Raptors Back In Town

The Raps are back in TO! Media Day is today for our only Canadian franchise, and other than a Bosh hamstring tweak (which will keep him out for two weeks at least) everything is looking up. There are plenty of articles out there talking about all of the changes to the roster and the chances of playoffs, so check them all out and get yourself informed. The management (like the Leafs) is finally stable and so we have nothing to worry about for the next few years. Brian Colangelo is a great G.M. and will continue to make sound decisions, so Raptors fans can sit back and let the genius do his work.

It would be an understatement to say that I'm excited for the upcoming season, and there are plenty of reasons why. First of all, the Raps addressed the biggest weaknesses that contributed to last year's failures. Even during their first round playoff series against the Magic in the spring of 2008, the team was lacking in rebounders, depth on the bench, and wing players. This off season saw the Raptors bring in all kinds of players with potential. I love the Reggie Evans signing because he will bring not only tough-as-nails defence and rebounding when called upon, but will push Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Patrick O'Bryant, and Amir Johnson to become better rebounders when they all work together in practices. Colangelo commented to The Star's Doug Smith that Evans has already been challenging Bargnani to get out of his comfort zone, and that makes me excited to see what kind of rebounding numbers Bargs can put up. Experts can scoff all they want and say that players can't learn to become great rebounders, but I want those same experts to check back with me 2 years from now and see where Bargs is at then. He may never live up to the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons (which were really unfair and unjustified), but he certainly will become a legit second option to Bosh for the foreseeable future.

Other signings/aquisitions that caught my eye include Jarrett Jack, Hedo Turkoglu and DeMar DeRozan. Jack is going to do so many great things for the backcourt. He is the type of quality guy that every team needs. He comes from a winning college program at Georgia Tech where he played with CB4, he's learned to become a great defender, and his offensive skills have steadily improved each year that he's been in the NBA. He'll also push Jose Calderon to play his best, because I'm sure Jay Triano will have no hesitation to put Jack in if Jose is getting beaten repeatedly on defense. Turkoglu was a bit of a suprise, but a great surprise none the less. The detractors have questioned why the Raps signed him for so many years when he is already into his thirties, but I believe that the way he plays will allow him to play at a high level deep into his thirties. He isn't a high flyer by any means, and plays the game with poise and control. Finally, DeRozan was an astute pick by Colangelo. He has all the athletic ability in the world, and now he needs to learn how to mould all that ability into an NBA wing player. I watched his highlights from summer league, and I can see the potential to be a great player. He is relentless around the basket, and won't stop until the play is dead or the ball is in the basket... and most importantly, he hardly ever settles for jumpers. DeRozan knows that his strength isn't as a spot up shooter, but as a drive-to-the-hole type player who forces defenses onto their heels.

This is the type of season that brings excitement and buzz back to the team, and the current management and coaches will ensure that winning will become a regular occurrence for the Raps. Who knew this would be possible back in 2004, when Vince was traded and the team was in disarray?