RaptorTalk

Top Ten Reasons Raptor Fans Are Happy Bosh Is Gone

RaptorTalk — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:39:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

These are the Top Ten Reasons that make Raptor fans very happy that Chris Bosh is no longer a member of the Toronto Raptors.



10. No more lame “MVP” chants

9.    Blaine Harrington has left the building

8.   Good riddance to Hadi

7.    Can stop pretending Chris Bosh is a "franchise" player

6.    More room at the ACC with Bosh’s massive ego gone

5.    We’re not the one’s over-paying Bosh and his wonky knees for six years

4.   Will see ball movement on offence again

3. No more attention whore tweets from "The Quitter on Twitter"

2.    Someone new to boo besides Vince

1.    Toronto smells better now

For a guy who holds many all-time Toronto Raptor records, I am amazed at how little Raptor fans really cared about Bosh. It seems like most are pleased he's finally gone. That's definitely how I feel.

Bad Actor: Bosh Was Playing For New Contract - Not For Raptors

RaptorTalk — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:39:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

While he didn’t go all Dan Gilbert, Bryan Colangelo certainly said enough about Chris Bosh to make most Raptors fans and NBA observers realize that Chris essentially quit on the Raptors last spring.

The evidence is damning and corroborated on many fronts.

Here’s what happened according to the Raptors GM:

“Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games ... I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play.”

“The fact that our season was spiralling downward and we were hoping he’d come back sooner and we were also dealing with a few other things at that point. We were really struggling there.”

“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it.”

Make no mistake. Bosh was medically cleared to play and instead he chose to sit out for six games and then play like crap upon his return. It was during that the stretch that the Raptors' season was, for all intents and purposes, lost.

The Toronto Sun’s Ryan Wolstat came to the same conclusion that most of us did:

“No matter how Bosh tries to spin things, it’s clear he, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James thought seriously about playing together long ago and they likely finalized those plans at the all-star break. He was not going to be a Raptor next season, so his thinking clearly was why continue to run through walls for the team and put his $100 million-plus South Beach payday at risk? Bosh gave everything he had for six-and-a-half seasons before playing the Raptors for half-a-campaign.”

The spin that some in the pro-Bosh camp have put on Colangelo’s “tell-all” is that it is sour grapes and Bryan is playing the role of the scorned lover. Problem is that the red flags and the questions about Bosh’s commitment to Toronto were being discussed and duly noted at the time.

Bosh went on Sportsnet to deny that he mailed it in or that he had decided in advance that he was out of Toronto at season's end. His assertions both rang hollow and sound like they are coming from a guy doing damage control. Fact is, many of us called Bosh on it well before the season ended.

Bosh told Sportsnet that he really wanted to make the post season. Sounds good. But how then do you explain missing all those games when there was no swelling and no damage to the ankle? One or two games is reasonable. Six is not. It just doesn't pass the sniff test.

Bosh quit for all to see

For someone who fancies himself as good actor, Bosh delivered a lousy performance after the All-Star Break. While he tried to play the role of concerned and engaged superstar, no one was really fooled.

We at RaptorTalk wrote an article titled, “What’s Wrong With Chris Bosh?” where we pointed out that numerous writers in the Toronto dailies and Raptor insiders on the FAN 590 saw a noticeably different Chris Bosh at the time when his team needed their (so-called) leader most.

Even Bryan Colangelo who had to choose his words carefully noted that it appeared that “someone got into Chris’ ear during the All-Star Break.”

One of the most stinging assessments of Bosh’s lack of commitment to the Raptors came from the ever-astute Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. After a heart-breaking home loss to the Denver Nuggets in which Bosh disappointed Raptors fans with his less than clutch performance, Feschuk nalied exactly what was happening - four months to the day BEFORE Colangelo officially let the cat out of the bag:

“But the truth is, Bosh could have lifted the Raptors to a win with even the slightest of fourth-quarter effort. Instead, while he was given the ball repeatedly down the stretch, he chose every option but aggression”

“This spoke to a larger and troubling trend. Bosh is averaging 6.2 free-throw attempts per game in March, this when he was getting to the line more than 10 times a game in October. There are enthusiasts of teen abstinence with less aversion to body contact. One can't help but conclude that the impending free agent is saving himself for (another) marriage.”

"They're crowding the lane a lot more,'' Bosh said, explaining himself. But anyone who watches can tell you the defences haven't changed, Bosh's approach has. “

“Perhaps he is opting for jump shots to limit his risk of injury with a $130 million (all figures U.S.) payday looming in July."

"But don't the Raptors, desperate to make the playoffs, deserve honest effort for the $15.8 million they are paying him this season? Perhaps he doesn't want to continue to expose the startling lack of explosiveness he's been showing in his rare sorties to the goal, what with the health of his brace-sheathed knees.”

“And what to make of Bosh's game-high five turnovers, which brought his tally of giveaways to 19 in the past four games? ``I have no idea. I turn the ball over, I turn the ball over,'' Bosh said. ``I really don't pay attention to that statistic too much. I don't care.''

It was nice to hear some post-game truth, at last. Denver's stars made plays. Toronto's star doesn't care about giving the ball away – or, judging by the way he's playing, anything but his next contract.”

Either Feshuk is a modern day Nostradamus or he was stating the obvious. I suggest the latter.

Fact is that Bosh’s disappearing act didn’t fool Colangelo, Feschuk, savvy Raptor fans or us here at RaptorTalk. Bosh often played hard enough to look good, but not deliver crucial wins. Miami was always on the back of his mind, so the will and desire to lead was not there.

Interesting that Dave Feschuk’s words ring so true now that we look back and know what we know. If there ever was bad acting job - it was Bosh down the stretch last season.

You see, the "sour grapes/scorned lover" excuse simply lacks all credibility because it was plain for everyone to see that Bosh was on cruise control in February, March and April. And he was rightfully called out for it, well before we knew how the summer free agency period was going to play out.

No other way to describe it. Bosh quit on the Raptors to ensure that nothing stood in the way of his South Beach windfall.

Fortunately for Raptor fans, Bosh is gone. Now Colangelo can build a young, energetic team and not have to worry about satisfying a wannabe-superstar whose ego puts himself ahead of his team.

Just remember. Things haven't worked out well for our last franchise quitter and odds are the glory Bosh seeks will likely elude him, too.

Chris Bosh Says Toronto Smells Different

RaptorTalk — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:12:00 GMT

   By RaptorTalk

I’ve got something for Raptor fans to read every time they wonder why Bryan Colangelo acquires a European player instead of a player born in the USA.

Read it before you suggest that Colangelo is a fool for signing free agent Linas Kleiza - a Euro, instead of American free agents like Anthony Morrow or Ronnie Brewer.

Read it before you wonder why Colangelo quickly re-signed Amir Johnson (an American who ‘wanted’ to be in Toronto), instead of dragging out negotiations to save a few bucks.



Fact of the matter is that Toronto is not the preferred destination of most US players and the Raptors organization needs to factor that into virtually every personnel move they make.

How do we know? The recently departed Chris Bosh spilled the beans to a Miami newspaper about what he really felt about Toronto as a 'different' and unfamilar destination.

Here are Chris Bosh’s honest opinions regarding the mindset of an American considering a move to Toronto. Read Bosh’s words next time you think that American born NBA players view Toronto the same as the other 29 NBA franchises.

"I didn't want to go there," Bosh said.

"It was different. All I knew was Vince Carter was there and I never saw him play on TV. It was a whole different country, and it was just different. I'm 19 years old, I didn't know anything about culture and being away from home. All I know is the States.

"Toronto's a great place, a fantastic city. It's a metropolitan area, but you could tell you're somewhere different. You could feel it, you could look at it, you can smell it. Everything. All your senses tell you you're somewhere different."

Not sure that's what we expected to hear.

"You can smell it"

Bosh flat out says that Toronto is different. It even smells different!

Antonio Davis hated the metric system. Doug Christie said his mother-in-law’s cooking in Toronto tasted different than back home. But who knew the whole damn city smells different!?!

Going through customs, not buying beer at 7-11, living without ESPN, Celsius degrees, curling on TSN and not packing heat are things we Canadians are used to. For many Americans, not so much.

And while T.O. is a world-class, dynamic, cosmopolitan city which this week was called North America’s “coolest city” by the Huffington Post – it will never feel like home for a US-born basketball player.

That said, once players get here they generally love it. No one on the Bucks, Jazz, Kings, Spurs, Bobcats, Blazers, Thunder or T-Wolves can rub shoulders with celebrities, pop stars and Hollywood actors as often as do the players of the Toronto Raptors. Living in Toronto is great for your ego if you're an NBA superstar. It's not LA or New York, but it's the next best thing.

Virtually every list of favourite NBA road cities of visiting players has Toronto ranked in the top five. It’s great night life and international flavour is the reason why many teams arrive a day early or stay a day longer in T. Dot. Still, in many player’s eyes it’s “a great place to visit, but they wouldn’t want to live here”.

The losing doesn't help either

The problem is further compounded by the Raptors’ dismal record as a franchise.

Bryan Colangelo is not running the Raptors like a Fantasy League team where the issue of location doesn’t matter. In the real world, Bryan deals with agents, American players and their families who don’t want to live in Canada. Like it or not, that has to be factored into many personnel decisions.

Will this doom the Raptors franchise?

No. But it’s an issue that Raptors management will continue to deal with for the foreseeable future.

The game-changer is called winning. If the Raptors ever become an elite NBA team, then attracting American players will be a lot easier. We saw it with the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 90’s. Winning is the magnet that pulls in top talent from everywhere.

In the mean time, Colangelo will continue to build a team in Toronto where a player’s willingness to be here is a factor.

So next time you wonder why Bryan doesn’t acquire or sign (insert player name here), remember that Player X simply may not want to be here.

That’s a fact that all Toronto Raptors fans need to accept, because it's not going to change any time soon - if ever.

LeBron, Bosh and Wade Candy Bar Endorsement Deal Soon?

