"Trust me, it's gon end like it did the last couple of seasons. Untill they get rid of all these ego maniacs, Vince starts playing like he gives a damn and the players come to the realization that Bosh is the second option and going to be the best on the team, you're gon keep wasting your money and brain cells, basketball doesn't work this way, you don't go anywhere playing like that!" These were my brother's words as we were watching the Raps getting moled by the Kings in the 4th game of the season. Although he has been a die hard Sixer fan for a really long time and most times comes through in his predictions, I didn't pay his words any attention as the Raps kicked off the season with an astonishing 3-0 start against great teams in Houston, Detroit and Portland. If the plot that Raptors rode this year was reinstalled in a movie, I could guarentee you an Academy award and a prize for both Jalen and Alston as the Co. Winners of the Best Dramatic Sequences Award. <div align="center"> <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="DarkGreen"><u>The Shooting Spot</u></font></font></div> <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 1: November 21st</font> After being down 20 points (19 in the 4th Quarter) against arguebly the league's finest team, the San Antoni Spurs, the Raptors led by Lamond Murray and Chris Bosh made the biggest come back in franchise history as they came back to beat Greg Popovic's squad with Jalen and Vince sitting on the bench for the entire 4th quarter. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 2: December 3rd</font> With the Raptors battling a close game at the Fleet Centre in Boston against the C's, Rafer Alston's and Loren Woods' egos got the best out of them and they picked up two critical T's, which lead to a Sam Mitchell explosion on these two and the humliation of Alston and Woods infront of 19000 people in the arena and millions watching at home. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 3: December 17th</font> After demanding a trade two weeks before training camp, the franchsie's best player ever got his wish on this day and got traded to the New Jersey Nets for veteran Swingman Eric Williams, washed up Aaron Williams, a kidneyless aging Alonzo Mourning, and two mere first round picks. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 4: December 22nd</font> Jalen Rose got 'Demoted' to the bench, and new arriving Eric Williams got inserted into the starting lineup. Jalen took the change very hard, and was wearing an All Black outfit for the game as he thought this move was a sign of something to come (Him being traded). <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 5: December 28th</font> Raptors rookie centre, Rafael Araujo, made his first start in the NBA after riding the pine for a long while. The 8th pick from BYU showed some promising signs that Babcock's decision to select him may not have been that terrible after all. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 6: January 17th</font> Playing on Luther King Jr. day, at Minnesota where we've never came out with a win, this game had all the potential to be a disaster for the Raps. With KG's squad quitting on him and struggling to grab easy wins after a Western Conference Finals appearance less than a year ago, the Raptors led by Marshall shot the lights out and swept the season series with the Wolves for the first time ever. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 7: January 30th</font> Rafer Alston got suspended after leaving the practice facility a day earlier while Mitchell was preparing his squad for facing the might Phoenix Suns. <div align="center"> ) suggestion: "They should retire Vince Carter's jersey", said the former Fab Five member. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 10: March 6th</font> Chris Bosh sets a new career-high of 33 Points as he destroyed the Hornets on a Sunday evening game. After the game, Byron Scott projected Bosh to be one of the league's best players in the future. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 11: March 13th</font> The Marshall Attack. Donyell shot the lights out as he tore his home town team apart with 12 3PT shots made, which ties Kobe Bryant for the most ever. Marshall recorded a career high 33 points. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 12: March 20th</font> LeBron James makes a brief stop in T.O. The Phenom went on for a career high 56 points in an astonishing matter. Fortunately, his team was bad enough to allow the Raps to come out with a 105-98 win on a sunday afternoon. LeBron was incridible. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 13: March 30th</font> After an emberrassing loss to the fading Magic, in which the team commited 20+ turnovers, Jalen Rose calls out some of his teammates after the game, and if you've followed this team long enough, you know that Alston was the target of Rose's comnments. two nights later in Charlotte, both Rose and Alston didn't look eye to eye and avoided passing the ball to each other. <font color="Red"><font size="5"></font> Scene 14: April 15th</font> Biggest regural season game in team history. Vince Carter's first appearance in T-Dot as an opposing player. The atmoshpere was electric at the ACC, and Vince got it from the crowd. It was hostile. But Vince who started the game a bit shakey, got it going and went off for 39 points (17 in the 3rd Q) and got his team the win. <div align="center"><font size="7"><font face="Comic Sans MS">.......