The Toronto Raptors announced today that Reggie Evans will miss the rest of the preseason with a left foot sprain. There is no specific target for his return – Hopefully he’s back for opening night.

In the meantime, the already soft Raps get a little softer. As outlined today by Scott Carefoot of RaptorBlog, teams rarely succeed when outrebounded on a nightly basis. Evans was one of the guys brought in by Bryan Colangelo to remedy that problem, but he’s headed to the sideline for a while. It’s bad news, but it also opens the door for another newcomer in Amir Johnson to step up.

Yes, technically Rasho Nesterovic and Johnson could both gain playing time, but in an ideal world, most of the minutes would go to Amir.

I say this because while Rasho will play a ton of minutes against big, lumbering centres, Johnson plays a more similar game to Evans. He makes hustle plays, he rebounds, and he even blocks shots (something Evans doesn’t do). Nesterovic will continue to play his expected role, but Johnson will have an opportunity to grab some of Reggie’s. As it stood before, I wondered how Evans and Johnson could possibly play enough – there just didn’t seem to be enough minutes to go around…But now, Amir will have his chance.

So far, Johnson has played better in extended minutes. He often takes some time to get going – a luxury I assumed he wouldn’t have during the season. Johnson still won’t play a ton of minutes, but he should have plenty more with Evans out. At the very least, he’ll have more than enough chances to prove himself throughout the rest of the preseason.

-DL

Toronto Raptors fans are great. Lots of passion, a great online community and plenty of optimism for the coming season.

Even better, every trip to the ACC gives me a chance to overhear some pretty funny stuff…

Below are quotes from the first two preseason games in Toronto (vs. Philadelphia and Washington) from fans in my section:

Guy #1: I’m so pumped Alvin Williams is back.

Guy #2: Yeah man, is he coming off the bench?

Guy #1: What? No, he’s a coach.

Guy #2: No, he was shooting around before the game…the dude’s playing.

Guy#1: Oh…sweet!

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“Seriously, Bosh is garbage. (standing up and yelling) GET HIM OUT OF THERE!!!”

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“I think the Raps are a good team but they have a really bad coach. Why is he playing Patrick O’Bryant?”

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Guy #1: Dude, Reggie Evans is such a beast.

Guy #2: No doubt… When you see the Nutgrabber coming, just get out of the way!

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“DeRozan will average 20 points-per-game this season. Book it.”

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“If I don’t get my pizza I’m going home angry.”

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Guy #1: (Pointing to Sonny Weems) Am I just drunk or do I see Joey Graham out there?

Drunk Friend: Naw man, that’s Joey.

Together: Joeeeeeeyyyyyy!!!

-DL

For Raptors fans, the second pre-season game was undoubtedly better than the first. That’s not saying much, based on Toronto’s pathetic performance on Tuesday, but there were certainly encouraging signs. One night after giving up 65 first-half points, the Raps played impressive defense and held Philly to 35% shooting in the rematch. The energy level was higher, despite using a depleted roster on the second night of a back-to-back.

Some specific thoughts on the game:

While he showed flashes of potential, DeMar DeRozan has a long way to go. Expectations for this kid had gone way up since the draft, but fans should remember that he was never supposed to make a huge impact in year-one. It’s pretty obvious why, after seeing the rookie in person. He needs to develop his left-handed dribble if he wants to be an effective slasher, and it’s something Jay Triano is trying to enforce. DeRozan was yanked for the second straight game after settling for jumpers, and had some trouble getting involved in the flow of the offense. Still, there were positives – He filled the lane and finished with a power dunk off a pass from Quincy Douby, and he scored on a finger-roll after stealing the ball. DeRozan also knocked down a three-pointer for the second straight game, but I wouldn’t expect that to be a trend just yet. Defensively, he struggled against Andre Igoudala and is still adjusting to the speed and athleticism of the NBA. On one play, Igoudala grabbed an offensive rebound right over DeRozan – How often do you think that happened at USC?

