I’m not sure wtf happened on Saturday, but that was one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time (had to fire it up on NBA League Pass Broad Band). Never-mind that the Raptors allowed the Pistons to go up by 25 points or so somehow; but the trust, chemistry and teamwork needed to come back 25 in the last 5 minutes of the game was out outstanding, and makes me excited for tonights game against the Bobcats.

The Bobcats are coming off two brutal losses in a row; the last one so bad that an RR commentator put it this way:

It was so bad, that if Boston never scored any points in the 4th quarter they would have still won.

Ouch…

After getting ripped by Michael Jordan (a 47 year old who could still probably kick most of their asses at the game) for their lackluster play, you can expect a different bunch of guys to be waiting for the Raptors in North Carolina.

The last time these guys played, the Raptors took a 5 point lead into the 4th and fell apart. The game came down to the wire, when some sketchy play calling ended with Bargnani at the top of the arc getting stripped by Jackson.

Injuries

Toronto
Jose Calderon
Reggie Evans
Peja Stojakovic

Charlotte
Gerald Henderson
Tyrus Thomas, GTD

Match-ups

Point Guards
What a bargain Baylesss has turned out to be. It’s not that he’s set the world on fire, it’s that he is starting to get some burn, and is showing Indiana, Portland and New Orleans that they gave up on him too quickly. Saturday against the Pistons, our boy put up 31pts 5rebs 7ast on 12 shots (12 attempts from the charity stripe to boot). That my friends is called being efficient. Without Calderon, it’s going to be difficult to take full advantage of this match-up, but the different look that Barbosa will bring in relief will be huge to winning this match-up. Augustin isn’t the best of shooters, but he still takes about 4 treys a game (40% shooter), last game against the Raptors he went 3-5 from beyond the arc, and did his part to open up the court a bit for Wallace to go all kamikaze. Since he laid a big fat donut against the Celtics on Saturday, you can expect him to come out guns blazing. Without Calderon in the mix, the point guard situation is a little worrisome for me since Bayless is still learning his craft. It’s going to be hit or misss tonight with Bayless.
Edge: Charlotte

Shooting Guard
I hate playing the Bobcats for two reasons, one being Jackson. The guy is 32, but shows no signs of slowing down (unlike me….fml). This is an ideal match-up for DeRozan to get up and down the court and use the athleticism to his advantage; the question is whether or not he’s going too. Since I ripped DeRozan, the kid has turned in a couple pretty solid performances, highlighted with 16pt 4reb performance in the win on Saturday. He still needs to get to the line, averaging under four (didn’t even attempt one against the Nuggets) over the last 5 games. DeRozan turned in a brutalr performance the last time they played, so he should be extra motivated to get at it this time around. I’m concerned about the wing battle tonight, since the Raptors don’t match-up well at all at the 2/3. It will take a solid showing by committee to get the job done.
Edge: Charlotte

Small Forward
19pts 14rebs 5ast 4blks; if you guessed Gerald Wallace’s production against the Raptors the last time out, you are correct. He almost single handedly out-blocked the entire Raptor team. I don’t expect anything different tonight; my only hope is he keeps the jawing on his mouth guard to a minimum. I’m trying to temper myself here a bit, but the small forward position is the most suspect on the Raptors. Between Weems, Kleiza and Stojakovic (if/when he gets back), you’d figure this lot has the tools to be an effective trio. Sadly it hasn’t worked out as such. Both Sonny and Kleiza have shown sparks of something, but neither has been able to maintain any level of consistency in effort/production/predictability.

Tonight against Wallace, Sonny has the athleticism, but not the strength; Kleiza has the strength, but not the athleticism; and Peja will be rocking Armani on the bench. Where does that leave us? Another 20/15 type effort from Gerald.
Edge: Charlotte

Power Forward
If the Raptors are to have a shot at winning tonight, it will come at the 4/5. Last time around, it was Toronto’s offensive rebounding (recurring theme) that kept them in the game to the tune of 14 leading to 12 more possession. Amir was a beast off the bench, putting up 16pts 9rebs in 28 minutes of fairly foul-free play. The Raptors will miss Reggie Evans’ rebounding and interior play, but Ed Davis has been picking up some steam, and should be good to battle with Thomas off the bench.

