On Chris Bosh ...

From AltRaps over at uber Toronto Raptors blog Raptors Republic:

[Chris Bosh] finishes the season averaging 20/10, in the company of only two other players in the league, yet the idiots in the peanut gallery want to dump his ass for whatever we can get and make out that he doesn't play with heart. Idiots. 21pts and 19boards against a team that was playing for something. Just smile, Chris...big up yaself.

After perusing the stats, there's only one player in the NBA, other than Toronto's CB4, who definitively averages 20/10: Dwight Howard (20.6/13.8). You might know him as Superman.

Two other guys who just about pull it off: The Big Fundamental himself, Tim Duncan (19.3/10.7). And the pride of the People's Republic of China, Yao Ming (19.7/9.9).

I know what you're thinking. And I agree. Tim Duncan does have the best nickname. Ever.

Anyway, that's some pretty impressive company for Bosh to be in, no?

The season's over. It's decision making time for Bryan Colangelo. He's under the bright spotlights now. Does he get Bosh's autograph on a long-term contract before his deal expires in 2010? Does he bring back Anthony Parker? Shawn Marion? Joey Graham? Pops Mensah-Bonsu? The legendary Jake Voskuhl? What about head coach Jay Triano? Oh, the questions.

If it were up to me, I'd re-sign Marion. The Raptors desperately need his eight rebounds per game. He can't create his own offence, but that's what Jose Calderon is for. You know how I feel about Pops. I'd re-sign AP, too, only because I'm an emotional suck, and only to come off the bench. Joey Graham, good luck and Godspeed. Voskhul's a no brainer; bring him back. What a cheerleader. And I've no idea what to do with Triano. I'll trust Colangelo on that one. 

And you're damned right I'd re-sign Christopher Wesson Bosh to an extension. Or at least try to. If he refuses, then the trade route must be explored. We wouldn't get fair value, no way, but Vince Carter taught me a couple of valuable lessons: one, he's a douchebag; two, this franchise cannot afford to make a trade like his again.

Look, I'm not a fan of Bosh's online habits either, but he brings it on the court, and that's why option number one must be to lock him up. At the end of the day, 20/10 speaks for itself.

What would you do?

Uh, It's Over, Umm, Bitches...

So much for wanting to play the Orlando Magic. Just like that, the Toronto Raptors are done, eliminated in five games by Superman and his three-point shooting cronies. It was an ugly game to cap off an ugly series and one ugly season.

I don't mean to be rude, but where the fuck was Chris Bosh last night? He finished with only 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting, nine rebounds, and three assists. Most discouraging of all, he only went to the free throw line four times all game. Four times! That's it. His first trip to the charity stripe came with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Bosh's strength is getting to the line and hitting his free throws, and he was the opposite of aggressive last night. He put up some serious bricks. It was a disappointing effort by the franchise player in the biggest game of the season. Bosh had to set the tone and lead the charge and, well, he didn't.

I'm not throwing Bosh under the bus but he didn't play his best game last night. He knows it, I know it and you know it. His young playoff career has gotten off to a rocky start. In the five games against Orlando CB4 had two strong games - games two and four - and the Raptors lost them both.

It's clear Bosh needs help and it's clear he's not getting it from Andrea Bargnani, who is the definition of regression. Bargnani represents the Raptors 07/08 season in so many ways: so inconsistent, some flashes of brilliance, a ton of potential, and so God damn frustrating.

Andrea was such a tool last night. He picked up two fouls only 20 seconds into the game and, as usual, was a non-factor. He finished with four points on two-of-four shooting from the floor (his first three-point attempt didn't even hit rim!). In a touch under 16 minutes he grabbed one rebound, and I remember it clearly. It came in the second half, no one was around him and, had he not caught the basketball, it would have hit him straight in the face.

Bargnani shot 35% (11-for-37) from the floor in the series and didn't register double-digits in points in any of the five games. He pulled down a whopping seven rebounds in the five games, proving that he is in fact physically allergic to rebounding. How is it possible that the seven-foot tall Italian cannot rebound? I don't get it. It blows the mind.

This summer is a huge, HUGE, one for Andrea and the Raptors. It's clear he's lost all confidence in his shot and, well, that's pretty much all he's about. Without his shot, he's completely useless because God knows he can't defend. Bargnani's got to get in the weight room all summer and come to training camp in September with a sense of purpose. He's got to be hungry. He's got to rebound. He's got to defend. It just looks like he doesn't give a shit out there. He needs to be fighting for a job next season because I'm beginning to think he is the second coming of Shawn Bradley (Lord help us).

