Whatever that means, I’m hoping we can build on it quick, because we just rolled into Denver. I’ve been dreading this one since the schedule was published. Last season, we dropped both games to them, 132-93 & 114-107, the former being the day Colangelo gave up on the season 17 games in (8-9). In fact, that first game was the type that no one talked about the next day. Everyone went to school/work, hung their head low, and when the subject of the Raptors came up, we all were like “they’re in Utah on Friday.”

There is one sub-plot tonight, the return of Joey Graham. Every last one of us was happy to see Jamario Moon jack and miss his jumpers against the Raptors when Cleveland came to town on opening night (I was laughing like a maniac the whole time, it was good to exorcise those demons). I’m hoping for the same tonight. Joey Graham was the last bad reminder of the Babcock era, every single time I  saw him, all I could think about was what we gave up to draft him at 16 (Granger). I had heard good things about him early in the season, where he was supposed to start or something, but that didn’t work out. I fear the only way we see him tonight is if either team is losing badly, or at the end of quarters while Carmelo is getting pampered on the bench.

The Match-ups

The Point: After a horrible start, Jose seems to be back. Over his last 5, he is averaging 14pts and 7.6ast a game, about what we expect. His defense has improved some, but really, it’s not that good. After having to deal with Nash and Davis the last two, he gets to finish this trip on Chauncey and Williams. One elite PG after another. I don’t like this match-up at all for Calderon. Unlike the other two, Chauncey will make life for Jose hell on defense as well. This is going to be a full court ordeal for Jose, who is going to be pushed every which-way possible.
The Edge: Denver

The Skill: At some point this season, we will have to move DeRozan to the bench if he doesn’t bump it up a notch. He’s only playing 17 a game, but half of that comes at the start of the game when you’re feeling out your opponent and setting a tone for the rest of the game. Hardly the time to let your raw rookie get some burn. Tonight he gets Arron Afflalo, who has been a great addition to the Nuggets replacing Dahntay Jones in the starting five. We can expect Arron to attack the offensive glass, and slash to the basket. He’s also the only safe bet to leave on a double-team situation. He isn’t a lock down defender, so if DeRozan can keep active and run around the court, he can shake free. Hopefully DeRozan isn’t too cold to play.
The Edge: Denver

The Wing: Hedo had his first chance on Sunday to live up to the pedigree he came to the Raptors with, but fell short after hitting his first two clutch shots. I can deal with it, since he had a pretty damn good game before that. Sadly, his production comes in waves. He has a goodish/greatish game, then disappears for a game or two. He’ll have his hands full with Carmelo tonight to start with but look for Wright (if healthy) or Belinelli to switch at some point. Like Jose, Hedo will be tested on both ends of the floor, and even if he was healthy (dude keeps wincing…I hate wincing), this is not a favourable match-up. The fact that he isn’t 100% almost guarantees this to be a bad one.
The Edge: Denver

The Big: I’m just going to go on a limb and say that Chris should be able to handle Kenyon tonight. With the added muscle and the MVP caliber run so far, I have zero reservations. Doesn’t mean that this will be a walk in the park, though. Martin has a nose for the ball and as Jeremy from Round Ball Mining Company says “Martin can score, it just rarely looks pretty.” The match-up fully favours Bosh here, but we can’t sleep on Martin. He has hurt the Raptors in the past, making defensive stops in the dying moments of the game. He will rotate defensively on penetration, just have to find an open/waiting Bosh for the dish. Could be textbook.
The Edge: Toronto

The Strong: This just isn’t going to work out well for Bargnani tonight. Nene is a pitbull. An energy guy who is an efficient scorer. He always gets after it. Bargnani only has a size advantage here and that may be marginal since Nene is a big boy who is also equally quick. I just don’t see it. Frye dropped 20 on us on Sunday and all he did was stand on the perimeter waiting for a pass. Nene is going to earn every single point/rebound he gets, and each one has the potential to make Andrea look silly.
The Edge: Denver

The Backup: Anyone else think that Belinelli/Johnson are the bizarro Smith/Anderson? Seriously…Belinelli and Smith are the kamikaze scorers who come off the bench and hit ridiculous shots. Johnson and Anderson are the energy guys who grab rebounds, put down dunks and are crowd favourites. Wright needs to stop shooting jumpers, even if he’s open, and Jack should only be allowed to take it to the rack and either lay it up, or kick it out to a shooter. Have to say, it looks pretty even on the pine.
The Edge: Even

The Brain: Triano had a brain fart on Sunday giving Jack too much burn in the 4th. All it took was a few minutes for the momentum to shift in Phoenix’s favour, and that’s all it’s going to take against the Nuggets who are elite in their own right. I shudder to think what Billups/Smith will do to Calderon/Jack if Triano insists on playing them together. Shudder. As much as I hate Karl, he has this one.
The Edge: Denver

Injury Report

Raptors
Reggie Evans – out
Antoine Wright – questionable

Nuggets
Anthony Carter – questionable

The Line

Vegas has the line at Nuggets -8.5 with an over/under of 219

How to Win This Game

I got nothing here. The Nuggets are a much better team that we don’t match-up well against. IF we keep them off the boards, and IF we hit all our shots, and IF Carmelo has an off-night, there is a chance.

Prediction

Jeremy’s SIM says the Nuggets win 126-117, and that sounds about right to me.

