RaptorTalk

Colangelo: Raptors Will Be Buyers Not Sellers At The Deadline

RaptorTalk — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:48:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Bryan Colangelo was on the FAN 590 yesterday with Jack Armstrong in a brief segment where he mentioned that the Raptors are a perfect 3-0 in the Sonny Weems 'as a starter' era!

While that's good news for the Weems' family, it wasn't the most important nugget of info to come from the lips of the Raptors GM. Colangelo also provided some valuable insight into his state-of-mind moving forward through the trade deadline period later this month.

Bryan acknowledged that while the Raptors are undoubtably playing well of late - he is fully aware that his Raptors are still a level below elite teams like Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and Atlanta.

Colangelo emphatically stated that Toronto is NOT trading Chris Bosh. He went on to say that he fully intends Toronto to re-sign Bosh this summer.

As far as any upcoming moves to improve the roster prior to the trade deadline, Colangelo made it crystal clear that if the Raptors do anything it will be as BUYERS and NOT sellers. Bryan indicated that if Toronto can make a significant acquisition to upgrade the roster and bring in the missing piece to the puzzle (assuming it makes sense), then he'll do it.

The Raptors GM went on to add that with luxury cap and CBA issues looming, there may be some unique opportunities out there. Reading the tea leaves, it seems that Bryan knows that MLSE's financial muscle can absorb a contract or two while some small market teams are looking to dump salary - even if it means the struggling team ships out a very, talented player.

Bryan then elaborated when he spoke to the Globe & Mail:

“We're talking to a few teams to see if there's anything we can do to improve our basketball club,” said Colangelo. “We've never sat back and been comfortable. We're always going to compete and improve our levels of competition.

“I'm talking about not only a tweak, but in a big deal, we're going to be a buyer, not a seller.”

Bryan is looking to upgrade the roster

Here's the good news for Raptor fans.

Clearly Colangelo is aware that the Raptors are not yet an elite team. Unlike some (like a few delusional Pollyana callers to the Raps postgame radio show on Sunday), Bryan knows he can't sit still and get past the first playoff round with the group of players he has now.

So if the right deal presents itself, Bryan will definitely try to upgrade the roster - even if that means preying on the league's weak sisters.

Quite often in these pre-deadline interview situations, a GM will be careful with his words and say something like, "we're always looking at what's available ..... but we're pleased with what we've got." That wasn't Bryan's approach at all. Maybe, its the pressure he's feeling from Brian Burke, his Maple Leaf counterpart. Whatever it is, Raptor fans don't care. Most knowledgable fans understand that the Men in Red could benefit from an upgrade or two.

I defintely get the sense that Colangelo has a lot of irons in the fire and those irons will only get hotter as we move through the All-Star break next week.

It's all about Bosh

As I've said repeatedly since the preseason - this year is all about giving Chris Bosh every reason to re-sign with Toronto in the summer. If Bryan can add another key piece in the next couple of weeks, then it becomes very difficult for Bosh to turn down a contract from the only team that can offer him a no-strings attached max money deal.

If not for Bosh, Bryan might be willing to sit on his hands and be more cautious. But with Bosh's future potentially hanging in the balance, Colangelo knows he needs to swing for the fences.

If I was to place odds, I'd have to say there is a better than 80% chance that Bryan Colangelo makes a move before the deadline. He certainly doesn't sound like someone who's prepared to ride out the season with the status quo in place.

Stay tuned. The next shoe will be dropping soon.

Ball II - Hedo and Jack's Next Interview

RaptorTalk — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:04:00 GMT

By Raptortalk

RaptorTalk has just obtained a top secret transcript of the soon to be released follow-up conversation between The Coach, Jack Armstrong and the Turkish Jordan, Hedo Turkoglu. This exclusive interview occurred shortly after they arrived back in Toronto.

First, here is the original 'Ball' interview from the court at Madison Square Garden.

Now, here’s the exclusive RaptorTalk follow-up Q&A between Hedo Turkoglu and The Coach, Jack Armstrong:

The Coach: H E L L O ! I’m here with Hedo Turkoglu enjoying a smooth MGD.

Hedo: Hi, Coach

The Coach: Hedo, our interview from New York is all over television, radio and the internet.

Hedo: Yes, Coach

The Coach: What do you need more of to regain your scoring touch?

Hedo: Ball

The Coach: This summer when Orlando gave you a lowball offer, what did you tell Otis Smith you were going to do?

Hedo: Bolt

The Coach: You play the Nets next week - tell me who you'll be guarding?

Hedo: Yi, Coach.

The Coach: I noticed your new ‘do, kind of a 'faux hawk'. What’s next?

Hedo: Bald

The Coach: What did the training staff put near your locker in case you got sick from all that Sprite and Pizza Pizza?

Hedo: Bowl

The Coach: Do you even like Sprite and Pizza Pizza?

Hedo: No, Coach.

The Coach: Which Italian Raptor do you think is best at taking it to the hole – Andrea or Marco?

Hedo: Bell

The Coach: Who is the best big man in the game today?

Hedo: Yao, Coach

The Coach: Back in 'da day, which long, tall center gave you the most trouble?

Hedo: Bol

The Coach: You spent a year down south in San Antonio - tell me what you said to Greg Popovich?

Hedo: Y’all, Coach

The Coach: We know the Leafs are a mess, but what's the worst run franchise in pro sports?

Hedo: Bills

The Coach: In training camp, what did you say to Jay Triano when you first met?

Hedo: Yo, Coach

The Coach: Bryan Colangelo said you were badly out of shape to start the season.

Hedo: Bull

The Coach: Jay’s been bustin’ your chops lately. What do you say to Coach Triano when he says you’re dogging it?

Hedo: F you, Coach

The Coach: If Jay Triano gets fired, who should the Raptors hire?

Hedo: You, Coach

The Coach: In the Lakers game, what did you say when Jay asked if you wanted the ball in your hands for the final shot?

Hedo: F**king Yea, Coach

The Coach: Well Hedo, thanks for another awkward interview.

Hedo: I got nuttin’ else to say.

The Coach: Get 'dat gah-bage outta here!

Hedo: BALL!

NBA Cares About Haiti - Paul Shirley Does Not

RaptorTalk — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:19:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Shirley he’s joking. Sadly he’s not – Paul Shirley that is.

This former NBA scrub with the Hawks, Suns and Bulls who today is a professional basketball player in Spain made some very controversial and insensitive comments regarding the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti. He defended his decision to not make a personal donation to Haitian relief and to urge others to not donate.

Paul Shirley, the now ex-ESPN contributor suggests that money donated to help Haitians rebuild their shattered lives will be wasted because Haiti itself is a mess, in large part caused by the Haitians themselves. To make matters worse, he penned a letter mocking the Haitian people in addition to his lengthy blog comments.

Shirley wrote:

Dear Haitians –

First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.

As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?

Sincerely,
The Rest of the World

I wonder if Paul Shirley would hold the same point of view if he had the misfortune of being born in Haiti instead of America? It is easy to be smug and pass judgement when you are born and live in one of the world's most prosperous nations. Shirley's cold Darwinian view of the world and its people, where only a strong few survive is appalling in its ignorance.

Shirley also needs a history lesson. Haiti’s African slaves (who were brought to Haiti against their will) were the first in the Western Hemisphere to negotiate their freedom some 200 years ago – but with a huge price.

They were forced to pay a form of reparations to France which were not repaid until 1947. So while other countries like Canada and the USA were well established and prosperous – Haiti was stuck in the third world having repaid a massive unfair debt that sucked valuable cash out of the country that should have been used to make Haiti stronger.

While North American settlers were blessed with a land full of natural resources upon which to build a sound economy, Haiti is a small country with few marketable natural resources. Paul, remind me again how that’s the fault of the Haitian people?

Shirley argues that Haitians should not be living in an earthquake zone either. Honest question, Paul? What choice do they have?

Paul, do you know the average Haitian ekes out a meagre existence on $2 per day, including food, shelter, medicine and transportation? Their average life expectancy is only 60 years of age (Canada is 81 and the US is 78).

There are 9 million people in Haiti, almost all who would love to move – but only a small percentage of Haitian immigrants are allowed to leave. Where does Shirley expect they go and who covers the costs for them to leave? Haitians routinely risk their lives navigating the Caribbean on makeshift boats headed for Florida - only to be turned back upon arrival or to lose their lives before getting there.

For the record, Canada has one of the largest Haitian communities with 100,000 Haitians living here, primarily in Montreal. But that’s only a small percentage of those who want to leave.

Should California, Florida, Oklahoma and Alaska be evacuated now?

If we take Shirley’s misguided argument one step further regarding the alleged stupidity of settling in an area prone to natural disasters - is he prepared to take the same stance with Floridians living in a hurricane zone or Californians and Alaskans living in earthquake zones or Oklahomans living in Tornando Alley? Should he ask that the tens of millions of residents in these states resettle elsewhere on their own personal dimes?

No doubt, there are some things that Haitians can do better. Yes, the Haitian government is riddled with corruption. But in the time of a major catastrophe that has killed over 100,000 and left millions homeless, I am stunned by the lack of caring and compassion shown by Shirley and his (few) supporters.

His arrogance says a lot about the person - none of it good.

At a time when men, women and children are left with nothing – no food, no homes, no jobs and no future – Paul Shirley is rejecting their pleas for humanitarian aid on the grounds they bear a large part of the responsibility for the dire situation they find themselves in. It’s a view that is stunningly reprehensible in so many ways.

