From my earlier post it may seem like I think Sam Mitchell is the only reason this team has struggled so far this year, but I want to assure you, that’s not the case.

I think Bryan Colangelo needs to bear a chunk of the blame, and of course, the players do too.

Here’s how I break it down: Mitchell: 40%; Colangelo: 35%; Players: 25%.

I covered Mitchell’s part earlier: Team wasn’t prepared for games, no offensive creativity, bad/no playcalling down the stretch, odd substitution patterns, team appeared to be tuning him out.

The players deserve blame, of course, because clearly, they did not come to play every night. And you can lay some of that on Mitchell, for not preparing them, but at some point, as Mitchell said the other day, guys just need to come and play hard without being told to - that’s part of being a professional. And on top of that, you have players not answering their roles on offense (Calderon not turning the corner on screen and roll, Kapono not shooting threes, Moon not driving, O’Neal shooting too many fadeaways) and making dumb mistakes (Solomon leaving his feet to pass, Hump and his running one handers, etc.). They gotta accept responsibility too.

As for the rest, well, that’s gotta be on Colangelo. I talked about it a while ago, how this thin roster was not constructed with enough flexibility to make any moves, so if it stunk, we were essentially stuck with it. Also a problem that in today’s NBA, where the bigger bodies and advanced medical analysis mean more missed games, that it was considered a good idea to run with a 12-man roster.

And it’s been borne out, obviously, that there is a serious deficiency at the wing positions and that there is no one on the bench to help and no moves to be made to bring help in.

Here’s where I think BC’s biggest mistakes came:

1) First of all, letting Carlos Delfino walk away.

Now, I know they couldn’t re-sign him without going over the tax and you can absolutely argue that he’s not enough to go over the tax for. And of course hindsight is 20/20. But comparing him to the other wing players: He slashes more than Moon, Parker and Kapono combined, and although his overall shooting percentage was low (40%), he shot 38% from three and I guarantee that with regular, consistent minutes, he wouldn’t force as many shots.

Furthermore, he can play backup point guard. You could have brought in Roko, left Solomon to rot in Europe, and had Delfino as your third guard. And, he can rebound - 4.4 per game in 23 minutes is an excellent number.

Most important, he was a better defender than Kapono and equal to Moon and Parker last year. And since both of those guys have taken a step back on defense (which couldn’t be predicted, I know) Delfino surely would have been a better option right now.

Most important… he was the only guy on the team last year other than TJ Ford capable of his creating his own shot. Again, not always good shots, but again, with consistent playing time…

Either way, the Raptors now don’t have a single soul who can create, no one who can defend, a crappy backup PG, and a three point shooter who won’t shoot threes. Delfino could have helped out in every case. (The Raptors still hold Delfino’s rights, but by all accounts, his contract is 3 years/$12 million dollars without any out clauses. Meaning he’d have to negotiate a buyout to get out of his deal before 2011. Doesn’t seem likely.)

2) The other mistake, a much larger mistake, was buying out Jorge Garbajosa’s contract.

This was huge for two reasons. Number one, if - and I admit it was a big if - Garbajosa was able to get healthy and play, he could have provided the physical perimeter defender they sorely need. He’s also, as we all know, an incredibly smart basketball player, a good hustle and energy guy, who provides a lot of the “intangibles” the Raps are missing. Again, I don’t know if he’d ever be healthy enough to contribute (I note he’s averaging 9 points and 4 boards in Russia, but that’s a little different from NBA competition) but why not keep him around to see? And surely, another veteran presence around the locker room couldn’t hurt, could it?

But just as important (more important maybe?), he had a $4.3 million expiring contract. Even if he couldn’t play a minute, as we all know in today’s NBA, expiring contacts are like gold at the trading deadline, and having small contracts (relatively speaking) to trade gives you even more flexibility advantages. This is exactly the type of asset we don’t have to trade! Any team looking to dump salary would have looked right here, with $11 million in Garbo, Graham and Parker available, plus Hump and his two years. And you don’t think taking back an expiring or two would make a longer contract like Kapono’s more attractive in a package?

Why in the world Colangelo thought it’d be a good idea to buy out an expiring contract, instead of trying to trade it, is beyond me. Maybe it was outta respect for Garbo, but come on. This is a business. And this was a bad, bad GM move. I mean, seriously. This was like a Rob Babcock move. The Raptors got absolutely nothing out of this, except what, a savings of about a million dollars? Chump change. I’d rather have a trade asset.

So, those two mistakes were huge contributors to the problems the Raptors are having:

• They have no perimeter D - which both could have helped with;
• The bench is too thin - obviously, a couple of veterans never hurts;
• They have minimal trade assets - Garbo’s contract, if not Garbo himself, would be of value;
• The roster is at the minimum, so they can’t do a 2-for-1 trade - again, more bodies, more tradeable assets, means a trade is more likely.

Now, another factor was drafting Nathan Jawai in round 2; I know second round players are absolute crapshoots, but it might have been nice had they chosen a guy who could at least attempt to play. Sigh.