Manning the 2-3 spots for the Raptors last year were Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker and Joey Graham. This year we have DeMar DeRozan, Antoine Wright and Hedo Turkoglu. Forget defense, the first thing that jumps at you is that we have superior offensive firepower at the wings. We all know about Turkoglu (10th in scoring for his position) and have seen DeRozan’s potential; Wright’s a write-off but he still can’t be too much worse than Joey Graham on the offensive side of the ball. The 6′ 10″ Turkoglu adds size that can be utilized on both ends by a coach who recognizes the opportunity. I remember Phil Jackson using Toni Kukoc as a great defensive asset even though he was hardly a good defensive player. Kukoc (along with Pippen) was the Bulls’ trap-guy because of his length and got a lot of deflections just because he happened to be at the right spot on the court when those skip and point-to-wing passes were being made. He was a player whose good size was being used correctly by a good coaching staff.

I feel Turkoglu is a player that’s not given enough credit for his defense. He’s not an ultra-quick lock-down type defender, but he’s long and big, and more importantly, uses his head on defense which last year’s small forward (Moon) never did. In his life. Ever. I think Triano will appreciate the luxury of having a 6′ 10″ hedge-man who can make the return pass that much more difficult. If you put him on the floor with DeRozan and Jack you’ll get a 1/2/3 combination that’s athletic, strong and big. That to me is a huge improvement over last year where two of those three spots were leaking for 48 minutes a game.

I don’t know how DeMar DeRozan will fare defensively at the SG. It’s one of the toughest positions to defend simply because the skill level and athleticism of the players at the off-guard is tremendous. It is good to know that we have Wright waiting in the wings to help out the rookie. The natural comparison to last year would be with Parker who I feel (and as he acknowledged in the off-season) is only a good team-defender, what that means is that he can listen to the coach. Parker can tighten up on a player up but if that player is any good, he can drive by him on any given day. He doesn’t have the athleticism to be in two places at once and his recovery defense is non-existent. DeRozan is an upgrade athletically, the question is whether he’ll be disciplined enough to listen to the coaches, read the scouting reports and play to the weakness of the defender.

The 6’7″ DeRozan has the physical tools to defend but it all depends on how quickly his NBA initiation happens. He’ll be going up against Pierce, LeBron and Vince in the first month of the season so you’d think he’ll have learned the major defensive lessons early. Defense is about effort and commitment and since rookies usually find the offensive part tough, there’s no better channel to make up for your shortcomings on offense than defense. Just like Mo Pete did it. I think the major measuring stick for DeRozan will be how attentive he is to the coaching staff and whether he’s able to correct his early mistakes (which are bound to happen) quickly and thus earn the right to be on the court. If you can’t defend you’re a liability and Triano’s not going to fool around, especially if the effort and dedication isn’t there.

Turkoglu’s a defensive and offensive improvement over Moon. I’d consider Parker to be a better defender than DeRozan but that could change if DeRozan wants it to. The Parker of two years ago was an efficient scorer but last year’s version labored more than a cow giving birth to triplets. DeRozan is an unproven commodity but it’ll be awfully hard to be as inconsistent as Parker was last year. It’s a wash to start the season with DeRozan having the potential to be a much more productive scorer. This leaves us with Antoine Wright vs Joey Graham.

I haven’t seen Wright enough to comment on his offensive game but judging by his playoff performance and what’s coming out of coaches’ mouths, I’d say he’s a superior defender than Graham. Joey’s lateral movement reminded me of a closet; even though he went some ways in winning my approval through his hard-nosed offensive play to finish the season, he was still significantly below average in both departments. The worst you can say about Wright is that he sucks on offense but is an above average defender. So yeah, Wright gets the edge.

Don’t think I’ve forgotten about Belinelli, I just think he’s too much of a wildcard to be counted upon. I do love the “Don Nelson hated him and how that he’s on the loose he’ll show us how great he is” argument but that just isn’t true, the guy did get 21mpg last year so it’s not as if Nelson had him in solitary confinement and fed him through a keyhole for the whole year. Belinelli could be as good as Tracy Murray or Walt Williams or as bad as Tracy Murray or Walt Williams. I just cannot bring myself to expect anything particular of him.

I have my reservations with Jarrett Jack defending the off-guard, mostly because I don’t think he’ll be called upon to do that and also because he’s 6’3″. I think there will be enough work at the point to keep him occupied, but let’s play along for a minute. He’s a bullish player who can be posted-up but has the strength to push out the poster further out. However, a height disadvantage is a height disadvantage and at this level an off-guard with a reasonable jumper will be able to score on him whenever he feels like it. If you’ve seen him in Indiana you might’ve noticed his ability to draw contact on offense with a quick move followed by a hard-stop which bumps the defender slightly backwards, leaving him enough room for the mid-range jumper. I’m not sure about his blow-by ability but if his jumper is falling (and defenses will test that first) he’ll have the opportunity to create with dribble penetration against SGs. Sounds cozy enough but again, I just don’t think the off-guard is where he’s most valuable to us.

Overall, the wing defense has improved. I think we’ll be better at defending dribble penetration and have improved our athleticism and size to the point where we’re at least average. Turkoglu will improve production and DeRozan/Wright will at the very least wash out Parker/Graham. Will we have negative +/- at the 2/3? Can DeRozan learn to defend the off-guard? Is Turkoglu’s ability to play defense overblown? Is Wright as good as people say he is? Can Belinelli provide the scoring punch? Can Jack actually play significant minutes at the 2? These are just a few of the many questions that remain to be answered about our wings. Your thoughts are always appreciated.