Fortunately, most Canadians reject this ridiculous point of view and we are leading the world in cash donations to Haiti on a per capita basis. And Americans are equally as generous.

Paul Shirley unwittingly raises awareness of Haiti's plight

If something good comes out of the nonsense spewed by Paul Shirley, it’s that he’s inadvertently raised awareness about the tragedy in Haiti which I’m sure has caused many decent-minded folks to reach into their pockets and donate to Haitian Relief Efforts.

By the way, I’m kind of hoping that reincarnation is a reality because it would be sweet justice to see what Paul Shirley’s take on the situation would be, if in his next life, he was reborn as a poor black Haitian living in ramshackle hut in Port-au-Prince instead of being a well-off white Californian earning hundreds of thousands of dollars using his god-given skills to play professional basketball in Europe.

I think he’d have a whole different perspective.

That said, I am blown away that someone can be so cold and insulated from the struggles of his fellow man. That a natural disaster that has killed over 100,000 innocent people and has left millions of lives in a state of despair and turmoil is not enough to evoke any compassion.

Soulless and heartless are words that come to mind.

So let's all of us thank Paul Shirley for keeping the Haitian tragedy in the forefront by reaching into our pockets and making a donation to help the good people of Haiti make it through another day.

Oh yes. Thanks to the NBA, the Toronto Raptors and our very own Haitian Canadian, Samuel Dalembaert for their fund-raising efforts in support of Haiti, too.

The NBA does care! Paul Shirley? Does not.

Can The Raptors Win an NBA Championship Under MLSE?

RaptorTalk — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:13:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Recently, Michael Grange of the Globe & Mail questioned whether Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment were the ownership group that might be best suited to help the Toronto Raptors bring an NBA Championship to the Centre of the Universe.

Good question and its one that's crossed my mind before.

The criticism of MLSE goes like this. As a professional sports franchise owner, their number one priority is ensuring their profitable bottom line. Frankly, truer words have not been spoken.

The unanswered question is – will MLSE spend what is necessary for the Raptors to become an elite NBA team even if it means reduced profitability for the corporation? Fact is that the NBA’s elites are all deep in luxury tax territory. Will MLSE ever go there?

Toronto sports fans fear that MLSE cares more about selling million dollar suites in the new 50 story Maple Leaf Square condos outside the ACC than they do about putting a competitive product on the court or the ice.

First, let me say I’m far from an MLSE apologist. In the past I have been very critical of MLSE’s treatment of Raptor season ticketholders and Dave Feschuk has twice quoted me in Toronto Star columns about unhappy Raps fans.

Be careful what you wish for

That said, unless you can find a Toronto based multi-billionaire who is passionate about NBA basketball and is willing to spend anything to win - then Raptor fans had better be happy with MLSE's deep pockets.

MLSE may not be the best ownership group in the NBA, but they are far from the worst.

Even with a rich passionate owner, let’s remember that Paul Allen's and Mark Cuban's deep pockets didn't bring championships to either Portland or Dallas.

Right now, there is no Toronto billionaire willing to step up and rescue this franchise- so it’s largely a moot point. Plus, if you get an outsider with billions to step up and buy the Raptors, then you run the risk of the team moving – albeit remote. Then again, look at Vancouver and Seattle.

I believe the Raptors are secure in Toronto and will never be moved - but , never say never. Over the years, major markets like Los Angeles, New York, Houston and the Bay Area have all lost professional sports franchises.

Ten years ago did anyone seriously think that small markets like Oklahoma City and Memphis would have NBA franchises? Who would have predicted that the largest media market in the USA would have gone 20 years without an NFL franchise? You just never know what a billionaire may do with his or her sports franchise.

This may not be what fans want to hear, but having the Toronto Raptors under the MLSE umbrella with their deep pockets, may very well be the best option for our Heroes of the Hardcourt.

Back in the day the Raptors were a financial mess

Everyone forgets how fragile the Raptor's financial situation was before they were purchased by MLSE in the late 90's and became part of the Maple Leafs' family.

Many Raptor fans who look at the ACC’s near sellouts fail to realize that buyers of prime Maple Leafs tickets MUST also buy those same Raptor tickets. So, if MLSE decided to spin off the Raptors to some hoops-crazed billionaire, the Raptors could potentially lose a few thousand prime season ticket holders who are only interested in Leafs tickets.

To a certain degree, the Raptors are profitable because they are part of MLSE. A large portion of the Raptors’ profit is a result of a shared arena, shared marketing, shared administration, shared media production, shared luxury box sales, shared premium ticket sales and so on between the Leafs and the Raptors. That's the new model for successful sports franchises - a single corporation owns the arena, the NBA team, the NHL team, concert revenues and so on.

Face facts. Most nights, the Raptors draw flies on TV. On the past weekend, the Raptors TV ratings were worse than Olympic Bobsleigh Trails. Outside of a hardcore following in the GTA, most people in Canada could care less about the Raptors.

Right now, Toronto has solid attendance. Yet, not too long ago under Rob Babcock, there were games in with attendance in the 12,000 range. Without a good product on the floor, Raptors attendance might drop again into that range which is the time a new owner might say, "I'm losing money and I'd rather move the Raptors to a new arena in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Pittsburgh or even a second team in suburban Chicago.”

Granted, the Raptors have been very profitable under Bryan Colangelo. That said, season ticket sales are down nearly 25% from last year and Raptor-generated profits will be down too.

Remember, Leaf fans who are forced to buy Raptors tickets generate somewhere around $30 million annually in revenues (based on my simple calculations). That's a lot of money driven to the Raptors by the Maple Leafs.

After Vince Carter was traded, attendance dropped and according to Forbes, the Raptors lost $8 million. Who is to say that if Bosh leaves (which likely won't happen) that the team won't go into rebuilding mode and all of sudden be back losing money when attendance drops?

If Bryan builds it, will they spend it?

Look, I understand that most Raptor fans wish we had our own version of Jim Balsille who would rescue Canada’s team from the evil, profit-first clutches of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. In reality, it just ain’t happening.

Our best hope for an NBA Championship lies first in Bryan Colangelo making the right moves talent-wise. Once the pieces are in place, Bryan the ultimate salesman, needs to sell the MLSE on the benefits of taking a big dip into Lake Luxury Tax.

MLSE certainly has the cash! Question is will they spend it?

The Sweet Silence of Andrea Bargnani's Critics

RaptorTalk — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:29:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

If there is one thing that surprised even an Il Mago fan like me, it is the significant positive step that Andrea Bargnani has taken in all facets of his game this season.

Sitting at the ACC and watching him hold his own against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks on both sides of the ball was a real treat considering where his skill level was at the start of last season.

The turnaround started last January and continued in the pre-season where he was arguably the best Raptor while Bosh sat out due to injury. And it’s now continued through 41 regular season games.

With last week’s career high of 17 rebounds, an average of nearly two blocks per game and his vastly improved defense (particularly one-on-one) and his newfound ability to guard his man without fouling - Bargnani is doing all the things his critics claimed he could never do. His three point stroke is back and he's scoring the ball as well as he ever has.

Has Bargnani had his ups and downs? Absolutely. But Andrea's play has generally been very consistent throughout this season.

Andrea has always been a player whose game is driven by his offence. Yet when he struggled mightily on offense against Indy, he still played hard - particularly on the defensive side. The 'old' Andrea would have found himself nailed to the bench with 5 bad fouls.

Patience Is Paying Off

As I’ve said before, Raptor fans needed to be patient with Il Mago because while he had all the physical tools, it was what was going on between his ears that was holding him back. First (as I posted ad nauseum for two years), while Sam Mitchell was the right coach for Chris Bosh, he was the wrong coach for Andrea Bargnani. Jay Triano has given him the confidence he needs.

Second, Andrea struggled more than most players in adjusting to North American life, the English language and the NBA. Now that he has the peace of mind of a new contract, he is much more comfortable with his position in Toronto and it shows on the court.

After Andrea had a disastrous sophomore year, the Bargnani cynics starting using 'historical precedent' as definitive proof that Andrea could never improve much from where he was at that fixed point in time. Whether it was in blogs, forums or call-in radio the underlying message was the same – after two years of mediocrity it was virtually impossible for anyone to expect Andrea to make a marked improvement in his game. They (wrongly) claimed the die was cast.

Of course, I countered by pointing out here in RaptorTalk that Hall of Famers like Warren Moon, Guy Lafleur and Roger Staubach were all late bloomers. Yet, the critics said ‘those aren’t basketball players”.

Some even tried to prove through statistical analysis that Andrea Bargnani could not take the next step. However, historical precedent is totally irrelevant as it related to Bargnani because the big kid from Italy is a 'one-of-a-kind' story.

Socrates Meets Bargnani

Bargnani's detractors used historical precedent in a manner which defied basic logic, as anyone who took an Intro to Logic course would know. This is what Socrates wrote and it's the basis for all logical arguments.

All men are mortal. (true)
Socrates is a man. (true)
Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (TRUE)

That is a sound logical argument. What the Bargnani critics used to support their point-of-view was illogical. Basically they argued:

No NBA player has ever achieved X. (true)
Bargnani is an NBA player. (true)
Therefore, Bargnani will never achieve X. (FALSE)

The historical precedent argument was no more valid than this flawed argument which is taught on the first day of every university Logic course:

All apples are fruit. (true)
Bananas are fruit. (true)
Therefore, all bananas are apples. (FALSE)

While watching Bargnani live at the Air Canada Centre, I saw an underlying skill level in Andrea that I felt could be nurtured and eventually unlocked.

