Today’s player analysis will focus upon the second piece the Toronto Raptors picked up in their deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, 2nd year guard Sonny Weems.  Coming into 2009-10, Sonny only had 12 games under his NBA belt. Yes, they were with the very good Denver Nuggets, but Weems was definitely not considered part of what made them really good. Luckily for Raptors fans, Sonny quickly became one of the best players to suit up in a Raptors uniform this season, and could be argued to be the biggest surprise in competition only with AJ15. Let’s take a look at Sonny’s numbers:

Sonny Weems – Guard – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 69 (+57)
Minutes Per Game: 19.8 (+15.2)
Points Per Game: 7.5 (+5.9)
Rebounds Per Game: 2.8 (+2.5)
Assists Per Game: 1.5 (+1.2)

Offense

On the offensive end, Sonny Weems quickly established himself as one of the most consistent mid-range shooters on the Toronto Raptors in 2009-10. Yes, a lot of his shots looked ill-advised and selfish but I at times felt a lot more comfortable with him taking them over the likes of either Jose Calderon or Hedo Turkoglu. In addition to shooting the ball well, Weems also displayed his incredible athleticism both in running the floor for fast break opportunities and being on the receiving end of numerous alley-oops.  Sonny already stated that he plans to work on his three-point shot in the off-season, hopefully he doesn’t fall in love with it, because his explosiveness and mid-range game were more than beneficial to the Raps.

Grade: B+

Defense

On the defensive side of the floor, Weems also became one of the more steady wing guards only behind Antoine Wright in his capabilities at the position. Weems is incredibly athletic and that’s what allowed him to stay in front of his man somewhat effectively, and helped his cause in getting inserted into the starting line-up for 19 games. Weems just needs to work a bit on his defensive fundamentals, and once he does that there is no reason he can’t be a big part of this team’s much needed defensive improvement.

Grade: B-

Highlight of the Season – Sonny Weems

Weems quickly established himself as a highlight factory in Toronto. But his best performance of the season came on March 31st when the Toronto Raptors took out the Los Angeles Clippers at the Air Canada Centre. Weems shot an astounding 8 of 8 from the field for a total of 17 points, which included a three-pointer which left the entire Raptors bench smiling after it went down. I look forward to what next year brings for this member of the young guns.

Contractual Status: Team option for 2010-11, no doubt will be exercised
2010-11 Earnings: $854,000 (+$118,000)

Today’s player analysis will focus upon another offseason acquisition for the Toronto Raptors, 5-year veteran Antoine Wright. Throughout his time in the association thus far, Antoine has been known for two distinct traits: (1) his ability to defend, (2) his inability to stay healthy. 2009-10 was of no exception to this, as Wright was thrust into the role as the Raptors only true lockdown defender on a defensively challenged team, and Antoine once again struggled to stay healthy for a full 82 game stretch. Let’s take a look at the year Antoine was able to put up:

Antoine Wright – Small Forward/ Shooting Guard – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 67 (+2)
Minutes Per Game: 20.8 (-2.1)
Points Per Game: 6.5 (-0.8)
Rebounds Per Game: 2.8 (+0.7)
Assists Per Game: 1.1 (-0.1)

Offense

Antoine has never been known to be much of a threat on the offensive end, but at times in the 2009-10 season Antoine seemed to try and change that. Whether it was an array of three balls or an attempt to create something aggressive on the interior, Wright always managed to get his fair share of looks when he was on the court, no matter who he was playing with at the time.  When the shots were falling, Antoine’s production was a blessing, but when they weren’t they often led to easy rebounds for the opposition which almost always led to a fast-break opportunity. Even though his point total went down from last year, I think Antoine made some positive strides in his offensive game this year but still requires a lot more work before he is considered any sort of a true threat.

