Grizz Not A Joke Anymore

Raptors are in Memphis minus one blur and the Grizzlies did their own subtraction by sending former Pitt standout Sam Young to Philadelphia. Memphis after a slow start to the season have slowly build their way up the Western Conference standings. It was a break through season last year for the former Vancouver franchise. While in Vancouver the Grizzlies never even came close to the playoffs. While in Memphis the Grizzlies had made the playoffs, but until last season had never won a game. They would roll into the playoffs and knock off the top rated Spurs and give OKC all they could handle.

Keep in mind the Grizzlies have not had Zach Randolph for a majority of the year and recently been without Rudy Gay. In terms of Gay he missed that entire run for the Grizzlies last year. We had a total of 10 trades over the last couples days and the deadline yesterday. You would be hard pressed to find a better pick up than what the Grizzlies got with Marreese Speights who they traded Xavier Henry way back in early January. It has been even more vital with loss of Randolph for the majority of the season. So if you shake you head as to why the Grizz sent Sam Young to Philly for basically nothing, it was safe to say the Grizzlies owed some thanks to the Sixers.

Marc Gasol was an all-star and his slacker brother Pau wasn't. Joking aside Marc Gasol doesn't have to take a back seat to his brother any longer. It was only a few weeks ago that Gasol had a dominant 21 point performance vs the Raptors on March 2nd. Mike Conley also had 21 points in that game. Gay lead the way with 23 but he will not be around tonight it looks like. Going back to Conley he played second fiddle to some guy named Greg Oden at Ohio State. After the Blazers release of Oden safe to say Conley has had the better pro career. He has really started to come into his own these last couple seasons.

For the Raptors it is all about opportunity the rest of the way. Bryan Colangelo freely admitted that organization wants to look at what they have the rest of the way. That doesn't mean Solomon Alabi is starting tonight at Center. But it will mean more time for Gary Forbes, Bayless and others. If your name is Butler or Jaamal you can get comfy on that bench cause it is likely where you will stay barring injuries or foul trouble.

3 Keys:

Bench Points: Where will they come from now for the Raptors. Linas Kleiza was the one guy beyond Barbosa that was doing it consistently scoring off the bench. But in recent games he has been slumping to a degree. Someone needs to step up and score and make up that 10-14 points you could count on from Barbosa night in night out.

Gasol vs Bargnani: Last time Bargnani was not around when Gasol was playing and scoring his 21 points. Bargnani had a step back in game 4 of his return. But with a day of rest under his belt will see if he starts to keep climbing back to what we saw pre-calf injury.

Bayless vs Conley: This is type of match up that Bayless if he keeps his head can be better than Jose Calderon. If he doesn't and it turns into a one on one shoot out he might lose in that with Conley. He can and should do a better job on defense in comparison to Calderon.

So that is it for Raptors and Grizz Round two. If you are busy watching your bracket and not the game will have a re-cap for you when it is done.

Update 9:10am : Looks like tonight got a lot tougher as Memphis Broadcaster just tweeted he expects Both Gay and Randolph to play. This is what I get for doing my preview early...LOL.

Just Another Memphis Monday

Raptors return home and maybe can end this losing streak. But wait a second they have lost 8 of the last 10 at home. If you take away the losing streak and what that does to a team mentally their next 5 games are ones I would class as somewhere between winnable and Raptors having a solid chance at a win. Check it out:

• (21-23) Memphis (At Home)
• (18-25) Philadelphia (At Home)
• (16-25) Milwaukee (At Home)
• (10-33) Minnesota (On The Road)
• (16-25) Indiana (On The Road)

But there is the fact the Raptors have lost 7 straight and have come close to winning a couple of those games. The last 2 games of the trip it seemed the Raptors had been beaten down and looked like the losing had caught up with them. Tonight vs Memphis is more than just one game it is about putting the 7 losses in the rear view just as much. Losing streaks can just be like a snowball rolling down a hill after awhile just ask the Cavs about that who are currently in a 16 game losing streak. But the Raptors have shown signs they can get out of this but it is not going to be easy. The one thing that has been lacking has been the ability to play a full 48 minutes. An effort like the Raptors had at times vs Atlanta, New Orleans and San Antonio is capable of beating any of the teams listed above.