Was I absolutely sure Andrea would turn it around? No. I certainly had my doubts. But I always felt there was a decent chance he could improve. Nonetheless, the so-called experts said "no way - period." In their opinion Bargnani sucked then and therefore he would suck forever. Somehow it made sense to the critics.

Well, it looks like Andrea is proving all his critics dead wrong!

Based on the second half of last year and the first 41 games this season, it definitely appears that Andrea Bargnani is well on his way to becoming the player many of us thought he would be.

I’m happy for Raptor fans and I’m happy for Andrea. The cynics are being silenced and the quiet is sweet.

The Raptors Best and Worst In The Decade With No Name

RaptorTalk — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:49:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The decade with no name (the 00’s maybe) is now in the history books. I thought it would be a good idea to look back at the best and the worst that the Toronto Raptors had to offer over the last ten years.

Best Raptors Team of the Decade
The 2000-2001 Raptors- This squad beat the New York Knicks at MSG and came within a shot of defeating the 76ers in the second round. Loaded with talent and chemistry, if not for the VC Graduation Ceremony fiasco – this team would have gone deeper in the playoffs.

Raptor Player of the Decade
Vince Carter – There was a time when most Raptor fans wouldn’t trade Air Canada straight up for Kobe Bryant because VC was so gifted. No doubt in my mind that Vince Carter was Toronto’s MVP of the past decade. Bosh is a close second and will surpass Vince overtime, but the nod goes to Air Canada. Carter brought more excitement to the ACC than any other Raptor this decade.

Game of the Decade
Game Five/Raptors vs. Knicks 2001– Alvin Williams picks up Vince Carter’s fumble and calmly nails a 20 foot jumper to lead the Raptors to their only playoff series win.

All-Raptors Team of the Decade
PG- Alvin Williams: Boogie was everything you wanted in a player. He was tough, determined and had ice water in his veins when a big play was needed.

SG – Vince Carter: Air Canada electrified Raptor fans and put Toronto on the NBA map. When he was at the top of his game, he was one of the best.

SF – Morris Peterson: The master of the wild shot, Mo Pete was a solid contributor who played both sides of the ball. Unlike T-Mac who left in 2000, Mo Pete loved Toronto.

PF – Chris Bosh: CB4 has become an elite player who, to his credit, gets better each year.

C- Andrea Bargnani: At a position that has arguably been the Raptors’ weakest link, Il Mago has played as well as anyone when he was given the chance and he continues to improve every season. Antonio Davis had his moments, but in my opinion, his openness about not wanting to be here in Canada negated much of what he contributed on the floor.

Coach of the Decade
Sam Mitchell: Despite his shortcomings in the X’s and O’s, Sam was a master motivator who got a moderately talented group of players to over-achieve and play team basketball.

Executive of the Decade
Glen Grunwald: He built some of the best teams in Raptors history. If he could have persuaded T-Mac to stay, Glen would still be the GM today.

Fan Favourite of the Decade
Matt Bonner: The Red Rocket loved Toronto and Toronto fans loved him. He was an intelligent, blue collar kind of guy whose personality and work ethic clicked with the fans. What’s not to like about a guy who went so far as to become a Canadian citizen after he was traded!

Game Changer of the Decade
Tracy McGrady: T-Mac’s departure had a profound effect on the future of the franchise. If McGrady had stayed, he and Vince Carter would have been the cornerstones of a franchise that most certainly would have found itself in the NBA finals at some point during the decade.

Disappointment of the Decade
Vince Carter: Who knew that his incredible talent was not matched by the same level of heart and desire? VC had the raw skill to be a dominant player in the NBA. While he was extraordinary at times, he lacked the killer instinct that all great players have.

Draft Pick of the Decade
2003 Chris Bosh: Selecting Bosh with the 4th pick overall definitely had a huge impact on the franchise.

Best Trade of the Decade
Chris Childs and a 1st Rounder for Mark Jackson and Muggsy Bogues: This deadline deal in 2001, energized a mediocre club and catapulted them into the playoffs. Childs added defensiveness grit, while the move of Jackson allowed Alvin Williams to become a starter.

Worst Trade of the Decade
Vince Carter for Nobody: Proved to be one of the worst trades of all time. Ouch.

Surprise of the Decade
The 2006-2007 Raptors: No one expected this edition of the Toronto Raptors to breakout and win the Atlantic Division crown. Watching this team go on a sustained run after Christmas was amazing.

Bust of the Decade
Rafael Araujo: Rob Babcock’s dim-witted selection of the Brazilian big man was a huge mistake. Imagine how different things might have been if Andre Igoudala was wearing a Raptors uniform instead?

Dumbest Move of the Decade
Hakeem Olajuwon: The acquisition of an over-the-hill Hakeem for a couple of draft picks was made even worse when Toronto inked him to a ridiculous 3 year/ $15 million deal.

Embarrassment of the Decade
Kobe Bryant: 81 points. Nothing else to say.

ACC Event of the Decade
Raptors vs 76ers Playoffs: The ACC was absolutely electric as Vince Carter and Allen Iverson took turns dropping 50's. The decisive Game 6 Raptors victory ranks as the greatest game at the ACC.

Fun to Watch Event of the Decade
Donyell Marshall's Threes: Donyell tied Kobe Bryant's NBA single game mark with 12 made three balls on a 2005 Sunday afternoon vs. Philly at the ACC. It was a remarkable event to witness live - albeit totally unexpected. I've never seen a shooter seem to be so automatic (he shot 12 for 19 from behind the line).

Funniest Moment of the Decade:
Darrick Martin's Three Ball: With the Raptors three ball streak apparently ending, Darrick Martin hit an improbable buzzer beating three ball to keep the streak alive.

Broadcaster of the Decade
Chuck Swirsky: No one got fans interested in Raptor ball like the Swirsk. Was he an over-the-top homer? Yes. But he was exactly what the franchise needed.

Beat Writer of the Decade
Doug Smith: The Star’s #1 grunt has delivered more Raptors info to news-starved fans than any other local scribe over the past decade. His daily blog is a must read for serious Raptor fans.

Raptors TV Program of the Decade:
Full Court Press: Back in the day, Norma Wick hosted a weekly hour of impromptu Raptor talk with the likes of Jack Armstrong, Doug Smith, Michael Grange, Bruce Arthur, Eric Smith and other media types who followed the team. Production values were low, but the entertainment and news value was always high.

Well, let's consider this a rap for another decade!

The Official 2009 Raptorland Christmas Wish List

RaptorTalk — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:42:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

This is The Official Raptorland Christmas Wish List for 2009.

It took some digging, but we've found out exactly what everyone in Raptorland wants this Christmas from Santa Claus. So here is what we discovered is on the Raptorland Christmas Wish List:

Raptor Fans want a 50-0 run to close out the season

Jay Triano wants someone who can play defense

Raptor Players want someone who can coach defense

Antoine Wright wants a jump shot

Jose Calderon wants a red cape to wave at point guards on the blow-by

Sonny Weems wants to not be called Good Joey anymore

Hedo Turkoglu wants to wake up from his three month sleep

DeMar DeRozan wants a fifth capital letter in his name

Andrea Bargnani wants Bosh to stop stealing his rebounds

Reggie Evans wants Dr. Scholl to heal his foot

Amir Johnson wants the doctors to keep Reggie’s foot in a boot forever

Jarrett Jack wants to remind Raps fans he’s J.J. - not T.J.

Chris Bosh wants to f***ing win already

Marco Belinelli wants to prove Don Nelson wrong

Marcus Banks wants Jose wearing a suit on the sidelines until April

Patrick O’Bryant just wants to play

Rasho Nesterovic wants to NBA!

Pops Mensah-Bonsu wants his contract picked up on January 5th

Matt Devlin wants this NBA gig to last longer than the others

Hello! Jack Armstrong wants a smooth MGD sponge bath from the Dance Pak

Leo Rautins wants Canadian citizenship for Chris Bosh

Doug Smith wants an adult beverage and a donut

Eric Smith wants to not be called Smitty – “E” is cooler

Paul Jones wants Chris Bosh’s hair

Jay Triano wants Matt Devlin’s hair

Maurizio Gheridini wants a Euro billionaire to buy the Nets and make him GM

Bryan Colangelo wants Daddy

RaptorTalk wants you to safely Enjoy the Holidays and have a Happy and Prosperous 2010!

Next Ten Raptors Games Will Be Telling

RaptorTalk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:35:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The next ten games of the Raptors schedule will be very telling, beginning with what should be an easy home win over the hapless New Jersey Nets.

With the recent emphatic losses in Orlando and Miami, the so-called 'tough part' of the Raptors schedule is over. Today, the Raptors sit at 11-17. At this point, I expected them to be much closer to .500 and even as high as 16-12 based on their raw talent.

Here are the next 10 games and the records of the teams they face:

Remaining December Games
v. New Jersey (2-24)
v. New Orleans (11-13)
@ Detroit (11-14)
v. Detroit (11-14)
v. Charlotte (10-14)

Early January Games
@ Boston (20-4)
v. San Antonio (13-10)
@ Orlando (19-6)
@ Philadelphia (6-19)
v. Boston (20-4)

The Raps play 6 home and 4 away. If the Raptors are going to turn around this season, it has to start in the next 10 games. That said, Toronto will be lucky to get through this stretch at 5-5 and I wouldn't be surprised to see them go only 4-6.

