Christmas is Over and so is the Losing Streak

Tim Duncan’s whining was ignored, Gregg Popovich (why the two ‘g’s?) was ejected and the Raptors handed the defending champion Spurs just there second home loss this season when they (in the words of Yahoo! Sports) “hammered” San Antonio 83-73.

STATS!:

• The Spurs shot 31.9% from the field.



• Brent Barry (calf) and Manu Ginobli (finger) did not play.



• Kris Humphries had 14 points and 11 boards in 25.5 minutes.



• Jason Kapono scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

I've been noticing some positives in Bargnani's game lately, too - last night he moved well with the ball and played sick defence on Duncan when asked to. Il Mago managed three blocks and, seriously, even boxed out a few times. I also noticed that a single one of Andrea's legs is as wide as my torso.

Raps-Rockets tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST! McGrady won't play, so I'm guessing jeans, diamond earring and a blazer over a t-shirt.

Merry Chirstmas!!

Got the flu...Bad

It's been a rough few days for me and the Raptors. I got the flu, and they lost two in a row to the Blazers (somewhat forgiveable considering Portland's win streak hit 10 last night against the Nugs) and the Sonics (immitigable).

I didn't see the Sonics game, but the score, 123-115, is enough to tell me how the Raps' defence performed.

I did, however, watch the fourth quarter of the Blazers game. But basketball is a fast-paced game, and I could only watch portions without feeling dizzy and wanting to vomit.

The big attraction, aside from the game itself, was Bargnani vs. Roy, and it was clear who won that showcase. I'll defer to the Globe's Matthew Sekeres for some interesting dino-dribble on that one.

Back to bed. Ugh.

On the Value of our Captain and the Health of his Little Friend

There was a notion floating around, curiously, that the Raptors didn’t necessarily need Chris Bosh to win regular season games. Their bench is deep, ran the argument, and they have a young stud named Andrea Bargnani waiting for an opportunity to carry the team.

Until Sunday, with Bosh sidelined by a groin injury, the Raptors were 10-10. Not bad. Then CB4 returns, and what happens? The Raptors win four in a row (versus Houston, Atlanta, Dallas and Indiana), in which Bosh looks like a rabid all-star on crank, averaging 20 ppg, 11 rpg and 1.5 bpg. Alternatively, Bargnani played in three of the four wins and is averaging 3.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 30% from the field in 12 minutes a game. Granted, Il Mago is coming back from a hyper-extended knee, but he’s looked clumsy, indecisive and vacant in those three games.

Bargnani’s career has been one of constant development and regression. Just when you think he’s comfortable, he’s injured. When you think he’s improving, he shits the bed. I still like his talent, but I’m increasingly souring on his game. Write these words on tracing paper, take them to a tattoo artist and ask to have them inked on your sternum: This year is an audition for Ill Mago. If he tanks it, or simply doesn’t impress Colangelo further, he will be dealt. His value is high in the eyes of the Association, but concerns about having two power forwards as the future of this franchise are legitimate. BC’s never hesitated to trade young players, and I can see it happening again. To be honest, I wouldn’t be disappointed. In the meantime, I desperately (seriously) want Il Mago to succeed.

A few more nuggets about the four-game win streak:

- the Raps are allowing 84.25 points per game over the streak.
- Kris Humphries is averaging 13.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 59% FG, in 27 mpg.
- I’ve never seen Toronto as a streaky team, win-wise, but checking last year’s schedule, the Raps did string together six wins in a row in early April ’07.

We’re continually reminded of the hellish December for the Raptors, but after Boston tomorrow, the Raps have games against the Clippers, Blazers and Sonics before facing Phoenix. Wins!

The word on Terrance Jerod Ford: After reading the Globe’s Michael Grange write this intense précis of TJ’s injury and injury history my brain and fingers conceded. There’s nothing else to add except that TJ plans to sit for a week before even approaching rehab. The post tends toward the apocalyptic at times, but it is ultra-informative. Respect to the best hoops writer in Canada.

Negative Reinforcement

After hearing Stephon Marbury blame Zeke and then Zeke blame Marbury and then Zeke bench Randolph and then Randolph pout and then Zeke, Marbury and Randolph blame the fans(!) one can’t help but wonder: 1) How, with any minute particle of integrity, can the New York Knicks continue to employ Isiah Thomas? 2) When will someone offer a legitimate psychiatric assessment of Starbury’s mental infirmity? 3) When will anyone take responsibility for the apeshit situation in New York?

In reference to point number three, it won’t be Jamal Crawford who, just a few days ago, offered a mannered critique of his team’s effort. The comments reminded me of similar ones made this year by Richard Jefferson of the Nets and Andre Iguodala of the Sixers. In the spirit of free inquiry I’ve decided to investigate the effects of these players’ words on their, and their teams’, performances.

Jamal Crawford – comments: “A lot of it is just effort. When you compete you always give yourself a chance to win. Some nights we compete harder than others. We got to get better than that. It's something we shouldn't be talking about."

The game after: Dec. 10, 99-89 loss to Dallas. Crawford scored 19 points (not so bad) on 6-22 shooting (bad).

Richard Jefferson – comments: “It's a joke. The fact that we even have nine wins right now is amazing to me the way we've been playing. It seems we've been down double digits so many games. I don't know what to say."

The game after: Dec. 9, 104-89 loss to Washington. Jefferson scores nine points on 4-12 shooting with five turnovers.

