’m a firm believer that point guards should be able to penetrate, but that the ball should leave their hands at some point and the offense should be created by the wings and from the post, as the Pistons did with Billups and their offensive system in recent years.

Considering the Raptors have a star post player who can neither play down low nor create for others and lack a competent ball handler on the wing, they’ve asked Calderon to be their version of Steve Nash.

Even if he was at Nash’s level, history still shows us that this method of over-initiating your offense through your lead guard hasn’t led to a single title since the days of Magic Johnson.

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, John Stockton, and Mark Jackson, for all their glorified assist numbers, have not one ring among them to show for it.

The fact is, however, that Calderon isn’t near the level of those four. He's more like a cross between Derrick Fisher and Brevin Knight.

When was the last time either of them were the second option of a team's offense? This isn’t to say that someone like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Derrick Rose won’t change this in five years, but to date, it just hasn’t worked so well.

The Raptors have big decisions ahead in 2009, and if they can start by unloading any three of Bosh, Calderon, Kapono, Banks, and Humphries, they'd be in a good place. With a competent coach and a creative wing, perhaps the Raptors' faithful can finally have something to cheer about again.

Putting the Shawn Marion-Jermaine O'Neal Swap into Perspective

Robert Seagal — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:00:53 -0500

For the record, I would have preferred to hold off on trading O'Neal until the offseason. However, in this economy, saving some money for a rainy day is important too. Having cap space is important for many reasons.

For instance, if the Raptors don't re-sign Marion and Parker, they have the opportunity to trade a first rounder to a team for a disgruntled player whose team is feeling the pocket pinch.

Tyson Chandler is on the the market for that very reason right now. What's better than an expiring contract like Jermaine O'Neal? No contract. Ultimately, you can do far more with 15 million dollars cap space in terms of a trade than you could with a 23-million dollar expiring contract.

But Raptor fans seem to be quite unhappy with this trade for some reason.

Before you throw Bryan Colangelo under the bus for trading away Jermaine O'Neal, Jarmario Moon's bargain contract and a conditional first rounder to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, and about 3 million dollars in cash, why not evaluate which direction the Raptors are headed?

Rumors are that the New Jersey Nets offered Vince Carter and an expiring contract to the Heat in exchange for Marion alone. Why is that significant? The Heat chose the Raptors offer. It should be a telling tale about the state of the economy. It should also say something about trading for need.

Is Carter a better player than O'Neal at this stage? Yes. But what did the Heat need? More importantly, what did the Raptors need? The Raptors needed to shed O'Neal's mammoth contract and in the process saved about 34 million dollars which the Heat now owe the oft-injured forward.

Furthermore, the Raptors now become players in free agency this coming season. The most important factor however, is that Shawn Marion is a far better fit for the Raptors than O'Neal ever was.

Marion and O'Neal is pretty much a wash in terms of talent level. Both are former all-stars, but Marion is less injury prone, makes almost 5 million less, is going to expire at the end of the season, and is younger. He's the better rebounder, and essentially he brings toughness to the wing position for the Raptors.

The Heat are biting the bullet on O'Neal's contract for the sake of contending for a championship, but in reality O'Neal does very little for them. His value is inflated because of past accomplishments. Truth be told, he does less per dollar than any player in the league.

He's likely to miss at least 25-30 games in any season, is offensively inefficient, demands to be the focal point of an offense yet happens to be a horribly incapable finisher around the rim and a fairly bad passer to boot.

Furthermore, as he's aged, he's been less and less likely to go to the rim. As a Raptor, a large portion of his shots have been mid range jump shots and wild turn arounds. While his defensive game is a tremendous asset for any team, his offense is average at best.

If both players became free agents tomorrow, Marion would be worth at least 3 million more, and yet as it stands he earns almost 5 million dollars less. In this economy, there is no room to blow 8 million dollars and do it for a guy who's one big injury away from retirement.

Let us evaluate the Raptors per position:

Point Guard: B+

Between Jose Calderon, Roko Ukic, Will Solomon, and now Marcus Banks, the Raptors have four point guards on a 13-man roster. This would naturally mean trouble, but I doubt Colangelo doesn't see a way around this.

Between Ukic and Banks you have a speedy, defensively sound back court which truly compliments each other. At 6'5, Ukic is a point guard in a shooting guard's body, while at 6'2 Banks is a shooting guard in the body of a point guard.

By taking the ball out of Banks' hands on offense and giving it to either Anthony Parker or Roko Ukic, the Raptors could turn Banks' career around much like Colangelo and D'Antoni did for Boris Diaw in Phoenix.