The most interesting stretch of games occurs between now and the end of December. I’ll be at three of those home games starting with the Nets game.

Prior to the season, I would have projected a 4-1 record over that stretch. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors struggled to go 3-2 and thus sit at 14-19 to start the New Year. Problem is that any ground they may gain will likely be surrendered in the 10 days following New Year’s Day when they face Boston twice, Orlando and San Antonio.

My quasi optimistic 5-5 prediction means that on January 10th, the Raptors will sport a mediocre record of 16-22 – six games under .500 with 44 games left.

The Bosh Challenge

The challenge moving forward is to win enough games to keep Bosh happy so that he will re-sign with Toronto. A 44 win season would likely do that. Toronto would then finish in 5th or 6th in the East and could point to some positive momentum.

If this team is to win 44 games, then after January 10th they need to go on a 28W-16L run. Even with an easier schedule that is a tough task.

Without a trade that shakes up the line-up (making the team stronger defensively) and the dismissal of Jay Triano (and the hiring of a coach who demands the Raptors play gritty and hard every night) - I simply can’t see it happening.

Right now, all we can do is watch and see if the Dino’s can start winning consistently and often with the team and coach they have now.

Your Toronto Raptors: Talent with No Effort, No Heart and No Pride

RaptorTalk — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:27:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Does anyone really think that Chris Bosh is re-signing in Toronto next summer? It’s clear to me that there is virtually no chance as it stands now.

Why would Bosh want to be part of this train wreck moving forward?

With two terrible losses, the good vibes from the short-lived three game win streak is gone – albeit that the three victories against Washington, Chicago and Minnesota were not worthy of a parade.

Believe it or not, there is talent in Toronto

Talent wise, I still maintain the Raptors have more talent than they’ve had in years. Surprisingly, they continue to struggle mightily.

If you were to take most of the individual Raptors and put them on a different squad, most of them would be solid NBA players with their new team. Yet, with this edition of the Toronto Raptors they simply do not fit together.

When is Bryan Colangelo going to take steps to fix this mess? Colangelo himself said he would know by the end of November after 18 games as to what he had in this team. Even the most ardent homers were saying you should have a good idea by 25 games. Well, we are at the 25 game mark (10 wins - 15 losses) and there is no consistency and it looks like nothing is changing.

What is troubling is that the Raptors are getting worse and not better. The Raptors show no sense of urgency, no heart, no effort and no pride.

On the Raptors broadcast it was said that Toronto is only 3-8 against teams with a winning record.

Guess what? It's actually worse than that.

One of those +.500 teams was New Orleans who are now two games under .500. So the reality is that the Raptors are 2-9 versus +.500 teams - with one of those squads, Miami, sporting an unimpressive 11-10 record. So outside of the season opener against the Cavs, the Raptors have not performed well when matched up with the better teams in the NBA.

That's a huge concern, because even if the Raptors squeak into the playoffs - it virtually guarantees a first round exit for Toronto in 4 games.

Triano is not the answer

Jay Triano is not all to blame, but he is one of the big reasons this team is so horrible.

Back in the preseason, Triano showed no sense of urgency and his laissez faire attitude has carried on into the regular season. When fans we’re calling for Turkoglu to start building on-court chemistry with his new team, Jay seemed content to let him rest. When the Raptors needed time together on the floor so they could gel, Jay took them bowling.

Look, Jay was a fine assistant coach but he is terribly over-matched as the head honcho. This Raptor team is a reflection of their head coach, which is without any noticeable passion, fire or edge. Triano did nothing to distinguish himself as an interim head coach and he has done nothing to change my mind with his mediocre coaching this season.

When you look at upcoming opponents like Miami and Houston, you see teams with better records and yet they don’t have the raw talent that Toronto has. I don’t think Jay Triano and his staff have the ability to motivate and build a culture that leads to winning.

It's up to Bryan Colangelo

Here is the botton line.

The time for patience is over. Bryan Colangelo needs to make a major decision NOW. Either he is going to make major changes and try to win now or he needs to start rebuilding with his first move being the trade of Chris Bosh.

Do I want to see Bosh traded? Hell no. But I’m realistic enough to know that he’s not going to stay here and be part of a franchise moving in the wrong direction.

Hopefully, Bryan the ‘dealer’ steps up and (1) fires Triano and (2) adjusts his roster through a couple of crucial deals. If he can work his magic and the team starts some serious winning, then there remains an outside chance that Bosh might consider staying long term.

Otherwise, Bryan should put Bosh on the trade block and let the bidding war begin.

Raptors Face Major Decisions About Bosh and the Future

RaptorTalk — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Mercifully, November is over and the Raptors are sitting at a less than stellar mark of 7-11. Based on a tough early schedule and nine new players, the team’s record is understandable – but it’s not acceptable. Frankly, the excuses ring hollow.

Why? Because it’s the way the Raptors have been losing. Repeatedly, the Raptors have taken comfortable leads and blown them or they have been close at the half, only to collapse miserably in the third quarter and lose.

Outside of the first Phoenix game, there have been very few losses where the Raptors have been within striking distance. Basically, by the midway mark of the 4th quarter we’re watching the other team’s lay-up line while the Raptors scrubs are putting in garbage time minutes.

The pressure is on Bryan Colangelo

Here are some thoughts as we start a new month with a difficult stretch of 4 games in 5 nights which promise to make life in Raptorland worse, not better over the near term.

Talent: IMO, this team is significantly better than last year's team. There is more overall talent, yet we are playing worse. At least part of the blame falls on Jay Triano. Yes, the Raptors have lost to some good teams like Orlando, Boston and Phoenix, but they’ve also been embarrassed by Charlotte and Memphis. Losses to the elite teams have generally been pretty good spankings.

Defense: Is this really the worst defence in NBA history? The stats say yes - but I think they can play better D than they've shown. During the Boston Celtics radio broadcast Eric Smith was wondering "why doesn't Jay try something different because clearly his system isn't working?" I couldn’t agree more. What have you got to lose? Remember, this team is dead last on defense - even when they play a weak offensive team like the Bobcats. The definition of 'insanity' is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Underachieving: I would be OK with a 7-11 record, if our losses were close. Outside of the Phoenix game, we are generally out of reach midway through the 4th quarter. Typically, we're fighting a double digit deficit by the end of the third quarter, often when we're close at the half. Not being close in the second half of most games is a real concern that should tell Bryan Colangelo that his team has a ways to go before it becomes competitive.

Chris Bosh: This season is all about Chris Bosh. He’s played like an absolute beast and has done everything asked of him. While this column has been critical of Bosh in the past – this guy has absolutely busted his tail, night in and night out.

Max Money: Either the Raptors want to keep CB4 or they don't. Bosh will definitely get his max money contract in the off-season. But, if the Raptors don't shape up - then Bosh will more than likely force a S&T like T-Mac did. Then the Raptors are screwed.

One and Done: Even if the Raptors turn it around as they gel and the schedule gets easier, the best case scenario is 43 wins and a 6th seed. That said, we could very well be looking at 'missing the playoffs' or squeaking by with 40 wins and the 8th seed. Anyway you look at it, the best 'playoff' scenario sees Toronto blown out in the 1st round by Orlando, Boston or Cleveland. Chris Bosh wants to win. CB4 will not re-sign based on any of those likely scenarios.

Sense of Urgency: Bryan needs a sense of urgency. Firing Jay Triano and making a significant trade that will alter the Raptors' fortunes must all be on the table. Bryan can't wait unti January or February. Look at the December schedule and I can't see how the Raptors as they are now constructed will even play .500 ball during the month. He must take action now. Otherwise, Bosh will walk at season's end.

Plan B: If Colangelo doesn't think he can make moves that will lead the Raptors to achieve at a higher level - then he should focus on Plan B - which is trade Chris Bosh because he's not going to want to stay in Toronto and play on a sub .500 team for the next 6 or 7 years.

Its Bryan’s Move: So, while watching this team suck through 20 games or more may be fine with some of the fan base who are prepared to wait and see- it’s simply not going to satisfy Chris Bosh. Success this season is not measured by satisfying you, me or other fans .... it’s all about re-signing Bosh. I hate to say it - but CB4 is going to walk unless massive changes occur before the new year.

So it is up to Bryan Colangelo to assess where the Raptors are now and make his next move. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the luxury of waiting to start fixing what is broken. He needs to begin now or risk watching Chris Bosh sour on the Raptors and move to a winning environment elsewhere on July 1st.

Can't say I'd blame him.

The Point Where Raptors Defensive Woes Begin

RaptorTalk — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:13:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The Raptors are not a great defensive team. It's pretty obvious that they hang their hat on their offensive prowess - so we better buckle our seatbelts and prepare for a bunch of 120 - 115 games.

As we near the end of November, the Raptors continue to sport the worst ever rating of Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions in NBA history - at 116 pts per 100 possessions. Jay Triano's dream of a top ten defense is just that - a dream.

That said, the Raptors have the talent to improve defensively and only time will tell if they tighten up the D. If they do, they stand a chance to approach 50 wins based on their high powered offense simply overpowering the other team on many nights. If they don't, then the Raptors will be no better than a .500 team.

Thanks to the Letter V who is responsible for creating this great pic!

