I can’t believe I predicted the Raptors covering the spread last night; I apologize.

Injury Report

Toronto
Reggie Evans – Out
Linas Kleiza – Out

Chicago
When Boozers healthy, you know the God’s are conspiring against you.

Player Report

Jose Calderon
Bayless played fairly well last night considering he couldn’t hit a field goal and turned the ball over 4 times in 21 minutes. It’s kind of maddening for your point guard to play so callously, but he made up for it by getting to the line and getting folks involved, albeit he left it till the fourth quarter when it didn’t matter. Calderon was no better. If the two of them, Calderon mostly, had trouble with Augustin in transition last night,  tonight against Rose will be much worse. Derrick is lightning fast, elite finisher at the rim, a stud in the paint with that sweet floater, shoots the ball well, athletic, sees the floor well and has that look in his eye (the exact opposite look that Bargnani has). In short, the guy is an MVP candidate; good luck.
Box: 8pts 12ast 3rebs

DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan needs to bounce back from a lame-duck performance last night against the Cats. Took him 15 shots to total 14 points, but zero trips to the line; last night he was up against elite-defenders so I’ll give him a pass, but tonight should be better. Luckily he gets Bogans again, who hasn’t had much success defending him in the past. I’d like to see 6 trips to the line tonight for DeMar; enough is enough.
Box: 18pts 4rebs 3ast

Sonny Weems
Best game of the year for Sonny last night. Dude was getting in the paint, attacking the rim, taking good jumpers, and doing a fairly good job on Wallace considering Gerald did end up with 20pts, but only pulled down 6 rebounds, that counts for something, no? I guess not.

Deng, he’s a solid mid-ranger shooter, and his length (6″9) makes it that much harder to block his shot. If there’s a weakness, it’s shooting threes but asking the Raptors defense to play intelligently is like asking A-Dub to write a post sans the Bargnani-hate – ain’t gonna happen.
Box: 13pts 7rebs 3ast

Amir Johnson
As much as I can’t stand Boozer, I have to respect the guy. He’s been a beast since returning from injury and held the fort during Noah’s absence over the last month. He shoots the ball very well, plays big in the post, rebounds very well, and can be a nuisance on defense with those long arms and quick movements. Amir is going to have his hands full between trying to keep a body on Boozer, and having to deal with Noah on the glass.  I don’t know; this has the potential to get really messy, Amir can’t do it alone; and really needs a motivated Bargnani to battle in the paint with him.
Box: 8pts 10rebs 2blk

Andrea Bargnani
Bargnani is going to justify why I would trade him in a heartbeat for Joakim Noah. Last night against Nazr Mohammed he let the guy grab 14 rebounds. Had it not been for the 8 rebounds that Andrea pulled down (I use pulled down loosely), I might have broken my television…hate Nazr. He’s not the kind of hustle player who can outplay anyone, but did just that. Against Noah, tonight, he wont fair any better. I’m not saying Bargnani won’t hit a few shots, he’s good for at least 20 points; but he wont be able to match Noah’s energy and his overall impact on the game is likely to be minimal. Joakim is coming off a month sitting out and the little hustle/heart things that make him such a valuable player will be on display, the Raptors are hoping that he’ll be rusty and have his minutes limited. He may not be able to go 100% for 35min, but he will be a force.
Box: 21pts 2reb

Keys to the Game

Second Game of a Back-to-Back
The Raptors are on the second night of the back-to-back, thankfully it’s a home game. This season, Toronto is 4-8 on the second night of a back-to-back, with all but one of those wins (Dallas) coming against teams who are playing under .500.

Defense/Rebounding
The Bulls are a solid defensive team; 9th in points allowed and 2nd in rebounding. BARGNANI NEEDS TO GRAB SOME BOARDS. Since shutting down Rose will be next to impossible, I’m advocating the Raptors not double anyone. I don’t want to see any drives and kicks for a wide open look at the rim. Also, BARGNANI NEEDS TO BOX NOAH OUT EVERY TIME A BALL GOES UP, NO MATTER WHAT END OF THE FLOOR HE’S ON.

The Line

The Bulls are 8.5 point favourites with an over/under of 196; seems about the right; the Raptors will flap around like a fish out of water, only to piece together a solid run at the end of the game just to mess with us. This game does have potential to get out of control, though.

I checked in with Surya Fernandez from Hot Hot Hoops to talk about the Heat and the newly formed commission (Bosh, Wade, LeBron and Joe Johnson). We’re still getting weak trade offers for Bosh; I guess a 24pt 11reb a night kind of guy has no value around the league. It’s actually making me question what I think I know about basketball (which granted isn’t very much since I thought the Suns were going to be thumped buy the Spurs in the 2nd round).

Without even making a reach, Riley has a lot of options to pair Wade with an elite level forward this summer (Bosh, Boozer and Stoudemire), so you can expect him to jump at the first option regardless of who he really covets. I’m going out on a limb and predicting Bosh doesn’t end up in Miami this summer, but that the Heat will be a 50 win team next season with the additions Riley makes.

Sam Holako: What do you make of this free agent commission Wade, LeBron, Bosh and Johnson have put together to discuss their fates? Seems sinister, and frankly, I’m a little disappointed about it – whatever happened to being a man?

Surya Fernandez: It’s all a matter of perception. Toronto needs to find another willing team to do a sign and trade should Bosh want to go elsewhere to get something decent in return and start a new era. The Heat have been treading water for the last couple of years and are finally free of that huge chunk of salary cap that dated back from Shaq’s last contract extension. Wade doesn’t sound like he’s leaving so there’s little doubt that he’ll try to do some recruiting at this summit. There’s nothing else for him to talk about. I don’t mind players that are friends getting together and talking about something this important in their lives and careers. Maybe they all go their separate ways and nothing much comes of it. Just imagine what owners and GMs talk about when they all get together. It must be worse than a sewing circle.

