Charles Barkley's preview of the Raptors 2012-13 Season

[pillowmint]

I think it's a tough division, but what's the point in trashing a team that by all measures has gotten better? I have this sick feeling that he wouldn't be as hard on the Bobcats...and that is a team in dire straights.

Honestly, I'm tired of Charles. He strikes me as a guy who walks up to the bar and expects you to buy him a drink because he's there...despite being loaded.

Ugh! But white people problems was a funny sketch on SNL last year.

NO! I remain confident in my dislike. There I said it.

[Nilanka]

Haha, I just watched the actual clip for the 1st time. I don't think Sir Charles could name one player on the roster.

"Hey Charles, what are your thoughts on abortion?"

"There's no way abortion could be one of the top 5 teams. Abortion shouldn't have any expectations this year."

[Green Maple Leaf]

You don't get respect you earn it. Look at how Raps have fared these last couple years, brutal. On top of all that, the fans have treated their star players like garbage (VC & Bosh). Not that I disagree with their treatment, but it does have an after effect.

[Gman]

Explain to me why we care about somebodies opinion who can't count to Five. I kept expecting him to look down at his fingers. I say this about very few people in this world. Barkley is stupid. He really is. He didn't say anything predicated on insight or comparison. He made a grand generality that exposed the fact that for Charles, Math is hard.

When I saw everybody's reaction here I had thought there had been some kind of indepth disturbing analysis done. Nope...
Just Chuck playing with some Lego.

[ahoang]

he should just stick to javale mcgee bashing!

[DoNDaDDa]

he prob. spent the whole night previous at the casino getting smashed & loosing more of his money.. hence why he had nothing constructive to say.. instead he fumbled all his words didnt even mention anything raptor related...he couldnt even count how many teams he thinks are ahead of us in the division & they call that a team preview..what a joke!!

we have a tough division this year but i think we finish ahead of 76ers...

[ebrian]

Charles is one funny guy and is known to say some ridiculous things, but I'm just curious which team you guys thought wasn't going to finish ahead of the Raptors in our division?

We're going to be last in our division whether Charles thinks so or not.

[NoBan]

Guys, bashing Barkley for not knowing about basketball is just plain dumb. The dude has more basketball IQ in his foreskin than all message board posters in the world combined.

I understand he's go an..um.. unique delivery. I understand he's not vigorously reviewing stats and working sources behind the scenes, but the guy knows his shit. He knows what it takes to win in the NBA. He can quickly assess a basketball related situation and determine a valid point of view based on his own unique perspective.

Chuck is spot on - we don't have the horses to compete in the deepest division in the NBA. His indifference towards the Raps is not something exclusive to him or to the Raps. It's what national media members do to perennial lottery teams. If you are dismissing his point of view because you don't think he's qualified to speak on the subject, then you are kidding yourself.

What I do agree with is that our spot of last in the division is not a foregone conclusion. However likely it may seem, injuries happen, relationships implode and guys exceed expectations all over the league. Like everyone else here, I'm hoping for a better result than a 5th straight lottery and the Atlantic division cellar. But at the same time, the only realistic response to Chuck here is that he's correct and we've got work to do to prove him wrong.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Charles is one funny guy and is known to say some ridiculous things, but I'm just curious which team you guys thought wasn't going to finish ahead of the Raptors in our division?

We're going to be last in our division whether Charles thinks so or not.

As a few others have said, I think it's fair to pick the Raptors to finish 5th in their division, to start the season. What irks me about guys like Barkley, is that they seem to do so based on their indepth knowledge of the other - American - teams, and then get to 5th place and go "oh ya, and I guess the Raptors will finish last". I don't care where the Raps are picked to finish, as long as the reporter respects us (organization and its fans) enough to properly evaluate and analyze the Raptors.

Personally, I think Boston is still the team to beat in our division. After that, I could see any of the other four teams finishing anywhere from 2nd to 5th, given the roster turnover/uncertainty with each team, for a variety of reasons.

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

I think my main problem with the preview was Barkley kept referring to the Rap's historical state rather than considering the current roster, hence the topic "preview of the Raptors 2012-13 season". I think it is highly unfair to bring up how crappy were the past raptors team when clearly this year, its an almost entirely different roster.

On paper, the Raps are younger, talented, filled in almost all positions and has a coach and system that has been proven to work.

On paper, Celtics are old, Knicks have chemistry issues, Nets have no defense and Philly has an injury prone center and no scorer.

Of course its an entirely different scenario when they step on the court, but this is what previews are for. You judge teams by what they are on paper.

At the moment, this is how i rank the Atlantic - Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Raptors, Sixers

[NoBan]

TheGlove: I love how you stated that the on paper the Knicks have chemistry issues and I didn't even bat an eyelash.

... Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 New York Knicks!

[stretch]

John Hollinger is gung ho on the Raptors this season. Usually he is not.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=842...goryid=2459788

[mcHAPPY]

I think my main problem with the preview was Barkley kept referring to the Rap's historical state rather than considering the current roster, hence the topic "preview of the Raptors 2012-13 season". I think it is highly unfair to bring up how crappy were the past raptors team when clearly this year, its an almost entirely different roster.

On paper, the Raps are younger, talented, filled in almost all positions and has a coach and system that has been proven to work.

On paper, Celtics are old, Knicks have chemistry issues, Nets have no defense and Philly has an injury prone center and no scorer.

Of course its an entirely different scenario when they step on the court, but this is what previews are for. You judge teams by what they are on paper.

At the moment, this is how i rank the Atlantic - Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Raptors, Sixers

This is my issue when debating a lot of people with the opposite view of my own. I think it is fairly safe to say and fairly well known I land on the optimistic side of the equation.

One of the arguments, and I paraphrase, is the Raps have always been bad and/or Colangelo has made mistakes and that is what we can expect in the future. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

The Raps have been awful far more often than good in the history of the franchise but what does that have to do with where they currently are situated?

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

TheGlove: I love how you stated that the on paper the Knicks have chemistry issues and I didn't even bat an eyelash.

... Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 New York Knicks!

They did have chemistry issues last season, didnt they? And their roster is pretty much the same as last year with the exemption obviously of Felton and Kidd, right? So it would be fair to assume that they can possibly have the same issues as last year, correct?

I fail to see your point.

[NoBan]

They did have chemistry issues last season, didnt they? And their roster is pretty much the same as last year with the exemption obviously of Felton and Kidd, right? So it would be fair to assume that they can possibly have the same issues as last year, correct?

I fail to see your point.

My point is that I agree with you, they have chemistry issues. But when you say "on paper", doesn't that take all talk of intangibles out of the equation? You wording implied that the Knicks have chemistry issues on paper. Even though this is impossible, I passed over the comment without thinking twice, thus reinforcing just how dysfunctional the Knicks have been since before Zeke.