Well, those were a couple of disappointing losses. I know it’s early and I’m not panicking or anything. But, as others have said all around the web, there are always going to be losses, sometimes in games you should win, and you accept that. But poor effort is much, much harder to accept.

We all knew coming in that this team was not going to be a defensive juggernaut. We knew they’d struggle on the glass. But man… I don’t think anyone expected the Raptors to make THAT many mistakes on the defensive end. Why are we sending double-teams from the strong side? Why aren’t helpers rotating? Why can’t we box out? Why are going under screens on shooters? Why didn’t we adjust the “protect the house” strategy against Orlando, a team with only one inside threat (Howard) and four 3-point shooters? Anyone with a wit of basketball sense knew that wasn’t going to work, yet there we are, four Raptors collapsing into the paint when such offensive juggernauts as Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass get the ball on the block.

Offensively, you can see this team is still gelling. We all expected that, and despite that, they’re still scoring in bunches. But defensively, what is the excuse? There is absolutely none. ESPECIALLY for the rebounding. When Zach Randolph took a 15-footer, beat FOUR Raptors to the offensive rebound and laid it in, I nearly turned off the TV I was so disgusted.

The effort was better in the second half against Orlando (other than Calderon’s retarded insistence at going under screens) and we just have to hope and pray that that was a sign things are moving in the right direction.

Individual thoughts…

Bosh – hey, he’s been fantastic. No complaints. But if his teammates don’t start backing him up, he’s not gonna wanna wait till summer to leave.

Bargnani – not sure what happened in the Memphis game or the first half against Orlando; also not sure why the rest of the team seemed to go away from him in the fourth Q of the Orlando game when he was burning up the nets. Defensively, well, he’s been OK in man-to-man down low, but he didn’t step out fast enough on several three-point rotations against Orlando, and as usual, his rebounding his been atrocious. It’s not that he doesn’t get enough (which he doesn’t), it’s just that he never bodies anyone on the other team up to prevent them from getting the board. Turn around, stick out your ass and spread your arms wide, man.

Calderon – needs to find his shooting stroke. I can overlook his defensive deficiencies when he’s playing well on the other end, but he’s stinking it up two ways so far.

Turkoglu – much like Bargnani, he was on fire in the second half against Orlando but didn’t get enough looks. As alluded to above, the offense is still getting in sync, but it shouldn’t be hard to recognize a hot hand.

DeRozan – exactly what I expected from the rookie so far. Occasional good shots/drives, occasional mistakes on defense, occasional spectacular play. Happy with what I’ve seen.

Jack – has been fine defensively, but hasn’t found his groove offensively. I wouldn’t be too worried about him if Calderon were playing better, but when both of them are bricklayers on offense, it hurts. Especially when Triano plays them both at the same time, which I don’t understand. Why not get Bellinelli in there some more? Why not let Turk run the offense more? There are too many ballhandling options to keep going with the two PGs, when it very clearly is not working.

Rasho – he’s been solid, and I love the guy, but I do look forward to Reggie Evans taking some of his minutes. I believe Evans is faster, more aggressive, will get to a couple more balls that Rasho just can’t. not a knock on Rasho – he’s done everything expected – but we need the different look Evans can provide.

Wright – has been great on defense, and has hit a couple big shots, but has occasionally forced his offense a little more than I’d like. I don’t mind rewarding guys who give great efforts on D with some shots, I just wish they were slightly better shots.

Bellinelli – Why so few minutes? He was great against Cleveland, solid in limited minutes against Memphis, and pine-riding against the Magic. Even though he matched up well with their guard-heavy rotation, is (supposedly) a decent defender and even though Calderon and Jack were having a shared bowel movement on the floor. He should be playing more.

Triano – needs to call more timely timeouts when teams make runs. Don’t wait for the TV timeout – especially in the first half. Jay, you don’t get to carry those timeouts over to the second half, man. Also, put the ball in Turkoglu’s hands more in the fourth. That’s what we brought him here for, after all.

