Prehistoric Hoops: A Toronto Raptors Blog

Raps Drop Season Opener

2010-10-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

The Raps played fairly well for the game, but couldn't pull off a victory against the new-and-probably-much-better Amare'e's (that's a lot of apostrophes) Knicks. For the game, there was no one particular reason the Raps lost. However, it will probably be the trend of games this season where plenty of players will play well (or solidly enough) but the lack of a go-to scorer and leader will hurt in key situations. Bargnani had a big game and will most likely put up big numbers this year, but it seems unlikely he has the makings of a franchise offensive talent (though he could very well be a secondary or tertiary scorer on a very good team).

NBA.com recap

Player of the game:
Il Mago did not seem lost in his first game as the face of the Raptors. While he struggled somewhat from the field (8-21) he did not lose his outside touch over the summer hitting five threes in eight attempts. Bargs finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds and complemented that nicely with 2 blocks. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect pretty similar season averages for Drea this year.

Notables:
Reggie Evans (0 points on 0-2 shooting, 16 rebounds, 2 steals, 5 fouls) did exactly what the Raptors brought him in to do. He picked up 4 offensive boards, hustled like crazy and was a menace down low.
Linas Kleiza (13 points, 5 rebounds). The Destroyer of Worlds took a backseat to Bargnani's chuck-it-up ways last night, but the after offseason - Worlds, preseason and now the opener - it is clear that Kleiza has come back from Europe a better player, and could be a valuable trade chip for a contender.
Jarrett Jack (16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) played a nice all-around game as the starting point guard. He played his trademark solid defense and showed good playmaking ability. Jack could also bring back some useful pieces in a trade, if BC chooses that route.

NBA.com box score

Stat of the Game:
Wilson Chandler torched the Raptors off the bench to the tune of 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists in just 29 minutes. The Raptors' perimeter defense was not good last night and Chandler made the Raps pay.

Raptors Home Opener!

2010-10-27T16:27:00.002-04:00

Its here, Raptor fans! Tonight at 7 pm the Raptors tip off against the New York Bricks at the Air Canada Centre. You can catch the game on TSN2 or the good ol' Fan 590. I would also recommend taking advantage of NBA.com's free League Pass trial until November 1st for those Raptor fans who are outside of Canada.

The probable starters for Canada's team tonight are:
PG - Jarrett Jack
SG - DeMar DeRozan
SF - Linas Kleiza, Destroyer of Worlds
PF - Reggie Evans
C - Dr. Drea Bargnani

Why BC gave Amir Johnson 35 million dollars and will not start him is still a mystery. In any event, the Raptors need to play the tough defense they always talk about but never seem to bring (like Bart Simpsons homework, hey-o!). The Raps need to shadow Amare and make sure Danilo Gallinari and Roger Mason don't shake loose for an open three. In Toronto's preseason wins, we saw a team that gets defensive stops, limits the opponent to one shot per possession, and gets out and runs. Hopefully the Raptors will be able to exploit the Knicks constant defensive woes en route to their first W of the season.

Raptors Visit the Chi

2010-10-12T18:11:00.002-04:00

Tonight at 8 pm the Raptors take on the Chicago Bulls in the Raptors third preseason game. Fresh off a loss in Boston, the Raptors are looking to get their first preseason W on the road. The game, unfortunately, is not televised in Canada so check out ATDHE.net or channelsurfing.net for a web feed of the game.

Look for Andrea Bargnani to continue to try and find his comfort zone. Andrea has come out completely flat in the opening two games, shooting just 2-17 over that stretch. Quite simply put, the Raptors need 'Drea to play up to his potential this year, we need less Araujo ball and more Bargnani ball.

The Raps interior defense gets a bit of a break tonight not having to deal with Carlos Boozer. However the Dinos will have to chase Derrick Rose around the court all night.

Raps Roll into Beantown

2010-10-10T14:29:00.003-04:00

Coming off a manhandling of Phoenix in Vancouver to begin the preseason, the Raptors arrive in Boston to face the 2-0 Celtics at 6PM today. The Celtics will hope to contain Linas "Destroyer of Worlds" Kleiza, who dominated the Suns to the tune of 20 points in 20 minutes (on blistering 7-9 shooting, 4-4 from three), with 5 boards and 2 steals. While it's not really fair to draw positive nor negative conclusions, as it's only the preseason, Kleiza's definitely trying to show that his ownage of the Worlds during the summer was no fluke.

Other encouraging performances were had by DMDR, who dropped 16 points in 21 minutes, Jarrett Jack (10 poitns, 7 assists in 17 minutes), and interestingly, Joey Dorsey, who had 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and 2 assists to boot. He had some monstrous slams and showed great energy, while - this is important - not playing outside his skill-set. Hopefully the Dino brass will look to his performance and not sign Ericka Dampier (get it? Cause he plays like a girl) for far too much money and far too little performance.

Raptors Blow Suns Out: 129-78

2010-10-07T12:36:00.002-04:00

For once the Raptors are on the right side of a blow out. Wednesday night the Raptors showed that they mean business in the preseason, as they just simply tore Phoenix apart. Last night we saw a Raptor team that ran, made their shots, and set each other up; a confident, young bunch who look like they're enjoying playing with each other. They established dominance early and got the crowd involved so that they would cheer for the Raptors and not just Steve Nash (the game was in British Columbia, Stevies home province). The Raps shot a blistering 50% from the field against a Suns team where defense isn't even on their list of priorities. I, myself, was more impressed with the long ball. Not only did the Dinos shoot 60% from 3, but they only took 10 threes! In true non-Raptor fashion, all night the Raps looked to pound the ball inside and looked for the mid range jumper (the lost art in the game of basketball).

Let's take a look at the Raptor defense as well. They limited the Suns to just 78 points on 38% shooting from the field and only 17% from three. Sure this is a Suns team that clearly misses Amare and has just traded for the Plague (Hidayet Turkoglu), but hey, try and give credit where its due.

Player of the Game
I was tempted to give the PotG nod to David Andersen simply for growing out his hair and having some amazing flow, But i had to give it to Linas Kleiza. Kleiza did everything last night, en route to nabbing 20 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes (7-9 field goal shooting). Trey-za (sorry, I had to) was on fire from three, hitting 4-4 from beyond the arc. He made the Suns Pay-za (I really am sorry, its just too easy) for leaving him open both from inside and outside. Simply put, he Amaz-za-d us (that was the last one, I promise).

Notables
Joey Dorsey was an animal last night. He had a put-back slam that made me forget he was Joey Dorsey. Then I remembered he shot 4-9 from the foul line... In any case JoDor put up 13 and 10 in 17 minutes.
DeMar DeRozan put together a solid game, scoring 16 points in 20 minutes. He even showed off his new trey-ball, shooting 1-1 from three point land.

