Pregame: Raptors @ Celtics Preseason in Hartford.....Hartford? Oct 14th, 2009

We are back for another preseason shindig between the Raptors and the Celtics tonight. This is a first of a back-to-back for the Raptors who will be facing Houston tomorrow night at the ACC. Tonight's game will mark the first time we will see the full starting line-up that includes our biggest off season acquisition Hedo Turkoglu. That means the line-up tonight will be Calderon, DeRozan, Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani. How bout some keys...

-Turkoglu being a rare talent at his size that can dribble and pass so well will definitely get a lot of handles running the offense. It will be important to get him involved as much as they can during his limited minutes.

-Bosh needs to get his minutes because as we approach the start of the season he needs to have the gas to play 38-40 minutes a night.

-This should be a true test for our front court as our opponents will be Garnett, Big Baby Davis and Kendrick Perkins. Rasheed Wallace will most likely sit out the night.

-Rajon Rondo is by far one of the quickest point guards in the league. I don't expect much from Calderon in regards to stopping him but they need to implement their defensive strategy of cutting off lanes and working on their help defense.

The Boston Celtics are regarded as one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals. I personally disagree. Their big move this summer was the addition of veteran Rasheed Wallace. He is aging and his skills are declining. Sure, he makes them stronger but I don't think it will make a significant difference. Especially when you compare it to Orlando acquiring Carter, Cleveland getting Shaq, L.A. switching Ariza for Artest and San Antonio stealing Jefferson from the Bucks. If you look at that list of acquisitions you'd have to rank Boston last in significance. Boston is an elite team. They won the championship two season's ago and I don't see them having the same will power as Cleveland or Orlando in the post season.

This will be a tough match-up all around for the Raptors. They will struggle with this team all year. It seems every time they play Boston they stay competitive until a defensive breakdown at the end of the game. Boston is a defense first type of team. This doesn't mean they don't have the offensive firepower at the other end. It strictly means that offense will keep you competitive but defense will win you the game. The Raptors could learn allot from the Celtics. Jay Triano has implemented a new strategy that will close off the lanes and force up shots. It makes complete sense for this team. No one on this roster is an exceptional defensive player. This will help with the dribble penetration that we suffer from every game. It will also get guys like Calderon some help after Rondo blows by.

The players that have impressed me so far have been Evans, Belinelli and Johnson. All three have specific attitudes on the court which rub off on their teammates. The offense flows much better when Belinelli is on the court. The team plays intensely when Evans is working and Johnson brings an athleticism that inspires the guys around him. They will only get better as time passes. I'm certain this is the tip of the iceberg we are seeing. But, it will all be in vein if we cannot hold it down defensively, which would be a shame.

Turkoglu creates interesting arguments around the league. Was he an integral part of Orlando's offence or was he the benefactor of Dwight Howards presence on the court? Will Orlando regret not resigning him or will their trade for Carter go down as the winning move? Turkoglu having backed out of a deal with Portland at the last minute and signing with Toronto raised some eyebrows. There was an initial deal on the table but Bryan Colangelo moved quickly to secure Turkoglu's flight into Toronto. Otis Smith commented on the dealings as Portland's gain by not signing him. He(Otis) and many sports writers belive Turkoglu is over hyped and was over paid by Toronto. At 30 years old and with a contract of 5 years guaranteed we as Toronto fans would hope that he is not. I think Otis Smith was a little frustrated that Turkoglu exercised his option. The facts are pretty simple. Turkoglu was the only consistent player on that team in last year's playoff run. Jameer Nelson was out with an injury and at critical moments Turkoglu was running the offense. Turkoglu may not be regarded as an all-star but he can thrive on this team as a solid 2nd or 3rd option on the court. He is also a great clutch shooter at the end of games which is a role that has needed to be filled ever since Carter was shipped out. The issue here is whether he can gel with Bosh and Bargnani. There is a worry that Turkoglu and Bargnani will clog the perimeter and stagnate the offense. Basically, Turkoglu creates match up problems because he can dribble. They will use that aspect of his game the most. With the dribble penetration he will create the space needed for Bosh and Bargnani to operate. He is also an adept passer and and has great court vision. I could also see him working well with the likes of Belinelli and Calderon. It is a matter of trial and error. They will use what works and discard the plays that don't. Jay Triano wants the ball to move and have a flow in his offense. Turkoglu could provide that. It is all speculative but our questions will be answered very soon.

This is a non televised game but you can catch the live blog from Doug Smith here.

Join me for a post-game analysis tonight.

Cool Hand Luke