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 can’t believe I predicted a 30/10 game for Bargnani against a half-assed front court of Nazr Mohammed and Kwame Brown, who both came out looking like all-stars. I was fully expecting another roll-call laden with profanity…whatever, the Raptors are on the second night of a back-to-back against the Bulls, and it’s going to get ugly (my enthusiasm has been tempered quite a bit).

Injury Report

Toronto
Reggie Evans – Out
Jose Calderon – Out
Peja Stojakovic – Out

Chicago
Joakim Noah – Sprained thumb, should play
Derrick Rose – Sprained hand, should play
Carlos Boozer – Healthy, but could randomly keel over at any moment

Match-ups

Point Guards
Bayless has been filling in for the injured Calderon nicely. If there was any knock on him, it’s his ball control; the guy dropped 9 dimes last night, but picked up 4 turnovers. I’m sure that will improve with time, so I’m not too worried. He did much better against Augustin then I thought he would, and took the match-up. Tonight against Rose will be a different story. 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). So lets not talk about how to stop him, cause he can only stop himself. Bayless can make him work on defense…and that’s about it. Will be a great learning experience for the kid, playing major minutes against an elite point guard. I like Barbosa
Edge: Chicago

Shooting Guard
I’m pretty sure my expectations for DeRozan are too high. He’s a 15pt 5reb type of player, and I’m good with that. His jumper needs work, like 500 shots a day-everday, but he needs to drive every time he touches the ball. That dunk he put down last night was sick; dunk of the year material for sure. Tonight against Bogans, more aggressiveness will be the recipe to success. Bogans is a solid defender who likes to spot up in the corner for threes. Although he doesn’t convert at a high clip, there are only so many open looks you can give a guy until he starts to hurt you. With Rose’s ability to get to any spot on the floor he wants too, DeMar will have to be careful on leaving Bogans on help defense. On the flip side, Bogans doesn’t get to the rack much, and isn’t a great finisher, so playing up on him and forcing him to put the ball on the ground into some traffic should shut him down. It’s easy to forget about Korver coming off the bench, dude can hit threes.
Edge: Even

Small Forward
I’ve lost all faith in Weems and Kleiza. I’m very open to a trade for Igoudala at this point to improve this team. Not saying AI9 is the answer the Raptors are looking for, but the guy plays hard and is better than both Weems and Kleiza combined. I’m sure I’ll get an earful, but the Raptors need a small forward who can create for himself, play defense and be intense on a consistent basis.

Back to Deng, he’s a solid mid-ranger shooter, and his length (6″9) makes it that much harder to both his shot. If there’s a weakness, it’s shooting threes, but he converts at a 40% clip, which is pretty good. He’s a solid defender and rebounder, which only makes the problem with Weems/Kleiza that much more serious. I’m not saying that Sonny and Linas wont have a good game; just that it doesn’t matter because they need to have a series of good games to become a dependable part of the roation. As it stands now, neither of them should be playing more than 12-14 minutes a game.

Julian Wright would be ideal in this match-up. He is long and can affect Deng’s shot off the dribble; too bad Triano doesn’t know who the guy is.
Edge: Chicago

Power Forward
As much as I can’t stand Boozer, I have to respect the guy. When he’s healthy, he’s a beast. The 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. It doesn’t get any easier when Taj Gibson plays off the bench; the kid’s been a star filling in for the injured Boozer to start the season. I don’t know, this has the potential to get really messy, Amir can’t do it alone; Ed Davis is still too raw to really go at a polished big like Boozer, and….
Edge: Chicago

Center
…Bargnani is going to justify why I would trade him in a heartbeat for Joakim Noah. Last night against Nazr Mohammed and Kwame Brown, Andrea was somewhere else. Those two are not the kind of hustle players who can outplay anyone, but did just that. Imagine what the hustle, tenacity and competitive ferociousness that Noah plays with will do? I’m getting nervous thinking about all the loose balls, offensive rebounds-put backs, blocked shots, etc that Noah is going to inflict on Bargnani. I’m not saying Bargnani wont hit a few shots, and he might just score 20; but he wont be able to match Noah’s energy, and wont be able to battle him in the paint. Noah can keep up with Andrea on the perimeter, in the post, and off the dribble. ..I can breathe now.
Edge: Chicago

Keys to the Game

Fleeting Line About Pride
After that second half sh*t-show, something needs to give…Bayless, Barbosa and Johnson can’t be the only ones who consistently show up and give a full serving of effort when they hit the floor.

