Tip-In, Toronto Raptors’ Post-Game: A Step in the Right Direction

Maybe it's the knee bothering bosh, or just the cold weather?? Misses Sam? but it started before that...

Calderon looked back to his old self, nice to see.

Bosh is really hurting us on the defensive end. Going back to the Utah game, he seems very lethargic when guarding his man. He was simply outplayed by Aldridge in all respects. Was the last play executed as called or was it Chris trying to play hero. When it concluded so disastrously all I could do was ask myself "wtf?" (cleaned up for public consumption). Something is up with him. All of the 2010 talk and his being seen as the second choice for some teams after LeBron might be getting to his head, which I didn't think I'd ever say. Calderon had an ok game, there were still some moments when he killed running opportunities early in the game, but I figure with more practice will come longer stretches of good play. A few good minutes to start on Friday, a good first quarter today, maybe a good first half on Tuesday. Strange how quickly expectations can be lowered on a season.

I missed the game, but since Bosh put in his 4th poor performance in a row...Iwould have to say you can't start throwing the word "disinterested" around. He is freakin tired. Plain and simple. In the little spurts i have seen as of late Chris looks like the effort he put forth leading up to this slump has caught up with him. It is so early in the season, CB4 has had to carry the brunt of th team on his BACK! So Franchise, I say get off his. I loved your post and I think you nailed it but c'mon give the big guy a break. With out him we would be a freaking side show.

Adjustment is the tone for the next litttle while so let's just have some patience boys.

Remember:

"Good things come to those who wait!"

We've been waiting for this change now let's watch it play out.

Disinterested CB4 is not.

I'm out

Fresh 1

I saw disinterested too today up until he thought his team had a chance to win. I mean, a fade-away jumper when he was switched off with steve blake at one point?

Bosh's performance is mainly due to Mitchell over-using him early in the season. Dude was average over 42 minutes a game after coming back from a very busy summer. Obviously it takes a toll on you physically and we're seeing that now.

Triano's tighter rotations work in Bosh's favour, and I agree with you that there were a lot of positives in this loss.

The Raptors were in the game to the end which was a treat and O'Neal played well but there was still a lot of bounce the ball into the post and clear the side for a one on one. When O'Neal or Bosh are hot this looks fine but the good teams pack it in the key and you have 4 other Raptors standing around and little or no attempt to rebound. Others team have people crashing the boards on weak side or down the middle. If the Raptors continue to play static basketball they'll continue to get pummelled. As for Bargnani, he's showed improvement but man, he's got to get above the rim when he goes to the basket. He's a 7 footer and he can't be afraid of getting stuffed when he goes to the basket. Sometimes it looks like panic-ville when he gets to the basket and there's a defender there. One thing I like is that a least some kind of rotation is finally beginning to get established instead of Sam's penchant for giving a guy lots of minutes one game and then none the next.

Well only caught the 4th, as family gathering for the birthday took priority. I have to say, Calderon finally looked like the little firecracker I love watching play again. Happy to see all the assists, and return to decent shooting. Very happy on that front. Also happy to hear about the enhanced ball movement on defense, as well as Graham`s developing role. Even from my limited viewing of the game, I walked away with the same bad taste in my mouth regarding Bosh. Unacceptable. I was actually just given a Bosh jersey for my birthday, and I will not be wearing it until I see the Big Bosh Man show up again. Screw tired, I am not buying it, even with the heavy minutes. We are not even 20 games in, get some sleep CB4, then pull up your skirt and get at it. I think I saw 5 offensive rebounds for the Blazers in the last 9 minutes. How is that possible with Bosh and JO on the floor for large chunks of that. That is a soul-searching question for me if I am Bosh. I will need a lot more evidence to arrive at the conclusion that he is disinterested or giving up on TO. However, if that day comes, that same jersey gets burned (or at least stored at the back of the closet forever, I might have trouble explaining to my buddy why I burned the jersey he spent his hard-earned money on.)

Hey look at that, last in the Atlantic!

Tough loss, but I still see light at the end of the tunnel. Playing Portland that close is good, and I never found myself wondering why Triano made an odd substitution nor did he leave anyone in way too long.

