In this second episode of LCN, we join Colin Alschotz at the Feb. 3/10 Raptors home game against the pathetic New Jersey Nets as he hangs out with some true Raps fan-addicts and gets their take on a bunch of pertinent topics surrounding the team such as: Who’s been the best player other than Bosh so far this season and who should start in place of DD? We also asked fans how they would have reacted had the Raps lost to the Nets and pose a surprise question relating to the all-time greatest halftime show in Raptors team history!

Mad props go out to everyone that contributed to the making of this series, especially: Colin Alschotz for the on-screen presence; Birdman for the directing and editing; D&L Productions for the original music; LyNx for the graphics; BigMac (Rexdale) for the game footage, and MLSE for putting the product on the court.

Raps fans get ready cuz we’re making LOUD CROWD NOISE!!!

If there is a great unknown at Raptors camp this year, it comes in the form of Sonny Weems, the 6-foot-6 guard/forward who came to the Raptors along with Amir Johnson in the Carlos Delfino/Roko Ukic trade with Milwaukee. Weems is a high flyer with plenty of speed but an undefined role with his new club. Weems kind of took care of that yesterday when he became the frontrunner for team funny man jumping into a DeMar DeRozan scrum with various media and announcing — much to DeRozan’s delight — "Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time." Not sure if this makes him a Kanye West fan or a Beyonce fan but DeRozan seemed to enjoy it.

Toronto Star

DeRozan’s role remains undefined, although Triano has said he’d like to start him at the shooting guard spot. That would allow DeRozan to get about six or seven minutes with the first team to start each game and each third quarter before ceding time to more experienced teammates. The coaches see that as a way to hasten his development in rather low-pressure points of a game, but Triano said Wednesday that idea is not cast in stone.

"I’m not going to give it to him," said the coach. "In an ideal world, I’d like to start him to give him minutes and let him grow as a player with the starting unit, but not at the expense of someone who outworks him throughout this training camp and the pre-season. It may be a position that we jockey for a little while until we find the right combination."

Toronto Star

Jarrett Jack is a point guard and a shooting guard and he does prefer one over the other. Slightly. "Probably the one," the Raptors guard said this week. "It’s something that’s more natural to me but since I’ve been in the league, the two is something I’ve grown accustomed to playing. I feel comfortable doing both." The best part of playing the point are the intellectual demands. "You have to learn everybody’s tendencies, likes and dislikes."

National Post

However, there is a reason more rookies do not start.

"Obviously if they do end up inserting him into the lineup, he’s going to have to know that he’s going to have a challenge every day that he plays," Jack said. "You have Kobe Bryant at that position. You have Dwyane Wade. You have a guy like Brandon Roy, Manu Ginobili, the list goes on and on.

"He’s going to be a rookie. And other teams are going to pick that out and obviously try to pick on him a little bit. The only thing that’s going to get him through it is him having a thick skin."

"DeMar, if he starts, is a very solid defender, potentially," Colangelo added on Tuesday. "Potentially, he’s got great lateral quickness, lateral movement. He’s very athletic. He’s capable of being a very effective defender."

Yahoo

"I have the feeling that overall it’s getting more and more appreciated, and definitely the international community is looking at Toronto more frequently than I would say a lot of other teams," said Gherardini, the GM of Italian powerhouse Benetton Treviso before Colangelo hired him in 2006.

"Definitely I feel we have the eyes of the international community on us. We are pioneers in a certain way, but at the end of the day more and the more the team reflects what Toronto’s all about."

Ticketmaster

"This password will work for all regularly scheduled home games during the 2009-2010 season"
Raptors Presale Offers
Start: Thu, 10/01/09 10:00 AM EDT
End: Thu, 10/01/09 05:00 PM EDT

Toronto Raptors presale password:  BBALL

NBA Roundtable

Good to hear Reggie Evans having a positive effect on practice. It would be great to see Bargnani get better at boxing his man out, something I think he’s fairly poor at right now. I think it’ll be easier for Bargnani to develop this part of his rebounding, rather than his ability to grab a  lot more rebounds.

It’s also nice to hear a bench player pushing a starter … we didn’t hear that often enough last season.

Toronto Sun

"In an ideal world I would like to start him," head coach Jay Triano said yesterday. "Give him minutes and let him grow as a player with the starting unit but not at the expense of someone who outworks him throughout this training camp and throughout the pre-season. It may be a position that we jockey for a little while until we find the right combination."

Read into that what you will. It could be nothing more than the coach attempting to light a fire under his rookie. But the fact remains, DeRozan has something no one else in this lineup, save maybe Sonny Weems, can bring.

DeRozan is exactly what the Raptors lacked last season. An athletic, jump-out-of-the-gym, make opposing defences tremble kind of player. He’s quick, heady, and confident in his own abilities. That’s what he has to sell.

But he is also a 20-year-old young man with just a single year of college under his belt and a shot that requires some modifications if he’s going to have any consistency at all at the NBA level.

TSN

DeRozan is doing his part already in camp to make an early impression on his new coaching staff in Toronto. Since the draft in June, he has focused on preparing his body for the rigours of a full NBA season by adding 10 pounds to his 6’7"-frame. The now 220-pounder has also been working on his jump shot, in an attempt to improve his perimeter game, to go along with the explosive first step he already possesses.

While it was DeRozan’s raw talent caught the eye of scouts, it’s his work ethic that has garnered attention from those in the organization. 

Hoops Addict

One of the many men behind the scenes responsible for assembling the team, Maurizio Gherardini, took some time to talk with Hoops Addict about what the plans are for the team leading up to the World Championships next summer.