Last night was the first time in a while where Raptor basketball was actually enjoyable to watch. The players were loose and actually doing what they were supposed to do. I love preseason Raptor basketball!!!

Raps Open Up Preseason vs. Phoenix

2010-10-06T18:16:00.002-04:00

Tonight at 10 pm the Raptors hit the road. No, they're not going to Phoenix though, they're in Vancouver. The Raps are opening up the preseason in Western Canada as they take on the Phoenix Suns. You can catch the game on TSN or, as always, on the Fan 590.

As we've written about extensively in our "Year One A.B." segment, you are about to see a new Raptor team. Andrea Bargnani now steps on the court as the leader of Canada's team, complimented by a crop of unproven players. While he and Leandro Barbosa are on the court, look for the offense to run through their hands.

Linas Kleiza was as hot as anyone in the FIBA World Championships this summer, leading Lithuania to a third place finish overall. Kleiza (playing the power forward position for the Lithuanians) put up 19 points per game on almost 58% shooting and almost 38% from three. This guy can shoot. This will be his first appearance sporting a Raptor uniform, so it will be interesting to see how Jay Triano will use him.

The Suns themselves are at a crossroads, looking for a new identity for their team. The Turkoglu-Barbosa swap seems to be an indicator that the Suns are looking to play more half-court ball this year. Last night they fell to the Kings 109-95 in Sacramento. All I have to say to them is good luck with Hedo.

Davis Sustains Knee Injury

2010-09-18T11:39:00.003-04:00

The Toronto Star is reporting that Raptors rookie and 13th pick overall in the 2010 draft Ed Davis has sustained a "meniscal" injury to his right knee. Ed was playing some pick up basketball in Mississauga when he landed awkwardly from a rebound. The seriousness of the injury is not yet known and treatment options are now being discussed.

Jose to Miss Worlds

2010-08-24T15:21:00.003-04:00

A leg injury will force Jose Calderon to miss this month's World Championships in Turkey. Jose tore a muscle in his leg during an exhibition game versus the United States of America. His recovery time is listed now at four weeks, which will give him sufficient time to heal before Raptor Training Camp.

New Assistant Coach

2010-08-18T09:37:00.003-04:00

The Raps announced that they have brought in a new assistant coach, Scott Roth, to help under Jay Triano. He has an interesting connection to Jay, dating as far back as playing in the Turkish Basketball league at the same time in the 80's.

Last year, Roth was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. He has spent seven other seasons as an assistant in the NBA, with Dallas and Vancouver/Memphis, and also has served as a scout and advisor for Milwaukee.

Roth played in 160 games in his three-year NBA career.

Dinos Waive Dwayne Jones

2010-08-17T08:46:00.003-04:00

The Raps yesterday waived forward/centre Dwayne Jones, brought over along with Leandro Barbosa in the Hedo Turkoglu deal. Jones did not figure to dress for many contests - he'd be competing with Patrick O'Bryant for garbage time minutes at the centre spot.

By waiving Jones, the Raps have cut their roster down to 15 players, the most an NBA team can have during the season.

Raps Swap Belinelli for Wright

2010-08-13T09:55:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the Raptors announced that they have acquired forward Julian Wright from the Hornets in exchange for Marco Belinelli. Nelly averaged just over 7 points per game last year, but his inconsistency and lack of ability to contribute beyond scoring severely limited his minutes off the bench.

In Wright, the Raps get a still-young player with great "tools." He's athletic, big for his position (6-8) and is a serviceable defender. He's a pretty efficient wing scorer, shooting 50% from the floor, but because of his non-existent playing time (only 12 MPG) his per-game numbers tell us practically nothing (4 points, 2 rebounds per game). One thing we do know is that he has no range on his jumper: he only attempted 6 threes all season (making two). That said, in a fast-paced offense, Wright could be a solid contributor on both ends of the court. From a contract standpoint, Wright is entering the last year of his rookie contract, so the Raptors don't lose any financial flexibility from this deal.

Italian Raps Light Up Eurobasket Qualifying

2010-08-09T15:54:00.003-04:00

Marco Belinelli and Dr. Drea both had big games yesterday in the Eurobasket qualifiers, as Italy beat Finland (stop laughing) 82-73. Bargs and Nelly both started, and each contributed in a big way to their team's success.
Bargnani is clearly comfortable as the focal point of Italy's offense, playing 30 minutes and contributing a team-high 24 points in very efficient manner (9/17 FG, 2/4 3PT, 4/5 FT). He contributed a team-high 5 rebounds as well (not even 60 total rebounds in the game) and a game-high 3 blocks. Hopefully Eurobasket will give Andrea some solid experience as an offense's number-1 scoring option.
Belinelli is also a key component of Italy's offense, and he did not disappoint, playing 35 minutes and showing a very nice all-around game: 15 points (5/9 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), game-high 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Hopefully he can continue to be a factor beyond just scoring, and if he can he'll be a great weapon off the Raptor bench.

Turkoglu Scolds Toronto After BC's Bosh Criticism

2010-08-05T12:06:00.003-04:00

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.

Raps Trade for Andersen

2010-07-29T15:15:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday night BC traded a protected second round pick in the 2015 draft to the Houston Rockets for Aussie centre David Andersen. "The Other Australian Centre" averaged close to 6 points and 3 boards in 63 games for the Rockets. Andersen is known for his offensive talent, as the 30 year old can stretch the floor and create his own shot in the post. He also follows the Raptor tradition of Centres who cannot rebound or play defense. Dave is currently in the second year of his 3 year, 7.5 million dollar contract, with the third year being a team option, so the Raptors are tied to him only for this year.

Andersen can be an effective signing for the Dinos. He brings a winning mentality to a team with a longstanding history of mediocrity. The 6'11 Aussie also brings a little competition to the table for Raptor rookie Solomon Alabi. It will be interesting to see if Andersen can impress Jay Triano enough to crack the rotation, but for now expect him to see injury minutes.

Year One A.B.: Kleiza Signing Officially Announced

2010-07-28T12:02:00.007-04:00

It's been public knowledge for a while now, but all necessary paperwork has been cleared by the NBA and the Raps have announced their signing of 26-year-old Linas Kleiza to a multi-year deal. Raptor team policy dictates that financial details were not disclosed, but it's believed to be a 4-year deal worth about $20 million, or a large chunk of the Raps' mid-level exception.

Kleiza is an interesting signing. He spent 4 seasons with the Nuggets and was a pretty effective role player, backing up Carmelo Anthony. He's a totally different look from Melo - much more of a below-the-basket player and not necessarily in a bad way. Ignoring his rookie season, he put up very solid numbers: from 2006-09, in about 20 minutes per game he averaged around 9.5 points and 4 rebounds, shooting 45% from the field, 34% from three and 77% from the line, meaning his per-40 numbers are impressive: 19 points and 8 rebounds (though extrapolating stats is dangerous in his case, as he mostly played against backups and was never the offense's focal point).

