Raps Face Red-Hot Suns

The Raptors - Suns matchup has become somewhat of a David vs. Goliath battle. The Suns have simply dominated the Raptors and look for their 11th straight win against the Raps tonight. The Suns, after a disappointing '08-09 campaign, have started their season on fire, posting up an 8-2 record. The Raptors now sit at 5-4 after an impressive 22 point comeback vs. the Clippers.
Tipoff tonight is at 8 pm on TSN 2.

W2W4:
-Kid Canada looks as impressive as ever this season, putting up 17 ppg and nearly 12 apg. The Raps need to get to him early and limit what he can do on the ball. This is obviously easier said than done.
- Tonight Chris Bosh will face off against Amar'e Stoudemire, a strong, physical big man who can also shoot the jumper. This will be the marquee match up for the night. If Chris can play solid defense against Amare, the game will be a lot easier to win.
- Amazingly, Chris Bosh is still 100% from three point land. Look for his gamely three pointer.

Raps Draw Late-Night Matchup with Clip

Tonight at 10:30 PM EST the Raptors will be facing off against the Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon-less Clippers in what's one of the closest games the Raps have had to a must-win game this season. The Raps are 4-4, having gone 1-2 on the first leg of their 7/8 games on the road. They pulled out a hard-fought win at home against the Bulls and now look to make some noise as they finish up on the West Coast. The Clips currently stand at 3-6.

NBA.com preview

W2W4:
- Can the Raps perform on D? With some credit going to the Bulls for not being able to put a beach ball in the ocean, the Raps held the Bulls to 25 percent shooting in the second half and causing them to miss 13 straight field goals at one point. Remember that this is a Dinos team that surrendered 131 points to another team missing its two top players in the Spurs. The Raps need to capitalize on this shorthanded Clips team.
- Jose Calderon. After a lot of harsh criticism stemming from his mediocre play in the first few games, Jose has stepped up. His last four games look like this:
vs. CHI: 18 points, 6 assists, 1 turnover
@ SAS: 13 points, 9 assists, 2 turnovers
@ DAL: 13 points, 7 assists, 2 turnovers
vs. NOH: 16 points, 8 assists, 0 turnovers
Pretty solid numbers. If Jose can keep shaking off the rust, he'll keep this Raptors offense running at full speed.
- Chris Bosh utterly owning the NBA. Check out his rankings in all these categories.
Bosh is first in the NBA in the following:
Three-point field goal percentage
Free throws made (and FTM per 48 minutes)
Free throws attempted (and FTA per 48 minutes)
Bosh is in the top-5 in the NBA in the following:
Points per game (and per 48 minutes)
Total Points
Rebounds per game
Defensive rebounds per game
Efficiency ranking (and efficiency per 48 minutes)
Total efficiency
Bosh is in the top-20 in the NBA in the following:
Field goals made (and per 48 minutes)
Field goal attemps (and per 48 minutes) (note he's 9th in field goals made, but 15th in field goals attempted, and 10th in FGM per 48 and 18th in FGA per 48)
Offensive rebounds per game
Total offensive rebounds
Total defensive rebounds
Total rebounds
Defensive rebounds per 48 minutes
Rebounds per 48 minutes

So... he's pretty good, I guess.
Oh yeah, he's also on the league's longest streak of 20 or more points, dating back to last season.

Quincy Douby Released

A personal favourite of mine, Quincy Douby, was released today by the Raptors. The 6-3 guard hadn't appeared in any regular season games but averaged three points and almost two assists in 6 preseason games. For his career, he has averaged 4.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 10.7 minutes in 143 games. With Marcus Banks (and his mammoth contract) and Antoine Wright on board, Douby's skills were somewhat redundant. The move leaves the Raptors with 14 players under contract and has sparked speculation the Dinos will make an attempt to sign the recently released Larry Johnson, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Raps Step Up D in Chi-Town: 99-89 Raps

Facing a tough and somewhat enigmatic Bulls team, the Raptors looked like they were ready to give up on this one in the first half. They controlled much of the first half, but the Bulls made a run late to go up before halftime. Whatever Jay Triano said in the locker room worked, because the Dinos were tenacious on D in the second half, allowing Chicago to shoot just 10-40 from the field and make only three field goals in the fourth quarter. Helped along by another monstrous Chris Bosh performance and an electrifying one-handed slam from DeMar DeRozan, the Raps head back out for another 3-game road trip on a winning note.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game:
Giving to CB4 every game is getting boring. Let's give DMDR his first PotG in the pros. He ignited the Raps in the third quarter with his athleticism and hustle and finished with career highs in points (9), rebounds (9) and blocks (2). Hopefully DeMar can build on this performance, because his main job is to do the little things like he did last night.

Notables:
Andrea Bargnani had a solid game all-around with 16 points, 6 boards and 2 steals. He did have some foul trouble (finished with 5) but when 16 and 6 is an off-night for Il Mago, it seems like he's shed his "first-overall bust" tag.
Hedo Turkoglu continued his remarkable consistency, posting a very solid line of 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Hedo has been a consummate veteran this whole season and is willing to do anything to win ballgames. Hopefully he can inspire the rest of the team to do more of the winning part.
Jose Calderon was busting down defenses all game long and finished with 18 points and 6 assists to a single turnover. When Jose is penetrating as well as he did last night, the Raptor offense is very efficient.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
The Raps got to the line only two more times than Chicago, led by Bosh who continued to post double-digits in FTA in every game this season. However, the Raps were outstanding at the free-throw line, making 22 of 23 attempts for a 95.7 percentage compared to Chicago's 17-21 for 81%. In close games, free throws loom large, and the Dinos made the most of them.

Raps Can't Catch Shorthanded Spurs: 131-124 Spurs

Who could have thought that the Spurs without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker could have put up 131 points?
Enter Raptor defense.
The Raps once again scored enough points to turn heads, but played schoolyard defense. This is already becoming a trend in the early season.
The Raps allowed BatManu to go off for 36, while RJ added 24, and former Rap Matt Bonner added 18.

NBA.com Recap

Player of the Game
CeeBee Four continues his reign of terror. Last night he put up 32 on 8-16 shooting, hit his gamely three pointer (he is still 100% from beyond the arc), and grabbed 10 boards. There are little words I can say right now to describe Chris; one of them is "fantabulous" (sorry).

Notables
After a shaky start, Jose Calderon looks like he's coming into his old form. Jose put up 13 on 5-7 shooting and added 9 assists.
Hedo Turkoglu had his first 20 point game as a Raptor! On behalf of the Raptor community, PH would like to wish you tebrikler!
Speaking of Europeans, Marco Belinelli put up 12 points last night on 4-5 shooting. The kicker? He was 4-4 from downtown.

Box Score

Stat of the Game
The Raptors shot better percentages from field goal, three point land, and from free throw, than the Spurs. So why did we lose?
The Raptors couldn't keep the Spurs off the offensive boards and away from the free throw line. The Spurs grabbed 15 offensive boards, which allowed them to put up an extra 11 shots. They also got to shoot 44 (yes, forty-four) free throws.

Mavs Firepower Too Much to Handle: 129 - 101 Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks welcomed back Josh Howard in impressive fashion last night, as they cruised past our Dinos. The Mavs used sheer offensive dominance led by the Turok, Dirk Nowitzki, who had 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

NBA.com Recap

Player of the Game
Chris Bosh continues his dominance on the court and of our PotG award. Last night Christopher put up 26 points, 12 boards, and once again hit a three pointer to keep his 3 point percentage at 100%. Maybe someone should put a hand up when he's shooting.

Notables
Andrea Bargnani had another successful night, putting up 22 points and 5 boards. Drea was also -22 on the floor, so I guess he cancels out?
Jose Calderon followed up his strong performance in New Orleans with another solid game, putting up 13 points, 7 assists, and 4 boards.

