Toronto Raptors Preview For 2008-2009 Season
It's been a month now since Hats Hoodies Kicks started. Since then, a new member has been added to the team. Hats Hoodies Kicks currently has 2 members: Jumz & Marko. If anyone has good enough ideas and wants to hop on the team, talk to me and we'll see what we can do. Anyways, we've decided to give you guys a little preview of the Toronto Raptors and some of our opinions.
To start off, we're going to talk about each player individually and our prediction on how they're going to do.
Chris Bosh
Last year, Chris dropped 22.3 ppg and 8.7 rebounds. I don't think his numbers are going to be too far from that. With the help of Jose Calderon looking for him each time down the floor and his next big man Jermaine O'neal, he's going to perform another all-star year. Also, with his Olympic gold medal experience, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Jermaine O'neal
Aside from his bad luck with injuries, I see a great comeback for Jermaine O'neal. Sources say that doctors and trainers from the Raptors say he's healthy and ready to go. Also, the chemistry between Chris Bosh and him seem to be really good, which will help them on the court. He also said that he knows it's Chris Bosh's team and he doesn't care about his numbers because he just wants to help win.
Jose Calderon
In the previous year, Jose Calderon dropped 11.2 ppg and 8.3 apg. I think his stats are going to improve a bit since he has so many options on the floor. He also had Olympic experience winning silver in Beijing, which could help during the season. Jose Calderon could possibly be part of a big 3 with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'neal.
Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani has been consistently letting me down. Every year I say to myself that this is Bargnani's year and he's going to kill it. Why stop now? I think he's going to have a break out year! Rumours say that he may be moved to the 3 spot. If so, he's going to drop more points from behind the arch and his FG% is going to improve. I still think he can beat some big men off the dribble and do work on the rim.
Jamario Moon
JAMARIO!! I love the guy, but I still feel like he can improve. His FG% isn't that bad, but he can be more consistent with his shot. Also, I think he needs to work on his handles. The man can jump! If he beats guys off the dribble, he can do some serious work on the rim. Jamario's defence is amazing and I think he's going to get a lot of blocks, alter shots, and hold down some guys that Jason Kapono or Anthony Parker can't handle.
Anthony Parker
I think that Anthony Parker is a reliable guy that Jose Calderon can look out for and Chris Bosh to kick out to. I always believed in his shot and he has handles to break down some mans. His defense is pretty good too, especially against some guys like Vince Carter or any big name. If the guy he's defending is too big or posting him down, Jamario Moon can switch and help.
Jason Kapono
His numbers last year aren't too pretty, but I see him having a bigger role this year. Since the addition of Jermaine O'neal, the Raptors should be expecting a lot of doubles in the paint. Jason Kapono is a reliable guy they can kick it out to. Also, last year he's proven to have good defense in crunch time. And since Carlos Delfino signed to a team in Russia, expect Jason Kapono to get more minutes. I don't know if Marko agrees with me, but I think he's going to do some serious work at the 3-point competition again this season.
Joey Graham & Kris Humphries
Joey G and Hump!! A lot of people I know aren't too big of fans of these two, but I like them coming off the bench as bangers. These two guys can grab some boards and get to the line. I expect them to be banging around in the paint for some rebounds and playing good defence.
Will Solomon
Truthfully, I don't know too much about this guy. All I know is that he played 62 games with the Memphis Grizzlies and also played with Anthony Parker for Maccabi in Europe. He still has to learn the ropes of the league and be a key guy off the bench. He's probably getting some help from Anthony Parker to cope with the move to Toronto.
Roko Ukic
I believe Roko Ukic was drafted by Toronto Raptors in 2005. He then went to play in Europe for TAU and Barcelona. Sources say that he could be a good go-to-guy because of his offensive state of mind. He can score and he can assist some points. I'm excited to see what this guy has in store for my team, Toronto Raptors.
Jamal Sampson
He just signed with the Raptors this week. Sampson hasn't played in the NBA since the 2006/2007 season. He's going to have to fight for a spot on the roster, but I believe he's been training with them so far. We'll see what he can do with his 6'11" height and 235 lbs. physique.
Hassan Adams
I'm not really expecting good numbers from Adams this season. When Coach Mitchell calls for him, he should be able to provide some quality minutes.