RaptorTalk — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:44:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Fears that LeBron James’ damaged image and sullied reputation might cost him sponsorship opportunities may be somewhat premature. It appears that the first mega endorsement dollars are starting to roll in for LeBron James and his partners, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade.

Unsubstantiated rumors are that candy giant Mars, could soon announce that James, Bosh and Wade will be endorsing special formulations of the chocolate makers’ leading snacks. Sources close to the Miami Heat’s Big Three apparently believe a significant endorsement deal may be imminent.

While the actual candy snacks are being kept under wrap, there have been Twitter leaks from each players’ entourage as to the individual stars’ endorsed chocolate treat. This is what is known so far:



King James Super Digestive Peanut M&M’s:

The King James is a self-proclaimed miracle digestive snack, which after seven years will crap out of your system and leave you with nothing but peanuts. However, the product warning label clearly states that “the King James may quit working sometime in May”. Users may develop an uncontrollable urge to whine to NBA officials. So buyer beware.



CB1’s Super Digestive Snickers Bar:

Longer and skinnier than the King James snack, the Bosh bar will also crap out of your system in seven years and only leave you with peanuts. Most effective when consumed in Canada, there are no guarantees as to how it will perform in the US. ‘Snickers’ is the sound the candy bar makes whenever Bosh refers to himself as a superstar in the same breath as LeBron and Wade.



D-Wade’s Three Musketeers Deal Bar:

Because it’s not about the money, buyers receive a small discount when purchasing the Wade Three Musketeers Deal bar, the Bosh Snickers bar and James’ M&M’s all together as a package deal. This once-in-a-lifetime special offer will not be repeated once the new NBA CBA is rammed down the players' throats by David Stern.

Another ESPN Special?

Very well could be in the works. It’s been speculated that ESPN will broadcast a one hour comedy show called Delusion 2010, where the three South Beach Boyz will formally announce the exact candy snacks they will be endorsing.

Reports are that Larry King will lob softball questions at the three hoops stars in a special room completely surrounded by mirrors, so that each one can continually admire their own reflection.

A major portion of the revenue generated from this ego-maniacal ESPN infomercial will be donated to The Three Mi-Ego’s Charitable Coat Tail Riders Support Fund to aid and assist the countless hangers-on and parasites which have followed them to South Florida.

Additional details will follow as soon as we make them up.

Note: Thanks to Fox Sports radio for providing the genesis for this pseudo-news article.

NBA Championship Model Fallacy - Why Raptors Should Build Like The Pistons

RaptorTalk — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 01:25:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

If there is a silver lining in the cloud surrounding Chris Bosh’s departure to South Beach, it’s that Bryan Colangelo no longer has to focus on finding complementary pieces to put around his former almost-a-superstar player.

Instead, Colangelo has shifted gears and begun to build a solid team of players which features no single star. It’s a model similar to what the Detroit Pistons used with great success over the past decade. While the Pistons won only one NBA Championship, they had a very successful overall run.

Now some Raptor fans are calling for the team to adopt a ‘tanking’ strategy. Others call it building the ‘right way’, though the draft. Fact is, that tanking or building through the draft is not a sure fire way to build an NBA Champion.

We can look at the Blazers, Thunder and Hawks as current teams who were built the "right way'. Not one of them has yet won a ring. The Thunder seem to have the best chance, but that’s provided they are able to keep their young core together. That’s not always easy, particularly in a small market like OKC.

There is no reliable model or formula

That's the fallacy that many fans don't understand. There is no right way to build a championship.

There is no road map to follow. When you peel back the onion, you see that the NBA Champions over the past two decades have not followed any particular model.

In fact, there is a surprising amount of luck and circumstance that propelled these franchises to championships. Any GM who wants to follow the models that worked in the last twenty years will be hard pressed to find anything close to a text-book, paint-by-numbers formula.

1. The Lakers Model - Draft a high school phenom named Kobe (who made it clear that he would only play for LA) and pair him with the most dominant center of the decade – Shaq. Later, pair the best player in the game with Pau Gasol who was acquired in a lopsided trade that included his younger brother. Then attract lots of good role players because (1) you are the Lakers and (2) the weather is great and (3) it's Hollywood .

2. The Spurs Model – Don’t try this at home kids, because it’s not easy to duplicate. First you need to luck into drafting two great overall #1 picks named Robinson and Duncan as the centrepieces of the franchise. To acquire two Hall-of-Famers, you need the lotto balls to go your way and you must have the good fortune to hit in a year when there is a game changing super star at the top of the draft.

3. The Bulls Model - Hope that Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all-time, drops to #3 and then pick him. Next step is to spend seven years putting winning pieces around him.

4. The Celtics Model - The latest Boston Championship team was built around an unusual confluence of events that landed Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the same off-season - when the C’s real strategy was to tank and then draft Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Eventually Ainge threw enough crap at the wall and it stuck.

5. The Heat Model – That was based on having Dwayne Wade drop to the fifth spot in the 2003 draft and then have Shaq want out of LA with the intention of only moving to a small group of teams which included Miami.

6. The Rockets Model – The first step required Houston to get the top pick in the strongest draft class in NBA history and select Hakeem Olajuwon. The second step was for Michael Jordan to retire for two seasons while he pursued a career with the Chicago White Sox.

If these are the models to follow, I don't have a clue where you start. I can't say there appears to be any right way to win a ring.

Find a superstar or two or three

Outside of the Detroit Pistons, every championship team featured one, two or three super star players.

Landing a bone fide star who can win a championship is a long shot. And if you find that bona super star, then you typically need a five to seven year window to acquire pieces around the star - just like the Cavs did unsuccessfully with LeBron and the Bulls did successfully with Jordan.

Problem is, in today's free agency world it is difficult to hold on to your super star for more than seven years before they bolt for Miami, New York, LA or Chicago.

So the better option is to build a core of solid players like the Detroit Pistons did. If you're fortunate, you can win a title and compete for a few more. If you get really lucky, you'll find that one special super star to play with your solid core and you could win multiple titles.

Is any model guaranteed to deliver an NBA ring? Of course not.

But, for a team like the Raptors, the Pistons model probably makes the most sense of all.

The Evil Conspiracy Game of Bosh, James, Wade and Riley

RaptorTalk — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The evolution of the events which led to the creation of the new Miami Heat Super Team should not warm the hearts of real NBA fans. This is not the feel good story of three draft mates living out their dream. Far from it.

You see, the deck was clearly stacked in favor of the Heat from the get-go. We just didn’t know it until now.

LeBron James admitted during his tasteless, narcissistic infomercial that The Three Mi-egos had been planning to hook up for years. That was the basic rationale behind all three agreeing to virtually identical three year contracts in 2007.

The problem was that two franchises, Toronto and Cleveland were at a marked disadvantage once the clock started ticking three summers ago. They were being held hostage, while Miami was being positioned to take advantage of the Raptors and Cavaliers who were placed squarely between a rock and a hard place.

As soon as the ink dried on their superstar contracts, the marching orders for Bryan Colangelo and Danny Ferry were crystal clear. Win now or risk losing Chris Bosh and LeBron James in 2010. So both GM’s had no option but to embark on a series of win-now moves, with no regard for long term planning.

Just win now baby!

Like we’ve written repeatedly – all that has really mattered in Toronto for the last couple years was for Colangelo to take steps to ensure that Bosh re-signed in Toronto. That meant win at all costs. The same held true in Cleveland with King James.

Toronto’s moves included acquisitions of Jermaine O’Neal, Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack and others in order to deliver instant wins - albeit unsuccessful manoeuvers for the most part.

The Cavaliers acquired Shaquille O’Neal, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to bolster King James’ supporting cast. Cleveland enjoyed more success than Toronto, largely because LeBron is undeniably an elite talent while Bosh is a complementary piece who just thinks he’s a top gun.

LeBron led the Cavaliers to back to back 60 win seasons, while Bosh led the Raptors through consecutive non-playoff campaigns after which he lamely asked “what more can I do?”

The rules of engagement were different for Riley

Pat Riley, the Heat’s slick executive had a completely different set of marching orders beginning in the summer of 2007. His superstar never once held a gun to Riley’s head demanding the Heat win now or else. Not at all.

Dwayne Wade’s message was that he was staying in Miami come hell or high water. Winning over the short term need not be a priority in South Beach.

Then Wade let Riley into the dirty little secret which he had hatched with his co-conspirators months earlier. That was for Miami to clear massive amounts of cap space so that in 2010, James and Bosh could join Wade in South Beach and create a Heat Super Team. This team would be unlike anything ever seen in the NBA.

So while the Raptors and Cavaliers were scrambling to satisfy their max money superstars, even if it meant taking on bloated contracts – the Heat quietly cleared the decks with no pressure to make short sighted win-now decisions which might jeopardize their ultimate goal.

Was there a risk for Miami? Absolutely.

New York and others were also clearing cap room. Except they didn't have access to the inside information that the Heat enjoyed.

Riley and Wade most certainly received clandestine thumbs-up signals from Bosh and LeBron over the past three years, while Colangelo and Ferry were kept in the dark. Between Team USA, All-Star Games and off-season rendezvous – the soon-to-be South Beach Boyz had plenty of opportunities to discuss and refine their nefarious game plan.

Planned behind closed doors

Collusion is an apt way to describe what happened. This plot was definitely in the works behind closed doors for quite some time. It was the players themselves who orchestrated it.

The plot gained its final momentum at the All-Star Game in Dallas. Everyone from Bryan Colangelo on down noticed that something suddenly changed with Chris Bosh. Our collective spidey-senses were tingling.

It was publicly suggested “that someone got into Chris’ ear in Dallas.” Little did anyone know how right we were.

The impact on Toronto was immediate. Bosh suffered a seemingly harmless ankle sprain against the Grizzlies and then proceeded to sit out the next three weeks at a time when his Raptors desperately needed his on-court presence. When Chris returned, his play was dialed down a notch or two. He bore a lot of responsibility for unnecessary losses against Denver, Miami and Golden State that would have landed the Raptors in the playoffs if only the Raptors so-called leader played like one.

