2008–09 Toronto Raptors season
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 Toronto Raptors season is the 14th season
of the franchise in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Before the season began, six-time NBA All-Star and centre Jermaine O'Neal
was acquired to complement Chris Bosh
in the frontcourt. 17 games into the season, head coach Sam Mitchell
was fired and replaced by Jay Triano
. The Raptors went into the All-Star break 13 games under .500, and O'Neal was traded to Miami
for Shawn Marion
. The Raptors continued to struggle, and were eliminated from the playoff race with seven games of the regular season remaining.
Seeking to improve its rebounding and interior defence, Toronto traded T. J. Ford
, Rasho Nesterovič, Maceo Baston
, and the draft rights to Roy Hibbert
to the Indiana Pacers
in return for six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O'Neal
and the draft rights to Nathan Jawai
. With Ford gone, virtually all the point guard responsibilities rested on José Calderón
's shoulders, who re-signed to a multi-year contract. The Raptors then signed free agents Hassan Adams
, Will Solomon
and Jamal Sampson
, but Sampson was waived at the end of the pre-season. The Raptors also signed Roko Ukić who was drafted in the 2005 NBA Draft
, and lost Carlos Delfino
and Primož Brezec
to free agency. O'Neal's arrival, however, was dwarved by the Elton Brand
signing pulled off by division rivals Philadelphia
. In a pre-season poll, more than half of the general managers predicted the acquisition of Brand to be the most significant one in the league, whereas the 30 year-old O'Neal was perceived to be past his prime. Nevertheless, the prospect of Toronto deploying two proven big men at the post with some of the league's best three-point shooters waiting at the perimeter signalled a change in game plan from the previous campaign.
and O'Neal combined for 44 points and 19 rebounds in the win. The team notched another victory in their second game—a home fixture against the Golden State Warriors
—thus opening with the same 2–0 record as the season before. Andrea Bargnani
, who had spent the summer buffing up his frame and working on his interior game, chalked up 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in the game that went into overtime. The Raptors then got off to their best start in four seasons when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks
in the third game, with Calderón scoring a career-high 25 points in the 91–87 win. Meanwhile, O'Neal wasted no time in imposing his style on his new team: in the season opener at Philadelphia, he pointed to hecklers in the home crowd after making a dunk; in the team's second game, he blocked a dunk from Golden State's Brandan Wright
and thereafter waved a finger, as though to say "Don't come back here again."
However, the Raptors could not keep up their new game plan of solid defence and lost four of their next five games, including a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks
and another to the Boston Celtics
after relinquishing a 17 point lead. While Bosh posted impressive numbers in nearly every game, his team mates were not as consistent. Toronto's depth at the point was soon put to the test when Calderón was injured and unable to play against the rising Miami Heat
. Solomon took over the reins with ease in that game and coupled with the Raptors' domination in the frontcourt led by O'Neal, Toronto secured a much needed win. Moon was also dropped to the bench, with Bargnani made the starting small forward
. This performance came to naught in the next game against the Orlando Magic
, where although Bosh and O'Neal combined for 54 points and 28 boards, the lack of production and defence from the wing, coupled with the inability to protect possession, brought Toronto back to .500. As though to prove a point, Bargnani and Anthony Parker
combined for 44 points the next day in the win against Miami, while the tandem of Bosh and O'Neal secured 28 rebounds. This run was not sustained yet again, as Toronto lost a further two games on the trot: an overtime loss to New Jersey
and another blowout loss to Boston, where the Raptors set a franchise record for highest field-goal percentage (62%) conceded at home. That game also saw Bosh unleash a bout of angry frustration at his team as the Raptors plummeted to the bottom of the division standings.