Jose Calderon rebounded (somewhat) from a brutal first game, finishing with six assists and zero turnovers. That was the good news, but Calderon still looked passive on the offensive end. Remember when Jose would turn the corner on the pick-and-roll, going all the way to the basket for lay-ups? We need that guy back. There’s no doubt that Calderon is more effective when he’s surrounded by talent, and I expect improvement once Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu are in the lineup.

I really like Marco Belinelli. He was out of control at times, but the kid is skilled. Belinelli scored 12 points, while struggling from the three-point line. I’m not worried about his shooting – Instead, I was impressed with his ballhandling and passing ability. With more playing time and an elevated comfort level, Belinelli should be a valuable part of Triano’s ball-movement offense. I also think his shot selection improves when Bosh and Hedo are on the court.

Andrea Bargnani was quiet, but continues to prove he’s the guy we saw in the final third of last season. He still can’t rebound, but has developed into a very good offensive player. Bargnani’s baseline drive for a dunk was beautiful, but it hardly seemed like he was trying for most of the night. Again, I’m excited to see what he can do with Bosh and Hedo attracting attention from opposing defenses.

The real bright spots for Toronto were Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson. Acquired together in the Carlos Delfino trade, both players brought a ton of athleticism and hustle to the building on Wednesday night. Both were all over the court, forcing Philly into tough shots, while running the floor and showing a nose for the rim. Johnson might have the agility to play a little bit of small forward, while Weems treated the crowd to three huge dunks. After leading the team in minutes (and deservedly so), he’s making a case for playing time when the real games begin.

I really can’t talk about the defensive end without mentioning Reggie Evans. Like JYD, the fans have fallen in love fast. Evans was a beast, grabbing nine rebounds to go along with four steals. On the other hand, he forced tough shots in traffic and TWICE dribbled up the court. While his work ethic and determination are much appreciated, this needs to stop. There is no way Reggie Evans should be leading the break, and grabbing an offensive rebound shouldn’t entitle him to shoot immediately after. If he can control his game, Evans will be a fan-favourite all year long.

Jarrett Jack was fine. He made a few nice plays in the second half, including a sweet behind-the-back pass to Weems on a fast break. Jack didn’t really stand out, but he was solid. He stole the ball twice and played good defense.

Once again, Marcus Banks played better than expected. It’s hard to imagine him seeing much of the court this season, but I expected absolutely NOTHING from him. I guess it’s a case of lowered expectations, but I was impressed with his overall game on Wednesday. Put it this way – Calderon and Jack were no better, while Quincy Douby was worse. I still think Douby can be an effective scorer in limited minutes, but he didn’t show it last night. Meanwhile, maybe (it’s a long shot) Colangelo can find a way to trade Banks if he plays decent for any extended stretch. Don’t count on it.

Up front, Patrick O’Bryant and Rasho Nesterovic both played like…well, themselves. O’Bryant still hasn’t figured out how to use his 7-foot frame, but did block three shots. Still, he has a long, long way to go. Rasho was solid in very limited minutes, reminding us that yes, he only shoots from the baseline.

Overall, the Raps were much, much better on Wednesday, but it’s tough to say much without Bosh and Hedo in the lineup. Without say, Igoudala and Elton Brand, the 76ers would have plenty of problems. Defensively, though, Toronto challenged Philly to make difficult shots, improving drastically from Tuesday’s weak effort. At the shooting guard spot, both DeRozan and Belinelli have room to improve, while Antoine Wright has yet to play. Hopefully, the Raps are healthy in the near future, so we can see what this team will really look like on the court.

-DL

Leadership is crucial to success in any team sport.

Take a look at past championship squads and you’ll likely find “heart and soul of the team” players on each one. Kobe Bryant, for all his supposed flaws, brings intensity and passion to the Lakers every night, while Derek Fisher is undoubtedly a huge locker room presence for the defending champions.

In 2007-08, Kevin Garnett completely changed the culture of the Boston Celtics, heightening the level of intensity and getting his teammates to play suffocating defense on a nightly basis.

