khandor’s sports blog

When discussing the current plight of this team, all talk … eventually … comes back to the same specific topic - i.e. Andrea Bargnani [C, 7-0, 250], the No. 1 [overall] Selection from the 2006 NBA Draft - related to the arc of their annual W-L record, since the 2006-2007 season. 

The most harsh critics of the Raptors have suggested that the team’s fortunes have stagnated, since using the No. 1 [overall] Selection on a player who is not capable of excelling in at least 2 of the 3 distinct phases of the game - i.e. 1. Defense, 2. Rebounding, and 3. Offense; with performance in the first two being the most important for a Center in the NBA - and, ultimately, resulted in the departure of Chris Bosh … the team’s best player, by a wide margin … this summer.  

OTOH …

Those who extol the virtues of Raptors’ President/GM, Bryan Colangelo, point to the fact that there have been very few, if any, truly stalwart players come from the 2006 NBA Draft and that it was simply ‘poor luck’ for Toronto to have a player like Bargnani - who is an offensively talented Big Man - as the consensus No. 1 [overall] Selection that year.

Putting aside for the moment which of these two perspective is actually more accurate …

The upcoming season now presents the Raptors with an extremely situation, since a panel of so-called “NBA experts” has recently forecast that Toronto will … in all likelihood … should be expected to finish in last place in the Eastern Conference.

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Q1. What would a finish of this type actually mean for the Raptors franchise?

A1. It would mean … a legitimate shot at obtaining the No. 1 [overall] Draft Pick and the opportunity to select the type of authentic multi-dimensional cornerstone player every franchise needs to eventually propel itself into the upper echelon of the NBA.

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If/when you are able to put a dynamic wing player like …

with:

what you will end up with is a Core Group of players with enough first-class NBA talent to eventually become a legitimate contender for a Top 4 spot in the EC playoffs each year for the next decade …

provided that you are also willing to:

1. Wait until next summer to use the Traded Player Exception [TPE] gained from this summer’s trade with the Miami Heat [in exchange for Chris Bosh];

2. Are prepared to exceed the Salary Cap, down-the-road, to re-sign your own unrestricted free agents;

3. Are prepared to higher a head coach who is considered to be amongst the very best in the NBA and an authentic Transformational Leader;

and,

4. Actually prioritize The Winning of a League Championship for your pro sports organization.

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PS. In addition … the Raptors should also be prepared to trade Andrea Bargnani … let’s say, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for their 2011, 1st Round Draft Pick … at any time a deal becomes available, to ensure that they go into next summer with 2 high Lottery Selections in their pocket.

PPS. The NBA has officially announced the individual team schedules for next season. As is, it looks as though breaking the 30-win barrier might be a real challenge for the Raptors, in an overall improved Eastern Conference.

According to an old saying, “There are many [different] ways to skin a cat.”

However truthful this may be … doubtless … each distinct method actually starts with thinking of that cat in the proper way, in the first place, i.e. “skin-less”.

Four plus years into the tenure of current President/GM, Bryan Colangelo, and there is still a significant segment of the team’s fanbase which is thinking about the continued development of the franchise in a way which is not going to result in major on-court success.

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The key to Raptor’s success still lies overseas

How can we ever win?

Star US players leaving in a hurry. Big name free agents looking elsewhere. It’s a never-ending cycle of American players disliking something different. Like different is a bad thing.

Four years ago, when Bryan Colangelo came to town, he went European. Today as we collectively lament over the loss of Chris Bosh, I understand why.

Going European may in fact be this team’s only chance to win.

Take the Blue Jays. Throughout the late 80s they cornered the Dominican and Puerto Rican markets. Built a roster full of international talent and then filled holes with key American players.

On the streets of the Dominican you wouldn’t see a Yankees hat or a Boston Red Sox hat. You’d see a Blue Jays hat. Or Tony Fernandez uniform.

Maybe the same can be done for the Raptors.