The Cavaliers fans’ experience was better, but ultimately it ended badly, too. Against a determined Celtics team, LeBron suffered a mysterious elbow injury. Suddenly he was less King James and more Princess Jamie. Many felt at that point that LeBron simply quit. Season over.

Season over - implement the plan

The conspiracy was all set and ready to move to the implementation stage. With camera crews in tow, the Bosh and Wade portion of the charade was underway. Even though it was a slam dunk they were already signed, sealed and delivered to Miami, the ruse was to give the appearances of being seriously woo-ed by the likes of New York, Chicago, New Jersey and the other unwitting participants in the scam.

Now, after months of waiting, LeBron, Dwayne and Chris have finally let us into their grand plan. Even though this farce of a free agency process is over, no one outside of South Florida feels particularly good about what happened. Frankly, it stinks.

And David Stern can’t be happy either. With many fans already feeling the NBA, is in large part, rigged – this super team scheme further diminishes confidence in the integrity of the league.

Cheaters never prosper

Take heart NBA fans. There are a couple of compelling curses in play which will virtually ensure that The Three Mi-egos have some real challenges ahead of them. Winning NBA Championships are far from a slam dunk.

By all accounts, LeBron’s cowardly actions guarantee that the “Curse of Cleveland” has finally been released from Northeast Ohio and will remain entrenched in South Florida for at least five years.

Raptors fans understand what Cleveland fans are going through. Toronto has now had four franchise players turn their backs on one the greatest cities in the world. Frankly, it’s good riddance in every case. It’s their loss and our gain.

Chris Bosh will soon discover what Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Damon Stoudamire already know. The “Jurassic Curse” will follow them through the rest of their career. While each player left Toronto with visions of an NBA Championship, not a single one has ever won an NBA ring. Never happened and it never will. The curse will not be broken until first, the Raptors enjoy their own NBA Championship Parade.

By the way, my father-in-law is an Akron native – so what LeBron did to the Cavs pains me even more than Bosh running from Toronto.

The final word on Bosh

As for Mr. Bosh, his legacy is curious indeed.

He boldly stated he wanted to be “The Man”.

Batman, if you will.

Then he joined D-Wade and Batman Bosh became Robin.

Now with LeBron in the fold, Robin has become Bat Girl.

Sounds right.

Bosh's Max Money Deal Gets Ugly at the Back End

RaptorTalk — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:35:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

An NBA insider on Fox Sports surmised that “signing good players to contracts as if they were great players is the best way to destroy your franchise”. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

According to this Fox Sports analyst, players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James , Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade are legit max money players.

That said, he also believes that neither Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh are max worthy – even though Johnson has his max deal in his hip pocket and Bosh will soon get his. The commentator went on to say, "Bosh and Johnson won't get you banners hung from the rafters,” which is probably true.

Many followers of the NBA feel you must be a “franchise player” to justify a max money deal. No doubt, you have to question if either Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson fall into that category. Both are more Robin than Batman.

Neither are a Top 10 NBA talent and one might argue that they aren’t Top 15 either. Johnson was a third team all-star whose team made the post-season. Bosh failed to make the year-end all-star team and the Raptors missed the playoffs.

Grading max contracts over the full six years

When looking at Bosh and Johnson, the issue is not whether they are worth max money this year or next. The answer to that question is probably ‘yes’. The bigger and more relevant question is will they be worth max money throughout the length of their entire contract?

Let's look at CB4's max money contract.

Apparently, Bosh's max deal will be closer to $125 million than the $130 million reported earlier. So Chris’ salary numbers will look something like this (with his age during the season in brackets):

2010/11 - $ 16.5 million (26/27)

2011/12 - $ 18.2 million (27/28)

2102/13 - $ 20.0 million (28/29)

2103/14 - $ 21.7 million (29/30)

2014/15 - $ 23.4 million (30/31)

2015/16 - $ 25.2 million (31/32)

The $125 million question is “will Chris Bosh be performing at a Tim Duncan level in the back end of his contract (which makes it a good deal) or will he be performing like Jermaine O'Neal who was hobbled by injuries and in decline (which makes it a bad deal)?”

Fact is that as many as 70% of max money deals prove to be bad contracts over the long term based on a decade of history. For every good contract like Tim Duncan’s and Kobe Bryant’s, there are many more long term bad max deals like those awarded to Tracy McGrady, Stephan Marbury, Steve Francis, Jermaine O’Neal, Penny Hardaway and Jalen Rose to name a handful.

Even one-time elite players like Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Shaquille O’Neal were inked to contracts that looked a little ugly in the last two or three years. Which is why owners want to reduce max deal maximum years in the new CBA. Having said that, Shaq and Ray both won NBA rings, so the investment was worth it.

Here’s the bottomline. If Chris Bosh's new team can win a championship in the first three or maybe four years - he's definitely worth max money.

But if they don't, then the final two seasons with an aging Bosh with potentially bad knees won't look so good at $23.4 million and $25.2 million respectively. Potentially you're paying a lot more money to a player with declining skills.

The window to win a title with Bosh is likely over the next three years. After that, his wonky knees and age will work against him. Remember, over the past five seasons, Bosh has played in an average of 70 games per year, so durability is a factor.

The manner in which Bosh’s free agency has played out is best for both CB4 and the Raptors. Long term the Raptors will be better off rebuilding with the young gunz, while some other team can take the risk and pay $48.6 million to Bosh when he’s 31 and 32 years of age.

The front end salary numbers are fine. But that's only half the story. Bosh's max money deal looks very ugly at the back end - particularly if his knees don't cooperate.

NBA Market Panic Could Spoil The Free Agent Party

RaptorTalk — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:21:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Don't believe anything you hear or read. No one knows what's going to happen with NBA Free Agency. Not even the key free agents.

With all the talk of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh conspiring to build an NBA super power, unlike anything we’ve seen before – events will not play out as planned.

You see, there's a free market dynamic that we can't ignore and which could lead to a buying frenzy that scuttles the plans of the cap free teams like Chicago, New York, Miami, LA Clippers and New Jersey along with those of the big free agents. Panic could very well replace calm and reasoned actions.

There are six key factors (which no one controls) that will influence the outcome of NBA Free Agency 2010:

1. Lots of Cap Space - Fewer Players

There are a lot of teams who have opened up cap room for a limited number of high profile players. What does Miami or Chicago do if they fail to land a big name free agent? There will be a couple of winners and many more losers. It will be interesting to see how the losers react. Do they fold their cards and go home or do they quickly switch gears and move in another direction? Do they panic?

2. Lebron Stays in Cleveland

It’s not talked about much, but what happens if Lebron stays in Cleveland? Maybe he does stay? Then the so-called free agent conspiracy literally falls apart, unless Lebron can somehow attract another free agent like Chris Bosh to the Cavaliers through a sign and trade.

3. Tier Two Dominos Fall and Panic Sets In

Yes, everyone says they are waiting for Lebron James and Dwayne Wade and then Chris Bosh. But what happens if Rudy Gay, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire and a few other second tier free agents start signing contracts before Lebron James makes his decision? A signing frenzy could set in with players and teams looking to strike quickly or else be faced with nothing to show for their cap clearing efforts.

4. New CBA Looming

Miami has gutted their roster for cap space. The goal is to land three mega-free agents and rebuild a very thin roster. The thought is that veteran free agents looking for rings will flock to Miami and accept veteran minimums. I’ve got news for you. There’s a big potential problem with that line of thinking.

If I'm a 29 or 30 year old veteran looking at a new lower paying CBA on the horizon, I'm not likely to want a vet minimum contract for one year. There are lots of teams with cap space who will be left standing at the altar. And they will be looking to over-pay a little to get something out of the free agent crop if they strike out on the big three. That 29 or 30 year old vet is going to jump at an offer of 3 yrs/ $6 million as opposed to accepting a one year vet minimum which has a re-up next season for potentially a lot less money.

5. Over the Cap Teams Are Players Too

It’s not just the Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Clippers and Nets who factor into the free agent equation. In this very competitive marketplace, teams over the cap are players, too. The Lakers, Spurs and Rockets will all be making pitches to free agents through sign and trades. No doubt all three of those teams are interested in Chris Bosh. Kobe, Gasol and Bosh make as good a threesome as you’ll see anywhere and the Lakers have depth to boot. Maybe Bosh says no to Miami and yes to the Los Angeles Lakers and all of a sudden there’s a wrench in the machinery.

6. Next Year's Crop is Weak

Teams with cap space are going shopping this year and will not wait to save their money until next year because that free agent crop is noticeably weaker. So once again, the market is going to lead to a decent payday for most free agents in the summer of 2010. Therefore, some teams who gutted their rosters may need to fill out their rosters with D-Leaguers or fill-ins from Europe.

Unknowns and variables are impossible to predict

With so many unknowns at play, I don't think that we're looking at smooth sailing for either the big free agents or teams like Miami, New York, Chicago, New Jersey and the Clippers.

I expect to see panic setting in on some fronts over the next few days, which will most certainly lead to a rush of teams and free agents anxious to cash in or risk being left standing at the altar with nothing.

Fact is that there are as many as six teams with a full court press on Lebron James (Miami, New York, Chicago, LA Clippers , Cleveland and New Jersey). That means only one team wins and five teams lose.

Also, teams like the Spurs, Lakers, Rockets and Thunder can be players through sign and trade scenarios which further complicate matters.

My point is that this whole process is not as cut and dried as some think it is. If one or two dominoes fall in an unexpected manner - all hell breaks loose!

Then, all bets are off.

The next few days will be very interesting. At this time next week, we’ll be preparing our list of winners and losers. The players will all get their money. But don’t be surprised if some teams lose big time.

Game on.

The Unofficial Post-Bosh Era Begins Well in Toronto

RaptorTalk — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:27:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The post-Bosh era has unofficially begun in Toronto with the drafting of Ed Davis of North Carolina and Solomon Alabi of Florida State.

