Back Again - ' 08-09 The Raptor Scouting Report, Part 1

So it’s been a hot second since the last post. Summer's gone. And several political debates and some Kanye vocoder-isms later, the NBA season has finally come back around. So to mark the beginning of the exhibition season which was punctuated by the absolutely meaningless stomping of the Cavs in Cleveland last night, DotRunnings will present its yearly look at the Raps roster. Part 1 begins with the projected starters:

Chris Bosh – undisputed leader and team MVP. Perennial All-Star. One of the NBA’s elite bigs, and proved it as the best front court option on the gold medal-winning USA squad from Beijing, outplaying the far sexier and more heralded man-beast Dwight Howard. Did so by using an incredible skill set for his length. Will always lack overall size, and can still get pushed around by girthier opponents. However, now has wherewithal to get even using superb speed and quickness. Outstanding perimeter defender for a player his length. Money from 20 feet and in, and has extended jump shot to three point range. Can be a spectacular finisher around the basket, so teams still try and push him out of the box and take their chances with his jumper; consequently, can become over reliant on his perimeter game and will abandon the key for extended periods on offense. Excellent ball-handler for size with a great first step, much more concise with the ball, but still tends to go left. Expanded his game every year since rookie season, and his playoff performance versus Magic was a marketed improvement over previous post season efforts. Playing with a healthy JO should help in every facet of his on court game and alleviate the previously forced need for Bosh to match up with an opponent’s centre for extended periods. Projects intelligence and maturity, eschewing the more conventional ghetto posturing for marketing purposes and, thus, an ideal fit for Toronto. Become a chronic purveyor of YouTube comedy, and possesses a dry wit to go with a genuine telegenetic quality. Despite all of this, has a surprising number of detractors, which appears, at times, to include some refs; quizzically been rated by national magazine below directly comparable contemporaries such as Carlos Boozer. An extended playoff run is the only thing standing in the way of an absolute and universal respect.

Jermaine O’Neal - the newest prized piece in a decidedly necessary restructuring of the Raptor’s roster. Theoretically addresses several important Raptor needs, such as rebounding and interior defensive play. An All-Star caliber player when healthy, any question surrounding his play will revolve around his physical conditioning; conflicting reports have already surfaced out of the local press. Injuries have taken a toll in his previous two seasons in Indiana, limiting his court time and the effectiveness of his limited play. When healthy is known to be a dominant interior presence, as an excellent rebounder and shot blocker. Very good one-on-one ability, clever in the post and possesses decent range, but tends to fall in love with mid-range jump shot and extended turn-around jumper. Would significantly improve the team’s ability to finish strong around the rim, another distinct sore spot for the Raps. Could be lethal in a high-low set with Bosh and on the pick and roll with Calderon. Jumped to straight to the League from high school, sat on the Trailblazer bench for a couple of seasons before emerging as a perennial All-Star. Traded to Indiana where he played an infamous role in the Rumble at the Palace dropping a fan with an overhand right while slipping that resembled something out of Rocky flick. Becomes the highest paid player on the squad by a significant amount for the next two seasons; a calculated risk for Colangelo as JO’s contract expires exactly when Bosh will be expecting his re-up. Expectations vacillate wildly here, but something resembling seasonal averages of 16-18ppg, 9-11 rpg, 1-2 bpg will put the Raps in the top 3 in the Conference and give Toronto the most feared 1-2 front court combination in the League.