Andre Iguodala – comments: “We've got to do something, anything — maybe make a move,” Iguodala said. “I don't know. This is getting out of hand. We've got to do something to turn things around. We're not doing a good job as players. Everybody in the organization needs to step up.”

The game after: Nov. 23, 83-78 loss to Detroit. Iguodala scores 17 points on 4-17 shooting with four turnovers.

Somewhat related, Vince Carter was booed for going 5-17 in a loss to the Clippers.

Controversy Over

Seeing as they were both in the Philips Arena Tuesday night, Anthony Johnson is not Darrick Martin in dark make-up. But both mens' necks look like a pack of hot dogs.

The Parity of Warren G's "Regulate" and Sunday's Raptors Win

Nate Dogg and Warren G: 93 – Brothas Shootin’ Dice: 80

If today’s Raptors game was a rap song, it would probably be “Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg – with G representing the Raptors team and Dogg representing Chris Bosh. The Raptors lost two in a row coming into the game and they get down early to the Rockets, which, for our purposes, is analogous to Warren G wanting to play a dice game with strangers on a street corner and then getting jacked for his “rings and rolex.” But Nate Dogg shows up just in time, and “pulls out (his) strap and lays them bustas down.” Similarly, Bosh returns from a groin injury that sidelined him for six games and contributes 21 points, 10 boards and four blocks (one of which was a late-game, fast-break pin on Tracy McGrady). Unfortunately for the Raptors, the game didn’t end up with them taking hos back to the Eastside Motel, but it did end with a win, putting Toronto fourth in the tenuous Eastern Conference.

But other factors contributed to the win, like:

• Yao Ming and McGrady average a combined 47.7 ppg this year. The Raptors limited them to 38 combined on Sunday.
• The Raptors out-rebounded the Rockets 48-35 (18-8 on the offensive glass).
• Kris Humphries, who, lately, had been playing like Rafael Araujo with advanced osteoporosis, managed 16 points and nine boards in 23 minutes.
  

MoPete Watch: Poor Morris didn’t play in Sunday’s game against Seattle. He’s day-to-day with a strained back.

News Flash: The Suns are Good

Phoenix Suns: 136 – Rehabilitation wing of Toronto General: 123

The mind of a Raptors’ fan between 9:30 p.m., December 3 and 7:15 p.m., December 5 - You never know, this is the NBA. The Suns could have an off night. Look at last game against Charlotte, the guys really pulled together. If they can just keep that up and make a few defensive stops, they’ve got a shot.

The mind of a realist for the same period: The Phoenix Suns could have dined on raw chicken, replaced their sneakers with tap-dancing shoes, worn space suits over knights’ mail over scuba gear and played three games against the Spurs in the afternoon before their tilt with the Raptors, and the Suns still would have won.

Without Bosh and Bargnani, arguably the Raptors’ first two options on offence, Toronto focused on their transition defence to at least slow down the Suns, the result: a hilarious total of 70 baskets made for Phoenix (field goals + free throws).

More than anything this game illustrated the prodigious gap between mediocrity and excellence. The excellent, like the Suns, step out of the locker room after halftime, stare you in the eyes while gripping your gonads, and then twist until you tear up and vomit in your mouth. Even with Bosh and Bargnani – at their best –the Raptors aren’t beating the Suns. The Raptors may have a bench full of guys capable of scoring 20 on any given night, but the Suns have at least 5 guys capable of scoring 30 on any given night.

One of those, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man Award winner, Leandro Barbosa, dropped 35 tonight in just 28 minutes. And, as with the rest of the Suns, it’s not that he actually did, it’s the way that he did: three-pointers, fast-break lay-ins, pick and pops, iso-penetration. The Suns can do everything. The only hope of beating them lies in an interested defence and a glacial, but potent, offence (like the Spurs). In fact, I think that the Suns will win the title this year, even if they do face the Spurs in the Western finals. Not a daring prediction, true, but an honest one.

Some positives:

• TJ Ford looked amazing, scoring 27 points on 12-19 shooting. It would have been nice to see him pass more, but who would he have passed to, Hump? It also bears considering that he got most of those against the Suns’ bench late in the game.
• The Raptors shot 10-16 (62.5%) from three tonight. They lead the NBA in three-point accuracy, shooting 43.3%.
• Jamario Moon tied Keon Clark’s Raptors franchise record of 11 consecutive games with a block. Let’s hope Moon doesn’t take life advice from Clark - Keon’s Wikipedia entry reads like a compendium of bad choices.
  

Next game: 7:30 p.m., Friday in Boston versus the Celtics. Gird yourself, December looks dirty with games against Dallas, Boston (twice), San Antonio, Phoenix (twice) and Houston (twice).

Thank you David Stern, for the Charlotte Plopcats

Watching a second-place New Orleans Hornets’ home game, with 13,000 vacant seats, can make you question the NBA’s penchant for expansion. At other times, say, when your top three scorers are injured and you see a Charlotte Bobcats team bus pulling into the ACC, and guys like Primoz Brezec and Jeff “Journeyman” McInnis tumbling out of the windows, you feel like expansion is a great leveller, and means to spread the beautiful game of basketball.

With Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and TJ Ford dressed for church, the rest of the Raptors issued the Housecats their sixth straight loss tonight, 98-79. So without the big three, how did the Raps improve to 10-8? Apart from the seeming submission of Charlotte head coach Sam Vincent (a man whose basketball summit was appearing on a 1990 Hoops error card which featured Michael Jordan in jersey number 12), and a complete disinterest from every player in orange, here’s how:

- The Raptors outrebounded the Housecats 46-35 (with 12 of those from Jamario Moon and seven from Jose Calderon).
- Toronto shot 61.5% from three and 50.7% from the field.
- Every Raptor that stepped on the court scored (including Darrick Martin) and six Raps scored in double-figures.
- “Good Joey” Graham showed up accumulating 13 points on five of six shooting.
- Toronto outscored Charlotte 46-34 in the paint.

But if the Hornets are like a cold beer, the Phoenix Suns - the Raptors next opponent – are like a quart of rat poison. If Bosh is the champion that we think he is, expect him to pull his tank top, short pants and plimsolls out of the closet for Wednesday’s home game against the Suns.

The Raptors' Relaxed Attitude Toward Injuries

An actual quote from TJ Ford in the Toronto Sun:

"Our strength is making teams prepare for (Calderon and I). I think our styles are totally different. He makes smart decisions, and I think I take more risks than he does.”

I’m not sure the manner in which Ford said this. Did he give Doug Smith a high-five while saying it? Was he serious? Did he immediately regret saying it? Did Sam Mitchell hear him say it?

Regardless, in the same article he says he’s not rushing back from the “stinger” which originally sent nerve impulses down both arms, but has now been localized to his left thumb(!). He thinks he’ll be ready for Saturday night’s game in DC.

Also on the shelf, indefinitely, is Jorge Garbajosa. Baltimore’s Dr. Mark Myerson, the man Zydrunas Ilgauskas sends a ham to each month for saving his career, suggested that Garbo get further surgery on his effed-up left leg. As frustrating and insignificantly controversial as this could be, you’ve got to give Garbo respect for saying the following in El Pais-Spanish national newspaper:

"The Raptors have acted really well with me. They have been worried about me and have spoken to several specialists...I had a meeting with Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gherardini. They tried to cheer me up.”

True, Garbo made all the wrong decisions regarding that injury (not getting the surgery; playing for Spain in the Euros even though they were guaranteed a spot in the World Championships), but he still would have been outclassed by Kapono (better shooter), Moon (better defender) and Delfino (better shooter AND defender) at small forward this year. The team really is no different without him. Calderon can even speak Spanish to Delfino on the bench, but Carlos doesn’t have the same sensuous Madrilenian lisp as the Garbage Man.

In unrelated news, Jamario Moon is signed to a two-year contract in which he’ll make $427,000 this year and $711,000 next year. Apparently, he has a shot at Rookie of the Year.

WTF Bulls?

Toronto Even-Stevens: 93 - Chicago Turds: 78

Yesterday afternoon, after the Raptors blew another game that they had a white-knuckled grip on over three quarters, I spoke to Sam Mitchell. A transcript follows:

Me: Hey Sam, you smell terrific, the waffles are on me. But let me ask you, why'd you run a play for a three pointer with 15 seconds left when you could have dumped it down to Bosh, got a quick score, and put the Cavs on the line?

Sam: Listen, we've got guys who can shoot the ball. Guys like Juan Dixon and Joey Graham can score from anywhere. Plus the Cavs were killing us from the line.

Me: Actually, the Cavs were shooting 63% from the line and neither of those guys were on the floor because they're ghastly.

Sam: Well, Bosh just wasn't hitting his shats! I'm not gonna dump it down to CB!

Me: Sam, slow down on the waffles, you're sweating. CB tied a career high with 41 points on 13-25 shooting. He really should have gotten the ball.

Sam: I disagree.

Me: Curious.

Sam: Shit, well at least we got Chicago tomorrow (Laughs)!

Me: True (Laughs).

Neither Sam nor I would have said that over waffles outside of the Quicken Loans Arena last year. But last year the Bulls were good, and this year they're not. This isn't to detract from the Raptors' impressive 93-78 win over the Bulls, simply, more impressive (in the classic sense) was the lavish cumulus of bricks and confusion proffered by Chicago.

I used to believe that Scott Skiles was untouchable as a coach. Last year I even thought he would win coach of the year (however, I was also one of those dipshits booing the Raptors for taking Damon Stoudamire over Ed O'Bannon in 1995 - Stoudamire won Rookie of the Year, O'Bannon is currently selling cars in Las Vegas). But Skiles's trademark discipline has landed the Bulls dead last in the NBA in field goal percentage (38.6) and point differential per game (-9.54). The Bulls were even outrebounded by the Raptors on Sunday, and we're the 5th-worst in the association in that category.

Nearly any roster would be better than the Bulls' current one, but particularly a roster with one of Kobe or KG - both of which the Bulls had a chance to add - even if that meant losing two of Hinrich, Gordon or Deng and two of Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas or the obviously under-classed Joakim Noah. Because the Bulls waited until the middle of July to sign Nocioni, he's currently sitting on a trade moratorium that expires on Dec. 15. The going rumour is that a deal for Kobe, which includes Nocioni, has already been done and that the trade's been leaked to the players, hence the dissension and poor play. But last time I checked the Lakers were 7-5, while the Bulls are, thanks in part to the Raptors, 2-10.

Still, Blog-a-Bull is one of the best hoops blogs going, and Raptors fans have been there, although we were only 2-8 (hang tough, dudes, there's too much talent on that roster).

