BC's Final Talk Before the Draft

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

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

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

Raptors' (Totally Accurate) Season in Review

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 Squeak Out a W - 107-106 Raptors

Yay! Three-game winning streak! For the first time since the opening stretch of the season, the Toronto Raptors have won three straight games. After Devin Harris missed an open elbow jumper that could have won the game for New Jersey, the Raptors look to extend their winning streak to four games when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Jose Calderon, Joey Graham and Anthony Parker combined to form a very effective trio, together going for 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds. Harris and Vince Carter led New Jersey in scoring with 25 and 27, respectively.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game
Anthony Parker has been spectacular playing back-up point guard recently, and last night was no exception. Parker finished with 21 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds in assuming the role of primary wing scorer. While it's not reasonable to expect AP to keep it up for the remainder of the season, it's great to ride his hot streak.

Notables:
Jose Calderon - 17 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals. Jose was again magnificent, orchestrating the Raptors offense and even playing some pretty solid defense. When Jose is at the point, this Raptor attack just rolls along.
Joey Graham - 15 points, 5 rebounds. Joey did not have eye-popping numbers, but his contribution didn't show up in the box score. He used his athleticism and provided energy to a sometimes lethargic Raptors squad, and was instrumental in the win.
Chris Bosh - 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal. Bosh, Andrea Bargnani (8 points, 1 rebound, 5 fouls) and Jermaine O'Neal (8 points, 4 rebounds, 5 fouls) were all held in check well by the Nets' Brook Lopez and double-teams by Harris and Keyon Dooling. Bosh showed why he's a three-time All-Star, however, by fighting through and finishing with impressive numbers. It would be nice to see him get on the boards a little harder though.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
The Raptors were on fire last night, knocking down eleven three-pointers and going for 55.7% (39-70) overall and 11-22 (50%) from the Land Beyond the Arc. This helped offset a 11-14 New Jersey advantage in turnovers and the Nets' 15 made threes.

Next Game: Friday, January 30th, 7:00 PM at Milwaukee Bucks

Raptors Remain Undefeated in the New Year - 108-102 Toronto

The Raptors couldn't silence Superman today, who put up 39 and 8, but in the end the Raps came out with a victory to stay undefeated in 2009. The injury-riddled Raptors (missing Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon) played great team defense and kept the offense flowing for all four quarters, controlling the pace and the flow of the game as they tied up the season series 1-1.

NBA.com Recap

Player of the Game:
Anthony Parker - 26 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists. A red hot 13-16 from the floor, Anthony hit some key shots late in the clock and late in the game. Another typical do-it-all game, doing the intangibles and the little things that he's been known to do. Tonight Parker was just 1 point off of his career high, who would have thought this on a night where he didn't even attempt a three ball?

Notables:
Chris Bosh - 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists. Perhaps most importantly, Chris went 13-14 from the free throw line. Some of these free throws came late in the fourth when the Raptors needed a cushion.
Andrea Bargnani - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists. Redefining streaky, it appears that Andrea is out of his cold streak.
Roko Ukic - 12 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds. Roko for sure opened some eyes today, as he played the entire fourth quarter and set up some key buckets.

Full Box Score

Stat of the Game:
Late in the fourth quarter, it came down to who could make their foul shots. Both teams shot 24 foul shots tonight; the Raptors hit 23 of their 24, the Magic hit just 17. They can thank Dwight Howard for those misses as he shot 11-18 and missed many free throws when the Magic were trying to mount their comeback. After the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy commented on this, saying “That’s about what he shoots, but it’s not good enough. Sixty percent at the free throw line makes it tough. We’ve got a tremendous advantage down there. They couldn’t guard him at all, but they get to the fourth quarter and they just foul and it’s one for two every time. Then you’re coming to the other end and it’s two for two. That’s a big difference.” Howard must be used to this by now, as his only reaction was “I’m going to miss free throws". Maybe its time to hit the gym, Dwight.

Houston, We Have a W - 94-73 Raptors

The Raps finally got their big win at home yesterday, blowing out the Rockets with inpenetrable defense and some balanced scoring. They held Tracy McGrady (15 ppg) to 4 points on 2-9 shooting in 28 minutes. In a very "I'm related to Vince Carter"-moment after the game he whined, "It's kind of hard to get in a groove when you are touching the ball once every five minutes." All 12 Raptors who dressed got at least 5 minutes of playing time and every one of them managed at least one field goal - a nice confidence booster, especially for the scrubs. Jason Kapono (quad contusion) played 21 minutes, while Jose Calderon (hamstring) left the game after playing just 12 minutes. It's crucial for him to return if the Raptors hope to go on a winning streak. Jermaine O'Neal (knee) says he's day-to-day and may play Sunday against the Magic.

NBA.com recap

Player of the Game:
In a game which yielded very balanced numbers across the board, Anthony Parker played the most solid, effective game last night. AP scored 8 points (3-8 FG, 0-2 3FG, 2-2 FT) while leading the team in rebounding with 8, and adding 3 steals and one assist. A very balanced night from Anthony, doing the little things that has seen him return to the starting lineup.