Grade: C+

Defense

You do not need me to tell you, but I will anyways, the Toronto Raptors absolutely sucked at playing defense in 2009-10. Outside of Reggie Evans, and possibly Chris Bosh, Wright was the only guy on the Raptors roster coming into the campaign with a reputation with being able to keep his man in front of him. In 2009-10 Antoine did a relatively good job at doing that. Whether the Raptors were playing the New Jersey Nets or the Los Angeles Lakers, Antoine found himself matched up against the oppositions most prolific scorer in the 4th quarter. Even though he isn’t exactly Ron Artest, Antoine’s defensive effort in a Raptors system that seems to neglect the concept entirely was more than admirable.

Grade: B+

Highlight of the Season – Antoine Wright

Antoine’s best performance of the campaign undoubtedly came on February 20th at the Air Canada Centre against the Washington Wizards. Antoine was on fire from the field putting up 19 points, which included making all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. ‘Get up bird!’ I think re-signing Antoine will be a difficult thing for the Raptors to accomplish this off-season, but I would love to see him back.

Contractual Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2010-11 Earnings: To be determined

In a year filled with lack-luster inspiration and inconsistency, one of the few bright spots to emerge from Raptorland was power forward Amir Johnson -whom the Raptors acquired in a deal that sent Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic to the Milwaukee Bucks. Just turned 23 years old, 2009-10 was already Johnson’s 5th season in the association, with the first four being spent under the guidance of the always talented Detroit Pistons. Given the opportunity, Amir prospered making the most of it, and becoming the first Raptor big man off of the bench throughout the entire season for Jay Triano. Let’s take a look at the numbers AJ15 put up:

Amir Johnson – Power Forward – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 82 (+20)
Minutes Per Game: 17.7 (+3)
Points Per Game: 6.2 (+2.7)
Rebounds Per Game: 4.8 (+1.1)
Assists Per Game: 0.6 (+0.3)

Offense

Yes, Amir Johnson’s numbers are not huge, but they were definitely much more than any follower of the NBA expected from the big fella coming into the campaign.  Whether the Raptors were up 10 or down 20, they always seemed able to rely on the youngster to come in a give them a spark on the offensive end.  By the midway mark of the season Amir already became adored by the Raptors faithful for his willingness to run the floor, usually resulting in a thunderous alley-oop or at the very least solid post position. If Amir can fine-tune his jumper -without falling in love it -meaning that he continues to stay aggressive, he can really become a great big man in the NBA.

Grade: B+

Defense

Much like on the offensive end, Amir was also quite the workhorse on the defensive end for the Toronto Raptors. Despite being a reliable substitute for Bargnani or Bosh, Amir did face one nagging issue throughout the course of the season and that was his difficulty in staying out of foul trouble. You could see at times how much it pained Triano to have to take out his hardest worker simply because he picked up 3 fouls in just 7 minutes of action.  I do not expect this trend to continue throughout Johnson’s career, as he will both continue to fine-tune his defensive positioning while simultaneously gaining a greater respect with the officials.

Grade: B-

Highlight of the Season – Amir Johnson

Despite almost every game featuring something highlight worthy from Amir over the course of the 2009-10 campaign, the one evening that stuck out was his performance in the Raptors second last game of the season. Back at his former home in Auburn Hills, Johnson stuck it to his former putting up a career-high 26 points, which included going 6 for 7 from the free throw line, an area AJ struggled to find consistency. I expect the Raptors brass to make a more than diligent effort to get this guy back in Raptor red for the foreseeable future.

Contractual Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2010-11 Earnings: To be decided, but a definite raise is in order.