After dominating the Euroleague to the tune of 19.7 points (2nd in the league) and 7 rebounds per game, he returns to the NBA. He figures to start at the 3-spot and will provide a very different look to Sonny Weems just like in Denver. He's not going to score 25 points every night or tear down the rim with rim-rattling dunks, but he's a very solid player to have around. It's very possible that we'll see Kleiza outperform his contract, especially heading into his prime 27-30 years.

Year One A.B.: The Point Guard Crop

2010-07-27T13:22:00.006-04:00

The Raps come into this season with a plethora of viable options at the point guard position. They're still looking for a point guard to build a team around, but Jarrett Jack proved himself to be well worth his maligned contract - and Jose Calderon is still paid like a franchise PG.

Jarrett Jack - one half of the "Jackeron" point guard duo. He was signed by Bryan Colangelo in another attempt to keep Bosh around (the two are good friends and played together at Georgia Tech), and many critics felt he overpaid greatly, signing him to a 4-year, $20 million deal. However, Jack played his way into the starter's role. He averaged about 11 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds while keeping his turnovers to 2 per game - all in 27 minutes a game, with great percentages too - 48% FG, 41% 3PT, 84% FT. His per-40 minute numbers translate very impressively - about 17 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 turnovers, which are pretty much excellent. His defense is also generally well-regarded. If Jose wasn't being paid so much (and wasn't being as efficient as he is) he'd make a solid full-time starter.

Jose Calderon - the other half. He signed an extension in 2008 worth about $8 million a year, and had a very good 08-09, even setting the single-season record for free-throw percentage. With Jack's effectiveness, though, his minutes took a big hit and he returned to roughly his career averages: 10 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 1.5 turnovers per game, in about 27 minutes. He shot 48%/38%/78%, and the free throw percentage is sure to rise (his career average is 88%). It seemed that Colangelo was sending him out of town in a three-way deal that would have brought Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler to Toronto, but the deal fell through. Contrary to Jack, Calderon is a poor defender and is somewhat of a liability on that end of the court.

Marcus Banks - the third-string. Banks was brought over in the Jermaine O'Neal trade as a salary dump for the Heat. He's been generally nailed to the bench during his stay in Toronto but has actually been reasonably effective in very limited minutes. He averaged 5 points and just over an assist per game in about 11 minutes per appearance, but he shot a very good 53% from the field, 83% from the line and in 10 December appearances (all over 10 minutes) he turned the ball over just 6 times total. He showed that he can be a reasonably capable backup guard in case of an injury, but that doesn't mean the Raps aren't waiting patiently for his contract to expire.

Leandro Barbosa - the newcomer. Barbosa, "The Brazilian Blur," arrived in Toronto from Phoenix in the Hedo Turkoglu trade. Besides Steve Nash, he was actually the only Sun left over from the "7 seconds or less" super-fast-paced offense of years past. He did not have a good season in 2009-10, battling injuries (he appeared in just 44 games and averaged only 18 minutes) and ineffectiveness. He saw his PPG drop by 5 points (14.2 to 9.5), APG drop by almost one (2.3 to 1.5), and his field goal and 3-pointer percentages drop by about 50 points each. Hopefully Barbosa has taken this summer to get healthy and if we're lucky, the combo guard can return to form in 2010-11. If he is back to full speed, Barbosa running the break with DeRozan or Weems, Johnson or Davis would all be very entertaining to watch.

What to expect this year - Jack will likely start at the beginning of the year. He earned the role last season, and Calderon was fairly effective playing against backups. As well, the two will likely play together for a few minutes during some games, especially if the Raptors need extra shooters on the floor. If Jack is ineffective or injured, expect to see Calderon step in as the starter and Banks to play backup minutes, and Barbosa to take over if the Raptors elect to put on a more fast break-oriented lineup. Leandro's likely to get the majority of his playing time at shooting guard, however.

Year One A.B.: The 2010 Draft

2010-07-23T14:46:00.005-04:00

The 2010 Draft was a tough one for the Raptors. They finished one game out of the playoffs behind the Bulls, and had the 13th best shot at the first overall pick. It was also pretty clear by that point in the offseason that the Raps were going to have to rebuild after the departure of Chris Bosh - and 13th overall picks don't tend to become franchise players (besides Kobe Bryant).

The Raps' greatest needs going into the draft:
- A defense-first, rebounding big man to back up Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani.
- A scoring wingman with the ability to spot-up from deep.

The draft's first several picks unfolded as expected, with John Wall and Evan Turner going 1-2, and Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson and DeMarcus Cousins right behind them. However, Ed Davis' wrist injury in February of 2010 caused him to fall out of the top-10, and the Dinos gladly grabbed him with their only pick, fulfilling their first need. In his sophomore year at North Carolina Davis averaged 9.6 rebounds and almost 3 blocks to go along with 13 points per game. Davis' game is eerily similar to that of a young Chris Bosh - both long, athletic lefties with tremendous potential. Davis' athleticism and skills are not on par with Bosh's, but his defensive abilities (especially shot-blocking) are superior at this point in his career, and even a poor man's CB4 is a valuable piece to any team. An excellent value pick for the Raptors, who are gambling that Davis' wrist will not impede him from succeeding in the NBA. There is a mantra regarding the NBA Summer League that says, "you don't find out who can play. You only find out who can't." That said, Ed gave us no reason to doubt him by averaging 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks while shooting an excellent 63% from the field in 25 minutes per game.

With the 50th pick, the Dallas Mavericks selected Florida State sophomore Solomon Alabi, a 7-1 centre with impressive touch for his size. He was traded on draft night to the Raptors for cash. Alabi averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 25 minutes per game with the Seminoles. However, what may be most intriguing about him is his solid shooting ability - he shot 54% from the field and almost 80% from the free throw line in his final year of college. Alabi's athleticism and agility are not at an elite level, but if he can continue to hone his defensive skills and perfect a few post moves, he could be a very solid backup big man. Alabi posted a line of 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block in about 18 minutes per game in Vegas.

Wiretap: Toronto Out of the Mix for Barnes

2010-07-22T17:24:00.002-04:00

Well Raptor fans, it seemed a little too good to be true, and in fact it was. Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Lakers are now the front runner for a one year deal with Barnes. The Cavaliers, however, are still heavily pursuing Barnes.

Year One A.B.: The Hedo Trade

2010-07-22T11:57:00.005-04:00

Earlier this summer, Hedo Turkoglu appeared on a Turkish TV network and proceeded to lambast the Raptors organization as well as its fans. He accused the Raps of not "utilizing [his] skills properly" among other accusations. This was when the Turkoglu signing hit rock-bottom, but it was remarkable because the hopes surrounding it were sky-high.

