Raptors Give Houston Problems

Houston with some nice passing getting an easy 2 points and Calderon a nice jumper in the paint and were off and running tied at 2, which will be more scoring that 40,000 plus likely see at the TFC game down the street. Teams continued to trade buckets and were tied at 6. Raptors would take the first real advantage of the night with a James Johnson slam, followed by a Houston turnover, that led to DeRozan being fouled and making two at the line making it 10-6 Raptors. Amir Johnson was back in the line-up and starting and he finished off a Johnson to Johnson play with a basket. Not long after we were one Johnson shorter as James picked up his 2nd foul early on. Raptors were making good passes and turning it into points up 16-10 with 6:33 to play in 1st. Demar DeRozan with a basket and one with 5:05 to play, but left the and one short, still the Raptors lead 20-13. This was an important game for the Rockets though as they were hanging on to last ticket to playoffs in the ultra close Western Conference. So the Rockets would make a push and with 2:24 left had this back to a one possession game trailing 24-21 to the Raptors. Raptors had let the Rockets get to even at 28 but got a little good luck as Bayless nailed a buzzer beater 3. Still the Raptors deserved better than a 3 point lead based on how they played. Some solid ball movement had their offense clicking.

Well hold the phone the replay would disallow the the Bayless three so make it 28-28 as we start the 2nd. That might have motivated Bayless as he hit another 3 early in the 2nd to give the Raptors a 31-30 lead. Still the momentum in this game had shifted to Houston. Jaamal Maglorie would do something. What was it? Dumb foul? Nope something good actually an offensive rebound and passed it to Jose for an open 3 giving the Raptors 34-31. It would spark the Raptors to make a push and go on a 10-1 run and lead 41-32 book-ended by another 3 by Barbosa with 7:30ish left in the half. After a time out the Rockets would cut the lead down to just 3 points causing Casey to call for a time out with 6 minutes to play in the half. Good time out from Casey and it stops the bleeding with it 47-40 and Raptors shooting and insane percentage at 63% and rising, but only up 7. Raptors had a 9 point lead with 2:36 to go. Could they close out this quarter and go into halftime feeling good? James Johnson took a knee to the thigh from Sammy D and made one of two at the line on the foul. Sammy was motivated perhaps by seeing his "friend" Leo Rautins calling the game and got a score on the other end. Amir Johnson had answer for that but then picked up a foul after his slam with 1:22 to play. Raptors were actually extending the lead up to 13 with score 56-43. Next possession after that they commit the basketball sin of fouling a three point shooter. Lowery made them all and it was 56-46 with 34.2 to go and time out for the Raptors. Raptors would add two and go to the half with a 58-46 halftime lead.

Raptors were shooting 64.9% and had a 12 point halftime lead. If not for a lot of fouls it could be more. Houston has not been a good road team and it was showing so far in this one. Unfortunately the Raptors started the second half with more of same fouling Kevin Martin. He would make both and was 5-5 on the night, Houston as a team were 18-22. But the Raptors keep on rolling and Demar DeRozan got to the line and made a pair of his own and gave Raps their largest lead so far at 62-48. Raptors were slowly building on this lead. It was a shame with 40,000 plus down the street at Rogers Centre this was likely one of smaller crowds of the season. Houston was coming off an OT loss and got into Toronto late and it was showing as the ever growing Raptor lead got up to 17. Lowery nailed a three trying to get his team going and Scola got a score on break which was enough for Casey to call for a time out. Still with a comfy dozen point lead 71-59 but wanted to stop the momentum for the Rockets. Houston was starting to lose it's cool as he gets a technical foul. Raptors still up a dozen with score 73-61 with 6 to play in 3rd. Aaron Gray MVP march rolls on with a rebound that he taps to himself and scores. Amazing happens still in the NBA and Raptors led 75-63. Some slippage as the Rockets were slowly cutting into the Raptors lead. Fouls kept coming and Rockets kept making most of them. Raptors lead was down to 79-74 with just 1:34 to play in 3rd. Linas Kleiza interrupts his quiet night with a big three to push lead back to 8. Raptors 17 point lead at one point had been trimmed to 6 with score 82-76 at end of 3rd.