Today’s player analysis focuses upon the Toronto Raptors player called upon to enter the game only 11 times more than I was in 2009-10, seven-foot center Patrick O’Bryant. Despite it being his fourth official year in the Association, O’Bryant once again failed to establish any sort of a rotation role with the Raptors -much like with his previous employers, the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. Let’s take a look at POB’s limited stats:

Patrick O’Bryant – Center – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 11 (-28)
Minutes Per Game: 4.6 (-3.2)
Points Per Game: 1.7 (-1.4)
Rebounds Per Game: 1 (-0.9)
Assists Per Game: 0.1 (-0.1)

Offense

In the limited run O’Bryant picked up over the course of the season he was never really much of an option on the offensive end. The majority of his minutes would take place in ‘garbage’ time with the Raptors either up by 20+ or more often down by 20+ with 3 or 4 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter. In this time O’Bryant would rarely get a touch and when he would, would often settle for a perimeter jumper despite being 7 feet tall and playing against a bench-burner from the opposition. If he hopes to stay in the NBA -which I do not think he will -POB will need to learn to use his size to his advantage and consider bulking up a bit physically.

Grade: N/A (Student did not attend enough classes to receive a grade in the course LOL)

Defense

Once again the majority of O’Bryant’s work on the defensive end came in the minutes of contests that no fan or coach really cares about. Despite being a mammoth seven-feet tall and having the wingspan of a helicopter, O’Bryant really does not seem how to effectively use that size to his advantage. He will need to improve upon his rebounding and defensive presence once again if he hopes to ever suit up for another NBA club.

Grade:  N/A (Student did not attend enough classes to receive a grade in the course LOL)

Highlight of the Season

On March 1st, the Raptors got pounded by the Houston Rockets 116-92. Doesn’t sound like much of a highlight, unless you were Patrick O’Bryant who got to play in a season high 8:37 of this one, compiling 3 rebounds, 3 personal fouls, 2 turnovers, and an astonishing 2 points! I wish nothing but the best for Patrick going forward, but would be incredibly surprised if a saw any NBA club actually make an offer to him. I’d expect him to have much greater success playing overseas.

Contractual Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2010-11 Earnings: Unlimited gatorade and a bag of corn chips.

Today’s player analysis focuses upon the year put up by the savvy veteran Rasho Nesterovic. 2009-10 marked Rasho’s second stop in Toronto, as well as the first time since his rookie season that Rasho did not see action in at least 70 games – a 10 year span. Obviously slowed down by age, Rasho still stands as a valuable veteran asset to any club both on the court and in the practice facility. Let’s take a look at what Rasho managed to do in his limited use:

Rasho Nesterovic – Center – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 42 (-28)
Minutes Per Game: 9.8 (-7.5)
Points Per Game: 3.9 (-2.9)
Rebounds Per Game: 2.1 (-1.3)
Assists Per Game: 0.6 (-1)

Offense

Throughout his entire career, Rasho has been almost the same steady player on both sides of the floor. On the offensive end, he has limited explosiveness but often finds himself in the right place at the right time for a finesse lay-up.  Despite his size, Rasho is also relatively solid at making mid-range jumpers, something that he has definitely worked on more consistently as he has gotten older. Unfortunately, due to the presence of CB4 and Il Mago, in addition to the unexpected incredible development of Amir Johnson, Rasho saw limited time over the course of the season. Even though every single one of his numbers shrunk drastically I am going to show Rasho some love on the grading scale -primarily because whether he played the night before or sat for 10 straight, Rasho always came in and did what was expected of him.

Grade: B

Defense

Much like on the offensive end, Rasho has also been the same type of player on the defensive end throughout his entire career. He is a fundamentally sound big body that knows how to give a hard enough foul to ensure he rarely creates a three-point opportunity for the opposition. Yes, Rasho’s ability to rebound has dipped significantly, but he can still always be trusted to cover his role on the floor well -as you would expect from a 12 year veteran.  Once again, despite major dips and limited productivity on the stat sheet, I am going to show Rasho some more love.

