It's hard to fault Bryan Colengelo for any of the work he's done to repair the one time laughing stock Toronto Raptors. When Colangelo took over, the team have had four straight losing seasons including a 27-55 record in the 2005-2006 season (Thanks to Rob Babcock and partially Vince Carter). Since that awful season things have a lot different in Raptor land. Colangelo dumped a few big contacts, did away with a few scrubs (mainly Rafael Arujo), and even managed to find a diamonds in the rough to improve to a first division championship last season, and a 28-23 record this season despite injuries to some key players.
When looking up and down the Raptors roster there's several glaring omisions. The team is comprised of a superstar in Chris Bosh, a soon to be superstar in Jose Calderon, and a bunch of above average role players. The main thing the Raptors lack is a wing player who can change the outcome of a game by spreading the floor by being able to consistently score from anywhere, thus opening up room for Chris Bosh, and being able to guard the other teams best shooting guard or small forward. Unfortunately, Anthony Parker and Jason Kopono don't fit this description. And the blame for not having such a player falls solely on the shoulders of Colangelo.
A season and a half later Bargnani is amidst a huge sophomore slump averaging around 24 minutes, 3.5 rebounds, and 10 points a game. So far he's amounted to nothing better than an average 6th man, who has been largely inconsistent, and who rarely shows any passion while on the court. Brandon Roy on the other hand has enjoyed the success of leading the surprising Blazers to a 28-24 record in the tough Western Conference, while averaging close to 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per game. Oh yeah, he was also selected to play in the All-Star Game. As for Rudy Gay, he's managed to become one of the league's most exciting players. Coming out of college, critics challenged his heart, but nothing could be further from the truth now, as he's getting 20 points and 6 boards a game.
Looking at the stats, and the personalities of Bargnani, Roy, and Gay, it's obvious that Colangelo dropped the ball in the 06 Draft. Sure, Bargnani still has plenty of time to live up to that potential, but Roy and Gay are already on the road to being superstars while Bargnani is miles away. Bargnani plays with no fire, while the other two have developed into young leaders that a team can build around. Had Colangelo been able to see the future, the Raptors would have a game changing player running the wing, instead of a soft European who barely opens his mouth coming off the bench.
As for the rest of the roster, the Raptors are set at the point guard position. Jose Calderon is developing into one of the leagues best floor generals. He's fearless and he never turns the ball over. TJ Ford gives them a perfect 1-2 punch, especially if he can get back to full speed. The team did over pay for the un-athletic Jason Kopono, although he is one of the best pure shooters in the league. The sky's the limit for Jamario Moon, who the Raptors can hope will turn out to be like the Hawks Josh Smith. As for the inside, the Raptors need a legit garbage man who can give them a solid 30 minutes a game (is Charles Oakley still trying to make a comeback?). Kris Humphries is good, but he's more of an energy guy to come off the bench. And oh yes, Chris Bosh is the man, and will be for years to come.
The Raptors are the 5th best team in the NBA's inferior conference. That's not great, but it's not bad considering the rash of injuries they've had this season. Colangelo has done an exceptional job with the exception of the Bagnani pick. With their young talent and some cap space, the blueprints are clearly in place for the Raptors to one day be an elite force in the NBA. Like most things in life, you have to walk before you run, and the Raptors have a pretty good stride going.