Toronto Raptors 2008-2009 Season: I have noticed the Toronto fans in general set the bar too high for their sports teams. They expect too much from their teams and by the end of the season they are disappointed with how things turn out. Here, I will be giving my preview/opinion of the Toronto Raptors for the 2008-2009 season. First off, we start with the big acquisition from the Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O’Neal. There’s still no doubt in my mind that O’Neal is an all-star, 6 time NBA all-star and ALL-NBA team 3 times, come on man, man is still a star. The problem that many people are wondering including me is O’Neal’s health, particularly his knee. 2005-2006 NBA season Jermaine only played 51 games while in the 2006-2007 NBA season he missed 13 games due to knee problems as the Pacers missed the playoffs altogether. I’ve read interviews from Jermaine stating that his knee is 100% and it’s ready to go and I god damn hope so. If not, another trade that will be considered a “bust”. The word “if” is used by many people. It allows people to make predictions that won’t come back and bite them. So here goes my prediction “If” Jermaine O’Neal stays healthy (including the whole team) but more so O’Neal and “if” Andrea Bargnani starts playing like a number 1 draft pick I think the Toronto Raptors can be a top 3 team in the eastern conference, but remember people the word “if”. Another player I am looking to step up is Jose Calderon, who last year was back up to T.J Ford which started a controversy on who should start. With Jose starting this season, I believe he can be a great point guard in the NBA if he can keep his assist-to-turnover ratio down and is injury free. I really don’t like to predict how the Raptors will finish record wise, but this time I will. I’m going to say 51-31(hopefully they do better *knocks on wood*). Now let’s look at the last 2 seasons. In 06-07 the Toronto Raptors made the playoffs with a season record of 47-35 and were eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Nets. In the 07-08 Season, again the Raptors made the playoffs with a season record of 41-41, but again lost in the first round, but this time to the Orlando Magic. So back to back seasons the Raptors get eliminated in the first round. I know all Raptors fans all over the world want them to make it past the first round of the playoffs and I think the raptors will do that, but will end up losing in the eastern conference semi-finals putting up a fight losing 4-2/4-3. Remember people, the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and even the Cleveland Cavaliers are still tough opposition. Now I’m just counting down the days until the NBA regular season starts...
by JUMZ & MARKO
To start off, we're going to talk about each player individually and our prediction on how they're going to do.
Chris Bosh
Last year, Chris dropped 22.3 ppg and 8.7 rebounds. I don't think his numbers are going to be too far from that. With the help of Jose Calderon looking for him each time down the floor and his next big man Jermaine O'neal, he's going to perform another all-star year. Also, with his Olympic gold medal experience, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Jermaine O'neal
Aside from his bad luck with injuries, I see a great comeback for Jermaine O'neal. Sources say that doctors and trainers from the Raptors say he's healthy and ready to go. Also, the chemistry between Chris Bosh and him seem to be really good, which will help them on the court. He also said that he knows it's Chris Bosh's team and he doesn't care about his numbers because he just wants to help win.
Jose Calderon
In the previous year, Jose Calderon dropped 11.2 ppg and 8.3 apg. I think his stats are going to improve a bit since he has so many options on the floor. He also had Olympic experience winning silver in Beijing, which could help during the season. Jose Calderon could possibly be part of a big 3 with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'neal.
Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani has been consistently letting me down. Every year I say to myself that this is Bargnani's year and he's going to kill it. Why stop now? I think he's going to have a break out year! Rumours say that he may be moved to the 3 spot. If so, he's going to drop more points from behind the arch and his FG% is going to improve. I still think he can beat some big men off the dribble and do work on the rim.
Jamario Moon
JAMARIO!! I love the guy, but I still feel like he can improve. His FG% isn't that bad, but he can be more consistent with his shot. Also, I think he needs to work on his handles. The man can jump! If he beats guys off the dribble, he can do some serious work on the rim. Jamario's defence is amazing and I think he's going to get a lot of blocks, alter shots, and hold down some guys that Jason Kapono or Anthony Parker can't handle.
