What’s Wrong with the Raptors?

Coming into the 2008-2009 NBA season many people had the Raptors being a force to be reckoned with in the East.  They had traded locker room disruption TJ Ford and had acquired Jermaine O’Neal a former All-Star.  Even with the questions of O’Neal’s health people still assumed that with Bosh, Calderon and now O’neal that the Raptors would challenge for top spot in the East.

Now two months into the season the Raptors are 16-28 having lost their last seven in a row.  They have fired Sam Mitchell, a man who only two years earlier had won Coach of the Year, and have replaced him with untested Jay Triano.  Jose Calderon and Jermaine O’Neal have both been injured and trade rumors are swirling that anyone could be traded at any moment.  All of these things have compounded into a negative attitude in Toronto that has the fans upset and superstar Chris Bosh looking unhappy.

Something has to change in Toronto if the Raptors want to save their season.  But this far into the season and looking at the Eastern conference one is forced to wonder if GM Brian Colangelo actually wants to improve this current squad or if would be better served to “blow it up” and start all over.

As it stands now the Raptors don’t have many options as the players and compensation they would receive on players such as Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono would not be worth their true value.  There has been talk of the Raptors trading O’Neal straight up to the Heat for Shawn Marion but do the Raps really need a self-centered player who isn’t nearly as good as he believes he is? 

For now it seems that all the Raptors can do is try and dump some of their contracts and attempt to sign some free agents in the off-season and use draft picks to rebuild because what they have now clearly isn’t working.  The only real problem is that if you decide to blow up the team that would mean Bosh would have to go which would hurt the franchise deeply as he is the cornerstone.  What they can’t allow to happen is another Vince Carter situation where they are forced to deal their best player and get nothing in return.

Maybe if the Raptors can get healthy and get their full team out there they may be able to compete.  However seeing as they are 3^rd last in the Eastern Conference maybe they should just sit it out and hope for another 1^st overall draft pick.  God knows the Thunder don’t need another one.