Ladies and gentlemen, the summer of doin’ work is officially over. BryCo, probably for the last time before the season starts, picked up the phone and turned nothing into something more then nothing…more or less. Amir Johnson (and some dude named Sonny Weems), of Detroit-Dumars fame, are the latest Raptors. The causalities: Roko “I hate my life because I’m playing behind Douby” Ukic, and Carlos “$3mill euros a year can’t buy me happiness” Delfino.

By my count, that is 9 new players on this roster. NINE. Seriously, 60% of our roster was assembled during 6 weeks of whirlwind activity. Integrating them all while fielding a team with playoff designs will be a challenge to say the least. Triano sure has his work cutout for him, and if he fails, I can almost hear the excuses now: “he had 9 new players to work with…” I don’t know about y’all, but I’m freaking wiped out.

Why I like this deal:
His contract expires at the end of the year if he doesn’t work out, we get some cap relief (almost $4mil) for the Summer of Bosh. The Raptors get much deeper in the front court, which will help when we face Orlando, Cleveland and Boston who have all become bigger and stronger up front. Amir potentially becomes the best shot blocker. Probably the sweetest reason: we never have to see Patrick O’Bryant play another minute in a Raptor uniform.

Why I don’t like it:
We had an offer out to Pops which he would have probably signed because nobody else has any interest, so he could have been our 4th big (instead of Johnson and ahead of O’Bryant). It can be argued that the drop-off from Johnson to Pops wouldn’t be very significant. There is drop-off, don’t get me wrong, but when you are talking 5+ minutes a game (between Evans and Rasho, I don’t see the 4th big getting lots of burn), the drop-off wont be that significant and wont cost us games. While Antoine Wright can play the SF, he is far more effective at playing SG:

Offense:
SG PER = 10.7
SF PER = 9.0

Defense
SG = Opponent PER = 16.3
SF = Opponent PER = 18.0

Belinelli played zero percentage of the available minutes at the SF position for the Warriors last season, zero. We should stop talking about him as a backup SF, that’s all I’m saying. If we could have got Johnson for Delfino/Ukic, we could have gotten a lower tier SF who is a stopper on the perimeter, that’s all I’m saying.

Some quick thoughts on what this trade means:

• We wont be getting that backup SF anymore, meaning that defensive stopper off the bench will have to be Wright or Belinelli…I’ll pause while you stop laugh at that last one
• …DeRozan is assured a big role during his rookie campaign (I was hoping he would be eased in) from the get go
• Belinelli will have a much larger role, regardless of his readiness
• Joey Graham wont be coming back, but bizarro-Joey (Sunny Weems looks like a freaky Joey doesn’t he?) is more then capable of covering his uhhh…whatever he did on the bench
• O’Bryant is now the 3rd big off the bench, which means if Pops signs that contract offer (didn’t know if that offer was rescinded at time of writing this article), he will probably be released, or bought out, or driven out to the bus station and handed a ticket to Iowa or something
• People are super excited about this trade, we got 189 comments about it yesterday…man I love you guys.

I gotta say, I like this kid so far.

Oh, just in case you’re wondering why I didn’t say anything about Weems, I never heard of the guy until yesterday, and I expect him to be fighting with Douby for minutes. There, I said something.

NBA Kays

6. Toronto Raptors 43-39

Toronto’s big splash this summer was adding Hedo Turkoglu. The Raptors also added combo guard Jarrett Jack and promising youngsters Marco Belinelli and DeMar DeRozan. I expect Chris Bosh to have a MVP-caliber year as he’s in the last year of his contract. The playoffs are in sight for a team that essentially gave up halfway through last season.

Celtics Circuit

When I heard Toronto stole Hedo Turkoglu away from Portland, I immediately thought: ‘Hey, maybe we’ll actually have some competition in the division this season’. I mean, you take a guy like Turkoglu, put him in place next to your All-Star in Chris Bosh and suddenly you have a very formidable inside – outside punch. Factor Jose Calderone at point guard into the equation and the Raptors finally have something of a head turning nucleus. And we can’t forget about Andrew Bargnani, who’s finally transforming into a real NBA player. We at least have to take them seriously, right?
I was looking over their roster though, and I still can’t decide how I feel about it.

Brothersteve’s Green & Red Raptor Blog

Joey is big, he is strong, and he is hard to move.  Joey is athletic.  Joey can rebound!  The one area of his game that has improved since his rookie year is his rebounding.  That in and of itself makes Joey worth a second look – on this Raptors team anyway.  In modest minutes, under 20 per game, Joey’s rebounding numbers have gone from 3.0rpg in 2005-06, steadily up to 3.7rpg last season. (The 07-08 year not being reflective of anything, except Mitchell)

Joey also performed well guarding bigs like Dwight Howard or stronger wing players who prefer to post up, where he could use his strength to hold his ground.  Joey’s mid-range offensive game is decent as well, reflected in a very acceptable shooting percentage of about 48%.