If he’d kept Delfino, kept Garbo, left Will Solomon under whatever rock he was under, drafted a raw 7-footer whose only job would need to be “hack Dwight Howard,” we’d have a 14-man roster with better perimeter defenders, more fouls to give, and some bargaining chips. And BC still could have brought on Hassan Adams to play cheerleader!

Instead we’ve got three good bigs plus Hump, five mediocre swingmen, a good PG backed up by a rookie and a guy who would struggle to make the D-league. Oh, and a 7-footer who hasn’t dressed once.

And next-to-no bargaining power to make a trade.

That, my friends, is all on Colangelo.

Should the roster be producing more wins? It looks like it - it looks like some playcalling and offensive creativity, combined with sustained effort, should have won at least two more games already this year (and avoided struggling in the close games they almost blew). So yes, I do believe - at this point - that a coaching will help.

But if this team continues to flounder under Jay Triano, if Triano puts in some new sets but they still struggle or appear listless, then it’ll be clear - it’s not the coaching, it’s the roster. And BC is going to have a hard time fixing it, because he’s left himself so few options.

Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Jay Triano, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

Well, yesterday was a big day. Big day for the Raptors. Sam Mitchell was fired after an 8-9 start - and let’s be honest, given the poor effort and blown leads, it’s a bad 8-9 start.

Was the timing right? From a PR standpoint, you can’t do much better than firing the coach after one of the worst losses in franchise history, on the west coast, to boot.

In addition, you have to figure that at 8-9, they’re still in the playoff chase - if they can survive this brutal stretch of the schedule - so if you’re going to make a coaching change, better to make it now then when you’re 12-20 and out of the race.

I simply can’t understand the people (Doug Smith, I’m looking at you) that keep saying “it’s too early.” It’s not - the season is slipping away. When does too early become “just right” and not “too late”? It’s a fine line, obviously, but I’d rather make the move too early than too late.

No, 8-9 isn’t bad on paper but look at the games - the blown leads, the poor effort, the lack of execution down the stretch.

Is it all on the coach? Of course not, but it starts there - the coach is the leader and if he can’t get the players to even play hard, then he’s gotta take some blame.

We all know Mitchell is not a great X’s and O’s guy, but it’s always been said that he’s a good motivator, the players respect him and play hard for him, etc.. But that no longer appeared to be the case, at least not this season, am I wrong? I count three zero-effort games: The first Hawks game, the second Celtics game, and Denver. I count two listless games where a few threes kept it respectable: The Lakers game and the second Sixers game. I count three blown leads where the team simply got lazy in the second half: Orlando, Boston, and New Jersey (which was at home, and featured the still-unbelievable twice-botched inbounds play). Then you’ve got the second Miami game that they very nearly blew after leading by 17, and the first Charlotte game that they slept through the entire first half and got down 16 before Bosh single-handedly brought them back to win. And in the second Atlanta game, they played great almost the entire game until the final two minutes when they almost blew a 9-point lead and it took the poor decision making of the Hawks to seal it.

So by my tally, that’s five games with entirely poor efforts, three games where they didn’t play hard for 48 and lost, and two games where they didn’t play hard for 48 and still managed to win, plus one they won despite not executing down the stretch. They’ve only won one game against a +.500 opponent (Atlanta) and aren’t putting even bad teams away with any authority. Also consider the 13-20 finish to last year and the 1-4 playoff run, and that’s a pretty bad stretch, no?

So I don’t think you can you say that Mitchell has them playing hard anymore. And if they’re not playing hard for him, and he’s not going to help them win with X’s and O’s… then what is he bringing to the table? Some fine suits and a lot of excuses, that’s what.

Now. I like Sam, don’t get me wrong, and I am going to miss him. A lot. He was entertaining, enjoyable, a good person and someone who never gave less than his best. He did improve as a coach, greatly, over the years, not just on the floor but also in his management of the team, changing the attitude of the team, dealing with the media, everything. And, up until recently, the Raptors always played hard. Always - just like Sam did.

But something obviously changed and they aren’t playing hard right now.

Going forward, do I really think getting rid of Sam is going to make a big difference? Probably not. As has been said many times many places, even a great coach like Phil Jackson would have trouble teaching Calderon how to stay in front of his man or Moon to stay on his feet on pump fakes. But I think we all feel Sam’s weak X’s and O’s meant the team struggled as much on offense as it did on defense.

If Jay Triano brings a few more plays to the playbook and manages to mix things up a little, the Raptors should, at the very least, manage to score a little more easily. And if you’re not using up all your energy on offense, maybe you’ve got a little more left for defense, no? That’s the hope that I have, at least.

Whether it’s more transition hoops, whether it’s plays that get Kapono, Parker or Calderon more open looks, whether it’s more post-ups for Bargnani when he’s playing smaller 3s… a team with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal and so many shooters on it should not struggle to get open shots. I hope Triano has something up his sleeve to solve that.

I also hope he gives the guys consistent minutes on a consistent basis. Time to stop judging guys on one missed shot or turnover. Either let them play through a good chuck and determine if they can learn from these mistakes or if they’re just bad players.

