Of Bosh and obscure Raptors and a change in Detroit

Hello from beautiful Troy, Mich. (and I use ‘beautiful’ in the loosest possible term) where it’s like 14 F, grim and ugly. But other than that, it’s great to be alive.

Big day in this country yesterday, as you might have heard, and it really was fascinating to watch the people.

At the time the president took his oath, I was on a concourse at the Atlanta airport and the entire area went dead silent from the time the first showed Obama on the television screen until he was sworn in.

No chatter, not idle conversation, just 100 or so people (and that was in about a 50-metre long stretch of waiting room) pretty much awe-struck watching television.

It was pretty cool, as a matter of fact. As the last two days were in many regards. Martin Luther King Day in Atlanta and then the inauguration. Sometimes this job doesn’t suck.

Jermaine O’Neal sort of summed up the mood – and seeing a couple of million people well behaved on the mall in Washington, D.C. the mood was pretty joyous, when he said this to us the other day:

“It’s a real live, party atmosphere, a family atmosphere in Washington. When was the last time you’ve seen that?”

Now, let’s back to our regularly-scheduled drivel about this basketball team:

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One of the more interesting aspects of the last few weeks is the anger and disappointment being aimed at Chris Bosh.

It’s misguided, in my opinion, (23 and 10 a night, team’s best player, bonafide NBA all-star, 24 years old still to hit his prime) but it’s out there and that’s all cool.

The one thing that really gets me is the number of e-mails and comments that have come flooding in mocking Bosh for his early-season comment that he’d like to be the MVP of the league, to be among the true, true greats.

And people are upset about this? Honestly, they are. And there were a couple more yesterday.

Which makes me wonder, what would you have him say:

“I’d really like to be average. Maybe I can just be a guy. My goals are to be okay.”

What’s wrong with setting the bar high, especially when he was averaging about 27 and 12 at the time? Is it wrong to have great expectations?

Now, no, he’s not lived up to that level of play in the last couple of months. But to suggest it was wrong for him to make that statement in answer to a question? That’s just weird.

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Pretty big news here in Detroit as the one and only Chris McCosky reports today.

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They’re making a big to-do down here about Barack Obama being No. 44, running lists of great Nos. 44 in sports, lists that always start with Hank Aaron and always include Jerry West.

How about this list?

Martin Lewis, Hubert Davis, John Wallace, Derrick Dial, Greg Foster and Corie Blount.

No, I don’t imagine the Raptors getting all wistful about their No. 44 history.

I can’t figure out who’s the most obscure on that list? I guess it’d be Blount but Foster and Dial would be close.

One thing in Dial’s favour: He made a big shot to win a game in Chicago one night, allowing one of us to write: “The Raptors are glad they used Dial” which is a line a very, very, very small percentage of readers got.

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I mentioned this in response to a couple of comments yesterday but I assume not everyone reads all of them (and, trust me, that’s a wise, wise, wise stand to take) so …

Q: You mentioned that you wonder when it will be Bargnani's turn to take the big shot, and either you're forgetting, or I'm missing something. Didn't he hit the game-tying three against the Celts (I believe) last week? They ended up losing, but it was still one of those 'moments'. Was it a broken play?

Errol T, Toronto

A: Yes, it was.

If you recall, Bosh got an offensive rebound of a missed shot, kicked the ball back out and it was Kapono, if memory serves, who passed it to Bargnani.

At no time was Bargnani a top option on that play so, in my mind, that doesn’t count.

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Looking ahead in the schedule, trying to plan my days, couldn’t help but notice the odd 6 p.m. start time for Sunday’s home game.

Then it hit me: Here we go again.

The Sunday tips are all over the map from now until the end of the season – some 6 p.m., some noon, some 3:30 p.m. – thanks to our good friends at TV and ticket holders can just adapt.

With ABC doing Sunday games from now to the end of the year, they have an exclusive TV window on each day; if a team wants to play on Sunday at home and put that game on TV, they can’t play in the 2 1-2 hour-per-game window that exists for ABC.

So teams like the Raptors jerk around the times for three months or so.

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Seems Shawn Marion’s not all that thrilled about trade talk that centres around him.

A couple of post-practice comments from Tuesday, thanks to my man Ira at the Sun-Sentinel:

“I'm actually tired of it. I'm really tired of it. It's very distracting. I'm trying to focus on what I'm trying to do here and I keep getting bombarded with all this other stuff."

And there’s this, too:

“Of course it's going to have an affect on anybody because ya'll keep bringing it up and asking. If nobody brings it up and nobody talks about it, it's not going to be an issue. Think about it.”

Compare and contrast that to Jermaine O’Neal, who’s been openly talking since last Thursday about the possibility of a move and what it means and how it’s all part of the business.

