Turkoglu Scolds Toronto After BC's Bosh Criticism

Just days after Bryan Colangelo criticized Chris Bosh by saying that he didn't give 100 percent towards the end of the season, everyone's new favourite ex-Raptor, Hedo Turkoglu, decided to get involved. Turk pointed fingers at the entire franchise, saying "People have to realize something is wrong with that organization and nobody wants to go there anymore, it's not just the players who see this”. Has Toronto gained a negative perception in the basketball world from poor management and inability to progress as a team?

Raptor management is great at running the team as a business. Each year they bring in more revenue than the last despite years and years of unsuccessful on-court play. Last season the Raptors finished 11-worst in the association, but despite their poor record they were valued as the 11th most valuable franchise in the NBA at $386 million USD. However, and unfortunately, where Raptor management fails is in the team's performance. Like it or not, Toronto has always had a negative aura cast upon us in the basketball world. Every superstar we've had, from Damon to T-Mac to Vince to Chris, has asked out of Toronto. Its not because its too cold north of the border or that the fans are non-existent. Its the management. Hedo said what none of us wanted to.

BC left the Suns in 2006 to join the Raptors. He brought the confidence and winning background that Toronto needed ever so badly. But since then we've seen a GM that throws around money as if his supply were endless and reward players with large contracts who seemed undeserving of them. Colangelo didn't change his theory from Phoenix to Toronto, it just didn't work well here. Today BC's practice has caught up to him, trying to deal Jose Calderon with a bloated 3 year, 30 million dollar price tag and Marcus Banks, who has not seen significant floor time since landing in Toronto in February 2009.

Looking at the history of the Raptors, we see a team that has barely accomplished mediocrity. Every GM to walk through Toronto's doors has failed to put the pieces together around the superstar. Even the two time Executive of the Year hasn't led us any closer to a championship than the criticized Glen Grunwald and Rob Babcock.

So, Raptor fans, is there anything positive to take away from this? Well firstly, Canada's team is getting younger and younger each day, and that generally breeds more exciting basketball. DeMar DeRozan raised some eyebrows in Vegas by showing off his aggressiveness and his new three point shot. Toronto has also now become Andrea nation, will he become Dirk 2.0? And hey, even if there isn't much to look forward to, a lockout in 2011 is looking inevitable. That could be valuable time for the Raptors to sort out and give the Raptors a new image.