One doesn’t need to be the best player on a team to be the leader – It can (and should) be argued that Paul Pierce was actually Boston’s best player – But every great team needs somebody, or a collection of guys, to step up and keep the others in check.

When Vince Carter played here, Charles Oakley was the guy who held him accountable. This was the CBC story during the 2001 playoffs:

“Vince Carter has to stand up and be counted on, teammate Charles Oakley said Tuesday, pointing the finger at the Toronto Raptors star for deflecting criticism over his lacklustre playoff performance.

“You can’t shy away from it now,” Oakley told reporters Tuesday following the Raptors’ practice.

“This is the time you have to step up and be a man about it. When they made the Dream Team, he went, all 12 of us didn’t go.”

Ahh, gotta love Oak. And the fact is, it worked, if only for a short time.

So, who will take control of the locker room this season?

It has been assumed for the past few years that Chris Bosh is the leader of the Toronto Raptors. He’s the best player on a team that has been mostly devoid of veteran talent. Fans certainly expect a lot from Bosh, both at the end of games, and off the court. He’s been slowly growing into the role, though it’s a lot to ask from a 25-year-old, who is also asked to shoulder the bulk of scoring and rebounding. It’s also semi-unrealistic to give your power forward the ball with the game on the line – Garnett had the same problems before life with Pierce.

But now, as Arsenalist of Raptors Republic writes, things might be changing:

“The question of leadership often comes up and this year’s team appears to be very mature as Ryan pointed out in the interview. Jarrett Jack, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Jose Calderon and Rasho Nesterovic are no-nonsense players that can keep this group in check when things start going south. We don’t have to look towards Bosh to be the leader anymore; if one of the above players can take charge of this team, maybe it’ll lift the pressure off of Bosh and he can perform in his contract year.”

I think he’s right, but with that said, it’s time to ask…Who will step up as the leader (or leaders) of this year’s team?

Who should step up?

And, if he’s really worth a max contract, should that guy be Chris Bosh? Or does Bosh need someone, like Oakley, to light a fire under him?

Comments?

-DL

Things had gotten pretty stale around the Raptors lately. Once Bryan Colangelo finished with his offseason makeover, all we could do was speculate and look forward to the start of training camp. Well, it’s here, and two days in there are plenty of fresh stories in each local paper. At this point, nobody really knows what the team will look like on the floor, or how the new group of players will perform. Still, the local media has given the team plenty of love this week, and that’s an understatement.

Put it this way – After reading the stories from the start of training camp, I can’t find anything negative about anyone. From what I’ve read, every single guy is ready for a huge year, while Bosh and Turkoglu’s injuries are being glossed over. And now before anyone accuses me of being a “hater,” (a term I can’t stand), I should add that I expect good things from the Raps. This is more of a commentary on the media than on the players themselves – Again, nobody really knows how this team will play.

But check out the coverage:

From Doug Smith, this piece is yet another article raving about Marco Belinelli’s upside, while ignoring any and every fault in his game…. “General manager Bryan Colangelo raves about the kid, coach Jay Triano thinks he might be one of the big surprises of training camp, executive vice-president and Italian compatriot Maurizio Gherardini said “there’s something about him that’s different.”

Or this article from Frank Zicarelli on Antoine Wright. In case nobody realized, Wright was brought in for his defense. And he hopes to do a good job…mind blowing stuff.

Or this, from the National Post’s Eric Koreen, on Andrea Bargnani… “All signs point to continued maturation for the Italian seven-footer, whom the Raptors selected first overall in the 2006 NBA draft. In the off-season, Bargnani signed a five-year, $50-million US contract, so his mind should be at ease.” Well, I’m sure Bargnani’s mind will be at ease, but he sure as hell better perform. In case nobody realizes, the rest of the league has questioned Bargnani’s extension to no end, considering very good restricted free agents like David Lee have found the market pretty tough this year. In Toronto, though, everything is gravy.