Pace of this game was fast and intense. Normally that would not be a good thing for the Raptors but given circumstances for the Rockets it might be on this night. Two teams were trading buckets early and DeRozan hooked up Barbosa in the corner for 3 making it 89-80. Still Houston needed this game and kept coming as Courtney Lee hit a big triple to make it 89-85. DeRozan was trying to get the crowd up looking to throw it down but he would get blocked but Kleiza would get the ball and put it in despite the block and it was 95-87. Raptors answer the Houston energy with some of their own as Demar Derozan was fired up and finished up with a lay up to make it 99-89 with 5:22 to play and time out for Houston. Things went from bad to worse for Houston as Lowery had to leave the game injured and the Raptors were charging hard. Raptors had built lead back to 106-89 with under 4 minutes to play. This was one of the better efforts of the season from the Raptors. They had a few bad moments but for the most part a consistent and solid effort. The Raptors had come all the way back and restored and surpassed their 17 point lead and now led by 19 with score 110-91. A Kleiza three would make the lead 22 as the Raptors had an 18-2 run and were on the way to win number lucky 13. It might have been the most impressive win of the season as the Raptors smash the Rockets 116-98.

The Raptors now will not see action till the weekend where that guy from Italy that some claim as a three point master could be back. The Raptors didn't need Bargnani tonight but will be happy to welcome him back be it on road Saturday vs Pistons or at home vs Bucks on Sunday. Shame more didn't get to see this one but it was their loss cause this was a great effort from the Raptors perhaps the most complete one of the season to this point.

Back To Work For The Raptors

Andrea Bargnani was well enough to go shake hands and kiss babies at All-Star weekend, but it would appear is not ready for basketball still. When exactly do we start to worry about this? The rest of the Raptors who won just their 4th game without him before the break have re-assembled in Houston. Not sure how many people saw the Rockets being so successful so fast in the post Yao era. Pretty sure not to many people saw Kevin McHale as a great hire. He was not exactly a great GM in Minnesota. He had two stints behind the bench as well in Minnesota with little success. In 2004-05 he was 19-12 and had a second tour of duty in 08-09 went 20-42. After taking a couple season off in the media working for NBA TV he was hired by the Rockets. Yet the Rockets sit at 20-14 coming out the All-Star Break sitting in 6th in the West.

The Rockets only representation at the All Star Game in Orlando was Chase Budinger in the dunk contest. How he got hooked up with P Diddy is another story for someone else to care about. On paper you look at this Rockets line-up and it has a few nice pieces, but it does not scream Western Conference Playoff team. They have Kevin Martin who they acquired from the Kings. He is there leading scorer with 18 a game. Some felt Kyle Lowery deserved a trip to Orlando. He has had a solid season. Luis Scola has always been a nice big body to have. They did land Samuel Dalembert in free agency. The rest of the roster is a collection of cast offs from other organizations. Like Courtney Lee, Goran Dragic, Johnny Flynn to name just three. They also have a few draft picks from last few years in Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill and former Nets draft pick Terrence Williams.

Still it seems hard to figure out how this team wins. The Raptors have the unfortunate case of playing them in Houston where they are 14-4 and they headed into the break winning 7 of their last 10. Raptors were playing good basketball for most of their home stand but ended up 2-5. We mentioned Bargnani but Linas Kleiza has been out the last couple games as well, we will see if he is in the line-up tonight.

Jose Calderon was the most consistent player in the recent home stand with a few games scoring out of his mind. Trade rumors continue to circle around him and the Raptors continue to deny they are shopping him. They do admit that they are answering the phone when teams call. Leandro Barbosa is also likely getting some interest as well. There will be no all day trade deadline show for the NBA so we will inform you that the trade deadline in NBA is March 15th. Orlando was a team that was rumored to have interest in Calderon. But they have denied that. The Lakers might have some interest in a point guard and a guy like Barbosa wouldn't hurt them either. But unless Calderon is demanding to leave, the Raptors need to see a young point guard with upside coming back the other way. It seems unlikely they move Calderon this season given that fact. Barbosa is likely going to go to the highest bidder at the end of the day. If he were to fetch the Raptors a late first round pick or early second round pick that would be considered a win for them. It would bring a name like Myck Kabongo into the mix when you start talking draft and point guards. Kabongo is a freshman at Texas and most feel he will enter the draft. This despite having a season with the Longhorns that did not match the high expectations people had for him this season. The Raptors never had a shot at Tristan Thompson and claim that even if they did, they were not going to select him. They got their guy in Jonas. If Kabongo was on the board with a second draft pick it would be interesting if they passed on him as well being another hometown product.