SH: With Wade staying, I look at the team, and don’t see much of anything there: Chalmers is a nice player, Beasley has talent, I’m a fan of Joel Anthony, but outside of that, what does Miami do to round out the roster? What does Miami do to become relevant again?

SF: o question it’s a huge question mark with that many contracts clearing the books. But there is a lot of flexibility that comes with that. Udonis Haslem and Dorell Wright are solid players that can be retained or used for sign and trades to secure a point guard, the Heat’s biggest need. Chalmers and Beasley can be traded but if they stay will provide depth.

I’m not a fan of simply giving out max contracts to just anybody and I would pass on Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer and Joe Johnson because other teams that may miss out on the bigger names will be offered a max contract by a team like the Knicks, Clippers or Nets. If you can sign James or Bosh then that’s great but the Heat could also use the rest of the $10-12 million to round out a roster with some quality big men and long range shooters. I just wrote (Affordable free agents that the Miami Heat should pursue) about nine free agents that the Heat should go after if they went this path.

Another method that isn’t discussed much is to hold on to some of the cap space to facilitate trades with other teams after the season starts leading up to the trading deadline. Riley said last month that the makeover process could take up to 18 months. Teams will want to shed contracts (like the Marcus Camby or Eric Maynor trades) and the Heat could absorb them easily (and perhaps acquire a few draft picks in the process) to get some more depth leading up to a playoff run.

SH: That’s quite the list, what stands out for me is Oberto and Foye. With the Wizard probably shopping Arenas; what would you think about engineering a trade to land Arenas and Oberto for cap space and Haslem, still having enough cap space to sign a Bosh? That would be a lethal backcourt.

SF: On paper it would be a lethal backcourt. The problem is that the Wizards on paper before the start of this season were thought of as a playoff team. First you have that huge contract that in and of itself would be drawback even if it was the Arenas of a few years ago. Then you have the health issues that he never seemed to have recovered from then the gun incident that derailed the entire franchise. I’d stay away from him.

If Miami wants to try it out with an oft-injured player past his prime I’d rather take on Elton Brand and net the second overall pick too from the Sixers. His contract is just as bad as Arenas but at least then you could rationalize it by having two players who combined make “X” amount of money because of this trade. Both could be useful immediately for the Heat if Brand is at least healthy enough to contribute like Jermaine O’Neal did this past season (putting aside the Celtics playoffs). And the Heat will have an awesome rookie talent at that pick.

SH: Philly was my next option; I really think Brand will surprise folks once he gets out of Philly. Make me an offer for Bosh in a S+T.

SF: You can have your first round pick back from the Marion-O’Neal trade plus another first rounder, Cook and Chalmers (who both need a change of scenery as well). It’s better than losing him for nothing. Offering Beasley as well would be the last resort since Bosh might be persuaded to just simply sign in Miami, not have to pay income tax and the Heat could keep those players and picks I just offered to your Raptors and send them to another team for a solid player who makes less like Rudy Gay. I like Bosh but if the Raptors want to trade him to the Lakers for oft-injured Andrew Bynum then be my guest. The Heat would then go after Stoudemire and maybe Boozer.

SH: I think it’s safe to say he wont leave $30mil guaranteed on the table, so thanks for giving us back our 1st rounder, lol. Can you talk about Riley a bit. Heard he may want to take over as coach again, dropping Erik Spoelstra like he did SVG, if the Heat land another elite player to pair with Wade. Is this just all chatter, or are there some legs to these rumours?

SF: Riley threw that out there as bait for free agents to consider should they want to directly play for him. But even though he only would consider it if he was asked to now it’s hard to not to see Spoelstra as a lame duck after saying that. Quite frankly, I think the Heat has done enough for Erik since hiring him to cut video back in 1995 so I really wouldn’t mind it if the Heat had a veteran seasoned coach going forward. If it has to be Riley so be it. People complain enough that the Heat are somewhat wasting the last couple of years of Wade’s prime and I don’t see Spoelstra as a coach to take your team deep in the playoffs. He might be good at analyzing videos and preparing his players but his in-game decisions, robotic substitution patterns and poor play-calling in late game situations have been the subject of tough criticism from diehard Heat fans.

Van Gundy was squeezed out because Shaq did not want to be coached by him anymore after the Pistons series in ’05. That’s what can happen when teams employ superstars and GMs and owners have to choose whether to listen to them or not. I’m not defending Riley (and I’m positive he smelled a golden opportunity to collect another coaching ring) but sometimes it’s not as simple an issue as it may seem from outsiders looking in. The end result back then was a ring, let’s see what happens this time around.

SH: From the outside looking in, it seemed as though Riley created the atmosphere for SVG to ultimately get canned. Regardless, he was the right man for the job. Could we interest you in Turkoglu?

SF: Agreed but SVG really did muck things up a bit at the end of the Pistons series though. It sure looked like a slimy move on Riley’s part but it sure worked out. Not surprising Riley might consider jumping back in if the roster starts looking like championship material this year.

The Heat only should take Hedo if they can get Marcus Banks back!

SH: So the Heat tried to trade Beasley for Dooling, and were denied (they say he plays a very similar game to Yi); why is Beasley’s value so low?

SF: There is no accuracy to that report. It came out of a podcast with nobody to corroborate it. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel has already confirmed that the Heat never made such an offer.

