Toronto Raptors: Summer 2010

The Toronto Raptors, where do I start other than the obvious.

The Decision. Twitter-gate. The big three. I will touch on this quickly because, well I am sure we are all sick of hearing about it by now. Bosh leaving would not have been bad had Bryan Colangelo (BC) been able to use the 15 million dollar trade exception into a valuable front line rebounder to team with Bargnani. I like the two first round picks, however Miami's first is undoubtedly turn out to be a 25th or later pick...so not a lot of value in that piece. We knew the day was coming, Colangelo didn't get impact players in a sign-and-trade so now we must move on with the Young Gunz.

The Amir Johnson signing. I like signing this kid long term, because as Jay Triano has told me...he really is a great team guy, and the glue that holds the locker room together. He possesses an intriguing amount of potential that makes you wonder if he has double double capabilities in a starters role. Unfortunately, Amir is an under-sized, under-skilled starting 4 in the NBA...so the Raptors will be abused at that position regularly this year. When Ed Davis is ready to step in (if that day comes) Amir will be the perfect backup 4 and energy guy off the bench. Again, I like the signing.

Drafting Ed Davis and trading for Solomon Alabi: The Raps desperately needed front court depth, so BC addressed this by taking a number 4 in Davis and trading for a big #5 in Alabi. I watched a lot of summer league this year so that I could form an opinion on the new young core of Raptors players, and I must say that Ed Davis was unbelievable. He desperately needs to add weight to his slight frame, but in one game against Sacramento...I watched him dominate Demarcus Cousins in a big way. He was facing Cousins up so that passes had to clear him to get inside, and if they got past him he had enough quickness and power to quickly block Cousins from the backside. Not a word of a lie he personally blocked Cousins 4 times in the first half, a first half that Cousins shot 1-10 from field in. Alabi looks to have that one thing you can't teach....an NBA body as they put it. He was big, he finished strong, and he looked to have some pretty soft hands for a big man. I like both of these pickups, however they are both a ways away from being regular contributors at an NBA level.

Trading Hedo Turkoglu. THANK GOD! Let me sum up Hedo's NBA professionalism...the stuff you know...he was too sick to play, however someone caught a picture of him out at the club after. He had one of his entourage take the girls camera and delete her pictures. Add that to a PPG that amounted to the same number of millions he was making on his new contract, and he wasn't winning anyone over. The stuff you didn't know...Hedo refused to workout in his downtime. He believed that he only way to get into game shape was to play games. His in-season diet consisted pretty much of the same thing you saw him eat in that god awful Pizza Pizza commercial, and he put no time into trying to bond with his teammates. All I can say is welcome Leandro Barbosa...I am happy to have you. I look for Leandro to put up 15-18 points per game in a starters role and increased minutes. He is quick, he can score, and he is a great fit for a young run-and-gun style of play.

The failed Chandler deal. I must say, this disappointed me greatly. I thought that Tyson Chandler would have allowed Bargnani to slide into the 4 and have less of a rebounding responsibility. I think Andrea has been lacking that dominant player down low who can do the banging and crashing for him. The fact that Michael Jordan pulled it off the table after his GM had already announced to the players that they were moving, is an un-classy and unprofessional thing to do. It sets a very bad precedent for your organization, and if I have heard correctly...he did the same thing at the trade deadline last year with the Pacers. A bad start for a guy who should understand the NBA better than that.

Bryan Colangelo. BC. You had me drinking the kool-aid for a while, however now I am very unsure. As the face of the franchise in Toronto...you should have kept quiet and let Chris Bosh leave without any fanfare or arguing back and forth. Be the grown up. Be the bigger man. Now, lets address your moves as a GM. Thus far you have managed to assemble one of the most uncertain teams since the Raptors franchise came into existence. Bosh is gone with nothing big being brought back in return, your first overall pick hasn't quite developed into an all-star (yet) and the best free agent signing we have seen in your time was...Jarret Jack. I like Jack...but that's a bad thing to have as your top highlight. Here's hoping this rebuild goes well and the Raptors can challenge in the near future.

Final thoughts. It looks bleak right now. It really does. At this point I don't know that the Raptors will even get 30 wins next season. If that is the case where does the finger get pointed? BC? Triano? The axe will have to fall at some point, and I hope the organization makes the right move. We need a man of prestige, we need a basketball legend to run the franchise and bring back credibility and excitement to this team.

Hope you enjoyed it, please share your thoughts too!

- BF