Davis and Alabi are young, energetic, athletic big men with an aptitude for defence and rebounding. Both are skills the Raptors desperately need.

Word from Raptors’ insiders is that the organization knows the chances that Bosh might re-sign in Toronto are essentially zero. No one at the ACC seriously believes Chris will be donning a Raptors jersey ths fall.

So Bryan Colangelo is now forced to wait until Chris informs him of his preferred destination. At which time Bryan can try to extract some sign and trade value back from Chris’ new team.

That said, the Raptors GM took a very good first step in his attempt to rebuild this franchise. ESPN Insider Chad Ford liked the acquisition of Ed Davis:

“Raptors president Bryan Colangelo really lucked out here. With Chris Bosh quite possibly on the way out, Davis is a good get here. He's no Bosh on the offensive end, but he's a good rebounder and an active shot blocker. I'm not sure he's ready to be a starter, but as he develops he could be a nice complement to Andrea Bargnani in the frontcourt.”

For once it was nice to have other teams picking based on need, which led to Ed Davis to fall into the Raptors’ lap. He didn’t even work out for Toronto because all hoops experts had him being off the board between the seven and ten spot, with the consensus being Ed Davis as the 9th pick overall.

Even though Davis never worked out at the ACC, the Raptors knew him well. Raptors Assistant GM, Masai Ujiri said that Ed Davis was a player that Toronto watched many times live, because earlier last season they felt he might be someone who would be available when the Raptors draft number was called.

The breaks went Toronto's way on Draft Night

I know I sound like a broken record, but building a contender is as much a function of good fortune as it is good scouting and talent evaluation. On draft night, Bryan Colangelo got damn lucky that surprisingly, Hayward and Aldrich went before the Raptors picked and that Ed Davis was available at #13.

Am I delighted? Absolutely. If you told me that Ed Davis was going to be a Toronto Raptor and we didn't have to move up in the draft to get him - I'd say you're nuts.

Then Alabi fell due to medical concerns over Hepatitis B and he eventually was acquired late in the second round through a deal with Dallas. Solomon has a great upside and many mock drafts projected him as a first round selection. As the last big on the bench, Alabi will be more valuable than POB ever was and he has room to develop.

Honestly, I don't think Toronto fans could have expected a much better draft outcome than what transpired.

The Raptors walked away with two young, athletic bigs who were projected by Draft Express to go #9 and #21 respectively. That’s a damn good start for a rebuild.

No Turk or Jose trades

The one thing that didn’t transpire on draft day was the potential trade of either Hedo Turkoglu or Jose Calderon.

Apparently, sources close to the Raptors believe that Colangelo is going to hold off until he sees what Toronto receives in the all but certain Chris Bosh sign and trade. The thinking is that Bryan can more efficiently fill the holes in his roster after the Bosh saga ends.

Nonetheless, the first shoe has dropped in Raptorland and I like how it’s played out so far.

Barring an unexpected trade before July 1st, the next move is up to Chris Bosh.

Stop The NBA Insanity - Call Me in July

RaptorTalk — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:09:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Enough already.

I can't decide if I want to scream or bang my head against the wall.

I don’t have any appetite or the patience to get involved in all the non-stop free agent speculation and trade rumours that are swirling around the Toronto Raptors and the NBA in general.

Who cares?

Just call on July 2nd and tell me what happened. Then I’ll be willing to discuss facts and not fiction.

I can’t remember a May-June period where there has been so much rampant speculation about player movement – most of it completely unfounded.

Every tweet. Every little rumour. Every whisper from a so-called insider. All get blown way out of proportion.

Is there anything less newsworthy than the rumoured free agent summit?

The 'LeBron Watch' has me bored to tears as has the entire Cleveland soap opera.

Does Bosh go or stay? I don’t care. Call me when he decides what he’s doing.

Does Hedo want to be a Raptor or not? Yawn. Trade him for “Ball” and a “slice of pizza” and let’s move on.

Do we trade one or both of our point guards? Who knows? That’s Bryan’s job.

Is a blockbuster trade on the horizon with the Raptors? Don’t know and don’t care. Just stop wasting my time with pointless speculation. Talk to me after it’s done.

Will P.J. Carlisimo make a difference next season? Not unless Bryan fires the overmatched Jay Triano and makes P.J. the Head Coach.

Can Bryan Colangelo re-make the Raptors into contenders once again, this time without Chris Bosh? Probably not. But let’s wait until early July before we pass judgement.

Enough of the ridiculous speculation.

I can’t wait until this silly game of NBA musical chairs is over and we can discuss reality again.

Thank god we’re in the virtual age. If this was the 90’s, the rumour mill would have burned through a billion trees or more.

Now stop it.

Let's talk after Canada Day.

Chris Bosh Cries Out For A Brand-Aid

RaptorTalk — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:10:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Can someone make any sense of Chris Bosh, pro sports’ newest attention whore?

Does anyone really care about his tweets? I sure the hell don’t.

I like Chris Bosh and his effort on the basketball court, but I could care less about anything he does off the court. For god sakes, he’s only a basketball player. Period. You know it and I know it.

Bosh is not a brand. He's a power forward.

Sadly, Bosh and his amateur handlers have an over-inflated view of who Chris Bosh is. They think his reach transcends basketball and he’s more than just an ordinary hoopster.

In their world, Bosh is a multi-media brand whose future holds endless marketing and promotional possibilities. That’s what Chris’ ego wants to hear and his group of hangers-on are more than willing to tell him how great he can be beyond the NBA.

Well, I’ve got news for Bosh and his circle of advisors. The rest of us don’t really care all that much about an out-of-the-playoffs basketball player who isn’t good enough to make either the first, second or third NBA all-star teams.

In fact, it seems the MGM Grand in Las Vegas feels the same way. While other celebrities at the Mayweather v. Mosley super fight were treated like stars, reportedly Bosh and his entourage were told to get in line with the common folk.

“TV star Eva Longorio Parker, wife of San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker (who was also at the fight), was busy texting on her phone while walking to the celebrity section in one of the arena tunnels. Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh was trying to enter the arena with his girlfriend and friends through the tunnel, but was instructed to go through the regular entrance.”

Ouch, that’s gotta leave a mark on a 7 foot ego!

And if you think Bosh isn’t bothered by this, think again.

"Every day I turn on the TV and they're talking about guys, especially my draft class, '03 draft class, and this and that. They keep bringing up all these and I never hear my name, unless I'm like second honourable mention or something like that. I got tired of that", said Bosh a few months ago.

While some in the media politely described Bosh’s You Tube videos as ‘clever’ (featuring Chris as a Texas used car salesman and as the nerd Blaine Harrington) – let’s tell it like it is. They were awful and amateurish.

Bosh’s first professionally produced video, First Ink was slightly better – but not by much. While it may have stroked the egos of Bosh and his little sidekick Hadi, the public rated it right up there (or down there) with Ron Artest’s rap CD and William Shatner’s record album.

This pretty much sums up the flop that it was: First Ink Amazon.com Sales Rank: #133,290 in Movies & TV. For comparison purposes, Kazaam - Shaquille O’Neal’s epic stinker is ranked on Amazon.com at #34,624, almost 100,000 spots ahead of First Ink.

A video about a basketball player getting a tatoo is of little interest to most of us. Not like it hasn't been done before. And those bonus pseudo-comedic skits didn't have rave reviews either.

Word in the industry is that Warner was hoping that MLSE would purchase the unsold First Ink video inventory and use it for in-game promotional purposes. They didn’t. The Raptors know a dud when they see it.

Raptor fans are tired of it

A recent online poll shows that Raptors nation has grown tired of Chris Bosh and his Twitter shenanigans.

When asked if they wanted Chris Bosh back next season, the response was a shocking 70% who said either "No" or "Don't Care."

Look Chris. We like you. We really do. But if you leave Toronto, we will find someone to replace you. No big deal.

I'm not sure Bosh and his handlers understand how badly this has backfired. Chris Bosh is the most visible and best liked basketball player in Canada. He has a solid fan base here and endorsement deals that will dry up the second he moves back south.

Odds are that he will not replace those opportunities with marketing deals in his new market. This notion that Bosh can earn bigger endorsement dollars in America is silly. Chris is simply not a dominant enough player/personaility to make his mark in the over-crowded American media market.

Focus on hoops and not on brand building

Bosh is a talented basketball player and by all accounts he’s a decent, straight up guy. But these cries for attention through YouTube and Twitter and Video are really pathetic.

Basketball fans respect Chris Bosh as a pretty good basketball player, but he certainly is not a marketable brand that anyone over the age of fifteen cares about. It’s that simple.

My advice to Mr. Bosh is to sit down with your agent and your family and carefully weigh the career and contract options that will be presented to you in the upcoming months. You are a lock to get paid $130 million over the next six years.

So please, no more tweets about what you should do. We know our opinions won’t sway you either way – so don’t ask.

Then focus on being the best damn basketball player you can be. And if you elevate your game, then you may finally get the same level of respect and adulation that LeBron, Kobe, Dwight, KG and D-Wade receive.

But you sure as hell won’t receive the recognition they enjoy simply because you are waving your arms in the air screaming, “look at me, look at me”.

You’re a professional NBA basketball player. Your brand marketability is directly related to how you perform on the court. Based on the latest all-star team balloting, you are the 16th best player in the NBA.

You’ve got a way to go.

Confident Colangelo Assures Fans That Raptors Will Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah

RaptorTalk — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:28:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

I watched and listened to Bryan Colangelo’s annual State of the Raptors Address and realized that either he was saying nothing or I was hearing nothing.

About halfway through it became apparent that what Bryan said didn’t matter. As far as I was concerned, Colangelo could have been saying “blah, blah, blah, blah” and my interest level would have been the same. More importantly, my belief level is at an all-time low, so Bryan's words don't count so much anymore.

The only thing that matters is what Bryan does in the next 100 days to fix the mess that has become the Toronto Raptors. It's no longer about what he says.