Notables:
Andrea Bargnani - 19 points (8-12 FG, 2-4 3FG, 1-2 FT), 6 rebounds, one block. Il Mago had his second straight very effective offensive game and played impressive defense on Yao Ming (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 turnovers). Perhaps (we're praying) he's found a way to produe every night.
Chris Bosh - 19 points (8-18 FG, 3-6 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists. Scored well and shot passably, but it would be nice to see him get to the glass more often - and go back to being an automatic free throw shooter (he's missed 6 free throws in his last two games).
Will Solomon - 8 points (4-6 FG), 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 turnovers (!). Backing up Jose in extended minutes last night, Will was fantastic. He distributed, played competent defense and basically performed like a solid backup point guard. He finally lived up to the trust Triano has in him with a great game.

Full box score

Stat of the Game:
Easy. The Raptors shot very well, going for 48.2% (40-83) shooting overall including 44.4% (4-9) from The Land Beyond. It must have been Shaquille O'Neal Appreciation Night in Toronto because the Raptors - the league's finest free throw-shooting team shot an abysmal 58.8% (10-17) from the line. Impressively, the Raptors also held Houston to ice-cold 34.1% (28-82) shooting from the field and 25.9% (7-27) from three point country. A decisive victory for the boys in red.

Next Game: Sunday, January 4th, 12:30 PM vs. Orlando Magic

2008-09 Fantasy Preview: Raptors Edition

For all our readers who love fantasy basketball as much as we do, here is a fantasy preview of the most fantasy-significant Toronto Raptors.

Christopher Wesson Bosh - last year our franchise player averaged 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game, added with his average of .9 steals and 1 block per game makes him a great fantasy pick. He's also great for above 80% free throw shooting with plenty of attempts and 48+ FG%.
That being said, taking Bosh could have some downsides.
He doesn't grab as many rebounds as one would hope from a first or second round pick, and doesn't really produce much statistically beyond points and boards. He might hit a three from time to time but not often enough to be significant.

Jose Calderon - last year Jose broke out with a borderline All-Star performance, and his game may be even better in fantasy. He's incredibly consistent and reliable - last year his numbers were 11.2 ppg, 8.3 apg, and 2.9 rpg. Pretty decent numbers for a starting point until you factor in the rest of his production: 52 FG%, 91 FT%, 1.5 TOpg, 1 spg, 1 3pg. He played all 82 games last year. And finally, barring something huge, his numbers will only get better - he's improved every year in the league, and he only played 28 minutes a game last year splitting time with T.J. Ford. Jose should be an All-Star this year - he's a very good pick.

Jamario Moon - a player who is better on paper than in-game. He is spectacular at filling in holes, and he'll provide you with some difficult to acquire stats. Last year's stats: 8.5 ppg, 49 FG%, 74 FT%, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 bpg and 0.7 spg. Before you say, "But he was a rookie, he'll be even better this year," keep in mind that Jamario is 28 years old. While NBA experience is important, NBA teams will now have a full year's worth of scouting reports on him. Nonetheless, Jamario worked on his ball skills and shooting this summer and figures to improve his 0.5 3pg numbers, his scoring, and his free throw percentage as well. Expect his numbers to be roughly similar to last year's. Moon is a good pickup in the later rounds.

Jermaine O'Neal - the "wild card" of this Raptors team. If you draft him in the top-5 rounds, you're gambling - but high-risk, high-return. If he pans out and returns to his All-Star form, he'll average 21 ppg, 10 rpg and 2 bpg, and will shoot a good percentage from the floor and the line, and could play over 75 games. If he's not actually healthy, however, his numbers will look more like 10 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 bpg, 43 FG%, and most importantly, 50 GP. If Jermaine falls to later than the 5th round in a deep draft, grab him (fairly likely since his numbers last year were so poor) but don't bet your team on him.

Anthony Parker - a pretty average fantasy player. Averaged 12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1 spg, 1.6 3pg, and shot 48 FG% and 83 FT%. He's a good pickup in late rounds, but will probably never carry your team.

Jason Kapono - this year, he could be anywhere from bad to a solid contributor, and he'll likely be everywhere in between at some point. Last year he produced 7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 3pg, 0.8 rpg, 0.4 spg but shot very well: 49 FG%, 86 FT%, 48 3FG%. However, in the playoffs Kapono turned into Ka-pwn-o (sorry) and started playing like a $6 million man. If Smitch is telling the truth about playing Kapono at the 2 with Moon or Graham providing needed athleticism at the 3, it should mean more minutes for him and he may look more like playoff Jason.

Andrea Bargnani - this is important: if you are playing in a league that counts fouls (especially) and turnovers, DO NOT GO NEAR ANDREA BARGNANI. If you're not, Andrea could be a solid contributor. He really doesn't have much choice but to step up this year if he'd like to play in the NBA. Last year he regressed from his rookie campaign, but still posted a serviceable line of 10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.1 bpg and 1.1 3pg. On the downside, he shot a brutal 39 FG%. In deep drafts, Bargnani could help your team, and he's also bound to churn out a big game every so often. Grab him in the last few rounds.