I think Jason Kapono was the most consistent Raptor in the series. That's pretty sad, considering he found himself on the bench for much of the second half of the regular season.

All that being said, the Raptors did play hard last night. They played hard all series. They just couldn't get the job done. At one point in last night's fourth quarter they were down 84-82. In the end, however, the Raptors were done in by their weak defense and inability to rebound. The Magic crushed Toronto on the glass yesterday 55-to-37. Dwight Howard pulled down 10 offensive rebounds, one more than all the Raptors combined.

As bad as the Raptors played in the series, the Magic definitely deserve some credit. They are a good team and they beat up on Toronto. Howard is a monster and he dominated Toronto like no one has before. He finished with three - three! - 20 points/20 rebounds games. That is completely and utterly ridiculous. In five games, Superman totalled 91 rebounds. And as much heat as the Magic took for giving Rashard Lewis that huge contract, I think it's looking like a good deal so far. Lewis had a great series and is one of many Orlando threats. Everybody on that God damn team can shoot the ball.

The Raptors are heading into another long off-season. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Not after Toronto finished with 47 wins last year and captured their first Atlantic Division title. They were supposed to continue their evolution but instead took several steps backward, finishing .500 on the season and getting spanked by the Magic. Toronto was consistently inconsistent all year and never really posed a threat to a superior Orlando squad.

Questions abound as the season officially ends: has T.J. Ford played his last game in Raptors red? I think most people will agree that this team is better with Jose Calderon driving the bus, but can Bryan Colangelo find a taker for Ford's contract? And who becomes the back-up point guard if Ford leaves? Will Carlos Delfino, a free agent, return? I sure hope so. What to do with Andrea Bargnani? This guy is just killing the Raptors right now. And what about Sam Mitchell - is his job safe? The Raptors had two God-awful first quarters in the series and were never able to come up with an answer to the hot-shooting Magic.

It will be a most-interesting off-season indeed but, damn, I'm just really not looking forward to reading Dave Feschuk's column today in The Toronto Star.

I'm Off Disney World, Huge

I'm beginning to hate Orlando. And I've never even been there. The city has not been kind to my Toronto Raptors or Toronto Blue Jays in recent days. I thought Disney World was where dreams come true?

I don't know about you, but I'm still having nightmares from the first quarter of game one between the Raptors and Orlando Magic. You know, when Orlando scored 43 points on 80 percent - 80 freaking percent - shooting from the floor, including nine of 11 from deep. I'm still waking up in a cold sweat after seeing Maurice Evans, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson drain three-ball after three-ball after three-ball in my sleep. What a frightening 12 minutes of basketball.

You could take that first quarter and label it "How Not To Play Defense". Make it an instructional video, or something.

Toronto, unbelievably, got off to another porous start on Tuesday night, allowing 35 first quarter points. It's an improvement on 43, but unacceptable nonetheless. While many are quick to blame Sam Mitchell for the team's apparent lack of preparation, I can't do that. He's not on the floor.

Thankfully, the Raps did wake up in the second quarter and dropped 39 on the Magic. It was a see-saw battle the rest of the way but, most unfortunately, the dream of splitting the first two games on the road in Disney World ended when Chris Bosh's jump shot with 1.9 seconds left on the clock hit rim. 104-103 final, Orlando.

I'll give the dinosaurs some credit. They did make a game of it. But this is the playoffs, and moral victories count for nothing in the second season.

What did you think of the final play? Would you have drawn it up the same? It was another Jose Calderon/CB4 special and, just like last year in game six of the playoffs against the Nets with the season on the line, it didn't work. No disrespect towards Bosh. Dude was unconscious on Tuesday. But he's the obvious play. Why not look for Jason Kapono, who was dynamite off the bench in each of the first two games? If the Raptors were going to give it to Bosh, and they did, I'd much rather him drive and try to draw a foul instead of settle for the jump shot. Alas, you live and learn.

Speaking of learning, SMitch has made it clear that there will be changes in the starting lineup tonight for game three. And by changes I'm sure he means Calderon will start at point guard and T.J. Ford will come off the bench. At least that's what I'm assuming. I am, of course, usually wrong, but in my humble opinion Calderon can no longer be allowed to play Mr. Nice Guy. He's the better point guard, he's playing better than Ford right now, and the Raps are a better team when he's on the floor running the offense. So he should start, n'est-ce pas?