Sparty and Friends

Let’s get back to the reason this team was constructed, shall we? Why did Bryan Colangelo go sign Turkoglu when the addiction was obviously not going to do enough for the team to really matter. Correct answer? To keep his job! I know what you’re going to ask now. I’ve become pretty good at this. “Didn’t he win Executive of the Year just a second ago? How can his job be on the line?” The answer is that two seasons ago they went .500, last season they really bad, and this year didn’t look any better. Turkoglu absolutely doesn’t help the team down the road, but he might help them win enough games to help Colangelo justify his job. Hard to imagine, but when you get a job as an NBA GM, you really don’t want to give it up. He’d probably get another job, but there’s no guarantee. The BUS will help just a bit.

RaptorsForum

Some of the things that I liked about Bosh’s interviews the other day were things that we actually criticize him for. He said that he wasn’t going to come out and make any predictions, which some people point to as the usual Chris Bosh not wanting to step up and be a leader. But realistically, I have just about had enough of predictions and I sure as hell don’t want to hear any more guarantees. There have only been two guarantees in sports that I think mean anything. 1. Joe Namath’s guarantee, just because it hadn’t been done on that scale before he did it and then he went out and delivered as an undergod. 2. Mark Messier with the Rangers, just because to do that in a sport like hockey, where one guy cannot typically dominate the game and deliver all by himself, shows the kind of leadership he had…in a huge market…with all eyes on him. So I’m okay with Bosh avoiding any of that garbage, because he doesn’t need any added pressure on him.

Dino Nation Blog

I have not been around NBA players in many years. It is an experience when you get a chance to meet an NBA player. The first think that blows you mind is how tall these guys are. I remember the first time I saw Vince Carter. Now I knew he was taller than me but it was really amazing to see it face to chest. I never have met Chris Bosh or Andrea Bargnani but I did meet Alonzo Mourning and him sitting on a chair was the same height as me.
Anyway I am pretty excited and I admit a bit nervous which is rare for me. Doing interviews on the phone 1 on 1 is a much different animal from doing them in scrums with other media folks around of bigger stature than me. However I look forward to it and hope I can get some good from this experience.

Heels On Hardwood

I have made it no secret that the Blazers are my team in the west and it’s finally time to see how they match up with the Raptors. Today’s guest preview was contributed by Stu from NBA Noise.

RaptorTalk

Look, I know we haven’t seen the new look Toronto Raptors play even a single pre-season game, never mind one that counts. But I just have a good feeling about the 2009-2010 edition of the Raptors.
The Raptors certainly look good on paper and GM Bryan Colangelo is cautiously optimistic that his dinos can win 50 games this year.
You know what? Count me in.

15 Years of Raptors Basketball

Zan Tabak Herald

Calderon will come into the season like a man on a mission, picking up where he left off last season, and will run the team with a more up-tempo style.  He will also find more opportunities to shoot the ball as he leaves playmaking, at times, to his other teammates.  His injury will not be a factor this season as the time off in the summer has given him time to rest and prepare for the rigors of a long schedule.

Jarrett Jack will provide support off the bench at both guard positions and there will be no questioning of who should start or finish games.  Jack will give the Rators a fresh look on the second unit and a valuable piece to plug into key in-game situations.  He will be a major improvement over Will Soloman and Roko Ukic and will lead a very deep bench.

Toronto Sun

A new policy during Raptors workouts and practises forbids the use of cell phones and Blackberry’s by those in attendance. Apparently, the rule applies to all media and team personnel, including general manager Bryan Colangelo, whose blackberry, some believe, is surgically attached to his hand.

Colangelo admits he has been offered a little more leeway than most.

"I can check for messages and sneak a quick peek but if I have to reply to anything, I’m just like everyone else. I have to get (out of the gym)," he said.

Toronto Sun

The Toronto Raptors filed in one by one for the team’s annual meet-and-greet with reporters Monday – but before they could meet with the media, they had to meet each other. (VIDEO)

Toronto Sun

Check out Gareth Wheeler’s highlights from Toronto Raptors Media Day (VIDEO)

Toronto Star

Ahead of the NBA’s league-wide policy, which is expected to be less draconian than the No Fun League’s, the Raptors announced their rules: no tweeting from an hour before practice until an hour after, and from 90 minutes before a game until the post-game media period is up.

Toronto Star

Under terms of the NBA’s collective agreement, teams can only hold "contact" practices – with full-court scrimmages – once each day in training camp. Teams generally do drills in the morning sessions and play at night. The Raptors changed that up on their first day in the gym, scrimmaging to end the morning workout. "The energy level coming in here was real high and we knew that’d be the case," said coach Jay Triano. "Guys have been out for a long time, they’re anxious. We did a lot of teaching but we did a lot of playing." Having limited scrimmage time is okay with Triano, too. "I am extremely pleased with the amount of contact we can have, especially if they play with the intensity they did in the morning session," he said Tuesday. "I don’t think it would be conducive to them battling each other physically, that hard, again another time today."

Toronto Star

On a Toronto team starved for athleticism and creativity on the wings, having a combo guard capable of coming off the bench and igniting the offence will be a huge boost.

Belinelli said he’s comfortable playing either backcourt position. Teammates were saying Tuesday after one scrimmage that they were impressed with his playmaking ability as much as his ability to shoot.

"When I was playing in Italy (before joining the Warriors), I was playing (all of the time at) the two-guard and only sometimes the point guard," he said. "Now, I like to do both equally. If they defend me, I can pass; if not, I can make a shot."

All skills learned in what’s usually thought of as a soccer-mad country, a place where 24-hour access to the NBA was unheard of.

