Dear Chuck,

What a year. Seriously, I haven’t been through so many ups and downs in a single season following the Raptors. Every year, for the most part, you knew what kind of team we had heading into the season. You set your expectations, and away you go. Continue Reading

Hard to keep interested when New Orleans got every shot they wanted, and hit em. The Raptors made a game of it in the 4th with a serious run. The second unit got the Raptors within 10 points, the Hornets called a timeout, Byron Scott Countered with Paul, Peja, Chandler, West and James; Smitch left Bosh on the bench. Continue Reading

I have to give the Raptors credit for a win against the Pistons. This was their 3rd win against a better team in 2008 (Boston and Orlando the other other two). The Raptors grinded out a win. Don’t let the score fool you, the Pistons twice came within 4 points of the Raptors, both times, battling from deficits of 17 and 15 points. The fact that the Raptors were able to whether the imminent attack(s), and maintain the lead in the 4th quarter, in crunch time, well…I’m not accustomed to that. It was almost a perfect game for me: the crowd was pumped, hotties were popping out of their tight tops, my roast beef sandwich was perfect, the half-time show was impressive, and I almost didn’t have to hear Chuck/Leo’s voice the whole night until Leo got Jose for the post game. I have to be honest, I was actually deflated a bit…but I digress… Continue Reading

The Raptors bounce back from last nights loss to the Pistons, by beating the Kings who were welcoming back both Ron Artest and Mike Bibby from injury. Bibby was playing in his first game of the season, and really impressed me as it seem he hasn’t missed a beat. He was dangerous from the perimeter, and played really well. Continue Reading

Rule # 1: stop the bleeding … check!
Rule # 2: fix the problem … uhmm, working on it.

So the Raptors won a game, I’m not going to say a must win, but it was. Can’t be losing to lesser teams at this point of the season. Those sorts of transgressions can only happen at the beginning of the year when things are being worked out/through; or at the end of the season, when things don’t matter, and Baston, Graham and Martin running wild on the court. Continue Reading

I don’t even know where to even begin. I started to take some notes, but I soon realized that it was in vein. I am not sure what the Raptors were doing today, but it wasn’t playing basketball. Kidd had another triple double (he would have had it, but he sat out the entire 4th quarter), Carter was half man-half amazing and Jefferson did the rest.

The lone entertaining parts of the night for me were:

1. When Swirsky said that “Leo likes dick” during the the Dick Bavetta reminiscing. That was the funniest shit Swirsky ever said. I don’t think he meant it maliciously, but I have to find a clip of that, and post it, cause it was awesome (UPDATE: found the clip!).

2. The Bruce Willis interview, in what can only be described as drunken rambling. He so graciously capped it off with “Yippy kai ayy mother fucker.” LOL

Ok, now down to business…

Why the f*ck is Bargnani getting so many f*cking minutes? He put up 16pts on 5 for 8 shooting, but it was in garbage time, when the game was decided. This kid is going to be good, not sure how good, but he will be good…I am not questioning that notion, but to give him so many minutes when others can produce tangible results is ridiculous. Why is Humphries in the doghouse all of a sudden? Is it even a doghouse, or just that Mitchell forgot that the kid has done nothing but play hard all season, and when he finally is putting together a good stretch of games, he gets to sit, and watch someone take his place, who isn’t providing the team what it needs to win games?

Hopefully Bosh learns from these first 4 games, and develops some low post moves (back to the basket, Kevin McHale type shit). He obviously doesn’t want to go to his jumper, and he can’t take it to the rack, so that leaves the low post. I can’t say I am too surprised at his play, as I am sure we all remember how Carter played that first playoffs against the Knicks. At least Carter was shooting and missing, Bosh isn’t taking the same shots he was taking in the regular season.

I have a lot more to say, but I am sick of saying the same things over and over. To me, anyways, it seems as though Mitchell has lost his chance at coming back to the Raptors next season. He might have been able to swindle the Raptors into resigning him to a $10.5mill/3 year contract, if they had a better showing, but not after this. I made a bet (actually I put my balls on the line) in February with my buddy that Mitchell wouldn’t be the Raptors head coach next year, and all signs point to me holding onto my balls for a bit longer.

Technorati Tags: New Jersey Nets, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Chuck Swirsky, Leo Rautins, Dick Bavetta, Bruce Willis, Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries, Sam Mitchell, Chris Bosh, Kevin McHale, Balls

To be fair, I only caught the game from about 2 minutes into the 2nd, but I imagine it played out like the rest of the game did. Hopefully the Nets put me out of my misery quick and not let this series drag on. You know me, I give credit where it is due, and Ves picked the Nets in 5 when we all were slave to the Raptors bandwagon. I picked the Raptors in 7 for both the pools I entered. I talked myself into thinking the Raptors would continue to play the same way as the regular season, and keep the Nets on their toes. I never thought this would deteriorate into a grind of a series (although the Nets lit the Raps up tonight). So on with my game analysis: Continue Reading

Last nights 89-83 win over the Nets was a tough one to stomach. Sloppy play on both ends of the court, by both teams, raised my blood pressure and thinned out my hair line. Last nights game took a lot out of me, as I was cheering and jeering on the same play, far too often.

Fittingly (or is it ironically), on the night Mitchell’s coaching excellence was honored, I (and the group of guys I watched the game with), on more than one occasion, wondered about Mitchell’s decision making (wondering being the G-Rated description of conversation about it). Substitutions, and calling time outs were suspect, but I credit them with grinding out a tough win.

Game notes:

1. I haven’t seen Bargnani play so bad all season. He should not have been on the court in the 4th, no excuses. He got way too many of Humphries minutes.

2. Why is Bosh playing so timid? He is hestitating with his decision making. Everytime he decided to take it to the rack, he did. He needs to realize no one on Jersey can play with him.

3. I am concerned with how TJ sat the first 9 minutes of the 4th, then was thrown into the game, cold, during the run. It worked out, but could have very easily went the other way.

4. Morris Peterson/Anthony Parker/Joey Graham did a much better job containing Carter and Jefferson. The two combined for 33 points on 12-40 shooting from the floor.

5. Bosh left Nachbar wide open, far too often in the 4th. The man can shoot, get up on him.

6. TJ Ford played huge down the stretch. Call me a heretic, but he could very easily end up being the leader on this squad…I’m just saying…

7. Anthony Parker is a bad ass…straight up…that’s all I have to say.

8. Was it me, or did it seem that Dixon played way more than 4 minutes? He made some big plays in his limited time on the floor.

9. It is almost humourous how Nesterovic plays the 1st and 4th quarters, and basically sits for the rest of the game.

10. Chuck Swirsky sucks at picking the Gatorade X-Factor. I think he has picked the best one like 5 times in the last 3 years.

11. As much as Swirsky is a homer, I hate Leo. His arrogance is unwarranted. He played in the NBA for a minute, and presumes to offer his expert opinion on everything.

12. I don’t care what Bill Russell said, game 1 is very important. The Raptors have huge pressure to win a game in Jersey now to avoid going down 3-1 in the series.

13. The refs seem to get worse game after game. At least it was equally bad on both sides (although the Raptors almost had twice as many trips to the line than the Nets). Something needs to be done, asap.

Technorati Tags: NBA Coach of the Year, 2007 NBA Playoffs, New Jersey Nets, Sam Mitchell, Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries, Chris Bosh, Morris Peterson, Anthony Parker, Joey Graham, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Bostjan Nachbar, TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Chuck Swirsky, Leo Rautins, Bill Russel, Juan Dixon