August 14, 2003

RAPTORS FILLING DEPLETED ROSTER WITH WANNABES AND LEFTOVERS

      That tall, lanky familiar figure you see picking through the trash outside local basketball arenas is none other than Glen Grunwald.  The Raptor GM has been searching the scrap pile trying to uncover some hidden gem that all the other GM’s tossed away.  For some reason a team that looked as poor as the Raptors did last season has done very little to fill out a roster that has more holes than the Jays pitching staff.  There were rumours—since denied—that Grunwald was on his way out if the Raptors didn’t improve next season but with the minor tinkering he has done it is obvious that there isn’t any urgency to improve.   Names like Moiso, Palacio, Bateer, Brunson…these are not names that will instill a sense of encouragement and excitement within the hearts of Raptor fans.  This team, as presently constituted, will find it very difficult to make the playoffs next season, a far cry from a couple of seasons back when it was expected to be one of the dominant teams in the East for years to come.

       The drafting of Chris Bosh was a no-brainer.  Bosh will be an impact player, likely in a year or two, and will combine with Vince Carter to provide the inside-outside scoring threat the team needs to succeed.  But when looking at the many weaknesses the team showed last year, very few have been dealt with so far.  The team failed to bring in a qualified center to take the pressure off Antonio Davis, and there hasn’t been any increase in either the defensive or offensive threats the team desperately needed.  Milt Palacio has been brought aboard to provide perimeter defense and take a little bit of a load off of Alvin Williams, but unless as third player can be brought in to play the position—Brunson likely won’t help much more than Jermaine Jackson did—Alvin will be counted on to play 35 plus minutes a game again.  Heavy minutes reduce Alvin’s effectiveness and with the plethora of injuries that he has accumulated combined with his aggressive style of play it would be wise for the Raptors to limit Alvin’s minutes to between 25 and 30.  If, as reported, Lindsay Hunter will be released and Anthony Peeler brought in then the team will have a better shooter to come off the bench but will not have addressed the third point guard position—Peeler is much more effective as a shooting guard. 

       The only other positive addition is that of Jerome Moiso.  It is here that Grunwald may have found that proverbial diamond in the rough—or trash.  Moiso is a big body who has shown signs that he is on the verge of reaching the potential that made him a lottery pick in the 2000 draft, and he could provide some much needed depth in the front court alongside Jerome Williams and Michael Bradley.  The Raptors did sign Mengke Bateer, a seven-footer out of China who saw limited action with San Antonio last season, but it is doubtful that he will be anything other than a large spare body on the bench. 

       The Raptors are clearly hoping that better health will mark a dramatic rise in the standings.  They are hoping that full seasons from Carter and small forward Lamond Murray will ignite a moribund offense and make the team that much better.  But Carter is still searching for the consistency he provided in his first couple of seasons, and the status of Murray will be undetermined until he can test out that sore foot in a few games.  Murray did play on the summer league team, and looked rusty, a result not unexpected. 

       Much more is expected out of Morris Peterson who did not take his game to the expected level in his third season.  MoPete was expected to become more of a consistent shooter and scorer and with Carter having been absent for so many games the team needed Peterson to step up his game.  The team may be realizing that Peterson is better suited as a third or fourth option or perhaps a first option off the bench. 

       Hopeful improvements in Bradley and Chris Jefferies could further help the team.  Bradley was a valuable player last season, and has pushed himself into the rotation with his aggressive rebounding and solid defense.  But Bradley’s offense will need to improve dramatically if he is to sustain the number of minutes he desires.  Jefferies will have to prove that he wants to play the game and wants to work hard to improve.  Jefferies has always been multi-talented at each level he has played, but in the NBA he is simply just another young player trying to get his feet wet.  He needs to pick up his intensity or he’ll be out of the league when his rookie contract runs out.

       The team can always count on solid efforts from JYD and Davis--when he isn’t injured.  But without any major addition to the frontcourt both players will be relied upon once again to carry the rebounding load for a team that couldn’t out rebound a WNBA team last season.  Also the team did not address its lack of an interior defensive presence which likely means that the Red Sea defense—it opens up like it—will be back next year.  Grunwald is obviously placing an inordinate amount of pressure upon new coach Kevin O’Neill to find a way to close the gaps in the Raptor defense.  But how can O’Neill be expected to close gaps that sometimes ran as wide as the 401 without any talent.

       At this point it looks like the Raptors will be attempting to be a surprise team—a team not expected to do well but manages to surpass expectations.  Raptor fans can only hope they reach that lofty goal.