"Every time, I would be looking for the TV and some NBA games," said Belinelli. "For sure a Michael Jordan game – this is my passion and I love to play."

Globe and Mail

For his part, Bargnani said any claims that clashing with Evans served as a jump start to his own practice intensity are overstated – “I didn’t get frustrated, I didn’t say one word, I just played” – but he allowed that going against a dogged defender and rebounder of his ilk can only help.

“I’m happy Reggie’s here. I think he’s going to make me better,” said Bargnani, who flourished when he became the team’s regular starting centre in the second half of last season. “He’s a good rebounder. He can get me used to boxing out my man every time. He always goes to rebound every time so you have to box out, you have to stay focused.”

Globe and Mail

The NBA has told teams it’s going ahead with replacement referees, days after the league thought a deal had been reached with locked-out officials.

The league sent a memo Tuesday informing teams it had “no expectation of concluding a timely labour contract.” The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, follows the latest failure in negotiations.

National Post

FIRST OFF THE BENCH

The contestants Reggie Evans, Amir Johnson, Rasho Nesterovic

The synopsis Evans is tough and an exceptional rebounder. Johnson is far more athletic than both Evans and Nesterovic and could be terrific in an uptempo offence, although he still commits far too many gaffes. Nesterovic is the old pro with an established working relationship with Chris Bosh.

The prediction It will depend on the matchup, but Evans will replace either Bosh or Andrea Bargnani first on most nights.

National Post

That increased versatility earned him his raise in the summer. Now comes the next stage of the ascent the Raptors need from Bargnani: continued improvement within the Raptors’ ever-changing framework.

"It’s going to be a harder job for him because people are going to wait for him when he goes out knowing he can score 20 a game," said Raptors vice-president and assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini. "But on the other hand it’s going to be relatively easier when you play with a high-quality supporting cast, or a player like Turkoglu who can draw so much defensive attention that all of a sudden, teams are going to have to focus on Turkoglu, focus on Jose [Calderon], focus on Chris [Bosh].

"Somehow if you’re translating your second part of the season into the new season, you should find a way to produce bigger numbers and be consistent with those numbers, which would be a pretty big success."

Inside Hoops

Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports: The NBA, fearful of the damage an H1N1 flu outbreak could wreak on the league, has passed down an anti-handshake directive. Players and coaches have been asked to greet each other via more sanitary means of contact, like fist pounding, or maybe chest bumps. One can only imagine what Utah’s Jerry Sloan thinks about this. “No handshaking,” Doc Rivers said. “I think it’s a good thing. A fist pound is just great.”

NBA Roundtable

Bryan Colangelo is doing a poor job of controlling expectations with statements like this.

He’s setting himself up for the fall … but more importantly, he’s unnecessarily risking his team’s morale because when these guys realize their hopes and dreams are unrealistic, and that they’re not good enough to achieve their targets, it will definitely have a demoralizing + negative effect on their season.

Sports Of Boston

4th? 7th? 12th? This team will remain a mystery for much of the season. They will have ups, and they most certainly will have downs. Halfway through the season, once they work out the kinks, the Raptors are going to be electric. They are the type of team that is capable of going on a 12-game win streak during which time they shoot 65%.

While I like their major moves this season, their smaller moves are why I think they will be successful. The Raptors quietly added much needed front court depth this offseason, as well as adding shooters. The Raps acquired Rasho Nesterovic, Reggie Evans, and Amir Johnson, three big bodies that each bring a different set of skills to the table. Their roster is built to cause match-up problems for the East’s elite in the playoffs. The trouble is…they have to make the playoffs first.

The Windsor Star

And he never lets up — not even in practice, which has caused some friction with some of his teammates.

"In the past, when I first got into the league when I was with Seattle, there were two or three (Europeans) we had on the team, and all they did was just complain," Evans said at the first day of camp in Ottawa.

"These guys, they just hoop."

Heels On Hardwood

The match up series will return to its regularly scheduled programming after this update on Media Day mayhem. The 9 new faces on the Raptors roster assured that a generally routine day would be full of optimism, quotes and a few jokes. I didn’t have the opportunity to attend (which I hope changes in the future), but wanted to bring you some news from the ACC. Since Holly (@stackmack from The Score) and Franchise (@RaptorsHQ from Raptors HQ) were both in attendance, I shot off some quick questions and they were kind enough to answer with their observations.

New Leisure Blog

Inspired by John Hollinger’s article on ESPN, I am going to do the same thing, take a look at the off-season and predict how many wins the Raptors would get. If there is enough time and enough responses, I might do all 30 teams. I am just going to do the off-season stuff and not the 08-09 recap since there really is no point. So here we go:

Toronto Sun

Belinelli appeared before the Toronto media yesterday and pledged that his numbers will undoubtedly improve, while expressing his delight to be on the same team with countryman and good friend Andrea Bargnani.

The native of San Giovanni, Italy, believes Raptors fans are going to be surprised with his play, whether it’s starting at the two-spot or backing up rookie DeMar DeRozan.

Either way, the 23-year-old Belinelli said he just wants the chance to play, something he didn’t get to do with great regularity with the Warriors in his first two NBA seasons.

"I come into a nice city like Toronto, with a young team, a European team, so it’s really a great opportunity for me," Belinelli said, following a workout yesterday at the Air Canada Centre. "This is a new life for me."

Toronto Star

The Raptors figure to use the 6-foot-5 Belinelli in a role he should warm to given his shooting and playmaking abilities.

"I’m a guard who can shoot, but at the same time I can create for my teammates," he said. "I practise every day for myself to be the best. It is my job and I can help this team, I think."