Full Box

Stat of the Game
When the opposing team scores 129 points against you, its time to talk defense (or lack thereof). The Raptors did their best impression of a revolving door last night. The key was more open than the 407 and apparently the Dinos hands were tied behind their backs when the Mavs shot jumpers.
The Raps let them shoot 62% from the field and 50% from three point land. The Mavs even shot 3 more shots than the Raps.
But hey, the Raps held the Mavs to only 62% (13-21) from the free throw line. Raptors, keep doing whatever you're, uh, doing to keep the opponent from making their free throws.

Raps Look for 3rd Straight in Dallas

The Raptors roll into Dallas (tipoff at 8:30PM EST) on the back half of two games in two nights, and hope to both extend their win streak to three games and to give Chris Bosh, playing at an MVP level thus far, his first win in Dallas in his career.

W2W4:
- Big man matchups. The four starting PFs/Cs in this game will have a huge impact on how the game turns out. Dirk Nowitzki has always been a Turok (averaging 24 points and 7 boards against the Raps), and the player whose ceiling was always "The Next Dirk," Andrea Bargnani, will hope to continue to take a huge step forward in his fourth season. If Il Mago continues to develop, he could turn out to be even better than the one-time MVP. As well, CB4 should give Erick Dampier fits with his improved play and newfound beastly-ness in the post. Look for Bosh to have a huge game (really going out on a limb there, eh?).
- New Mavs and new Raps. The two teams were involved in a mammoth four-team deal this offseason that brought Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright and Devean George (flipped to Golden State for Marco Belinelli) to Toronto, with Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries donning the Mavs blue. Turk has been a steady influence in the Raps' frontcourt thus far, being incredibly consistent on both offense and defense, while 'Toine and Marco have been instrumental in making the Raps' second unit one of their potent weapons. The Matrix has been his usual stat-filling self, putting up 14 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, while Hump has given them some energy off the bench with 6 points and 4 boards per game to go along with his trademark questionable shot selection (44% from the field).
- Jose Calderon. After some criticism incited by his slow start to the season, the object of many a man-crush delivered a classic Jose game, with tremendous efficiency against the Hornets: 16 points (on 6-11 from the field, 2-4 from three, and perfect 2-2 from the line), 8 assists to just one turnover and 4 rebounds. If Jose continues to be the floor general we know he can be, the Raps will be very tough to beat.

Raps Beat Up Hornets: 107-90

It has become a well known fact that the New Orleans Hornets are experiencing some problems. Since their storybook season two years ago, the team has seen a decline in their performance and the frustration of their star player.
So what did this mean for the Raptors last night? This was an opportunity for the Dinos to show that they can beat a respectable Western Conference team and push past .500. The Raps played hard throughout the game, outhustling, outrebounding, and outshooting the Hornets, en route to earning a big win and even giving POB and Sonny Weems s0me court time.

NBA.com Recap

Player of the Game
We don't want to become predictable, but Chris Bosh had yet another dazzling performance. Toronto's All Star was a perfect 9-9 from the field, putting up 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Just in case you were wondering, Chris is now averaging 29 points per game.

Notables
Jose Calderon - A lot has been said about Jose early on in the season due to his disappointing numbers. Last night Jose went a long way in silencing his critics. He put up 16 points on 6-11 shooting and added 8 assists on top of that.
Andrea Bargnani - One of the quieter nights we've seen from Bargs so far. The good news, however, is that a quiet night from Drea now means 14 points and 9 rebounds, and not what it used to mean.
Hedo Turkoglu - Hedo once again showed why he's called the Turkish MJ, not only scoring but distributing and rebounding as well. He had a nice game of 16 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists, however we are still yet to see him break out.

Complete Box Score

Key Stat
In the past, the Raptors have been criticized for their sloppy third quarter play. They would come out of half time in a lull of sorts, looking lethargic and not ready to play at NBA pace.
Tonight however was the opposite. The Raptors and Hornets played evenly through the first two quarters. Then the Raps came out in the third quarter with renewed intensity, outscoring the Hornets 34-14 in the third quarter and clinching the game.
I don't know who to credit this to. It could be that Jay Triano came up with a Tony D'Amato-esque speech, or maybe the players just ate some Wheaties. Either way, it was absolutely beautiful to watch the Raptors come out with passion after halftime.

Big Easy for Big Tough Game

Tonight at 8PM the Raps roll into New Orleans to take on the red-hot Chris Paul and the Hornets. The Hornets are 2-3 this year and the Raps look for their second straight win and to start their road trip (7 of the 8 next games are played away from the ACC) on the right foot.

W2W4:
- That Paul kid. CP3 has been phenomenal this year, averaging 30 points per game thus far and is shooting a ridiculous 80% (12-15) from the three-point line. The Raps' three primary PG defenders - Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack and Antoine Wright have said their game plan is to turn Paul into a jump shooter and the Hornets' primary scorer. Hopefully the other Dinos can take Paul's teammates out of the game.
- Big men. The Raptors retaliate against the Hornets with their "Killer B's" (oh my, I'm so sorry) - Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Combined, they're averaging almost 52 points, 20 rebounds (5 offensive), 2 blocks, shooting over 50% from the field and over 75% from three. They're putting themselves into consideration for the best big-man combo in the NBA and if Bargs keeps up his rebounding from the game against Detroit (12 boards), David West and Emeka Okafor will be in for a long night.
- Hedo Turkoglu. He's been quiet this year, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been effective. He's in fact 3rd on the Raptors in all three of the primary statistics, averaging 15.3 points (on solid 49% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point land), along with 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while playing tough D (averaging 1.25 blocks and .75 steals per game). He's really adjusted quickly to Jay Triano's system, and he's helped the Raps average the third-most points (108.5) in the Association.

Raps Take on New-Look Pistons

Tonight we have a matchup of the Raps against the new-look Pistons, with their two new free-agents, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva.

W2W4:
- The two new guys. Both carry a score-first mentality and can put up points in a hurry, but are not known as defensive intimidators. Charlie V makes his first visit in Detroit uniform, three years after he made a name for himself as a rookie with the Raptors. Gordon is a "hate-him or love-him" kind of player - he's often adored by casual fans who love his abiloity to score from anywhere and no-conscience attitude on offense. Others despise his sometimes poor shot selection and defensive deficiencies. All that said, when he hits a hot streak he's very tough to stop and thus far this season he's averaging 24 points. Jose Calderon, Antoine Wright and Jarrett Jack will have their work cut out for them trying to shut down his penetration.
- The Raptors at home. During their game against the Magic, the Raptors' lackluster play earned them more than a few boos from the crowd. Hopefully the Raps can come out strong and get the crowd into it.
- Chris Bosh. He's been unbelievable thus far this year. After the game against the Magic he was 3rd in the NBA in scoring and 2nd (behind some guy named Dwight Howard) in rebounding. If he can keep this up for a full year - but don't forget he slowed down after a hot start last year - he could be headed for an all-NBA year.

Raps Imitate D in a Pickup Game - 125-116 Magic

Well, it's clear that this Raptors team can score. We know that already. But besides the first game, the defense has been nothing short of abysmal. The Dinos gave up 36 first-quarter points and really only made a game out of it again in the fourth. They got monstrous performances from Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani, and Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon were solid, but the Magic starters were dominant offensively. Besides Matt Barnes (who did post a line of 12 points, 9 boards, 6 steals, 4 assists, 2 blocks) every Orlando starter posted at least 20 points, led by Jameer Nelson's 30 points. They also let JJ Redick and Ryan Anderson combine for 47 points - never, ever a good recipe for success.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game:
Surprise, surprise, it's CB4 again. He put up another monster line of 35 points and 16 rebounds. He's doing all he can on offense. But both he and his supporting cast need to step up big time on the other side of the ball.

Notables:
Bargs - 26 points, 4 rebounds. His 2nd big scoring night of the season (admittedly, his "off night" yielded 12 points on good percentages) but with Reggie Evans not around to throw some 'bows in practice, he's been strugglingly defensively.
Hedayet - 19 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks. Another nice, well-rounded game. Repeat previous statements about defense.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
The Raptors were outscored by 21 from behind the three-point arc, and also by 10 at the free-throw line.