Granted, the term ‘mess’ is one where many disagree, including Mr. Colangelo.

Bryan Colangelo feels the Raptors core is very solid and the Raptors are remarkably close to turning the corner. The Raptors GM told us that the bad Raptors who opened and closed the season were not the real Raptors. Nope. I suppose we can call them the ‘fake’ Raptors.

The ‘real’ Raptors were the group that we saw in the middle portion of the season leading up to the All-Star break. You know, those guys who went 25-10 through the easiest part of the Raptors schedule. If you believe Colangelo, that is the ‘real’ Raptors team we can count on seeing consistently from this point forward, particularly once he completes his annual off-season tweaks to the roster.

Kool-Aid doesn’t taste so good

In prior seasons, I’d be drinking the Kool-Aid and rallying around the Raptors flag. But this post season it’s different.

Like they say, you are what your record says you are – which is a 33 win and 40 win team over the last two seasons. To a degree, that can be viewed as a team on the rise. But here’s where Bryan has taken the fans and their expectations off the rails.

Two years ago, Colangelo said the Raptors were arguably “the best team on paper he had ever assembled”. The goal was 50 wins. Instead, they won 9 of their final 13 games which allowed them to eke out only 33 wins.

Last season, Bryan completely revamped the roster and again his stated goal was to win 50 games and hopefully land home court advantage in the playoffs. Guess what? The Raptors not only missed their win target by 10 games, but ‘home’ in the post season literally meant ‘watching from home’.

So excuse Raptor fans if we’re a little skeptical right now.

Let’s be honest.

Over the years we’ve been told that the acquisition of the likes of Kapono, O’Neal, Marion, Turkoglu and others by our savvy GM would significantly improve the fortunes of the Toronto Raptors – only to discover that each move proved to be a major disappointment. Some might say they reflected a poor ability to assess basketball talent – which is not likely to instill confidence in your fan base when your GM strikes out more often than he hits a home run.

Don’t believe me? Again, the Toronto Raptors are what their record says they are – which is a perennial under achiever.

Agitated Colangelo

On a number of occasions, Colangelo appeared surprisingly agitated and suggested that the team’s perceived sagging fortunes were a result of negative media spin and a vocal minority of fans.

Am I missing something? Raptor fans were told by Colangelo himself to expect a competitive basketball team for each of the past two years, only to discover that what we really were watching were Raptor teams destined for the NBA lottery.

Bryan reiterated MLSE’s commitment to “spend whatever it takes”. Yet, moments later he affirmed that his over-matched, bargain priced head coach would be back for another season.

It makes no sense. Why would MLSE spend millions of dollars on a group of basketball players and then turn the team’s fortunes over to a head coach who Colangelo admits still has a lot of learning to do?

I imagine if MLSE ever acquires a NASCAR team, they’ll save a few bucks and hire a Toronto Transit Commission bus driver, in the hopes that he will learn how to handle his multi-million dollar racing vehicle. Based on the retention of Jay Triano, it makes perfect sense, no?

Raptors fans are staying home

By in large, Raptor fans are speaking with their wallets. The Raptors are down almost 1,000 fans per game in average attendance and finished 14th in home attendance. This is the second consecutive decline in attendance. The Men in Red played in front of only seven sell-outs, the lowest since the Babcock era.

Season seat holders have until May 3rd to commit for 2010-2011. Interesting that many I have spoken to are either walking away now or will not put down a dime until the first week of July. Can’t blame them.

My season ticket partner mentioned that he may not renew next season. That’s fine with me. Spending $400 to attend a dozen or so games is very pricey – particularly to watch a lower eschelon on-court product.

Who in their right mind would want to invest thousands of dollars in season tickets within the next two weeks when they have know idea what kind of team they’ll be watching? There are too many unanswered questions.

Will Bosh be back? If not, will the Raptors receive a decent return for Bosh or will Toronto receive pennies on the dollar as many suspect will be the case?

Will Hedo actually come prepared to play next season or will the Raptors lightweight coach continue to coddle him, while breaking the occasional clipboard?

Will our sensitive, defensively challenged point guard continue to decline talent-wise? Can our coaching staff figure out a way to get the Raptors to play some defence or will they fail like they did last season?

Will the Raptors re-sign Amir Johnson or will he choose to move to greener pastures? Will the Raptors players commit to playing hard or simply partying hard?

It's up to Colangelo

Frankly, this may be the first piece I've ever written about Bryan Colangelo with a negative tone.

Despite my negativity at this point, I’m still willing to give Colangelo an opportunity to right the ship. My fingers are crossed.

But if he’s not able to deliver a playoff-ready team after all is said and done – then MLSE can expect Raptor fans to stay home until such time that the on-court product significantly improves. Another year out of the playoffs won’t cut it.

Ball’s in your court, Bryan.

Year-End Toronto Raptors Report Cards

RaptorTalk — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:22:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk:

Another hugely disappointing season has ended in Raptorland. No one expected a 40-42 record, particularly when Toronto sat solidly in 5th place at the All-Star Break at six games over .500.

So while I had hoped to do this after the play-offs, its now time for our year-end report cards on the players, the GM and the head coach.



                   If only the Raptors could have played the New York Knicks 82 times

Chris Bosh – Toronto’s all-star, he played like a beast most of the year and ended the season with 24.0 ppg and 10.8 rpg. Bosh finished the year as the Raptors career leader in almost every meaningful category. That said, none of it matters now. One question trumps all else. Will Bosh be back in Toronto next season? Odds are no. Let’s hope Bryan’s sign & trade brings back some value in return.
Grade: A

Andrea Bargnani – His play improved again this year with a 17.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg. He cut down on silly fouls and averaged 1.4 blocks. His man on man defence was much improved. That said, his help defence, rebounding, defensive awareness and overall intensity must improve. Will never be a franchise player, but can be a terrific third option on a contender.
Grade: B

Jarrett Jack - What’s not to like about the guy? Plays blue collar, hard-nosed basketball and is not afraid to drive for the hoop and harm. Is he a starting caliber point guard on an elite team? No. But he’s the best point guard on the Raptors. If Toronto had more players with Jarrett’s tenacity, the Raptors would be in the playoffs. Surprise stat of the year: Jack led Toronto in 3 point field goal % - .412% from beyond the arc.
Grade: B

Hedo Turkoglu: Despite high hopes for Hedo, the decision by Jay to allow Hedo to mail it in throughout training camp set a horrible precedent. The bell (or ball) was rung and after that, Jay couldn’t un-ring it. Hedo responded by playing the most uninspired ball of his career. The plan was to have a fresh Turk come playoff time. How did that work for you?
Grade: D

Jose Calderon: Back in the days of the TJ Ford/Calderon, we warned those who wanted TJ out of Toronto to be careful what you wished for because we weren’t sold on Jose as a #1 point guard. Guess what? He’s not. Everything about his game has deteriorated including his free throws. Never mistaken for a defensive stopper, Calderon struggled mightily. Don’t get me wrong. Jose has his strengths. But his role is as a solid back-up. Expect Colangelo to make it known that Jose is available.
Grade: C

DeMar DeRozan: While we would have liked more out of DeMar, the kid enjoyed a solid rookie campaign. By all accounts he’s got a great attitude and is a hard worker. Give him the off-season to work on his game and Raptor fans will see more performances like the 24 point performance he delivered against the Knicks on Wednesday. The Raptors need athleticism and Kid Dynamite has all that and more.
Grade: B-

Sonny Weems: Who woulda thunk it? Sonny Weems as a starter and key contributor through the last month of the season. Toronto’s feel good story for 2009-10. This guy has got great hops and has developed a deadly mid-range jumper. Plan in the off-season is to expand his three point range. I liked his effort, hustle and willingness to get after it.
Grade: B

Marco Belinelli: For a guy who was touted as a potential sixth man of the year candidate, Marco played more like he was gunning for the sixteenth man of the year award. Marco was way too hot and cold. Manu Ginobli he’s not. That said, he’s a deadly shooter who’s not afraid of contact in the lane. If given a more defined role next year (possibly as an instant offence guy) then I think Marco will be just fine.
Grade: C-

Antoine Wright: While he drove Raptor fans mad early in the season with too many ill-timed shots, Antoine developed into one of Toronto’s most consistent players on both sides of the ball. He developed a surprisingly good corner three ball and became one of my favourite Raptors. I liked his grit and tenacity. His candor was refreshing, too. He’s a free agent and its unlikely he’s back in Toronto next year.
Grade: B-

Amir Johnson: Love the kid’s attitude, hustle and rebounding. Plus he strikes me as a decent, teachable player. He developed nice chemistry with Bargnani and Calderon, particularly with Bosh out. Amir has great hands and is remarkably adept at finishing around the basket. He played all 82 games and surprisingly led the Raptors with a .623 field goal percentage. Is a free agent who will generate a lot of interest. Hope he stays in Toronto.
Grade: B

Marcus Banks: Was the Raptors best perimeter defender, even though he played limited minutes. When called upon, he played solid basketball and most importantly, played within himself and never complained. Probably should have played more and could have been valuable in certain matchups. I’d have no problem with Marcus as the Raptors back-up point guard next season.
Grade: C+

Rasho Nesterovic: Great to see the big man back in a Toronto Raptor uniform. While his minutes were limited, he always played with a purpose. Likely won’t see him back next year in uniform, but Raptor fans would like to see him back at the ACC.
Grade: C

Reggie Evans: Unfortunately, Reggie spent most of the season on the IR and when he returned his minutes were limited by Amir’s breakout season. As a result, Reggie never had an opportunity to bring the hard hat that the Raptors often needed.
Grade: C

Patrick O’Bryant: Dressed for only 11 games, POB was always there cheering on his team mates. Not likely to return next season. That said, there’s always room for guys from Iowa on my team.
Grade: C-

Bryan Colangelo: Had a great off-season and accumulated a group of players who were arguably the 5th best talent-wise in the Eastern Conference. But once again, the team on paper did not match the performance on the floor. As we know, you are what your record says you are. So, Bryan’s team was/is a 40-42 team - which is simply not good enough. Bryan was unable to pull the trigger on a deadline deal and he was unable to light a fire under his woefully over-matched coach. I still have confidence in Bryan, but this was a massively disappointing season.
Grade: C+

Jay Triano: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. No doubt that Jay Triano was the Raptors’ weakest link. Triano is solid in his X’s and O’s, but he is neither a leader or a motivator. Jay’s fine as an assistant, but he’s not an NBA caliber head coach. There is no doubt that if the Raptors had a decent head coach (say like Scott Skiles), Toronto would have won 5 to 7 more games, they’d be in the playoffs and Chris Bosh would be a lock to stay in Toronto. Jay bears a lot of the responsibilty for not demanding accountabilty and mental toughness from his players. Colangelo rolled the dice on a discount head coach and it’s burned him for the second year in a row. Colangelo’s first off-season move should be to kick Triano upstairs and hire a real head coach. Otherwise, the Raptors are destined to under-achieve again and again.
Grade: D-

Overall Raptors Grade: C-
While Toronto improved by 7 wins over last season, the Raptors had the talent to win between 45 and 50 games. They fell far short and as a result will likely see Chris Bosh leave Toronto. Can't blame him. Come to think of it, a grade of C- is probably too generous.