On 3 December 2008, with the Raptors posting a 8–9 record 17 games into the season, Raptors' head coach Sam Mitchell
was fired and replaced by long time assistant Jay Triano
on an interim basis. Triano—the first Canadian head coach in NBA history—immediately pointed to Toronto's bottom-of-the-league in fastbreak
points as a major deficiency he wanted to overcome. However, the Raptors slipped a further three games to go 8–12 before it recovered with a two game turnaround. In those two games, Triano attempted to introduce a new style of play: maximum protection of the paint. He also brought Kapono and Moon into the starting line-up and this seemed to work for a while before Toronto lost the next five games to go seven under .500, including a loss to the 2–24 Oklahoma City Thunder
. Toronto ended up 4–11 in December under Triano, but got off to a good start in January with wins over Houston
and Orlando before going down in a crucial game against Milwaukee. January also saw Bargnani emerging as a legitimate starting center with him averaging over 21 points and 6.6 rebounds over a 16-game stretch and Ukić showing good signs of adaptation to the NBA, but all this was overshadowed by the injuries that O'Neal and Calderón sustained and the resulting mounting losses. Given the Raptors' perpetual inability to win close games and hold on to leads, the team went on a seven-game losing streak before the return of O'Neal and Calderón saw them move to 19–28. Toronto then went on a six-game losing streak and dropped further down the pecking order with a 21–34 record going into the All-Star break. With Toronto looking to bring in a wing player and free up the salary space, O'Neal and Moon were traded to Miami for Shawn Marion
and Marcus Banks
on 13 February 2009. Six days later, Solomon was moved in a three-way deal, resulting in Toronto acquiring a big man in centre Patrick O'Bryant
from Boston. Pops Mensah-Bonsu
and Quincy Douby
were also signed on 6 March and 24 March 2009 respectively.
Even with the new acquisitions, Toronto continued losing games, one of which was a blowout 97–127 loss to New York
. Combined with a seven-game losing streak leading up to mid-March, this evaporated any hopes of making the playoffs. The only improvement came in the form of more fastbreak points and points scored in the paint, and the team even kickstarted a six-game winning streak in the last week of March, their longest winning streak in seven seasons. The Raptors were also eliminated from playoffs
contention at the same time when the streak ended, with seven games of the regular season to go. They ended the season with a three-game winning streak, an overall record of 33–49, and were ranked 13th in the Conference.
|
| 12 || 0 || 4.3 || .308 || .000 || .500 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.08 || 0.08 || 0.9
|-
|
| 6 || 0 || 6.7 || .333 || .200 || .333 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 0.17 || 0.00 || 2.3
|-
|
| 78 || 59 || 31.4 || .450 || .409 || .831 || 5.3 || 1.2 || 0.44 || 1.24 || 15.4
|-
|
| 77 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 77 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 38.0 || .487 || .245 || .817 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 10.0 || 2.5 || 0.87 || 1.00 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 22.7
|-
|
| 68 || 68 || 34.3 || .497 || .406 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .981 || 2.9 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 8.9 || 1.09 || 0.10 || 12.8
|-
|
| 7 || 0 || 10.4 || .545 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .444 || .750 || 1.0 || 1.7 || 0.43 || 0.00 || 4.4
|-
|
| 78 || 10 || 19.8 || .481 || .188 || .825 || 3.7 || 0.6 || 0.45 || 0.15 || 7.7
|-
|
| 29 || 0 || 9.1 || .422 || .000 || .792 || 2.4 || 0.3 || 0.28 || 0.21 || 3.9
|-
|
| 6 || 0 || 3.2 || .250 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.00 || 0.00 || 0.3
|-
|
| style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 80 || 12 || 22.9 || .432 || .428 || .810 || 2.0 || 1.3 || 0.28 || 0.04 || 8.2
|-
|
| 27 || 27 || 35.3 || .488 || .154 || .806 || 8.3 || 2.3 || 1.15 || 0.78 || 14.3
|-
|
| 19 || 0 || 13.8 || .354 || .000 || .683 || 5.4 || 0.3 || 0.47 || 0.21 || 5.1
|-
|
| 54 || 39 || 25.5 || .473 || .345 || .846 || 4.6 || 1.3 || 1.20 || 0.81 || 7.3
|-
|
| 13 || 3 || 11.3 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .547 || .000 || .375 || 2.5 || 0.2 || 0.15 || 0.85 || 4.7
|-
|
| 41 || 34 || 29.7 || .473 || .000 || .810 || 7.0 || 1.6 || 0.44 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 2.00 || 13.5
|-
|
| style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 80 || 71 || 33.0 || .426 || .390 || .834 || 4.0 || 3.4 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 1.25 || 0.19 || 10.7
|-
|
| 39 || 9 || 13.9 || .436 || .263 || .833 || 1.1 || 3.2 || 0.51 || 0.10 || 4.9
|-
|
| 72 || 0 || 12.4 || .380 || .177 || .733 || 1.0 || 2.1 || 0.42 || 0.03 || 4.2
|-
|
| 38 || 1 || 6.3 || .267 || .000 || .786 || 1.6 || 0.2 || 0.08 || 0.11 || 0.9
|}
* Statistics with the Toronto Raptors
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
of the franchise in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Before the season began, six-time NBA All-Star and centre Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
was acquired to complement Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
in the frontcourt. 17 games into the season, head coach Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
was fired and replaced by Jay Triano
Jay Triano
Jay Triano is a retired Canadian professional basketball player and former head coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Triano gained recognition during his tenure as coach of the Canadian men's national team. He is also a former national team player, who competed in two Olympics, starting in 1984...
