Kevin O’Neill has his say.
3. Chris Bosh, 11.5 pts, 7.4 reb, 1.4 blk
Vince wanted the Raptors to trade the fourth pick to get a veteran that could help now, but Glen Grunwald in one of his final moves selected Bosh in the stacked 2003 draft after LeBron James, Darko Milicic and Carmelo Anthony. The fifth pick? Dwyane Wade.
2. Jalen Rose, 16.2 pts, 4 reb, 5.5 ast
Rob Babcock decided to shake things up and called time on Antonio Davis after the Raptors got off to an 8-8 start. He shipped JYD, Davis and the useless Chris Jefferies for a package including Jalen Rose and the ephemeral Donyell Marshall. Both had an instant impact but soon levelled off. “It’s a completely different team,” Raptors coach Kevin O’Neill said. “There is some uneasiness. I’ve always wondered how they do these mail-order bride things. I mean, you are going to marry someone without knowing them? In actuality we are all married now and we really didn’t know each other very well.”
O’Neill slowed the pace down to a crawl and it reflected in the stats. The Raptors were bottom of the league in points scored, 28th out of 29th in offensive rating. The defensive rating was 7th and good enough to miss the post-season and finish 10th.
1. Vince Carter, 22.5 pts, 4.8 reb, 4.8 ast
You wouldn’t have thought Vince Carter would play until he’s 43 years old based on this season. When Vince wasn’t lying on the floor he was hobbling around. When he wasn’t hobbling around he looked like he had swallowed a hand grenade and was dreading it going off. Watching him consistently crush opponents to becoming so fragile in a matter of two years was a decline if we ever saw one. To make matters unbearable this was the year when Vince just couldn’t stop smiling at the most inopportune moments. It was aggravating.
