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 2010 Draft

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.

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.

A Personal View: Chris Bosh's Career

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

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

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.