Raptors' Lair

Meet Hassan "Hot Sauce" Adams

2008-07-08T19:11:00.005-04:00

(Hassan Adams, right)

The Toronto Raptors announced yesterday that they have signed Hassan Adams to a two-year contract. Financial details haven't been released yet, but the deal's expected to resemble the one Jamario Moon signed last year, paying the league minimum in the first year, with a raise in the second year. Here's what the internet says about him:

Nicknamed "Hot Sauce".
His favourite player growing up was Magic Johnson.
Completed a sociology degree at the University of Arizona
Was a college teammate of Andre Iguodala, Luke Walton, Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye.
When not playing basketball, he enjoys bowling.
Is only current Raptor with a criminal record, with charges of disorderly conduct and DUI, both coming in 2006.
In 61 games, has career averages of 2.9 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.2 APG, 55.6 FG%, 66.7 FT%, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG.

Adams will be on the Raptors' Las Vegas Summer League team, playing from July 12-19. Joining Adams will be a motley crew including fourth-year "prodigy of talentlessness" Joey Graham, the third part of the John Lucas trilogy, John Lucas III, and Chris Bosh's brother, Joel Bosh. Once the T.J.-O'Neal swap is made official, look for the Raptors' second-round pick, Nathan Jawai, to be added as well. Win or lose, Graham promised the guys major pig outs at the buffet and the craziest pillow fights EVER in Vegas!

Good Riddance to Bad Garbage

2008-06-11T19:18:00.006-04:00

According to Spanish media reports Jorge Garbajosa and the Raptors have come to an agreement to terminate his contract, begging the question, why does the Spanish media know about this before the Toronto media? Details are still scant mainly because I can't read Spanish, but it seems like the agreement is a straight-up termination, as in no buy-out fee. I believe that Garbo's contract will still count against the cap, although if he agreed to pass on next season - which is his final year under contract and which would have paid him $4.35 million - the Raps will at least be spared the actual, physical cash.

While you can't view Garbajosa as particularly malevolent, you've got to view him as obstinate to the point of stupidity. He mutilates his leg contesting an Al Jefferson lay-in that even Bill Russell with a horse's lower body couldn't have blocked. Then he refuses extensive surgery so that he could spend the summer with his chums on the Spanish national basketball team (who had already qualified for the Olympics!). The Raptors ask him not to play for Spain, he does anyway, further injuring his leg. He tells the Raps he's ready to play in the regular season, but he's not. He finally agrees to - and has - further surgery, after which Bryan Colangelo sends a message to Garbo's pager: "You've had the surgery, Garbo, there's no way you're playing for Spain in the Olympics." Garbo rushes to a payphone, drops the dime, calls BC and says, "Yes I am." Buyout negotiations begin.

No one will miss his three-point shooting (career 34%) which was his only offensive "weapon", but he was tough. More importantly, though, that toughness is very replaceable, particularly now that the Raptors might not owe Garbo a penny for this season.

The only thing I'll miss is his shaggy-haired, feigned naivety. The kind that, upon discovering that he was named T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Month for December 2006, spawned the comment, "If I am the best rookie in this league, then this league is shit."

Boshton vs. Bosh Angeles - Bosh is There!

2008-06-04T17:44:00.003-04:00

Since Stephon Marbury didn't return his calls, Jay Leno hired Chris Bosh to be his NBA Finals Correspondent spawning what might be the most inaccurate cartoon rendering in history (above).

Good luck, Boshasaurus!

Sweet Seventeen?

2008-05-21T23:07:00.008-04:00

On June 26th Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gheradini will sit in a green room in New York, sipping macchiatos, listening to 16 teams draft amateur basketball players. Then it will be their turn. What are their prospects and precedents?

In 2001, the last time the Raptors picked 17th, they chose Michael Bradley who, last I heard, couldn't make a German league team. In 2005, Indiana got Danny Granger, and the year before that the Hawks chose Josh Smith. Rasho Nesterovic (1998) and Doug Christie(1992) were 17s, as was Jermaine O'Neal (1996) and Shawn Kemp (1989). But never forget about former 17s Zarko Cabarkapa (2003) and Leo Rautins ((Pictured above) 1983).

Below are several sources' narrowly educated guesses at who the Raptors will select with their 17th pick. I expect most mock drafts to change over the next month of private workouts and draft camps (All links to player profiles are from Draft Express):

Draft Express, NBADraft.net and Yahoo!: Nicolas Batum, SF, Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France) - 6' 8", 214 lbs, Age: 19

ESPN.com (Chad Ford): Robin Lopez, C, Stanford - 7' 0", 245 lbs, Age: 20

RealGM: Javale McGee, C, Nevada - 7' 0", 237 lbs, Age: 20

Sports Illustrated: Donte Greene, PF/SF, Syracuse - 6' 10", - 220 lbs, Age: 20

And out of nowhere, Anthony Parker had surgery on the middle finger of his right hand.

Rasho Nesterovic Makes Easiest Choice of His Life

2008-05-17T23:49:00.004-04:00

I saw Rasho Nesterovic at the bank today and he was doubled over in laughter. When I asked him what was so funny he told me he picked up his player option for the 2008-09 season. Nesterovic will make $8.4 million next season, making him the second-highest paid Raptor, and while he was, sadly, the Raptors' second-most reliable player over the final 20 games of the season, even his baby son, Nikola, is wise enough to admit that Rasho's overpaid.

What's most interesting about this move is that it comes very early in the offseason. Nesterovic had until June 30 to pick up the option, a deadline which falls after the NBA draft (June 26). Toronto has been rumoured to have interest in moving up in this year's draft and Nesterovic's contract might be an attractive addition to any trade package.

Now let me tell you everything that's wrong with the above paragraph from the bottom up. First, I dislike it when sports writers use the word "attractive" to explain an expiring contract. It sounds like the equivalent of masturbating to a comic book. Second, expiring contracts are generally dealt closer to the trade deadline, when a franchise has at least given the illusion of making an effort that season. Even Colangelo's famous Marbury-Hardaway dump came in January of 2004. Also, any possible trade that the Raptors could make would be hugely contingent on the order of the draft (which will be decided on May 20) and would probably involve either Jose Calderon or TJ Ford. Problem is, TJ Ford can't be traded until July 1 because of his base-year compensation status. Finally, if you were Rasho Nesterovic and you were given the choice to make $8.4 million or explore free agency wouldn't you avoid putting it off?