Excellent game from JO, looks like he is getting healthy again. What is up with Bosh getting lit up again? I thought he learned D at the olympics. If you're gonna talk the talk, you better walk the walk.

I'm going to keep on harping on about putting AB back onto the bench. JG and Kapono can hold down the fort until something else happens. Maybe some consistency for them will allow them to improve.

Raptor fans are no more overly optimistic than those "dreaming" Leaf fans. We over-rate our roster when most these players are lunch bucket, jock carrying, fringe players with very little talent.

It's a waste of time breaking down wins and loses without real players.

The Eastern Conference`s meritocracy has harmed many teams and fooled other (like our Raps) into believing they can compete. You see, the West will always have teams like Denver and Portland who can miss the playoff, even though they are superior to our Raps. These teams then reload on draft picks and pull further away while most of the playoff bound Eastern Conference teams get worse.

I enjoy many different sports and like to discuss the ins and outs but I`m getting a little tired of the same discussions with the Raps..They are one of the least talented teams in the league. Raptor fans have to open our objective eyes and look in the mirror...and it`s not pretty!

Greetings from Section 107.

We have the biggest pansy-assed team in the league. Period. My girlfriend, who usually spends most of the game trying to spot celebrities, co-workers, or Bosh's cousin in the stands, kept wondering why it was so difficult for the Raps to snag a defensive rebound whereas Portland seemed to do so at will. I really had no answer for her, other than the Raps are, well, the biggest pansy-assed team in the league.

Actually, I haven't seen Minny, Sactown, Memphis, OKC or the Clips play yet, so I should qualify that by saying saying the Raps are the biggest pansy-assed team in the Eastern Conference. Getting out-rebounded 48-31 even with JO in the line-up? Pathetic. I guess this is what happens when our fearless leader is 6'10, 230, makes nerdy YouTube videos, and tries to win the game by taking the final posession 5 feet behind the 3-point line with 8.4 seconds left.

Oh yeah, my girlfriend asked me why the little white dude was so wide open that he kept hitting those open 3-pointers. I told her to go ask Jose.

Actually, this brings up something interesting. Pperhaps BC's style was so heralded in PHX with soft defensive PF/Cs (Amare/Bosh) and soft defensive PGs (Nash/Jose) -- because Marion averaged 10 RPG for 8 seasons. Where is that Matrix-type guy on our team to compensate for BC's all-O, no-D PG/PF combo?

You know, I think Franchise and I both dreaded covering this game, so I was kinda fortunate to be out at a dinner. But I managed to catch the game in full, and was pretty happy about what I saw on the floor. I felt energized on my couch as the Raptors kept beating the Trailblazers back and forth for most of the game. I'm still not liking Solomon's game, and the quick hook in the fourth really showed how Triano felt about it too. I'd say O'Neal had a really monster game to really put the Raps up to the point that they could compete with the Trailblazers, but honestly, to get it down to the final shot, I'm pretty impressed.

That being said, two things bothered me. One, which everyone is talking about is Chris Bosh, but two is the fact that the refs still don't give the Raptors the respect they deserve. There's multiple plays in the post where O'Neal got stripped while going hard to the basket and didn't get a call, and there's a few such as Oden completely muscling Calderon out of bounds at the end of the game that really irked me. I give a lot of kudos to the Raptors for playing through it and playing like it doesn't matter, but to me, as a blogger and as a fan, it really boils me that we can't even get calls on our HOMECOURT when we're being extremely aggressive.

But yeah. I still say give Triano another month and we'll see the Raptors really playing his style. 2nd quarter, the Raptors got away from what they did so well in the first, which just shows how much time they still need to purge their old teachings.

Bosh is very worrisome right now. While the raptors onyl really ran one play under Mitchell, it was always a play for Bosh. Now Bosh goes a few possessions between touches. Earlier this season he was talking MVP. While the Raptors may yet be a better team under Triano, there is no question that Bosh isn't going to put up the numbers he did under the regime.

It was easy for Bosh to be team first when that also meant Bosh first. Now it doesn't mean the same thing, and CB4 may be struggling with that.

Did anybody catch Devlin's comment before the game started.

"Aside from Indiana, the Raptors have had the toughest schedule in the NBA"

What happens when it gets easier, well there are going to be more wins. This should translate into a playoff berth and 1st round loss. End of story.