Here's the line on Ford after two games: he's two (2!) of 17 from the floor for a whopping 11.8 field goal percentage, seven of seven from the stripe, and he's totalled seven rebounds, 12 assists and 4 turnovers. I'm not saying that Ford is the reason we're down two-nothing in this series, because Jose was just as bad in game one, but Ford and Moon were abysmal in game two. Ford was one for eight from the floor on Tuesday and his turnovers in the first quarter (three of them, I think) and his lazy coverage of Jameer Nelson really hurt the Raptors. Until he finds his game and his confidence, Jose's got to carry the load.

As for Moon, well, he should just be banned from shooting the jump shot. He was one for seven Tuesday night and Orlando has simply stopped guarding him. They're letting him have the long jumper because, well, they know he can't make it. And they're right. Jamario simply has to be more aggressive and take the ball to the rim. He's too athletic and has too much hops to be chucking. I know it's important for him to have confidence in his jumper, but we need him to be rebounding and drawing fouls, not chilling on the perimeter and tossing up bricks.

I'm not going to say much about the heartbreak kid Andrea Bargnani. I thought he was pretty brutal in game one and so-so in game two. One thing, though. He played a touch over 18 minutes on Tuesday night and picked up one rebound. One rebound.

Huge shoutouts to Kapono and Carlos Delfino. Kapono, the forgotten man, came back with a vengeance in Orlando, shooting 67% from the floor, and 67% from beyond the arc. The sweet-shooting JKap has playoff experience and boy did it ever show. The Raptors are going to need him to come up just as big if they want to get back in this damn thing. Same goes for Delfino. He played almost thirty minutes Tuesday night and picked up 16 points, six boards and three dimes. Most importantly, he was aggressive. He didn't settle for the jump shot (I'm looking at you, Jamario).

And, umm, that Dwight Howard guy, umm, yeah, he's good. Twenty-twenty two games in a row? Ridiculous. He's a freak. Superman is a most fitting nickname.

Oh yeah, if you're looking for anything and everything Raptors-related, check out my man Chris Black at T.Jose Caldeford. Dude's been featured on Michael Grange's blog, From Deep, at The Globe and Mail and he is, needless to say, on point.

The Raptors cannot under any, ANY, circumstances come out flat tonight in the first quarter at the The Hangar. The fans are going to be rocking the red, Washington Capitals style, and a big opening 12 minutes is vital if the Raptors want to get back in this series. Come on Raptors. Orlando took care of business on their home court, we must do the same.

As for the Blue Jays and their series with Tampa Bay at Disney World (literally), Toronto lost on Tuesday and again last night. Give the series victory to Tampa Bay. The Jays are clearly struggling. When they lose a series to Tampa Bay, that pretty much goes without saying.

If there's one team I can't handle the Jays losing to, it's the Rays. They are the definition of pathetic. And, well, last place. Since their birth in 1998 the Rays have finished last in the American League East every year except for 2004, when they finished fourth with 70 wins (yes, the Jays finished last that year with 67 wins...*shudder*).

Everyone knows what ails the Jays. They can't hit with runners in scoring position. They were zero for eight tonight and are eight for their last 69. Yikes. Until that changes, the losses will continue to pile up. It is still early but the Red Sox, those fucking Boston Red Sox, are already beginning to heat up. The Jays need not take a page out of the Raptors book and dig themselves a hole too deep to get out of.

I listened to last night's post-game show with Mike Wilner, and J.P. Ricciardi made his first appearance on the program. It was riveting stuff, as always. I love the fact that J.P. makes himself available and takes questions from the fans once a week.

J.P., like me, like you, and most Jays fans, is frustrated. He knows the team isn't hitting and, in a classy move, is holding himself accountable. He said the calls for John Gibbons' head aren't warranted because Gibbons isn't out there hacking at the plate. Ricciardi said if the Jays don't hit, it's his fault, because he put this team together. And he's right.

He also touched on the Frank Thomas situation. To me, the situation stinks because it seems like it's only about dollars. The Jays didn't want to pay Frank $10 million next year so they let him walk. Of course, it isn't as simple as that. Ricciardi touched on the fact that Thomas was not in the dugout and didn't come out to high-five his teammates on Saturday, the day he was benched. J.P. said Thomas' actions showed his state of mind and that the Jays, with a sulking Thomas, were a team of 24, rather than 25. It's a mighty good point. I wonder if T.J. Ford and Frank Thomas hang out?