Might Chris Bosh's Injury Help The Raptors?

RaptorTalk — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:21:59 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Raptor fans got the news they didn’t want to hear. Chris Bosh is out for the remainder of the regular season and possibly the playoffs.

No doubt, it’s an uphill climb for Toronto to make the post season without CB4 in the line up.

There may be a silver lining in this dark cloud, albeit not a quite the shining beacon of hope that Raptors fans would hope for. But it’s a sliver of light, nonetheless.

There is a chance that off-season suitors for Chris Bosh may be a little more hesitant to pay max money as a result of his unfortunate facial and nasal fracture.

The question that must be asked

Is it possible that Bosh's injury might make other suitors think twice because of the durability factor? Or put another way – because of Bosh’s history of missing games due to injury.

Bosh wears a bulky knee brace because he knows his knee is prone to injury. Anyone who signs Bosh does so with the understanding that his right knee may never be 100%.

And Chris’ risk of another injury has increased again. Fact is that with the facial fracture, Bosh is now more prone to another facial injury.

Anyone who has broken their nose or suffered a facial fracture knows the odds of a reoccurence are remarkably high, particularly if one is involved in a contact sport like basketball where there is no facial protection. Just ask Rip Hamilton. Or look at what happened to Hedo Turkoglu tonight in the Celtics game - just weeks after his facial injury.

Durability is an issue

Over the past 5 seasons Bosh has played an average of 70.5 games. He pretty consistently misses about a dozen games each year:

2005/06- 70 games

2006/07- 69 games

2007/08 - 67 games

2008/09 - 77 games

2009/10 - 70 games

Fact is that Bosh is not as durable as other NBA superstars.

Kobe and LeBron generally miss only a couple of games each season. Back when KG was Bosh's age, he played either 81 or 82 games year in and year out. Tim Duncan has also been more durable than Bosh.

Durability must be factored into the decision to sign Bosh to a big money deal. What are the odds that Bosh ever plays 80 games or more? I wouldn't bet on it.

If you are signing Chris Bosh the free agent, you're investing 6 years/ $130 million in a power forward with a wonky knee, who also has to be careful when elbows fly under the rim.

Is it possible as a result that some NBA general managers may now back off or at least have second thoughts? Maybe.

If so, then Bosh’s injury may work in Toronto’s favour come the summer.

It might ever so slightly, increase the probability that CB4 stays in Toronto because other teams may hesitate to throw max money at a player who potentially may develop more serious injury concerns as he gets older.

Yeah, I know it’s a stretch. But you never know.

With this season being such a disappointment, Raptor fans need to look somewhere for hope.

Colangelo's Big Mistake Will Lead To Bosh's Exit

RaptorTalk — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:08:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

I have been one of Bryan Colangelo’s biggest supporters since he arrived in Toronto.

That said, he screwed up big time and his blunders in all likelihood will lead to the departure of Chris Bosh this summer.

Like I wrote in the pre-season – 2009/2010 was all about putting winning pieces around Chris Bosh so he would re-sign with the Raptors. The odds now that Bosh re-signs are razor thin.

Here’s the reality the Raptors face. The future without Bosh is not bright. I was at the maddening loss to the lowly Golden State Warriors. If not for Chris Bosh, the Raps would have been blown out by one of the worst teams in the NBA.

And their hapless coach was powerless to light a fuse under his squad – even though the Warriors were without their best player and the day before had made a tiring five hour cross-continent flight.

Without Bosh, one might imagine that the Raptors would not have defeated either the Sixers or the Clippers last week. That’s how bad a sans-Bosh Raptors squad will be.

It’s also not like the Triano-led Raptors play with great intensity or have a lockdown system that allows them to compete regardless of their personnel on the floor.

Just look at Toronto’s won/loss record without Bosh in line-up and that’s what we can expect if Chris does not return. One would be hard-pressed to expect much more than 25 wins from a Raptors team without Bosh.

The shine is off the Golden Boy

The lustre will be off Bryan Colangelo if he loses Bosh and the Raptors become a 25 win team next year. The Golden Boy, he will be no more.

Season ticket sales and walk-up sales will plummet. There will be no playoff revenue, which is millions in found money. Interest in a Babcock-like team will dwindle. Colangelo’s $20 million annual Raptors profit will quickly disappear and the suits at MLSE will have every right to question their well-paid basketball executive.

What is most disappointing is that Bryan’s off-season moves provided Toronto with a serious talent upgrade. I believe the talent is as good as or better than Colangelo’s 47 win team.

Yesterday, Jack Armstrong again said that “talent-wise the Raptors are top-five in the East”. He’s absolutely correct.

Colangelo's biggest blunder

So why is it that the Raptors are barely clinging to the 8th and final seed as we enter the final week of the season?

Colangelo's hiring of a bargain basement coach will prove to be very, very costly in the long term. If he'd hired a real NBA coach, the Raps would have won 45-50 games and the vibe in Raptorland would be completely different.

Bosh could have been sold on a bright future.

Anyone believe Triano’s doing a great job? Well, it seems that even the ever optimistic Doug Smith is less than enthusiastic over Jay’s performance. When pressed to grade Triano this season, Smith responded with a mediocre “C. Overall – average”.

Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Not only is Triano over-matched as an NBA coach, he lacks the leadership skills, the intensity and sense of urgency that is needed for a team to achieve to the best of their abilities. To make matters worse, Jay’s coddling of Hedo Turkoglu sent the wrong message beginning in training camp.

Triano finally put the hammer down last week, but that was month’s too late. The damage had been done. A player like Chris Bosh can’t respect a soft head coach who is not willing to lead with a firm hand.

I believe the tone for every season is set in pre-season. Yet Triano showed no sense of urgency in Ottawa and it’s carried on throughout the year.

Jay spoke of wanting to ‘peak in April’.

Guess what? It doesn’t work that way. The Raptors can’t erase the bad habits they learned in October. Mental toughness and intensity are not developed overnight.

The bottom-line

Turning the keys to the kingdom over to Triano was a huge mistake, particularly when Chris Bosh's future was hanging in the balance. This was the wrong year to pinch pennies on a pseudo-rookie coach.

And in the end, the short term cost will likely be the loss of Chris Bosh.

The long term cost is that the Raptors franchise will return to mediocrity as they were under Rob Babcock.

Might Bosh stay? Maybe.

I’d say there is a slim 10% chance that he could remain in Toronto if the Raptors make the playoffs.

Having said that, my guess is that Bryan would first need to acquire a solid second option and then move a slacker like Hedo before Bosh would even consider re-signing.

I can't imagine Bryan Colangelo is sleeping well right now, knowing that he's completely bungled this season, when he could least afford to have it go wrong.

If Bosh walks, Colangelo will have a giant mess to clean up.

Sadly, he could have avoided it.

The Raptors Take Aim At 42 Wins

RaptorTalk — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:07:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Even with all the negativity that has surrounded the Toronto Raptors since their post All-Star Game swoon began, there is still reason for optimism down the stretch.

Let's start here. The Raptors' goal must be 42 wins by seasons end.

If they reach that plateau then a playoff berth is a virtual certainty - with LeBron James's Cavs being the likely first round match-up (which is a good thing as I'll explain later).

The first positive was a hard fought road win on a back-to-back against a well-rested Bobcats team. It wasn’t pretty, but there are no style points awarded in the NBA. A win is a win.

Despite late collapses against Denver and Miami, the Raptors competed hard against two good teams. Toronto has now played well for three games in a row, even though they only won one. It’s not time to plan a parade, but it’s a step in the right direction.

If Toronto can get it together (I know that’s a big ‘if’) as they close out the regular campaign, then the season can be salvaged. That assumes Bosh gets re-focused and Hedo Turkolglu gets his act together. Otherwise the Raptors have no chance.

Might Bosh Stay?

This may surprise some, but I also feel that Bosh staying in Toronto still remains a possibility (albeit not likely) if the Raps can build on the Charlotte win and finish strong.

There is a realistic opportunity to close out the final 10 games with a 7-3 record, based on a relatively easy schedule. Six of the next nine games are against sub-500 teams. There are two back-to-backs with both being Away/Home, which makes a B2B easier.

The Charlotte game is already on the books as a W. Here what the Raptors must to do over the final nine games to salvage an otherwise disappointing season.

@ Charlotte – WIN

vs. LA Clippers - WIN

@ Philadelphia- WIN

vs. Golden State – WIN (b2b)

@ Cleveland - LOSS

vs. Boston – LOSS (b2b)

@ Atlanta - LOSS

vs. Chicago - WIN

@ Detroit - WIN

vs. New York - WIN

I know this may be overly optimistic and the way Toronto has disappointed throughout most of March it may be completely unrealistic. That said, if the Raptors stay focused, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to finish with 42 wins based on the schedule getting easier.