Orlando Comes to Toronto

Booing Vince Carter may have to wait for another time; for today's game his status is doubtful after a sprained ankle. The rest of the Magic, however, will take their perfect 2-0 record into Toronto this afternoon for a 1 o clock game. Catch it on CBC, Fan 590, or check ATDHE.net. The Raps are hoping to bounce back after a disappointing performance in Memphis.

W2W4
- If the first two games have shown us anything, its that defense and hard work are crucial to success. Against the Cavs and against the Grizz, the Raptors were two different teams. Lets hope they get fired up today and come out scoring early.
- The Raps must capitalize on the shorthanded Magic. The Eastern Conference champs are missing b0th VC and Rashard Lewis (suspended for using steroids). This will be the easiest Magic team the Dinos will face.
- The Raptors have to control the defensive boards. Against Memphis, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 10 offensive boards. Dwight will be crashing the glass hard, so the Raps must respond with tough box outs.
- Speaking of the big man, Toronto will have to try to slow down Howard, who averaged 32.7 points and shot 64.8 percent in his last three games against the Raptors.

Raptors Shatter Records, Exercise Option on Belly

Today The Score announced its numbers from the Raptors opener. The game brought in a record audience of 420,000 during its broadcast, with a peak audience of 741,000 during the final half-hour. This is the highest regular season Raptors audience across any Canadian network within the past decade. If this doesn't show that the Raptors have amazing fans, I don't know what does.

In a relatively quiet announcement, the Raptors announced yesterday (Thursday) that they will exercise their fourth year option on Marco Belinelli. Belly is now guaranteed through the 2010-11 season. Belly had a strong debut as a Raptor, going off for 10 points and one electrifying dunk

Raps Take On The Grizz

Tonight the Raptors will take on the Grizzlies in Memphis. The game will commence at 8 pm and is available on TSN 2, the Fan 590, or check ATDHE.net for an internet stream.The Grizz lost their opener to Detroit by 22 points. Meanwhile the Raptors are 1-0, having defeated the preseason favourite for NBA champion.

W2W4
- In the Grizz opener, Marc Gasol posted up a huge game, scoring 21 and grabbing 15 boards. In order to win, the Grizzlies need that inside presence. Andrea and Chris will have their hands full with Marc and Zach Randolph tonight.
- Last game, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley were nowhere to be seen, as they combined for just 12 points. The Grizz need O.J. to score if they are going to have any success.
- The Raps are coming off a huge home win against the Cavs. They have to ride the momentum into this game and come out strong in the first quarter. They need to set the pace of this game.
- Considered to be the x-factor for Raptor success this season, Andrea Bargnani showed why he was a number 1 overall pick. He turned Shaq and every other man guarding him into a defensive liability en route to a 28 point, 5 rebound game. As CB4 said himself, " if Andrea gets going, if he's scoring the basketball a lot, then we're going to be tough to beat".
- Simply put, the Raps need to do exactly what they did against Cleveland (save for their trademarked 3rd quarter lapse). The Raps held the Cavs to just 35% shooting, played tough defense, and shared the ball on offense. If they can do this night in, night out, Raptor fans have a lot to look forward to.

Raps Take Opener! 101-91 Raps

In a great game for our Dinos, the Raptors start the season 1-0. The Franchise Chris Bosh put up a big game and Andrea Bargnani showed that he's here to prove something this year, leading the Raps in scoring. The Raps' D was tenacious, posting 4 steals and 6 blocks (3 by newcomer Hedo Turkoglu in his debut!). If this is the way Raps games are going to be for the rest of the season, it's going to be a lot of fun.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game:
Give it up for Il Mago. He led the game in scoring with 28 on 11-15 shooting (2-3 from 3, 4-4 from the line) in under 30 minutes on the court. He picked up some questionable fouls which limited his playing time and ability to rebound (he had a merely-okay 5, though, with CB4 on the glass, there weren't many boards to be had). He was running circles around the Cavs' big men and was scoring from anywhere. It's kind of interesting how both the Italian boys (Andrea and Marco Belinelli) are so similar in their ability and willingness to score from anywhere. Each one also had a thunderous dunk in the game.

Notables:
CB4 - 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists. Not a bad start for the face of the franchise. He answered Shaquille O'Neal's assertion that he is the "RuPaul of big men" strongly, and helped hold the Most Dominant Ever (?) to a decidedly mediocre game (12 points, 7 rebounds, 0 blocks, 0-3 FT, 4 fouls).
Jose Calderon - 5 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers. Had a Jose-esque game. Didn't score a lot (he really doesn't need to with the firepower around him) and, oddly, after receiving the award for setting the NBA single-season free-throw shooting record, missed his first two free throws of the game, finishing 3-5 from the line. He and Jarrett Jack, importantly, stopped Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson from being effective playmakers - 28 points, but a 5:5 assist-turnover ratio and combined 8-24 shooting). Jose acknowledged in the offseason that his defence last year was bad, and hopefully he can continue to hold his own on that side of the ball.
Hidayet - 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks. Had a very solid debut at home, filling in the stat sheet nicely. He was very good defensively and scored a little bit when he needed to. It also seemed like he was in good control of the offense at the end of the game, helping us keep a sizeable lead until the end.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
The Raptors simply dominated on the defensive end, giving up very few easy buckets and holding Cleveland to 34.9% (29-83) shooting. If they can concentrate and hold their own in their zone the whole year, this season will definitely be fun to watch.

RAPTORS SEASON OPENER

Well, tomorrow is the day! Your Toronto Raptors will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 pm. The game will be on The Score for viewing pleasures, the Fan 590 for listening pleasures, and be sure to check www.ATDHE.net for an internet feed.

What To Watch For
- This is a new Raptor team. BC and Jay Triano have talked all summer about creating a new culture for the team, instilling hard work ethic and defensive supremacy. The Raps have a tough assignment in their first game facing the LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, and the Cavs. The Raptors have had very little success against Shaq in his career, and even less with Braun Braun. Shaq has averaged 23.5 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game, while Braun has averaged 28 ppg, 7 asp, and 7.4 rpg.
- With 10 of 15 Raptors putting on the jersey for the first time tomorrow, will team chemistry be up to par for the start of the season?
- Andrea Bargnani has been labeled as many to be the x-factor for the Raptors 09-10 season. Jay Triano was impressed with Andrea's work ethic in the preseason and the progress he made. Tonight he will have a tough assignment in guarding Shaquille O'Neal. Lets hope Reggie Evans made him a little tougher.
- The Raptors need to play tough and get out and run against the Cavs. Tonight they played in Boston so they will be tired.

The Beginning

Those of us who are lucky enough to have Raptors NBA TV are in for a treat. Tonight starting at 6 will be the RNTV preview of the new Raptors. At 7 is part 1 of The Beginning: Inside Raptors Training Camp.

For those who don't have RNTV, make sure to check back here, as we will be scouring the depths of the internet for a stream.

Preseason Update: A Budding Bromance

Just like me and In BC We Trust, it seems as if DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems have a developing Bromance.

The evidence? Look at the recent tweets from DMDR and Sonny:

Sonny:
Sitting at my boy DeMar crib, about to get at him in this Fight Night.3:58 PM Oct 10th from web

DMDR:
About to kill @Sonny13 in this Fight Night!4:02 PM Oct 10th from web

Sonny:
At ruth chris steakhouse with my boy demar, good win today.7:21 PM Oct 11th from mobile web

DMDR:
@Sonny13 is the funniest teammate I ever had.41 minutes ago from web

DMDR:
@Sonny13 needs his on reality Tv show. Lmao34 minutes ago from web

Preseason Update: By the Numbers and What To Watch For

The Raptors are four games into the preseason and are sitting at a 2-2 record. What can we take away from the 2009 Raptors first games? Lets check out the numbers from the games. Of course, keep in mind this is the preseason and not actual basketball.

The Numbers

A key issue for BC in the offseason was toughness on the defensive end, especially when it came to rebounding. Thus far it seems that the same old Raps are coming out on the boards. They were beat on the glass in two of four games and are a combined -10 on the glass. In a conference of superstar forwards and centres, the importance of limiting second chance points will be crucial towards Raptor success this season.

