Raptors Fail To Outshoot Mavs

The Raptors fell back to earth with a crushing defeat at the hands of hot shooting Dallas Mavericks last night , 117 - 98 . Despite losing sharpshooter forward Dirk Nowitzki due to a blurring of vision early in the game , Dallas never lose it's accuracy . (53 % FG ) . Mostly because the defense of the Raptors was non existent . In many instances , Harris, Howard and Stackhouse were left unguarded . Well , there is one similarity between a young Nowitzki and T.O. rookie Andrea Bargnani . They have no ' D ' , one Dallas paper reported . Finally , the comparison between the 2 is accurate to a ' d ' , I mean to a ' t ' !
The 3 Texas guys in the Raptors camp have varying fortunes . Chris Bosh , a high school Dallas phenom , struggled in his shooting but managed a double double ( 18 pts.,11 rebs ) while TJ Ford , a former Texas Longhorn , had 18 points as well but only 6 assists . As to another Texas alum , TJ Tucker , he registered a mere 2 points in just 4 mins of play . It's too bad because when one plays at home , you invite many friends and kins to watch you . TJ Tucker is simply the forgotten man in the Raptors line up . No worry Tucker , it's a forgettable game anyway ! Next time Tucker, tell your kins and friends not to go to the bathroom or even blink or else they might miss your ESP moment ! Yup, ESP not ESPN moment . What do you expect in 4 minutes but a ghostlike appearance !

Demi : Don't worry Tucker ,

if your b'ball does'nt work out ,

there's always pottery !

T.O . Sinks New Orleans

Toronto took advantage of the absence of shooters Peja Stojakovich and David West and played zone to subdue New Orleans/Oklahoma last night , 94 - 87 . So outgunned was the Hornets , the Raptors were able to rest Chris Bosh and other members of the starting 5 for the game today against the Dallas Mavericks . The 2nd unit starring Joey Graham , Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani played very well combining for 43 points . Graham ( 14 pts.,3 ass. ) feels more confortable now playing in the 2nd group . ' Last year , I was put in one place where I played a lot of minutes . This year, we got a well rounded group of guys . You just get in where you fit in ' said the former Oklahoma Univ. Cowboy . Right Joey , less responsibility , same salary !

The expected battle between 2 spitfirish points guards , TJ Ford and the Hornets' Chris Paul was onesided in favor of the NO/Okl. guard . It's Jose Calderon ( 13 pts., 4 ass. ) who was more active - assisting and making plays .TJ was ' silent ' for most part of the game while CP3 was his usual self - fast but under control. It's amazing how Paul has taken over this team despite this being his 2nd season only . ' I just have to be vocal in this team . One has to provide leadership' said Paul one time . Coach Byron Scott and the Hornets' management must insure that Paul gets the needed support . Or else, I see a frustrated Paul divorcing himself from the team 2 years from now . The Hornet Paul will be just like divorcee-to-be and former Beatle Paul !

Paul : Hey there , you want Heather !

Raps Murder The Pacers .

The Raptors nailed a convincing win over the Indiana Pacers Sunday afternoon , 92 - 83 . Toronto came out on fire with Fred Jones scoring 7 points against his former team in the 1st quater . Andrea Bargnani took over in the 2nd quarter leading the Raps to a 16 point lead at the end of the half . It's good that the 2nd unit played well as Chris Bosh ( 17 pts., 11 reb.) continued to struggle especially early in the game .
The game belonged to rookie Andrea Bargnani who had his best game so far . ' That's the reason he is the no.1 pick ' said guard Jose Calderon who directed the play wonderfully in the last quarter to preserve the Raptors' lead in the face of the Pacers' rally . Bargnani ( 14 pts., 2 reb. ) showed a reportaire of shots that thrilled the big afternoon crowd . Long jumpers , short jumpers , drive to the basket .What accounts for the big change in his game ? Playing time . ' How can you compare playing in one game 30 minutes and 8 in another ? You can't ' said Bargnani . In other words , it's Sam's fault ! Whether the Raps win or lose , the coach is to blame . I hate to be in Sam's position right now . In fact , I hate to be the Son of Sam right now !

Bargs : Sam , have you seen my 'hook ' shot ?
It's addicting !

Raps Lose RaceTo The Hawks. .

