Is Bosh the best and call the folks on the TV awards panels

Here’s one for you to chew on:

Is Chris Bosh the best power forward in the game today?

From this angle, the answer has to be yes.

He’s putting up career numbers (24 and 11 on 51 per cent shooting, 79 per cent at the free throw line and even 46 from three-point range) and competing more intensely every single night.

He hasn’t missed a game, which is not insignificant in the least, and the level at which he’s playing doesn’t waver.

Of the usual suspects in this conversation, Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett have struggled with injuries and Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan but I really think, having watched Duncan a few times this season, that Bosh is playing at a higher level.

Other than that? Yeah, Zach Randolph’s having a pretty good year and Carlos Boozer has his moments.

Of course the folks in Dallas will tell you Dirk Nowitzki is the guy and I suppose he's next in line but I don't know if he's playing any better than Bosh right now. Game-in, game-out, for what he’s asked to do on the team he’s with, Bosh is the best.

So, why?

Well, his new body, bigger and stronger, hasn’t betrayed him and it’s given him a level of confidence to operate inside that’s higher than it’s ever been.

He still possesses a deadly 15-foot jump shot from the elbow (and when you can make it like he does, no one should have a problem with him taking it) but it’s his power game that’s impressed me the most this season.

Sure, he used to go to the rim a bit but not as often and not as strongly.

There was a concern right off the bat that it would be hard for him to maintain his new-found strength because the normal tendency of players is to lose weight and wear down as the season progresses.

We haven’t seen much of that; I don’t know what exactly he’s doing in his down time or at parts of practice we don’t see but the kid is almost as strong today as he was on opening night.

I have no idea if this can last, nobody does, but if you had to vote today for the all-NBA team, I think you’d have to scrawl his name in the power forward spot.

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List time

(Remember these?)

So, a panel of a few friends and I, after minutes of deliberation and fully knowing we’ve forgotten some, have come up with this list, in order of bad to worst. And, trust me, there’s not a lot of difference between No 5 and No. 1:

The Worst Raptors TV Commercials Of The Modern Age

Sam Mitchell

The car one. You know, the one where they take a guy with a rather, um, strong personality and make him as boring as porridge.

Jason Kapono

The one where he practices for a zillion hours and watches all kind of tape and guys who know him say: “Um, Jason Kapono?”

Andrea Bargnani

Right. Come to arena, dress, warm up, eat pasta. Yeah. Right. Not higher on the list because they didn’t force him to speak.

Hedo Turkoglu

Eats pizza, drinks soda, seems horrible uninterested.

It would be sooooooo much better if he mentioned the pizza was free because he hit a shot at the buzzer of a 100-99 home win.

Chris Bosh

Great player. Gum pitchman? Not so much.

Considering his used car salesman and droll video skills, he wants that Juicy Fruit one out of the vault.

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If there’s one thing I’ve learned here over the past few years, it’s that a lot of you – not all, so don’t take this personally – have a tendency to eat your young.

So, let’s play a game for a wee bit of fun:

Today: Raps trade Bosh to Houston for Yao, Scola and Brooks.

Tomorrow: BC is a god, I tell ya; a freaking god. In BC We Trust.

Two weeks, four losses later: How could he trade the best power forward in the game today for a centre who won’t play until next year, what on earth was he thinking?

A month, eight losses later: Scola? Just another Euro stiff; I swear, Colangelo’s got a man crush on those non-North Americans and I am never watching this team play again until he’s gone.

Next fall: How are Yao and Andrea going to co-exist? Jeez, doesn’t the GM think about these things? And that contract? It’s worse than Banks’.

Or

Today: Raps trade Bosh to Los Angeles for Andrew Bynum, Adam Morrison and Jordan Farmar.

Tomorrow: BC is a god, I tell ya; a freaking god. In BC We Trust.