Help defence is based on the basic concept that defenders rotate to fill gaps as if all five players are on a rope or a chain. We all know that a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and the same can be said for the Raptors' defense.

As Leo Rautins said early in the Orlando game, "let's not sugar coat it - Jose Calderon's defense has not be good". No doubt, Jose is the weakest defender on the Raptors. The fact is there are times when Jose has trouble sticking with his is own shadow on a sunny day. That gives us pause for concern.

Jose's jazz hands and clapping may look like he's doing something - but that's not much consolation to his teammates who must deal with blow by after blow by.

Stan Van Gundy made it clear in the first Magic meeting with Toronto that he was going straight at Jose Calderon with the quicker Jameer Nelson. Early in the second Orlando game, Van Gundy had Jason Williams driving unabated to the hole.

The plan is simple. Blow by the token Raptor resistance at the point and watch the remaining five defenders scramble. With a little ball movement, its easy to get an open look against Toronto.

A glimmer of hope

The good news is that Jarrett Jack is playing more minutes and is noticeably more tenacious in defending the point.

Calderon seems to be responding accordingly and there are glimpses that his defense at the point of attack is showing an uptick from 'non-existent' to 'poor'. Now if Jose can get his defense moved up a notch to say 'passable' - this would have a huge impact on the Raptors' overall team defence. If it leads to only 3 or 4 additional stops per game, we're looking at a defence that surrenders 6 to 12 fewer points.

That's huge.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not putting all our defensive problems on Jose. But I do believe that a slight improvement at the point of attack from numero ocho will have a significant improvement on the team's overall defense.

Am I expecting lockdown defense? No. Am I hoping for something that's better than worst ever in NBA history? Absolutely.

Hopefully Jose Calderon's defense gets better over the upcoming weeks. Time will tell.

The Raptors Drive To .500 By Month's End

RaptorTalk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:27:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

As was reported earlier, Bryan Colangelo said he'd have pretty good idea what kind of team he has by the end of the month. Well, the end of the month is only ten days away.

So far, the men in red are sitting at 5-7 having played more road games than any other Eastern Conference team. Today, Raptors broadcaster Matt Devlin said their goal was to be 6-6 at this point and they’ve fallen a little short.

Honestly, I expected a little better from the Raptors than what we've seen so far - which has been inconsistent at best. I really believe the core talent is there to be playing better. But, their record is what it is.

What's important is to stay as close to the .500 mark as possible and not dig a hole that becomes difficult to get out of.

The Raptors Amir Johnson brings it every game

Inconsistent so far

This is a good example of the uneven results. When the Raptors give up 100 points, they are a terrible 0-7. But, when they score 100, they’re an amazing 5-0.

What that tells me is that with a little more intensity on defense and more consistency on offence this team can really make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Problem is that when they give up 100 points – it’s usually more like 120 points or more and you can’t win doing that.

The goal of the team should be to return to .500 by the the end of the month. Here's what's coming up on Toronto's schedule.

vs. Miami
vs. Orlando
vs. Indy
@ Charlotte
@ Boston
vs. Phoenix

To be 9-9 by November 30th, the Raps need to finish the month with a 4W-2L run. Only Charlotte will be somewhat easy, but the Raptors are on the back end of a back-to-back, so it’s not a gimme.

It won't be easy, but 4-2 is certainly possible. On the other hand, 2-4 wouldn't surprise me either.

If Toronto plays like they are capable of playing, the Raps can beat Miami, Indy and Charlotte and hopefully steal one against Orlando, Phoenix or Boston.

That's 4W-2L and provides solid momentum into December.

What concerns me most is that Toronto has trouble putting together a solid 40 to 48 minutes. Even in the games they’ve won, the Raptors have only played well for about 30 minutes at most.

It will be an interesting next 10 days that sets the tone for December.

Let’s hope the Raptors are entering December at 9-9. If the Raptors struggle and only go 2-4, that puts the team at 7-11 to end the month. If that happens, then I expect Bryan to seriously look at upgrades to the roster.

Otherwise, he’ll sit tight and see how December plays out.

As I’ve said before, right now it’s all about winning now to keep Chris Bosh in the fold.

The Bosh Factor: Bryan Colangelo Won't Be Patient With Early Losses

RaptorTalk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:23:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

'Patience' is a word that has officially been removed from Bryan Colangelo’s vocabulary for the 2009-2010 Raptors campaign.

Why?

Simply put - this is a year where Bryan can’t afford to be patient because there might be a very steep price to pay for sitting idly by. Waiting patiently to see how this season plays out is not an option.

Prior to the impressive win against the Chicago Bulls, the Raptors’ GM was interviewed on the FAN 590. Eric Smith suggested that patience was in order and that Bryan needed “at least 25 games before he knew what he had with his roster”.

Not surprisingly, the impatient hoops executive quickly dismissed the idea and said “we’ll know what we've got by the end of the month”.

By the end of November, the new look Raptors will have played only 18 games – but Colangelo is convinced that he will know if he has a team that is poised to be a player in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

If he doesn't like what he sees by then, one can assume that changes will be made.

To be honest, Bryan sounded a little pissed. That's because in his mind this team is better than one that will muddle around .500, like they are doing early this season. Frankly, I agree. The nucleus is there. On paper this is the strongest Raptor team in quite some time.

Everyone in Raptorland should be on notice that they are on a shorter leash than ever before.

The stakes are very high this season

Bryan won't remain patient for long if the team stumbles because the stakes are too high on both the basketball side and the business side of the Toronto Raptors.

It’s very simple on the hoops side. You can call it The Bosh Factor.

Having this team under-perform and limp through the season and either miss the playoffs or sneak in as a final seed means that there is a good chance that Chris Bosh seriously considers walking in the summer of 2010.

The impact on the franchise of Bosh leaving will be significant and it’s a scenario that Bryan will do everything humanly possible to avoid.

If the Raptors struggle in November but remain near .500 after 18 games, then that’s likely acceptable to Colangelo …. but (and it’s a big BUT) … they need to start turning it around early in December .

Worse still, if the team is well below .500 by month’s end, then Bryan will not be shy about pulling some triggers to turn the ship around quickly come mid December. Quincy Douby was released obstensibly to save a few bucks, but more importantly to open up a roster spot.

Winning now is the #1 priority

Look, Colangelo knows that he needs to show Chris Bosh a competitve team which starts winning early and consistently. Bosh will not be motivated to remain part of a Raptors squad that performs sporadically. No way.

And a Raptor team that stumbles early and doesn't start winning until February or March doesn't cut it. By that time, Bosh's mind will be 99% made-up to head south.

Bosh wants to be like other elite players : Lebron, Dwight, KG, Carmelo, D-Wade, Kobe et al – all of whom are legitimately competing for an NBA championship ring. Honestly, I can’t blame Bosh for wanting to win, particularly with the way he's playing out of his mind this season.

Show Peddie the money

On the business side, Colangelo needs to put a competitive team on the court to keep the dollars flowing. Reportedly, Bryan has earned in the neighborhood of $65 million for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment since he joined the company.

Make no mistake, first and foremost MLSE measures Bryan by the numbers of dollar signs he puts up on the board and not by wins and losses. Given a choice between (#1) $100 million profit and 0 wins or (#2) $100 million loss and an NBA championship – MLSE is choosing door #1 all day long. Show Richard Peddie the money, not the ring!

Because the team woefully underperformed last season and the economy is tougher, the Raptor season ticket base lost 25% of its seat holders in the off-season. As a result, Sunday's Orlando Magic game was not sold out and the Bulls game drew a surprisingly small crowd of 16,000.

If that attendance trend continues, coupled with a heavy payroll, MLSE can expect a significant drop in basketball operating profits.

This team needs walk-up traffic more than ever before. Raptor fans will stay away if the team doesn’t win, with crowds of 15,000 and 16,000 becoming commonplace . If that happens, then all of a sudden, Bryan "the golden boy" stops looking quite so golden in the eyes of the suits in the Air Canada Centre.

Colangelo and Patience are like Oil and Water

Bryan Colangelo is not patient at the best of times. He’s admitted that he doesn’t take kindly to losing and is impatient by nature.

This summer was a perfect example of a general manger whose patience had run out on the so-called talent he assembled last season.

A patient man may have looked at a 9W – 4L, end of season mini-run as a sign that a turnaround was imminent next season. Not Colangelo. He went after his roster with a chain saw instead of a scalpel and performed major reconstructive surgery on the team’s roster.

Unlike other years, Bryan must be proactive this season. If it’s not working, then fix it sooner than later. Whether that means a minor roster adjustment, firing the coach or a blockbuster trade – you better believe it’s all on the table with Bryan.

There is no time to wait for the roster to gel, nor is there time for Coach Triano’s coaching systems to be integrated over the next few months.

Like it or not, it all has to come together pretty damn quick.

Bryan has no choice but to act quickly and decisively

There is no time to wait to see how things play out. Bryan tried that last year and only succeeded in finding his Raptors in a deep hole with an early elimination from playoff contention.

Right now Colangelo is potentially facing real pressures on both the basketball and business side, if this team starts to go sideways or takes a step back.

The only thing that can cure the looming danger is to WIN, baby, WIN. And if the Raptors aren’t winning, Bryan won’t wait long to start trying to fix their losing ways.

The month of November will be very telling – more than any November in Raptors history.

At least, that's how I see it.

