Archive for February, 2011

Look at the photo on the left, then look at the photo on the right. The left is how basketball used to be played, team defense, hard fouls, passion, and yes the occasional skirmish between opposing teams. The left is what made me and many people who read this blog love basketball and is probably one of the ten greatest rivalries of all time. As for the right? Meh it is alright I guess. Last night the Heat and Knicks played each other and seeing as each team is “back on top” ESPN made about 150 references to the Knicks/Heat [...]

Things just keep getting worse for the Raptors. After losing handily to the streaking Suns and Public Enemy Numb One Vince Carter, the Raptors get to face another red hot Western Conference team. The Mavericks are on a tear winners of fifteen of their last sixteen and things keep getting better, four of the Mavs’ next five opponents have below .500 records. The Raptors obviously are at the opposite end of the spectrum, losers of nineteen of their last twenty-two games and are now trying to play the role of spoiler from here on out. But the Raptors did beat [...]

I woke up at noon and the BYU game starts in an hour so I didn’t have time to get a new article up, but I do have an old article that loosely ties in to college basketball Saturday. Enjoy A year ago ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” produced a report about the lack of white American players in the NBA and it hinted that white Americans are important to the NBA’s success in some ways. And recently acclaimed author Buzz Bissinger published an article saying the reason the NBA is on a supposed decline is because older white fans just simply can’t [...]

  Familiar faces will be in the ACC tonight, one is a hero, the other not so much. With the Suns heading to Toronto tonight Canadian hero and basketball God Steve Nash makes his lone Canadian stop of the year and should receive his usual hero’s welcome, but his teammate will not. Yes it is time to once again renew our hatred of Vince Carter. Yes it has been over five years since he mailed it in and forced his way out of a Raptors uniform, but there is still a weird energy whenever he comes back and you can be assured that [...]

With all the big trades going on the NBA right now the Raptors quietly continued their rebuilding project yesterday sending the first round pick they received for Chris Bosh to the Chicago Bulls for Wake Forest product James Johnson. Johnson is a athletic swingman who can bring a small rebounding prescence as he led Wake Forest in his last year and is a hard working energy guy that the Raptors need. Johnson is by no means a player that will immediately turn things around in Toronto but he is a good player and with the Raptors recent draft history, is probably [...]

  All-Star weekend is a blogger’s dream, with so many events and no basketball on the slate it is just a fun weekend to sit and relax. But All-Star weekend has been off in recent years and lacks the same feel it once had when the Dunk Contest was hype, and people actually broke a sweat in the All-Star game. But we always watch, because, you know, we have a huge addiction to basketball. Here is my take on the festivities in Los Angeles. Friday BBVA Celeb Game Highlights: Scottie Pippen blocking Justin Bieber’s shot, Justin Bieber crossing up Common [...]

I was planning on doing this trade value article for awhile now, but have been putting it off for a variety of the usual reason s, but I was going through my email and the person/people at www.whatwouldoakleydo.com asked me to contribute to their NBA Trade Value column on the Raptors side of things. I was given the general rundown of the gameplan, taking Bill Simmons’ annual trade value column and giving it to the people and seeing where it would end up. I for one am honored to be a part of this project because for one, I don’t [...]

He’s BAAAACCCCKKKKK. Chris Bosh makes his return to the ACC on Wednesday night, and unless you really hate Hedo Turkoglu, he is returning as public enemy number one in the T-Dot. We all know the backstory that has led up to this night. The questionable comments, the “bad cable” controversy, getting called a fake tough guy by Kevin Durant. Bosh has emerged as one of the league’s most chastised players and tomorrow will not get any better. The Raptors faithful have a strong reputation for booing returning players who left on bad terms. Dino Nation is extremely hard on Vince [...]

  Miami at Indiana (7:00 PM) A rematch of a very close matchup and a Court Surfing classic. Why You Should Watch: Tyler Hansbrough matching up against Chris Bosh is the NBA’s version of the Odd Couple. Charlotte at Chicago (8:00 PM) Charlotte coming off a back to back. Umm, bet on the Bulls. Why You Should Watch: Derrick Rose is a legit MVP candidate and is the best point guard in the NBA right now, he is a joy to watch and deserves more recognition in the MVP discussion. Sacramento at Oklahoma City (8:00 PM) Tyreke vs KD, this [...]

Well, at least things seem to be getting better. After breaking the neverending losing streak (at least we aren’t Cavs fans) the Raptors are getting better production out of Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan and are looking to salvage a season that is likely lost. But, the schedule has been tougher. Playing the Bucks, Spurs, then the Blazers in a killer three game stretch is not going to help any subpar team get back confidence, but tonight’s game does offer some hope for the Raptors. With Portland’s obvious lack of inside depth, the Raptors list of post problems probably stops [...]