Hedo put together a monster postseason in 2008-2009, hitting numerous clutch shots and playing excellent all-around ball for the Magic in helping them reach the NBA Finals. He was set to sign with Portland for a 5-year deal worth about $50 million. He reneged on that contract and decided to sign with the Raptors for about $53 million. As a result, Turkoglu was heralded (not to mention paid) as the "last piece" that would lift the Raps to the upper half of the Eastern Conference. His outside-in game and playmaking ability would contrast perfectly with Bosh's inside-out game and Bargnani's versatile scoring prowess. Critics noted the length of time - he was already on the wrong side of 30 and would be nearing the end of his career by the end of the contract. They also pointed out that Turk is basically a super-role player: good at everything, but with no one skill that makes him invaluable. He's a good shooter, but not a great one. He's big, but doesn't have great defensive skills or the ability to post up. He can make plays, but without the ability to penetrate at will, he's not a prototypical point forward. It was obvious that Bryan Colangelo was making an calculated - let's not say "desperate" - move to try to keep Chris Bosh in town.

The 2009-10 season launched with much fanfare... and we all know how it ended up. But the Turkoglu situation was in slow-burn mode the whole season. While his peripheral numbers were decent: 4.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, his scoring dropped by almost six PPG (following a 2 point drop from the season prior). He also shot just 41% from the field.

The Turkish TV comments were the last straw, and BC finally found a suitor to take Hedo off his hands. He swapped Hedo for Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa, a super-speedy Brazilian guard with the ability to score and run the break. "The Brazilian Blur" signed a five-year contract for $34 million in 2006 which means his contract expires at the end of 2011. This is a fantastic move for the rebuilding Raps, who save over $30 million from this deal alone. He'll be an interesting fit with the athletic young Dinos: Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis, who'll all be able to run the break with him.

In addition to this deal, BC had a deal lined up to ship Jose Calderon and another piece (probably Reggie Evans) to Charlotte in a three-way deal that would bring Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto, saving the Raps even more money off Jose's deal. Michael Jordan got cold feet, however, and shipped Chandler to Dallas instead. Hopefully Colangelo has some other money-saving or pick-stockpiling moves up his sleeve.

Year One A.B: Big Shoes to Fill

2010-07-21T16:49:00.010-04:00

Photo Credit:

http://ballersfb.nike.com/basketball_content/nba/players/profile/amir_johnson.jpg

Chris Bosh's departure from the Raptors takes away 24 points and 11 boards per game from the Dinos. For now, the burden of filling the Bosh void falls upon Amir Johnson and rookie Ed Davis. Ideally, Andrea Bargnani and other Raptor role players will be able to pick up their scoring and rebounding to help fill the void. However, for the Raptors to have be a successful team, the power forward position must still contribute significantly. Are Johnson and Davis able to contribute enough for the Raptors to be successful?

As it stands, Amir Johnson is probably best known as the last player ever to be drafted straight out of high school. At the beginning of the summer the Raptors locked up the 23 year old for 5 more years with a 34 million dollar contract. I am a big fan of Amir Johnson. I love that at 23 years old he already has 6 years of NBA play under his belt, and I believe that NBA experience is a value that cannot be taught. Amir is also a versatile player; he played all 82 for the Raps last season, averaging 6 ppg and 5 rpg in about 18 minutes per game. If you extend his numbers out to starter minutes (36 mpg), Johnson would average just under 13 ppg and just under 10 rpg, which many would say would be perfectly adequate numbers for a starting four.

Amir's progression throughout the '09-'10 season was on display. We saw him grow more comfortable in a Raptor uniform. He brought energy and crashed the boards off the bench, sparking the team for a run more than often. Amir is excellent off the pick and roll, and even towards the end of last season he was starting to get his number called on plays. He has always been an efficient scorer with a career field goal percentage of 60%.

Amir's offense is still quite raw however. He lacks great post moves and hesitates to take an open foul line jumper. But the bottom line is: with 6 years of experience under his belt and at just 23 years of age, Amir has plenty of time to refine his game.

Photo Credit:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/cm4lSMmEbMR/North+Carolina+Asheville+v+North+Carolina/huKOHxBb4N7/Quinard+Jackson

With the 13th pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors selected a 6'10 left-handed power forward. No, it was not Chris Bosh's clone, it was Ed Davis. I find Ed to be a very intriguing prospect. In his freshman year, Ed averaged about 7 ppg and 7 rpg with the North Carolina Tar-Heels en route to being named to the ACC all-freshman team. In Summer 2009, Davis was slotted to be a top-5 pick in the draft should he have chosen to enter it. Davis decided to go back to school, however in February he suffered a broken wrist which ended his season.

In his years with North Carolina, Davis showed that he has an excellent touch around the basket and is not afraid to grab a rebound or two. He even led the Tar-Heels with 65 blocks (1.7 per game) in his freshman year. In Summer League play, Ed looked right at home. He shot an impressive 63% from the field and averaged 12.6 ppg and 6 rpg for the undefeated Raptors.

I like Ed Davis a lot and I think that we stole him with the 13th pick. I also like that he will not have the pressure of starting in his rookie year. He can learn from Amir, and feel comfortable hanging with the Young Gunz (Sonny, DMDR, Amir). He does, however, need to work on extending his range and hit the weight room a little bit. In his draft interview, Ed said that his favorite player was Chris Bosh. That's a start...

Year One A.B: A New Franchise Player

2010-07-20T13:12:00.004-04:00

Photo Credit: http://static.sky.it/static/images/sezioni/sport/Nba/bargnani_toronto_raptors_nba.jpg

Hate it or love it Raptor fans, we have just entered the age of Andrea. The success of the 2010-2011 season (and very well of future seasons as well) now lies on the shoulders of Andrea Bargnani. The first overall pick in 2007 had underwhelming rookie and sophomore seasons in the NBA, however in '09 and '10 Andrea really came into his own. The Raptors have seen Andrea gain confidence, weight, and a better grasp for NBA style basketball, providing the Raptors with a solid second option to the now departed Chris Bosh. Now it is Andrea's team to lead. How will he fare as the primary scoring option for the 2010-2011 Raptors?

Coming into the Association as a rookie, Andrea had a solid face-up game and a three-point shot that could scare any defender. The obvious comparison between Bargnani and Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki were made. I will take this comparison a little further because, best case scenario, we hope that Bargnani will do everything Dirk does and more.

Dirk became the franchise player of the Mavs in 2004 when his good friend Steve Nash left Dallas to play in cactus country. As a 26 year old, Dirk rose to the challenge and saw a per game point increase of 5 in his first season without Stevey (from 21 ppg to 26 ppg). He disproved many of his critics who said he could not play with another star. Since '04, Dirk has recorded career numbers in almost every category. His name is now synonymous with the Dallas organization.

