Toronto Raptors: Why Andrea Bargnani Can Be an NBA All-Star

No one would really classify Andrea Bargnani as an  NBA All-Star game "snub," mainly because he never was in the running to be an all-star. Last season was his best bid, but injuries cut down his season. It is safe to say that I, along with others, believe that Bargnani could have been an All-Star.

This year it might be a bit easier for "Il Mago". His team is much better, and he is much healthier compared to last season. He has improved both aspects of his game (offense and defense) tremendously, and having Dwayne Casey as a head coach has really changed Bargnani's game.

Andrea is and always has been a scoring threat because of his ability to score from anywhere on the court. He stretches the offense and makes it hard for an opposing player to guard him because of his height and style of play.

Although Kyle Lowry isn't as big of a playmaker as Jose Calderon is, having Lowry on the floor makes defenders more cautious of players not named Bargnani or DeRozan. Calderon was never the kind of player to shoot the ball consistently and was always trying to make his teammates better.

Lowry is completely different.

Lowry is an offensive threat and defenders will most definitely be more serious when facing the Raptors. It will lessen the amount of pressure on Bargnani that comes from both opposing defenders and his own fans.

He has the talent in him, and he can easily be an all-star caliber player. Before his injury last year, he was playing tremendously and the Raptors were not many games below the .500 mark compared to the end of the season.

When someone says numbers don't tell the whole story, sometimes it is true, and with Bargnani and the Raptors, that sentiment sure holds true. Sure they only had 23 wins, but those 23 wins came from hard work and even when they knew they had no shot at the playoffs—and could have tanked to get a better draft pick—they didn't, and that is what makes this team so great.

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