The Basics: Memphis 21-23 ( 8-16 on Road) Toronto 13-31 (4-11 vs West)

When Last We Saw Them: The Miami/South Beach Heat only needed 1/3 of there Big 3 to take care of the Raptors. The Raptors made a case for the Raptors to have a big 4 as Mike Miller looked every bit an all-star thanks to the Raptors lack of ability to defend him. That along with what you have come to expect from Lebron vs Toronto was more than enough. No Lebron didn't come close to 81 points as Kobe did 5 years earlier but it was enough to get the job done. Raptors had good games offensively from DeRozan and Bargnani but this loss was all about the D or lack of it.

Key Match Ups: About the only thing that Marc Gasol and Andrea Bargnani have in common is they both come from Europe. If you can find two more polar opposites in the NBA at the same position you would be hard pressed. Gasol is a guy that fights and scraps in the paint and is a beast. While Bargnani is new bread finesse highly skilled big man. It makes for an interesting match-up. Rudy Gay vs Kleiza? Wright? Weems? Whoever is healthy that draws the assignment will have a tough job. Gay can be a dynamic player at times and has at times had some element of success vs the Raptors. The overall match-up for the Raptors that is of greatest concern is the on the glass. Memphis has the bodies to give the Raptors a tough time on the boards.

Other Things Of Note: Memphis is riding a 4 game winning streak vs the Raptors in the overall series. The last time they were at the ACC became a big focus of the whole post Bosh fallout. That was the first game after the All-Star Break that Bosh rolled an ankle and remained in the game only to see the Raptors fall in O.T. Bosh pointed to that game as proof of the fact that he had not given up on the team in his final season as a Raptor. Memphis had a 96-85 win to kick off the Raptors post Christmas schedule. In an odd stat the Grizzlies actually have a losing record vs the East at 7-9. The key might be Pizza in this one. Say What? If Raptor fans are eating Pizza they likely are celebrating a win. Memphis is a terrible 3-16 when they allow teams to score 100 points. If they do not then the Grizz are an impressive 18-7.

Where Is It On? TSN (Thankfully TSN no longer has WWE Monday Night Raw and Monday Night Football is Done)

The Raptor Roller Coaster- All Aboard!!!

When you choose to be a sports fan you are basically taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. It has those extreme highs where you think you are just going to keep climbing till you can reach the moon. Suddenly without warning you go falling back down crashing towards the ground and you scream. That is what it can be like and from game to game you never know what might happen. If you have ever been to Disney World and got on the ride Space Mountain that is basically what it is like. Sometimes you just want to close you eyes tight and wait till the ride is over. The Raptors who had fought hard to beat a good team in Orlando in almost the same position exactly last night the would crumble down the stretch. Last night may have given folks T.J Ford or Mike James flashbacks based on Will Solomon's actions down the stretch. Andera Bargnani and Chris Bosh have over 50 points combined and Will Solomon is having a terrible shooting night. But yet we see Will Solomon not once but twice jack up long range bombs. That just goes against common sense and logic. I mean if you have an open look sometimes it is because a team doesn't think you can make a shot. The Raptors will say that is why they didn't worry about Luke Ridnour as he took two long range shots as well. He would make both of his. That is the difference between a goat and a hero. If he were to have missed his shots, Buck fans would have the same reason to complain. Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva had even better nights going for the Bucks. No one said being a pro athlete was fair did they? It is anything but fair.