I was re-watching footage of the top prospects in this year's draft and I genuinely believe that OJ Mayo will be better than Arenas, but not as good as Kobe. I know Beasley and Rose are going in the top two and both will have good careers, but Mayo may, to a much lesser extent, be like Jordan in '84. If there is any way the Raptors could get him without moving Bosh I think they should do it. And - until today - I've never believed that the Raptors' next piece should come from the draft.

Jamario Moon No Longer Lowest Paid Player In NBA

2008-05-15T14:07:00.005-04:00

The Raptors shocked no one on Wednesday by picking up Jamario Moon's option for next season. The former Harlem Globetrotter and Albany Patroon will make just over $700,000 in '08-09, which I considered making fun of before looking at my pay stub today. But, just for perspective, consider that Darrick Martin made nearly double that last year in 17 games and he didn't even make the 2008 T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

Inexcusably, Moon started 75 games for the Raptors last year. This isn't a slight against Moon's talent, but rather a comment on the paucity of talented wingmen on the Raptors. Moon also broke a team record by recording at least one block in twelve consecutive games.

STATS!: Moon averaged 8.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.4 bpg, 48.5 FG%, 32.8 3P% in 27.8 mpg.

Thanks, Chuck

2008-05-06T23:15:00.002-04:00

Best of luck, Chuck. See you in Chicago. You gave moments like these part of their magic:

Oh Right, Basketball!

2008-04-16T21:28:00.004-04:00

That's me in a genuine London phone booth, in London. It was all part of a study to find out if Raptors losses hurt as bad if you don't actually watch them. My research has shown that, yes, they do (hence the middle digit), particularly when those losses come against the Nets and the Plopcats. I could have dashed off a few thoughtless, vitriolic lines about my disappointment, but there would've been no point as I didn't see the games and I was surrounded by people whose idea of sport begins and ends with soccer.

So, as the Raptors say they have no excuses for this year before pointing to Bosh and TJ's injuries, I have no excuse for the hiatus except for being off the continent in a country that probably doesn't even know who native son John Amaechi is, or his importance to the NBA.

Wanna know how excited I am for the post-season? I'm actually watching the Raptors-Bulls game right now. And there will be a preview of the Raps-Magic series posted soon. Hopefully somebody other than me and my girlfriend reads it.

Seventh Place!!

2008-03-25T22:15:00.004-04:00

Earlier this year I referred to the Philadelphia 76ers as "middling," which may still be true, but the Raptors are now officially more (less?) middling. With their win over the Celtics last night the Sixers moved one spot ahead of the Raptors for the sixth seed in the playoffs. If the playoffs started today, the Raps would play the Pistons who would sweep over us worse than ex-Raptors coach Gene Keady did his hair.

In the meantime, the Raps play - oh shit - the Pistons tomorrow night. Considering the only team that Toronto's managed to beat in all of March (and remember this is the 25th) is the Chris Quinn-led Miami Heat, the Raps should have no trouble getting ground into 'Sheed snacks.

After that nightmare, however, nine of the Raptors' final 11 games are against teams with sub-.500% records. The absolute best that the Raps can do this year is equal last year's total of 47 wins. More realistically they'll get 43 wins. But if the Raptors have shown us anything this year it's that they're adept at underperforming.

Without Chris Bosh I Am Nothing

2008-03-18T17:27:00.002-04:00

You might have guessed the reason(s) for the dormancy lately. After a hardy month of convincing myself that the Raptors are well-alligned for the future they started sucking the fat bag, losing five straight and eight of their last ten. I still believe that the team's salary flexibility over the next two seasons is a massive asset, but some of the personel, including a coach or three, might be doing a less-than-adequate job. And at some point the future has to become the present, which has shown no signs of happening in Toronto.

Most disappointing has been the play of T.J. Ford and Andrea Bargnani. It's getting more difficult to have confidence in the potential of Bargnani when he's passed up, or just plain flunked, his opportunity to contribute at his natural position while Bosh is out with a knee boo-boo. Meanwhile, as evidenced by the above clip, T.J. Ford has gone apeshit. He's eschewed passing in favour of taking inscrutable circus shots, ignoring his teammates and handing the ball to opposing teams.

A friend and I have been dreaming up possible trade scenarios involving Ford and, sadly, a suggestion from a Blazers fan on a Yahoo! board seemed most realistic: Pryzbilla + Jack + filler for Ford. It leaves me breathless. Remember, the Raps only gave up Charlie V for the Little Engineer of Doom.

On the positive side, Washington's only one win away from tying Toronto for fifth in the East. The Raptors would be much happier dropping to sixth to face the Magic in the playoffs than staying in fifth and drawing the Cavs. Chris Bosh loves playing the Magic.

Here's a great piece by Tim Chisholm for TSN which is a bit discursive - since it begins by questioning the basis of the NBA's Coach of the Year Award - but makes some nice points about how Sam Mitchell is failing, and the challenges of making a good team an elite team.

Oh, and Rogers Sportsnet won't be televising Raptors - or any NBA - games next year.

Bosh is back tomorrow!

Building the Raptors, Part Three

2008-03-08T15:50:00.006-05:00

Rarely are assets viewed as "problems," but to the hyper-neurotic community of Raptors' fans, having two quality point guards in Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford has become a dilemma, especially with Calderon's impending free agency.

How much money will he command? Which teams will be offering him nosegays and confections, courting our inscrutable Castillian star? Bryan Colangelo catches a break, since the only teams that look like they'll be under the cap next season are the Sixers, Sonics and possibly the Clippers. It's safe to assume that someone will offer AT LEAST the mid-level exception ($6 million) to Calderon, but given that the Sixers have Andre Miller under contract next year for $10 million, and that they have to re-sign Andre Iguodala who wants big dough, it probably won't be them. The Sonics recently (moronically) re-signed Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson to more than $5.5 million each (for full figures see below), so their hands are tied, albeit loosely. The Clippers have too many variables, such as Elton Brand exercising his player option and Corey Magette not exercising his, which is a near certainty. Of all the teams waiting to steal the Spanish Fly, I think the Clippers have the best shot, but a few things have to happen before they even make an offer.

And, historically, teams are reluctant to make an offer to a restricted free agent unless they know they can sign him, since the offer is counted against a team's cap, restricting its ability to sign other free agents. It may not even matter given that Colangelo has the ability to match any offer, something which he's publicly said he will do.