Just Make The Playoffs

First step is to make the playoffs, even as the 8th seed. Even though I fully expect a first round exit, the experience of getting to the playoffs is important in the development and maturation of young guys like Weems and DeRozan. If nothing else, I’d like to see Jarrett Jack enjoy his first taste of the post season.

Who knows? Maybe the Raptors can win one or maybe two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Having reached the playoffs and competing hard against LeBron’s crew creates a whole different vibe in Raptorland.

No doubt, the Raptors should be pumped to face LeBron James in a best of seven series in front of as many as three raucous ACC crowds. Facing the Cavs is a huge positive that is good for Toronto fans and the players.

A 42-40 record is attainable and the Raptors must make that their goal. If that goal is reached, I think that Raptor vibe will be much more positive moving forward.

Let’s hope the Men in Red come through when the chips are on the line and the Chicago Bulls are breathing down their necks. The margin for error is slim to none.

It's also a time for Chris Bosh to lead and prove his critics wrong.

What's Wrong With Chris Bosh?

RaptorTalk — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:50:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Let’s be clear. My preference is for Chris Bosh to re-sign with the Raptors on July 1st - even though I'm growing a little more reluctant.

You see, Bosh’s play of late has me and many others here in Toronto wondering if investing max money on CB4 is money well spent. Or does Colangelo go the sign and trade route and try to acquire solid replacement parts?

Honestly, I don’t have the answer.

Here’s what I know.

The Bosh we see now is not the same player we saw up until the All-Star Game. The aggression, intensity and explosiveness have been dialed down a few notches and it shows. Just when the Raptors need him most, CB4 seems unable or unwilling to crank it up to the next level.

For example, Bosh is averaging a little more than six free throw attempts per game in March, while getting to the charity stripe more than ten times per game through the first 100 days of the season. That is a troubling trend if it continues.

Bosh is also more hesitant when the ball is dumped into the post. When he receives the ball the slow, robotic countdown begins. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 – “time to make my move”. The ball is put on the floor and more often than not, it’s stripped as soon as the double team arrives. Bosh had five turnovers last night and nineteen over the past four games.

After the Denver game, Bosh said, "They're crowding the lane a lot more,” to rationalize his offensive struggles of late. I’m not so sure that’s the problem. And while that particular comment is up for the debate, Bosh’s lack of concern over the turnovers that are killing the Raptors don’t sound like the words you’d expect from the self-annointed team leader.

Bosh shrugged off his turnover problems with, "I have no idea. I turn the ball over, I turn the ball over. I really don't pay attention to that statistic too much. I don't care.''

Excuse me? You don’t care.

RaptorTalk spent a couple of hundred dollars on lower bowl tickets last night and we, along with the other 19,800 fans deserve more than an “I don’t care.” Particularly when the Raptors are life and death to hold on to the 8th and final playoff seed.

Eyebrows are being raised in Raptorland

The criticism of Bosh is coming from a lot of different observers. In today’s Toronto papers the question of Bosh’s effort or lack thereof was broached by Dave Feschuk in the Star, Frank Zicarelli in the Sun and Eric Koreen in the National Post.

Some eyebrows were raised earlier, as a result of a humiliating blowout at home by the Utah Jazz. On his radio show on Thursday, Raptor analyst Jack Armstrong was quite direct in his assessment of Chris Bosh's recent performance.

To his credit, Jack didn’t mince words when he questioned Chris Bosh as a real strong team leader and an on-court difference maker on the floor like say Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Melo and a few others.

Fact is, Chris is not at that level. He is simply not the guy who will or can say “get on my back because I carrying you to victory tonight”. The Denver game was the perfect opportunity and he simply couldn’t deliver – while Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups did.

Jack noted the drop-off in Chris' play and intensity at precisely the time when the Raptors need Bosh to do more. Bosh's comment after the Utah game where he asked "what more can I do?" did not sit well with the Coach. Jack's feeling was that if Bosh wants to be "the man", then he has to find a way to do more - including pushing others on the floor.

What concerns Jack is that Bosh has apparently not been particularly vocal with his teammates and chooses to lead by example and leave the motivation to the coaches. With a staff lacking in leadership, the motivation void is huge. Jack feels Bosh has to take it upon himself to be more assertive.

He referred to a quote by ex-Nets Coach Laurence Frank in one of the NY dailies earlier this week where he said, "In college basketball your team takes on the personality of your coach. In pro basketball your team takes on the personality of your best player".

Has Chris Bosh imprinted his personality on this team? Is Bosh’s personality one that can lead the Raptors to the promised land? I simply don’t know the answer, which in itself is a concern. After 7 years, the answer should be clearer than it is.

When you walk into a locker room with Kobe, LeBron or Wade you take your game up a notch because you don't want to disappoint those guys. Jack Armstrong says that doesn't happen when you walk into the Raptors locker room with Bosh who tends to be quiet by nature.

Then there was the Players Only meeting in December where Bosh admitted he said 'nothing' and chose to let others speak. Again Jack said, in those situations real team leaders stand up and let their voices be heard.

Why the drop-off?

No doubt Chris Bosh is not playing with the same intensity he had earlier. Maybe he’s checked out or maybe it’s the annual Bosh late season regression. Possibly he's looking at free agency and trying to remain healthy. Maybe he’s just tired of losing. Who knows?

My gut tells me that Bosh’s wonky knees may be bothering him. Hence the lack of explosiveness. However, Bosh doesn’t want to say a word to anyone for fear it will jeopardize his pending max money deal.

If I’m Bryan Colangelo, Bosh’s knees would be the reason I might hesitate signing him to a max money deal. I’ve always been suspicious of Bosh’s insistence on wearing that massive knee brace even after his knee was supposedly back to 100%.

I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever signs Bosh could find themselves in a situation like the Pacers had in Jermaine O’Neal after he signed his big contract. An elite power forward entering his prime, only to be hobbled by bad knees.

The question is - will Bosh really be worth $25 million when he’s 31 years old and the wear and tear on his knees has taken its toll?

On the other hand, if his knees are fine – there is still the issue of whether a 1-B guy like Bosh (no one can dispute that’s Bosh is NOT a 1-A guy) is worth a max money contract. This becomes an even bigger issue with the new CBA on the horizon which will likely come with fewer years and less money for most NBA players.

But those are issues for debate another day.

The season is on the line

This was a team solidly in 5th place at the All-Star break. Now they are struggling to hang on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It should not be this way based on the team's overall talent.

The Raptors need Chris Bosh to take the reigns and lead them through the final weeks of the season and into the playoffs.

Right now the focus is on winning and nothing else. The future of Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors needs to take a back seat.

Raptor fans will learn a lot about Chris Bosh between now and mid-April.

It promises to be interesting.

A Bargain Coach May Cost The Raptors Their Million Dollar SuperStar

RaptorTalk — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:59:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Bryan Colangelo is in San Francisco after scouting some NCAA college games. The Raptors GM told the FAN that he will “take the temperature of the team” prior to the Raptors/Warriors game.

Colangelo may discover an environment which is hotter than he ever imagined. Based on published reports by ESPN’s John Hollinger and Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star, the temperature in the Raptors locker room is extremely high and seemingly ready to boil over.

The issue? Apparently, the coach and many players are not seeing eye-to-eye.

Who in Raptorland is surprised by this?

I'm not.

ESPN's John Hollinger: Jay Triano does not hold his players accountable

You could see this coming as early as the preseason

It began when Jay Triano, with Colangelo’s blessing, allowed Hedo Turkoglu to casually work his way into shape. No sense of urgency from the coach set the tone for what has become a laissez-faire season.

In October and November, Triano expressed no worries and repeatedly offered up a laundry list of lame rationalizations as to why the Raptors were under-performing. And he’s kept the excuses coming all season long. After the recent loss to Philly, Jay suggested that the team’s lacklustre performance may have been a result of an early start time, coupled with the need to then immediately catch a flight to LA that resulted in a 'lack of focus'.

Give me a break! I’ve never heard a coach with more implausible excuses than Triano. For once I wish Jay would strap on a pair and take responsibility when things go wrong.

In early December, the team was floundering and Triano was clueless as how to right the ship. So the players had an internal meeting and self-policed themselves as best they could. Jarrett Jack, Antoine Wright and Chris Bosh went so far as to call out the coaching staff for not making the slackers accountable.

How is 'Pack the Paint' working for you?

The players also questioned the wisdom of Triano and Iavaroni’s “pack the paint” defensive schemes with its complicated rotations and unnecessary aggressive hedges by the bigs. It was not until the players demanded a simplification of the defence, that any improvement was seen.

Not that the defence is anything to write home about. John Hollinger accurately summed up the Raptors defensive mess and Triano’s shortcomings this way:

“Stan Van Gundy put in a scheme that works and held his players accountable when they didn't follow it. In Toronto, there's no evidence that happens."

"Head coach Jay Triano was called out by his own players after a particularly egregious early-season effort in Atlanta and briefly seemed to get things under control. But his charges have regressed and there's no indication that he's willing or able to squeeze anything better out of them.”

Look, Hollinger is spot on. Jay Triano is a soft coach.

Players respect strong leadership. Jay is a great Xs and Os guy, but he's not a leader. He is ill-equipped to control the mega-egos of NBA millionaires. Jay does not have the confidence-inspiring motivational skills that all successful coaches must have.

So while Jay may be adept at designing good 'out of timeout' plays, he is sorely lacking in leadership and motivation.

Triano’s hiring by Colangelo was both a surprise and a mistake

No doubt Bryan Colangelo has made mistakes. But I believe that Jay's hiring will prove to be Bryan's costliest mistake because it may eventually lead to Bosh's departure.

When Sam Mitchell was fired, who suggested that Jay Triano was the most qualified coach to replace him? Show of hands, please?

