Well, those were a couple of disappointing losses. I know it’s early and I’m not panicking or anything. But, as others have said all around the web, there are always going to be losses, sometimes in games you should win, and you accept that. But poor effort is much, much harder to accept.

We all knew coming in that this team was not going to be a defensive juggernaut. We knew they’d struggle on the glass. But man… I don’t think anyone expected the Raptors to make THAT many mistakes on the defensive end. Why are we sending double-teams from the strong side? Why aren’t helpers rotating? Why can’t we box out? Why are going under screens on shooters? Why didn’t we adjust the “protect the house” strategy against Orlando, a team with only one inside threat (Howard) and four 3-point shooters? Anyone with a wit of basketball sense knew that wasn’t going to work, yet there we are, four Raptors collapsing into the paint when such offensive juggernauts as Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass get the ball on the block.

Offensively, you can see this team is still gelling. We all expected that, and despite that, they’re still scoring in bunches. But defensively, what is the excuse? There is absolutely none. ESPECIALLY for the rebounding. When Zach Randolph took a 15-footer, beat FOUR Raptors to the offensive rebound and laid it in, I nearly turned off the TV I was so disgusted.

The effort was better in the second half against Orlando (other than Calderon’s retarded insistence at going under screens) and we just have to hope and pray that that was a sign things are moving in the right direction.

Individual thoughts…

Bosh – hey, he’s been fantastic. No complaints. But if his teammates don’t start backing him up, he’s not gonna wanna wait till summer to leave.

Bargnani – not sure what happened in the Memphis game or the first half against Orlando; also not sure why the rest of the team seemed to go away from him in the fourth Q of the Orlando game when he was burning up the nets. Defensively, well, he’s been OK in man-to-man down low, but he didn’t step out fast enough on several three-point rotations against Orlando, and as usual, his rebounding his been atrocious. It’s not that he doesn’t get enough (which he doesn’t), it’s just that he never bodies anyone on the other team up to prevent them from getting the board. Turn around, stick out your ass and spread your arms wide, man.

Calderon – needs to find his shooting stroke. I can overlook his defensive deficiencies when he’s playing well on the other end, but he’s stinking it up two ways so far.

Turkoglu – much like Bargnani, he was on fire in the second half against Orlando but didn’t get enough looks. As alluded to above, the offense is still getting in sync, but it shouldn’t be hard to recognize a hot hand.

DeRozan – exactly what I expected from the rookie so far. Occasional good shots/drives, occasional mistakes on defense, occasional spectacular play. Happy with what I’ve seen.

Jack – has been fine defensively, but hasn’t found his groove offensively. I wouldn’t be too worried about him if Calderon were playing better, but when both of them are bricklayers on offense, it hurts. Especially when Triano plays them both at the same time, which I don’t understand. Why not get Bellinelli in there some more? Why not let Turk run the offense more? There are too many ballhandling options to keep going with the two PGs, when it very clearly is not working.

Rasho – he’s been solid, and I love the guy, but I do look forward to Reggie Evans taking some of his minutes. I believe Evans is faster, more aggressive, will get to a couple more balls that Rasho just can’t. not a knock on Rasho – he’s done everything expected – but we need the different look Evans can provide.

Wright – has been great on defense, and has hit a couple big shots, but has occasionally forced his offense a little more than I’d like. I don’t mind rewarding guys who give great efforts on D with some shots, I just wish they were slightly better shots.

Bellinelli – Why so few minutes? He was great against Cleveland, solid in limited minutes against Memphis, and pine-riding against the Magic. Even though he matched up well with their guard-heavy rotation, is (supposedly) a decent defender and even though Calderon and Jack were having a shared bowel movement on the floor. He should be playing more.

Triano – needs to call more timely timeouts when teams make runs. Don’t wait for the TV timeout – especially in the first half. Jay, you don’t get to carry those timeouts over to the second half, man. Also, put the ball in Turkoglu’s hands more in the fourth. That’s what we brought him here for, after all.

Well. I’m disappointed but not upset. If, after 10 games, we’re still seeing the same mistakes, then I’ll be upset. I just want to see a little more effort on D and the boards, especially early in games. Let’s go, Raptors.

Well, that was a nice win. Not without its ups and downs, but it’s always nice to win your first game, at home, against a good team.

Of course, I thought the Raptors were gonna blow it in the second half and the refs sure didn’t help, but they toughed it out. A 21-point lead evaporated midway through the third quarter, but after settling for jumper after jumper the Raps finally settled down, rebuilt a 7-point lead by the end of third and built on it in the fourth. The Cavs kept it close down the stretch before Jose Calderon sealed it on his only bucket of the night, and and-1 layup with less than a minute to go.

