Again?

Was this gonna be another blowout? The Raptors (8-11) limped into Cleveland (18-3) to play the Cavaliers, who have been on a tear lately, winning their last 8 games by an average of 15 pts. The Cavs were looking to win their 9^th straight game by 12+ points to be the first team in NBA history to do so. The Raps were looking to build on the good things they accomplished against Portland on Sunday in their heartbreaking 98-97 loss. Continue Reading

Rather than spend my weekly column discussing how the Raps looked impressive in wins against Charlotte and Atlanta (and not too bad for 3 quarters against the 14-1 league best Lakers without JO), or how Sam Mitchell not only reads my column but also does in fact own and use a clipboard (he pulled it out at every time out on Friday), or how Joey Graham and Andrea Bargnani together are looking like the answer to Raps problems on the wings, or how really, as I mentioned last week in my column there is no reason to panic (again, what matters more is whether or not this team is .500 come January)… Continue Reading

Can’t get too excited about a pre-season game, but a win is always better then a loss (might as well start the winning mentality from the get go).I did my best to follow the audio feed, but listening to a pre-season game is a tall order, even for yours truly. Regardless, they didn’t need my support as Lebron got 8 minutes of burn which translated into an automatic win, even for the Raptor bench. Continue Reading

It seems that the Raptors season, again, hinges on one Andrea Bargnani. De ja vu as I remember saying this exact thing last season when the Raptors were “deeper” but had no clear # 2. This year, they have their second 20 point scorer, no controversy at the point - but the bench is thin. Continue Reading

I know, its still early to preview the East, since many free agents still remain unsigned and there is still talk of some teams looking to make some major moves (ie/ McGrady to Detroit etc).  However, with the start of summer league action underway, all of the major unrestricted free agents signed, and the Raps all capped-out, its time to look forward to the fall - to get a sense of where this team fits (as it is constructed right now). Continue Reading

You see, the problem with this years free agent crop is just that….everyone is…restricted.

A couple of days a go it looked like only Arenas would be the only real FA of any value, but then the crazy Elton Brand and Baron Davis opt outs happened and the result has been even more craziness. Continue Reading

Quickly- by a show of hands, how many Raptors fans thought that if they drew Detroit in the first round this year that they stood a chance of winning that series (put your hand down Chuck Swirsky- you’d think that they could beat God and Ditka in tennis match, and Chuck Norris in just about anything). The truth is…even the most staunch Raps fan must concede, that beating Orlando seemed really possible this year, as did Jersey last season…but Detroit…fuggeddaboutit. Continue Reading

Those of you out there dreaming about some big name accusation for the Raps in the off season may want to think again for the simple reason that at the current moment, the Raps don’t have a lot of room under the salary cap. Every summer only 1-2 teams find themselves in a position to be significantly under the cap to take a run at the big name free agents. Last summer it was Orlando and Memphis, this summer it looks to be Philly and Memphis, and in 2009 it will be Toronto. Continue Reading

The Toronto Raptors (35-34) are back home to take on one of the most explosive offensive teams in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets (41-28). The Nuggets are third in the NBA, averaging 109.1 ppg. Continue Reading

It will be a possible playoff preview Friday night in Cleveland when the Toronto Raptors (35-33) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-30). If the playoffs started today the Cavaliers would host the Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Continue Reading