Pardon the lame title, but I couldn’t help myself. Reading through Blake’s latest and greatest, he hit the nail on the head: we don’t need DeRozan to be a superstar this coming season. Don’t get me wrong, that would be nice if he came through like VC did in his rookie year and drop 20 a night, but we have enough scorers on this team that D-Squared doesn’t have to kill it from game 1. Enter Antoine Wright, one of the pieces we got in the Hedo trade.

He instantly steps into the starting shooting guard role for the Raptors. He may not log 30+ minutes a night (never played more then 24 a night), but he is one of two players we have at the shooting guard who will be expected to pick up where Anthony Parker left off (I have zero expectations of Douby…big donut). What do we really know about the kid though? I turned to a couple TrueHoop brothers in hopes of getting a bloggers opinion of Antoine…

Sebastian Pruiti (@NetsRScorching) of Nets are Scorching:

Antoine Wright came into New Jersey with some big expectations. As the #15 pick overall, he was a billed as a “do it all player” but he never really performed up to expectations as a Net. A great swingman over at Texas A&M, Wright had (and still has) the size and the athleticism to play either the two or the three spot. He makes enough threes that it is a threat, but he can put the ball on the floor as well.

In my opinion, Antoine’s biggest problem in New Jersey was the fact that he was playing behind two great players in Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. The fact that he came in with real high expectations didn’t help the situation. Wright was only on the court 9.5 MPG his rookie season, and when he was out there he didn’t play well at all. Personally, I think this hurt him a lot mentally, and it seemed like he checked out from that season forward. Even as he saw his minutes rise each year as a Net, he never really had a breakout game/season during his time here. With that brought a lot of boos and a lot of animosity. So when the Nets traded him, I wasn’t completely surprised. I didn’t really follow him during his time in Dallas, but looking at his numbers, it seems that his play was similar to how he was playing when he left NJ. Meaning he is improving slightly, but not enough to warrant a significant rise in minutes.

Sorry to paint such a bleak picture, but it would be foolish not to describe his time in NJ as a failure. It isn’t all bad though, he is still very young (turning 25 some time next year), and I think going to a team where he wasn’t the 15th pick or a part of the Devin Harris trade will really help. Plus, the skills are all there, he just has to put it all together, and it isn’t like he is getting worse, he is in fact improving (His FT%, 3PT%, and Scoring has gone up every year in the league except one). It is just not at the rate you would expect a lottery pick to. I thought it would take a year or two for him to develop into a serviceable 6th man, but it just didn’t happen. Realistically that is the best that Raptor fans can hope for out of him next year. Unless he starts the year playing out of his mind, he will be a guy you can put in to create a size mismatch or to hit a three or two. That is about it.

Err…ok, he had high expectations getting drafted by Jersey and didn’t get comfortable playing behind VC and RJ. Maybe his time in Dallas will be more positive….

Rob Mahoney (@RobMahoney) of The Two Man Game:

Mark my words: Antoine Wright will be relatively unloved and under-appreciated. Some will be eager to criticize his merely average shooting stroke, but Wright works hard on both ends and is improving as a scorer. That’s not necessarily ideal for a starting shooting guard (he was the de jure starter for the Mavs last season, although Jason Terry logged a majority of the minutes), but it can make Wright enticing as a rotation player.

I think the key with Wright is understanding his limits. Don’t expect a high-volume scorer, don’t expect an impressive arsenal, and don’t expect Bruce Bowen. Wright will be an interesting contrast with an athletic, instinctive scorer like DeMar DeRozan, but it’s important that Wright be viewed with that lens; Wright’s not a replacement or substitute for DeRozan, but a different look with less of an innate feel for the game. Antoine’s athleticism is decidedly average by NBA standards, but rather than fall by the wayside as so many similar players have, Wright may have carved out a niche for himself with his work on the defensive end. He is by no means an elite NBA defender (try above average), but I find Antoine’s high-energy approach endearing. He stays with his man, contests shots, and generally works in the “doing the little things” mold to contribute in the most subtle of ways. Admittedly, Wright’s not always super-effective in that regard, but his defensive efforts and expanding offensive game do give him some value on the floor.

Wright is a markedly better spot-up shooter than he was when he first came to Dallas, and he’s also shown to be a decent slasher. But Wright’s still shaping his own offensive abilities, and for better or worse he is both evolving and malleable. Or offensively raw and currently unspectacular. Y’know, depending on which side of the bed you woke up on this morning.

Sound like anyone we know? Cough…Joey Graham…Cough… Actually, Wright was drafted one spot ahead of Joey in 2005.  Fortunately for us, this is where comparisons with Graham end. Where Joey was a physically gifted player with all the tools (except a brain/motivation) to excel at the NBA level, Wright is an energy guy who has created a niche for himself with his defensive ability and spot up shooting.

I would venture that expectations are much lower for Wright then in years past for a couple reasons:

• He was a throw in on the Turkoglu trade
• We drafted a promising young’n at the shooting guard position who we all know will be the starting SG by mid-year and the SG of the future
• He is not expected to put up copious amounts of points on the board (we have enough scoring)
• Toronto fans appreciate energy players who play tough defense, and since Humphries and Pops are gone…

What does concern me is productivity:

PER:
Parker – 12.16
Wright – 8.63

Production per 36min:

It’s not necessarily the points that concerns me, he is improving in that department, but the kid is 6″7 and grabs 2.4 rebounds per 36minutes. Considering he wont be playing more then 24mins, he will be contributing about 1.6rebs/game. For a team that struggles to rebound, this is not good news. Considering Calderon only grabs about 3 per 36mins, we can expect our starting backcourt to grab just 4.6rebs/game. What compounds that is that Bargnani wont be grabbing much more (6.1), so we have 3 positions on the floor that contribute about 10.5rebs/game. Add in Bosh and Turkoglu (5.2) and Bosh (9.5), and our starters grab 25.2rebs/game. Looks like we will be struggling to grab boards again…that’s another article.