My real concern is with Amir and Boris Diaw though. Boris is a crafty player who has a lot of moves and a high basketball IQ. If there was a text book player to get Amir into trouble, it would be him. Diaw is a crafty guy, who seems to have a hard time getting to the line, it’s actually interesting. Amir’s been doing a good job of not leaving the ground and trying to swat everything. I actually really appreciate it as he’s showing some marked improvement since the start of the season in this regard.
Edge: Toronto

Center
I’m predicting a long night for Bobcats front court. Still don’t understand why Jordan would trade Chandler for Dampier, then wave Dampier, and still expect to make the playoffs without a big guy who LIKES to play defense and rebound. 30/10 for Bargnani tonight, book it.
Edge: Toronto

Keys to the Game

Pace
Bayless likes to run; DeRozan/Weems/Barbosa like to run. Amir and Bargnani run the break as well as big man in the league…you can see where I’m going right? The Bobcats are the 7th slowest team in terms of pace in the league. If this gets into a defensive match, the Bobcats will have the upper hand, but if the Raptors can get Charlotte to trip over their own feet running backwards on defense, things can happen.

Production on the Wings
DeMar, Weems and Kleiza will all need to turn in a solid performance tonight. Both Jackson and Wallace play heavy minutes, so it’s not like there will be much of an opportunity to catch a second wind when the replacements get into the game. Weems and Kleiza need to be active participants tonight; the solid game against the Nuggets aside, they are averaging a paltry 8.3pts and 7.2pts in the month of December.

Rebounding
While the Bobcats have improved from second worst to 16 in the association in rebounding, they still have a ways to go. The Raptors have been able to weather the storm on the boards left by Evans’ injury with a full-team commitment to crashing the glass, but with the Bobcats solid rebounding on the wings, they can be dangerous. Bargnani will need to carry a bit more of the burden than he normally does, and Weems/Kleiza will have to work a bit harder at keeping a body between Wallace and the glass. It’s definitely doable…

The Line

The gamblers have the Bobcats as 5 point favourites with an over/under of 202;I’m going against the grain, and picking Toronto to take this one by 4.

Before getting into it, I want to welcome DeMar DeRozan into the mix. I am a big fan of the kid. He instantly becomes a big part of the future. Although he is young and raw, he satisfies the starting SG role. In fact, without having played an NBA minute.

With so much uncertainty after Blake Griffin going #1, and the economic climate we are in, there was picks to be had. How do I know this? The Knicks bought the Lakers 29th pick;, the Nuggets got help for Billups in the back-court in 1st round and grabbed another kid in the 2nd; Houston seemingly bought almost every single second rounder…and so on.

What did good ‘ol Colangelo do? He plays it safe with takes DeRozan at 9 (the kid is sick, don’t get me wrong, I’d rather have him over anyone else at 9) then sat and watched while youngin’s like Sam Young, Dajuan Blair, Chase Buddinger Derrick Brown, AJ Price etc got cheaply snatched up in the 2nd round.

There was chatter that we should have traded down, to pick up Sam Young (or someone else) plus another late 1st rounder or 2nd rounder. I’m not sure a trade like that would be as easy as pie, since the 9th pick wasn’t as valuable as one would think. Getting DeRozan, Henderson or Johnson probably isn’t worth giving up 2 youngins who are just as good and cheaper.

What B.C. should have done was try to pry Minnesota’s 28th pick, Cleveland’s 30th (or any of the 2nd round picks that Houston seemed to be able to buy) and offered up some or all of Tanenbaum’s yacht money that $3mill and snatched Sam Young, giving the Raptors the follow lineup:

PG – Calderon / Ukic / Banks
SG – DeRozan / Young
SF – Young / DeRozan
PF – Bosh / Evans / Humphries
C – Bargnani / Humphries / O’Bryant / Jawai

Young represents the kind of tactical pick that helps you now and later in the sense that by the end of his rookie contract, he will have hit the peak of his development, but would probably not be a very expensive option as a bench player and still be under 30 years old. Many scouts had him ranked as high as DeRozan, but since he is older with with a lower ceiling, he dropped to 36 in the draft. Whatever, the kid is solid and can hit the ground running. Memphis LUCKED out when he fell to them where he did. He isn’t as polished off the bounce and is a bit old for a senior-24 (21 seniors in the draft this year by the way) , but as Chris Denker opined, his wins in the Big East translate to the NBA (as apposed to Joey Graham’s stellar college career and how it translated for us).

Now what? More of the same, that’s what….we look to bring BACK Carlos Delfino (as well as possibly Rasho) and re-upping Shawn Marion.