The Raptors have penciled in rookie DeMar DeRozan as the starting two-guard, but Belinelli could handle a backup role at that position.

Colangelo has been effusive in his praise of Belinelli, suggesting he could be in the running for most improved player, mainly because he’ll finally get a shot at consistent minutes, something that didn’t occur at Golden State.

And his off-court transition should be seamless, given the presence of Bargnani, his Italian national team teammate, and senior Raptors vice-president Maurizio Gherardini.

Toronto Star

As I’m reading it, the part about the “coaches retreat” this weekend caught my eye. It’s something I know they did when Sam was around (consider it “bonding” with a bunch of fun, golf and frivolity to fill in the down time) and it makes entire sense to do it again.

Not only does there have to be some chemistry among the players, there has to be among coaches, too.

I’m told – and from every interaction I’ve seen it’s absolutely true – that this is a close a staff as perhaps there’s ever been.

Not to knock the previous staffs but there was always something. Not tension, I don’t think that’s the right word, and they did work well together but I do think Sam was more of a decision-maker rather than a consensus builder.

Jay’s the other way.

Globe and Mail

“I was so happy,” Belinelli said of the July deal that finally made him a Raptor. “I come here, I know some players, I know Andrea, he’s my teammate, so everything is good… a nice city like Toronto, good team, young team, European team, so it was a really great opportunity for me.”

Belinelli was the No. 18 pick in the 2007 draft but didn’t see much of the floor in Golden State. He played in only 42 of the Warriors’ 82 games last season, averaging 8.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21 minutes.

“I’m so happy because this is my third year, and I can have more opportunity to play,” Belinelli said. “I think I’m a better player than two years ago, so I have to say thank you to the Warriors, but it’s a new life for me, a new life starts with the Toronto Raptors.”

National Post

Toronto figures to present the perfect opportunity for Belinelli to prove he can contribute in the NBA. He joins a franchise that boasts two other Italians, centre Andrea Bargnani and senior vice-president Maurizio Gherardini. And while the Raptors’ bench is indeed deep, it is not overflowing with scorers.

"I’m watching a lot of video," Raptors coach Jay Triano said on Thursday, "Which plays, when Belinelli got a chance to be a great scorer in Golden State, did they run for him? And he handled the ball a lot."

"I’m a guard that can shoot. But at the same time, I can create for my teammates," Belinelli said. "I can help this team, I think."

And in Toronto, he should get that chance.

nba.com

Top 10 Raptors plays of the season.

Globe and Mail

The NBA will hold training camp next week with replacement officials, saying the referees union has rejected its final contract offer.

The National Basketball Referees Association has been bracing for a lockout since talks first broke down last week. Lead negotiator Lamell McMorris called it “imminent and unavoidable” after no deal was reached Thursday.

A statement from the NBA on Friday made it clear the lockout was under way.

“It is extremely disappointing that the NBRA has ignored the economic realities, rejected our offer, and left us with no choice but to begin using replacement referees,” executive vice-president and general counsel Rick Buchanan said.

Khandor’s Sports Blog

Those expecting the Raptors to experience “guaranteed succees” this season … along the lines of what the Magic had in 2008-2009 … on the basis of this specific set play, might be in for a surprise.

raptors.com

"I talked with (Bryan) Colangelo and he told me this is a good spot for me and I can have a lot of opportunity to play. Now is my time to see what I can do. I want to be ready for that."

Toronto Sun

In the latest numbers released by the odds-makers in Las Vegas, the Raptors have been installed as 35:1 long shots to claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Considering Toronto opened at 50:1, the folks in Vegas have reinforced the improved state of the Raptors.

Another telling number will be the season win total, a figure that’s expected to get posted next month.

It’s not a stretch to suggest the Raptors are capable of winning 50 games in an Eastern Conference that is shaping up to be very competitive and compelling.

Globe and Mail

“I think we’re looking like a good team, and the part I like is I’m not getting too far ahead of myself,” he said. “I learned that last year. I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re good and we’re going to be good’ and we weren’t. I’m taking a more humble approach this year, and it’s making me work harder.

“I don’t want to do bad this year. I want this team do well and be successful as we can be – that’s enough motivation for me right now.”

He still won’t go so far as to commit to signing a contract extension. Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has said that when the book is finished – that is, when his off-season moves are complete – he’ll approach Bosh about re-upping before free agency.

Philadelphia Daily News

From there, 6-10 Michael Bradley became a first-round draft choice of the Toronto Raptors in 2001, the No. 17 overall pick.

He logged time with five NBA teams, including 46 games with the 76ers in 2005-06, then went overseas to play in Spain, Germany and Lithuania.

And all along, Bradley was paying attention to how things worked behind the scenes. Finally, after seven seasons, now with a wife and three children, he has vaulted into a new career, passing the NBA and FIBA (international) certification exams and forming Bradley Sports Management.

ESPN

Toronto Raptors vice president/assistant general manager Maurizio Gherardini is in Puerto Rico as a special assistant to the Canadian team, which advanced Sunday to the second round.

During an interview with international TV, Gherardini said that he’s not "scouting" players. He added that he’s at the tournament only as an assistant with his native country’s team.

Brothersteve’s Green & Red Raptor Blog

The only real argument about the Raptors rotation should be; can Amir Johnson steal minutes away from the veterans Reggie Evans or Rasho Nesterovic.  While it’s not impossible, Johnson will face an uphill battle unless someone gets hurt.  And if Johnson actually can take minutes away from one of these veterans, the benefits will accrue to the Raptors as a team!

Based on last year’s player statistics and projecting forward, what should we expect from this year’s rotation?