And you don’t have to look far to find glowing first impressions of Reggie Evans and Jarrett Jack, along with pretty much everyone else.

Again, I’m not trying to say any of this is untrue. My point is that whatever you read during training camp needs to be taken with a grain of salt. This is the time when anything seems possible, when every team has playoff aspirations, and when new players are seemingly filled with unlimited potential – Remember the Jermaine O’Neal lovefest from last season?

With an entirely new roster, this was predictable, and a little enthusiasm never hurt anyone. Just remember to stay realistic – Until the team loses, nobody ever gets ripped.

-DL

With so many new faces in town (and a few of the same), here is one wish for each Toronto Raptors’ player:

For Jose Calderon to turn the corner on the high screen. Instead of pulling up for the jumper, I’d like to see Jose go all the way to the basket, like he did consistently two years ago. The hamstring excuse was only good for one season.

For Andrea Bargnani to play hard, all the time. I could have said anything to do with rebounding, but that’s too easy. Yes, I want the Italian to crash the boards, but more importantly, he needs to stay focused, even after starting slow on any given night. Too many times, Bargnani seemed to shrink away after bad starts, and the Raps need him to continue progressing.

For Hedo Turkoglu to make big shots. So often, NBA games come down to the last second, and too often, Toronto had nobody to take the final shot. Yes, Chris Bosh was forced into that role, but how many power forwards (with the exception of Dirk Nowitzki) have the ball in their hands with the game on the line? Now, the Raps have somebody with playoff experience, who has made his share of game-winning buckets. Let’s hope it continues.

For Demar DeRozan to play within his game. The best part about the rookie’s summer league performance was his patience and recognition of each situation. The highlight reel dunks will be great, but DeRozan will need to remember what he does well during his early days as a Raptor. That means no forcing 3’s, Jamario-style.

For Antoine Wright to be Toronto’s Dahntay Jones. Sub in any defensive-oriented player here. In any case, the Raps have more than enough scoring and will desperately need ANYBODY to lock down opposing stars. One day, DeRozan might be the guy, but Wright will need to handle the task early on. And while DeRozan appears to have a great opportunity at the starting job, Wright will get his chance to play the part if the rookie struggles against elite talent.

For Reggie Evans to knock somebody down, early. The Raptors have long been called soft, and Evans can go a long way towards erasing that label. How many times have fans in Toronto watched an opposing player embarrass the Raps (see Bryant, Kobe), with absolutely no resistance. You can bet that Evans won’t hesitate to make a statement.

That Jarrett Jack will run the team efficiently when Calderon leaves the game. No more of Roko’s over-dribbling please. Instead, with Ukic out of town and Jack backing up the point, the Raptors should remind fans of the Forderon days. The former Pacer will be one of the league’s top backup point guards, and should provide toughness, defence and scoring when he enters the game. Most of all, he needs to involve the entire second unit, unlike anything Raps fans saw last season.

That Marco Belinelli will be instant offence off the bench. Jack is the team’s best backup, but Belinelli can flat out score. Let’s hope to see him shoot without hesitation (making him the anti-Jason Kapono) and give the Raps a boost when the stars are out of the game. Nobody really knows what the Raptors have with Belinelli, but he’ll earn his paycheck by scoring in bunches when he gets his chance. The same goes for Quincy Douby, to a lesser extent.

That Rasho Nesterovic will continue to be awesome. Sorry, but I have nothing bad to say about this guy. Let’s hope the big man resigns at the same dollar value next season.

That Amir Johnson improves as the season goes on. At only 22, Johnson should give the frontcourt a boost of energy off the bench, and has a chance to move up in the rotation. He needs to stay with his man on defence and maintain his focus throughout each game, something that has been a problem in the past. This guy has potential, but he needs to harness it.

For Sonny Weems, Marcus Banks and Patrick O’Bryant to play hard in practice. Fans are already sick of “money in the Banks” and POB, but hopefully they will keep a positive attitude and play hard against the starters in the practice gym. As for Weems, who knows. My wish is that he plays like “Good Joey” if he ever gets into a game.