In my opinion, and in the opinion of many, Sam was never Bryan Colangelo’s guy. The two never saw eye-to-eye; they have distinctly different styles and philosophies, and Bryan, well, I gather Bryan has a bit of an ego and a “I know more basketball than you” air about him, so he probably wanted to bring his own guy in from day one.

But, it didn’t make sense to fire Sam right off the bat, in the last year of his contract, and have to swallow the cash - after all, no one expected the team to be any good in Bryan’s first year. But, it was - good enough to win 47 games and give Sam the Coach of the year Award.

And that, folks, was the worst possible thing that could have happened.

I think Bryan was expected maybe 38 wins and was simply going to let Sam walk at the end of the 2006-2007 season. Thanks for a good year, you did good enough to land another job, we’re going a different route, blah blah blah.. But he simply had to bring Sam back - you can’t let the coach of the year walk away.

And that set Bryan’s plan back. I think he was hoping to bring someone in that offseason - maybe Iavaroni, maybe Messina - but he’d lose face letting the coach of the year walk away. And maybe, like me, he thought Sam would continue to improve and that there was value in the continuity of having one voice.

But, obviously, that improvement never came and it looks like the voice was getting tuned out. The timing, unfortunately for Sam, is right. I applaud this move at this time - it was, I believe, 100 per cent necessary.

I wish Sam the best of luck. I really will miss him. It’s been four years plus a couple months we’ve had Sam as our coach. That’s a long time - longest tenure, and winningest, in Raptors history. He and Chris Bosh were the only remnants from the “old days” - the only people left on the team that coached/played with Vince Carter. And I won’t forget the 47 wins and the division title or the playoff series against the Nets, and I won’t forget being there to see him win coach of the year, and the way he brought all the players out to the court with him. Great moment. All the best to you, Sam, really.

And Jay, well, best of luck to you too! I hope you succeed because it will be great for Canada, but mostly, I hope you succeed so that we can see our beloved Raptors get back on the winning track.

Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Jay Triano, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

I don’t think I need to make my opinion of who the Raptors starters should be any clearer. But now word out of camp is that not only will Jamario Moon (most likely) be the starter at the three, but that Jason Kapono may start ahead of Anthony Parker at the two.Um… what?

Kapono has a hard enough time guarding threes, and most twos are even faster. And Parker is - not that this is saying that much, but it’s true - the best perimeter defender on the team! I don’t see how this helps, at all. In this order, these are your best options:

Parker and Kapono: Decent defense/offense combined with great offense.
Parker and Moon: Decent defense/offense combined with good defense.
Kapono and Moon: Great offense combined with good defense.

Let’s delve a little further into what I said the other day. With Moon out there, you’re basically playing four on five on offense. Yes, some teams get away with that… when you’ve got a Ben Wallace or Dennis Rodman out there. They make up for their lack of scoring skill not just with their defensive presence, but they manage to contribute on the offensive end by setting screens, fighting for rebounds and loose balls, and getting second-chance opportunties with offensive boards. Moon doesn’t do those things; he floats around the perimeter and launches threes. At a .328 clip If you’re going to have someone doing that… why not make it the best three-point shooter in the league, who makes half of his attempts!?

I know it seems like I’m attacking Jamario, and I’m not. He is an above-average defender, he’s a fantastic athlete and he may have worked harder than anyone on the team to get to where he is. But until he learns to stop settling for jump shots and use that long stride and amazing leaping ability to get into the paint and draw fouls, he’s hurting the team on offense.

The value that Moon brings to the defensive end is far outweighed by the value Kapono would bring to the offensive end.

I also don’t buy into the “Kapono brings offense off the bench” argument. Kapono doesn’t create or generate offense - he feeds off of other players, specifically, low-post players and slashers kicking the ball out. (If Moon would drive, this might work, but alas…)

I’d rather have Moon coming off the bench to be a defensive stopper when an opposing player starts getting hot.

Sigh. Well, all I can do is hope that Sam Mitchell was just BS’ing the media when he said that, or that - like the out-of-left-field comment that Bryan Colangelo made about playing Andrea Bargnani at the three! - it was just an abstract thought, training camp speculation, nothing more.

(I also admit that I might be completely off-base and maybe the mix of Jamario defense and Kapono offense is the way to go - I don’t think so, but that’s why they play the games. And if that does turn out to be the case, I will happily admit that I was wrong!)

Tags: Jamario Moon, Jason Kapono, Toronto Raptors

If I had any regular readers, they’d probably be saying, “quit the video game and book BS, talk Raptors!” But there isn’t much to say right now. Our Olympians are getting their much-needed rest, and hopefully the rest of the team is starting to get back into shape, as training camp opens at the end of the month.

Here’s my quick-hit thoughts on each player at the end of summer:

Chris Bosh
Had a great Olympics, showed much-needed aggression on defence that hopefully stays in place, now that he’s got Jermaine O’Neal backing him up. I expect his usual solid offensive play, and I hope that, with O’Neal in there, it’ll ease the load on Bosh a bit and he’ll stay healthy for 80 games.

