I’m going to be working off of the generic preview format used by all the bloggers participating in Jeff’s Team Preview project.(From celticsblog.com)
I’m using the first 3 questions to lay a foundation and get anyone who is unfamiliar with the team some background information. I’m going to follow this up with a couple of posts that will go into further depth on each player, and on my overall outlook for the season.
Last year’s record: 47-35 (0.573)
Players added: Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino, Jamario Moon, Maceo Baston
Players dropped from roster: Morris Peterson, Luke Jackson, Pape Sow, Uros Slokar
1. What significant moves were made during the off-season?
Though it was far from a “busy” off-season for the Raps, they did shift around a few things and bring in a couple of new guys. Jason Kapono cashed in after a stellar season with the Heat last year. We all know he can shoot the ball, and his 51% Three-Point shooting has been well publicized, but he also brings a willingness to work at the defensive end, something I’m sure Colangelo had in mind when making the signing.
The other big acquisition was bringing in Carlos Delfino for a couple of 2nd round draft picks. Delfino never found his place in the Detroit rotation, and seems to be happy to be in a fresh environment. He seems to be a hard working player with a knack for making plays in the mid-range area. He’s been described as a “slasher”, though I’m not sure how entirely accurate that is.
Clearly the biggest loss was Morris Peterson going to New Orleans via free agency. Despite playing good minutes last season, it was clear that his productivity within the teams system was starting to decline. His jump shot seemed streakier than ever, his trade-mark defense became not only replaced, but surpassed, by Anthony Parker’s, and the new talent slowly pushed him out of the picture. He was by all means certainly a solid asset, and ordinarily he would’ve left a decent hole, but with management turning around and spending the money on Kapono, most of the loss should be compensated for.
Sow and Slokar were sent packing in the off-season, and Raptors fans hate to see Sow go. He was clearly a fan favourite and gave it all his all every opportunity he got. The team will not feel any loss on the court, but nonetheless it’s hard to see hard working players leave. Best of luck to both players in their future endeavours.
Luke Jackson was in camp and played his share of minutes in the pre-season, but the absolute plethora of solid options at small forward left him little chance of climbing the depth chart. Though he certainly looked like he fit on the court, he justifiably did not fit the team’s plans and was on the losing end when the Raptors trimmed their roster down to fifteen.
Moon and Baston have made the squad as fillers in hopes of improving the front-court depth. Baston will probably have an extremely tough time finding any playing time as he failed to do anything to stand-out in pre-season, and will likely spend a lot of time on the inactive list. Moon on the other hand showed flashes of brilliance in pre-season and though he’ll start the year on the inactive list, will surely find an opportunity somewhere along the line if he keeps working hard in practice and committing to fine tuning his game. Though these guys are certainly far from essential to attaining this years goals, the Raptors will more than likely be very willing to keep them around and see how they progress. Come next spring, depending on the changes made by the organization, they’ll get a fresh chance at becoming part of the plan, Moon in particular. 2.
What are the team’s biggest strengths?
Depth – A huge part of the Raptors success last season was due to their being able to vastly outscore the opponents second string when they were on the court. Their bench points were routinely well above their opponents, and the team spread the minutes a lot to keep guys fresh. This area has become even stronger with the off-season acquisitions. Jose Garbajosa(A natural 3), Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino, Joey Graham, Anthony Parker, and Juan Dixon will all compete for playing time on the wings, and it allows a lot of flexibility. With a shooting team like Toronto, it’s always good to have a lot of guys available incase the shots aren’t falling for the starters on a certain night. The competition should also pressure the players to take that extra step towards improving their game and getting PT. Though there’s not quite as much depth up-front, Rasho Nesterovic and Kris Humphries are a pair of backups a lot of teams would take in a heart-beat.
Point-Guard play – No team in the league has a situation at point-guard quite like the Raps. Two of the best 15, arguably even top 10 point guards in the league reside North of the border in Ford and Calderon. Ford is the undisputed starter, but they split the time close to evenly, further adding to the depth already mentioned.
Pass the ball… Shoot the ball: Though a large part of the Raptors attack lies in Chris Bosh in isolation and on pick and rolls, the other large part is the teamwork and the high shooting percentages that come from it. The Raptors European players have developed great skills in their international play, and they show it even in the NBA game. Last season the Raptors were very good at moving the basketball around and finding high percentage shots, and there’s no reason to think that will stop this year.
3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?
Inside, inside, inside – The Raptors absolutely need to get tougher inside the paint. Their interior defense last year was by and far the worst aspect of this team. With Bargnani replacing Nesterovic in the starting lineup to start the year, it’s not unthinkable to imagine them getting even worse this year. Offensive rebounding and toughness on defense need to be areas of improvement for the Raptors this season.
Chris Bosh’s feet and knees – Obviously, Bosh is a key part of this team, and he needs to be healthy for them to be at their best. Last year he had plantar fasciitis, and though it seemed to subdue later in the year, having something like that pop up again would be very bothersome. And so far this season, he’s managed to tweak the only knee that was actually in good shape. A lot are predicting an injury plagued season for Bosh, but as long as he’s still on the court all we can do is plan for him to still be there the next game. He finished out the pre-season by playing in the last 2 games and looked fairly good doing so. Everyone in the organization, including Bosh himself, is proclaiming that he feels fine, so here’s hoping.
