Sunday, April 03, 2005

Hoops: WATN - Chris Bosh

WATN = Where Are They Now?

NBC had an NBA Q&A with Matt Goukas in this question about Chris Bosh:

Q: How good do you think Raptors forward Chris Bosh can be?
— Lynn, Toronto, Ontario.


A: The Raptors had many reasons for trading Vince Carter to the Nets earlier this season, but certainly one of those reasons was they wanted to start building their team around Bosh.


After playing one season at Georgia Tech, Bosh was taken by Toronto with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He had a better rookie season than I anticipated, and while he wore down some, he held up well enough to play in 75 games. So to the Raptors' credit, I think they did all the right things with Bosh in his rookie year.


By dealing Carter management wanted to get Bosh more touches, more shots, and feature him more in the Raptors' offensive game. I think Bosh has responded well to all this as I didn't figure him to be as prolific a scorer as he has been this season.


Bosh has a very professional approach to the game, and I like that. His demeanor is very low key, and the Raptors would probably like to see a little more fire and fight out of him.


Bosh can shoot jumpers or go inside. He can block shots, and rebound. His body is going to only get stronger, so he is certainly a nice player for the Raptors to build around. He has a terrific future so it's just a matter of the Raptors surrounding him with enough other players where they can become a playoff-caliber team.