Two weeks, four losses from now: Bynum sucks, guess he was only good because he was playing with Kobe, Pau and Odom, shouldn’t the GM know this?

A month, 10 losses from now: Bynum? What a softie, he’s out again? Hurt? Man, doesn’t the GM do his homework before making trades, Bynum’s always hurt, we need a real GM. Morrison? He makes Kapono look like LeBron. Unreal. What a stiff.

Next fall: Bynum’s having surgery? And we’ve got three more years of paying him? BC has got to go.

-

Oh yeah, trade deadline’s five weeks from tomorrow.

You all ready?

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Is it time?

To put Jose Calderon back in the Raptors starting lineup that is.

It’s been four games, two wins and two losses, since he returned last week in Orlando and there is no question he’s playing well.

He looks 100 per cent, is shooting 14-for-26 from the field with 20 assist in those four games, he’s getting to the rim on offence easily, he’s playing about 23 minutes a game and his defence, well, I’m not going to talk about his defence because it’s not as bad as you think but you won’t believe me.

Now, I don’t know if Jay shares this opinion, but I think the offence runs better with Calderon at the helm, he’s better at pick and roll and Calderon’s a better spot up shooter (no small fact when you consider the needs of Hedo Turkoglu to have the ball a bit more often.

With two days of practice and a shootaround before the Knicks game, I don’t know that there’s going to be a better time to get him some work with the first unit, get Jarrett Jack back working with the Young Guns and make the switch.

So, yes.

It’s time.

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In the time it’s taken you to get this far, Hedo Turkoglu could have had the ball about four times. What did with it when he got it is entirely up to him.

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The Heroes Of The Hardcourt are 19-20, the midway point of the season arrives Sunday, the schedule eases a bit when this month’s done and, a half in Indiana notwithstanding, they’re playing the best basketball they’ve played this season.

So, about where they should be? Careening towards a finish right around .500, maybe a game or two above and, in all seriousness, isn’t that just about right?

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Back to practice today to find out what wonders await. Should be fun, they’re all rested and probably ready to go and I guarantee you, they’ve forgotten all about Monday night.

Which means it’s time to come up with story ideas.

Hmm, Bosh to New York? How’s that sound?

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Comments

[Boko]

Doug, you're right. The two starting PFs in the all-star game should be Chris Bosh for the East & Tim Duncan for the West, period. As for the Bosh trade rumors, what a waste of time & effort!

[GP]

Hi Doug,

I'm wondering if you can provide some thoughts with respect to the latest drama that surrounds Hedo. Your colleague has described his attitude as defeatist in today's paper. I'm wondering if you feel the same way? I'm also wondering if what Hedo is alluding to is part of the reason you're not a big fan of playing Jack and Calderon together.

Blogger's note: I think it's drama born of frustration and will dissipate

Thanks.

[Lola]

Great post Doug. Keep up the good work. I'm eager to see what you come up with tomorrow (another off day). Cheers.

[eni]

come on Doug, Bynum, Morrison & Farmar? After praising him so much at the beginning. You gotta be kidding me, that would be worse than the Gasol trade.

[Eugene]

Doug, you are AWESOME!! I laughed out loud to the trade 'suggestions'. Great stuff!

Cheers

[doug]

the conversation of is Bosh the best power forward in the game is not one that interests me, the one that would someday when we get to that level is are the raps one of the best teams in the NBA...to be a .500 team and have a discussion whether Bosh is the best player at his position is rather pointless...after all last time i looked it is a team game....and its amazing to me how a statemnt like hedo's can be taken out of context, all he is saying is that he wants to me more involved and really that this whole jack,Jose,and him on the court at the same time is a lesson in futility....feschuk's calling it a "defeatish attitude" sort of missed the point...when a player wants to be more involved especially one as smart as hedo it doesn't equate to a defeatish attitude, a defeatish attitude is not saying anything and caring less if things change....no wonder players just give stock answers when talking to the press....