. The Raptors went into the All-Star break 13 games under .500, and O'Neal was traded to Miami
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
for Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
. The Raptors continued to struggle, and were eliminated from the playoff race with seven games of the regular season remaining.
Preseason
T. J. Ford
Terrance Jerod "T. J." Ford is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for KK Zagreb. Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks...
, Rasho Nesterovič, Maceo Baston
Maceo Baston
Maceo Demond Baston is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.-College career:After graduating from Dallas' H. Grady Spruce High School, Baston played college basketball at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, he was part of an all-star recruiting class that...
, and the draft rights to Roy Hibbert
Roy Hibbert
Roy Denzil Hibbert is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He plays at the center position, and graduated from Georgetown University in 2008. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and was immediately traded to the Pacers...
to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in return for six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
and the draft rights to Nathan Jawai
Nathan Jawai
Nathan Jawai is an Indigenous Australian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Russian team UNICS Kazan.-Pro career:...
. With Ford gone, virtually all the point guard responsibilities rested on José Calderón
José Calderón (basketball)
José Manuel Calderón Borrallo is a Spanish professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors and the Spanish national team.-European career:...
's shoulders, who re-signed to a multi-year contract. The Raptors then signed free agents Hassan Adams
Hassan Adams
Hassan Olawale Adams is an American professional basketball player currently playing for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association.-High school career:...
, Will Solomon
Will Solomon
William "Will" James Solomon is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Cherkassky Mavpy in Ukraine. He has also played with the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.-Amateur career:...
and Jamal Sampson
Jamal Sampson
Jamal Wesley Sampson is an American professional basketball player.A power forward/center, Sampson is the cousin of the 1983 NBA Draft's number one overall pick Ralph Sampson...
, but Sampson was waived at the end of the pre-season. The Raptors also signed Roko Ukić who was drafted in the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, and lost Carlos Delfino
Carlos Delfino
Carlos Francisco Delfino is an Argentine professional basketball player. He also has Italian citizenship. Delfino plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions. He stands tall and weighs . He is also noted for his defensive skills...
and Primož Brezec
Primož Brezec
Primož Brezec is a Slovenian professional basketball player with Lokomotiv Kuban of the Russian Super League. He is a 7 ft 1 in tall center. Brezec has played seven seasons in the NBA.-Europe:...
to free agency. O'Neal's arrival, however, was dwarved by the Elton Brand
Elton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
signing pulled off by division rivals Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. In a pre-season poll, more than half of the general managers predicted the acquisition of Brand to be the most significant one in the league, whereas the 30 year-old O'Neal was perceived to be past his prime. Nevertheless, the prospect of Toronto deploying two proven big men at the post with some of the league's best three-point shooters waiting at the perimeter signalled a change in game plan from the previous campaign.