Back to Antoine; he is 9 years younger and 1-inch taller then Parker. If he can play lock-downish defense on the perimeter, grab some boards, knock down the occasional three/jumper and take it to the rack whenever a lane opens up … that is all we can hope for. If he can avoid the mistakes Moon made, and swing the ball on the perimeter and not grin idiotically and incessantly, he will be fine. Not asking for great, just don’t want to see bad.

@raptorsrepublic :: facebook :: rss feed

Toronto Star

Jack, who averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 assists last season, is capable of handling both backcourt positions. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder started 53 games for the Pacers last season.

If he does end up in Toronto, he could be used as a backup to Jose Calderon at point guard and would have more experience than Roko Ukic, who is just going into his second season. And, depending on how Toronto’s shooting guard spot ends up working out, Jack would undoubtedly see minutes there, too.

Toronto Sun

DeRozan didn’t totally get the message about the Raptors wanting him to be more aggressive, getting to the line just twice and making one. But he did score 20 points and grab four rebounds in Toronto’s 91-87 loss to Detroit.

"The message we’re trying to get to him is to get more aggressive,” said Raps coach Jay Triano. "He’s making that jump shot, which is good and bad. We want him to get to the rim and finish there.”

Mediocre Forever

I like Roko, I really do – I probably like him more than most people, but I can’t deny that he just hasn’t shown enough yet – he’s shown flashes of brilliance here and there, but he’s definitely not stable enough to run a team given serious minutes. Plus his two summer league games have been subpar so far. But I am confident he will get there, so until then, it’s good to have a proven point guard in Jarrett Jack who could arguably start on a lot of teams. Adding Jack should motivate Roko that much more.

NBA Obsessed

Now Toronto is trying to build a team to put around him, because next year Chris is a free agent and may want to leave. The biggest off season move was to land Hedo Turkoglu. Hedo is a definite mismatch player that becomes so valuable if you make the playoffs. He not only has the outside shot, but also stands 6? 10? tall. Hedo averaged over 16 a game this year.

Beware The Claw

“Revamp” would be an understatment in describing what has happened to the Raptors  roster so far this offseason. Brian Colangelo remains focused on collecting a winning team now. Obviously, keeping Chris Bosh in Toronto beyond next season is the top priority.

Las Vegas Sun

“My first NBA season was pretty cool,” Ukic said. “My whole life, my dream was to play in the NBA, which is very tough for a white European point guard.”

He is ecstatic about Toronto signing free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu.

“Last season, I felt I was getting better and better,” Ukic said. “I just wanted to get on the court and get a chance. It’s a shame we didn’t get to the playoffs. A shame. But I think we’ll have a better team this season.”

The Plain Dealer

Should the Cavaliers fail to land the "stretch-four" they’ve been seeking, another player they have some interest in is free agent small forward Joey Graham, according to an NBA source.

TSN

Put it this way: If Antoine Wright isn’t starting for this club at shooting guard on opening night it would be a serious oversight on the part of the Raptors’ brass.

What Wright brings to the table are exactly the attributes this team needs at that spot. Since they decided to swap Shawn Marion for Hedo Turkoglu, they need a guy that they can stick on opposing wings to stop them from burning the club with penetration (a huge issue for the team a year ago). Wright can guard all but the biggest and burliest of perimeter players (he had his trouble denying position to Carmelo Anthony in the aforementioned series, for instance) and he does so without needing touches to stay focused on that task.

Las Vegas Review Journal

"I’d say right now everything’s up in the air," said Colangelo, who watched his team play Saturday in the NBA Summer League. "We have a lot of moving parts right now with free agency and our draft, and as the dust settles, we may have some things that may or may not affect Marcus."

Banks had surgery on his big right toe March 23 and played in six games for Toronto after being acquired from Miami in February. He is scheduled to make $4.5 million in 2009-10 and $4.8 million in 2011, the final year of his contract.

Crunch Sports

Jack will turn 26 years old later this year and his game has steadily improved since his first season in the league back in 2005-06 when he was with the Portland Trailblazers.  While Portland was reluctant to use Jack as a starter in the 2007-08 season, after moving to Indiana to play the 2009-10 season, Jack started 53 games and averaged 13.1 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and 2.7 rebounds per game.

T.O. Sports

So in lieu of the acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu, Devean George, Antoine Wright and the resigning of Andrea Bargnani; Raptors fans should be feeling pretty good as their leader Bryan Colangelo has worked some of his old magic again. I still feel that the Raptors have an opportunity to acquire stronger role players (the bench bunch) so lets look at whose left in the world of free agency.

The Knicks Blog

If he ends up in Toronto, this is a good move for the Raptors.  Unlike the Knicks who are trying to build a team to attract a big free agent next summer, the Raptors have a big free agent that they are trying to keep next summer.  Players like Jack, Turkoglu, Antoine Wright, and the Bargnani extension should give Bosh the inclination that the Raptors are trying to get better and that they are trying to win with him.

