| Reviewing The Raptors Authored by Anas Ahmed - May 8, 2007 - 4:36 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
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Andrea Bargnani:
He was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award, voted to the All Rookie First Team, picked first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft and he was one of the main reasons why the Raptors improved their win total by 20. Andrea Bargnani was a treat for fans to watch the entire season. He showed flashes of what he can do as he consistently hit three-point shots, scored off of the dribble, found open teammates and occasionally blocked shots. Although he did not dominate the league like many other rookie sensations do, he fit in perfectly with the team concept and has provided the Raptors organization with reason to be optimistic. Bargnani played well in the final three games of the playoffs showing that although he was a rookie, his years of playing professional basketball in Europe did not go to waste. Together, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani will form a new school version of the twin towers: big men that can shoot from the outside, put the ball on the floor, find their teammates and mix it up inside when needed.
Chris Bosh:
The franchise. This season, Chris Bosh solidified himself as a superstar in this league by showing that he is one of the NBA’s best young talents. Only 23-years-old and he has already heard chants of MVP by Raptors’ fans. He started in the All-Star game for the first time and enjoyed the best season of his young career, even making the MVP ballot. If there was one thing that would blemish CB4’s amazing year, it would be his failure to propel his team to the second round of the playoffs. However, we must remember that this was his first year in the postseason dance and he almost single-handedly forced a Game Seven in the final minutes of Game Six. In the fourth quarter of that game, the CB4 that Raptors’ fans had come to know, love and depend on had returned and don’t think for a second that Bosh isn’t going to come back and tear up the league even harder next year. He’s the face of franchise and with Chris Bosh, the Raptors will see many more playoff games in the future.
Jose Calderon:
He’s arguably the best pure backup point guard in the league (Leandro Barbosa is a scorer) and he was the Raptors’ most improved player. Jose Calderon came into each game and provided the Raptors with a starting caliber player off of the bench and ran one of the league’s best group of reserves. In just 21 minutes per game, Calderon had averages of 8.7 points and 5 assists in 77 games played. His jump shot was much improved and as a result he constantly beat his defenders off of the dribble and showed his ability to finish with both hands around the basket. He started in the final game of the playoffs with an injured ankle and almost helped lead the Raptors to victory. At the beginning of the season there were three guys discussed as the core group of players for the Raptors (Bosh, Ford and Bargnani) but this season Calderon has forced himself into that discussion. It will be interesting to see how Bryan Colangelo decides to manage his contract going forward after next season, but hopefully for the Raptors, he stays with the team.
Juan Dixon:
A trade deadline acquisition by Bryan Colangelo, Juan Dixon fit into the Raptors’ system much more easily than Fred Jones. He stepped into the rotation seamlessly and showcased his stroke from beyond the arc. He averaged 11 points off the bench for the Raptors in the regular season but looked like an entirely different player in the playoffs, often struggling to hit wide-open looks. Despite his uninspired play in the playoffs, Dixon was a nice fit for the Raptors and contributed much more offensively than the man he was shipped off for.
T.J Ford:
The lightning-quick point guard that came over from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for Charlie Villanueva manned the Raptors’ ship as the team’s starting point guard. He was one half of the team’s best point guard duo in franchise history and provided the Raptors with the pass-first point guard that they had longed for. Only 24-years-old with a bright future ahead of him, Ford showed Raptors’ fans a glimpse of what he could do, already establishing himself as one of the league’s premier young point guards. He averaged close to eight assists per game this season but also showed that he wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball when it mattered most. In a game against the Los Angeles Clippers with Chris Bosh out of the lineup, T.J had the ball in his hands for the last possession of the game and hit the winning shot as time expired. That play showed Sam Mitchell and the rest of the team that they could win games in the clutch unlike previous years. With another year under his belt, look for T.J Ford to have an even better year next season.
Jorge Garbajosa:
The oldest of the rookies on the squad, a 29-year-old with world class experience, a gritty defender, yet another European big with three-point range and a man that taught us what it is to have a high basketball I.Q. Jorge Garbajosa played his heart out for his squad before a season-ending leg injury in a game against the Boston Celtics. He’s a hard-nosed defender who could hit the three-rock and he proved to be an underrated passer. After Anthony Parker, Jorge Garbajosa was Brian Colangelo’s biggest steal of the off-season displaying how he helped Spain to a World Championship. His presence on the court was noticeably missed during the playoffs when their own youth and inexperience prevailed over their talent and if the Raps look to make it past the first round next season, it will be much easier if they have a healthy Garbo on the floor.
