2009-10 Toronto Raptors Predictions
Written October 21, 2009 by Jack Jones
The pressure is on the Toronto Raptors to get off to a fast start this season. Chris Bosh is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and he’ll be one of the sought after guys in a class that could include LeBron James and DeWayne Wade. I think this team has plenty of weapons to contend in the East, but if things don’t start out well the team might be forced to trade Bosh instead of losing him to free agency and being left with nothing in return. The NBA odds makers aren’t putting a lot of stock in this game, listing the Raptors at 80-to-1 to win the NBA Finals and 40-to-1 to win the East. If you are going to do any NBA betting this year, then take a look at BetUS where our readers get a $500 match bonus.
Backcourt
At point guard this team is in capable hands. Jose Calderon missed all of three free throws a year ago when he set the NBA single-season mark with a 98.1% rate from the line. He also has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio the past two seasons and makes over 40% from behind the arc. Toronto also has depth at the position with Jarrett Jack, who put up 13.1 ppg a year ago for the Indiana Pacers. Shooting guard is up for grabs with Marco Belinelli being the first in line to start, but rookie DeMar DeRozan has tons of talent and the team is hoping he can progress fast enough to take over the reigns here. Quincy Douby is another guy who will come off the bench to play at the two spot.
Frontcourt
This team is as talented as any up front with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu. He’ll start at small forward but can also play power forward and shooting guard. He hits a high percentage of his outside shots, can pass, and penetrates well. He should help take a little heat off of Bosh. Bosh and Andrea Bargnani are interchangeable at the power forward and center spots. Bosh is more of a finesse player down low who scores 22.7 points per game and grabs 10 boards per contest. Bargnani was a former No. 1 pick in the draft and is coming off his best year to date, putting up 15.4 points per game and knocking down 119 threes. He can stretch the floor with his shooting ability and can also drive past opposing big men who try to play him to close on the perimeter. Depth is an issue here though with not a lot of talent coming off the bench.
Summary
It’s tough not to see Toronto battling for a playoff spot this year after a disappointing 33-49 season a year ago. I don’t think they have quite what it takes to keep up with teams like the Celtics, Magic, and Cavs, but there should be no doubt that this team makes the playoffs at the end of the year. My NBA predictions have them sitting at second in the Atlantic, but an early exit from the postseason is likely.
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