I think that, we can actually say we took a step forward from last year. We trimmed the fat (IMO, Jalen Rose and Rob Babcock) and the Raptor's future is looking brighter than ever. We go into the draft with 3 draft picks to add youth whilst retaining the neccessary funds to sign some solid veterans this season or the next. It's really exciting that we have a foundation, that, with the addition of a few more parts could very well be in the playoffs next year. Basically, it comes down to whatever Colangelo decides to do with the team next year. Will he look to add to are strong offence or look to improve our weak defense? Will he retain Sam Mitchell or bring in one of his guys? I think we will get a good feel for what he is going to do from the draft, if he trades our pick or what type of guy he chooses. For me, I really don't care to much what happens in the summer, as long as well improve in the win column and keep young cheap talent. Out of all the cellar teams, Toronto has the brightest future for the next season. Lets hope that we don't become accustomed to chronic disappointment. In summation: Do's Continue Youth Movement Retain respectable salary cap Win more games Playoff goals Don'ts Sign long contracts Lose Mike James for nothing Move to far away from the youth movement Ruin Chemistry Force moves during the summer
Another season ends, making it 4 years without making it to the postseason. It was a good year and a bad year. It was a bad year to start off the season 1-15, but a good year in terms of shaping up our team chemistry and was a good season to see some bright spots in the Raps futures. I'm hoping to hear some thoughts from you guys- no trade talk, except for what happened this season...just reflections on how the season went and what you guys felt about this year coming and going. For me, it was a pretty exciting year...even though Babcock predicted the team wouldn't even get 30 wins (WHO WOULD SAY THAT!?). I wanted the Raptors to make it to the postseason so bad, and knowing how terrible the East is, we had a shot, but blew it in the beginning. It was also sad to see Jalen Rose get traded, as he was one of the most respected by the fans. My favourite play in the whole season was probably that shot by Morris Peterson from half-court, immediately followed by a shot of Mo pointing to Jalen, who smiled back. If you guys didn't know what was behind that story...Morris Peterson and Rose always took half-court shots during practices and they made a pact that whoever gets one first during a game, will have the other buy them dinner. I wish Jalen the very best. I think we have to focus on how much these guys have grown into each other. This season probably made this team a lot stronger and with a few more additions, they can be back up there in contention. I'm hoping to see a New Jersey-Toronto playoff rivalry real soon. But for now, A.J. Burnett VS Josh Beckett this Friday at the Rogers Centre! But going back to the topic of building a solid foundation, I think they have it in Bosh and Peterson and hopefully Mike James. I can see the Raps really reaching that state that Detroit is in right now and I believe that Colangelo can make it come true for us. Go Jays!
Despite all of the ups and downs, this season turned out to be better than I hoped. I was expecting to have another season where we just wait for our contracts to expire. In that sense, the Jalen Rose trade really came out of nowhere. All of sudden we have capspace to work with this summer and its a feeling that I can barely remember. Our draft results interested me throughout the year. Villanueva really was a pleasant surprise. Same with Calderon. I had no idea what to expect from either and they showed flashes of promise. Just need to overcome that inconsistency. Joey Graham was a disappointment. Seemed to follow Hoffa's pattern, in that he was more likely to make an immediate impact but struggled right out of the gate. He's definitely better than Araujo, but he'll have to assert himself next year and Sam will have to take it easy on him right from the start. I enjoyed watching the maturation and development of Chris Bosh, Morris Peterson, and Pape Sow. We all kind of predicted Bosh to blossom into an All-Star. But, I've been pulling for Mo-pete to develop the consistency and initiative he's shown this year. Sow showed great hustle coming out of the D-League. He's like our new JYD. And of course we got the highs and lows of Mike James' quest for his payday. He made some amazing shots throughout the season. However, watching him constantly fall apart in the 4th quarter was painful. And how about the GM situation this year? We went from one who seemed to be a liability to the former Executive of the Year. All the while wondering whether Embry's short, but brilliant, tenure warranted giving him the job. I've never been more confident in our front office though. And its with good timing too. This season the team faces some tough decisions in free agency and the draft. Its hard not to feel optimistic after this season. What looked to be a 2 year wait until we could legitimately rebuild has now been eliminated. The Raps can start to build pieces around Bosh. And we finally have a competent GM to do it.
if i was colangelo i would dangle charlie v and joey graham for a proven player like a joe johnson who i'm smitten with in terms of his bball iq.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting deception:</div><div class="quote_post">if i was colangelo i would dangle charlie v and joey graham for a proven player like a joe johnson who i'm smitten with in terms of his bball iq.</div> We need another SG like I need another bad case of the crabs. Athletic swingmen/shooting guards are a dime a dozen. Sure Joe can play point from time to time, but really wasn't effective at PG when he played this season. It wasn't until he consistantly played SG again that he tore it up. Anyhow, like Mike James, Joe was an above average player on a terrible team. If any deals are made this offseason you can bet it'll be for immediate PG and/or C help. Not another chucker. JMO
Andres Nocioni in 2007 or maybe sign Jared Jeffries to a one year contract. His lengthy and very athletic and can be a good rotation guy.
hopefully someone can answer this cause it's been nagging me since the whole jalen trade. People keep talking about how we have a lot of cap space this coming off season, so does that mean we don't have that monster off season money in the summer of 07 that people were talking about when this season started? Is this offseason our big summer or can we compete with orlando in the summer of 07?