I dunno, call me a fan or something, but I'm still not giving up on this team. I even think they are pretty good. We are nearly .500 and are going through a very difficult stretch in the schedule. People need to stop saying they are objective when they say we stink.

Objectively, we are above average at 3 out of 5 positions. Center and point are the toughest positions to find skilled player and we are well set there. Sooner or later we will get our athletic wing that can score on his own.

JO has been injured, but when he is playing like the major factor he was acquired to be. 6 blocks and 24 points? People are still asking for Rasho back?! Everyone should take a breath, sit back and see what Ttiano can do with this team with just a little more time.

Is that a heavier type knee brace on Bosh's knee or what?

Robert Archibald, I am right there with you. This team is good and they showed it last night. They just need to carve themselves an identity. I have never posted that we stink or are not that talented. I felt that we were being mismanaged during games, but that has been remedied. Allow these guys to form some chemistry and we will see more positives and close games like we did yesterday. People are masking their subjectivity for objectivity, but their negativity is very transparent.

I personally would rather Bosh score less and win games then have Bosh lead the league in points as we await the lottery...just my thoughts!

I think we need to Fire Triano, trade Joey Graham for Kobe Bryant, trade Andrea for a draft pick, and trade Bosh because we're not going to be able to sign him.

Oh and trade BC for Brian Burke.

Talk that Bosh is tired is absolutely ridiculous. And he doesn't appear to be hurt.
Calling him a quitter goes against everything he shown to us since day one as a rookie so I 'll rule that out as well.
Just wasn't his night. Portland bigs present tough matchups and I'll agree with Franchise, Aldridge completely outplayed Bosh. 17 rebounds for O'Neal, Bosh and Bargnani killed us.

I'm someone who has always come to Bargnani's defence quickly and am confident that he will be a good, if not great NBA player - last night he was the 3rd best player from his draft playing.

Solid point Rishi about the strength of schedule. Hopefully this means that they can tough things out until January and then get on a roll. We saw some good things yesterday in terms of what this team is capable of, now everyone just needs to contribute together.

I'm hoping Bosh is just tired...but I was thinking the fatigue of the minutes and the off-season would kick in in January or so, not this early. As another reader mentioned, there were just some things he did yesterday that seemed too passive, even for someone who may have been tired.

Big game though against Lebron tomorrow night so hopefully he bounces back.

Franchise,

Gotta disagree with you and have to agree with Fresh 1. CB4 disinterested? No way! He's played THE most minutes in the NBA. He's not built like Lebron. His skinny a$$ is tired.

Is CB4 the defensive player that Garnett is? No. Bosh is more finesse than power and doesn't have the bulk to block out the bigger players.

It was great to see JO hitting the boards and making moves. Bargs needs to be more consistent although I am happy with most of his defense this year.

The Raps starting out hot and fading seems to be a theme. They need more from their conditioning coach because when the teams gets tired they settling for those gawd damn outside jumpers.

Great recap Franchise.

I caught the first quarter of this one and it appeared that with Triano's words still fresh in their minds, the raps came out and did all the right things.

From the 2nd on I have to rely on your recap and it sounds like they slipped into old habits as fatigue set in.

If nothing else, the first quarter filled me some hope for this season. If Triano can purge the stagnant teachings of Sam, this team will definitely compete.

The two biggest areas of concern right now (which I doubt if BC will even try to remedy this season) is the backup point and the lack of a shut down defender at the 2 or 3 spot.

I love Parker as a model NBA citizen and a good shooter, but he really needs to be anchoring the 2nd unit for this team to be scary.

Beyond that they really need the guy in the first unit that can drive the lane effectively and shut guys down on the defensive end. Speed at the 2 will help make up for the mediocre speed of Calderon (said with love) when defending some of the quicker guards in the league.

Although it remains to be seen, I think Triano is going to whip these guys into shape faster than any of us truly expected.

Don't worry about Bosh. It's a long season and his efforts and energy level will even out in the long run.

Tough loss, but visible change already is a good sign.
Anyone else ready to ride the Joey bandwagon with me? ALL-ABOARD!

Forgot to mention... 2 games ago was anyone else standing and applauding after Roko's hard foul at the end of the game? Good to see someone getting making them earn their points. Loved the boos that followed too.