Il Mago vs. Dirty Dirk

According to Draft Express’s profile of Andrea Bargnani, Il Mago has the potential to be the next Dirk Nowitzki or the next Keith Van Horn. And with the Raptors in Dallas tonight - Dirk’s current team and Keith’s last – it seems fitting to compare Andrea’s incipient career to Dirk’s. For the sake of optimism, I’ll abandon Van Horn.

Dirk “the Dink” Nowitzki – 7’0”, 245 lbs. Always has his mouth open due to massive teeth:

Rookie Stats:
20.4 MPG, 8.2 PPG, 40.5 FG%, 20.6 3P%, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 BPG, 1.55 TO

Second Year (81 starts in 82 games) :
35.8 MPG, 17.5 PPG 46.1FG%, 37.9 3P%, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 BPG, 1.72 TO

Andrea “Il Mago” Bargnani – 7’0”, 250 lbs. Always has his mouth open because he doesn’t know how to breathe through his nose:

Rookie Stats:
25.1 MPG, 11.6 PPG, 42.7 FG%, 37.3 3P%, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.8 BPG, 1.65 TO

Second year (ten games, five starts thus far):
21.9 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 39.8 FG%, 43.2 3P%, 3.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.4 BPG, 1.40 TO

Nowitzki made a massive lurch in his second year, and it helped that his coach had confidence in him. I’ve realized how easy it is to blame Mitchell for everything that’s not going spectacularly with the Raptors (five and five isn’t that bad), but if Bargnani’s confidence gets rattled, and it looks like it already has, Mitchell will be staring at a lot of fans’ fingers.

It’s impossible for me to say how much Bargnani’s worked on his game this offseason, but his sophomore approach hasn’t impressed me. His instincts, never his talent, have been the concern with Bargnani, and with the exception of a couple of no-look passes last year, his hoops IQ hasn't been overly arousing.

If I were Bargnani I would study Dirk footage until I fell in love with him through sheer familiarity. The men are built identically and have the same sick outside stroke. Steal his fall-away, Andrea, and learn how to pump-fake without being called for travelling. For,
Potential is a fickle mistress, and she tends toward infidelity in less than two years. She leaves you with either the beautiful bride of talent or the boring nights in and no kids of disappointment.

P.S. - Sorry for the space between posts, but my router died at home. I wrote this at work which seriously says more about the nature of my job than my commitment to the Raptors.

Bright Spots: 4-4 is better than 2-6

And that’s where the Raptors were at this time last year. The Raps could have easily been at 5-3 right now had they remembered that Ray Allen is the best shooter in the league or if TJ Ford hadn’t picked the end of Wednesday night’s Jizz game to play hot potato with Kris Humphries. Still, hopes were high this year, and if Toronto fans really are as “crazed” as Bill Simmons says we are, here is a Finnish sauna of soothing points before the happy ending inevitably comes (puns!):

The Raps’ three losses at home came against Utah, Boston and Orlando, who are a combined 21-4 this season. That isn’t an excuse, but it is somewhat assuaging.

Also assuaging is the play of Jamario Moon, who debuted on NBA.com’s Rookie Rankings at number six this week. His averages, after only three significant outings, look like this: 9.3 ppg, 1.8 spg, 5.3 rpg, 50% from three AND the field. Even more promising is that he scored 15 against Utah on Wednesday. Moon, like Matt Bonner, illustrates a very simple precept when it comes to playing under Sam Mitchell: do everything that Mitchell tells you to and you will play.

Jose Calderon tells people what to do, too, but they rarely understand a word of what he says. Still, he is second in the Association in assists per 48 minutes with 14.8, just 0.1 behind Christopher Paul.

MoPete Watch: 27 points, two steals, six boards, 6-9 from three and 7-7 from the stripe (Mo hasn't gone to the line since his third year!) in a 95-76 win over the Sixers. Mo's shooting 46% from behind the arc for the 7-2 Hornets. He doesn't miss us, but we still miss him.

Bright Side of the Moon?

Acie Earl scored 40 points as a Raptor in a 1996 game against the Boston Celtics. With that in mind, Sam Mitchell has decided to start Jamario Moon against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. It’s been two games, 46 minutes, 21 points, 14 rebounds, five steals and two blocks for Moon; impressive, but, like Earl’s performance, in need of some reinforcement. There’s no chance that Moon will be as consistent as his perma-smile, but let’s hope he can give us another 30 games this year like the last two. I bet there’ll be just a little lump of turd in his shorts before the game.

Speaking of turd, things have gone apeshit in New York. Stephon Marbury didn’t practice with the Knicks on Monday and didn’t play against Phoenix on Tuesday. He says Isiah Thomas gave him permission to leave the team; Isiah Thomas said he didn’t give Marbury permission (Isiah Thomas also said that he didn’t harass Anucha Browne Sanders AND that the Knicks would make the playoffs this year). Difficult to know who to trust. Trading Marbury seems impossible for the Knicks given that, apart from being Stephon Marbury, he also has $40.3 million and two years left on his contract. Even more buckwild is that the Knicks’ leading scorer Tuesday night was ex-Raptor Fred Jones who had 19 points and nine boards in a loss to the Suns.

MoPete Watch: 10 points, three rebounds, 3-3 from three in 29 minutes, helping his old team out by beating the Nets 84-82 on Monday night.