All three of these guys would be nice additions to the Raptors, but at a price. For Delfino, anything more then a 3yr/$9mil deal and I send letter bombs to MLSE. Rasho…2yr/$5mill. I don’t like throwing anymore then the mid-level at Marion and even then, no longer then 3 years (3yr/$16mill deal), even though he is probably worth a little more. As entertaining as he is Twitter (here, here and here), the guy is older, and if we run the risk of losing Bosh this year, we need to go young and/or be financially flexible (aka solid cap management).

This is who B.C. thinks can help us out?

See, these are the safe, perpetual treadmill moves B.C./MLSE are great at making that will win us 40-45 games (depending on how well we start the season), compete for the 7th/8th playoff spot (depending on how crappy the bottom half of the east is playing), piss off/alienate our franchise players, and jade the fan base. What exactly are treadmill moves you may ask? The whole Carlos Delfino situation for Toronto for starters:

• We trade two 2nd round picks for the guy
• He plays a season with the Raptors, then leaves for Russia
• This year’s second round pick could have landed us either Derrick Brown, Chase Buddinger or Danny Green, all of whom would have been GREAT kids to have at 2/3 spot for years to come
• We have to bring him back, cause we need him, but we could have had one of the above kids for half the price…smart huh?

I hope I am wrong, and I have a sneaky suspicion that B.C. is trying to make more then the status quo happen, but I wont hold my breath. Come opening day, I am pretty sure the Raptors will be sporting the following lineup:

PG – Calderon / Ukic / Banks
SG – DeRozan / Parker
SF – Marion / Delfino
PF – Bosh / Evans / Humphries
C – Bargnani / Rasho / O’Bryant / Jawai

What would I do if I were B.C.? Given that we have about $14.5million in cap space, and the need for a backup pg and wings, I would:

• Offer Royal Ivey a 3yr/$9mil contract
• Offer Von Wafer a 3yr/$12mil contract
• Offer Trevor Ariza a 4yr/$36mil contract
• Re-up Carlos Delfino to 3yr/$9mil contract (I could be wrong, but I think the Raptors can go over the cap to sign their own FA’s) TYPO: I originally posted $12mil, but meant $9mil.

Giving us a lineup such as:

PG – Calderon / Ivey / Ukic / Banks
SG – DeRozan / Von Wafer
SF – Ariza / Delfino
PF – Bosh / Evans / Humphries
C – Bargnani / Humphries / O’Bryant / Jawai

I think that is a pretty solid lineup, which would compete hard this coming season for the 7th playoff spot. It would surround Bosh with scorers, slashers, defenders and Bargnani…but you know, watching Delfino/Rasho will bring back fond memories of a mediocre team that got thumped in the 1st round to an Orlando team that an ex-commentator said to bring on…didn’t work then…

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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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Toronto Sun

Everyone seems to be writing Bosh off in Toronto.

Everyone seems to be caught up in this imaginary world that would see Bosh join Wade in Miami.

In Toronto, Bosh’s every word gets taken out of context or it gets twisted to serve some agenda.

The Raptors have been in existence since 1995, but the media in this market, in all forms, continues to be uneducated and easily swayed by the most baseless gossip.

The bottom line with Bosh and Wade is that both players want to win because each will get the maximum amount of money available under whatever cap rules exist.

It’s as simple as that, even though too many people attempt to complicate matters.

Toronto Sun

Colangelo isn’t expecting to find a superstar at nine, but he fully expects to get a quality player there. Based on his calculations, the pick will come from one of five players — Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, James Johnson, Gerald Henderson and DeMar DeRozan.

If there was a note of caution from Colangelo it came when he suggested this year’s draft crop is probably much like the 2006 draft class when the Raptors had the first overall pick and selected Andrea Bargnani.

The No. 9 selection that year was none other than Patrick O’Bryant, who spent the end of last season on the end of the Raptors bench still looking to break in. His 2.1 points per game average is the worst of all the No. 9 picks in the dating back to 1990.

Toronto Star

According to league sources, the Raptors are now concentrating more on three players – 6-foot-4 UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, 6-foot-7 USC guard DeMar DeRozan and 6-foot-8 Wake Forest forward James Johnson – with Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn and Duke forward Gerald Henderson dropping further out of favour but not entirely out of the picture.

And with no one certain who might get chosen where in the eight picks ahead of Toronto’s, there’s a chance two of them will be on the board, giving the Raptors a choice of their top three hopes.

National Post

Because of all these uncertainties, this draft will be a dangerous combination of homework and guesswork.

In that sense, perhaps it is better to have a pick later in the lottery this year, making it more like the NFL Draft, where the No. 1 pick is an albatross. The teams picking second through 15th are all guessing. At least the later a team picks, the less guaranteed money it has to tie up to that guess.

