In the last couple of weeks NBA teams have been wheeling and dealing, searching for players to strengthening their team for the upcoming season. One of the most shocking moves would be Kevin Garnett and Paul Peirce leaving the Celtics, many believed that having won a championship in "Beantown" they would have ended their careers there. But totally the opposite happened; they along with Jason Terry packed up and headed Brooklyn, a talented and wealthy franchise. The move is not one to simply help them make it to the playoffs again next year but clearly an attempt to win the whole thing. This is just one example of the moves teams make to for a shot at the championship. However, my beloved Raptors, a team that I have been watching since they came in the league in 1995 have not really made any significant moves. They traded Andrea Bargnani to New York, a player that Toronto invested an ample amount of emotion and energy in but the trade that badly needed none the less. In return Toronto received Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, Quinton Richardson and three draft pick in coming years. This move was understandable, Bargnani's work ethic and attitude was often questioned and getting to off load his salary was a good move. However the team needs to acquire a solid power forward possessing the ability to hit the mid-range jumper, rebound and defend much like a David West or ideally Kevin Love. To acquire such a player would surely get them from ninth place obscurity and into the playoffs but such dreams would surely have the Raptors exceed their salary cap. And in the free agency market the pickings at pretty slim right now, so maybe everything now comes down to a system and Dwane Casey is a defense first coach which all good and well but I always believed a good offense makes for a good defense. Essentially there are a few solid defensive teams in the NBA, I can only highlight the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers as standouts while every other team in my opinion are pretty much on the same level defensively. So the key here lies in the offense and one of the main weaknesses of the Raptors in the last couple of years has been the ability to finish. Once the fourth quarter rolls around, they tank and somehow fail to get over the hump and win. They seemingly have to gain a large lead and maintain it throughout the game to be successful. There were a few odd moments when they favourable clutch moments. Most notably when Demar Derozan hit a 22 foot fade away baseline jump shot at the buzzer to give the Raptors a 97-95 win over the Orlando Magic. However, the fourth quarter problem was addressed when Toronto acquired Rudy Gay from the Memphis Grizzlies, a legit athletic small-forward who can not only score and defend but add some much needed star value to the team. And with how the NBA is being played today with small lineups, he can play the four spot and create better mismatches for Coach Casey take advantage of. But will the Raptors make the playoffs next season, it's still a big if, I think there is still something missing and signing Tyler Hansbrough isn't the answer. Now it has become less about acquiring players but creating a system that works. Since the days of Vince Carter or Chris Bosh the Raptors haven't used a system that carried them over the hump. They have the players barring the small need for a few suitable players that would suit the team but for the most part they can win with team they have. The Chicago Bulls are a prime example of this; the team lost Derrick Rose in the 2011-12 season when he tore his ACL during the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Toronto is one of the best cities when it comes on to supporting their teams, rivaled only by Boston, New York and Los Angeles but the upcoming season is the season for change. Canada is hungry for playoff basketball but I am hopeful that Masai Ujiri who did wonders in Denver will bring his same calculative GM genus to Toronto. I haven't seen anything to make me optimistic yet but I will not question his methods yet as every GM needs time. I am waiting to see what other moves he will make and then a fair judgment can be made, but so far we're pretty close, but we were close last year as well.
