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Toronto Raptors: Five Bold Predictions For The Team's 2010 Season

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  • Toronto Raptors: Five Bold Predictions For The Team's 2010 Season

    Toronto Raptors: Five Bold Predictions for the Team's 2010 Season
    By Sachin Arora (Raptors Featured Columnist)

    on September 1, 2010

    The Raptors have an interesting season ahead of them.

    Bryan Colangelo has stated that they aren't going to tank, and are going to play hard and keep contending.

    Meaning they aren't rebuilding, despite the fact that they lost their best player, Chris Bosh.

    What will happen next season?

    Here are 5 bold predictions for the upcoming season.

    Chris Graythen/Getty Images

    Five Bold Predictions
    Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

    Memories some so sweet, indeed

    Larger Photo of the avatar



    “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
    Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

  • #2
    LOL. Okay, VERY BOLD.

    My predictions:

    1) Bargnani starts season strong averaging 22 and 7 in the first 2 months, but towards March starts shooting randomly and stops trying to rebound and ends up averaging 19 and 6 on the season.

    2) DD beats Dwight to most dunks in a season. And averages 15 points a game.

    3) Kleiza is most consistent player on the team scoring well and rebounding well. 15 and 6 a game.

    4) Raptors end year with 41 wins after 8 game winning streak as Bargnani hits threes and YGZ fly up for alley-oops.

    5) Bargnani learns to coexist defensively with team mates and become an okay team defender.

    Comment


    • #3
      JoePanini wrote: View Post
      LOL. Okay, VERY BOLD.

      My predictions:

      1) Bargnani starts season strong averaging 22 and 7 in the first 2 months, but towards March starts shooting randomly and stops trying to rebound and ends up averaging 19 and 6 on the season.

      2) DD beats Dwight to most dunks in a season. And averages 15 points a game.

      3) Kleiza is most consistent player on the team scoring well and rebounding well. 15 and 6 a game.

      4) Raptors end year with 41 wins after 8 game winning streak as Bargnani hits threes and YGZ fly up for alley-oops.

      5) Bargnani learns to coexist defensively with team mates and become an okay team defender.
      I don't know about #2 but the others seem plausible.

      Its too early for me to give my predictions. While I don't expect much if any Raptos player movement during Sept except on the court I want to wait until after they have concluded their pre-season schedule before pulling a Nostradamus
      Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

      Memories some so sweet, indeed

      Larger Photo of the avatar



      “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
      Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

      Comment


      • #4
        Buddahfan wrote: View Post
        I don't know about #2 but the others seem plausible.

        Its too early for me to give my predictions. While I don't expect much if any Raptos player movement during Sept except on the court I want to wait until after they have concluded their pre-season schedule before pulling a Nostradamus
        I like giving my predictions. See how they pan out. I think the most likely ones are number 1 and 3. Number 4 could happen but not that many wins and probably not 41 wins. But we can dream HAHA

        Comment


        • #5
          A Bleachers Report article. ENough said.
          Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
          Follow me on Twitter.

          Comment


          • #6
            Tim W. wrote: View Post
            A Bleachers Report article. ENough said.
            LOL

            I actually agree with you, but since this article is positive about the Raptors and so many that are posted are negative I decided to post it anyway

            Nuff said
            Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

            Memories some so sweet, indeed

            Larger Photo of the avatar



            “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
            Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

            Comment


            • #7
              If DeMar saved his best dunk for the finals he would be the dunk champ now as we speak.

              I don't think they'll make the playoffs. They have potential to make a run late in the season up the standings and thus killing their lotto positioning though.

              Comment


              • #8
                Apollo wrote: View Post
                If DeMar saved his best dunk for the finals he would be the dunk champ now as we speak.
                If Gasol didn't mess up and the judges actually saw Fernandez' dunks he would have won. His dunks took incredible skill. I was shocked at the scored he got.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Great to see an article with some very logical scenarios instead of the usual bias and ignorance.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    RaptorRoo wrote: View Post
                    Great to see an article with some very logical scenarios instead of the usual bias and ignorance.
                    So basically, if it's not shockingly and unrealistically optimistic, it's biased and ignorant. It's going to be a long season for you.
                    Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                    Follow me on Twitter.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Tim W. wrote: View Post
                      So basically, if it's not shockingly and unrealistically optimistic, it's biased and ignorant. It's going to be a long season for you.
                      Not necessarily

                      The way that I see it and live it is.

                      1. The summer time is for all kinds of speculation regarding the teams and the players you root for and fantasize about all kinds of great things that they are going to do in the next season.

                      2. Once the season starts all that goes by the boards. It then becomes time to watch and enjoy the game for what it is, an incredibly enjoyable game played by exceptionally talented athletes almost all of whom are taller than the average person

                      Once the season start the joy is in watching the game and the players that make it great.

                      Yes it is always exciting to watch your team win and/or your favorite player play well. However when they don't there are always other teams and great talents to watch and enjoy just because it is basketball
                      Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

                      Memories some so sweet, indeed

                      Larger Photo of the avatar



                      “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
                      Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Tim W. wrote: View Post
                        So basically, if it's not shockingly and unrealistically optimistic, it's biased and ignorant. It's going to be a long season for you.
                        Imagine that, Tim W having no faith!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Nick wrote: View Post
                          Imagine that, Tim W having no faith!
                          Faith: belief that is not based on proof.