Toronto's ' winning streak ' ended at 1 when the Hawks beat the Raptors last night , 93 - 97 , in an exciting game featuring some athletic talents of both teams. Josh Smith , the extra long Atlanta forward , played well again just like in the 1st meeting of the 2 but it was small Tyron Lue who beat the Raps with a timely basket in the end . Chris Bosh ( 11 pts., 7 reb. ) was rendered ineffective as he was shackled by Pachulia and JS' s tight defense .' They made it tough for me to score ' . CB4 must prepare for more of the same treatment from opposing teams . The Bosh man is now a marked man !
TJ Ford ( 25 pts., 12 reb. ) kept the Raps in the game almost singlehandedly by scoring 18 points in the 4th quarter before fouling out with just a few seconds left in the game . ' I tried to dig deep and bring my game to the next level ' said the spitfirish Ford . Boy , was TJ fast last night . But many Toronto fans considered his ' speed ' as excessive causing him to commit unnecessary errors . I'd say , rev it more TJ . In fact , former NBAer Steve Smith of Hawks TV , suggested ' I wish to see TJ Ford on a footrace with with other speedters in the NBA ' . I hope that does not include their very own Speedy Claxton . You see , TJ was so speedy last night , that Speedy Claxton was injured again probably for trying too hard to catch up with TJ !. Speedy Claxton did not see action in the 2nd half but was on the bench with heavilly bandaged knee. I suggest , Speedy Claxton change his name to Speedy Recovery Claxton !



Claxton : How 'bout Half Speedy Claxton
as I only play in the 1st half of the game !

Raps , Starring Graham , Whip Cavs

It was overdue . The Raptors finally broke their 6 game losing streak beating King James & Co. , 97 - 87 , at Air Canada Center last night before a sellout crowd of 19,800 . It was somewhat reminiscent of their Jazz game except the suddenly recalcitrant Raptors managed to wrest the lead back from the Cavs to coast to their 3rd victory . Chris Bosh ( 25 points , 14 rebs. ) was happy and said ' We are glad to get the monkey off our back ' . It's more like a gorilla off the back of coach Sam Mitchell with cries for his head getting louder day by day !
The victory was made possible by the exvellent performance of seldom used forward, Joey Graham . ' That's what we got him in the first place last year ' said coach Mitchell of the 2nd year player .Graham was rebounding and fighting for the ball like crazy . Graham played like he has an ax to grind agaist the Cavs , even sending King James sprawling to the floor in one play . Joey who's identical twin , Stephen , was cut by Cleveland this season , scored 16 points and hauled down 8 rebounds in 27 minutes of play . Too bad , the Grahams are not an NBA playing quintet . The Raps can count on more sure victories then !



Graham : I don't need more brothers .
I just need more teams to cut Stephen !

Mo Pete's New Team ?

Morris Peterson was a picture of a wretched man again last Monday night when he was pulled out by coach Sam Mitchell in the 4th quarter of the game vs. the Nuggets . Why not ? Both TJ Ford and Fred Jones' shots missed the all important triple that could have sent the game into O.T. Mo Pete used to be ' the man ' to shoot 3 pointers for the Raps. What happened ? Only Sam knows . Maybe the management also. It seems that the emphasis to use the new guys , Jones and Anthony Parker in particular , is at the expense of the longest serving Raptor ! Are Sam and Brian C. trying to ' devalue ' Mo Pete for his coming contract nego at the end of this season ?
In any case , Mo Pete can look at several teams in need of his service . He is a good defender and is a slasher . I've said his ability to connect from long range is excellent . Don't forget that he is the current top ' Ironman Of The NBA ' with 370 straight games under his belt ! ESPN reported that Mo Pete is one of those likely to bolt his current team and ' should have no problem hitching into a new team with his current 4.5 million salary ' . What teams then ? Here are just three ( 3 ) that I think will fit Mo Pete's playing style and strenghts :

1. ? Nets . How about a reunion with his good friend , Vince Carter ?. The Nets are lacking a reliable ouside shooter despite Nachbar's progress . Minor adjustments are needed for the team and MP . The Nets and Raptors run practically the same play where VC penetrates and throw the ball in the corner (s) if force to .
2. New Orleans Hornets . Byron Scott likes Mo Pete . The Hornets offered him a contract before which the Raps matched . They now have Stojakovic but an addition of a shooter who can depend won't hurt . Mo Pete should thrive there with Chris Paul as the point guard . Look at Stojakovic now !
3. Phoenix Suns . Who will not like the Sun's offense with Steve Nash orchestrating it . Tommy Heinhson of the Celtics TV said Mo Pete is the ideal guy for ' run and gun ' basketball that the Raps are trying to implement this season. .

