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‘So over him’: Vince Returns to T.O. For Season Opener
CP

This may not seem like it is that relevant to my time in Ghana, but I have been following the development of the Raptors over the summer and the pre-season and I excited about 2006-2007 for our squad.

Last year, one of the most tainted phases of Raptor history came to an end. The mistakes made in the management of the squad left our team without Vince Carter (let’s not talk about who we could have got for him compared to what can compete among the worst trades in sporting history), without Andre Igoudala (if you don’t recognize his name, you will definitely recognize his dunks as his is the highlight of the night at least twice a week), and a squad that lacked the depth to truly match up with most teams in the league.

When Colangelo was signed as General Manager, an air of hope came into an atmosphere that had become stuffy and dismal. Known for turning the Phoneix Suns into a title contender through an offence built around Canadian back-to-back MVP Steve Nash, Toronto seemed like a good fit. The Suns also sat at the bottom of the league before a turn-around that transformed them into a Western Conference juggernaut through their relatively small run’n’gun offence in a league dominated by the team with the big man with the best support (e.g. Detroit and Ben Wallace, Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Shaq with the Lakers and the Heat). He used creativity and vision to make the most of what they did have, instead of waiting for the next Shaq to enter the draft. With his arrival, possibility for a playoff life started to spark in a city that has been growing comfortable with calling our squad the Craptors.

With the NBA season opening today, the Raptors roster differs greatly from the names that finished remarkably strong after last years grotesque 1-14 start which inspired Sports Illustrated to name our head man Sam Mitchell as (undeservedly) the worst coach in the league. While we stacked more wins in the second half of the season than expected, issues of whether Chris Bosh would be the next in a line of superstars to move on from the T-Dot, a first pick in a notably weak NBA draft that contained no players of the caliber of Lebron or Chris Paul, and a growingly selfish point guard in Mike James was dampening the spirits of even the most zealous supporters.

Over the summer months tremors were felt as the plates began to shift. Mike James was gone. Raptors executives selected Itlalian superstar Andrea Baragani. Former first round draft pick (selected right before Igougala), Rafael Araujo would no longer be the most reviled player in the ACC aside from visits from Vince and Alonzo Mourning. Sam Mitchell was looking and sounding a great deal more confident, and much less stressed; instead of his pleading shrug of “I’m doing the best I can with what I have”, his strut began to say, “now you’re gonna see what we can do”.

On the downside, fan favourite Matt Bonner aka the Red Rocket was gone. While, like the Junkyard Dog, a late substitution putting him on the court could get the home crowd back into the game, Mitchell would no longer have to deal with the frustration he had with Big Red where he was quoted as exclaiming “I have never had to plead with a player to shoot more”. The loss of Villaneuva aka Charlie V simply hurt. The promise of his remarkably well-rounded game will be missed, there is no getting around that. Yet, nothing great comes without sacrifice and he was the price we had to pay for the blossoming and resilient point guard T.J. Ford.

Still young and eager to make his mark in the NBA, Ford’s willingness to buy into the vision that Mitchell and Coangello have of a team that play is crucial. Playing so fast that the aim is to get a good shot off in less than half of the 24 seconds allotted by the shot clock requires a committed point gurad. Mitchell will be relieved of the anxiety endured with James holding the ball, not knowing whether he would even pass.

With all of the adjustments being made, there was not a drastic destroy and rebuild approach that could have scared away what little the team already had in place. It was more like unneeded baggage being released, and the right (and willing) pieces being put into place to make the vision real.

It was that approach that eased Chris Bosh, who is entering the prime of his career, to commit to remain as the cornerstone of the franchise. With him remains Raptor veteran (sounds strange, I know) Mo Peterson. On the subject of Mo, we can’t move on until we recognize that last season he proved that he had shaken the title of ‘most consistently inconsistent’ and confirmed that it was the instability around him in the past, and the lack of a major role that was the real problem, rather than some innate defect. As a strong leader and a full court player, he may be one of the squad’s most unheralded assets. Glad we don’t have to wait until he is wearing another team’s jersey to find that out (e.g. Tracy McGrady, Doug Christie)!

The emerging talents of Joey Graham and Jose Calderon are also two highlights to look forward to. Having gotten more floor time last season than they likely would have earned anywhere else in the NBA (mostly due to a lack of options), they are growing in confidence and have seen a lot of how each of their games need to improve to compete on a playoff team in the pros.

The international face of the Raptors is also something to note. Among the top players to be competing for minutes, we have two Spanish nationals, and a native Italian in the roster, and a Senegalese player recovering on the bench. With the game growing around the globe, this aspect of our team may prove to be a hint of the future face on the NBA.

While the Raptors got off to a 7-1 start in the pre-season, our optimism definitely needs to be tempered with understanding for a team that is growing in what appears to be very fertile soil. With both Bosh and Ford coming off of injuries that kept them out of most of the pre-season, these key players are both, admittedly, rusty and unfamiliar with each other and the new system. It may take a few games for them to get comfortable leading their team in their new quick pass, quick shot offence. This approach will require more trust and commitment (the conditioning needed by itself would be an insurmountable mountain on most teams) then we have seen among the Raptors, but the right pieces seem to be in place.

When our guys step onto the floor to face the New Jersey nets tonight, butterflies are bound to be in most stomachs in the red, white and black – from Bosh who is expected to carry the team on his shoulders, to Ford who is looking to earn a level of respect across the league to coincide with a salary that places him in the top third of players in his position. For the 2006 number one draft pick Baragani, staying calm and focused will be a challenge as he is about to get a taste of what the NBA is really about. Even Colangelo, who has nothing to prove and sterling reputation to tarnish, may be feeling them, along with the league’s best dressed coach who may have some trouble keeping his perma-frost cool from cracking.

The Nets, with Jay-Z trying give his squad the muscle that he and Rocafella had in the music industry, will bring future hall of famer Jason Kidd, the versaitile game of Jefferson, and the now legendary high-flying antics of Vince Carter to face a much less seasoned line-up.

While many may still be bitter about Vince’s controversial departure and the void that he left, Raptor fans will be better off watching the heart on the floor than minding the score on the board.

We have management, coaching staff and players on the same frequency. We have a roster of players who want to be in Toronto, who are not here to bide time, and – in some cases – make up in heart what they may lack in comparison to some of their competitors in talent. That intangible can make the difference.

While a playoff spot is the goal for the season, take the time this season to enjoy a rejuvenated and blossoming squad growing into what could be a hint of the future of the NBA.

Let’s go!!!