Toronto Raptors preview by Tas Melas
1. What can the Raptors learn from the 2006-07 season to help them improve their 2007-08 campaign?
Toronto started last season with nine new players and got off to a 3-9 start. The Raps now enter the year with a few new key additions to the rotation: Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino, and Andrea Bargnani, who is likely to start and get more minutes. Toronto can learn from those early mistakes and stay away from the hole digging they did last November. One key is for Coach Sam Mitchell to clearly define these players' roles and have them stick to their obligations.
Also, Toronto’s offense was stagnant during its playoff series with the New Jersey Nets. The big problem was the wings not being able to slash to the cup. I’m certain this team realizes that defenses will collapse on Chris Bosh, forcing the boys on the perimeter to make something happen. There aren’t too many players on the roster that are capable of this. Anthony Parker must get better, Delfino must be aggressive, and the point guard duo of T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon must penetrate.
2. What was the Raptors' best and/or worst move during the offseason, either by free agency, trade, or draft?
This was a quiet offseason for Toronto. As mentioned above, the two biggest Raptor moves were: Kapono via free agency and Delfino via a trade with the Pistons. Smaller moves were the signing of Maceo Baston and a partially guaranteed contract for Jamario Moon. Moon is an intriguing project because he has a ridiculous amount of athleticism but has never had the coaching to really harness it. Baston is a proven winner from his days in Europe and will be a nice upgrade on the hustle man’s role occupied by Kris Humphries last year. Kapono will have many open looks to bury his potent trey and Delfino will get to show he can do many things on the court, much like the man who played in front of him in Detroit, Tayshaun Prince.
But, none of these moves will have an earth-shattering impact this upcoming season. I’ll take a different route and say the best move was keeping Calderon. GM Bryan Colangelo declared Ford as the point guard of the future when he signed him to a long-term deal before last year’s campaign. Although several teams would love to have Calderon as their starting point guard, Colangelo continues to stockpile assets like Calderon, Kapono, and Delfino in order to make a blockbuster deal down the road. Colangelo likely received many offers for the Spanish guard who had a breakthrough year, but Calderon’s value on and off the floor while being signed at a great price (thanks Rob Babcock!), was too much to part with.
3. Who is the Most Important Player on the Raptors? The MIP is not necessarily the most talented, but the one that makes the biggest difference in his team doing well each game.
Do you like cheese? Me too. Let me give you a healthy serving, here. The Raptors do not have an MIP. They showed last year that they can play for stretches no matter who is in the lineup. Ford was unstoppable as Toronto went 6-6 while Bosh was out. Calderon stepped up in Ford’s absence. Different Raps made big time plays when Bargnani, Parker, and Jorge Garbajosa were injured... the list goes on and on. The key to this team is that they likely have the most depth in the Eastern Conference and no one really needs to play heavy minutes. Although most players on this roster (other than Bosh) are not All-Star caliber, many are capable of contributing a great deal in limited minutes. And, because they are so deep, that’s all they’ll need to provide. Kapono isn’t good enough to play 40 quality minutes, but on this squad, he only has to be good for 20 or so. This roster only got deeper during the offseason; look for the same formula as the ’06-‘07 season.