Thus, at this point, the Raptors have a solid point guard rotation, and with Banks and Ukic, they can really look to run a lot. If Marion is on the court with those two, it could be a real treat to watch with Ukic possibly being the most talented and creative passer on the team.

Shooting Guard: C+

This would now be the weakest position on the Raptors roster, and if Parker can play a little above his head, they can mask it. With Ukic, Banks, Joey Graham, Jason Kapono, the Raptors have a plethora of guys who can play the position in spurts. All four players have their problems, and therefore it'd be very important for Parker to stay healthy if the Raptors have any chance at the playoffs.

Small Forward:B+

The Raptors certainly didn't trade for Anthony, James, or Durant, but they did get a guy who compliments their front court duo very well. Marion is an excellent rebounder, an above average defender, and most importantly, a tough competitor. Hopefully, playing with passers like Calderon, Ukic, and Bargnani can really resurrect his career.

Behind Marion, the Raptors have Joey Graham and Jason Kapono. While Joey may be asked to play a little back-up power forward, Kapono is far from a scrub. While he may not be good value at his contract, the Raptors have a very special shooter in him, and if he can find his groove either for the remainder of this season or under their new coach next season, he might live up to his contract yet.

When he's aggressive, he's still a player who keeps defenses honest. With guys like Bargnani and Bosh up front, players like Kapono are needed.

Power Forward:A-

Behind Bosh, the Raptors could seriously use a gritty veteran. Instead they have young players like Kris Humphries, Joey Graham, and Nathan Jawai. Bosh is an All-star, and hopefully the rest does him some good. At some point, this team will need to address their lack of back up big men.

However, with an up-tempo style, the Raptors may be able to get away with Graham and even Marion at times here. At this point, the Raptors have Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Shawn Marion, Joey Graham, Kris Humphries, and Nathan Jawai who can all play this position. Talk about versatility.

Center: C+

They turned their best position into their worst by trading O'Neal, but again in an uptempo offense, Bosh can be hidden at this position as well. Bargnani has come into his own this season, and I feel that if the Raptors are going to be successful, they'll need a lot more of what they got from him in January.

With Marion, the Raptors become a vastly superior rebounding team as well, because Marion can play on the court at the same time as Bosh and Bargnani—which is something the Raptors couldn't manage to do with much success while O'Neal was in town.

Overall, the deal balances out both rosters. Moon and O'Neal are simply not as good as most fans think they were, and in Miami, Heat fans along with Riley will have to find that out the hard way.

While it's certainly possible that O'Neal will play his heart out with the Heat, I'll shave my head if he lives up to even half of his contract.

Again, if the Raptors like Marion, they can keep him after this season. If not, they can use the cap space they have to take contracts off of some other teams' hands.

As a team which is feeling the pinch financially, what would be better than giving off $15 million in salary to a team in exchange for a second rounder? Some teams may be desperate to shed salary for the 2010 free agent frenzy, and this might be something Colangelo can capitalize on by making his moves one year in advance.

How the Toronto Raptors Hit Rock Bottom

Robert Seagal — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:13:46 -0500

Coming off of what was the most embarrassing loss of the season, the men in red might want to do a little soul searching before they head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. On Saturday night, the Raptors dropped a game in the fourth quarter to the Memphis Grizzlies who were without their stud forward Rudy Gay.

What does this team lack? They have three big men who could start on most NBA teams, a point guard who was apparently so good that they traded away TJ Ford just to give him starter status, and a bunch of wing players who are each supposed to specialize in something. What's the problem?

Let's go through them one by one by damn one.

1. Bad Coaching, Bad system

Culprit: Sam Mitchell, Jay Triano

I found myself getting worse and worse at video games this past year, and it never occurred to me that I was putting Jay Triano's and Sam Mitchell's deeply flawed system into practice in virtual reality.

I find myself doubling constantly, scrambling and getting into mismatches, and leaving shooters wide open at the worst possible times. Who's at fault here? Is it the players who simply aren't rotating, or is it the coaching staff who have no idea what they're doing?

Perhaps it's Colangelo's fault that he's given both coaches such a miserable group of defenders to work with. Outside of O'Neal, Bargnani, Parker, Ukic, and at times Graham, every player on this team is a below average defender. In the case of Calderon and Kapono, we're probably talking about two of the worst defenders in the league. What is a coach to do?