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Last one from the mail for now:

Q: As I was procrastinating rather than studying for exams, I saw a video on YouTube and I believe it was from 1984 with high quality retired basketball players playing a game (maybe at all-star weekend). Some of the guys still had game (Pistol Pete and George Gervin). Anyways, I was wondering, why can't the NBA have another one of these games this year or in the future? I think as you say, it would be a "hoot". I'm not sure how they would regulate who can play and who can not, but I think the game would be very interesting. Also I'm sure the NBA doesn't want to be held responsible for injuries and such. Your thoughts?

Eric M, Toronto

A: It was indeed all-star weekend and they used to have “Legends Games” or something like that. Stopped them for a couple of reasons, actually.

One, there were always pulled muscles and busted joints and injuries that the seniors really didn’t want to deal with.

Two, the old guys are not exactly the target audience of all-star weekend. Having first-hand experience of how little some young ‘uns know about the past, it’s a surefire reason for kiddies to click off the TV on Saturday night of all-star weekend and that’s a bad thing.

But, having sat through nights watching such “great” events as Chris Andersen and Nate Robinson having a contest to see who could miss more dunks than the other guy, bringing back the Hall of Famers sounds like a great idea to me.

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Comments

[robguy]

Doug i totally agree with your stance regarding Bosh. It is unbelievable how schizophrenic some posters tend to be. They rip Carter for not aiming higher and then rip Bosh when he sets goals for himself. They rip Bosh when he did not take control of the locker room, and now they rip into him when he gets on other players. how many times did e read Mitchell state that Bosh had to get into the faces of his teamates? This town expects a superstar to carry a team on its back with no one around him - happens with the leaves as well.

Now everyone is on BC and some want him fired!! Wow - if they do that , who would want the job? the team is only 2 or 3 good players away from contending, unlike the leaves who are about 15 players away... Have to give a GM more than a couple of years as some things work and some do not.

[Mark L]

Doug, with regards to Bosh stating he wanted to be MVP. I guess it's more because soon after he said that his play went below MVP level. Also, I didn't expect him to say stuff like that. He's the type of guy that will normally say "I want to get better every day". If I recall correctly early in the season he was asked about how many wins they expect this season or something along those lines and I think he mentioned, we try to win as much as we can (don't quote me on this). He could have easily said we want to win the championship. Possible? very unlikely...Bosh being MVP, possible? very unlikely.

[Matt M]

I agree that people should lay off Bosh for comments he made in the media. After all, the best athletes continually push themselves to be better. Think Lebron or Kobe are ever going to reach the status of Jordan, in spite of the fact that is their stated goal? I don't, but if that is what they need to play at such a high level then more power to them. If winning an MVP is the motivation Bosh need to bring his game to the next level then he should be saying it five times a week. After all, the goal of 'franchise player' has already been achieved.

[Ryan K]

Doug, I'm not upset with Bosh one bit for his MVP comments. It is a good and necessary thing to set high goals. Without them, one is stuck in mediocrity.
I guess my frustration stems from the fact that I have never been one for public embarassment. I like the one on one approach, and if someone is going to use the public forum, they should be above reproach themselves. It seems odd that Bosh is blasting Moon, Ukic, and others for mental mistakes when Bosh himself has untimly turnovers, airballs from three and defensive lapses.
Also, from my couch (and I realize that this is a one-sided vantage point) it seems like Bosh only picks on those seemingly beneath him. I haven't seen or read of him yelling at AP, or Kapono or others. Bargnani last year yes, but others?
He seems very selective in his outbursts, mostly towards Jump'n Jamario.
I will still cheer for my raps, and for Bosh, and will cross my fingers for the rest of the season.
Go Raps!

[Ekim D]

The Dial reference? Does it have soemthing to do with Dial soap? I'm not sure I get it ... shed some light Doug.

Speaking of #44, when I was in university one of my room mates wrote Derek #44 on the dial of our shower radio. No one got it, but it was funny to us.

[Mike M.]

Marion has always seemed to be a digruntled employee. He stills put in his work on the court so I suppose he should be commended for that. But he essentially pissed and moaned his way out of Pheonix. Imagine if James Worthy acted that way. Granted, maybe a ring would have shut him up but even then it seems to me that his ego would get the best of him.

[Dallas]

Didn't Bargs get one of those shots in his rookie year against Portland, after TJ hit one the game before that agaisnt the Clippers. Come to think of it, wasn't that the road trip that really turned things around for the team. Mr. Bosh didn't get those looks becasue he was injured. I wonder with Bosh in the game would JT have the cajones to call Andrea's # in that situation over Bosh?