“Every dollar you take away from that US$21-million [the space the Raptors project to have under the luxury tax] is a dollar less of flexibility,” Colangelo said. “So the ninth pick is a fairly reasonable number to have as a cap charge going into this draft, especially given the nature of this draft. We’ve talked about how there’s a No. 1 pick, and then everybody else, maybe a couple other names with a little more interest behind them.”

National Post

9 Toronto | DeMar DeRozan, SF, Southern California He can jump out of the gym, fill the lane and, in theory, play solid defence. So in that sense, he fills many needs for the Raptors. The downside? Right now, he has little shooting range and does not figure to be ready to contribute immediately next season. Still, the other options here are not as intriguing, if more reliable.

NY Post

Bosh _ coached by D’Antoni in the Olympics _ has said he doesn’t plan to sign a contract extension with Toronto.

“They haven’t even offered it to me. You can’t reject something that hasn’t been offered,” said Bosh, who still prefers to test the free-agent market in 2010, when he’d become available to the Knicks.

“Why wouldn’t it be my preference? You develop and put yourself in a good position to do some really good things and be in a lot of advantages. You can’t help but like it…love it.”

The crowd at Nash’s charity event loved Bosh, partly because of his admitted lack of soccer skills, but largely because many want to see him in Knick blue and orange in 2010. Fans screamed out “Chris, come to the Knicks” in the first half, and after he incited the crowd with a blistering shot in the second, they chanted “Bosh! Bosh! Bosh!”

They only hope they can do that at the Garden by opening night 2010.

basketball.org

9.
Toronto
DeMar DeRozan
SG/SF
6? 6?
210
USC

Player Recap: DeRozan has an NBA ready body but needs his game to catch up to his physique. At 6? 6? 210 he has the quickness and speed to guard NBA SG’s and the height and strength to guard SF’s. Not an excellent ball handler or shooter but can be an effective scorer in the right system. Relies heavily on physical talents and sometimes bails out opponents by not playing up to his potential. However he is still very young and has great upside and unlimited potential.

Team Impact: DeRozan gives the Raptors a young athletic wing they can mold to replace the void left by Vince Carter oh so many years ago. In fact he draws comparisons to Carter and Gerald Wallace at their age and stage of development. He has the potential to be the high-flying finisher for Jose Calderon, a nice running mate for Shawn Marion and a good athletic wing to complement Anthony Parker

Bleacher Report

The Chicago Bulls are still interested in moving up to attempt to draft Duke swingman Gerald Henderson, however the Nets have turned down their offer. New Jersey may look to offer the same package to the Toronto Raptors, who select 9th overall.

Charlotte Observer

Toronto, at No.9, is the wild card because there seems no consensus within that front office. The Raptors have scrambled a bit during the past two days, bringing in Johnson and Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn for second looks. The Raptors could move in any direction, maybe taking Henderson or Southern California’s DeMar DeRozan.

With no shooting guards or small forwards under contract, it’s logical the Raptors would want a wing player.

Hoops Vibe

However, Marion is mostly at fault because he wanted out of Phoenix even though the Suns were tailor made for his skill set. After all, Marion covered Nash’s mediocre athleticism and defensive shortcomings, while the classic table-setter hid his swing’s poor handles and inability to create his own shot.

While in Miami and Toronto, he got exposed. Marion never established chemistry with Heat franchise face Dwyane Wade and was sent north at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, life with a depleted and struggling Raptor squad wasn’t much better.

‘The Matrix’ has crashed. So has his worth. Perhaps a pay cut will serve as motivation for the rest of his career.

TSN

There is one player in this draft, though, that holds tremendous promise for the future, at a key NBA position, and he would fit the Raptors like a glove if they had the will to move up to acquire him – and that would be Ricky Rubio.

BetUS

Last year, Colangelo stole the spotlight when he managed to move T.J. Ford, Rasho Nestrovic and his No. 17 pick for Jermaine O’Neal, causing massive excitement on the NBA forums and in Toronto fan clubs. What’s he got in store for us this year?

Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh and the No. 9 pick are all at his disposal. It’s apparently leaking out that Colangelo is going after Stephen Curry, but so are Golden State and the Knicks, who draft ahead of the Raptors at No. 7 and 8. Nobody packages trades like Colangelo so keeping your ear to the rails that pass through Toronto is going to be an interesting tag-along right up until draft day.

Raptors Report

As the draft nears, mock drafts across the internets are showing the Raptors drafting a few different people, but all seemingly with one mitigating factor: drafting the best player available.

And their first names all start with a J, too.

