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| Jamario Moon collected a game-high 10 rebounds in Sunday's 85-79 preseason loss to the Sixers. He also chipped in seven points, one steal, and one block. |
Our View: Moon is a solid defensive player, and looks to improve further in his second NBA campaign as the Raptors' starting small forward, making him worthy of fantasy consideration as a backup. |
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| Jason Kapono scored a team-high 14 points in Sunday's 85-79 preseason loss to the Sixers. He also chipped in two boards, two assists, and a block, while shooting 2-for-3 from long-range. |
Our View: Kapono is among the best long-range shooters in the NBA, but his fantasy value will remain limited while serving as a backup with Toronto. |
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| Chris Bosh played like a gold medalist on Wednesday as the Raptors won for the second straight night. In 25 minutes, Bosh had 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals as the Raptors beat the Knicks 113-111. |
Our View: We would love to see Bosh block more shots and grab more rebounds but neither appears likely playing next to Jermaine O'Neal. Still, he's a big positive in the percentage categories and should average more than 20 points once again. |
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| Andrea Bargnani had a second quality game in as many nights as the Raptors defeated the Knicks 113-111 on Wednesday. The third-year forward 15 points, five rebounds, a block and a three. |
Our View: Bargnani also fouled out in 27 minutes. He had 15 points and eight rebounds last night. He looks like a better player this season and certainly has less pressure on him with Jermaine O'Neal on the roster. |
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| Will Solomon had 17 points, four assists, two steals and six turnovers in 32 minutes of action as the Raptors 104-84 preseason debut on Tuesday. |
Our View: Solomon probably won't see 30 minutes in any regular season unless Jose Calderon suffers an injury. However, it is worth noting that he appears to be the primary backup point guard in Toronto heading into the season. |
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| In his first game as a Raptor, Jermaine O'Neal started at center and posted 11 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes as the Raptors beat the Cavaliers 104-84. |
Our View: It was a modest contribution in limited playing time for the 29-year-old. When healthy, he is among the better big men in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, that health has eluded him for the majority of the past four seasons. |
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| Andrea Bargnani's offseason progress has been well documented and he delivered in Tuesday's preseason opener. The Raptors won 104-84 over Cleveland and Bargnani contributed 15 points, eight rebounds, a steal, a three and a block in 25 minutes of action. |
Our View: The Raptors set up a strict off-season program for Bargnani, that included the training he did with Jermaine O'Neal in Las Vegas, and several weeks working out in Treviso, Italy, all under the careful watch of Toronto's coaching staff. He needs to be more physical this season and improve on his 3.7 rebounding rate. He will have less pressure on him coming off the bench. He's a worthy bench selection in fantasy drafts, especially for owners who select the oft-injured O'Neal. |
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| Jermaine O'Neal has a lot to prove this season and isn't willing to simply rest on his veteran laurels in the preseason, according to Slam Sports. "You practice and you play to win, it gets contagious. We don't want to get lazy and approach the preseason with a half-hearted effort. We want to approach it like a regular-season game." |
Our View: That's the perfect attitude any coach would want to hear from any player, especially one who is looking to reestablish himself as an All-Star caliber performer. While just 29 year of age, O'Neal hasn't appeared in 70 games since the 2003 campaign making him a risky selection in '08. |
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| Raptors forward Joey Graham strained his right hamstring during the team's practice, according to TSN.com. |
Our View: Graham should be good to go soon, as it is not thought to be a serious malady. He is not someone fantasy owners will even think about during fantasy drafts, unless they like players who get on the court for less than 10 minutes a game. |
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| Jamario Moon will be the starter at small forward for the Toronto Raptors this season, according to the Toronto Star. |
Our View: Moon gives the team an athletic player at small forward, who is more apt to help the team defensively than on offense. He does not fit the profile of a solid fantasy option, as he averaged just 8.5 points and 6.2 boards last season. |
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| Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono will battle it out for the starting job at shooting guard for the Toronto Raptors, according to the Toronto Star. |
Our View: Each are solid veterans who can shoot the rock. Coach Sam Mitchell indicated that the two will split playing time for the time being, with the player who is hotter seeing more minutes. Fantasy-wise, both are good for three-pointers and three-point field goal percentage, but do not fill up stat lines enough to be regulars. |
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| Slam! reports that Andrea Bargnani has impressed players and coaches thus far in training camp. He is 15 pounds heavier than last season and has responded well to offseason respiratory surgery that will help him breath easier. "For sure, the surgery was a big help, I feel much different, I can breathe better," Bargnani said. "I don't want to use that as an excuse, but it was a problem. I was always sick and taking antibiotics. I feel better physically." Jermaine O'Neal talked about working out with him in the summer. "We played against each other, and I really just banged him to see what his reaction would be and he never backed down," the bruising six-foot-11 O'Neal said Wednesday. |
Our View: The Raptors set up a strict off-season program for Bargnani, that included the training he did with O'Neal in Las Vegas, and several weeks working out in Treviso, Italy, all under the careful watch of Toronto's coaching staff. He needs to be more physical this season and improve on his 3.7 rebounding rate. He will have less pressure off him coming off the bench. He's a worthy bench selection in fantasy drafts, especially for owners who select the oft-injured O'Neal. |
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