How long do we have to wait to get some consistency out of a 1st overall pick. I have always been a supporter of Barney but he HAS to start producing NOW!!

Tinman, you say it just wasnt bosh's night last night cause the portland bigs gave him a hard time...well that seems to be the recurring theme for him...the other night it was milsap who gave him a hard time and outplayed him (a 2nd round draft pick) and the night before it was Nene...he has had 4 or 5 straight subpar performances...and hes talking MVP?....I agree with the disinterested commments...I dont care who you are...if you have steve blake on you in the post...you take it to him and shoot over him..not fade away as if kareem abdul jabaar is guarding you...im barely 6ft and I would of still taken it into him. Im not even gonna get started on that last play...please tell me jay didnt draw it up like that...only lebron, kobe and gilbert win games when they get the ball at half with 8 seconds left...not chris bosh.

Solid writeup Franchise. This was the first game I got to attend this year and was satisfied with the performance.

Unfortunately, the lower bowl crowd was pathetic. If you're not going to clap the entire game, why come? Appreciated having seats there but I wish I could slap most of the people that sit in it upside the head. They were a negative to the team.

I'd also love to see Jamario transported far far away from this team.

Agree with Franchise and Vicious D, CB4 did look and sound disinterested yesterday. I'm getting bad vibes regarding his re-upping in 2010. Maybe be we should (God forbid!!!)consider trading him?

Bosh was saying yesterday to the media that he's annoyed by all these "frustrated" comments. I can see that, but considering the way the team has performed, you gotta expect those type of questions to a certain extent.

I just hope he comes out strong against Cleveland. I still think this team is one big win away from getting on a roll. Pieces have been there so far, but not all at once. If Triano can get that "togetherness," and the team gets used to running some more, then perhaps December won't be as brutal as anticipated.

And don't even get me going on the lower bowl. For a game that was so close yesterday, I couldn't believe how bored some of its denizens looked...

All aboard the Joey bandwagon indeed.

Another game lost on the defensive end. We lost this game by giving up WIDE OPEN THREES. On one possession, someone went to double Oden in the post, giving up a three. When did Oden earn a double team, his not a young Shaq, make him earn it.

Also the comment on bosh's defense is spot on. It's hard to criticize the guy who's been carrying the team, the Gasol, Nene, Millsap, and Aldridge have had their way with Bosh, he needs to work on his one on one post defense.

Seeing Roy and Aldridge chew up the Raptors has really got to hurt BC. While it's debatable how good those guys are it's no question that they are FAR more productive than Bargnani is at this point, and it's hard to see Bargnani surpassing them in the near future. It's not quite as bad as the Hawks drafting Marvin Williams over CP3, but it definitely stings.

Not sure why some of you are defending Bosh the past 4-5 games. Disinterested is right. And since when is Garnett less of a finesse player than Bosh, that KG somehow has more "power" and "bulk"...?

KG isn't built like Dwight Howard, let alone Milsapp or Nene. Yet, for some reason, he manages to bring it defensively, with both blocks and man-up D.

Why is JO, just an inch taller than Bosh, 5.5 years older and playing on 1 leg, a defensive presence, but Bosh is not?

Sorry for bringing the negativity today, but I was at the game, and Bosh acted like a PF version of Jose, all offence and matador defense for both of them. That is why our team is soft, like the Suns are soft with Amare and Nash as the focal points for their offence and resultant weak defence.

Speaking of the disinterested lower bowl, I would agree, not too many folks around me were making too much noise, except for all the kids who made noise at the wrong times. However, it was a 1:00 PM start, and half the reds were completely empty, probably due to the fact that the Blazers are not a glamour team even though they are obviously talented.

Hard to agree with the point that Bosh is tired, even with the additional Olympic games as he sat most of the 4th quarters the last few games (other than yesterday's) as the Raps got beaten badly and garbage time came early.

I was very confused on why Parker doubled down on Oden who was being guarded by Oneal at the time. I am suprised Oneal didn't punch Parker in the face for doubting his ability to guard an 8 ppg player. I mean, I know it is very Raptoresque to double down on bigs who average 8 ppg while leaving allstarts (VC) and guys who are super nova with the rock but I think they need to trust their guys to do what they have to do downlow. Ugh.

speaking of firings.. Kevin McHale should really fire himself!! Can you name a worse sorry A$$ GM?!?!