We still have 33 games before we have to worry about the draft though. The Raptors 10-23 record sees them with the 5th worst record in the NBA. Washington, Charlotte and New Orleans I would think all finish worse off than the Raptors which would leave them at best 4th worst. Raptors could actually have a better chance of dropping to worse position by doing the unthinkable and winning some games. Teams like the Pistons, Kings and Nets are all right around the Raptors in the standings. When you examine the Raptors schedule it is a lot easier to see some wins for them especially once Bargnani were to return. I would think at the end of it all they exceed my 20 win forecast for them at the start of the season.

3 Keys for Tonight:

1. Aggressive Demar: This second half of the season we need to see a much more consistent DeRozan. He had a very up and down first half. It would be nice to see him start the half being aggressive and play well on both ends of the floor.

2. Battle The Bigs: Raptors need to get on the boards and compete on the glass. Scola and Dalembert will offer problems on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor on the glass. The Rocket average 42.5 rebounds a game.

3. Shake off the Rust: Raptors had a lot of time to practice prior to the All-Star break that might help them be a little more sharp coming off the All-Star break than the average team. In a season of few practices the Raptors have had quite a few based on the schedule of late.

The Raptor Waiting Game Continues

Houston Rockets already have final 3 candidates for their vacant coaching position. While the Raptors still have said nothing about their G.M and coach at this point. If everything remains the same it really won't matter much. But should the Raptors make a change at G.M the chances a coaching change is made increases as well. So what exactly is the hold up with things. Raptors season has been done for almost a month now. It is not like Bryan Colangelo is going to change his future whatever it might be in the next few months. Unless he has a plan to rig the NBA Draft Lottery I am not sure what exactly he could do technically to improve his status. While technically teams once eliminated from the playoffs can trade with other non playoff teams. It is a rare event that trades are made at this time of year. Colangelo did swap for Reggie Evans a couple years back. But with the lack of a CBA in place the chances of that happening this season is slim.

MLSE as an organization has always went on about having people of high character in the organization. Well is it not of high character to allow people to know if they have a job or not? Is that not the right thing to do? Not to mention do you not owe it to your loyal fans to let them know about the future of the franchise? This makes the organization look bad and does them no favours in terms of future hiring in management. Not to mention if there are indeed going to make changes they are falling clearly behind other teams looking to make changes. Unless they are looking and just not telling anyone.

But however you cut it people have become use to it as reflects in our Dino Nation Blog poll over there on the right. MLSE knows how to make money no one will question that. But in terms of how they run all their sports franchises people can look at their track record and judge for themselves. They say things start at the top and that top is the MLSE Board and they have been a complete failure to fans of Raptors, Leafs and Toronto FC. They are the one constant as all of these teams have continued to fail. While the profitability is without question. The production and quality of the products is. It is a good thing profits are not measured by wins because if it was MLSE would have been filing for bankruptcy long ago.

"Behind Enemy Lines"

I know the Raptors' 84-76 win over Dallas was huge for morale but I wouldn't get too excited. They beat a Dallas Mavericks team missing their star player in Dirk Nowitzski and two others in Dominique Jones and Rodrique Beaubois. Now I know some wouldn't be able to pick Jones and Beaubois out of a line up but when you are missing your pivotal player plus two young guns, this means the bulk of the playing time and work falls to the rest of your team who may not be used to their roles changing or need to adjust to the added responsibility. In any case, the Raptors need to build on this and attack this week's games with gusto.




Friday, December 31st - Toronto Raptors @ Houston Rockets

• The Raptors have played the Houston Rockets one other time this season on November 19th. The score was 106-96 for the Raptors.


• The Raptors lead the first two quarters of this game and came up with 9 more than Houston did in the fourth to take the win.


• During this game DeMar DeRozen played 42 minutes and produced 15 points. This is way too long in my opinion and will prove to be detrimental in Friday's game considering the Raptors' current injuries.


• Raptors' Injuries: out and day -to- day are Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf), Peja Stojakovic (swollen left knee), Sonny Weems (back spasms), Jose Calderon (sore ankle), Jerryd Bayless (ankle injury). Amir Johnson is back in the line-up but also playing through back spasms.


• Houston's injuries: out with no real timeline for returning - Jared Jefferies, Yao Ming, Ismael Smith.


• Raptors' key to this game: No more injuries and come out blazing in the first two quarters.