Sporting News

The elements of a basketball court go largely unnoticed. The paint on the floor. The style of chairs at courtside. Details on the rims. But add a celebrity’s touch to one of those elements, and suddenly it’s a valuable piece of memorabilia.

For instance, these basketball rims that were used by the Toronto Raptors for several years have been signed, one by Lenny Wilkens and the other by Vince Carter. Now, they’re no longer candidates for the local rec center, but conversation pieces you can hang on a wall.

PRICE: $5,000

Associated Content

The Toronto Raptors have undergone many changes this offseason. With a revamped roster, new coach, and gained confidence, they are certainly a team to look out for. Here is a list of changes they have done and the impact it will have on their squad.

Globe and Mail

“No matter how this championship goes, I feel like we’ve reached our goals this summer,” Gherardini said in a telephone interview after landing in San Juan, site of the 2009 tournament. “I think there’s more awareness about playing for your country. Playing for your country shouldn’t be a question; it is something you should do.”

Gherardini’s collaboration with the Canadian federation is an outgrowth of the Raptors’ desire to positively affect the game nationally.

“It’s a natural relationship,” said Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo, who suggested Gherardini get involved in Canada Basketball. “A stronger national team program is good for all of basketball in Canada and good for us.”

Bleacher Report

The Raptors will once again turn to All-Star power forward Chris Bosh to lead the team. Bosh has experienced his fair share of ups and downs as the franchise player for the Toronto Raptors. He led them to their first Atlantic Division title just three seasons ago, but the Raptors have regressed each season since then.

However, this season is different for Bosh and the Raptors. Bosh’s contract is up at the end of the season and he will look to prove to everybody around the league that he is worthy of a max contract and is capable of leading his team to the playoffs.  Look for Bosh to step up his game this season on both ends of the floor.

Bleacher Report

Jose Calderon’s hamstring injury last season caused him to miss several games and severely limited his playing ability when he tried to play through it.

While I admire Calderon’s willingness to sacrifice his body for the sake of others, I still strongly disagree with his chosen course of action.

CBS Sports

3. Andrea Bargnani, Raptors: Few players in the league will benefit more from an offseason acquisition than Bargnani will from Toronto’s sign-and-trade for Hedo Turkoglu. With his face-up ability, Bargnani will do more with Turkoglu’s side pick-and-roll action than Dwight Howard was able to do in Orlando. One caveat: Picking Bargnani violates the rule of selecting players poised for breakout years when they’re playing for a contract. Bargnani received his $50 million extension this summer, so his future already is in the bank. But after an utterly clueless 2007-08 season, Bargnani’s efficiency and confidence improved dramatically last season — especially after the addition of Jermaine O’Neal. Expect another jump for the 2006 No. 1 pick.

TSN

TC: Is there a point where there is too much depth for a team?

JT: Yup.

TC: Do you feel that this team is straddling that line?

JT: No, I want that depth because the one thing you can never account for is injuries. If everyone stays healthy all of the time then we’re going to have a little bit of a problem, but it’s going to be a good problem. It’s going to be a problem this year when we’re going "which three guys do we put in suits tonight?" instead of "who the heck do we put into the game?" So it’s kind of flipped this year.

Paints In The Point

Some players achieve greatness, others have it thrust upon them. Bosh is a product of the two blurring lines. When he first arrived in Toronto, Vince Carter was the franchise, whether leading them in scoring or the sole marketing option for Raptors executives. He had grown unhappy with Toronto’s plan for him and requested a trade from the city that had embraced him when Toronto failed to bring in a veteran presence, opting to stick with Bosh. After Toronto obliged, Bosh was thrust into the position of leader. He had a couple of options at that point. He could crack under the pressure of being the face of a franchise, struggling under the weight of expectations, or he could embrace the role handed to him and mature into an elite performer. He chose door number two and has led the Raptors on and off the court for the majority of this decade.

Globe and Mail

The Raptors have about $5.1-million (U.S.) to use before they tip into the dollar-for-dollar luxury-tax threshold and were considering offering a one-year deal to Delfino for something close to that amount, but the acquisition of Belinelli has changed the equation.

"The likelihood that he’s going to sign here is less," Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said of Delfino. "Not only is he going to be leaving some money on the table in Europe, but one of the things that was attractive about coming here was that he’d have ample opportunity to play and maybe start and that doesn’t appear to be as open now."

Colangelo said there is the possibility of using Delfino in a sign-and-trade if he decides to leave his current team in Russia, but just as likely is that the Raptors won’t make any more significant moves between now and training camp.

Toronto Sun

"We’ll have a little bit higher intensity, a little bit quicker turnover of players coming in and out of the game," Triano said. "We’ll give everyone a fair chance at camp (in October in Ottawa). Injuries happen throughout the year and you have to be ready to play. I like the fact we have so many diverse players. The biggest thing will be trying to find enough guys the opportunity to stay on the floor."

Belinelli, acquired for forward Devean George and cash, currently is on the Italian national team with Bargnani.

"I won’t read too much into that," Triano said. "I don’t even know if they’re friends. The most important thing is that they’re teammates. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to and show you where restaurants are, but for the most part we’ve got a great team. They’re all friends by the time the games are over."

Toronto Star

With the two moves, the Raptors now have 14 players under contract. GM Bryan Colangelo is still working on finding a backup small forward to fill his final roster spot.

Globe and Mail

"Marco fills a void at the wing position where his shooting and scoring strengths will be needed. Marco’s versatility and playmaking abilities make him a very valuable piece for us,” Bryan Colangelo said in a statement.