[Dan W]

I would still give the edge to Duncan becuase he is a better defender and his stats are still pretty close to Chris with 3 less minutes per game. But BOsh has been really impressive this year. He's not holding the ball and overthinking anymore. HE is attacking right away or passing out before the double. And he's getting to the free throw line more and shooting less jumpers. He's been good to in th 4th when the game is on the line.

[Ben]

Doug, ridiculous trade talk is always going to happen, but really, unless Bosh tells the organization he's leaving for sure, it has to make more sense for even the most pessimistic person to wait until the end of the season to make sure right? Even a 15% chance of Bosh staying is worth waiting things out in my book.

Not to mention the fact that a sign and trade will be there for the taking in the case of virtually every possible FA destination (Lee, NY, Beasl, Miami).

[Paul]

Let's not forget how good Hedo is (I'm looking at you Feschuk). Let's also imagine for a second what BC told him when he lured him to Toronto... I'm sure "you'll just run to the corner for spot-up threes" wasn't in the conversation.

That being said, he's obviously out of sorts right now and pressing badly, as evidenced by those two horrible shots in Indiana. And yes, everyone has to adapt (sorry Jack, but adjusting from your college days vs. adjusting from last year when you led your team to the finals is a little different).

They DO need to get him the ball more, and he DOES need to do more with it when he gets it. Why not try him at backup PG? With the exception of the first quarter on Monday, Jack's looked pretty disinterested himself the last few games. Or alternate who brings the ball up the court - throw some different looks at the opposition.

My prediction is that before the season (and playoffs) are over, Hedo will prove his worth.

[Mike kovacs]

I love your pre-emptive strikes today! Anyone referring to those or similar rumours in the future should just be told to go to today's blog.

[Peter]

Two pointers. :)
The Hedo commercial would be BEST if that pizza was from a bucket that Hedo scored at the buzzer in a 100-78 game. You know, the bucket that all the fans cheer for but no player should ever take?
Second point, I was in shock this morning, I actually agree with an opinion article written by Feschuk!

[MJ]

Hi Doug:

Two things--With regards to the power forwards it could well be debated that Dirk is the best in the game. He is not a five and not a three so he has to be a four. He is outscoring Bosh although Bosh is ahead in rebounds. In my opinion he is a far tougher cover than Bosh and can affect a game far quicker than Bosh. We will see on Sunday who wins the battle.
A quandry with Jose. If he starts the second unit becomes less effective although the first unit becomes better. Jose is at his best in a free wheeling offensive system. He is great at throwing the lob pass and when the offense is moving he gets to the rim with ease. Perhaps the answer is to cut Jacks minutes back to around the 22-25 mark in order to give Jose a chance to work with both units and maybe give Banks some burn.

[Raps Fan]

PLEASE NO MORE JOSE JACK & HEDO LINEUP. WORST DEFENSIVE LINEUP

Blogger's note: Your keyboard's broken, get the "shift" key repaired, okay?

[Bball]

Doug, I agree that Calderon should be re-inserted in the starting lineup. He's played well and certainly better than Jack. Doug, will you ask Triano today if and when he plans on putting Calderon back in the starting lineup?

[AJ]

Hi Doug,

Yes it sucks that they lost the last game, but as you said it will happen. It's not like they are the Celtics or Magic (who both lost to the Pacers by the way).

Anyway, it appeared that the Raps looked to get Hedo more involved in handling the ball and he did a nice job of moving it, but there were 3 or 4 plays in a row that shots were not made off of his passes. He did play poorly and has more often than not this year, but if those clean looks go down then he's got 10 pts, 6 rebounds and 6-7 assists.

More importantly, if the Raps are .500 without consistent good play from Hedo, if he can figure it out, they should be in good position heading into the playoffs.

[Dave]

Doug, do you know where the 47 win team was at the half-way point of the season? Realistically I'm thinking they end up at 45 wins (well, hoping, anyway), but think that with some luck and a strong push to end the season (need 2 wins in 3 games to close out and match the record, or something like that) they may be able to match it.

