Boston sits on top of the offseason mountain, king of the hype machine. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen haven't joined third amigo Paul Pierce in the same uniform since the trade with Minnesota was announced, and yet there are many downright expecting them to represent the Eastern Conference next June.
Think of it as the ultimate summer facelift. You go in a Golden Girl and come out a Girl Next Door.
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| T.J. Ford and Chris Bosh give the Raptors a formidable duo to defend the division. (US Presswire) |
"Toronto is the favorite," Kidd said of last season's Atlantic winner. "Everybody forgets about them. If they can stay healthy, they'll be right there."
I must confess, I've forgotten about the Raptors once already. Annoyed T.O. fans angrily wrote in to point out that during an Eastern Conference finals column writing off the Pistons, I'd omitted their 47-win team as one of the squads on the rise.
My apologies, Canada.
You're absolutely right about being slighted, picked on and cast aside. In this case, the chip on your shoulder is merited. In fact, those who choose to feed the inferiority complex fix might opt to believe the savvy Kidd was just giving Toronto its just due simply to avoid fanning the likely rivalry with the Celtics.
Whatever the reason for his answer, expect it to be among the minority. The Raptors are still the youngest team among the Eastern Conference's true contenders, taking that baton from the not-so-baby Bulls.
Franchise player Chris Bosh is only 23 years-old, point guards T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon are still learning the intricacies of running a team at this level, and veteran leader Morris Peterson landed in New Orleans in the offseason, ending the association with the only franchise he had ever known.
While the Raptors look for where their leadership is going to come from, the Nets know they will be getting theirs from Kidd and Boston has no shortage of veterans to steer the ship. Then again, every team dynamic is different, so that shouldn't be a reason to write off the Raptors.
Bosh may be ready. He's been the team's best player since Vince Carter left town and has steadily come out of his shell, accepting more responsibility each year, from go-to guy on the floor to spokesman off it. By re-signing to be Bryan Colangelo's franchise player last offseason, he committed to being the leader. It might have been nice to have been around the U.S. National Team another summer to soak up knowledge from the likes of Kobe Bryant and Kidd himself, but he might wind up better off resting his left foot, which will hopefully alleviate the chronic plantar fascitis he played through last season.
On the contrary, the international experience being gained by Italy' Andrea Bargnani, Slovenia's Rasho Nesterovic and Spain's Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa at the ongoing European Championships is invaluable. It's a playoff atmosphere for these guys right now, with the second group phase of the competition beginning this weekend. Clutch situations that these guys are going to be put in can't be duplicated in practice, so as long as everyone stays healthy, only positives can come out of this for the Raptors, particularly as far as Bargnani is concerned.
The No. 1 pick of the 2006 draft had a strong rookie year, but was rarely put in the positions reigning Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell plans on putting him in this season. He'll start, be the focal point at times, and must learn to play solid defense while avoiding foul trouble. Team Italia is relying on him to do all those things, giving him a great jump on fulfilling the increased expectations.