There’s no comparison between Beasley and Yi. It’s almost laughable. If you’re referring to Sebastian Pruiti’s comparison to them on Nets Are Scorching all I can tell you is that stats don’t tell the whole story. Stats don’t speak about how his unexperienced coach has never put Beasley in a situation to succeed on the court, how Beasley has never had a consistent role in this team or how he’s never had a chance to play with a decent playmaking point guard since he arrived in the NBA only two years ago.

Quite frankly I’m glad his value is perceived to be low so maybe he’ll stick around. Maybe it’s his personality or maybe it’s the off-court issues. I don’t know how many players in the 4-5 million dollar range could put up 15 points and 6 and a half rebounds in less than 30 minutes while playing in an offense that is solely geared towards Dwyane Wade. Power forward should not be a position of concern for the Heat with so many holes to plug so I can’t really justify carving out such a huge slice of the cap space for Bosh or Boozer.

Yes, of course he needs to work on his game and his defense (as should all young NBA players strive to do this summer). But give him a better coach, more minutes without fear of immediately being pulled off the court because of an error, and a true point guard who can run plays for him that can give him some easier looks closer to the basket. Then we can talk about whether he’s a bust or not. I don’t know how much more value the Heat could get out of that position.

Through the 90s, the Knicks were my favourite team, and if you liked a tough, bruising team oozing with heart, then they were the team for you. When the Raptors and Knicks were battling in the playoffs, I was never more torn; ultimately I cheered the Raptors, but had the Knicks got through….

While they don’t have great talent to surround LeBron and Bosh (for sake of argument), the team does provide the lure of being a God in New York if someone can deliver a championship. For the record, regardless of what they offer, I’m against any deal with the Knicks since they are a division rival. The last time we did that, we got BURNED in the playoffs; not looking for a repeat.

I spoke to Dan L. from The Knicks Fan Blog about the state of the Knicks, and got some interesting tidbits from him:

Sam Holako: There isn’t much to talk about the Knicks during the regular season since the last couple years has all been about making a run at two max free-agents this summer. Where do you realistically put the Knicks chances of landing LeBron this summer? A sign and trade with the Cavs will prove difficult (what kind of deal do you put together for the MVP?). Also talk about the LeBrostimistic graph you have on your site, I love that thing.

Dan L.: I think it’s impossible to say what the Knicks’ chances are to get LeBron without being part of the “inner circle”. But I think the Knicks have a couple of things working in their favor. One is obviously that the Cavs got spanked so hard by the Celtics. They clearly aren’t a championship caliber team and they’re also ham-strung by salary commitments with the likes of Jamison, Gibson, Varejao, and Mo Williams. They won’t be signing any meaningful free agents.

It is hard to see the Knicks and Cavs pulling off a sign and trade, but it could happen if LeBron told them he’s going to the Knicks anyway and unless they deal they won’t get anything in return. For example the Knicks can offer the Cavs a massive salary cap exception and future picks for LeBron. With that exception the Cavs could hypothetically trade for Elton Brand and the second pick (Evan Turner). Maybe they could even convince the Knicks to part with Wilson Chandler. Mo Williams, Turner, Chandler, Jamison, Brand. I could think of worse teams.

Ha. The LeBroptimism meter right now is at 0 because honestly, I just don’t have any kind of bearing of what LeBron is going to do. He and his team have done a masterful job of keeping everyone in the dark, and there are a lot of teams that have positioned themselves to get LeBron. I think the only realistic options for LeBron if he leaves are the Knicks and Bulls because I’d be shocked if he went somewhere that didn’t have a major media presence. I’d add the Nets to the mix but I think their young talent is vastly overstated. The Knicks’ young talent was better than 12 wins. Also LeBron won’t want to play in Newark, I don’t think.

If I was being completely honest with my own gut, I’d put that LeBroptimism meter somewhat higher than 0.

SH: That would be Step 1; Step 2 would be find a running mate for him. Chris Bosh recently put the Knicks on his wishlist. Make me an offer for him.

DL: he only offer really is David Lee. Not sure what Raptors fans think about Lee but you could do much worse. He’s a terrific rebounder (though he doesn’t get the tough ones) and due to his terrific work ethic he transformed himself into one of the best shooting bigs in the league. He’s also an elite finisher. He can get his shot off in the paint and make it with such frequency that it never ceases to amaze me. You’ll be losing out by trading Bosh but maybe not by as much as you’d think.

The downside for the Raptors is that their biggest weakness is also Lee’s, in that he couldn’t guard a lamp post. A lot of that has to do with the fact that he’s a PF and the Knicks had him at center all year. Still, I’d think that the Raptors want to address their D this summer, and Lee isn’t going to do that.

Financially, Lee is going to make less than Bosh because under the collective bargaining agreement, his max is about $13.5 million. The Raptors would therefore get a trade exception in the deal of about $4 million.

Another option the Raptors could consider is adding Calderon or Turk to the mix and taking back Eddy Curry. This would get the Raptors out from under the cap predicament they put themselves in by next year.

It’s all dependent on what Lee wants though. If he just wants money and the Raptors offer him his max I think he would agree to go to Toronto because he would get bigger raises in a sign and trade. If other factors are more important to him, like staying in the New York area, and the money is similar, I could see him signing with the Nets.

SH: Not sure how Raptor fans would feel about paying Lee $13.5; even though double-double machines are hard to come by, I was thinking a 5yr/$50mill deal. A front court of Bargnani and Lee would be the worse defensive unit in the league, potentially, but Lee is one of the better players we could hope for in a sign-and-trade.

Interesting you bring up a Calderon/Turkoglu swap for Curry. What is Curry’s status? Can he be looked too to play 20minutes a night? He’s still pretty young, and has great size/athleticism (well he did). I’m assuming with the financial problems he’s said to be having, that he will at least be motivated to play harder for the next contract.

DL: I’d think that Lee is going to get more than $10 million on the market this summer. But I guess that remains to be seen.

You’re right about the raptors defense. They’d have to slide Bargs over to the 3 and find a way to get a defensive 5.

That’s not Eddy Curry, even if healthy. The potential Curry deal would be solely a salary dump for the Raptors. Knicks fans have been waiting for the old Curry to come back for over 2 years. The fact is that he’s played only a handful of games in each of the last two seasons and just doesn’t seem interested in playing basketball.

You’re right that Curry SHOULD be motivated in a contract year. But I’d be shocked if he had the desire to. And even if he did, I’d be doubly shocked if he stayed healthy.

SH: I want to examine something you said about Calderon or Turkoglu for Curry. Even if the Knicks somehow manage to get LeBron and Bosh, they would still need to have people around them to you know, play basketball at an NBA level. In the worse case scenario that they don’t land anyone in the summer to line up beside those two, what will this team look like?

DL: Honestly I think that’s an issue that the national media has drummed up in their echo chamber because they are biased against New York (true New York perspective here, huh?).

The team WILL have players on it. Obviously Turkoglu or Calderon could be one of those other players. If not, the Knicks should try to move Curry for another team’s expensive mistake, like Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton or Corey Maggette.

But let’s look at who is on the team right now. Danilo Gallinari played essentially his rookie year last year since he missed most of his first season with a back injury. He only finished second in the NBA in three pointers made. Folks in the national media have called him a “one-trick pony” but those of us who watch the Knicks every game know that he’s much more than that. Even the most negative tabloid beat writers like the New York Post’s Marc Berman jumped on the Gallinari bandwagon by the end of the year. He’s a terrific passer, and has a great basketball IQ, and most surprisingly, was probably the Knicks best defender last year other than Jarred Jeffries, both on the ball and in help.

Wilson Chandler is another player that most people who don’t follow the Knicks tend to ignore. It’s because he’s very quiet and unassuming. My opinion is that he doesn’t have star potential like Gallinari does, but there are observers who disagree. At the very least though he plays D, has a great mid-range game, and is a superb finisher.

Toney Douglas inexplicably failed to get off of Mike D’Antoni’s bench for most of the year but when D’Antoni finally let him play the Knicks what I like to say resembled a young Gary Payton. Douglas is very disruptive on the defensive end, is a very good shooter from distance, and LOVES the ball at the end of games. He’s very clutch.

These were 3 very young and/or inexperienced players but all of them have a world of potential. Importantly, they’re all very good fits with LeBron. Gallinari will can countless open jumpers off LeBron drives, and Wilson will get plenty of open looks slashing off of those same drives. Douglas will also knock down open shots and defend the perimeter, but more importantly, both he and Gallinari will take the pressure off LeBron at the end of games, which seems to be an issue for the King. It’s a good starting 5.

Aside from those 3 the Knicks have Bill Walker, who, after the trade deadline really came into his own for the Knicks. He has great range and shoots a high percentage. He’s also extremely athletic and can jump out of the gym. Finally, where Chandler doesn’t really read the defense, instead focusing on just making one on one moves to get open, Walker knows where to be on the court to space the floor and get open looks for himself both inside and out.

The Knicks also have 2 second round draft picks.

Finally, if the Knicks are able to land the big stars, look for some veteran players to sign on for cheap for a chance at the title. For example, PJ Brown signed with Boston for the minimum to win a ring. Same with Michael Finley.

I expect the Knicks to be able to round out their roster in a similar way.

SH: I’m actually pretty high on Chandler. I’ve seen quite a few Knicks games, and the kid is nice (Gallinari too). If LeBosh doesn’t pan out for the Knicks, would a Joe Johnson/Boozer/Stoudemire combination satisfy Knicks fans? The team obviously wouldn’t be a championship contender (the best they could hope for is the Hawks), but they would be in the high 40s in terms of wins and MAYBE a second round appearance.

DL: hose guys obviously represent the second tier of free agents. They’d improve the Knicks vastly but I wouldn’t be too thrilled about it. That’s particularly true because I assume those guys would be getting the max (or something close) and I don’t think they’re worth it.

It’s not the first choice and there are some fans who go by the mantra “LeBron or bust”. Not me though. I think Donnie Walsh had to take his best shot at building a dynasty. It might not work out that way but the idea was the right idea. Either way the Knicks will be much improved, even if they don’t get LeBron.

Since I have nothing better to do than think up scenarios, I’ve previously written that there are other options available besides just free agents. The Knicks could look at Tony Parker, for example. A trade of Chandler, Curry and Douglas for Parker, RJ and McDyess would make some sense if the Knicks also landed Amare. Parker, RJ (who plays better in an open system), Gallinari, McDyess, Amare, with enough flexibility to sign Melo in ’11.

Another example is a trade of Curry for Biedrins or Maggette and Anthony Randolph, while re-signing Lee and signing Joe Johnson. You’d have Tony Douglas, Johnson, Gallinari, Lee and Randolph/Biedrins. Not too shabby in my opinion, and a team that can grow better over the next few years. Not a title contender though, and you’d lose your ’11 flexibility, which I’d like to see the Knicks keep if they lose out on the big names.

Late last week, Chris Bosh’s camp released a wish list of teams he would play for, and the Bulls happen to be one of them (shocking all the teams are linked to either LeBron or Wade or Kobe). The Bulls will be frustrating to deal with (if we in fact do a deal with them) since the guys we would want (Noah, Rose) wont be the guys we would probably get (Gibson, Deng, Hinrich). Not to say those guys wouldn’t provide the Raptors any value, but you know, you trade Bosh, you expect a Noah back while not handing the Bulls a championship lineup since you know, we should be the one building a championship team.

