We're already 2 games into the pre-season so I figured it's a good time to start a new thread and get some discussion going about the Raptors and the NBA in general.

As usual, I'm really excited for this season to start. This feels like it will be the first year where Colangelo has a solid image of what this team is supposed to be. The last 2 seasons were a "test" for him and co. to figure out what the strengths and weaknesses are of this squad. This year, after a blockbuster trade which sent out Ford and brought in J O'Neal (in case you've been living under a rock), it looks like they've managed to fill in some major holes, especially on the defensive end. If Jermaine O'Neal plays with the same intensity he always has on the defensive end and contributes wisely on the offensive end then the Raptors could easily be in the Top 3, and be a 50+ win team.

Getting rid of Delfino also means that our guards and smaller forwards have more defined roles. Now instead of 4 or maybe 5 players fighting for spots we have only Parker, Kapono and Moon who will be looking at consistent minutes. And 2 out of those 3 will always be starting. I just hope that Kapono doesn't regress back to his regular season self. He needs to understand that his 3 point shot is what brought him here; not his lackluster rebounding or driving to the basket. Hopefully the Twin Towers (Bosh and O'Neal) will give him more open looks this year.

Speaking of Bosh. I expect him to have a break out year this year, thanks in large part to his play at the Olympics. I think that not being in the offensive spotlight really improved other aspects of his game (defense, moving on the floor, being at the right place at the right time, etc). The fact that he now has O'Neal to help him down low really takes a huge burden off his shoulders. Hopefully this will be an injury-free season for him so he can really dominate.

And last but not least: Bargnani. Bigger, stronger, faster. But he's still a question mark. He played well last year around this time too so anything can happen. But if he plays consistently and contributes then just imagine this line up:
PG: Calderon
SG: Kapono/Parker
SF: Bargnani
PF: Bosh
C: O'Neal

Yikes! Suddenly the Raptors have one of the biggest teams in the league and they're a scary shooting team as well. Let's just hope that they get rid of some of their bad habits (eg. jacking up shots when things aren't going your way) and that O'Neal and Bargnani both deliver what's expected of them. We could be looking at our very first 50+ win Raptors team.

lol. i have been living under a rock because I knew the Raps grabbed ONeal, but didn't know who got traded.

So no Ford, who's playing back up PG?

It'd be really interesting to see how Bargnani works out. Not sure if I like him at SF the way you have the roster be.

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Originally posted by chinamon not true. i say "ugh" but i am a tranny.

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Originally posted by kotsy lol colour me retarded

as always I think a healthy season is going to be key for Raptor success. I don't feel their bench is as strong this year....as long as they stay healthy then a 50 win season isn't out of the realm of possibility.

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Last edited by Moral Hazard on Apr-26-2011 at 07:48

my concerns :
O'Neal's health. Big question mark. He goes down, we're thinner up front than ever, healthy, we've got a scary looking frontcourt.

Jose's health. We don't have a backup PG worth a damn. He goes down, so does our team. Not saying he has health issues, but you know, anything can happen.

Bargs. He has sucked the previous 2 seasons even with occasional flashes of brilliance. To me, it's less of talent and more of aggressiveness, tenacity, and toughness. Those traits cannot be taught, and unless he's giving himself shots of testosterone, I worry about him.

Wings. AP, Kapono, Moon. AP and Kapono are solid, yes, but they can't contain athletic wings like RJ, Kobe, LeBron, T Mac, which seem to be the norm in the NBA these days. Moon is an athlete who can, but his decision making process on-court is still suspect. Sure, he's only in his second season, but he's 28 this year, and just learning at that age still carries it's disadvantages. I still see us getting torched from the 2-3 spot on many nights this year.

What I like :
If health isn't an issue, we've got a great front line, and will no longer be pounded on the glass. We've still got shooting, and great ball distribution. We'll be a great scoring team, and finally, maybe some interior D as well.

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Originally posted by Sly_Guy Bargs. He has sucked the previous 2 seasons even with occasional flashes of brilliance. To me, it's less of talent and more of aggressiveness, tenacity, and toughness. Those traits cannot be taught, and unless he's giving himself shots of testosterone, I worry about him.