If the Raptors can continue to build relationships internationally it could reap rewards. Scout heavily overseas. Hold basketball camps in Europe. Promote Bargnani in Italy. Bring in a coach like Ettore Messina.

Bring in non-American players who are more akin to different cultures. Players who don’t care what anthem is played before every game. Who don’t scoff at seeing kilometers written on speed signs. Who are more cultured than your average American athlete.

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This is the specific comment which was left by yours truly, just a few minutes ago, at this otherwise first-rate Raptors blog:

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When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
1 Corinthians 13:11

With the recent departure of Chris Bosh, the Toronto Raptors will now be led by Andrea Bargnani [C, 7-0, 250], the former No. 1 [overall] Selection from the 2006 NBA Draft.

Although different voices on-line have discussed Bargnani’s ability, as a No. 1 Option [i.e. offensively, defensively and in rebounding] for the team, ad nauseum … and, to a large extent, still see him as a gifted scoring, uniquely talented Big Man, in the mold of a young Dirk Nowitzki:

Exhibit A, B, C and D 

the view from this corner, remains essentially unchanged:

1. As Bargnani’s Points Scored [Pts] and Minutes Played [MP] have steadily increased over the last 4 years, this is what the Raptors’ W-L records have been:

2006-2007, 1629/MP, 751/Pts, 47/W
2007-2008, 1861/MP, 792/Pts, 41/W
2008-2009, 2453/MP, 1202/Pts, 33/W
2009-2010, 2799/MP, 1376/Pts, 40/W
2010-2011,?/MP, ?/Pts, ?/W

Toronto Raptors Franchise Index

Conversely, this is what those same stats look like for the first 5 years of Nowitzki’s career in Dallas:

1998-1999, 958/MP, 385/Pts, 19/W
1999-2000, 2938/MP, 1435/Pts, 40/W
2001-2002, 3125/MP, 1784/Pts, 53/W
2002-2003, 2891/MP, 1779/Pts, 57/W
2003-2004, 3117/MP, 2011/Pts, 60/W

Dallas Mavericks Franchise Index

2. If Bargnani averages 20 pts next season … What does it really matter, in the grand scheme of things?

3. During his 5th season in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks won 60 games, finished 1st in the Mid-West Division, and Lost in the Western Conference Finals … with the following roster.

Those who think the 2010-2011 version of the Raptors might actually approach 60 wins are hopelessly delusional.

3. The name Bargnani name does not warrant inclusion in any basketball-related article which also deals with the abilities of Dirk Nowitzki.

4. Bargnani is only a polarizing player for those fans who don’t truly value being able to compete for a league championship.

5. To this point in his NBA career, Andrea Bargnani has been an overt symptom of what has actually ailed the Raptors franchise - i.e. the first in a series of baffling personnel decisions which have not focused on creating a well-balanced team, overall, with a raft of multi-dimensional players who are capable of poducing first-class Team Defense [e.g. Points Allowed], Team Rebounding [e.g. Reb Differential] and Team Offense [e.g. Points Scored Differential] - rather than a constructive part of the solution.

6. At this point of the off season, all indications are that the Raptors … led on-court by Andrea Bargnani … will probably find themselves right back in the NBA’s Draft Lottery next summer … which might not be a bad thing, at all,

if the long term objective for this franchise is to be able to compete for a League Championship sometime in the not-too-distant future.

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“From the ashes of defeat can the makings of victory arise … if it’s handled properly.” - khandor

Going forward from this point …

Which player[s] should become the new face[s] of the Raptors franchise?

If the primary long term objective is to win as many NBA championships as possible then the correct answer is quite simple.

PART I

Basketball is a game with 3 distinct phases.

i. Defense - i.e. When your opponent has possession of the ball.

ii. Rebounding - i.e. When neither team has possession of the ball.

iii. Offense - i.e. When your team has possession of the ball.

