I - Season Recap

To say that this past season was a wild roller coaster ride for this franchise would be an understatement. It was a season of extremes as they were either way up, or way down, with not much in between, and Raptors fan didn't know whether they should start ordering their tickets for the Eastern Conference final or preparing to watch their team in the draft lottery on TV. This Raptors team was supposed to be a top contender from the start of the season, but did not live up to those expectations. They went into the 2nd half of the season at 29-21, but then their superstar got injured and they tumbled into one of the worst months in franchise history. February was not kind to the Raptors as they went on a 13 game losing streak and eventually lost 17 of 18...and then just as unbelievably, with their playoff hopes all but dead, they rediscovered their heart and pride and rattled off 11 wins in their last 13 games to barely make the playoffs. A hard fought 5 game series loss to the Pistons ended their season.

II - Salaries and Contracts

    			      
Player           Date signed  	Years  	Total Salary  Contract ends 

Michael Bradley  7/24/01    	4    	$5,607,973    '05 (t option)
Chris Childs	 7/14/96    	6    	$24 million   '02
Keon Clark	 1/23/99    	4    	$5,839,483    '02
Dell Curry	 8/5/99    	3    	$6 million    '02
Derrick Dial	 3/28/02    	1    	minimum       '02
Jermaine Jackson 1/10/02    	1    	minimum       '02
Tracy Murray 	 7/15/96    	7       $17 million   '03
Mamadou N'diaye  7/17/00    	4     	$3,909,482    '04 (t option)
Hakeem Olajuwon  8/2/01    	3    	$17,082,693   '04
Morris Peterson  10/2/00    	4     	$4,543,959    '04 (t option)
Michael Stewart  8/10/99    	6    	$24 million   '04 (p option)
Eric Montross 	 8/26/94   	11    	$17 million   '05
Vince Carter 	 8/1/01  	6  	$85 million   '07 (p option)
Antonio Davis	 7/20/01    	5    	$60 million   '06
Alvin Williams	 7/20/01    	7    	$42 million   '06 (p option)
Jerome Williams  7/18/01    	7    	$40.8 million '07 (p & t opt)

Free agents

Restricted: Keon Clark, Derrick Dial, Jermaine Jackson

Unrestricted: Chris Childs, Dell Curry

III - Roster / Player Analysis

Michael Bradley F 6-9 227 Villanova '01
He spent most of the season riding the bench or on IR. Showed flashes of the skills that made him a 1st round pick, but looked lost on most nights that he played. Shoots and passes very well for a big man, but needs to add some bulk and learn to play a little more aggressively under the boards. With some confidence and game experience, he should develop nicely into a player that can contribute to this team for the next 10 years.

Vince Carter G/F 6-6 225 North Carolina '99
A franchise player that has the ability to carry this team on his back if he chooses to accept that responsibility. He is the best dunker in the league, although injuries during the past couple of seasons have taken their toll on him and he has lost some of his explosiveness in going to the basket. He is a superb offensive player and has worked hard to improve his shooting over the years, but he still needs to work on his defense and must answer his critics who say he doesn't have the heart to lead his team to the next level.

Chris Childs G 6-3 195 Boise State '89
He was a disappointment this year and only started to play to his potential late in the season as the Raptors went on their winning streak. A fearless defender with a decent shot, but he makes too many mistakes when he has the ball in his hands, leading to turnovers when the team can least afford it. Will likely not be re-signed as the Raptors look to draft a younger, cheaper replacement.

Keon Clark F/C 6-11 221 UNLV '98
Finally started showing off his considerable talent, but he needs to develop some consistency to become an All-star caliber player. Great shot blocker and explosive dunker, he often uses his incredibly long arms to make shots that need to be seen to be believed. He is a restricted free agent and the Raptors will likely make an attempt to re-sign him. If some other team throws an insane amount of money at him (unlikely), the Raps will probably let him go.

