Toronto Raptors 2006-07 Preview

The Toronto Raptors of 2006 have the distinct honorGraham is a young small forward who is expected to
of being a team that no one knows about. Besidesdevelop soon into a good bench option. Another player
their superstar Chris Bosh, the Raptors are full of newwho may factor into the rotation is former Indiana
acquisitions and draft picks. And even though theyPacer Fred Jones.
don't play in a tough division, or conference, it is hard toAt the point guard position are former Buck T.J. Ford
imagine this ragtag group making the playoffs.and Jose Calderon. Ford is a good point guard in terms
As mentioned above, Chris Bosh is the future of theof passing but his shot is often suspect and his size
Toronto Raptors. His career high numbers of 22.5leaves him vulnerable on defense more times then not.
points per game and 9.2 rebounds solidified him as oneHis speed should help the Raptors quicken the pace of
of the best young big men in the game today. Thethe game, however. Behind him is Calderon, who is one
Raptors fully expect him to be even better this seasonof the best European point guards. He played for the
in both categories.Raptors last season and did an admirable job,
At the swing positions, the key players for the Raptorsaveraging 9 points and 7.5 assists as a starter.
are Morris Peterson and Joey Graham. MorrisAt the center position is another new acquisition in
Peterson is the only player who was with the RaptorsRasho Nesterovic. He is a mediocre player who won't
five seasons ago, and he is a reliable shooting threatmake too big of an impact on his new team. One plus
who can stay healthy and play eighty-two games ais that he has experience playing alongside talented big
year. Morris had a career season, along with Bosh, in amen and should help Chris Bosh develop into an even
bigger role last year and averaged nearly seventeenbetter player. First round pick Andreas Bargnani may
points a game. Expect more of the same this seasonget playing time as well.
as he will be relied upon for mid and long-range shots.