Now let's look at our 7'0, 250 lb international forward. Playing second fiddle to CB4, Andrea's best season was his '09-'10 campaign, as he posted 17 ppg and 6 ppg, while shooting a career best 47%. The 25 year old Italian is about to become the focal point of the Raptor offense. I am hopeful because every season has seen Andrea's numbers increase, and there is no reason to suggest that he will slow down this season. His post game has improved significantly to the point where he can now be considered an "inside-outside" player. To keep his success going this season as the primary option, Andrea needs to not be flustered when he is counted on to put up 20 shot attempts per game this season. Furthermore, he needs to not force shots and not be afraid to kick the ball out for a re-post. Perhaps foul trouble, Andrea's old foe, is now his biggest threat. However, there is reason for hope even on this front. While Drea's foul numbers did increase with increased playing time (24 mpg to 32) in his third season (from about 2.7 fpg to 3.2), in his fourth season he showed a much improved ability to avoid fouls. His playing time increased to about 35 mpg but his fouls decreased to his early numbers - back to 2.7 fpg. For comparison's sake, Dirk averaged about 2.6 fpg in 2009-10, and Carlos Boozer averaged 3.2 in the same season. All this improvement came despite a sizable improvement in Andrea's intimidation on defense. In his second season, his blocks per game were an unimpressive .5 bpg. However, as with all his stats, he made a large stride in his third season, bringing his blocks up to 1.2 per game, and another improvement in his fourth to 1.4.

These all signify good things to come. This season could very easily be a beautiful thing for Andrea, we could see the birth of a new superstar. However, he needs to keep in mind that he needs to play within his own game and play with his teammates. Otherwise we could see a struggling Italian jump shooter for the first part of the season.

Raps (Were?) to Sign Matt Barnes

2010-07-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

Matt Barnes has reported on his Twitter feed that he'd "be playing for the Toronto Raptors" next season. However, according to ESPN, the trade may have fallen through due to Orlando's lack of tradeable assets. Since the Raptors used most of their mid-level exception on Linas Kleiza, the deal would have to be a sign-and-trade, meaning the Raps would have to give up something in return. The deal-breaker may be somewhat of a blessing: while Barnes is a solid player at both ends of the court, the Raps' main concern should be saving money and stockpiling young talent - taking risks if need be. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that Barnes' trade value would appreciate over the course of the season - he'd get more minutes in Toronto than in Orlando - meaning he could be swapped for picks or young players. No matter what happens, PH will keep you up-to-date on the Raptors' wheelings and dealings.

Stay tuned for our continued recap and forecast of Year One A.B.

A Personal View: Chris Bosh's Career

2010-07-19T14:27:00.013-04:00

Chris Bosh was my first "favourite player" in the NBA. He was drafted by the Raptors the same season I began playing basketball with any real purpose when I - nothing short of miraculously - made my middle school's team in grade 8, and realized I knew absolutely nothing about the game of basketball. My "homework" was to watch Chris Bosh - another lanky, raw rookie. People always said he "played the game the right way" - he hustled, never backed down from a challenge, and muscled (mostly bone, in his case) up against much bigger players. He played a significant portion of his rookie reason with two knee braces, and managed to appear in over 70 games. I guess you could say he was my favourite player only by default, but of course I had no knowledge of any other players beyond Vince Carter in Toronto.

He worked hard on his game - he came back the next year with a much-improved game in all aspects - after Carter's departure, he posted elite NBA forward numbers: 19 points, 10 rebounds per game. I took a page from his playbook and worked on my game whenever possible, taking the opportunity to play for the "Grade 9 Team:" a barely-existent team with a coach who only showed up half the time, and a season that lasted three whole games. But continuing to follow in his footsteps, I stepped on the court the next season for tryouts, confident in my chances of making the team: even more so when it was announced that in order to give enough playing time to all the interested players, there would be an "A" team and a "B" team - though the B starters would be better than the A benchwarmers (so they said, anyway). I made the B team and started every game, as Bosh made his first All-Star game, my team made its way to the division finals (getting smoked, but that's beside the point). The next year Chris made the All-NBA Second Team, I made the Varsity team, eventually winning Most Improved Player. And then, just as Chris did, I became jaded. I played my ass off for sure, as he did, but basketball was just something to do - not the only thing to do.

So maybe I can see where Chris is coming from. He paid his dues here for years. Perhaps he just wants to play with "his friends," to inject passion back into his game.

Or maybe I just fell in love with basketball independent of Chris Bosh. Either way, I know I won't be booing you when you come back to the ACC.

Year One A.B.: Chris Bosh's Departure

2010-07-19T13:53:00.007-04:00

Christopher Wesson Bosh, drafted 4th overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, was supposed to be the big-man complement to Vincent Lamar Carter's outside scoring. The two would compile All-Star games together and form a fearsome two-man scoring tandem - both potent, do-it-all offensive players with a devastating arsenal of moves. As we all know, Vince decided Toronto wasn't for him and didn't deserve his effort, forcing a horribly lopsided trade to the New Jersey Nets, crippling the Raptors' hopes for a few seasons.

Along came Bryan Colangelo, and BC and CB, now a perennial All-Star, appeared to have the Raptors on the right track. BC drafted another versatile big man with seemingly unlimited potential first overall in Andrea Bargnani, and in his rookie season the Raps captured their first-ever Atlantic division crown. Unfortunately, that would be the peak of that Raptors team's success. Bosh continued to play at a very high level, even making the All-NBA Second Team in one season, but it became clearer and clearer that CB4 was not the "franchise player" the Raptors had hoped. Criticisms of mediocre defense, poor clutch performance and his good-not-great rebounding numbers abounded. The Raptors needed to pair him with another elite player to have any hope of competing in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference. After failed pairings with mostly-washed-up versions of Jermaine O'Neal and Shawn Marion, the Raptors found themselves in the last year of Chris' contract extension, and he was not prepared to sign a contract extension in the summer of 2009.

Fast forward to April 2010. The Raptors, even with highly-touted (and equally maligned) signing of Hedo Turkoglu, floundered partly due to injuries and mostly due to general ineffectiveness from several key players, despite significant strides made by Andrea Bargnani and Bosh's fifth straight All-Star appearance. It became more and more obvious that the era of Chris Bosh as the face of the Raptors was coming to a close. Bosh announced on July 9 that he would be joining Dwyane Wade in Miami, and soon afterward, Bryan Colangelo announced that the team had completed a sign-and-trade, sending Chris Bosh to the Heat for two first-round draft picks: Toronto's own first-rounder in 2011 which had been traded as part of the Jermaine O'Neal deal, and Miami's first-rounder as well, to go along with a valuable $14 million traded player exception. And the Chris Bosh Era officially came to a close, perhaps the way Chris would have wanted it to: loyally and paying dues to the team that essentially gave him control of the franchise for these long years.

And now we rebuild.

Year One A.B: DeMar DeRozan

2010-07-19T12:28:00.008-04:00

After losing their all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles, and minutes played, the Raptors are facing their toughest year yet.