Well. I’m disappointed but not upset. If, after 10 games, we’re still seeing the same mistakes, then I’ll be upset. I just want to see a little more effort on D and the boards, especially early in games. Let’s go, Raptors.

Ah, so many memories of classic Raptors-Grizzlies matchups of the past! Um, or not. Sigh. I gotta say that, in the 15 years these two teams have been in the league, one playoff series win between them is pretty Goddamn pathetic. What’s even more pathetic? The Raptors have a losing record (13-14) against the Grizz in those 15 years. Ugh.

Still, at least the Raptors have been actively trying to improve their team the past couple of seasons while the Grizzlies continue to get worse and worse. There’s hope in Toronto… there’s acute indifference in Memphis.

I can’t see any way the Raptors lose this game – unless they’ve all gotten so impressed with themselves after beating Cleveland that they take the Grizzlies lightly and don’t show up. That’s a distinct possibility for a team that has a long history of playing down to their opponents. The two teams split their two meetings last year, with each winning at home.

And, hey. They do have a few offensive pieces. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are the type of big bodies that have troubled the Raps in the past, and OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay are the type of high-scoring wing players that have given the team fits. And of course, Allen Iverson has had some of his best games against the Raptors – although as I write this he’s still questionable with a hamstring issue (though he, of course, says he’s ready to go).

But after that… I mean, I barely recognize the names on the Grizz bench. Depth isn’t their strong suit. And none of the above are noted defensive specialists. And, hey… this isn’t the same old Raptors team. They’ve got frontcourt depth and bulk, even without Reggie Evans, and Jarret Jack, DeMar DeRozan and Antoine Wright add some defensive chops to the backcourt.

Like I say. There shouldn’t be any possible way for the Raptors to lose this game. On the other hand, this is the Raptors so I never take anything for granted…. But…. There’s no way they lose this one. If they can keep the Memphis bigs off the boards, and limit the open looks for the guards, this one should be a walk in the park. Right? Raptors by 12.

One thing to note here… this will be the first Raptors game Rogers customers get to see on TSN2, which we did not have last year – as you all know. I’m still so angry over last year’s fiasco and the general state of awfulness that surrounds the Raptors on TV that I will not be thanking anyone for allowing me to watch Raptors games on FIVE networks yet again. What a joke Raptors television production and broadcasting is. Was anyone else shocked by how awful the first game broadcast was? No, me neither. We saw at least two instances of cameras showing the sidelines or replays WHILE GAME ACTION WAS GOING ON, which has been happening for years. It’s shocking to me that this most basic principle of sports broadcasting – PEOPLE TUNE IN TO WATCH THE GAMES! – is constantly fucked up. We were subjected to ongoing audio and video problems. And for some unfathomable reason, rather than showing us viewers the introductory video that was played on the jumbotron, we were shown… people playing instruments. Um, what the fuck was that!? You really think that instead of showing the video that’s designed to get people pumped up for Raptors basketball, it was a better idea to show old people playing classical instruments? Do these people have a fucking clue? Sheesh.

Well, that was a nice win. Not without its ups and downs, but it’s always nice to win your first game, at home, against a good team.

Of course, I thought the Raptors were gonna blow it in the second half and the refs sure didn’t help, but they toughed it out. A 21-point lead evaporated midway through the third quarter, but after settling for jumper after jumper the Raps finally settled down, rebuilt a 7-point lead by the end of third and built on it in the fourth. The Cavs kept it close down the stretch before Jose Calderon sealed it on his only bucket of the night, and and-1 layup with less than a minute to go.

Biggest thing to note on the box score is the Cavs’ 35% shooting. I don’t want to say the defense was great, since the Cavs were on the second night of a back-to-back (and hey, they let the Cavs score 32 in the third), but it was definitely a better effort than they gave at any time last year. Other than a raft of open threes in the third and the occasional slow rotation, the defense was generally where it needed to be.