</font></font></div> With Marshall likely gone during the offseason, the team's potential is much less than what it was this time last year. But they say 'what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger', and the Raptors could definitly learn something from this season. <div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><u><font color="DarkGreen">2004/2005 Toronto Raptors Evaluation</font></u></font></div> <div align="center">Rob Babcock: D</div> <div align="center"></div> Rafer Alston's contract lenghth, the selection of Rafael Araujo, and the players acquired from the Vince Carter trade have all created the suspense and controversy around Babcock this year. On the other side, he had made some impressive moves such as hiring Sam, drafting Pape, and resigning Mo. But the negatives outweigh the positives. <div align="center">Sam Mitchell: +B </div> Although at the beggining of the season he said some stuff to the media that he shouldn't have, but all in all Sam has done a great job this year considering the talent he has and the experience, or lack thereof, he possesses. Despite his run-ins with Alston, he still managed to gain the respect of all his players. He has a great future ahead of him as a coach. <div align="center">Chris Bosh: -A </div> This exceeded everyone's expectations, espicially since the team parted ways with Carter. He started to take on more responsibility and has improved tremendously from last season. Look for CB4 next season to flourish as the team leader. He must be more vocal and start demanding the ball more. It's his team. <div align="center">Jalen Rose: -B </div> JR had his best season since his Indiana days. He was a consistent scorer and an offensive load other teams had to pay attention to, specially in the clutch, where he rose the most. However, sometimes his ego gets the best out of him. He must understand that this is Bosh's team, and he might have to take the back seat in many nights. <div align="center">Rafer Alston: C+ </div> Although he averaged 14.5 PPG and 6.5 APG, Rafer Alston's performance this season can't be measured by numbers. He took too many shots for a Point Guard; he had several run-ins with Mitchell and his teammates; he ignored Bosh several times down the stretch to the extent where Chris would touch the ball two or three times a quarter. He is talented and very quick, and if Sam can prgoram his mind right, you can see great things from Skip with this team. <div align="center">Morris Peterson: B </div> After resigning with the Raps and going through a diet in the summer, Mo had come to this campagne in a tip-top shape. At home, he was an all star, on the road, he was an 8th man at best, untill the last stretch of the season (11 games). He has shown great improvement at both ends. Offensiveley, he was driving to the basket and being aggresive again and not relying on the 3PT shot. Also, he used the pull up jumper and the mid range shot more and more as the season went along. Defencively, he was the team's best player. As Bosh, Mo benefited alot by Vince's departure. Look for Mo to continue his stellar play next season. <div align="center">Donyell Marshall: C+ </div> Had a memorable game versus Philly. His game this season was evolving around the 3PT shot. He missed several games, but his value has risen. Although there's a little to none chance that he's coming back with this team, 'Yell maintained his proffesionalism and didn't complain when getting less minutes or less touches. <div align="center">Rafael Araujo: D- </div> Battling foul trouble game after game and resisting the tremendous pressure the NBA life brings, Hoffa didn't emerge as a solid 8th pick. He shown some signs, but he lacks confidence and basketball intelligence. His problems are mental rather than physical. Summer league will be crucial for him to prove himself and learn. <div align="center">Matt Bonner: C+ </div> Matt was a pleasent surprise this season. Coming to training camp with uncertain status, his shot and hustle have earned him PT from coach Mitchell. He will definitly get a pay raise this offseason, and it won't be easy to lock him. He has to improve his defence and handles though, because he's not going to get the open jumpers next season like he did this past one. <div align="center">Milt Palacio: C- </div> Milt 'Stilt' Palacio. Improved his shot big time, but he seems to miss more lay ups than he makes. He has shown however better ability to run the team than Alston at times. His defence and quickness will be the ticket that earns him another contract in this league. <div align="center">Eric Williams: D </div> Coming from New Jersey in the VC deal, the Raps were counting on Williams to be the defensive veteran leader they thought he was. But it didn't work out at all for Eric. With his demands to be traded and a couple of mysterious injuries, EWill is making the Carter trade look