Raptors On Pace To NBA #1 (Worst All-time Defence)

RaptorTalk — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:43:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Help me understand this.

Jay Triano's focus this season is on defence. Marc Iavaroni was brought in as a defensive specialist to further cement the Raptors' commitment to defence.

In training camp, Triano proclaimed his goal was for Toronto to be a top ten defensive squad. Jay and Marc’s brilliant defensive scheme was branded as “protect the house”. They even placed tape on the gym floor so that everyone understood the boundaries of the Raptors’ ‘take no prisoners’ zone.

Yet, this is the worst Raptors defensive squad in the history of the franchise and potentially in the history of the NBA.

FACT: Neither Jay or Marc have had significant success in their NBA coaching careers.

Here are the points per game allowed numbers. They are pathetic.

2009-2010 - Toronto Raptors: 120.3
1990-1991 - Denver Nuggets: 114.7
1992-1991 - Dallas Mavericks: 114.7
2008-2009 - Sacramento Kings: 114.7

The Raptors are on pace to be the worst defensive team in NBA history.

Yet, Jay Triano walks the sidelines expressionless looking like he doesn't have a clue what to do next. His trusted defensive wizard Iavaroni stares blankly into space appearing even more befuddled than Jay.

The schemes aren't working

Look, I know the Raptors are not a gifted defensive team, but clearly Triano's new schemes are not working. This team is simply the worst defensive team in the NBA. Triano has done nothing to try to hide or compensate for their deficiencies. In 4 of 7 games, the Raptors have surrendered 115 points or more. It’s absurd.

You need to coach to the talent level of your players. The Raps are a gifted offensive squad, but limited on defense. Why not simplify the defence and throw in an occassional zone to mask their deficiencies?

The concern is that defensively, the Raptors DO NOT improve when they put decent defenders out like Amir or Wright. So that tells me it’s a system problem as much as an individual talent issue.

Another thing that bothers me is that I don't understand Jay's fixation with having our bigs always hedge on the perimeter. All it does is lead to a cheap foul 25 feet from the hoop or it accelerates the process whereby the Raptors start scrambling trying to get back into position on defense.

Honestly, the Raptors would be better off playing a simple high school-style 1-2-2 zone and take their chances instead of working the horribly flawed system concocted by Jay and Marc. Let's face facts, you can't be any worse than the worst ever NBA defence.

Marc Iavaroni is no defensive wizard

Despite his so-called defensive credentials, the Grizllies fired Iavaroni in large part because of the team's "decline in defense". When he was with the Suns, they were not known as defensive stoppers either.

Respected Warriors beat writer Tim Kawakami actually annointed Iavaroni the No-Defense Coach of the Year back in 2008.

No-Defense Coach of the Year: MARC IAVARONI, Memphis.

"Opponents almost shot 48% against the Grizzlies and the Grizzly players didn’t look like they cared. Iavaroni just looked befuddled"

We fired Sam for this?

While I was not a huge Sam Mitchell fan, I rarely complained about him because I thought he coached reasonably well with the players he had. You can't say the same for Jay. He's simply not qualified to be an NBA head coach and we're seeing the results.

Jay Triano is a very good assistant coach and he's fine in that role on USA basketball and with the Raptors in past years. I credit him with developing Bargnani into a solid player. However, he is not an NBA calibre head coach.

By no means was Sam Mitchell a great coach, but he had some leadership and motivational skills which Jay doesn't have at all. Sam demanded effort. Can’t say Jay knows what to demand.

The damning won-lost numbers speak for themselves. Since Jay Triano took over the helm of the Toronto Raptors last season his record, (including preseason) is a miserable 30 W - 50 L (.370). Remember, when Sam was fired he was only a game under .500.

I hate being negative, but until the Raptors hire a legitimate NBA head coach – we’re screwed.

Jack Armstrong Says "Guard Your Freaking Man"

RaptorTalk — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:18:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk:

Earlier today on Toronto's FAN 590, former Niagara University head basketball coach and Raptors TV analyst Jack Armstrong went on a very entertaining and informative mini rant.

Jack's rant was about the Raptors defence and the coaching staff's overall defensive philosophy. As best I recall, this is a summary of what Jack Armstrong had to say:

First he said the Raptors are kidding themselves if they think they will become a Top Ten defensive team (as Jay Triano said he wants them to be) because the Raptors simpy don't have the starting unit that has the necessary defensive skill. The second unit can be good defensively once Evans returns, but the starting five are not just great defenders.

Jack went on to say the Raptors need to do a better job of hiding their defensive deficiencies with possibly a zone defence and see how that works. Or they need to focus on being able to (as Jack said), "GUARD YOUR FREAKING MAN!" Jay must try to get his players to guard their man straight up without always expecting help and take their chances on the end result.

In the Coach's opinion, the Raptors have become way too reliant on being a HELP defence team. Defenders like Jose Calderon (who Jack singled out as having challenges with defending his own man) have grown to "expect" help on virtually every play. Problem is that the "helper" starts laying off his man, so he can rotate over to help - which then leaves his man open waiting for his help and so on and so on.

Help is becoming a crutch

Jack's feeling is the Raptors are so overly focused on helping to the point that on almost every play he sees them cheating off their man because they know they need to help someone else. They don't have confidence that the guy next to them can contain their own cover. Eric Smith mentioned there were a couple of instances where Antoine Wright was leaving his man early because he was anticipating helping Calderon.

Armstrong said that good coaches like Adelman and Van Gundy know this and they can easily capitalize by utilizing quick passes and by running drive and kick. Once the ball starts swinging and defenders are sucked out of position, the Raptor helpers are scrambling and eventually someone is left unguarded with an easy wide open look.

What Jack described is what we see night after night with the Raptors. The defence collapses to help on the perimeter which inevitablty results in a mad scramble of rotating helpers. No one is in position to effectively guard their man and as a result there is an open shooter taking an uncontested shot.

I checked the 3 point shooting numbers from those two games which Jack mentioned and this is the end result.

v. Houston (preseason): 17 for 22 (77.3%)
v. Orlando (November 1): 17 for 32 (53.1%)

After the preseason game, Jay's strategy was defended as "one of those games where the outside shooters got hot". Well guess what? It happened again yesterday and will continue to happen.

Jack summarized it by saying the Raptors need to decide what they're going to "hang their hats on" based on their skills and talent.

Jack said (and I paraphrase) "let's face facts - the Raptors are a gifted offensive team but they will never be a great defensive team.". Triano needs to focus on maximizing the offensive weapons and masking the defensive deficiencies, whether its through a zone or "guarding your freaking man"!

The way I see it

While we agree with Jack, we should be fair and point out that a good perimeter shooting team can shred a zone very quickly. So its not the cure-all for what ails the Raptors.

But, I most certainly agree that the Raptors should try to play more straight up defence or we're going to grow tired of watching the NBA teams light up the Raptors with record-setting 3 point performances.

By all accounts, Jay Triano's "pack the house" defence isn't working too well right now. While the Raptors are hunkered down in the house guarding the pots and pans, they are allowing the thieves steal the expensive vehicles sitting unguarded on the driveway.

Not sure it makes sense.

RaptorTalk: Have a listen....

Jack Armstrong Audio Link - November 2, 2009

Eric Smith has just posted the entire 11 minute audio clip on his blog.

Memo to Bryan: Take a Mulligan and Fire Jay Triano Now

RaptorTalk — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:56:00 GMT

By Raptortalk

Some will say it’s too early to pass judgement on Jay Triano after only three regular season games as the Raptors head coach.

I see it differently.

I view Jay Triano as someone who has been coaching the Raptors for 78 games and his overall record is less than stellar. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that Jay Triano may very well be Colangelo’s “Hoffa” – a very bad managerial move that needs to be corrected sooner than later.


                           Triano's not coaching Sherm Hamilton anymore

When Sam Mitchell was fired after going 8-9 early last season, I was surprised. While not a big fan of Sam Mitchell, the bigger problem on the Raptors was an overall lack of talent and not Sam Mitchell’s coaching. I was even more surprised when Jay Triano was announced as the interim head coach until season’s end.

Be honest, did anyone predict that Bryan would pick Jay? Anyone? It was an announcement out of left field that surprised even those close to the team. The only rationalization was that it was an interim tag designed to get the Raptors through the season.

Under Sam, the Raptors were playing ball at a disappointing .470 clip. Yet, under Jay they played at a miserable .380 pace. So the new coach didn’t have much on-court success when compared to his predecessor. That said, Jay was instrumental in Andrea Bargnani’s breakout – so his tenure was not a complete failure.

More questions than answers with Triano's promotion

Needless to say, I was even more shocked when Bryan Colangelo chose to not hire an experienced NBA head coach this past off-season and instead he provided Jay Triano with a new three contract to be the full-time head coach.

In my opinion, Jay Triano is a great assistant coach. By all accounts he’s very good with players. USA Basketball hired him as an assistant coach to develop the next wave of Team USA players. That’s all good and well. The key word here is “assistant”.

Jay Triano is not true NBA head coach material. The Raptors struggles are in part due to the man who walks their sidelines. Unlike Sam Mitchell whose teams were lighter on talent, Jay now has a talented group of players to work with. Yet the team struggles to win.

Jay’s player rotations are no better than Mitchells’ and Triano’s Raptors must have the NBA’s thinnest playbook. And they remain clueless on defence.

Concerns over Triano - the leader

A successful NBA head coach must be a leader and a motivator and I see none of that in Triano.