Now , if only Mo Pete will kick out his Agent and hire me ....


VC : Mo, you can't change my shot so
better change your uniform instead !

Raps Fail To Nail A Victory Over The Jazz.

Almost but not quite. The Raptors led the Jazz by as much as 16 points in the 3rd quarter and have a couple of opportunities to tie the game in the closing seconds . It was a ' tough ' loss for Toronto as it fell to Utah , 96 - 101 , registerig a 0-5 slate in their 1st western trip . It wasted a fine game by Andrea Bargnani who had 15 points and 2 blocks in 15 minutes of play . ' Our guys tried a little bit too hard on the offensive end ' said an obviously dejected Sam Mitchell. Sam was a nervous wrecked . The man was like a guy awaiting execution devoid of his usual spunk . I don't blame him . It's just too much spanking for Mitchell .
The Jazz was led by Carlos Boozer who shot an incredible 16/18 for 33 points . However , the baller that impressed everybody is Jazz rookie Paul Milsap . The dude can flat out rebound . ' People told me I cannot rebound in this league ' said Milsap , a 3 time NCAA rebounding leader . Milsap's energy was phenomenal , rebounding with several Raptors around him and diving for loose balls. ' Who can do that role in the Raptors' line up ?' asked Paul Johnson of Raptors TV . I know . Rookie TJ Tucker . Yup . Tucker was known as a banger and an inside player during his college days. Fans have seen a glimpse of Tucker's qualities in pre season games . The Chuck , the Raptors play by play guy , ( prematurely ) gave Tucker the non de guerre , the Nail , because of his toughness. Too bad , Tucker is nailed to the bench by Sam !



Chuck : TJ , do you prefer ' the Glue ' ?

Raptors FailTo Outran The Nuggets

Toronto ran all night but lost steam to bow to Denver last night , 109 - 117 . It was the best that I have seen the Raptors ran with TJ Ford spearheading the ' run and gun ' style with 26 points and 18 assists . Unfortunately , the Raps offense again failed them especially in the 2nd half when they shot a measly 1 in 8 from the 3 pt. line . The Matt and Jeff combo of Chris Bosh and TJ combined for 61 points .
' It's a big win for us finally ' said Nuggets coach George Karl . Big win ? The Nuggets won only because T.O. failed to capitalize on Denver's many errors. The Raps came close in several instances but failed to make any of these ' runs ' all the way . I watched the game in Denver's Altitude channel so I don't get to hear the views of ' homeboys ' at Raptors TV. The Nuggets TV announcer thinks that CB4 is not a ' franchise player ' . They think Bosh is a good player but not physical enough despite his league leading 13 rpg . I guess they think Bosh shoud be ' physical ' or 'intense ' like the Magic's Dwight Howard . Or like KG . Or perhaps even like their own Reggie Evans who squeezed the balls of Clippers' Chris Kaman !




Reggie : Uuoh . Careful Chris or
I'll scramble your balls this time !

Raps Bow To Lakers

Kobe Bryant failed to match the 81 points he scored last season against Toronto but the Lakers slay the Raptors anyway , 107 -100 . Last night's game was anticipated by fans of both teams as it's the 1st meeting since Mt. Kobe exploded . Actually , Kobe was ' tame ' the past games after a succesful knee surgery that sidelined him the first 2 games of the season. Some fans even think that Kobe isl not the same ' old ' Kobe upon his return from surgery . Ngennnk , Wrong . No. 24 is still explosive with his near triple double ( 31 pts., 11 reb., 7 ass. ) .Nevetheless , his coach was not totally pleased . ' Kobe was trying to do too much so I sat him to put him back later on ' said Phil Jackson .

Toronto played LA close all the way . With Mo Pete ( 20 pts. ) combining with Chris Bosh ( 20 pts., 10 reb. ) , the Raps matched the Lakers giving way only in the last 2 minutes of the game . Mo Pete was slashing his way again if not jacking up his fav 3 pt. shots in the corners. One time , the now 6th man of the Raps doved into the stands trying to saved the ball . Yes , to save the ball from going out, Mo is willing to risk injury to save a damn ball from going out . Too bad , Mo Pete can't save Sam from going out of his job too !

