Dear Bryan,

I was a big fan of you taking over the reigns from Babcock. That guy made 1 good decision during his whole tenure (signing Calderon). You showed up with much fan fare. free sprint ringtones free nokia ringtones tracfone free gospel ringtones phone ringtones verizon free ringtones verizon tv theme ringtones mosquito ringtones cell cricket free phone ringtones free lg ringtones verizon wireless get free ringtones for my cell phone free get ringtones cingular cell phone ringtones free cingular wireless ringtones free ringtones for motorola phone get free ringtones free tracfone ringtones listen mosquito ringtones nextel ringtones cd cell free phone ringtones verizon wireless info nokia remember ringtones You used words like vision and excellence that frankly make me giddy like a little school girl.
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Game 2 into the “I don’t trust my teammates, we need to be tougher, and the fan’s suck era”, the Raptors are slowly building momentum in the end of days. I must say, I appreciate Bosh’s YouTube designs, he definitely has personality, and is really trying to connect with fans, which is something his peers haven’t as readily embraced. Continue Reading

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The Toronto Raptors (39-39) will be looking for a little revenge when they host the New Jersey Nets (32-46) tonight. Not that the Raptors need any incentive to beat their Atlantic Division rivals, but with a Raptor win tonight, Vince Carter and the Nets will be officially eliminated from playoff contention. Continue Reading

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Technorati Tags: Jay Triano, Lawrence Frank, New Jersey Nets, Richard Jefferson

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The game was really secondary to the news that Kidd was traded to the Mavs. With Mr. Triple-Double sent back to where it all began for him, the deflated Nets were ripe for the picking, in fact, the Raptors to ran a train on the Nets ass. This was a classic win for the Raptors over an inferior/deflated/incapable team. They shot the shit out of the ball in the face of no defensive pressure. The outcome of the game was decided in the first with the Raptors surging to an early lead, and never letting up. They put the game out of reach by halftime (I stopped taking notes partway through the 3rd. I apologize, but it is hard to keep up the notes when the Raptors are pounding or getting pounded by a ridiculous margin). Continue Reading

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The Boo birds will be out in full force tonight at the ACC when the Toronto Raptors (27-23) host the New Jersey Nets (23-29) in the last game before the NBA All-star break. As every Raptor fan knows, there is a strong rivalry between these two clubs. The Nets knocked off the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs last year and it’s never pretty when “Toronto’s Public Enemy #1″ Vince Carter comes to town. Continue Reading

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In the off-season the Atlantic Division was the busiest Division in the NBA for free agents signings and trades. Boston added all-stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen; New York adds Zack Randolph; Philadelphia started the season without Allen Iverson for the first time in eleven years; New Jersey added Canadian Jamaal Magloire to play alongside the Kidd, Carter and Jefferson; Toronto said goodbye to fan favorite Morris Peterson and said hello to Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino and Jamario Moon. Here is a quick report card on the Atlantic Division teams. Continue Reading

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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

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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

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Are you? I know I’m not. To say I was frustrated with today’s game is an understatement. I felt like I had entered a time warp, and was watching a game from last season. The one play they have, the high pick and roll, was not executed for most of the game. In its place, we had the misfortune of watching isolation plays, no ball movement, and poor shot selections, by everyone on the court. Had it not been for Ford and Calderon’s play, this game would have got out of hand - the Nets badly outplayed the Raptors.

Sam Mitchell showed bad judgment all game with his substitutions, plays out of time outs, and offensive sets. On top of all that, he dawned the ugliest suit of the season. I suspect he draws a great deal of his coaching ability from his attire. All season, his rotation has been a sore subject to me, and today was no different. Joey Graham has been playing well lately, but over the last two seasons, he has maybe put together 25 or so good games. Today was not one of them. He hit his first shot, and it was all downhill from there. Richard Jefferson used and abused Graham in the first half with about 7 easy layups/dunks to get him going. I am unsure what Mitchell sees in Graham, but I don’t share the same view. Graham played about 20 minutes too many this game, being ineffective on both ends of the court. The fact that he played the whole 4th quarter, while Ford sat, was a horrible decision by Mitchell.

On the offensive end, the Raptors did not execute their customary high pick and roll. They not share and swing the ball. And did not hit their shots. What got them 47 wins, and home court advantage in the first round, was apparently not the strategy Mitchell wanted to employ in this game. TJ and Calderon were the only ones able to create their own shots, but that is not what will win games for the Raptors.

Keys to the game:

1. Bosh got into early foul trouble, and Mitchell elected to sit him for 10 minutes in the first half, instead of allowing him to play through it. This game was lost in the first half, don’t fool yourself.

2. TJ Ford was the lone bright light in the first 3 quarters, but was sat in the 4th. Why? When you are playing for a win, you play the best players available. Ford and Calderon should have been on the court in the 4th.

3. Joey Graham was a liability on the court, but logged 36 minutes. Why?

4. What the fuck happened to the pick and roll?

5. What the fuck happened with swinging and sharing the ball?

6. What the fuck happened to the Raptors?

I am so glad I didn’t buy tickets from scalpers for this game.

Technorati Tags: New Jersey Nets, TJ Ford, Jose Calderon, Sam Mitchell, Joey Graham, Richard Jefferson, Morris Peterson, Chris Bosh

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