Canada’s team
ROMER BAUTISTA STAFF
You’ll have to excuse us Raptors fans if our expectations are a little too high for a team that is only five games over .500 in what is easily the league’s worst division. It’s just that there has been so little reason to cheer for the Raps in the team’s 11 years of existence, that many of us don’t know how to react properly. What we do know, however, that even though this may not be the strongest roster built during the Raptors’ existence, it is easily the most cohesive team to trot out onto the hardwood at the Air Canada Centre. This team concept is the reason why the Raps stand at 29-24 heading into all-star weekend, and it all starts at the top of the organization, president and general manager Bryan Colangelo.
From the time that Colangelo took control of the team after the Rob Babcock disaster, he has gone about changing the identity of the Raptors. That meant over-hauling the roster, and introducing nine new players into the fold. Gone were “me-first” players like Mike James, and inserted were players who have put the team and winning above all else.
Leading the list of new Raps is rookie and 2006 first-overall pick, Andrea Bargnani. “Il-Mago” (“the magician” in Bargnani’s native Italian) has become a fan-favourite with his unconscious long distance shooting and jaw-dropping, “He’s a sevenfooter, he couldn’t have just done that” drives to the basket.
The drafting of Bargnani meant that Charlie Villenueva had become expendable, so Colangelo shipped him off to Milwaukee for the services of T. J. Ford, who was expected to become the pass-first point guard that Mike James was not last season. Ford has easily met those expectations, averaging careerhighs in assists (7.8), points (14.3), and field-goal percentage (.447).
Ford, along with backup Jose Calderon, have combined to form one of the NBA’s strongest pointguard tandems. When Calderon enters the game, the offence doesn’t seem to miss a beat, and at times looks even smoother, thanks to Jose’s court vision and ability to break down defenders and finish at the hoop.
Calderon’s improvement can be credited in large part to a familiar face alongside him on the bench. His closest friend and teammate on the Spanish national team, Jorge Garbajosa, was signed over from Europe, and has become the team’s starting small forward. Despite looking more like a hobo than a professional basketball player, Garbajosa had provided the Raptors with big-time shooting and defensive flexibility.
Those are exactly the same attributes that have been brought to the table by another ex-Euroleaguer turned Raptor starter, shooting guard Anthony Parker. Not only are Garbajosa and Parker both proving to be more then capable NBA-players, they have brought a winning history to a team that was sorely lacking it last season. Garbajosa and Calderon led the Spanish team to gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championships, while Parker led Maccabi Tel Aviv to two straight Euroleague titles before the Raptors swooped him up.
A former Euroleaguer and a proven winner was once again the formula in mind when Colangelo traded for Rasho Nesterovic. The Slovenian centre has given the Raptors a legitimate force in the paint, a place that was patrolled by the likes of Loren Woods and Matt Bonner last year, not exactly top-tier centres.
With so many new faces, it’s a wonder to see just how well these new-look Raptors have gelled in such a short amount of time. Surprisingly, the man that is leading the maturation process is third-year head coach, Sam Mitchell. Mitchell, possibly learning from the long list of mistakes he’s made over the past two seasons, continues to make the correct decisions as the season wears on. Not the least of these smart decisions has been shortening the rotation to play more of Bargnani and Morris Peterson, and less of Fred Jones and Joey Graham, and allowing Calderon to continue starting games as Ford was eased into the lineup after suffering an ankle injury.
But of course, the pulse of the Raptors, the one player who, as far as he goes, the Raptors will follow, is Chris Bosh. Voted as an all-star starter for the first time, CB4 is having another career year as he continues to grow with experience. He is one of only five players to be averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, averaging a career best 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds a game. Bosh is also coming up big at the most crucial moments, sticking gamewinning jumpers, and draining gamewinning free throws at various times throughout the season.
Together, these Raptors have become one of the top jump-shooting teams in the league. They have the ability to shoot teams off of the court, because if one member of the team isn’t scoring, another one is sure to be picking up the slack. And despite lapsing defensively from time to time, the Raptors have shown an ability to not flinch in the face of adversity. They grind games out and keep things close, always giving them a chance for victory.
Again, its all part of the identity they’ve built as the season continues to roll on. They are a team that not only never quits, they believe in themselves and that they can win.
Indeed, this version of the Raptors that Colangelo has built is a team that is built for success. While they are far from championship favourites, they are starting to turn heads around the league as a team with a bright future. But with no team separating themselves from the pack in the Eastern Conference, the future may be coming a lot sooner then expected, maybe even as soon as this upcoming June.