Dell Curry G/F 6-5 205 Virginia Tech '86
Great shooter coming to the end of his career. Has one of the sweetest looking and quickest long range shots in the league. His defense and passing is average at best as he is essentially a one-dimensional player. If he takes a pay cut and plays for the veterans' minimum, he could be back on this team next year, but the chances of that are slim at best.

Antonio Davis F/C 6-9 230 Texas-El Paso '90
Started off the season slowly as he tried to get accustomed to his new position on the floor, but really stepped up his game and became the leader of this team when Vince went down with an injury. A true warrior on the court, he'll give you solid defense, good rebounding and shot blocking, along with about 15 or 16 points a night. One of the top big men in the East.

Derrick Dial G 6-4 184 Eastern Michigan '98
An injury replacement for Vince, he has some decent shooting ability, but is a career bench warmer and will likely not make the team next year.

Jermaine Jackson G 6-5 204 Detroit Mercy '99
Like Dial, he is an 11th or 12th man at best, but will probably get a shot at making the team in training camp next year. He is a good team player that provides solid defense and can run the point for very short stretches of the game.

Eric Montross C 7-0 270 North Carolina '94
He has made himself into a serviceable backup center after being a first round bust for the Celtics almost a decade ago. Not very athletic, but he is big and will have a role as a backup that can provide about 5 - 10 solid minutes per game.

Tracy Murray F 6-7 228 UCLA '93
Long range bomber that can't do much else. Will come off the bench to provide some scoring when the team needs it most.

Mamadou N'diaye C 7-0 255 Auburn '00
Has shown some potential, but hasn't played enough to get a real sense of his ability to be as a player that can be counted on. A good athlete with some shot blocking ability, his role on this team will be similar to Montross, although N'Diaye has more of an upside so he might get more of an opportunity for playing time.

Hakeem Olajuwon C 7-0 255 Houston '84
In the twilight of his career, he no longer resembles the "Dream" of the mid-90s. Has to learn to accept a backup role, where he can take advantage of the less talented big men in the league. If Keon Clark isn't resigned, he could move back into his familiar starting role.

Morris Peterson F/G 6-7 218 Michigan State '00
He was a steal in the 2000 draft, and has shown he can be a big-time scorer in the NBA when he chooses to. Must develop more consistency, as he tends to score 25 points one night and then average 5 points per game for the week after that. He has improved his defense greatly since his rookie season and shows some aggressiveness in going to the basket. If he can learn to eliminate his disappearing acts during stretches of the season, he could develop into a very capable 2nd scoring option behind Vince.

Michael Stewart C 6-10 230 California '97
Was given a huge contract after his first year with the Raptors and has failed to live up to it ever since. He is a good team guy and a solid citizen, but Grunwald would love to get rid of him if he could.

Alvin Williams G 6-5 185 Villanova '97
His game slipped a little this year after he managed to establish himself as a "go-to" guy during the playoffs against the Knicks in 2001. His inconsistent season could be due to the fact that he had a variety of injuries (even though he played all 82 games), but he must show that he has the ability to run this team as a reliable PG. He is one of the best defensive players on the team, always hustles, and I expect him to re-assert himself as a solid contributor to this team in the upcoming season.

Jerome Williams F 6-9 206 Georgetown '96
A bundle of energy that provides the spark the Raptors need off the bench. He started a few games this year because of Mo Pete's inconsistency and Vince's injury, but he is better suited to coming off the bench. He is a great rebounder and defender, but he needs to work a little harder on his shooting touch.

IV - Coaching/Management

Lenny Wilkens had his head on the chopping block as the Raptors skidded to 13 losses in a row with no light at the end of the tunnel. Managed to save his job as his team went on an incredible winning streak to close out the season. He has 2 years remaining on his contract and will likely remain until the end of his contract unless this team goes through a complete meltdown again and starts the season at something like 5-15.

Glen Grunwald has become one of the brightest young GMs in the game and beat the odds last year by signing all of his free agents, including the franchise player that many thought would bolt from this team the first chance he got. He has shown the ability to make a big trade and redesign his team when required.