Offensively, during the second quarter the draw-and-kick was working really well, and the pick-and-roll worked well, and the high-low with Bosh and Bargnani worked well. But way too much settling for Js in the second half – in the third, I don’t think they pick-and-rolled once! Still. It appears there are plenty of scorers on this team, and I liked the way Jay mixed in the starters and subs ensuring there was always some firepower on the floor.

And while the rebounds were ultimately pretty even (Cavs won the battle 49-48) the 13 offensive boards the Cavs pulled down are disappointingly familiar. I know it’s expected that a team that misses 65% of their shots has more opportunities to get offensive boards, but nevertheless, there were a few that the Cavs simply outworked the Raps on.

I have to say, I hate watching the Cavs. Honestly, there is nothing at all enjoyable about watching LeBron barrel to the hoop and get foul calls as soon as he’s breathed on (that offensive foul call on Bosh was just unbelievable. I half-expected people to start throwing beers on the court – and frankly I would have encouraged it). But seriously, that’s their go-to offense? Didn’t they learn from the Orlando series that they need a few more options? I mean in the third they went small and started swinging the ball on the perimeter, and got back into the game… but then it was back to LeBron-on-five. Bo-ring.

Other thoughts…

Bargnani was amazing. I know we won’t see that every night, but he looked so smooth on everything he did. Some awful foul calls “limited” him too… but inside, outside, mid-range, solid D, 28 points on 15 shots in less than 30 minutes. Only five boards (and he got seriously outplayed on a couple that he should have had) but I think we’re just going to have to accept that that’s who he is.

Bosh was OK. Still with that awful habit of standing there thinking about it, then settling for fade-aways instead of using his quickness. When he catches it and goes, no big man outside of KG has the quickness to stay with him… still, the 16 boards were nice, and he, Bargnani and Rasho outscored/outrebounded Shaq, Z and Varejao 48/23 to 26/14.

Calderon: Actually got out and ran on the break! So used to seeing him take it slow, it was nice to see. Last year I got annoyed that he didn’t shoot/score enough, maybe this year he won’t have to. Though I couldn’t believe he missed two free throws!

Turk: Wanted him to have the ball a little more in the fourth, given his “clutchness,” but ultimately it didn’t matter. He didn’t have a great game, stats-wise, but overall I liked what I saw from him. He moves well, knows where he should be and where the ball should go. The “high basketball IQ” we heard about all summer is evident. And he managed to stay in front of LeBron when called upon.

DeRozan: Really liked what I saw from the rookie. LOVED that he blocked Shaq’s shot, and buried the jumper on LeBron… good confidence builders. Got lost on D a couple times, but that’s to be expected. Great start for the kid. Didn’t try to do too much, and performed when needed.

Bellinelli: Surprisingly effective! Wasn’t expecting that, to be honest. He’s like the anti-Kapono - he can actually handle the ball when he puts it on the floor, and he’s not afraid to jack it when he’s open.

Jack: Only real disappointment on the night. Missed way too many shots, and lost his man on D too many times. Then pulled the Anthony Parker “make one of two free throws when we really need both” routine at the end…

Wright: Didn’t particularly think that 3 he took in the fourth was a good shot, but hey. It went in. What’d he take, 3 charges? That’s about as many as the whole team took last year. Picked up 5 fouls but at least one of them was a bad call; he certainly gave 100 per cent on the defensive end. If he can develop the three as a weapon he should have a good future in the league.

Overall, nice to see a win against a quality opponent, nice to see them weather a run and hang on. Overall it’s just great to have basketball back again (well, other than the same old brutally bad officiating. Sigh. Some things never change…).

Well, training “officially” opens today on the Raptors 2009-2010 season. I’m excited. Are you excited? I’m excited.

It’s a very different Raptors team, as we all know. If you want to see these guys’ stats, who they are what they’ve done, etc., there’s plenty of that info on the Web - I’m just gonna throw out some general thoughts on the team, because, well, I have thoughts and I have to put them somewhere.

