Preseason Preview

The Raptors need to figure out whether they want to make a push and pick up a player at the trade deadline or to scrap the season and possibly trade Chris Bosh. They are in the second tier in the East and are hovering around .500. They could most likely make the playoffs but that’s not enough for this club. Anything short of winning a playoff round would be a disappointment. The next month is critical for the future of this franchise.

Ready to Breakout vs. Reality: No one has really broken out for the Raptors including Amir Johnson. His numbers are up – but just slightly. The Raptors have decided to stick with offense and keep Andrea Bargnani on the floor instead of giving the defensive-minded Johnson more minutes.

Over the Hill vs. Reality: Hedo Turkoglu’s scoring numbers are down from last year but he is hitting 40 percent from three-point range. The biggest problem is he’s a liability on defense. He really is the X factor for this team. If he plays well they are the top of the second tier of teams in the East.

Worst Moment: On January 11, they blew a 23-point lead to the Pacers and lost 105-101.

Best Moment: In that same game, they had two amazing highlights – an underhanded alley-oop from Turkoglu and a nearly full court shot by Antoine Wright. Alright, so these aren’t really the best moments but they were awesome and needed to be included.

Best Case Scenario: They grab the fifth seed in the East and upset whichever of the big four teams winds up as the four-seed. This gives them the credibility to re-sign Bosh and even the excitement to go after a big free agent.

Worst Case Scenario: The Raptors slip in the standings and Bosh voices his displeasure and lets the team know he will not re-sign after the season. Knowing they’re going to lose Bosh, they trade him but don’t receive adequate value for the All-Star.

NBA Midseason Reports