I believe we'll be 14 mil. under the cap space...but I'm not quite sure. I also heard that our cap situation is much better in the 2007 season, so I'm very confused if that bright light turns on for this summer rather than next season. And in any case, it will be used to resign Bosh and Mike James and the new rookies.
Hopefully, we can get a good center. I'm loving Pape's game but i think bringing him to PF would be better. I'm so sick of Hoffa, i hate him even more now.
I've grown to withstand Hoffa, but hopefully we could package him in a deal and get someone good in return or even some picks for this year or for future draft selections. We really need a center and as much as I want to draft a wing player, like Roy or Gay or someone gifted at that position, I think the Raps really need to help out Bosh down low. I mean, if we don't draft a center and do end up drafting a wing player, I'll be happy, but I just hope Colangelo can get us a decent center.
I belive right now we have roughly 10 to 11 million to work with this offseason. That could change depending on whether not AW is going to be waived. But, that in its own could take some time seeing how the Raptors will need doctors to determine if his injury is career ending or not. If the decision comes back in the Raptors favour, we'll get half of Alvin's 2 year contract back as compensation.
We can sign some quality players this offseason but I do believe that we should make a good run at someone like Caron Butler using about 7 or 8 mil, imagine him on the raptors, IMO he would fit pretty good here but I only watch the raptors games I dont WATCH them in depth like I do when Im watching the Lakers or Wizards. By that I mean I dont watch what kind of offense they run and how often the press, etc. About the season, being canadian I can never down our only team. They had a bad year but there were good points like Chris Bosh's emergence as an all-star, Charlie Villanueva making a case for ROY with a 28 point outburst, altough Paul has the award locked. Mo Peterson stepped up and scored when he had to, Mike James was alright but I felt he started shooting way too much.
Their are less posistives to take out of this season than I hoped and expected at the begginning of the year. Chris Bosh's game elevated to All-Star status was pretty much expected from most Raps fans, but I didn't expect him to become a dominant offensive player that he is, so quick. He did seem to shy awaythough at the end of the season, prior to his injury, to taking the ball the basket, settling for his jumper more. CV has developed into a tremendous offensive player, who potentially could surpass Bosh as a better offensive player because of all the skills and tools he possesses. His passing and ball handling is very good for a big. Graham showed some nice offensive improvements at the end of the season, though he was more inconsisntent than I expected, and wasn't that much of a factor defensively. Calderon didn't look that impressive to me. He cant shoot well, he penetrate but can't always create (not always his fault), and can't run an offensive set properly. Hoffa well, not much to say bout him. When you think about it, the Raps had so many close games, and could have had realistically around 6-8 more wins if we executed properly down the stretch, and didnt turn the ball over or blow leads. We had about 10-12, probably more but by bigger margain losses, of these games, but every team has those kind of games, so atleast 6-8 wins out of those games should of been won. Plus if Bosh hadn't been injured, we could of had a few more victories during the recent string of losses. Add that up and thats 35+ wins, which is better than last season. I'd bring Sam Mitchell back for next season, but if we don't show improvement, which would be hard not to do, then he'll definitely be gone, probably before the end of the season. Our future looks alot brighter than it has in recent years, with the cap space, high draft pick, and most importantly havin Brian Colangelo as our GM. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">We can sign some quality players this offseason but I do believe that we should make a good run at someone like Caron Butler using about 7 or 8 mil, imagine him on the raptors, IMO he would fit pretty good here but I only watch the raptors games I dont WATCH them in depth like I do when Im watching the Lakers or Wizards. By that I mean I dont watch what kind of offense they run and how often the press, etc. </div> Caron Butler is signed for 5 more years at 9 million per with the Wizards.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">When did this happen? I thought he was a FA... man Im living in the past.</div> You probably mistaken Caron for Jared Jefferies, who is a free agent this summer.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">We can sign some quality players this offseason but I do believe that we should make a good run at someone like Caron Butler using about 7 or 8 mil, imagine him on the raptors, IMO he would fit pretty good here but I only watch the raptors games I dont WATCH them in depth like I do when Im watching the Lakers or Wizards. By that I mean I dont watch what kind of offense they run and how often the press, etc. </div> Once again, I don't see the point of bringing in another swingman. I'm more than happy to keep Mo, CV and Graham at this point. Now its not to say that one of those three won't be used in a potential deal over the offseason, but Butler (albeit is great) doesn't fill the obvious voids with this club. Size meaning interior defense and rebounding and someone who can actually direct an offense. Just my 2 cents though.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Dr. J. Naismith:</div><div class="quote_post">Once again, I don't see the point of bringing in another swingman. I'm more than happy to keep Mo, CV and Graham at this point. Now its not to say that one of those three won't be used in a potential deal over the offseason, but Butler (albeit is great) doesn't fill the obvious voids with this club. Size meaning interior defense and rebounding and someone who can actually direct an offense. Just my 2 cents though.</div> Exactly. I think the first priority is to get a good center. We can always use the draft picks to select some hard defensive players.