Biggest thing to note on the box score is the Cavs’ 35% shooting. I don’t want to say the defense was great, since the Cavs were on the second night of a back-to-back (and hey, they let the Cavs score 32 in the third), but it was definitely a better effort than they gave at any time last year. Other than a raft of open threes in the third and the occasional slow rotation, the defense was generally where it needed to be.

Offensively, during the second quarter the draw-and-kick was working really well, and the pick-and-roll worked well, and the high-low with Bosh and Bargnani worked well. But way too much settling for Js in the second half – in the third, I don’t think they pick-and-rolled once! Still. It appears there are plenty of scorers on this team, and I liked the way Jay mixed in the starters and subs ensuring there was always some firepower on the floor.

And while the rebounds were ultimately pretty even (Cavs won the battle 49-48) the 13 offensive boards the Cavs pulled down are disappointingly familiar. I know it’s expected that a team that misses 65% of their shots has more opportunities to get offensive boards, but nevertheless, there were a few that the Cavs simply outworked the Raps on.

I have to say, I hate watching the Cavs. Honestly, there is nothing at all enjoyable about watching LeBron barrel to the hoop and get foul calls as soon as he’s breathed on (that offensive foul call on Bosh was just unbelievable. I half-expected people to start throwing beers on the court – and frankly I would have encouraged it). But seriously, that’s their go-to offense? Didn’t they learn from the Orlando series that they need a few more options? I mean in the third they went small and started swinging the ball on the perimeter, and got back into the game… but then it was back to LeBron-on-five. Bo-ring.

Other thoughts…

Bargnani was amazing. I know we won’t see that every night, but he looked so smooth on everything he did. Some awful foul calls “limited” him too… but inside, outside, mid-range, solid D, 28 points on 15 shots in less than 30 minutes. Only five boards (and he got seriously outplayed on a couple that he should have had) but I think we’re just going to have to accept that that’s who he is.

Bosh was OK. Still with that awful habit of standing there thinking about it, then settling for fade-aways instead of using his quickness. When he catches it and goes, no big man outside of KG has the quickness to stay with him… still, the 16 boards were nice, and he, Bargnani and Rasho outscored/outrebounded Shaq, Z and Varejao 48/23 to 26/14.

Calderon: Actually got out and ran on the break! So used to seeing him take it slow, it was nice to see. Last year I got annoyed that he didn’t shoot/score enough, maybe this year he won’t have to. Though I couldn’t believe he missed two free throws!

Turk: Wanted him to have the ball a little more in the fourth, given his “clutchness,” but ultimately it didn’t matter. He didn’t have a great game, stats-wise, but overall I liked what I saw from him. He moves well, knows where he should be and where the ball should go. The “high basketball IQ” we heard about all summer is evident. And he managed to stay in front of LeBron when called upon.

DeRozan: Really liked what I saw from the rookie. LOVED that he blocked Shaq’s shot, and buried the jumper on LeBron… good confidence builders. Got lost on D a couple times, but that’s to be expected. Great start for the kid. Didn’t try to do too much, and performed when needed.

Bellinelli: Surprisingly effective! Wasn’t expecting that, to be honest. He’s like the anti-Kapono - he can actually handle the ball when he puts it on the floor, and he’s not afraid to jack it when he’s open.

Jack: Only real disappointment on the night. Missed way too many shots, and lost his man on D too many times. Then pulled the Anthony Parker “make one of two free throws when we really need both” routine at the end…

Wright: Didn’t particularly think that 3 he took in the fourth was a good shot, but hey. It went in. What’d he take, 3 charges? That’s about as many as the whole team took last year. Picked up 5 fouls but at least one of them was a bad call; he certainly gave 100 per cent on the defensive end. If he can develop the three as a weapon he should have a good future in the league.

Overall, nice to see a win against a quality opponent, nice to see them weather a run and hang on. Overall it’s just great to have basketball back again (well, other than the same old brutally bad officiating. Sigh. Some things never change…).

Well, training “officially” opens today on the Raptors 2009-2010 season. I’m excited. Are you excited? I’m excited.

It’s a very different Raptors team, as we all know. If you want to see these guys’ stats, who they are what they’ve done, etc., there’s plenty of that info on the Web - I’m just gonna throw out some general thoughts on the team, because, well, I have thoughts and I have to put them somewhere.

On Chris Bosh: Huge disappointment that he’s missing the start of camp with a hamstring injury. It’s not so much the “training” portion I’m worried about - I’m confident he’s in good enough shape - but it’s working with his teammates. Nine new faces, and none of them get to practice with the team’s best player for their first two weeks with the Raptors? That is a huge blow. This isn’t San Antonio where you’re three best guys have been together forever and everyone else revolves around them. This team has no identity right now, and it won’t have one for as long as Bosh isn’t practicing with his teammates.

