So I guess it wasn’t all BS rhetoric coming out of the Raptors camp during the pre-season. Things like intense practices and commitment to defense were all being pushed down our throat in an effort to appease us after a mediocre offseason (it wasn’t a great offseason, admit it), and I wasn’t buying any of it. Now don’t get me wrong, you can’t read much into a pre-season game where your opponent played the night before; but what I saw from the players, and the brand of ball they are playing now…all I’m saying is that I can watch this team play ball this season, win or lose, and not pull my hair out because they will be trying.

This game was more about assessing what he has more than anything, with Triano fielding a starting crew of Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Linas Kleiza, Reggie Evans and Andrea Bargnani. Reggie Evans’ being the lone WTF of the bunch. Triano has seven more games to get a sense of what he really has, and a rotation for the start of the season, so we can expect some interesting lineups over the next couple weeks.

I’m not going to get into a detailed recap of the entire game since I missed the entire 4th quarter, and this was a pre-season game, but there were a few interesting themes that developed:

Linas Kleiza’s star is shining
So that’s what it’s like to have a point forward who can create, facilitate and hit the open jumper in the corner. It’s not so much that I expect him to average 20pts (7-9 FG / 4-4 3FG / 2-2 FT) and 5rebs every-night, cause he wont. It’s just that the way he played, seemed sustainable. He didn’t over extend himself, played within his minutes, and knocked down good shots. Would have been nice to see him get his teammates more involved, but we’re one game into the pre-season. Looking forward to seeing more of him. He played exactly how the Kool-Aid drinking fans said he would, and you know what? While he isn’t the saviour everyone’s made him out to be, I’m all in.

Andrea Bargnani…sigh…
There were folks who said that Bargnani would step up and fill the offensive void that Bosh left. Not only did he not do that, he didn’t do much of anything other than grab 3 offensive rebounds; 1 less than all of last season. He seriously didn’t look interested in playing, and turned in a terrible effort. I’m not trying to rip him here, it is what it is. He will probably do 17-20 a night, and 6-8 boards, which is pretty good. However, when Triano says that Bargnani probably is the only one who has a guaranteed starting spot, there are expectations (from me) that come with it. Namely putting in a solid effort, which he didn’t. Something that Bargnani really misses is the space Bosh used to create for him. Going to be interesting to see him have to work to get himself open, then work to create his own shot.

Swarming Defense
If the Raptors hope to have any chance at winning games this season, it will be because of the defense, and NOT their offense. There will be games where they score 129 points, but this team isn’t as offensively gifted as they have been in the last couple seasons. Like last pre-season, the Raptors came out possessed, and actually maintained that pace for the whole game. Trapping in the half-court, full-court, out of bounds plays, inbounds, what have you; the guards/wings didn’t let up, and our bigs aggressively doubled the ball handler. Defensive rotations were another thing: Reggie Evans got hung out to dry a couple times when no one rotated out to cover his guy when he doubled on the perimeter, that pissed me off. Transition defense, early in the going was pretty rough, but even that picked up. Holding the Suns to 79 points on 37.8% shooting is impressive, regardless of the situation.

More of the same from Amir
15min 9pts (3-4 FG 3-4 FT) 6rebs (4OFF) 1blk…FIVE FOULS! So with Amir, it isn’t so much that he isn’t an effective player when he plays, it’s just that he doesn’t play as much as he should because he averages a foul every 6 minutes he’s on the court. There was a recent thread in the forums where the value of Amir’s contract was validated by the massive one Joakim Noah got recently (5yrs/$60mil or so). So while his productivity is off the charts (ESPN Insider required, but the stats are solid), we need to be reserved in the notion that his effectiveness is also the reason he is so prone to fouling. I really believe you can’t have one without the other, and we need to be ok with the fact that we paid a guy who can really only give us 19-23min every night, and pay him $35mil over the next 7 years for the privilege.