Blogger's note: About exactly the same as I recall; but I don't have my guide handy

[adam]

i am at a loss as to what to make of Hedo. If i had just received a huge promotion and paycheck and then 3 months later shrugged and said.. "meh.. you get what u get.. i'm not interested in learning anythng new" i'd have my ass fired in 2 minutes. I smell a new Wince Carter here ( i'm too tired to play in any pre season games.

What can a coach do if a guy refuses to try? bench him? Will he care?

What a bust

[haga]

Doug, that is the most accurate representation of Raptors fans I've ever read. Kudos!

However, if BC trades Bosh for Bynum, I won't hold him up as a god and I'll burn my season tickets tonight. I'd rather see Bosh leave as a free agent and use whatever little cap is left to bionically repair the chicken so he/she can have another 15 years, than take on Bynum's albatross of a contract. He wasn't worth that contract when he was over-achieving and as those luxury tax bills come in over the next few years, they'll regret giving in to the hostage negotiations.

[Pat]

I think there will always be a legitimate counter argument to so-and-so being the best at his position as long as his team isn't winning. Granted The Spurs are a superior team but at this point I still wouldn't take Bosh over TD.

[Sammy]

Doug, the fans reaction to the trades was dead on..had me ROFL

What's with the fans these days...they were booing the team in the Celtics game and they boo if the team struggles for more than 5 minutes in a home game. I remember in the Pistons game, Detroit was playing horrible but their fans had their back the entire game...Toronto fans should be more like that in the games.

[O.J.]

I am going to have to disagree with your assertion that it is time to put Jose in the starting lineup. In fact, I would offer that if Banks were healthy and playing with Jack in the crucial minutes of the Boston and Indiana games where instead Jose was guarding Rondo & Watson - we win both games. Hopefully, Jose is packaged, maybe with Amir (although I like Amir's heart but Reggie will be coming back soon) and need a next level swingman to play with Bosh & take us over the top. Jack, Banks & Turk will be fine. Is it a coincidence that Turk played his best ball and we made our best defensive stands in games that Jose wasn't playing?

[Nilanka]

I had this same discussion about the "best" PF on a Lakers forum. Bosh is definitely up there, but you're forgetting about Dirk. Based purely on skillset, and success of their respective teams, it's hard to say Bosh is a better player than Dirk. The only thing Bosh has over Dirk is his relative youth (you can offset Bosh's better rebounding stats with Dirk's better 3-point shooting stats).

[Dadeo]

You're a funny man Doug...a sick twisted funny man. You hit the fan reactions to those two trade scenarios on the head!

[DS]

Doug I will agree with you that Jose is playing better on the offensive end but I really don't understand how EVERYONE including NBA.com can say that Jose is the defensive problem. I don't know if you have observed but Jose's lateral movement and reaction is too slow. The blow by's happen to everyone but it's at the rate that they happen to Jose that is what kills us. He tends to cheat off his man a lot to help in the post and then he becomes the victim of open threes cause his reaction to go back and cover his man is too slow. Have you noticed that since his return and te rotations having to be tweaked that our opponent points per game has gone up. We were winning cause we were keeping teams under 100 by playing consistent D and not having to resort to that Jack/Jose/Turk lineup. Not to mention Turk can't play along side Jose consistently. You keep ignoring the facts Doug and focusing on Jose's offensive numbers and how well he runs the offense when the offense has never and will never be the problem!!

[A]

Doug, good call on the mock trade fiasco. It's the one feature that makes most comment sections ring out with adults barking in twelve year old speak.

I do have one gripe and that's Calderon's defense. It is that bad. Any PG with even a modest blow-by capability can take the game wherever he wants it to go when Calderon is spelling him. BUT, Calderon should be starting on this team. What a wacky world!