In the grand history of the NBA, the best teams in the league have consistently been built with multi-dimensional players, as the key foundation pieces.

PART II

Which player[s] on the Raptors’ current roster:

is someone who displays a high degree of proficiency in at least 2 of the 3 main phases of the game, without also being abysmal in the 3rd component?

Answer this exact question properly … and, it will tell you who, if anyone, on the Raptors SHOULD become the new face[s] of the franchise.

[NOTE: 1. R - Rookie. 2. The above classifications are based on accumulated Basketball Acumen. For the benefit of those who need to rely on game stats to make an accurate assesment of these things, feel free to peruse the available information at Hoopdata which pertains to these players. ]

Unfortunately, you might not end up liking what you will find.

Approximately 13 months ago, the following question was asked in this space, in a poll:

Where will Andrea Bargnani rank in the Eastern Conference next season, as a Center? … You Make The Call

pertaining to the 2009-2010 season.

As the Raptors complete their seemingly annual summer make-over, under the watch of Bryan Colangelo/GM, in preparation for the 2010-2011 campaign, it is interesting to see how the landscape is shaping up in the Eastern Conference, when evaluating the individual players who might be expected to start at the Center position for their respective teams:

PART 1 - Based On Basketball Acumen

PART 2 - Painting By the Numbers [from hoopdata for the 2009-2010]

From Toronto’s perspective …

The more some things change, the more other things simply stay the same.

As presently constituted …

* There is no Low-Post scoring Big Man on the roster.

* There is no Low-Post scoring Forward or Guard on the roster.

* Without a Low-Post scoring Big Man on the roster, there will be far less room for perimeter-based shooters to find uncontested shots, in half-court offensive situations.

* To a large extent, 4th quarter scoring in the NBA is driven by the main offensive players on a team who are capable of commanding a double-team from the defense. The Raptors have no such player[s] on their roster.

* To a large extent, consistent 4th quarter scoring in the NBA is reliant upon a team’s ability to generate easy points [i.e. high efficiency scoring opportunities] from the Foul Line. The Raptors have no players on their roster with the ability to generate large numbers of Free Throw Attempts in the 4th quarter.

* In half-court offensive situations there are few-to-no players with the ability to “break down” their individual defender off the dribble - without the benefit of a pick - in order to penetrate the perimeter of the defense and create easy scoring opportunities for their teammates.

* There are too many players with negative career Assist-to-Turnover Ratios who will need to play major minutes.

* The Raptors were a poor Points Allowed team last season and have added no experienced players this off season who should be capable of scoring more points themselves than the number of points which they will be responsible for allowing to their opponent, while still being adequate performers at the offensive end of the floor.

* The Raptors were a mediocre-to-poor rebounding team last season and have added no experienced players this off season who should be capable of securing more rebounds themselves than the number of rebounds which they will be responsible for allowing to their opponent, while still being adequate performers at the offensive end of the floor.

* While the Raptors have lost their best player from last year [i.e. Chris Bosh/C-PF], many of their opponents in the Eastern Conference have not and, in fact, have added other quality players to their roster this off season:

MIAMI HEAT, 5th place
Noteworthy:
Retain - Wade/D
Add - James/L, Bosh/C, Miller/M, Ilgauskas/Z and Howard/J
Lose - O’Neal/J, Richardson/Q, Wright/D and Beasley/M

ORLANDO MAGIC, 2nd place
Noteworthy:
Add - Duhon/C and Richardson/Q
Lose - Williams/J and Barnes/M

ATLANTA HAWKS, 3rd place
Noteworthy:
Retain - Johnson/J
Add - Larry Drew and Powell/J [?]
Lose - Mike Woodson

BOSTON CELTICS, 4th place
Noteworthy:
Retain - Pierce/P, Allen/R and Robinson/N
Add - O’Neal/J
Lose - Thom Thibodeau, Wallace/R and Allen/T