Regular season
The Raptors began their campaign with a 95–84 road win against Philadelphia. The match featured the new All-Star acquisitions of both teams: O'Neal for the Raptors and Brand for the 76ers. Chris BoshChris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
and O'Neal combined for 44 points and 19 rebounds in the win. The team notched another victory in their second game—a home fixture against the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
—thus opening with the same 2–0 record as the season before. Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani , nicknamed "Il Mago" , is an Italian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He is a power forward/center standing at 213 cm and weighing 113.4 kg...
, who had spent the summer buffing up his frame and working on his interior game, chalked up 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in the game that went into overtime. The Raptors then got off to their best start in four seasons when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in the third game, with Calderón scoring a career-high 25 points in the 91–87 win. Meanwhile, O'Neal wasted no time in imposing his style on his new team: in the season opener at Philadelphia, he pointed to hecklers in the home crowd after making a dunk; in the team's second game, he blocked a dunk from Golden State's Brandan Wright
Brandan Wright
Brandan Keith Wright is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Growing up in Tennessee, Wright fast became a standout at his high school Brentwood Academy, earning an unprecedented three "Mr. Basketball" titles, a...
and thereafter waved a finger, as though to say "Don't come back here again."
However, the Raptors could not keep up their new game plan of solid defence and lost four of their next five games, including a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
and another to the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
after relinquishing a 17 point lead. While Bosh posted impressive numbers in nearly every game, his team mates were not as consistent. Toronto's depth at the point was soon put to the test when Calderón was injured and unable to play against the rising Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
. Solomon took over the reins with ease in that game and coupled with the Raptors' domination in the frontcourt led by O'Neal, Toronto secured a much needed win. Moon was also dropped to the bench, with Bargnani made the starting small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
. This performance came to naught in the next game against the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, where although Bosh and O'Neal combined for 54 points and 28 boards, the lack of production and defence from the wing, coupled with the inability to protect possession, brought Toronto back to .500. As though to prove a point, Bargnani and Anthony Parker
Anthony Parker
Anthony Michael Parker is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . After graduating from Bradley University with a major in liberal arts, he entered the 1997 NBA Draft and played briefly in the NBA before...
combined for 44 points the next day in the win against Miami, while the tandem of Bosh and O'Neal secured 28 rebounds. This run was not sustained yet again, as Toronto lost a further two games on the trot: an overtime loss to New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and another blowout loss to Boston, where the Raptors set a franchise record for highest field-goal percentage (62%) conceded at home. That game also saw Bosh unleash a bout of angry frustration at his team as the Raptors plummeted to the bottom of the division standings.
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
was fired and replaced by long time assistant Jay Triano
Jay Triano
Jay Triano is a retired Canadian professional basketball player and former head coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Triano gained recognition during his tenure as coach of the Canadian men's national team. He is also a former national team player, who competed in two Olympics, starting in 1984...
on an interim basis. Triano—the first Canadian head coach in NBA history—immediately pointed to Toronto's bottom-of-the-league in fastbreak
Fastbreak
Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up. There are various styles of the fast break and the fast break attack...
points as a major deficiency he wanted to overcome. However, the Raptors slipped a further three games to go 8–12 before it recovered with a two game turnaround. In those two games, Triano attempted to introduce a new style of play: maximum protection of the paint. He also brought Kapono and Moon into the starting line-up and this seemed to work for a while before Toronto lost the next five games to go seven under .500, including a loss to the 2–24 Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
. Toronto ended up 4–11 in December under Triano, but got off to a good start in January with wins over Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
and Orlando before going down in a crucial game against Milwaukee. January also saw Bargnani emerging as a legitimate starting center with him averaging over 21 points and 6.6 rebounds over a 16-game stretch and Ukić showing good signs of adaptation to the NBA, but all this was overshadowed by the injuries that O'Neal and Calderón sustained and the resulting mounting losses. Given the Raptors' perpetual inability to win close games and hold on to leads, the team went on a seven-game losing streak before the return of O'Neal and Calderón saw them move to 19–28. Toronto then went on a six-game losing streak and dropped further down the pecking order with a 21–34 record going into the All-Star break. With Toronto looking to bring in a wing player and free up the salary space, O'Neal and Moon were traded to Miami for Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
and Marcus Banks
Marcus Banks
Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....