DeMar DeRozan needs to do more than score
He really does. He shot the ball well, attacked the paint, and put up 16pts (6-10 FG / 1-1 3FG / 3-3 FT), but otherwise contributed 2rebs 1ast 1stl. He’s been handed the keys, and needs to realize that there is more to this game than scoring. Weems on the other hand shot the ball too much, leading the team in attempts, but at least he gets after it on the boards and plays better defense. At the end of the day, they both compliment each other well, with no real drop off when you swap one out for the other, but they still need to raise both their games a bit more. For me, the honeymoon is over with DeRozan (more so than Weems since we passed on Jennings for him) and I’m expecting more from him this season.

I missed the 4th quarter, but the Raptors were able to extend their lead, while producing a ridiculous boxscore that had them besting the Suns in every single statistical category except blocked shots. One thing to note: Joey Dorsey – where have you been all my life??? Let me temper myself by saying this is pre-season, but if he keeps this up (13pts 10rebs), it’s going to be very hard not to give him minutes that were supposed to go to Davis and Evans, especially with Davis injured and our boy shining in his place.

I’d like to thank the 55 or so folks who came by our live chat at 10pm for a pre-season game; you guys are seriously boss, and from what Arse says there was great vibe and great convo. Next up, we got the Celtics in Boston.

I’m on Twitter.

Image Credit: Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Raptors were able to stay in the game, until half-way into the 4th, by taking advantage of the Cavs turnovers. On 16 Cleveland turnovers, the Raptors scored 19 – compared to allowing only 11pts on 11 turnovers. I find comfort in this knowing that we play a team that has a young point guard who turns the ball over 2.74 times a game (3.7 in the last 10). With the way the Raptors have been pressuring on the perimeter over the last few games, this could prove to be an encouraging point of focus. Mind you, the Bucks as a team, protect the ball very well committing only 13.5 turnovers a game, but it all starts with Jennings for them.

The last time we played the Bucks we were playing sans Calderon and Bargnani. Playing without Bargnani extremely hurt since there was nobody on the perimeter who could knock down a freaking jumper. The Bucks are a very good defensive team at defending the three, where they allow a stingy 34.4% (10th best in the association) from behind the arc. You have to think that long jumpers would be similar since they are great at closing out on shooters. With Bargnani’s ability to put the ball on the court and take a few steps in, that could open up a lot of space.

Calderon’s loss meant that Luke Ridnour was able to run amok around the court, and a motivated Ukic had his way. This was before Banks was a difference maker on defense (it seemed as though as soon as he said it, he lived it; interesting…). While I don’t think Jose could stop either Ridnour or Ukic, he would have forced them to man him up on defense, and at least tire them out some, unlike what Banks did (nothing at all).

While the Bucks front court is nice (Bogut has been a God-send for me in one of my fantasy leagues), they don’t have the guns to beat a Bosh/Bargnani tandem. Over the last few games, they have really come together, and have a wicked hi-low post thing going on. Fortunately for the Bucks, Bosh and Bargnani played 42 and 37 minutes respectively which historically has meant they both will be a step slower.

Not sure what happened to DeRozan in the 2nd half of the Cavs game given how well he played in the 1st, but with his improved mid-range game, and relatively fresh feet, he could be an important piece to pace the Raptors early while they find that Zen spot to play through the pain. Belinelli too. He took a few bad shots at really bad points in the 4th, but he has the chops to attack the paint when folks close out on him, which the Bucks will. Again, these two wont be the keys to the game, but they can provide some spark off the bench to open up some space for Bosh, Bargnani, Jose and even Chewy Hedo to operate.

The gamblers have the line at Bucks -2.5, which isn’t very encouraging for the home side considering the visitors were battling in Cleveland the night before. If the Raptors can control the paint, Jose plays how he did against Dallas, and Bargnani gets looks in the fourth, then the Raptors should win this. I wont hold my breath though. Sorry, but this is the second night of a back-to-back.

Hitting up another of our TrueHoop partners for a look at the upcoming season. This time we hit up a city that is on my short list of places to visit: Milwaukee. These guys have the best name for a fan site: Bucksketball and those of you with a Rudolph fetish might enjoy their banner.

Last season we beat them in their home gym to go 3-0 on the young season and everything was coming up roses. Then, early in the new year we sucked eggs during one game and Bosh thought the ball had the cooties the next time we faced them. Marion arrived and we kicked their asses in the second game of our glorious 6 game win streak. So, a split.