MILWAUKEE BUCKS, 6th place
Noteworthy:
Retain: Salmons/J
Add - Maggette/C, Douglas-Roberts/C, Gooden/D and Brockman/J
Lose - Ridnour/L, Bell/C, Gadzuric/D and Jackson/D

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS, 7th place
Noteworthy:
Retain: Thomas/T
Add - Dampier/E, Najera/E and Carroll/M
Lose - Felton/R and Chandler/T

CHICAGO BULLS, 8th place
Noteworthy:
Add - Thom Thibodeau, Boozer/C, Korver/K and Watson/CJ
Lose - Vinny Del Negro, Hinrich/K and Miller/B

INDIANA PACERS, 9th place
Noteworthy:
Add - George/P and Stephenson/L
Lose - None

NEW YORK KNICKS, 10th place
Noteworthy:
Add - Stoudemire/A, Randolph/A, Turiaf/R, Fields/L and Jordan/J
Lose - Lee/D, Harrington/A and Duhon/C

DETROIT PISTONS, 11th place
Noteworthy:
Add - Monroe/G
Lose - Brown/K 

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, 12th place
Noteworthy:
Add - Doug Collins, Nocioni/A, Hawes/S, Battie/T [?] and Turner/E
Lose - Dalembert/S

NEW JERSEY NETS, 15th place
Noteworthy:
Add - Avery Johnson, Outlaw/T, Farmar/J, Morrow/A and Favors/D
Lose - Kiki Vandeweghe, Douglas-Roberts/C, Boone/J and Jianlian/Y

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PLEASE NOTE:

Although the Raptors just finished the Las Vegas Summer League with a 5-0 record, this performance was achieved without Andrea Bargnani [C] playing a single minute beside some combination of DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi … which is a fact the team’s basketball brain-trust WOULD DO WELL TO KEEP IN MIND, as the 2010-2011 season unfolds.

Related:

The Architecture of the Raptors

Can Toronto Overcome the Loss of Chris Bosh

When you read the following article:

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Magic match Bulls’ offer sheet to retain Redick

The decision drives the Magic deeper into the luxury tax and gives them one of the NBA’s highest payrolls at about $93 million next season. The move keeps Orlando’s roster mostly intact as the Magic hope continuity will overcome Miami’s All-Star trio and Boston’s Big Three in the Eastern Conference.

“When it came down to it, when we’re talking about what we’re trying to do here, it came down for me to pedigree, DNA, things that most people don’t think about,” Orlando general manager Otis Smith said. “It was less about the money for me, being the basketball guy, and more about keeping a guy around that we’ve had in our organization for the past four years.”

The decision was ultimately made by ownership.

Because Redick was a restricted free agent, Orlando had seven days to match the contract. Billionaire owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide took all seven days to make the move that nearly doubles Redick’s salary from last season.

Teams have to pay a dollar for every dollar they are over the luxury tax, which the league set at $70.3 million for next season. The tax hit is based on the roster at the end of the season, meaning it’s likely the Magic could make trades before then to lessen the financial burden.

Orlando should find relief in a new downtown arena that opens this year and creates new revenue streams. Smith also believes a roster that remains one of the deepest in the league is attractive for potential moves and doesn’t mortgage the Magic’s future.

“The fact that we have players that other teams want makes you pretty flexible,” Smith said. “Is it possible to give out contracts and move a little bit less money? Sure. My thing is you don’t want to take a step back with talent.”

At the very least, keeping Redick assures that.

The former Duke standout was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He struggled early in his NBA career but has become a significant contributor for the Magic.

So much so that Smith decided that Redick and recently signed small forward Quentin Richardson(notes) had more value than Matt Barnes(notes), who became a free agent after one season with Orlando. Smith said he never offered Barnes a deal and all but ruled out the small forward returning next season.