Prior to joining the Warriors, the 23 year-old, six-foot-five guard from Bologna played professionally in his native Italy for five seasons. In 33 games during the 2006-07 season with Fortitudo Bologna in Serie A, Belinelli averaged 16.4 points, while shooting .544 (99-for-182) from the field. In 13 Euroleague contests, he averaged 12.9 points on .438 (32-for-73) from the field.

CBS

GM Bryan Colangelo pulled off a coup by stealing Turkoglu from the Blazers, but then overpaid Jarrett Jack — something you often have to do in order to lure a restricted free agent. First-round pick DeMar DeRozan excelled in Vegas. If Andrea Bargnani (five-year, $50 million extension) continues to improve, the Raptors could be back in the playoff hunt.

Protect The Paint

This Raptors team is capable of the best ball movement and unselfish play we have seen for quite some time. The shooting ability of the Italian duo will spread the floor, allowing Chris Bosh and the super-athletic DeMar DeRozan to terrorize the paint.

Calderon has a huge shot, if he stays healthy, of leading the league in assists.

Bay Area Sports Guy

Warrior optimists (do any exist anymore outside the P.R. dept. and the broadcast team?) can point to this trade and say it’s actually just a vote of confidence for Anthony Morrow, who successfully fought Belinelli for minutes last season and is clearly a more valuable (and don’t forget cheaper) alternative. However, if the Raptors have coveted Marco since 2007 — and several reports over the years have said the Raptors have, which makes sense since they covet Euros more than American college girls studying abroad — couldn’t they have done better than George?

San Francisco Chronicle

The Warriors cleared out some of their backcourt logjam and found an experienced presence to help balance a youth-filled roster, acquiring wing Devean George and money from Toronto on Thursday in exchange for guard Marco Belinelli.

The move acts as a vote of confidence for second-year guard Anthony Morrow, as it should open more minutes for him. The team still has guards Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Stephen Curry, Kelenna Azubuike, Acie Law, Speedy Claxton and possibly restricted free agent C.J. Watson. General manager Larry Riley said he’s not done dealing.

Golden State of Mind

Actually, as an expiring contract, George may have slightly more appeal in that do he doesn’t cost anything. As a chip in a future trade, George might have slightly more value to any team acquiring him as he’s free, his salary paid by the Raptors for the rest of the year. Ok, that’s probably not enough to entice a reluctant team thinking about moving a star for salary relief, but it can’t hurt. He also has slightly more value in that any team holding his expiring deal can sign him to another contract with fewer cap restrictions than they would for Belinelli. Why would this matter? A sign and trade (yes, I wrote it — sign and trade — I’m not proud of it and this is not license for everyone else to jump in with their favorite sign-and-trade Davidson, Watson and change for Dwight Howard) with George could be that tiny bit that makes a deal work. At this point in his career, George might agree for sake of a guaranteed contract for another year, something he might not easily find. It’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible. So relative to Belinelli’s deal, George’s expiring deal is a slightly larger asset, likely inconsequentially so, but, still it exists.

Mercury News

No matter how it added up, Belinelli was on his way out.

"I feel like Marco wasn’t going to play too much because we’re making the commitment to play Morrow," Warriors General Manager Larry Riley said. "We’re ready to commit to him. … Having known that we were not going to (pick up Belinelli’s option by the Oct. 31 deadline), we decided to take the opportunity to get a player back who maybe can contribute. We thought that was a reasonable way to go."

Make It Rain In Ukraine

The Raptors? All six white players on the roster were born outside the US. Is this something we should be concerned with? Do you have to be American-tough to win in the NBA? I used to think that foreign-born players just didn’t have that from the cradle desire to win an NBA championship. I thought that a world championship or  Olympic medal was the real prize. I took a closer look at championships of the past decade and winning rosters included names like, Parker, Gasol, Ginoblli, Okur, Oberto and Ukraine’s own Slava Medvedenko. Even the teams that lost in the finals featured guys like, Big Z, Dirk Nowitzki, Varajeo, Vujajic, Turkoglu, Gortat, Pietrus.

FIBA

Toronto had been trying to land Belinelli for the last year, as Colangelo sought to improve his guard play.
That Belinelli was his chief target was, no doubt, down in large part to the influence of Raptors vice-president Maurizio Gherardini, the former Benetton Treviso general manager who is familar with Belinelli’s game from the period when both men were in Lega A. Belinelli spent five years in Italy’s top domestic league with Fortitudo Bologna prior to joining the Warriors.
Belinelli will have to wait to meet his new team-mates – with the exception of Bargnani – as he is with Italy at a training camp preparing for the Additional Qualifying Round to EuroBasket 2009 that kicks off on August 5th.

Raptors Rapture

So, with the excitement of the offseason all but done for Raptor fans it’s time we move on to something different, something like an in-depth look at all of the Raptor players. I mean what is more fun that completely over analyzing a player well before he actually does anything? Not much! So today we will start our review of the Raptors roster with a look at our starting point guard, Jose Calderon.

Starters: Nichols, Ibekwe, O’Bryant, Ukic, DeRozan

It’s 18-17 Suns early in the second and the only Raptor who’s showing a signal of intent is DeMar DeRozan who’s giving us the mid-range game yet again.

All eyes on Ukic really and right now he’s struggling to create off the bounce for anyone. Just two points.

Our man Ukic just nailed an airball. Never knew that anyone could nail an airball but he sure did. Good kid, though. It’s 22-21 Suns and the boxscore tells me Patrick O’Bryant is 2-4. I have to agree, he’s got that 2-4 look on his face.

Ukic continually picks up his dribble below the FT line and tries to pump-fake his way into a clean look, it never works. Patrick claps his hands after missing easy looks. Not exactly “tough”.