Jose Calderon
Had a mediocre Olympics, first with the Spanish coach yanking his minutes around and then with the groin injury. He should be fine by the start of the season. So the question will be if he can be the full-time QB of this team. I think he can, he’s a competitive player, he loves to win, and I think he’s the type to step up to a challenge - not the type to take it easy now that he’s got the fat coin.

Jermaine O’Neal
Apparently healthy and motivated, which is exactly what we need, O’Neal should be a major contributor this season. I expect he’ll miss some games, he’ll probably acquire a couple of minor injuries, but as long as he can stay away from the big ones, I think he’ll play 70 games. I’m most looking forward to his efforts on the glass and on defense, but also, I think he’ll be a big bonus on offense - there were too many times over the past couple of years where, if Bosh wasn’t in the game, the Raps had no where to turn to. O’Neal should change that.

Anthony Parker
I expect the vet to have another solid season. We need to get him more open looks - he’s money when he’s got an open shot, not so much when he has to create. He seemed to lose a step on D last year; hopefully with O’Neal and Bosh behind him, he won’t be hung out to dry so much on the perimeter this year.

Jason Kapono
Kapono’s a huge question mark, and it has more to do with Sam Mitchell than anything else. Kapono was disappointing last year, but I pin 99% of that on Mitchell. Can the coach devise any sort of scheme to regularly get Kapono shots? Can he have the patience to leave him in there even when he’s a defensive liability? Does he have the intelligence to recognize when he’s NOT a liability and get him back in there? Kapono can play, there’s no doubt of that. Will Mitchell let him?

Jamario Moon
Nice story last year, no doubt. But athleticism only gets you so far. Again, Mitchell is to blame for this; he left Jamario in through too many awful shooting nights, instead of getting him out of the game and trying to teach him when not to shoot. (He yanks Humphries as soon as Hump takes a bad shot. Why not Moon?). This year, Moon needs to stick to his abilities - slashing and playing D - and he needs to simply move that rock on offense. Unless he’s driving, the ball should NEVER stop with him.

Andrea Bargnani
A colossal disappointment last year, we’ve heard how he’s supposedly working hard this summer (including working out with O’Neal in Vegas). I hope those rumours are true because he needs it. In his first year, his lack of rebounding intensity and his poor footwork were hidden by his wicked shooting touch; he had no shooting touch last year and didn’t improve the other areas. He better have either gotten the touch back or improved his fundamentals, or better yet, both, otherwise he’s officially going to become a bust. I also hope he can accept his official designation as a bench player after starting much of last season.

Joey Graham
Well, what can you say about our man Joey. Possessed of one of the best NBA bodies you’ll ever see, topped off with a brain that is seemingly incapable of grasping the NBA game. I’ve rooted for him all along - he was the guy I wanted them to draft in that spot and I thought he’d be good. Will he finally get it this year? Who knows? I’ve just about given up on him. C’mon, Joey, prove us all wrong… please.

Kris Humphries
He’s got the energy and hustle, but like Graham, loses his had far too often. Unlike Graham, though, I think Hump has actually shown some improvements over the last couple of years. As long as he stays within himself - in other words, don’t force any shots, Hump - he can be a solid contributor to this team.

Roko Ukic
The great unknown. No one’s really seen him play although everyone says he’s a great young talent. He could be the next Jose Calderon or the next Vincenzo Esposito. Let’s hope it’s the former. Either way I’m looking forward to finally seeing him play!

Will Solomon
Transitioning back from Europe, essentially playing the part of the 06-07 Anthony Parker. Solomon’s put up some decent stats in Europe and college and seems possessed of the good all-around game the Raptors need backing up the one and two spots. Can he adjust back to the NBA, especially in a back-up role? It probably won’t be easy for him but I hope he can. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table.

Hassan Adams
Played some decent minutes with the Nets a couple of years ago, hopefully he can bring something to the table in limited minutes. I don’t expect Adams to play too much, though obviously, I hope he does well when he’s in there. Like Solomon I think he’s a solid pick-up by Bryan Colangelo, a good all-around player who can help in more than just one way in the minutes he gets.

Nathan Jawai
OK, he’s probably even more unknown that Ukic. I don’t even think I have any analysis to give you. He’s a project, but hopefully, coming in and practicing against Bosh and O’Neal will help speed his development.

Sam Mitchell
I think if the Raps get off to another slow start Mitchell may be on the hot seat. Look, I like Sam - he can be very entertaining and he’s a good motivator, and as I’ve said many times, I value the continuity of having the same coach in place over the regular hire-fire-hire pattern of the NBA. But he was outcoached far too often last year. It is simply inconceivable to me that we had the best three-point shooter in the NBA barely attempt any threes between Christmas and the playoffs. The substitution patterns at the 2-3 spots were all over the place. Dwight Howard barely went to the foul line in the 4th quarter in the playoffs. Mitchell needs to settle on a rotation and make minute adjustments during games. Not the wholesale “well I think Jason’s got it tonight” or “we need Moon’s defense.” No. Find a rotation and stick with it. These are NBA players, not 12 year olds. Hopefully having a shortened roster does that for him…

Anyway, training camp is less than a month away! Can’t wait.