NBA.com

Raptors vs Pistons Hilites

Indy Star

Pacers officials wanted to re-sign Jack, but they likely won’t be willing to match such an offer. The Pacers don’t want to go over the league’s $69.9 million luxury tax figure next season.

Jack, a college teammate of Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh at Georgia Tech, averaged a career-high 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season. He replaced T.J. Ford at point guard and started the final 12 games.

Indy Cornrows

My head tells me letting Jack go is the only move here for the Pacers, considering the limitations in his game. My heart will always have me rooting for Jack and watching his progress with Toronto. There’s even a small part of me that hopes the Pacers rue the day that Jack left town after his game fully matures. That day may never come but for Jarrett’s sake I hope it does.

This interview is a week or so old, but Raúl Ruscitti did us a great favour in translating this interview…

In an interview with a basketball radio show in Argentina, Carlos Delfino talked about the possibility of returning to the NBA, his right shoulder injury that limited his participation last season, and his decision of leaving Toronto for the Russian powerhouse Khimky.

About his contract situation and the possibility of playing in the NBA next year:

“This year I watched very little NBA action in general, I tried to focus in some teams that play the style of basketball I like, the Knicks,  the Raptors, of course, among others, teams that play a very European type of basketball. I think I can fit better in those types of teams.”

“Right now (for Monday) I have to wait until Wednesday to see how things work out. Toronto has my rights and they showed interest in trying to bring me back. There have been negotiations because that’s what this time is about. But, apparently, since the signing of Turkoglu for about 53 million dollars, the “poor” guys (laughs) like Parker, Delfino, and Humphries (Editors note: he means Graham, Humphries is not a free agent this year) loose all our rights. Right now I’m waiting for what will happen, how the market is going to move because I could change from being a restricted free agent to an unrestricted free agent, which means I could negotiate with any other team.”

“Today I’m a Khimky player, because that’s what I actually am, I’ve got a contract signed for two more years [...] but there’s a buy out clause in my contract in case some NBA team is interested in me.  If something interesting suddenly comes to bring me back to the NBA where I’ve already played and where I’ve always dreamt to be, I’ll evaluate it and I’ll take the decision I have to take. But for now, I just have to keep waiting.”

“At a same financial situation in Russia and in Toronto or some other team, I’ll for sure be coming back to the NBA. I’ll return even losing money if it’s a good situation for me basketball wise. I won’t come to be the 12^th guy on the bench or in the injury list. But I’m willing to lose money if I’m going to be in the coach’s rotation.”

About his decision of the NBA for Russia last year:

“Zero, I mean, zero regrets for it [...]. Last year I wanted to sign a contract quickly so I could play with the National Team without other preoccupations and win a medal in the Olympics. Luckily it all came down great. In the moment I signed, the team that moved faster than any other was Khimky with a very good offer. If maybe I had waited to sign with a NBA team, I wouldn’t have been able to play with the National Team.”

“It was a very good experience for me. I also grew up and learned a lot as a person. I’m really happy because I grew up a lot the last year. It was really hard because the injuries. Beside me, Garbajosa was injured too. For a while, we had seven players injured at the same time and there weren’t even enough players to practice.”

“Even tough we didn’t win any title last year; we made it to the finals in the EuroCup and in the Russian league, losing 3-1 to maybe the best team in Europe, CSKA. We qualify to the Euroleague which was one of our main objectives.”

About his right shoulder injury:

“I’m not a hundred percent right now. Even tough I didn’t start to practice hard yet I’m still doing rehab. When I went to shoot some baskets, I moved a little and it sore and it bothered me, something that I wasn’t expecting.”

“One doctor that gave me details about the exact type of the injury and what I should do was Mario Mouche (a well know doctor in Argentina that focus on basketball) [...]. He told me that this type of injury could heal in one month or in six, there’s not a special quantity of time to recover. He told me that I have to keep working even tough I feel that it’s healing”

Having already addressed the Raptors deficiency in toughness with the acquisition of Reggie Evans via a trade, Colangelo addressed his club’s other glaring weakness getting a guy who can create his own shot and has no qualms about going through people to get to the rim.

Raptors head coach Jay Triano revealed the pick actually was made five weeks ago when Colangelo and Triano were in Oakland for one of those group workouts.

They watched DeRozan in an hour and 45 minute session that included a one-on-one work as well as various drills. At it’s conclusion, Colangelo asked Triano what he thought.

"I just told him: ‘I think this is our guy.’ And he told me: ‘I’m glad you said that because that’s exactly how I feel.’ And from that point on, he was at the top of our list." Triano said.

Colangelo considers DeRozan a little more polished than Stoudamire was on his draft night seven years ago.

Toronto Star

"To have a piece, where you can look at that void at the two-three spot and you put DeMar DeRozan in there now, it’s encouraging," said Colangelo. "We talked so much about the lack of athleticism with this team, the lack of defenders on the perimeter. He’s capable and now it’s up to him to apply those things.

"He’s got that kind of raw physical talent that hopefully can be honed and brought together."