On Andrea Bargnani: I think the $50 million contact extension was… a little much. That’s a lot of money - and a long time (five years) - based on 1.5 years of solid play (his rookie year and the second half of last year, and 1.5 years of brutally awful play (everything in between). Yes, I know it’s a bargain if second half Andrea is what we get from here on. But that is one VERY large “IF.”

Don’t get me wrong, I hope he does prove to be worth it. Obviously I want the guy to succeed, and I’d much rather it happen here, than he goes elsewhere and develops. But five more years after this one…

On the starting 2-guard: So this is the only spot up for grabs coming in to camp. Some think DeMar Derozan is a lock; others think it should be Antoine Wright; still others, Jarret Jack.

Personally, I think giving it to Wright makes for the best overall starting lineup, but I’m OK with Derozan in there, for the most part (and Jack should not even be in the discussion; I want him backing Jose). I like that there will be little pressure on DeMar on the offensive end, what with four other scorers out there. He won’t need to do too much, and he’ll get a good feel for the game playing with his team’s best, against the other team’s best.

But, on the other hand, those four scorers are terrible defenders. And he’ll be playing against a lot of top-teir two-guards. He might get overwhelmed, and then painted as a scapegoat, when the Raps can’t stop anyone. Meanwhile Wright is probably the best defender on the team.

Really, this is the first test for the coaching staff: who makes the best starter? I’ll leave it up to them to decide, but I hope they make the right call.

On Hedo Turkoglu: Comes in a little banged up from his international play, but I’m not too worried about that; it’s not like he relies on his athleticism. I’m a little concerned about the lack of PT with Bosh, as mentioned; after playing with low-post threat Dwight Howard for three years, it’s going to be a huge adjustment for him to play pick-n-roll with two guys in Bosh and Bargnani who are allergic to the “roll” part of the equation. It’s something the staff needs to train Bosh and Bargnani to do more of, even if they don’t want the ball in that situation, because it keeps the defense honest. The pick-n-roll is useless if the defender know the picker isn’t going anywhere.

That aside, I’m obviously looking forward to seeing a guy in a Raptors uniform who actually knows what to do with the ball when the clock goes under 10 seconds. Thank God, we never have to see Chris Bosh iso’ed with the ball and the clock winding down again! (And if we do, I promise you I will be calling for Triano’s head the very next day.) That’s why we brought Hedo here. Chris Bosh should never, ever be anything more than a rebounder in those situations. You hear me, Jay? NEVER. EVER.

On Jose Calderon: Big year for Jose. He’s never had as many weapons around him, and he should be healthy after not playing internationally this summer. He’s still one of the best value-for-dollar players in the league… but there’s still the feeling that he could be even better. Probably not gonna happen at age 28; most players have reached their potential and plateaued by then (and please, no Steve Nash comparisons).

One good thing is that, with Turkoglu and potentially DeRozan around to score, not to mention Bosh and a hopefully consistent Andrea, my biggest complaint against Jose - that he’s not aggressive/doesn’t look to score enough - should be nullified. Last year, given Bosh’s struggles after December and lack of trust in Bargnani, I felt Jose was the team’s best offensive option - but he didn’t shoot enough; this year, there should be plenty of options.

And you read that right, my biggest concern was Jose’s offence, not his defense. Yep, Jose sucks on D. Deal with it - it is what it is.

On Marco Belinelli: Totally have no idea what to expect from this guy. Seems to have lots of offensive potential, seems to have a rep as a poor work ethic guy… but honestly, I have no idea if those are accurate. He’s never gotten consistent minutes. Maybe he’s our best bench player… maybe he can’t even crack the 10-man rotation? I don’t know. But we gave up nothing (Devean George) for him so anything we get from him will be a bonus.

On Reggie Evans: Might only play a few minutes a game, but Bryan Colangelo told The Star that he’s already upped the intensity level of “informal” practices. Hooray for that. Hopefully it translates into games because the Raptors have been shockingly lackadaisical when it comes to getting after boards and loose balls over the past two years.

All right, that’s it for today, we’ll be back with more throughout camp!

Well then. Now that the most hated ex-Raptor is in Orlando and (arguably) Orlando’s MVP of the past two seasons is in Toronto, is it possible Orlando will replace New Jersey is our arch-rival du jour??

We can hope. Though I somehow doubt the Magic fans will have the same disdain for Hedo Turkoglu that Raptors fans have for Vince Carter, since even the most casual of fan can see losing Hedo is strictly a financial decision…

On the other hand, it looks like Hedo and the Raps haven’t made any new fans in Portland…!

But seriously, this is a pretty big coup for the Raptors. Hedo was arguably the biggest unrestricted free agent available this year; he might just be the biggest free agent signing the Raptors have ever made. And, although he isn’t the super-athletic wing we need, he can score from anywhere, he’s not afraid to drive (his 389 attempts last year would put him second on the team, behind Bosh), he can initiate the offense, and most of all, he seems to thrive with the ball in his hands in the clutch, a trait no other Raptor has.