The two I’m seeing now are Jeff Teague, or Jrue Holiday, none of which really stand out for me.

Dino Nation Blog

So whoever that newest Raptor will be. Understand that for him it is the greatest moment of his basketball life. Even if it is not the guy you want to be picked. Besides there have been times when picks were not loved by fans and worked out well. Damon Stoudamire was booed in Toronto and he went and won rookie of the year. He said on draft night he would turn those boos to cheers and he did that. ESPN just destroyed Charlie Villianuva and he ended up the second best player in his class according to ROY voting. There is always going to be the busts like the Hoffas. However still do you think he really lost? He got paid and made an amount of money that if he handles it right could set him up for a long time. That is what the great thing is of the draft that it can change people’s for the better.So Bust or All Star is to be determined but the impact on lives is certain.

Khandor’s Sports Blog

Although some in Raptorville do not believe that there is a suitable market for the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, should the Raptors actually be looking to trade down into the Middle/Lower section of the 1st Round … if they can also acquire an additional 2nd Round Selection, in the process … yours truly does not share that opinion.

Toronto Star

That’s not to suggest there’s a gem to be found at No. 9 this year. According to a variety of experts and NBA talent evaluators, the draft is thin on all-stars but deep on parity, making it more troublesome for general managers with picks outside the top two or three.

No one knows – even moreso this year than in others – whether a guy slated to go fourth will be better than someone the so-called "experts" think is worthy of the 12th or even 16th selection.

And it’s not just in Toronto.

Globe and Mail

“It’s definitely not clear water, let’s just say that,” Jim Kelly, the Raptors’ senior director of player personnel, said in a phone interview Monday.

Making matters more muddled, the Raptors have several key free agents that may or may not be back next season, and so the makeup of the team remains somewhat in limbo.

“You try to project where they fit on our team and we happen to have a number of free agents, and we’re not really sure if we’re going to be able to re-sign those people,” Kelly said.

“You’ve got to sort of project that we think we have a good chance with him, maybe not so much with him and if they don’t come back, we can use him in a certain role. It’s a little bit of a guessing game there.”

The Knicks Blog

9 – Toronto Raptors – Gerald Henderson

Tommy’s been on the Henderson bandwagon for a minute now, and I’m going to hop on now.  He can defend and has an awesome midrange game.  He’s ready for the NBA right now.  Charlotte would love for Henderson to drop to them, but I think he’s moved ahead of Demar Derozan in Raptor land.

Rumors and Rants

9. Toronto Raptors – Jordan Hill, PF (Arizona)
The Raptors can’t believe Hill is still on the board. The third-best big man in the draft, Hill is the much needed insurance policy for when Chris Bosh bolts Canada after this season.

Buffalo News

Some teams conduct their own background checks, some use agencies while others use private detectives or someone with a law enforcement or security background. Colangelo declined to say which method he utilizes.

“I don’t want [the players] to know what I’m asking,” he said. “Every team does it a little bit different.”

One-on-one interviews can say a lot about a player. One scout, who requested anonymity, said he usually follows a question like, “What’s your girlfriend’s name,” with “When was the last time you smoked marijuana” to try and throw the player off. Flynn has been very impressive during the interview process, which included a meeting with Colangelo during last month’s NBA Combine.

“It was a great chance for us to speak with him directly and get a good read on him and who he is as a person,” Colangelo said. “You start to formulate an opinion of who he is outside of the basketball realm and that’s all part of it.”

To The Tin

9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan, G/F USC

DeRozan has been impressive during workouts and has as much potential as any other player in the draft field.

Grade: A+ This pick fills a need and gives the Raptors the best player available – the perfect combination for draft success.

Raptors Rapture

The Raptors draft needs greatly depends on what Bryan Colangelo does in the next few days leading up to the draft. Colangelo could attempt to trade Chris Bosh or sign on of the 2009 free agents but until that happens I will discuss the Raptors draft needs as if the roster will be the same as it is now.

Toronto Sun

The lives of Brian and Bryan will come under much scrutiny this week.

Bryan Colangelo has the NBA draft on Thursday night. Brian Burke has his first NHL draft with the Maple Leafs the following night.

Both days are huge for Toronto teams in turmoil and their high-priced executives. The Leafs and Raptors have one thing in common: Both need to make a big impact this week and into July.

NY Times

“The overall approach is that teams want to be more comfortable with the development of the player,” said Maurizio Gherardini, the senior vice president for basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors and a former general manager of Benetton Treviso in Italy.