Does anyone think that maybe Bosh has become disenchanted with the fact that he's been putting up career numbers this season (in spite of the past few games) and the team is still mediocre?

BC went out and acquired JO, and that has borne any real success and the team seems to be unsure of itself. Hopefully Triano can develop more of a strategy and use players (Bargnani, Graham) appropriately in order to attain some success because right now this is a lottery team.

I might be wrong, but I think this team needs an offensive/defensive philosophy and then BC needs to get rid of the players that don't fit within that phiosophy, and get the ones that do. Either way some players are going to have to go because if this team is going to run then JO definitely does not fit because he is a player best used in a plodding system with lots of half court sets. Conversely, I don't think this team can really run with Parker at the 2 and Moon/Kapono at the 3 because they aren't finishers around the basker(when't the last time you've seen Moon have a game where most of his buckets came from around the paint and not off of 18 footers and 3 pointers?).

We need a direction first (Coaching philosophy), and then the players that are going to take us there (BC).

Stop talking about 2010, please, enough already. Just because ESPN and others write that stuff, they get paid to do that(they have no idea), trust me Lebron and Bosh are not thinking 2 years from now, that's why they have agents and General Managers. We(Raptors) have tons of cash(more that any other team available for 2010).
But the thing that gets me is, Bosh isn't that type of player to get wrapped up in the hype of 2010. He's a special all star who cared about the team. He's really super grounded and people have to realize that. He's not peeved about not getting as many touches or not playing as much time, Bosh could care less because he is a team guy, so stop talking about silly stuff that you hear all the time. He's not Starbury or McGrady, he wants to win it all and play his whole career with the team that's drafted him and with the community that's beloved him ( he's on the record for saying that exact thing). Plus his girlfriends from hear and it's a Massive market and one of the loudest crowds and JO came here because he sees the potential. So any more talk about what's going to happen 2 years from is so tiring, don't you find? Like next year are you going to keep saying the same things, I can understand next year talking about 2010 but not this year.
Bosh's play with Blake switched on him, That's the type of stuff that I would show CB in the video room to get him motivated, because that was a brutal effort. Hopefully JO opens up and tells him to start playing D with him.
Franchise I think a nice win could potentially start a nice run, even with some tough teams, because JO looked great didn't he!!

The Raps looks very good at times yesterday and I think outside of the result this game could be the start of a confidence builder. All the Raps have to do to get back on track is beat the Cav's tomorrow and they have the personnel to do it. Cleveland is good but anybody can be beaten and the RAps always play the Cav's close. Pull off a win on the road tomorrow and I gaurantee you this will be a different team going forward. Get blown out or lose tomorrow and they do not have much to loose because its the Cavs. But a win would go along way with getting the team to buy into Jay Triano's coaching styles..I am keeping my fingers cross because I know the Raps is a good squad....Raps4life.

hmmmmm, to me what was interesting was hearing o'neal speak after the game, reaching out to the fans by thanking them for sticking around and be being patient and supportive. that he and his teammates were trying to figure it out.

not to add to the already simmering boil that is bosh, but he could learn a thing or two from the (now) more mature o'neal.

I think maybe bosh is perhaps starting to come down from his summer high when everything was other worldly good, and is perhaps struggling a bit with the fall back to reality. and the crazy work load he's been playing through for the last few months.

pity party aside, it's time to get crack-a-lackin' franchise player. time to earn your cheese. and butter. and all them other groceries you can afford by the boat load.

the boy better come out with some fire tomorrow against the Cleveland Lebron's!!!

I was very confused on why Parker doubled down on Oden who was being guarded by Oneal at the time. I am suprised Oneal didn't punch Parker in the face for doubting his ability to guard an 8 ppg player.

This comment killed me.

Yes, hillarious but also so true. I saw the exact play and proceeded to scream "WHAT ARE YOU DOING AP????" at the TV. I don't get it, I really don't. I haven't played a minute of competitive basketball outside of Grade 12 and I wouldn't have doubled Oden!