Watching his press conferences and clips from various insider glimpses in Raptorland, I don’t get the feeling that this coach is the take charge leader who will guide the Raptors to the promised land.

Maybe he’s too nice, too calm, too polite or too Canadian? I’m not sure.

But when he’s standing courtside he looks more like a high school math teacher than an NBA coach. While his fellow NBA coaches are busy working the refs in order to give their squad an edge, Jay appears to be content to raise his voice only after the Raptors have been screwed by a few bad calls. Then it’s too late.

From what I’ve observed, Triano is lacking a sense of urgency. He certainly is not a dynamic personality nor does he appear to be cut from the same cloth as most great pro sports coaches. I see Jay as solid college coach working with 18 to 20 year olds or as good NBA lead assistant – but not as a bone fide NBA head coach. He is lacking the intangibles that are difference makers.

A premier NBA coach wouldn’t allow his team to come off a season opening win against Cleveland and arrive in Memphis unprepared to compete. Good coaches motivate and invigorate.

The top tier of NBA coaches have the ability to push their teams to achieve more and it’s not always because they have more talent.

Jay Triano is simply not anywhere close to, nor will he ever be able to coach and lead like Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Rick Adelman, Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy, Larry Brown or even Mike D’Antonni.

"Pack the house" if you want the three ball to beat you

I was critical from day one of Jay's defensive philosophy - which was to "pack the house". During training camp, Triano announced he was fine with giving up three balls because he would rather focus on protecting the interior.

To paraphrase the coach, “we want to protect our house inside and if we get beat by the three ball, so be it”. Guess what? All through preseason and into the regular season, the Raptors opponents are having a field day from beyond the arc.

Where has Jay been over the past five years? NBA shooters can hit open 3 point looks at a 40%+ clip. Doesn't he know that 40% from beyond the arc is equivalent to shooting 60% inside? Look, no NBA team shoots 30% from beyond the arc anymore. Even the bad teams average in the high 30’s.

So far, the Raptors have allowed the opposition to go 29 for 63 from beyond the arc. That's a gaudy 46% scoring percentage.

It's worse when you consider that to generate that same point production inside (87 points on 63 shot attempts), the opposition would need to shoot 69% inside the arc.

Hell, against Orlando, the Raptors would have been better served to leave the interior wide open and defend the three more aggressively. If Toronto could have held Orlando to 40% from beyond the arc, the Magic would have scored 12 fewer points and it’s a whole different ballgame.

Triano's losing record speaks for itself

But, I digress.

Dating back to last November, Coach Triano has won only 28 games, while losing 48 games. Jay has won only 35% of the last 78 Raptor games he has coached.

Since the Raps lost to Philly in London, Toronto is 3W-8L with the 'new squad". And don’t tell me preseason doesn’t matter, because it does. Triano’s “pack the house” defence didn’t work in preseason and it’s not working now.

Instead of using his vast contact capital and MLSE’s deep pockets, Bryan Colangelo went shopping at the dollar store and invested in a second tier coach. That’s a huge mistake which will come back to bite him, if he doesn’t bring in a real NBA head coach soon.

Bryan Colangelo may have caught “lightning in a bottle” when he promoted Mike D’Antoni, but lightning never strikes twice.

Now I'm sure that the Raptors will tell fans to be patient. My question to Bryan is - how long will Chris Bosh be patient if the Raptors coach can't figure out a way to win?

I'm sure Jay is a very nice man. I've followed his career for thirty years and was a huge fan of "Jay the player" and "Jay the Canadian coach".

I just don't think he's the best man for the job of Toronto Raptors Head Coach.

Two Games In and What We Learned About The Raptors

RaptorTalk — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:09:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk:

It’s two games in and we already know this new Raptor team will frustrate us to no end - just like the old Raptors. First they won an improbable game against LeBron and the Cavs, only to follow-up with a stinker loss to Memphis.

So what have we learned so far and how do we grade the Raptors?

So Jay, do you have any idea as to what you want me to do on the court?

Bosh: 'A' – Mr. Double/Double is still our franchise player. He can score and he can rebound. Defence still needs improving. His 16 boards against Cleveland were huge.

Bargnani: 'B+'– More confident and improved over last year. Defence and rebounding needs work. No doubt the kid is going to be good, even though he struggled against Memphis. When he got hot in the 3rd quarter versus the Griz, I have no idea why the Raps gave him zero touches in the 4th quarter. When he goes through droughts, the Raps still need to feed him the ball because he doesn’t just get hot – he’s on fire!

Calderon: 'C-' – Can we please have the real Jose Calderon back? I don’t like the imposter that’s playing now. This guy misses free throws, doesn’t drive, doesn’t put up any assists and turns the ball over. The only time I think the new Jose and old Jose may be the same person is when I watch him suck defensively. I'm not so sure he fits with this offence.

Turkoglu 'B' – Is a solid, clutch professional. Only problem is that right now Triano doesn’t have a clue as to how to integrate him into the offence. Until Jay figures it out, Hedo will waste away.

DeRozan: 'B" – Tries hard and competes. His athleticism pulls you out of your seat a couple of times a game. He’ll be a good one once he gets more NBA experience.

Jack 'B+' – Honestly, he’s miles better than Jose in defending his own man. Plus, the offence moves better with him in control. There seems to be more spacing and he’s not afraid to drive to the hole.

Nesterovic: 'B' – A solid pro who showed little in preseason, but who delivers solid minutes now that we’re playing for keeps.

Belinelli: 'B'– Wild, erratic and plays with an edge – but that’s all good. When he’s in the game good things happen, both offensively and defensively. Jay needs to get him more minutes.

Wright: 'B-"– Really gets after it defensively, but needs to understand that he’s the 5th option on offence. With Bosh, Bargnani, Hedo and Calderon on the floor, he should be immediately yanked from the game if he even thinks about taking a shot.

Evans: '?' – Sure could have used him against Memphis. Come back soon, big fella - we need you in the paint.

Johnson: 'D' – For someone who showed so much promise in preseason, he’s been a real Houdini – having completely disappeared. Where’s Pops Mensah-Bonsu when you need him.

Weems, Banks, Douby, O’Bryant: '?'– Other than 30 seconds for Banks, these are the early season DNP crew members.

Triano: 'C' – Clearly the Raptors forgot Jay’s new defensive philosophy between the Cavs and Griz games. Let’s hope they remember it for this upcoming week. Not sure what their identity is offensively. I’m not entirely sold on Jay and I’m not sure he’s the long term solution at the helm.

The Offence: 'A' - The old two man game with Calderon and Bosh is guaranteed to get CB4 a lot of points – but it won’t deliver a lot of W’s. To be successful, the Raptors need to move the ball and give touches to Bargnani and Turkoglu. Keep them involved on offence and it will help the Raptors avoid scoring droughts. Plus, they’ll get a better effort on the defensive side, too.

The Defence: 'C' - Looked so good against Cleveland and atrocious versus Memphis. Are we better defensively? Hard to tell.

Preseason: 'C' - Yup. To a degree, it does matter. While the home win was one of the best games in years, it was largely an adrenaline win. The loss against Memphis proved that many of the mistakes and problems from preseason still need work – lot’s of work.

Let's hope the Raptors come back home and look after business against Orlando and Detroit (who thumped the Grizzlies by 22 points). I think the Memphis game was an early embarassment and that they will want to make statements on Sunday or Wednesday, prior to hitting the road.

If they don't, then my colonoscopy on Thursday will be the highlight of my week which speaks for itself. So win a couple for me, guys! Please.

One Big Question of Concern For Each Toronto Raptor Preseason Loss

RaptorTalk — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:51:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Preseason is done for the Toronto Raptors and there remain more questions than answers with the squad. While I am generally apt to put a positive spin on events in Raptorland, my Jalen-Rose colored glasses are a little clouded as the season opener approaches.

Here are list of 6 questions (one for each preseason loss) that concern me, followed by the answers – which don’t necessarily fill me with confidence, either.

Q1: Should a 2-6 preseason record concern Raptor fans or does the preseason mean nothing?

A: While the preseason doesn’t count in the standings, the Raptors certainly are not entering the regular season firing on all cylinders. On balance, the preseason was a major disappointment. At no point did the team show even a glimpse that they are ready to start the season as even a semi-cohesive unit.

Q2: Is Bryan Colangelo pleased so far?

A: I don’t have a clue, but he shouldn’t be. His absence from the media spotlight since the team broke camp in Ottawa has us speculating that BC may not be all too happy right now. The media-savvy Colangelo has laid low for the past three weeks. Certainly I can’t imagine that anyone involved with the Raptors is excited about how training camp and preseason have played out to this point.

Q3: Is Marco Belinelli a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year?

A: Prior to training camp, Colangelo expected that Marco would be a serious candidate for the award. Based on what we saw in preseason, the answer is “no damn way”. Outside of a decent game versus Washington, Marco and his shot have regressed since the early days of camp. Hopefully his extra work after practice pays off sooner than later – because Marco has plenty of talent.

Q4: Can anyone score off the bench?

A: Without Marco, the answer seems “no”. Jarrett Jack is more of a distributor and defensive specialist, while Antoine Wright is not on his third NBA team because he’s a lights-out shooter. Amir, Reggie and Sonny are very limited offensively. Rasho will give you his usual 4 to 6 points a game. This lack of bench scoring could be something Bryan needs to address during the season if the Raptors are going to make a serious run.