Toronto Star

But DeRozan, cut him some slack, is a 19-year-old from the hard streets of Compton who, in Colangelo’s opinion, has "got a chance to be special." He first dunked as a sixth-grader. He dunked over Kobe Bryant at Bryant’s skills academy in the summer before his one-year stint at the USC. He was a prodigious enough talent that it’s been said that USC used two scholarships to get him for a season – one for DeRozan, and another for DeRozan’s long-time friend Romeo Miller. Romeo, a chart-topping child rapper (and sub-mediocre college point guard) is the son of Percy Miller, the former Raptors training-camp prospect better known as the rapper Master P, who coached a club on which Romeo and DeRozan, apparently a package deal, were teammates.

Globe and Mail

They hope last night’s selection of DeMar DeRozan out of the University of Southern California will upgrade the team’s athleticism.

And if there are those who longed for Colangelo to tear it all up and build from scratch after slipping from 47 to 41 to 33 wins in the past three seasons, easier said than done.

The Raptors weren’t flooded with offers – at least reasonable ones – for Bosh. Trading Bargnani now that he’s showing signs of blossoming seems unlikely. That pair’s volume-shooting ways mean Marion is a good fit alongside them, and a shrinking market means the three years and $21-million (U.S.) the team has budgeted to pay him might just get it done.

Hitting singles may not be the most exciting way to go while big names are flipped like trading cards. Will Colangelo be able to resist taking a rip for the fences?

Globe and Mail

Triano anticipated that the Raptors got a player who can be plugged into their rotation next season and possibly even the starting lineup.

“Absolutely,” Triano said when asked if DeRozan was projected to play right away. “He’s got a lot of potential and I don’t know if you can find that potential sitting on the bench and playing restricted minutes every night. We have to find ways to get minutes, whether that means starting him early and having him play the first part of the first and third quarters and have him earn minutes that way, or if it’s coming off the bench in relief, we’ve got to find some minutes for him.”

National Post

Although DeRozan almost certainly will not be ready to make a huge impact by November, he is some immediate insurance at a position of need. Shawn Marion and Anthony Parker are both unrestricted free agents, putting the Raptors’ situation at swingman in flux.

If both of those players, particularly Marion, leave, DeRozan allows the Raptors to perhaps address the position temporarily as opposed to making an expensive, long-term commitment to another free agent.

Triano said DeRozan would "absolutely" get regular minutes in his rookie season.

"To have a piece where you can look at that void at the 2-3 spot with DeMar DeRozan there now, it’s encouraging, especially because we’ve talked so much about the lack of athleticism on this team," Colangelo added.

Notes From A Basketball Junkie

He will end up sucking. Toronto’s draft history is littered with horrible picks (Rafael Araujo anyone?). Being drafted by the Raptors is a ticket to professional mediocrity. Sorry Demar…

Bleacher Report

The Raptors are sorely in need of a quality wingman. Anybody who has been watching the Raptors can tell you that. Anthony Parker’s good, but he’s getting old and there’s a chance he may opt to test the free agency waters. The next best wing player? Joey Graham. Yeah, the Raptors needed this. Though still raw, DeRozan brings with him an explosive athleticism that doesn’t come around very often. He finishes strong above the rim, and looks ridiculously good while doing it. No, he isn’t the second coming of Vince Carter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if DeRozan developed into a Jason Richardson-esque player (like I said, not the greatest draft ever).

Daily News

USC forward DeMar DeRozan could not complain Thursday night after the Toronto Raptors selected him ninth overall in the NBA draft.

And he even knew he will need a good accountant to guide him through the tough Canadian tax system.

"Definitely, I’ve got to save all the receipts," DeRozan said. "That’s one thing I’m going to do."

Otherwise it was a near-perfect night for DeRozan, who spent just one season with the Trojans, and became a top-10 pick despite critics who said he did not always live up to the hype that accompanied him from high school.

LB Post

We’ll let you know when he signs his deal, officially finishing off his journey to a dream that so many young players have, and so few see realized. And for those of us left in Long Beach, and Compton, we’ll have the joy of rooting for him as he travels down the (hopefully long) path of his career. And we’ll of course be left with the memory of that night in the Lakewood gym, when we watched a 17-year old kid pass the ball to himself off the backboard, and dunk it.

The Press-Enterprise

"He is a very talented player and he has a chance to be special," Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said of the 6-foot-7 DeRozan. "Now it is about us putting him in an environment where he can succeed.

"The athleticism that he displays is spectacular at times and I think, if he applies himself the right way — works on his game, the coaches hone his skills — there is a chance to get something special."

DeRozan, who grew up in Los Angeles, turned pro partly because his mother is struggling with lupus. He showed his potential by being the most valuable player in the Pac-10 tournament.

CougCenter

#9 Toronto – DeMar DeRozan, G, USC – I was wrong about O.J. Mayo, and so I’m hesitant to rule out DeMar DeRozan as an impact player in the association. Toronto has quietly made some of the better decisions in regards to personnel in the Eastern conference, and I trust their judgment on DeRozan. Had the age limit not existed, it was very likely that DeMar would’ve been a Top 5 player in 2008, based on his high school performance. His stock slipped a bit as he struggled to hit his stride at USC, but you could see flashes of greatness throughout. I’m not sold on him as a big-time scorer, but if he can bulk up and get in the lane, he might do some damage. Result: Just right

Los Angeles Times

The outlook seems equally rosy for DeRozan, who might have gotten a hint about Toronto’s intentions earlier in the day, when he saw Raptors forward Chris Bosh in the hotel lobby.
"I think he knew something but he didn’t want to give it away," DeRozan said.
Now comes a relocation to a city that appears to suit him just fine.
"You know," he said, "I think I can fit in great."