Joey Graham:
It took a while for Joey Graham to hit his stride this season but when he did he put together a string of good games. Before missing the last two games of the season, he had a streak of six straight games where he scored in double figures while shooting 52% from the floor. Despite his strong finish to the season, Graham felt the pressure of the playoffs and lost his starting spot to Mo Pete. With the possibility of Peterson not coming back next season, Graham will be counted on to bring consistency to his game for the full duration of the season and to finally start meeting expectations.
Kris Humphries:
If there were two things that you could count on Kris Humphries for every time he stepped on the court, they would be rebounding and energy. After the season-ending injury to Jorge Garbajosa, Humph was relied on to give the Raptors a boost on the glass and to provide energy on defense. In a game against the Detroit Pistons this season he had 18 rebounds and will look to build on efforts like that one in the coming season.
Luke Jackson:
The 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft, Luke Jackson was signed by the Raptors to two 10-day contracts before being extended through all of next season. Jackson did not play a significant role on the team but did show what he could do offensively, scoring 30 points in the final game of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Darrick Martin:
On a team equipped with two very talented but young point guards, Darrick Martin was counted on to serve as their mentor. While he often dressed for games, he spent most of his time coaching Jose Calderon and T.J Ford on the bench whenever he had time. Martin is a free agent this off season and if the Raptors decide not to bring him back as a player, we may very well see him in a suit on the bench.
Rasho Nesterovic:
Traded over from the San Antonio Spurs to play his first season with the Toronto Raptors, Rasho Nesterovic was the team’s starting centre for most of the season. He helped anchor the team defensively, clean up the glass and added a few points to the scoreboard when needed. Perhaps his biggest contribution to the team was that he allowed Chris Bosh to defend players that were closer to him in size while he dealt with the bigger bodies like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. With the expected emergence of Andrea Bargnani, it is conceivable that Rasho’s role will diminish next season as Bargnani may earn the nod as the team’s starting centre.
Anthony Parker:
After years of playing in Europe, Anthony Parker returned to the NBA to join the Toronto Raptors this season. Parker established himself as the team’s best perimeter defender and an efficient, all-around player on the offensive end. He became the team’s uncontested starting shooting guard and as the season went on he became the second option on offense after Chris Bosh. On a team filled with young talent, he provided veteran leadership and proved to be arguably the Raptors’ best off-season signing in franchise history. Along with his on-court success, Parker also won the Atlantic Division’s Sportsmanship award and his surely to be a very important part of this team for years to come.
Morris Peterson:
In what might have been his last season with the Raptors, Mo Pete had a reduced role with the team in comparison to previous years but nevertheless proved his value in many clutch moments. In what was one of the most unlikely game-tying shots in franchise history, Mo Pete delivered against the Washington Wizards in the dying moments of the fourth quarter. Down by three, he caught the ball out of midair after Michael Ruffin arrogantly through it up thinking that his team had secured the win. Peterson then tossed up the ball from beyond the three-point line and tied up the game and eventually helped his team go on to win. In the Raptors’ first round playoff loss against the New Jersey Nets, Mo played airtight defense against his former teammate Vince Carter and almost helped the Raps come out of the series alive. Moments like the shot against the Wizards, and do or die efforts like the one against the Nets have made Mo a fan favorite and if this season was his last with the Raptors, you could be sure that he won’t be booed when he makes his return to the Air Canada Centre.
Uros Slokar:
The rookie out of Slovenia showed flashes of what he could do in very limited minutes this season. In the second last game of the season Slokar dropped 18 points against Detroit’s reserves and showed that Bargnani wasn’t the only young rook from Europe that could shoot the long ball.
Pape Sow:
The big man from Senegal made a comeback from neck surgery after injuring himself in summer league play and Raptors’ fans showed him love right when he stepped back onto the court. Although Pape didn’t have a significant impact on the team, he always showed his support and personified the never quit mentality that this team shared.
Not all members of this year’s team will be back next season, but this particular group won a division championship together and took Raptors’ fans on a ride that they won’t soon forget.
Comments? Anas Ahmed can be contacted at anas-ahmed@hotmail.com |
