Your 2012/2013 Toronto Raptors

[thead]

Kyle Lowry (5.75 million)
Jose Calderon (10.4 million)
Ben Uzoh (1.2 million) likely when signed
DeMar DeRozan (3.3 Million)
Terrence Ross (2.1 Million)
Landry Fields (5.4 million)
Linas Kleiza (4.6 million)
Alan Anderson (1.2 million) assumption
Andrea Bargnani (10 million)
Ed Davis (2.2 million)
Quincy Acy (1 million) rounded
Amir Johnson (6 million)
Jonas Valanciunas (2.8 million)
Aaron Gray (2.5 million) <---- not sure on that number heard his contract was very similar

Total Salaries: 58.45 million (59.55 if you average the Fields cap hit)

There could be variation on the Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh deals but not a lot.
Chances are we leave the 15th spot open for flexibility reasons.
I think this means Magloire isn't coming back

Unless someone proposes a blockbuster trade this is our roster.

[DoNDaDDa]

Kyle Lowry (5.75 million)
Jose Calderon (10.4 million)
Ben Uzoh (1.2 million) likely when signed
DeMar DeRozan (3.3 Million)
Terrence Ross (2.1 Million)
Landry Fields (5.4 million)
Linas Kleiza (4.6 million)
Alan Anderson (1.2 million) assumption
Andrea Bargnani (10 million)
Ed Davis (2.2 million)
Quincy Acy (1 million) rounded
Amir Johnson (6 million)
Jonas Valanciunas (2.8 million)
Aaron Gray (2.5 million) <---- not sure on that number heard his contract was very similar

Total Salaries: 58.45 million (59.55 if you average the Fields cap hit)

There could be variation on the Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh deals but not a lot.
Chances are we leave the 15th spot open for flexibility reasons.
I think this means Magloire isn't coming back

Unless someone proposes a blockbuster trade this is our roster.

WHAt no Magloire??? who's going to be the "made in Canada mascott then?" LOL

[slaw]

Given all of the talk of flexibility, cap room, hitting the ground running, making the playoffs, etc., this roster is a major disappointment. It's the same basic core of players plus Kyle Lowry. Fields isn't even worth mentioning. I know that for the past 6 years Colangelo has told us it takes big men about 5-6 years to develop in the NBA, well, he better hope that it takes Valanciunas about 5-6 weeks, otherwise, Bryan will be looking for a job next summer.

[OnTheRightTrack]

I don't get the impression that Uzoh is coming back. He has played poorly in summer league and continue to hear Raps are tlking to other 3rd string PG's. I think they look for someone more offense oriented.

[Stahmenah_Vybz]

WHAt no Magloire??? who's going to be the "made in Canada mascott then?" LOL

Joseph. From summer league. I still think they could have gotten that guy from BC. Whatever his name is with the final pick. That could have been out Canadian Content.

[OnTheRightTrack]

Slaw, last years opening day roster was:
Solomon Alabi
Leandro Barbosa
Andrea Bargnani
Jerryd Bayless
Rasual Butler
Jose Calderon
Anthony Carter
Ed Davis
Demar DeRozan
Gary Forbes
Aaron Gray
Amir Johnson
James Johnson
Linas Kleiza
Jamal Magloire

How can you possibly imply that our 2012 opening day roster is not radically improved from last year. In 2011 half the team were dogs, we may not have any superstars yet but we've replced all the dogs with players or prospects, most of our returning core should be expected to be better with another year and another summer under their belts and almost as importantly, the flexibility that you mock continues to exist as next summer we could have $15-18 million available in cap room (Calderon expiring and Amir amnesty). You don't go from shit to champions overnight. As the handle indicates, we are on the right track.

[NoBan]

General reactions.

---> Can't say im overly jacked up just yet, but I'm sure I will be once the season starts and we see more of JV. Gotta be happy to get JV over here. Looking forward to that.

---> Lowry is a nice move. Really loving it.

---> Was hoping for more in the draft than Ross, but winding up at 8 didn't leave us with a ton of options. Consensus is that he can shoot, defend and run the floor, so I'm genreally looking forward to the TRoss era once I get over my dreams of MKG or Barnes.

---> Fields is a head-scratcher. We should have used his $ in our chase for a starting SF. Im disappointed in that move.

---> I'm not gutted to see Bayless go, but I didnt always enjoy Barbosa's game. Between those 2, we've got a lot of scoring to make up. I'm unconvinced that DeRo can cover the gap.


