Look at your Chinese zodiacs people because it is the year of the Raptors!
We have alot riding this year with Jay Triano being the full season coach, with the signing of multiple contracts during the off-season, and of course its the last year on Chris Bosh's contract. To be honest, if CB4 is in the NBA for the money, he won't be in the red and white next season unless we pull out a deep run into the playoffs. There are simply too many teams out there with way more money than the Raptors and thats why its a make or break season for the Raps.
So since there are so many new faces on the team, here is whats new with the Toronto Raptors since the 2008/2009 season:
Key Losses: Joey Graham, Nathan Jawai, Jason Kapono, Shawn Marion, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Anthony Parker, Roko Ukic, Jake Voskuhl
Key Additions: Marco Belinelli, DeMar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Jarrett Jack, Amir Johnson, Rasho Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Sonny Weems, Antoine Wright
Our biggest loss was Parker because of his consistant shooting throughout the year and the energy he brings to the game. Of course, our bench lost its key 3-point shooter, Jason Kapono, which could change big time for the Raps. He was definitily not an all-star player but his shooting was 2nd to none and when hes on fire, its vertually impossible to stop his shots from downtown. I'm glad we lost Marion because he was a puzzle piece that has never fit into the Raptors organization, he was basically a waste of money.
I think everybody can agree with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu , we're a better team over all. Hes clutch in the 4th quater and as Raptors fans, how tired are we seeing games slip away day after day throughout the season?
Our Starting Lineup:
Jose Calderon: Lets start off with the man who plans the plays, hes none other than Jose Calderon. Is there anyone else in sports who is overlooked more than Calderon? He has been part of the top 5 assists players in the past 2 years but most people wouldn't even include him in their top 10 pointguard list. Hes an allstar player in my eyes.
DeMar DeRozan: Straight Outta Compton! Even if this is DeMar's rookie season, I have high hopes for him. Even as a freshman, he was one of USC's best players who can both score and get rebounds. I can't wait to see him on the court.
Hedo Turkoglu: The best addition to the Raptors since the draft of Bosh in 2003. He can do it all. He can make his own plays off the perimeter and he can also be at point every so often to help out Calderon. Hopefully with Hedo there is no need for Raptors fans to get mad over comeback losses.
Andrea Bargnani: As Georges St.Pierre would say "I'm not impressed by your performance" last year. I'm sure Bargnani would not like to repeat his last year's performance with his lack of shooting and rebounding. I don't expect him to be a big threat on the board this year but hopefully we will see more consistent shots.
Chris Bosh: We end off with the X-Factor of the Raptors, CB4. He's a 20-10 player and Triano even said he gained 15 pounds of muscle. If he stays healthy this would be a career year for Bosh.
So since I'm hyping up about the Raptor's season, some people must be wondering what can the weakness of the new Raps be? They have their all-star leader, a man at point who is great at creating plays, more aggressive rebounders, and the most in depth team the franchise has ever seen. I don't see there being any weakness in the team as we enter the season but even if a problem is found, be sure Brain Colangelo would fix it. Some people argue we don't have a strong enough "big man" and how CB4 can't handle players such as Shaq or Howard but how many teams out there can contain guys like those? Even the champs (LA Lakers) don't have a player on their team that can single handedly handle the power of D12.
If I had to predict the season's outcome it would be 46-36, I think 10 games over 500 is doable but it would definitely be difficult. I will also add I think we will either finish 4th or 5th in the East right behind Atlanta. The top 3 would be the Cavs, Magic, and Celtics.
This whole story about Rivera being a cheater because there were images of him "spitting" on the ball is ridiculous. He is perhaps the best closer to ever play the game. Everybody knows hes going to throw his cut fastball but yet they can barely get their barrel on the ball. In the images you can't see anything hitting the ball even if it was obvious he spit out of his mouth. As much as I hate the Yankees, Rivera isn't a cheat so no one should hate on him. We should all concentrate out anger at A-Rod just cause hes an dick player and probably a bigger asshole in person. So I would just like to say, to think Rivera has been doing this for 15 years is just plain senseless!
