Actually I was thinking the exact same thing "in the past". All those times we were complaining we want to be more athletic, tougher, rebounding and to be running more....you need more bros. With so many euros last year, I wondered about the chemistry or lack thereof on the team.
Absolute hogwash.
Manu Ginobili's plenty tough and athletic. Kirk Hinrich is tough and a very good defender. Chris Kaman is among the best 5-8 centres in the NBA. I'd take Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki on any team. David Lee is athlethic and a rebounder. Steve Nash is an perennial MVP candidate (who needs to be covered for a bit at the defensive end.) Younger big guys: Kevin Love, Marc Gasol, Andris Biedrins and Andrew Bogut. It's not about the colour so much as the character, skill and will. Notice that none of the Raps guys are on the list? Turk would be somewhere in the running if he played like he did in Sac-town or Orlando, but not the stiff who wore the Raps colours last year.
As the Blue Jays proved in their glory days, only establishing a winning team will get players here. If you build it, they will come. If you don't build it, they can't leave soon enough.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
If the Raptors built a winning franchise - President, VP, GM, Dir of Scouting/Player Personnel, Coach, Assistant and players - then this wouldn't be an issue. As it is, this is a team with holes up and down the line. And unfortunately, that has been the case throughout the franchise's history.
Why would any player in the prime of his career come to a team with Jay Triano as the coach, and a lineup that includes Bargnani, Turkoglu, Calderon, etc.? Who on the Raps roster would start or even play a major role for a championship contender?