Raptors Are Here To Fight
With the addition of Hakeem Olajuwon, the Toronto Raptors soldify their status as contenders.
Like it or not, the Toronto Raptors are serious about keeping basketball in Canada. Wednesday's acquiring of former Houston Center Hakeem Olajuwon is just the latest in a series of moves legitimizing the franchise's status in the NBA.
No, Olajuwon isn't what he used to be. He's not the dominant center that carried the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles while Michael Jordan took his baseball vacation. What he does add is veteran leadership to a team that is just beginning to realize its capabilities.
Earlier Wednesday, the team announced the signing of its superstar, Vince Carter, to a long-term deal. Adding Olajuwon to the mix solidifies the Raptors as contenders in the still undermanned Eastern Conference next year.
The new Raptors starting lineup includes point guard Alvin Williams (9.8 points, 1.5 steals per game), Carter at shooting guard (27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds per game), small forward Morris Peterson (9.3 points per game, 38% three-point shooting), power forward Antonio Davis (13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) and now Olajuwon at center (11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds per game).
Carter is obviously the center of attention on offense and the Raptors have gone and brought in a supporting cast that should play well together. Peterson was a rookie last year, Alvin Williams really came into his own during the playoffs last season, and now Olajuwon will solidify the center position.
On the bench are the likes of Chris Childs, Jerome Williams, Keon Clark, and Tracy Murray.
To say the Philadelphia 76ers should feel a little uneasy about repeating is an understatement.
The Raptors match up well against the Sixers and we can look forward to playoff series similar to the seven game Eastern Conference semi-final series we saw this year. Carter vs. Allen Iverson and Olajuwon vs. Dikembe Mutombo will certainly be two battles to watch closely.
The Toronto franchise has made giant leaps the last two days in an attempt to cement the status of basketball in Canada. Their sister franchise, the Vancouver Grizzlies, has already relocated to Memphis. They were unable to make basketball work north of the border, an error General Manager Glen Grunwald is determined not to repeat.
The returning Raptors and their newest addition should keep fans entertained next year - perhaps all the way until June.
No, Olajuwon isn't what he used to be. He's not the dominant center that carried the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles while Michael Jordan took his baseball vacation. What he does add is veteran leadership to a team that is just beginning to realize its capabilities.
Earlier Wednesday, the team announced the signing of its superstar, Vince Carter, to a long-term deal. Adding Olajuwon to the mix solidifies the Raptors as contenders in the still undermanned Eastern Conference next year.
The new Raptors starting lineup includes point guard Alvin Williams (9.8 points, 1.5 steals per game), Carter at shooting guard (27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds per game), small forward Morris Peterson (9.3 points per game, 38% three-point shooting), power forward Antonio Davis (13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) and now Olajuwon at center (11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds per game).
Carter is obviously the center of attention on offense and the Raptors have gone and brought in a supporting cast that should play well together. Peterson was a rookie last year, Alvin Williams really came into his own during the playoffs last season, and now Olajuwon will solidify the center position.
On the bench are the likes of Chris Childs, Jerome Williams, Keon Clark, and Tracy Murray.
To say the Philadelphia 76ers should feel a little uneasy about repeating is an understatement.
The Raptors match up well against the Sixers and we can look forward to playoff series similar to the seven game Eastern Conference semi-final series we saw this year. Carter vs. Allen Iverson and Olajuwon vs. Dikembe Mutombo will certainly be two battles to watch closely.
The Toronto franchise has made giant leaps the last two days in an attempt to cement the status of basketball in Canada. Their sister franchise, the Vancouver Grizzlies, has already relocated to Memphis. They were unable to make basketball work north of the border, an error General Manager Glen Grunwald is determined not to repeat.
The returning Raptors and their newest addition should keep fans entertained next year - perhaps all the way until June.
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