Of all Raptors, DeMar DeRozan is going to have to define himself the most. The Raps are now in search of another scorer to compliment Andrea Bargnani and Jarrett Jack, and this could be a prime opportunity for the young DeRozan to find his offensive game. Last year in his rookie campaign, DeMar averaged a modest 9 points and 3 boards per game while shooting right around 50%.

This summer for DeMar has not been an off-season; he's been in the gym every day lifting, shooting and scrimmaging, trying to become a complete player. As DMDR told RealGM, "I want to improve and it's better than sitting at home... I get to be in the gym and get out there and play against other guys". This determination, it seems, has translated onto the court thus far. DMDR simply tore up the Vegas Summer League, averaging around 21 PPG (third most in Vegas) and 5 RPG. Even more impressive are DeMar's percentages, shooting 58% from the field and 40% from three. DeMar was named to the all-tournament team in Las Vegas alongside names like John Wall, JJ Hickson, and Ty Lawson.

It is important, regrettably, to take these numbers with a grain of salt. After all, the Summer League is hardly an indicator of NBA success. But what we can see when watching DMDR is his progression. Firstly, DeMar has put on about 10 pounds of muscle since last season, allowing him to control himself more in the lane and be a stronger battler for defensive position and rebounds. Furthermore, we are seeing a more confident player. DMDR averaged 13 shot attempts per game in the Summer League and showed that he is not afraid to take a clutch shot and be selfish. It is also a great thing to see that DeMar is adding a three point shot to his arsenal.

So, will DMDR be an All-Star next year? Eh, probably not, but all signs indicate that we will see a more aggressive, offensively complete player come October, who could be a viable second or third option for Year One A.B.

We're Back!

2010-07-15T16:33:00.005-04:00

Hello Raptor fans!

After an extended hiatus, Prehistoric Hoops is back and ready to blog! Usually our hiatus would be due to us climbing Mt. Everest, or our site being sabotaged by Scott Lewis, however for the past six months, life just got in the way. But we're back and ready to bring you the most up to date, in depth Raptor and NBA information on the internet!

We are also very happy to announce that we now have our own website! You can now find us at www.prehistorichoops.com

(Note that the old address - www.prehistorichoops.blogspot.com - still works, it just redirects you to the new site.)

Check back later for our grand re-opening post!

Raps Face Red-Hot Suns

2009-11-15T16:15:00.004-05:00

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

2009-11-13T15:10:00.005-05:00

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

2009-11-12T19:17:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-12T17:06:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-10T13:04:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-08T16:32:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-07T17:05:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-07T16:15:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-06T15:33:00.004-05:00

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

2009-11-04T19:43:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-01T23:55:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-30T11:54:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-30T11:36:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-29T13:43:00.007-04:00

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

2009-10-27T16:28:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-26T12:37:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-15T14:42:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-13T14:49:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-09T15:20:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-08T14:33:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-29T15:25:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-11T14:42:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-09-06T20:56:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-03T14:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-01T20:20:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-20T01:21:00.004-04:00

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?

2009-08-19T23:20:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-17T17:10:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-10T11:10:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-06T13:31:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-31T19:54:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-07-31T01:24:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-30T15:46:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-29T22:16:00.003-04:00

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?

2009-07-24T21:24:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-20T23:32:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-13T18:22:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-12T13:17:00.016-04:00

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

2009-07-09T21:28:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-09T13:15:00.014-04:00

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-Bonsu~~Possum'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!

2009-07-08T10:39:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-08T10:33:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-04T14:37:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-04T10:10:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-01T21:18:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-01T18:54:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-29T18:43:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-26T21:56:00.002-04:00

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

Wow its been a busy day following DeMar.

DeRozan Fever!

2009-06-26T10:33:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-25T20:36:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-06-25T15:24:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-23T19:59:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-20T00:55:00.004-04:00

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?

2009-06-09T14:34:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-09T13:09:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-06T14:49:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-05T15:45:00.004-04:00

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

Uh oh

2009-06-04T17:54:00.001-04:00

If you're a fan of Chris Bosh... then it's time for a sad face. RealGM reported today via the Toronto Star that Bosh does not plan on resigning with the Raptors and will explore other options in 2010. Sigh.

Colangelo Repeats Goal of Keeping Bosh

2009-06-03T14:13:00.001-04:00

Bryan Colangelo again stuck with his guns and insisted that the Raptors will keep Chris Bosh as the centrepiece of the team and attempt to build a strong team around him. He did add, however, that should the chances of Bosh re-signing become slim, they will attempt to trade him (of course). See the RealGM article, via the Miami Herald.

Prehistoric Hoops is on Facebook!

2009-06-02T13:22:00.003-04:00

Prehistoric Hoops now has a Facebook page! You can become a fan via the page and keep up with new posts, discussions and more. Tell your friends!

"Boogie" Williams to Discuss Coaching Position

2009-06-02T11:25:00.004-04:00

Former Raptor Alvin "Boogie" Williams has reportedly begun to discuss a possible coaching position with the Raptors, as reported on RealGM.com. Williams, 34, will meet with head coach Jay Triano in coming days to work out an agreement. Alvin was an important factor for the Raps, playing point guard for parts of 8 seasons from 1997-2006. While in Toronto, he always seemed very much like a player-coach, helping out younger players and showing great leadership. He would definitely be a nice addition to the Raptors' coaching staff, and would be a good influence on young Raps like Roko Ukic.

Williams averaged 9.0 points and 4.1 assists in his NBA career.

Bosh's Media Release Anticlimactic

2009-06-01T16:02:00.002-04:00

Well, for all the Raptors fans out there looking forward to Chris Bosh's "big announcement" today, you might be a little disappointed. The announcement, which can be seen here, details his agreement with Warner Music Canada to produce a "unique DVD and CD to be released in the fall of 2009." Well, it's fair to say this is not the interest in re-signing with the Raps we at PH were looking for.

For any fans with an iPhone or iPod Touch, Bosh has also released his own app. We have no idea what it does, as of yet. If anyone has any information, please post in the comments!

Raps' Offseason Update

2009-05-29T13:45:00.009-04:00

Jose Calderon has elected to sit out playing with Spain this summer for the pre-selection of the European championship. Jose has stated that he is resting in order to be completely healthy for the 2009-10 NBA season. And for all the Dino fans - a healthy Jose Calderon is a very, very good thing.

Chris Bosh has announced via his website that he will make a "big announcement" on June 1st. Bryan Colangelo has definitively said that CB4 is the centrepiece of the organization and he will begin holding preliminary meetings with Bosh's agent. Speculation alert: This could mean that Bosh will announce that he is interested in re-upping with the Raptors.

With regards to the 2009 NBA Draft, it seems more and more likely that the Raptors will select Earl Clark, the 6-9 forward out of Louisville. He gives the Raptors size, athleticism, and very importantly, rebounding from the 3-spot. He's not a tremendous shooter, but with all the snipers on the Raptors right now, that weakness can easily be hidden.

