Toronto Raptors need to make deadline move
As it stands right now the Toronto Raptors look like a 5th to 7th seed in the playoffs. Not much to get excited about considering we are still one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.
It has been widely speculated with the Raptors fighting for the 5th seed that they will not be interested in trading Chris Bosh, unless, he gives a clear indication to Bryan Colangelo that he will not resign over the Summer.
With that said the most likely players to be traded besides Jose Calderon, who is being dangled in a potential Kevin Martin swap, include Antoine Wright, Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems and Patrick O’Bryant, all players operating on one year deals.
I would like to keep Amir Johnson for another 5 years, so he is the only name I would take off this list. Add to that the fact that Sonny Weems’ contract is very affordable and that there is probably more of a market for Wright, and I believe Weems should stay with the Raptors and take over Antoine Wright’s role when he is moved.
As our roster stands right now, we are primed for another 1st round exit, as we will likely fall just short of the 5th seed and end up playing the Cavs, Magic or Celtics….recipes for disaster to be sure. We are already among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, so you have to wonder if BC will just look for more offensive firepower, because unless he trades for a defensive stalwart starter, no move will really affect our team D that dramatically.
If we truly intend to give Bosh a reason to stay, I know, like you know, that one more move is in order. Maybe two.
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Not that I necessarily disagree with the concept that Raps need one more piece to make deep into the playoffs… I don’t think that is necessarily a must.
1)”we are still the worst defensive team in the NBA”
is that still teh case since the December meeting? Where do the Raps stand in the last month or two defensively. The Raps D was horrid early on… but it definetely hasn’t looked like the worst since then
2)”Jose Calderon, who is being dangled in a potential Kevin Martin swap”
please sight the source… and not some speculation from a random blog or ‘journalist’. Something from the horse’s mouth if you don’t mind.
Regardless of this ‘non-fact’ you threw out there… trading Calderon in and of its self is likely a poor decision. However, as with anyone in the league, if the deal is right you do it. That said, Kevin Martin is not even close to being the right deal.
3)”we are primed for another 1st round exit
while its likely a reasonable assumption… its by no means a guarantee. The Raps (Charlotte and Chicago aswell) have looked better and better as the season goes on. Orlando and Boston (and to some degree Atlanta) have not. Making a deal in haste would be a very poor judgement call to make at this point.
Your facts are wrong. We are NOT the worst defensive team in the league, as you’ve stated twice.
In fact, during the 5 game win steak, we’ve been scoring 108 ppg, and have been giving up only 102. The +6 ppg puts us 7th in the league over that stretch.
With the Celtics struggling, the Raptors have a chance to capitalize. It’s not fair to say they’re necessarily as low as the 7th seed. The teams immediately behind us are Chicago and Charlotte, both 1.5 GB. In this stretch, Chicago will be playing Atlanta, Miami, and Orlando.
Charlotte also has the Lakers and Hornets within that stretch, two teams with better records.
The struggling Celtics are going to be battling again with the Magic and Heat before the All-Star break.
All of this puts Toronto, with our advantageous schedule, in a good position to capitalize and gain ground on the Celtics.
The possibility of winning a division title is NOT out of the question.
If this team is on the cusp of catching the Celtics, I would argue it makes no sense to rock the boat. Wright I suppose is the most likely candidate to be traded, but let’s be honest, Sonny Weems is no Wright. Wright has been integral in shutting down a lot of the better guards on the other teams during this win streak. Sonny can seem lost sometimes, and has growing pains. Wright is a veteran…
This team likely would be better off not making any moves because if you give up Wright, you want another perimeter player that can play some D, but that’s what Wright does… It would be lateral movement, which can potentially screw up the chemistry that we’ve seen thus far.
My bad guys, I wrote this about a week and half back and scheduled it to post in Feb when the trade deadline drew nearer
We are no longer the worst defensive team in the NBA just based on points, that Hawks game obviously made our numbers appear just a little worse than they really were…right now we are 4th worst, GS is giving up the most points per game
We are actually only giving up .7 more points per game than we are scoring, so it seems the ship is being righted
Swirsky’s soldier, the horse never said anything, but the info came via ESPN Insider on multiple occasions, if you want email me and I will send you a link: raptorcity@raptorsdigest.com
However a move is indeed coming
Did you guys hear BC on 590, reading between the lines it is almost a certainty that we will get one of BC’s patented deadline take a player and salary from a cheapskate team moves
If Iguodala could be added to the Raps roster without losing too much that would make the Raps a 2nd round contender .. ya think???
FAQ: I am sure this is something BC has looked into the viability of, but salary wise, unless Jose is in the deal, the numbers just don’t crunch…he makes $12.2 million, and you have to believe they do not want Evans back and that they want no part of Marcus Banks
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