[DanK]

I agree about Bosh. The kid (and he is a kid), puts up all-star numbers consistently. He is, by far, the best thing on this team but he can't carry this team all by himself. Nobody can. Kobe couldn't make the Lakers championship contenders, until Lakers brought in Gasol and the other guys stepped up

On to other matters. Doug, what do you think of Bargnani's chances for most improved player?

Blogger's note: Faint, unless he plays the next 38 games like he's played the last dozen

[Victor]

Doug,

I commented about Bosh yesterday and generally said this:

I have no problems with the goals Chris has set for himself, but for him to come out and say it in the media, he'd better be ready to back it up. And he has NOT. In that sense, his remark seems foolishly empty. Moreover, it is not in his place to rip teammates when he does not own up to his own play. Sure, you can yell at Moon for fouling Bibby or taking a bad 3. What about when Chris himself fouled Dunleavy and took crucial 3s and botched them? Nobody yells at him. If Chris is sincere about improvement, let's see him berate himself first.

On the other hand, I have always been a HUGE Bargnani supporter and I agree it's time to see if he can play the Robin to Bosh's Batman!

[Ben F]

Funny that a reader mentions the Legends Game now, as SI's Steve Aschburner wrote a column yesterday which outlined his opinions on the changes that David Stern and the NBA should make going forward.

Sure enough, he pushes for the return of the Legends Game.

[Mark in Madison, WI]

I love the idea that Bosh has aspirations of greatness. He should. And he can achieve them. The problem is, he seems to look to improving his offense to make him great. But what has make great players like MJ, KG, Lebron, Kobe......DEFENSE. They are excellent defenders. Bosh will only be great when he decides to put as much effort into the other half of the game. I love the guy, but we need him to play better defense if we are to ever be consistent winners.

[Erc]

Sometimes the wisest non-read in the comments section is the blogger's responses.
YES, Bargnani wasn't the first option when he drilled that three. Does it matter? The game was on the line. He was well aware of that. The shot clock numbers are in Italian, how could not be? He made the shot rather than spitting the bit. THAT'S the point, not HOW the ball got in his hands, but rather, what he did with it. I believe they're suggesting, maybe it could be put in his hands next time, on purpose.
I agree with your Bosh assessment. He plays hard. He plays well. He is our best player, by a mile. Lay off him, except as part of an underachieving team.
Similarly, let's stop making whipping boys of certain individuals like Moon and Solomon. Last year, it was Joey. It's stupid.
Moon is who he is. He bites on pump fakes. He doesn't dribble well and he misses some shots. On the other hand, he rebounds decently for a sf, he provides some turnovers with his quick hands and he can run the floor, if they don't ask him to rebound.
Solomon survived a rocky start. He's learned. He's better. He hits some key shots. Did you expect he'd be TJ?
It is a TEAM game and there is more than enough blame to go around. To pile it on Bosh or O'Neal or marginal talents like Moon and Solomon is childish.

[Pete]

Doug Bosh has added something new to his game every year the guy is in the top 10 ten in scoring and rebounds for a reason it's not a fluke. "No man is an island unto himself" the Piston's will surely focus on Bosh tonight can his teammates step up when they do, if not we lose.

[Jack Liang]

Great job on the blog, Doug. Thanks for being the voice of reason and pointing out the sheer ridiculousness of some of the fan reaction in this city. We dump on our players when they dog it. We dump on our players when they set the bar high. We kill our players for wanting out of town, and kill them for wanting to stay. And then we run them out of town anyway and watch them thrive on other teams. Some call it passion. I call it "why would any athlete ever want to play here?"

[BrianV]

I am saddened by people ripping Bosh, as he is not part of the problem. As a native Torontonian, I find that we are quick to rip our teams when things go bad. I believe this is borne out of having won only one sports championship since 1967 (Blue Jays - 1992 & 1993). (Note: Sorry for not including the Argos and Rock championships since 1993.). We are bitter and jaded and quick to expect the worst. Sheesh! Can you blame us??? As for CB's MVP quote, I am not angry or disappointed, but as a Canadian, I would have preferred if he made a prediction or spoke of a team goal rather than an individual one.

[Claudio DiG.]

No doubts, Doug: if a Bosh "possible MVP" is totally OK, why isn't OK a "screaming in his teammates faces" Bosh?
As for the famous trade, if O'Neal really must go, I'd rather love him to Miami, Marion to Dallas, Josh Howard to Toronto!
Best regards

Blogger's note: I never said it wasn't okay to get in his teammates faces, in fact, I think it's good. And it'd be good if teammates got in his face every now and then.

[Penny]

I just checked the TV schedule for the upcoming games and would you believe that they have 8 of the next 13 games on TSN2 - that really sucks.

[Jeff]

Hey Doug, will Jawai get playing time today over Voskuhl?

