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Toronto Raptors will try and duplicate their excellent 2006-07 campaign. They made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2002 and proved that they are a team on the rise.
Toronto surprised everyone last season, as it ended with a 47-35 record and won its first division title in franchise history, finishing six games ahead of second-place New Jersey in the Atlantic. However, the playoffs were a different story for the Raptors, as the New Jersey Nets knocked out Toronto in six games in the opening round of the postseason.
All-Star forward Chris Bosh led the club in scoring (22.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg), while point guard T.J. Ford, who was acquired from Milwaukee during the summer of 2006, finished second on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and dished out a club-high 7.9 assists per game.
Bosh has developed into one of the best power forwards in the league and is the cornerstone of the franchise. The lightning-quick Ford is a solid lead guard and is a big asset for the Raptors in transition.
Forward Andrea Bargnani, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, averaged 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 65 games during his rookie campaign. Bargnani should continue to get better, while Anthony Parker, Juan Dixon, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa and Joey Graham are all role players who can contribute.
During the offseason, Toronto signed free agent forwards Maceo Baston and Jason Kapono to contracts, while Carlos Delfino was acquired in a trade from Detroit. Swingman Morris Peterson, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Raptors, opted to leave the club via free agency and ink a deal with New Orleans.
Bryan Colangelo, who was Executive of the Year last year, and 2006-07 Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell have done a great job working together and making the team contender in the Eastern Conference.
BACKCOURT
Ford is the leader on the court for the Raptors. He controls the tempo of the game and excels in a fast-paced tempo. His quickness helps make up for his size on the defensive end of the court.
Calderon will backup Ford, while Parker, Delfino and Dixon will compete for playing time at shooting guard. The Raptors have the depth they need in the backcourt. However, they do lack the big scorer that they need.
Mitchell needs Parker, Delfino and Dixon to give him more scoring. Ford and Calderon are a solid tandem at the point and will give the Raptors consistent play.
FRONTCOURT
The 23-year-old Bosh is going to keep getting better and may actually improve in his impressive statistics from last season. Bosh has a great inside game and can also knock down a 15-foot jumper. Mitchell will run the offense through his All-Star big man.
The 6-foot-8 Kapono averaged 10.9 points while leading the NBA in three-point field goal percentage last season, making 51.4 percent of his attempts last season for Miami. Kapono should fit perfectly next to Bosh, and because of his outside shooting ability will make life easier in the low post for his teammates.
Center Rasho Nesterovic will be expected to rebound, play tough defense and pick up garbage points, while Bosh will also get plenty of playing time in the middle. Colangelo and Mitchell are hoping Barganani will be more consistent this season and put up bigger numbers in rebounding and scoring, while the 6-10 Baston, Garbajosa and Graham will compete for minutes at both forward spots.
Mitchell has a lot of flexibility with his frontcourt, as his big men are versatile and most can play multiple positions up front. The hope is that Bosh will stay healthy and everything else will fall into place.
OUTLOOK
Repeating as Atlantic Division champions is going to be extremely tough with the new-look Boston Celtics ready to make a run at a championship. The Raptors added some depth with the additions of Delfino and Kapono.
Bosh and Ford are good enough to lead the Raptors back to the postseason for a second straight year. However, this year they will be battling for one of the last spots in the East playoffs.