Jose Calderon – the Spanish straw that stirs the Raptor’s mix. ‘Ocho’s’ play last season single-handedly made T.J. Ford expendable and vaulted his name into All-Star consideration. Demonstrated a phenomenal ability to keep turnovers to a minimum, finishing the season generously outdistancing the rest of the League as the leader in assists-turnover ratio. After taking over for an injured Ford, became a double-double machine while shooting a spectacular percentage from the field for a lead guard. Consistency with pull up jumper from 20 feet in makes him incredibly difficult to guard and, at times, became the Raptors most effective option in the half court. Has extended range to 3 point line and can no longer be left open behind the arc. Absolutely lethal when he starts getting to the basket and finishing. Once inside free throw line, will completely abandon pull up. Good size for a point guard and possesses above average athleticism to go with it. Has steadily improved not only his outside shooting but his frequency of getting to the rim and ability to finish with both hands. Already shown tendency to be a big game player, saving his best performance of last season for a dramatic win at Boston, single-handedly giving Celtic defenders fits. Ultimately, an excellent distributor who will keep the ball moving as a traditionally-inclined playmaking point. Still shaky defensively against the League’s quicker point guards, but overall, has improved markedly on the defensive end since his rookie season. Will benefit greatly from having a healthy JO as a teammate on both ends and could be automatic running the pick and roll with him. Readily pushes the ball, but has critics who point out his tendency to pull up a fast break and avoid taking chances to create opportunity. While deriding his lack of flash, what those critics fail to realize is how efficiently Calderon is able to make Coach Mitchell’s one-set offense work, a deceptively challenging task in itself. Destined to take on heavy minutes this season, as the back-ups are primarily untested.

Anthony Parker - Steady A.P. has been a good investment for Raps at shooting guard since being brought over leaving behind his League MVP status in Europe. Solid player with above average but not superior athleticism. Fundamental part of the perimeter-oriented personality of the team, possesses three-point range that can run hot or cold as a spot-up shooter. Excellent catch-and-shoot player, would benefit from having more plays run for him, but is more often than not relegated to predictably fending for himself in the Raps one-dimensional offensive schemes. Has the ability to create off the dribble, and can be very effective going to the rim when catching the opposition’s defense off guard. Added dimension of being one the Raptors' better finishers in the open court. Realistically, not a primary offensive option, as against the League’s better defenders, he tends to get stuck taking long, very difficult fade-away jumpers. To his credit, Parker will make a surprising number of them. Very solid fundamentally-based defensive player who is consistently effective against all but the NBA’s elite offensive players; still good for a couple of opportunistic steals and the occasional block. Great role player and solid contributor heading into a contract year.

Jamario Moon - captured the imagination of the Raptor faithful by going from an undrafted, mature CBA All-Star to a part-time starter and all-around energy guy. An absolute athletic freak, immediately stood out on a roster that was generally very average in this area. Able to generally flourish as Sam showed uncommon patience in his development. Positives clearly out-weighed the negatives; at times appeared to be the only Raptor other than Bosh that could consistently finish above the rim. A solid rebounder that is good for an oop a game, his tendency to provide above the rim highlight caliber plays made him an instant fan favourite. Very good defensive player with potential to become a legitimate stopper as he is surprisingly effective on the ball; long arms, quickness and leaping ability make it difficult for opponents to get around him or back him down in the post in spite of their apparent advantage in strength. An equally effective off the ball defender, Moon can provide imposing weak side help. Despite all the fanfare of his rookie season, it is clear he is still getting comfortable on the court and it showed most conspicuously on the offensive end, specifically in the half court where he often appeared lost while aimlessly floating around the perimeter. Due to quickness and leaping ability, opponents backed off and crowded driving lanes, forcing Moon to prove he could consistently make open jumpers, which was something that never truly happened. Unfortunately for Raps, also developed the habit of never looking to drive, often to the dismay and public derision of Mitchell. He is, however, excellent in the open court and no one would benefit more from Raptors getting into transition at a greater rate. It is absolutely essential he force defenses to guard him honestly; to do this, he must improve his jumper and his ball-handling to potentially fill Raptors’ single greatest need as the auxiliary scorer/slasher that punishes teams who sag on Bosh and, now, JO. Has all the tools to shore up the Raps weakest starting position, and would make Toronto a legitimate championship threat if he were ever put it all together. But that's an incredibly, almost unreasonably, large 'if', as his skill set needs to catch up with the other elements of his game. So right now, it would only be fair to consider Moon an energy guy whose still learning, with a current upside that considerably outweighs the liability. Contract year also looms large in the background.