worse and worse. <div align="center">Aaron Williams: D- </div> Same thing as Eric. After a good run with Vancouver and NJ, Aaron found his grave with this team. He was rarely used and when he was, he didn't produce as expected. A buyout would do him and the Raps a favour. <div align="center">Lamond Murray: D- </div> He just doesn't belong on this team. He's clearly not happy in here, and his attitude could be determint to the young guys. With his selfish demeanour and basketball style, trading this guy or buying him out are the only solutions. We can't have him next season on the bench again. <div align="center">Pape Sow: C+ </div> Along with Bonner and Bosh, Pape was one of the rare pleasent surprises in a season full of painful disappointments. He is very athletic and has a very good potential of being an above average defender. He is still raw and his offensive skills are not great. As the case for Hoffa, the Summer League will be important for Pape. Look for the Raps to resign him. <div align="center">Loren Woods: D </div> After a good start, Woods' performances were declining and his minutes were cut. He was a DNP CD for a big chunk of the season. He must put on some weight and learn an offensive go to move or two. <div align="center">Omar Cook: C+ </div> He was with the team for a short time, but he has really impressed the coaches and the fans. Shown signs of a very good pure PG, I really believe that Cook belongs in this league. If he works consistently on his jumper, he could be a very good back up in the association. Offence: B+ Defence: D- Chemistry: C Overall Team Performance: C- <div align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="7">.......</font></font></div> <font color="DarkGreen"><font face="Comic Sans MS">- The Good</font></font> Chris Bosh. He has impressed everyone league wide. Also, Matt Bonner caught everyone by surprise. No body knew he could shoot the ball as good as he has. Hopefully, both players along with Mo Pete can have big seasons next year; All three are going to be important intangibles for our future. <font color="DarkGreen"><font face="Comic Sans MS">- The Bad</font></font> All this nonsense going on between the players off the court. Alston and Rose are under contract for a long time and they must find a common ground with each other. Two guys with huge egos, and they're way too important for this team to let this BS disrupt the team chemistry. Babcock, Embry and Mitchell have to do something in the summer to make sure there will be no more odistractions next season. <font color="DarkGreen"><font face="Comic Sans MS">- The Ugly</font></font> Some of Babcock's decision have really been a back stabber to this team. The drafting of 24 Year old Rafael Araujo over players such as Andre Igoudala proves to be a failure if you consider the fact that Babcock called him an "NBA Ready" and when his rookie contract is up, he'll be 28 years old! Also, the players we got back from New Jersey in the December 17th trade didn't contribute that much, and on the side of the equation, we lost the team's best player, who wasn't playing like one, which droped his value to a career low. <div align="center"> <font size="1">Sam and Rafer must find a common ground</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="7"><font face="Comic Sans MS">.......</font></font></div> After 10 season of existence, this franchise has committed many mistakes and never seem to learn from them. This is a world class city and the folks in here know their basketball, but the team has been a disappointment most of the time. With the local media trying to deminish the basketball imgae of Toronto and try to downplay it compared to hockey, Babcock has his hands full as he tries to build a winner and a championship contender. It's never easy. And for Babcock, it's as hard of a mission as he could have possible imagined. With the wind blowing the opposite way, this year's draft becomes more crucial. The most frustrating thing about this season is the fact that we didn't improve from the 2003/2004 season. With 4 picks on hand (2 1st Rd and 2 2nd Rd), we can't afford to mess up any of them. And hopefully, Babcock will show us some of his 'intelligence' that got his this job, because unfortunately, my brother was right. <div align="center"> <font size="1">We can't do anything but patiently wait!</font></div> <font face="Comic Sans MS"><div align="center"><font size="7">.......</font></div></font>
A good summary on a horrible season. Nice summary, you seem to include all the key points from this season. One thing you're missing though is the Alonzo issue (Him not reporting, buyout). To be honest with you, I totally forgot that Loren Woods was on the team for the last 3 weeks or so. He should've been playing the minutes Aaron Williams was getting. Anyways, I wouldn't give Woods a D- because that's like saying he did nothing at all and was horrible. Not much was expected of him, and he did gives us good games. Although he didn't have the greatest FG% for a big man, 4 and 5 a night in 15 mins is decent. And even if he has the slippiest (couldn't think of a word) hands, 5 rebounds a game for half of the games is decent, he doesn't deserve a D-.