For Chris Bosh to be a leader. As the so-called “franchise player,” it’s time for Bosh to prove his worth. Heading into a contract year, CB4 has every reason to be motivated, and he will have the chance to show that he belongs in the discussion with other elite players. If this team can’t succeed, a lot of critics will look at Bosh. If the Raps win, he’ll get tons of the credit.

And finally, for Jay Triano to put the pieces together. Triano has a tough job. Even with all of the great acquisitions, it’s never easy for a coach to work with this many new players. Triano will have to allocate minutes properly and find the right on-court combinations. There are a lot of guys who could deserve minutes with strong play, and the coach will have plenty of options throughout the season. Like Bosh, much of the praise or blame will fall on Triano.

Thoughts?

-DL

There is no doubt that Toronto Raptors fans are passionate about their team. Even in bad years (most years), attendance is high at the ACC, while their online presence rivals and surpasses almost every other NBA community.

These fans are also quick to defend the Raps against criticism, usually from American news outlets (ESPN picking a 9th place finish, for example). The talk all summer has been mostly optimistic, with great expectations for the coming season.

But, this is nothing new.

Last year, Jermaine O’Neal was supposed to turn the Raptors into a legitimate contender, until the project blew up during another disappointing season. There have been plenty of other reasons for optimism in the past, most ending in failure.

In no way, shape or form and I saying this team will end up like last year’s edition. What I am saying, is that fans have their breaking point. And at that point, enough becomes enough.

That brings us to the 2009-2010 Toronto Raptors.

Outside of the Bosh-Andrea Bargnani-Jose Calderon core, it’s an entirely new team. And with the squad welcoming Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack, Demar DeRozan, Rasho Nesterovic, Marco Belinelli, Antoine Wright, Reggie Evans and Amir Johnson, the renewed enthusiasm is certainly justified.

My question to fans of the Toronto Raptors is this: How patient will you be with this team?

With so many new bodies, Jay Triano has the tough task of making it all work. How patient will you be with him?

Demar DeRozan is skilled but raw – Will you be frustrated if he struggles for 50 games?

Hedo Turkoglu will face the pressure of his high-profile signing – Will you worry if he struggles out of the gate?

Jose Calderon has yet to prove he can shoulder the starting point guard duties for an entire season – Will you (especially the old T.J. supporters) pine for Jack to start if Jose doesn’t cut it for the first 20 games?

What if Bargnani regresses in the early going? Will fans give up on him, again?

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I’m not saying fans should or should not do these things. Personally, I’m fairly patient with these things.

All I’m saying is that the Raptors open up with a very difficult stretch of games, with what is basically an entirely new roster.

So will you be patient? And for how long?

-DL

It’s another day with no important Raptors news, so it’s time for another round of questions about the upcoming season.

Q: Who will have the first in-game confrontation with another player?

A: Reggie Evans. It just has to be Reggie Evans. And it’s what they need…badly.

Q: Who hits the most 3-pointers per game?

A: Marco Belinelli. I know, it’s an odd selection considering we said yesterday that Antoine Wright and Demar DeRozan would likely play ahead of the Italian. While Belinelli might not necessarily play as many minutes, he seems like a great candidate to fill the Eddie House-type role and put up 3’s in bunches. And I’ll concede he might be a surprise and move up the depth chart with solid performances.

Q: What song will they use for the intro music?

A: I Got A Feeling – Black Eyed Peas is the cheesy option. And we all know the ACC guys are prone to cheesiness.

Maybe Chris Bosh can hook something up – He wants into the music industry, the Raptors want him to stay…hmmmm, let’s just say they should work out a deal.

I don’t really care for most of the arena entertainment during the game, but I think the intro video is an underrated factor in pumping up the crowd.

Q: Which teams will give the Raptors the most trouble in 2008-09?

A: Boston – Garnett is a beast, they’re too quick and deep. Perkins and Rasheed Wallace can cover Bargnani, and the Raps will still struggle to guard Ray Allen and Pierce. Calderon has the potential to be great, but Rondo will give him fits.