Predicted starting 5:

For the love of god I hope Brandon Jennings is the starting point guard and not Luke Ridnour.  But, I’m not optimistic.  Ridnour/Redd/Delfino/Warrick/Bogut (fingers crossed on Bogut, hoping he’s over the injury by opening night.

Best offensive player:

For all the problems people have with Redd, he’s still the Bucks most efficient scorer, and it’s not even close.  Offense, for the first time in about twenty years, will be the Bucks biggest problem.

Best defensive player:

Andrew Bogut is the team’s defensive heartbeat.  If he’s in, they can control the glass and hold their own against most big men.  If he’s not, then Dan Gadzuric and Francisco Elson are in charge.  If we could somehow combine them into one man they might have the girth to stand up to centers in the NBA, but alone they are too small to deal with the pounding for more than 15 minutes each.

Best new player:

Jennings is the man everyone wants to see.  He’s already close to Redd as the Bucks most recognizable player, and judging from his strong summer league performance, he’s closing in on being their most important player on the court too.

Player that will be missed:

Richard Jefferson wasn’t all that pretty on the court, but he delivered offense when Redd and Bogut were out.  He also at least was a body on defense, which is more than can be said about Charlie Villanueva.  As much as I liked Charlie V. from January on last year, Jefferson’s absence will be most notable.

Weakest link in your top 8 rotation players:

The small forward position provides virtually no offense.  Fans still don’t know what to make of Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a terrific defensive player that can fill in anywhere, but offers little in the form of offensive capabilities and Carlos Delfino has been underwhelming in his previous few years in the NBA. 

greatest weakness as a team:

Offense.  Where will it come from if Redd cannot round into form after ACL surgery last season?

Biggest question heading into the season:

Can Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd stay healthy and improve on last year’s record?

If I was GM for a day, I would…

Have kept Ramon Sessions.

Your opinion of the Raptors:

If the Raptors have finally shored up their swingman position they could make some playoff noise.  I’m just not sure that Hedo Turkoglu and Demar Derozan qualify as "shoring up" the position.

If you had to assign a "movie title" to your expectations of the season,
what would it be?:

Groundhog Day.  (The Bucks miss the playoffs again)

w/l prediction for your team:

37-45

Our thanks to the guys at Bucksketball. Grab a look at their Media Day recap, their glossary of terms (jacker!), and a great piece on something near and dear to Raptors fans hearts: theme music.

Chris Denker: The Toronto Raptors have the #9 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and the passionate Raps Fans have some strong feelings about who they would take. Which I think is great! Bryan Colangelo and his group have a big decision to make, do they have their sites set on one guy? Will they trade up? Take my earlier recommendation and trade down? Who knows, we do know that in recent years the #9 pick has produced some great players and some flops.

Dirk Nowitzki, Tracy McGrady, Shawn Marion (Colangelo), Amare Stoudemire (Colangelo), are stars and even Joakim Noah has performed well for Chicago. Others are Patrick O’Bryant, Ike Diogu, Rodney White, and who knows how D.J. Augustin will pan out from last years draft. But that is just the point here isn’t it? Do the Raps want to get a guy to help them win now or get an Augustin who is an unknown talent and wait for his development over time?

Some of the names that pop up most on the Raptors Republic are listed below and if you’ve been following our Position Rankings over at NetScouts Basketball you’ll see some similarities.

A quick look at some of the kids that could be available at 9, and some of the kids that can fill the gaps for the Raptors:

James Harden – 6?5 215 SG – Arizona St.: Lefty, can score in a variety of ways. Strong guard with good size, can play through contact. Winner – led Arizona St. from predicted 9th place finish to top half of Pac-10 and the post-season NIT. Was all league as frosh when Pac-10 was tougher with Kevin Love, OJ Mayo, et al. Good guard rebounder.

DeMar DeRozan- 6’6 211 SF/SG – USC: Good looking stroke although streaky throughout freshman season. Decent footwork as well and really improved, playing best games at the end of the year in Trojans tourney run. Disappeared at times. Great max vertical leap, weak physically, but for a guy who’s touted as an elite level athlete why did test out slower than 11 of 12 SF’s in Chicago Draft Camp? Not to mention slower than all 16 SG’s!