“It really came down to out of those three, which of the two do we bring in?” Smith said. “We like what Matt brought to the table, but sometimes you have to make decisions that’s best for your club long-term.”

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and, are then made aware of the following information:

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010

TRANSACTIONS

Orlando vs Toronto

Isolating the performances of the Raptors and the Magic:

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what you should be able to see is that both of these respective franchises have, in FACT, had a legitimate opportunity to build a first-class operation … starting from a lower tier position in the league 7 seasons ago; and, which has included the hiring of a new GM, along the way … focused on being able to compete for a NBA championship in the not-to-distant future.

To this point, however, only one has made significant head-way … and, a key question going forward for the other, then, becomes:

How many of the players expected to be on their roster next season actually fit into the “Just Winners” category, based upon their experience in the game, thus far?

Unfortunately for the Raptors, the correct answer, according to these eyes, is … quite possibly … as few as 3. 

If the Raptors are, in fact, presented with the opportunity to end this week with the following player roster:

PG: Jack, Belinelli and Banks
OG: Weems and Barbosa
SF: DeRozan and Kleiza
PF: Diaw, Johnson, Davis, Evans and Dorsey
C: Chandler, Alabi and Jones;

while being able to preserve the full ‘TPE’ which they just received from Miami …

as suggested in this blog entry 

… then, they should jump at it immediately, as:

i. A legitimate way out of their current mess with a 1-dimensional player like Andrea Bargnani [C] at the core of their team:

and,

ii. Yet another feasible opportunity to gradually build a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference which could eventually be able to win a league championship in the not-too-distant future.

Bryan Colangelo is a resourceful and hard-working GM. He just needs to be pointed in the right drection by the people working around him.

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PS. That’s the sort of roster which just might allow the Raptors to obtain a player like Harrison Barnes [i.e. Exhibit 1 & 2] through the 2011 NBA Draft.

Update:

PPS. Just to clarify the specific trade proposal outlined here, for the benefit of those who still might be confused by it … and, to distinguish it from what’s been proposed by other ’sources’ in the on-line hoops community … this is what it would actually look like, according to the ESPN NBA Trade Machine. And, you know what? Michael Jordan might then actually decide to go through with it, rather than getting cold feet at the last minute.

PART 1

When Chris Bosh spoke with the assembled media, in Toronto …

Chris Bosh’s post-season press conference [April 15, 2010]

… he made his intentions quite clear, with respect to:

1. His decision to declare for unrestricted free agency this summer;

2. His desire for a maximum contract;

3. His willingness to listen to the sales pitches of other teams

4. His willingness to re-sign with the Raptors after July 1, if the team does the right things in the interim to indicate that Toronto would, in fact, be the best place for him to continue his pro career, as an elite level player who is committed to [i] maximizing his ability, and [ii] trying to win the NBA championship

Q1. Has Chris Bosh done anything since that press conference to indicate that he has changed his mind about any of these 4 intentions? 

A1. No, he has not.

Q2. Have the Raptors done anything since that press conference to indicate that they are committed to building a championship calibre team in Toronto?

- retained Jay Triano, as their head coach
- retained Andrea Bargnani [C], as their No. 2 scorer [with Bosh]
- alienated Hedo Turkoglu, as their principal acquisition from last season
- added PJ Carlesimo, as a new assistant coach
- added Ed Davis [PF], as a 2010 1st Round Draft Pick/No. 13
- added Solomon Alabi [C], as a 2010 2nd Round Draft Pick/No. 50
- extended an olive branch to Hedo Turkoglu, as their No. 3 scorer [with Bosh]
- re-signed Amir Johnson [PF], as their own UFA

A2. No, they have not.

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PART 2

i. Was the major weakness on last year’s Raptors team the poor performance of its front-court players?

[e.g. considering the play of Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Amir Johnson, Reggie Evans, Rasho Nesterovic, Patrick O'Bryant and Joey Dorsey] 

or,

ii. Was the major weakness on last year’s Raptors team the poor performance of its Point Guards?