USA Today

Toronto: Picking ninth overall, the Raptors made an interesting selection in taking DeMar DeRozan of Southern California, a first-team Pac-10 All-Freshman in his only season of college basketball. Despite exceptional athleticism and ability to guard multiple positions, the 6-7, 220-pound forward remains a bit of a gamble.

Pro Basketball News

9. Toronto: DeMar DeRozan, G/F, USC — A fortunate pick for the Raptors, who badly needed an upgrade on the wing, particularly athletically. He’s a project, but has the type of game-changing dexterity that can make him a force on both ends of the floor. He’s not someone who sits around and watches, constantly trying to be around the ball and make a play. That type of effort will allow him to get by until the game slows down for him and he becomes a major asset.

OC Register

For the second year in a row, a one-and-done player from USC went in the top 10 of the NBA draft. Whether that’s good for the program remains a hotly debated topic.

It wasn’t exactly at the forefront of DeMar DeRozan’s mind Thursday night when he followed O.J. Mayo’s lead into the lottery. DeRozan went to the Toronto Raptors with the ninth selection, a year after Mayo went No. 3. DeRozan had his eye on the future.

“Toronto, here I come,” he said on his Twitter page. “Air Canada’s back.”

HoopsWorld

9 – Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozan: The Toronto Raptors’ two key free agents this summer are Anthony Parker, their starting shooting guard, and Shawn Marion, their starting small forward. Drafting USC swingman DeMar DeRozan allows Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo to be a little more careful with how much money he spends to bring those two guys back.

Associated Press

TAXING SITUATION: Demar DeRozan was selected by the Toronto Raptors and he was asked if his agent was happy with that selection considering the onerous tax system in Canada.

"He’s glad for me to go a team like this, I think this was one of the best situations for me," the Southern California freshman said. "We are figuring out about the tax system, so right now I am just enjoying this. I’ve got to save all the receipts, that’s one thing I’m going to do."

The Melo Backpedal

#9] TORONTO RAPTORS –
DEMAR DEROZAN | SOUTHERN CAL
GUARD – FORWARD – 6-6 210

We’ve been hearing about how Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo had zeroed in on DeRozan of the past few weeks, so this comes as no surprise. Based on John Hollinger’s rating system, we soured on DeRozan as a prospect, but he does have a huge amount of upside if he can get the proper coaching. He has freakish athleticism and a knack for finishing at the rim, which should make him a fan favorite early on.

Fanhouse

Toronto Raptors: B
Selections: Demar DeRozan (No. 9)
Comments: DeRozan needs to get stronger but has the potential to be a real NBA scorer because of his athleticism. Raptors are going head first into free agent market, hoping to make a run at several guys, including Hedo Turkoglu.

Slam Dunk Central

#9 – Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan-SG:  USC

Analysis: The kid can light it up which is what the Raptors need desperately at the two spot. Whether in the starting line-up or as a sixth man this young man will be a keeper! Grade: A

Inside USC

USC forward DeMar DeRozan on getting drafted by Toronto.
“You know, I think I can fit in great,” DeRozan said. “I can bring a lot to the team on both ends. Probably be defense and offense, that’s my thing I try to bring and just get the team going again. Just try to do the little things that need to be done.
“I’m going to go and give my all on both ends, go out there and try to win every game and never slack a bit. You know you might be able to have a chance to come in and try to make an impact and that’s one of my main goals is try to get us to that point where we make the playoffs.”

josemanuelcalderon.com

Invited by José Manuel, Chris Bosh arrived this morning at Barcelona, where together with some members of his family, will be visiting the city for a couple of days. After, Chris will travel to Caceres to share a few days in the city of Extremadura with José Manuel and with the boys and girls from all over Spain to participate in the III Campus Calderón, which is sponsored by Marca Extremadura.

Fan590

The GM of the Raptors speaks to The FAN’s Eric Smith and other members of the press following the team’s selection of Demar DeRozan out of the University of Southern California with the ninth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Fan590

The bench boss of the Raptors speaks to The FAN’s Eric Smith and other members of the press following the team’s selection of Demar DeRozan out of the University of Southern California with the ninth pick of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Dino Nation Blog

So that was it welcome to Air Canada Flight 2. As much as people may still hate the old Vince that is heading back to Orlando. Vince in the early days was jaw dropping and amazing. DeRozan has a lot to live up to if he hopes to match what Vince did. But Toronto has a new 19 year old rock star and for now there is just happy feelings in Raptorland. Demar has the raw skills that maybe he can be V.C like. But even if he gets anywhere close it will be the closest thing to V.C we have seen since he left. However I am thinking that being a kid in Compton California and making it all the way to USC is a tough trip. To The NBA even tougher. So if you were to bet against him it likely would not be the first time it has happened I would imagine.

Hoops Head North

Well most mock drafts had DeRozan headed to Toronto and they were right.  Most of the hype about DeRozan is that he has the most "upside" from all of the players in the draft and we’ll see if this holds true.  Colangelo has a knack for picking up good #9 picks and let’s just hope DeRozan pans out for the Raps.

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.

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.