And, you know, he’s got big game experience. Think about it. He was a bit player on those great Sacramento teams. He spent a year in San Antonio. And he made it to playoffs four out of five years in Orlando, including the finals this past season. The Raptors have been desperate for a guy who can take and make big shots for years. There’s no doubt in my mind that Turkoglu can be that guy.

Of course, signing him means we can’t sign anyone else to fill out the bench - not even Parker and Delfino - so we’ll likely be saddled with 2009 versions of Will Solomon and Hassan Adams. So there’s that to look forward to.

Also, he’s 30 years old, and played in 193 games the past two seasons. Last year he also shot below his career averages from the field and from 3pt range. Will he hold up for the length of the contract? And, he’s not a great defender (nowhere near Marion’s level).

Still, as a fan, I appreciate that the Raptors are making a splash and going for it. Even thinking longer-term, I guess the idea is, if Bosh leaves a year from now, they will (should) still have a decent core in Turk, Bargnani, and Calderon (and hopefully DeRozan), and cap space from Bosh’s salary to sign multiple guys.

Well. I do hope Colangelo is not done wheeling and dealing, but I am glad to see he’s not just sitting by while everyone else gets better.

All right, it’s the offeason, but, as you know, there’s still lots going on with the Raptors. Some quick thoughts as free agency heats up:

The Draft. DeMar DeRozan was the right pick at that spot. He’s raw and he probably won’t contribute much right away, and he might never contribute anything - but he has the potential to be really, really good. And he plays a position (swingman), and has a physical dimension (athleticism, length, leaping ability) that the Raptors currently are lacking. Who was left on the draft board was a better fit? Who on the draft board was going to contribute right away? No one. (Heck, who was in this draft at all, besides Blake Griffin, that is going to contribute to his new team right away? Make no mistake, this is an awful, awful draft).

DeRozan is the right fit in every way. Whether or not he turns into anything remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he was the right, and only, pick.

Carlos Delfino. I’ve said it about 100 times, Delfino wasn’t used properly his one year here and I am certain he will benefit from consistent minutes and a consistent role. He’s also a much better defender than Anthony Parker at this point in their careers. I also expect Triano will not be afraid to let Delfino initiate the offense, much as he did with Parker last year; for some reason, Sam Mitchell was afraid to put Delfino in that role, even though he’d done it for Argentina, one of the best basketball teams in the world. Does he start? I think so, though that of course still depends somewhat on who is starting at the three (Marion? Someone else?). I have no problem going in to this season with Delfino as the starting two-guard.

Shawn Marion. Very little word at this point on whether the Raps have offered anything, whether Marion’s asked for anything, whether other teams are calling… very quiet on the Marion front. I’m still super-torn on what to do with him. Yes, he fits the team well; he rebounds and defends from the three spot, something very lacking before he got here. He’s also the best on the team at moving without the ball. But, like everyone else on the team, he’s not a guy who can create/initiate his own offense, and the Raptors could really use that from the SF spot. And there’s the question of money… obviously the guy wants to get paid, but do the Raptors have the coin - and is he worth it? Especially at age 31? If he could be had super-cheap $3 million a year? Over 3?) of course he’d be worth it. But there’s no way he takes that deal. So I can’t say I’ll be thrilled if he comes back and is taking a large chunk of the salary cap.

Hedo Turkoglu. Word is he’s interested in the Raptors - and of course the Raps are interested in him - but there’s likely no way to work out the money situation (no, he doesn’t like us THAT much). He earned a big payday with his play this past year, and the Raps don’t have the coin. And frankly, I’m not sure he’s worth it. I’m not sure he can put up the same stats without that particular cast around him - including, obviously, Dwight Howard. He’s a year younger than Marion, and in many ways, Marion’s exact opposite - he can create his own shot and score from anywhere, but he’s a non-factor on defense. I’d be excited to see what the Raps could do with the starting lineup of Bargnani, Bosh, Hedo, Delfino and Calderon (wow, that’s the whitest, most international line-up ever) but I can’t get to used to the idea, because I can’t see it happening.

Trevor Ariza. Financially, a much better fit than Hedo (and maybe better than Marion too). And really, his skill set is right in between the two - not as good a defender as Marion, not as good a scorer as Hedo. And he’s young enough (24) that he has room to improve in both areas. The only question is, is he ready to come in and be a full-time starter and contributor to a winning team? Or will he just ride a solid playoff performance (11 points, 4 boards, 50% from the field, 47% from downtown) to a fat payday?