Clichéd Line About the Second Game of a Back-to-Back
The Raptors are on the second night of the back-to-back, thankfully it’s at home game. This season, Toronto is 2-3 (I thought it was worse for some reason) on the second night of a back-to-back, with both wins coming against teams who are playing under .400 ball; Philly and Detroit.

Standard Line About 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.

Desperate Line About Calling Timeouts in a Timely/Effective/Efficient Manner in the Hopes of Actually Coaching and Instructing This Team on Some In-Game Strategy
The 3rd quarter last night saw the Raptors extend their lead by 2, then go down 1 in a two-and-a-half minute run where the Bobcats scored 9 straight points. Not once did it occur to Triano to call a freaking timeout and correct the players, nothing. YOU ARE NOT PHIL JACKSON, AND THE RAPTORS AREN’T THE LAKERS, THEY CAN’T PLAY THROUGH 9-0 RUNS. Not once have I seen this happen this season, not once. So bloody frustrating.

The Line

The Bulls are 5.5 point favourites with an over/under of 202, 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 to give people false hopes about how good this team is.

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…

Any combination of a Raptors loss or Bulls win will end in Jerome Williams representing the Raptors at the draft lottery in a couple months. It’s sad, but things are on coming together like many of us said at the beginning of the season: that the 5th through 9th places in the East will be a dogfight, and the Raptors are not head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the East.

In games that Bosh has been injured, the Raptors are 3-7 this season; with those three wins coming against the Nets, Wolves and Knicks. See a theme? They can beat the gawdawful teams without Bosh, but they can’t beat anyone else (they’ve also not been able to beat bad teams with Bosh in the lineup, but I digress). We actually have a good sample size of what life without Bosh is going to be like, and I’ll tell you, it’s not going to be good.

I actually have very little to say about the game. Contrary to the mood at the ACC, I didn’t boo the team, I wasn’t disgusted with the performance, and I’m not upset that we’re currently 9th in the East. I’m not saying I’m happy with the outcome, (that was as much basketball as rubbing up against a woman on the subway is sex) but I am sending bad vibes towards Colangelo and Triano. This team is where it is because of the personnel decisions Colangelo has made, and coaching decisions Triano insists on continually making.

Time has run out on the Raptors, and everything that should have been done yesterday to get the win…should have been done, and it wasn’t:

• Triano did the right thing by starting Weems on Rose and Calderon on Hinrich, what he didn’t do was take it a step further. We have a guy on the bench called Marcus Banks, who is easily our best defender at the point. He showed late in the 4th that he can keep up with Rose and was disruptive. Triano went to him in garbage time in order to rest the guys for tonights game against the Pistons. Rose is prone to turn the ball over if pressured. Weems, Calderon, Jack are all not capable of defensive pressure like that, Banks is.
• Noah and Gibson combined for 25 rebounds. Bargnani and Johnson combined for a pathetic 7. Now, Turkoglu was an animal and pulled down 19, but when your forwards aren’t crashing the offensive glass, well…forget it. All I’m saying is that Turkoglu had the same amount of offensive rebounds as Bargnani and Johnson combined and that can’t happen. Rasho would have been a nice choice to get a few more minutes early to stabilize the play in the paint. Especially with Amir picking up so many early fouls on stupid/lazy reach ins.
• Jack and Calderon again? AGAIN? SERIOUSLY? I feel like it’s groundhog day. With all the statistics against pairing the two, all of us moaning and complaining that they don’t play well together, wtf is Triano trying to prove? Is there something going on with that pairing that all of us are missing? I just don’t get it.