“They don’t mind having the player gaining experience through more international play and then having the more refined product.”

Salt Lake Tribune

O’Neill is scheduled to be introduced today at a campus news conference. The 52-year-old defense-oriented coach was an assistant with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies this past season. Mayo plays for the Grizzlies. O’Neill led the Toronto Raptors to a 33-49 record in 2004.

O’Neill also had stints with the New York Knicks, Detroit and Indiana.

mb.com.ph

Powerade Team Pilipinas will finally get a closer look on Japeth Aguilar, the former Ateneo stalwart who will arrive on June 26 to play for the Yeng Guiao-mentored national team.

Guiao said he got the confirmation from Peter Aguilar, Japeth’s father who played pro basketball in  the 90s. The young Aguilar has been invited by Jim Kelly, the Toronto Raptors’ Director of Player Personal, to attend the National Basketball Developmental League pre-Draft Camp set June 19 to 21.

Straight To The League

In Evans the Raptors gained a player who can add toughness and rebounding to their front court, something that they desperately lacked this season past: getting banged on the boards was one of the bigger reasons why they were so disappointing this year.

In Chris Bosh and Andre Bargnani the Raptor’s possess two big guys with great scoring ability but little in the way of defensive presence.

Evans, who once led the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes, should prove effective in compensating Toronto’s existing finesse game inside.

sportscolumn.com

9. Gerald Henderson, Duke, PG, Jr.

Henderson can average double figures right now and will step immediately into Jason Kapono’s minutes.

Fanhouse

Toronto Raptors
Picks: No. 9 (first round).

Needs: They need a better shooting guard because Anthony Parker should be a backup. They also could use more depth at almost every other position. A bruiser in the front court would be nice so Chris Bosh doesn’t have to get beat up so much. They lacked a defensive mentality last season, which is why they took a big step backward.
Possibilities: Wayne Ellington, Gerald Henderson, DeMar DeRozan.

DraftExpress

A recurring theme in this article, we find Jermaine Taylor at the top of our rankings at 32.2 points per-40. Not only is he almost 6 full points ahead of Jodie Meeks, but he even ranks slightly ahead of Stephen Curry, the top scorer in our first analysis. As you can see here, and will continue to see throughout this article, Taylor carried a bigger load than anyone in the NCAA. Jodie Meeks checks in next on our list, while James Harden sits in fourth. Both players were clearly utilized heavily by the teams due to their excellent perimeter scoring abilities. The third and fifth spots are owned by Marcus Thornton and Jack McClinton, who used their opportunities to handle the ball to create their own shots in addition to spending time off the ball.
In the middle of our rankings we see a handful of highly regarded guys from the ACC, namely Gerald Henderson, Jeff Teague, and Wayne Ellington, all playing for quality squads in an elite conference. From what we’ve seen, the players on higher level teams in the ACC usually fall behind prospects from the bottom feeding teams, largely due to the quality of talent they’re surrounded with. Obviously it’s easier for a player like Jermaine Taylor to put up outrageous numbers alongside the teammates he played with at UCF.

DraftExpress

It is unsurprising to see three small school players at the top of our list, since these players are typically asked to do more, and wouldn’t be warranting attention if they weren’t carrying their teams the way they have. Toney Douglas is our first big school name on the list at 23.1, while potential lottery pick Tyreke Evans was just behind him at 22.9 per-40. Nando De Colo is the first international prospect on our list with 20.5 points per-40 in the French League, easily the highest amongst European players. The second highest comes from his teammate Rodrigue Beaubois at 17.7 per-40.
Three probable lottery picks, Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, and Jrue Holiday close out our rankings by falling under 13.0 points per-40. While Jennings and Holiday have their own excuses, Ricky Rubio’s 7.0 point per-40 tell you a lot more about his wrist injury than his actual play in the Euroleague, as he was playing just a few games with only one hand. Jennings in contrast actually did a slightly better job against better competition, which is notable as well. Holiday’s struggles to score at UCLA have been well documented, and surely have to be considered somewhat of a reason for concern.

The 19-year-old forward from the USC Trojans, a projected top-10 pick, is one of several top prospects that have opted to go it alone during pre-draft auditions.

"I felt like coaches get the chance to see everything I’ve improved on without paying attention to other players, their whole focus is on me," DeRozan said on his decision to go solo.

DeRozan is an athletic player who’s one of the draft’s most-hyped prospects.

Toronto Star

The Raptors, given the option, would have loved to have seen DeRozan work under some sort of game conditions, even though they had scouts and front office personnel see him a handful of times in the college season.