Mo : Save Sam ? Ummm . Let's see .
Sam wants to bench Mo . ..
So no mo' bench job for Sam !

TJ - Charlie V. Game By Game Comparison .

1. Statistics ( Game 7 )

TJ : vs. the Warriors - 34 mins. / 16 pts. /7 rebs. /6 ass.

CV : vs. the Jazz - 24 mins. / 4 pts. / 4 rebs. / 0 ass .

Winner : TJ Ford

Charlie V. played poorly in a loss to the Bucks . TJ played average again as the Warriors guard combo of Baron Davis and Ellis outplayed the TJ-Calderon duo to hand the Raptors their 5th loss in 7 games .

2. What Are They Saying .

HoopsHype Forum : TJ should play like Warrior's guard, Monta Ellis . In control .

Coach Sam Needs Mo !

Although Morris Peterson refused to say something negative about coach Sam Mitchell's move relegating him to the 6th man , he is obviously not a happy baller. I noticed the uninspired Mo Pete as far back as the Raptors game vs. the Sixers . In that game , which the Raps won , Mo Pete spent the whole 4th quarter in the bench . The ' benching ' was repeated again in the game against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday .
It's not the 1st time coach Sam Michell did this to a Raptors star. This is Sam's way of sending a message that ' if you don't play hard , I will find somebody who will ' . Mitchell applied the same kind of discipline on Vince Carter . On Jalen Rose . And now it's Mo Pete's turn . Except , Mo Pete is on his contract year and from the looks of it , he wants to stay in Toronto . If Sam will still be in charge up to All Star period , I would say that there's a good chance that the longest serving Raptor will be in the trading block by then . But then coach Mitchell may not be here by mid season if the Raptors' performance remain as is !

Raps Give One To The Warriors

The Golden State Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors last night , 110 - 99 , despite the absence of their big men Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu . The Raps played well up to the 3rd quarter and then collapsed as their opponents went on a 20-3 run . Raptors fans thought this was the only ' winnable ' game in this western trip . And the Warriors' coach agreed . ' We don't have the players we thought we have. We're vulnerable tonight ' said Don Nelson . It would have been a good chance for Toronto to break a losing streak to Golden State that's been going on for 3 years . The Raptors started well with Fred Jones ( 11 pts. ) in the new starting five and Garbajosa ( 10 pts. ) finally playing his best ball in the regular season .

The loss spoiled Chris Bosh monster performance last night . Bosh had 23 points and 22 rebounds .' We have them by the ropes . We let them have second chance points ' said a dejected CB4 . Bosh showed complete frustrations at Andrea Bargnani's inability to haul down the ball against the smaller Warriors. He shouted at the rook in full view of the crowd and the camera. I was thinking , the blast was more for his teammates' consumption . The Raps must improve or else the big man will do a Vince . You read it here first . I wrote about Mo Pete being frustrated several games ago . Now it surfaced that Mo Pete is unhappy at Sam's use of him . The Raps can't afford to piss Bosh off . He's the 20/20 man . Colangelo does not need to have a 20/20 vision to see that !

Chris : 20/20 win loss card
is'nt bad . Let me have it !

TJ - Charlie V. Game By Game Comparison

1. Statistics ( Game 6 )

TJ : vs. The Kings ( L ) - 31 mins. / 12 pts. / 6 rebs. / 7 ass.

CV : vs. Wizards ( L ) - 31 mins. / 18 pts. / 7 rebs. / 4 ass.

Charlie played steady in a thrilling game while TJ struggled with his ball handling in a lackadaisical game by the Raptos against the Kings .

Winner : Charlie V.

2. What People Are Saying .

Jack Armstrong of Raptors TV : Ford might have quadruple double with 8 errors .

Kings Give Raptors Kingsize Loss.

As expected , the Toronto Raptors got a whipping from the Sacramento Kings , 107-92. The Raps started their western trip feeling low after losing last Friday to the Atlanta Hawks. Not a good way to begin a tough stint for a young team . ' Where is our confidence ? Where is our swagger ? We need it said ' coach Sam Mithell ' . Don't look for it here in Arco Arena where The Raps have not won since 1997 ! Chris Bosh and Peterson scored 19 and 18 points respectively but the others were reduced to a bunch of bungling fools. TJ Ford alone incurred 8 errors in this game .
The Kings matched the Raptors vaunted speed . Their players especially Bibby , Martin , Artest ran all night . ' We felt like the team with more energy ' said the baller Kings' fans like to call KMart. Sacramento also ruled the boards . The Kings called that ' cleaning the boards ' . Artest's work in improving his rebounding is paying off . Artest has 10 boards . He has 8 or more boards in 5 of the first 6 games . The hip hop artist wanna be Artest rules the board indeed. Except Billboard , where his CD's first day sale was only a mere 300 units !





