Why The Raptors Will Be A Force in the East Very Soon

The Raptors are one of those teams that people don't pay much attention to. At first glance they seem like one of the worst teams in the NBA and a relatively untalented team with many losing seasons ahead of them. Those people are right and wrong. The Raptors right now are pretty untalented. Their best player has been injured for most of this season and is a seven footer that barely rebounds, and struggles to defend (although he is improving). Other than Bargnani, Calderon, and Derozan the Raptors are a team full of role players. In terms of raw skill, they are the worst in the NBA (yes, worse than the Bobcats). But unlike the Bobcats the Raptors have found a way to get their players to work well together, and have a bright future ahead of them.

This year the Raptors have actually been a good team. With Bargnani the Raptors are 6-7, which if continued throughout the whole season would likely have gotten them a playoff birth. Bargnani's injury forced the Raptors to learn how to play without him though. They struggled at the start but have since figured out how to play without the big seven footer. In the last 16 games the Raptors are 6-10. During that span the Raptors have not lost by more then 7, and have lost in the last seconds to the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Spurs. They have been very close to winning every one of the last 10 losses.

They've had success with great passing, but mostly with great team defense. The Raptors coach, Dwane Casey, who was the genius behind the Mavericks' championship winning defense last year, has been an incredible coach. He's gotten this team from worst in the NBA in team defense to the middle of the pack in the defensive rankings. The more time Casey's had to coach these guys the better they've gotten. This whole season they've only given up more than 100 points 5 times. Last year at that point it had happened 23 times!! The only thing that must improve is the offense.

The Raptors are clearly missing a consistent scorer, a reliable center, and a solid wing player. The consistent scorer is already on the team roster, Andrea Bargnani, and though plagued by injuries he's shown huge improvements this season. The reliable center, Jonas Valanciunas, is tearing up the Lithuanian Leagues and getting ready to join the Raptors next year. The solid wing player will come out of next years draft. The Raptors will likely have a high pick in the draft, and this is a draft packed with small forwards. There are many options, including Perry Jones III, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, and Terrence Jones. In my opinion, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the most likely pick. If he was picked by the Raps this would become their 2012-13 starting lineup.

PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Demar Derozan
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF: Andrea Bargnani
C: Jonas Valanciunas
This offensive minded group will work perfectly with Dwane Casey's defensive ingeniousness, and as a result this team will be a force in the east for many years to come.

The Dwight Trade That Will See Nash in Toronto

Firstly I would like to say if you have a reason why this trade couldn't or wouldn't happen, please comment and tell me. The above is a trade that I think could, and should be done before the trade deadline. Most of the players involved in this trade have been involved in trade rumors and are unhappy in their current surroundings. This four team trade would really affect all these teams, but all in a good way. Each team is recieving 3 players, and each team is recieving players they need to be a contender in the future. This trade would work with the salary cap, and is a trade these teams should all consider to make them better. Here's how the trade would go down:

LA Lakers Receive: Dwight Howard (C) Andrea Bargnani (C/PF) Jamal Magloire (C)
LA Lakers Trade Away: Pau Gasol (PF) Andrew Bynum (C)

Analysis: This trade would instantly make the Lakers one of the main contenders in the West. Kobe's scoring ability matched with Howards inside presence and Bargnani's amazing shooting would be absolutely lethal. Howard and Bargnani would be an upgrade from Bynum and Gasol, which is mainly why the deal would be done. Also although the Lakers would not receive one of their main needs, a point guard, this trade would still make their team a lot better.

Orlando Magic Receive: Andrew Bynum (C) Jose Calderon (PG) Michael Redd (SG)
Orlando Magic Trade Away: Dwight Howard (C) Jameer Nelson (PG) J.J. Redick (SG)

Analysis: This deal is a dream come true for the Magic. They get an upgrade at the point guard spot going from Nelson to Calderon, and although they trade away the best center in the league they get the second best center in the league in return. The Magic would mainly do this deal because they know if they don't trade Dwight now he would most likely sign somewhere else during the summer and the Magic would get nothing in return.

Phoenix Suns Receive: Pau Gasol (PF) Jameer Nelson (PG) Justin Harper (C/PF)
Phoenix Suns Trade Away: Steve Nash (PG) Marcin Gortat (C) Michael Redd (SG)

Analysis: It's no secret that the Suns are looking to rebuild after this season. Pheonix has actually done pretty well this year, but it's all thanks to Steve Nash. Nash is getting old and there is currently no good option at backup point guard (Sebastian Telfair is not a good option) which is a large worry for the Suns. This trade would bring in a point guard who could be a solid player for many years to come, and also brings in Pau Gasol who could really thrive if given more touches then he currently gets with the Lakers.

Toronto Raptors Receive: Steve Nash (PG) Marcin Gortat (C) J.J. Redick (SG)
Toronto Raptors Trade Away: Andrea Bargnani (C/PF) Jose Calderon (PG) Jamal Magloire (C)


Analysis: The team that would be the most hesitant to pull the trigger on this trade would be the Raptors. They would be giving up their two best players, and receiving a 38 year old Nash as the main prize in return. I think this deal would be very smart for the Raptors though. This trade would turn the Raptors into a much younger and more skilled version of the current Suns, which could be a contender. Also Nash would be a perfect mentor for Jerryd Bayless, who is a great scorer just struggles at sharing the ball, and who would eventually turn into the Raptors starting point guard. This trade would turn the Raptors into an instant playoff team, and would give them a lot of hope for the future. Also Nash might want to be part of the Raptors to end his carer because he's from Canada, and because the Raptors have a good upcoming team.

New Starting Fives: In my opinion all these starting fives are improved from the current starting fives.

Orlando Magic:
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Jason Richardson
SF: Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Andrew Bynum

Los Angelas Lakers:
PG: Derrick Fisher
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Metta World Peace
PF: Andrea Bargnani
C: Dwight Howard

Phoenix Suns:
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Grant Hill
SF: Jared Dudley
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Channing Frye

Toronto Raptors:
PG: Steve Nash
SG: J.J. Redick
SF: Demar Derozan
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Marcin Gortat