But they didn’t get that option yesterday and getting him in the gym, even alone, was worth the effort.

"I guess that’s the agents trying to protect their players a little bit. The top guys would normally do that, we’ve seen that with him and (Arizona forward Jordan) Hill and (Connecticut centre Hasheem) Thabeet and all those guys projected to go in the top five, six," said Masai Ujiri, Toronto’s assistant general manager of player personnel.

Globe and Mail

Ujiri said he needs to work on his shooting, but sees in him a bit of Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, Portland’s Travis Outlaw or Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace.

“Those are guys we kind of compare him to, athletic guys in the beginning, they were crazy athletes, but the game was yet to be put together,” Ujiri said. “I think those guys have put their games together. He has to work on a couple of things, but I think he’s a great athlete, a great kid.

“It almost always pans out. They work hard, it might take a couple of years, but I think he grows into being a good player.”

Hoops Addict

9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan SG/SF
19 years old, 6?7?, 207 lbs.
USC, Freshman

NBA Roundtable

Remember, if the Raptors choose to jettison Shawn Marion and spend their cap space on someone else, they would also surely lose the following — Anthony Parker, Joey Graham and Carlos Delfino.

So the option of re-signing Marion, should be considered Marion plus potentially those three plus the possible use of the MLE against the one $7.2-to-$9.2 million signing.

RotoRob

9. Toronto Raptors: DeMarr DeRozan, SF, USC – With Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion headed for free agency, the Raptors need an athletic wingman to fill the void. DeRozan really came on at the end of last year and showed some of the promise he had coming out of high school. I am not sure how the move across the border would affect a guy who is always been in the Southern California area. DeRozan is fairly raw still, but should get a good amount of playing time next year. Other possibilities: Holiday, Gerald Henderson, Earl Clark.

Examiner.com

Which brings me back to the explosive and athletic Gerald Henderson. The former Blue Devil would immediately upgrade Toronto’s athleticism while giving them solid defender who still has plenty of upside. He could easily develop into a Richard Jefferson type player. Henderson flashed his all-around game last year with Duke; scoring 16.5 PPG, grabbing 4.9 RPG and dishing out 2.5 APG.

He still needs to work on becoming more consistent with his jump shot and his ball-handling, but he has the skill-set to excel in both of those areas.

Pioneer Press

Former Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell played 10 seasons for the Wolves and is one obvious candidate. He is considered more of a disciplinarian than a players’ coach, but center Al Jefferson said McHale was both of those.

"He was the type of guy who could communicate with you and also, if he was upset, he would get in your face, too," Jefferson said. "Most definitely I think it’s good to have a coach like that because some of us players are knuckleheads and some of us need a coach that is going to really get down on them and get in their face. … I think we need both of that."

Mitchell didn’t return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday, and Kahn insisted that the process of finding a new coach

FIBA

Australia’s men’s basketball team, the Boomers, will begin its first training camp for 2009 at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra tomorrow.
The Boomers will be without the services of 208cm Toronto Raptors power forward Nathan Jawai until possibly Sunday due to a stomach ailment.

Fan590

The Raps newly appointed Assistant Coach joins Jack and the always witty Doug MacLean to talk about how is hiring came to fruition and what Reggie Evans brings to the team.

Q. Who is your Top 10?

1. Blake Griffin 6’10 248 PF
Powerful & athletic, quickness in the post, runs floor, should be very good in pick & roll situations.

2. Ricky Rubio 6’3 185 PG
Leader, crafty & smart, very good passer, lanky long defender creates steals with deflections. Teammates just seem to play for him and respond to his game. Stroke needs work.

3. James Harden 6’5 215 SG
Lefty, can score in a variety of ways. Strong guard with good size, can play through contact. Winner. Good guard rebounder.

4. Jordan Hill 6’10 232 PF
Long athlete, improved strength. Could be a solid defender/shot blocker, rim runner. Low block game needs continued development.

5. Stephen Curry 6’3 185 CG
Ever heard “it’s a shot makers league”? He’s a combo guard who can flat out stroke it with range. Good handle & passer. His ability to shoot will keep him in league for a long time.

6. Hasheem Thabeet 7’2 265 C
Long! Very good shot blocker who runs well. Offense will never go through him, he’ll score as result of others setting him up. Doesn’t pursue boards out of his area enough for my taste. Can’t dispute his size & potential. Weak crop of bigs, he’s by far the best.

7. Jonny Flynn 6’0 195 PG
Quick & fast with the ball, explodes to the rim & can take a hit. Strong guard and very good in Pick & Roll. Good leader should work on shooting.