Stephen Curry – 6’3 180 CG – Davidson: Best shooter at the position and in the draft. Great range. Ever heard “it’s a shot makers league”? He’s a combo guard who can flat out stroke it with range. Good handle & passer, enough to play either G spot. Uses picks & creates space well, crafty finishes off bounce. Good hoops IQ, poised, & sneaky quick. If all else fails, he has a career as a spot up 3-pt. shooter. Dad had lengthy NBA career, brother at Duke. His ability to shoot will keep him in league for a long time.

Although he is from Duke, kid is b*d*sssssssss….

Gerald Henderson- 6’5 215 SG – Duke: Very athletic. Runs floor & good leaper, finishes break well. Gets to the rim. Much prefers to shoot of dribble & good mid-range game but needs some work from NBA 3. Has size & strength to be a solid individual defender as well. Father played in league.

Sam Young- 6’6 223 SF/SG – Pitt: I’m a huge fan, let’s make that clear now. Got hurt working out for Raptors – impaled his arm on a testing device, literally had to have it surgically removed yet appeared in Chicago ready to play shortly after. Tough & competitive, defends & rebounds, good scorer & finisher on the break, improved as a shooter over career. Won a lot of games against Big East competition which I think translates. Solid shooter, very good lift fake move to set up drive. Strong & athletic although not as big as some.

Jonny Flynn- 6’0 194 PG – Syracuse: Strong, quick, & explosive PG, best off the bounce. Good in Pick & Roll, needs to become consistent from distance. Smart kid, good personality, solid leadership skills. Has climbed in my view after Big East tourney, NCAA’s, and recent work.

Dajuan Blair- 6’7 262 PF – Pitt: You don’t look at him and think long but he is (7’2 wingspan)! Very strong, physical, great hands. Bangs boards & regularly hammered bigger guys (Thabeet). Smart & crafty post moves, uses R/L, & draws fouls. Co-MVP of Big East. Needs improved stroke.

Dante Cunningham – 6’8 230 PF/SF – Villanova: Steady, smart. Strong guy, good defender and position rebounder. Good medium range shooter who could develop into valuable spot up shooter.

Taj Gibson – 6’9 210 PF – USC: Very long arms which is why he’s a shot blocker because he’s not a leaper. Narrow frame could get bounced around & not skilled enough to play SF. 2nd Round, needs NBADL work.

Marcus Thornton – 6’3 195 SG – LSU: One of the top shooters in the draft, especially in catch & shoot situations. Not going to create too much off the bounce in the NBA. Tested pretty well in Chicago athletic testing but not as big as some other SG’s in this draft. Has worked out well for several teams so far.

Danny Green – 6’6 208 SF/SG – North Carolina: Very good defender. Versatile guy who played 4 positions for Heels. Good leader & winner, competitive. Could find a home on a quality team as a role-player/defender off the bench.

Nando De Colo – 6’5 185 PG/SG – Cholet (France): Lanky thin guard, decent athlete. Very good offensive skills, good off the dribble & pull-up jump shooter. Pretty creative passer in Pick/Roll situations. Has become good scorer in France. Plays with Rodrique Beaubois in France.

Rodrique Beaubois – 6’2 182 PG – Cholet (France): Freakishly long arms (6’10 wingspan) and tremendous athleticism. Max vertical jump (39″) second to Flynn (40″). Also boasted some of the best speed & quickness measures of those tested. Plays with Nando De Colo 6’5 G on Cholet.

Jrue Holiday – 6’4 199 CG – UCLA: Up, down, up, down. Crazy talent coming out of HS but inconsistency isn’t good. Has size and athletic ability but not a pure PG & would be a smallish average shooting SG. Needs a position & time.

Brandon Jennings- 6’1 170 PG – Lottomatica Roma: Based entirely off potential, basically did nothing in Europe. Not a reliable shooter at the moment, everything is off the dribble. Lanky & very athletic but you may need to wait a bit for development & maturity (strength). Definitely has flash & a flair for the game.

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With Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Joey Graham as unrestricted free agents, and Carlos Delfino in the mix as a restricted free agent the Raptors have spoken about bringing back, that leaves a dearth of shooting guards and small forwards.

