I'm going to go with a breakout year for Chris Humphries. If Garbo plays at the 3, then Hump is our 4th big-man in the rotation. Throw in the inevitable injury or two, and Hump is likely to get decent minutes.

Most people (myself included) see interior toughness and rebounding as our biggests weakness. Hump will get a good chance to show he can address those needs. He's still a very young guy, so a big year-to-year jumps is plausable.

The x-factor of the whole franchise is Bargnani.

you mean kris right?

anyways, our x-factor will be Parker. If he plays well, with TJ, Bosh, and Bargs, we could have a playoff team that is going to go deep.

great thread.

id pick joey graham. with the raps starting a rebounding challenged big in bargnani, on his good nights he's exactly what they need at the 3. he doesn't need a lot of touches to be effective, and he gets most of his touches by crashing the boards, can hit open 3's and play tough D. he's strong and also young. there were nights last year (flew into toronto from winnipeg to watch the chicago game at the ACC) where Joey looked like the best player on the court. if he can be consistent he can be very marion-esque.

I mean Kris. You see, I've already learned to spell his name correctly.. things are looking up for him.

the gatorade x factor is a bench player who could have a better-than-expected impact on a game, so i didnt qualify AP because he's a lock to start. I'm not sure on Barg's place on the depth chart, so i didnt go with him either. i guess you could argue the uncertainty surrounding Barg's role legitimizes his x-factorness.

I agree with the good Doctor, that you cant have starters considered an X-Factor....ummm...so let me see.....

Joey- When he gets hot, it's more of a welcome surprise and doesnt often change the game.

Kapono- Prob gonna be the 6th man this year, so X-Factor may not apply. I expect him to be consistantly hot off the bench.

Hump - Yep, he's my guy. He can come in and start cleaning glass and throw down some putbacks. PLEASE stop running plays for him! It takes his mind off his task.

Gatorade X Factor is TJ FORD.

He's got to step up and earn his $8Mil per year and can't get outplayed by Jose Calderon. He has to prove to BC that he is the who shouldn't be traded at the deadline as opposed to Jose Calderon (same initials as Jesus Christ)...

Anthoney Parker Allstar Potential if he starts to slash more!

Gatorade X Factor is TJ FORD.

He's got to step up and earn his $8Mil per year and can't get outplayed by Jose Calderon. He has to prove to BC that he is the who shouldn't be traded at the deadline as opposed to Jose Calderon (same initials as Jesus Christ)...

Dell11 - agree Ford is the factor this year but lets not discount his contribution last year - he wasn't completely outplayed by Jose, he more than held his own last year. I think we are more critical of TJ because nobody thought Jose could get that good that fast. Hey thats a huge positive for us and personally I hope we continue to debate the TJ/Jise situation for years because it means our point is covered. I expect coach of the year Sam to experiment more with both on the floor.
That being said TJ had his rough moments last year where he was totally out of sync with the team. Trying to do too much by himself, not passing to wide open man - we all seen them moments. That being said Ford has a huge upside and once he gets fully comfortable with all his teammates, and more mature we are looking at a futur all star. His determination can't be questioned. For the Raptors to take it to that next level, TJ has got to keep improoving - and I expect him to. Thtas Sam's job and he's the right coach for this team.
Even if the Raptors get better this year as a unit, matching lasts year's win total is not a gimme. The East and particularly the Atlantic has improoved. Knicks and Celtics did it via trades, Jersey is healthier and might have a sleeper from the draft inSean Williams. That being said I believe the biggest key to the Atlantic will be the experience of the Raptors core. Ford, Bosh and AB are only getting better. Parker, Garbarosa, and Jose have more NBA experience under their belts. Quiet additions of Delfino, Kapono, the guy from Greece(sorry)as well as the guys signed last few days offset the loss of MoP easily. BC has once again had a good offseason - the bigname talent available this year is not worth the price or potential headache.

I'd have to go with Kris on this one. He's got a lot of qualities other raptors lack with his toughness and energy. I think he'll be the backup centre of the future on this team, and I think everyone's just waiting out Rasho's contract.

I also wouldn't discount Maceo Baston. Just because he was buried last year doesn't mean anything. He was playing behind JO, and for a very tough coach to play for in Carlisle. I think with the familiarity he has with the raptors style of play (from his European experience), he could dramatically improve this year. If he averages 10 min/game, that'll be huge for this team.

My vote has to go to Joey Graham. In a heartbeat, he could solve much of the needed issues the Raps sorely lack - athleticism, defense, toughness. Last summer as well as during the Kapono introduction, BC spoke of Graham's need to step up. Can he finally turn the corner and be a steady force?

Moon (if makes roster) or Baston (if Pacers don't match)

Delfino....

Smitch.

Now that the whole league knows our style and we aren't a surprise to teams anymore, does our esteemed coach adjust and adapt??? To me this is the most important factor in our success next season, even if it hasn't been discussed much.

kaponoooooooo

Anyone notice that the Swirsk posted his XFactor(Delfino) his next post after this blog was posted = calling you out Chuck - whats your handle?

can you imagine the carnage if chuck posted on here?