Currently T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon make a combined $10.5 million (T.J. - $8 million; Calderon - $2.5 million). This makes them one of the most inexpensive point guard combos in the league, cheaper than the Timberwolves' consortium of clowns ($10.7 million). Considering the market and the situations outlined above, I expect Calderon to sign a three-year, $22.5 million deal ($7.5 million per season). I can mask it behind cap facts and trends, but realistically it's just a guess.

If Calderon does sign as I expect, it would put the Raptors PG tandem at $15.5 million per season, which sounds like a lot for one position but isn't; Keep reading for an explanation why.

Stephon Marbury alone makes $20.1 million this year and will "earn" $21.9 million next year. When you add back-up Nate Robinson's $1.2 million this year and $2 million next year you get totals of $21.3 million and $23.9 million. Imagine if the Knicks still had Steve Francis.

Below is a team-by-team point guard payroll. I've only included teams that are comparable to the projected PG payroll of the Raps and others that I found interesting. You won't see teams like the Jazz or the Hornets on here because their kids are still on rookie contracts even though they're playing like future hall-of-famers.

The Well-Managed:

Detroit Pistons = $12.3 million + ?

Chauncey Billups - $10 million + $11 million
Lindsey Hunter - $2.3 million + FA

Phoenix Suns = $17 million + $18.4 million

Steve Nash - $11.4 million + $12.3 million
Leandro Barbosa - $5.6 million + $6.1 million
I realize Barbosa isn't a true point guard, but he's what they go with while Captain Canada's lying on his stomach in a carapace of towels.

San Antonio Spurs = $11.7 million + 12.8 million

Tony Parker - $10.5 million + $11.5 million
Jacque Vaughn - $1.2 million + $1.3 million

The So-So:

Atlanta Hawks: 2008 = $19.8 million; 2009 = $20.2 million

Mike Bibby - $13.5 million + $14.5 million
Speedy Claxton - $6.3 million + $5.7 million

Chicago Bulls = $14.3 million + ?

Kirk Hinrich - $11 million + $10 million
Chris Duhon - $3.3 million + FA

Dallas Mavericks = $20.3 million + at least $21.3 million

Jason Kidd - $19.7 million + $21.3 million
Jose Juan Barea - $600,000 + FA

Golden State Warriors = $16.4 million + $17.1 million

Baron Davis - $16.4 million + $17.1 million
Davis has no real "back-up." The team runs the ball through Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis during the less than nine minutes Baron replaces his electrolytes on the bench. For that reason, I haven't included their salaries.

Philadelphia 76ers = $12.7 million + ?

Andre Miller - $9.3 million + $10 million
Kevin Ollie - $3.4 million + FA

Washington Wizards = $17.7 million + a lot more

Gilbert Arenas - $11.9 million + a lot more
Antonio Daniels - $5.8 million + $6.2 million

The Queer:

Los Angeles Clippers = $12.5 million + phantom PG

Sam Cassell (buy-out) - $6.1 million + FA
Shaun Livingston - $4.4 million + FA
Brevin Knight - $2 million + FA

Miami Heat = $12.7 million + ?

Jayson Williams - $8.9 million + FA
Marcus Banks - $3.88 million +FA

Minnesota Timberwolves = $10.7 million + $12.8 million

Marco Jaric - $6 million + $6.5 million
Troy Hudson - $4.7 million + $6.3 million
Given the quality of Jaric and Hudson I find their combined salaries hilarious. But on top of that the Wolves have Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair signed to rookie deals.

New York Knicks = $21.3 million + $23.9 million

Stephon Marbury -$20.1 million + $21.9 million
Nate Robinson - $1.2 million + $2 million

Orlando Magic = $5.9 million + ?

Carlos Arroyo - $4 million + FA
Jameer Nelson - $ 1.9 million + $5.5 million

Portland TrailBlazers = $20.7 million + at least $17.2 million

Steve Francis (buy-out) - $16.4 million + $17. 2 million
Steve Blake - $4.3 million + FA

Seattle SuperSonics = $12.3 million + $12.7 million

Luke Ridnour - $6.5 million + $6.5 million
Earl Watson - $5.8 million + $6.2 million

Building the Raptors, Part Two

2008-03-05T22:09:00.004-05:00

The Raptors beat the 2005-06 NBA Champion Miami Heat tonight! Only Haslem missed the game for "personal reasons," Shaq and Kapono were traded, White Chocolate can barely lift his elbow, let alone pass off it, Posey signed with the Celtics, Mourning shredded up his leg and Dwyane Wade is coming off body reconstruction surgery. Still, a win is a win.

Or is it? Because a loss isn't just a loss. When the Raptors lost to New York and Indiana over the last two weeks, I found myself reading the RealGM boards and, with a hood-eyed, mouth-breathing Bargnani nod, vaguely agreeing with a few "fans" calling for the firing of Sam Mitchell. Luckily, a sapient contributor from Orlando noted: "The sky is falling Toronto. You're 32-27 and you've lost a few games in a row without your star player." Then I remembered that the Raptors were 27-55 just two years ago. Loren Woods played regularly and a guy named Eric Williams - who we acquired as part of the Vince Carter package - was in street clothes thinking, "If I can't even dress for this team, maybe my career's over."

Also, I remembered that the Pistons were beat by the Knicks (by 25 points), and lost all three of their meetings with the Chicago Bulls this season. My heart rate steadied and life went on.

Patience. It should be written on centre court at the ACC; it should have been the 2007-08 Raptors' marketing slogan; it should be the word most often used by Sam Mitchell. But sports fans aren't patient (I'm not patient). Here are a few reasons Raptors fans should be, though:

As stated in "Part One," the Raptors have $21,719,184 in expiring contracts next year, here's how they break down:

Rasho Nesterovic - $8.4 million

Anthony Parker - $4.5 million

Jorge Garbajosa - $4.3 million

Joey Graham - $2.4 million

Maceo Baston - $1.9 million

This doesn't put them under the cap by any means, but it does give Bryan Colangelo flexibility as Doug Smith mentioned here. BC knows more than anyone that the Raptors need an above-average two or three that can slash and temper the team's current rebounding deficiency. A team may be tempted to take an expiring contract + a guy like Moon or Kapono because of their skills and upside before the season starts. Of all the names that Smith mentions, I find Josh Smith, Richard Jefferson and Jason Richardson the most intriguing (and least likely to pry away).

Barring a pre-season trade, expiring deals look more and more attractive as teams near the trade deadline. What got the Lakers Pau Gasol (other than Jerry West's corruption)? Hint: it wasn't Kwame Brown's tiny hands.