The most disappointing thing about the game was the booing. We need to be like the Thunder fans, who cheer their team, even when they are down and out, and will them back into the bloody game. Fans at the ACC need to be the 6th man, not the spoiled Torontonians the rest of Canada hates us for being. You want to show your displeasure with the team, don’t buy a ticket to the game. That sends the loudest message to MLSE in terms of lost revenue. Just wait till those fat cats don’t get that playoff cash, folks will get sodomized.

There is some good news: if the Raptors win tonight, then the Bulls MUST beat the Celtics (a team who is fighting for 3rd in the East and a chance to avoid the Cavs until the conference finals) AND beat the Bobcats on the road (Bobcats are 31-9 at home). The pressure is on Chicago, but only if the Raptors hold it down tonight. Yea, that’s about all I got.

Who would have thought that the Nets would have done the Raptors a solid by taking the Bulls out in double overtime? If that wins doesn’t happen, the Raptors would be looking at a much different road to securing the 8th spot. They would have to win all three of their remaining games, and hope that the Bulls lose at least one of them.

As things stand now, a Raptor win today against the Bulls, and a split between the Pistons and Knicks will guarantee the Raptors a playoff spot; but if the Raptors lose to the Bulls today, they HAVE to win the next two games, and hope the Bulls drop one of their last two. It actually gets a little more exciting than that: the Bulls next two games are:

• At home to the Celtics who are fighting the Hawks for 3rd in the East, and a second round bypass of the Cavs
• On the road to the Bobcats, who are 31-9 there

So it doesn’t exactly look that good for the Bulls, but the truth of the matter is that the Raptors need every last bit of help they can get considering they are the walking wounded with both Chris Bosh and Antoine Wright expected to miss the game. At the least, the Raptors have kept it interesting all season, and it wouldn’t sit right for the team to get into the playoffs without a little stress and drama.

Friday against the Hawks, the Raptors got a big boost at power forward with Amir taking the reigns. By no means is he a viable replacement for Bosh, but he put up 18pts 13rebs in his place. I get it, the kid is good and will get mid-level type money in a couple months. Aside from that air-ball (over the basket) from a couple feet, Evans provided some good minutes, chipping in 5pts 4res (3off) in 9 minutes of play.

Front court play will be crucial today, even with Noah not a 100% recovered from his recent injuries. Del Negro has been managing his minutes recently, but he has the green light to let the kid run loose, which is not good news for the Raptors. Without Bosh’s consistency in the paint, Noah represents the kind of hustle player that can get Amir in foul trouble and outwork Bargnani on the glass.

Speaking of Bargnani, it’s time he delivers. There are only 3 bloody games left in the year, I’m pretty sure he can muster the effort and intensity to carry this team into the playoffs. 4 years man, do something already, my patience has been worn thin. 15pts 6rebs in 37 minutes against the Hawks, seriously man? Seriously…?

Between Gibson, Noah, Miller and Warrick, Del Negro has enough options to throw different looks out there and hope for the best. Bargnani, Johnson and Evans will be tested very often. I’m actually looking for Rasho to get some extra burn today. Noah will log heavy minutes, and the guy doesn’t get out past about 8ft; that’s Rasho’s style – tight and aggressive. Let the man play in an important game, it would make many of us feel better.

I just want to echo what Arse and many others are saying about booing Calderon: if there is one guy who doesn’t dog it when he’s on the court, it’s Calderon. You can book that. He’s always intense and ready to throw down (remember the shouting match with Garnett?). While he may be overpaid, who isn’t on this team? It’s enough already.

