9 posts tagged “bosh”

Fearless prediction I made last night: The Lakers, in the midst of a nine-game road trip and with Andrew Bynum sidelined up to two months, will miss the playoffs.

Well, looks like I'm going to have to put my foot in my mouth. In perhaps the most lopsided trade in NBA history, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies today for a package headlined by Kwame Brown, a player so bad he makes Andrea Bargnani look like a steal of a number one pick. Along with "Big Game" Brown, the Grizzlies also received rookie Javaris Crittendon and first round picks in 2008 and 2010, while the Lakers parted with a second round pick in 2010, veteran Aaron Mckie and the draft rights to Pau's brother, Marc Gasol, a Lakers' second round pick in 2007.

With the addition of Gasol, you have to figure the Lakers instantly catapult into the top class of the Western Conference. Sure, they're still in the midst of a deep road trip and without Bynum, but if they'll be tough to beat come playoff time if Gasol is able to mesh with Kobe Bryant by then.

It's been no secret that the Grizzlies have been trying to trade Gasol for awhile now, but could they have not gotten a better offer? Brown is, however, in the last year of a contract that pays him a shade over $9 million this season, though he hasn't shown any signs of developing into the player he was projected to after being drafted first overall by the Wizards in 2001. In 23 games this season, Brown has averaged 5.7 points and 5.7 assists per game, down from career averages of 7.6 and 5.7.

The trade should also benefit the development of Rudy Gay, the same way the Vince Carter trade allowed Chris Bosh to establish himself in Toronto years ago. Gay is averaging 19.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season, his second in the NBA.

Overall, I see what the Grizzlies were trying to do with this deal, but they certainly did their part in making the Lakers a much, much better team.

Forget Jessica Simpson. Chris Bosh's girlfriend is the new Yoko Ono, out to destroy the Raptors. Bosh's girlfriend, Allison, apparently added the fuel to LeBron James' fire in Cleveland's fourth quarter comeback at the ACC on Sunday. James scored 24 points in the final quarter, erasing a 13-point deficit and leading the Cavs to a 93-90 win. According to reports, Bosh's girlfriend heckled James after he missed a third quarter dunk, and well...the rest is history. In the waning seconds, James approach Yoko Allison at her courtside seat and said, "It's your fault, It's your fault." I'm not sure if Allison also enjoys peace and staying in bed all day, but she screams Yoko nonetheless.

This, of course, is the latest in a string of bizarre Bosh incidents. In case you haven't yet seen it, have a look at Bosh's All-Star Game campaign. Am I the only one driven crazy by the improper placement of the dollar signs (25$? 10$? 5$?)?

It’s still early, but it’s been an up-and-down season to say the least for the Raptors. Here’s a look at who’s hot and who’s not for the Raptors through the first month of the regular season.

Three Up

Chris Bosh
A couple of weeks ago, this wouldn’t have been the case. Bosh struggled out of the gate after missing much of the pre-season, averaging just 15 points through the first ten games and often being a non-factor in the team’s half-court offense. He broke out with a 31 point, 12 rebound game against Dallas on November 20 and matched a career-high 41 points against Cleveland four days later. Bosh is hot at the right time for the Raptors, who have a tough schedule in December.

Jose Calderon
Calderon stepped up in the absence of T.J. Ford last week, recording 27 assists and just one turnover in back-to-back games against Cleveland and Chicago. In a 93-78 win over the Bulls, the third-year point guard scored 19 points and added a career-high 14 assists in 40 minutes of play, arguably his best game as a Raptor.

Jamario Moon
Moon has been remarkable, considering he was a long-shot to even make the team coming into training camp. Moon entered the Raptors’ starting lineup after a breakout game in Philadelphia on November 9 and hasn’t looked back. His best game also came against Chicago, when he matched a career-high with 15 points and added nine rebounds, three steals and six blocks.

Three Down

Andrea Bargnani
Bargnani has disappointed early in his sophomore campaign, showing little improvement and putting up numbers that mirror those of last season. The first-overall pick in 2006 has been inconsistent, averaging 11.6 points per game while bouncing between the starting lineup and bench. He’s still having loads of trouble guarding quicker big men, something he’ll have to improve upon if the Raptors hope to use him at centre in the future.

Jorge Garbajosa
Garbajosa went against the advice of team doctors and opted not to have surgery this summer, instead playing for the Spanish National Team on a wobbly ankle. His decision has come back to haunt him – after being used sparingly in the first month of the season, he’s decided to have the surgery, which will keep him out indefinitely. I’m not a doctor, but I don’t expect to see Garbajosa in uniform again this season.

Juan Dixon
Dixon’s shoot-first, shoot-second mentality is starting to become even more evident as his playing time decreases. Despite a few strong games early in the season, Dixon  has fallen out of coach Sam Mitchell’s rotation, and has done little to win the favour back in the time he’s had on the floor. He shooting below 40% for the season and hasn’t even seen the floor in four of the last seven games.

