speedythief

Yeah right!

Toronto is 25th.

http://www.nba.com/features/power_rankings.html

Crossword

LOL, nice draw to the thread! This team has a lot to prove though, so I'm not surprised at that ranking. Not sure if I'd put the Celtics ahead of the Raptors, but it's close.

slash_010

On Boston

Sir Charles

At the current moment, our ranking is probably fairly accurate. However, if Bargnani progresses well, TJ gives us the pass-first PG play we so desparately need, and some of our signings like Parker, Garbajosa, Jones, et al play up to their expectations... I think we could move up quite quickly.

What do you guys think of our chances for the playoffs this year? I am hopeful... think we could battle it out for the 7-8 spots.

Turkish Delight

Looking at our schedule for the first couple of months, there's a lot of road games so it'll definately be very tough. They'll need to at least stay close early on.

Flush

I guess they think JG is starting?

The Mad Viking

I'd rather have them list us too low than raise external expectations and pressure.

But we are certainly much improved.

Rasho is a legit starting centre. Maybe 20th best, but legit starter. Hoffa and Loren were good 3rd string centres, or bad 2nd string. This is a huge improvement.

Bargnani replaces Charlie. Call it a wash for now. CV3 was maybe more versatile, but Bargnani is an unconscious shooter plus he will bring it EVERY night.

Fred Jones & Parker more than replace Mike James scoring, without freezing out Bosh. They don't have his 3 point range, but AB does, and MoPete should get even more looks.

Garbajosa will be better overall than Bonner.

That leaves TJ Ford as essentially a pure add, IMO.

We simply have much better team ball-handling skills with the new lineup. Garbajosa is a clever passer. Fred Jones has some PG skills. (He averaged 6.5 assists and 1.5 TO in his two career starts as a PG) Parker is a very good passer. Our passing often sucked last year.

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With the first pick in the 2010 draft, the ... select, Ricard Rubio of Spain.

Minstrel: There's no such thing as a "proven loser." Teams win and lose, not individuals.

shookem

Teams I think the Raps will be rated higher than by the season's end:
Indy, Seattle, Orlando (15th is waaay overhyped), Boston and maybe Minny and Philly.

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VTRapsfan

I say we finish ahead of Philly, even with Carney and Igoudala running the wings (). All the hits Iverson takes going to the goal are bound to bite him in the *** sometime, and I think this is the year that starts to happen.

TRON

25th is a safe estimate, but should be the worst case scenerio, and it just might happen

best case scenerio...18th?????? (near the end of the middle)

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"and they aware of us though,
but we don't give a flying 747 **** though,
stayin on my hustle" -Nas

"To be honest, sometimes in this game, telling the truth is the best smokescreen of all." - Raptors GM Bryan Collangelo

BorisD

That comment is unfair to Charlie. He brought exactly the same intensity and effort on the defensive end every single night.

That amount happens to be zero, but still...it was consistent.

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Damian Necronamous

I don't see Jones coming off of the bench. Considering that Ford and Nesterovic will likely be starting, the Raptors will need as much scoring as possible, and Jones could get them 13-16ppg.

PG: T.J. Ford...Jose Calderon...Darrick Martin
SG: Fred Jones...Anthony Parker...P.J. Tucker
SF: Morris Peterson...Joey Graham
PF: Chris Bosh...Andrea Bargnani...Uros Slokar...Pape Sow
C: Rasho Nesterovic...Jorge Garbajosa...Kris Humphries

I see that as their likely depth chart.

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Chick Hearn: This game is in the refrigerator. The door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are gettin' cool, the butter's gettin' hard, and the jellooooooo's jigglin'!

Current 2008-2009 LA Lakers Roster
PG: Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar
SG: Kobe Bryant, Sasha Vujacic, Sun Yue
SF: Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton
PF: Pau Gasol, Vladimir Radmanovic, Josh Powell
C: Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm, D.J. Mbenga

vinsanity77

dude, that back court would be manhandled on defence
a guy whose not even 6 ft and a 6-2 guy?
we need Jones to come off the bench as our 6th man along with Bargnani
and have AP play the SG position

Junkyard Dog13

5 teams that we will be better whom are ranked ahead of us:

15 Indiana
19 Utah
21 Seattle
24 Minnesota
23 Philidelphia

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Raps fans since Day 1
Steelers fan since 97
Leafs fan since 88
Mets fan since 98

RickyBlaze