Wednesday October 28 2009 – 12:37pm Eastern – Toronto, ON
We’re less than 7 hours away from the first game of the 2009-10 season for the Toronto Raptors. And 8 teams already have a game in the books … with the Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, Wizards, Blazers, and Rockets getting underway last night.
So … while these ‘excercises’ sometimes prove to be nothing more than a crap-shoot … I tracked down 8 of the top writers and broadcasters in the city and country to find out how they think this year will play out for the Raptors … and for the league overall.
Check out the 2009-10 PREDICTIONS from the panel:
DOUG SMITH (Toronto Star)
* Eastern Final – Orlando over Boston
* Western Final- San Antonio over LA Lakers
* NBA Championship – San Antonio over Orlando
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 43-39. 5TH seed.
LEO RAUTINS (Raptors Television Analyst – The Score / CBC)
* Eastern Final – Boston over Cleveland
* Western Final- LA Lakers over San Antonio
* NBA Championship – Bostonover LA Lakers
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 41 to 45 wins. 6TH – 8TH in the East.
MIKE GANTER (Toronto Sun)
* Eastern Final – Orlando over Cleveland
* Western Final – San Antonio over Portland
* NBA Championship – San Antonio over Orlando
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 44-38. 6TH seed
PAUL JONES (Raptors Radio Play By Play Voice – FAN 590)
* Eastern Final – Boston over Cleveland
* Western Final – San Antonio over LA Lakers
* NBA Championship – Boston over San Antonio
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 43-39. 6TH in the East. Depends on their start.
ERIC KOREEN (The National Post)
* Eastern Final – Boston over Orlando
* Western Final – San Antonio over LA Lakers
* NBA Championship – San Antonio over Boston
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 42-40. 7TH in the East.
MATT DEVLIN (Raptors Television Play by Play Voice)
* Eastern Final – The East has 3 teams – as we all know – that can win it all. All 3 made moves this summer that will elevate their teams. Depth goes to Orlando, but Cleveland has James, Shaq and AP. And the Celtics have 3 future Hall of Famers. Health/injuries are always key just like last year with the Celtics (KG) and the Magic (Nelson). How do you pick? All 3 could win. The top of the East is at an all time high. It’s a pick’em! Let’s say … Orlando. No, no Cleveland. Wait, wait, wait …Boston. Yeah, Boston. I think.
* Western Final – Out West it’s a lot clearer. It comes down to 2 teams — the Lakers and Spurs. I’ll go with LA.
* NBA Championship – Lakers in the Finals against Boston. Wait, maybe Cleveland or Orlando! Haha. The East team wins!
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – Raps make the playoffs and win 45+ games
JACK ARMSTRONG (Raptors Television Analyst – TSN)
* Eastern Final – Boston over Cleveland
* Western Final – LA Lakers over Portland
* NBA Championship – Boston over LA Lakers
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 44-38. 6TH seed.
MICHAEL GRANGE (The Globe And Mail)
* Eastern Final – Cleveland over Orlando
* Western Final – LA Lakers over San Antonio Spurs
* NBA Championship – LA Lakers over Cleveland
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 38-44. 10TH in the East.
ERIC SMITH (Raptors Radio Analyst – FAN 590)
* Eastern Final – Boston over Cleveland
* Western Final – LA Lakers over San Antonio
* NBA Championship – Boston over LA Lakers
* Raptors record and playoff seed for 2009/10 – 44-38. 6TH in the East.
—–
Interesting … Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail is the only one of the 9 panelists to have the Raptors OUTSIDE of the post-season picture.
We’ll see how it all plays out … starting at 7pm tonight.
Don’t forget … Jonesy and I will have the tip of the Cavs and Raptors on the FAN 590 … tonight at 7pm!
E. Smith
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I Don’t read this guy, but c’mon … he has to at least pick the Raps for a playoff spot even if he doesn’t really believe it. Cheer for the home squad.
The Raps biggest obstacle is a tough opening schedule, especially for a team trying to gel and get their rotation straight.
- Not Michael GrangeWhat’s with all the San Antonio predictions? They peaked with their last championship, this is an older, weaker version of the same team who couldn’t pull it off the last two years.
- CrossleyGet that Gawwwbageeee outta here Grange!!!! GO RAPS GO!!!
- Andrewi like the raptors to win 45 game and go to round 2 in the playoffs. i see boston and LA in the nba finals this year
- ginomassariBoston over Lakers Eric?!!!! you got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!
And I thought you were a die hard Lakers fan!
- Raps FanGrange is taking the ‘I told you so’ angle. If the Raps don’t make it, he comes out looking like gold. If they do, nobody will remember. But I will Mr. Grange, I will. LOL
Great work Smitty
- Michael AJust arrived home from the game. Fantastic performance by the boys.
Was most impressed with the job Jay Triano (and the rest of the coaches) did preparing this team for the opening game. Sure, they were a bit rusty, but the effort level was huge.
Cleveland looked completely asleep. Shaq couldn’t run…heck, he couldn’t breathe! And the rest of the team stood still, watching LeBron. He didn’t look too impressed with the effort level of his teammates.
- brentoGrange is a realist
Colangelo pretty much moved out mediocrity in exchange for mediocrity, just to show gullable fans that he has made changes. It’s not about change it’s about the content of the change. He still has not adressed the interior toughness and the gigantic hole and the two. Could Shawn Marion have not been leveraged for guys like Richard Jefferson or Tyson Chandler one of these two guys who are still very young would adress one of two big concerns, Instead we move out Marion to make way for a one way player in Hedo. Brendan Bass a big young strong PF was available from Dallas now signed by Orlando, which solidif’s their low post presence. Joe smith was available, Trevor Ariza who had a great playoff run with the lakers last year would have been a very good upgrade at the two. All these potential great fits got away from the so called great Colangelo.
In the end
- ThomasThis team is a team that will fight for the eigth spot or will get in and be a first round exit. The Raptors will be like their sister organization the leafs, where they will continue to build mediocrity, and the fans will take the bait as long as changes are made and as long as a good speaker like Colangelo and Brian Burke continues to manipulate fans that are fanatics into thinking that these teams are good, Yet noone has ever heard of any of the players brought in.
If we can start jack and trade jose for anything half decent we will be great
- jose hater