Feb 20,2010.....Raptors are 33-30 and on a 10-2 win streak that has them the #5 seed with 3-4 games between them and the #9, or non-playoff seed (top 8 teams make the play-offs ranked 1 through 8).....despite the Chicago Bulls losing 10 straight late Feb through mid-March they still were able to catch, and thanks to the worst Raptors home effort of the year PASS the Raps for the East's 8th and final play-off spot with a 104-88 drubbing of the Craptors at the ACC on April 11/10....For a city STARVED for play-off action (2009 produced ZERO Toronto play-off games for any pro team in the T-Dot) this seasons failure will ring in my ears as one of the all-time MISSES in sports.....Do you remember Arco Arena - home of the Sacramento Kings - in the early 2000's? AMAZING atmosphere.....can't hear yourself think atmosphere......NO ONE (not even the Lakers who were in the midst of a 3-peat) wanted any part of the Kings because everyone wanted to avoid that ravid atmospehere.....well if you have ever had the opportunity to go to a (rare) Raptors play-off game at the ACC then you already know that the joint is electric and with the l o n g play-off drought currently in Toronto I think this team could have captured the entire city and established a Sacramento-type atmosphere/reputation.....the type of home cooking that would certainly entice a Chris Bosh to want to stay and also sure to attract at least one other quality Free Agent north of the border.......but alas we are all left to wonder/worry about the future of this franchise......
Bryan Colangelo won me over right away when he was able to acquire Kris Humphries - an actual NBA player - for Rafael Araujo (Good Lord remember him?!?!)......he then lost me the following off-season when he gave a ton of money to Jason Kapono who is not an NBA player.....I further strayed from the BC fanclub when he drafted Bar
gnani ahead of Brandon Roy and Rajon Rondo (Roy was a known talent but in fairness perhaps Rondo is ahead of most people's predictions but still Colangelo ultimiately gets the praise/criticism for any move - even in hind sight) and also that same draft he took PJ Tucker (who?!?!) in the 2nd round ahead of Paul Millsap (PERFECT fit for the Raps) and Leon Powe......likely fired Sam Mitchell too early into the season and with names like Van Gundy - Byron Scott - Avery Johnson - PJ Carlesimo out there Jay Triano (CLEARLY not an NBA head coach) remains in charge of the on-court product......
In his end-of-season press conference the other day BC said that Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment has agreed to spend more and have authorized him to spend above the cap, even though that will mean paying the luxury tax which is pretty unprecidented from this ownership group (ask Leafs fans how well they feel MLSE "commits" extra $ to try to win) and with Free Agents out there that can help the Raps need for consistency and effort, especially on the defensive end of the court, this will be the most interesting summer of Toronto Raptors history......
David Lee...Joe Johnson...Udonis Haslem...Marcus Camby...Carlos B
oozer...Raja Bell...Josh Powell...Amare...Brendan Haywood...Manu...are all Free Agents that would help this team and if BC can act fast enough to land one early into the Free Agent period perhaps Chris Bosh DOES see the upside to remaining in Toronto....I mean what other franchise out there is looking to build around a non-winner like CB4? The Raps will......
When I look around the NBA for other potential CB4 destinations I only come across 2 currently that make any sense to me.....sign-and-trade with Miami for Michael Beasley or sign-and-trade with the Lakers for Andrew Bynum...and of those scenarios the only team with a legit supporting cast, in other words a chance to win, is LA....
The only reason to fire and replace Bryan Colangelo is if you believe there is a better person out there for the job......problem for 2-time Exec Of The Year Colangelo and his #1 aide Maurizio Gherardini is that with a combined 170-181 record in their era and the nightmare ends to the last 2 seasons the list of people you would rather have running the Raptors is growing each year...each month...each day as these 2 are in a free-fall coming back to the pack of NBA "geniuses"......
Good Luck Bryan and be sure to strike aggresively and early in the Free Agent market, as if the 2010-2011 Raps do not make the post-season for the third straight year you will have no chance to return as GM....
Go Raptors Go
craig.ballard@hotmail.com