Really, any team with a huge frontcourt will be trouble, along with teams that have great scorers… Toronto has yet to prove they can stop those guys.

Q: Will Jarrett Jack play more minutes at point guard or shooting guard in 2009-2010?

A: Point guard – He’ll probably get 16 minutes at point guard each night, with less than 5 minutes behind the deep 2-guard rotation.

Q: What would make this coming season a failure?

A: With a pretty solid roster, anything under .500 seems like a pretty huge failure. Considering the widespread rage directed towards ESPN’s preseason rankings (Raptors 9th), it would suggest the fans also expect nothing less than a playoff appearance.

Bargnani regressing would also make the 2009-2010 season a disappointment. For the Raps to truly become contenders, their former No. 1 pick has to eventually become a star. If Bargnani plays the way he did in the second half last season, that’s huge for Toronto in the long run. His $10-million deal could potentially end up as a nice bargain, despite what many of the critics seem to think.

- DL

With Bryan Colangelo finally finished for the summer (unless the meaningless Marcus Banks deal eventually gets done), we can finally look towards the season. Still, even with a full roster in place, the kind of team we’ll see in Toronto is anybody’s guess. With that in mind, I asked my friend and fellow-fan Paul a whack of questions about the 2009-2010 season. Feel free to disagree with different answers:

Q: Who is the most important player for the success of the 2009-2010 Raptors?

A: Jose Calderon

Q: Which Raptors’ deal is the best value?

A: Rasho Nesterovic

Q: Which player will be a pleasant surprise in 2009-2010?

A: Antoine Wright

Q: Which player will be the biggest disappointment in 2009-2010?

A: Can I say Patrick O’Bryant? No? *pause* Amir Johnson.

Q: Who will be the top 3 scorers in 2009-2010 (in order)?

A: 1. Chris Bosh 2. Andrea Bargnani 3. Hedo Turkoglu

Q: How many minutes and points per game will Demar DeRozan average?

A: 23 mins, 9.5 points

Q: Who will start and backup the 2-guard spot on opening night? At the end of the season?

A: Opening night: Wright starting, DeRozan backing up… End of season: DeRozan starting, Wright backing up

Q: What will the big man rotation look like off the bench on opening night? At the end of the season?

A: Opening night: Rasho first, followed by Reggie Evans, followed by Johnson… End of season: Same

-DL

Pretty interesting news yesterday that Hedo Turkoglu backed out of his deal with Portland to possibly sign with the Raptors.

Now, confirmation from Turk’s agent – From Doug Smith’s blog:

“We just had a nice chat with Lon Babby, Hedo’s agent, and there will be no more shenanigans.

Turk’s coming.

“We’ll be available when (Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo) is ready. We’re hopeful it’s Wednesday but if it pushes over to Thursday, so be it.”

Why does he want to come here?

Well, it’s a great city, Turk likes playing in the Eastern Conference and the deal’s for about $3 million more than the offer from Portland. It should come in at about $53 million but there’s no way of knowing for sure until the cap numbers are released next week.

About the love for the city? Said Babby:

“It’s uniquely suited for him. That’s his background. He’s looking forward to joining the Turkish community there.”

First of all, well done Smith. This is the first place I’ve seen any real confirmation of the deal, and it’s from a reliable source with quotes, so it’s gotta be true.

As for the deal, Smith gave a nice rundown of the pros and cons – I’ll give my opinions alongside in bold:

“Let’s look at some pros:

Another good ball-handler and initiator on the court. This, more than anything, was Toronto greatest weakness last season, and definitely the team’s greatest need. At times the ball handling was so pathetic that fans actually expected Jason Kapono to create and score. Honestly, it’s been so long since the Raps had a player that could score off the dribble (Vince Carter anyone? seriously) that fans will be amazed how much easier points come for Chris Bosh when defenders actually have to worry about someone on the perimeter. Turk is still pretty athletic, very versatile, and can score when the other starters have checked out of the game.

