Most of the NBA offseason dust has settled, and clubs have pretty much solidified their 2009-10 rosters. We’re taking a look at how things should shape up in the Atlantic Division. Saturday, we brought you a breakdown of the Knicks. Monday, the 76ers.
Now, we delve into the Raptors' lineup. Can they rebound after a miserable 33-win season in 2008-09, or will Hedo Turkoglu fall short of expectations? Read on.
Here’s a sentence I haven’t had to write in a long time (perhaps ever): The Toronto Raptors will be scary this season.
Yes, yes, I know. They were the laughingstock of the Atlantic Division in 2008-09 (along with the Knicks), finishing 33-49, and haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2001 — and they have never been past the second.
And the Raptors were just as bad as that sounds last season, ranking 16th in the NBA in offense and 20th in defense. They managed just 40 rebounds a game and hit six 3-pointers per game, the seventh-worst mark in the league.
So what gives? Much.
1. Hedo Turkoglu. This is obviously the biggest improvement GM Bryan Colangelo made in the offseason. The 30-year-old gives the Raptors size (6-foot-10) at the small forward position, an asset that gave LeBron James and the Cavaliers fits in the Eastern Conference finals. Turkoglu is a player who can score both in and out, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range in the ’09 postseason.
The Turk also adds leadership to a club full of foreign-born players who are still adjusting to the NBA system. Sure, it hurts to lose Shawn Marion, but Turkoglu is a much-better fit for team chemistry.
2. Maturing. The Raptors no doubt suffered from inexperience last season. In 2009-10, the projected starting five (Jose Calderon, Marco Belinelli, Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani) all now have at least a year in the NBA under their belts, with the Turk and Bosh serving as team leaders.
Bargnani, the 7-foot Italian, had a bit of an epiphany last year, scoring 15.4 points to go with 1.2 blocks and a 41 percent mark from 3-point range, a valuable court-spreading skill for a big man to have. This season, he’ll have to focus on getting stronger in the paint, where he averaged just over five boards a game in ’08-’09.
The same can be said for the development of speedy Jose Calderon, who shot almost 50 percent from the field last season, including 41 percent from beyond the arc, and averaged 8.9 dimes. Another year, and the addition of Jarrett Jack to give him more rest, should allow Calderon to build on that evolution.
Add another season of experience for promising Italian guard Belinelli, and the Raptors suddenly look to be full of potential up and down the court.
3. Reggie Evans. Yes, Toronto had to give up sharpshooter Jason Kapono to land this guy, but Evans provides precisely what this club lacked: toughness. The 6-foot-8 power forward ain’t gonna score 20 points a game or swat an opponent's shot attempt into the stands, but he’s a fighter. He’s a Leon Powe or Ben Wallace (three years ago): a guy who averages almost 13 rebounds per 36 minutes of play, only takes high-percentage shots and sells his body every time he’s on the floor.
Name someone else on the Raptors roster who does that. Don’t worry, neither can I.
4. Chris Bosh. Not much needs to be said to justify this listing: 22.7 points per game, 10 rebounds, a block and a 49 percent shooting rate in 2008-09. The bonus? Bosh is a free agent after this season, meaning he’s got every reason to up those numbers.
All that said, there are some holes remaining in the Toronto fabric. The Raptors, for one, are soft in the paint, even with the addition of Evans. Bosh and Bargnani are both tall drinks of water, with serious gaps in their defensive skills.
Toronto’s also thin at shooting guard. It lost Kapono in the trade for Evans, and now has Belinelli and a bunch of no-names to replace him. It’s particularly bad news for a team that managed fewer than six treys a game in ’08-’09.
In other words, the Raptors aren’t a threat to compete with the Celtics for the Atlantic (Boston bested ’em 4-0 last season), but they will make the postseason and could be a dark horse to advance to the second round.
Keep in mind, if they make good on that prediction, it’ll be just the second time in franchise history.
