| No More Drama; Raptors Hope Soap Opera Days Are over Authored by Brian Wolfstrad - November 7, 2005 - 7:01 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Final Thoughts On The 2008 NBA Draft This year's draft was decidedly more calm and casual than the Oden/Durant showdown, which made for a more candid and personal experience.
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$10 Million For Five Players?
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The Right Pick?
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The Carter situation has been talked to death, as have the dearly departed Alston's assorted breakdowns. Marshall, Murray and Milt Palacio have left, first round draft picks Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham have been added in their place, along with standout Spanish point guard Jose Calderon. Head coach Sam Mitchell and oft-maligned general manager Rob Babcock better hope that their team is no longer filled with the Young and the Restless as they look to superstar-in-the-making Chris Bosh to be their Guiding Light.
The bad news for Raptor fans is that the team is going to lose in 2005-06 and they will lose a lot. In fact, with the season just underway, out of all of the Eastern Conference squads, only the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Bobcats look to be sure bets to be worse than the Raptors. The team is sorely lacking an inside presence, as neither Bosh, Villanueva, nor the re-signed Matt Bonner spend much time banging away under the hoop. Rafael Araujo showed brief flashes of competence last year and at the end of the pre-season, but mostly looks like a guy who might benefit more from quality time in the NBDL then from the 10-or-so sporadic minutes Mitchell will likely give him a night early on. Loren Woods has the height but lacks both the strength and the mental toughness to be a competent NBA starter.
The elimination of the unstable Alston will do wonders for team chemistry, but his replacement Mike James shares some of Alston's on-court flaws. James will need to look to pass more than he has in the past if the Raptors are to have much success in 2005-06. On the plus side though, at least this team should be entertaining. Unlike in previous years, the Raptors lineup is finally filled with some young, explosive athletes. Like the gone but not forgotten Carter, Graham is a freak athletic specimen who should keep the fans on their feet. Bosh flourished after Carter landed in the swamps of New Jersey, collecting about 20 points and 10 rebounds per game from January-April. Bosh is a building block every NBA team would love to have. The still-raw Pape Sow, Calderon and Morris Peterson also bring above average athleticism to the table. The gritty Calderon, a classic point guard, will be a Godsend for Mitchell. The fiery Spaniard should adapt to the NBA game quicker than most rookie point guards because he has tons of experience running high-profile teams in Europe. Both Calderon and James are model teammates who are not prone to childish tantrums like Alston was.
Peterson played the best basketball of his career last April, averaging 17.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and over 2 steals per game. Now he will be used as an anchor off of the bench.
If Araujo and Woods continue to wallow in mediocrity, expect to see Villanueva inserted into the starting lineup before the New Year is upon us. Babcock and his staff are banking that sooner rather than later, the tall but thin duo of Bosh and Villanueva will hold their own up front and that the team will be able to out-score opponents with a high-octane offence and a solid bench. Don't expect that to happen. More likely, a team that has been historically awful defensively and on the boards will continue to struggle in those regards and will find a way to lose ball games no matter how many points they put up on the board.
The new season will likely bring a few more wins than last, more hope for Raptor fans than has been warranted in ages and about a thousand less aspirins for coach Mitchell. |