Anthony Parker
I think that Anthony Parker is a reliable guy that Jose Calderon can look out for and Chris Bosh to kick out to. I always believed in his shot and he has handles to break down some mans. His defense is pretty good too, especially against some guys like Vince Carter or any big name. If the guy he's defending is too big or posting him down, Jamario Moon can switch and help.
Jason Kapono
His numbers last year aren't too pretty, but I see him having a bigger role this year. Since the addition of Jermaine O'neal, the Raptors should be expecting a lot of doubles in the paint. Jason Kapono is a reliable guy they can kick it out to. Also, last year he's proven to have good defense in crunch time. And since Carlos Delfino signed to a team in Russia, expect Jason Kapono to get more minutes. I don't know if Marko agrees with me, but I think he's going to do some serious work at the 3-point competition again this season.
Joey Graham & Kris Humphries
Joey G and Hump!! A lot of people I know aren't too big of fans of these two, but I like them coming off the bench as bangers. These two guys can grab some boards and get to the line. I expect them to be banging around in the paint for some rebounds and playing good defence.
Will Solomon
Truthfully, I don't know too much about this guy. All I know is that he played 62 games with the Memphis Grizzlies and also played with Anthony Parker for Maccabi in Europe. He still has to learn the ropes of the league and be a key guy off the bench. He's probably getting some help from Anthony Parker to cope with the move to Toronto.
Roko Ukic
I believe Roko Ukic was drafted by Toronto Raptors in 2005. He then went to play in Europe for TAU and Barcelona. Sources say that he could be a good go-to-guy because of his offensive state of mind. He can score and he can assist some points. I'm excited to see what this guy has in store for my team, Toronto Raptors.
Jamal Sampson
He just signed with the Raptors this week. Sampson hasn't played in the NBA since the 2006/2007 season. He's going to have to fight for a spot on the roster, but I believe he's been training with them so far. We'll see what he can do with his 6'11" height and 235 lbs. physique.
Hassan Adams
I'm not really expecting good numbers from Adams this season. When Coach Mitchell calls for him, he should be able to provide some quality minutes.
Toronto Raptors 2008-2009 Season: I have noticed the Toronto fans in general set the bar too high for their sports teams. They expect too much from their teams and by the end of the season they are disappointed with how things turn out. Here, I will be giving my preview/opinion of the Toronto Raptors for the 2008-2009 season. First off, we start with the big acquisition from the Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O’Neal. There’s still no doubt in my mind that O’Neal is an all-star, 6 time NBA all-star and ALL-NBA team 3 times, come on man, man is still a star. The problem that many people are wondering including me is O’Neal’s health, particularly his knee. 2005-2006 NBA season Jermaine only played 51 games while in the 2006-2007 NBA season he missed 13 games due to knee problems as the Pacers missed the playoffs altogether. I’ve read interviews from Jermaine stating that his knee is 100% and it’s ready to go and I god damn hope so. If not, another trade that will be considered a “bust”. The word “if” is used by many people. It allows people to make predictions that won’t come back and bite them. So here goes my prediction “If” Jermaine O’Neal stays healthy (including the whole team) but more so O’Neal and “if” Andrea Bargnani starts playing like a number 1 draft pick I think the Toronto Raptors can be a top 3 team in the eastern conference, but remember people the word “if”. Another player I am looking to step up is Jose Calderon, who last year was back up to T.J Ford which started a controversy on who should start. With Jose starting this season, I believe he can be a great point guard in the NBA if he can keep his assist-to-turnover ratio down and is injury free. I really don’t like to predict how the Raptors will finish record wise, but this time I will. I’m going to say 51-31(hopefully they do better *knocks on wood*). Now let’s look at the last 2 seasons. In 06-07 the Toronto Raptors made the playoffs with a season record of 47-35 and were eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Nets. In the 07-08 Season, again the Raptors made the playoffs with a season record of 41-41, but again lost in the first round, but this time to the Orlando Magic. So back to back seasons the Raptors get eliminated in the first round. I know all Raptors fans all over the world want them to make it past the first round of the playoffs and I think the raptors will do that, but will end up losing in the eastern conference semi-finals putting up a fight losing 4-2/4-3. Remember people, the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and even the Cleveland Cavaliers are still tough opposition. Now I’m just counting down the days until the NBA regular season starts...
by JUMZ & MARKO
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on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 21:40.
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