A guy you can give the ball to at the end of the game and say, ‘make a play’ while you stretch the floor with Jose (a very good three-point shooter) in the corner. Much of the same here, and it’s still true. Raps fans generally have this ridiculous notion that it’s fair to ask Bosh to be the closer late in games. As if any other team turns to their power forward (Dirk is the exception) at the end of games. You NEED a slasher from the perimeter if you want to have a chance at winning tight ballgames. Now the Raps do.

Let’s just say – as Jeff Blair first pointed out on a radio show last night – that Bosh leaves (and no, I don’t have any idea if he will). Do you feel more comfortable going forward with Calderon, Bargnani and Turkoglu or Calderon, Bargnani and Marion? A no-brainer over here. Agreed, to an extent. But if Bosh leaves, this signing serves very little purpose, since it creates a “win now,” or at least a “win soon” mentality. Trading Bosh for a few good pieces could be the route, but if the team loses him for nothing, they’re screwed either way.

You can put Hedo and Bargnani in the pick and roll; you could never do that with Shawn. Well yes, since Hedo can shoot. But it’s not like the Raps were short on the pick and roll game before.

Can you make this case: Toronto has the same kind of starting lineup now as the defending Eastern Conference champions? To wit: Calderon as Nelson, only better at many things like, oh, shooting and dishing out assists; Bosh in the Howard role, the guy who rolls to the basket on the high screen and roll, a far more accomplished scorer and while not a defensive intimidator, he’s passable; Bargnani does as much offensively as Lewis (check the stats, they are almost exactly the same); Turkoglu’s Turkoglu and, well, maybe DeMar DeRozan becomes Courtney Lee, which I don’t think is a stretch because now he doesn’t have to do anything offensively except make cuts to the basket, get on the boards and use his athleticism.

Well, here Smith completely ignores the need to play defense.

Look, the point is that Orlando’s roster was better last year than Toronto’s is right now. They also had a one-year younger Turk, and he’ll only be aging now that he’s hit 30. The Raps will have an exciting starting lineup, though, and they’ll score a ton. I just wouldn’t say it’s in Orlando’s class right now.

Let’s look at some cons:

The bench may not be deep. But Ukic this year will be an improvement over Solomon last year; Reggie Evans remains an excellent pickup and, believe me, Bryan’s trying to get something done to get another two and/or three in town. Right now, that’s a concern. There is also a lot of time between now and October. Yep, the bench is thinner than sliced cheese right now. We’ll see what Colangelo does, and fortunately it’s the summer of a recession, and some decent players might be signed for cheap.

Too much money. Turk’s deal is big but they’ve projected the numbers out and it won’t hamper them doing something with Bargnani or Bosh when the time comes. Indeed, it is too much money, but teams almost always overpay for free agents. It’s just the way the league works, and if you want talent, you have to pay for it. It’s worth it if there’s flexibility to continue improving, but if the Raps are stuck below the elite teams for the next 3-4 years, it’s not worth it at all.

Poor defence. Yes, another concern. But with a full training camp to install a system and the presence of Mark Iavaroni, it might not be as bad as you think. As one guy who’s in the gym with them a lot said to me yesterday: “If we work on defence every day, they have to get better.” Don’t buy it – Maybe they can improve a bit, I guess, but it’s hard to teach defence. Evans will help, for sure, but fans should start readying themselves for really high scoring games.

Overall, at the very least, it’s an exciting deal for the Raptors, and it makes the upcoming season a lot more intriguing. Would Marion have fit better on the team? I don’t think so, but trust me, the Raps will desperately miss his rebounding and defence. If everyone stays healthy, it could turn into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. But barring more moves, that’s about it right now. It will be a lot of fun to have a clutch player to pair with Bosh, and Turk will have more than his share of great plays over the next few seasons. But again, it puts pressure on Colangelo to win something of substance soon, or really, what was the point?

-DL

Smith is here.