David Lee. Supposedly the Raptors are interested… really, another power forward who doesn’t play on the blocks? No thanks. Love his game, but not with Bosh and Bargnani already here…

Which brings us to this: Is Bryan Colangelo trying to trade Chris Bosh? I see the argument for it, I really do - Bosh has a chance to walk away next summer, and at this point - given the team’s lack of success - he probably will, and who will blame him? Thus the argument, trade him now so you can get something in return. But I don’t believe Colangelo will do that. For one thing, BC appears confident - and he should, I want a confident upper management - that he can surround Bosh with better players this year. He also seems confident he will be able to replace Bosh, should the time come. I like that in a GM. Also, trading Bosh would be admitting defeat - that he didn’t get the job done - and while I don’t know Bryan, he really doesn’t seem like the type to admit defeat.

And the fact is, even if you get some value for him, you’ll never get fair or equal value. Whether you truly think Bosh is a “franchise player” or not, he is this franchise’s franchise player - we’ve built our team and marketing presence around him, he is the face of the franchise. He may not be a “a” superstar in the broader definition of the term, but he’s “our” superstar. Can we get a superstar back for him? Not likely.

I honestly think it’s better to play it out and either try and re-sign him, or sign someone else, next summer. There’s a good chance the cap space you’d get next year is more valuable than whatever package you can get for him in trade right now. There’s going to be plenty of FAs available, after all…

And if the team does have a great year? If the promise of Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani materializes into a 50-win team? Then I have confidence Bosh’ll stick around, and that we’ll all be better for it.

All right, it’s been a busy couple weeks in the personal life, but things are rolling for the Raptors. Five straight wins? Two of them against playoff teams? Outrebounding the opponent in every single one? Not bad, not bad at all!

Of course, it’s ultimately meaningless since the playoffs are a practical impossibility and other than Orlando, none of these teams are particularly talented; Oklahoma City, the Clippers, Chicago and Milwaukee are all under-.500 teams, and only Chicago is playing meaningful games. And let’s not forget that right before this little streak, this team lost nine of 10, including two absolutely disgusting stink-bombs to the Bobcats.

But, there is something to be said for finishing on a positive note, especially for a guy like Jose Calderon, who’s playing extremely well after playing poorly for 60 games. If he can play like the Calderon of last year for the final few weeks games and get his confidence up for next year, that’s huge; it’s never a good thing to have a bad year and then have nothing but negatives to think about for a whole summer.

Same can be said about Bosh, and even Marion; both are playing well after having bad stretches. Meanwhile you’ve got guys like Joey Graham and Pops Mensah-Bonsu playing for contracts, their play of late has probably ensured they’ll at least be in the league next year.

Then there’s Andrea Bargnani. Has any one Raptor ever had such a big turnaround in a single season? I mean, the home crowd was booing this guy in December when he missed free throws! Now he’s become one of their most effective all-around players and a go-to guy? Unbelievable, but true. Check out these stats:

December: 24 MPG, .346 FG%, .273 3PT%, 3.4 RPG, 8.6 PPG
Jan-Feb: 36 MPG, .454 FG%, .420 3PT%, 6.5 RPG. 18.9 PPG
March: 33 MPG, .518 FG%, .519 3PT%, 5.9 RPG, 20.3 PPG

And the numbers don’t even tell the whole tale. For one thing, he’s added (or if not added, is suddenly using) things we haven’t seen before – pump-fakes, crossovers, pull-ups – and the latter is most significant since it’s helped him avoid all those charges he used to get called for.

On defense, he’s not picking up as many cheap fouls (except for the Orlando game, where he was brutalized by the referees) and his defensive improvements that we saw earlier in the year, in terms of moving his feet and boxing out, have remained solid.

He’s certainly not perfect – he’s still averaging 1.75 turnovers to only 1.1 assist, and he could definitely get those rebounding totals a bit higher – but the improvement in only a few short months is remarkable. I remember back at the end of January, when the improvement first became evident, we all said, “let’s wait to see him do consistently for a while before we say he’s back on track.” Well, it’s been almost three full months of solid, consistent play, so I’m saying it. He’s here, he’s on track, he’s doing what we need, at the position he is best suited for, on a regular basis.

Of course, for most of those three months, the Raptors were routinely terrible so it’s hard to say his improved play has had any impact. But once again, it’s a huge positive going forward, and as we all know, Bargnani is probably the only player that is guaranteed to be here next year, so his improvement is a definite positive.

As for what this team might look like… who knows? It’s pretty much all up in the air. Bargnani will be back; I think Calderon will be too. Ukic, Humphries, yes; maybe Pops. But Bosh? I think Colangelo will talk to him and unless he’s convinced that Bosh will re-sign, I think BC will quietly try and move him. If he goes, Colangelo had damn well ensure that one or both of Marcus Banks and Jason Kapono are packaged with him.

I suspect Graham will be gone; I like Joey, but let’s be honest, he hasn’t really worked out here. I think he deserves a chance to give it a try somewhere else.