On Chris Bosh: Huge disappointment that he’s missing the start of camp with a hamstring injury. It’s not so much the “training” portion I’m worried about - I’m confident he’s in good enough shape - but it’s working with his teammates. Nine new faces, and none of them get to practice with the team’s best player for their first two weeks with the Raptors? That is a huge blow. This isn’t San Antonio where you’re three best guys have been together forever and everyone else revolves around them. This team has no identity right now, and it won’t have one for as long as Bosh isn’t practicing with his teammates.

On Andrea Bargnani: I think the $50 million contact extension was… a little much. That’s a lot of money - and a long time (five years) - based on 1.5 years of solid play (his rookie year and the second half of last year, and 1.5 years of brutally awful play (everything in between). Yes, I know it’s a bargain if second half Andrea is what we get from here on. But that is one VERY large “IF.”

Don’t get me wrong, I hope he does prove to be worth it. Obviously I want the guy to succeed, and I’d much rather it happen here, than he goes elsewhere and develops. But five more years after this one…

On the starting 2-guard: So this is the only spot up for grabs coming in to camp. Some think DeMar Derozan is a lock; others think it should be Antoine Wright; still others, Jarret Jack.

Personally, I think giving it to Wright makes for the best overall starting lineup, but I’m OK with Derozan in there, for the most part (and Jack should not even be in the discussion; I want him backing Jose). I like that there will be little pressure on DeMar on the offensive end, what with four other scorers out there. He won’t need to do too much, and he’ll get a good feel for the game playing with his team’s best, against the other team’s best.

But, on the other hand, those four scorers are terrible defenders. And he’ll be playing against a lot of top-teir two-guards. He might get overwhelmed, and then painted as a scapegoat, when the Raps can’t stop anyone. Meanwhile Wright is probably the best defender on the team.

Really, this is the first test for the coaching staff: who makes the best starter? I’ll leave it up to them to decide, but I hope they make the right call.

On Hedo Turkoglu: Comes in a little banged up from his international play, but I’m not too worried about that; it’s not like he relies on his athleticism. I’m a little concerned about the lack of PT with Bosh, as mentioned; after playing with low-post threat Dwight Howard for three years, it’s going to be a huge adjustment for him to play pick-n-roll with two guys in Bosh and Bargnani who are allergic to the “roll” part of the equation. It’s something the staff needs to train Bosh and Bargnani to do more of, even if they don’t want the ball in that situation, because it keeps the defense honest. The pick-n-roll is useless if the defender know the picker isn’t going anywhere.

That aside, I’m obviously looking forward to seeing a guy in a Raptors uniform who actually knows what to do with the ball when the clock goes under 10 seconds. Thank God, we never have to see Chris Bosh iso’ed with the ball and the clock winding down again! (And if we do, I promise you I will be calling for Triano’s head the very next day.) That’s why we brought Hedo here. Chris Bosh should never, ever be anything more than a rebounder in those situations. You hear me, Jay? NEVER. EVER.

On Jose Calderon: Big year for Jose. He’s never had as many weapons around him, and he should be healthy after not playing internationally this summer. He’s still one of the best value-for-dollar players in the league… but there’s still the feeling that he could be even better. Probably not gonna happen at age 28; most players have reached their potential and plateaued by then (and please, no Steve Nash comparisons).

One good thing is that, with Turkoglu and potentially DeRozan around to score, not to mention Bosh and a hopefully consistent Andrea, my biggest complaint against Jose - that he’s not aggressive/doesn’t look to score enough - should be nullified. Last year, given Bosh’s struggles after December and lack of trust in Bargnani, I felt Jose was the team’s best offensive option - but he didn’t shoot enough; this year, there should be plenty of options.

And you read that right, my biggest concern was Jose’s offence, not his defense. Yep, Jose sucks on D. Deal with it - it is what it is.

On Marco Belinelli: Totally have no idea what to expect from this guy. Seems to have lots of offensive potential, seems to have a rep as a poor work ethic guy… but honestly, I have no idea if those are accurate. He’s never gotten consistent minutes. Maybe he’s our best bench player… maybe he can’t even crack the 10-man rotation? I don’t know. But we gave up nothing (Devean George) for him so anything we get from him will be a bonus.