When last season ended and the Raptors actually played worse under interim coach Triano than they did under Sam, who felt that Jay Triano was the most qualified person to get the head coach's gig? Show of hands, please?

The answer to both questions is no-freeking-body!

Jay Triano can be the lead assistant on my team any day. He just isn't NBA head coach material. I don't understand why Bryan Colangelo couldn't see that.

Why Bryan would entrust such an important season in the hands of an over matched, pseudo-rookie head coach with Bosh's future hanging in the balance - is a mystery.

Looking back, this is likely what happened.

Jay was well-liked by the players and his potential hiring received at least tacit approval from Chris Bosh. Triano had also done a nice job of nurturing Andrea Bargnani. Jay is a hard worker and a student of the game – both positives. Most importantly, he was an inexpensive hire and he didn’t push back like Sam Mitchell did. The "D'Antoni experiment' worked for Bryan, so why not Triano?

Problem is that ‘not for one second’ did Jay Triano ever have the respect and undivided attention of the Toronto Raptor locker room.

So, when Jay came out and blamed the players for playing selfish basketball after the loss to the Kings, the players fired back and basically said to the media, "Bull sh**! We're playing the way coach told us to play!" Jarrett Jack diplomatically summed it up this way, "Maybe coach can elaborate on it if that's what he saw. I didn't see it that way." We know what Jack really meant.

Strong, confident coaches know how to accept the blame. Instead, Triano chooses to point fingers.

The Raptors record should be much better

To his credit, Bryan Colangelo built a team with depth and talent. Instead of struggling to make the playoffs, the Raptors should be solidly in 5th place and challenging for the 4th seed – that is, if they had a qualified head coach.

Like I've said a thousand times before, don't tell me that the players on this edition of the Toronto Raptors are one of the WORST DEFENSIVE TEAMS in the history of the NBA.

Are they a collection of Bill Russells or even Bruce Bowens for that matter? Hell no. But they could and should be playing better defence if they had a coach who knew how to (1) teach defensive basketball (2) devise defensive schemes that match the skillset of the roster and (3) held players accountable when they screw up.

Instead, we have a coach, who, in huddles apologetically says to his team, "I hate to be picky, but ...." Damn it Jay, it's your job to be picky and to demand excellence. The Raptors are a well paid group of pro basketball players and not a YMCA pick-up team.

Where is the intensity? Where is the passion? Where is the Raptor team that plays hard for 48 minutes - fighting and scrapping?

That tough-minded basketball team doesn't exist because that's not something demanded by Jay Triano - the too nice Canadian coach.

During the Lakers game, Phil Jackson called a timeout so he could rip Lamar Odom a new a**hole after Lamar played uninspired, lazy basketball. Odom barely reached the bench and Phil was all over him. When have we seen anything like that from Triano?

Good coaches make a huge difference. Look at what Scott Skiles has managed to do with The Bucks. They lost their top scorer in Michael Redd and they arguably are less talented than the Raptors. Yet the Bucks are steadily improving, while the Raptors are imploding.

Odds are Bosh walks as a result

This giant miscalculation by Colangelo likely means that Bosh walks this summer. What's frustrating is that it didn't need to happen if Bryan had done the right thing and hired a real NBA coach in the off-season.

A top tier coach would have had this team playing hard and pushing the 50 win mark. And Bosh would be viewing this as a franchise with a bright future, instead of a floundering squad with no solid leadership.

The only saving grace for Colangelo may be that the Heat and the Bulls have head coaches who are no better than Jay. Otherwise, the Raptors would have no shot at making the playoffs.

That said, I’m not sure that a first round playoff blowout will be enough to convince Chris Bosh to don a Raptors uniform again next season.

And while Bryan saved a few bucks by hiring a head coach on the cheap, he'll cost MLSE a whole lot more than he saved if Bosh leaves Toronto as a result.

As a Raptor fan, I just hope Bryan can find a way to fix the mess - quickly.

Raptors Third Quarter Collapses Reflect Badly On Triano

RaptorTalk — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:51:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

Bryan Colangelo was interviewed a day after the Raptors lost in Sacramento to the Kings. It was a game where they surrendered 43 points in the third quarter and came out of halftime allowing the Kings to open on a 14-0 run.

Colangelo commented on a number of issues relating to the Raptors’ woes, including the need to be better coming out after halftime. I’m not sure the GM realizes just how awful his team is in the third quarter of most games.

I spent time examining Raptors’ third quarters and the picture is not pretty. There is no excuse for consistently coming out flat in 2 out of 3 third quarters - which is exactly what the Raptors do.


              Must be the third quarter because we're getting our butts kicked!

The third quarter statistics for the Toronto Raptors rank among the worst in the NBA.

Third Quarters WON by Toronto: 20

Third Quarters LOST by Toronto: 38

Third Quarters TIED by Toronto: 3

Third Quarter Raptors WINNING percentage: 32%

The Toronto Raptors win less than 1 out of 3 third quarters.

Digging a little deeper, we discover that the third quarter has put the Raptors in some real holes where they have given up large first half leads or where the table has been set for a huge second half collapse – like we saw in Sacramento.

Third Quarters WON by Toronto by 10 points or more: 0

Third Quarters LOST by Toronto by 10 points or more: 10

The Raptors have come out very flat in many 3rd quarters including twice losing the quarter by 20 point margins.

Raptors rank at or near the bottom of the NBA

The Raptors surrender more points in the third quarter (27.3) than in any other quarter, which places them second from the bottom in that dubious category.

28. Minnesota – 26.6 points

29. Toronto – 27.3 points

30. Golden State – 28.5 points

To make matters worse, the Raptors also rank near the bottom in third quarter point differential at 27th in the NBA. Yet they rank a decent 13th in the 1st quarter and a very good 7th in the 2nd quarter. The Raps are 21st in the 4th quarter which is not at all good, but still better than their position in third quarters.

Since the All Star Game, the numbers have been worse. Toronto has surrendered an average of 29.6 points over that stretch, while only scoring 22.9 points themselves in the third quarter.That's a whopping points differential of 6.70.

What does it all mean?

The four main conclusions I draw from these numbers do not reflect well on the coaching staff:

    1. Opposing coaching staffs do a great job of making adjustments to what Triano’s Raptors did in the first half

    2. Conversely, Jay’s ability to counter punch and adjust at the half is among the worst in the league

    3. Jay Triano’s staff does a poor job of motivating the Raptors to come out of halftime playing hard

    4. The Raptors as a whole may not be as well-conditioned as the opposition and therefore begin to fade in the second half

Third quarters are so critical to winning basketball games because they set the tone for how you perform down the stretch. The Raptors are simply terrible coming out of halftime.

No way to sugar coat it. The Raptors are abysmal in third quarters. While some of it falls on the players, a large part of the blame falls on the shoulders of Jay Triano and his coaching staff.

Clearly, Toronto is flat out unprepared and not motivated to play hard after halftime. To make matters worse, they are routinely out-coached in the third frame.

If they expect to make the playoffs, its got to change now!

Raptors Aim To Hold On To 5th Place Through March

RaptorTalk — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:22:00 GMT

By RaptorTalk

The 15 games in the month of March will go a long way towards determining where the Raptors will finish when April 15th rolls around. The schedule gets tougher with one game every second day.

A little more than a week ago, talk was about whether the surging Raptors could overtake the stumbling Celtics. Not anymore. Now the Raptors are looking out their rear-view mirror and hoping they can hold off the teams behind them.


       This is the Hedo we traded for. Let's hope he shows up in March.

What looked like a comfortable 5th place position for the Raptors has suddenly become a lot more precarious. The persistent and improving Bulls, Bucks, Heat and Bobcats combined with a four game losing streak has made the Eastern Division playoff race very tight.

A Rundown of March

The month started with a solid ass-kicking by the Rockets. Hopefully Bosh returns for Friday’s encounter with the Knicks at the ACC. Then the Iverson-less 76ers arrive on Sunday. Let’s assume both those games are Raptor victories.

After that short home stand, the Men in Red embark on a four game with west coast swing with the Lakers/Kings and Warriors/Blazers in a pair of back-to-backs. Maybe the Raptors get the Kings and Warriors, but realistically Toronto fans need to be ready to win only one of those four games – most likely versus Golden State.

The following three Wednesdays and two Fridays find the Raptors at home to host the Hawks, Thunder, Jazz, Nuggets and Clippers. The game against the Clips to end the month can go in the Win column now.

However, the Raptors will be in very tough for the other four home games. Because the Raptors have played well at home this season and none of these games are back-to-backs, I’m prepared to put the Raptors down for a split at 2-2.

That leaves four weekend road games at New Jersey, Minnesota, Miami and Charlotte. The Raptors definitely need to take the Nets and Wolves games, but the Heat and Bobcat games are even more important because they are both chasing us. If Toronto expects to be securely in 5th place, all four are must-wins. Putting down my rose colored glasses for a moment, it is realistic to expect another 2-2 split.

Once the wins and losses are tabulated – my guess is that the Raptors will finish the month of March at 8-7.

So what does that mean?

My take is that Toronto will be barely hanging on to the 5th seed or maybe will have slipped down to the 6th spot when April Fools Day arrives.

Three Keys to Success

That said, the Raptors need to finish the month of March with a 9-6 record if they want to be assured of holding on to the 5th seed. That will be a tough task, which is achievable - based on three keys:

    1. Chris Bosh Remains Healthy

    2. "Orlando" Hedo Turkuglo Steps Up

    3. The Raptor Team Regains a Defensive Focus

Numbers 1 and 3 are most important, but an improved Hedo would provide a massive boost to the team's chances. If Hedo can play like he did with Orlando down the stretch last season, then Raptors have a good chance to go on a mini-run.

The Raptors must strive for the 5th seed because that likley matches them up with the Celtics in the first round. Based on ths struggles of Boston, I feel they are the best match-up for the Raptors. Cleveland, Orlando and Atlanta would be much tougher opponents.

This will be a month during which there will be much angst in Raptorland as we hope Toronto can enter April with a good playoff position within their reach.