The Butler Did It, Thank You Caron

I admit I did not get a chance to see the game last night. I saw the part that mattered which was the end. I can not thank Caron Butler enough. Seriously I may take cheap shots at Gilbert Arenas whenever I get a chance. Think it is because I am bitter that he is the world's highest paid blogger at 111 million. He plays the odd NBA game as well I am told. But regardless of that Caron Butler deserved to be cheered off the court as he ran off the court with his finger in the air. It was not even the middle one. I guess he was referring to keeping hope alive for the Wiz to get that number one pick. However his undressing of Shawn Marion actually helped the Raptors from screwing their chances any further. The Raps have went into a tail spin since the 6 game win streak out of no where. But the Raptors OUR who we THOUGHT THEY WERE and there is NO LETTING THEM OFF THE HOOK. Change has to happen and this is a way to enforce that. This team is flawed and needs to fix a number of issues. I still have faith that Bryan Colangelo is the man to do that as well. He will turn this around and has a history of being able to. This man was able to restore this team from the mess Rob Babcock left it in. If he can do that, he can do this as well.

The question will be if he wants Chris Bosh a part of that mix to fix it. He should but the question of how much is the largest one for Colangelo. I think if Bosh wants out the answers are far easier. However I have yet to see a clear sign that he does. In fact from what he has said and done he gives very little indication that he wants to go. He wants this team to be better and who doesn't after this season. It will be interesting indeed.

I guess my biggest fear is if Bosh goes I see an Andrea Bargnani reverting back to the Andrea that lacked confidence and was so inconsistent. I am not so sure how mentally tough Bargnani is. Could he handle being the best player on the Raptors? To be the guy that everyone looks at? I don't think he can now and I am not sure if he ever could. That is not a knock on Andrea. After all he was not drafted to be a Batman we already had one. Jose Calderon for all his energy and team play is not exactly a leader as well. You may get all upset about that but it is how I see it. On Spain the leader of that team is Pau Gasol not Jose. Here Bosh is the guy and not Jose. Calderon may be a lot of things but leader is not one of them. Do you think Obama goes around and hands out Gatorade in the breaks in meetings in the Oval Office? I am thinking that does not happen. It is also hard to be a leader when you are one of the worst defenders on a team. Improving he may be but at his best Jose Calderon is an average defender.

You know who was a leader despite not being the main guy. Alvin Williams was that guy. He was the guy that hit the biggest shot in the history of this franchise. Vince Carter he was short on a jumper in Philly. Williams made the dagger shot that clinched the only playoff series win in franchise history. Williams was as tough as you get and that maybe why his career did not go as long as it could have. He played through pain and never used it as an excuse. Did you hear that Jose Calderon supporters? No Excuses just went out and balled with all he had. No one asked if Alvin was healthy or at a 100%. He never was and it never mattered. The fact the ACC crowd gave him cheers was great to see. I think it is clear how much Toronto misses Boogie Williams. If I could put the talent of a Jose Calderon in a guy with the heart and grit of an Alvin Williams I would have a point guard that I could get behind. Look even in the NCAA at what Ty Lawson did and how he played through injury. Calderon gets a really soft ride from people in part because he is a great guy. I understand that and as a person Jose is first rate. Sam Mitchell had said he would want his daughter to date a guy like Jose someday. You don't get any higher amount of praise as a person. However this is not about who is the most beautiful person in the world. This is not People Magazine. This is basketball and it is about wins and loses. If people are great beyond the lines of that basketball court great. However I do not care as much about that if they are not. Go out and win keep your nose clean and I got no problem with you.

I like guys with an edge. They are not bad people as much as you may want them to be. Terrell Owen is all about him, but he is also about winning with him scoring the touchdown to win the game. Is he a bad dude when you get down to it? How bout Ron Artest. He is another guy that is deep down a guy that can have some fire. If you go into a crowd of people on a visiting court and try to fight a guy that maybe nuts. O.K it is nuts. However Artest is a talented guy that takes pride in defense. You need that before all else. Any great defender wants to have the challenge to stop a guy. Last night you saw that kind of pride between Kobe Bryant and Brandon Roy doing battle. Raptors need guys willing to give all they have to stop the best. To embrace that role and that challenge. Anthony Parker was said to be the team's best defender the past few years. Do you ever recall A.P being disgusted with himself for getting burned? He always would have some comment like you do what you can to stop (Insert Star Player Name) and try to contain him. Screw that. I want a guy that is going to accept the challenge and try to shut someone down. Is it realistic he will do it. No but if you go in with the attitude of trying to shut some one down even if you lose a few times along the way it will likely be a better result.