They’re talking to Robert Sarver, the owner of the Suns who is saying that the Suns are rebuilding without actually saying that the Suns are rebuilding. He calls it being in “transition”. Say that Amare will remain a Sun. Ukic misses technical FT.

DeRozan with another nice score: drive, stop, score. He’s got 6 points. Smush is showing some defensive purpose tonight, deflecting balls and such. Hopefully he can impress Sarver.

An absolutely gorgeous move by DeRozan, he got challenged by the defense which was up in his face. He sized him up, went baseline to his right, stopped, spun and then drained 10-foot fadeaway. Bottom of the net, a true professional move. It’s 27-26 Suns with 2:58 left in the second. Smush still playing the point with Douby off the ball, not nearly dominating the ball as much as he’s been.

DeMar DeRozan with another face-up jumper. Same douchebag was challenging him again with his knees bent, DeRozan rose high from 21 feet to drain it. 32-31 Suns, offense running OK under Smush since he’s letting DeRozan and Douby do the handling.

Some good hustle out there by the Raps. Parker hits a jumper, this lineup with DeRozan and Douby is working out nicely. Raptors call timeout with 3.2 left in the half. Nice. 34-34 at the half. Suns shooting 33%, Raptors shooting 44% but the Suns do have 12 turnovers.

Paul Davis manages to get rejected on the last play of the half. Check the latest box score.

3rd quarter starts and O’Bryant gets on the high side of his man and lets him go for a dunk. Comes back to hit that feathery 20 footer which doesn’t do the Raptors any good, we need him playing 7 feet and in.

The Suns are keeping a close eye on Earl Clark who’s 3-7 for 6.

Maurizio Gherardini is now talking to the announcers. The announcer butchers his name.

Ukic hits a left wing jumper, confident but ugly release. Worth a mention.

Gherardini says the Raptors team reflects the nature of the city, what with the different nationalities and all. Announcer asks him about Marco Belinelli who Maurizio thinks needs to prove he can play at this level but could do it.

Ukic must’ve seen Maurizio and upped himself – an aggressive drive to the rim and a finish. 44-43 Raps!

Announcer tells Maurizio that Joey Graham is a player others might like on the Raptors. This guy’s clueless. What a terrible interview, is he still talking about Belinelli???

Says Hedo changes the team drastically because he can create from the small-forward position. Announcer asks Gherardini whether it was a tough decision to move Marion (not knowing we offered him a pretty good contract) and Gherardini says “Not really” but not in so many words.

They’re talking about DeRozan who throws down a left-handed dunk on the alley-oop – pass made by Ibekwe.

The other announcer is smarter. He asks that American’s were relying on athleticism too much and Europeans reminded them of how important actual fundamental and skills are, asks him if he agrees. Gherardini says the longer international season (club, country) and earlier start in basketball allows them to develop skills quicker. Compare this to NCAA you basically get 2-4 years, says Europe has specialized coaching and more time is given to player development. They basically spend a lot more time on the game than the American athlete.

Gherardini says Douby has a very good chance of sticking with the club. Says he appreciates his game and didn’t take a single day off after the season ended, says he’s shown good approach and dedication to improve his game. Basically said he’ll make the roster and will have a chance to play some minutes.

Smarter announcer asks him what the Raptors will do to help DeRozan in Toronto. Replies that DeRozan has an excellent family which will help. Says he will easily adjust to the city and thinks that the Raptors have a very easy group of players to grow into and its like a European team where they all stick together.

It’s 55-48 Suns, the Raptors have gone in a shooting slump with Ukic, Douby, Davis all missing makeable shots. The last basket I remember is DeRozan on a drive, he’s got 18 on 8-11 shooting. Impressive. Douby is being very unselfish today, looking off make the pass off the initial drive.

When asked who he’s got his eye on he says “the guys that we’re counting on” are doing fine and mentions Ukic, Douby and O’Bryant. No mention of Smush, oh no.

Douby pushes it in transition against a lazy Suns defense to draw the foul to get two FTs. It’s 57-52 at the end of the third. The Suns only turned the ball over once in this quarter as opposed to 12 in the first half. DeRozan has 18, Earl Clark has 10.

Raptors defense is actually pretty good, strong hedging, good recovery, the refs are calling some touchy fouls here. Both teams are playing relatively hard. Douby and Parker start the fourth for the Raptors as Ukic takes a rest.

Shawn Taggart makes a strong move in transition to draw the foul but its all for naught, he’s got as much chance as sticking with any club as me.

Robin Lopez is looking good for a banger. He’s bringing to the Suns what we hope O’Bryant brings for us. Brent Petway hasn’t shown us much tonight, he’s got tremendous athleticism but is nowhere to be seen today, a very inconspicuous four points so far.

How patient has Smush been? He’s taken 1 shot in 15 minutes. It’s 62-55 Suns and they call a hook on Smush who was driving and kicking – bad call.

Fact: After DeRozan, Douby is the best player on the court for both teams, at least the one with the most ability to do something with the ball when given to him. Parker’s just not being aggressive enough to make an impression whereas Douby is playing real hard and aggressive. He must smell that roster spot.

They’re talking about O’Bryant now. Analysis of him is that he never adjusted to the physicality of the NBA game and he just hasn’t dedicated himself to building up an NBA body.

Now they’re talking about Ukic and this guy’s way off about him: Says he’s a great floor general. True stuff about his length and ability to drive, no mention of his tunnel-vision.

Douby with another strong drive to the rim, he’s sweating man, he’s sweating more than every other Raptor combined. A+ for effort. It’s 64-58 Suns. Six minutes left.

Another Douby drive leads to Roko being left open on the elbow, nice pass leads to a Roko layup. Douby is the fastest guy on the floor.

