Turkoglu’s signing is both a big gamble by Colangelo for 2009 and a solid building block for the future. The downside of this move is that the Raptors will be stripping the team of much of the depth that Colangelo has always had on the team. They will be saying goodbye to Parker, will not be able to bring back Delfino, and DeRozan will likely be thrust into the starting rotation sooner then they would like. This also means goodbye to Shawn Marion.
The plan for the off season was to add grit to the team and athleticism to the wing positions. The addition of Evans and DeRozan were good moves in that direction while the Turkoglu signing is a step back. The move does however add a proven NBA veteran from a successful team. He is also a player that can create his own shot and is not afraid to take it with the game on the line. Both of these attributes were something that the team desperately needed and were skills that Marion could not bring to the table.
The other big issue this off season is the future of Chris Bosh. To have any hope of re-signing Bosh after this season the Raptors had to immediately improve upon last year’s record and move solidly into a playoff position. Turkoglu’s signing gives them that chance. If the team falters, or if Bosh decides to leave anyway, Turkoglu is a solid piece that the team can build with going forward.
Overall, his addition leaves the Raptors with a very interesting starting five and a dangerous lack of depth at the point guard and small forward positions. Bosh, Turkoglu and Bargnani give the Raptors great size up front, but limited athleticism. The one thing all three can do is shoot, so they will be a challenge for opposing teams to match up against. Calderon will be running the point, and if he is fully recovered and can avoid injuries they should have no problems there. DeRozan will likely be thrust into the starter’s role immediately, but with four good shooters on the floor with him he should be able to concentrate on his strengths which are defense, rebounding and slashing to the basket.
Having Turkoglu at the three spot is an improvement over Marion for this team. While Marion is more athletic and is a much better defender, he is not a shooter and would have put more pressure on DeRozan to hit from the outside. Turkoglu will draw the defense out which will give DeRozan and Bosh more room inside. He can also run the offense from the three which provides different looks for the opposition and frees up Calderon on occasion.
His lack of defense is a concern since that, and rebounding, have always been a concern with the Raptors. To help in this area the Raptors will count heavily on Iavaroni. His focus has always been defense and the Raptors will rely on him to mould this group of players into a solid defensive unit. The coaching combination of Triano and Iavaroni is perfect for this team due to their international background and ability to think outside of the box. The Raptors will definitely be an outside of the box team this year and this could well be a boom or bust season for the team.
Congratulations to Colangelo for pulling this signing off and being willing to take this gamble. The first two months of the season will be critical, so now its time for Triano and Iavaroni to get to work. Their season begins today.
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Excellent post, i actually just got familiar with your blog through the globe and mail. Keep it up i thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a calculated risk, since even if the lack of defence proves to be their undoing and Bosh leaves, well then the Raps can sign a gritty rebounding/defensive with some offensive prescence in free agency or acquire one through a sign and trade with Bosh. Also if this did happen, the Raps would have a high draft pick in what should be a loaded draft next season. I dont forsee this happening, but this now makes it alot easier to move on as a franchise if Bosh decides he wants to leave.
Thanks for the comment and please sign up as a follower of the blog since that helps motivate me to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there isn't much of a downside. If Bosh goes, which I think he likely will, then we know exactly what our needs are and BC can focus on defense, toughness and rebounding through the next draft and filling out the cap space next summer.
Was hoping for Delfino's added defense & experience to help ease in DeRozan, but they felt they had to take the best remaining FA out there. At least with so many bigs DeRozans size deficiency isn't such a defensive liability and his slashing/cutting quickness will actually be a defensive strength. With Marion out, Bargnani must come up big without consistently fouling out early. Should be interesting to see if the bench acquisitions will come quickly or gradually through the season as the teams' performance and needs are better evaluated in time.
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