As the Raptors move past their European tour of duty and head straight onto the rapidly approaching freight train that is the regular season, Dotrunnings will begin our look at the ’07-08 NBA season by individually examining the players that will comprise the most likely version of the Raps’ season-opening roster. Next week will feature a team profile and conference predictions.
Chris Bosh – The unequivocal center-piece: a perennial All-Star for years to come. Only concern is belaboring foot issues, which still show signs of not going away. Maybe the quickest/fastest power forward in the NBA, a very active presence on the court and will mix it up in spite of a pronounced lack of girth. Has extended his shooting range out to the three-point line, and while still a streak shooter, is very consistent within 17 feet resulting in a tendency to settle for jumpers. Needs to consistently mix face-up instincts with some semblance of a back-to-the-basket game: the Nets beat him up pretty good inside during the Playoffs without much interference from the refs, and as a sign of growing maturity, Chris stuck it out despite mixed results. While his youth underlines the fact that he is still growing as a leader, Bosh has become an increasingly more vocal presence in the locker room. A paradigm of coachable focus, Chris has taken the baton from Vince as face of the Raptors and hasn’t stopped running since.
T.J. Ford – Texas bookend to Bosh, considered the fastest player end to end in the Lig. Waterbug quick, allowing him to get his pull-up jumper off at will: while improving as a shooter off the dribble, can often be out of control. A very streaky stand-still shooter from long range, which is actually an improvement from college and early in his career. Still learning his comfort zone when finishing around the rim, where his outstanding quickness and jumping ability are contrasted by an obvious lack of strength, T.J. missed his share of lay-ins last year, which leaves plenty of room for improvement this season. Tends to over-dribble and will, at times, stagnate the offense by exclusively looking for his own shot; this is contrasted by the several clutch baskets he made during isolations throughout the season, namely the buzzer-beating, game-winning pull-up in Los Angeles against the Clips. Needs to be more active on defense, especially generating steals, as his lack of size makes him a liability as a stopper where he is ass-out when dealing with NBA picks. Plagued by inconsistency, T.J. needs to level out his decision-making which would ultimately elevate him to the top tier of NBA point guards; outstanding in the open court, Ford would most benefit from a team-wide commitment to up-tempo play. Despite the official stance of management, due to the presence of Calderon, his career as a Raptor is dependent on speeding-up the development of his floor game as he could eventually become the featured piece of a trade package to shore up holes in the roster: 18-16 points on 45% shooting with 9-10 assists per game should keep the vultures away.
Andrea Bargnani – young Italian pup whose promising play in his rookie season allowed the Raptor faithful to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Now, big things are projected of 7-footer with a skill set often compared to Dirk Nowitzki’s. Remarkably agile with excellent, if not sometimes slightly awkward-looking, footwork, Andrea has developed a lethal pull-up from 20 feet and in and possesses beyond 3-point range, which makes him deadly in the open court or as a trailer in a developing half-court set. His successful transition into the starting line-up will depend almost exclusively on how well he plays close to the basket on both ends: the Raptors need Bargnani to be a rebounding presence right away, while any stand-out defensive play would be a bonus at this point. Clearly a player with a tremendous offensive up-side, Bargnani will be heavily scouted this season; thus it will be essential that he develops some sort of post ability before teams start exclusively guarding him with smaller players to offset his guard-like Euro perimeter game. Will play a big part in the continued Raps success for this season, as management and fans alike will expect a substantial statistical leap to be made this season.
Anthony Parker – in one season, has become an anchor for the squad and a Mitchell favourite. Steady shooting guard is a solid complementary player with a well-rounded game after leaving European ball as a perennial MVP candidate. A steady shooter and solid, though not exactly explosive, scorer, Parker is also considered the Raps’ backcourt defensive stopper. Offensively, he is at his best when curling off screens and taking advantage of defensive rotations sagging off him, while tending to resort to fade-aways on the rare isolation opportunity. Anthony is an excellent team player/locker-room citizen, who will be trusted to start despite a slow pre-season: has another few years to go before officially becoming long in the tooth. One of the extreme beige members of the roster, Parker can appear so yellow at times that he is affectionately referred to, in these parts, as ‘Jaundice’.
