The “sometimes it just feels so good” edition:
Barbosa: really enjoyed his first half. Perfect? No, but efficient and the biggest spoke in a bench that played like a well oiled machine tonight.
Bargnani: rust, it was nice knowing you for as long as you hung around. Good game for the Big Guy tonight taking smart shots and rebounding the ball with wild abandon.
Bayless: he looked Irving in the face and mocked his mother without even opening his mouth. No other explanation for the fact that Bayless looked like the Future tonight as opposed to Irving looking like he would be battling Alabi for court time if he was a Raptor.
Davis: if ever there was a stencil you could use to draw up how stats don’t show hustle, this game would be it. Continuing his passionate play of late, Edward spread himself across the court like he was rising up like a lion ready to reclaim his jungle. Great game from the young one.
DeRozan: and on the flip side is one DeMar DeSlug. He played the whole game like he had a cannonball attached to his ankle and a choke chain being controlled by Byron Scott. It is incredible to me that DeMar seems incapable of stringing together strong games lately, especially given the opponents.
Forbes: already seeing his minutes dwindle (11 tonight), the prodigal son seems to be falling back to earth quicker than a water balloon shaped like the stars of Mike & Molly.
Gray: 7 rebounds in 19 minutes, but not enough offensive help to fill a thimble. Like Ed, his hustle tonight was off the charts, but he has to help us with some putbacks and showing himself better down low.
A. Johnson: close to a double double with 10 and 9, it’s as if he is teasing us. I get the sinking feeling he pulls his warmups off and decides then and there how he is going to play. He’s not good enough to do that, mind you, but he sure gives off that impression at times. Either way, it doesn’t matter if we see more good than bad….and tonight we definitely did.
J. Johnson: Still don’t get the constant feet kissing done by media and bloggers on this guy. Sure, if he was the 7th guy off the bench I’d be happy with 6 points, 4 rebounds and average defence….but he’s a starter. If the wind is right, I’d get better production out of my scarecrow that’s tied up to a wound up elastic band.
Kleiza: well, you can’t act like a petulant child nor can you almost decapitate someone and expect to be lauded for it. Okay, actually, you can. Still love his passion and his apparent ignorance of every NBA rule.
Driving the bus: Jerryd Bayless
Under the bus: DeMar DeRozan
Theme of the Game:
