Can't tell the players with a scorecard; and even then it may be hard

This was the joke going around Raptors shootaround on Friday morning and the names are being withheld because we were all thinking it and there’s no sense singling any one person out.

A guy: "You know how some people want them to put a D League team somewhere in Toronto?"

Another guy, knowing where this is going: "Yeah?"

A guy: "Well, how about the ACC tonight?”

Now, it’s not quite that bad but the lucky ticket holders for Friday’s Toronto-Cleveland tilt sure won’t be getting a full blown NBA game.

Jose Calderon (swollen eye) and Gary Forbes (sore left knee) are out for Toronto; Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Anthony Parker (bruised sternum) will sit for the Cavs and if you were eagerly anticipating a Ben Uzoh-Donald Sloan starting point guard matchup, your dreams are about to be realized.

And if you’ve ever wanted to see Justin Dentmon play in an NBA game, the night holds great promise.

So as the Raptor try to chase a fourth straight win for the first time since November, 2010, the starting lineup:

Uzoh, signed to a second 10-day deal today; DeMar DeRozan, Alan Anderson, signed to a second 10-day deal today; Andrea Bargnani and Aaron Gray.

Dentmon, another 10-day Toronto signee who arrived from Austin of the D League on Thursday night, will back up Uzoh as the Raptors go with a point guard tandem they couldn’t even have envisioned in their dreams when the season began.

Coach Dwane Casey said James Johnson, a Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision, on Wednesday in Philadelphia, could see some action tonight but that Anderson, who has impressed the coaching staff with his play the last three games, will start once again.

 

 

 

Comments

[sportschick]

I like Casey's way of handling things. No need to hang out the dirty laundry. No doubt JJ got the message, and we don't need to the details.

It sounds like a good thing there are no camo uniforms, as this sounds like a recipe for retinal burn just based on the players available!

[Rex Montalban]

Hey Doug,some people pay to see a certain player play,the star or otherwise? Question,do you think it is unfair to the paying public to take a chance on not seeing certain players play (if uninjured) after purchasing a ticket?

Blogger's note: Buying a ticket's a gamble; sucks, but it's true. Saw an understudy on Broadway one time in a starring role at about $150 a ticket. Felt bad but ...