Tags: Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal, Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors

Before we talk about the Sixers mathcup tonight, let’s discuss the change in the starting lineup that Sam Mitchell announced yesterday: Rasho Nesterovic starting and Andrea Bargnani going back to the bench (a move my friend E predicted yesterday morning!).Sam says it’s designed to help the Raptors get into a good first-quarter groove, and not get stuck trailing early like they have the last three games. Doug Smith of the Star speculates it’s because when Bargnani and Bosh are both on the floor together, they’re taking away from each other’s games; since ideally, they both play best setting the high screen and roll with Ford or Calderon.

It’s hard to disagree, as it’s obvious they are both struggling, and since everything worked so well with Andrea coming off the bench last season. But if this really is the case… isn’t this a serious problem!? Your two best players can’t play together? I think the Raptors need to sort this one out, pronto!

As for the Rasho move, well, again, I can’t disagree that the team needs something to wake it up in the first quarter. And as everyone knows, I’m a huge Rasho fan - I think he deserves more minutes, I think the Raptors need to give him more minutes. As I said to E, yes, he’s overpaid, but he’s also strangely underrated. Can you be both at the same time? I don’t know but I think that if he only made $5 million and played 22 minutes a night, people would be saying he’s a steal!

So, while I’m a huge Andrea fan, and while I think your best players should generally start ballgames… this is probably not a bad move. And look at San Antonio, the way they bring Ginobili off the bench… sometimes you need to have a great offensive player coming off the pine to provide that spark.

Overall, though, I wonder if it’s possible that the Raptors are playing too many guys? I tend to think that you should go eight or nine deep, and that’s it. Basketball is a rhythm game, guys need to play, to get shots, to stay in rhythm. Especially a jump-shooting team like the Raptors. I wonder if it’s time for Sam to shorten the rotation a little? I definitely think he needs a more consistent rotation. This whole “we play the best guys on any given night” thing never works - your best guys are always your best guys, even if they’re having an off night.

Look at Orlando the other night. They had 3 guys play 35+ minutes - Bogans, Lewis, Turkoglu - and Howard played 33 only because of foul trouble.

The Raps had Bosh at 38 and Bargnani at 35 exactly. Kapono - he of the 3-11, 1 rebound, 0 assist, 0 steal night - was inexplicably the only other player over 30 minutes (33).

Maybe Bogans, Lewis and Turkoglu were a little tired at the end, but they were in rhythm, and each knocked down shots down the stretch. Maybe longer, more consistent minutes, with the same guys playing with each other, would raise the comfort level and help Parker, Bargnani, Delfino and Kapono settle down a little.

Here’s how I would break it down:

Bosh 39
Rasho 16
Kapono 27
Parker 32
Ford 28

Bargnani 36
Delfino 28
Calderon 20
Dixon 14
(Total 240)

Maybe you bring Hump in for some of the Bosh/Bargnani/Rasho minutes depending on matchups and foul trouble.

As for the rest: Garbo - much as I love him - isn’t bringing enough to the table; and Joey G, well, what does he do that Delfino doesn’t do? (Oh, right - make stupid mistakes…)

Here’s the main thing - never, ever, EVER - with the exception of bad foul trouble or a blowout - should both Bosh and Bargnani be on the bench at the same time. That’s rule #1. They are the two best offensive options on the team, the offense should always revolve around them. One or the other should ALWAYS be on the floor.

Along the same lines, Kapono and Bargnani shouldn’t both be on the bench at the same time either. Keep a deep threat on the floor at all times. (And if Kapono, Bosh and Bargnani are all on the bench, well…)

I think sometimes the concern as a coach - and definitely as fans- is if a guy misses a shot or two, to replace him with someone else. But sometimes you gotta let guys ride it out. You gotta let guys find their rhythm. You also have to let players play together, to develop that chemistry. And, mostly… you gotta let your best players play. OK, so maybe Bargnani misses a couple shots. The odds of him making a big play, even when he’s struggling, are greater than the odds of Humphries making a big play, even if Hump’s having the game of his life.

So I hope that’s what the Raps do moving forward - keep it to a consistent rotation. Whether Andrea starts or not, hopefully, doesn’t matter - I hope it doesn’t affect his confidence - it’s what you do in the minutes you’re given, right, so as long as he plays well when he’s on the floor, everything should be fine.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

OK, I’m gonna go through and do the typical “grade everyone on the season” thing. Yeah, everyone does it. So what. It’s fun.Let’s start from the top down:

MLSE

I have to give MLSE credit this year; first of all, they shelled out the money for Bryan Colangelo, and second, they didn’t stand in the way of any of the moves BC wanted to make. Peddie and Tanenbaum have, mercifully, stayed behind the scenes. Finally, they have good basketball people - BC, as well as Wayne Embry and Maurizio Gherardini - in place, and they’re actually letting them make the decisions. I realize that I shouldn’t be praising them for something they should just be doing anyway, but this is a step forward for these guys.