Calderon and Jack kept it down in the back-court with 23pts 16ast on Friday. There was consistency at the point all game, which will be crucial today against Rose. He is sick, and his dribble penetration scares the hell out of me. Calderon will have no chance of guarding him, so I would prefer he switch over to Hinrich, and let Weems match-up with the kid. No sense in even letting Rose get going quickly to start the game. Rose had 7 turnovers against the juggernaut Nets offense on Friday, so he is prone some sloppy play. Weems, DeRozan and Belinelli will all have to force and press the kid every chance. No layups and no drive-bys.

The line on the game is Bulls by 2; expect a tight, grind-em-out type battle. No more excuses, there really isn’t anymore time to make them.

Brilliant game by the Raptors. Totally and utterly outclassed the Bulls from the opening tip. This was about the closest to playing a perfect game the Raptors have ever had. So sitting there the whole night and watching the game, I had this surreal feeling where I realized that this is what Laker/Celtic/Spurs fans feel like every single game. Not once did I have that pit in my stomach where I knew it was all going to fall apart at any minute, which kind of made the game boring because I wasn’t on the edge of my seat.

You know what though? I’ll take it. Those anxious moments have taken years off my life.

This game was won in the first quarter, masterfully. It all started with attacking Noah in the paint. The guy is their heart and soul, there is no question. Rose is the future, but Noah is the guy who comes to work and does all the things necessary to win. His stat line in the first 4 minutes: 4pts 2rebs (2orb) 1ast. Neither Bargnani or Bosh was able to do anything about him. The Raptors had a 5 point lead when he got pulled after his 2nd foul, but I worry how he would have worn down Bargnani over the course of the game if he didn’t pick up those fouls. How did they get him into foul trouble? DeRozan and Bargnani attacking the rim. Not from getting nicked on the wrist during a shot, even though most of the Raptors points came on the perimeter, it was play in the paint that won us the game. *mental note*

It was all DeRozan in the 1st, Heir Canada reminded us how valuable a shooting guard who can attack off the wing is. 3-7 in the frame, but 3 ridiculous dunks that cost me my sandwich as it flew out of my hand while I was cheering (my dog quickly grabbed the schnitzel from between the buns, fml).

Back to DeRozan, 11pts in the 1st but nothing for the rest of the game. With all those free looks at the basket, I would have liked if he got more. We literally moved away from him after his good work to start the game. If the commitment is to develop him, last nights game was a perfect opportunity to teach and let him make some mistakes and succeed in a game situation.

The second quarter saw a surge by the Bulls. They attacked and attacked and attacked, relentlessly. Pargo was the spark-plug that lit the Bulls offense early, what a solid piece this kid is. They seemed to score at will, but the Raptors matched point for point. The difference was that a lot of the Bulls points were the result of one-on-one play, but the Raptors moved the ball around and got someone a great shot. The Bulls got 6 assists in the frame, but they were more a case of the shooter hitting a tough shot then a playmaker creating a good scoring opportunity. The Raptors did the latter, it was nice

Highlights:

Defense
Yes, they are talking, and it’s a beautiful thing. The Raptors helped each other on precision rotations; every time a Bull would get close to the paint, people would collapse and rotate forcing tough shots.  The Raptors forced the Bulls to beat them on the perimeter, and they couldn’t.

Offensive Rebounding
18 for the night, wow. Rebounding as a whole was perfect (53), but when you get 18 more possessions, you put yourself into a situation where you can win. Bosh pulled down 7 himself. To put that into perspective, Noah led the Bulls with 7 total rebounds, just saying (Max Player).

Bench Play
The bench did nothing the night before, but after the starters logged massive minutes against the Wizards, you knew these guys would get the call. And they answered. The bench combined for 48pts 24rebs 17ast 5st 2blk. With no starter playing more then 29 minutes, the bench drove this game for us. You know things are going well when Jack stops in the middle of the game to tie his shoe laces, and the Bulls just watch, epic.

Coaching
Great substitutions, perfect minute allocations, the right people got the ball at the right times. Hot hands were fed. Aside from DeRozan not getting enough burn, Triano was at his finest.

Heart
A night after winning a tight one in overtime, and the starters logging big minutes, no one would could have blamed the Raptors if they folded the second game of a back-to-back on the road. But these guys had different plans. They played aggressive, got out to a lead, and played as a team to withstand the run that never gained any steam.

I think pride is a good word here. I am super proud of the Raptors performance the last two games. They solidified a big road win with a statement win the next night. Let’s make these team meetings a weekly occurrence.

With the specter of Swirky’s return looming over this one, I have been dreading this match-up for fear of the Raptors having some sort of cheesy tribute to the guy. I wasn’t a fan…he still hasn’t responded. I have the over/under on the number of close-ups the guy gets at 6, with 2-to-3 odds on him doing some sort of joint thing with Jack and Devlin at some point, probably pre-game. Anyways, the game is TSN2, so I’ll be spared the pollution…

Normally back-to-back losses on consecutive nights would have us all up in arms, but their was some good to be taken from the last two against the C**tics: uhm…the Raptors didn’t play poorly, fought hard, and came up short to a better team…that and the offense should be run through Bargnani from the top of the arc (as per Arse).

Bulls fans have been utterly disappointed by their team all season – sound familiar?? Blogabull.com (which is a damn good site btw) had this to say about them:

Has this team been any good all season? Beyond that opening night I can’t think of a time where I thought this team was going anywhere. They had some early wins against a pretty rough schedule, and that seemed enough anecdotal evidence that they were actually alright. But they stunk then, stink now.

Sounds like something I would say about the Raptors, misery likes company right?

This will be our first up-close look of Rose, who from the few games I caught, is a special talent. If we though Rondo was a handful with the dribble-penetration, Rose is going to have us pulling our hair out all night. The kid has incredible speed, ball control and seems to do whatever he wants.

The Raptors are without the services of Calderon and O’Neal again. Thankfully it is a home-game, so JC will be on the bench and passing out Gatorade at half. As for O’Neal, I have a new theory as to why he is absent from the bench: there is nothing wrong with him. Simple. BC is looking to move him in favour of some player who doesn’t fit the bill, and he doesn’t want HO messing things up by saying he isn’t getting played because Bargnani is a better fit in the starting lineup, and Voshkul/Humphries are better fits coming off the bench. How much has HO collected during this sketchy absence….$2,048,780.49. Sign me up.

The Match-ups

Solomon vs Rose
The Edge: Chicago – Rose is sick. He gets in the lane, drives, finishes on both hands, and moves the rock around. What more can you ask for from the #1 pick. If Rokoman have any hope of containing Rose, they should let him shoot. Go under screens, give him space, force him away from the paint. Make him shoot. That’s the poison they want to be drinking. Without exception.

Parker vs Gordon
The Edge: Toronto – How upset am I if I’m Ben Gordon? Turn down a 5/$57m contract because I think I’m worth more??? LOL! The kid can shoot though, there is no doubt about it. Fortunately, there isn’t anyone in the paint that Parker will have to help/double, so he can stay at home and make Gordon shooter over him. I’d like to see Parker post him up on the baseline a few times too. Gordon will get his points, but if Parker can counter him on offense, and stay at home on offense, he should be able to contain him.

Crooked Headband vs Sefolosha
The Edge: Even? - I really don’t know much about the Swissman, aside from the fact that he is someone BC has coveted, and we know how that works out. Moon, aside from missing OPEN jumpers in crunch time, has been playing pretty well the last few games. Hopefully the next time he gets an open look, he wont hesitate and put up a brick.

Bosh vs Thomas/Gooden
The Edge: Toronto – Uhm…Bosh is good. Damn good. Thomas is good too, but not Bosh good. The Bulls have absolutely no one who can stop Bosh. Even if Bosh penetrates, the best they have is Gooden or Noah to rotate over. That’s the good news. The bad news is he will popping jumpers. 26/12 sound about right to you?