Charlie V Is Same Old Charlie

Now I admit that I have not went out and confirmed this as fact. Still I am willing to bet on a few Raptor fan sites and posting boards someone is saying see Raptors never should have traded Villianueva. I would also bet they never watched the game couple nights before where he stunk against the Bobcats. You might have taken notice that he was not starting for the Bucks as well. There is reason for that I am sure. It might just be that Charlie V remains the same talented but inconsistent player that the Raptors traded to Milwaukee. Remember when ESPN ripped Charlie on draft night and he went on to have a successful first year here in Toronto. Well one of the knocks from the guys on ESPN was his desire to work hard and be consistent on a nightly basis. Look back on his career and can you debate that they were wrong? I can't make the case despite the fact Charlie as a person may be one of the best people you will find in going around the league. There was a reason that the Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian and Luc Mbah A Moute. It had nothing to do with giving their announcers headaches in trying to learn to say those names. What it had to do with is they are not sold on Charlie Villianueva as the answer for them at that position. It is not like the Bucks are drafting a shooting guard in the first round or a Center. They have faith in both Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut to play starters minutes at those positions.

The problem is that most Raptor fans only watch Charlie Villianueva in the few times he plays the Raptors in a season. There is no question that he has a chip on his shoulder for these games against the Raptors. I think he truly took in personally that he was traded by the Raptors and it shows every time he suits up against them. It is much like how Andre Iguodala feels about the Raptors passing over him in the draft for Haffa or Hoffa or complete bust take your pick. But they do not watch the rest of the games the Bucks play and see highlights or read boxscores the rest of the time. The truth is Charlie V is that same guy he was when he was dealt in a lot of ways. He has the talent to have nights like last night or the time he poured in 48 points against the Bucks as a Raptor. But he also can just as easily play with disinterest and be a complete non factor. Raptor fans complain at the lack of consistent play from Andrea Bargnani well Charlie V can be just as inconsistent with his game as Bargnani. The one thing he would provide when he is on his game more than Andrea is rebounding. However Andrea when he is on can provide more shoot blocking and offers a much more consistent shot from long range when he is on his game. Charlie is a great guy and I am not here to say that if he had remained with the Raptors I would not still like him and cheer for him. What I am saying is he is not as good a player as he gets made out to be by some Raptor Fans. In the end he is a lot closer to the player that ESPN thought he was than the one Raptors fans think he is.

Opportunity Is Still Knocking If Raptors Can Answer

Sure last night was a disappointment and the Raptors basically cancelled out one of those surprising wins they earned over Houston and Orlando. Still they have a chance to keep it rolling in the right direction with games against the Wizards and Grizzlies. It is even more important when you consider the next two after that. Back to back, home and home, with the Boston Celtics who have suddenly dropped a few and have people questioning if they are truly the best in the league. That could make the Raptors the perfect platform to make a loud statement against. It all means that you need to take care of your business in these next two games.

The Wizards can laugh at how disappointed and frustrated Raptors fans are at their season. I mean they are going through a cruel version of deja vu. Last year they had a star player that was writing more blogs then he was playing games. This year the re-signed that player for over 100 million dollars and he still is blogging and not playing. Lot of folks like Gilbert Arenas and think he is a truly colourful character. That is true and he was at one time a very talented player. After two years of being on the IR and blogging more then he has been playing does not seem good. I think he may just end up being a huge elephant in the room with his large contract. The Gilbert Arenas prior to injury was worth that contract. The one that sat out the majority of last season was not. That mistake of re-signing Arenas may cost the Wizards for a long time to come. If only it was just Arenas who was getting injured but Jamison and Butler have had their share as well. It would all lead to Eddie Jordan being shown the door. I feel bad for him because I think given what he has had to deal with in Washington he had done a remarkable job. If he was a name that came up for the Raptors job I would not be disappointed to have him. Washington is 3-7 in their last 10 games which for them is improvement. They are a sad and pathetic 7-25 on the season and dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Memphis is a much different case as they have a lot of hope for the future. O.J Mayo is the real deal and when you also have Pau Gasol's baby brother Marc you have the start of some pretty nice building blocks. Memphis is 11-23 and far out classed in the Western Conference. But they can look at a team like Portland as reason to be hopeful for the future. The Raptors can not afford to over look anyone at this point. If Jay Triano wants to make that point clear, watching the last 5 minutes of the OKC game is a great way to drive home your point. The Raptors again sit in a spot where they can make a few steps back towards respectability or they can stumble and fall and dig a whole deeper that is already pretty massive. It is a lot to ask of a team that is down it's starting center and point guard but they have shown that they are able to do it. The question now becomes if they can do it consistently. It is a lot easier to bring you max effort against someone that you know is better. It is a different challenge to do that against a team that is struggling like you are.

