Last night Toronto ended their losing streak to the Grizzlies with a 114-110 road win off of impressive point guard play from Jerryd Bayless and Gary Forbes who stepped up without Jose Calderon in the lineup.
Tonight the Raptors look to make it two in a row and enact revenge on the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, who beat the Raptors 98-91 in their last match up.
Bayless has averaged 20 points and 8 assists in Calderon’s abscence and has finally showed the promise he displayed last season. The Raptors points per game has even increased to 98
Mar 14, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Toronto Raptors point guard Jerryd Bayless (5) brings the ball up court during the first half against the New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
The Raptors and Grizzlies both made small moves at the deadline, but neither team really made much of a splash.
The 24-17 Grizzlies kept their solid core that hopes to repeat its playoff success from last season, while the 14-29 Raptors traded Leandro Barbosa to ensure they didn’t let an asset leave without getting something while dumping extra salary early.
Good news for the Grizzlies playoff hopes: They have won six straight against the Raptors.
Toronto will need to find a bench replacement for Leandro Barbosa fast, while he wasn’t in the Raptors long term plans Barbosa provided a significant amount of the Raptors bench scoring production. Jerryd Bayless and Linas Klezia will have to step up to fill the scoring void he left.
Jose Calderon is still day-to-day with his sprained ankle so once again expect valuable minutes to be given to Jerryd Bayless and Gary Forbes, hopefully both of them improve with the extended minutes they have been given as of late.
Mar 14, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Toronto Raptors shooting guard Leandro Barbosa (20) drives to the basket against New Jersey Nets shooting guard Gerald Green (14) during the first half at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
In a move we all saw coming, the Raptors moved upcoming free agent Leandro Barbosa to the Pacers in exchange for a second round draft pick. Barbosa has been good for the Raptors all season but given his age and contract status just was not a fit for the Raptors future plans.
While a second round pick from a surefire playoff team is not going to ensure a blue chip draft pick, the Raptors made sure that they got some sort of compensation for their most expendable player at the deadline. With Barbosa gone it is probably unlikely the Raptors trade Jose Calderon, especially with the Lakers already busy at the deadline working out a potential move for Michael Beasley and already acquiring Ramon Sessions from the Cavs filling their point guard void.
Today TJ Ford, a former Texas Longhorn legend and Toronto Raptor hung up his sneakers and called it a career after yet another injury forced him out of the game.
Ford who played his entire career with a spinal contusion, still went into the paint time after time and his hard-nosed and determined play put him on the map during his college career with the Longhorns then with the Bucks where he missed the final 26 games then the entire 04-05 season with his spinal contusion injury that he picked up after a foul from Mark Madsen.
In 06-07 Bryan Colangelo made what was the best trade in his tenure as Raptors GM when he traded Charlie Villanueva to the Bucks for Ford. TJ shined as a starter with the Raptors and combined with Jose Calderon’s off the bench play and his chemistry with Chris Bosh the Raptors enjoyed what was their best non-Vince Carter season winning the Atlantic Division before breaking the hearts of Raptors nation with a six game exit to the hated Vince Carter led New Jersey Nets.
In 07-08 TJ Ford continued to be clutch for the Raptors before Al Horford gave him yet another career threatening injury with a flagrant foul. After he came back he was placed on the bench behind Jose Calderon who was having a breakout season in Ford’s absence, Ford was never the same after the injury and after a five game exit to the Magic and constant debate over who would start at point guard the Raptors infamously traded Ford to the Pacers for Jermaine O’Neal.
Ford never again reached the success that he experience as a Raptor in his stops in Indiana and San Antonio and his true potential was never discovered. Despite the fact that going out every night could potentially cripple him for the rest of his life, Ford played hard no matter what and was a fearless competitor.
In a franchise that has been short on fan favorites and players that gave it their all TJ Ford brought a playing style that we could all cheer for and embrace, sure he might have been over-confident in his abilities and refused to come off the bench, forcing his way out of Toronto, but Ford never stopped playing hard. We are all left to say “What if” as one of the few true Raptors heroes calls it a career and lets all remember the memorable moments he gave us during those two crazy seasons.
Mar 10, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon (8) is carried off the court by teammates after being injured during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Good news from last night: Andrea came back and didn’t re-injure anything.
Bad news: The Raptors came out flat and got smacked around by the lowly Pistons 105-86
Worst news: Jose Calderon went out with a sprained ankle and will be out for at least tonight’s game, if not longer.
Things do not get better tonight as the Raptors head back across the border to the ACC and host the Bucks, who are still in the playoff picture and have won five straight against the Raptors.
Expect newly added Raptor Gary Forbes to see extended minutes off the bench in Calderon’s absence. Forbes hopefully will be an improvement over Anthony Carter who was mediocre on his best day. Jerryd Bayless will also once again be given the chance to prove that he can be the Raptors point guard of the future, something he has failed to prove all season. Both players will need to step up over the next few games.
The Raptors do catch a break as Andrew Bogut is once again injured, the promising Australian center has had a bad run of injuries in recent years and has appeared to catch the same injury curse that has struck another recent #1 draft pick, Greg Oden. With Bogut out expect Ersan Ilyasova to continue to increase his recent impressive scoring run with the added touches. Ilyasova scored 32 points against the Bulls and 26 against the Knicks in his last two games and has been one of the surprises of this season. James Johnson should be given the assignment to slow him down.
Andrea Bargnani should receive cautious minutes in his return from injury. After re-injuring himself in his last return the Raptors must be cautious with him to avoid further problems in the future.
Drew Gooden has owned the Raptors in their last meetings. Averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds in the last three games between the two squads.
