At the beginning of the 2008-2009 season Raptors’ fans were hoping for a big step towards the elite teams of the Eastern Conference. After acquiring Jermaine O’Neal over the summer it seemed like Toronto finally had a very decent front court that could lead them to a successful campaign. But things did not work out as planned: The injury prone O’Neal frequently missed games and did not seem to connect well with all-star Chris Bosh when he was on the floor.

Thus, the Raptors dropped to a 33-49 record and the 13^th place in the Eastern Conference. To make things even worse, the two backup point guards Rokko Ukic and Will Salomon who were signed before the season did no show any signs of being able to consistently perform in the NBA. Ultimately, Bryan Colangelo traded Jermain O’Neal along with Jamario Moon for the expiring contract of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Even though Marion seemed to fit in better than O’Neal, it remains to be seen whether he will wear a Raptors uniform next season.

One of the many issues General Manager Bryan Colangelo will have to tackle during the off-season will be whether Jay Triano is a permanent coaching solution for the franchise. Until the Raptors know what system they will be running next year they will not be able to upgrade their roster efficiently. However, it appears to be likely that either Triano stays or another coach willing to play fast-break basketball will be hired. Therefore, Toronto is expected to try to re-sign small forward Shawn Marion who will carefully consider all free agency options over the summer.

Furthermore, Colangelo will seek to convince franchise cornerstone Chris Bosh to sign an extension. The main problem is that if Bosh does not re-sign with the Raptors after the next season, they would have to trade him beforehand to avoid falling in an even deeper slump.

Moreover, Toronto is planning to offer shooting guard Carlos Delfino a new contract. Delfino left the Raptors last year to play for BC Khimki in Russia, but is exploring the possibility of going somewhere else after not qualifying for the Euroleague. T.O. could certainly need Delfino’s defensive toughness and the energy he brings to the court, but it will all come down to how much they would have to spend to get him back.

Although the aforementioned issues are no easy tasks with success guarantee, the Raptors also will have a first-round lottery pick to bring in a young, talented player from college. Provided that Chris Bosh stays in Canada, the Raptors have a realistic chance of making it to the playoffs next season after a few roster changes. Nonetheless, it appears to be highly unlikely that they will get anywhere near that 4^th place which they were eyeballing before the 2008-2009 season.