Bargnani vs Gooden/Thomas
The Edge: Toronto – All it took was a few weeks under a new coach, for the bad taste to disappear from out mouths when saying his name. He’s still VL, but slowly moving to removing the moniker. The offense needs to be initiated through Bargnani at least half the time (Bosh the other half). Gooden can’t cover him out on the perimeter, and Thomas can’t cover him off the bounce. This needs to be exploited.

The Line

VegasInsider.com has the Raptors at -4 or -5.5, depending on the book. Both are good bets IMO, I’m taking action at -3.5.

Prediction

Raptors by 5.

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Free Humphries!

There is a better chance of the Raptors shipping out Chris Bosh than Andrea Bargnani. It sounds ridiculous but as of today its a true statement. The fact is that we don’t know what kind of player we have in Bargnani, I mean we know that he has issues rebounding and playing defense and scoring but we don’t know whether those things are permanent problems or whether they can be corrected. Colangelo doesn’t know that either and isn’t stupid enough to trade him when his value is at an all-time low. Next season will give Colangelo a clearer idea of what exactly he has in the the second best player to come out of Italy over the last three years and he’ll decide next summer whether Bargnani can be part of the Raptors nucleus for years to come. So until then, no Bargnani trade talk since its all pie in the sky type shit.

Misconception #2: Jose Calderon is far superior to TJ Ford

He’s not, he’s a better shooter and a better floor general when it comes to running a team built like the Raptors – aka full of players with European background that can’t create their own shot and lack athleticism. If TJ Ford plays the entire year the way he did before he went down against Atlanta, we’re all talking about sign-and-trading Calderon to the Clippers right now. Unfortunately for him he got hurt and in his return he didn’t display enough professionalism and common sense to be considered a leader. His demeanor on the court requires some thick skin from his teammates and I’m not sure if the Raptors are the bunch that can tolerate stare-downs and shrugs after a missed layup or a turnover. Jose Calderon is the better point guard for the Raptors but TJ Ford is at least on par if not better than him when it comes to skills and ceiling. He’s also 2 years younger.

Misconception #3: We can get a player at #17 that can help us next year

CDR will not be available at #17, the NCAA tournament rocketed his stock just out of the reach of the Raptors. It doesn’t even matter though, the Raptors don’t need another young guy that will get buried under Sam Mitchell’s insane substitution pattern and thereby struggle because of unpredictable and inconsistent playing time. We need a true rebounder and a true scorer, neither one of them can be found in the draft, at least not ones that are good enough to help the team now. Our best option is to package the pick along with TJ Ford for something that can help us and lift the pressure off of Bosh.

Misconception #4: Our priority is finding a second scorer

Its not, its rebounding and defense. Having a Rashard Lewis type player on the Raptors would help things out but not having a second scorer isn’t the reason we finished 41-41 – it was rebounding and perimeter defense that did us in. You don’t believe me? Go look at the box score for 35 out of our 41 losses and tell me if not having enough scoring is what killed us. All year long teams killed us on the boards and second chance points, if we just sure up our rebounding and go from 28th in the league to say 10th in the league, you’ll see our win total rise significantly. So as much as we’d like a sexy scorer in here it would be more prudent for Colangelo to address our rebounding needs. The last thing we want is to go into next season with Jamario Moon being our second-best rebounder.

Misconception #5: We have a chance at the #2 pick.

Pat Riley is not going to flinch at anything the Raptors offer save Jose Calderon, the #17 pick and then some. The “then some” part is the one the Raptors a) don’t have or b) are not willing to give up. I don’t blame either GM for not doing this deal, what the hell would we do with the #2 pick anyway? Our people don’t even scout the NCAA thoroughly and couldn’t tell you who’s the better fit for our team – Rose or Beasley. I wouldn’t mind picking Rose and trading both of Jose/TJ out of town and acquiring Maggette in the process. The problem with this is that it depends on what Chicago does, if they end up picking Rose with us having the #2 pick, its all for donkey nuts. Oh my God, I just proposed 4 different trades/signings in this paragraph.