As well, BC has announced that the Raptors may look to acquire another draft pick. This is an interesting move because this draft is a very weak one overall (besides the top two picks). That said, throughout the lottery are players with the ability to fill holes nicely - think Clark and James Harden. With an additional pick, it seems to make sense for Colangelo to go with Harden, DeMar DeRozan, or to acquire a later-lottery selection and take Gerald Henderson. For more information on these players, check out our Draft preview.

Triano To Lead USA Basketball Mini-Camp

2009-05-21T18:41:00.003-04:00

Raptors new head coach Jay Triano will start his summer with a project. Today it was announced that he will lead a group of young NBA stars for a four-day USA Basketball camp in Las Vegas in July. The camp will include three days of workouts and intrasquad scrimmage. Young stars such as Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant will be attending Triano's workout for possible slots on future teams. This is part of USA Basketball National Director Jerry Colanegelo's plan calling for a "two year commitment" from American NBA stars, to play both in Turkey in 2010, and in London in 2011. It appears the Colangelos are quite fond of Jay.

What BC Can Do At Ninth

2009-05-20T13:15:00.006-04:00

Last night it was decided that the Raptors will draft ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. The best candidates thought to be available at this position seem to be Tyreke Evans, Earl Clark, Gerald Henderson and Stephen Curry. However, Bryan could also look to trade up in the draft to attain a more NBA-ready player, or a player with a greater upside. Here is our analysis of BC's potential picks.

Tyreke Evans:
Blogs have Tyreke going anywhere from as high as number 5 to as low as number 15. Tyreke is a 6'6 freshman shooting guard out of Memphis. He has good height for a shooting guard, and has all the moves to be a great scorer. He is also not shy to take it to the hoop with his 220 pound frame.
Although he has an amazing ability to finish up at the rim and create his own shot, Tyreke often struggles with shot selection, jump shot consistency, and turnovers (3.6 in his freshman year). These problems will be solved with development, commitment, and coaching.

Raptor Value: B+
Tyreke has the package to become an NBA super scorer and can provide something the Raptors have not had since the early, competitive Vince Carter days, a slashing shooting guard who can take it to the rim. However with Tyreke's bad habits, it is unlikely that he will be able to become an immediate solution to the Raptors (numerous) problems.

Earl Clark:
Mock drafts have Clark going anywhere from 9 to 14, a late lottery pick. Earl is a 6'9 junior small forward out of Louisville. He is a versatile forward who can play the 3 or the 4, who has great basketball IQ and can use his speed and length tremendously in the post. He can also extend the floor with his jump shot and has a great upside.
Although Earl was a great rebounder in college, he will no doubt find some difficulty establishing himself in the post in the NBA level, weighing only 200 pounds will assure that he will not be able to body anyone. Furthermore Earl has lacked consistency at times with his jump shot, especially from three point land.

Raptor Value: B
Drafting Earl could open doors for Bryan Colangelo. Clark provides a small forward who sees the floor excellently, can run the floor, and can rebound from the 3 position. He is more NBA-ready than others in the draft. Drafting Earl could give flexibility in dealing with Shawn Marion for Bryan, possibly leading to a sign and trade scenario. The deal breaker may come down to Earl's ability to achieve consistency with his outside shooting.

Gerald Henderson:
The 6'4 junior shooting guard from Duke has shown terrific development in his years at Duke, improving by 10 points per game in 3 seasons. Mock drafts have Gerald going anywhere from 10 to 22, however most place him in the late lottery. Gerald is a fantastic slasher and defender, and finally found his range in his junior season at Duke. His abilities and on-ball competence have led scouts to believe that Gerald is one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft.
Gerald does lack size at the shooting guard position, and that is something that cannot be improved. Scouts were initially worried with Gerald's passive play and limited offensive abilities, however towards January Gerald took hold of the Duke ship and showed he could be a determined contributor in the NBA.

Raptor Value: B
The Raptors most pressing need is a slashing shooting guard. However, Henderson brings more. He brings something the Raptors have lacked since the days of Doug Christie: solid, dependable wing defense. Gerald may not be the most potent offensively in the draft, however he is a strong candidate for the Raptors and has shown he can improve considerably.

Stephen Curry:
Mock drafts have Curry going at 8 or 9, which is no surprise seeing as the Knicks promised Curry they would pick him with the number 8 pick. Stephen made Davidson a household name his sophomore year, marching them into the NCAA tournament while he averaged 25.9 points per game. Curry is simply the best scorer in America averaging 28.6 ppg this past year. However it was Curry's move to point guard at the start of this year that got people's attention. Curry has good height for a point guard at 6'3, combined with an amazing scoring ability, great court vision, and strong basketball IQ.
Stephen, however, is an agent of the jump shot. He is not very athletic and does not drive the ball very often. His defense is also questionable.

Raptor Value: C+
The Raptors must address their need for a slashing shooting guard. Stephen Curry presents what we already have, shooters and point guards. That being said, Curry is an amazing talent, and could be a great option off the bench backing up Jose (sorry Roko), providing energy and instant offense.

BC's Other Options:
It is no secret that the Raptors need a slashing shooting guard (judging by my constant repetition of that phrase). One NBA exec has called this draft "the worst in recent memory, perhaps of all time", so Bryan may be looking to trade up for a better player. The obvious players that come to mind here are James Harden and DeMar DeRozan, who are considered the two top wingmen in this draft. James is a 6'5 sophomore shooting guard from Arizona State University who can score from anywhere on the floor and has amazing court vision and basketball IQ. What he lacks in flashiness he makes up for in awesomeness - think the Coke Zero version of Manu Ginobili. Demar, the 6'6 USC freshman shooting guard, is an athletic monster. He can drive to the basket and create his own shot, and I am afraid of his athletic ability. However, he has shown inconsistency with his jump shot, and at times, poor basketball IQ and a questionable motor - he compares to a Diet Tracy McGrady, it's much more of a long shot for DeMar to hit superstardom.

Raptors Stay Put At 9th

2009-05-19T21:28:00.002-04:00

Tonight the Raptors received the 9th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. They finished this past season with the 9th worst record in the NBA, and had a 1.7% chance of winning the top overall selection.

Triano's Interim Tag Dropped

2009-05-11T12:58:00.012-04:00

On Monday, interim head coach Jay Triano was named the Raptors' full-time head coach. He was signed to a three-year contract, and in 2008-09 posted a 25-40 record, despite leading the Raptors to a 9-4 finish.