The era of the soft nice guy Raptors needs to end. It is never going to get them anywhere. I remember J.O when he was here talking about the Raptors having in the past been a bunch of nice guys and they would help up the other team. Screw that as well. I want warriors for 48 minutes guys that are going to shake hands at a start of a game but kick your butt all the way through it or die trying. That is the Raptor team I want to see. This group of Raptors is rapidly not showing any of the qualities that I respect and enjoy. I think a lot of people share that desire and you only need to look back in the past to see it. JYD, Alvin Williams,Matt Bonner and today Pops Mensah Bonsu. None of them are going in a hall of fame. They are not going to All Star Games. They are likely not even going to get to star in their own You Tube Video. However they are guys that busted there tail and gave what they had to try to win. I said the other day about Hustle, Loyalty and Respect. If I didn't think WWE had it copyrighted I would say that should be the theme for this next season. That is what we want and need from our Toronto Raptors!!!

Raptors Rewind- Hassan Adams Era Edition

No Raptors Rewind Logo tonight as we pay tribute to Hassan Adams Raptor Career. O.K well it was not much of a career was it. Earlier today the Raptors traded Adams to the Clippers with Cash for a future second round pick. The Clippers would turn around and waive Adams and he is currently looking for a job. I would like to say something nice about the guy. I am told he was a good person and all of that. But where it counts on the floor he showed nothing and that is why the Raptors in a sense had to pay someone to take him off their hands. As for the game the Raptors will also be without Jamario Moon who is becoming a daddy in Alabama. He left the team to hopefully make it back to Alabama for the birth of his child. So that means Joey G will get the start tonight and the Joey G fan base will be no doubt excited by that news. It is Joey's first start of the 2008/09 season. Ex-Raptor Mike James will be matched up against a player many might have had flashbacks to James based on his poor performance the other night. That would be Will Solomon. So the Raptors would only have 9 players on the roster for tonight. It is time to get going in Washington D.C where history will happen on Jan 20th as Barak Obama will get sworn in a President.

1st Quarter

Raptor would get off to a 7-2 run started by a 3 pointer from A.P and continued by Bosh and Joey G. The Raptor run would march on though with a basket from Andrea Bargnani. After a 10-2 start a time out on the floor for the Wizards to regroup with 7:49 left in the 3rd quarter. Wizards after the time out would get it going a bit and get it to a 12-6 score with an Andray Blatche jumper. But an Anthony Parker basket and that was followed by an Andrea Bargnani with a 3 pointer. Raptors lead now 17-6. Chris Bosh would score and make the lead larger but Mike James would answer the Bosh score with one of his own. Will Solomon would make a shot and he was off to a better shooting night.

Andray Blatche would make another jumper. Chris Bosh was looking for a foul but not whistle was coming as Caron Butler went the other way and scored a second basket in a row for the Wizards. Raptors lead 21-12 and Jake Voskhul was in for Bosh. Raptor forced Wizards into their second shot clock violation of the quarter. Jason Kapono would make a basket and he needed it as he has struggled. Antwan Jamison would get a basket for the home side. Raptors would make a turnover and Wizards would turn that into 2 points as well. It was 25-16 late in the quarter. Will Solomon would close out the quarter with the basket and the Raps had an 11 point lead after one with the score 27-16.

2nd Quarter

Raptors were shooting an amazing 70% from the field. Jason Kapono would keep it rolling as he would make a 3 pointer and extend the Raptor lead to start the second quarter. Chris Bosh would get to the line and the Raptors looked good as a lesson may have been learned in Oklahoma City. Bosh would only go 1-2 though. Kapono was hot and how long has it been since you heard that. He was 4-4 with his latest a 3 ball from the corner. The youngster Nick Young would respond with a 3 pointer for the Wizards in response. Raptors still lead 34-21 with 8:18 to play in the half.

Chris Bosh was committed to drive and he was drawing fouls he was back at the line. Bosh mad both from the line. Jason Kapono was hooked up for the open 3 pointer but he would miss. But Jake Voskhul would draw the foul working hard on the offensive glass. But the Raptors would not get anything off the second chance. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3 pointer the other way. Roko Ukic would drive and score to answer that. AP would hit a jumper as he was on the move off a pick and roll. Raptors had built a 15 point lead and it was 40-25 Raptors with 5:29. Matt Devlin had mentioned that Jose Calderon had been recovering well and may be ready to come back as soon as Friday. But as for now Will Solomon was hooking up AP for a 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani would take his time and gave a fake and then blasted in a 3 ball and Raptors lead had grown to 46-25. Antwan Jamison was one of the few Wizards that seemed interested. He scored and got a fouled and made the shot. Mike James would hit a 3 pointer and the Wizards had a much needed 6-0 run. Antwan Jamison was heading to the line fouled by Andrea Bargnani. He would be replaced by Bosh as that was his second. Another foul as Jamison missed the second free throw after making the first. Caron Butler would head to the line. It was a 9-0 run and Jay Triano had seen enough.

A Will Solomon missed jumper in the lane was not what Triano had in mind I am guessing. But Kris Humphries would draw a charge on Antwan Jamison. Will Solomon would make a shot after his miss out of the time out to end the Wizard run. The Wiz would respond but then it was a Hump throw down on the other end. But Jamison answer that with a basket. The Raptors shooting had cooled in this second quarter but the still had a 50-38 lead after one half. This was with only 5 points for Chris Bosh. Bargnani, Parker and Kapono all shared the Raptor scoring lead with 10 for each in the first half.