(Sorry for the lazy posts, team. I promise to do a player-by-player Raptor report card - with special attention to the swingman logjam - after the squad hits ten games)

I Admire Sam Mitchell’s Testes

Judging by Sam Mitchell’s recent decisions, he’s either impervious to criticism or he’s been given complete confidence by the Raptors’ front office. First, he disregards, or at least under-prioritizes, the development of Andrea Bargnani as the team’s starting centre in favour of the defence of Rasho Nesterovic. Next, he starts 27-year-old rookie Jamario Moon at small forward last night against the Bulls. The result: two straight wins.

Bargnani didn’t respond well immediately, with a nine-point, two-rebound game against Philly, but did manage 14 points (no rebounds!) against the Bulls. As for Moon, a consortium of dipshits on RealGM’s message boards were comparing him to a young Shawn Marion at the start of the season. Moon did, however, look mildly Marionesque in Sunday’s game where he had 12 points, three steals and six rebounds. It looks like he’ll start until he plays poorly enough not to. He’s also impossible not to love.

In short, this post is a formal apology to Sam Mitchell. I, amongst many others, have been hyper-critical of you over the past two-and-one-tenth seasons, and you’ve been confidently unpredictable and occasionally confounding, but you’ve earned the respect of Colangelo, and that’s a feat in itself. And I promise to ease off (as long as you stop playing Juan Dixon more than 10 minutes a night).

MoPete Watch: 8 pts, 2 rbs, 1 asst, 2-2 from three in the Hornets 93-72 win over Philly on Sunday. Also, MoPete’s chum, Vince Carter, is getting an MRI done on Monday to his sprained ankle. Fingers crossed!

Bargnani Out, Rasho In

After three grotesquely comprehensive losses, Coach Smitch must have figured that the defence was letting the Raps down more than the offence based on his decision to start Rasho Nesterovic over Andrea Bargnani tonight in Philly.

For perhaps the first time this season I don't have a problem with Mitchell’s decision (unlike his decision to give Juan Dixon 21.8 minutes a game). Centre is arguably the most critical defensive position in hoops, and Rasho’s a good quarterback thanks to three years under Popovich in San Antonio. Plus, Smitch says that Il Mago will still get 30+ minutes.

As Ben Gordon, Manu Ginobli and Jason Terry have proved, a shift to sixth man certainly doesn’t mean becoming the sixth scoring option. Bargnani should get some better looks against teams’ second units. The move will also ease Bargnani’s transition to centre – a position which he only started playing last year. All things considered, Andrea has been doing a fine job.

The key word with the Raptors, since 19-fucking-95, has been “patience.” Looking at this team – and its cores’ ages – it’s a lot easier to be patient than in the past.

Tonight’s prediction: Raptors: 108 – Sixers: 97

Dirty: 3-Game Skid Marks

The Raptors’ season began with a comfortable win over Philadelphia, the sort of win you might expect when the defending Atlantic Division champions take on a poor-to-middling team in the midst of rebuilding. Then came the piqued expectations and pyrotechnics; a road win against their sentimental rivals the New Jersey Nets in which the Raptors won by 37 points, muted Vince Carter, and vindicated every woman in America by limiting documented wife-puncher and stripper-groper Jason Kidd to two points.

Fans wanted more. Instead, they got less.

The first half of Sunday’s game against the Celtics could only have been rendered worse if the CBC forewent their hoops coverage in favour of consecutive episodes of Road to Avonlea (with ratings of just 199,000 and no coverage for Atlantic Canada, the network might be considering it). A halftime deficit of 38-31 was loosely mitigated by the Raps keeping it close against the bloated “big-three” of Boston, and that Toronto eventually took the game to overtime where, as we know, they lost.

But Milwaukee?

The Bucks are irrefutably improved this year. The addition of Yi and coach Larry Krystowiak’s elixir of health earned Milwaukee wins against Toronto and Chicago. But the Bucks are irrefutably erratic, too, as they proved in losses to Charlotte and Orlando. On Tuesday night they decided to be the “improved” Bucks. To get a sense of the inverted disparity of that game consider that Chris Bosh shot 0-4 from the field while Desmond Mason looked like a special-needs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, shooting 10-10 from the field, most of which were awkward jump hooks over Delfino and Kapono. Everything was dropping for the Bucks and nothing was dropping for the Raps. Write it off.

But Orlando?

The Raptors beat Orlando all four times they met last year, but Orlando didn’t have Rashard Lewis then. Lewis hit three open threes on the Raptors in tonight’s fourth quarter and everyone in Toronto - except Coach Smitchell and his team - are realizing how a bag of dicks tastes when a team (the Raptors) insists on leaving certified three-point robots (Lewis, Ray Allen, Michael Redd) to stand unmolested with an iced glass of ginger beer, inches behind the three point line.

In fact the inadequacy of Smitchell has already started an “Official fire Sam! Thread” on RealGM. I wouldn’t say I’m spearheading this, but I’m certainly near the front of the trolley. When, last year, the Raptors dropped to 2-8 after starting the season 2-2 (as they started this year) it wasn’t a question of if Mitchell would get fired, but when. However, Colangelo’s patience and genius roster-building rewarded Mitchell with a Coach of the Year award and a new four-year, $12-million contract. Mitchell seems to have spent the offseason finding ways to get outrebounded by fielding the five most incompatible players on a roster spilling over with talent.