It would seem obvious the No.9 pick would have to play one of those positions, but general manager Bryan Colangelo could have a few transactions bubbling just below the surface that could change things.

"We are active … if we make another trade, maybe we don’t need this position, maybe we need something else," said Kelly. "I think you have to be a little flexible there because we’re actively trying to improve in a couple of different areas."

The wild cards in the selection process, at the moment at least, would be the Washington Wizards, who now have the fifth selection.

According to league sources, the Wizards are trying to shop the pick and if, for instance, they trade it to a team that wants a specific player not thought to be in the top 10, it could knock down a player Toronto finds desirable.

SwamiGP’s Sports Blog

9. Toronto Raptors: Gerald Henderson Jr.- Plenty of stellar point guards are on the board, but the Raptors, with Jose Calderon, the Raptors don’t need one. Henderson, an aggressive and intelligent scorer out of Duke, has the potential to made an immediate impact on the offensive and defensive end, and give the Raptors the scoring they lost by trading sharp-shooter Jason Kapono.

Sportable

9. Toronto Raptors – Brandon Jennings, Lottomatica Roma. Jennings has been in the headlines plenty in the last year, from skipping out on Arizona to hone his game in Europe to criticizing Ricky Rubio on his Twitter. Jennings can back up point guard Jose Calderon, whose injury derailed an otherwise promising season for the Raptors. Some players balk at playing north of the border, but Jennings’ willingness to Europe indicates that he’ll have no problem with the move.

Sportsfrog

9. Toronto Raptors — Jonny Flynn: If Curry goes before #8, Flynn will be the Knicks’ pick, but if he falls past them, the Raptors will be glad to have him. He’ll start backing up Jose Calderon and could have the starting position by the All-Star break.

Pro Basketball News

One team said to be particularly interested in Turkoglu is Toronto, although that’s 100 percent speculation at this point. It does make sense, though. The Raptors may be looking to move All-Star forward Chris Bosh, whose contract expires at the end of next season. When it does, Bosh is expected to look elsewhere for employment.

Obviously, trading Bosh before the start of next season would free up tons of room under the salary cap and cause the Raptors considerably less anxiety. But that doesn’t mean it will happen.

Examiner.com

9. Toronto Raptors – Gerald Henderson (6’4" 215, Guard) Junior, Duke
Analysis:  Toronto needs to get more athletic and Gerald Henderson will certainly help.  Unlike some of the players projected ahead of Henderson, he should be able to come in and contribute immediately.  Henderson’s athleticism has never been questioned, but his shot selection and perimeter shot were.  He improved in both areas this season at Duke.

The Mirror

Mensah-Bonsu has blossomed following his move in March to Toronto, where he is set to pen a new deal when his contract runs out this summer.

And he insists he can make a huge contribution to the GB team. He added: "I am an aggressive, intense and energetic guy on the court but off the court I am not. I just try to make everyone smile and having a positive atmosphere always helps the team.

"Last year the team got together for the first time really and I used to play a couple of card tricks and hide shoes.

"Sometimes I would mess around with people’s stuff when they fell asleep on the bus and they would wake up trying to figure out what was going on.

"I think it helped bring the team closer which is important.

Niagara Gazette

Recent University at Buffalo graduate Greg Gamble has been invited to work out today for the Toronto Raptors, the Bulls announced Monday.
It’s unlikely the Raptors will select Gamble in the two-round NBA draft on June 25, but Gamble could show enough to earn a training camp invitation.
Gamble was a team captain for his final two years at UB. As a senior, he shifted from small forward to point guard, and led the Bulls to a share of the Mid-American Conference East division title, and a spot in the conference championship game. He averaged 8.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists, and was an honorable mention on the all-conference team.

Bleacher Report

For the Cavs to have any chance to retain LeBron on their long-term roster, they must win it all during the 2009-2010 season.

Toronto, on the other hand, is left with their hands tied behind their backs. Canada has never been the premier location for a rising NBA star.  This was true with the departure of Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter.

In 2010, Bosh is expected to leave the Raptors. And if so, what will they receive in return?

Nothing.

