<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">BASKETBALL INSIDERS from two major U.S. sports publications are picking the Raptors to finish dead-last in the Atlantic Division this year. Chad Ford, a respected NBA columnist with ESPN, has predicted the Raptors, which tied for last in the Division (33-49) last year and missed the playoffs for the third straight season, will finish on the bottom in the Atlantic and will place 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. "The team still has major holes at centre and the point, which is never good news," Ford wrote. "If (Charlie) Villanueva (the club's first-round draft choice this summer) doesn't pan out, it's hard to imagine (Rob) Babcock lasting the year in Toronto." Meanwhile, Kelly Dwyer of Sports Illustrated's website (SI.com) also predicted that the Raptors will finish last in the Atlantic. "It's hard to imagine any other Eastern Conference team with a bleaker future than Toronto's," Dwyer wrote. Raptors general manager Rob Babcock caused a major stir this week when he told The Toronto Sun he believes the team will probably not win as many games as last year. Babcock acknowledged that losing veteran forward Donyell Marshall to free agency and replacing him with a pair of rookies (Villanueva and Joey Graham) means the Raptors will go through some growing pains this season, resulting in another losing season. </div> Sources
i think the raptors will suprise ppl next year, maybe they wont make the playoffs but they will suprise the nba.
as much as i am aganist babcock especially for his comments he made regarding the up-coming season i agree with the fact that the raptors will miss the play-offs again raptors are a team that are in a re-building stage and will be winners in the future but babcock really made a stupid mistake by telling the media that the raptors will go nowhere this guy isnt a gm he should get fired
what babcock is said is as unprofessional as you can get...can you imagine how the players, coaches, and organization feel? It's HIS fault that they arent any better this season since he didnt address their needs...I feel sorry for Raptors fans...I'd be ashamed to have this man running my team...