Jose Calderon – ‘Ocho’ is, hands down, the best back-up point guard in the Lig, and almost the perfect counter-point to the at-times electric, at-times frustrating Ford. Bolstered by his recent outstanding international play for Spain, Calderon is growing into the consummate quarterback who makes excellent decisions running the offense. His increasingly lethal jumper is juxtaposed by an under-rated ability to get to the rim and finish; Jose still has yet to develop much of a mid-range game. While displaying a tendency to get torched by the Lig’s quicker points, Calderon’s size and active hands make him an above average defender. Anchoring a potent second unit, Jose’s rapid development will certainly put pressure on Sam to bolster his minutes, which may result in seeing both Ford and Calderon on the court for extended periods. Calderon’s continued progression as a stud point guard could ultimately make Ford expendable, a reality Colangelo may have to face sooner than later.
Jason Kapono – Shooter extradornaire who came out of Miami with a rep as the Lig’s preeminent 3-point marksman: Colangelo bit with a big contract to shore up the small forward quandary. Playing time should be determined by his ability (or lack of) defensively, but may still find himself as a staple in the starting line-up because of his complimentary offensive skill set/ability to open up the floor for the ‘stars’: there is no indication Kapono can create his own shot, so he may be almost wasted as a sub. If he can keep from being a defensive liability and manages to shoot approaching the sort of advertised consistency, all signs point towards Jason cementing a slot in the rotation.
Jorge Garbajosa – Garbo has been a contender for ‘toughest man in the Lig’ ever since he set foot on North American soil; this dude is one tough hombre. Foot is still a concern after a gruesome season-ending injury which appears to have not healed yet, but it didn’t stop him from playing for Spain in the Olympic qualifiers this summer. Possesses very little in the form of NBA athletic ability, but maintains efficiency on the court by being a remarkably savvy player. Needs to spend a little more time near the rim on offense, as he sometimes resembles a Spanish Charles Oakley for his tendency to float outside. Excellent passer, solid rebounder and surprisingly effective defender. Great glue guy who has earned the affection of Mitchell, will be a staple in the rotation at the 4 or 3. His love for maintaining stubble rivals George Michael during the Wham! years.
Carlos Delfino – Argentinean import, snatched up from the Piston scrap heap after failing to crack their rotation. Don’t let the delicately-plucked eye brows and novella star looks fool you; at his best, he can be an active slasher that relentlessly attacks the rim. Slightly undersized for a ‘3’, he may struggle defensively against the NBA elite at this position. Sam is already trying to light a fire under him during the pre-season via diatribes about his underwhelming showings in practice to the press. Would be an ideal primary contributor off the bench with his ability to create his own shot and could team with Calderon to make an already effective second unit down-right scary. The jury is still out on whether Carlos can bring it every night in the Lig, and although he could be considered a ‘2’, he is more a scorer than a shooter, who is equally likely to be buried deep on the bench and become a frequent resident of Sam’s dog house. Could really add to the rotation but is literally a 50-50 proposition; Delfino has sworn up and down that he will return to Europe forever if he can not get significant minutes with the Raps – nobody in Detroit is holding their breath.
Rasho Nesterovic – an old school, goalie-type centre with extremely limited mobility, who will settle into a situational player for the Raps. Has decent touch out to 18 feet and is an excellent passer for a big man: absolutely refuses to dunk and has zero back-to-the-basket game. Length and size can pose problems defensively, as he will get some blocks despite his inability to leave the ground. Will see limited minutes with the continued development of Bargnani, and despite a solid summer playing in the Olympic qualifiers, is ultimately being phased out of the Raptors plans.
Kris Humphries – the dirty-work, undersized, front-court sub that needs to bang to get playing time. Closer to 6’7 than 6’9, Humphries effectiveness on the court is directly proportional to his activeness. Becomes clear when watching him on the offensive end that he still considers himself a skill player, often to his detriment. Was a highly recruited high school player who prematurely left to the NBA after the briefest of stints in College – he’s still learning what works and what doesn’t, especially on the offensive end. Guaranteed to spend time in Sam’s dog house at some point during the season, but he could work up to a regular 15-20 minutes in the rotation because of Mitchell’s love for the dirty-work guy. Lack of size really hurts him at both ends of the court, forcing him to outwork opponents to be effective: his performance drastically increases against subs as opposed to playing against NBA-caliber starters. Another of the extreme beige men on the roster, son could clearly pass and seems to be permanently affixed with a vacant look. Maceo Baston is taking a hard look at Humphries’ minutes.
