Jason Kapono, Maceo Baston, that unheard of guy we got on draft night, that really unheard of guy we signed are all either small or negligible components of the Raptors’ winning puzzle. The man that can take us to the next level is Andrea Bargnani.

Bargnani is the X-Factor for the Raptors, not CB4. Chris Bosh will likely have a season comparable to the last one and his production can be estimated with a fair amount of accuracy. But it’s Bargnani that can change the dynamics of this team, if he excels offensively and improves on the defensive end, the Raptors can go from “let’s hope we can win a series” to “let’s get to the EC finals”.

NBA offenses are based on mismatches and God bless Bargnani because he provides one for us every time he’s on the floor, last year he took fair advantage of centers who choose to lay off him by hitting the three, but then again he also passed up 80% of opportunities where he could’ve posted up a smaller guy and made him regret his height. It’s purely this fact and this fact alone that can elevate us from wannabe contender to a team that isn’t written off automatically come playoff time.

Even though he was a rookie, Bargnani was still our most under-utilized weapon. Nobody’s asking him to become Nowitzki overnight but it’s fair to expect him to do the right thing when he’s on the court: use his height in the post, use his frame to collect defensive rebounds, hit the outside shot and most of all do not let defenses off the hook by going away from your strengths and their weaknesses. It comes down to how well Mitchell can recognize potentially advantageous situations for Bargnani and run plays that will allow him to use his tools effectively for the greater good. I know that’s asking a lot.

The goal for Bargnani should be to attract a double team by December, if you see that happening you know he’s being a pain in the ass for teams. Imagine if Bargs attracts two people, that leaves us playing 4 on 3 with one of the 4 being CB4. Now that’s an attractive situation. Aside from Bargs, I don’t see anyone on the Raptors remotely bothering the defense to double team in the post which is where most opportunities originate.Up until last year it was Bosh that had the highest ceiling of any player on the Raps but that doesn’t hold true anymore. Last year we were able to gauge what Bosh’s true potential might be, and although there’s no doubt that he has a chance to be a truly great player when it’s all said and done, it’s Bargnani that can be even better (it’s true, look it up). Here’s a general prediction of what will happen next year with the rest of the team.

TJ Ford: He’ll have a similar season as last. Maybe he’ll improve his shooting a little but nothing that’ll make him a perimeter threat. Should he manage to get himself under control (which is like asking the Road Runner to slow down), we’ll be in better shape but we all know TJ is TJ and will play like TJ until the day he retires.

Jose Calderon: Defenses will adapt to him and he won’t find it that easy to just come off a screen and lay the ball in. If he has a repeat of last year it’ll be a big bonus for the Raps. You have to be delusional not to see that. The best he could do is improve his shot, just like TJ.

Chris Bosh: Hmm. Can he repeat last season? For sure. Can he do even better? Probably. Will he dominate games ala Duncan or even KG? No, he’s not there yet and there’s even a chance that he might never be. It’s time everybody recognizes that CB4 is a very good player with a chance to be a star, he isn’t there yet and relying on him to improve dramatically and start taking over games and playoff series consistently is really, really unrealistic. He’ll be more productive next year just based on experience and more strength (assuming he’s close to a gym in the summer) but he isn’t going to increase his PPG by 10 points or his RPG by 5. Those transformations are reserved for two types of players: 1) those who finally started to get some serious playing time after being buried on the bench and 2) Superman.

Jason Kapono/Mo Pete: If Jason Kapono is a 10, Mo Pete is at least a 7. I’m aggregating defense, rebounding and shooting into one and saying that if Kapono excels in shooting, Mo Pete beats him in defense/rebounding. So although we added a great shooter, we also lost a pretty decent player who was in the doghouse for the better part of the year. I’m for the Kapono move (less money and 3 yr deal would’ve been nicer) but losing Mo Pete will have an effect unless Joey Graham steps it up a a few notches, which I think is hoping too much given his tendency to lapse into paralysis in the middle of a possession.

