Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon is good people. With his team mired in a horrible slump - losers of 11 of their last 14 heading into last night -and at a critical point in their season, numero ocho went to the coaching staff and suggested he move back to the bench and let T.J. Ford assume the starting point guard responsibilities.
A classy and selfless move by a classy and selfless guy. I already had a ton of respect for Jose, and now I have even more. Dude is all about the team, and it's hard not to appreciate what he did. Here's what Jose had to say about it:
"I said five or six games ago, whatever we need to do, I have no problem coming from the bench. I have no problem putting the team first. And now after two tough losses I thought we could do it and see if things change a little. We talked Monday and again Tuesday morning and they agreed, with 12 games let's see if you can change things around.
"I have an ego, but my team is first. I work for the Raptors and I play for the Raptors, I don't play for Jose Calderon. What I want is to be in the playoffs, I want to have a chance to play in the second round, so I don't try to be 20 points a game or something like that. I think this is a good idea to change everything so this is something I have to do.”
Classy, eh? I told you so. Says a lot about Jose. He's not like other pro athletes out there. He's cut from a different cloth. Let's not forget that he's in a contract year. Sure, it's pretty much a formality that the Raptors will re-sign him in the summer (they can match any deal he gets), he's still in a contract year. For Jose winning is, clearly, the number one priority.
And I'm not surprised he threw in "I don't try to be 20 points a game or something like that," as a minor shot at T.J. At least that's what it looks like to me. I was telling a buddy of mine at work that whenever I watch a game in which Ford puts up 20 or more points, the Raptors lose. I think Jose has recognized the same.
The move, initiated by Jose on his own volition, also says a lot about T.J. Ford, and I'm kind of peeved with him right now. He basically sulked his way back into the starting point guard slot. His erratic play, and clear displeasure, at being second fiddle to Jose was clearly disrupting the team. Everyone knows that if Ford starts, he's on the floor with Bosh and has to share the ball, instead of chucking the rock on every possession. Since he's come back from injury Ford hasn't exactly displayed the best attitude, and never did embrace the backup role. Pretty douche bag-gy if you ask me.
It's becoming more and more clear to me that the two point guard system is not going to work here in Toronto. It can't work anywhere. Both guys are starting point guards and they know it. They both want to be starters, and I can't really blame either one for that. That's always been the goal for both of them. They're too competitive, and while I was assured yesterday that Jose is down with the team concept, it's clear that Ford isn't. He's simply not mature enough. If the Raptors have to choose which point guard to keep this summer, I think it's obvious it should be Jose. His game resembles that of Steve Nash and that's exactly who you want your point guard to be resemble.
Bottom line: Calderon is a rudey.
With the suddenly back-to-.500 Raptors desperate to turn around their fortunes, the Calderon and Ford swap wasn't the only change in the lineup last night against the Detroit Pistons, the Association's second-best team. Out of the starting lineup came Andrea Bargnani, with my main man Rasho Nesterovic taking his place. Bargnani continues to disappoint, and break my heart in the process. If you didn't get a chance to read The Globe and Mail's Michael Grange's column about the not-so-super sophomore - Whither Bargnani? - I urge you to check it out.
I guess change is good sometimes. The lineup moves paid off and the Raptors knocked off the Pistons 89-82, thanks to a huge third quarter that saw Toronto outscore Detroit 28-16. After a sluggish first half the Raps picked up the slack in the third and fourth quarters, and ended up shooting 49% from the floor. The Pistons shot only 41%. They were playing their third game in four nights but, well, that's their problem. We've got plenty of our own.
For one night, at least, the Raptors got the superb point guard play that defined their season early on this year. Caldeford (or Forderon, whichever you prefer), the two-headed point guard monster, combined for 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 13 assists, eight rebounds and only two turnovers. That's the kind of point guard play that will win the Raptors more games than not.
Got to shout out Rasho, of course. He was dope again last night. More than 46 minutes on the floor, 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting, nine rebounds and four blocks. He was instrumental in helping the Raptors outscore the Pistons in the paint 34-22. That is significant because the Raptors, and especially Bargnani, are pretty much allergic to the freakin' paint.
The Dinos remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game out of fifth place (and a date with Lebron). Up next are the New York Knicks on Friday and Western Conference leading New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. I kid you not, the Hornets are the best team in the West. And that's one mighty fine conference. If I'd have told you that New Orleans would be in first place near the end of March, you would have bitch-slapped me and called me Wanda.