Now, they’ve still massively screwed up on the television thing - as I’ve ranted about on numerous occasions - but I hope that the success of this season should give them more options going into next season, and hopefully, they’ll make the right decision this time.
Grade: B

Bryan Colangelo

I have absolutely nothing bad to say here. Every move he made was good, except the Fred Jones signing - and he turned Jones into Juan Dixon, another solid move. But more than just the moves themselves, he’s added a definite sense of credibility to our franchise that was a laughingstock under Rob Babcock. We were a joke before, now we’re respected around the NBA. That’s no easy task.

Furthermore, he’s left the fans with the feeling that success is actually possible. We were getting used to losing, with no end in sight. Now we’ve had success, and BC’s clearly got a plan in place to bring continued success. He’s got the core guys signed long-term, and all the role players have manageable, or tradeable, contracts. There’s no dead wood on the roster. And he’s given us the confidence that any move that gets made, will be a good one - or will be corrected if it isn’t.

This franchise looks damn good moving forward. You sure as heck couldn’t say that 14 months ago.
Grade: A+

Sam Mitchell

I like Sam, I’ve decided. Two years ago, I hated him. Thought he was the worst coach the Raptors ever had and couldn’t coach 10-year olds, let alone NBA players. Add the yelling, the weird stories of fighting in the locker room, the patronizing tone at press conferences… he brought nothing to the table.

Last year, he was handed a terrible roster, one which his own GM said was even worse than the year before. So I let that slide. Even after the 1-15 start. You know what? That team sucked. Red Auerbach couldn’t have coached them to 35 wins. Why not let Sam coach it out and see if he learns anything.

Well, he may not have learned much in the way of Xs and Os but I do believe he’s grown in leaps and bounds in his ability to relate, prepare and motivate his team - all while facing a whole host of additional challenges, incluyding the nine new players, the international players, the new GM, the constant threat of being fired, being a “lame duck,” the 2-8 start. All of it - the Raptors were always prepared, always played hard.

And he made adjustments that worked, and wasn’t afraid to try new things. He gave Bargnani extra playing time after watching him struggle early. He moved Fred Jones into the lineup for MoPete, and moved MoPete out for Garbajosa. He integrated Juan Dixon as a major piece in mid-season! He juggled minutes for two starting-quality point guards.

He coached the team to 47 wins, the Atlantic Division title, and home court in the playoffs. For all those things, he was named coach of the year.

Still, there are questions, many of which arose in the playoff series against New Jersey. His Xs and Os, long suspect, are still an issue - why couldn’t he figure out how to get Chris Bosh the ball in good position for the first four games? Or how to beat the zone? Or how to keep Jason Kidd off the glass? As the series went on, you saw how successful the adjustments he made were. But of course, in the playoffs, you don’t have a lot of time to wait and see how things work, so it was too little too late. And hey, he did draw up a great play on the final possession.

All in all, you can clearly see the improvement Mitchell has made as a coach, in all areas - including talking to the media. Now he’s witty and sarcastic, not a jackass.

He’s a free agent now, and I believe they should bring him back. There, I said it. I’ve thought about it a lot, and that’s my opinion - he has proven his ability to learn on the job and improve, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to get better. The team likes him, and I think continuity and chemistry is important. And besides, the credibility of the franchise is in danger again if we let the coach of the year walk away. I think - unless of course Sam doesn’t want to come back - they need to make him a good offer and not let him get away.
Grade: B+

Chris Bosh

A no-show in the first 5 ¾ games of the playoffs shouldn’t diminish what a great season this guy had. His game continues to evolve and he continues to improve his basketball IQ. His shot selection and passing got better and better as the season went along. His range is solid all the way out to 18 feet, and he even knocked down a couple of threes.

His defense, though, is still lacking. He’s a decent one-on-one defender, but a terrible help defender (although I thought he did a much better job on help in the playoffs - that may be because the guys he was guarding, Moore and Collins, are not offensive threats). Basically 80% of the time, he makes the wrong decision on when to leave his man and help, and when to stay. Hopefully this instinct will improve with time.

As for rebounding, he averaged 10+ which is a great number. But, he had definite trouble blocking out smaller and slower players, leading to many instances of me yelling “Box out, Chris!!” at the TV. No, I’m not normal.

Anyway, this is another skill/instinct that I hope and suspect will improve over the next couple of years. He’s improved in every way across the board in his first four years, I’m sure we’ll continue to see improvement going forward.
Grade: A

TJ Ford

Solid first year as a Raptor. Would I like to see the turnovers down? Yes. Better body control going to the rim? Yes. Better decisions overall? Yes.

So, he’s not perfect. But he’s got some good qualities - his blazing speed, court vision and awareness (by awareness, I mean, he’s very good at knowing where the ball is, and where his man is on defense - very rarely do you see him beaten without the ball), and his shooting - well, that deserves its own paragraph.

TJ’s jump shot was great this year. I have not one single complaint about it. How can I not complain about a PG shooting 43% you ask? Here’s why - I honestly believe it’s all the missed layups and off-balance runners in the lane that are dropping that percentage. I honestly have 100 times more confidence in him shooting a 15 footer than I do when he drives through traffic. He’s a weak finisher around the rim, that’s all there is to say. Whether it’s because he’s so small or so fast or whatever - he needs to improve that. I swear he’d be shooting 48% if he could hit a layup.

