Raptors Play Big Role In Philly's Playoff Destiny

The Raptors are as close as we could say to on a roll this season. That is the opposite of the team they face tonight. The Sixers for most of this season have sat on top on the Atlantic Division after a great start to this shortened schedule this year. Until just recently when that team of old guys in Boston started playing good basketball. It is as predictable as the leaves budding on the trees at this time of of year. The Sixers have won just four of their last 10 games. That said they still have an impressive home record of 19-10. The price of the Celtics passing the Sixers is high. Sixers went from a winnable first round match-up with Orlando to having to face Miami. They are a game and half back of both the Celtics and Hawks to avoid that first round trip to South Beach.

So the Raptors get to be in the roll of spoiler. The Sixers and Hawks both have two games left with the Raptors and if the Raptors were to surprise either team it could have a major impact on their playoff outlooks. Raptors will play the Sixers again a week from tonight at the ACC. They will play the Hawks in a home and home and back to back on April 15th and 16th. In those reverse standing the Raptors moved past the Nets and out of the basement of the Atlantic Division last night with their win over the Bobcats. It could lead to a very interesting final game of the season with the Raptors and Nets with both teams not exactly motivated to win.

Games in which both Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan have been firing on all cylinders have been rare in the three years since DeRozan has been here but we did get to see that last night. In terms of the Sixers Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala have traditionally played well against the Raptors in their career. Another name you might want to add to that list is Thaddeus Young. The Raptors are in the midst of playing 5 games in 7 days so it is only going get tougher as it goes along.

3 Keys: 

Stop Penetration: Jrue Holiday will look to attack the paint. keep him out of their and play strong in the post. Sixers have only a few options to make the long ball so even the use of zone makes sense tonight for the Raptors.

Transition Offense: Both of these teams like to get out and run in transition. The team that does the best in this regard should have a big leg up in winning the game.

D is Key: Raptors D has not been spectacular despite two wins. It will need to be good tonight to beat this team. 

Bosh Is Back! Who Cares?

Last season you can argue the first time the Miami Heat rolled into town was the biggest game of the season. It was so big we packed St Louis Wings up the street from the ACC to watch the game on T.V. It was the biggest event of the Raptors season and it wasn't even close. A year later does anyone really care that Chris Bosh and his super friends are coming to town? I guess will see tonight. The Raptors have had only one sellout this season when Linsanity hit Toronto. Kobe Bryant couldn't sell the place out. Can Bosh along with his buddies Wade and James? Will see, but I don't think people care like when Vince Carter returns to Toronto. Bosh no doubt will get booed, but will it be an all game, loud every time he touches the ball type thing? I tend to doubt it. I just really don't care that he left anymore honestly. I understand why he did and agree with why he did to a large extent. How he left could have been done in a much more classy and mature way but that really doesn't make my blood boil. Bosh has taken a bigger bashing from the national media in the U.S than anything he could face here in Toronto. He wanted more fame and now he has it and he has got to see the disadvantage of that more than the advantage you can argue.

Bosh got to the NBA Finals, but honestly he was not the reason why they lost. His numbers in year two with the Heat are almost the same as they were in year one. Still, you can argue he has had a better year this year in fitting into his role for the Heat. He has a bit more element of respect this season as well. He played in a game with no Lebron and no Wade and was able to do what he did in Toronto and lead his team to a win. The focus of the pressure has shifted on to Lebron James and Chris Bosh has been able to slide into the background to a degree. He had to understand when he made the decision he did that he was going to be the third wheel in Miami. It is something I think deep down he is cool with.

When Bosh was in Toronto he was expected to be a leader and many felt he just wasn't. He was clearly their best player but he wasn't the best leader. He was better than Andrea Bargnani in terms of numbers though. The difference is that Bargnani is not expected to be the leader of this team. He is not the greatest interview in the world. Chris Bosh was a good interview and was always in high demand and after Vince Carter was traded became the Face of the Franchise long before he really should have. Bargnani no matter what he ultimately becomes will never truly be that face of the franchise in that sense. He just doesn't have the personality. Bosh loves the attention and it almost became a distraction to what was important. While he still gets his fair share of the attention he craves, because of a lot of it being negative, Bosh has pulled back some and focused on basketball more. Something many might have wished he did in his time with the Raptors.

In terms of how Raptor fans feel about Bosh it will never be to level people felt about T-Mac and Vince Carter. There just isn't that same hate for him that there was for those guys. Maybe after tonight I will change my mind, but I just don't get the sense that people really even care anymore. In terms of my own personal feelings they are much like the ones I have in regards to Vince Carter. I never have hated Vince just been more disappointed in him. I have the same disappointment about Bosh for a different reason. Vince I just am disappointed he never made the most out of his talent. In terms of Chris, I am disappointed that he lacked the class and respect that he had shown through most of his run with the Raptors. Bosh since going to Miami got a good dose of the lack of respect and class that he forgot about from the media and fans.

I am left to wonder if the Chris Bosh we saw in the first 6 years of his career in Toronto was actually the real guy. I liked that guy. The one I see in Miami now I don't. Did fame or the quest of fame change him? He would deny that he has changed at all and it is all of us that have changed. I don't think I have changed other than in my opinion of him.

There is a basketball game of course and the Heat come in off a win over the team that beat them in the NBA Finals. They now face the coach that was able to keep them in check for the most part in Dwane Casey. The amount of talent Casey has to stop them now is significantly less. The Heat have been by their terms struggling of late just 6-4 in their last 10 games. They sit three and half games behind the Bulls for the top seed in the East. Still they have a comfortable five game advantage over Orlando to hang on to the second spot. They recently lost to OKC on the road and I expect when all is said and done that is who they will see in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have had the ability to play above their heads against some very good teams. Not always pulling off the upset but making it a long night at the office for them. No matter what happens the Toronto fans will likely make it a long night for Chris Bosh. At least you would think they will. Perhaps they will feel like I do and could care little about Bosh being back in town. Indifference is far more insulting than any insult you could come up with to throw at Chris Bosh. This is a guy that if he has proven nothing else that he likes attention.