[e.g. considering the play of Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack and Marcus Banks]

or,

iii. Was the major weakness of last year’s Raptors team the poor performance of its wing players?

[e.g. DeMar DeRozan/1st-yr, Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright/UFA, Sonny Weems/2nd-yr, and Marco Belinelli/3rd-yr]

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Unfortunately …

and despite the message which the team’s fans are being given by the Basketball Operations department of MLSE,

Raptors introduce Davis and Alabi at the Air Canada Centre

… it does not seem as though Bryan Colangelo has a solid grasp of where the team’s REAL problems are actually rooted [i.e. #1. The overall attitude and under-whelming performance of Andrea Bargnani, C; and, #2. Their current slate of less-than stellar wing players].

==================

PART 3

If Chris Bosh does not eventually re-sign with the Raptors, he will have made a sound basketball decision, based upon what the Raptors’ management team has shown him over the course of his 7 seasons in the NBA, including the personnel moves which they’ve made [and not made], thus far, this summer … if his primary goal is to compete for a league championship.

If Chris Bosh does eventually re-sign with the Raptors, he will have made a sound financial decision, based upon the fact that he can earn an additional $30.0 M more of guaranteed money from the Toronto Raptors, over the course of his 6-yr maximum contract.  

The next week, or so, is going to be very interesting, and should solidify what exactly Chris Bosh’s priorities actually are, both, as a person and an elite basketball player.

Unfortunately, the Toronto Raptors priorities have been established for quite some time already, as a profit-centered business operation.

It really is amazing just how serious the ramifications can be when an organization falls in ‘puppy love‘ with an ‘ineffectual’ player and then ‘ties its can to him’, come h*ll or high water.

Far too many times, this type of nonsensical decision results in years of under-achieving flatline performance for an outfit that could otherwise have gradually risen to eventually become one of the best in the league, if it would have been aware of this player’s actual deficiencies, in the first place, and removed him from their roster at the earliest possible point in time.

When this corner has to read the following example of a grossly incorrect statement/observation … from a Basketball Acumen perspective … from a significant segment of the Raptors still rabid fanbase:

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A Road Map For The Raptors 2010 Draft

If George is off the board, a distinct possibility, if I’m BC, I draft Cole Aldrich (assuming he’s still on the board at 13 as well of course.)  No, he’s not the biggest upside guy in the world, but I truly believe he can become a shot-blocking, solid rebounding big man at the next level akin to Joel Przybilla.  This would allow Toronto to then move Andrea to the 4, a position he’s more suited to play and one I feel that will minimize his weaknesses.

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it is extremely disappointing.

The fact is …

After watching him play in the NBA for the last 4 seasons, Andrea Bargnani’s best position is, undoubtably, Center [not Power Forward].

How come, you ask?

Primarily, because this is the ONLY position on the floor where he has a hope in h*ll of not committing 6 fouls in 20 minutes of game action and/or costing his team an unholy number of points allowed on the defensive end of the floor by his inability:

i. To DEFEND adequately [A] in Transition, or against any type of [B] “Switch” situation, or against any type of [C] Pick and Roll/Pop action, or [D] in any scenario where he is required to give “off-the-ball help to a teammate” after dribble penetration has occurred;

and;

ii. To REBOUND adequately versus any type of under-sized mismatched opponent … with a superior level of quickness … at the PF position.

i.e. NBA Secret Scout nails description of Bargnani [Oct 22 2009]

As Andrea Bargnani’s PT has gradually increased over the last 3 seasons, the Raptors’ W-L record has [coincidently? or correlatively?], either, gone in the opposite direction or, at-best, flatlined:

2006-2007, 47-35, made the playoffs, 1st Rd loss to the Nets
2007-2008, 41-41, made the playoffs, 1st Rd loss to the Magic [-]
2008-2009, 33-49, failed to make the playoffs [-]
2009-2010, 40-42, failed to make the playoffs [0]

The chief reason Toronto has had to play Bargnani for increasing numbers of minutes at the Center position these last 3 seasons is NOT because the team has “wanted” to use him in this way, or because he is particularly effective at this spot but, rather, because he is actually the LEAST DESTRUCTIVE to his own team’s chances for success when he’s working at this specific position … primarily against a power-based opponent.