Another point of stress for The Architect was defense. In the first 4 games, Raptor opponents are shooting on average 45.1% from the field and have scored an average of just under 101 points per game. This is very similar to the Raps 2008-09 numbers, as they gave up just under 102 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot 46.5% from the field. Oh yes, and the Raptors also allowed the 76ers to shoot 64% from three point land (J-Killa had 12 points on 4-6 from three, in case you were interested).

Save for one outing, the Raptor offense has shown little sign of weakness (even without Hedo). The Dinos are averaging just over 97 points per game on 44% from the field. Andrea Bargnani, largely considered to be the Raptors x-factor for success this season, is averaging 16 points in about 22 minutes per game.

W2W4:
Pleasant Surprises and Position Battles
The preseason has taken a more interesting turn for the Raptors this season. Why? Because with the influx of new players, (almost) nobody has a guaranteed rotation spot. Players like Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli, and DeMar DeRozan have all began the preseason with a spark, trying to catch Jay Triano's eye.

To be honest, I was (and still am) confused at where Amir Johnson would fit into a Raptors lineup which had a veteran backup centre and a fierce backup power forward. However Amir is putting on a show in the preseason, averaging 8 points per game and 8 rebounds per game in just over 20 minutes per game. If Amir can keep up the energy off the bench and solid production, he may just find himself in the rotation.

Sonny Weems has been a pleasant surprise in my eyes. Coming off the bench for the first two games and then starting the last two, Sonny has scored over 10 points in three of is four outings.

Perhaps my favourite addition of the summer, Marco Belinelli has not disappointed so far. Marco has averaged just under 12 points per game thus far. I'd take that for Devean George.

To top off the seemingly crowded wing position is DeMar DeRozan (pictured above, pun definitely intended). DMDR is doing some special things on the court this preseason, including a 19 point outing in Washington. However, I am most impressed with DMDR's persistence in taking the ball to the rim. He is averaging 4.25 free throw attempts per game. Oh yeah, and he can dunk too.

The Raptors' next game is Wednesday, as they fly into Hartford to play the Celtics. Hedo Turkoglu is expected to make his Raptor debut.

RealGM's Andrew Perna Previews the Raptors

Yesterday Andrew Perna, one of the editors over at RealGM (and one of the few people on that site who actually know anything about the sport, but that's another story) previewed the Raps. I happen to agree with a lot of what he has to say, but I'd like to analyze what he has to say and add some commentary of my own.
Read the full article.

On Jose Calderon:
"After playing in all 82 games during the 2007-08 season, Jose Calderon missed 14 contests last year. Regardless of the time he missed, Calderon averaged career-highs in points (12.8), assists (8.9) and minutes per game (34.3). As Toronto’s best play-maker, he had a 41.0 assist percentage, which quantifies his chemistry with teammates Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.

He isn’t an explosive scorer by any means, but is careful with the basketball and is extremely reliable at the foul-line. His defense is decent, although he is often beaten by faster point guards."

I don't think Perna gives Jose enough credit for his scoring abilities. He set a career high in points by about a point and a half, but that included a drop of 20 points in his FG% and 25 in 3PT%. He was definitively the leader of the team last year for the first time, so his shots per game did rise, but I think it's more than likely that his drop in percentages and lack of an explosion in his scoring average (as some analysts predicted) was due to his playing hurt for most of the season. Also, it's a tad generous to say he's a "decent" defender, though his injury may have had an effect here as well.

On Raptors swingmen:
"DeRozan is an interesting piece, especially since his role isn’t exactly clear-cut. Turkoglu could take a majority of the minutes at small forward, or even shooting guard, but Belinelli should have to show something significant in order to lock down a majority of the perimeter minutes over the rookie. The former Trojan is raw, but his potential may be higher than any other member of his class.

If Belinelli blossoms in Toronto, the three-man rotation of the Italian, the Turk and the American could help the Raptors climb near the top of the Eastern Conference."

I would assume that Jay Triano is spending most of this training camp giving every player a defined role (at least I hope he is). The comparisons between this team and last year's Magic have been beaten to death, but it's not at all out of the question for DMDR to have a similar season to Courtney Lee's last year - defend hard, get easy buckets in transition, and contribute offensively when he's hot. With regards to his potential, I agree, and he's already gotten much stronger to add to his prototypical swingman build. The final point is the one I think resonates strongest, though: should Belinelli have a big season (think 12-15 PPG or so) he could very well be this team's Manu Ginobili-type sparkplug off the bench, something we missed dearly last year with all the injuries and poor play.


On the season:
"Forecast: Colangelo believes that the Raptors can be a 50-win team with home-court advantage in the postseason. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, but the club will have to gel quickly and their studs (Calderon, Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani) will have to remain healthy in order to have a shot. They’ll finish with around 45 wins, which should put them in the four-six range in terms of playoff seeding. They aren’t anywhere near the beasts of the East (Boston, Orlando and Cleveland), but there isn’t any reason why they can’t complete with or surpass the rest (Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia)."

I agree here 100%. The Raps will likely steal a couple victories from the big dogs in the East but they'll have to defend their turf against the second tier if they plan to win those 50 games. It's certainly possible, especially if the young guys take a step forward and Chris Bosh's added weight brings him to the next level.

Soon PH will bring you our season preview. Remember, tonight the Raps take on the T-Wolves in Minnesota at 8 PM EST.

Raps Stumble in Preseason Back-to-Back

The Raps played their first two preseason games over the past couple of days and dropped them both, 107-98 in London, Ontario, and 84-79 in Toronto. It's very tough to raise any solid concerns or point out anything of value for two reasons: a) it's preseason (there is a saying that goes, "you can't find out who can play, you can only find out who can't play") as well as the Raps' two leaders (and likely two best players) in Chris Bosh and Hidayet Turkoglu are sitting out for now with minor injuries. That said, here are some points that can be gleaned from the back-to-back:
Reggie Evans does not arrive anywhere quietly. He put up 8 steals in the two games and was a beast inside and on the glass. He's not afraid to let people know how sharp his elbows are at any point and he picked up 9 hard-nosed fouls. He was, as usual, poor from the free-throw line (7-14) which means he likely won't be able to play at the end of games, and will probably be replaced with Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson or with Andrea Bargnani sliding over to the 4-spot.
Speaking of Il Mago, he led us in scoring in the first game with 22 points, showcasing all his tremendous scoring prowess. In the second game he played under 20 minutes in order to give AJ some time (who put up 8 points, 8 boards and 6 fouls), but if Bargnani can be that dominant on the offensive end it will make things easy for Jose Calderon.
Touted rookie DeMar DeRozan did a solid job filling the stat sheet with a two-game line of 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 three-pointers (2-5 shooting). It's important for DMDR to establish his presence in all facets of the game and realize that he doesn't have to carry the load offensively with gifted scorers around him in Bosh, Turkoglu, Bargs and Jose. He'll likely get some time with the second unit as well, and it could be fun to watch him and Marco Belinelli, two very different wing players, light it up in their own ways.

The Raptors' next preseason game is tomorrow (Friday), 8 P.M at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Beginning of Training Camp Update

So we inch closer to the start of the NBA season with the arrival of the Raptors' training camp. Interesting tidbits: DeMar DeRozan and Chris Bosh have both bulked up significantly - Bosh has apparently gained about 20 pounds on his upper body. DeRozan has been working out hard this off-season (judging by his Twitter feed) and looks very chiseled. Speaking of Bosh, he tweaked his hamstring and will miss the start of training camp. Here's hoping he gets better quickly, and that his new tattoo (sorry, he's not showing anyone yet) looks dashing.

The Raptors Charity Golf Classic was this week, and Bryan Colangelo, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon as well as front-office staff looked like they were having a great time.

As well, Media Day was also this week and you can check out all the video on Raptors.com. Plenty of Raps are interviewed and all sound really excited for this season to start.

ACC Gets A Makeover

In a relatively undercover operation, the Air Canada Centre closed for 10 weeks to complete the last phase of the arena’s $48 million "renovation and revitalization". The re-vamped ACC features an expanded West side, which now includes a new entrance, new retail areas, and additional concession stands. The new multi-level atrium also adds a High-Definition studio for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment’s three networks: Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and GOLTV.

