Raptors HQ: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: The Nova Blog for Villanova Fans!

All the Small Things


Franchise takes a look at the overhaul done by Bryan Colangelo so far and looks at a few more minor tweaks he'd like to see the Raptors make to the roster...

Star-divide

Large_080109_dn_paul-harris_medium 

 

"The one thing I like about what Colangelo is doing is that he's said to heck with it, I'm going to build the kind of team I've always wanted to have with nothing but shooters and ballhandlers, and we'll see if it works or not. The money is high for a lot of these guys and it could be a train wreck, but it's gonna be interesting, that's for sure."

 

That quote was taken from a chat session Jon Hollinger did yesterday on ESPN.com, in response to a reader enquiring if Bryan Colangelo should now start "walking on water" based on his string of off-season moves.

I found Hollinger's answer to be quite interesting because while it's hard not to be enamored with many of the new faces and names associated with the Toronto Raptors going into next season, there's no way to know just how this is going to turn out.

Will the team lead the league in scoring but also give up 112 points a game?

Can Jay Triano play a style that best fits the personnel BC has brought on-board?

Is anyone going to rebound the basketball outside of Chris Bosh and Reggie Evans?

Really, there are just as many question marks now as there were last season, albeit questions of a different type.

Hollinger has a point though, this team on paper looks to boast one of the league's most dynamic offensive groups; a collection of players who are extremely versatile, who can shoot the ball, and look to hurt opponents from inside and out.  Toronto last year finished 22nd in terms of their offensive rating and we should see a big jump in that respect this coming season.  The diverse skill sets of players like Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani will be perfectly suited for Jose Calderon's pick-and-roll abilities and others from Jarrett Jack to the newly acquired Belinelli should help as well.

However what happens if the offense goes cold?

There are certainly some streaky shooters in this bunch and if the offense sputters at times during games, there isn't a lot defensively to fall back on.

And even with Reggie Evans and his orcs in tow, this team still seems about as soft as David Ortiz minus the roids.

That's why I'd love to see BC make a few more minor tweaks to this club.

As currently composed, I think we can group the roster into three main tiers; the starters, the bench and the DNP options.

In the starters we've got:

Jose Calderon, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.  I have a feeling that Antoine Wright will be the starting 2 guard when all his said and done due to his defensive abilities so I'm going to lump him in there too.

The second group will probably consist of Jarrett Jack (whom I believe barring injuries and foul trouble will be the club's first option off the bench), DeMar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Marco Belinelli and Rasho Nesterovic.

That gives a back-up at each spot, some different looks, and some options offensively if the starters can't knock down a shot.

Finally, the DNP's, that is Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, Patrick O'Bryant and Marcus Banks.

I suspect that Ukic won't see many DNP's and will play the role of the third stringer while Banks and O'Bryant will get the bulk of the DNP's...

...if they're still on the team.

Along with Douby, who unfortunately with Belinelli now on board doesn't seem to have much purpose, I'm not sure why BC doesn't divest himself of a few of these players.  Banks might make some sense to keep around for trade purposes at the deadline, but O'Bryant, whose contract for the upcoming season is pittance in the grand scheme of things, needs to go.  The reality is that he couldn't dominate or even exert his occasional will over much less-talented players in Summer League and we're not talking about a first or second-year player here.  This will be O'Bryant's fourth-year in the league!

As for Douby, I think he's got a spot in the NBA still but his skill-set duplicates those of too many other current Raptors.

Really, the top 10 guys are pretty much locked-in and outside of this group, there won't be much playing time for others anyways.  So preferably, I'd like to see Colangelo fill out the final two or three roster spots with some young upside prospects or players with differing skill sets that may come in handy during the grind of the regular season.

Players like Pops Mensah-Bonsu and James Singleton could be slotted into the latter category due to their rebounding and defensive skills while in the former, how about looking at a few undrafted free-agents?  I mentioned a few yesterday in the comments section but I'll reiterate my top 3:

1)  Paul Harris - At 6-6 you might want to lump him into the SG category but I think he can play the 3 in the NBA.  He's extremely long, is a great defender and rebounder, is quite athletic, and he played at a great program in college (Syracuse.)

2)  Wes Matthews - Matthews is quite similar to Harris in terms of size and length but he's a better shooter and shot blocker.

3)  Jeff Adrien - The UConn star might be one of those Leon Powe types; an undersized power forward who despite his physical limitations just knows how to play.  He's a bulldog in the paint as well as an excellent offensive threat and I'd certainly take a flyer on him if I was an NBA GM looking to fill out my bench.

