They will get close, but I predict they'll miss it by two to four games. I think they'll be like the Magic this year... they'll get off to a slow start, but towards the end of the season they'll go on a run but barely miss the postseason.
Guys, you dont know because the FA season isnt even over yet. I'm sure BC has some moves left under his sleeve.
I think they will possibly contend for the 8th seed. I think it really depends on how well they can play as a team. Ford and Bosh will have good season but I think it really depends on how the rest of the team plays.
Before everyone jumps on me saying the summer league means nothing, judging by the positives of Joey Graham, Bargnani and Humphries coming from the summer league if they can translate that into the season than the Raptors definitly have a chance! But Bosh, TJ and MoPete will need to step up.
I dont know its going to be hard for the raptors with upcoming teams like the magic and the celtics even the 76ers can only get better,it's always a possability but next season i dont think so,like mosdefinetly said mo-pete and ford need to step up for toronto,give them some time in 2 seasons I think they will be ready but not this season,not just yet..
They have all of the young pieces in place but one IMO. They need a lockdown, or at least someone that will slow people down, perimeter defender. Someone to step up to the scorers of the other teams and slow him down. I think that Doug Christie would be a solid addition to the team. A vet that has the defense, and used to be a Raptor himself. The Raps pick him up and I think they can put everything together to make a playoff run.
Make the playoffs? Are you kidding me? They will still be terrible defensivly and they didn't do anything this season that will pay off big next year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCB @ Jul 11 2006, 01:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Make the playoffs? Are you kidding me? They will still be terrible defensivly and they didn't do anything this season that will pay off big next year.</div>yeah,but you have to remember that the raptors are in the eastern conference, where a team with a losing record can make the playoffs...
At most they'll make an 8th seed, nothing more. However, I still see them narroly missing the playoffs.Look out for Chris Bosh to give 24 and 11 this year
Hell NO.If you have not a drop of defense, you wont get anywhere anytime soon. Because defense doesnt just come to you. In a few years they could be an 8th seed at most, just because of Bosh, Ford, Bargnani..Andre Barrett and Jose Calderon arent going to cut it at PG. You better hope BC gets someone.. :g:
Hell no. Andrea Bargnani and TJ Ford isnt enough to bring a team that bad to the playoffs especially when they lost Charlie. I say that they win 38 wins tops this year.
Well with Brian Colangelo as your GM you don't need that much defense. Not saying they are the next Suns or anything but maybe thats what Brian is trying to achieve. I agree with the defense though, it's weak all around and I don't think Doug Christie is a good defender anymore, his age has caught up with him already.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kingjamez @ Jul 11 2006, 10:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hell NO.If you have not a drop of defense, you wont get anywhere anytime soon. Because defense doesnt just come to you. In a few years they could be an 8th seed at most, just because of Bosh, Ford, Bargnani..Andre Barrett and Jose Calderon arent going to cut it at PG. You better hope BC gets someone.. :g:</div>An 8th seed at most in a few years? LMAO Im still laughing. We have Bosh, Ford, Bargnani, Graham, Mo Pete. Hell, even Kris Humphries is looking good. We also have a ton of cap room, and I expect BC to recognize that we need more defense and get us a defensive stopper at the wing. Also, Mo Pete is a good defender. Graham needs to step up on defense. I can tell from his college days that he can be a good defender. He needs to prove it next year. Also, look at the Suns of '05 and '06. You dont need defense to be good.. We will get better at defense though. I expect BC to sign some defensive role players down the road, and preach defense to our guys. They wont be great defenders, but even effort would make them decent...
CB4, you act like Bryan Colangelo is your coach...because of Colangelo you will run a faster offense, because of Colangelo preaching defense we will play better.....Colangelo will be sitting in a box seat most of the season watching Sam Mitchell run the team. Bryan Colangelo and his dad did a damn good job with the Suns but everyone acts like he's Jesus Christ and it's getting annoying...well...'Colangelo will do this, this and this and everything will be okay."...And so on...come on... T.J. Ford is a laughable defender, Bosh isn't a good defender and Bargnani is years away from playing respectfull defense...3/5's of your starting lineup can't play a lick...You want a defensive stopper on the wing? How many of them are in the NBA? Like 3? Every team in the NBA wants one. The Raptors have a nice young group...but so do other teams in the East...The Bucks, Bulls, Magic for an example. The Suns prove you don't have to have a good defense? The Suns are the most mind blowing show in the NBA and no other team in the league comes close to them...They go against all logic. I don't even know if you have an offense this year. You lost 20ppg from Mike James and 14ppg from Villaneuva....Morris Peterson and Chris Bosh...thats all the offense you have. Bryan Colangelo is a good GM but he's no Jesus.