I see 2 major issues. We're over-reliant on the inconsistent scoring of DeRo an Linus. And we have a potential problem at PG with 2 guys that think they should start and don't really wanna share minutes or play together.

An additional minor issue is that we're smallish on the wings. We don't have a legid 3 outside of Linus. We could have issues defending the leagues more phyical wingmen.

[slaw]

You don't judge an NBA roster by who the 8th-14th men on the bench are. In terms of key personnel, they've upgraded at the PG spot but the key comp there isn't Lowry vs. Bayless, it's Lowry vs. Calderon. Is that an upgrade? Yes. Is it a major upgrade? Unlikely. Is Lowry a difference maker? No.

The SG and PF spots are static from a 20+ win team. There is still a massive, gaping hole at SF. Sorry, I don't care what Wins Produced indicates, I don't see Fields as any sort of upgrade over what was there. The centre position will be improved but JV is a rookie and it will take him time - maybe even measured in seasons - to make an impact.

The team has no top of the food chain player. No superstar. No all-star type players. This team is on a track heading nowhere. If that's the right track for you, then that's fine but don't serve me hamburger helper and tell me it's filet mignon.

[octothorp]

Yeah, going through position by position:

starting PG: improved (Lowry > Calderon)
backup PG: improved, assuming Calderon is retained and is healthy (Calderon > Bayless)
starting SG: unchanged
backup SG: improved (Ross > Forbes), arguably equal with start of last season (Ross = Barbosa, although that's a big unknown given that we haven't seen Ross on an NBA court yet.)
starting SF: improved (Fields > Johnson... some will dispute this and we won't have a good idea until we see Fields on the court)
backup SF: essentially unchanged (improved, if you consider the absence of Rasual Butler)
starting PF: unchanged
backup PF: unchanged
starting C/backup C: improved (hard to say exactly how this depth-chart looks, but Valanciunas + Grey + Amir > Grey + Amir + Magloire)

As well, those positions that I've listed as unchanged above are all populated by players who are pre-peak, and should continue to improve (Davis, DeRozan), or players who were significantly hampered by injury last year (Bargnani, Kleiza).

It's pretty remarkable to improve so many positions without weakening ourselves somewhere else.

We still need to upgrade starting SF, but there just weren't the SFs on the market this season. I'm optimistic about the Raptors staying in the conversation for Igoudala, or giving him a big offer if he activates his ETO next offseason.

[Miekenstien]

---> Was hoping for more in the draft than Ross, but winding up at 8 didn't leave us with a ton of options. Consensus is that he can shoot, defend and run the floor, so I'm genreally looking forward to the TRoss era once I get over my dreams of MKG or Barnes.

me too. not so much with the number 8 but i really thought our 2 second rounders could have gotten us a better pick. or a package with a player

[jimmyhunter]

I'm also disappointed. We've gotten dramatically better but we had the tools to put together a team that could compete at an even higher level. Our management doesn't want to spend, and they cover that up by saying they want to preserve our 'flexibility'. BC is a good GM, I just think he's clearly not a guy that can put together a championship contending team. I get that we're taking small steps, but he seems to be content with putting together 'eternally on-the-cusp' type teams that really get nowhere when it's all said and done. This is the story of the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz. If he ever wants to win big he has to understand that you have to spend big, and not on 38 year olds at the end of their careers just to fill the stands. I feel like we have the PG, SG, and C of the future, and I still believe that if Bargnani can get to the 24 and 7 level he'd be worth the long wait. But the fact that BC made that hug commitment to Fields tells us that he doesn't get that it's going to take a player of a higher caliber to complete our core and turn us into a legitimate, deep playoff run team. I feel like Ross will en up better than DeRozan, so if BC can manage to shed Calderon, DeRozan, and another small asset for a great SF then I think we can begin the conversation about if we can contend in a few years. But if BC is content with this roster, let's just be real, he'll never get us a Championship. I seriously question whether he wants to win a championship.

[NoBan]

You don't judge an NBA roster by who the 8th-14th men on the bench are. In terms of key personnel, they've upgraded at the PG spot but the key comp there isn't Lowry vs. Bayless, it's Lowry vs. Calderon. Is that an upgrade? Yes. Is it a major upgrade? Unlikely. Is Lowry a difference maker? No.