Tonight’s game tips off at 6:00 PM EST (remember Daylight Savings Time) and will be on FSN Wisconsin and Sportsnet One for American and Canadian viewers
No Game Preview (Bargnani is back!) tonight, but I decided to leave you a column on the Raptors trade deadline. Enjoy! Embrace the weekend everyone.
March 4, 2012; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon (8) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE
Jose Calderon has had a weird career with the Raptors, from being the involved in the 2006 Atlantic Division title run and the infamous T.J. Ford one two punch and the all of the debate that surrounding it, to being a solid starter and an impressive Olympian with Spain, to being maligned by Dino Nation for his famous shortcomings on defense (part his fault, part Jay Triano’s defensive principles) Jose has experienced a career with the Raptors that has come full circle.
This season Calderon has experienced a revival as one of the league’s most reliable point guards. Averaging 10 points and 9 rebounds and a assist to turnover rating of 4.52 (second highest in his career) with a new offensive system and without Andrea Bargnani, Calderon has provided leadership and timely three point shooting to a young team that is showing signs of promise.
However Calderon’s steady play has placed him in the trade deadline rumour mill, contenders looking for steady point guard play are in the market for a player like Calderon. This presents a problem for the Raptors, do they trade their starting point guard for a chance to add more draft picks/cap room, or do they keep the point guard who has spent his entire career in Toronto? It is a tough question that Bryan Colangelo is going to have to face this week as the NBA trade deadline nears.
If the Raptors are to trade at the deadline it is likely going to be a move to free cap room and add youth, this would be best acheived through trading a player who is at the end of his career to a contender looking to add depth at the deadline. (See: Barbosa, Leandro) A trade like that makes sense if the Raptors have no use for the player in their long term plans. However this is not the case with Jose Calderon.
Calderon might not be past his best years if you look at a very similar player: Steve Nash. Both have a game based on shooting form and great floor sense, and despite the fact that no one will dispute that Steve Nash is in a different league than Calderon both have the types of minimal-athleticism games that stay around for years. Combine that with the fact that Calderon is bank for consistent, but not amazing point guard play and you can’t really say Calderon is about to fade anytime soon as a 45-35-85 shooter who has great floor sense.
In a league that is relatively weak on point guards (Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are point guards on a contender people) the Raptors would be hard pressed to find a player close to equal value of a Jose Calderon.
Add in the fact that Jerryd Bayless continues to appear to have the perfect mix of bad luck with injuries and mediocre play that created the very forgettable Anthony Carter era at the helm of the second unit and you can see that the Raptors lack in point guard depth to move a veteran leader. Can you say the Raptors get better in the future by giving Jerryd Bayless the keys to the car when he has proven that he is nowhere close to being ready to start at point guard for 82 games for any NBA team?
If the Raptors do end up trading Jose Calderon it will be sad to see a player who has been there all the way since the beginning of the post-VC era all the way to the post-CB4 era. Calderon has been there for some of my favorite moments in Raptor history and as a basketball fan, and it would be sad to see him go before the story ends.
Mar 6, 2012; Hot Springs, AR, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers celebrate at the conclusion of the game against the North Texas Mean Green during the finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Summit Arena. Western Kentucky defeated North Texas 74-70. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE
The first two days of Championship Week treated us to some great games and stories. Final Four success story VCU is back after a 56-54 over Drexler, St. Mary’s finally become the big dogs in the WCC winning the outright conference championship with a OT win over Gonzaga. Day two saw the tip-off of the Big East tournament as well as Davidson returning to the tournament (remember them) after a 2-OT classic, Western Kentucky also comes back to the tournament after a 15-18 season after winning the Sun Belt.
Day three sees the tip-off of many tournaments as well as some finals. What to watch for today? We got you covered.
Weber State vs. Montana Big Sky Final 9:00 PM
Sure there will be games with more talent on tonight, but a conference final in any conference is worth a watch. Both teams have impressive 24 win records, but both probably will be see their NCAA dreams end with a loss tonight. Watch for Weber State guard Damian Lillard who shot 47% and 43% from downtown while averaging 24.4 points per game. Can he carry Weber State to victory?
Villanova vs. South Florida Big East Second Round 9:00 PM
Villanova has had a nightmare of a season, but as we say with Western Kentucky anything can happen during Championship Week. Sure winning the Big East and the Sun Belt are different but stranger things have happened in the Big East tournament. A win over South Florida would be tough, but it is do able. There I just talked you into a Big East second round game.
USC vs UCLA Pac 12 First Round 5:30 PM
I had to pick a Pac 12 first round game, so I figured the USC/UCLA rivalry was probably the best game in a very weak tournament in what has been a quiet year for the conference. Sure USC has only one win in the Pac 12 and this rivalry is way better on the gridiron but hey it is still better than Colorado vs. Utah,
Lehigh vs. Bucknell Patriot League Championship Game 7:00 PM
Like the Big Sky final, both teams in this game are deserving of being in the NCAA tournament. This game should be a close tested affair as once again both teams have nearly identical records. Can you tell I haven’t really followed the Patriot League this season?
UCONN vs. West Virginia Big East Second Round ON NOW
Both these teams have put themselves in positions in which they need solid conference tournaments in order to make the tournament. It is Kevin Jones vs. Jeremy Lamb with tournament dreams on the line. Why are you reading this?
Louisville vs Seton Hall 7:00 PM
Probably the game of the night as a Louisville squad goes up against a on the bubble Seton Hall squad that probably would lock up a tournament bid with a win over Rick Pitino’s Cardinals.
Pittsburgh vs Georgetown Big East Second Round 2:00 PM
Pittsburgh needs the win after strong preseason expectations, Georgetown is pretty much a lock for the tournament win or lose. Expect a tough effort from the Panthers in MSG. God I love the Big East Tournament
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