Bryan Colangelo Is Playing The Game

I don't think anything that Bryan Colangelo does in not done without a thought process behind it. He was been doing interviews of late and sending out some messages. The question becomes who is the audience for these comments. Is it an angry fan base that is starting to question his choices. Could it be that he has not been happy with what he has been hearing on the phone and is sending out a message that this is not a fire sale in Toronto. There is no real way to tell why Bryan has chosen now to start a bit of a media appearance spree. But clearly even with out him taking part in the process he has been the talk around the league as eveyone is waiting to see what move he is going to make. About the only thing that you will not find to read is that Bryan Colangelo is NOT going to make a move before the February trade deadeline. Everyone around the league expects him to make a move. Given his past reputation some even expect it to be a big move. That is a lot of hype and pressure to live up too. I some how feel that Bryan understands that this next move no matter what it is will be key to how people view his career in Toronto. He is as aware as anyone that this is a what have you done for me lately business.

Colangelo has stuck to his guns to this point and has defending his number one selection Andrea Bargnani. He has said that they have not made an offer to another team that includes Bargnani. He says he takes many calls about his availability. Colangelo in his defensive of the pick of Andrea said that he even said that Brandon Roy was going to win the Rookie of the Year. He said that Bargnani was picked for a variety of reasons and he was the best fit for the Raptors. The comment about Roy is true as Colangelo was on the record as saying that Brandon Roy was the most NBA ready of the players in the draft. So that would not be far from saying he would be the rookie of the year. He even went as far as to praise Roy and how he is getting to the level of a superstar player in the league. He said if people are going to compare Andrea to Brandon Roy than Andrea could be considered a failure for some. He suggested that it was more about judging Andrea on his own merits. He pointed to his youth and the fact that they had been asking him to learn several positions. He didn't go as far as saying that was a mistake but you were left with the impression that is what he was saying without saying it.

This season before it started I said would end up deciding the Sam Mitchell debate. Well it has done that in a negative way. Although Sam is starting to do his thing on T.V as he made a guest appearence on NBA T.V on the weekend. Thanks to Holly Mackenzie for giving that a mention. I have no doubt if Sam wants a career in T.V he can have a long and successful one. But I don't think he is ready to settle into a media career just yet. However turning back to Colangelo in firing Mitchell he has now made this season a lot about his legacy as the G.M and President. He will have one last card to play even if he does not find the trade to save the season. In fact he could have a couple depending on what he does. The most obvious is he will be in a spot to hire a coach that is his guy and their will be no debate about it even if that guy was Jay Triano. The other chip he has is that massive contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The 2010 frenzy is only going to grow as the year gets closer. A contract worth 23 million dollars of cap space is almost as valuable as any player in the league at this point given the free agents that are out there to be had in 2010. The longer and closer to that time the more attractive Jermaine O'Neal and his contract will become. There is no question this big chip to play of keep was at the core of why Colangelo made the trade in the summer to acquire O'Neal. If O'Neal was able to perform well on top of that it was going to be a win win situation. It has turned into a lose win situation. That contract is still a valuable asset to have no matter the win total the Raptors end up with this season. Colangelo is not going to give it up unless he gets exactly what he wants in return.

So for a lot of reasons you can expect the roller coaster ride to continue on for the rest of this season and will get really wild as we get closer to trade deadline day. It may not be as fun as you like but it sure does make for a lot of information and speculation to keep up to date on. I'd love for someday a G.M to write a book long after he retired and recount all of the things that happened behind the scenes. If Bryan Colangelo were to write that book I would be in the front of the line to buy it.