After five games, wee Juan Dixon is averaging 21.8 minutes per game, the seventh-highest tick on the team. To his credit, Dixon is making the effort and scoring well, but passing has never been a priority to him, and the Raptors always do best when they swing the ball instead of creating off the dribble. Plus, Dixon is an unfortunately undersized combo guard who Michael Redd and Ray Allen abused this week. Dixon should get used to the taste of ass, since he’ll be eating swingman turd remnants in the post every night this year. One can only hope this is a showcase for a potential trade. Unfortunately, the NBA restricts teams from trading coaches.

Garbage Man Indeed

Three games into the season, near-perfect, save for a freakish Ray Allen three-pointer, and the grievances begin. Who from? The underplayed, yet solid Rasho Nesterovic? The fast-and-loose Juan Dixon? The stooge, Joey Graham? No, the intrepid, hirsute, “warrior,” Jorge Garbajosa. And yes, it’s largely an intentional misinterpretation by the Toronto Sun who ran the headline “Garbo Sits and Stews” based on the below quote:

"I don't know," (Garbajosa) said, when asked why he has averaged only seven minutes in the team's first three games. "I practise normally. I play in the European championships. I am fine. Everything is normal."

But the “complaint” reeks when you consider its source: probably the most over-rated player on the Toronto Raptors.

Garbajosa was the player that everybody wanted to love. Ever since Charles Oakley left the Raptors, Charles Oakley (and his groupie Doug Smith) rarely stopped saying how Toronto needed another Charles Oakley. In the summer of 2006 the Raptors found this man, signing Garbajosa for $12 million over three years. He “left it on the court” supposedly, winning one Euroleague MVP and two Spanish Cup Finals MVPs. Then the season came and the effort was there. Garbo tried hard, and all of those fans who loved him before he even played a single game tried hard to keep loving him. The result: 28.5 minutes/game, 8.5 points/game, 4.9 rebounds/game and 1.16 steals/game while shooting 42% from the field and 34% from three.

The Garbo fan loves to make the case that Jorge's contribution can't be quantified. Then they go on to point out his steals total which, for an out-of-position, 6'9" small forward was impressive. But you can't have it both ways, and in this case, i feel that the stats got his game right. Choose any game that Garbajosa played in last year and you will see a player lurching between great instinctive defense, and unathletic fumbling; long-range streak shooting, and front-iron bricking; no-look gems, and no-brain turds. The very injury that ended his season last year - and delayed his progress this year - was an example of the angel-hair line between playing hard and playing dumb.

That injury, or the events that followed it, are what some believe is preventing Garbo from seeing the floor this year. When Garbajosa passed on surgery to his gruesomely broken leg in order to play for Spain in the European Championships this summer, Raptors management couldn't have been pleased. Are Garbajosa and the front office in a stare-down over this? Doubtful, since Sam Mitchell seems obstinate, sometimes to the point of idiocy, in nearly everything that he does.

Instead, I favour Occum's razor: Garbajosa is outclassed this year. The acquisitions of Jason Kapono and Carlos Delfino have left even the 44th-chance Joey Graham on the bench (Graham didn't even dress for Sunday's game). And with Bosh showing that he's almost there against the Celtics, they've also left Garbajosa, the Juan Dixon of our front-line and one of the few combo-forwards in the NBA, with the following stat line for 2007:

7.3 minutes/game, 2 points/game, 1 rebound/game while shooting 22% from the field.

Garbajosa had another interesting quote this past January after winning the NBA's Rookie of the Month award for December 2006. “If I'm the best rookie in the league," he said. "Then this league is shit.”

Best. Game. Ever.

Sick Beasts 106 - Listless Turkeys 69

I just checked Merriam-Webster Online and they've actually replaced their definition of "gratification" with a link to last night's Toronto Raptors-New Jersey Nets boxscore. Instead of the Raptors raving about how critical this game was to them, they walked into the swamp (after gathering their belongings from the team bus) and offered a clinic on how to play team basketball while avenging a painful playoff series loss.

Let's look at the stats before discussing the unquantifiables:

- Thirty-seven is the largest margin of victory on the road for the Raptors ever. The franchise record is 39 set at home against the Hawks in 2002.
- By limiting the Nets to 69 points the Raps set a team road-game record and were just one short of the franchise record of 68.
- The Raptors shot 59 per cent (13-22) from three.
- Vince Carter scored seven points and Jason Kidd had two points.
- This might be the only time all year that the Raps outrebound their opponents, and it was only by three, 37-34. But when you shoot 50.6 per cent from the field, there aren't many rebounds to be had.
- The Nets, curiously, outscored the Raps 26-22 in the paint.

There was a point in the fourth quarter, with the Nets down 30-odd points, where Vince Carter was caught smirking to himself. The man is a dick, and dicks have a forcefield, albeit self-contrived, to deflect potentially demoralizing situations. You might call it a side-effect of hyper confidence. This was the most satisfying moment in the entire game for me, because you know not one of the men on the Raptors' bench would do that. Although, they were all smiling when Bokie (S)Nachbar airballed a jumper with less than five minutes to go. And why not?

Last night was probably the only time that I won't be yelling at Juan Dixon for taking a forced shot, before yelling at Sam Mitchell for providing Dixon with the opportunity to take that forced shot. And, to his credit, Dixon looked very good, scoring 14 points in 24 minutes. Bargnani's improvement was also on display, following up a 20-point Wednesday with 21 points and six boards last night.