Douby with another drive and finishes high off the glass over extended defense. It’s 69-62 as some dude named Zabian Dowdell crossed over Ukic and then pulled back for a 20-foot J.

Douby pushes it again in transition and hands to cutting Roko who gets fouled. Roko goes 1-2, it’s 69-63 with 4 minutes left.

Raptors defense having trouble with dribble penetration and O’Bryant’s help is laughable. Ekene Ibekwe puts the offensive rebound in, he’s probably the best no-name Raptor player of the day and as soon as I say that he gets rejected on a one-on-one move. 7 points on 3-7.

Oh Roko Roko, had a path to the rim on the break, slowed down and stopped instead to let the defense catch up to him and used the fake which wasn’t bought – missed two footer. Where’s that sense of the game we saw from him at times last year?

It’s 71-65, 2:20 left. O’Bryant with a dunk on the break but overall a highly unimpressive game form him, 8 points on 4-9 shooting but only 6 rebounds. Got banged around by Robin Lopez too often and fell for his fakes way too easily. This is Robin Lopez here, not Brook.

Missed FTs, a Suns TO, a three by Douby and a tap-in by Petway and its a one point Raptor league. Suns just fell apart here.

Raps get the ball back, Douby misses and the Suns have a chance to win it, the guard drives all the way to the rim and has a makeable layup (although tough) but Ibekwe comes in for the great block – he’s down, hit his chin on the ground. Game-winning block!

Raps win 74-73 and improve to 2-2 in the summer league. A great performance by DeMar DeRozan who had 20 on 9-16 shooting, Ibekwe with the game winning block and 11 big rebounds. Douby continued his good play with 16 points off the bench, to me he had his best game because he constantly pushed and passed, especially in that fourth quarter.

Box Score

@raptorsrepublic

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.

FanNation

"In respect to the situation for him, there will be a handful of teams next year – I’m guessing between five and ten – which will have maximum allowable free agent money, which means Chris is subject to walk to one of those deals. But, I have to reiterate the point that keeps being overlooked – we’re the only team that can offer him a full six years versus five years, 10.5% increases versus 8% increases … Basically equates to a $30 million dollar difference. So, even if he wants to leave, he’s still better served, and we’re better served if he works a sign-and-trade with us where we can get some sort of an asset back from the team that he’s going to. And, I think that’s probably the thing that we’ll both push for because he’ll benefit from it and we’ll benefit from it, and that’s why it’s probably not time to panic now and make a bad deal."

NBA.com

Toronto Raptors Draft Preview

Bleacher Report

Another option could be Toronto, who would potentially be interested in a sign and trade for star forward Chris Bosh.  Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is looking to extend Bosh, but the 2010 free agent to be is expected to decline any offer.

That in mind, the Raptors’ best option would be to trade Bosh and get maximum value in return.  Here is a projected trade that could work out for both sides:

Toronto Receives

• F Luol Deng
• C Jerome James
• 16th overall pick
• 26th overall pick

Chicago Receives

• F Chris Bosh
• 9th overall pick

This is all purely speculation, but it could work out for both sides.  The Raptors would get maximum value in return for their soon to be free agent forward, and the Bulls could add the low post scoring they have lacked for quite some time now.

Chicago Bulls Confidential

That means the right offer should be able to pry Bosh away.   Can the Bulls put together such an offer?   Who knows.   Tyrus Thomas, two draft picks, and expiring deals for Bosh seems like about as much as the Bulls would give up.  
Would Bosh sign an extension as part of a trade?   Would the Bulls do a trade if he wouldn’t?   Do you even really want Chris Bosh on a deal that will average 20 million per year?   While he clearly upgrades the team, it’s highly likely to be similar to paying Jermaine O’Neal all that money.   Maybe you do it because he makes you better than anything else you can do, but he’s still not worth the money.

Bryce’s Blog

OK the Toronto Raptors don’t know what they want and its similar to a celebrity hook-up. One minute the Raptors say they have “no intention” of trading Chris Bosh for roughly a month and a half. Now, they are saying they would like to sign Bosh and then trade him. Make up your mind! It’s really not that hard to figure out because its like this: Toronto, you either WANT him or you DO NOT want him. The answer to the question is a yes or no type of deal.
The Raptors are looking for some sort of compensation for their efforts of trading Bosh to one of many teams up on the list. Looks like Chris Bosh would love to get with a contending team but he isn’t about to kick and scream to let his current organization know he wants out. In my opinion, he should at least be more aggressive and be up front about it. If he does that, hopefully he will land with a solid championship caliber team this next season.

Sports Radio Interviews

You extended an offer to Carlos Delfino who played in Russia last season.  Is he coming back and why did he leave the Raptors in the first place?

“He basically got 2.85 million net Euros, at the time, that was the equivalent of about $8.5 – $9 million US deal, so, you can see where there’s a discrepancy in dollars of about $5 million US gross and it was too much for him to walk away from.  Now, he’s been there a year, he’s played under those circumstances, and he’s said, ‘You know what?  I wanna be back in the NBA.’  He’s gonna leave a lot of money on the table… I’ve been kinda putting him on my roster depth charts with semi-removable ink.  He’s a guy that I think we can get the deal done if we want to get it done.”

Out of Left Field

Again, to be blunt, expertise about how player moves work in the NBA is not our forte. The best that can be offered is that it’s was already time to brace for BWOB (Basketball Without Bosh) and try to figure out what can be gleaned from the situation. Jay Triano, Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini would like to play an up-tempo style, but they need personnel who can make it work. There should be no fear about Bosh leaving … there is plenty out there.