Sunday, January 2nd - Boston Celtics @ Toronto Raptors

• These two teams have played twice this season and split the wins. November 21 - 102-101 for the Raptors and November 26 - 110-101 Boston.


• In the Raptors win, all of the Raptors' starting line-up averaged 32-39 minutes, all contributing. DeMar DeRozen had only 6 points.


• In the Raptors loss, Andrea Bargnani and Hose Calderon averaged 35 minutes each and combined for 23 points. For Boston, uncharacteristically, Rajon Rondo produced only 4 points while playing 35 minutes. However, Boston came out hard and were up by 11 going into the second quarter and the Raptors played catch-up after that.


• Boston currently sits at the top of the East at 24-6 as of Thursday.


• Boston's Inactive list: Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West.


• Key for Raptors: Forget you are playing the top team in your division and come out hard in the first half.

Tuesday, January 4rth - Toronto Raptors @ Chicago Bulls

• These two teams have played once this season so far - December 15 - Bulls took it 110-93.


• During this game, Carlos Boozer was the key for the Bulls. His production value was high by playing 25 minutes and putting up 34 points.


• For the Raptors during this game, Jarryd Bayless was highest in production with 32 minutes, 20 points.


• On the Bulls Inactive list: Johnlll Lucas, Joakim Noah.


• Key for Raptors: Believe in your conditioning and ability to go the distance with this team and no silly mistakes like turnovers during transition.

Wednesday, January 5th - Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers

• The Raptors and Cavs met once this year so far: October 29 - 101-81 for the Raptors.
• During this game, the Raptors lead the first three quarters in points. The bulk of the points scored for the Cavs came from the bench: Antawn Jamison with 13 and Daniel Gibson with 9; their top two.
• DeMar DeRozen had a better night versus the Cavs than the last time he met the other opponents he will meet this week: 14 points for DeRozen, 19 for Kleiza and 20 for Bargnani.
• The last time they met, both teams shared the same record: 1-1. As of Thursday, the Cavs are 8-24 and bottom of the East.
• Cavaliers' Injuries: Mo Williams (left hip flexor strain), Daniel Gibson (left thigh contusion) - both will be reassessed Friday. Joey Graham (right quad strain) is out indefinitely.
• Key for the Raptors: Don't get over confident. As of Thursday the Cavs are on a 5 game loosing streak and looking to snap it with help from their bench.

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you have all have a great New Year, be safe and I will see you Tuesday for more "NBAz in 7 Dayz".

Welcome Back Raps

It has been awhile since the Raptors have been home but now they have a lot of home date on the schedule. There are 12 of the next 17 at the Air Canada Centre prior to Christmas, and 7 of the next 8 games. So at least in theory this is a time for the Raptors to get some wins and get their record back to a more respectable level. It all starts tonight with the Houston Rockets.

The Basics: Houston 3-8 (2-5 on The Road) Toronto 3-9 (1-3 @ACC Just Raps 5th Home Game)

When Last We Saw Them: I was at Real Sports bar and saw the Raptors led to victory by Bargnani and Weems as they pulled away late and avoided being in the basement of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with a win on the road in Philly. Raptors finished their 4 game trip with a 2-2 record. Weems had a career high 25 and Bargnani had 30 points and 7 rebounds.

The OW!! Report: Arron Brooks has a left ankle sprain (I knew this he is on one of my Fantasy teams) Yao also a bad left ankle and to keep things to the left Chase Budinger also issues with a left ankle issue. In short Santa the Rockets would like good left ankles for Christmas. For the Raptors only folks listed on injury report are Barbosa with a shoulder strain still and Ed Davis still waiting to make his debut making progress after knee surgery prior to pre-season. Lots of other with some bumps and bruises but all ready for action it would appear.

Key Match Ups: Sonny Weems has earned a spot in the Raptors starting 5 and he will have a tough test matched up with Shane Battier a crafty defender that can cause some of the NBA's best to be frustrated. Weems is coming off a career high vs Philly and will face a much tougher test tonight. Andrea Bargnani and Brad Miller make for an interesting match-up. Miller is a good shooter not with the range of Bargnani but can make a mid-range jumper if left unattended. Also can be a force on the glass if Bargnani does not get a body on him. Aside from those match-ups with no Arron Brooks that should give the Raps a significant advantage at the point. Calderon of late has been out performing Jack and if Jarrett wants to remain a starter a good game vs Houston is required.