With only 11 games left in the regular season, the Dinos have got to get on a roll heading into the playoffs. Thanks to Jose Calderon, the team got a huge boost last night. The world needs more pro athletes the likes of the selfless Spaniard. He's a special dude, that Jose, and what he did last night kind of makes you just feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Thanks Jose. Respect is there
How god-awful are the Miami Heat? Coming off a five game losing streak and a 2-8 record without CB4 in the lineup, there was no better cure for what was ailing the Toronto Raptors than the so-called "basketball team" from the sunny confines of south Florida.
The Raps, with Bosh back in the lineup, opened up a can of whoop ass against the Heat on Wednesday night, the likes of which haven't been seen around these parts before. It was the biggest win in Toronto franchise history, a 42-point margin with a final score that read 96-54. The Raptors scored more points in the first half - 58 - than the Heat managed all game. If that doesn't blow you away, this should: Chuck Swirsky brought out the salami and cheese with three minutes left...in the second quarter.
It's been a tough season for Miami. Those of us who play sports have all been in the situation where the team you're up against is just a gazillion times better than yours. You know it, the opposition knows it, and you don't have a prayer. It's not fun, and I can't imagine Wednesday night was for anyone involved with the Miami organization - players, coaches and fans. The Heat's 54 points were the third-lowest in NBA history and they shot an unbelievable 26% from the floor. What a bunch of chucker's. I'm not sure the Heat roster could beat any one of the NCAA college squads. They're that bad.
Anyways, Bosh is back, and it will be interesting to see if the Raptors struggles are behind them. With only a handful of games left in the season and the team only two games above .500, I'm not sure how high expectations can really be going into the playoffs.
Perhaps the recent dive in the standings - thanks to a Bosh-less roster and a seriously erratic T.J. Ford - is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps more losses is exactly what this team needs in order to, well, I'll be honest, avoid the Cleveland Cavaliers and King James in the playoffs.
The Eastern Conference is downright brutal, so there's no worries about missing the playoffs. The New Jersey Nets are proud owners of a 29-39 win-loss record and currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot. That is sad. By comparison, the Denver Nuggets of the supreme Western Conference, who spanked the Raptors last week, own a 40-28 record - 12 freakin' games over .500! - and they're two and a half games out of a playoff spot. It just goes to show that life isn't fair.
If the season ended today the Dinos would open the playoffs on the road in Cleveland. Not good. Nobody can guard Lebron, especially the Raptors. And LBJ has been known to light it up at the Air Canada Centre. We must avoid the King, at all costs. The Orlando Magic, whom the Raptors line up much better against, are comfortably in third place in the East, trailing Detroit by five games and ahead of the Cavs by five and a half. With that being said, the Raptors need to finish sixth. Straight up. Let the Washington Wizards and super douche Gilbert Arenas, who trail the Raptors by only half a game in the standings, deal with Lebron.
I hate to say that I want the Raptors to lose, but I really don't want to see a first-round match up with Lebron James. The Raptors are still a couple of pieces away from being a true contender and this is another "gain some playoff experience" year, but they've got to make it out of the first round to gain said experience. Against LBJ and the Cavs, that ain't happening.
On to the title of this post. It's time to show some love to Rasho Nesterovic. Although the Raptors got their tails handed to them while Bosh was out, Rasho was awesome in his absence. If former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto is a "professional hitter," then my main man Rasho is a "professional baller." He never complains about playing time but is always ready when called upon. He's a pro and he goes out on the floor and competes. Rasho has seen limited minutes this year as the super inconsistent Andrea Bargnani starts every night but going forward, if the Raptors want to win a playoff round, Rasho has to play. Plain and simple.
In the 10 games that Rasho started while Bosh dealt with his knee injury, he was workmanlike and consistent in his contributions. He averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds a night as a starter and shot a beautiful 53.7% from the field. Rasho can still bring it at both the offensive and defensive end. He commands respect and really sets the tone for the Raptors defense, and that's huge because if there's one thing the Raptors can't do, it's defend and rebound.
Wednesday night in the practice against the Heat, with SMitch easing Bosh back into the lineup, Rasho played 30 minutes, scored 12 points on six-of-nine shooting, and picked up four rebounds, four assists and three blocks. I love Rasho Nesterovic.
In the playoffs last year against the Nets, Rasho started the first four games of the series. However, his minutes went down after the second game. He only played a touch under 11 minutes in game four, less than two minutes in game five, and didn't get on the floor in the sixth and final game of the series. Sam Mitchell, I demand more Rasho in this year's playoffs. He's clearly still got game and for a big man has some pretty good range. He can hit the long jumper and has even got a sweet hook shot.
As you can see, I'm big on Rasho Nesterovic. And you should be too. He's a professional baller and can only help the Toronto Raptors.
On that note, it's the long weekend, so I'm off to the great city of Cleveland, Ohio, to take in the Raptors and Cavaliers game (yes, it's true, I will be missing the Leafs game). And for the record, I'm not going to see Lebron. I'm going to see Rasho.
Oh, and I'm with Doug Smith. The boo-age by Raptors fans against the Heat, because they didn't score 100 points to get the fans their precious pizza, was lame. Seriously lame. The Raptors won by 42 points for Christ's sake, and they were booed? Come on Toronto, we're better than that. That's something the folks over in Ottawa or Montreal would do.
When news of Jason Blake's cancer diagnosis broke, it put a lot of things in perspective. Professional sports, in general, are quite meaningless. Blake is a young man - only 34 - and a father of three. His health, not hockey, is the only thing that matters now......It's amazing that only five or six years ago the disease - chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) - was uniformly fatal. Thanks to a pill called Gleevac, it now has a survival rate of 85 to 90 per cent. Jason Blake is going to live a long and healthy life, God willing. The lesson of the day? Cancer research, boys and girls. It's for real, and it's money well spent. Let's keep on donating......So, it looks like the end of the line for Joe Torre in New York. I think George Steinbrenner is actually morphing into his Seinfeld character - he's going straight loco! Is there not enough pressure to be a New York Yankee, coach or player, than for Big Stein to come out and publicly say that if the Yankees didn't come back to beat the Cleveland Indians that Torre would be fired? Give me a break. Give Torre a break. He deserved better than that. Sure, there's an insane amount of talent on that team, but Torre never once missed the playoffs as coach of the Bronx Bombers. Steinbrenner's losing it, man......Speaking of Torre, I had a dream last night he was wearing a Blue Jays uniform and sitting in the dugout at the Rogers Centre, the newest manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Wouldn't it be something? As much as I love John Gibbons, if the Jays can get Torre, see ya Gibby! Sure, Torre will come at a ridiculous price tag, but my main man Ted Rogers can afford it. He's a baller. I know, some of you probably think I'm going loco, but hey, a man can dream......Keeping it on baseball, great column by Dan Wetzel over at Yahoo! Sports. The Yankees, with their $200 million plus payroll, once again failed to make it past the division series. Money a championship does not buy. There are four teams left standing in baseball's playoffs and only one of them has a payroll in the top 12 in baseball - the Boston Red Sox ($143 million). Cleveland checks in at #23, the Colorado Rockies at #25 and the Arizona Diamondbacks at #26. Add up the payrolls for Cleveland, Colorado and Arizona and you get $168.2 million - substantially less than that of the New York Yankees. That is absolutely ridiculous. And I wondered why Big Stein was losing it......Oh, those poor, poor fans of the Buffalo Bills. When will their suffering end? In what SI's Peter King called "The best 24 minutes in sports in 2007" the Bills were once again silenced by the Dallas Cowboys, this time in a Monday Night Football game for the ages. Tony Romo was intercepted five times, but it wasn't enough. How a team can win when their quarterback gets intercepted five times is beyond me, but the Cowboys pulled off a miracle. Numerous official reviews, an onside kick, two 53-yard field goals - it was drama at its finest. The Bills led all the way until the end and they were, oh, so close, but as always, they lost. If you've got a heart, you feel for the city of Buffalo and its citizens. Forever losers, and it's got to be rough......Speaking of the Cowboys, they've got a date with the New England Patriots next week, in a match-up of undefeated teams. Tom Brady vs Tony Romo. Already talk has begun of New England possibly going 16-0. Premature? You're damn right. Impossible? No way. If anyone can do it again, Tom Brady can. He's Superman. And Batman. If you need me on Sunday at 4:15 pm eastern time, I'll be on the couch......Back to the Yankees for a second. It's looking like Alex Rodriguez is going to opt-out of the final three years of his contract with New York. Seven years ago when he signed his mammoth contract it was believed that his would be the most expensive contract in baseball history at $25 million a season. Now his agent thinks he can get $30 million. After the season A-Rod had, he will undoubtedly be named American League MVP, I wouldn't be surprised if he got $35 million a year. I thought baseball was out of control back in the day. Some things will just never change......What's up with Lebron James wearing a Yankees hat at the game in Cleveland? He's just asking for trouble. Witness!......Word has it that Rasho Nesterovic has shown up to Toronto Raptors training camp in great shape. Maybe it's premature to hand Andrea Bargnani the starting centre job. A little healthy competition never hurt nobody......Classy move by Jacques Villeneuve in his NASCAR debut at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend. A number of drivers, including a vocal Jeff Gordon, made it known they weren't happy with Villeneuve making his debut on NASCAR's biggest and fastest track, during the NEXTEL Cup Chase (I still have no idea what that is). Villeneuve, however, held his own and qualified sixth for the race. Before the green flag dropped, though, he voluntarily moved to the back of the field. He caused no accidents, didn't piss anybody off, and said the 500 miles were a great learning experience. Attaboy, Jacques. That's how we Canadians roll......How God-awful were the Leafs last night? A 7-1 loss early in the season on home ice can't be a good thing. The Leafs have a number of home games in October and need to get the ship on course, and fast. I can't even blame Vesa Toskola for his performance, because none of the Leafs showed up. I guess they should have evacuated before Hurricane Carolina showed up at their front door...
Big win for the Raptors tonight at home against the Heat. They went with a small lineup and simply dominated Miami, who just aren't the same without D-Wade in the backcourt.
The holiday season is upon us and it's a busy time of year for all, as usual.
It's been almost 10 days since I checked in, and much has happened since then. I don't even know where to start.
Actually I do. I have to start this post by handing out a crazy shoutout to my man TJ Ford. This guy has just been amazing the past few Raptor games, and the same goes for his teammates. The Raptors are hot, and as of tonight, are in first place. It doesn't matter that they play in the weakest division in pro sports. There's no need to focus on the negatives anymore. The Toronto Raptors are in first place, and that's the bottom line.
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Vernon Wells is OFFICIALLY a Blue Jay for the next eight years, and hopefully he and his teammates can deliver this championship starved city another World Series title, Inshallah. I thought the temptations of free agency would be too great for Wells to sign an extension with the Jays. But he proved me wrong by doing what so few athletes do these days - show loyalty. Vernon Wells, I salute you. I know he signed an incredible contract, valued at about $126 million, but the rumour was that he could have got $200 million on the market. He didn't have to sign. But the Blue Jays, in good faith, matched a number that Wells and his agent agreed to be market value. Wells, also showing good faith, saw that the Jays met his demands, and put his name on the dotted line.
Wells openly said that JP Ricciardi was influential in him becoming an all-star. JP gave Wells the opportunity to play everyday, and it was something Wells didn't forget. Wells was drafted by the Jays, and is a born and bred Toronto Blue Jay, it's that simple. He found it hard to leave the city, the team and the fans, and I can't be happier. JP and the Blue Jays management, from Ted Rogers to Paul Godfrey, got the job done.
Loyalty is there. And it's just not something you see much anymore in pro sports. The signing of Vernon Wells makes me feel all warm inside. He is what every pro athlete should aspire to be. He is a true role model. Like I said before, it's a pleasure to be given the honour to have him on our team for the next eight seasons.
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How about those consistently inconsistent Maple Leafs? This team is way too up and down, and really needs to find a balance. I guess that's difficult to do when you're either getting blown out or doing the blowing out every night. After a 9-2 pasting of the Rangers last weekend, the Leafs responded by getting shollacked by the Florida Panthers 7-3. It was a horrendous game full of turnovers and sloppy play. To make matters worse, Belfour got the win - his second of the season against the Leafs. Belfour's lame. And even on top of that sour note, Gary Roberts was influential in the poundage of the Leafs.
I hate Gary Roberts. He's a prick. I wish someone on the Leafs would step up and deal with his case, but no one does, and I'm not sure why. He's not a Leaf anymore. He takes pride in beating the Leafs, yet no one seems to mind. It's disgusting. I hate his face. He plays a little dirty when he takes on the Leafs, as if he's trying to prove something. The Leafs offered him a contract when he was a free agent, but he chose to walk to Florida.
I really hate Gary Roberts.
The Leafs were downed 3-1 in Chicago tonight. The Hawks have a solid young team. They play aggressive and with lots of speed and forechecking. They like to take the body, and it was an entertaining game.