Parker is a big mystery. I love the guy, you know that. But he can’t be the starting two guard on this team, he can’t be playing 35 minutes a night. He’d be a great steadying influence off the bench… you know, provided there are actually quality starters ahead of him. If you can bring him back for two years at 1.5 per year? I’m OK with that.

Marion? Well, what’s his value? Who knows? Anyone have any interest in him? I still think he thinks he’s worth a lot more than anyone else does. I have no interest in him at anything more than 6 million a year. And even then, that interest is tempered by what else is out there; in other words, if there’s anyone better to throw that money at, we need to be aware and not just give it to Marion.

There’s also Carlos Delfino to consider. The Raps still have his rights. I like Delfino; I didn’t think he was utilized well last year. Mitchell jerked his minutes around too much, and he never had the opportunity to initiate the offense, something he’s proven in international play that he can do. I think with consistent minutes and a better defined role, he’ll be much more effective, and he won’t feel the need to jack up threes. But how much is that worth? 4 mil, maybe 5… anything above that, I’m not biting. Not in this economy.

Anyway, there’s only a couple of weeks left, then we can forget about the Raps for a while we watch what should be an exciting 2009 playoffs. Come June we can start to think about what’s gonna happen this summer.

For the next few games, let’s just hope they’re as exciting as the past few!

Well, as distasteful as it all is, I’ll mention the lawsuit reported today against Chris Bosh. Chris’ ex says he cut her off and hasn’t supported their kid since her birth. Chris says he’ll take of his responsibilities. In other words, classic he said/she said.

I’m not going to speculate or cast aspersions on anyone. I for one trust the courts to sort this stuff out. If she’s trying to “play him,” as some say, hopefully the courts will recognize that and not let her get away with it. If Chris has been a deadbeat, hopefully the courts will figure that out and that kid will get the support it needs.

At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Both of these people, both adults, need to sort their shit out – and if they need the help of a court, fine – and get right to making that kids life the best it can be. That’s a simplistic view, perhaps, but honestly… that’s what the focus has to be.

As for what’s going on in the rest of the Raptor world, well, not much. They’ve signed someone named Quincy Douby to a 10-day, and brought back Nate Jawai, to fill out the bench for the last couple weeks. Perhaps that means they’re getting ready to give Bosh, Jose and Bargnani extended rests? A little more Roko-motion? I’m not a fan of “shutting players down” unless they’ve got an actual injury – there are still people paying to see these games, and they’re paying to see the best players after all, and I vehemently disagree with tanking. But if those players play 5 or 6 fewer minutes than usual, if the young guys get a little more burn, I think we can all live with that.

Now, couple other things… I’ve been writing intermittently, finishing up my Watchmen review, my Secret Invasion Review, and some thoughts on iPhone 3.0. But it’s been a crazy couple of weeks so I’ve not had time to edit them and get them posted. It’s all coming soon, though. Stay tuned.

… and it wasn’t even that close.

Sigh. Another disappointing, yet not at all surprising effort. Sigh again.

I guess getting solid effort from everyone involved would be too much to ask. How is it that Bargnani, who had the flu, was the team’s best player? He started out strong and slowed down (11 in the first, 10 the rest of the way), but I think you could expect that from a guy who’s sick. What you’d also expect is for everyone else to pick it up for him. But no one did, the Raps were outscored by 15 in the second and it was over.

Man, our defense stinks. How do you shoot 53%, have all five starters in double figures, and still lose - and not even be close?  Raps were outscored 92-74 through three quarters, and were still down 17 with 2:30 to go, which is when garbage time started. And how does Sam Dalembert - who, from published reports, Philly was about to throw in the doghouse, then padlock the doghouse shut for eternity - go for 19 and 13, with 3 blocks? The guy is a human foul machine with terrible footwork, yet he only had two PFs against us. Way to take it to him, guys! Argh.

Bright spots for the Raps, other than Bargnani’s hot start? Well, there were some transition opportunities, and Marion took advantage, scoring 18 on 7-12. Also questioned the team’s effort after the game, which is becoming a regular post-game staple. He’s definitely not wrong, but is anyone listening?

Hey, does anyone else think Marion is having a positive effect on Bargnani? I haven’t actually seen enough of the games (thanks, TSNFU!) but in the 10 since the trade, Bargnani’s averaging 21/6 on 51% shooting. Of course, they’re 2-8 in those games, but those are good numbers; he was averaging 16/6 on 38% shooting in the 10 pre-Marion games.

Of course, it’s just as likely that it’s plain old inconsistency that’s caused the spike. On the season, Bargnani’s still only averaging 16/5.4/44%. I guess I’ll take that, though I’ll note this: his per-36 stats are only marginally better than his rookie season - when the team was winning. Improvement? It’s a start, but I need more, especially in the W department.