On Reggie Evans: Might only play a few minutes a game, but Bryan Colangelo told The Star that he’s already upped the intensity level of “informal” practices. Hooray for that. Hopefully it translates into games because the Raptors have been shockingly lackadaisical when it comes to getting after boards and loose balls over the past two years.

All right, that’s it for today, we’ll be back with more throughout camp!

Well, the hits just keep on coming. After last week’s monster moves, Colangelo continued working on the weekend, signing Jarrett Jack to an offer sheet. The Raptors also lost one of their all-time good guys when free agent Anthony Parker officially signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now, the Jarrett Jack “signing” is only an offer sheet - since he is a restricted free agent, Indiana has until next week to match the offer and retain him. However, it’s presumed they won’t because doing so would put them over (or at least near) the tax level. No firm details of the offer have been released, but it’s believed to be in the four years, $20 million range.

I’ve liked Jack since he first came into the league; in fact, I was hoping the Raptors would find a way to draft him in 2005. He’s big for a PG at 6′3″ and 200 pounds, and he can play the two as well. He’s a solid defender, a decent shooter at 45%, he’s shown he’s comfortable starting or coming off the bench, and he’s coming off a career year (highs in points, rebounds, assists and 3-pt FG%). He’s a versatile player who should fit perfectly on this newly-constructed Raptors team.

Nevertheless… one could argue that $20 million over four years is a little much for a sixth- or seventh-man. Especially since, as far as I can tell, there were no bidding wars going on for his services. I can’t help but think a three-year deal for $12 or $14 million might have made a little more sense…

Still, we all know Bryan Colangelo is a guy that simply goes after what he wants. He wants Jack - and he intends to get him.

Unfortunately for us in the blogosphere, we now have to wait for Indiana to either renounce Jack or simply wait for the seven days to pass without matching the offer. They’ll surely do the latter. Which means the Raptors won’t make any other moves in that time frame, including signing Carlos Delfino or Rasho Nesterovic, because they need to know for sure where there finances stand. So it should be an uneventful week.

But one event can’t pass by without some acknowledgement. The Cavaliers officially unveiled their newest acquisition yesterday, free agent Anthony Parker. The multiple-Euroleague-MVP award winner joined the Raptors in Colangelo’s first summer on the job, and was a huge contributor in the Raptors 47-35, Atlantic Champion 2006-2007 season. Over the past three years he hit a number of clutch shots (I remember a falling, lunging banked-in three pointer from the top to seal a win against Detroit late in the 06-07 season, and who could forget the tip-toe-corner three he nailed to tie the game against New Jersey last year - one play before Vince Carter won it on the dunk at the buzzer?) and provided steady, generally mistake-free basketball. He was a deadly three-point shooter from the corners and had a penchant for making that incredibly difficult fade-away jumpers.

Unfortunately, he lost a step in the last year, and it showed; he was our best perimeter defender for two years but last year, was just another pylon in our porous defense. He also had a habit of going 1-2 at the line in clutch FT situations. But he was asked to do more than he should have been for a completely undermanned and underwhelming team last year.

In Cleveland, where he can settle into a role as a shooter and big guard alongside LeBron James, he should have a great year. I expect his role in terms of actual stats will go down, but he’ll play a big role in the overall complexion of that team, in terms of providing relief for James, clutch shooting, steady ball-handling, and as a bigger guard to match up with Orlando and Boston (as opposed to the under-sized West-Williams backcourt).

I wish him luck and look forward to Raptors fans giving him a big round of applause when he returns.

Wow. It’s done. According to Doug Smith, the league has approved the deal, with one small change - Nate Jawai is now going to Dallas, and Memphis gets a second round Raptors pick in 2016. Quincy Douby will stay here for now.