2. Poor Defensive Players

Culprit: Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh, Jamario Moon, Jason Kapono, Bryan Colangelo

Extending from the first point, three of your four highest paid players are horrible defenders. If help comes down for Bosh against a big from the wing, for Calderon from a big, or for Kapono from everyone, it's the job of these players to switch over and ninety percent of the time, they're just not doing it.

Calderon is the absolute best example of poor defense this team his seen since the days of Lamond Murray. He sees his man beat him, and sees the help coming from either Bargnani or O'Neal. Instead of covering their man to the best of his ability, he sticks to the player he's guarding, following them from behind.

This leads to one of two things: It leaves a seven-footer in the paint for a rebound or an easy layup, and if that seven-footer is covered over by a wing player, it leaves a shooter wide open in the corner. Where does it start? Jose Calderon.

Kapono hardly seems worth mentioning. His job is to provide the team with an offensive spark off the bench, and indeed in hindsight, I'm sure Colangelo sees what the rest of the league probably saw. Guys like Kapono should play a maximum of seven to eight minutes per night, and should earn less than three million dollars per year for doing it. Colangelo doubled up.

In the process, he gave the Raptors a player with the lateral quickness of a fifty year old. Luckily for the Raptors, Kapono is a smart player defensively and his lack of quickness never hurts the Raptors as much as Calderon's lack of focus.

Bosh is the final culprit, and considering he wants max money, I'd certainly be a little hesitant to give it to him before he can show some improvement on the other end of the floor. Bargnani took a big leap forward this season, and if Bosh took even half that leap, the Raptors would be sitting in playoff contention right now.

His being unable to guard opposing bigs creates a lot of problems for the Raptors, and considering he doesn't really try to defend, he usually doesn't get into foul trouble. If the Raptors have one flaw, it is that they find their defense from their offense. Most good teams do it the other way, and unfortunately, Bosh hasn't seen that in his first six seasons.

3. Lack of closer/Slasher

Culprit: Bryan Colangelo

You really can't win in this league without a guy who can guarantee you two points. May that be Kobe, Turkoglu, Duncan, Ginobili, or Bibby. The point is, the Raptors have no one, and because of this lack of closer, they've been attempting to go to Bosh down the stretch of close games.

The result is more than often a turnover, a missed shot, or simply a bad shot. Colangelo should work the phones to see if he can find a wing player who the Raptors can work through in the crunch. They don't grow on trees, but having one means you're never truly out of a game until it's over.

At this point, your best slashers are Roko Ukic and Joey Graham, followed by Bosh and Bargnani. Not quite Ginobili, Bryant, or Maggette. Slashers create open shots for their teammates, and put pressure on the defense to constantly be on their toes, and perhaps out of place.

If the Raptors' best slasher is a talented third string point guard who can't shoot, and an inconsistent small forward who can't do much with the ball in terms of creativity, one might say this could explain why a guy like Kapono has been so ineffective this season. I wouldn't bring back TJ Ford, but I think we can accept he wasn't the problem with this team.

4. Lack of Desire and Toughness

Culprit: Everyone

They look like a team that quits on games, lies down, and takes punches instead of delivering them. Perhaps this extends back to their Captain Chris Bosh who is among the most emotionally reactive and mentally weak players I've seen in a long time.

It just makes you think that this team was so used to the mental boost they received from Sam Mitchell, that under a quieter coach, they've simply caved. For the record, the reason Mitchell kept his job as long as he did was because Colangelo felt the players played hard for him in the worst of times. I'd imagine Triano is wondering why they're not playing with as much intensity for him.

5. Roster Imbalance

Culprit: Bryan Colangelo

The three best players on this team are natural power forwards, and two can fill in admirably at center. The fact remains that Moon, Kapono, and Graham are three small forwards that fall to the bottom end of the Raptor roster. Trading either Bosh, O'Neal or Bargnani for a wing would be the best move Colangelo can make right now. It certainly beats the hell out of making the 7’0”, 260-pound Bargnani play small forward.

Diagnosis

1. Trade

Trading Calderon, Bosh, Kapono seems needed, and if not all three then at least two. A team cannot win when it's giving up nearly half its salary to three guys who can't spell defense.

2. Change coaches

Yes, again. Triano isn't the right guy for this job, and while I'm happy that he got a chance, he's going to end this season at the bottom of the Raptor coaching ranks for his win-loss percentage. Bringing in a coach that can teach a young team defense, and at the same time actually has a defensive system might be helpful. Where is Jeff Van Gundy when you need him? Messina?

Raptors Have Pieces to Rebuild Quickly in 2009

Robert Seagal — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:17:58 -0500

Allow me to revisit among the first things Bryan Colangelo pointed out when he became the general manager of the Toronto Raptors in early 2006. Playing in Canada only bothers certain players. Some players are absolutely neutral about it. Others, however, consider it an absolute positive.

The recent comments from Steven A. Smith during a telephone interview with the Score from New York last night, indeed suggest it bothers Chris Bosh, and has been bothering the young Texan for quite some time.

While taking a cheap-shot at Oklahoma City, Smith revealed that players like Bosh feel that their marketability suffers in places like Toronto. He concluded by listing off his resume for 20 minutes, and then stated that he would bet his pay check that Bosh would not be a Raptor in 2010. I'd take that wager.

If the problem Bosh had was similar to Vince Carter's, where a star player becomes frustrated with an incompetent front office, one might suggest that Colangelo should at the very least try to convince Bosh to stick around.

This situation is far less workable, because Bosh hasn't made his decision based on the direction of the team, but more so based on the location of the team. The team isn't leaving Toronto, and thus the issue of Bosh leaving becomes more about when than if.

One question must be considered. Are the Raptors best to hold on to Bosh until the offseason, or are they better off taking their chances now while the team that trades for him can still make two legitimate runs at the playoffs before he's up for free agency?

Colangelo ultimately has to gauge the interest right now, and see what teams like Detroit, Dallas, Miami, and Chicago are reasonably willing to give up for Bosh.

Is a package of Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince enough for the Raptors to bite? What about Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas? Will they be in a better position to make a deal once the NBA Draft rolls around and they can ask for draft picks in addition to the other pieces they require?

If the Raptors move Bosh now, they're trading him at a greater value than they would in the offseason. At this point, they could also ask for expiring contracts, which is not something they can do in the offseason unless they're looking to get contracts which expire in 2010.

What they do with Bosh aside, I mentioned in an article earlier this season that Jermaine O'Neal becomes quite an interesting prize himself after the 2008-09 season, at which point he enters the final year of his mammoth deal.

What would Jermaine O'Neal's $24 million expiring contract net the Raptors? It's worth considering. I'd assume it'd be a hell of a lot more than Shawn Marion on rental.

Now, if it is accepted that Bosh and O'Neal are going to be moved at some point before the start of the 2009-10 season, what do the Raptors have? One thing they won't have is their three best players playing the same position.

They'd have to rebuild on the fly with Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, their lottery pick, Roko Ukic, a potentially re-signed Anthony Parker, perhaps Joey Graham, and whatever they acquire in return for Bosh, O'Neal, and hopefully Kapono. Take a second to absorb that. It looks quite promising in theory.

You have an opportunity to add a much-needed star or borderline star player at the wing to play with Calderon, inject the team with potentially two lottery picks, retain your starting center who's very capable at some point in his career to become as good if not better than Bosh at half the cost, and perhaps add some size and toughness into the front court. The possibilities are endless.

But can the Raptors build around Andrea Bargnani? I think the Raptors can build with Andrea Bargnani, and it won't cost them $133 million either.

In Bargnani, the Raptors have a legitimate seven-footer, a player who gets to the basket, is learning to play in the post, a good defender with the potential to be a very good one, an excellent passer, a coachable, hard-working, 23-year-old whose skills and overall package are even more rare than Bosh's.

At this point, Bosh is a better scorer and rebounder. He and Bargnani are equally inexperienced with their backs to the basket but one could argue that Bargnani is far more willing to bang down low. Could you say anything else?

Among the two, Bosh is the worse passer, perimeter defender, shot-blocker, post defender, shooter, free throw shooter, and ultimately at $133 million, he'll be the far worse value for the dollar.

If the Raptors can pry a star-caliber wing player and a draft pick for Bosh, they'll be exactly where they are right now, only they'll have a more well-balanced roster. If the Raptors can get someone to overpay for O'Neal because he is expiring in 2010, they might actually start 2009-10 as a better team than they did in 2008-09.

If the Raptors want to avoid the ugly mess they've gone through with McGrady, Stoudemire, Davis, Christie, and now Bosh, they should simply pursue only those players who want to be in Toronto.

This includes most international players, but also North American players like Charlie Villanueva, Morris Peterson, Vince Carter, Matt Bonner, and Jerome Williams.

Those five were among the most popular Raptors to ever wear a Raptor uniform, and ultimately they loved being in Toronto despite being from the United States.

They received the love of a passionate fan base, and enjoyed living in a vibrant and multicultural city. It's really pathetic that even premature "MVP" chants couldn't change Bosh's mind.

Luckily for the Raptors, they truly will be better off without him in the long run.