Anthony Parker/Jorge Garbajosa: How much do you think a 31+ player can improve after playing one year in the NBA? Parker is Mr. Consistent and he’ll be just that; unless Sam Mitchell had some visions where he was shown how to run a plays which open up AP for jumpers from the elbows, he’ll still be planted at the three point line waiting for a kick-out. Garbajosa’s offensive potential is limited and I don’t see him NOT going through a couple 15 game stretches where he can’t hit a 15 footer. His offense might be sporadic but his defense will always be there.

Given the general disposition of the above cases to hold true, it leaves the Raptors with one man who can realistically improve in such a way that for every degree he improves, the Raptors improve ten.

I’m not a man of medicine and despite my ridiculed existence I know when the soul is sick. It has been sick for quite some time know, May 5th to be exact. The remedy is still eight moons away and I find myself occupying my time with unholy objects such as proposed barters and mind-numbing chatter about the future – a future which is both pregnant with hope but also one where the ghosts of disaster and shattered dreams lurk nearby. They say a forward of the small kind is needed to rectify the most major need of the unit and although that is true in the basest of regards, the more daunting need continues to be a presence of greater magnitude in the central position. A man of limited talents such as Radoslav cannot be called upon to satisfy the needs of a squadron which aims at the heavens for glory, the thirst of which glory was only beginning to get quenched in a playoff series of the most earliest of rounds.

The draft is approaching and with it comes the anticipation of new blood, but alas, the team which represents the most ancient of breed is left without an option to choose. The men in charge have bartered away the chance to pick from the fresh crop and only another barter or a purchase of chance can allow a selection on the 28th day of the sixth month. I am a meek and humble man or maybe I am humble because I am meek, either way I have a proposition which I present to my esteemed audience which of course there is none. I say let the devil take the draft, the younger the blood, the more nurturing it needs, no, demands! There is sufficient young blood in the present battalion and adding an experienced hand with tricks up his sleeve is to me far more valuable than another youth who only seeks to gratify his most immediate needs and desires.

My hole in the ground presents me with an environment which allows me to spend days and nights in thought, uninterrupted by the annoyances of everyday existence and away from my companion’s love affair with reality television. I sit here in my hole contemplating whether we have a squadron that is adequate enough to meet success in the elimination stage of the tournament and a resounding, booming answer in the negative deafens my ears. My heart, it speaks of triumph and hope, of success and the maturation of our leader Christopher, it speaks of the elevation of Terrence into a true and fearless leader but the devil, he keeps whispering in my ear that the previous campaign was but a hoax resulting because of the misfortune of others (PHI, BOS, IND) and not because of the valiant effort put forth by our heroes. I shut him out but he speaks louder, so loud that I second guess the very elements that comprise our formula.

I am being negative again, Dmitri, my only friend keeps reminding me that things are for the better and the new harvest will yield a crop that will make us proud and will be one that will enable us to participate until the late days of the fifth month or with some luck, even the sixth. There is truth in that but I retort that Christopher will need to improve and his mates will need to be better than that what they were in the year gone by, the latter is a tough task given that the other armies in the arena have now taken note of the ancient breed and will be ready this time around. Fate was gentle enough to assign the element of surprise on our side last campaign but this time the opponent will be ready, prepared and knowing what to expect. It is our high commander’s duty to prepare the troops and to tutor them in the skill of half-court execution because it will be a skill that will come most useful when a score or two is needed down the stretch. Our defensive vulnerabilities resulted in our exit from this years tournament and if things aren’t rectified, the appropriate components replaced, the proper philosophical adjustments made, we cannot hope to compete in the dark battles of the association.

