Cick here for Photos of Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers Photos


As huge NBA basketball fans, we took our camera to the Toronto Raptors game vs the Los Angeles Lakers today at the Air Canada Centre.

The Toronto Raptors have suffered some very tough times over the past few years, but have turned it around in the 2006/2007 season with the arrival of former Pheonix Suns General Manager, Bryan Colangelo.

Colangelo, former NBA Executive of the Year who built the Pheonix Suns into the NBA's most exciting team and a perennial championship contender, re-constructed the Raptors organization in the off season.

One of his first moves was to hire European basketball mind Maurizio Gherardini as Raptors VP & Assistant GM. Gherardini was the general manager of Italy’s Benetton Treviso, where among many of his accolades, won 4 European Cups, 7 Italian Cups and crafted a scouting system that was the envy in Europe.

Colangelo followed the European influence by drafting Andrea Bargnani number 1 overall in the NBA draft. The seven foot Italian played under Gherardini with Benetton.

A total of nine new players were added in the off season - Bargnani (Europe), Anthony Parker (Europe), Uros Slokar(Europe), Jorge Garbajosa (Europe)Fred Jones, Kris Humphries, PJ Tucker, TJ Ford, and Rasho Nesterovic.

With all the turnover and the teams history of mismanagement (which culminated in the trade of Vince Carter for neglible players), many of the experts were not expecting much from the Toronto Raptors this year.

However, the Raptors lead the Atlantic Division with a 27-23 record, and currently hold down the 4th out of 8 playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto basketball fans are buzzing with excitement at the prospect of playoff basketball once again in Toronto.