Other Things of Note: Despite their record offence is not the problem in Houston. They average 105.5 points per game which is around 6 better than the Raptors at 99.4 PPG. In fact across the board the Rockets lead in all statistical team stats with the exception of steals where the Raptors average 7.8 to the Rockets 6.7 per game. Luis Scola is a beast and averages a double double on the season with 22.9 points and an even 10 rebounds. David Andersen will suit up against his former team as he was acquired from Houston in the off-season. For what it is worth the teams split the season series 1-1 last year. All Time the Raptors are 12-17 vs Houston but the good news is 9-5 at home.

In Case You Missed It: I wrote an article on the Raptors maybe looking to find the next Canadian Star as away to stop the exodus of star players. This was prior to last night's Texas vs Illinois game at MSG. Under the bright lights Tristan Thompson went off with 20 points and 5 blocks. This kid is legit and some day needs to be trading in burnt orange for Raptor red and white. Cory Joesph also of Toronto had a nice night playing the point for the Longhorns. Raptor Fans need to start being Texas fans and say Hook'em Horn Eh!!! As much as the say Let's Go Raptors. Early days yet but if these group of Canadian kids (Myck Kabongo also from Toronto is declared for Texas next season) can end up Raptors, people may just forget at about Chris, Vince and all the others that came and left. It really could be the start of something big. When the Raptors were established part of the goal was to grow the game here in Canada. This is that generation starting to take shape. If the Raptors don't cash in on it they are beyond foolish. But let's give them credit for developing the game here and if they land some of this kid's like a Tristan Thompson it might have been worth 16 years of a lot of suffering.

Another thing that will be missing from this game is me as I will be covering the Thunder and Celtics for The Score. But on Sunday I am liveblogging the Celtics and Raptors. What that means in practical terms is the re-caps of these games may not be right away. I always believe you have to watch a game before you can write about it. Very old school way of doing things I know.

"Behind Enemy Lines"

To measure the greatness of any coach or player for that matter, you need to look at what would happen to the team if he left. Based on the Raptors' record so far (3 and 9), I don't think the Raptors could get any worse if Head Coach Jay Triano left. Like Ron Wilson (the Head Coach of that other MLSE team), Jay Triano has a lot of talent but unless he gets his team back on track, he may have to start packing his bags. Raptors fans deserve more than what they have been given over the last 12 games, so something needs to be done before the slippery slope gets anymore slippery. The Raptors are at home this week hosting the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. I think this week we'll see the battle of the Head Coaches. Jay Triano has a lot in common with Houston Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman in the player drama he's had to deal with. Doc Rivers, Head Coach of the Boston Celtics, is the major key to Boston's success. If the rumours came true and he retired at the end of last season, Boston would not be the team they are now. As for the 76ers, they have a Head Coach in Doug Collins, a guy who hasn't coached in 7 years, spending time as a TV analyst. So there is a lot to consider this week. Let's get to it.



Houston Rockets @ Toronto Raptors: Friday, November 19, 7pm.

• The last time these two teams met was March 1st, 2010. Houston Rockets 116, Toronto Raptors 92.
• Going into this game, the Rockets were 30-29 on the season with the Raptor at 31-28.
• During this game, the Rockets dominated the first three quarters. Toronto exploded and put 27 points on the board in the fourth but it was enough.
• Going into this week's match-up, Houston still has their starting five from this game and have added veterans Brad Miller and Courtney Lee.
• Like Jay Triano, Houston Head Coach Rick Adelman has had to deal with his fair share of player drama (Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady). Coach Adelman knows how to push players for all they are worth, likes to stick to his systems and is able to adapt.
• Player for Raptors to watch: Aaron Brooks - for his quickness and long range shooting. He plays major minutes and averaged about 20 points per game last season. But him being out has been a big part of why the Rockets have struggled.
  

Boston Celtics @ Toronto Raptors: Sunday, November 21, 1pm.

• The last time these two teams met was April 7, 2010. Boston Celtics 115, Toronto Raptors 104.
• Going into this game, the Celtics were 49-29 on the season with the Raptors sitting at 38-40.
• During this game, the Celtics lead three of 4 quarters in scoring. Raptors showed up in the second quarter but lost steam in the end.
• Going into this week's match-up, the Celtics still have their starting five and have added Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and Von Wafer. They have lost Assistant Coach Tom Thibodeaux to a head coaching job with the Chicago Bulls.
• The Celtics have won 17 NBA titles - last one in 2008. The Raptors? None.
• Player for Raptors to watch: Rajon Rondo - for drawing fouls, being quick and finding ways to penetrate any defense.

Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors: Wednesday, November 24, 7pm.

• The last time these two teams met was April 3, 2010. Toronto Raptors 128, Philadelphia 76ers 123.
• Going into this game, Philadelphia was 26-50 on the season and Toronto was 38-37.
• During this game, the Raptors lead the first 3 quarters with Philadelphia battling back to tie the game. The Raptors put 14 points up on the board in overtime to push for the win.
• Going into this week's match-up, the Sixers have 4 of their five starters from their last Raptors' meeting. However, they are without veterans Samuel Dalembert, Rodney Carney, Francisco Elson and Allen Iverson.
• Head Coach Doug Collins hasn't coached since 2003 when he was Head Coach of the Washington Wizards. Between then and now, he has been an analyst for the NBA on TNT.
• Will be a re-match of last night's game that the Raptors won in Philadelphia this time at the ACC. Will Iguodala be back will be a BIG Factor.
  
• Player for Raptors to watch: Evan Turner - for being able to hit the mid-range and jump shots. Though he is still proving himself as a rookie on a struggling squad.

The best chance the Raptors have at winning based on record and team dynamics alone, is against the 76ers. Both Toronto and Philadelphia are playing to stay relevant and both are trying to put the past behind them. Though, for that reason alone, some could say this will be their toughest game. No one expects them to win against Houston or Boston, so maybe they can go into these match-ups relaxed. Can you imagine? Raptors 98, Celtics 95. It could happen. Now James will definitely think I have lost my marbles. Remember, these are points to get you thinking outside the box for the Raptors' games this week. Have fun and see you on Tuesday for more NBAz in 7 Dayz.

DNB Says TGIF

2 more teams joined the Raptors on the NBA sidelines as the Suns and Spurs sent the Blazers and Mavericks packing. So that leaves 3 series in play. Lakers and Thunder with Lakers up 3-2, Jazz leading Nuggets 3-2 and Bucks up on Hawks 3-2. Of those 3 the obvious surprise is the Bucks are not only alive but leading over the Hawks. Should the Hawks go on to a rather large failure you wonder what the fall out will be. Could Mike Woodson job be in jeopardy? Might be another team for Sam Mitchell to interview with as he lives in ATL and is seen at some Hawks games every once in awhile. I did say another team didn't I. That is because Mitchell was among a number of names that Sixers will talk with to fill their vacant coaching position. Among that list apparently is Jeff Van Gundy.

Bryan Colangelo had predicted 6-9 coaching vacancies this off-season. He also said Toronto would not be one of them. Given some of the names out there maybe it should be? If Triano does not turn out the way Bryan hopes will the Raptors miss a chance on landing a coach they desire? Jeff Van Gundy should he decide to leave the T.V gig he has with ESPN/ABC, might be the one name that fans would point too. Many times his name has come up in the fan base as a potential coach here in Toronto. You also have Avery Johnson working for ESPN in studio as well as a guy that is a former Coach Of The Year with Mavericks.

I suppose coaches will always be hired and fired but there seems to be more interesting candidates out there than I can ever recall. That being said isn't this like a married guy checking out all the available women at a singles bar? I mean it is not like Raptors are going to get any of these guys. Still you can't help but look and think and wonder. Also it wasn't me that made this marriage. Bryan Colangelo is the one that made the commitment not me or you.

That being said what exactly do the Raptors have as a selling point to a coach? Bosh would have been one but he is halfway out the door. The prospect of having to yell at Hedo Turkoglu for 4 years? Well maybe not.

Why? It would appear that at least Colangelo is going to try to tie Hedo with Bosh to unload his contract. That is at least what they seem to think in Houston. However this rumour is flawed in a lot of ways. Bosh is apparently the number 1 free agent target for the Rockets. I can buy that, and playing in Texas makes sense it might appeal to Chris. Here is where problems start in terms of what else is in the deal aside from the Hedo dump. Trevor Ariza coming back to the Raptors. Isn't this that same Ariza that was rumoured to have turned down more money from Raptors and went to Houston. Which caused the Raptors to go after Hedo. Ariza at least based on the rumour mill of the past would not exactly embrace a move to Toronto.

It is so easy to make a rumour. It is even easier to pick them apart. This appears to be my job at least part of it for the next few months. It leads you think....THANK GOD IT IS FRIDAY.....and see you Monday people.