If you'll indulge me, and pretend, like I do every time I talk to my friends or post on this meager blog, that Bryan Colangelo loosens his collar at night in front of the Raptors' blogosphere and thinks, "Let's see what Andrew has to tell me tonight,"allow me some words of advice: Don't get too patient with Bargnani.

Part Three will explore why having Calderon and T.J. under contract is completely tenable and how much Delfino might command this off-season. In the meantime, here is Vince Carter being a total fucking idiot.

A Test of Hoops Allegiance

2008-03-02T20:16:00.007-05:00

There I was, with a fresh sheet of paper in my typewriter, ready to bash out the second part of my "Building the Raptors" series when I decided to watch The Game. It's since ended, and after a vigorous tooth and body scrub and several wretches over the sink I've decided to abandon part two of my "Building the Raptors" series (until the next win).

The point of this blog has never been about game recaps (check The Dinosty for that, he does it better than some guys who get paid for it) but occasionally a game is so disheartening and painfully honest in its depiction of the Raptors that shock alone inspires me to make little point form notes of hate:

Our franchise rests on the tender, geriatric knees of Chris Bosh. Did you see the play that he was injured on? I played ball today, set a few picks, but oddly my knee held up. Every time I watch Bosh's two spandex-braced legs stagger up court I worry about him turning into Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Sam Mitchell's understanding of a sensible rotation has evaporated with Bosh hurt. Nesterovic was killing the 'Cats with 13 points in the first. What does Mitchell do for the rest of the game? Go small and let Charlotte beat the Raps 50-37 on the glass.

Is it that hard to get Jason Kapono a shot? I realize that he's a defensive liability, but he was 3-3 in 17.5 minutes. He has also won the NBA's three-point contest two years running.

With each reminder that Toronto beat Charlotte without Bosh earlier this year, Chuck Swirsky illustrates that, yes, he is an employee of MLSE.

Calderon and Ford don't share the court well. Stop the experiment, Sam. The pair allied on the floor with 4:30 left in the fourth and the Raps down 98-89. The game ended 110-98.

Before the Raptors play LeBron or Kobe there's a feeling that most fans get, punctuated by a turn to whoever's sitting next to you and the words, "He's gonna get 40+ tonight, guaranteed." I had a similar feeling, only this time it was that Bargnani was going to have a decent game with Bosh out of the line-up. Instead, he did nothing to warrant any playing time - scoring six points on 2-8 shooting (0-3 from three) in 18.5 minutes. One could be excused for thinking that Barney didn't start playing RECREATIONAL basketball until last year. I checked, and he seriously has two left feet, both sets of toes jutting awkwardly to the right. It must be tough for him. Explains a lot, though.

Mr. Colangelo, if you catch wind of this, please turn Bargnani into something. Listen to the tear-infused pleas of your coach and trade him for a man who can rebound. He's not Dirk Nowitzki and he never will be; he doesn't have the drive or the work ethic. He must have been too popular as a child, or something, he seems genuinely content with the way things are.

Before Travis Diener and his mighty Indiana Pacers beat the Raptors there was talk that, if they went 16-10 the rest of the season, the Raptors would win 50 games. I actually thought it was reasonable. That figure now sits at 16-8 after losing to two of the least-watched franchises in the league (Indiana really does have the lowest home attendance, averaging 12,203 fans per game). Not happening. Part of me believed that Toronto's trying to meet Orlando in the playoffs for match-up purposes but then I remembered that this is professional sports.

Building the Raptors, Part One

2008-02-26T22:32:00.008-05:00

(A Raptors fan (left) takes exception to a Calderon-doubter)

Below is an email that I received today from a good friend and longtime Raptors fan; a guy who landed us playoff tickets to game two of the Nets-Raps series last year; a guy who has the most profoundly unintelligible personalized Raptors jersey on earth (look for him some day, it's jersey number one and the name reads "TMSIBIT"):

dude,
just wanted to tlel (sic) you that there's no way i'm going to a playoff game this year. i probably shouldn't go, but this team doesn't make me want to go either. season's been a total drag. they're such pussies and. (sic) yeah, that's what they are. they're pussies.

I don't blame him. This came after a thoroughly unconvincing win over Indiana - a game in which Toronto made Marquis "Delinquent" Daniels look like an athletic chessmaster and a game in which the Pacers pulled a 14-year-old kid from the East York YMCA and asked him to start at point. Prior to Indy, it took the Raps one-and-a-half games to make adjustments against the New York Knicks. These adjustments included actually getting up on Jamal Crawford's shot and Bosh learning how to pass out of a double-team. No, the season hasn't been a total drag but, yes, the Raptors are "such pussies."

Except for Bryan Colangelo. It took a man with Alec Baldwin-like brass balls to not make a major move before last week's trade deadline. Not quite two full seasons removed from a 27-55 season, Raptors fans are accustomed to miracles. They've already cultivated an image as "Truthers" drawing their halberds at the mere thought that Jose Calderon didn't deserve to make the all-star team. They seem to believe that this team is one slashing small forward away from a championship. For that reason, and several billion others, they are not NBA general managers. Our general manager, however, has a plan as predictable, yet clever, as a teen horror film.

The entire Raptors' payroll is designed around the post-trade deadline 2008/09 season. This isn't to say that the Raps will have cap space next year, because they won't, especially after re-signing Jose Calderon and (probably) Carlos Delfino. When you're an above-average team in the NBA you will never have cap space; your mission becomes less about signing new pieces than upgrading on existing pieces. Pieces like Anthony Parker, Jorge Garbajosa, Rasho Nesterovic, Joey Graham and Maceo Baston, all of whom have expiring contracts next season that total $21,719,184. It's hard to believe that Joey Graham and Jorge Garbajosa would look good to anyone, but when you're a team that's saddled with a slightly overpaid veteran while needing to rebuild, those two men will look like ice-cold motherfucking beers.

* * * * * *

Part Two will follow soon, looking at Calderon and Delfino's relative worths.

Meet Primož Brežeć

2008-02-23T19:53:00.003-05:00

(the guy with the drink in his hand)

A 7'1", 255 lbs centre, born in Sezana, Slovenia.
Cites his father, Hilarlj, who played for the Slovenian national basketball team, Michael Jordan and Dr. J as his hoops heroes.
He smelled Dwyane Wade's scrotum a couple of summers ago.
Speaks four languages: Italian, Slovenian, English and "Yugoslavian."
Enjoys playing tennis in the offseason.
Has career averages of 7.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG.
Suffered a cycling injury when he was 12 that nearly left him paralyzed.
Fancies himself "a shooter."
Will have no impact with the Raptors.