Here's something else I was thinking yesterday and I'll throw it out there to stir the pot. Anyone think that O'Neal is going to emerge as this team's natural leader? Bosh lately just seems all cartoonish - even in his post-game chats with Leo or Jack...

Portland game

Bosh makes a better dash to the net, and we win.

Raptors grab that last (defensive) rebound – instead of playing volleyball – and we most likely win.

Argue those last 2 points all you want, but after reading a few of the top Raptor blogs, one comes away wondering if they saw the same game. Or maybe it’s simply that human virus going around:

Pessimism .... "an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome"

man a lot of negativity on here lately. I dont believe Bosh as a professional is going to sit around for one and three quarters seasons "disinterested" He is playing out of his mind this season, a couple rough games for the team and everyone is ready to crucify the guy. the ficleness of fans

Only Raptor fans...Adam...

sometimes it makes you wonder if we really understand basketball in Toronto or if these fans just say anything that comes to mind without thinking abouot the game. Sometimes a losing streak is the best thing that can happen to a team, once they get the bitter taste of losing in their mouth, they will work much harder to end the streak and once the streak is ended they actually realize how hard you have to work to win. That's how it was 2 years ago when the Raps went 47-35 they were actually 3-8 if I remember correctly and then they turned it around...so Bosh is fine, JO is coming around, Bargs is on pace for a breakout year, new coach, Jose is Jose so lets be optimistic so RapthoseLeafs does not have to explain to us what being a pessimist is.....Raps4Life.

Although we lost it was a great game. Portland with that win is second in the Western Conference....so going to the wire with them is nothing to be ashamed of as long as we continue to build.

Here is the problem though: What are we building towards? This team still has no real direction. Is the future Bosh and Bargnani up front? Or has that changed? Are we going to try and bring in a true center now that we see how much we get beat up on the boards?

I know for now we have JO but what happens in two years? Which direction will this team head in?

Thus far the only two "for sures" on this team are at the PG and PF spot. Everything else is still up in the air and a question mark...I guess thats what makes things exciting though.

As for this year....things will get better. JO is getting back into pre injury form....Bargs is actually playing defence (hopefully he can pick up the offence).

A major key to winning (as scary as it sounds) will be Joey Graham. He is showing those "flashes" of being good more and more consistantly now. If he can become a legit threat then I say start him and bring Bargs as the first big man off the bench. Bargs will be more comfortable and effective offensively...we'll be stronger at guarding the wings with Joey out there rather than Andrea.

That being said I question whether the Raps will be able to pass the 1st round. I think Orlando, the Cavs and the Celtics will be there for sure. The last spot I think will come down to the Pistons, 76ers and Raptors....all teams with lots of talent...but teams that are going through some problems right now. Who will turn it around the best?

Here’s my inexperienced take, for what it’s worth:

CALDERON – I still prefer him over TJ Ford. A team player who’s just been playing too many minutes. Why aren’t we training Ukic more?

O’NEAL– As I always have felt .... Rent-a-banger. Like when he has games against Portland, but let’s face it, he’s a great (trading) asset for next year.

BOSH – He’s been our Go-to-Man, but I’d like to see that change. Less minutes and less pts. Time to be a leader and dish off. His APG should be much higher. Team pts will benefit.

BARGNANI – Still get worried that we have him in the 3 position. And as Triano said, we need to make plays with him in mind. When he gets points, his all-around play elevates itself.

KAPONO – ideal bench guy when you need offense. Maybe Triano can turn this "regret" around.

HUMPS – Bench player who needs to play with a real bench. But hey .... that’s easier said then done.

JOEY, JOEY, JOEY – finally gets a chance without a coach & his human fishing rod.

PARKER – great defensive player coming off the BENCH. Playing too much for a 33 year old. Then again, do we have much choice?

UKIC – He’s shown flashes of talent, but still raw. He needs some time on the court. We ain’t winning it this year, so what’s the hold-back.

MOON – great story last year. Enjoy that paycheque .... I hear the Trotters are short players.

ADAMS & SOLOMON – paycheque, fore-check, back-check ......... cheque please.

JAWAI – Like Jar Jar, can we just animate him into the background?

TRIANO – 2 games and I feel better. Maybe it’s optimism, maybe I’m drunk, but I feel better with him there ..... even if Mitch was only a small part of why we’re < 500.