More than physical changes were taking place though in the ACC. Full replacement of the current signage panels to digital signage, an upgrade of all food, beverage and retail concessions and further investments in the security program are also happening. Also a new automated arena seat conversion system is being introduced. We don't know what it is supposed to do, but we are excited to see it.

Lastly, in what could be the coolest feature of all, a covered glass bridge will connect Air Canada Centre to Maple Leaf Square, a sports entertainment and residential development presently under construction. Maple Leaf Square's public square will play host to tailgate parties and pre-and-post event celebrations. Now Leaf fans have an excuse to get belligerently drunk even earlier!

The Broadcast Schedule Is Here!

On Thursday the Raptors announced the broadcast schedule for the 09-10 season. You can get it here. As with the past three seasons, all games will be available in HD. The station breakdown looks like this: 50 games split on TSN and TSN 2 (thank God it got resolved), 20 on The Score, 10 on CBC, and 2 on Raptors NBA TV.

Some early dates to watch out for:
Wednesday October 28 vs. Cleveland. The Raps open at home versus BraunBraun, A-P, and Jamario Moon.
Sunday November 1 vs. Orlando. Toronto's most notorious super villain comes back to Toronto for the first time with new threads. You can change teams Vince, but you can't hide.
Friday November 27 at Boston. If the Raps want to make a legitimate run this year, they must contend with the star-studded teams.
Tuesday December 1 vs. Washington. The authors of ESPN took the Wizards over the Raptors for the number 8 spot in the east. It will be interesting to see if Gilbert can come back and perform to the level he was at two years ago

Lastly we would like to apologize for being a couple days late on this, things have been a bit hectic in our lives. But hey, if you followed Jurassic Hoops you still would have no idea.

ESPN Predicts East Standing, Undercuts Raptors

I always hate getting my hopes up about the Raptors in the offseason, as I am convinced we are destined for a life in basketball purgatory, to be mediocre forever. However this year (as with every other Raptor season) I could not help myself. I analyzed our team over and over, asking myself how high do you think the Raptors can make it in the East. Fourth? Maybe even third?

Yesterday 53 panelists from across ESPN predicted the number of wins and losses for each team in the East and, to my surprise, the Raptors came in at ninth. They predicted the Raps to finish four games under .500 at 39-43. So here is my list of reasons of why I believe in the Dinos.

1. A re-vamped team
Let's face it, the Raptors last season had problems. Amidst persistent injuries to rotation players, a head coach firing a few weeks into the season, constant boo-ing from the fans, and rumors that the face of the team will walk in 2010, the Raps developed a defeated, lackadaisical attitude. This offseason The Architect went to work. He kept 5 of 15 players from last season, 3 being rotation players (guess who). The 2009-10 Raptors are a different team from last year, let's hope they realize that.

2. Depth and Toughness
BC has been talking for a while about adding tough big men who can bang in the key and grab rebounds. Rather than drafting an unpredictable big man (yes, Rob Babcock and Rafael Araujo, this shout out is for you), BC went into the market and grabbed Reggie Evans, Amir Johnson, and Rasho Nesterovic. These three guys bring a unique mix of abilities - Evans with hard-nosed grit and toughness, AJ with high-flying athleticism, and Radoslav with great fundamentals - and they can clean the glass better than Windex (yes, I hate myself for writing that).

Looking at the Raptor depth chart puts a smile on my face. What was once a depleted wingman lineup has now become filled with young players ready to compete for floor time. Behind Jose Calderon is another point guard who beat out T.J. Ford for the starting spot in Indiana. Raptor fans this season will witness a 10-man deep team.

3. The Wing Spot
With the acquisitions of Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright, and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors have wing players who are not afraid to take the ball to the bucket. Hedo, 'Toine, and DMDR all have the ability to take the ball to the hoop with authority, a quality that has become lost in the Raptors' style of play in the past couple of seasons.

4. We Are Better Than the Wizards
ESPN put the Wizards in the 8 spot over the Raptors. Naturally because the Raptors have had a big turnover in personnel this offseason raises questions of team chemistry. But can Gilbert Arenas really be expected to come back fully healthy and automatically mesh with Mike Miller and Randy Foye?

Bosh's Stance Toward Extension Changes

The Globe and Mail reported today that Chris Bosh has come around on the idea of a contract extension with the Raps.

“We haven’t read the book yet, but when he has it ready, I’ll gladly sit down and talk about it, discuss pros and cons, and come to a decision,” Bosh said. “But I like that we’re not sitting around, waiting around, putting all our eggs in the basket and saying we’re going to wait for 2010 because we want to have [salary] cap space to get players you might not be able to sign. The do-it-now approach is very motivating, for everyone.

“We’re a lot deeper and I think we have a fantastic team. If we work on the small things, we can make some noise.”

It certainly seems like Bosh loves Toronto (see: "I love Toronto and Toronto loves me") and the Raptors have definitely shown that they are willing to do anything to build a talented core around him. In this economy, it's easy for teams to focus too much on saving money while forgetting the on-court product, and come 2010, Bosh may realize that Toronto is one of the teams most willing to gather up a supporting cast capable of competing.

Banks For Carroll: Editors' First Impressions

Quick note: this trade is all but finalized, this is just In BC We Trust and me discussing and bantering about the potential trade.

In BC We Trust says: (1:07:43 AM)
i'm not crazy

In BC We Trust says: (1:07:53 AM)
about it

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:08:19 AM)
why, contract wise?

In BC We Trust says: (1:08:40 AM)
yeah

In BC We Trust says: (1:08:47 AM)
he's not gonna be a rotation player

In BC We Trust says: (1:08:54 AM)
and 2 more (3?)

In BC We Trust says: (1:08:55 AM)
years

In BC We Trust says: (1:08:57 AM)
that's a lot

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:10:58 AM)
yes but you are forgetting that bc can recite the cba better than the alphabet at this point

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:11:08 AM)
im sure theres some sort of loophole he can tuck carroll into

In BC We Trust says: (1:11:14 AM)
hahaha

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:12:25 AM)
and furthermore, carroll can be used as trade bait the same way kyle korver was

In BC We Trust says: (1:12:46 AM)
kyle korver > matt carroll

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:12:50 AM)
some gms just have hard-ons for tall young white 3 point shooters with good form

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:13:31 AM)
im not gonna debate the matt is better than kyle

I Swear I'm A D-League All Star says: (1:13:43 AM)
matt was a charlotte draft pick = doomed to fail

In BC We Trust says: (1:14:58 AM)
he's a decent player

In BC We Trust says: (1:15:05 AM)
nbdl poty!!!!

BC Not Done Tweaking?

Just one day after pulling the trigger on a 4 player trade, The Architect is back at it trying to grab Matt Carroll in return for Toronto's favourite ghost-player, Marcus Banks, the Toronto Star reports.

Carroll, a 6'6 wing player, is best known for his touch from long range, a career 40 per cent shooter from three-point range. He has 4 years left on his contract, making roughly 4 - 4.5 million per season until the end of the 2012 - 13 season. He most likely will not see much floor time if he joins the Raps, but would fill a role if a player were to get injured.

Raps Nab Johnson and Weems

According to the Toronto Star, the Raps have traded "Hot Cocoa" Roko Ukic and the rights to restricted free agent Carlos Delfino to the Milwaukee Bucks for forward Amir Johnson and guard Sonny Weems. Both come off the books after this season, though Weems has a team option for 2010-11.

Johnson, a very athletic 6-10, put up 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in just 15 minutes last season in Detroit. He figures to add to our big-man depth, backing up Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu. He'll compete for time with Reggie Evans and Rasho Nesterovic and may pass Patrick O'Bryant on the depth chart.

Weems, 6-6, spent the majority of last season in the D-League playing for the Colorado 14ers. He'll likely ride the pine most of the season. Hopefully he can make friends with Marcus Banks.