The SG and PF spots are static from a 20+ win team. There is still a massive, gaping hole at SF. Sorry, I don't care what Wins Produced indicates, I don't see Fields as any sort of upgrade over what was there. The centre position will be improved but JV is a rookie and it will take him time - maybe even measured in seasons - to make an impact.

The team has no top of the food chain player. No superstar. No all-star type players. This team is on a track heading nowhere. If that's the right track for you, then that's fine but don't serve me hamburger helper and tell me it's filet mignon.

C'mon man. If we get career years out of each Lowry, Bargnani, DeRozen, Davis and Fields... plus if Big Val steps in and immediately becomes a dominant low post force, we have a shot at the playoffs.

[NoBan]

Yeah, going through position by position:

starting PG: improved (Lowry > Calderon)
backup PG: improved, assuming Calderon is retained and is healthy (Calderon > Bayless)
starting SG: unchanged
backup SG: improved (Ross > Forbes), arguably equal with start of last season (Ross = Barbosa, although that's a big unknown given that we haven't seen Ross on an NBA court yet.)
starting SF: improved (Fields > Johnson... some will dispute this and we won't have a good idea until we see Fields on the court)
backup SF: essentially unchanged (improved, if you consider the absence of Rasual Butler)
starting PF: unchanged
backup PF: unchanged
starting C/backup C: improved (hard to say exactly how this depth-chart looks, but Valanciunas + Grey + Amir > Grey + Amir + Magloire)

As well, those positions that I've listed as unchanged above are all populated by players who are pre-peak, and should continue to improve (Davis, DeRozan), or players who were significantly hampered by injury last year (Bargnani, Kleiza).

It's pretty remarkable to improve so many positions without weakening ourselves somewhere else.

We still need to upgrade starting SF, but there just weren't the SFs on the market this season. I'm optimistic about the Raptors staying in the conversation for Igoudala, or giving him a big offer if he activates his ETO next offseason.

My cat sh!t on the floor and then puked in the same spot.

I covered it with icing sugar and noted that it was remarkably improved.

[Red and White]

Yeah, our team is a first round out at best (even that is a stretch), but a rebuild is not instant. I think people see what Brooklyn or Miami have done and think a rebuild can happen in one year, but that just simply is not the case for most teams. We have been rebuilding ever since Bosh left, and this year is the first year of the rebuild that we are going to have a significant increase in the win column. We wont dominate or be a playoff contender, but it is a step forward. BC is at his best when he builds with small pieces. I think that is exactly what he is doing this offseason, and he is doing it well (in my opinion). We have made huge improvements this year across the roster without regressing in any area. That is a solid offseason for me.

[Mack North]

I'm with slaw. I was trying to make the same point in a thread yesterday.

I think it may be good to underestimate the team for a change, it won't break my heart so much later in the season. I'm usually a little over-optimistic going into the season, normally followed by a big letdown. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.

[planetmars]

I'm concerned as well. Looking for a good season without many injuries. I have faith in Casey but not so much in DeMar and Bargnani.... hoping for a good season, and a nice splash during the trade deadline.

[Nilanka]

My cat sh!t on the floor and then puked in the same spot.

I covered it with icing sugar and noted that it was remarkably improved.

LOL! Brilliant!

[Matt52]

Superstars and even all-stars are incredibly difficult to obtain.

Having a realistic perspective on the matter I cannot understand the unhappiness from posters. The Raps got younger, deeper, and better. The players obtained fit Casey's system much bEtter as well.

If superstars and all stars were easy to obtain everyone would have multiple.

[tenforthewin]

Lowry
DeRozan
Fields
Bargnani
Valanciunas

Backups
Backup PG (Not Calderon)
Ross
Kleiza
Davis
Gray

3rd stringer
Uzoh or one of Tu Holloway or Stoglin
Anderson
3rd stringer SF/SG
Acy
Magloire

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Superstars and even all-stars are incredibly difficult to obtain.

Having a realistic perspective on the matter I cannot understand the unhappiness from posters. The Raps got younger, deeper, and better. The players obtained fit Casey's system much bEtter as well.

If superstars and all stars were easy to obtain everyone would have multiple.

Not only that, but they've done so without taking on any horrendous contracts (aka mortgaging their future). Fields might be a tad overpaid, but it's by no means a crippling contract.

Once Calderon expires or is traded (with little/no salary coming back), the Raps will actually be several million under the salary cap, setting them up for further improvement and roster flexibility in the future.