Ricciardi also spoke about the big-headed one, Barry Bonds. While he said the Jays have thought about it, it isn't something that is likely to happen. And not because Ricciardi doesn't want it to happen. It sounded like he does. I hate Bonds, but I'm a hypocrite and would take him on my team right this very moment. Why? Because he'd make the Jays a better team, and that's all that matters to me. Ricciardi sees what all Jays fans do out there, that Bonds would help this team immensely. He's not stupid. He just can't make the move because Ted Rogers won't sign off on it. That's the bottom line. Don't blame J.P. Ricciardi for Bonds not becoming a Blue Jay. Blame Ted Rogers. He's not willing to make it happen. If he was, Bonds would be a Blue Jay tomorrow. Think about it, you know, every time you pay Ted Rogers that God damn system access fee.

Before I forget, there have been a number of baseball blog additions to the blogroll. I urge you to check them out: The Mockingbird, where Jon Hale satisfies all your pitch f/x needs; The Tao of Stieb, because more people need to know that Dave Stieb pitched a remarkable 103 career complete games; Miked Up, because Mike Wilner is a whole lot of awesome; Fire Joe Morgan, because they write some of the funniest stuff on the web; and Major League Bastian, because he actually gets paid to cover the Jays. And don't forget the always reliable, and thullied, Drunk Jays Fans, who have officially sold out and who will be taking over the world in the days to come. Oh yeah, and the grumpy dude, Jeff Blair.

You know, Tuesday night was pretty awful on a number of fronts, now that I think about it. Every team, and person, I was cheering for lost. My Raps dropped a heart breaker; The Capitals went down in game seven, in overtime no less, to those damn Philly Flyers; San Jose pummeled Calgary in their game seven (what the hell has happened to Miikka Kiprusoff? Pulled twice in the series? Oh my.); the Jays lost; and my main man Barack Obama lost the Pennsylvania primary. Brutal.

Ahh, I told myself I'd make this post short. I swore I would. Once again, I have failed. Miserably. If you've made it this far, cheers. Your dedication is nothing short of exemplary.

Anyway, I hate the Rays. And the Magic. Fuck Disney World.

Statement Game

Take a good look at that picture - Chris Bosh actually looks like a dinosaur! He is a true Raptor. And he was dynamite last night against the Orlando Magic, thoroughly outplaying his all-star counterpart Dwight Howard.

It was a match up of two all-star big men - with nicknames that I love. CB4 against The Great Dwight Hope. When it comes to nicknames, I've got to go with Howard's, but when it comes to game, I'm with Bosh everyday of the week.

I'm not too sure where The Great Dwight Hope ranks on my favourite nicknames list, but it's up there. I do, however, know what comes in first on my least favourite nicknames list - The Big Fundamental. That's Tim Duncan's nickname. Amazingly, the nickname actually works - he really is The Big Fundamental. It's just so boring. Just like Duncan's game, I guess. But it's still the worst nickname ever.

Although the Raptors were facing an Orlando team with disappointing 31-37 record, this was, in fact, a statement game. My friends, I have bad news. The Raptors have been contaminated. The injury bug the Maple Leafs have suffered from all hockey season has been contracted by the Toronto Raptors. I can't even call this a bug anymore. It's a plague. The MLSE Injury Plague. It's wreaked havoc on the Raptors and Leafs all year long, and it struck mercilessly Tuesday night.

Word dropped Wednesday afternoon that Andrea Bargnani had emergency appendectomy surgery late Tuesday night. Out two to four weeks, at least. Big Rook, as he is so affectionately called by his teammates, will be sorely missed.

That left the Raptors without the services of Il Mago, Anthony Parker, and Jose Calderon for last night's game against Orlando. That's one starter (AP), and the top two guys off the bench. Oh, and Bargnani is a candidate for Rookie Of The Year, and should deservedly win it. This isn't good news. Not now, a month before the playoffs and at a time the Raptors need all hands on deck to secure their first division title in franchise history.

Wasn't it just yesterday the Raptors played their first game at the Skydome? They grow up so fast, these sports teams...

Back to reality - the Raps haven't exactly been tearing it up since the All-Star break. They've been inconsistent in all areas of the game and have just been blown out of the water in the rebounding department as of late. After getting beaten soundly by the Rockets and Knicks on the weekend, questions have arisen as to whether CB4 is running out of gas and whether the Raptors will be able to close out the division. Are they looking through their rear view at the Nets and Knicks? Or will they be able to show killer instinct and run away with a division they should win?

Chris Bosh answered those questions tonight with a dominating performance. And he was helped along the way by TJ Ford. Guys are going to have to step up in the absence of Calderon, Parker and now Bargnani, but it's going to come down to the team's best players, Bosh and Ford, to lead the way, and they certainly did last night.