Defensively, he was better than I expected in terms of guarding guys one on one on the perimeter. Still not great, but he knows how to use his speed on defense.

Unfortunately, his small size is still an issue when faced with bigger guards like Jason Kidd - they can post him up and beat him for rebounds - or when he’s caught on a switch.

Overall, I’m happy with TJ’s play (and the trade that brought him here) and I hope he settles down and becomes the rock solid point guard I believe he can be.
Grade: B

Andrea Bargnani

What a season for the rookie - he developed far faster than I expected. I thought it would take a year or two for him to get into the flow of things, but he grew month after month after month. And it wasn’t just offense, though that of course is the most noticeable thing. But his defense and positioning improved. His rebounding improved. Heck, even his shot blocking!

And man, can this kid shoot. He has a super quick release, and his range seems limitless. His floor game still needs a little work, sure, but that’ll come. I’ve never seen a rookie with his potential in a Raptors uniform - since Vince.

Now, I’ll grant it’s still early in the guy’s career and there’s always a chance he’s already peaked - but I highly, highly doubt that. This guy is going to be good.
Grade: A

Anthony Parker

What a pickup this was - an absolute steal, getting Parker from Israel. I’d say that next to Bosh this guy was the most important guy on the team this year. Just look at what happened to the Raps when he was hurt! He had a slow start, re-adjusting to the NBA, but once he hit his stride, wow. He can score in a bunch of different ways, he can defend 2s and 3s, he can handle the ball… and his 3-pt shooting from the corner is automatic. And his basketball IQ is off the charts - I feel like I could count the number of mistakes the guy made from January through May on one hand.

Basically, this a guy you don’t build around, this is the guy you use to shore up your foundation and make it solid - he does everything well and never does anything to hurt the team. I’m thrilled we have him for two more years at about 3 mil a year - total bargain.
Grade: A

Jorge Garbajosa

Garbo had a bit of an up and down year. He never really found his shooting stroke for any extended period of time, yet he almost always found a way to contribute when on the floor. He played solid defense and made all kinds of hustle plays, and like Parker, is just a smart ballplayer.

His limited athleticism kept him from getting too many rebounds though, which was a weak spot for the team all year. And there were games I didn’t think he’d ever hit another shot.

Still, even if he was having an awful season - which he certainly wasn’t - no one deserves the kind of injury he suffered against Boston. Most gruesome injury ever in a Raptors uniform.

I hope he can come back strong next year - it was obvious in New Jersey that the Raptors needed a solid body to clog up the paint, one who doesn’t make too many mistakes or panic when the other team goes on a run, and that’s Garbo. Of course, when he comes back, if he wouldn’t mind bringing his jump shot too….
Grade: B

Jose Calderon

The best backup point guard in the NBA, Jose could probably start on 20 other teams (and you’ll find no shortage of observers saying he should start on this team). Amazing to think that last year, as a rookie, the story was “decent backup, can’t shoot the ball.”

Well, this year he shot .521. That would second among point guards, behind Steve Nash’s .532, and a 100th of a point ahead of Tony Parker’s .520. Yeah, that’s some pretty good company there! Granted, he only shot the ball 7 times a game, but still, he scored 8.7 per. Add to that five assists and only 1.4 turnovers in 21 minutes per game - this is a guy who could be making a lot of money when his contract expires after next year.

He’ll never make an all-defensive team and could probably haul in another rebound or two per game at his size, but overall, he is, in my opinion, one of the most important players the Raptors have, and have ever had - you just can’t describe how important it is to have a quality backup point guard. Most teams suffer a huge drop-off when their starter goes out for a rest (look at the Nets!), but not the Raptors. Jose is the new Bobby Jackson.
Grade: A+

Morris Peterson

The longest serving Raptor has probably played his last game in Raptor Red (or purple). Frankly, this is a goddamn shame, as not only is Morris a class guy, but I still don’t see why he’s not the answer for this team’s biggest need - athletic swingman who can slash, score, hit threes and defend 2s and 3s. I guess he could be a little bigger, but otherwise… he still seems like the man, to me.

Unfortunately, the decision isn’t up to me and as such MoPete is 99% gone.

Obviously, any grade I give Mo based on this season should be a little low. After all, all of his numbers were down and he was pretty inconsistent. But I still blame some of it on the coaching staff, for demoting him from starting when he was playing well, for Fred Jones who wasn’t; for giving him wildly inconsistent minutes all year long, then benching him again after he got a start and struggled a little, when Garbo went down. Mo proved it last year - give him consistent minutes, he gives you consistent numbers.

He redeemed himself in the last two playoff games, though - he gave the effort and intensity that the team needed. I was so happy to see his final two games as a Raptor were his best of the year: 13 PPG on 9-13 FGs (3-3 from downtown); 5-6 FTs; 6.5 RPG; and 10 total fouls (because you gotta play with an edge in the playoffs) - in 45 minutes per game. 45 minutes!

And those are just the numbers - they don’t tell you about the defense he played, the charges he took, the hustle plays he made - and they don’t tell you how much he fired up the home crowd in game five. I’ll tell you right now: They wouldn’t have even had a chance to win either game without MoPete.