Q5: Have the Raptors lost the Magic touch beyond the arc?

A: For the Raptors to succeed, they need to bury their shots from beyond the arc. It’s a strategy that worked for the Magic and one which the Raptors may want to emulate. Problem is they shot a league worst .244% in preseason from three point range. Unless they start shooting between .370% to .400% from deep, their ability to stretch defences and put points on the board will be in question. If they continue to hit only one-of-four, then you can kiss the team's three point streak goodbye. I don't know why, but I don't ever want the Raps' three point streak to end.

Q6: Is Jay Triano truly an NBA –caliber head coach?

A: While we really like the coach from Niagara Falls and fondly remember his playing and coaching days with the Canadian National Team – Jay has still not proven he can win at the NBA level. Look, we respect his work with USA Basketball and we understand he’s trying to integrate nine new players, but some of the disappointing results from the preseason have to fall on Jay’s shoulders. Let’s hope he can show a degree of leadership that hasn’t appeared yet.

Is the sky falling? No. Are panic buttons in the ready position? No, it's way too early.

But, let’s be honest. While I am still optimistic about the depth of talent on this roster, I am adnitedly concerned that the team still seems far from where they should be as the regular season approaches. The core talent is definitely there. Now Triano needs to develop the chemistry and hope the team gels - sooner than later.

Bargnani's 5 Year/ $50 Million Contract Extension - Better or Worse Because of LaMarcus Aldridge's New Contract?

RaptorTalk — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:52:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk:

Earlier this summer, Andrea Bargnani signed a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors for a reported 5 years/ $50 million.

The cynics panned the signing as an over-payment for a guy who has only performed well for a 60 game stretch and otherwise had under-performed.

So when reports surfaced claiming that Portland had just inked PF LaMarcus Aldridge to a 5 year/ $65 million extension, I decided to do a little investigation into the numbers to determine if the Bargnani contract was a good deal or bad deal.

First, everyone knows that Aldridge and Bargnani are 2006 draft mates whose careers will forever be linked and compared. To be honest, my preference was for the Raptors to select LMA at the time, but I am not disappointed to have Andrea instead.

Second, the real determination as to the merits of the Bargnai extension will only be known after his contract has ended. But, we can still have a look at the numbers which may initially validate or invalidate the wisdom of Colangelo's contract offer to Il Mago.

So let's start a review of all the numbers beginning with a comparison of Bargnani's and Aldridge's statistics from 2008-09. At first glance, they are very similar:

LaMarcus Aldridge:
Age:24
6'11", 240 lbs.

32.0 mpg
15.4 ppg
6.8 rpg
1.1 bpg
.487 fg%
.216 3pt%
.764 ft%

Andrea Bargnani
Age:24 (on Oct. 25th)
7'0", 250 lbs.

31.4 mpg
15.4 ppg
5.3 rpg
1.2 bpg
.450 fg%
.409 3pt%
.831 ft%

The argument can be made, that Bargnani's more relevant numbers occured when he was a starter and averaged in the range of 19 ppg/ 6 rpg. While that may be true, I think the 15.4/ 5.3 full season stats are still very favorable for Andrea.

Let's compare the contracts

Because the LMA deal is not yet public, I had to make an educated guess as to the year by year numbers. This is likely what the Lamarcus Aldridge deal looks like on an annual basis:

2010 - $11 million
2011 - $12 million
2012 - $13 million
2013 - $14 million
2014 - $15 million

LMA TOTAL - $65 million /5 years + Bonus
(up to $5 million in bonuses which ESPN's Chad Ford reports will be difficult to achieve)

On average, Il mago earns $3 million less per year than does Aldridge. For comparison purposes, this is Andrea Bargnani's contract extension:

2010 - $8.5 million
2011 - $9.25 million
2012 - $10.0 million
2013 - $10.75million
2014 - $11.5 million

AB TOTAL - $50 million /5 years

For the 2009-2010 season, both guys play under the terms of their rookie deals.Their new extensions don't kick in until next season.

What are other young bigs getting paid?

I also looked at younger bigs (relatively speaking), who were past their rookie deals and who had at least 3 years left on their contracts. I eliminated older bigs and those younger guys from the equation (like Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler) because their contracts are inflated and not representative of today's market.

This is what those players on my list will earn in 2010, as a comparison:

Bynum - $13.7 million
Jefferson - $13 million
Okafur - $11.6 million
Kaman - $11.3 million
Bogut - $11 million
Aldridge - $11 million
Okur - $9.9 million
Bargnani - $8.5 million
Millsap - $7.6 million
Diop - $6.5 million
Gortat - $6.3 million

I think that's most of them who may be comparable to Bargnani from an age and salary perspective. Admittedly, I could have missed one on two. Nonetheless, this is a fair representative sample.

The median annual salary for a decent young big in the NBA is $10 million. For a young starting big its around $11.1 million. So Bargnani's contract is certainly reasonable when compared to others. Here's the deal, in the open market Andrea's getting at least $10 million to start, simply based on the tantalizing potential of an offensively skilled 7 footer. No way Andrea could or would accept a deal at $5 or $6 million per year. Never, ever would happen.

When we compare Andrea's contract to Aldridge's extension, Bargnani's deal is 30% lower - yet their stats are almost identical. And when we look at Andrea's ticket in comparison to his peers, again his numbers come out at the low end of the spectrum.

Also, don't overlook the Bosh factor in this. Andrea's contract extension was partly a signal to CB4 that we have pieces in place at reasonable numbers to secure a solid core for the future.

Bottomline is that the numbers certainly make Andrea's contract extension look like a relative bargain in terms of the general market for an NBA just hitting their prime. Bryan Colangelo deserves credit for negotiating a fair deal for Bargnani and locking him up for a total of six more years.

So, in a word - NO. The Raptors did not overpay Andrea Bargnani.

Can Arnold Boshinator Be The Raptors Franchise Player?

RaptorTalk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:06:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Going into this season, the Raptors new defensive philosophy was to protect an area which covers the paint and extends past the free throw line. No one and I mean no one would be allowed to score in that area called the ‘house’.

Well, the brilliant new defensive strategy to pack 'the house' has backfired two games in a row as the Raps let easy three balls rain down against Boston and Houston. Shane Battier exploited the Raptors Achilles heel and shot 88% beyond the arc while draining eight daggers.

Now is the time for mulligans

If the Raps are going to take a few mulligans, I suppose it is best to do it in preseason.

The good news is that the Raptors have discovered early on that the 'pack the paint' defensive philosophy is not very effective. Hopefully, Jay and Marc now realize that and will adjust accordingly. The Raptors cannot afford to play soft perimeter defence.

The one thing that bugged me from the start of training camp is the organization's notion that there was no rush to get the core together quickly. Jay repeatedly said "we have lots of time".

Now, here we are with two preseason games left and the Raptors are still a ways from gelling. It will be a tough opening to the season, because Cleveland and Orlando are experienced and the Raps are still playing "getting to know you".

Clearly, offence is not going to be a problem with the Raptors this season- it’s the defence that is suspect.

Look, I know it’s too early to panic and there have been good signs particularly from with Bargnani, DeRozan, Amir, Weems and even Hedo in limited action. So I am sticking by my prediction that Toronto will set a new franchise record for wins in a season.



                         The new Beast under the Boards?

The New Bigger Faster Stronger Bosh

The story is now well known. Chris Bosh watched video of himself and was disgusted by the gangly, 225 lb. weakling he saw. Taking matters into his own hands, Chris worked feverishly all summer to add 25 pounds of muscle to his 6’11” frame. The result is a new ripped Chris Bosh who is noticeably bigger across the chest and shoulders.

Bosh also claims to be quicker and to now possess a more explosive first step. That proclamation certainly raised an eye brow with me, but who knows for sure?

Now, I'm not convinced it’s ever a good idea for a player to mold his body into something it’s not. Your frame is your frame. Long wiry people are long wiry people. That’s just who they are. Unless you're taking ‘roids, you generally can't add 25 lbs. and expect to maintain your speed and agility. Just my opinion. So I was a little skeptical from the jump that a pumped up Bosh would be a good thing.

My first impressions, having now watched him play are that the bigger, stronger Chris Bosh looks slower and more robotic than he was last season. He’s kinda like ‘good Joey G.’ with a few extra inches in height. The silky smoothness doesn’t seem to be there. The new Bosh doesn’t seem much like the old Bosh who destroyed the Bulls in the final game last April in Chicago. His mobility is not quite the same.

Now if this is what he's going to be like for the rest of this season, then CB4 damn well needs to go on a diet and lose 25 lbs. - because the old light, quick, wiry, agile Chris Bosh was more fluid and effective than 'Arnold' Boshinator (maybe that will be a new persona for Chris’ new YouTube video).

Chris is likely still getting into shape and needs a few more games to get back into the flow. But, I think I prefer the old explosive, smaller Bosh who had a deadly jump shot from 18 ft and who could take his man off the bounce.

I pray I’m wrong. Just the idea of messing with a winning a formula that consistently delivered 20/10 for Bosh seems a little risky to me. Yes, it’s still very early. Chris’ performance has a ways to go if he is to become worthy of a new max money deal, which is his ultimate goal.

I hope this reshaping of the Bosh physique doesn’t prove to be a mistake and that the franchise player Toronto had last season delivers the goods again this year.

Raptors fans are looking for 20/10 and more!!!