Blogger's note: No

[Jamie Buckingham]

over 77 emails yesterday and today only 3...what gives?....is everyone out of breath?? How are we gonna make this the best bloggers site in the NBA with only 3 comments???

Dougie,
I saw your quotes on Hoopshypes, the same website you critizied for being a "poor-information outlet". Now that you are on it (a few times now), does that make the site legit and informative?

Blogger's note: Sorry, wrong again. It was Hoopsworld that had the bogus Dallas trade.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I don't think you can look at Bosh's MVP statement in the vacuum of a player setting goals. The line lives in tandem with Coangelo's claim that this was the best ever Raptors team on paper. Together, those lines set the tone of failed expectations. Bosh is a great, great player and any Raptors fan who doesn't appreciate what he brings to the court and how he conducts himself as a member of this team (at only 24--what were any of us doing when we were 24!?) is a nut. But Bosh said the MVP line at the worst possible time, just as the team went in the tank. And that is unfortunate, because the next time he says it, a lot of fans will cringe.

AG, Toronto

[JS]

Why do people think that if we have cap space in the off-season (Marion) that any free agent of value would sign here? The team does not have a tradition of winning, is not currently winning, and there is uncertainty about Bosh staying. There is no value in having cap space if it cannot be used. If they are going to deal O'Neal's contract, they should do it for someone who's contract is not expiring or have another deal to immediately use the benefits of being under the cap.

[Peter]

Doug, as you've suggested, Chris Bosh is a top notch, all-star talent, but he should not be relied on to create his own shot at crunch time and score when the game is on the line. That responsibility on most teams falls to one of the wing players. That being said, would you say that this team needs a top notch wing player more than they need Chris Bosh? What are the priorities for this team? If the Raps could trade Bosh for a talented wing player and a good big, would that not be a good idea? (I'm not saying that option is available, I just think it should be explored.)

I love Bosh and would hate to lose him but I think we will be shooting ourselves in the foot if we don't at least look at trading him. If we sign him to a top dollar contract, as BC loves to do, we're going to be screwing ourselves for the future. See the other Bryan Colangelo contracts floating around out there right now... Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, Stephon Marbury. I'm not suggesting that Bosh is like those players, I'm suggesting that he isn't worth a top dollar contract but BC will overpay him just to keep him in T.O. I don't want Bosh in T.O. if it's going to handcuff the team financially so we are unable to afford a good surrounding cast. That's the situation we're in right now.

I have more... BC should not trade Jermanine O'Neal now. This season is toast, in my opinion, and Jermaine becomes a much more valuable trading chip come draft day this summer. Bryan could probably clean up with a good trade and solve a lot of problems. If he uses that chip to early we'll get screwed again.

Ok... now I'm done... I just felt the need to get that stuff off my chest. I feel better now.

Go Raps Go!

[DanK]

Regarding criticism of Bosh for his outburst against Moon. Has nobody played sports here? I do pick-up soccer every week, and guys there will give you a peace of their mind if you make a bonehead move (like not passing when you should, missing the open net, or not covering your man). And this is in a meaningless game, amongst buddies. So I can easily imagine the nerves getting the best of you in the context of pro-sports, when games do matter, and you're constantly judged on your performance.

[Dallas]

Doug, I have no issue with asking for patience and to ease up regarding Bosh, but is there not a chicken and egg thing that is being overlooked, and perhaps. It wasn't as if people just woke up in 09 saying this is the year I'm going to throw Chris Bosh under the bus. Sure there have always been a few "haters", but never has he been as unpopular as he is now among Raptor fans it seems. Sure, you could point to how it seems like Jack Armstrong is more willing to ever so subtly call him out lately, (KG shrinkage, and applauding Granger for being a leader and sticking up for teammates, even Chuck Swirky wrote in his blog that Raptors should trade Bosh) But when you see the upswing of many, around the same time, is it not fair game to look at the subject and wonder what he is doing wrong that's turning people away in droves, lately it seems. Despite whether or not you think it's fair, what would you attribute the gowning "anti bosh" movement too?

Blogger's note: Being the best player on a 16-27 team that doesn't have any other stars and has already fired its coach; he's the target

[Raptoronto]

The same people crying about Bosh right now will also be the ones crying if he leaves in 2010. How many players at the 4 are clearly better than Bosh? Less than a handful, if any.

The Marion article, regarding his displeasure about trade speculation, is missing the most intriguing part. Scotty Pippens comment about why he felt Marion was upset: the idea of leaving Miami to experience winter in Toronto. Toronto needs an image make-over and/or the NBA needs to include an "this is the real Toronto" segment to their Rookie Transition Program...I know it's not going to happen but this is a bigger problem than anyone wants to admit. If Stern ever wants to realize his dream of expanding to Europe he needs to battle the ignorance level of the players now.