What Toronto Raptors Can Learn from NBA's Top Teams

The Toronto Raptors aren't going to be any good for a very long time.

Not only are they going to miss the playoffs again this season, they really don't have a future to build the team around.

Sure the team has some solid pieces in Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani, but the departure of Chris Bosh has made it an arduous task for the Toronto Raptors to turn their franchise around.

Here's five lessons the Raptors can learn from the NBA's top teams to turn the team into a contender in the near future. 

Take Draft Seriously

Part of the reason why the Toronto Raptors' future is dim is because they haven't drafted particularly well.

Last season, they drafted Jonas Valanciunas, who has yet to play a single game in the NBA because of a contract situation. Although he will join the Raptors next season, the team already has a center in Andrea Bargnani.

The team didn't have a first-round pick in 2007, traded Roy Hibbert in 2008, and have received little production from Ed Davis, their 2010 pick.

Other than DeMar DeRozan, the team doesn't have much to build around for the future. 

Trade Stars That You Know Won't Return

The Toronto Raptors made a huge mistake in 2010 when they chose not to trade Chris Bosh during the trading deadline. They could've gotten a plethora of draft picks and some solid pieces to build around had they parted ways with him earlier.

The Raptors should've done what the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets did with their respective stars. By trading them rather than letting them walk for nothing during free agency, it sets up the team for the future.

If the team is in a similar situation in the near future, they must part ways with their star if they're sure he's going to be difficult to retain. 

Get More American Players, Rather Than European

There's nothing wrong with European players, but they've generally been labeled to be soft. Guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol are elite players, but they're not the toughest guys.

The Toronto Raptors have a Eurocentric team built around Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani and next year, Jonas Valanciunas. Though they are talented, none of these guys bring grit, physicality and energy to the table and those are qualities that every great NBA team shares in today's game.

American guys who grew up in tough neighborhoods like Metta World Peace and Derrick Rose are just tougher. The brand of basketball is a lot more aggressive and raw in an inner-city basketball court compared to a high-class European gymnasium. 

Strong Backcourt

This is one aspect of the game the Toronto Raptors have nailed.

The Raptors currently have one of the most underrated point guards in the game in Jose Calderon and a solid shooting guard in DeMar DeRozan. They must continue to build around Calderon and DeRozan in order to be successful in the future.

Every great NBA team has an elite point guard or shooting guard. The Lakers have Kobe, the Celtics have Rajon Rondo, the Thunder have Russell Westbrook, the Spurs have Tony Parker, and last year's Mavs had a motivated Jason Kidd.

They key here is that point guards are able to distribute and facilitate the job for the offense. Meanwhile, shooting guards can always keep a steady offensive attack going for a team. 

Get Big

The thicker the Toronto Raptors can get in the paint, the better their scoring will become. They'll be able to pound it inside to powerful centers down low who will get high-percentage looks from in the paint.

On the other side of the ball, they'll defend the paint by imposing their size on the offense.

Andrea Bargnani is 7'0'', but he's more of a perimeter-oriented big. The Raptors need to get tougher and thicker so that they can become a tougher team to play against.