Banks your avatar scares me in the Raps forum. I have nothing against you or anything, just when I see it I expect some band-waggoning New Jersey fan to be saying something anti-Raptors. Anyway, PurpleFever, like usual you did a great summary! Brought out some good points for Raptor fans to remember, like Donyell hitting 3 after 3 after 3 after 3... Pape really has surprized me recently. The entire VC ordeal. The improvement of Bosh and the hard-work of Bonner. This season may not have been a winning one, but it kept me entertained for the most part. If we aren't winning I at least want to be interested in the Raps. Man, Cook has a monster forehead! It freaks me out at times, just had to get that out. I don't know how well he will do in the nba. He is quick, but doesn't seem to have a great ability to get in the lane, nor can he shoot incredibly well. I see him being a good back-up pg at best.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SkiptoMyLue11:</div><div class="quote_post">Banks your avatar scares me in the Raps forum. I have nothing against you or anything, just when I see it I expect some band-waggoning New Jersey fan to be saying something anti-Raptors.</div> Nope...I'm a diehard Raps fan for life. I'm routing for the Nets in the playoffs, because I want my favorite player (VC) to have success. <font size="1">BTW, when I said "5 rebounds a game for half of the games is decent.." I'm reffering to half of the games the Raps played, not half of the games Woods played.</font>
[quote name='Banks']Nope...I'm a diehard Raps fan for life. I'm routing for the Nets in the playoffs, because I want my favorite player (VC) to have success. pssh..VC doesnt deserve anything...He WAS one of my faviourate players..now hes nothing but....
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">Nope...I'm a diehard Raps fan for life. I'm routing for the Nets in the playoffs, because I want my favorite player (VC) to have success. <font size="1">BTW, when I said "5 rebounds a game for half of the games is decent.." I'm reffering to half of the games the Raps played, not half of the games Woods played.</font></div> LOL at the end part, I actually like woods. And there's nothin wrong with rooting for the net's, you have to admit their gonna be fun to watch with VC RJ and Kidd. But my man flash is gonna win Anyway, god summary, but yeah you did forget the 'zo part, and I disagree with some of the raiting you gave. But all in all good stuff
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting michiganave17:</div><div class="quote_post">Forgotten.</div> Phew it worked, we just need to do this to the rest of the league, and no one will even know we ever sucked
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">Phew it worked, we just need to do this to the rest of the league, and no one will even know we ever sucked </div>
Wow that was a great read. You should be a journalist or something. I wish this season weren't as complicated as it is. I wish this team could find some way of working with each other, and most of all, I wish Vince were back. Yes, I said it. I miss him a ton and I can't deny that he was the best thing to happen to this team.
At times, I actually like Feschuk's articles. He sure isn't afraid to say negative things about the Raptors. Although he's way off most of the time, his criticism of Babcock has always been on point. Great summary of the season btw, Purple Fever.
Meh Feschuk is WAY too critical sometimes. yes he does tell the truth at times but he makes it seem harsher than it actually is. the toronto media is just plain rough. no wonder why players always want to leave.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SkiptoMyLue11:</div><div class="quote_post">Man, Cook has a monster forehead! It freaks me out at times, just had to get that out. </div>Imagine if he comes back to the Raps and we draft Villanueva..... we'd be a more freakish looking team since our days w/ Popeye Jones!! Great summary Purple Fever. The players ratings are pretty much bang-on (I would've gave Babcock a much worse rating, but I think that just me being bitter after the whole VC trade).
That was a great summary of the Raptors woeful season. All the grades were pretty much right on the money. I can only hope that our "2nd season" in the draft and free agency will be more successful.
i don't think anyone will say we had the greatest luck this year, but i will follow the team win or lose overall once bosh is locked down, we'll see great strides just by brining in peices around him with our picks, and future mle
