Andrea Bargnani Writes a New Chapter with the Toronto Raptors

When Andrea Bargnani entered the NBA draft in 2006, critics highlighted substantial flaws in the Italian's game which they stated would hinder his success on the NBA level. For at least one season, their criticism seemed to be put on the back-burner. However, it certainly shouldn't have been. Even as a rookie, Bargnani rarely lived up to the numbers or role of a traditional number-one pick. What fans got were glimpses of hope and fragments of greatness. Whether it was a brilliant pass or a game-winning shot he hit, Andrea kept people dreaming of a day when the rare glimpses would eventually materialize into something more. Last year, those glimpses seemed to die as quickly as they were born. Perhaps it was a result of high expectations being compared to what was actually happening. Perhaps it was the fact that after showing so much promise in the preseason, he almost fell out of the rotation as the months went on. It may have been his inconsistent performances and lack of dependability, which ... (link)