Hedo Turkoglu will officially be announced as a Raptor at 4pm this afternoon, at which time I’m sure BC will deliver the rest of the details. But as it now stands, it looks like the Raps roster fills out like so…

1. Chris Bosh
2. Andrea Bargnani
3. Jose Calderon
4. Hedo Turkoglu
5. DeMar DeRozan
6. Reggie Evans
7. Antoine Wright
8. Devean George
9. Roko Ukic
10. Quincy Douby
11. Patrick O’Bryant
12. Marcus Banks

Still in flux are Joey Graham and Carlos Delfino; as far as I know, they have not been “renounced” and can still be resigned with their bird rights by the Raptors.

Anthony Parker has not been renounced, but appears to be on the verge of signing in Cleveland.

I’m not sure of the status of Pops Mensah-Bonsu, but I think he is renounced, as is Jake Voskuhl.

As you can see, the Raps have a 12-man roster and, thanks to this deal, can re-sign Graham or Delfino, can add a free agent via the mid-level exception, and can add a second free-agent via the bi-annual exception. They can also add as many veterans-minimum deals as they need.

My initial research indicates that this 12-man Raptor squad comprises just over $57 million - in other words, pretty much right in line with the salary cap.

But what that really means is they are $12 million below the tax threshold - and as they’ve shown, they’re not afraid to use that money.

Let’s say they sign Carlos Delfino for $5 million a year over four years. They can use the some or all of mid-level exception ($5.9 million) on a second player (Matt Barnes? Ramon Sessions?) and the rest, or the bi-annual exception, on another (Rasho?). Bingo, you’re up to 15 players. Of course, they may stick with 14, and try and save a little coin for next year. But the flexibility this deal provides is amazing.

It also provides some small flexibility for next year, since Wright and George will be FAs.

Basically, this sets the Raps up in great shape for this upcoming season, provided that Colangelo uses the remaining money on valuable players. If he gets a 2-3 and a backup 5, this might be the best, most balanced Raptors roster ever assembled. I can’t wait to see what further moves come down the pipeline.

More as it happens…

Quick Update: At Hedo’s presser, BC confirmed there were “more roster moves on the horizon.” Can’t wait…

Well well. Looks like the Golden Child might finally be doing something right! A four team trade with Toronto, Dallas, Memphis and Orlando that brings in Hedo Turkoglu, Devean George, Antoine Wright, preserves the MLE and biannual exceptions, and means we don’t have to renounce Carlos Delfino’s rights. And all we give up is Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries and Quincy Douby.

This is apparently the confirmed deal, pending league approval (sometime today). I’m not going to get it into it too much until it’s official - I’m scared shitless Orlando will back out - but if it stands, I’m a happy Raptors fan.

I won’t call it a “masterstroke” as Doug Smith has until I see what, if anything, Colangelo does with the exceptions and Delfino. But at this point - it’s looking like a fantastic move.

Well then. Now that the most hated ex-Raptor is in Orlando and (arguably) Orlando’s MVP of the past two seasons is in Toronto, is it possible Orlando will replace New Jersey is our arch-rival du jour??

We can hope. Though I somehow doubt the Magic fans will have the same disdain for Hedo Turkoglu that Raptors fans have for Vince Carter, since even the most casual of fan can see losing Hedo is strictly a financial decision…

On the other hand, it looks like Hedo and the Raps haven’t made any new fans in Portland…!

But seriously, this is a pretty big coup for the Raptors. Hedo was arguably the biggest unrestricted free agent available this year; he might just be the biggest free agent signing the Raptors have ever made. And, although he isn’t the super-athletic wing we need, he can score from anywhere, he’s not afraid to drive (his 389 attempts last year would put him second on the team, behind Bosh), he can initiate the offense, and most of all, he seems to thrive with the ball in his hands in the clutch, a trait no other Raptor has.

And, you know, he’s got big game experience. Think about it. He was a bit player on those great Sacramento teams. He spent a year in San Antonio. And he made it to playoffs four out of five years in Orlando, including the finals this past season. The Raptors have been desperate for a guy who can take and make big shots for years. There’s no doubt in my mind that Turkoglu can be that guy.