RapthoseLeaf/adam/RAPS4LIFE --

You can be all starry-eyed if you want but I tend to look at the Raptors not in terms of Fantasy points but in terms of team performance. (And if you want to talk Fantasy, I'd rather take JO's 6 blocks than Bosh's 1 3P -- those stats kind of say it all, don't they?)

I was at the game and call it like I saw it, and wouldn't have been that much happier even if they won (but they deserved not to with that pathetic final play). Bosh did get cut above the eye and had to cycle in-and-out after the 2nd Q, but on the bright side that gave him a fair bit of of rest... and he was -14, worst of any player on the floor for both teams.

Just as I'm sure Cavs fans were annoyed when LeBron was shooting 71% FT just last year and are now pleased that he has upped it to 79%, why can't we demand that Bosh step it up so opposed PF/Cs don't see him as an easy mark? He has all the tools to be a dominant defender like KG, I just don't see him utilizing them.

I wanted Smitch to be fired for failing to maximize the strengths of his players, but now it's up to the players and the remaining coaching staff to minimize their own weaknesses. Maybe with the make-up of this team it is impossible to cover-up Bosh and Jose's lack of D, just like Nash and Amare are now exposed without Marion.

I can't believe so many people are knocking Bosh. I guess if he doesn't score 30pts he's dogging it. Out of synch? Most assuredly. Depressed with losing? Probably. He'll work his way out of it. He doesn't know how to quit. As for Bargnani, please stop with the breakout year stuff. He doesn't look lost out on the court as often this year, even gets a few rebounds and blocks but man, opposing players fight each other so that they can get to drive past this slug. His 30 ft top of the key, shot just doesn't do it for me anymore. I'd trade him for Marvin Williams in a flash and I'll bet Colangelo would too.

There's one more thing I want to mention thinking back about last night's game. I thought it was really interesting to have Triano have the conviction to sit Bosh at the beginning of the 4th quarter. It's just a little thing, but I don't doubt that we would have seen something different had Sam been managing the game. Things like that make me smile about where this team is heading right now, and if nothing else, Colangelo's bought some time in my books because of this coaching change. Right now, some of us are giving the Raptors a slightly longer leash as they find a new system, and well, I think it's deserved. But at the same time, I think it gives us something to temper our expectations with especially in the middle of this stretch of tough games.

I think Bosh has shown some physical and mental fatigue lately....the whole team has really. This is to be expected,especially after a coaching change, damn Mitchell has been Bosh's ONLY coach.....I still think we'll be seeing positive results from the coaching change as early as this week.

That's it from me, nothing funny, nothing new....just a crusty old 30 something Raptor fan getting sick of the bullshit. I've waited 14 friggin years for something dammit, something. (applause.)

Fan fatigue maybe? I think so.

[ "RapthoseLeaf ... .. you can be all starry-eyed if you want but I tend to look at the Raptors not in terms of Fantasy points but in terms of team performance." ]

jjdynomite,
Not sure how you concluded this, but you obviously didn’t read my comment well enough.

"BOSH – He’s been our Go-to-Man, but I’d like to see that change. Less minutes and less pts. Time to be a leader and dish off. His APG should be much higher. Team pts will benefit."

My frustration with this team -- and this has been under Smitch -- is that Bosh has put up huge numbers, but where does that get us. How many times has he passed it to AB? Or anyone else not named O’Neil & Calderon? This is a team game, and the next step for Bosh – if he truly wants to be an MVP – is to make this a team mission. Not a Bosh mission. And my hope is that Triano will bring CB on board for this.

I actaully think Bosh harbours a bit of resentment towards his teams and management right now. In his mind he feels Sam got fired because the players weren't playing hard enough or simply quit. He was starting to get frustrated with the players before Sam got axed and I can't imagine that feeling got much better afterward. He must also think Colangelo didn't deliver what he expected in the off-season.

Winning cures all ails and I think this team will find it's way soon. We'll all be looking back remeber how hopeless everything looked and a little chuckle. This team has too many good pieces to be this bad for too much longer.

Raptoronto your a queerbait. Don't make it sound like you know what people are thinking. You sound like a woman talking about a soap opera. Give us all a break, please.

Kimbo - queerbait attracts queers. Sorry I brought you into this.