                          Not coincidentally, I'm also an atheist. And for the record, I don't believe in the Loch Ness monster, UFO's visiting earth, fairies, unicorns, that there were WMDs in Iraq or that my car is a magical time travelling device. I like some evidence to back up theories.

                          It seems to me that many fans want me (and others) to turn off their brain in regards to the Raptors. Being a fan of a team does not exclude the use of logic and reasonable thinking. It means I want them to do well and gives me an emotional connection with the team. It doesn't mean not being able to look at the team objectively.

                          My big problem with the predictions is they aren't backed up by anything, and some defy logic. The writer claims the Raptors will surprise the critics. Great. Why? The team lost it's best player and 3 of it's most veteran players (Bosh, Turkoglu and Nesterovic). The team has some nice young talent, but youth generally doesn't win in the NBA. Plus, they don't have a goto scorer on the team and no one who's going to manufacture points when the team is struggling. Their defense may improve, but there's absolutely no indication it's going to be even half decent.

                          Amir Johnson will average a double double. Again, why? I think he'll average somewhere close to a double double, but I don't think he'll get there. Considering his penchant for fouling, and the fact that Ed Davis will probably get a lot of minutes, I don't see Amir averaging more than 30 mpg. Per 36 minutes the last two years, he didn't even average double figures in rebounds. I don't see him averaging 10 in fewer minutes. My guess is that he'll average somewhere around 10 ppg and 8 rpg.

                          DeMar will win the dunk contest. Okay, he could. I don't know. He came awfully close last year, so he might.

                          Bargnani will make the All Star team. Well, a closer look tells me it's doubtful. He's never come close to being voted in, and he's not going to get in over Dwight Howard, so he'll have to get chosen by the coaches. With LeBron, Garnett, Bosh, Amare, Boozer, Pierce, Granger, Gerald Wallace and Josh Smith all forwards in the East, his best chance is at center. Unfortunately, you've got Al Horford, who was an All-Star last year, Brook Lopez, Andrew Bogut and Joakim Noah who are all clearly better players than Bargnani is. And All-Stars are usually chosen from playoff teams, especially borderline All-Stars....

                          The Raptors will make the playoffs. Well, the logic of this prediction is incredibly flawed. Apparently if the Raptors aren't one of the 5 bottom teams, Amir averages a double double, DeMar wins the dunk contest and Bargnani makes the All-Star team, the Raptors should make the playoffs. Huh? How does that makes sense? The writer is missing a lot of middle ground. We can pretty much pencil in Miami, Orlando, Boston, Atlanta and Chicago to make the playoffs. They have good teams and got better. Milwaukee got better in the offseason and if Bogut returns quickly, they might challenge for one of the top seeds. Indiana should return to the playoffs after missing last season, with a healthy Danny Granger and the addition of Collison. New York should have a half decent chance at the playoffs with their additions and will probably battle it out for the last spot with Charlotte. Philly, Washington and New Jersey all improved their rosters quite a bit and I would not be surprised at all to see them fighting for the last playoff spot. The Raptors won 40 games and lost their franchise player. There's absolutely no evidence to support the theory that the Raptors will come anywhere close to that win total again this season.

                          I think it's funny that some fans seem to want people to turn off their brain and ignore the evidence. It's not as if I'm a big pessimist. Last season, I predicted that the Raptors would win 45 games and make the playoffs (it's near the bottom of the post). I made a bunch of other bold predictions, some of which came true and others that didn't. The difference is that my predictions were actually backed up with some evidence to support them.
                          Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                          Follow me on Twitter.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Tim W. wrote: View Post
                            I don't see Amir averaging more than 30 mpg. Per 36 minutes the last two years, he didn't even average double figures in rebounds. I don't see him averaging 10 in fewer minutes. My guess is that he'll average somewhere around 10 ppg and 8 rpg.
                            I am cautiously optimistic that Amir can average 30 plus mpg in 10-11 based upon his five starts last season, and his knowing that this might be his last chance to start for his career if he remains in Toronto for his entire current contract if he can't cut it this coming season as a starter. So I think that he will make an extra effort to stay on the court, especially since he will be an integral part of the Raptors offense.

                            We might see Johnson playing a lot more Bargnani type ole' defense in 10-11. I think if he does start and scores a bit that he might start getting some of those calls that should have gone his way last season that did not.