Grant Hill, a legend in is own right, is available. Depending on the cost of acquiring such an asset, I would not hesitate to get his esteemed signature on a contract of a year or two. Perhaps it is just my madness reaching an irrecoverable stage but the nimble mind thinks he possesses what we desperately need: a creator at the small forward position which can turn something out of nothing while still being able to construct a shot of the highest percentage when time calls. Aside from being a man possessing great court-vision, a respectable mid-range game, Hill is a man of great character and a gentleman, a fact that will only have a positive impact on the team. I will not insult the reader’s higher intelligence by describing the obvious health problems of Hill.

Esteemed and superior reader, forgive me if I have wasted your time. The only punishment for such a crime is for my abject self to return to my hole and continue with the self-loathing and despair that has become this off-season.

Chris-Bosh.com got new forums, I’m really cheering for those guys but it looks like 13 year olds have penetrated their way in and are creating nonsense threads faster than you can delete them. I’m trying to make a decent contribution there but its going to get lost in the pile of steamy crap that has already started to become a dominant fixture of the board. RealGM needs some competition and here’s hoping it can get some. The best part about the forums is a section where Chris Bosh actually answers question but by looking at some of the quality of the questions, he’s going to regret ever starting this thing. Remember, these are actual questions and thread titles:

• people who is the raptors biggest rival
• Chris Read This: Chris i think you should make another topic about you like general ask chris toronto raptors you should do one about your self so people could give comments on your skills your career and your future!!!
• Chris Answer this as soon as you can: I read your blog and i was wondering did you pick detroit jsut between me and you i wont tell no one and also why dont you start a blog at raptors.com that way more raptors fans will read it.Until next season and make sure not too do the 300 workout you might get to strong and you maybe will endup shooting too hard.
• Question: Im from Montreal and im just wondering if youve ever been around here? If so what did you do?

You can tell this forum will bring lots of joy in the off-season.

Hear ye, hear ye. The second best play-by-play guy in the NBA is………Mike Breen. Anybody have any clue why Mark Jackson sounds so monotonous and boring as a color-guy? Wait I just got it, its because he is monotonous and boring. At any point in time Jeff Van Gundy has a million thoughts on his mind but is unable to convey a single one without being interrupted by himself. Somebody put me out of my misery if the Spurs win the title, it would be an affront to anything beautiful about basketball. This just in, Eva Longoria is only dating Tony Parker because she’s being blackmailed by him. Thats the only way I can explain it. This reminds me, where’s Joumana Kidd?

Greg Oden’s going to Portland, I gotta say Boston got robbed – again. Tim Duncan buys a house there and then goes to San Antonio and now this. Boston falls to fifth (the worst possible outcome) and loses on both Durant and Oden. Sucks to be a Celtic fan, its even worse when you’re hopes are pinned on Gerald Green. From a Raps perspective, things are great since the EC got weaker. Harry Palmer started this banter on centers on RealGM and some guy proposed changing the name of the NBA to IBA. WTF? Still recovering from Mitchell getting a new contract, I’m just going to show faith in Colangelo and presume he knows what he’s doing by bringing Mitchell back. We need a better X’s and O’s coach, really, if this team will go to the next level we’ll need more than the high pick ‘n roll. Manu Ginobili just hit a killer three to put the Spurs up by 16 at the end of the third versus the Jazz in Game 2. I think Utah will win both games in Salt Lake City.

Going to school and working a real full-time job is not easy. What? I can’t talk about non-basketball stuff? Go to hell, RaptorsTalk is talking about his freaking dog. Off-seasons are awfully hard to go by. I remember the days when I used to have a countdown as my MSN name to the start of the season, it looked quite foolish. Those NBA playoff promos with the cheerleaders are borderline NC-17 stuff, they’re looking more and more like strippers. I’m not really complaining but something isn’t right about them. Remember the time when Eddie Jones thought he was as good as Kobe? Funniest quote of those days came from Shaq after the Lakers got pummeled by the Wizards, Shaq goes, “we got a bunch of Rex Chapman wannabes on this squad” referring to Kobe and EJ jacking up threes.

The wait continues…