In a difficult reminder that there is no such thing as karma, Vince Carter and the Nets finished off the Raptors in a surprisingly close Game 6 last night in New Jersey. After getting torched in their previous two road games, the Raptors hung in this one till the very end, only to have their one-point point lead erased on a Richard Jefferson layup with eight seconds remaining. Jefferson's steal on the Raptors' ensuing possession sealed the deal in the Nets' 98-97 win.

The Raptors used gutty performances from point guards Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford and another strong effort from Andrea Bargnani to hang around in this one, but but were held back by another sloppy outing from "All-Star" Chris Bosh. Bosh was horrible in the first three quarters, shooting a Dirk Nowitzki-like 2-of-13, before finishing strong in the final quarter. He finished with 23 points on just 8-of-22, but to his credit added a career-high 9 assists. Nevertheless, Bosh was shut down all series by Jason "Big Game" Collins, whose job, according to Raptors' color-commentator Leo Rautins, was to "bang Chris Bosh" all night. If Collins' role in the second round is similar to his role against the Raptors, he'll be called upon to "bang Zydrunas Ilgauskas", and maybe even grind LeBron James should he have any thoughts of attacking the hoop.

A tough way to go out against the despised Nets, but still, credit must be given where it's due. Jason Kidd was remarkable in the series, averaging a triple-double (14.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 13.2 apg), becoming the first to do so in a series since himself in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against Boston. Carter averaged 25.0 points per game despite looking disinterested 75% of the time, which is no surprise to Raptor fans. Jefferson was huge all series, averaging 21.0 per game, five above his regular season average. And finally, let's give it up for Collins. His average of 3.2 points per game far exceeded the 0.1 that he averaged in his final ten starts of the regular season. That's not a typo, he scored a total of one point in his final ten games.

Again, a difficult way to end the season, but a monumental year nonetheless. The Raptors equaled their franchise-high with 47 wins, won the Atlantic Division for the first time in team history, and secured home court in the playoffs for the first time. They're a young team that will benefit from this experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing them bounce back in '07-08.

...I wouldn't go as far as to say that much yet, but at least the Raptors were able to extend their stay in the playoffs with a 98-96 win in Game 5 tonight. After jumping to an early 20-point lead, the Raps let the Nets back in the game in the fourth quarter before escaping with a two-point win after Bostjan Nachbar's game-winning three-pointer rimmed out.

The Raps still trail 3-2 in the series and head back to New Jersey for Game 6, where they were embarrassed in Games 3 and 4. By dropping the first game of the set, the Raptors put themselves in a position where they were going to have to win a game on the road, which they are going to have to do on Friday if they hope to come home for Game 7. Letting the Nets back in tonight's game was bad news---no question that a blowout win, which looked to be in the cards after the first quarter, would have left them in better shape heading on the road. More bad news for the Raptors---TJ Ford left the game after taking a bad tumble in the second quarter, and his replacement, Jose Calderon, went down with an ankle injury in the final minute. No word yet on their availability for Friday night.

Despite the injury, Calderon was the story of the night for the Raps. Filling in for Ford, he once again proved himself capable of leading an NBA team, finishing with 25 points and 8 assists. His performance was huge, especially considering Chris Bosh was again a no-show 11 points in a foul-filled 24 minutes. Andrea Bargnani proved capable of stepping up, scoring 18 points, although he was nowhere to be found in the second half. Morris Peterson stepped into the starting lineup, scoring 17 points, including several big buckets to weather Net runs in the third quarter.

Overall, a fair performance tonight by the Raptors. For the most part, the game wasn't nearly as close as the final score would suggest, but they would've done wonders for their momentum if they hadn't let the Nets back in this one. Next, they head out on the road, looking to make up for embarrassing efforts at The Meadowlands in Games 3 and 4.

The sports weekend from hell (Raptors playoff loss, Jays swept by Baltimore) has come and gone, and things look to be getting back to normal for Toronto's two best teams. The Raps recovered with a nervous 89-83 win last night, and the Jays bounced back with a sweep of a two-game set in Boston.

It's been five years since I've watched a Raptors game that had any meaning, and I'd forgotten how unnerving these playoff games can be. I had the chills before Saturday's Game 1, only to have my world thrown into a tailspin by the Raptors' horrible showing at the hands of Vince and the Nets. The chills were back for Game 2 last night, when Anthony Parker helped a shaky Raptor squad escape with a narrow win. Unless one of these teams gets a serious shot in the arm, I get the feeling each game is going to be a grind---you can throw whatever happened in the regular season out the window.