Anyway, back to last night; it’s official, I am becoming a fan of Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Guy’s averaging 8 boards a night in 14 minutes! Of course, that’s in three losses, but still, I like the hustle. He pulled a post-game Marion himself, wondering about effort; not sure he’s in any place to do that, as the new guy who’s bounced around the league (and world) in the past year…

Still, the fact that the two newest guys are questioning other guys’ effort is pretty telling.

It’s not hard to guess who they’re talking about. I don’t know what is up with Chris Bosh this year. Only 4 rebounds, in 34 minutes? Really? Even last year when things weren’t going well I always thought he played hard. This year, he doesn’t seem to be into the games at all. And he’s clearly not stepping into the leadership role, otherwise guys wouldn’t be saying stuff like that.

It’s disappointing because I know Bosh is better than that. I know he’s got talent, and I know he’s got fire. Where is it? I want the Bosh from the past two years back! Where’s the guy that started the season out averaging 30 and 12, with 10 trips to the line a night? Bring him back!

Calderon is also bearing the brunt of a lot of frustration, and if I hear about that hamstring one more time, I’m sending him to Rocco Baldelli’s doctor. Seriously. I mean, we all knew he was a bad defender, but he’s been unbelievably awful this year; is that hamstring really to blame? And hey, what happened to the guy who would turn the corner off a screen every few times, to keep the D honest? I know he still shoots it well and I know he takes care of the ball - I love those traits about him. But we need more than that. We need a little fire, a little scrap, a little aggressiveness!

Still, I think the biggest disappointment has to be Jason Kapono. (Is that ’cause I said aloud, often, in the pre-season that he should be the starting 3, and he’s made me look like an ass? Absolutely. Nobody makes a fool of me!!)

Seriously, though, I always knew he was overpaid, but I had to assume a great pure shooter like that had a place on a team - especially a team of shooters like the Raps. And he seemed like he knew what he was doing out there, despite his physical limitations. Last year, I thought maybe Mitchell just didn’t know how to use him, and that with the tighter rotation (i.e., more minutes) and new big man (O’Neal), he’d find his niche.

That didn’t happen. Then Mitchell got axed and I thought, maybe Triano knows how to get him involved. Well, he had a couple good shooting nights in December, but has since regressed even more! Not only can’t Triano find a way to get him into the offense, the guy’s shooting is worse in all three categories than last year, despite averaging 6 more minutes!

If he was overpaid as a shooter - and now he can’t even do that - then he is utterly worthless. I mean, he does nothing else well. Nothing. I can’t believe we’re paying him $6 a year for the next two. How did BC not see that his success in 06-07 was purely due to Shaq and Wade drawing the defense all game long? I know that’s easy for me to say, and hindsight is 20/20, but as GM, isn’t it BC’s job to see these things?

Well, it’s officially the Raptors’ first sub-.500 season of BC’s Raptors career. I hope it hurts. It should. I hope it motivates him to clean house, to try extra hard this summer to turn it around.

Raps win! Unbelievable.

No posts for the last few days, because frankly, those were some unbelievable awful basketball games. And not just because the Raps lost. 70 points against Memphis? Ugh.

But, they managed to “gut out” a win against the Jefferson-less T-Wolves last night in what was actually a pretty entertaining game. Both teams made runs, the Raps just made the final one and that’s the key. Gotta say, I really liked they way they went inside down the stretch. Yeah, it helps that JO was being guarded by a rook (Kevin Love) so he could take advantage, but hey. At least they recognized and took advantage, something this team rarely does.

You know what else I saw there which I never see and it drives me crazy? A re-post! Seriously. This is a basic basketball play that I never, ever see the Raptors do. They throw the ball into the post, a soft double comes, JO/AB kicks the ball out, the defense relaxes. That’s the best time to get the ball right back to the post-player, because the defense is moving away. But the Raptors just don’t do that. Ever. I’m not saying it should be done every time, but you HAVE to do it sometimes to keep the defense honest. The Raps don’t. And it exposes them, because opposing teams know they’re not serious about getting the ball into the paint.

Anyway, I saw this happen twice in the fourth quarter and I was stunned. Finally! JO ended up with 22, and 10 of them came in the final four minutes.

As for the rest, well, the Raps got contributions from the 3-spot, and that’s the key. Another solid outing from Joey Graham, being his aggressive self; so nice to see him create opportunities for himself like that. Jamario had a solid game; even though he took a couple questionable Js, they dropped, and he was active on the boards. And Kapono had good shooting night, even threw in a four-point play, and you know what? I don’t think he traveled once. Amazingly enough.

Bargnani has started to cool off a bit of late, his shooting isn’t quite as hot and he’s making a few too many TOs. But still, if this is the production we can expect - 18 points, 6 boards, and a block - I can live with that. Heck, I’d be happy with 15/6 but I would like him to get that FG percentage back up a little (only 35% in the past six).