3rd Quarter

Raptors still were shooting 57% after a half of play. Raptors out rebounded the Wiz 20-14. Joey G gets the first bucket of the second half for the Raptors. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3-ball to get the Wizards started in the second half. Wizards would get a 7-0 run but Triano was letting Raptors play through it. Bosh would find Bargnani and he would dunk it and and get fouled for the 3 point play. It was back to 55-45 and Raptors were looking to hang on to control. Chris Bosh had a turnover and he was having a tough night shooting 1-8. Both teams were playing sloppy and Andrea Bargnani fumbled the ball out of bounds. Andray Blatche would score and the lead was down to 8 points. Raptors were giving the Wizards a lot of chances to come back but Washington was not converting on most of them thankfully for Raptor fans.

Chris Bosh had enough and just took it to the basket strong for the score to restore a 10 point lead. Andrea Bargnani would hook up Will Solomon for a score. He would follow up with a finger roll for himself the next time down the floor. Raptors had build back to a 61-47 lead with 5:14 to play in the quarter. Antwan Jamison was one of about a thousand folks that the Raptors have been rumoured to having interest in. If it was true after tonight they will be more interested as he had another basket as part of a great night for him personally. But unfortunately later on he would pick up his 4th foul of the night and got forced to the bench. AP would make a basket as he left. Raptors lead 65-51.

Andray Blatche would get another basket and he was looking good as well for the Wizards on the offensive end. Wizards had cut the lead to single digits again at 9 down. But Chris Bosh would make a key basket to push lead back to 11 points. Jake Voskhul would get a score and all 9 Raptors that could play tonight have and had scored. A steal and lay up for Mike James and it was 71-60 for the Raptors. Will Solomon would get a basket to extend that lead to 13. That would be how the 3rd Quarter would end as it was 73-60 after 3 quarters of play.

4th Quarter

Raps had 2 chances to score on their first trip and Ukic and Graham both missed. Jamison was back in the game and he scored and the Wizards had the first 4 points of the quarter. Roko Ukic would get a score to open up the books for the Raps in the corner. Jamison would get another basket. Score was 75-66 and Jay Triano decided to get Chris Bosh back in the game a little earlier than usual. The lead had been cut back to 7 points but Andrea Bargnani would make a big 3 pointer. But Antwan Jamison kept rolling and scored. Chris Bosh would answer for his side with a basket to respond. A turnover by Bosh would give Washington a chance to cut the lead to 5 and Nick Young would deliver and a time out was called and the Raptors needed it.

Bosh out of the time out would drive and draw a foul and get to the line and it was on Jamison which was huge. He would make both free throws and Jamison had to go to the bench and with foul number 5. Wizards would score and lead was back to 5 points. But Bosh would come back and make a jumper and draw a foul for a 3 point play. Caron Butler would score and the lead was cut to 6 points with the score 85-79 with 6:15 to play. Washington had a chance to cut lead to 4 points but Bosh stuck a hand out and caused a turnover. He would then make his way to the line for another pair. Which he would make and they had a 87-79 lead and that was a big moment. Jason Kapono who had been quiet hit a buzzer beater as the shot clock was expiring. Antwan Jamison would score again he had 27 on the night but his team was still down 8 points.

After a Kapono miss from the arc in transition Jamison would score and get fouled and the Wizards had cut lead back down to 5 points again. A Will Solomon turnover and Wiz had a chance to make it even closer but could not. They would have another chance and they would get called for traveling and anther chance was lost. Raptors lead 89-83 with just 2:21 to play. Andrea Bargnani has been clutch and he did it again hitting a dagger 3 pointer late in the game as Raptors lead was 92-83. Wizards refused to go away though as they got 4 straight points and the lead was down to 5 points again. Wizards were forced to foul Bargnani with 27.1 seconds left. He was calm and cool and made two from the line and it was 94-87 Raptors with under 30 seconds to play. Will Solomon would make a silly foul on Mike James sending him to the line. James had a chance to cut the lead to 5 but he would miss his first and make his second. Soloman had a very up and down night. Solomon had 14 points and 5 dimes and only 2 turnovers. The man of the night was Andrea Bargnani, who was not heading to Dallas he was in this game and scoring 23 points.Many of them that were clutch shots that Raptors needed. The foul shot game was dragging this thing out but the Raptors were going to have win number 15 on the year and the Raptors have won 3 out of 4. The Final score would end up 99-93 and Bargnani added two more points to have 25 points on the night. So happy times for the Raptors as Jamario Moon had a new baby girl and his team back in Washington had a win. All good news on this night. Check out the happy details in our Score Boxscore.

Raps/Wiz Boxscore

So the Raptors next face the best Rookie in this league in my opinion O.J Mayo. He and the rest of the Grizzlies will pay a visit to the ACC to take on the Raptors. Raptors will hope to win their 4th game in their last 5 games. They may have Jose Calderon back to help in that regard.