Nope, the Raptors are still too inexperience to make the playoffs. If they do make it they'll get sweeped by Miami.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCB @ Jul 12 2006, 01:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>CB4, you act like Bryan Colangelo is your coach...because of Colangelo you will run a faster offense, because of Colangelo preaching defense we will play better.....Colangelo will be sitting in a box seat most of the season watching Sam Mitchell run the team. Bryan Colangelo and his dad did a damn good job with the Suns but everyone acts like he's Jesus Christ and it's getting annoying...well...'Colangelo will do this, this and this and everything will be okay."...And so on...come on... T.J. Ford is a laughable defender, Bosh isn't a good defender and Bargnani is years away from playing respectfull defense...3/5's of your starting lineup can't play a lick...You want a defensive stopper on the wing? How many of them are in the NBA? Like 3? Every team in the NBA wants one. The Raptors have a nice young group...but so do other teams in the East...The Bucks, Bulls, Magic for an example. The Suns prove you don't have to have a good defense? The Suns are the most mind blowing show in the NBA and no other team in the league comes close to them...They go against all logic. I don't even know if you have an offense this year. You lost 20ppg from Mike James and 14ppg from Villaneuva....Morris Peterson and Chris Bosh...thats all the offense you have. Bryan Colangelo is a good GM but he's no Jesus.</div>Colangelo and Sam Mitchell will often talk alot about what direction they want to take this team, and the best approach. If Sam doesnt do what he is asked to, he will be fired. It's as simple as that. Not that big of a deal.Colangelo is probably the best GM in the League. When you have the young core that the Raptors have, and then put that next to alot of cap room, and then put that next to the best GM in the League, you know that we are going to go somewhere. Colangelo isnt a dumbass. He already has the things he wants to do with the franchise planned out. And I for one, trust him. Because he has already done a great job so far in this off-season. And the FA period hasnt even started yet. I expect him to sign another guard because we only have one.Ford is a bad defender, Bosh is a decent defender. I expect Bosh is a slightly below average defender. But with a player that quick and athletic, and of course a star player like himself, I expect him to turn himself into an atleast average defender in the future. Bargnani is a project on defense. But Mo Pete is a good defender. Joey Graham was a good defender in college. I expect him to transfer that into the NBA as well. Plus, BC will sign some defensive role players next year probably. And you can still get by with bad defense if you have a very high calibre offense like the Suns had in 2004-05.There are actually a few good role, defensive players out there and I expect BC to sign atleast a "good" defender sometime soon. The Bucks a great young team? We have a better core then the Bucks, and probably the Magic too. Im not sure how JJ will perform in the NBA. Dwight will be very good, but TJ>Jameer. Everyone thinks Darko will be so good with the Magic. Come on people. He averaged 7 and 4 in 21 minutes with the Magic and suddenly people think he and Dwight will be the next twin towers. Okay, I give in. Maybe they have a bit better young talent then us. But it doesnt matter..Look at the Sonics last year then. They made the 2nd round. They didnt play good defense..I expect Mo to come on with an 18 ppg season. TJ can score 13 or 14 for us I think. Bargnani and Graham will chip in with 12..We will still be a high scoring team. We arent done in the Off-season yet either.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>And you can still get by with bad defense if you have a very high calibre offense like the Suns had in 2004-05.</div> Well you don't have an offense anything close to that....
What about the Sonics? They made the 2nd round 2 years ago when they were almost the worst defensive team in basketball. If they can do it, we can do it. You dont exactly need defense to win games if you can score more points then your oppenent.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Jul 11 2006, 10:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Colangelo and Sam Mitchell will often talk alot about what direction they want to take this team, and the best approach. If Sam doesnt do what he is asked to, he will be fired. It's as simple as that. Not that big of a deal.Colangelo is probably the best GM in the League. When you have the young core that the Raptors have, and then put that next to alot of cap room, and then put that next to the best GM in the League, you know that we are going to go somewhere. Colangelo isnt a dumbass. He already has the things he wants to do with the franchise planned out. And I for one, trust him. Because he has already done a great job so far in this off-season. And the FA period hasnt even started yet. I expect him to sign another guard because we only have one.Ford is a bad defender, Bosh is a decent defender. I expect Bosh is a slightly below average defender. But with a player that quick and athletic, and of course a star player like himself, I expect him to turn himself into an atleast average defender in the future. Bargnani is a project on defense. But Mo Pete is a good defender. Joey Graham was a good defender in college. I expect him to transfer that into the NBA as well. Plus, BC will sign some defensive role players next year probably. And you can still get by with bad defense if you have a very high calibre offense like the Suns had in 2004-05.There are actually a few good role, defensive players out there and I expect BC to sign atleast a "good" defender sometime soon. The Bucks a great young team? We have a better core then the Bucks, and probably the Magic too. Im not sure how JJ will perform in the NBA. Dwight will be very good, but TJ>Jameer. Everyone thinks Darko will be so good with the Magic. Come on people. He averaged 7 and 4 in 21 minutes with the Magic and suddenly people think he and Dwight will be the next twin towers. Okay, I give in. Maybe they have a bit better young talent then us. But it doesnt matter..Look at the Sonics last year then. They made the 2nd round. They didnt play good defense..I expect Mo to come on with an 18 ppg season. TJ can score 13 or 14 for us I think. Bargnani and Graham will chip in with 12..We will still be a high scoring team. We arent done in the Off-season yet either.</div>Dude you rely on assuming things too much. I mean this is all I read in that post. Assumptions. "Well BC will probably add some good defensive role players in the offseason." "Well if the Sonics can make the playoffs with no defense so can my team." "Mo will have an 18 ppg season, TJ will have 13 or 14 ppg this season and Bargnani and Grahm will be good for around 12 ppg." See all your doing is assuming things. Get some real reasons and maybe I'll agree with you a little but if you keep just giving assumptions no one will listen to you. Figure it out. Youyr team is too young and has horrible defense which is half of the game. Your forgetting the Sonics did have atleast veteran leadership something you guys lack. That was a big part of it.