on 13 February 2009. Six days later, Solomon was moved in a three-way deal, resulting in Toronto acquiring a big man in centre Patrick O'Bryant
Patrick O'Bryant
Patrick Fitzgerald O'Bryant is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Kavala B.C. in Greece. The , center was selected out of Bradley University by the Golden State Warriors with the 9th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft...
from Boston. Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Nana Papa Yaw Dwene "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu is a British professional basketball player of Ghanaian descent.-Amateur career:...
and Quincy Douby
Quincy Douby
Quincy Douby is an Haitian-American professional basketball player who last played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. At 6'3", 175 lb, Douby played shooting guard for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights...
were also signed on 6 March and 24 March 2009 respectively.
Even with the new acquisitions, Toronto continued losing games, one of which was a blowout 97–127 loss to New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Combined with a seven-game losing streak leading up to mid-March, this evaporated any hopes of making the playoffs. The only improvement came in the form of more fastbreak points and points scored in the paint, and the team even kickstarted a six-game winning streak in the last week of March, their longest winning streak in seven seasons. The Raptors were also eliminated from playoffs
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
contention at the same time when the streak ended, with seven games of the regular season to go. They ended the season with a three-game winning streak, an overall record of 33–49, and were ranked 13th in the Conference.
Regular season
|-|
| 12 || 0 || 4.3 || .308 || .000 || .500 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 0.08 || 0.08 || 0.9
|-
|
| 6 || 0 || 6.7 || .333 || .200 || .333 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 0.17 || 0.00 || 2.3
|-
|
| 78 || 59 || 31.4 || .450 || .409 || .831 || 5.3 || 1.2 || 0.44 || 1.24 || 15.4
|-
|
| 77 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 77 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 38.0 || .487 || .245 || .817 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 10.0 || 2.5 || 0.87 || 1.00 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 22.7
|-
|
| 68 || 68 || 34.3 || .497 || .406 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .981 || 2.9 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 8.9 || 1.09 || 0.10 || 12.8
|-
|
| 7 || 0 || 10.4 || .545 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .444 || .750 || 1.0 || 1.7 || 0.43 || 0.00 || 4.4
|-
|
| 78 || 10 || 19.8 || .481 || .188 || .825 || 3.7 || 0.6 || 0.45 || 0.15 || 7.7
|-
|
| 29 || 0 || 9.1 || .422 || .000 || .792 || 2.4 || 0.3 || 0.28 || 0.21 || 3.9
|-
|
| 6 || 0 || 3.2 || .250 || .000 || .000 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.00 || 0.00 || 0.3
|-
|
| style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 80 || 12 || 22.9 || .432 || .428 || .810 || 2.0 || 1.3 || 0.28 || 0.04 || 8.2
|-
|
| 27 || 27 || 35.3 || .488 || .154 || .806 || 8.3 || 2.3 || 1.15 || 0.78 || 14.3
|-
|
| 19 || 0 || 13.8 || .354 || .000 || .683 || 5.4 || 0.3 || 0.47 || 0.21 || 5.1
|-
|
| 54 || 39 || 25.5 || .473 || .345 || .846 || 4.6 || 1.3 || 1.20 || 0.81 || 7.3
|-
|
| 13 || 3 || 11.3 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | .547 || .000 || .375 || 2.5 || 0.2 || 0.15 || 0.85 || 4.7
|-
|
| 41 || 34 || 29.7 || .473 || .000 || .810 || 7.0 || 1.6 || 0.44 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 2.00 || 13.5
|-
|
| style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 80 || 71 || 33.0 || .426 || .390 || .834 || 4.0 || 3.4 || style="background:#d3d3d3;" | 1.25 || 0.19 || 10.7
|-
|
| 39 || 9 || 13.9 || .436 || .263 || .833 || 1.1 || 3.2 || 0.51 || 0.10 || 4.9
|-
|
| 72 || 0 || 12.4 || .380 || .177 || .733 || 1.0 || 2.1 || 0.42 || 0.03 || 4.2
|-
|
| 38 || 1 || 6.3 || .267 || .000 || .786 || 1.6 || 0.2 || 0.08 || 0.11 || 0.9
|}