Year One A.B.: The Point Guard Crop

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 Hedo Trade

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.