Peninsula is Mightier

The first part of that is the interesting part…that Colangelo is in fact looking to un-load Bosh while he still has value to the Raptors.  No surprise, but it’s nice to see it out in the open.  The part about the Heat trading Beasley seems silly to me, but I’m not Pat Riley.  It all depends on how badly Riley wants Bosh…but considering the ceiling on Beasley and the plethora of free agents coming up next summer, trading Beas for Bosh just doesn’t make sense for me.

Welcome To The No Bias Zone!

They also have free agents this year in Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion. It is unlikely they will resign both, and possible neither. Look for the Raptors to be active in the free agent market this year, whether they trade Bosh or try to put a better team on the floor to lure him to stay. The contract of Carlos Delfino can be a valuable trading piece. The team has already been active in the trading market by sending Jason Kapono to Philadelphia for Reggie Evans to save cap space.  They could take a look at solid shooting guards in Ben Gordon or Nate Robinson. Sources have them selection a wing player such as DeMar DeRozan out of USC or Gerald Henderson from Duke.

Wildcat Notion

9. Toronto Raptors – OK this is tough because it is in Canada. Nothing against Canada, but I can barely believe it’s actually an NBA team. DeJuan Blair. I mean, OK I don’t want to send a good kid to cold, blustery Canada, but they get the pick and he’s a star. Like Betelguese.

Cippin On Sports

9. Toronto Raptors- DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC
The Raptors get lucky here with DeRozan slipping all the way to 9.  DeRozan got off to a slow start last year at USC but turned it on once conference play started and showed why he was one of the top recruits in the nation.  DeRozan has tremendous athletic ability and has the potential to be an All Star in the league.  With Shawn Marion and Anthony Parker headed for free agency DeRozan would fill a big need for the Raptors and play right away.

Bullets Forever

Tier 1: Chris Bosh (16 million through 2010)

Notes: Toronto is Chris Bosh and a bunch of guys I don’t want.  Bosh has the highest value of anyone on this list.  He’s the only guy I’d trade McGee for and the only guy I’d consider giving up one of the Big 3 for. 

Potential offer: Bosh and Kris Humphries for Etan Thomas, JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, DeShawn Stevenson and #5. 

Big Green Machine

9. Toronto Raptors – Earl Clark, F, Louisville

This was one of the tougher picks to make as I was juggling between Clark, Wayne Ellington and Chase Budinger. For now, Clark gets the nod but in later versions of this mock, don’t be surprised if that changes. Clark is an all-everything forward, just like Shawn Marion, but doesn’t do any one thing very well. Those type of players don’t always flourish in the league, but Clark could prove otherwise.

Star Tribune

3. Hire Sam Mitchell

Mitchell is the perfect hire for this franchise. He evokes memories of the Wolves when they were at their best. He not only has head coaching experience, he was the NBA’s coach of the year, and after he was fired, the team he was coaching, the Toronto Raptors, went south.

He has enough charm to lure fans and free agents, and enough backbone to hold players accountable.

Strotty’s Blog

9. Toronto Raptors:Tyreke Evans, PG, Memphis

Tough pick here for the Raptors as I have them going with value.  Anthony Parker is more than likely leaving the Raptors next year via free agency and Evans is a good replacement.  He can play both guard positions and has outstanding size.  He is also great value right here.

NBA Comparison: Dwyane Wade

Other Options: Earl Clark, Demark DeRozan

Previous Pick: Gerald Henderson at #9

Bleacher Report

9. Toronto Raptors- DeMar DeRozan – SG, USC

The Raptors have been searching for an elite shooting guard ever since Vince Carter left, and in DeRozan, they may finally find him.

DeRozan is extremely athletic, but is still very raw.

His lack of inexperience and low skill-set could keep him out of the top ten, but his natural ability and fluidity could see him here, at the nine spot.

In The Game

The European contribution has certainly been stronger in several drafts before 2009, however this one features the without doubt biggest story of the whole draft, Spain’s teenage sensation Ricky Rubio. Then there’s Brandon Jennings, the first elite high school project to take a sabbatical year in Europe. And there are the Llull’s, Casspi’s and Dasic’s, all of them subjects of intrigue for teams picking early in the 2nd round. Here’s in the game’s look at the prospect from an European viewpoint.