Bosh is good, not great GM must improve Raptors' talent By FRANK ZICARELLI, SUN MEDIA http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball/NBA/Toronto/2009/05/13/9442396-sun.html The feel-good story that is Jay Triano doesn't have a prayer of ending on a good note unless the Raptors radically change their roster and philosophy. All one needs to fully grasp the gap that exists between the Raptors and most of their hardwood peers is to watch an NBA playoff game. Teams that are competing for a title are athletic and tough. Teams that harbour hopes of going far into the playoffs have players who can create their own shot in late-game situations. The teams that excel at this time of the year defend and are deep. They also have a legitimate franchise player. The Raptors are so far away that Triano's presence as a full-time head coach will have a minimal impact because the team has very few pieces that are playoff-calibre. And for those who actually think that Chris Bosh is a franchise player, think again. Bosh is a good guy who has been asked to shoulder a lot in Toronto, but he's a complementary piece. He is not a go-to guy. He is Pau Gasol, a very good player who put up very good numbers on a losing team in Memphis. As soon as Gasol got traded and became a second option to Kobe Bryant, Gasol's true value was confirmed. Bosh needs to play on a team with an athletic wing capable of getting Bosh open looks. The Raptors don't have such a player, and the chances of the team acquiring one this off-season are slim to none because there so few are available. A lot has been made of Bosh ending up in South Beach to play alongside Dwyane Wade and still more will be made when Bosh's future in Hogtown resurfaces. Talk of Bosh ending up in Miami makes a lot of sense. What doesn't make sense is for Bosh to stick around Toronto beyond what is contractually obligated. Bosh wants to be playing deep into May and in an ideal world in June. He twice has been to the post-season, and twice been eliminated, in the opening round, each time used in an offensive set with Jose Calderon. Each time the Raptors failed in the defining moment because neither Bosh nor Calderon can create their own shot. It's nice of the Raptors to remove the interim tag from Triano and it's nice of them to talk about their commitment to get tougher and better. But people should not lose sight of the difficulties that lie ahead, which are many. Triano is no miracle worker, but he must work on Andrea Bargnani's shot selection. The long leash Triano provided Bargnani must be shortened. If Bosh does stick around, Triano must be more demanding of Bosh. The Raptors can't possibly get worse on defence and surely an entire training camp under Triano's watch will help, no matter what talent GM Bryan Colangelo brings in and no matter who assists Triano on the bench. Good on Colangelo for sticking with Triano, who deserved the appointment. Now comes the hard part of surrounding Triano with quality pieces to coach. How Colangelo goes about the process remains the million-dollar question. How good Triano is able to develop as a coach depends entirely on how good a job Colangelo does this summer. If nothing meaningful gets done, it doesn't matter whether Jay Triano is coaching the Raptors or Jay Leno. The focus now is on Colangelo. Packing a Pistol In time, the name Ricky Rubio will be a household name. For now, the Spanish sensation only can wait until next month's draft. Rubio is a can't-miss prospect and the second-best player available next to Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. Rubio is 18. His Spanish nickname is Il Pistola (The Pistol) because of Rubio's physical resemblance to the late great Pistol Pete Maravich. Rubio's style of play also has drawn comparisons to Maravich. Dan Fegan, who represents pending Raptors free agent Shawn Marion, has signed Rubio. A player of Rubio's skill is coveted by any NBA team. But the team that ultimately picks him will have to negotiate a buyout from Rubio's Spanish league club, reportedly $3 million US. --

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