Of course, signing him means we can’t sign anyone else to fill out the bench - not even Parker and Delfino - so we’ll likely be saddled with 2009 versions of Will Solomon and Hassan Adams. So there’s that to look forward to.

Also, he’s 30 years old, and played in 193 games the past two seasons. Last year he also shot below his career averages from the field and from 3pt range. Will he hold up for the length of the contract? And, he’s not a great defender (nowhere near Marion’s level).

Still, as a fan, I appreciate that the Raptors are making a splash and going for it. Even thinking longer-term, I guess the idea is, if Bosh leaves a year from now, they will (should) still have a decent core in Turk, Bargnani, and Calderon (and hopefully DeRozan), and cap space from Bosh’s salary to sign multiple guys.

Well. I do hope Colangelo is not done wheeling and dealing, but I am glad to see he’s not just sitting by while everyone else gets better.

I didn’t think that was true, since I’d seen every game the guy had played against the Raps and almost every game he played with the Raps, and noticed no difference whatsoever. But I decided to check the stats, and thankfully, the stats backed me up. Check it:

So you see, the stats are virtually identical. His numbers were incredibly similar overall, vs. Toronto, and at home and away. In Toronto, where he hears the boos, his shooting percentages are down slightly, but his scoring and rebounding are up slightly, so it’s a wash. His free throw shooting is down across the board which is odd, considering he’s normally a great free throw shooter, but it’s likely just an aberration.

The only thing I really notice is the free throw attempts vs. field goal attempts in Toronto and Jersey. He seemed to take some more contact in Jersey, with 23 more FTs attempted in the same amount of games – and settled for more jump shots in Toronto, with 38 more FGs attempted.

Relevant? Probably not. The Nets won 13 of the 24 games during Carter’s time there, which is the most important thing, including 4 of the six playoff games of course, and that’s not a surprising thing considering they had the better team and coach most years.

In Orlando, I expect Vince’s stats to be down across the board as that team is pretty stacked and doesn’t need him to be the focal point of the offense; plus he’s not as young as he used to be. In the flip side, because they are a good team, he should probably experience his greatest team success there. I look at that roster and, assuming they fill out the bench with a couple decent guys, I have to believe they’re the Eastern Conference favourites – at least as long as Cleveland plans to head into 2009-2010 with the same undersized backcourt and under-athletic frontcourt (I fail to see how adding Shaq addresses the flaws exposed in the Orlando series).

So the question remains – will Vince be booed here in Toronto? Yeah… probably. Maybe not quite as much – New Jersey was a fun team to hate. But I’m sure they’ll still be plenty audible. And I’m OK with that. Most people seem to think it needs to stop… but really, who cares? Everyone loves a villain, and Vince brought it all on himself by quitting on the Raptors five years ago. As you can see above, it has zero impact on his play, so if people enjoy booing… I think they should go ahead and do so.

Quick Free Agency Update: Looks like Ariza’s going to Houston. That means, as far as I can tell, it’s all but a lock Shawn Marion will be back next year, and the Raptors will go into the 09-10 season with at least four of the five starters the same. Hardly a great recipe for improving on a 33-win team…

All right, it’s the offeason, but, as you know, there’s still lots going on with the Raptors. Some quick thoughts as free agency heats up:

The Draft. DeMar DeRozan was the right pick at that spot. He’s raw and he probably won’t contribute much right away, and he might never contribute anything - but he has the potential to be really, really good. And he plays a position (swingman), and has a physical dimension (athleticism, length, leaping ability) that the Raptors currently are lacking. Who was left on the draft board was a better fit? Who on the draft board was going to contribute right away? No one. (Heck, who was in this draft at all, besides Blake Griffin, that is going to contribute to his new team right away? Make no mistake, this is an awful, awful draft).

DeRozan is the right fit in every way. Whether or not he turns into anything remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he was the right, and only, pick.