In terms of other options remaining in the NBA Free Agent group, there obviously aren't many game-changers considering how little money Toronto has left to spend.  Maybe BC is intrigued by the shot-blocking skills of Ryan Hollins, the defense of Ime Udoka, the intensity of Mario West, the athleticism and upside of Rodney Carney...who knows? 

And as stated, anyone else that's brought in from here on out might not see much daylight in terms of time on the court.

However I think as fans we learned last year that too much depth is never a bad thing.

And considering the offensive expertise that BC has acquired over the past few months, a few defenders and guys willing to do the dirty work would be nice...

...even if they're at the end of the bench and only see time in practice.

FRANCHISE

0 recs  |  Comment 24 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Around SB Nation

Daily Links  3/12

Mar 2010 from CelticsBlog - 1 comment

Bench buddies

Mar 2010 from Canis Hoopus - 94 comments

Comments

Display:

Douby

Even with the addition of Marco I’d like to see Douby on the Raps this year. I think his determination is an important locker room feature. Plus, in my opinion, all basketball teams need at least one dude from NYC to keep them legit (hahaha).

O’Bryant needs to go. I agree, sign Pops … that would address rebounding off the bench.

Banks, well what can you say … it’s a sweet life for some. If only he’d realize that it would be sweeter if he stepped up.

by N C on Jul 31, 2009 9:26 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

read ...

… help address rebounding off the bench.

by N C on Jul 31, 2009 9:27 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I got thinking about Douby again on the subway to work after I posted this morning. He, like Belinelli, was a former mid-late first round pick, had a great summer league, and who’s to say he doesn’t therefore beat Marco out for a job? They’ve got similar skill sets so training camp could be very interesting in that regard.

Plus I agree – you need some of the mecca on your basketball team at all times…which may explain my infatuation with Omar Cook at one point…

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

We are all going to have to live with the Banks situation. Always remember that Banks = 17 mil in cap clearance = all the moves made this offseason. Besides, maybe seeing Quincy Douby play ahead of him will finally wake him up.

by McGateway on Jul 31, 2009 9:30 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

#3

Instead of going for a Leon Powe type, wouldn’t it be better to go after Leon Powe. He’s unrestricted since the Celtics didn’t give him a qualifying offer, and can probably be had for very little considering he made about a million last year, and will miss some time this year. He’s also still pretty young at age 25.

by dfp on Jul 31, 2009 9:51 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Huge Powe fan since college – wanted the Raps to take him over PJ Tucker. It sounds like he’s out though until at least January so signing him now without any idea of how his recovery will be is a big risk.

I guess it just comes down to money. If there aren’t any other teams showing much interest, maybe the Raps can swoop in with a decent two-year “we want to take a chance on you” offer. However right now I think most clubs are going to wait to see how he’s doing next year…

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Banks , Ukic, Pops, and the Puffy Rotation.

What are they doing with Banks around anyway? He’s a contract and that is all. Does he get coffee, at least? They must not want to spend the cash to buy him out, figuring the guy would rather hang around doing nothing than stay home and earn a few less dollars. Can they still make some savings by dumping O’Bryant now? Sign Pops with whatever is saved, if possible. Pops is the perfect energy guy who will at least bring what he has.

Ukic, I think, is much better than he’s given credit for. He defends his man well – remember him taking the dribble penetration away from Rondo- and seemed to be making better decisions in the D league. If he could shoot, he’d be in the rotation with major minutes. He’ll waste away now.

While I’m interested and excited, I’m not that optimistic. The starters still don’t play defence much. And the wings are only a marginal improvement. Hedo gives us a lot offensively, but Parker would still be the starter at the 2. And we are still puffy-soft in the rotation. Evans can do some goon work, and we’ll defend better at the one and 2, but we are dependent on rebounding improvement from Hedo, Bosh, and Bargnani that can only be incremental at best.

by EaseMyPain on Jul 31, 2009 10:02 AM EDT reply actions   1 recs

Totally agree…the defense and rebounding issues warrant a full post for sure – think Howland is working on one right now actually.

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Powe

Powe was severely injured last year. He’s probably out of the game for the year.

by EaseMyPain on Jul 31, 2009 10:03 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

End of the bench

They definitely need to clear cut the crap at the end of the bench. But I’d keep Douby — I think he showed enough in the Summer League to warrant sticking… O’Bryant is useless and should be cut immediately (in favour of Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who can at least rebound)… Banks is only leaving if he’s bought out, attached to Bosh in a deal.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jul 31, 2009 10:15 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Delfino sign and trade

Hopefully BC will be able to find someone who would be willing to give something up for Delfino. I know that he dillusional in thinking he is worth 5 million, but maybe a team that is looking to clear salary for next year would be willing to give him that for one year.

