2010 NBA Offseason: Brian Colangelo Is a Genius As Raptors Improve
This may come of a surprise when people read this, but it is true indeed. You heard me. I do believe with the recent magic done of Brian Colangelo, the Raptors are now a better team then what they were at this point, come next year.
It all started on June 24 2010, at the NBA Draft. The Raptors were up with the No. 13 pick and picked a player by the name of Ed Davis, who did not even work out for the team because the Raptors and Davis did not think he would drop that far. Davis is an exact replica of Bosh, maybe even a better rebounder. Davis is a lefty just like Bosh, and they both have a decent 12-15 foot jump shot.
During the draft, Colangelo again worked his pure genius and traded for Solomon Alabi. Alabi may not be a household name to the average fan, but Alabi was supposed to be a top 20 pick, and he then slid down to the second round. The Raptors then traded a future second-round pick for Alabi.
Both Davis and Alabi had very good summer league debuts. Ed Davis had 15 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Alabi scored eight points, six rebounds, and had two shot blocks.
Now, the offseason did not look glamorous at the start, but now with recent news, the Raptors are looking better and better as the offseason progresses.
First, the Raptors signed guard/forward Linas Kleiza to an offer sheet and a four-year, $20 million contract. Then, cleared up the Bosh sign-and-trade. The Raptors now have two first-round picks from the Heat, as well as a $15 million trade exception.
Here is the juicy news for the Raptors: The Raptors have recently traded away one of the most overpaid bums in the league, Hedo Turkaglu to the the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Collins. Then, the Raptors are trading Dwayne Collins, along with Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans to the Charlotte Bobcats for Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler.
The Raptors have not gotten rid of two overpaid players on their team, and brought Barbosa, who next year will be the Raptors leading scorer. They brought in Diaw as well, who is a player that can play multiple positions while also being a very good player to have on a team. They also brought in shot-blocking machine Tyson Chandlers.
Pairing all those guys with the likes of Linas Kleiza (if Denver does not match, most likely will not), and rookies Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi, as well as getting two first rounders for next year, the Raptors now have had themselves a very, very good offseason, and could become a better team then when they had Chris Bosh.
Potential Roster
PG: Jarret Jack (Marcus Banks)
SG: Leandro Barbosa (DeMar DeRozen, Marco Bellinelli)
SF: Sonny Weems (Demar DeRozen, Linas Kleiza)
PF: Andrea Bargnani (Amir Johnson, Boris Diaw, Ed Davis, Joey Dorsey)
C: Tyson Chandler (Solomon Alabi)
This line is not necessarily who is starting, or what position people are playing. I am just giving the names of the players who are filling out the Raptors team. The Raptors will have tons of flexibility with this team, which is why you could see Colangelo work his magic again to get some deals done. If only the Raptors brought Michael Beasley over from the Chris Bosh trade. What could have been Raptor fans!
Along with this Roster, the Raptors are a starting point guard away from being a contender for the playoffs. Some options who are available via free agency or trade are: Nate Robinson, Monta Ellis, Tony Parker, Ty Lawson, or Darren Collison. Some of these players may be far fetched, but with Colangelo, no transaction is impossible.
