"You acting like a little bitch right now."- O-Dog (in Menace II Society)
It was the knee to the nether regions felt around the suddenly frigid city of Toronto Friday night. Paul Pierce, on Chris Bosh. Where it hurts. Leaving Pierce standing atop Bosh, flexing and glaring over, for all intents and purposes, the franchise. Yet another proud moment in the history of Bryan Colangelo's Toronto Raptors.
In typical Raptors fashion, it was Jay Triano, our lovable Canadian head coach, who had - and pardon the pun - the balls to say anything about it.
The silence from Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack spoke volumes. Here are three guys who are signed to multi-year deals with the Raptors, and who know Bosh is headed for free agency. And not one of them could find it in his pretty little heart to step up for their best player; for the guy who night in and night out gives Toronto a chance to win. It was just the message Bosh was looking for from his teammates as he contemplates his future: "Stick around, drop 20/10 a game, and we most definitely don't have your back."
And if Andrea Bargnani was on the floor, he probably wouldn't have done a damn thing, either.
Does Brian Burke have any extra truculence laying around? Fuck.
After the clobbering of Bosh's crotch, the post-CB4 era in Toronto may arrive sooner than expected. Followed shortly by the post-Colangelo era.
Only Reggie Evans and the ghost of Charles Oakley can save us now.
21 comments:
Shameful.
onthefencesports.blogspot.com
A signal for Sam Mitchell just went into the sky. Seriously, how messed up are the Raptors when I can think of three head coaches of the Raptors who were tougher than anyone on the team right now? Evans hasn't even played a game yet and the calls for him has only risen?
Agreed. I just can't believe that nobody was willing to get in there and defend a teammate. I can't believe this season will go smoothly if they aren't willing to stick together.
The Raps are really getting it handed to them lately. I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseum over at RaptorsRepublic, but it may be time to see what you could get for Bosh. I know he's their best player but plays like the Pierce one show his softness and lack of leadership. He didn't retaliate, didn't get mad at his team mates, just put his head down and carried on. He seems to take a lot of abuse from other players. Today it was Amare with a hard foul and no change from him. He really would
be a great second option to Wade but unless MLSE is willing to go heavily into the tax, I don't think that's happening. Excuse the lack of paragraphs...
Matt - Wade coming to Toronto? That would be sick! The Raptors would have a new season ticket holder.
Now back to reality.
onthefencesports.blogspot.com
Mattt, with all due respect, if you got KNEED IN YOUR NUTS I don't you'd be all up in Pierce's face, either. It's times like those where you rely on your teammates. They had to step up for him. What irks is that guys like Calderon, Hedo and Jack know that they're in Toronto long-term. They know that Bosh may not be. So why not send Bosh that message? That "Hey, we got your back, franchise" message? Makes me sick. It's not Bosh's job, in that situation, to get up in Pierce's face, or get mad at his teammates.
I heard about the hard Amare foul today. The Raptors are soft. Period. We have to accept it, and deal with it. Bryan Colangelo has once again put together a soft team.
I'm waiting for Reggie Evans, but who are we kidding? He's bound to disappoint. He can't solve the toughness factor on his own. It has to be a team mentality. And the Raptors simply don't have it.
As for Wade, there's no chance in hell he's coming to Toronto. It's why the Raptors have to do everything they can to keep CB4. Toronto is not, and won't be in the near future, an NBA free agent hub. Nobody wants to come here. Which is all the more reason why the Raps need to somehow convince Bosh to stay. Unfortunately, his idiot teammates don't understand that.
(Playoffs!!!1)
Would truculence work in a basketball setting? Just askin'.
What irks me is that Jarrett Jack is supposed to be one of Bosh's best friends. If my boys didn't have my back after I got kneed in the nuts I would be pissed out of my mind. We need Reggie Evans! That lanky Kimbo-Slice-type ugly mofo will grab this team by the collar and put some toughness into them.
@ Kavel: Truculence in basketball involves swinging, and missing, at another guy's head in a "fight." It also involves Jeff Van Gundy clutching at the leg of one of the guy's fighting. Basketball fights are truly the best.
@ Hungry: Dude, you fucking nailed it. If your so called best friend doesn't have your back after taking a knee in the nuts, who the fuck does? And I agree, Reggie Evans is one ugly dude. He can only help. You know we're fucked when we're longing, desperately, for Reggie Evans.
I don't think the Raptors have much of a chance to keep Bosh anyway, just because the team around him isn't great. While I don't think they've mismanaged things as badly as the Cavs have with Lebron, the Raptors still seem to be idling in the #5 to #8 playoff seed range.
Their offense is ridiculously scary though. It's something you would put together in a 1990s video game, since you know you'd just play defense well for them anyway. Unfortunately, none of them can defend in real life.
@ Steve: Except for Reggie Evans!!!!1
The team simply doesn't have enough fight. It sucks watching us get buried against most other good teams. If/when Bosh leaves, it's going to be downright scary watching us heave jump shots all game long. At least we have our other sports teams to look forward to.
Reggie Evans can't play offense though. He's like former Raptor great Michael Curry, or something.
@ Escaped: At least we have our other sports teams to look forward to.
That wasn't funny.
@ Steve: The Raptors need more guys who can't play offense. Too many Raptors know only how to play offense. See Calderon, Jose and Bargnani, Andrea.
Eh, you just swap out one problem for the other though. The Spurs hid Bruce Bowen in the past by just putting him in the corner and letting him do nothing but focus on that shot. Unless you have an arrangement like that, where you have to at least guard the guy on defense, then their amazing defense on the other end is negated by their crapitude on offense.
Steve, Reggie Evans is our only hope. So, please stop being a buzz-kill and tell me that Evans is going to make it all better.
I'm just saying that as long as Bosh is the number one option and leader of the team they are destined for mediocrity. He would be an awesome second option to a true number one, athletic wing. Wade has made comments about liking Toronto and the organisation so it's not something I made up. However, as long as things stay as they are, don't expect Bosh and his supporting cast to ever be much more than .500.
I'm not the closest follower of the NBA, but I did see that play and was upset to see Bosh's teammates standing around picking their noses instead of having Bosh's back.
Also, I thought Colangelo was a genius, or at least he was touted as one in Phoenix. Was that just Steve Nash and co. making him look good, then?
Yes, it was Nash. It was definitely Nash.
Dear Author www.sportsandthecity.com !
I think, that you are mistaken. I suggest it to discuss. Write to me in PM.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
Post a Comment