Grade: B

Highlight of the Season – Rasho Nesterovic

Starting in place of an injured Chris Bosh, Rasho’s best performance came on February 19th in New Jersey against the lowly Nets. In the contest Rasho put up 16 for the Raptors, while pulling down 7 boards and adding in 4 assists. I cannot remember whether it was during this game or not, but Rasho also managed to throw down a ‘dunk’ at one point during the season, which brought the Raptors bench into a frenzy, as the savvy veteran is known to always prefer the lay-up rather then show his hidden thunderous power HAHA. Much like the Raptor I am going to be reviewing tomorrow -Patrick O’Bryant – I do not expect Rasho to be back with the Raps next year but appreciate the big fella’s service with the club and hope he gets signed to play a support role with a contender.

Contractual Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2010-11 Earnings: To be determined

Today’s player review will be focused upon the Raptors 9th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Entry Draft, ‘Heir Canada’ DeMar DeRozan. Coming into his rookie campaign the expectations were high for the youngster, and in a Raptors organization desperate for a swing-guard the opportunity was even greater. From opening night, DeMar found himself thrust into the starting line-up, a role he managed to hold onto for the greater portion of the season. Although receiving starters attention, DeMar struggled to find consistency at any point in the season, which can accredited to being the 5th option on the starting unit. Let’s take a look at DeMar’s numbers:

DeMar DeRozan – Shooting Guard – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 77
Minutes Per Game: 21.6
Points Per Game: 8.6
Rebounds Per Game: 2.9
Assists Per Game: 0.7

Offense

Despite not being very intimidating in stature, DeMar DeRozan showed that when he is aggressive he can get to the hoop with the best of them. Unfortunately, during his rookie campaign he did not show that aggression on a nightly basis, and often found himself lost in the offense.  As a result DeMar would force up jumpers when he did get a touch just to try and make his mark for the club. The most exciting facet of DeMar’s offensive game was those explosive moments where he either found an opening in the defense or found himself on the receiving end up on alley-oop. DeMar will need to show greater aggression as he develops, and will need to further work on his shot if he hopes to develop into the player he is capable of being.

Grade: B-

Defense

Often matched up against some of the league’s best, DeMar had a tough time over the course of the season being any sort of a force on the defensive end. As a result he rarely received fourth quarter opportunities in favor of either Antoine Wright or his good friend Sonny Weems. DeMar can undoubtedly keep up with even the league’s quickest offensive threats, he just still needs to develop some of the fundamental facets of defending if he hopes to play more meaningful defensive minutes throughout his career. I expect DeMar, as with almost every rookie, to grow tremendously from this season and be a much stronger force on the defensive side of the floor in 2010-11.

Grade: D+

Highlight of the Season – DeMar DeRozan

I hate to be cliche, but in 2009-10 Double D really did leave the best for last. The final game of the season was undoubtedly DeMar’s best in-game performance of the year. In the contest, DeMar tied for the Raptors lead in scoring with 24, most of which came off of thunderous slams while pulling down an impressive 9 boards against the New York Knicks. The performance could have been a message to the Raptors faithful of the promise DeMar holds for next season.  DeMar’s most impressive highlight not-game related had to be his appearance in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, which DeMar finished second to Nate Robinson in.

Contractual Status: Signed for 2010-11, with team options until 2013-14.
2010-11 Earnings: $2,453,000 (+$171,000)

Today’s player analysis will focus upon the Toronto Raptors primary point guard, numero ocho, Jose Calderon. The 2009-10 campaign was Jose’s fifth full season in the Association, and unfortunately for Jose and the Raptors it was one to forget. For the second year in a row, Calderon found himself sidelined by nagging injuries, that either kept him off the court or made him even more of a liability to keep on the court when he was available. Back in 07-08 it was Jose’s ability to blow to the bucket, and genuine love and intensity for the game of basketball that allowed him to steal the starting job from TJ Ford. In the 09-10 campaign it was similar qualities shown by Jarrett Jack, and a lack of those same characteristics from Jose -that allowed Jarrett to steal the spotlight Jose once called his own. Let’s take a look at Jose’s stats:

Jose Calderon – Point Guard – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 68 (0)
Minutes Per Game: 26.7 (-7.6)
Points Per Game: 10.3 (-2.5)
Rebounds Per Game: 2.1 (-0.8)
Assists Per Game: 5.9 (-3)

Offense

Jose’s offensive problems this season began when he first went to the charity stripe. For those of you who don’t remember Jose led the league in 2008-09 with an astounding 98.1% free throw percentage after making 151 of 154 attempts. On opening night, Jose missed his first and his offensive woes officially began.  All season long, Jose struggled to get by quicker defenders to get to the basket as he used to, and struggled even more to make his jumpers whether they were coming off of a screen or from three-point land. Jose also saw a decline in his passing ability. Yes, Jose still has incredible court vision, and can pass for an alley-oop with the best of them, but Jose simply failed to make as many connections over the course of this season as he has become accustomed to in the past. Calderon will need to improve his conditioning if he hopes to be an instrumental part of this Raptors club once again.

Grade: D-

Defense

If there was one thing that managed to make Jose’s offensive season look brilliant by comparison, it was his season on the defensive end. You will be hard pressed to find any member of the Raptors faithful who wouldn’t agree upon the fact that Jose Calderon was the Raptors greatest liability on the defensive end. Game after game, we witnessed the likes of Rajon Rondo, Mo Williams, Deron Williams and the rest of the leagues point guards exploit Calderon to the max. Their superior quickness, strength and court vision gave almost every opponent a distinct advantage at arguably the most critical position in the starting 5.  Jose was never known for being a defensive wiz, but he will need to regain his confidence while improving his conditioning if he hopes to avoid the bench the remainder of his career.

Grade: F

Highlight of the Season

Despite his struggles this season, Jose still stands as one of my favorite Raptors of all-time. That’s why it brings me great pleasure to speak about one of the great moments he did manage to put together during the season. Jose’s high point came in the last month of the season during an overtime win in Philadelphia against the resilient Sixers. In 33 minutes Jose put up a double-double recording 16 points and 10 assists, numbers that the Raptors expected nightly after signing him to that lengthy extension a little while back. Hopefully Jose can either regain his form in Toronto, or Colangelo can find a way to move him over the offseason to rid the team of his horrible contract.

Contractual Status: Signed through 2012-13
2010-11 Earnings: $9,000,000 (+$781,000)

Today’s player review will be focused upon the Toronto Raptors 1st overall pick in the 2006 entry draft, 7 foot center Andrea Bargnani. In his fourth full season in the league, Bargnani once again took several strides in developing every facet of his game on both ends of the floor. Although Bargnani is still quite a few steps away from being a part of the league’s elite, he truly is beginning to show that he can be an instrumental part of any organization. Let’s take a look at Il Mago’s stats over this past year:

Andrea Bargnani – Center/ Power Forward – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 80 (+2)
Minutes Per Game: 35 (+3.6)
Points Per Game: 17.2 (+1.8)
Rebounds Per Game: 6.2 (+0.9)
Assists Per Game: 1.2 (0)

Offense

Overall on the offensive end, Bargnani was undoubtedly the second best option for the Raptors behind only his fellow big man Chris Bosh. Unfortunately, much like in previous seasons, Andrea once again failed to show any true level of consistency during the 2009-10 campaign. Bargnani has become synonymous with putting together a string of 25 point games effortlessly only to go completely unnoticed for the next couple of contests. There is no doubt in Andrea’s ability to drain a shot from anywhere, but there is still a great concern over his offensive decisions – most prominently the choice between taking a shot or driving to the basket.  At 7 feet tall, Bargnani needs to develop a greater consistency in attacking the basket, not in his success rate, but in his willingness to even do so.

Grade: B

Defense

On the defensive end, Bargnani took quite a few instrumental strides during the 2009-10 campaign particularly in his ability to contain his fellow big men on the interior. There was nothing prettier to Raptor fans then seeing the Italian come up with an instrumental stop or contest at a pivotal point during the 4th quarter of a tight contest. Despite this improvement, one glaring area still desperately in need of work is Andrea’s presence on the glass. For a guy of his size, Andrea needs to be able to pull far more than 6 rebounds a game -especially if the Raptors enter next season in the post Chris Bosh era.  Bargnani is locked up with this club for quite some time, and a lot of the team’s pending success will depend on his development.

Grade: C

Highlight of the Season – Andrea Bargnani

My personal selection for the best Bargnani moment of the season came on January 17th when the Toronto Raptors took on the Dallas Mavericks at the ACC. In the contest, Bargnani only put up 22 points and pulled down 6 rebounds but fully outplayed the man he is most often compared to, Dirk Nowitzki. The most instrumental moment in this contest was one Bargnani put up a long distance three over Dirk and nailed it, finally showing some intense emotion -something he is often criticized for lacking. The Raptors won the game emphatically 110-88.

Contractual Status: Signed through the 2014-15 season.
2010-11 Earnings: $8,000,000 (+$1,473,000)

Today’s player analysis will focus upon the 2009-10 contributions of the Raptors franchise player Chris Bosh.  Bosh has been with the organization for seven years, each year better establishing himself as one of the most dominant power forwards currently playing in the NBA. 2009-10 was of no exception to that, as Bosh showed the magic a little extra effort in the gym over the off-season can do on the level of performance an athlete can display on the court. It’s Bosh’s steady improvement that will undoubtedly make him the 3rd most coveted player in this season’s free-agent class -behind only the likes of Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. Let’s take a look at Bosh’s output this past season:

Chris Bosh – Power Forward – 2009-10 Stats

Games Played: 70 (-7)
Minutes Per Game: 36.1 (-1.9)
Points Per Game: 24 (+1.3)
Rebounds Per Game: 10.8 (+0.8)
Assists Per Game: 2.4 (-0.1)

Offense

On the offensive end, Chris Bosh once again stood as the most consistent Raptor in both point productivity and rebounding.  It seemed that almost every night Bosh -as all-stars are expected to do -would find a way to put up 20 & 10, whether the match-up forced him to rely upon his jump shot or his ability to blow by defenders and get to the line. The most drastic improvement Bosh showed over the 2009-10 campaign was the confidence he developed in his jumper, which allowed him to much more effective when matched up against a more agile defender.  Bosh still has some work to do to be considered one of the most pre-dominant scorers in the game, but no one could have really asked for much more from the power forward this season.

Grade: A-

Defense

Much like on the offensive end, CB4 was also the Raptors most prominent player on the defensive end of the floor.  Unfortunately for the Raptors their overall showing on the defensive end as a club was pretty pathetic, showing the limited influence Bosh could have on his own. One thing Bosh managed to improve upon was not only his rebounding, but also his man-to-man defense against some of the bigger forces in the NBA including the likes of Dwight Howard. Bosh’s defensive capabilities are definitely more than adequate to be a strong part of a better run defensive system than Jay Triano and the Raptors displayed this season.

Grade: B

Highlight of the Season – Chris Bosh

On numerous occasions Chris Bosh easily put up 35-40 points, an output that many could have considered his highlight of the season. However, a vast majority of the time Bosh put up figures of that proportion it was because the rest of his team failed to support him in anyway. My personal highlight of the season for Bosh, came on March 17th, when Bosh managed to only put up 14 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Why this game? Well, because despite shooting horribly over the duration of the game, Bosh didn’t shy away from the opportunity to win the game for his club in the dying seconds, and he did just that. Bosh hit a jumper that elevated the Raptors to a 106-105 victory, at a point in the season where the Raptors desperately needed a W to show any life.

Contractual Status: Free agent after declining 2010-11 player option.
2010-11 Earnings: Expected to be league-maximum whether with Raptors or another club.