Toronto Raptors 2007 Preview

Now you know why the Raptors jumped at the chance to hire Bryan Colangelo to be their president and GM. The former architect of the Phoenix Suns turned Toronto from perennial lottery participants into division champs.

And now after that unexpected, brilliant performance that resulted in a 20-win improvement from the year before, a franchise-high-tying 47 victories, the team’s first Atlantic Division title and first playoff berth in five years, the people of Toronto are screaming for an encore.

Yes, now the pressure really is on Colangelo, the reigning NBA Executive of the Year, Sam Mitchell, the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, and franchise player Chris Bosh to do it again — and this time get out of the first round.

“Looking ahead, the big step will be managing the expectations because now people are going to face you in a different way,” says executive vice president and assistant general manager Maurizio Gherardini, whom Colangelo imported from Italy days before last year’s draft and who was instrumental in the selection of Italian Andrea Bargnani with the No. 1 overall pick.

“You’re not going to surprise anybody,” Gherardini says. “Moving farther from what we achieved (last) year is going to be a very, very tough step to reach.”

The Raptors’ next step would be winning a playoff series (for the first time since 2001), and they will have to do it with many of the same faces, which is a far cry from last year when Colangelo and Gherardini added nine new players from all around the globe.

Toronto lost in the playoffs last year to the worst possible opponent — ex-Raptor Vince Carter’s Nets. Jorge Garbajosa, who suffered a serious leg injury weeks before the playoffs, was missed. But playing in the postseason, a first for Bosh, Bargnani, Anthony Parker, Joey Graham, Jose Calderon and Kris Humphries, should help their growth.

Frontcourt
The Raptors’ strength lies up front where they have depth, versatility and arguably the best power forward in the Eastern Conference. Bosh has increased his scoring average each season he has been in the league. Last year, he was one of five players to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, finishing at 22.6 points and 10.7 boards despite being hampered by plantar fasciitis.

Bargnani and Garbajosa proved to be perfect complements for Bosh, and now more is expected from them this season. Bargnani has great range and excellent footwork, especially for a 7-footer. He has shown he’s going to be a good one while also displaying the mettle he gained by playing professionally overseas. The experienced Garbajosa, 29, is a tough player who can stretch the defense with his shot, but he also does a little of everything, finishing second on the Raptors in rebounds (4.9), second in steals (1.16) and fifth in assists (1.9). Things might have gone differently in the playoffs for Toronto had he been healthy. “We missed Garbajosa a lot,” Gherardini says. “He’s a playoff animal.”

Mitchell could decide to bring Garbajosa off the bench and start Jason Kapono, the NBA’s best 3-point shooter last season with the Heat. Playing for Pat Riley, Kapono had a career year, earning him a four-year, $24 million deal with Toronto. Kapono fills the void left by Morris Peterson, who exited Toronto after seven seasons and signed with New Orleans.

“You might as well go get the guy who does one thing better than anyone else in the NBA,” Mitchell told reporters at Kapono’s introductory press conference. “He’s got a championship ring, and he’s played for one of the toughest SOBs.”

Graham and Rasho Nesterovic are holdovers who the Raptors hope bounce back from disappointing playoff series against the Nets.

Maceo Baston, an athletic 6'10" power forward whom Toronto signed away from Indiana, is another player with overseas experience whom Gherardini knows well. Baston reunites with former Maccabi Tel Aviv teammate Anthony Parker. The Raptors hope Baston can help their rebounding troubles. They ranked fourth from the bottom last season in rebounding and were second-worst in the East, despite Bosh’s board work. Humphries was one of the better per-48-minute rebounders last season (13.5) but played only 11.2 minutes per game.

Backcourt
Ford and Parker were underrated as a guard tandem last season. Ford finished sixth in the NBA in assists per game, dishing out a career-best 7.9 in a career-high 75 games. For Parker, it was a successful return to the NBA after a very successful overseas career. The athletic 6'6" swingman only took 9.4 shots per game but averaged 12.4 points and knocked down 44.1 percent of his threes, tying him for fourth-best in the league. Parker also is one of Toronto’s better defenders.

Off the bench, the Raptors bring Calderon, arguably the league’s best backup point guard. Mitchell likes to play Ford and Calderon together at times, which usually causes trouble for teams because of both players’ quickness and ability to penetrate.

Carlos Delfino played in Italy for four years, so Gherardini knows his game. Having gone deep in the playoffs with the Pistons and abroad, Delfino will be welcomed for his experience.

Veteran Juan Dixon, a midseason acquisition, provides depth at both guard spots, and swingman Luke Jackson, picked up late last season, could find some minutes.

Final Analysis
With Bosh becoming a true go-to guy and team leader last season, the Raptors reached new heights. Player and team should be better from having gone through a playoff round against some savvy postseason players.

The Raptors look like they could be a team of the future with all the youth and new faces they added last offseason. Few expected them to grow up as quickly as they did. But now they have to handle expectations and be ready for teams’ best every night.

If all goes well, the future could be now for the Raptors in the wide-open East.