Secondly, if the Raptors make the decision to select Cole Aldrich [C] with the No. 13 [overall] Pick in this evening’s NBA Draft, it will do absolutely nothing to eleviate their current problem with Bargnani …

* i.e. NBA: Potential Draft Busts

* If Chris Bosh happens not to re-sign with their team, as an UFA after July 1;

AND,

* If Toronto then makes the decision to trade Hedo Turkoglu [PF] and Jose Calderon [PG], in return for other players who are of equal or less ability.

Given the following developments in the Eastern Conference this summer:

1 Cleveland, re-signs LeBron James + adds Byron Scott?
2 Orlando, ?
3 Atlanta, re-signs Joe Johnson + promotes Larry Drew
4 Boston, retains Ray Allen + Doc Rivers
5 Miami, re-signs D-Wade + adds at least 1 [and, possibly, 2] new UFA
6 Milwaukee, returns Andrew Bogut from injury + adds Corey Maggette & CDR
7 Charlotte, ?
8 Chicago, adds at least 1 [or, possibly, 2] new UFA + Thom Thibodeau
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9 Toronto, adds the No. 13 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft
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10 Indiana, adds the No. 10 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft
11 New York, adds at least 1 [and, possibly, 2] new UFA
12 Detroit, adds the No. 7 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft
13 Philadelphia, adds the No. 2 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft + Doug Collins
14 Washington, adds the No. 1 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft
15 New Jersey, adds the No. 3 [overall] Pick/2010 NBA Draft + Avery Johnson

and a possible 2010-2011 roster for Toronto which looks like this:

HOLDOVERS

PG: Jarret Jack/#1 and Marcus Banks/#2
OG: DeMar DeRozan/#3, Sonny Weems/#4 and Marco Belinelli/#5
SF: ?
PF: Andrea Bargnani/#6, Reggie Evans/#7 and Joey Dorsey/#8
C: Amir Johnson/#9

NEWCOMERS

* Cole Aldrich/#10
* Player 1/#11 [in return for Chris Bosh, e.g. David Lee]
* Player 2/#12 [in return for Chris Bosh, e.g. Wilson Chandler]
* Player 3/#13 [in return for Hedo Turkoglu, e.g. Andres Nocioni]
* Player 4/#14 [in return for Jose Calderon, e.g. Mo Williams]
* Player 5/#15 [2nd Pick, 2010 NBA Draft, e.g. Devin Ebanks]

in all likelihood, it would mean the Raptors will finish with less than 38 wins, again, and fail to make the playoffs for a 3rd consecutive season.

Instead of continuing to believe that Andrea Bargnani was in some way the RIGHT PLAYER for their franchise to select with the No. 1 [overall] Pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, and then still being determined to build around him going forward 5 years later … even though it will have cost them the services of Chris Bosh, in the end … what the Raptors need to do is finally bite the bullet on the entire Il Mago experiment and completely remove him from their roster.

Only then will this franchise begin to turn itself around … by recalibrating its over-riding Basketball Philosophy with a new focus on a more balanced approach to Team Offense, Team Defense and - most importantly! - Team Rebounding.

Now is the time to … quite literally … throw the baby out with the bath water!

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PS. The player who Toronto SHOULD be selecting this evening with the No. 13 [overall] Selection in the 2010 NBA Draft is one of: Al-Farouq Aminu [SF], Paul George [SF], Gordon Hayward [SF], Luke Babbitt [SF] or Hassan Whiteside [C].