What would you think of Delfino (S&T – one year) + Banks for Eddy Curry. Curry would have one year left on his deal after this year. This would save the Knicks about 6 million next year. I know he would Curry would be a huge risk, but I think he has the ability to be a pretty dominant big man if he wanted to be.

If you do not like that idea, which I am assuming most won’t, perhaps you have another Banks + Delfino or just Delfino S&T idea. Like I said, I know there are not many teams out there looking to sign him, but if there are any teams desperate to clear salary for next year, maybe Delfino on a one year deal becomes attractive.

by JBen on Jul 31, 2009 11:04 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Similar idea…Delfino +POB for Jared Jeffries.

by JBen on Jul 31, 2009 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Fat Ass Curry

never speak on him again. He is useless.

by Sorael on Jul 31, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

spelling

or speak of him.

by Sorael on Jul 31, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Our frontcourt is scary shallow

I’m with those worried about our bigs, with hump and jawaii gone and POB being POB, we have no third option. And who knows how much evans and rasho are really going to help. Evans can’t score and rasho has trouble coming in cold.

Maybe there’s a douby/jawaii trade coming to fix that deal, though I’m not sure jawaii can even play in the NBA.

I like the idea of another sf, too.

Can I be thinking this, maybe we should keep joey g? he can play sf and pf.

by axl t on Jul 31, 2009 12:35 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

good point, maybe we should have her on the bench helping him out, haha

by axl t on Jul 31, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yep, another big would be nice I agree…especially if we can’t switch Marcus Banks with Rasho’s wife on the bench….

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Powe Update

Just in from Celtsblog:

Sounds like he wants R-E-V-E-N-G-E

Also probably kills whatever slim chance the Raptors had of grabbing him…although I can’t see LA or Cleveland really wanting him right now…

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 2:34 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

He’s a great rebounder for his position but that’s about where the Evans-Harris comparison stops. He doesn’t have any back-to-the basket moves and is 6-6. Plus he’s fairly athletic thus enabling him to slash to the hoop. I’d say a better comparison skill-set wise would be a less offensively talented Luol Deng.

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bowen Waived

Bucks just waived Bruce Bowen….wonder if that might be an option for the Raptors? Would bring them a rugged, albeit older, defender and someone who can guard the 3 spot at times.

by RaptorsHQ - Franchise on Jul 31, 2009 5:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Bowen Passed his Prime

Hmmmm I was thinking the same thing, I like Bowen too, but for a different reason. I think he is past his prime, and really can’t give you the minutes he once did..but he could get you 8 to 10 minutes a game. Where I think his most use is in practise. Let him work with Derozan, Belinellie and Wright even Calderon.

If Turk goes 30 mins a game I think I’d be comfortable with Bowen, Derozan, Wright spliting the rest of the minutes or a Big line up of Rasho, Bosh, Bargs.

Would Bowen settle for the veterans mimum and I have to think the San Antonio would make him the same offer?

by WinnipegRaptorFan on Jul 31, 2009 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Seriously?

Bowen hasn’t been a useful player for at least two seasons.

by Sorael on Jul 31, 2009 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

RaptorsHQ is a growing, interactive community committed to providing the best Raptors and Canadian basketball content on the web.
Start posting about the Raptors »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Img_0813_small
For the coming NBA Draft ...
Small
Raps season could end earlier than expected
Viciousd_2005-01-20_small
DeMar Makes It Past First Round
Viciousd_2005-01-20_small
Facebook Connect
Small
Countdown to the NBA Trade deadline...
2009_0503draft09-20006_-_williams_solo_small
Rumour - Mavs Trading Howard to the Raptors??
Nike_hyperdunk_chris_bosh_pe_small
Hedo Turkoglu Injury Update
Pizza-pizza-turk_small
In Context: The Bosh and Lebron free agencies
2143598772_23f63d09e5_o_small
'Ball'er the Turkish Delights.
Nike_hyperdunk_chris_bosh_pe_small
RUMOUR: Bosh to the Kings?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Managers

2009_0503draft09-20006_-_williams_solo_small RaptorsHQ - Franchise

Basketball_20gym_20in_20sun2009-01-27-1233091216_small RaptorsHQ - Howland

Authors

Nike_hyperdunk_chris_bosh_pe_small RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance

Viciousd_2005-01-20_small Raptors HQ - Vicious D

Img_0813_small rbala