Joey Graham – could be his last season as a pro. A known weight room junkie that seems to have all the physical tools to make it in the NBA, but appears to have little to no clue when he actually gets on the floor. A player who, theoretically, will be given every opportunity to solidify the ‘3’ hole in the Raptors’ line-up, as management’s patience at his development wears thin. Would be an instant starter if he could bring energy at both ends of the floor, rebound, attack the basket and hit an open jumper, yet rarely puts himself in the position to affect a game in any manner whatsoever. Basketball IQ appears to be glaringly deficient, can be viewed as the anti-Garbo. Should at least be a defensive stopper to be used on opposing high-scoring 3’s, sadly, hasn’t worked out that way so far. Would bring a huge boost to the size and athleticism of the small forward spot on this squad and fill a gaping need on the roster – a disappointing season could signal the end of his career.
Juan Dixon – a well-timed Colangelo pick-up last year, is now just another tool in the shed for Mitchell. If Joey Graham were ever to emerge, Delfino would probably get minutes at the ‘2’ which would push Dixon out of the rotation all together; however, the odds of that happening seem slim to none. Although painfully, chronically undersized Dixon adds to the roster with his ability to create his own shot; he’s a scorer who can be a streaky shooter. Was used at times by Sam creatively as a defensive stopper, despite his size, inserted simply to give the opposition’s big backcourt scorer a different look on defense. Could find a spot in the rotation as a Vinnie ‘Microwave’ Johnson-type scorer off the bench; tremendous character guy who may end up sticking elsewhere if minutes don’t turn up in Toronto.
Maceo Baston – part of the Macabi pipeline where he played with Anthony Parker, was picked-up off the Pacer’s roster to address rebounding and interior defensive issues. Michigan product provides length and athleticism at the ‘4’, absolutely needs to bring energy to the floor by blocking shots, rebounding and finishing strong at the rim. Counterpoint to Humphries’ bruising game, as Baston is more of a finesse player, which may catch the ire of Mitchell. Minutes are definitely there for the taking, if he can provide the Raptors with something off the bench.
Darrick Martin – becoming more and more moot as time passes, may be best suited to an assistant coaching role sooner than later. There are some who feel his mentoring of the Raps’ two young point guards has pretty much exhausted its benefits, but his veteran savvy could still come in handy. Will see more DNP’s this season than in possibly any of his previous 13 years in the Lig. Career highlight came when he smoked newly Lakered Gary Payton for an injury-riddled Timberwolf team in the ’03-04 Playoffs. Surprisingly uncreative on court presence, who rarely looks to distribute and always settles for his patented 18-21 foot jumper; must know that cup of coffee is coming to an end.
Luke Jackson – former Oregon Duck star swingman is coming up at the booty end of the numbers game. Listed at 6’8 coming out of college, Jackson is 6’6 at best, and not the sort of athlete who could compensate by losing two inches. May hang on to a roster spot, but with the signing of Kapono, who is a taller, more consistent-shooting, more experienced version of himself, Jackson has lost any chance of cracking the Raps’ rotation.
Coach Sam Mitchell – as reigning Coach of the Year, and holder of a most-valued contract extension, there is a glow emanating from Sam that cannot be attributed to the S-curl juice alone. While conventional wisdom may have dictated that Colangelo go another way with the coaching situation, the formerly much maligned Mitchell headed a very coachable Raptor squad to an impressive turn-around culminating in an Atlantic division pennant. Sure he was out-coached for the most part by Lil’ Lawrence Frank in the Playoffs, but the stigma of being a weak tactical coach has seemed to somewhat subside for Sam as have the jokes about the Raptors’ one set playbook. His ability to develop players is clearly a strength, which may have reinforced Colangelo’s decision to stick with Mitchell for this relatively young squad. Will often address players straight through the press and can afford to with the lack of veterans on the roster: rides the precarious line of player’s coach and disciplinarian. With MoPete gone, Sam’s gonna have to find someone else to occupy primary residence in the dog house, which will probably go to hapless Joey G or a certain, surely South American. It will be interesting to see if Mitchell shows the tactical acumen to get the Raptors into the open court more often and see if he can improve the team’s standing as least-effective out of a time out. However, based on the effort he is regularly able to coax out of this team, there is a lot of goodwill to go around for Sam in Toronto, and only the most disastrous of seasons could expel that. Besides, regardless how bad the Raps are struggling, there’s always the Leafs to take that negative attention away.