Carlos Delfino. I’ve said it about 100 times, Delfino wasn’t used properly his one year here and I am certain he will benefit from consistent minutes and a consistent role. He’s also a much better defender than Anthony Parker at this point in their careers. I also expect Triano will not be afraid to let Delfino initiate the offense, much as he did with Parker last year; for some reason, Sam Mitchell was afraid to put Delfino in that role, even though he’d done it for Argentina, one of the best basketball teams in the world. Does he start? I think so, though that of course still depends somewhat on who is starting at the three (Marion? Someone else?). I have no problem going in to this season with Delfino as the starting two-guard.

Shawn Marion. Very little word at this point on whether the Raps have offered anything, whether Marion’s asked for anything, whether other teams are calling… very quiet on the Marion front. I’m still super-torn on what to do with him. Yes, he fits the team well; he rebounds and defends from the three spot, something very lacking before he got here. He’s also the best on the team at moving without the ball. But, like everyone else on the team, he’s not a guy who can create/initiate his own offense, and the Raptors could really use that from the SF spot. And there’s the question of money… obviously the guy wants to get paid, but do the Raptors have the coin - and is he worth it? Especially at age 31? If he could be had super-cheap $3 million a year? Over 3?) of course he’d be worth it. But there’s no way he takes that deal. So I can’t say I’ll be thrilled if he comes back and is taking a large chunk of the salary cap.

Hedo Turkoglu. Word is he’s interested in the Raptors - and of course the Raps are interested in him - but there’s likely no way to work out the money situation (no, he doesn’t like us THAT much). He earned a big payday with his play this past year, and the Raps don’t have the coin. And frankly, I’m not sure he’s worth it. I’m not sure he can put up the same stats without that particular cast around him - including, obviously, Dwight Howard. He’s a year younger than Marion, and in many ways, Marion’s exact opposite - he can create his own shot and score from anywhere, but he’s a non-factor on defense. I’d be excited to see what the Raps could do with the starting lineup of Bargnani, Bosh, Hedo, Delfino and Calderon (wow, that’s the whitest, most international line-up ever) but I can’t get to used to the idea, because I can’t see it happening.

Trevor Ariza. Financially, a much better fit than Hedo (and maybe better than Marion too). And really, his skill set is right in between the two - not as good a defender as Marion, not as good a scorer as Hedo. And he’s young enough (24) that he has room to improve in both areas. The only question is, is he ready to come in and be a full-time starter and contributor to a winning team? Or will he just ride a solid playoff performance (11 points, 4 boards, 50% from the field, 47% from downtown) to a fat payday?

David Lee. Supposedly the Raptors are interested… really, another power forward who doesn’t play on the blocks? No thanks. Love his game, but not with Bosh and Bargnani already here…

Which brings us to this: Is Bryan Colangelo trying to trade Chris Bosh? I see the argument for it, I really do - Bosh has a chance to walk away next summer, and at this point - given the team’s lack of success - he probably will, and who will blame him? Thus the argument, trade him now so you can get something in return. But I don’t believe Colangelo will do that. For one thing, BC appears confident - and he should, I want a confident upper management - that he can surround Bosh with better players this year. He also seems confident he will be able to replace Bosh, should the time come. I like that in a GM. Also, trading Bosh would be admitting defeat - that he didn’t get the job done - and while I don’t know Bryan, he really doesn’t seem like the type to admit defeat.

And the fact is, even if you get some value for him, you’ll never get fair or equal value. Whether you truly think Bosh is a “franchise player” or not, he is this franchise’s franchise player - we’ve built our team and marketing presence around him, he is the face of the franchise. He may not be a “a” superstar in the broader definition of the term, but he’s “our” superstar. Can we get a superstar back for him? Not likely.

I honestly think it’s better to play it out and either try and re-sign him, or sign someone else, next summer. There’s a good chance the cap space you’d get next year is more valuable than whatever package you can get for him in trade right now. There’s going to be plenty of FAs available, after all…

And if the team does have a great year? If the promise of Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani materializes into a 50-win team? Then I have confidence Bosh’ll stick around, and that we’ll all be better for it.