However, the hockey God's, who have already wreaked enough havoc on the Leafs this season in my opinion, are not done with this team, by any stretch of the imagination. The Poni Express has been derailed temporarily as Ponikarovsky went down in practice yesterday with Nik Antropov syndrome (that's the injuring yourself syndrome). Poni was skating around Bryan McCabe, lost his balance, tripped and slid heavily into the boards. And like the movie from Seinfeld: Prognosis Negative. He's got a shoulder separation and will be out for three weeks. Just lovely.
Kyle Wellwood is also out of the lineup for an unknown period due to a groin/leg injury. As of right now there is no diagnosis, and until there is, he won't be playing. For those of you keeping track, that's two members of the top line out of the line up for what looks to be an extended period of time.
If that wasn't bad enough, Mike Peca's season came to an end tonight. He went knee on knee with James Vandermeer, and word on the internet is that he's torn his MCL and broke his tibia. He's already had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, and now he'll have to rebuild his right knee. It's going to be a long and hellish road to recovery for Peca, and I'm not sure the Leafs will re-sign him next season coming off major knee surgery. Mike Peca, this Leafs teams best penalty killer and defensive catalyst, may have played his final game in the blue and white, and we barely got to know him. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
And how bad was Hal Gill Tuesday night against Florida? He and McCabe have the most blatant giveaways. Right on the oppositions tape. Even tonight, two of the Chicago goals were a result of the Leafs not being able to clear their zone, resulting in turnovers.
Losing Peca is going to kill this team. I can't believe he's gone for the season. It means more minutes for guys like Stajan and Steen, and they don't deserve the increased ice time. So the Leafs are screwed. John Pohl scored tonight, and hopefully he can step up and play more of a scoring role on this team, because without Poni, Peca and Welly, I'm not sure who is going to score goals. Sundin played with O'Neill and Battaglia tonight - not exactly a line combination that is going to be scaring anybody. It's time to get either Boyd Devereaux or Erik Westrum up to the big club. John Ferguson really needs to get to work.
Another sad reality for the Leafs is that they have two backup goaltenders. Aubin played in Chicago tonight and again took the loss. It seems the magic he had at the end of last season is gone, and the Leafs just can't find the back of the net when he's playing. Aubin and Raycroft have both been playing a lot recently, and they've both been inconsistent. They just can't come up with the save this team needs.
The Leafs are only as good as their goalie. Looking back at the last 10 years where the Leafs have enjoyed some success, it's been because of excellent goaltending. The Leafs have never employed a solid defensive unit or played solid defensive hockey. Curtis Joseph was the backbone in the late 90's and early part of this decade, and Eddie Belfour held it down in his first two seasons in Toronto.
Raycroft and Aubin are just not the answer. I'm sick of Raycroft getting beat up top, glove side. He never has his glove up and ready when he's in his butterfly position, and it's a mistake no NHL goalie should be making on a regular basis. It's no secret that the gameplan against Raycroft is to go high glove side.
I'll never understand why the Leafs just gave this guy the number one job. I'll never understand why the Leafs didn't sign Petr Sykora.
Difficult times in Leaf Nation..
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On to a happier subject - the Toronto Raptors.
The Craptors no more!
As of tonight, after a 101-100 overtime win in Portland against the Trail Blazers, the Raptors sit atop the Atlantic Division with a record of 12-15. That's right, I said it, the Raptors are in first place. It's true. They've won five out of their last six games, and all five victories have come without the franchise, CB4.
How about TJ Ford? I think he is the point guard the Raptors and their fans have been waiting for. TJ Ford has arrived, and he is for real. He has stepped up in the absence of Chris Bosh and has shown tremendous leadership and confidence. He believes in himself, and his teammates believe in him.
The Raptors beat the Clippers on Wednesday night thanks to a heroic effort from Ford. He was unstoppable in the 4th quarter, hitting jumpers and driving through the lane. He hit the winning shot of the game with no time left on the clock, and I, along with Sam Mitchell, was going crazy. I went bananas. It was a great finish to a heck of a ballgame and I've never seen the Raptors bench go crazy like that before. Mitchell went nuts, Bosh went nuts, and Swirsky was calling for the onions baby, onions.
How does TJ Ford top a performance like that? He comes out and does it again, this time scoring nine out of the 11 points the Raptors scored in overtime against the Blazers. On the final play of the game, he drove, got a defender to commit, then dished the ball to Il Mago who hit a long 2-ball with 3.5 seconds left. It was a brilliant play by Ford, and Bargnani knocked it down.
