(The following interview took place during the first round of the playoffs and is presented here without editing.)

1.) Most of us in the States don't get the opportunity to see a lot of the Raptors but they are clearly building a much better team. They gave the Magic all they wanted despite losing their opening round playoff series. Let's start with your crystal ball. What seed do you really believe the Raptors can achieve next season?


The main core of this Raptors team has been together now for 2 seasons, and it has really given them the chance to gel and work hard to develop each others' games as well as their own. I honestly believe that their experience together as a team will get them into the playoffs even if no changes are made in the offseason. I believe they will again be seeded anywhere from 4 - 6 in the Eastern Conference, with a legitimate chance to make it into the second round.





2.) Chris Bosh is often referred to as a top 10 player in the league and from what we've seen he's the real deal. Still it seems he's often hurt or playing with nagging injuries. What can he do to stop this?


As a Raptors fan, I obviously have a bias towards Chris Bosh, and so, to call him a top 10 player in the league would be an accurate statement. I think in order for Bosh to stay healthy and avoid the nagging injuries, it's not so much something that he can do alone, but will need the help and guidance of the teams trainers. They'll have to teach him to understand the limitations of his body, and take calculated risks. With the Olympics coming up this summer, Bosh should easily be a candidate to be in the starting line-up for the US squad, but it's these type of decisions that must be thoroughly thought out. If he feels like he could benefit from sitting them out, he should rest.





3.) You have a point guard controversy it seems in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. How do you see this coming out?

There is definitely a controversy, and most observers would agree that it is being casued more by T.J. Ford, not Jose Calderon. T.J. was originally brought in to be the starting point guard, because based on Jose's rookie season (and Mike James bolting to the Rockets), it seemed obvious that this was a major weakness for the Raptors. Nobody would have been able to predict the huge turnaround that Jose had in his second season backing up T.J., I know I didn't see that coming. When T.J. went down for an extended period of time with his injury this season, Jose stepped up and established himself as the top man at the point, and during that stretch was easily one of the top point guards in the league. When T.J. came back, it appeared that the Raptors were going to keep Jose as the starter. Unfortunately, that did not seem to sit well with T.J. and his productivity really dropped off. This is where Jose stepped in and requested letting T.J. return to the starting line-up and possibly get him going again.

Now, after all that, the way I see this coming out is an inevitable trade of T.J. Ford, likely for some kind of packaged deal that would include a big man, plus an adequate point guard to back up Jose Calderon. Calderon is a restricted free agent this summer, but all indications are that the Raptors will match (and/or exceed) any offers made by any other teams to keep him.

I realize this is a very long-winded answer, but I feel that understanding the situation from the beginning helps in making a decision for the future.

4.) Just looking at the center situation with the Raptors it would seem this would be an area that needs to be upgraded to contend for the East seriously? Agree or disagree and why?

I totally agree. It has been one of my complaints since early on in the season. When looking at the rebounding numbers, especially in losses, there were usually huge margins of difference between the Raptors and their opponents. To me, that indicates the lack of a true inside presence at center. Rasho Nesterovic provided decent minutes at center, but I believe he is better suited coming off the bench, and Andrea Bargnani is more effective as a power forward (again, off the bench). The Raptors would probably have to dip into the free-agent pool and try to find someone who can step in as the top center. I've always believed that if they had a center who could command a lot off attention, and force other teams to double-team him, that would open things up for the perimeter shooters and allow them more open shots, making them even more dangerous and making the difference in close games. It would also take a lot of the burden off Chris Bosh's shoulders knowing that he won't have to always be the first option when grabbing rebounds.


5.) Another position we don't hear much about on the Raptors is the small forward spot. Jamario Moon averages about 8.5 ppg and 6.2 rebounds but what caught our notice is he shoots over 48%. Is this a place more offense should be exploited?

Jamario seemed very hesitant at times this season when it came to his offense. He got too worried about trying to make the right decision, and it usually resulted in a missed opportunity; like a missed shot, or passed up open shot. Obviously, he is a very effective shooter, with a decent mid-to-long range shot, explosive around the basket, and now has a season of experiece under his belt. Hopefully he has learned what he is capable of and realizes that he can be even more effective. So, the offense here can definitely be exploited even more, and I believe it is Jamario Moon who can do that by actually being more selfish when the time permits.


6.) Anthony Parker seems to be your guy at shooting guard and shoots a good percentage however this is a glamour position and at 12.5 ppg seems a little low for a shooting guard. Jason Kapono was your free agent signing who was supposed to be your outside threat. Tell us about your situation on the Raptors with point guard?

I think Anthony Parker's performance was dependent upon who his point guard was. When T.J. Ford was at the point, he held on to the ball a lot longer, and didn't really utilize his teammates enough, including Parker. Jose Calderon did a much better job as a distributor, and Parker was one of the players who really benefitted from it. I don't believe the shooting guard really has to be the first or second scoring option, I believe it should be a reliable player who can consistently put up points, or make the small plays necessary that lead to a win. There was a lot of hype about about Jason Kapono's 3-point shooting ability, and with good reason. But Parker has also been one of the best outside shooters in the league the last 2 seasons as well. Jason Kapono as a starter did not appear to work out the greatest, but when he was moved to the bench, it made for a solid situation with Parker starting, and Kapono backing up, not giving the opponents a chance to take a break.

7.) Speaking of free agent signings how are the Raptors situated with the salary cap? Should we expect an important signing in the off season? Is it easier or harder to sign people with the difference in USA and Canadian dollars?


This season, the Raptors were paying their players about $62 million in total, which put them in the luxury tax situation. We'll still see them in the same type of situation next season as well after all the dealings are done. Jose Calderon will probably be making a similar salary that T.J. Ford is (about $8 million) when the papers are signed. They may have to sign a big-man in the off-season which would not be cheap. Players would have to be unloaded, so we would probably see T.J. Ford ($8 million) being the main person gone, but probably see the likes of Jorge Garbajosa ($4.5 million), Carlos Delfino ($2.7 million), or Joey Graham ($2.5 million) offered up as well. Potentially freeing up to about $18 million. The Raptors pay their players in USA dollars, so when it comes to the accounting, there's no coversion that has to be done. I do believe this is a mandate of the NBA as well, just using one currency for all transactions. The biggest hurdle in trying to lure free-agents to Toronto is mostly with players themselves and some stereotypes that they may have (thinking back to Kenny Anderson and Steve Francis) about playing in Canada.

8.) Because Canada has only one NBA team do Canadians get much NBA on TV other than the Raptors? We're told Hockey is number one in Canada. Where does the NBA rank in Canadian sports? The Raptors are in Toronto. Is their fan base only in Toronto or country wide?

I don't know about the rest of Canada, but here in Toronto we do get the opportunity to watch a lot of the Raptors on TV. There is actually a channel called "Raptors TV" which will broadcast any games that aren't being shown anywhere else, plus they'll cover other games as well, usually a simulcast with TNT or ESPN. If one of the sports networks does show a game, it usually gets broadcast nationally. The Phoenix Suns tend to get a bit of coverage as well (since they have Steve Nash), so we could probably call them Canada's "other" basketball team...

Canadian media in general is very hockey-centric. Even the "sports" media as well. "Sports" in this case means everything related to hockey first, then a few quick highlights of any others that may have been played. It can get annoying when you want to see the results of a basketball game, or baseball, or whatever, but have to wait after about 30 minutes of hockey news to see 30 seconds of highlights, then a score.

The NBA is probably is probably 4th in Canadian sports. Number 1 is the NHL, way ahead of the rest, number 2 is the NFL (even though there are no Canadian teams, they still get a lot of coverage), number 3 the CFL (Canadian Football League), then the NBA.

The great thing about Toronto Fans in general, is that they are everywhere. There is a sense of national pride among basketball fans with the Raptors as the only Canadian team. Also, with their European players, they get a lot of attention in places like Italy , Israel, and Spain as well.


9.) What is the general feeling about the Coach, GM and Ownership of the Raptors?

Coach: Sam Mitchell - A very energetic coach that appears to get the attention of his players and makes them want to win for him. He has made some questionable decisions during the course of the season, but the same case can be made for every other coach as well. He should be the coach for a long time to come, he has a great sense for the game and should hopefully be able to utilize his players to the best of their abilities.

GM: Bryan Colangelo - When Raptors fans found out he had been hired to be their GM and President, there was a huge sense of excitement. After many seasons of being pretty much the joke of the league, they instantly became legit. He's made some great personnel moves, and has helped turn the Raptors into a playoff contender. He won't be afraid to make a big move in order to improve the team. Raptors fans love the guy. He's also effectively managed to kick out the ownership group from the team, so he can be the one making the decisions.

Ownership: Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) - This is a very touchy issue with Toronto sports fans. This group also owns the Toronto FC (soccer), Toronto Marlies (AHL), and of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL). The majority owner within this group is called the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, who do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at all with running things. They just sit back and watch the money come in from the Maple Leafs (the Leafs are easily one of the richest sports franchises in the world) and don't seem to really care if the other franchises they own get run into the ground. They allow some really imcompetent people to run the teams, who have made terrible decisions and the teams have suffered for them. Luckily, Bryan Colangelo has not allowed them to stick their noses in the Raptors business, and the Raps have been doing well. The Maple Leafs, however, is a different story... but that is hockey, and this is about basketball.


10.) We hear Canadian beer is pretty good. Rate your 3 best beers in order.

This is probably one of the most difficult questions to answer in Canada. It's the type of question that Canadians would go to war over... (If you ever get the chance to see a movie called "Canadian Bacon," there are some great scenes... especially regarding the beer).

For me, number 1 would be Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale... a rich flavour from a long brewing heritage. Great to come home to after a long day of work, and just sit back and unwind with.

Number 2 would be Lakeport Honey Brown Lager... some people may get a bit antsy about this beer, and me calling it my number two simply for the fact that it only costs $1 dollar a bottle. It's great tasting, affordable, and very Canadian.

Number 3 is Robert Simpson... brewed locally near Toronto. The beer of choice amongst small-towners. Goes great with watching a basketball game.