Welcome, Primoz

2008-02-22T13:56:00.001-05:00

Bryan Colangelo made a seemingly inconsequential move at yesterday's trade deadline, sending Juan Dixon to Detroit for Primoz Brezec and "cash considerations." But I like this move for reasons outside of basketball.

If, like me, you can remember when the Raptors were freshly hatched from the NBA's womb in the mid-to-late 90s, you'll remember a time when no one wanted to play in Canada. There were many reasons for this. It was a benighted period in the league's history; a period when players weren't required to spend a year in a post-secondary institution before joining the NBA; a largely pre-European period; and a period when Steve Francis could refuse to join the Vancouver Grizzlies because of something he called "God's will." Even when the Raptors seemed poised for success, Antonio Davis grudgingly accepted a huge, long-term deal to play centre for Toronto, whining about it - and Canada's insistence on using the metric system - whenever he had the chance.

But you don't hear that anymore, thanks largely to the nous of Bryan Colangelo. Like BC said after dealing Dixon: "It's important to have players that want to be here. Juan and his representatives made it pretty clear that he wasn't content with his role."

And the gorgeous thing about a move like yesterday's is that it gives the illusion that the player (Dixon) is getting what he wants. There's about as many player agents managing NBAers as there are banks in Toronto. As sad as it sounds, you've got to keep the agents happy and Colangelo did that by granting Dixon's request for a change of address. In future, the same agent, or one of Dixon's pals, might get some kind words recommending the Raptors. And this isn't smokescreeing, it's honest god-damn business.

Colangelo managed the same trick last year while rectifying his own pre-season boner by trading a disgruntled and thoroughly horrible Fred Jones FOR Juan Dixon. "The circle of life...the wheel of fortune."

So join me in welcoming another Slovenian centre to the Raptors. But more importantly, join me in welcoming a high-profile free agent in the future thanks to Bryan Colangelo's alleged benevolence.

Side note: The link to the Star's story on the Ben Wallace three-team deal reads "LeBron finally got some help to win an NBA title." "Finally"? James is 23 years old. And I love how Seattle just snuck in on that deal, dumping Szczerbiak's contract on Cleveland. The Sonics' management turned Ray Allen into three first-round draft picks and their roster is set for grotesque cap space in just two years. Too bad they won't be in Seattle.

City, and Bosh, on Fire

2008-02-20T22:19:00.000-05:00

This isn't a photo of Chris Bosh leaving the ACC tonight, it's a photo that I took outside of my house at 5:30 this morning. I would normally whine about not sleeping but, given the circumstances, I'm just happy that my place isn't smouldering, although the neighbourhood smells exactly like you'd expect it to.

But fuck all that, the Raptors won tonight!

Chris Bosh loves playing the Magic like David Blaine loves feigning magic, or like Cookie Johnson loves Magic (Johnson). In Bosh's last five games against Orlando he's averaged 33.8 PPG. The reason: Dwight Howard can't guard him, as evidenced by CB4's free throw stats in those five games (11-11; 14-14; 15-17; 14-16; and 14-15). Those are HUGE, Dwyane-Wade-in-the-playoffs numbers. True, Bosh can't guard Howard either (Dwight had 37 tonight), but the Raptors have more weapons than Orlando, namely an actual point guard. I'd rather play Orlando than Cleveland in the playoffs, but it's starting to look inevitable; the only debate being who will have homecourt.

Friday and Sunday will be a home-and-away against the Knicks, who lost by 40 tonight to the Sixers. Consider the Knicks' coach, general manager and season, then watch this and tell me that the team couldn't be the subject of a horrifically compelling reality show. Add the Knick girls and a Sheraton and you've got the best season of Paradise Hotel ever.

I keep hearing about Dixon and Joey going to the Warriors for Pietrus, but given TJ's fragility and our glut of swingmen I can't see this happening unless Colangelo's feeling especially generous towards Juan and his 11.9-MPG trade request.

The Raptors' All-Star Legacy

2008-02-13T22:45:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when Adam Sandler sits next to that guy from King of Queens to watch an utterly inconsequential game of basketball. Where a simpering David Stern looks over his empire of tall men who wear the contents of a west African cave on their ears while lesser stars try to impress them with dunks. It's All-Star Weekend and the Raptors have history here.

With a week until their next game and their guts full of Kidd-less New Jersey Nets' innards, the Raps have time to reflect before moving on with the season. And I'll help jog their memories, but first I want to get distracted by the Nets game.

Congratulations to Jay Triano for becoming the first Canadian to coach a regular season NBA game. He should feel better than I used to when my dad asked me to hold the steering wheel while he reached for his wallet, but it's essentially the same principal. Even the outcomes are similar: I would get a sense of the road and a fiver from dad whereas Triano got a 109-91 win over a team that showed what happens when you remove a hall-of-fame point guard from the laziest consortium of athletes in the league.

That hall-of-fame point guard is Jason Kidd, not Marcus Williams, and Kidd's trade to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Maurice Ager, $3 million and two first-round draft picks is on hold thanks to George alone. Devean must have paid attention at Augsburg College, because somehow he convinced Mark Cuban to give him a no-trade clause when he signed with the Mavs this off-season. This ensures George a place in history and perpetual hostility with his current teammates and Kidd. I'm sure the teams will find a way around this, but for now it's nice to know that Kidd can't just punch a woman in the face and make everything work.

ALL-STAR MEMORIES

2000 - Vince Carter (starter) - 12 points in 28 minutes. Carter also won the 2000 Slam Dunk contest. Here are the highlights which someone assembled over R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" and then posted on youtube. If you can get past the music it really was one of the top three sickest collections of dunks ever displayed. And he didn't take a Nate-Robinson hour to complete them, most were one-and-dones.

2001 - Carter (starter) - 16 points in 24 minutes; AND
Antonio Davis (starter) - eight points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes. The NBA would rather forget this, but, yeah, Antonio Davis started an All-Star game (because Alonzo Mourning was out with kidney disease).

2002 - Carter was the leading vote-getter for the entire NBA but didn't play due to a marginally overcut fingernail.

2003 - Carter - nine points in 25 minutes. Even though Carter was voted into the game, in an atypical gesture of class, he gave up his starting spot to Michael Jordan, who made his final All-Star appearance (Jordan shot 9-27 in that game).

2004 - Carter (starter) - 11 points in 16 minutes. This was also the year that Jamal Magloire was selected as an All-Star, scoring 19 points.

2005 - Carter...as a member of the New Jersey Nets, after playing 20 games with the Raptors.

2006 - Bosh - eight points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes. A lovely first appearance for CB4.

2007 - Bosh (starter) - 11 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes - The day before this game I bet a friend that Bosh would score in double-digits. CB4 was sitting on the bench with four points going into the fourth, but with 6:30 left in the game he checks back in. In a flurry of lay-ins and free throws Bosh goes on to score seven additional points - the final two coming on a dunk with 18 seconds left in the game - to secure my five dollars. The East lost 153-132.

Raptors Digression

2008-02-10T23:28:00.001-05:00

The most frustrating thing about the Raps since Colangelo took over, for me, is their inability to string wins together. Last year's team managed a six-game win streak, while this year's longest string is four.

That frustration is tempered only by the fact that the team's longest losing streak this year is three. We're the NBA's Even Stevens. Could be worse.

Sorry for the dormancy lately, but I've got a nice post simmering that should appear mid-week. Until then, I'll be at tomorrow's game, not just because I'm a Raptors fan, but because my girlfriend is a Spurs fan. She has a crush on Tim Duncan, which seriously makes me question my own comeliness. She likes The Big Fundamental for the same reason she liked Pete Sampras: because he seems like a "nice guy," which is some consolation.

In 1998 I saw Tim Duncan walking into Sears at the Eaton Centre with Antonio Daniels. No one asked either of them for their autograph. Tim's a big man, there's no way anything in Sears would fit him, but there he was, none the less. Maybe he wanted a fragrance for Amy?

The State of the Raptors 2/5/08

2008-02-04T17:22:00.000-05:00

On my way to work yesterday I checked which bobbleheads were still available at Centresports. Sadly, they're down to Garbos and Swirsks. I imagine there are millions of Swirsky dolls and Fred Jones figurines sitting in the ACC basement which Chuck arranged to mirror the Terracotta Army of Qin. I've got Bosh, Swirsk and the Raptor set up at work, right next to my Dominique Wilkins Starting Lineup figure. If anyone's got an extra Calderon sitting around I'd love to negotiate something.

But in relevant news, T.J. Ford is back, and looking good, albeit against the Heat (how bad is that team? So bad Ricky Davis actually wants to STAY there). Ford's bullet pass in the fourth proved just how easy it is to fool Kris Humphries (nice recovery, Hump), and six seconds after I said "You can tell he's still afraid to go to the rack," Ford actually dunked, hard, off a broken play. Well, butter my ass!

Still, there will be several collective covered eyes and flinches every time Ford goes to the cup, takes a charge or even receives a pat on the dumper. Are there League regulations against playing in a carapace of bubble wrap? Something to consider.

Bargnani's back too, only he wasn't injured for 24 games, he just forgot how to play. He's scored, 22, 28 and 19 in his last three games with a 56 FG% (24-43) and 60 3PT% (9-15). The 11 boards over those three games gives weight to the theory that he's not a competent mult-tasker, but after weeks of nothing, thanks for something, Il Mago.

Jamario Moon and Joey Graham collaborated on a dunk-contest teaser. This may not have been the best move for Joey, considering that an embarrassing number of RealGM posters believed that Graham's boner was "for reals." I pity those who were fooled, but honour them as the hard working men and women that, someday, will keep Canada running.

Finally, the Rapors' game against the Clippers on Friday will be the franchise's 1,000th game (their all-time record is 414-585). And let me say a quick word about the Clips' Cory Maggette, whose name has been linked to the Raptors for years. I OWN him in my fantasy league and he just missed four games in a row with the flu. My friend, the M-ster - himself, a potent mix of heart and testicles - had an appendectomy in high school and was back representing the Newtonbrook Northmen the next week. The school's mascot has since been renamed "the Vikings" for reasons of sexual inclusiveness.

For What It's Worth...

2008-02-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

We're more than half way past the mid-way point of the season, so before teams hit 50 games played, I'd better get this down so that I can still say "I called it."

MVP - Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets - I can actually see LeBron start to hum in the second half of the year and stealing this from CP3, but I'm saying Paul wins it just in the hope that writing it will actually make it happen. Paul's steals have dipped of late (2.5 a game is still good), but if he can stay over 20 PPG and 10 APG (he's currently at 20.7 and 10.9) and his team can stay in the top four in the West, Paul should win. If he does take it and the league announces it before his May 6 birthday he'll join Wes Unseld (1968-69) as the only player to win the MVP at 23. Moses Malone was the last 24-year-old to win it in 1978-79 (for those of you wondering, MJ won his first at 25 in 1987-88).

Rookie of the Year - Kevin Durant, Seattle SuperSonics - I'm pretty sure Stern sent the award to the engravers as soon as he heard that Oden was out for the year. Along with Executive of the Year (see below) this race was won before the season began. Durant's finally got his FG% up to 40% while averaging 19.5 PPG on a team that - seriously - gives him the ball and stands around waiting for a rebound. Note: I thought that Seattle officially dropped the "Super" from their name a few years ago but, apparently, they're still the SuperSonics.

Most Improved Player - Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers - Without Elton Brand the paint belongs to the Caveman for the other LA team. He's doubled his blocks from 1.5 last year to 3.0 this year and added seven points a game (10.1 to 17.2) and six boards (7.8 to 13.9). Plus he finally cut those threads of string off of his head and returned them to the Yarn Barn. The last Clipper to win this award was Bobby Simmons, who has gone right back to being shit with the Bucks. Which makes me wonder, can one player can win the MIP award more than once?

Defensive Player of the Year- Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets - Camby currently has 40 more blocks than his closest competitor, Josh Smith, as well as 628 boards which puts him second behind Dwight "baby-daddy" Howard. Anyone who doesn't own Camby in a fantasy league knows how infuriating it is to see 11-block, 24-rebound lines like the one he posted against Utah earlier this year. Barring injury (Camby didn't play more than 63 games in any of his first seven NBA seasons, remember Raps fans?) Camby will be the repeat winner.

Coach of the Year - Byron Scott, New Orleans Hornets - A decent case could be made for Nate McMillan of the Blazers but I think that the Blazers will come back down to earth in the second half of the year. Yes, Phoenix has already passed the Hornets for first in the West, but New Orleans (Oklahoma) were 39-43 last year; they're already 32-14.

Sixth Man of the Year - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs - This is finally the year for basketball's own Roberto Benigni. In fact, the only reason Ginobili probably hasn't won it before is because everyone knows that his "bench" status is entirely perfunctory. When does he enter games, three minutes into the first? Whatev, career highs so far in points (19.5), assists (4.2) and rebounds (4.8) per game should do it with 1.7 steals to boot.

Executive of the Year - Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics - ...Then one morning, Ainge awoke to find Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen standing at his front door saying, "Can we play?" And all the veterans in the league wanted to join them...What kills me every time I think about the Celtics is that Doc fucking Rivers is coaching this team. Did you see him during half time against the Mavs the other day? This is what he said in the locker room: "Come on guys, you've got to finish your lay ups!" No joke.

Raptors vs. Luckiest Team in the NBA

2008-02-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

Tipoff - 7:00 p.m. EST

If you haven't heard, the Lakers have just acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a vintage Garfield Happy Meal toy depicting the cartoon cat riding a skateboard and a tin of kippers (Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and the Lakers' first round picks in the '08 and '09 drafts.). There's also curious speculation that the Lakers will include Pau's brother, Marc, in the deal. This would be unfortunate, as my buddy Mike pointed out, the two Gasol's on-court together would make a good GEICO caveman commercial.

It's impossible to believe that the Grizz couldn't have gotten more for Gasol. You've got to figure Colangelo would have shipped Bargnani, Rasho, Joey Graham and his picks over the next two years to instantly make the Raptors Eastern Conference contenders and take some pressure off of Chris Bosh.

True, Brown's $9.1 million contract expires at the end of this year, but Crittenton has showed nothing in his rookie year, albeit in 7.8 minutes per game, and the Lakers' picks are going to be insignificantly high over the next two years. Gasol will have to undergo physicals before the trade becomes official, but you've got to wonder if the Grizz know something more about the big man's back problems of late. And it is worth mentioning that Gasol played only 59 games last year and 56 games in 2004-05.

What makes this stink worse than Gasol's gym bag is that Jerry West, the current interim GM of the Grizzlies, has publicly said that he will return to the Lakers as a consultant next year.

Luckily for the Raptors Gasol, who has three years left on his $49-million contract, will not be dressed tonight.

* * * *

EDIT: The official trade: Pau Gasol to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the Lakers' first round picks in 2008 and 2010, cash considerations and the rights to Pau's brother Marc - the first time in league history that brothers were included in a trade for one another.

No Way, Jose

2008-02-01T00:25:00.000-05:00

No one except Chuck Swirsky expected Jose Calderon to make the Eastern All-Stars, and on Thursday the league confirmed that the "Spanish Fly" won't be joining his bud, Chris Bosh, in New Orleans on Feb. 17.

Even if you're the type of hoops fan that only watches Raptors' games you might have heard of Joe Johnson, Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, all of whom were - deservedly - selected ahead of Calderon. Those guys are All-Stars, and although a cogent case could be made for Calderon, the East, and those in attendance, probably aren't so interested in a conservative, pass-first point guard to steady the ship in the third quarter while Kidd's deciding which cheerleader he wants to plough, consensually or not.

Plus, Calderon's been averaging 39 minutes a game over the last 15, even logging 54 minutes against Portland on Jan. 13. So relax, Jose, invite Garbo over for a cream soda and enjoy the game in your home.

Colangelo's Biggest Mistake?

2008-01-26T17:18:00.000-05:00

Legend has it that in April of 2006 Bryan Colangelo made an innocuous call to Milwaukee Bucks' general manager Larry Harris about the availability of Maurice Williams, when Harris responded with the question, "How do you feel about T.J. Ford?" By March 1, Colangelo agreed to send Charlie Villanueva to the Bucks for Ford and cash.

Although the deal was debated at the time, largely because Villanueva was a fan-favourite simply for looking like Shrek, Ford was a young, true point guard who would bring stability to the position that apeshit Mike James and batshit Rafer Alston occupied the two previous seasons. To this day, based on the play and ceiling of both Villanueva and Ford, I think that Colangelo fleeced Harris.

However, on Tuesday, October 31, 2006, the Raptors signed Ford to a four-year, $33-million deal (the fourth year being a player option) without ever seeing him in uniform. That Tuesday was the last chance they had to sign Ford before the end of the season. Had they not, he would have made $2.93 million in '06-'07, the final year on his rookie contract, before becoming a RESTRICTED free agent. What had he done to warrant $8.25 million annually, apart from being born in the same state as Chris Bosh? He averaged 9.9 points, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals in 127 games with the Milwaukee Bucks. This, Raptors friends, is the worst move that Colangelo has made with the Toronto Raptors.

[His worst move ever? At the 1998 draft, Colangelo traded Steve Nash to Dallas for Martin Muursepp and Bubba Wells. This move would have landed him in Babcock territory had he not reacquired Nash six years later after dumping the human albatross, Stephon Marbury, on the Knicks, where he remains eternally.]

There's nothing wrong with using money to generate confidence, which, I'm sure Colangelo was trying to do with Ford, but T.J. had a history of neck and spine injuries, not the least of which is a congenital narrowing of the openings of the vertebra housing the spine, known as spinal stenosis. Michael Grange does a great job summarizing the history of Ford's spine here, including Ford's removal from hoops for a year-and-a-half after colliding with Mark Madsen in his rookie season.

But, ultimately, it's the success of Jose Calderon that makes the Ford deal even more pitiful. Calderon is averaging 12.3 PPG and 8.6 APG this season, while shooting over 50% from the field and on pace to break the NBA's assist/turnover ratio record. No Raptor since Damon Stoudamire (see below) in 1996-97 has averaged more than eight assists per game over a season. Calderon is a restricted free agent at the end of this year and he'll certainly command more than the MLE from the Raps, not to mention the possibility of losing him outright.

Can the Raptors afford to pay two point guards a total of $15 million per season, considering that Ford's injury history has rendered him untradeable and unable to even take a charge? Not when you consider the liability of Ford's health.

With Juan Dixon playing exactly like an out-of-position point guard (see a talentless Mike James) and the back of Darrick Martin's neck looking exceedingly more like a pack of hot dogs, Colangelo has said that he's looking for a third-string PG. But who are the candidates?

Ex-Raptor Stoudamire who was just bought out by the Grizzlies? He would be nice insurance for the Raps at the veteran's minimum, but given the choice between Phoenix, Boston and Toronto, who would you sign with?

Luke Ridnour who has three years left on his $6.5 million per season contract? Untenable.

Jason fucking "White Chocolate" Williams who's in the last year of a contract that will pay him a shade under $9 million and who can barely even walk?

Roko Ukic will be arriving next year, who some Raps fans believe is a conflation of John Stockton and "Pistol Pete." He isn't, but he does make the need for a back-up more ephemereal without dulling its urgency.

Judging by the way he made up for his Nash boner in Phoenix, it's unclear how many rabbits Colangelo has up his ass, but now would be a good time to pull something out, even if it was just a foetal bunny covered in placenta.

Cool It!

2008-01-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

Confronted with the “Bargnani Situation” a Raps blogger gains a morbid appreciation of what paid journalists face every day. This story is filthy after weeks of being dragged through the mud by the Raptors trolley. A trolley full of disheartened Leafs fans and 16-year-old boys who like Moon’s hang time and the occasional audible Sam Mitchell swear. Yeah, Bargnani’s playing poorly. And, yeah, we could’ve had Brandon Roy, but so could Minnesota who, apparently, liked Randy Foye better.

Anyone who’s followed sports for more than five years knows that all professional franchises are full of “could have beens.” We could have had Andre Iguodala (who thinks he’s worth more than $12 million a season despite leading his team to a 16-26 record)! We should have gotten more for Vince Carter (whose equivalent is now Zach Randolph)! We could have held on to TMac (who just can’t stay healthy and hasn’t won a playoff series in his career)! Didn’t happen. Mop the floor and play on.

I’m not a Bargnani apologist, but I am an advocate of patience. Here’s What We Know Part I: Bargnani began the season nicely, scoring 21 points on 7-11 shooting in the opener. Then things went tepid, his performance could be illustrated by a clichéd high school line graph with peaks and valleys. Then things went ghastly. In eight games since dropping 25 points on the Pistons (which followed a 17-point game against the Hornets) Bargnani is averaging 17.5 MPG, 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.1 BPG, 26 FG% (12-46), 14 3P% (2-14).

Here’s What We Know Part II: Bargnani’s 22 years old. He averaged 11.6 PPG in a very raw rookie year. He was arguably our second-best player in last year’s playoff series. His shot is indisputably gorgeous. He’s better than Adam Morrison. He didn’t play centre professionally before this season, and the Raps have finally conceded that he might need some special attention to ease his transition to the five.

The kid has skills. And although I’ve never especially bought the idea that Il Mago and CB4 can coexist, I still believe that a good coach (paging Sam Mitchell) can figure something out. Bargnani will, at the very least, be an above-average asset to a team and if Toronto traded him now for a matching salary Raps fans would eventually add another chapter to the “could have beens.”

* * * *

EDIT: In the Raps’ WIN over the Celtics tonight Bargnani scored 20 points on 7-14 shooting, adding seven dimes and seven boards (and a block).

Zero for Three: The Anniversary

2008-01-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the Raptors’ 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Significant because the Raptors missed all THREE free throws they took that game. Not to be outdone, the Hornets went 24-41 at the line. In this light, 15-24 last game against the Cavs doesn’t look so bad.

A Culture of Losing

2008-01-03T19:17:00.000-05:00

"I think if you look at our position in the East right now and how we've been playing, we're just decent right now. We have a lot of room to improve. I think we can be a lot better team (sic) ... It's better than being under .500. I'm not satisfied with our position and that's a good thing. Not to say that I'm disappointed or anything, I'm content with the way things are going but I think we can improve."

Just what, exactly, does Chris Bosh mean by that? When I opened a gift from my sister this Christmas and saw an oversized golf ball filled with cheap scotch I didn’t complain, even though I’ve drank scotch as many times as I’ve played golf (three) and abhorred them all equally. But if Bosh were me, based on his above quote, he might have said something like this: “I don’t really plan on using this and I don’t particularly like this, but I’m not disappointed. I mean, obviously you could have done better, but it’s great. I’m happy with it. Thanks.”

For perspective consider that the Raptors are currently 17-15. Based solely on winning percentage Toronto would be ninth in the West, good enough for a regular-season participation trophy, but not enough to keep the Irish Spring Dance Pack employed into May for the NBA playoffs.

TJ Ford, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani have missed 15, five and four games respectively with injuries. Throughout all of which the team has been talking about pulling up their socks, taking it on the chin, etc. before adding a final pitiful whimper to evoke pathos in fans and reporters. The media spoke lengthily on the Raps’ tough western swing and how games against Phoenix and San Antonio were forgone conclusions. Well, they won one of them. How did they manage that, Sherm?

In fact, the pervading attitude of the Raptors this season is a confusing non-committal tagline, preferably uttered by Coach Mitchell himself: “We’re not making excuses, but we’ve got a few excuses.”

A good example of this is more nonsense from Mitchell, this time peering through his rifle scope at the stands of the ACC:

"People just assume because you're at home, you're supposed to win and that's just not the case. You still have to play well, you've still got to out-work a team and play better. The fans just need to realize, you're not going to come out and be up 25-10 every game at home. We've got the type of team where we're not going to stop playing. We're going to play 48 minutes and sometimes you're not going to play well for 48 minutes so their support is important."

When, in the history of this franchise, which was named after a dinosaur briefly made popular in a blockbuster film, which used to wear purple pajamas as uniforms, which once employed Vincent Lamar Carter and which, for years, played their home games in a baseball stadium, have the fans NOT been supportive? Did Mitchell somehow coach game five of the Raptors-Nets series with his hands over his eyes?

And the response from Toronto’s critical, fastidious fourth estate: “What’d ya think of Sam’s suggestion that fans may be a bit quick to get disgruntled at home games? All legit points, I think.” Quote courtesy of Doug Smith’s blog.

Meanwhile, a Portland Trail Blazers team that, before the season even began, lost their first overall draft pick - who some have called the second coming of Bill Russell – to a knee injury, are sitting at 19-13 on the year. They had a 13-game winning streak snapped on Dec. 30 before winning the very next game. What's their excuse?

Christmas is Over and so is the Losing Streak

2007-12-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

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!!

2007-12-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

Got the flu...Bad

2007-12-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-12T14:02:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-11T23:39:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-10T00:47:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-05T23:33:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-03T23:57:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-27T19:44:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-11-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-20T19:12:00.001-05:00

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

2007-11-16T00:27:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-11-14T00:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-12T01:28:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-08T00:15:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-06T00:34:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-11-03T12:09:00.000-04:00

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

2007-11-02T01:33:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-31T14:07:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-29T23:06:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

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

Mitchell Sharpening His Axe

2007-10-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-20T15:02:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-18T18:42:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-17T00:15:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

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