But the the guy who's got my pants stretching the most is Carlos Delfino, who's had two disgustingly solid games to start the season. His line last night was 10 points, six rebounds, four dimes and four steals, which isn't numerically dazzling, but is exactly what the team wanted him to do when they acquired him from Detroit for two second-round picks. He isn't forcing anything and looks to have some of the best basketball instincts on the team. He might be Colangelo's Raja Bell in Toronto.

Let's leave with a look at Chris Bosh's annual, early-season buzzer-beater from last night's game:

Undefeated Raptors vs. Jay-Z’s Valetudinarians

7:30 p.m. ET - Izod Center

For a team with so much (elderly) talent, the New Jersey Nets finished with a spectacularly average record last year: 41-41, mediocre enough for second in the Atlantic Division behind the Raptors. True, the Nets played 56 games without center Nenad Krstic, who was rendered even slower when he tore his ACL in December. But there’s a reason why the Nets didn’t extend his contract for next season. And judging by his glacial 19 minutes in the Nets 112-103 win over the Bulls two nights ago, many are wondering when Krstic will call Lil’ Bow Wow asking for the magical shoes from Like Mike.

Couple Krstic’s infirmity with Jason Kidd’s (back), Richard Jefferson’s (wrist, ankle, knee), Jamal Magloire’s (finger) and Vince Carter’s (brain) medical histories and, if things go Milwaukee-Bucks bad, New Jersey could miss the playoffs.

This is all wishful thinking for Raptors fans, though. As the Nets proved last year, even if only two of Kidd, Carter or Jefferson remains in the line-up it will be enough to coast into the postseason.

If Coach Mitchell brings his knees up to his chest, keeping his legs slightly split, thus relaxing his sphincter, he might be able to pry his head out of his bum long enough to demand his big-men exploit their quickness advantage against the lurching Nets.

A freshly de-appendixed Andrea Bargnani had a few nice games in last year’s playoff series, mixing drives with threes, and confusing an already confused Josh Boone. That should work even better against the reconstructed knee of Krstic.

But the Nets know their weaknesses and have assembled a consortium of barely-competent big men (Boone, Magloire, Jason Collins and Sean Williams) to use every one of their fouls against their consistently better opponents.

In short, as you know, this will be a fun game. Home court advantage stopped meaning much to the Nets long before Jay-Z invested in them, and things are getting even worse at the Izod Center (dear lord) now that plans to move the team to Brooklyn in 2009-10 are becoming more realistic.

MoPete Watch: 30.4 minutes/13 points/ 3-5 from three/5-8 from the field/0 rebounds in the Hornets’ 104-90 win, Wednesday night.

Defending Atlantic Champions vs. Middling Pennsylvania Selects

7:00 p.m. ET - Air Canada Centre

Instead of actually previewing tonight’s game against the Sixers I thought I would list an interesting fact about the Sixers, followed by a less interesting fact about the Sixers, several times:

- The 76ers are named after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which took place in Philadelphia.

- Lindy’s Pro Basketball’s annual has this, possibly the summit of sports journalism, to say about the Sixers’ Andre Iguodala:

“Iguodala should have a big year. He’s on the verge of becoming an All-Star. He started to be more aggressive following the Iverson trade. Iguodala is a tremendous talent.”

- The Sixers went 30-28 after the Iverson trade last year.

- The Sixers finished 35-47, last year, in the Craplantic Division.

- Haitian-Canadian Samuel Dalembert expects to play tonight after suffering a stress factor in his left foot (go right Andrea!).

- Kyle Korver looks like Ashton Kutcher.

- Philly’s first-round pick Thaddeus Young averaged just over 14 minutes a game and 4 points a game in the preseason. Don’t expect to see him tonight.

- Young is 19 years old.

- Philadelphia point guard Andre Miller finished seventh in the NBA in assists last year, with 7.8 per game.

- T.J. Ford finished sixth in the NBA in assists last year, with 7.9 assists per game.

- The Sixers will lose tonight.

Later, Luke

As expected, the Raptors waived Luke Jackson today, setting their roster for the start of the season. All that's left is for the Raps to actually play. More on that later.

Il Dido

First it was Delfino, then Garbajosa, now, in this week's look-alike feature, Andrea Bargnani:

Mitchell Sharpening His Axe

Tonight's game against the Wizards at the ACC will be the Raptors' final game of the fake season. How fake was October? The Raptors assaulted the Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers last night, 111-78. They also lost to Euroleaguers Real Madrid on Oct. 11, 104-103. Neither of which meant anything. But while the "Royal We" can't wait for the real season to begin, tonight's game means something to five men:

1) Chris Bosh - After sitting out since Oct. 7 Bosh got back on the court last night and played well, scoring 12 points in 15 minutes. Bosh's fluid-drained, braced knee will be pumping for a few more minutes tonight, just to "get in rhythm" for the regular season. The Raptors need him to be in Michael Jackson rhythm to avoid the traditional franchise curse of ghastly Novembers.

2) Juan Dixon; 3) Luke Jackson and; 4) Jamario Moon - One of these players must get cut before Monday at 6:00 p.m. EDT. If Pro-Line offered such a feature, I would bet on Luke Jackson since it will cost us the least in two ways. First, we have a glut of wingmen that are all, although middling, better than Jackson. Second, his $798,308 contract would be an easier buy-out than Dixon's $2.9 million salary.