                            I checked

                            Games played over 30 minutes in his career

                            Starter
                            ----------
                            Games-------6
                            MPG-------35.4
                            PPG-------16.2
                            RPG--------8.8

                            Off the Bench
                            -------------------
                            Games-------4
                            MPG-------33.6
                            PPG-------13.0
                            RPG-------11.0

                            Total Career 30 Plus Minute Games
                            -------------------------------
                            Games -----10 out of 217 played
                            MPG-------34.7
                            PPG-------14.9
                            RPG--------9.7

                            http://www.basketball-reference.com/...johnsam01.html

                            I think about 25 MPG for Amir in 10-11 is reasonable with 12-14 PPG and 7-8 RPG

                            It seems to me that because of his developing offense he will score more points per 36 minutes in 10-11 than he has in any other season of his career.
                            Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

                            Memories some so sweet, indeed

                            Larger Photo of the avatar



                            “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
                            Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Tim W. wrote: View Post
                              Faith: belief that is not based on proof.

                              Not coincidentally, I'm also an atheist. And for the record, I don't believe in the Loch Ness monster, UFO's visiting earth, fairies, unicorns, that there were WMDs in Iraq or that my car is a magical time travelling device. I like some evidence to back up theories.

                              It seems to me that many fans want me (and others) to turn off their brain in regards to the Raptors. Being a fan of a team does not exclude the use of logic and reasonable thinking. It means I want them to do well and gives me an emotional connection with the team. It doesn't mean not being able to look at the team objectively.

                              My big problem with the predictions is they aren't backed up by anything, and some defy logic. The writer claims the Raptors will surprise the critics. Great. Why? The team lost it's best player and 3 of it's most veteran players (Bosh, Turkoglu and Nesterovic). The team has some nice young talent, but youth generally doesn't win in the NBA. Plus, they don't have a goto scorer on the team and no one who's going to manufacture points when the team is struggling. Their defense may improve, but there's absolutely no indication it's going to be even half decent.

                              Amir Johnson will average a double double. Again, why? I think he'll average somewhere close to a double double, but I don't think he'll get there. Considering his penchant for fouling, and the fact that Ed Davis will probably get a lot of minutes, I don't see Amir averaging more than 30 mpg. Per 36 minutes the last two years, he didn't even average double figures in rebounds. I don't see him averaging 10 in fewer minutes. My guess is that he'll average somewhere around 10 ppg and 8 rpg.

                              DeMar will win the dunk contest. Okay, he could. I don't know. He came awfully close last year, so he might.

                              Bargnani will make the All Star team. Well, a closer look tells me it's doubtful. He's never come close to being voted in, and he's not going to get in over Dwight Howard, so he'll have to get chosen by the coaches. With LeBron, Garnett, Bosh, Amare, Boozer, Pierce, Granger, Gerald Wallace and Josh Smith all forwards in the East, his best chance is at center. Unfortunately, you've got Al Horford, who was an All-Star last year, Brook Lopez, Andrew Bogut and Joakim Noah who are all clearly better players than Bargnani is. And All-Stars are usually chosen from playoff teams, especially borderline All-Stars....

                              The Raptors will make the playoffs. Well, the logic of this prediction is incredibly flawed. Apparently if the Raptors aren't one of the 5 bottom teams, Amir averages a double double, DeMar wins the dunk contest and Bargnani makes the All-Star team, the Raptors should make the playoffs. Huh? How does that makes sense? The writer is missing a lot of middle ground. We can pretty much pencil in Miami, Orlando, Boston, Atlanta and Chicago to make the playoffs. They have good teams and got better. Milwaukee got better in the offseason and if Bogut returns quickly, they might challenge for one of the top seeds. Indiana should return to the playoffs after missing last season, with a healthy Danny Granger and the addition of Collison. New York should have a half decent chance at the playoffs with their additions and will probably battle it out for the last spot with Charlotte. Philly, Washington and New Jersey all improved their rosters quite a bit and I would not be surprised at all to see them fighting for the last playoff spot. The Raptors won 40 games and lost their franchise player. There's absolutely no evidence to support the theory that the Raptors will come anywhere close to that win total again this season.

                              I think it's funny that some fans seem to want people to turn off their brain and ignore the evidence. It's not as if I'm a big pessimist. Last season, I predicted that the Raptors would win 45 games and make the playoffs (it's near the bottom of the post). I made a bunch of other bold predictions, some of which came true and others that didn't. The difference is that my predictions were actually backed up with some evidence to support them.
                              By you saying you don't believe in UFO's really tells me allot... I definately didn't say I want you to turn your brain off (was it ever on?) The fact is that you look at everything in black and white. Its either conclusive or it isn't, there's no grey area in terms of your thinking. "You take away 3 veterans, means you will be worse." Ok... According to you? "Youth doesn't typically win in the NBA".. According to you? "The team doens't have a go to scorer"... Oh did you go into the future and watch the Raps? Because as far as I know training camp hasn't started, and they haven't played in a game yet. "Amir could get a double double but he's a penchant fouler"... So if he doesn't foul as much he's going to get a double double? I like those odds, I mean he's more determined then ever this offseason so "logic" indicates he will figure it out, so double double here Amir comes! I'm not getting into Bargnani again. Where in the article does it say 5 recipes for a playoff team? If you think the points he was listing were indications of what the Raptors need to do to become an allstar team, then you need to learn basic analyzation skills. This isn't what the writer was inferring. You sound like an idiot when you make statements like "Do I need to turn off my brain?" Yah Tim, your the premier basketball mind...........

                              Comment

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