| Colangelo's Offseason Itinerary Authored by Gagan Gandhi - April 22, 2009 - 9:16 am
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It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
They went out and got the big rebounder they lacked by trading away some of their depth, but as it turns out, they traded too much of it.
The injuries, the firings, the trades and lest we forget, the baby mama drama. At least they made headlines ...right? (This is the part where if you were typing this on Windows Live Messenger you’d put in the emoticon that rolls its eyes).
This season had a bit of everything, from losing to whining. If the players learned one thing this season it’s that Toronto will love you if you’re winning, but underachieve and you will get booed no matter who you are, from Sam Mitchell to Jay Triano, Chris Bosh to Jason Kapono.
There’s no point in playing the blame game now, the season is done with. It’s about moving forward with optimism, confidence and some good old fashioned luck:
1. Optimism that the Raptors will be back in the playoff picture at this time next season.
2. Confidence that the players will all perform to their potential from game one to game eighty-two, professional athletes are nothing without a little two-step in their stride.
3. Luck that will see to it that injuries don’t nag players such as Jose Calderon all season long, not only hampering their own play but their teammates’ as well. Everyone needs luck at some point; you need to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good.
This off-season is vital to the Raptors organization, and maybe more importantly to Bryan Colangelo.
It wasn’t too long ago that he was the symbol of hope and confidence, his collar almost popped, his swagger surely sought. After a season of mediocrity and now another of failure, it’s time for him to step up to the plate. Wow, a baseball reference in a basketball article, ‘A1’ Gagan.
It’s important for the Raptors fans to re-gain trust in the lead man, because let’s face it, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, nor should he. He symbolizes stability and respectability for an organization that has lacked it for much of their years in the NBA. Making another move at the top would just be counter-productive.
He has key decisions to make this summer regarding Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh, not to mention the impending decision on Jay Triano and whether he likes him enough to take the interim tag off.
Shawn Marion: Free Agent
The Scoop: He’s made a ton of money in his career, and really hasn’t done much of anything this season to make a whole lot more this summer. If he’s looking for eight figures per season he is absolutely nuts, he had another subpar season and isn’t as consistent a force as he once was. Acquiring Marion was a worthwhile attempt to salvage a season that was on the brink of being lost, but in the end the Shawn Marion experiment didn’t have the result Colangelo would have liked. It’s time to cut the ties and use the abundance of salary cap space on other available talent in the free agency.
Anthony Parker: Free Agent
The Scoop: He was known as a great defender coming over from Europe and he has shown flashes, but it’s clear he’s past his prime. Although he continues to make those great fadeaway jumpers, he just doesn’t have it on a regular basis. No one knows whether Parker even wants to be back in the NBA, let alone with the Raptors. It’s been said that he loves Toronto and would love to stay if he doesn’t go back overseas. The Raptors should want him back but not as a primary defender nor a starter. If he’s your starting SG, your team isn’t good enough to compete with the elite teams, plain and simple; that’s something Parker himself may not be ready to admit just quite yet.
Andrea Bargnani: One year left, extension possible
The Scoop: In a season where almost anything that could have gone wrong did and almost everything that was supposed to go right didn’t, he was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. His play since the start of 2009 has undoubtedly saved his career as a Raptor, and maybe even as an NBA player. He should get his contract extension, because it seems he’s finally put it all together and watching him develop even more in the next couple of seasons will be a pleasure for Raptors fans. Talk of trading this big man is hugely overblown, this is Colangelo’s legacy in Toronto and he’ll live and die with his selection of Andrea first overall.
Chris Bosh: One year left, extension possible
The Scoop: Another season of all-star numbers, yet another season of disappointment as a team. For whatever reason, the lone Raptors all-star looked disinterested a few nights this season. A long summer full of relaxation and rest would do him good. In the words of my friend: just chill ...quite ironic considering summer is the hottest time of the year. The Raptors haven’t done anything magnificent with Bosh in the fold and it’s better if Colangelo realizes this before Bosh does. If he doesn’t say he wants to sign long-term with Toronto this summer, then you trade him. Heck, you trade him even if he wants to stay because his value will never be higher.
In the end, a re-build is not necessary, a re-tooling is. The Raptors play in a city where losing has become the norm for professional sports teams, they can take a big step this summer in separating themselves from the rest of the pack and really show that they are Toronto’s best.
But, no doubt the biggest decision will be the one regarding their biggest asset: Chris Bosh.
How do you, if you’re Bosh, tell the fans of a team that have supported you immensely that you don’t love them back and would rather leave to play for a team south of the border?
The lights of New York City can be blinding and if he needs help letting supporters from the ‘Big Smoke’ know, hopefully he doesn’t ask Toronto’s former “son” Vince Carter.
Toronto can only boo so much.
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