Grade for Raptors: B
It's a solid deal that brings a big man with upside to Toronto while reducing the number of contracts for next summer in an attempt to keep CB4 in town. Weems is essentially a non-factor in this deal, and Delfino's skills were redundant with DeMar DeRozan, Antoine Wright, Marco Belinelli and Turk in town. The only downside to this deal (besides losing 2 nations from the UN of the NBA) is giving away Roko. While he likely would have gotten very little playing time behind Jose Calderon and newly acquired Jarrett Jack, he's still a big, young guard with plenty of upside. It's entirely possible he could develop into a solid NBA player, but for the immediate future of this franchise, it didn't make any sense to keep him. Solid deal by Bryan Colangelo to try to make something from pretty much nothing.

Rookie Update: DeMar's Rookie Portraits and Balls At Rookie Orientation

Check out DeMar's rookie portraits below (yes, the second photo will give us nightmares too):





DeMar and other rookies try out NBA Live 10 at the Rookie Orientation.

PH Joins Sports Blog Net

Today we here at PH are proud to announced that we have joined Sports Blog Net, a reputable sports blog hosting network. We will miss our days of our loyal 8 followers and independent blogging, but we here at PH feel like its time to grow, to let our voices be heard in the sports blogging community.

You can read all about what Sports Blog Net is about here.

Changes to PH

We hope you've noticed some changes that have taken place thus far at PH. Firstly, we have changed our banner to, what we think, is a more striking and professional banner.

Secondly, we have added a Dose of Harmony segment on the right side of our blog. The Dose of Harmony is a reminder to everyone that, at some point in time, there are forces beyond our control. Said forces can be feared, however one is better off admiring them whether they are for the better or for the worse. Though more often than not, they are hilarious.

Enjoy our updates and keep on reading!

Its Time To Wage War!

Loyal readers,
We here at PH have called on you very rarely in our one year of blogging, however there is an issue that can no longer be ignored. In June 2009, a blogger clearly too unintelligent and incompetent to create his own witty, dino-related name and instead resorted to a form of thuggish thievery. "Jurassic Hoops" is an obvious attempt to eliminate Prehistoric Hoops' monopoly on the ancient basketball blogging market.
Readers, I urge you to email Scott Lewis of "Jurassic Hoops" at scottlewis9@gmail.com to alert him of his misdoings, and to let him know that there is only room enough for one ancient hoops blog in this city, and that is Prehistoric Hoops.

You may have a fancy banner and advertisements, Jurassic Hoops, but where's the heart? Where is the alliteration in your name that just makes it roll off of your tongue? And the Velociraptor is from the Late Cretaceous Period, not the Jurassic. Get your facts straight.

Raps Officially Add Rasho and Marco

Today the Raptors announced via raptors.com that they have added 23-year-old 6-5 guard Marco Belinelli and 11-year veteran 7-footer Rasho Nesterovic.

Belinelli was acquired from Golden State in exchange for cash considerations as well as forward Devean George who arrived in the Hedo Turkoglu trade that also brought in Antoine Wright. Marco will likely battle Wright and apparent starter DeMar DeRozan for minutes at the swingmen positions. He's also the second Italian to play in the NBA, and now joins fellow countryman Andrea Bargnani.

It is rumoured that Rasho was signed to a one-year deal for the bi-annual exception (about $1.9 million which doesn't count against the salary cap), and he will likely serve as Bargnani's backup at the centre position, while becoming the fifth member of the Raps big-man rotation, along with Chris Bosh, Turkoglu, and Reggie Evans.

Both of these deals give the Raptors additional depth and different offensive and defensive schemes to toss at opponents. As well, they give very important backups who can step in if the Raps' starters are hit with injuries.

Raps Acquire Belinelli

According to Yahoo! Sports, the Raptors have traded Devean George for 6-5 Italian guard Marco Belinelli of the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2 assists in his second NBA season. If this is true, it seems likely that Bryan Colangelo would go after a big man - maybe Possum's Phone Ban as opposed to bringing back Carlos Delfino, since his talents are even more redundant with a scoring combo guard in Belinelli.

This deal is a very good one for the Raptors. Belinelli is a young, dynamic scorer who will really add some scoring punch to the second unit and should thrive with a tough PG like Jarrett Jack leading the way. As well, since he's still on his rookie contract, he's very affordable and really gives the Raps more depth, as George didn't figure to get any significant minutes.

Grade for Raptors: B+

Welcome Back Rasho?

Around 8:40 Eastern tonight, Chris Bosh Tweeted, "Welcome back Rasho". It was known that the Raps had interest in signing Rasho Nesterovic, and no official deal has been made public. But I trust Chris...

Jack An Official Dino

Today the Raptors nabbed Jarrett Jack, as the Pacers, in a desperate attempt to become the whitest team in NBA history, failed to match Toronto's offer sheet. Jarrett will be announced in a press conference tomorrow, and he is currently enjoying a meal with Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan in Toronto.

Raptors Officially Sign Jack to Offer Sheet

The Raps announced today that they have signed guard Jarrett Jack to an offer sheet, meaning the Indiana Pacers have seven days to match the offer (estimated at 4 years, $20 million) or else Jack will become a member of the Raptors. See our previous post for reasons why this could be a very useful signing.

Raptors Extend Offer to Jack; More Rumours

According to the front page of Raptors.com, as well as a report from RealGM, the Raptors will (or already have) extended an offer sheet to restricted free agent guard Jarrett Jack of the Indiana Pacers. This means that while the Pacers can match any offer (in this case, it appears to be around 4 years, $20 million), RealGM reports that they are unlikely to do so as it will put them close to the salary cap.

Jack (see his player file) is a 6-3 combo guard out of Georgia Tech who was teammates with Chris Bosh on the Yellow Jackets. He enjoyed a solid season in 08-09, posting 13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG and 3.4 RPG with a decent assist to turnover ratio of nearly 2:1 (2.24 TOPG). As well as being an efficient scorer (45 FG%, 35 3P%, 85 FT%), he's a good defender and gathered 1.1 steals per game last year. He figures to assume the backup point guard role, relegating Roko Ukic to third-string duties, but he may also play off-guard at the same time as either Roko or Jose Calderon if the Raps choose to go small (in that case, DeMar DeRozan or Antoine Wright could play the 3). The contract is not an overly bloated one, as he's shown solid consistency since his rookie season and has played an average of 80.5 games over his four NBA seasons. Jack should be able to earn his contract, especially since he will get spot starts if another Raptor gets injured. Additionally, it ensures that the Raptors will have a backup 1 locked up long-term (no more merry-go-round of Will Solomon, Darrick Martin, or Milt Palacio).

Of course, Bryan Colangelo is not done yet. He has shown interest, as noted before on this blog, in Carlos Delfino as well as Denver Nugget RFA Linas Kleiza. However, rumours are swirling that BC has interest in acquiring another former Raptor, Rasho Nesterovic.

Rasho would provide a veteran presence in the middle as well as in the locker room. However, with the acquisitions of Devean George and Reggie Evans, the Raps have a logjam at the bigman positions, and it's possible Rasho would be the odd man out.

Kleiza, on the other hand, seems to be a very sensible signing - he backed-up Carmelo Anthony effectively, as he would be doing for Hedo Turkoglu, putting up around 10 PPG and 4 RPG each of the last two seasons. He's a big (6-8, 245) bruiser at the 3-spot, and would provide a great change of scenery from Hedo's finesse and offensive leadership.

Delfino's return seemed to be a sure thing a couple weeks ago. However, after the blockbuster trade that brought in Turk, George and Wright, as well as the imminent arrival of Jack, the Raptors have sorted out their lack of depth at the guard positions, and Delfino's services may not be needed. That said, he was quite effective in the Raptors' swingman-by-committee of two seasons ago, posting 9 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 1.8 APG. If BC elects to bring back his versatility, he will likely see minutes at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.

What are your thoughts on the (supposed) signing of Jack, and who would you like to see the Raptors acquire to help bolster their bench? Let us know in the comments.