Artest : I wonder if the
Raptors will buy my CD !

TJ - Charlie V. Game By Game Comparison .

1 Statistics ( Game5 )

TJ - vs Hawks 29 mins. / 17 pts. / 3 rebs. / 11 ass.
CV - vs. Jazz 25 mins. / 8 pts. / 5 rebs. / 2 ass .

Winner : TJ Ford
TJ played so so but recovered effectively in the final half again in a losing cause. It's getting to be a habit with TJ . Is he a slow starter ? Charlie V . has a poor game in a loss to the Jazz .

2. What are they saying .

Steve Smith of the Hawks TV team : Wow , is TJ Ford fast !

Hotlanta Wins ! Hotlanta Wins !

I could just imagine the Raptors' announcer shouting that, if Chuck was the mouthpiece of the hot Atlanta team . The Raptors succumbed to the Hawks last night , 111-102 behind the guns of the talented duo of Joe Johnson ( 34 pts., 5 rebs. ) and Josh Smith ( 29 pts., 5 rebs. ) . The 2 Js were unstoppable last night especially against a Raps' defense with more holes than a public golf link . The 1st few minutes of the game gave an indication of the long night facing the Raptors. A flurry of baskets by JJ and a dunk by 1 J -Smith against Chris Bosh ( 19 pts.,17 rebs. ) basket at the start of the game and it's Atlanta all the way .

I watched 2 versions of the Raptors - Hawk game last night . First was the FSS telecast via Atlanta with long time Hawk and former All Star Steve Smith and partner . Afterwards , I caught the Raptors TV's Game In An Hour version of the same game . What a contrast ! Day and night , man . Atlanta's duo was cool , smooth and pleasing to the ears aside from providing excellent analysis by a bonafide ex NBA star . Ours , however ,was like that of a shieking lady and that same lady after 10 straight blowjobs ( sorry Jack ) . No lousy player tags like the Hammer ( Humphries ) and the Nails ( Tucker ) are used by the Atlanta announcers. Just plain gol 'ol no bullshit mikework . Imagine again the Chuck announcing for the Hawks . He will likely call high leaping Josh Smith as Josh B' Gosh Smith and Joe Johnson as well ... Joe B' Gosh or something like that . And going by Swirsky's habit of giving nom de guerre even to the supporting cast , he will likely call Zaza Pachulia as Zaza Gabor. After all . Swirky calls Garbajosa , the Great Garbo !




Zaza: I prefer Princess (Pach)Lea !

TJ - Charlie V. Game By Game Comparison

1. Statistics ( Game 4 )

TJ : ( vs. 76ers ) 29 mins / 11 pts. / 3 rebs. /7 ass.

CV : ( vs. Bulls ) 34 mins. / 17 pts. / 13 rebs. / 2 ass.

Winner : Charlie V.

Charlie has his 3rd double-double in 4 games . He is clicking with his teammates . TJ played well in the 4th quarter of the game but did not shoot well .

2 What Are They Saying .

In Hoops Hype Forum By Raptors 06/07 Champs : TJ needs to get his confidence back on his shots .

Bosh , Raptors Win Energy Game .

Chris Bosh silenced his critics with a 3 pt. shot with seconds left in the ballgame last night vs. the Philadelphia 76ers to win , 106-104 . Bosh' ( 29 pts.,14 reb. ) heroics came after a bungled play but the 6'10 Raptor kept his composure , looked at the clock and took a long shot out of the outstretch arm of his 76er guard and swish . ' The moment the ball left my hands , I knew it was going in ' said Bosh . Some confidence huh . Bosh , criticized by some for his ' dissapearing ' acts in the last seconds of tight ballgames , did not dissapoint this time . ' He wants the ball in his hands ' said coach Sam Mitchell . ' He wants to take 3 pt. shots this season . Bosh practiced the shot last summer ' coach Sam added.
The Raptors' victory was a team effort no doubt . After a dismal first 3 games this season , Joey Graham was brilliant this time scoring 16 points in 21 mins. of play.Calderon perked up the crowd with his timely hits . TJ Ford came alive in the final quarter of the game . Although Allan Iverson ( 35 pts., 10 ass. ) outplayed him in the battle of superfast guards , TJ found his energy just in time to help in the win . ' It's an energy game ' said losing coach, Mo Cheeks , after the game . I know that TJ seemed missing energy most of the game . ' TJ was sitting on the bench with his head looking down ' said Leo Rautins Raptors' TV Analyst. Then he suddenly came alive . Full of energy . Wonder why ? I guess . TJ was recharged sitting on the bench . Recharged by the looming possibility that he will be relegated to the bench permanently and replaced by a better battery , Senor Jose !

TJ: No way Jose !

Watching Former Raptors And A Humburger .

I like to see how former Raptors are doing in their new teams . Of course , Vince is on top of my list but there are others who's performaces I keep track of . Sat.TV allows me to watch a lot of their games not shown in local TV . This year , I added Charlie V., Mike James and Hoffa to the list . Mike James played really well Monday night in their game vs. the Kings. He scored a lot of points as usual but unfortunately the 'Wolves lost . ' We committed a lot of bonehead mistakes . All of us ' said James . Sounds familiar eh !

Last night , I caught the exciting Cavs-Hawks games . Talked about bonehead mistakes , the Cavs definitely have tons of these last night. Lebron James and Co. allowed Atlanta to tie the game and gave the game away in O.T. without a fight . Familiar again . The Raptors lost all but one O.T. game last season . However , it's Donyell Marhall's game I'm interested ( aside from you know who ) . I noted that Marshall was taking less 3 pt. shots. ' I want to go back to having an inside and outside game like when I was in Utah ' said Marshall. I guess , he considered his T.O. stint forgettable .
Then , there was the Utah- Detroit game . Wow , that was a humdinger of a ballgame . Did I write humdinger ? Wonder why ? Now I know . Hoffa was in a crisp Utah Jazz uniform . Unwrinkled . Like a trainee in a new McDonald's uniform . Humdinger and humburger are kinda alike . Hoffa was one fat humdinger of a humbuger sitting on the Utah bench !

Hoffa : Me ? Hamburger ?
I can't even spell that word ! lol .

TJ - Charlie V. Game By Game Comparison

1. Statistics : Game 3

TJ ( vs. SA ) : 45 mins./ 15 pts. / 2 reb. / 5 ass

CV ( vs. Sac ) : 29 mins. / 25 pts. / 7 red. / 1 ass.

Winner : Charlie

Charlie V. hit 3 out of 4 three pt. shots and was instrumental in the Bucs explosion in the third quarer that turned the game around. TJ Ford played a so so game unable to keep up with the equally fast Tony Parker of the Spurs .

2. What Are They Saying .

Bucs coaching staff : We're impressed with Charlie . He showed up even with the injury he suffered in the last game against Toronto.

Duncan Shows Bosh Who's Boss .

Tim Duncan ( 26 pts., 6 reb. ) scored at will over Chris Bosh and Co. leading San Antonio to a 103-94 victory over Toronto . The man known as ' The Big Fundamental ' was again doing his patented spin moves over the hapless Raptors' big men. ' Once Tim gets the ball at the low posts , you don't have to look at the basket , the ball goes in ' said Mo Pete . And the scoreboard too .
Bosh ( 19 pts,. 17 reb. ) tried hard to keep the Raptors in the game but Duncan was just too much. He really have the pivot moves on automatic .Tony Parker won the battle of the Parkers outscoring Anthony ( 19 to 11 pts.)
After falling behind , 7-0 at the start of the game , the Raptors began to find their marks behind Bosh , Mo Pete and rookies Bargnani and Garbajosa . Bargs , the no.1 pick this year , scored 8 points in 12 minutes of play in his best game so far . But back to the battle of the big men who have so much in common . Bosh and Duncan are both the anchors of their respective teams . They both have inside and outside game . Why not ? Bosh looked up to Duncan growing up . Bosh must have look up to the Spurs center too much, he even have Duncan's foot problem -plantar fasciitis .

Tim : Chris , are you jellin' ?

TJ And Charlie V Performance Comparison

TJ And Charlie V. Stats

Game 2

TJ ( vs. Tor ) : 33 mins. / 13 pts. / 3 reb. / 13 ass.

CV ( vs. Mil ) : 28 mins./ 17 pts. / 11 reb / 3 ass.

Winner : Draw

Charlie played beautifully before injury sidelined in the 2nd half but TJ was very effective in the latter part of the game .

This Raptors' Deep Bench Prevails .

The Toronto Raptors tightened their defense and shot very well in the 2nd half of their game against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks to win , 109-92. TJ Ford showed why Bryan Colangelo got him in place of Charlie V , with some exciting plays after a luckluster start . TJ registered a double-double ( 13 pts., 11 assists ). Said TJ after the game, ' I have nothing against the Bucks '. Not true . TJ handed his former team a loss after surprising the Detroit Pistons in the season opener.
' It's way different now . We expect to win .' Chris Bosh said making up for a poor performance last Tuesday vs. the Nets. with a monster game But it was TJ Ford who excited the sellout crowd with his blinding speed and spectacular passes.
This version of the Raptors is really deep . Seven players scored in double figures .When TJ came out for much needed rest , Jose Calderon substituted for him beautifully. Calderon made his medium and 3 pt. shots to keep the Bucks at bay . Fred Jones , in place of Anthony Parker , was spectacular . One time , the former Pacer slam dunked the ball to the surprise of his guard and the stunned crowd.
' They want the win more .They are hungry . ' said Charle V , the former Raptor . Especially the Raptor bench . The bench is so hungry and deep that coach Mitchell saw no need to use Mo Pete in the last quarter . Mo Pete , I'm sure is not happy about the deep Raptor bench . Why ? You see , it's contract year for Mo Pete . He does not need a deep bench . Mo Pete needs a Raptor organization with a deep pocket !


Mo Pete : Deep bench ?
I will be deep shit next yr !!

What One Good Game Can Do.

Funny how suddenly life can change for Anthony Parker . After virtually being ignored the past weeks , the former Maccabi Tel Aviv baller is suddenly thrust into the limelight after one good game last Tuesday against the New Jersey Nets . ' It just one game . My shots just keep falling ' said Parker amidst a sea of microphones . Previous to the season opener game , Parker was a dissapointment as he struggled in the pre-season games . ' Do you have any regrets about leaving the NBA to play overseas ? one reporter asked . ' I would not exchange the 5-6 years there for anything ' said the 31 yrs. old stylish baller . Why not . Over there , he played against the best in Europe . Italians like Raptor rookie Barghnani, Russians like the Jazz Kirilenko and the Clippers Korolev, Frechmen like the Spur's Tony Parker and the Sun's Diaw, Spaniards like now teammates Garbo and Calderon . Everybody except Kazaks like Borat ....

Borat : I'm Kobe of Kazakhstan...
I shoot women from behind .




2. TJ Ford And Charlie V . Stats ( After 1 game )

TJ Ford : 19 points /5 rebounds / 7 assists in 33 minutes of play .
Charlie V. : 16 points / 12 rebs. / 4 assists in 33 mins. of play .

Evaluation : Draw .

Snafu Over Here At Raptors Camp

To use a militery term , it's Situation Normal All Fucked Up ( Snafu ) at Raptors front . The Toronto Raptors disintegrated in the closing quarter of their game against the New Jersey Nets and lost , 1o2-92. It's is reminiscent of last season's performance . Great star , poor finish . ' The Nets can explode anytime with the trio of JKidd , VC and Jefferson ' warned Raptors TV Analyst , Leo Rautins . The Nets did just that . Kidd overpowered his smaller guards and scored almost at will . At one time , Kidd missed a shot . rebounded and put it back to the basket amidst a phalanx of stunned defenders . Kidd registered his 77th triple double ( 14 pts., 10 rebs., 10 ass.) of his career .
The Raptors collapse was aided by their atrocious shooting ( 39% ) and poor defense . Only Parker ( 22 pts. ) and TJ Ford showed up . Bosh was atrocious . ' I'm not yet in good condition ' said the King Raptor days before the game . The team fell below their target 100 shots a game despiete having attempted something like 70+ shots by 3rd quarter .Vince Carter toyed with his guards as he recorded a double double ( 25 pts., 11 rebs. ) . It's as if the man is putting up a show for his ' reported ' wish to return to the Raptors next season . Not only was Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo in attendance , part owner Larry Tannenbaum was seen sitting behind the Raptors bench . If there is anyone who can pave VC's return to Toronto , it's old friend LT. You see VC LT . Vince Carter Luvs Toronto !


LT: I love to VC- Vote Conservatives !