Based on those two games and his tenure as a Raptor as a whole, Morris Peterson deserves an A. And he’s getting one.

And I’m getting choked up… I’m serious, it’ll be a sad, sad day when Morris signs with someone else.
Grade: A

Rasho Nesterovic

The Raps highest paid player this year did exactly what he was supposed to - clog the lane, guard any real true centers, get rebounds, and knock down the open shot when presented with it. He doesn’t put up great numbers or do anything amazing or spectacular on the court - but he knows his role, does his job, and does it well. 6 points on 54% shooting, 4.5 boards and 1 block in 21 minutes a game, with solid defense on most bigs (he manhandled Dwight Howard when Bosh couldn’t handle him!). You can’t ask for anything more.

He’s also a quiet locker room leader and veteran presence on this young team - the only guy with any real post-season experience going into the playoffs. He’s also known as the locker room joker and every team needs one of those. People may scoff at his big contract - yes, he is overpaid - but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a very important part of this team.
Grade: B+

Joey Graham

The great mystery. No one knows what you’re gonna get from Joey on any given night, as evidenced by his great play down the stretch of the regular season and his disappearing act in the playoffs. I’d say that his subpar work in the postseason may have shown him the door, but who’s gonna want him?

He’s an incredible athlete, with the perfect basketball body, but unfortunately, has absolutely zero basketball IQ. He’s like the reverse Garbo.
Grade: C-

Kris Humphries

Hump had an OK rookie season. He seemed to struggle accepting his role at times - that of hustle and rebound guy - and tried to involve himself too much in the offense. But when he did the things we needed him to - get boards and make the energy plays - he definitely helped the team win.

He also played great down the stretch with Garbo out; unfortunately, like Joey, he kinda disapperared in the playoffs.

If he can accept his role, maybe shed a couple pounds and get a bit quicker, I think he’ll be a solid rotation player next year.
Grade: B-

Juan Dixon

Juan came over for Fred Jones in an inspired Colangelo move and stepped right into the offense - and he was great. But we knew he was a streaky shooter, and one of his cold slumps unfortunately coincided with the end of the season and playoffs. In his defense, he was battling a sore wrist, and not using it as an excuse.

Overall, I’m happy to have him on the team - it’s always good to have a microwave-like scorer on the bench.
Grade: B

Darrick Martin

More coach than player, Martin didn’t do much on the floor this year except jack up the occasional three - including the one keeping the Raptors dubious record of “games with a three pointer” streak alive.

As we all know, Martins’ role is more of a coach than anything, and in that respect, I think he’s a valuable member of the team. Particularly with TJ and Jose. I have no doubt that he helped them develop this season, and I’d be happy to have him back next year, though preferably as an actual coach so we can free up the roster spot.
Grade: B

Pape Sow

Didn’t get a chance to do much, after coming back from the horrible neck injury he suffered in the summer. As much as I like the guy, and appreciate his story, coming over from Senegal… I just don’t think he’s ever going to develop into an NBA player. I think the Raps need to cut ties with him at this point, let him work on his game in the D-League and see if anyone gives him a shot.

No disrespect to ya, Pape. I love ya. But it’s time to move on.
Grade: C

Uros Slokar

Unlike Pape, it seems like there’s still a lot of potential here with Uros. He showed some of it in the Detroit game, and I’d like to keep him around one more year and see what we’ve got. Hopefully, some international and summer league play this year will do him good and he’ll get a chance to prove himself next year.
Grade: Incomplete

Luke Jackson

Signed for next to nothing in the final days of the season, Jackson’s a classic “why not take a chance and see what this guy’s got” pickup. A former lottery pick who’s battled injuries, Jackson showed some flashes in his brief time with the Raps; he’s got a good outside shot and can put the ball on the floor, and he appears to be another high-IQ, knows-where-to-pass the ball type of guy. Hopefully, next year, with a training camp and pre-season games, he’ll learn the offense and tendencies of his teammates even more and be able to contribute.

Unfortunately, he can’t guard a tree, so he’s gonna have to work on the defensive side of his game too if he wants to get more than scrub minutes.
Grade: Incomplete

The 2006-2007 Toronto Raptors

As I’ve said previously, this team exceeded every expectation anyone had for them this year. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had following the Raptors - you never knew what was going to happen next, and besides, they’re all a bunch of quality guys who care about each other, about the team, and about winning.

They share the ball. They always give 100%. They work together. They have the scrappy personality of the coach.

They provided some thrilling moments and amazing games.

They won 47 games, the Atlantic Division and third place in the eastern conference. Unfortunately they came up against a tough, playoff-tested opponent in the first round, but hopefully, going home early left them hungry.

I would give them an A+ - they deserve it - but that would mean there’s no room for improvement next year, when of course there is. They need to improve the defense and rebounding. They should finally crack that 47-win team record and win the Atlantic again. And they should get out of the first round of the playoffs.

All these things and more are possible. And I can’t wait for it to begin.

Overall team grade: A

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Sam Mitchell, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors