3 Keys To Raptor Franchise???

While I am writing this it could be possible Damon Stoudamire is signing a contract to become a Raptor again. There were serious hints dropped during the Toronto game at Washington that lead you to believe this could be happening. Stoudamire has to wait till 12 midnight to sign somewhere and that passed about 30 minutes ago. Bryan Colangelo signed Steve Nash at 12:01 the first possible moment he could. Same goes for current Raptor Jason Kapono. So why would Damon be any different. Boston, Spurs,Cavs and Colangelo's former team the Suns all were said to have eyes on Mighty Mouse.  Damon's Agent said this will not be about money or term and that his client is looking for a chance to win and to get this done quickly. A chance to win an NBA Title that is. Many would say Raptors wold be number 5 on that list as far as title hopes go. But Damon has always said he holds no ill will to Toronto and in fact says quite the opposite. The Status of T.J Ford is a mystery at the moment to the general public. Ford had stated he would return this season and continues to rehab down in Houston with John Lucas. More on T.J later on. But as of this moment Damon would be the number two point guard behind the rising star that is Jose Caldron. He would play in other words. It seems though that for Toronto Stoudamire is option A. The other 4 teams are looking at other options not to say Toronto isn't but they seem to think Stoudamire is a good fit. I agree with that he has a game that would fit nice in the Raptor system. He can make a 3 point shot and is an above average passer and realistically would only need to play about 15 minutes a night. Toronto Fans unlike with Vince Carter seem to long forgot the tiny point guard trade demand and ugly exit to Portland. Most Raptor fans would welcome him back and he would get treated like a returning hero by all accounts. The fact Toronto is not the best option as far as winning a title may not matter as the other thing that has been made clear is that Damon intends to test the free agent market and you would think would still have some if not all of those other options he has now in the summer. The chance to rewrite history has to be appealing as well. If he does come I can tell you this he never had the talent in Toronto than as he would now. In fact you could argue the point this would be the most talented team he has ever played for should it happen. Big reason for that is Chris Bosh.

Bosh has been on an amazing run as of late. On Thursday he is not worried if he will hear his name announced as a reserve on the Eastern Conference All Star Team. He is a lock, knowing Chris he will be more concerned if his team mate Jose Caldron will be a long for the ride. That is what kind of a person he is a team first superstar. This is not to say it isn't clear who leads this pack of Raptors. He is the franchise player in every way shape and form. Vince Carter was never as respected as Chris Bosh. Maybe that is why Carter was floored to hear the people that use to love him chant M V P for the guy that replaced him as the face of the franchise. Not that Bosh cares he is more concerned with the fact his team was put out by Vince's team. But as the Raptors head towards another playoff appearance. Vince Carter is watching his Nets sink and the team leader say he wants to abandon ship. CB4 could have said that but Bryan Colangelo came along and Bosh like the entire Raptor fan base was impressed by Colangelo and put his faith in Bryan to do the things he does like the signing of a guy like Damon or whatever needs to be done to make the Raptors a contender in the short and long terms. He has more than done his part though as Bosh night in and night out does everything Sam Mitchell asks of him and a few things more that he doesn't ask. Mitchell like Colangelo has earned the trust and respect of his superstar player. Colangelo even was able to find Bosh a fellow Texan to be is running mate in T.J Ford. Things have not went smooth for Ford. But it is clear that he and Bosh have a strong relationship and despite the new found chemistry between Bosh and Caldron, Chris no doubt wants his fellow Texan back and playing at the high level he was on that night in Atlanta.

Ford is still in Houston. He is doing somethings with John Lucas to prepare to return and stay healthy hopefully. In pro wrestling when you train a wrestler the first thing you do is teach them how to take a bump. Wrestlers are trained how to take falls and withstand impact. Ford under the watch of Lucas is kind of doing the basketball equivalent. He is learn how to take falls and protect his body. Ford is much like Allen Iverson in some ways. They both have a similar body type and they both take hard crashing fouls resulting from the great speed and force they drive to the basket with. Bryan Colangelo said that T.J would have to learn how  to play smarter. That process seems to be going on in Houston. Not to mention there has to be a huge mental hurdle to climb as well. Fear of what might happen as Ford has now had to very scary falls that a lesser person would not have been able to return from mentally never mind his body recovering. So how long this process of re-education and mental  recovery is going to take is up to anyone's guess. But with 8 million dollars per season invested in Ford they want to be sure they have done everything they can to have him back and effective as well as safe. They now have another point guard that they must resign and what will be a very big number. How big will it be the number seems to be growing daily with every start for Jose Caldron. If the Raptor have him and Ford with Damon they would be the only team in the NBA with 3 guys that all could play starter minutes at the point guard position and be very effective.

So the present and Future of the Toronto Raptors is really up in the air. We haven't even mentioned the desperate need of a rebounding big man. But Bryan Colangelo still has about a month left to find the answer to that problem. A return of Mighty Mouse would be nice and all but there is more that needs to be done. There is another Big Man that also needs to improve that being Andrea Bargnani. But despite the fact of all these things the organization knows when the time is to be fast and act. They also no when to be patient and wait. If they could only teach the fan base to do the same. But let's face it Bryan is good but is anyone that good? Raptor fans are maybe even to big a challenge for him to tackle.

Should anything be made official on the Mighty Mouse Front there may be another blog today. If not talk with you all tomorrow!!!.

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