I check with Matt McHale from the ESPN TrueHoop blog By The Horns, to get his take on the Bosh rumours, as well as the situation with Vinny Del Negro:

Sam Holako: Vinny Del Negro got the axe, and probably would have got it earlier in the season if the team didn’t pull together and play so well down the stretch. Looking in from the outside, it seems that he was dealt a bum hand by Paxson, who let Ben Gordon walk, traded John Salmons for rags and didn’t give a good enough team to a rookie head-coach to win with. If you ask me, Paxson should be the next change Reinsdorf makes to this team. What are your thoughts on this whole situation?

Matt McHale: Well, I do feel like Vinny was hired to be fired. Chicago’s front office had a plan that was two years in the making: Hire a “placeholder” coach, cut salary, and then try to go all in during the free agent bonanza this summer. All I can do is speculate, but Bulls management never showed strong support for Vinny nor did they ever do anything to indicate that he was part of their plans past this season. And yet all Vinny did — for all his faults as a relatively inexperienced head coach — was get the team to overachieve based on their talent and how they were constructed.

Speaking of which…who put this team together? John Paxson. And his management of the team hasn’t been stellar. His biggest mistakes — among many — include breaking the bank for Ben Wallace (who worked out so poorly he had to be traded for Larry Hughes!), trading LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas (who worked out so poorly he had to be traded for a couple expiring contracts) and vastly overpaying for Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng. The only thing that has prevented his stewardship of the Bulls from being a complete and utter disaster was the team lucking into the number one overall draft pick they used to get Derrick Rose. Just think of where this team would be without that kid. Yikes.

And yet during the 2008-09 season, after calling the team a “disaster” and “embarrassing,” team owner Jerry Reinsdorf said: “When you have a team that’s not performing it’s an organization failure. You win and you lose as an organization. But if there’s one person that is not responsible for what’s going on right now, it’s John Paxson. I have tremendous confidence in John Paxson. He’s really one of the best people that I know. He’s a great general manager and a great judge of talent.”

What can you do about a guy in that tight with the man who’s funding the team?

And although I would like to see Pax given his walking papers, this is a huge summer in terms of looking for a new head coach and trying to lure a big time free agent or two to the Windy City. Firing the team’s executive vice president would make the team seem in even more disarray…which could be costly.

SH: Wow, talk about a ringing endorsement; guess clutch 3-point shooting in the 90s pays off beyond a couple championship runs. So what’s the plan now? There has been very intense rumours about LeBron joining the Bulls this year. If he can handle playing in Jordan’s shadow, it seems to be the best fit for LBJ on any team in the league, and propel the Bulls back into championship contention. It would also redeem some of those poor personell moves Paxson has made over the years (lucking into the #1 pick shouldn’t have saved his job IMHO).

MM: Well, it goes without saying that the Bulls — and every other team — would love to have LeBron James suiting up for them. And I’m sure Chicago’s front office will reach out to him. But the larger plan is to land somebody big: LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemore…a superstar or borderline superstar who can address some of the team’s glaring needs (scoring first and foremost, and an inside game if possible). That’s priority one in terms of player personnel. Then the Bulls will need to bring in a couple crack three-point shooters to help with spacing. But right now, every iota of energy that isn’t expended searching for a coach will be used to land one of the “White Whales.”

SH: Who’s the front runner for the coaching gig? Calipari’s name seems to be coming up left and right.

MM: Honestly, I have no idea. Cal has been very firm about the fact that he has no plans to leave Kentucky. And anyway, Chicago’s front office has stated that they want a coach with extensive regular season and playoff experience. Calipari compiled a .391 winning percentage over 184 games with the New Jersey Nets, and his only playoff experience was presiding over a three-game sweep of his team in the first round of the 1998 NBA playoffs. That doesn’t exactly fit the bill.

Bulls management is being very careful about this coaching search. Read that: slow.

And in all honestly, they could be waiting for a better idea of who they might be able to land in fre agency. After all, it could have a serious effect on the kind of coach they would want for the team, in terms of offensive/defensive philosophies.

SH: Speaking of free agency, there has been talk of LeBron, Bosh, Wade as possible targets, but each is a very different kind of player. What kind of player do you prefer the Bulls land?

MM: Well, let’s face it: If you can get LeBron James, you get LeBron James. I think the same thing could probably be said about Dwyane Wade. If you can get a bonafide superduperstar, you do it and then rebuild (even if only partially) around them.

But assuming those two are out of reach, the Bulls need — and have needed for years and years — a frontcourt scorer to complement Derrick Rose. Someone who can score from the low post and run the pick and roll successfully. From that standpoint, I think the Bulls should target Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and/or Amar’e Stoudemire.

SH: What do you make of the phone call between LeBron and Rose?

MM: I think LeBron is, as Mr. Spock said in the latest Star Trek reboot, “cultivating multiple options.” It’s entirely possible he also called Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, too. To me, it seems like LeBron is feeling things out, getting a sense of what’s available out there, whom he might want to play with, and who might want to play with him. It seems to suggest that LeBron is at least considering Chicago as a potential destination…but that’s about it.

Of course, maybe LeBron is just buttering Rose up to get him to join the U.S. national team. Remember, back in December, this was what James said when asked if he’d like to team up with Rose: “Yeah, especially on an Olympic team. He did a great job this past summer holding it down for some of the older guys, giving them some rest. He’s a great point guard. He’s a great player. I love watching Derrick play, man, he’s unbelievable. All he’s going to do is continue to get better — with every game, with every practice. Hopefully in the 2012 Olympics, he can be a part of that team and have some fun.”

SH: Make me an offer for Chris Bosh in a sign-n-trade situation.

MM: Here’s my suggestion: Taj Gibson (and solid, up-and-coming PF) to replace Bosh and Kirk Hinrich. No, wait, here me out. I checked 82games.com and noticed that opposing PGs averaged 21+ PPG with an eFG of 52% and a PER of 20.1 against the Raptors this season. That’s like facing an All-Star PG every night. You don’t necessarily have to start Kirk, but you could bring him in as a defensive stopper off the bench against opposing PGs and SGs (whom I see average 22 points with a PER of 17 against the Raps). Hey, you guys need defense, and Kirk can bring that. So can Taj, actually. He was second on the Bulls in DRating this season as a rookie and will probably improve with experience.

I’m sure we can throw in some other filler to make the salaries work…

All things considered, the Raptors aren’t doing that bad recenty. They are 6-11 since the All-Star game, but 3-1 in their last 4 games, with two of those coming on the road. Those two wins were against the two worst teams in the NBA, but a win is a win is a win, and they got em. What got lost is that win over the Hawks that has these guys looking to make a bit of a run heading into the playoffs. Triano echoed that sentiment after practice:

We’re not playing well and we think we’re starting to turn the corner a little bit where we have better focus. I don’t think we’re playing great basketball, but we’re starting to share it a little better.

He is on to something there; in the last 3 wins, the Raptors are averaging 23ast while shooting 48.4% from the field, both higher than their season averages, and both indicative of the team moving the ball around looking for the right shots. Take that with a grain of salt though, two of those three wins have come against poor teams…man I’m jaded…

The Jazz on the other hand are just rolling along quite well. They sit 4th in the West, and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. This is a team we all want the Raptors to be: solid ownership/management, Hall of Fame coach, elite point guard surrounded by above average talent. In fact, the Raptors are winless against the Jazz dating back to 2006 (9 losses in a row). This is a franchise that proves players will go anywhere as long as the program is a winning one because let’s face it, there’s nothing cool about Salt Lake City Utah (no offence Spencer).

The last time these guys played, the Jazz got the better of the Raptors in a game that was over rather early. The Raptors made a go of it, but it was already written. Kirilenko had a beast of a game with 20pts 7rebs 3stl 2blk off the bench, and Boozer and D-Will basically did what they wanted 22pts 18reb and 20pts 6rebs 9ast respectively. There is no reason to think they can’t replicate that effort again tonight.

I checked in with Spencer Hall from Salt City Hoops to get a bit of insight into this Jazz team:

Is Carlos Boozer staying or leaving? What would you look like without him? Can Millsap do it full-time?
I’m more and more convinced that Carlos Boozer will re-sign with the Jazz this summer — a scenario that would have been absolutely unbelievable just a few months ago. All things considered, I have to give both the Jazz and Boozer credit for putting aside the nonsense from last summer and having a great year. It is a contract year, but he’s been nothing but professional. Don’t be surprised to see Booze back in SLC next year. I don’t think we’re even going to have to see if MIllsap can do it full time. It looks more and more like the Jazz paid a lot of money to get exactly what they paid for: Paul Millsap, not the next Carlos Boozer.

Without Boozer the Jazz definitely become a different team, and not always a bad one. There have been stretches over the last few years when he’s been out with injuries that the Jazz have played very well. But there’s no way this team contends without contributions from Boozer, Okur, AK, and Deron Williams. It’s definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

Can the Jazz hold on to 4th? Who do you guys want to play in the 1st round?
The Jazz will definitely hold onto fourth, and might steal the division title, considering the way Denver is stumbling. Anyone is going to be tough in the first round, but the Jazz have somehow had the Spurs’ number this year. If we were picking the opponent, D-league style, the Jazz would go with San Antonio.

At what point does Jerry Sloan get Coach of the Year? If he gets it for a season he may not have deserved to (like Denzel Washington winning for Training Day when he was gold in Hurricane and Malcolm X), will that make it any less sweet?
I think you’re right, he’ll get it some year when the Jazz win 48 games with a boring roster and no one cares. He makes a good point that COY is kind of a kiss of death. The list of coaches who have been fired the next year is almost shocking. That being said, there is nothing I enjoy more than hanging around Sloan’s postgame remarks. It’s like going to a book reading with Hemingway.

Is Fesenko enough to carry the Jazz into the playoffs?
Are you forgetting Kosta Koufos? The Jazz have the feared Ukrainian-Greek combo ready to carry the team to new heights. Honestly though, Fesenko really is an X-factor. He’s a huge guy with sneaky athleticism. He’s been solid filling in for Memo down the stretch but his mysterious “stomach virus” keeps acting up and keeping him out of games. He’ll win a game or two for the Jazz in the playoffs.

Has Andre Kirilenko cashed in his once a year infidelity chip? Is he worth anything in a trade?
Apparently AK traded in his pass to get permission to grow out his hair (made up), a decision that has been rewarded with a reverse-Samson effect: He’s playing his best basketball in years but his injured back keeps flaring up and keeping him out of games. He’s also been seen in a walking cast lately. He’s probably not a great value at $84 million, but he’s absolutely been the glue for the Jazz for most of the year, especially early.

So the Jazz tonight and Denver on Friday, it wont be easy, but one of these needs to be a win; I’m liking the Denver game a bit more for some stupid reason – we owe them. It’s going to take a full 48 minutes of effort and execution from the Raptors. Bargnani and Turkoglu have been violently inconsistent the last few games, but really need to lead the way, and not be lazy. Not saying it’s going to happen, but I have a good feeling (the gamblers have the line at Utah -3.0 with an over/under of 214, not exactly a ringing endorsement for the home team).

At least it’s over. This killer road trip that everyone said would be the first true test for the Raptors has finally run its course. After dropping two tough ones in Phoenix and Denver, the hope was that the ‘moral’ victories and lessons learned would help the Raptors steal a game from an injured 4-6 Utah Jazz team. Didn’t work out that way, but the Raptors did learn a lesson on what it takes to be  a top level team.

The Raptors have played more road games in the West then any Eastern conference team, having gone 2-6 (Memphis before this trip). We can be thankful that this trial by fire is over with. It wont be until February, where the Raptors play 7 of 10 at home, that we can expect to make up some ground from this early scheduling fiasco.

The game started ugly with Bosh and Calderon each fumbling the ball, leading to four quick Utah points off the fast break. This seem to be the trend the entire game: the Jazz being able to push on the break, creating very easy scoring opportunities for each other. The Raptors laboured on each and every possession and could score only in contested one-on-one situations.

In fact, the first quarter was probably the worst quarter the Raptors have played all season. D-Will and rookie Wes Mathews got the best of the Raptors back court. If it wasn’t Deron punishing the Raptors for each and every turnover, pushing the ball and making the right play each and every time, it was this dude Mathews, who I’ve never heard, getting into a nice rhythm and making the Raptors pay for some weak defense on the perimeter. Not much else to report about the 1st quarter. I could have been out on the court and things wouldn’t have gotten any worse.

In the early second quarter things went from bad to worse. Where the Raptors were going one-and-done on offense, taking bad jumpers with our rebounders nowhere to be found, the Jazz were working the ball into the paint, getting great looks from inside 15ft. The Jazz were executing so well that they had 13 uncontested shots on their first 26 attempts, the pick ‘n roll working magic for them and our bigs unable to cope. They literally scored 26 points with no one between them and the basket.

Seemed like Bosh was all alone in this quarter. My game notes literally either had Bosh losing someone on defense (4pts off layups), Bosh rotating to help with no one picking up his man (2pts off layups), or Bosh finding his game in the latter half of the quarter being active on the boards, contesting shots, and scoring.

It was Bosh who put the Raptors on his back and scored 11pts in the last three and a half minutes of the half to pace a 16-6 run. In fact, this was the problem the entire night. The Raptors were just running around trying to make things happen but not playing basketball. Every single point Bosh scored was because he created for himself. They were unassisted and weren’t the result of any ball movement. Bosh got the ball, and everyone else stood around watching him do his thing. Whatever, it cut a 17 point lead to 9 with momentum building for the Raptors slowly. You’d hope at some point either our vaunted offense or a semblance of defense would make an appearance.

The 3rd started the way the 2nd ended, with the Raptors scoring off of one-on-plays. Only one of the shots (a high-lo feed from Bargnani to Bosh) was the result of someone creating for another Raptor. This 10-4 run to start the 3rd was paced by some really good defense. Jose was up on Deron, staying with him on the penetration and forcing a contested layup (missed). Bosh contested a Boozer jumper, DeRozan stole the outlet pass from Boozer to Deron.

Then it happened, the Raptors hit the wall, going scoreless for 4 minutes. Brick after brick rained down. Every single one a jumper that was forced. With Bosh on the bench, the Jazz pushed their lead to 9, then he entered:

MARCO BELINELLI TIME

(sung to the tune of peanut butter jelly time)

In a span of 2:30, Belinelli either scored or assisted on every made basket. The Raptors closed the 3rd on a 9-3 run, capped with an off-balance buzzer beating three by our boy. On a side note, Belinelli is going to be the end of me this season. I like him, but the dude is just plain nuts. He cut the lead the lead to 1, with a layup in traffic (assisted by Hedo), but then the Raptors reverted back to first-option jumpers. One-and-done. Catch-and-shoot. Watch as your check blows by you for 5 minutes. Literally; the Raptors were scoreless for 5:19.

This time it was another unrecognized rookie, Eric Maynor, anchoring the Jazz as they slowly but surely pulled away. This Raptors had no answer for him. He was quick, crafty and did what he wanted. 11pts and 2ast in the 4th. The Raptors as a team scored 16 and had 2 assists just to put it in perspective.

Four Factors to Losing

Shooting the Ball Well
They did not shoot the ball well for one reason: Calderon/Hedo/Jack did a poor job of creating for the rest of the team. 14 assists on the night, seriously? The Raptors scored on great individual playmaking, not as a team. When you can’t hit your jumpers, you usually move it in, try to get a couple easy layups and build some confidence. No, the Raptors kept shooting and missing. To put it in perspective, the Raptors grabbed more offensive rebounds then they dished out assists.
Raptors – 40.6%
Jazz – 50.5%

Taking Care of the Ball
Both teams took care of the ball well here, which is no surprise given Calderon’s and Williams’ track record. Sadly, Calderon had 2tos to 2ast. That hurt.
Raptors – 11.5%
Jazz – 10.5%

Offensive Rebounding
This was the sole reason the Raptors were able to weather going scoreless for 4 minutes in the 3rd quarter: they grabbed  offensive rebounds. With Okur out, the Raptors were able to use their size advantage to crash the boards and grab 16 offensive boards. The Raptors did a great job of crashing the boards, grabbing 50.
Raptors – 30.7%
Jazz – 27.6%

Getting to the Free Throw Line
Not gonna get to the line when you’re shooting jumpers, but Bosh managed 9 trips on his own to ensure  that all was not lost in this department.
Raptors – 24.1%
Jazz – 34.5%

Player Impact

Not surprising that Bosh led the way, again: 32pts 17rebs – ridiculous. I shudder to think where this team will be if we run him out of town.