Gerald Henderson: I bet none of you have him this high

8. Gerald Henderson 6’5 215 SG
Long armed athlete who can finish at the rim. Much improved offensively including shooting ability. Best off the bounce.

9. DeJuan Blair 6’7 265 PF
He’s strong, has a 7’2 wing span and he’s a man on the boards. Good around the basket, crafty with both R/L and draws fouls.

tie 10. Terrence Williams 6’6 212 SG
Great passer, good athlete that can defend. Great in open court, shooting could improve.

tie 10. Earl Clark 6’9 220 SF/PF
Long athlete who can shoot it. Needs NBA range. Could post smalls & drive bigs. Capable defender, is the motor there?

Others I like regardless of rank:
Sam Young 6’6 215 SF/SG Pitt – Tough, strong, athletic, and a winner
Tyler Hansbrough 6’9 239 PF North Carolina – Never stops working. Produced for 4 years.
James Johnson 6’8 250 SF/PF Wake Forest – Stud physically, skilled guy with NBA body
Jeff Teague 6’2 180 PG/SG Wake Forest – Scorer, long arms & wiry strong
Derrick Brown 6’8 225 SF Xavier – Long Lefty, slasher
Nick Calathes 6’5 185 PG Florida – Best passer in the draft, Greece bound

Grab the Feed

Follow @raptorsrepublic @altraps @arsenalist @rapsfan @realizar @chrisdenker

Day 1 of being nice

…no pirates

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.

Toronto Sun

Love the Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono deal by Bryan Colangelo. That’s getting something for nothing. Kapono is fine if you want a skills competition shooter. Evans is just about the meanest big body the Raptors have had since Charles Oakley …

Super shooter Stephen Curry won’t work out for the Raptors. He is expecting to be picked in the NBA draft before the Raps choose ninth …

NewsOK

?Toronto officials maintain they will do everything possible to re-sign Chris Bosh, one of the coveted free agents of 2010. Miami, though, might be willing to offer Michael Beasley for Bosh if the Raptors are interested.

Miami Herald

The Heat’s interest in Chris Bosh apparently is mutual. A friend of the Toronto power forward said Bosh has interest in playing for Miami, which would love to add him via trade this summer or free agency in 2010.

Bosh assuredly will dismiss any report linking him to another team because he doesn’t want to upset the Raptors and doesn’t need to decide his future for 13 months. But the friend said playing in Miami appeals to him.

With Bosh announcing he will test free agency in 2010, a competing executive who spoke to Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said Toronto appears open to considering offers for Bosh and likely would consider a package that includes Michael Beasley — if the Heat overcomes reluctance to trade Beasley.

Lancaster Online

Ray Allen he’s not, but the Sixers took a major step toward improving their anemic outside shooting by trading Reggie Evans to the Toronto Raptors for Jason Kapono. A 6-8 small forward, Kapono makes three-pointers at a 45.4 percent clip, tying him with former Chicago Bull Steve Kerr for the best career percentage. He also won the three-point shooting contest at the 2007 and 2008 NBA all-star games.

HoopsWorld

The Toronto Raptors are a team with too many questions. Because they finished the 2008-09 season finished so well for them, the front office seems pretty convinced that the current roster has the capacity to win some games. The only problem is that because the Raps started—and continued on for most of the year—so poorly, it’s hard to gauge whether Bryan Colangelo’s got himself a Dr. Jekyll or a Mr. Hyde. That’s why this summer he’s got so many decisions to make. We could see an almost identical team return to the court next season, or there could be half a roster’s worth of new guys.

RaptorsHQ

From Colangelo’s perspective it would allow him to extra good, albeit not equal value, for CB4 all the while moving Bosh to the Western Conference. It also addresses the Raptors dire need for a 2/3 who can play defence and also attack the rim and create off the bounce. Be it Bowen, Oberto or the Red Rocket, each guy would add something to this current Raptors team. Originally when I thought of this idea I pictured Oberto in a Raps uni as I viewed him as a serviceable veteran big man who could easily develop some chemistry with Bargnani. After a little research however, I discovered that Oberto just recently underwent a procedure on his heart to correct his irregular heartbeat. I’m no doctor but to quote the Clipse, this sounds “kinda like a big deal”.

Arin It Out

9th overall – Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke – Henderson would definitely be a shot in the arm to this team.  Is he the 9th best player in this draft class?  No, probably not, but who’s to really say with this class.  Henderson is the child of a former NBA player, so he knows how to carry himself and would be a great addition to the Raptors.