---

By Ryan Wolstat

It took a while, but Toronto Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald finally came to the conclusion, already reached by many observers, that his club had to be significantly altered if it was to contend in the Eastern Conference.

In bringing north multi-talented swingman Jalen Rose, versatile forward Donyell Marshall and raw but imposing youngster Lonny Baxter for the disgruntled Antonio Davis, likeable Jerome Williams, and the inconsequential Chris Jefferies, Grunwald showed once again that he isn’t afraid to correct his mistakes.

The huge transaction increased Toronto’s talent level significantly, and could prove to be a major coup for the beleaguered Grunwald, whose contract expires after this season.

Added to superstar Vince Carter, fast-improving Chris Bosh and Alvin Williams, Rose and Marshall give the Raptors their most skilled lineup ever.

Rose provides many of the elements that Tracy McGrady brought to the table when he was still with the Raptors. Like McGrady, Rose can play both guard positions and small forward, is an excellent ball-handler, and has tremendous court vision. The Raptors have long needed another capable distributor to take the pressure off of Alvin Williams, who is really more of a shooting guard than he is a point guard.

In Marshall, the Raptors get a player who rebounds nearly as well as the departed Davis or Williams, while providing much more offense than either of those two. Marshall can score inside with ease and can step back and hit three-pointers as well (as evidenced by the four he hit in his Raptor debut).

Baxter is one of the more intriguing parts of the deal. He was an absolute terror down low in his college days at Maryland where he won a national championship. He is as wide a body as Raptor fans have seen since Oliver Miller, and should at least be able to provide ten to fifteen quality minutes every night.

The new-look Raptors should be able to create mismatches on offense all over the court. The silky smooth Bosh and the multi-talented Marshall can score from anywhere, and Williams and Rose tower over almost anyone guarding them at the point. Expect to see a lot more post up situations from Toronto’s guards in the near future.

Besides the added talent this deal provides, the Raptors will also benefit from the subtraction of the surly Davis from their locker room. Whether by taking subtle shots at team management, the Canadian education system, or by simply not playing as hard or as well as he was capable of, Davis made it crystal clear to Grunwald that he wanted out of Toronto in the worst way.

It was a sad end to the Davis saga in Toronto. Instead of paying back the team that gave him his chance to shine as a starter and rewarded him for his success with millions more than the next highest bidder, Davis practically ran out of town, a bad odour trailing him all the way to Chicago.

On the other hand, the Junk Yard Dog exuded class during his tenure in Canada. One of the most popular athletes in Toronto sports history, Williams, became a fan favourite through his hard work and relentless defense and energy.

A few seasons ago, Grunwald realized that signing Mark Jackson to a big free agent contract and trading for Corliss Williamson were mistakes. He eventually shipped both of those players off for quality returns.

This year, Grunwald was once again faced with the realization that his personnel moves, which included signing Davis and Williams to gargantuan contracts, had not worked out. Credit the man for swallowing his pride and infusing his team with players that know how to play the game and will excite Toronto fans for years to come.