V - Previous draft picks

• 1995 Damon Stoudamire
• 1996 Marcus Camby
• 1997 Tracy McGrady
• 1998 Antawn Jamison - Traded to GS for Vince Carter
• 1999 Jonathan Bender - Traded to Indiana for Antonio Davis
  Aleksander Radojevic
• 2000 Morris Peterson
• 2001 Michael Bradley

VI - Team Needs

This team could use a young PG as an immediate replacement for Chris Childs and a possible future starter if Alvin Williams falters in that role. The team's biggest weakness is perimeter defense as players like Steve Francis and Allen Iverson consistently torch them for big games. A consistent 2nd scorer behind Vince Carter is also a need, but hopefully one of the players on the current roster (i.e. Mo Pete) can step into that role.

VII - My draft selection

Kareem Rush, SG, 6'6", Missouri

This pick is based on that old reliable "best player available" theory. I was a little disappointed and surprised to see that the 2 players I expected to be available at this spot weren't. My 1st choice would have been Jiri Welsh, followed by Dan Dickau. Rush is too good a player to slip much further than the 20th pick, and he does fill one of the needs of this Raptor team. He could immediately contribute as a valuable backup at SG or SF and provides instant offense with his long range shooting, something the Raps will need to replace with the likely departure of Dell Curry. Down the road he could eventually develop into a starter as the 2nd scoring option behind Vince. Rush's defense isn't very strong, but it is adequate and his overall game is much more polished than some of the unproven younger guys in this draft, which makes him a safe pick. His game is said to be similar to an "Allan Houston type" and while that isn't someone you would want to build your franchise around, it is certainly not a bad choice for a 20th pick. I doubt he will slip this far in the real draft and if he does it could come back to haunt some of the teams that passed on him in the middle of the first round.

IX - Other Players considered

Jiri Welsh - A steady mature player that can play both guard spots and would be an excellent choice as a 3rd guard to back up both Alvin Williams and Vince. Like most Europeans he can shoot the lights out and his court vision is said to be equally as good, allowing him to play PG when needed. His defense is considered good for a player from the Euro leagues, but it remains to be seen whether that will continue against quicker and more powerful NBA players. Has been compared to Brent Barry, who isn't a superstar, but a pretty decent complimentary player that has a good all-round game and adds a lot to his team.

Frank Williams - Another strong possibility. The Raptors have invited him to a couple of workouts and they seem to be impressed with him. He does address one of their immediate needs (strong perimeter defense) and would be an adequate replacement for the soon to be departing Chris Childs. He needs to work on his shooting and needs to overcome the flashes of inconsistency that plagued his junior year at Illinois.

Dan Dickau - Has been compared to both John Stockton and Steve Nash, but has yet to display the kind of playmaking ability of either of those players. More of a shooter than a playmaker, but a very good scorer at that. Shows an intensity and desire that seems to be a good sign if he is to become a team leader at some point in the future.

Bostjan Nachbar - Another sweet shooting European. It is probably wishful thinking to expect him to develop into a player like Stojakovic or Nowitzki, but he could develop into a decent role player and possible starter if he works on his D.

Chris Jefferies - Great athleticism and a suffocating defensive player. Has been compared to a young Scottie Pippen, but those are lofty expectations for him at this point in his career. If he works hard on his offensive game, he could become a real solid player in a few years and he might make some teams regret they passed on him in this draft. Could be a great complimentary player for Vince Carter if he lives up to anything close to those Pippen comparisons.

Tito Maddox - Erratic player with questionable character. Good scoring ability will ensure he gets drafted, but I would not take him ahead of any of the players previously mentioned above.

Juan Dixon - Great leadership (as shown in the NCAA tournament this year) and a clutch player, but his size will limit his effectiveness at the next level. Could develop into a very useful role player in the same mold as a Bobby Jackson or Tony Delk.

Sam Clancy - An underrated player with great character and leadership qualities, but a little undersized for a PF. Has a nice scoring touch for a man of his size, and if the Raptors had a pressing need for a PF I would seriously consider him, but he is not the right fit for this team at this particular time.