So, one more game tonight, against the Spurs, before the break. It really is a shame Chris Bosh is out, because if the Raptors were ever gonna beat the Spurs, tonight would be the night. They played last night and this is their fifth straight road game. They’ve got to be feeling tired. But without CB4? Forget about it. I actually think Andrea and JO will keep Duncan in check, but look for Manu and Tony Parker to completely shred our perimeter “defense.” I expect them each to drop 30. Actually this might be a total Spurs blowout so they may not play long enough to score that many. Sigh. Spurs by 19. Gonna be ugly to watch… oh, wait. It’s on TSN2 so no one will be watching. Nice job there, MLSE.

Sigh.

So, last game before the break. Raps clearly need the time off, as they’ve clearly been frustrated with each other lately. And maybe CB will heal up, maybe Jose can finally get to 100 per cent, and maybe they’ll actually start winning a few games! Gotta wonder though if JO and CB will be able to keep their hearts in it, now that the playoffs are out of the picture. You’d hope they both have enough pride to, you’d hope they continue to go out there and earn their big paycheques. To me, this is where Chris can really show some of those leadership abilities. Yes, the cause is hopeless and everyone knows it. But if you can inspire your teammates to keep playing hard - and it starts with leading by example - then maybe you will finally start to silence some of those “not a franchise player” critics.

“All that matters to me is that the Raptors play hard every game; if they do that, if they give a good effort and the games are close, I can still enjoy watching the team on a game-to-game basis, even if the season as a whole is a colossal disappointment.”

– Me, January 19

So, I said that. And I meant it. All I ask for, as a fan, is effort. Judging by the crowds in the last two games, that’s all most fans ask for - yes, we want a win, but if we can’t get a win, we at least want effort. And frankly, I don’t think it’s too much to ask.

Apparently, the Raptors think it is; they seem to think it’s OK to go out and give 40 or 50% effort, to go through the motions and hopefully beat the traffic home.

Well, the fans called you out on out, fellas. That level of effort is not acceptable.

I mean, no one really expected the Raptors to take this one - Orlando is every bit as good as their gaudy record - but the poor effort is what hurts, especially coming off the poor effort in the game against the Bucks. We expected more.

And then, trying to turn it around on us, the fans, and say “the energy in the building is not good?”

Wow.

I cannot even believe Chris Bosh said this: “If you have a bad fiscal year, how about I boo you?”

Double Wow.

Um, Chris? These are paying customers you’re talking about, and booing, much as it sucks, is the only way - repeat, THE ONLY WAY - we get to voice our displeasure.

Think about it this way. You’re at a restaurant. You’re paying for a meal. But let’s say your steak isn’t cooked right, the service is slow, and the waiter is rude. You can send the steak back to the kitchen. You can complain to the server about the wait and to management about the poor service. If all that does nothing, you can leave a lower tip. If the service is that bad, you can leave no tip it all! That is your right as a paying customer. You’re not obligated to be happy about a poor meal and crappy service, you have a right to complain.

But an attendee at a sporting event? They can’t complain to you or Bryan Colangelo that the team is playing like crap, that they came to see you play hard and you didn’t. They can’t express their displeasure by not leaving you a tip. All they can do is boo.

Again: They’re not obligated to be happy about watching a team of professionals play like they’d rather be at home watching 187 hours of Super Bowl pre-game shows. They’re paying customers: They have a right to complain.

And frankly, it is shocking to me - absolutely shocking - that an intelligent young man such as yourself does not realize that.

Look, Chris, I don’t like booing either, and I’ve never booed the home team myself (and I sat through some AWFUL games as a Raps fan). And earlier this year - the time Bargnani got booed after missing a free throw - it was not justified. But yesterday? 100% justified and I don’t see how you can argue that. The Raptors were missing simple defensive rotations, were not hustling after loose balls, and were settling for long jump shot after long jump shot.  Add in the turnovers and offensive rebounds, and the most upsetting thing in my mind, the terrible transition defense (some no-name scrub with a girl’s name went coast to coast for a dunk and not one Raptor even ATTEMPTED to stop the ball) and it’s clear that you were not giving your best effort out there. It’s not acceptable; and although you can say you were playing hard, actions speak louder than words, my friend.

Chris, you’re a great ball player and you seem like a good person, but it’s time to rise above that garbage, OK? You’re better than that. At least I think you are - please don’t let me down. I know there’s a lot of negativity out there, but try and rise above. Thank you.
PS As for Stephen A Smith and his ludicrous report? Not worth getting worked up over. The man is a fraud and a hack. I can just as easily declare “sources say Chris Bosh told BC he’s re-signing in 2010!” because I have as much insider information as he does (read: none) and guess what, one of is going to be right. Only difference is, I won’t crow about it, because I know and fully admit I’m making it up - but I can all but guarantee that if Chris signs elsewhere, Mr. Smith will be on air declaring how he broke this story in February of ‘09 and saying “I told you so” to anyone who will listen.