Props out to Bargnani on the shot. He had just came off the bench and was cold, but he stepped up in a clutch situation to give the Raptors the win. It's great for the rookie's confidence to be trusted with the ball in a situation like that, and to make the most of it. Once again, I went bananas.
The Raptors are hella fun and exciting to watch. They play hard and they play with passion, and I think that's all that Sam Mitchell wants from them. I think Sam Mitchell and Paul Maurice have a lot in common. They're not all about talent and skills, but more about hard work. They're blue collar guys, and it rubs off on their respective teams.
I definitely thought a prolonged Chris Bosh absence for the Raptors meant certain doom. I just didn't think they'd be able to compete, but to a man, everyone has stepped up. The win against the Clippers came without Bosh, Calderon and Garbajosa. That's a team effort right there. The scoring has been incredibly balanced, and three or four guys a night are averaging in double figures. Parker, Nesterovic, Garbo have all been fantastic recently. I think Garbajosa is a hockey player trapped in a basketball player's body. He's all about grinding and playing hard. He's like a checking line winger. God bless him.
It's certainly a relief to see Fred Jones play a couple of solid games where he's been able to put up some points. This guy is a good basketball player and can take the ball to the rack like no one else on this team - he's just been snake-bitten so far this season. Hopefully his struggles are behind him because the Raptors are a much more effective team when he's on his game. He's got that explosiveness that is just contagious to a team and I'm looking forward to a few huge slams in the near future from Jones.
I also can't say enough about Rasho Nesterovic. What a pickup by Bryan Colangelo. Nesterovic has been a calming influence on D and is exactly what the Raptors have lacked for far too long. And with Bosh going down with the knee injury, Rasho has stepped up his offensive game too. He's been logging a lot of minutes and the Raptors are not afraid to run plays for him in the paint. I think he was shooting 75% from the field over a three-game stretch last week. That's on fire, NBA Jam style right there. He's also really vocal on the defensive side of the game, and he's always letting the Joey Graham's and PJ Tucker's know where to be and how best to defend. I'm a big fan of Rasho Nesterovic. He's been everything and more than what I thought he would be.
I can't say enough about this Raptors squad. I really like what Colangelo has put together here. The future actually looks really bright. TJ Ford for Charlie Villenueva. Charlie Villenueva who? TJ Ford is only 23 years old! He's averaging 15 points and 8 dimes a game. He's the pass-first point guard the Raptors have craved for so long, and without Bosh, he's been the main man on offense. TJ Ford, at such a young age, has been given the reigns to the Raptors offense. He is the main man for Colangelo and the Raptors. I'm not saying he could be the next Steve Nash. Actually, I am saying that. TJ Ford could be the next Steve Nash. It took Nash time to develop into the MVP that he now is, and the most complete point guard the NBA has seen in a long, long time. TJ Ford has the skills to do what Nash is doing. We just have to be patient, but if he keeps playing this way, I don't mind patiently waiting at all.
I'm just giddy about TJ Ford and the Raptors right now. I'm even starting to like Derrick Martin, who I used to think was the biggest joke on an NBA roster. But now I'm starting to see why the Raptors have him around - he's got leadership skills and he was the one telling TJ Ford to hold onto the rock til the last second against the Clippers.
Giddy. I swear.
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Allen Iverson to the Nuggets.
Interesting trade. I don't think Iverson and Carmello Anthony will be able to exist when Anthony comes back from his suspension.
I've never really liked Iverson too much. I'm of the opinion that the point guard should play the game the way Steve Nash does, not Allen Iverson. He just shoots too much for my liking, and that's why I can't see him and Carmello co-existing. They both need the ball, and there's only one to go around.
By the way, that "brawl" at MSG between the Knicks and the Nuggets was a joke.
Carmello Anthony is officially a bitch. He sucker-punches some jobber on the Knicks then runs halfway down the court so no one can touch him. That was weak. I've never liked 'Mello much, and after that pathetic display, I never will.
And the Knicks? They're a sad state of affairs too. Isiah Thomas is a plague. That franchise is in complete shambles. And Nate Robertson looks like 50 Cent, wouldn't you agree?
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I think that's it. My head hurts from all the thinking.
Merry Christmas, Happy HoliJays and Happy Festivus.
Goodnight, Toronto...