Of course, the key to success for the Raptors is Chris Bosh. He's the only legitimate big man in the series, but hasn't played like it at times thus far. It took him awhile to get going last night, and if the Raptors are going to steal a game on the road, he has to play a full 48. Parker, the difference maker in Game 2, is a better scorer than his 12 point per game regular season average suggests, and will be called upon to create shots if the offense keeps breaking down the way it did in the first two games. Also, any contribution from Andrea Bargnani would be welcomed.

Parker, Joey Graham and Morris Peterson did a great job of shutting down Carter in the first two games, but you have to figure he's going to go off one of these games. Aside from Kidd and Jefferson, another player that terrifies me is Bostjan Nachbar, one of the best players that nobody has heard of. He's made huge shots in the fourth quarter of both games thus far, and he'll likely continue to get good looks playing alongside the big three. The Raptors can't forget about this guy.

This series looks like it may be a an all-out, seven game grind. As of right now I still have the Raptors taking it, but partly because I'm afraid to imagine how I may react to losing to Carter.

Now that the Leafs' hopes of getting swept by Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs are officially dashed, the city of Toronto can turn their collective attention to the best show in town—the red-hot Raptors. Friday night’s win over the Sixers clinched first place in the Atlantic Division, and tonight’s 103-89 win over their former nemesis, the Chicago Bulls, has the Raptors sitting at 44-33 and in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Sure, the Atlantic Division is historically weak this season, but the Raptors’ run to the playoffs has been remarkable nonetheless, especially considering their 2-8 start. Tonight’s win over the Bulls, who they’ve won two straight against after losing their previous 15, has the Raptors two games ahead of the Miami Heat and in position to face the Washington Wizards sans Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler in the first round. The Heat have Dwyane Wade back in the lineup, an easy remaining schedule, and hold the tie-breaker with the Raps, so Toronto must win out in order to hold their spot.

Regardless of how the final week and a half of the season finishes, this team has been one of the feel-good stories in the NBA this season. Projected by the so-called “experts” to finish with no more than 30 wins, they’ve far exceeded expectations, and have the pieces in place to be a contender for years to come. How far can Chris Bosh carry the team this season? Time will tell, and with the Leafs eliminated a couple weeks earlier than expected, Toronto just may be watching.

March Madness continues, yet the NCAA Tournament still hasn’t gotten in on the act (that’s coming later this weekend and early next week, I’m sure). I’m talking about tonight’s Raptors-Wizards game. Morris Peterson provided the magic with an impossible off-balance buzzer beater to send the game to overtime, and Chris Bosh sealed the deal in the extra frame as the Raps went on to win 123-118.

You have to tip your cap to Peterson. The team’s all-time leader in games played has seen a lot of highs and lows in his seven seasons in Toronto. Coming off a career season last year, he’s seen his playing time decrease significantly this season, especially of late. However, he’s handled it like a true pro. With Garbajosa and Bargnani out, it would seem like a good opportunity for Peterson to work his way back into Sam Mitchell’s rotation, but he sat on the bench for the first 47 minutes and 52 seconds of tonight’s game. That’s right, Mitchell didn’t call his number until there were eight seconds remaining. Yet, Peterson came in and nailed the circus shot to send the game to overtime. He was back on the bench to start overtime, and was called upon again to finish the last minute of the extra frame. His line for the night: 55 seconds played, 1-1 from the field, 1 steal, and 3 points. A far cry from the 38 minutes and 17 points he averaged per game last season, but an effective line nonetheless.

After the game, Peterson handled the media perfectly. No complaining about his lack of playing time, no harsh words for coach Mitchell, just good things to say about the way the team played and satisfaction about getting the win. Peterson is a free agent after this season and he’s likely done in Toronto, but wherever he goes, he’s likely to be a contributor both on the court and in the dressing room.

Basketball is back in Toronto. After finishing January with a 10-5 record to even their overall record at 23-23, threeRaptors were honoured with Eastern Conference monthy awards today. Chris Bosh was named Player of the Month, Andrea Bargnani took home the Rookie of the Month honours, while Sam Mitchell was named Coach of the Month. After beginning the season just 2-8, this team has done a remarkable job of turning things around and now sit atop the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. The team is beginning to generate a buzz reminiscent of the days of Vince Carter.

The thing that strikes me about this team is that each player knows and accepts their role, which is a rare thing in pro sports. Jose Calderon has filled in admirably for the injured TJ Ford, and has proven that he can be not only a starting point guard, but a productive starting point guard in this league. However, with Ford's return, there has been no griping from Calderon. Morris Peterson has embraced his new role off the bench. Joey Graham has worked his way into Mitchell's rotation and has turned into a steady producer. Each player is producing in the role that they have been assigned.

I'll wrap this up with a replay of Chris Bosh's buzzer beater from last night. I realize my friend Bob Vila already posted this on his blog, but a post about the Raptors can't go without it. I love Chuck Swirsky's play-by-play call and sound of the ball going through the net "SWISH". Check it out.