Also Mitchell, much like with Matt Bonner, seems to have crushed hard on Moon. If you haven't seen Moon play yet, everything you've heard is true. He is EPMD raw, but he's also Carl Lewis athletic. Neither of which is an overstatement. And at $427,163, why the hell not keep him? Every man needs a project. I have a blog, Sam Mitchell will have Moon.

5) Sam Mitchell - He's the one that's got to make the decision on who to cut, and who to start at small forward: Graham, Kapono, maybe even Delfino or Garbo. Take your pick.

HEY! IT'S ANDREA BARGNANI'S 22nd BIRTHDAY TODAY!!! Have a good one, stud.

Basketball Fantasies

My fantasy basketball draft was held tonight and team Larry Turd (me) selected Tim Duncan over Chris Bosh in the second round. I have as much respect for Duncan as a grown man can have for a basketball player, but I'm not a fan of his. The frightening thing (as a Raptors' fan and a fantasy owner) is that I believe 31-year-old Duncan will give me more games than 23-year-old Bosh.

Duncan managed 80 games in each of the last two seasons, while Bosh played in 69 and 70 respectively. But set the DeLorean to 2004-2005 and you would find something else to consider: Bosh played 81 games and Duncan played 66.

Both have suffered that scourge of the NBA - plantar fasciitis - but Bosh's fluid-swollen knees are worrying. He's aiming to play tomorrow against Cleveland, and after sitting out since Oct. 7 he says his knee feels "85 per cent". That percentage isn't high enough.

I'm trying to remain positive, but to reiterate, I'm a Raptors fan and I took Tim Duncan ahead of Chris Bosh in the second round of my fantasy draft.

Jorge Bana's Midnight Runners

Thanks to Knicks Fix for the Dexy's tip.

The Raptors beat a National Basketball Association team! Our reserves trounced the Chicago Bulls' reserves 92-82 last night. Encouraging in the win were Il Mago's 19 points on 7-12 shooting (but only one rebound); and Rasho's 12 points in 13 minutes, although he was matched up against the dangerous Aaron Gray who somehow dumped 14 points on us. Garbajosa didn't play a second but "the team" says he's fine.

In other hilarious news, The Knicks have cut Allan Houston. Remember when he said that God told him that the Knicks were the right team for his comeback? I guess Satan himself, Isiah Thomas, disagrees.

Man, the preseason sucks the fat bag. I've never anticipated Halloween this much in my adult life.

Dinobots beat all of Lithuania

Watching the Raptors struggle with Lithuanian D-League equivalents Zalgiris last night three things were tragically confirmed: Toronto needs Chris Bosh in the line-up for the team to succeed; European baketball jerseys are horrid; and Andrea Bargnani is not a post player, yet.

Bargnani in the paint is all rethinks and travelling violations, desperate spins and blind chucks. It’s only his second season, and it is encouraging that he’s demanding the ball down low regularly, but he needs some polish and instinct which will only come with practice.

The game itself (or at least what one can gather of it in the RapsTV Game in an Hour) was a ghastly mix of kick balls and broken plays. Both teams’ break outs and transition defences were either jet-lagged or still in progress. After blowing a fourth-quarter lead Toronto was lucky that they were playing a group of Lithuanians and ex-NBAers rather than, say, an actual NBA team, which they’ll be doing tomorrow when the Bulls cross the border.

On the positive side, TJ Ford played as gloriously as he did during Bosh’s absence last year. Ford managed 13 points, 11 dimes and only two turnovers in just 24 minutes. But it was obvious, particularly in the fourth quarter, that Toronto missed the option of dumping it down to Bosh for a low-post bucket or a pass out of the double-team. Those plays will be the Energeon Cubes if the Raptors’ offence hopes to score on the Decepticons this season. And for that, we need a healthy Boshimus Prime.

Also, take what you will from the rebound stats last night, but beating the Lilliputian Lithuanians 47-43 on the glass is not medal-worthy.

TV on the Radio

The Raptors' next preseason game against Lithuanian stallions Zalgiris Kaunas, or as they are officially known, “A.Sabonis basketball centre Žalgiris,” won’t be televised. However, it will receive an abridged airing in the Raptors NBA TV "Game in an Hour" segment Wednesday night from 11 p.m. to midnight. Utter horseshit, I feel, particularly after reading a brief history on the Zalgiris website, a portion of which follows below:

“In 1944 best basketball players from Kaunas united into one team
which was named "Žalgiris" shortly after that. From the beginning "Žalgiris" starts fighting for the first places in the Soviet Union's championship. Just three years later "Žalgiris" climbs on top of all teams and wins the first championship in 1947.”

This predated the Soviet “mounting” rule revision of 1952.

Unfortunately, Raps fans will only be offered radio coverage of the final three preseason games thereafter (versus Chicago, Cleveland and Washington). Guess we won’t be able to follow Juan Dixon’s attempt to play himself off of the team with his refusal-to-pass-to-anybody preseason strategy (he’s shooting a sparkling 5-16 in 30 total minutes). If Colangelo can’t trade him, Dixon will be the only cut out of camp, especially given the way Mitchell’s been talking about Jamario Moon.

Jimmy Delfino

Join me in welcoming Carlos Delfino to the Raptors in this, the first installment of the 2007-08, look-alike series: