Raptors drop a stinkbomb in Okc

Kevin Durant and the Thunder laid a predictable beating on the Raptors who left like a beaten dog with their tails tucked between their legs. Like they were on the wrong end of a Chong Li ass kicking. I say it was predictable because when you look at this OKC team you get the feeling that it's a team put together just to beat slow, no-hustle teams like Toronto.I really don't know what to say other than it was a obviously a huge disappointment especially coming right after the high of watching Team Canada send the Americans packing.

The Raps were crap and played uninspired. It's very similar to the roster mismatch they have against a team like the Atlanta Hawks. The Thunder were too fast, too athletic, and too energetic for this Raps team to keep up. Seeing this, in the future the raptors should forge some sort of counter measure in order to slow down the pace of the game. In contrast, the team turned the ball over like turnovers were going out of style. It reminded me of the team the Raps had before Bryan came here. Turnovers are a clear indication of a bad team, an immature team, and obviously carelessness. I am not saying our team is bad, but they certainly played like that on this night. It's like you weren't cool unless you gave the ball away. Well Raptors, tonight you'd be the Fonz.

The Raps got beaten like a visible minority in a rich American suburb. I don't even want to get into specific players because everyone played poorly. I think the effects of missing your team captain, your MVP, your All-star, is starting to kick in. Let us all as Raptor fans pray that Chris has a speedy recovery and returns to the lineup soon. On a night where Team Canada played all out, winner take all type of athletics, it's sad to see the contrast that the Raptor's performance played out. I know this team is better and I know this team is going to bounce back. Go Raps Go!

Lebron Whines, Cleveland Shines

First things first, the Raptors really have nothing to be ashamed of taking the top team in the league to overtime without their top player, before finally running out of gas. In the end I do question some of Triano's late game substitution choices keeping Hedo in the game and keeping Reggie... who was an absolute animal tonight, on the bench down the stretch. Hedo did have his hand in bringing the Raps to OT but a few ill advised shots and wasted possessions by him were frustrating. 

Here's the problem I have with Lebron, and it's similar to the Boston thing. He whines and complains like a little baby. He already gets most of the calls going his way from the refs but when he doesn't.... whoa go cry to your mommy pal. He moans and bitches and I am sure he comes close to stamping his feet on the floor. Jack Armstrong echoed my sentiments. I felt like slapping Lebron on the side of the head, or just backhanding him. Boston does this too except they're worse cause they have a really asshole-ish cockiness that makes you want to vomit. Pierce saying that he's one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, made me throw up in my mouth a little.

Shit you might have noticed:

• Hedo for the most part played well. He shot it decently and took what the offense and defense gave him as he was the beneficiary of some nice passes from Jack and Bargnani. He still displayed some of his signature jackass moves though like just putting his head down and running his defender over and then looking at the ref as if he was surprised that he got called for the charge. It's like he's got some sort of deal with the devil where he has to do that at least once a game. The other irritating plays i could think of were his rushed bricked three-pointer to try to win the game at the end of the fourth, and the one near the end where he kept holding on to the ball and running the shot clock down to waste a key possession.

• Bargs played his best offensive game in a while. I think his best move is his pull up jumper from the top of the arch, hoping in close to the free throw line and he just pops up a nice clean looking mid range jumper. Same problem for this team that I have been complaining about for years, they just stop giving him the ball in the second half of games. He had about 18 points in the first but rarely touched the ball the rest of the way. The only thing he does when he has the ball is create. Give the Italian his penne pasta!!! He looked particularly good on the head fake 180 dunk from baseline and the head fake, step out jumper he had on Lebron. Totally faked him out, bravo il Mago.

• Attack of the Jack. Jarrett continued his strong play of late and came up big again in this game. He was absolutely fearless diving into the lane, slithering through defenders and scoring with a lot of duck-ins and drawing all sorts of attention and fouls. He's exactly what we need from a floor general. Clearly the best off season acquisition by Bryan. When I heard we got him, I was ecstatic. When I heard we got Hedo, I said to myself: Why? He's not what we needed. 

• The bench came up big and came to play. Reggie in my opinion had his best game as a Raptor. I couldn't believe all the points he was scoring and just wreaking havoc on the offensive glass and was like a tiger on a wildebeest carcass. Sonny Weems was also exceptionally good. Case in point, the fake out on James, shedding him for the two handed cram job. His shot was on and the Cavs were letting him shoot. Well done. Antoine also had a strong showing, he played as well as one could play on James. 

 

Kevin Durant... "YOU'RE NEXT!!"

 Like I said, the Raptors have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of tonight. Only thing I could complain about is them fading in OT. Toronto just doesn't seem to have the knack for pulling off games in extra time. I don't know what the stats are but I only remember like 2 or 3 OT wins by this team through the last bunch of seasons. As soon as they made it to OT, I knew they were done. It's a trend that must stop and hopefully something the coach can better prepare his team for. So that Raps have Saturday off before they meet up with OKC. Get some rest, a good practice in, maybe head down to the local Massage Parlour, and prepare for a shootout on Sunday.

Coming to Canada: Bargnani Style

So the Samsquanch has been a little sick lately and has been coughing up hairballs. Well I have been coughing up stuff but a lot grosser. Anyways, since I missed the postgame for the Blazers. And really, I think we can all agree that I didn't miss much. I wanted to link you guys with this old Bargs vid. It's quite the contrast to the bargs we know. He's getting more and more expressive and emotional during Raptors games but in Italy where he is presumably  more comfortable, there's no comparison. Also it's funny to see him in the Volvo station wagon. I can't understand a lick of Italian but it's not hard to figure out what is going on. If some of you Italian friends out there could translate a little that would be good. It kind of makes you wonder how big an obstacle language and the comfort of your surroundings could play a part in a foreign athlete's progression. The fact that he has made such progress is encouraging. You can also note that when he's interviewed, there isn't that weird awkwardness.

This video is just one i came across on youtube. Not mine.

Italian Block Party... leave the guns at home please

"Having Antoine in your back pocket to pull out there when you need is like carrying an unloaded handgun. If things aren't going right you take it out, wave it around a bit and your enemies usually yield. That's what happened tonight. Too bad for the Wizards they took that too literally."

Nothing sweeter than victory and the Raptors tasted it again tonight. This game was a tale of two halves. First part of the game for the Wizards was pretty much all Josh Howard.  It was a Andrea vs Howard gun show in the first quarter. Howard abused the slower stepping Hedo and rattled off a string of points and trips to the line quick. Bargs ran iso-low post or high post pushing his man, (big or small) close enough for him to use his turn-hook or fader, aka "double barrel blast". The gameplan early on for the Raps was running screen and roll with Bargs to start the game. He posts up and gets himself points or shots from the line.  I understand they shouldn't go down with the same play every time but I am not sure why they went away from this play so quickly since it was working. Bargs also added a sweet block on McGee, a foreshadowing of what was to come. He was also active on the glass and stood his ground on his man during post ups. 

The start of the second half saw the Raptors go cold and forget the definition of boxing out as the Wizards made a buffet line to the basket with all you can eat offensive rebounds. It was a blood bath with bodies hitting the floor, Wizard's D turned it up a notch, Reggie mauled Blatch for a bloodied nose, and Sonny got a bloody cut lip. Yes, blood was spilled as there was one shot of Blatche's pool of blood on the court. I told you Reggie is in actuality a beast.

They tried iso with Hedo way too much and once again stopped going to Bargnani who was a major reason for their first half success. They seem to do that a lot and go away from what works. They seemed to completely forget he was on the floor. At the same time, Andray Blatche changed the game for his team and was on fire. He kept posting up, then stepped back for a jumper or fader over Bargs. Luckily the Raps countered with a very aggressive Jarret Jack who at one point ended up in the third row. He looked like he was gonna cannonball that rich kid just trying to have a good time.

Shit you might have noticed:

• Jack was very aggressive especially in the fourth quarter where he took the game and put it on his shoulders. He ran  early on drive and kick or drive and dump off underneath. He directed the team well and slash towards the basket for many free throws and lay ins. In the absence of CB4, this is a perfect example of stepping up.

• In the first half Bargs had that assertiveness back. Or were his teammates looking for him more? A bit of both I think since the obvious strategy was to get him the ball early and get it to him often. Unfortunately his team forgot he was the floor in the 2nd. What's Italian for "gimme the frick'n ball!!" He scored 16 points in the first half and got zero looks in the third. Not discouraged, Bargnani stepped up defensively with several key blocks. His key blocks helped fuel the Raps down the stretch. Forza Il Mago!

• Hedo had is mask on, had his mask off but Hedo provided enough offense to make himself look useful. He also provided a key post up deuce and a offensive board at the end of the game. 2 good games in a row for him, good job. We need 18 a game from him though me thinks, as that's roughly the per game average he showed at the end of the season with the Magic. I don't think it's too much to ask for and I know he's capable of it. Only time will tell.

• Antoine Wright helped neutralize Howard a bit when Hedo took a foul too many in the first. He was also locked in from the arch. On another team he could be starting but the team is right, they have to get the young rookie some playing time. Having Antoine in your back pocket to pull out there when you need is like carrying an unloaded handgun. If things aren't going right you take it out, wave it around a bit and your enemies usually yield. That's what happened tonight. Too bad for the Wizards they took that too literally.

• Colangelo answered a fan's question, stating that he thinks the Raptors have one of the deepest teams in the league.It was easy for him to make a formula for building this team. Basically he did the opposite of what he did the season before where he got Jermaine and plugged in the lineup with pieces of garbage like Will Soloman and Roko Ukic.

• I found it hilarious one point in the fourth where the whistle was blown on a Hedo out of bounds, Bargs hits a three after like 5 or 6 seconds of the blown whistle and the crowd was still dumb enough to think it counted.I thought NBA basketball had been in this city long enough for the fans in general to know the rules. Actually it's kind of embarrassing.

It's haircut/grooming day down at the ACC apparently. Hedo looks like he shortened his hair back to the faux-hawk he usually has and is sporting his so-called Zorro styled mask. Jose looks like he got a trim too  however, I would suggest some Rogane. I shouldn't make fun of Jose, male pattern baldness is no joke.

I could barely recognize Mike Miller who got himself a men's haircut. If i didn't already know Fabricio Oberto had a long hairdo, I woulda thought he stole Mike Miller's hair and made himself wig. Mike was all over the court though, sneaking in and grabbing the types of offensive boards that had fans tearing their hair out at the roots. That being any type of offensive rebounds that the Raps seems to give up more often than not.

Funny moment: Towards the end they showed a shot of Jarrett Jack trying to explain some plays to Hedo. Hedo looked like he was art student freshman sitting in on a fourth year physics course. However, Hedo scored immediately afterward. I guess looks can be deceiving.


-Does anyone know why Mike Miller wears a one-sleeved shirt under his jersey a la tarzan or andre the giant?


-Gotta love how the ref reversed his called when the Wizards complained. Made me wonder what he was gonna do next, get the team some coffees? Shine their shoes? I guess he had to be scared. I mean they are packing heat. 

-Non-Obvious guys I wouldn't mind the Raptors having:
Earl Boykins who seemed to be giving Jose issues on both ends. He's quick, deceptive, and has is usually locked in on his jumpers.

that is all

Boshless in New Jersey... Rash Nest of fury

So the Raptors roll into the big swamp without the services of their ace, Christopher "the Animal" Bosh. So someone needed to step up on both ends of the court. It's like a car missing it's steering wheel, or missing 2 pistons in the engine. Luckily they had an ace up their sleeve in Rashman and the whole team turned it up a notch to compensate. Especially considering that they were facing former Raptor, The Humpty Hump. Nah, I am just kidding but in all seriousness I miss having the services of Kris Humphries. I always thought he could have provided a lot more if given more steady minutes. He has a good jumper, decent footwork, and hustles more than most Raps did last season. The only knock on him was he took a few jumpers you wouldn't want to see but how do you expect a young player to develop his game without taking some shots. I wouldn't be opposed to the Raptors re-acquiring him.

Hedo Turkoglu bounced back well and it really was a good opportunity for him as he would be getting more shots with Chris out of the lineup. After his horrible 1 pt performace, Hedo came back with 14 pts, 6 boards and 6 assists. It's the type of performance that you want from him on a more consistent basis and here's hoping he strings together a few more games like this so he can get back into the flow. One thing I did notice tonight is that he had a more serious demeanor out on the floor, not smiling at everything and he seemed more focused on the court than I have seen. Even more so than that season best performance he had against the Knicks. It was against the Nets but it's a good building block for him.

• Rasho showed what he's made out of. He's a classic styled centre that you don't see much anymore. He relies on his clean, smooth jumper and has a variety of moves in the post. He possesses a good hook, and good instincts which I suspect comes from his years of veteran experience. As bad as he's looked sometimes this season, he's shown us what he can provide given solid minutes. He's making Colangelo look like a genius. Or... more of a genius than he already did.

• Bargs only had 13 points. I expected a lot more points out of this guy tonight but Bargnani played within the confines of the team's gameplan and the flow of the game. The rest of the team was scoring and didn't need him to score 20 in order to win. He had a good shooting percentage and played well on the defensive end. That being said, he seems to have cooled off and needs to step it up. There's something missing in his game. Perhaps it's aggressiveness, more likely assertiveness. He needs to impose his will on the offensive end like we've become used to seeing. It's almost like he's mentally tired.  He needs to pick up his britches and find some way to spark his game. Another factor that I might not be considering... at least for this game, is the dynamic that he and Bosh have together when they're both on the floor. The operating space that they create for each other was obviously not there.

• Turkoglu, like I said looked really focused. He didn't toss up too many ill-advised shots, ran off screens well, tried his post up game and took what the game gave him. People may say I have been too harsh on him and too harsh last game since he had some family issues. I did not know about his issues till after I blogged but I still think it was fair since he has been off his game the entire season. He needs to concentrate on himself, instead of pouting about him not getting "Ball". This game was a good example of what he can do. Let's see some more of this and hope it's not another case of a blind squirrel finding his acorn. He is a highly skilled forward but in my opinion he hasn't shown the mental toughness or the assertiveness he's capable of. I for one pray he brings it together down the stretch of this season. Will he be Dr. Turko, or Mr. Hide?

• Double J and Mr. Jose. Jarrett more than made up for his off game against the Griz. He ran the offense well and didn't embarrass himself at all. He pushed the ball well and found his teammates. On the defensive end he looked like he was more awake than previous.  Jose came off the bench and sparked a 7-0 run. He really is the sparkplug off the bench and is exactly what we need from a 6th man. His shot was on which is very good to see for Raptors fans cause we know the type of damage he can do when he's nailing those shots off screen and rolls and off curls.

• Demar stepped it up a bit and played the type of aggressive game that he needs to play. He attacked the basket and got a good variety of dunks and more importantly, put-backs. He seems to have the skills and just needs to develop naturally as wings of his types do. Hopefully he develops into a top tier player. He seems to be getting more comfortable as the season goes along and that can only mean good things for this up and coming team.

• Swamp monsters. To be fair to the Nets, this team was as much won by the Raptors as it was lost by them as they were playing their usual NJ Nets style basketball. They don't have the talent to compete but at the same time, also don't have the confidence and all the other little things that make a good cohesive unit. They've lost too many games and even if they did have the talent, they certainly don't have the will anymore. The cupboards aren't totally bare in NJ though as they have some quality players. Obviously Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Yi Lian Jian are the bright pieces they have but Yi hasn't played to his ability and to his potential. 

• If the last Raptor loss could be blamed on the absence of Turk's game, then this NJ loss can be at least partially blamed on Yi's brick show. In fairness to him he still played well defensively at least from a numbers standpoint. Perhaps he needs a change of scenario much like most of these Nets. I suggest he enlists to services of a good big-man coach much like the way Patrick Ewing is for Dwight Howard. In fact, I would suggest that for Bargnani too. So far he's been an embarrassment to his Chinese people but he's got the tools to turn it around and I hoping to see more from this guy.

I just got HDTV thanks to my cousin Julie and I absolutely love watching the Raptors on HD. It makes a world of a difference. Of course when my favourite team wins, it certainly doesn't hurt. Tonight, they face a Wizards team that I don't know. I don't even know who they have on the team anymore, seriously. I am going to have to look up their roster cause they have pillaged this team worse than the Nets did. No Jamison, no Butler, and thanks to his gunshow, no Agent Zero... now just Plain Zero, (thank you Arnie!). What I worry about is that it is a second end of a ROAD back-to-back. This is a game Andrea should be able to dominate but we shall see.

The Good, the Bad, and the Turkoglu

The Good: Bosh and Jose

The Bad: Bargs

The Turkoglu: Hidayet "the idiot" Turkoglu

The Raptors welcomed the Memphis Uglies tonight who are coming in on the 2nd half of a back to back as they just lost the night before while the Raps have had some more time to rest and practice. This should have been an advantage but typical Raptor fashion, they come out flat. The Raps were a team that looked like they were half asleep in the first quarter. They were hesitant, made bad choices on the offensive end, and almost seemed like they were forcing shots up. The Raps were a lot better in the second quarter and made a game of it but alas, with 37 seconds to go they somehow blow a 5 point lead and get reamed in overtime. Oh, and Turkoglu reeked. If there is some definition of a player who tanks, and plays like shit after signing a big contract, I hope there is a picture of Turkoglu beside it cause whoever reads that definition wouldn't need to read the text. They'd just look at his face and instantly understand the concept.

Turk's Line: 1 pt, 3 turnovers, 2 asst, 3 fouls, 27 mins.

Insults I'd like to sling at Turk:

How's it feel like to be a walking joke?

Maybe you should skip the mask and go straight for a bag over your head.

You're human garbage, actually I'm not entirely sure you're human.

I would like a refund, here is the receipt for a $53 million dollar player. Reason for return: goods not received.

Turkoglu was back to his low standards, turning the ball over, and throwing up bricks with reckless abandon. I know he has had a few good games here and there but like my buddy Steve says, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn eventually. I guess tonight, his acorn was the 1 point he managed to get. How the heck are you a $53 million player who manages to score 1 point in 27 mins of play? I think recruiting one fat dude out of the crowd per game could get you that amount of production and it'd be service that's free of charge. In the fourth quarter, I was praying that they kept Turkoglu out of the game. He snaked in there after Antoine took a Rudy Gay elbow to the face. So I was actually yelling at my TV for Triano to take him out. For the benefit of everyone involved, please trade his ass. He's like a black hole on the court. I blame the loss on his wasted time on the court, his wasted possessions, and the oxygen he wastes that keeps him alive.

It wasn't all bad:
Jose Calderon acted like the spark plug off the bench that the team needs him to be. He and Amir were their usual selves scoring and pushing the ball up the floor. It's like Jose provides a sort of offensive creativity and unpredictability that the other team can't handle. His quick crisp passes swing the ball to the weak side so quickly, it's hard to adjust to and that's what we need more out of Jack. Jack seemed a bit hesitant. The bench seem full of energy and really contrasted the slow stagnant offense of the starters. Teams still seem to be underestimating Sonny as they keep sleeping on him. He does a good job coming off screens and possesses a good smooth jump shot.

The MVP:
Christopher was a beast as usual. Scoring the majority of the team's points. And without the secondary scoring that is usually provided by Bargs, Chris was doing it with more double teams in his face than usually cause they know they can back off the other B. He's proving to me that he's the greatest Raptor of all time. I wasn't sure before... but he's taken his game to another level, to another stratosphere...

The Animal:
Reggie played his second game and he played well. What I worry about is that he becomes some kind of sideshow that is used almost completely out of sequence and off of the flow of the team's game. I don't think they should run too much offensive through him but so far he has done nothing but good when he gets his hands on the ball. However, I suspect he'll look more in tune with the team when he gets some more games under his belt. Maybe I am wrong but I see Reggie more like a Rodman type player who clearly excels at defense and rebounding but not an option on the offense whatsoever.

The Italian Big-Man:
Let's not kid ourselves, Bargs was off tonight. He had 10 boards but he was shaky on defense. He left his man open several times, just long enough for the Raptor's defense to get exposed. He was like the first domino that leads to the Griz knocking down the Raptor's defense. Another indication is his shooting %. It's not good and he kept jacking up those threes. He had a few decent stretches, had a few blocks but he didn't have a complete game by anyone's standard. He has a game like this every once in a while this season and I am hoping he bounces back like he usually has. I chalk it up to him being rusty from the break. He needs to practice that 3 pointer more... not much arc on it and it's lookin really flat.

The Naismith Cup recipients:
The Griz came in with a game plan and have to be given credit. They leaned on their all star,Randolph who had his way with the Raptor's D. Not to mention the hustle and hardnosed play of Pau...*cough cough* I mean Marc Gasol. I wonder what it was like in the Gasol household growing up. I imagine a lot of broken furniture and windows. I just picture these two huge 7 foot guys trying to squeeze into a tiny house in Spain. Almost like carrying around a ladder and swinging it around with no regard for your surroundings. Another Griz that torched them was Rudy. He was making his way into the lane and into the paint more often than any opposing coach would like to see but then again it is Rudy Gay and he has to be considered a star player.

Oh well, onto the next game I guess. Didn't expect this game to be easy but I also didn't expect the Raptors to lay a big stinky rotten egg for this one. I am tired of saying it, but the Turkoglu idea was bad. Said it when they did it, and been saying it since. I am guessing I will say it till his 5 year contract is up. Where's Rob Babcock when you need him?

The Bosh Identity

So I have adjust the look of the Samsquanch to give it more or a Raptor/Canadian look. I am not sure I am going to stick with it permanently since I found the blue a bit easier on the eyes for readers. If you guys have a preference either way, let me know. I will be covering the All Star festivities as well as the Olympics since they're being held in my home country which I love and hold so dear. GO CANADA. Screw the other countries and bring the Gold home!

On the Raptors side of things, there's been this talk down south about Bosh leaving and that Bryan should trade him. I didn't want to touch on this since everyone knows what the deal is with what Chris has been saying and what the Raptor's stance is on the topic. However, I will say that what Bryan is doing right now is the correct move. You don't find a Chris Bosh type players under rocks, nor are you likely to find them during the draft, or through trades. Chris Bosh is an elite type of player. If you're a hockey fan it's an easy analogy, he's like a Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or an Alex Ovechkin to the sport of Basketball. Like those hockey players, he scores a ton night in and night out. Also like those elite hockey players, Chris is at the top of his position. He's one of the best, if not THE best power forward in the league. I would like to give a message out to other teams and their fans, Go get your Lebron, go get your Wade and leave Bosh alone. You're NOT welcome.

The Teams options are:

• You trade him now and pray to god one of the players you get back is half the player Bosh is, or one of the picks you might get in the trade eventually, in a few years from now can remotely be as good as Chris. A horrible scenario that is full of risk. It's like gambling with the team's future with a few lousy chips. Plus you're season is gonna be in the poop-chute cause you just lost your best scorer, rebounder and leader.

•  You sit and wait till summer when he whispers in Bryan's ears what he wants for himself. 

         
A. Chris wants to leave. You do a sign and trade for him to maximize Chris's salary and bring back something in return in the form of players and/or draft picks. You still got Chris till the end of this season and see how far you can take the team in the playoffs. You can basically hold other teams ransom unless Chris narrows his list of teams down to like 3. Worst case scenario, you get some picks and players that you can use to build around Andrea.

B. Chris stays and you give him as much money as possible so he's financially satisfied and his conscience doesn't keep him up at night thinking... could I have gotten more? This scenario is the one the Raptors would obviously like. This is the scenario where the prize makes the risk acceptable. The Raptors get to keep an elite level player and he continues to play on the team and the system built around him.

Chris's Options:

• Leave town and join another NBA team. Now in this scenario Chris would most likely want to go to an established team that is on the brink of a championship. Chris mentioned in Dallas yesterday that being the main face of a franchise is important to him and that he deserves to be built around with other players brought in to suit his game and to build on to a winning platform. But when you're leaving a team that is already doing that, it would make no sense to go to one that is worse off, and isn't already full of star players. So more or less, he'd be stupid not to go to a team with Lebron, Wade, or Kobe or some other top tier team. The goal here is a championship but Chris will no longer be the star, can not demand the ball any time he wants, his numbers and minutes would most likely shrink, the offense would not be built around him. Simply, he will not be the bright little center that the world shine around. This can NOT be underestimated. Also, a championship can not be guaranteed.

• Remain a Raptor. He would still get his gazillion dollars. Get max cash here that the cap will allow him to sleep on a mattress of $100 bills, and sleep without his conscience questioning whether or not he got the most out of his deal. Money wasn't the issue since he's gonna get his money no matter what. He's already a perennial all-star. This team is his, this franchise is his and it has been built around him. This is with no doubt in anyone's mind, HIS team.  

He's got a frontcourt partner that provides space for him to operate, two point guards that he's very good friends with and that can get him the ball where he wants it. He's got two up and coming young guns in DeRozan and Weems. Amir, a competent backup for him that will allow him to rest when he needs to so he doesn't blow out his knees playing 40 minutes a night. A decent second unit that he can count and and not worry cause the team is too pathetic to hold a lead without him. More importantly, he's got a coach he respects and who allows him the freedom to openly provide feedback and allow him to operate any way he wants. Wanna ISO down on the right block, go ahead. Wanna run screen and roll with Jarrett Jack and slip in to the paint for a post up? Go for it! Wanna shoot a three pointer? You're Chris Bosh, who's going to say no to you on Toronto? Wanna spot up on the corners and just hit jumpers? Be my guest.

He has roots in the community, a large market which includes most of Canada. Toronto is not a small market despite what our neighbours in the South might tell you. All I keep hearing is that Bosh wants to go to a bigger market. Why? So he can turn into some nobody schmo? Endorsements hinge more upon playoff success and individual success, not as much on the city that the team is in. If the Raptors make a deep playoff run and Chris ends up getting some individual recognition for it then more endorsements will likely come.

A lot of Americans have this view of Canada and Toronto as a second tier place and that it is too cold. Most of those statements come from people who have never been to Canada or Toronto. They think we live in igloos and eat whale blubber. Although there's nothing wrong with that, the majority of our climate and lifestyle in general is as close to the USA as you can get. Now that's not necessarily what Canadians would tell you but it's not the culture shock they'd want you to believe. NY city is just as cold as Toronto, it snows there too, it snows in Colorado, New Jersey, etc. but yet nobody mentions that. It's cold and snowy in many NBA cities. Basing a choice like this on climate would be childish and moronic. NBA players play in whatever city they want to play in, then go lay on the beach of whatever beach they want to lay on in the off season anyways.The fact is, Toronto is a first class international hub that is full of opportunities for a man with an entire sports franchise, an entire city, and most of a whole nation at the palm of his hand. If he were to join the Knicks for example, he'd just be another bean in a pork and beans can of sport athletes from the Yankees, Jets, Giants, Rangers etc etc. Chris Bosh is the biggest name in Sports in the GTA, in this province. Name me a bigger star.

Let's look at other players that thought they'd have greener pastures down south:

 

• Damon Stoudamire. Became an afterthought the minute he put on a Blazers jersey. To be fair to him he left cause Isiah left and Isiah is an idiot and not exactly someone you want to take career advice from. However, a person is responsible for his own actions and in the end he became that bean in that can full of beans in Portland. He wasn't the star anymore and his potential and stardom came to an end. You know that movie Kingpin, where they explain what a person is who has the entire world in the palm of his hands and he just blows it. The term used was the name of Woody Harrelson's character, Roy Munson. And Damon definitely turned out to be a Munson. 

• Vincezo. Left and went to NJ. New Jersey ok? It's the laughing stock of it's own country. He had a few decent years but again with Kidd, and Jefferson there he was another bean in the Pork and Beans can. He was an absolute Superstar here in Toronto. He was like royalty with Shania, (if i correctly recollect) that sang his name into our national anthem. He was once mentioned in a trade that would have brought Kobe to Toronto, he was that well thought of. Instead, he turned into a selfish whiny little brat that even the Nets fans couldn't stand. He never got past the second round in New Jersey and is now the bane of the Magic Fan's existence. He has showed some life but if he woulda stayed here he woulda stayed "The Man". Now he's just a shadow of the man he once was.

• Tracy McGrady. Went to Orlando, had a few decent years scoring. Never did a damn thing in the playoffs. Known as a ball hog and selfish A-hole. I don't know if that's true since I obviously don't personally know him but when your current team doesn't want anything to do with you it kind of fuels that perception. The only time his name has been mentioned lately is when a trade scenario has him going to a team that wants salary cap space at the end of this season. In other words, Tracy you're this year's Keith Van Horn. A space filler, a door stop, the Styrofoam that gets tossed in the trash when you've collected what you wanted from the contents of a Xmas present. Imagine what you could have done in Toronto if you stayed with your moronic second cousin Vincenzo. I wouldn't be surprised if they're actually blood related with the stupidity they've displayed.

So yeah, Bryan... stay the course big guy. You're doing the right thing and I as a Raptor fan support your decision as I am sure many other Raptor fans do as well. You just don't find players like Bosh very often, and when you do, you do whatever it takes to keep them around. Even selling your first born child. So will the Bosh Identity turn into the Bosh Supremacy or Agent Cody Banks? Tune in this summer to find out.

Triano unleashes their "Other Animal"

As everyone knows, tonight marked the highly anticipated debut of  our other animal Reginald Evans. Reggie entered the game to a chorus of "reggie" chants from a delighted ACC. And much like a dog, a wolf, or a bear that's been caged in too long Reggie went at the Sixers like a beast that hasn't been fed in weeks. Body parts and guts were flying everywhere and Reggie emerged with a smile on his face, satisfied with the meal he worked so hard to earn. He reminded me a lot of JYD as he was a lot like a junkyard dog on a porkchop. He boxed out under the basket, grabbed a few boards, a steal, and assist, took a charge and scored a basket. All this in a matter of 5 minutes. Maybe we'll call that one the value meal combo at McReggies.

Despite the excitement of having Reggie back, this game was a mish-mash game for the Raptors with lots of highs and lows. First you got a solid first quarter by the starting unit. Then the second unit comes in and explodes with Jose fueling the fire. Couple that with the highs of Reggie coming in. They push a lead up to the 20's in the third only to completely blow that lead in the fourth. Still, the Raps hung in there and took care of business once again at home improving to 20-6 on their home turf. They held AI and Brand to 8 and 11 points respectively. That is a pretty big shutdown in my books. Good job despite falling asleep on other Sixer players. Still, you have to give the Sixers credit for fighting till the end and coming back from such a big deficit especially since they just played the night before. Kudos to them and I don't think they have anything to be ashamed of.

Things you may have noticed:

• Amir Johnson Johnson played a big game and despite Reggie coming back, he should not be forgotten or under appreciated. He went after any loose ball remotely near him and played hard nosed defense. He added 10 points which is a bonus. Here's hoping he develops his offense a bit more and that his upside hasn't been reached. He's a young guy with a lot of potential. 

• Jose played inspired basketball tonight making an impact as soon as he entered the game. Dishing out a lot of creative assists and scoring when the defense allowed him some space. He tossed up more pretty looking lob passes than I have ever seen him in one game. He also added 10 bucks off the bench and 6 dimes.

• How on earth did the Raps fall asleep on Lou Williams? He only tore the Raptors a new one earlier this season and he did the same thing tonight. He went off for 26 points and is "that guy" on the other team that the Raptors let loose. If they're planning on making a playoff run they should try to avoid this or it's gonna kill them one of these days.

• Bargnani played decent defense throughout the game and shut down Elton "No Name" Brand all by himself on several occasions. He shot the ball well but was cold again from the arc. He did hit the dagger 3 pointer when it counted though his team seemed to forget about him on the offensive end with all the excitement create by Reggie and the dunkfest that was going on by the twins.

• Bosh? He was Bosh, solid as usual and I can't really remember the last time he's had a bad game. Mr. Dependable is who he is and that's exactly what makes him special.

• Belinelli had an off game going back to his crazy circus shots and out of control drives. He needs to work within the confines of the offensive system, and the flow of the game. At least shoot off a screen or run a pick and roll man! I think he'll bounce back strong. Hopefully some time off will do him some good.

• Did anyone miss Turk tonight?

So I was watching this game and it dawned upon me who the twins reminded me of. Sonny Weems and Demar Derozan remind me of the Autobot twin brothers Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They were both fast race cars and were really good friends as well. They would drive really fast and fly into the air to attack the Decepticons. Much like the way Sonny and Demar attack the rim, slashing through the lanes and finish strong. Demar would be Sideswipe since he is the more openly accept of the two, more popular, and shows up in episodes more often. That would leave Sonny as Sunstreaker. He's just as fast as Sideswipe and despite them both being Lamborghini Countaches and both being high flying 6'6'' wings who can shoot midrange and have killer hops, Sonny is a bit under appreciated. That seems to be a trend that is going away though as Sonny has been amazing when given a chance to start. Maybe we should break Turk's foot and have him wait 50 games.

Studs: Amir, Jose, Sonny, Demar, Bosh

Duds: Belinelli

Now the Raptors get the All Star break off to relax and reflect on how they've won and ponder on spoiling us fans some more by continuing to win. One question I asked myself today as I was driving home from work listening to Bob McCowan: When's the last time I watched an allstar game and actually enjoyed it? I couldn't think of one. Back when we were all kids, watching the NHL allstar games used to be awesome. Now all of them seem to suck. I'll still watch though to see how our Big Bosh Man does. Hopefully Demar wins something too but I think Sonny shoulda been included in this dunk contest. Just a damn shame.

Raptors This and That

With the trade deadline rolling around there has been a lot of rumours and guessing going on from fans online and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire but since there is this lull between games I thought I'd put my two cents in so to speak. 

Bryan Colangelo is a very smart man and clever dealmaker as we all know. He's also demonstrated the patience of a 5 year old kid that's just eaten a pack of skittles. He makes trades a lot and is definitely not shy about pulling the trigger. He makes a move any chance he gets so I am almost certain he's gonna make a move. He even confirmed it by telling the Fan 590 that he's gonna be a buyer. So we're all in agreement that something will happen and we also all know it won't involve CB4. Another factor in this is that the Raptors don't have a pick in the next draft so any move he makes might include a pick. He's too much of a gunslinger to let himself sit idle. Also, there's been a lot of talk about how he hasn't done a good job with the acquisitions he's made but would you rather have Rob Babcock back? At least the man makes an effort to improve the team every chance he gets which is all I can ask for as a fan. His contract as Gm is coming up and personally I am worried. I shouldn't be because I think he's going to stay but I wouldn't like to see this team without him. Without him I suspect we'd still be the basement dwelling garbage pile that we were before he came in.

What we also know is that this team is very crowded at the 2 spot and weak at the 2 and 3. As good as Demar and Sonny are they are still relatively inexperienced and in terms of playoffs, probably not the strongest options seeing as how they'll have to contend with the likes of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Lebron James, etc. In saying so, I don't think you move either of them if you can help it. They are the team's future and you just don't mess with that.

Options to trade:

Jose Calderon:

• For: Jack is doing very well and eventhough he isn't causing a stink, you can sense Jose would prefer to be starting. He's a strong player at PG and would still get some interest from teams. The Raptors are weak at the 2 and 3 spots so creating a more balanced attack would be a positive. Making a deal where you trade Jose for a solid swingman would be the goal. It is also necessary since Turk reeks and isn't nearly what we envisioned him to be. So unless Turk becomes that 18 ppg scorer he was in the playoffs, this might be necessary.

• Against: Like I said he's a strong player and benefits the team while he is on the floor. When Jack comes out of the game there is no dip in skill at the PG position which is critical. It creates production from our second unit as Jose has a tendency of making plays for the likes of Weems, Amir, and Belli. The second unit would take a dip in production if he leaves which can't be underestimated as this is a strong point for this team at the moment.

Turkoglu:

• For: Assuming any team would want him with the way he's played and acted this season and with the amount of money he gets, getting rid of him would be a positive for this team. He has been playing a bit better lately so the team has to be convinced that he's not going to improve the rest of the season. More than half the season is over and he's scored 20 pts or more in just a handful of games. He certainly isn't having a big positive impact for this team and bringing in a more traditional slashing player at the 3 spot would be beneficial. He's also acted like a child. Complaining about not getting the ball enough and voicing it with his stupid "ball" interview. And refused to wear a mask to protect a broken bone. These sound like the actions of a child to me and can't possibly be good for the locker room.

• Against: He could possibly get better. He dropped a bunch of points on the lowly Knicks and played decent enough against the Kings in the last outing. If he can find a way to blend his tools in with the rest of his teammates the way he was supposed to when he was brought in, he could make the difference. I don't see this happening but maybe I am just a pessimist. Problem is, his defense is suspect at best and he usually just ends up waving at defenders as they go by, or even worse fouling them with a cheap unnecessary foul which ends up costing the Raps. His lateral movement is obviously weak. I mean if it's obvious to any casual observer than it's obvious to his on-court enemies. 

Amir, Antoine, Belinelli:

• For: If you can get something significantly better from a desperate team then by all means go for it but It's gotta have to be something damn good. Memphis gave Pau Gasol away for practically nothing so there are teams out there stupid enough to do it. Not to mention NJ... they're real dumb and there's that idiot out there named Babcock. He's not a GM but I hope he can influence his GM to make a stupid move.

• Against: The second unit is playing well, all three of these players have played well at some point through the last few games. There is chemistry there that you don't want to mess with. Amir has been a catalyst for hustle which this team sorely lacked. Antoine has been defending well and hitting very very high pressure, game changing shots for us. Belinelli has struggled a bit but has played well in stretches and provides bench scoring and slashing that this team also needs. I suspect any trade made wouldn't be anything more than a minor improvement and therefore wouldn't be worth the risk. Personally I am totally against this unless it is completely in our favour which is not impossible but not likely. 

I don't see any other scenarios that could happen. Bryan could shock us all and blow us all out of the water but with the success this team has been having I seriously doubt that. What I would like to see happen and I am sure I am not alone in this thinking is that they get rid of Turk for something good.

People seem to want to get Iggy but I think the price tag for him is going to be quite high. However, given his skill I think it would be worth it. I am not sure what his contract situation is but if he's got two or more years left then I would do the deal in a second.  You have to give up something to get something back as everyone knows and I would be willing to depart with practically anyone for Iggy. Demar, Sonny if need be but preferably Turk, Jose or both. I haven't done any ESPN trade machine tinkering but I am sure some garbage parts and picks could be used as mortar for it.  

Iggy would fit in very well and doesn't need to handle the ball the way Turk does to be successful. He is a much better defender, younger, and rebounds the ball better as well. He is the type of player that can flat out score and would give us the scoring we need game in and game out that we need. It would be a winning situation with no doubt. The problem would be convincing the 76er's to part with him. Seeing as the Sixers suck and are probably in favour of a reboot, maybe it wouldn't be so difficult.

I guess I am stating the obvious with this post cause everyone knows something is going to happen. Still, it's fun to try to guess what's going to happen. So sit back, put your feet up and enjoy. Not every city has such good GM's in it that have the guts to pull off the big trades to improve their teams. 

The Samsquanch was at the ACC and witnessed The Beast from the East

So I sat in section 318 as I usually do and come to realization that over the years I have become a loud, rowdy Raptor fan much like the other die hard fans that sit up there. It's really quite energizing to sit with other fans as jacked up about the game as you. What I witnessed was not the blowout that I was hoping to see but still a fairly entertaining game that saw the Raptors give up a 6 point lead in the third quarter but managed to pull ahead at the tail end of the contest. Personally, I prefer to see the a good blowout as long as it's in the right direction.

Everything that you usually see at a game was predictably there. From the arena announcer who looks like Vickie Guerrero to the annoying planted fake fans that go from section to section and conduct their brand of phony baloney crowd noise. What was new was Turk sporting his mask which he reluctantly sported. I have to agree with him that the thing doesn't look good and he's not gonna get any sexy time as a result of it, but I mean the team is not paying him for his runway model looks. Deal with it! If he wants it to look good he could paint it black and add some whiskers to it. That'll distract the hell out the other team! Another difference was a small group of Israeli fans who were out there supporting Omri Casspi. Lots of Israel flags, shirts, and jerseys. Good for them, I am sure to them they love him as much as Turkish fans love Turkey Glue, and our Italian fans love Bargs and Belli who was out of action today. Belli looked sleek in a nice black suit jacket with pimpin' white shirt to go along with it. I think he gets the bench wardrobe award this season. Bargs looked more like a waiter, Turk looked like some 70's prof, and we all know Reggie looks like an ogre wearing his ogre father's over sized clothes. Marco was pimpin like Rocky Balboa in Rocky 4 when he was rich, not Rocky 5 when he became a penniless chump.

To the game now which I have to admit was entertaining but I am sure fans woulda blown a gasket if they had let it slip away cause we as Toronto fans are quite demanding as fans should be. I guess that is a good characteristic to have though, winning games regardless of how you manage to do it. The game in a nutshell for Sacramento was this high screen and roll they kept running from the top of the key. They ran that play so many times I lost count and I didn't understand why the Raps couldn't figure it out. Just have the man coming off the screen close out on the shooter faster and get right in his face. I guess it's easier for me to sit in the stands with 20/20 hindsight. Add in some nice perimeter shooting from Greene and Kevin Martin and that was pretty much their game. The Raps used their usual game plan dumping the ball down to Bosh every chance they got and swung the ball off high pick and rolls to look for an open man.

Things of note:

• Turk played a decent game in his first one back hitting several spot up jumpers and hit some teammates up with several nice passes. Then he added his usual charge that he does driving right with his head down, and his usual lazy bone-headed passes. Still, we have to give him credit since he was in his major shooting slump and seems to have better command of his shot for the most part. Maybe that mask helped his shooting. I think what would really help would be some prescription glasses but alas, he did a good job overall.

• Bosh was an absolute beast and like most games, he was the focal point of the offense and the main reason the Raptors won.  They kept feeding him the ball and he just kept forcing his way down low for an assortment of lay-ins, hooks, put-backs, and 2 handed rim rockers. I don't remember him shooting too many jumpers which is surprising as i didn't predict the Sac-town boys were up to the challenge of guarding him facing up but the Sac-town boys were right up in his face and Bosh more than happily obliged with his collection of And-1's. He ended up with a very impressive line, 36pts 11 rebs, 5asst. The fans were chanting MVP in the fourth as he took the game over and maybe some people think it's silly, but Bosh truly is the Raptors' MVP and I think he deserves some votes.

• Antoine Wright showed up in the fourth. The only thing he had going for him were a collection of early fouls and I remember thinking in my head, wow he's really having a crappy game. The guy sitting behind me voiced that opinion as well as he picked up his 4th. Then, right when he does he starts dropping shots. Mind you, he did receive some very nice passes for his jumpers but he also had a nice drive late that, along with Bosh helped buoy the team in the 4th.

• Donte who? Donte Greene, that's who! Greene scored 3 straight 3 pointers coming out of a timeout and stunned the Raptors who were up by 6 points at the time. Then he got fouled by Amir on a 3 point shot and hit 2 out of 3. It was the key moment in my mind and if it had not been for Greene, this might have become a blow out. I only heard of this guy in passing and I assume he doesn't usually go off like this from the arc. He made Amir look bad, but like most big-men he can't be counted on for perimeter defense so I wouldn't lay too much blame on him.

• Battle of the 7 footers: Andrea the Giant had a fairly efficient game ending up with 22 and 8. Missed more 3 pointers than you'd like to see but I can live with that if he's scoring in other ways and grabbing boards. Defensively he wasn't anything to write home about as Spencer Hawes seemed to have his way a bit with him. Spencer has a decent mid range jumper and Bargs seems to have trouble against this. I guess it's a bit of karma considering that is his m.o. as well. Bargs didn't seem to get his post up game in as much as he'd like but managed to keep his mid range game alive and had a nice duck in for a lay in. On the other end he had issues with Hawe's back to the basket game as Hawes has this very nice drop step where he head-fakes and ducks in for the lay-in. A move we saw Bosh do several times in the first half which resulted in dunks. Bargs has this move as well but he doesn't do it as frequently. Hawes also abused the Raps on the offensive boards and was one of the reasons the Kings stuck in there despite shooting a low percentage.

• A lot of momentum was taken out of the game as soon as Bosh left in the first but to compound things, when Bosh came back he saw Jose take several sequential 3-pointers in a row and clanked them, adding in a bricked 2 point jumper and you got the makings of a drought. Calderon didn't play particularly well but I guess I wouldn't say that if some of his shots went in.

• Subdued at the wing: Neither Weems nor DeRozan make a big impact points wise. Was this due to DeRozan returning? Sure it was. Neither were given too many minutes and seemed to float out there for the most part. They both had some nice dunks and Demar had a noticeably nice alley-oop jam courtesy of Jack who through a beautiful pass in full speed transition up the court. 

Play of the game:

The Bargnani touch pass inside to Bosh who turned and threw down the big two handed safety jam. The pass was very sweet and had the other team completely faked out. We've seen this quick swing pass from Bargs before and when it works it's pretty but when it doesn't, it ends up looking like a good idea gone horribly wrong.

Bone-headed play of the game:

Turkoglu right side, drives in towards his defender and proceeds to brick it off the corner of the backboard, he then recovers to toss up a brick from 3-point land as the 24 sec shot clock winds down. It looked as ugly as it sounds. I'll take the benefit of the doubt for him and blame it on his mask and not his decision making.

Funniest moment:

Demar losing his shoe on the offensive end and running back with the shoe in his hand to get back on defense. He smoothly put the shoe back on as the ball was on the other side. Oh and some douche bag from the crowd air-balled a shot during a contest to win some cash. He got a chorus of boos for his troubles. I guess it's not as bad as missing 5 straight field goal attempts at a CFL game.

The Raptors have now won 2 in a row and sit 5 games over .500. They are an impressive 19-6 at home and 7-3 in their last 10. If they could take something away from this it would be that their defensive intensity seems to have diminished noticeably in the last 3 games and they should ratchet it up a notch again. They need to play to the level they were playing against the Lakers as they seem to be playing down to the level of competition as evident here today. Outside of Kevin Martin, this Sac team was pretty thin on talent. This should have been a blow out by the Raps but instead it was another ugly game like the one against the Nets. Just like that game this is another, "a win is a win is a win" type of result.  Next up, the Raps face Philly at home. Another team they should blow out of the water but I am sure the two A.I.'s would have something to say about that. It's not till Wednesday so I will post either a scouting report or a pregame chatter sheet beforehand.

Studs: "The Animal" Christopher Wesson Bosh, Antoine Wright

Duds:  Amir eventhough he had a few decent plays he was never really able to get anything going.

I think that Bosh has been hanging out with Batista lately cause he is playing ball the way Batista wrestles. He just tosses his opponent around like a rag doll and beats the living heck out of them. I would be worried though if he starts giving them sit-out power bombs.

P.S. Props to the R.R. crew for doing an amazing job and showing this little blog some love.

The heads of Raptor's fans collectively exploded in unison during the first half

The heads of Raptor's fans collectively exploded in unison during the first half of this game as they went down by double digits to the worst team in the league, sports in general, and possibly in history. Luckily our Raptors took their heads from between their knees and put them back into the game. Buoyed by a strong game from Jarrett Jack who was under the weather, the Raptors managed to pull back into the lead and hang on down the stretch.

Jack provided the team with 40 minutes of on-floor leadership scoring 17 and dishing out 9 assists while playing the type of defense that was lacking in the game before which shall no longer be mentioned by name. Several other Raptors turned around their games tonight including the high energy, hustle and disruptive defense provided by one Amir Johnson. Amir was all over the floor disrupting the play on one end and running the lanes on the other end.

Sonny also turned it around this game, filling the lanes and grabbing the boards. He ended with an impressive double double, 14 points and 11 rebounds. A career night with a career high in points. I think they coaches should consider starting him over Turk but I know it will never happen. Still, it's nice to know we will have this kid who looks to be a steal of the summer.

Antoine bounced back from his big doughnut night with a strong performance on both ends. Eric Smith mentioned that Antoine blamed the new CB4 shoes he tried last night which were low-cut. Sounded like an excuse to be until I saw him play tonight. Maybe it was the shoes after all as he does a 180 and he was hitting his jumpers from beyond the arc. He contributed 18 points and 7 boards starting in place of Turk and provided the defense he was lacking.

The Killer Bees struggled shooting the ball but still managed to get 20 a piece. Bargnani did a better job on the defensive end tonight and seemed a bit more engaged. He stood his ground against a tough opponent in Brook Lopez and blocked him on several occasions. He changed a lot of shots, switched well, kept his man in front of him on switches, and finished with 4 blocks. Bosh didn't fair too well on the defensive end despite having a good game on the glass. Yi scored the ball way too easily and beat Bosh to the ball on several occasions. This may have been what prompted Triano to mention boxing Yi out during one of his discussions on a time-out. Btw this expression on AB7's face was the look I had on my face as I watched the game in the first.

It was a very ugly game to watch. It should have been a beautiful blowout for the Raptors. I love watching blowout games when my team is not on the losing end. I think I like them a lot more than close games. Maybe I am crazy but whatever. In the end however, the result justifies the means and the result was a win. That's all that really matters. Or should I say, the non-loss  justifies it since a loss tonight would have greatly outweighed this win.

On another note, these past few games should have provided the Brain Trust ample chance to scout the players from these bad teams in order to sneak a few of their decent players out. We all know Bryan is a lego master and likes to wheel and deal so I wouldn't be surprised to see him swinging a deal with some of these recent jerk teams especially after seeing the other Brian from across the hall make 2 huge moves on the weekend. It's like poking the bear with a stick. Sooner or later the bears gonna start sniffing around and pounce on the first idiot team it sees.

Raptors win 6th straight and further solidify their position in the East... NOT!!

Yesterday Chris Bosh was announced as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. The Raptors were on a 5 game winning streak and the world was their oyster. I hope these aren't the high points of the season. Chris Bosh was asked if he thought the Raptors were at the same level as the top 4 teams in the East. Bosh wisely answered, no but we have the tools to get there if we work hard and work together. Tonight, the Raptors demonstrate what not to do and proved that Bosh was right on with his analysis unfortunately. Maybe this is a good loss as it brings the team back down to earth and shows them that they shouldn't get over confident and that they still have a long ways to go in terms of team improvement.

This game was really two games played at the same time for the Raptors. They obviously played decent enough to score 115 points but was an absent tenant on the other end of the floor. When you get the Killer B's combing for 69 points and adding another B in Belinelli for a total of 90 points and still lose... the question obviously is: Where did the other Raptors go? They made it to the game physically but mentally, they were still back in Toronto on Sunday when things were all roses. It was like they were a football team that left their offense out there to play defense. This defensive effort was reminiscent of the swiss cheese defense from the first 2 months of the season. They need to forget this game very quickly and refocus their efforts on the next task. NOT letting NJ, the laughing stock of the NBA beat you or risk tearing down all the respect and progress gained in January.

Why they lost:

• The defense obviously. The team looked like they were floating around out there on the other end and they were just going through the motions. No intensity, no focus, and no mental toughness. Hibbert was allowed to do whatever he wanted down low and that can not be. Indiana is not a 130 point team, at least not till now.

• Everyone else fell asleep. The most telling stat is that nobody outside of Bosh, Bargnani, and Belinelli scored more than 6 points. That is a pathetic stat. Weems who was on fire the last few games was held scoreless and looked disinterested. Antoine Wright who had 15 points last game went O-Fer!!!! 0-8 FG, 0-5 from the 3 point line. Only 4 free throws saved him.

• Clearly out-coached. These teams just played 2 days ago and in that amount of time the result was completely reversed. How is this possible? Indiana clearly dissected the game on Sunday and found various weaknesses that they took advantage of and Toronto clearly walked onto this floor over-confident and took Indiana for granted. I think the coaching staff might have took the day off and drank beers around the fireplace.

• The refs were drunk on power. I dunno if it was just me but I thought the refs' whistle would not stop and went off like every 2 seconds. Lots of bogus calls, especially those calls on Bosh and Bargs where they were not allowed their space and were called for the offensive foul. Clearly, these refs did not understand that rule at all and need to review this tape and correct this. Unfortunately, the refs had a huge effect to the outcome on this game and that simply shouldn't be the case.

• Demar is injured, Jose got injured, Hedo injured himself on Dunleavy's elbow. Jose wasn't playing well anyways but he rolled his ankle in a very disgusting looking way after stepping on Double J's foot. Down the stretch we had to rely on Banks cause Jack who was also awful was in foul trouble. This was a game Hedo could have easily had a beneficial impact on but he was too big a baby to play this one cause of his orbital bone. Suck it up man. You're not gonna die from playing with that type of injury.Missing 2 starters and your main backup PG is not a formula for winning.

A complete waste of a brilliant offensive performance by the 3 B's and a career high for Bargs who scored 34. He exploded in the 3rd for 19 in the quarter but scored throughout the game. Woulda liked a few more boards from him though but he was getting pushing all over the place by Hibbert and getting drawn to the perimeter on other occasions. I was worried that Bargs would do what he did last year and just go off in January and fade off in February.  He squashed that notion immediately scoring a ton in the first game of the month. Truth be told, he shoulda been yanked earlier in the fourth when it shoulda been garbage time but personally, i don't think anyone else deserved to be on the floor at all tonight cause they were atrocious. Belinelli deserves a lot of praise for exploding in the first half for 17 but was held to just a 3pointer in the 2nd half. Still, it's way more than is expected from him so kudos to him. His shot was on and he succeeded in a flurry of slashes into the lane and through the Indiana "defense". Bosh was a beast as usual and seemed visibly upset through the game. Was he upset at his teammates? Yup. At the refs? Yup. At himself? I don't think he should be because he has nothing to be ashamed of. Unfortunately tonight, he is one of the only Raps that could say that.

The most important thing now is to look forward. Yes it's disappointing and yes they should have won this game but like I said, forget this one quick and focus on the Nets or you're gonna end up being on the wrong end of another embarrassing L. The good news is that NJ is also on the back end of a back-to-back. Jump on them early and they will do what the Nets do best: go away.

Junk:

That has got to be the emptiest arena I have ever seen a professional sports team assemble. How is this team making it in the NBA and the Seattle Supersonics and Vancouver Uglies ousted?

Anyone else notice how much better Bargs plays with that beard of his? He rubs it before free-throws for better grip but I think he's really rubbing the beard for luck.

Pierce is apparently injured with a broken foot. Garnett has a bummed knee. What's the term for when someone takes joy in the suffering of another? Well I don't feel bad about it.

3 Bs... I should trademark it!

Lines of the night:

Sonny Weems, 0 points, 3 T.O., 3, PF, 24 mins

Antoine Wright, 4 points, 0-8 FG, 33mins


Studs: Bargs, Bosh, Belli

Duds: Rest of the team