Raps Sign DeRozan

If the last two days of Raptors news haven't been good enough for you, Bryan Colangelo made sure we'll be seeing plenty of highlight-reel dunks by inking rookie DeMar DeRozan to a two-year contract with two additional team option years. DeRozan figures to challenge newcomers Antoine Wright and Hedo Turkoglu for minutes at the 2 and 3 positions, respectively. He also may have Carlos Delfino or another veteran swingman to contend with. DeRozan brings elite-level athleticism and quickly improving scoring ability to the table, and will be an asset against smaller teams when he can hit the glass. Should DeRozan improve rapidly enough, we could see him in a starting role by the new year.
You can read the official press release here.

For a side note, the Raptors.com intro page (check it out here) is really, really cool (though it appears Hedo will be wearing number 26).

Marion Out, Turk In, Crazy Four-Way Deal

UPDATE: This deal is now official and will be announced today on Raptors NBA TV at 4 P.M. You can read Eric Smith's reaction here.

In an incredibly convoluted move, RealGM is reporting, along with the Toronto Star, that Shawn Marion, Nathan Jawai and Kris Humphries are heading to Dallas, Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright and Devean George are heading to Toronto, and the Grizzlies will receive Jerry Stackhouse (who will likely be waived to save money), Toronto's 2016 second-round pick and "substantial cash." The Magic were enticed to join in because as opposed to letting Turk walk, they received a valuable $7 million trade exception which can be used to balance trade salaries, as well as cash considerations from Toronto. An additional advantage for Toronto, which could end up playing a huge part in the Raps' success this year, is the recovery of their mid-level exception which entitles them to about $5.7 million of extra salary. It's speculated that BC will use it to bring back Carlos Delfino or perhaps split it between him and Pops Mensah-BonsuPossum's Phone Ban.

Overall Movement:

To Toronto:
F Devean George from Dallas (3.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG in 16 minutes/game in 08-09). Will likely be a middle-of-the-second and third quarter reserve. He does give the Raps a little more depth up front, and is a three-time NBA champion with the Lakers, so could provide a needed veteran presence. His contract also comes off the books at the end of this season.
G/F Antoine Wright from Dallas (7.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG in 24 minutes/game in 08-09). Will probably be one of the first wings off the bench, or a starter while splitting minutes with DeMar DeRozan. He's a solid, physical forward who is at his best when he's moving without the ball and spreading the floor. Fantastic pickup by BC to add some wing depth. His contract, like George's, comes off the books at the end of 2010.
F Hedo Turkoglu from Orlando (15.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG in 36.6 minutes/game in 08-09). The big fish this offseason for BC and the Raps. He'll start at small forward and log over 30 a game. He'll be somewhat a point forward, and with his matchup problems combined with Jose Calderon's efficiency the Raptors will be deadly in the half-court set. He can also lead the break to help make use of DeMar DeRozan and Chris Bosh's athleticism and speed in the open court.
Addition of Mid-Level Exception - The Raptors receive an additional $5.7 million dollars to spend as they choose. Ideally, Colangelo would use it to sign Delfino and Mensah-Bonsu to add some needed wing and bigman depth.

To Dallas:
F Shawn Marion (from Toronto)
F Kris Humphries (from Toronto)
G Greg Buckner (from Dallas)
Cash (from Toronto)

To Memphis:
F Jerry Stackhouse (from Dallas)
F/C Nathan Jawai (from Toronto)
Cash (from Dallas)
2016 second-round draft pick (from Toronto)

To Orlando:
$7 million trade exception
Cash (from Toronto)

Overall Grade for Toronto - A
This deal really couldn't be better. They acquire some solid veterans to bolster their bench, they add star power and fill a hole, and they pick up some additional salary to acquire some more depth or even a starter to replace DeRozan, while saving money for the coming offseason (Humphries had a player option for 2010-11). This is Colangelo magic at its finest, and it's beautiful.

To quote John Schuhmann of NBA.com, "Even if all the moves don't work out perfectly for Toronto, at least Bosh knows team management wants to win, and is willing to do whatever it takes to surround him with talent. And next year, when he makes a decision about his future, Bosh may realize that not many teams can say the same."

(Everyone's Favourite Time) Summer League!

The Raptors start their summer league play in Vegas on Friday. Here is the Raps schedule:
July 10: 8 pm Eastern, vs. LA Lakers
July 11: 4 pm Eastern, vs. Detroit Pistons
July 13: 8 pm Eastern, vs. Portland Trailblazers
July 15: 8 pm Eastern, vs. Phoenix Suns
July 16: 4 pm Eastern, vs. Milwaukee Bucks


The Raptors roster includes players under contract: DeMar DeRozan, Quincy Douby, Nathan Jawai, Patrick O'Bryant, and Roko Ukic, and invited players such as Paul Davis and Smush Parker.

Bargs Gets Contract Extension

Andrea Bargnani has secured his long term future with the Raps (unlike other unnamed Raptor bigmen who may leave in 2010) by signing a 5 year, 50 million dollar contract extension.

Andrea had his breakout season in 2008-2009, averaging 15.4 points per game and 5.3 points per game. His play was a rare positive in the 08-09 season.

Chris Bosh seemed supportive on his Twitter, saying "Congrats to Andrea Bargnani 5 yrs 50 mill with The #Raptors". This definitely means the Raptors will have some talented big men no matter what Bosh chooses to do.

Turkoglu A Raptor: CB4 Confirms

About 30 minutes ago, Chris Bosh posted on twitter the following:

"We got Hedo! Next season's gonna be a lot of fun"

This is a welcome change of tone from CB4, its nice to hear something optimistic about Toronto from our franchise player. Will Hedo Turkoglu help keep CB4 north of the border?

Also from Bosh's Twitter:
"I hope Hedo signs with us"
"IF IT'S TRUE..Let's get it cracking H Turk!!!"

Even DeMar DeRozan is excited (so excited he can't even spell!):
"Is Hudo really coming to T Dot? Really hope so!"

Hedo Lands In Toronto

According to various sources, Hedo Turkoglu has signed a 5 year deal worth 53 million dollars. He was apparently going to sign with Portland, but something soured that deal. The addition of Hedo adds both wing depth and talent to our most uncertain position, and adds another country to the growing United Nations that is the Toronto Raptors.

Raptors Set Sight On Kleiza

According to the Toronto Star, the Raptors are now focusing their attention on forward Linas Kleiza, as apparently the Raptors have fallen out of the running for Hedo Turkoglu and Charlie Villanueva has been swooped up by the Pistons.

Kleiza, 24, averaged 9.9 points per game and 4 rebounds per game last season while backing up Carmelo Anthony.

Raps Tender Offer To Turkoglu

The Raptors are apparently preparing to offer former Orlando Magician, Hedo Turkoglu. How much, you ask? BC is offering 60 million over 5 years for the Mike Jordan of Turkey, overpowering the Portland Trailblazers offer of 50 mill over the same time span.

Turkoglu, 30, found his niche while playing with Orlando (and against the Raps). In his best season with the Magic (2007-2008), Hedo put up 19.5 points, 5 assists, and 5.7 boards. If he were to sign the deal, the Raps would have Hedo until he is 35. The lady Turkoglu is also said to have an affinity for Toronto.

No other Raptor offers to free agents have been made public yet.

Raptors Extend Qualifying Offer To Pops

Today the Raptors extended a qualifying offer to Toronto's favourite hyphenated name, Pops Mensah-Bonsu Possum's Phone Ban. Financial details were not disclosed, however the offer keeps Pops Mensah-Bonsu Possum's Phone Ban from becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Mensah-Bonsu averaged 5.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 13.8 minutes in 19 games with the Raptors. He won over Raptor fans with hustle, intensity, and a new tongue twister for when they're bored.



Pops gave Raptors basketball a bite (I'm sorry).

DeMar's Blog

The newest Raptor's blog is up and running. You can find it here.

Wow its been a busy day following DeMar.

DeRozan Fever!

Want to be one step away from stalking the newest Raptor? Well luckily for you, Twitter has made your dream a reality! You can follow number 9 pick DeMar DeRozan at https://twitter.com/DeMar_DeRozan. In the words of DeMar "Toronto here I come. Air Canadas back."

But wait, even if his Twitter page hasn't given you your DeMar fix of the day, have no fear! Before DeMar has even put on a Raptors jersey, there are DeRozan wallpapers on Raptors.com. Check em out below or download them for yourself here.

And finally if you want to read about DeMar growing up in Compton and answering some questions, SLAM recently interviewed him. You can read it here. And yes, the article is called "The Gifted One."

Raptors Take DeRozan

The Raptors were on the clock at approximately 8:25 tonight. The three players that were rumored to be the prospects for the Raptors were all available. With the ninth pick in the NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors took DeMar DeRozan, the 19 year old freshman out of USC.

The Good
DeMar is an athletic specimen. He has great size for a swingman and its been rumored that he once punched Superman through a brick wall. He is a slasher and is quick in the open court. His ball handling ability is good, but it will need some improvement. He likes to draw contact and play physically, and has shown significant improvement in his only year at USC. DeMar's combination of size, skill, and athleticism draw comparisons to Vince Carter and Rudy Gay.

The Bad
Demar is inconsistent. At time he struggles off the dribble and his jump shot needs improvement. He also shot just 64.7% from the free throw line.

Draft Grade: B+
In picking DeMar, the Raptors addressed their most pressing need: a slashing swingman. However DeMar most likely will not be able to become an impact player as a rookie, his game is simply too unpolished. DeMar does have the tools to become a great player. He dunked his first basketball in grade 6 (beating Vince by a whole 2 years), and his shoulders (pictured below) are wider than the Earth at the equator. Overall, the Raps ended up with a player with great potential, but he must work on his jump shot and dribbling abilities.

Best case scenario: With the help of NBA training staff, he builds strength and improves on his offensive skills, and does a solid job in a 10-15 minute per game role. He then blossoms into a Carter-type all-around scorer, hopefully without the whiny princess attitude. Let's keep his mom away from the ACC.
Worst case scenario: DeRozan's athleticism is not enough to carry him through the NBA, and his skills do not improve enough to match his hops. His love of dunking overtakes his love of basketball, and he becomes the next Gerald Green.

The List Narrows To Three?

The Toronto Star reported today that the Raptors list of draft prospects may have narrowed further down to three possibilities. 18 year old Jrue Holiday, 19 year old DeMar DeRozan, and 22 year old James Johnson are reportedly the three that Bryan Colangelo is concentrating on, leaving out Gerald Henderson and Jonny Flynn.

Draft coverage begins with the draft preview at 6 pm on NBA TV, with the actual draft coverage beginning at 7, and the first pick at 7:30. You can catch it either on NBA TV or The Score.

Happy draft day everyone!

BC's Final Talk Before the Draft

The NBA draft is this Thursday and Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo gave his final press conference before the draft today on Raptors NBA TV. The conference outlined Bryan's summer plans regarding the draft, free agency, and addressing the team's needs.

Bryan began the conference with talk of the draft. He explained that the trade for Reggie Evans has changed BC's draft wishes. He discussed that he "has a list" of 5 players from which he will choose one to draft (providing they will be available): Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Henderson, and James Johnson. Of those five, Johnson and Holiday have come back for additional private discussions. Bryan then discussed the shift in prospect scouting from an active, workout-based evaluation to a more conversation-based incorporative system, contrary to what Elvis Presley might have wanted (I will be surprised if anyone gets that reference). Bryan said that he feels he has a very strong impression of his prospects, stronger than the old style of scouting. BC also revealed that, save for a drastic change, the Raptors will not trade for any additional picks or move up, as "the asking price was too high to move up."

After the draft talk, Bryan then discussed free agency and the Mid-Level Exception. He explained that re-signing Shawn Marion is preferable because "he fits the team". However if he is unable to re-sign Mr. Matrix, he believes a sign and trade scenario would be best. BC also felt that the Raptors are solid with bigs. He discussed the development of Patrick O'Bryant, as he has shown flashes of what BC thought he could do. In the words of the GM, "the kid's got a chance." With the Mid-Level Exception, BC is looking to address the "wing uncertainty." If he were to draft a point guard, he would look to sign a wing, and vice versa. However with the futures of Marion, Anthony Parker, and Carlos Delfino all up in the air, no one can know how it will play out. A Raptor fan can only believe in the Architect, Bryan Colangelo.

Latest Raps Update

The Raptors have extended a qualifying offer to Carlos Delfino, a restricted free agent. Delfino played one season with the Raps in 2007-08, appearing in all 82 games and averaged 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. He was a key part of the Raptors' depth and strong bench attack. He could be a very worthwhile addition to our bench.

Bryan Colangelo has hinted at who the Raptors' sights are set on for the 2009 NBA Draft. The five players that he and his staff are narrowing in on are athletic swingmen DeMar DeRozan and Gerald Henderson (no surprises there), combo point guards Jonny Flynn of Syracuse and Jrue Holiday of UCLA, and big man James Johnson of Wake Forest. Johnson has enjoyed a large stock rise lately and it is a little surprising that Colangelo seems so interested in a big when we have two quality starters with Chris Bosh and the emergence of Andrea Bargnani as a legit NBA starter who still has tons of upside.

Speaking of Bosh, BC has stated that it may be in the Raps' best interest to sign-and-trade the All-Star post player . However, he does note that the Raptors are actually in the best shape of any team financially with regards to re-signing him, as they can give more money every year and offer a six-year deal (other teams can only offer five) as per the CBA. As a result, while it's becoming more and more of a possibility that the Chris Bosh era is coming to an end in Toronto, it's also likely that the Dinos will not walk away empty-handed.

Kapono for Evans?

RealGM has reported today that the Raptors have traded Jason Kapono to the 76ers for tough-as-nails forward Reggie Evans. Both players are signed until the summer of 2011, but the deal saves the Raptors about $1.5 million per year.

It's an interesting deal that will likely benefit both parties. Philadelphia ranked last in the NBA with a rancid .318 3PT%, and the Raptors ranked 21st in the league at just over 40 rebounds per game, and had a rebounding differential of -1.4. Evans figures to be a defensive stopper who can clean the glass - he averages almost 7 rebounds a game in his career. This also might mean that the Raptors will start Evans and draft a shooting guard - perhaps Tyreke Evans or move up for James Harden.

Raptors Planning to Buy Out Printezis

The Raptors are repordtedly working out an agreement with Greek team Olympiacos to bring over combo forward Gorgios (also spelled Georgios) Printezis. Bryan Colangelo has stated that he'd like to add toughness to the Raptors, particularly at the small forward position - something that Printezis brings to the table. His agent has also said that he'd like to come to the NBA, but that the buyout might get in the way. Printezis' draft rights are owned by the Raptors, so even if he is not brought over until his contract with Olympiacos is up, he cannot be signed by any other team.

Printezis figures to fill a Kris Humphries-like position, bringing energy and toughness off the bench.

Bosh Won't Resign

Chris Bosh has now stated that he will not resign with the Raptors this summer. Not a surprising outcome, considering how exciting the offseason of 2010 will be. But Mike Ulmer of raptors.com makes some interesting points about why it very well might not be the end of the CB4 era in Toronto. Check out his blog.

More Offseason Happenings

Hey look! More stuff is going on! Today the Raps signed two assistant coaches - Marc Iavaroni and Alex English.
Iavaroni - who many expected would be signed as head coach a couple years ago - coached the past two seasons in Memphis (coaching terrible teams with a terrible GM, Kevin McHale) and, expectedly, put up two losing seasons. Prior to that, he was an assistant in Phoenix to Mike D'Antoni and helped coach the Suns to the playoffs several times. Bryan Colangelo has reason to be fond of him, as he's worked with him in the past and helped do great things with the Suns offense.
English is most famous as a player, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997, but he has been with the Raps for five years and brings experience with the players and and has a great view of the game. English has scored the 12th most points in league history.

This seems like a great way for BC to cut his losses - if problems arise with head coach Jay Triano, he can simply insert Iavaroni into the head coaching position. And if not, he'll still be around in three years and will hopefully do great things with our Dinos.

Read the press release