Kris Humphries, Mo Pete, Juan Dixon and Joey Graham are all going to see increased minutes due to all the injuries. Humphries has been good off the bench this year and I think he deserves some more playing time. He can run the floor, something Hoffa could never really do. TJ Ford loves to make late passes when nobody is expecting it, and I've seen Humphries catch the ball and take it to the rim. If that were Hoffa, Ford's pass would probably hit him in the head. I still can't believe the Utah Jazz traded Kris Humphries for Rafael Araujo. Idiots.

Graham and Mo Pete really need to step it up. Mo Pete has seen his minutes go down significantly since the arrival of Juan Dixon, and it's been the right decision. MP3 - another weak, weak nickname - isn't playing with a lot of confidence right now and needs to get into a rhythm down the stretch, especially in the absence of Parker. Mo Pete's in a funk right now and although he probably will leave as a free agent this summer, he needs to finish the season with some "umph" so he can sign a big money contract in the off-season.

Speaking of Anthony Parker, this guy has just been phenomenal. I think with all the injuries - especially the big one to CB4 at the start of the year - Parker has really solidified himself as a marquee player on this team. He's been starting all year and deservedly so. He's better than Mo Pete. He's a tremendous defender and great from beyond the arc. He brings it every night and it's his consistency that keeps him in the lineup. As well as Bosh, Ford, and Bargnani have played all year, when it comes time to pick a Raptors MVP, I think Anthony Parker seriously deserves some consideration.

And how about the trade that brought in Juan Dixon? Bryan Colangelo, you've truly outdone yourself this time. High Five!

What a trade. Honestly, Colangelo for Prime Minister. He fixed the mess known as the Toronto Raptors, people. In only one year! I don't think the magnitude of this accomplishment is truly being appreciated. If this guy can fix the Raptors I see no reason as to why he cannot lead our country.

Fred Jones who? Dixon has fit into this team right from the start and it's like he's been a Raptor all season. He's shooting almost 50% from the floor in his new Raptors uniform, and has hit some big shots in a number of games. When Calderon went down and Darrick Martin was in-active, Dixon even logged minutes at the point. He's versatile and a solid option off the bench. The Raptors are going to need his production even more now that Bargnani is out.

As for Joey Graham, it seems as though he is still an enigma. Doug Smith says it best - you just don't know which Joey you're going to get on any given night, Good Joey or Bad Joey. He's so athletic and everyone can see all the potential, but he just hasn't put it all together yet. Hopefully increased minutes in important games down the stretch will help him out.

The Raptors bench has been it's strongest element all year. This team is leading their division because they are able to score. They just have too many options. But, like any team, they have their weaknesses. Glaring weaknesses. Ok, really glaring weaknesses. The Toronto Raptors can't rebound. Well, they can some nights, but most of the time, they can't. I know, it's a problem...but they can shoot the ball really well!

Now that the injury plague has spread to the Raptors, guys have to step up. It's simple. Just like guys did for the Maple Leafs. It's the nature of sports. However, it will still come down to Chris Bosh and TJ Ford. These guys are going to play more minutes too, and if last night was any indication, the Raptors will be alright.

Bosh had a double-double in the first half and Ford racked up another 12 assists. After struggling for while there after his foot injury, TJ Ford has gotten an emission test or something, because he's running great right now. His dribble-drive, although erratic and out of control at times, is really breaking down defenses and Ford is finding the open man for the open shot. He plays the point like a point guard should, and when he's running like this he's fun to watch.

As for Bargnani, I'm kind of worried about him. His injury conjures up memories of Alex Rios, circa 2006. Rios was having a breakout campaign for the Jays and finally hitting for power before a freak staph infection caused him to miss a month of action. He came back in August and only hit two home runs the rest of the year. His average also plummeted around 15 to 20 points. He lost his mojo.

Andrea Bargnani, over the last two months, certainly has had his mojo going. He was just getting more and more confident with each and every game. I'm beginning to fall in love with the lanky Italian's sweet stroke - those deep three ball's are a beauty. I'm hoping the time off won't mess with his head, like it did to Alex Rios. The Raptors need Il Mago to return to the lineup in the form he's displayed in what has been a marvellous rookie season. Get well soon, Andrea.

Back to last night. After knocking the Magic out of Orlando, the Raptors have a six game lead atop the Atlantic Division. Their magic number sits at nine. Although they're banged up, and are a young team heading down the stretch run, they will get the job done. I know it's a little early, but I'm going to make like Chuck Swirsky and bring out the salami and cheese, because this division race is over mama! The Raptors will be the 2006-2007 Atlantic Division Champions.

There will be playoff basketball come April. Chris Bosh and TJ Ford will lead the way.

It's guaranteed.

Goodnight, Toronto...