With Oneal taking off a lot of interior D burden off of Bargnani, maybe he'll adapt better, taking off a lot of mental stress and allow him to play his game better.
Def agree about the lack of balls factor though.

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What I like : If health isn't an issue, we've got a great front line, and will no longer be pounded on the glass. We've still got shooting, and great ball distribution. We'll be a great scoring team, and finally, maybe some interior D as well.

God, how long have I waited for some good interior D and rebounding from the Raps!

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quote:

Originally posted by chinamon not true. i say "ugh" but i am a tranny.

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Originally posted by kotsy lol colour me retarded

They look kinda....



... um...

..nm

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Originally posted by Sly_Guy my concerns : O'Neal's health. Big question mark. He goes down, we're thinner up front than ever, healthy, we've got a scary looking frontcourt.

I'm hoping that him losing 10 or so pounds will improve his health. Add in the fact that he won't be the go-to guy on offense so hopefully the chances of injury will be minimized.

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Jose's health. We don't have a backup PG worth a damn. He goes down, so does our team. Not saying he has health issues, but you know, anything can happen.

Our biggest strength 2 years ago, and to a lesser extent, last year has completely disappeared. Our bench is really weak this year, especially at the 1. Expect Roko to be the Jose of a few years past, before he developed his shot.

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Bargs. He has sucked the previous 2 seasons even with occasional flashes of brilliance. To me, it's less of talent and more of aggressiveness, tenacity, and toughness. Those traits cannot be taught, and unless he's giving himself shots of testosterone, I worry about him.

I wouldn't say he sucked in his rookie year. He played like a rookie. What were you expecting? Let's not bring up last year though

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Wings. AP, Kapono, Moon. AP and Kapono are solid, yes, but they can't contain athletic wings like RJ, Kobe, LeBron, T Mac, which seem to be the norm in the NBA these days. Moon is an athlete who can, but his decision making process on-court is still suspect. Sure, he's only in his second season, but he's 28 this year, and just learning at that age still carries it's disadvantages. I still see us getting torched from the 2-3 spot on many nights this year.

Agreed. Although having a smaller squad will give those guys the chance to step up. Still though, I'm worried about all 3 players. Parker is getting old. Moon is a 28-year old sophomore who's as athletic as they come but might still opt to take 3's instead of drawing fouls and stuffing the basketball down people's faces; and Kapono might go back to his 2-point shooting spree which we don't need. We'll definitely be getting torched at those positions.

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If health isn't an issue, we've got a great front line, and will no longer be pounded on the glass. We've still got shooting, and great ball distribution. We'll be a great scoring team, and finally, maybe some interior D as well.

For sure. Jermaine just needs to show up for 30-35 minutes a game and we're already a much better defensive team. Even last year where he missed most of the season he was one of the top defenders in the league.

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Originally posted by Yohan lol. i have been living under a rock because I knew the Raps grabbed ONeal, but didn't know who got traded. So no Ford, who's playing back up PG? It'd be really interesting to see how Bargnani works out. Not sure if I like him at SF the way you have the roster be.

Roko Ukic is the backup PG.

Bargs should still come off the bench, IMHO. Raps don't need his scoring in the starting lineup and, outside of Kapono, the bench is thin in that regard.

With Bosh and Jermaine on the inside, the perimeter shooters should be getting a lot of open looks. Here's hoping that Parker, Kapono and Calderon take advantage! I hope Kapono's extra minutes (with the unfortunate departure of Delfino) results in him replicating his scoring during the playoffs. If Bargnani comes around and Humphries is more consistent, the bench is solid enough.

The obvious key to the season is Calderon, Bosh and Jermaine all remaining healthy and playing at their usual high level. If anyone else goes down, the Raps can compensate.

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Originally posted by MarkT (with the unfortunate departure of Delfino)

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definitely excited for this season.. let's hope some of our bench players can break out too esp. Joey Graham .. ugggh...

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Calderone is going to have a monster season and may even get an allstar berth.

last season when he was starting and playing 40min.. he was a top 20 fantasy player

i hated watching Ford, the antithesis of a true point. Calderone on the other hand is a pure point. there's nothing more beautiful than seeing a true point orchestrate... Stockton comes to mind...

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