The Good and the Bad:

The Good:
- Jay is a respected basketball man. Every current Raptor - including GM Bryan Colangelo - has given him credit for dealing with a tough situation and earning the players' respect. He has been with the Raptors longer than any other coach in franchise history, and coached Team Canada to a 52-42 record from 1998-2004. His experience around the game will be very helpful, and should allow the Raps to be more cohesive, since he'll have the benefit of his own training camp.
- Andrea Bargnani, who before the 2008-09 season, was already hearing more than just whispers of "first-overall bust" was headed for more of the same in 2008. However, after Jay took over, so did Andrea. He brought his season averages up to very solid 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Beyond the numbers, Andrea looked confident on the floor, something we had very rarely seen from him since his rookie season. He shot 45% from the floor and over 40% from three, and on many occasions, he completely took over games. Bargnani himself has cited Triano as the reason he was able to break through. As long as Coach Triano can keep up Andrea's confidence, he has a great shot of having two (or three, if Jose Calderon can get in) All-Stars in Il Mago and Chris Bosh.
- Triano is very much a coach that can look unappealing to the casual fan. He does not command one side of the ball like Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense or Tom Thibodeau's defensive fundamentals, he doesn't have the pedigree of Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich, and he doesn't speak out to the media like Pat Riley. Triano is a "player's coach", much like the (fantastic) Toronto Blue Jays' Cito Gaston. He doesn't nitpick his players, rather opting to establish distinct roles for players and making sure they know what is expected from them. And - if this year's Jays are any indication - it just might work for the Dinos.
- Triano also had the unfortunate situation of having to join the team in the midst of in injury plague. Calderon was injured and the Jermaine O'Neal experiment had not yet been euthanized. When Calderon was healthy and O'Neal had been flipped into Shawn Marion, the Raptors reeled off six convincing wins in a row, even beating the Orlando Magic, who still had much to play for.

The Bad:
- Well, he simply hasn't won very much. He posted an unimpressive record while serving as the interim, and while one can certainly assert that it wasn't entirely his fault, his coaching statistics will not leave any teams shaking in their Nikes.
- At times, mostly in close and late situations which require delicate substitutions, he looked lost. Again, it can be argued that, having been shoved into a trial by fire, it wasn't entirely his fault. However, Triano definitely needs to work on in-game management to project confidence from the sidelines.

Heat-Hawks Announcers Mock D-Wade

2009-04-30T20:45:00.002-04:00

If you need something to cheer you up after a miserable day in Toronto, watch these radio announcers mercilessly mock Dwyane Wade during a game against the Hawks. It's radio at its finest.

Calderon To Have Surgery On His Finger

2009-04-28T20:05:00.005-04:00

Jose Calderon will go under the knife to repair a ligament in his left ring finger. Jose dislocated his finger supposedly in a March 25 game against the Bucks, however we here at PH have learned the true story of what happened.
The evening of March 24, Jose is sitting in his VIP booth at the very trendy Reservoir Lounge Bar. Two twenty-something ladies who are sitting with him see his wedding ring and attempt to forcefully remove the ring from Jose's finger, so they they can marry him and make many beautiful babies. His finger suffered a dislocation, however the ring stayed on his finger and Jose remains happily married to this day.

Good luck with your operation, Jose.

The Rumor Mill

2009-04-27T17:54:00.008-04:00

Despite the Raptors poor season, there is more buzz around them ever. What will Bryan Colangelo do this summer to shake up the team and get them back on track? The offseason itinerary for BC is no picnic. He will have to solve some serious coaching and personnel issues. Here's whats been making the headlines recently.

Headline 1: Toronto is expected to retain Jay Triano as head coach.
Bryan Colangelo told the Toronto Star, "I think it's safe to say, coming out of all of the player exit interviews, that to a man the players have a lot of respect for Jay, they respect his basketball acumen, they respect his professionalism, they respect his means of communication and they respect generally the way he leads this team." Backed up by Andrea Bargnani attributing his success to Triano, expect to see Jay around next year.

Headline 2: Bryan Colangelo will offer Chris Bosh a contract extension.
Chris Bosh is one of two 20 and 10 big men in the Association (the other being some guy named Dwight Howard), and is the franchise player for our beloved Raptors. Amongst season long rumors of Bosh leaving Toronto, BC looked to assure Raptor fans that CB4 is not going anywhere (for at least a year). "Chris is still the best player on this team and thus will remain the cornerstone of the franchise," Colangelo said Monday. "I will sit down and talk to him and his agent this summer about the possibility of signing an extension."

Headline 3: The Raptors have shown interest in Brandon Jennings.
Jennings, a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming draft, made the decision to forgo college and play a year in Europe before heading to the NBA. The lefty point guard averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.6 minutes per game, in 16 games. He shot 38.7 percent from the field and 26.8% from 3 point range. Also, he has awesome hair.

Headline 4: The Raptors will look to sign and trade Shawn Marion.
The Raptors are interested in re-signing forward Shawn Marion (Bryan Colangelo needs someone to sit with at dinner), but hope to sign-and-trade him if they can't retain him over the long-term.
At the end of the Raptors season, Marion made it semi-clear that he wanted to play for a contender. Perhaps BC will try to sign and swing Marion for a higher draft pick.

Raptors' (Totally Accurate) Season in Review

2009-04-14T23:20:00.008-04:00

The Raptors this year experienced a very successful season after swinging a big deal in the offseason to send malcontent T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic to Indiana. While Jermaine O'Neal exceeded expectations handily, averaging 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, 2008-09 Executive of the Year favourite Bryan Colangelo swung a deal to send O'Neal and Jamario Moon to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks - both of whom experienced complete rennaissances in their own rights in Toronto. Marion put up a fantastic stat line rounding out the frontcourt with franchise player Chris Bosh and first-time All-Star Andrea Bargnani, and Marcus Banks assumed the backup shooting guard position behind First All-Defensive Team member Anthony Parker. Jose Calderon also qualified for his first career All-Star appearance (he insisted that he did not want other guards to feel left out, and refused to play), posting an average of 19 points and 10 assists per game. After the trade, the Raptors played extremely well as a team and, while they were unable to catch powerhouses Orlando, Boston and Cleveland, qualified for home-court advantage in the first round, losing to NBA champion favourite Philadelphia 76ers, led by Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala and above-average point guard Andre Miller. The 76ers battled injuries all season, when all three members of their core played, they went an astounding 23-1, led by all-around good guy Brand's monstrous 29 and 14 per game.

As well, the Raptors' future looks extremely bright, especially since CB4 has verbally committed to staying in Toronto for his entire career. Expect many accolades to come the Raptors' way this summer.

Raps Win Fanapalooza

2009-04-13T15:37:00.001-04:00

The Raptors beat Philly yesterday, or something.

Yawn.

Hey look at this!

Craptors Drop 4 Straight: 100-98 Wizards

2009-04-11T18:16:00.003-04:00

Not only did Raptor fans have to witness Caron Butler breaking Shawn Marion's ankles and then follow that up with the winning shot, they didn't even get a free slice of pizza!

So, rather than depress you by telling you the tao of how the Craps lost to the second worst team in the league, I will instead show you pictures of mirror images found in nature.