One the thing the Raptors have done really well is shown resiliency when the chips are down. This is a tough team that has some fight in them. It takes its toll though, you can’t keep getting into double digit deficits and expect to grind your way back every single game. Oh, I freaking hate Jarrett Jack. Hate him. He is my new Jamario Moon with that garbage jumper of his. I’d rather Rasho pop J’s from 17.

Arse has more of the grizzly details as they happened.

RaptorTalk

Within the next three weeks, Bryan Colangelo needs to decide if he trades Bosh for the best package available or if he chooses to hold on to Bosh and offer him a max deal in 2010. Of course, we all know that Bosh will not stay in Toronto for anything other than max money – 6 years/ $130 million.
While my personal preference would be to flip Bosh for a package of younger players and/or draft picks – let’s assume Bryan is leaning towards keep Bosh long term.

Bright Side Of The Sun

The Raptors desparately need a dynamic shooting guard that can score the ball. They can certainly fill that role in the draft with DeRozan or Curry but relying on a rookie to put up big numbers is never a good way to be consistently competitive.

The two names that come to mind are Jamal Crawford and Jason Richardson. I am fairly sure that the Raptors could use a combination of draft pick(s), cap space and minor contracts to aquire either of these players.

American Chronicle

Also Sunday, the New York Daily News speculated that Boozer might end up in Toronto if the Raptors feel pressure to trade Chris Bosh ahead of possibly losing him as a free agent next summer.

If nothing else, Toronto would be a humorous destination for Boozer, who spends his offseasons enjoying the sun of Miami.

Boozer is expected to opt out but has until June 30 to officially do so. He is due to make $12.7 million next season and voiced his desire to return to Utah after the Jazz were eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Bleacher Report

There is a possibility that if the Pistons were able to sign Boozer this summer, that they would move him in a deal to Toronto for Chris Bosh.  Most, if not all, would favor Bosh over Boozer in the Pistons’ system, which would be the highlight of the rebuilding program that Joe D is going to proceed with.

Globe And Mail

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans is among a group of players who might be available when the Toronto Raptors make their pick (No. 9) in the NBA draft. Evans’ wing-span was recently measured at 6 feet 113/4 inches, the largest measured of any guard in recent years, including Dwyane Wade. Evans has a big fan: U.S. President Barack Obama recently told the Maloof brothers, who own the Sacramento Kings, that they should take Evans when the Kings pick fourth overall.

Vegan Fish Tacos

Toronto Raptors- Tyreke Evans, SG/PG, Memphis. A pretty solid fit, though there is the possibility of DeJuan Blair if the Bosh situation clears itself up before draft day.

Crushing, absolutely crushing. The stage was set for the Raptors to steal one from the Jazz: DST meant the Jazz were playing at 930am Utah time and on the road; no Carlos Boozer; Pops Mensah-Bonsu was in the house.  Sadly it was the 4th worst selling game of the season for the Raptors, so the late-arriving, early leaving, sushi eating crowd on hand was as weak as Bosh’s post game, but not as weak as this Raptors team.

A very intense and entertaining game that saw lead changes, getting out on the break, rebounding, aggressive rebounding on both ends of the court. Sadly, the Raptors learned a tough lesson at Sunday school. It wasn’t a Priest giving the lesson, but the end result was the same. Anyone see Bosh’s face during the media-scrum in the change room? He didn’t care to define a loss, and neither do I.

Triano’s post game was short and not so sweet, his thoughts boiled down to the suspect calls the Jazz got early in the 4th quarter that put them into the bonus for the rest of the game. Well yea man, sure they got a couple suspect calls, but what were they doing that got them the calls? They were damn aggressive, that’s what!

Kirilenko and Williams were attacking on every single possession. Taking it to the rack, attacking the defense, being aggressive. Of course they will get the benefit of the doubt on calls. What did the Raptors do? Nothing. They conceded penetration, they conceded offensive boards, they turned the ball over, they couldn’t hit the important shots, they couldn’t make a stop.

What the hell happened to Marion? Is the guy still sick? Get him out of the game. 8pts 8rebs in 37 minutes? How much is he regretting wanting to be the man and getting jettisoned from Phoenix? Getting those nice lob passes from Nash looks good right about now, no?

What the hell is going on with Jose? Is the guy still injured? Get him the hell out of the game. 10pts and 11asts is pretty good, his best game in ages, but when Parker is doing a better job then you at the point, and he isn’t a pg and you are, there is a problem. He sucks.

Bargnani, he drops 20 on a very efficient 10 shots through the first 3 quarters, then only gets 3 shot attempts in the 4th? The Raptors were in desperate need of scoring in the 4th and VL gets 3 shots, for shame. Triano seems to be doing some sort of coaching, he carries a clip-board, calls fairly timely time-outs, seems like he draws up plays, but not one of them got Bargnani a decent shot in the 4th, balls.

@Nat twit a comment in the first quarter about Sloan not getting up off the bench, we know why during his pos-game interview:

This team (the Raptors) has won what, 23 games? If we are going to be a higher level team, we have to beat teams like them.

Pretty clear had no doubt in his mind that the Jazz would win.For those of you counting, this is the 5th loss in the row.

Anyways, the bright brighter-side:

• Bosh had his best game of the last couple months 30pts 10rebs, aggressive in the block and on the boards
• Raptors out-rebounded the Jazz 44-41
• Pops had 7rebs in 11 minutes
• I’m going to see Watchmen at 530

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