Things are coming together for the Raptors at just the right time. Despite injuries to key players over the last several weeks, they locked up the Atlantic Division when the Nets lost on Friday and celebrated by completely dismantling the Bulls on Sunday.
And now, it looks like they'll be getting Andrea Bargnani back later this week. The rookie participated in his first full practice on Saturday, his first since undergoing an appendectomy less than three weeks ago. From the Toronto Star:
With yesterday's workout a light one, given Toronto was coming off three games in four nights and headed for back-to-back games today and tomorrow, Bargnani will need practice this week to get the rust off his game. Barring a setback, the plan is to have him back in uniform Friday against Detroit.
This is huge for the Raptors, who initially feared that Bargnani would miss the rest of the regular season when he underwent his emergency surgery. Now, they get him with five games left, including two against Detroit, to gear up for the playoffs. Especially with Jose Garbajosa sidelined, Bargnani's presence will be a welcome addition for the Raptors, who can use his long-distance shooting to prevent the defense from collapsing into the paint onto Chris Bosh.
Darko was bodying up Chris Bosh for position in the post, when he was called for a push. Whatever it was that he did next earned him a couple of technicals and required the best efforts of Grant Hill and Hedo Turoglu to stop.
I'm not sure about this, but I think it might be Darko's first career ejection. If so, congratulations on the milestone, Darko. I still think Darko's game (or lack of game, depending on which night you catch him) is all about confidence. Yes, between the technical free throws, the lack of his presence the rest of the evening, and the narrow three-point margin of victory for the Raps, one could argue that Darko cost the Magic the game last night. But if Darko's feeling entitled enough to start bitching out referees, maybe in the long run, this is a sign of progress.
If you believe the latest scuttlebutt being bandied about by reporters these days, Raptors coach Sam Mitchell will be in demand if the Raptors opt not to renew his contract at the end of the season. Many of these rumors suggest the Charlotte Bobcats will be first in line if he's available. From the Gaston Gazette:
The New York Post did so last Sunday and were followed the next day by a pair of Toronto newspapers, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. It's a move that would be welcomed by Bobcats players, even as they wonder if Mitchell would be available or even interested. ...
Added guard Brevin Knight: "I think Sam is happy where he is. If Toronto didn't want to keep him, I'm sure a lot of teams would be interested. I think he's a good coach."
Four months ago, a player calling Mitchell "a good coach" and suggesting there would be competition for his services would be crazy talk. Mitchell posted a .366 winning percentage in his first two seasons in Toronto, but he's helped turn things around this year, with the Raps not just clinching a playoff spot but emerging as the far and away best team in the Atlantic Division and the current third seed in the East.
Via Hoops Addict, The Toronto's Star's rundown of athlete playlists. Morris Peterson and T.J. Ford are the Raptors involved, and theirs are pretty eh, with the exception of Peterson's lone Oasis track and Ford's fondness for Otis Redding and Lionel Richie. I'd say the most you could conclude from these is that Peterson liked that Chris Martin/Jay-Z collabo, and that Ford is either wise beyond his years or has a healthy respect for tradition.
The Star got some "music experts" to weigh in on the players' taste, with some unintentionally hilarious results. They're especially smitten with the playlist of Maple Leaf Boyd Devereux, which boasts indie rockers like Explosions in the Sky, Dead Meadow, and the Mountain Goats.
Here's deejay Dave "Bookie" Bookman on Devereux's taste:
His list is getting passed around the indie rock world faster than a lost Replacements track.
It's no surprise this 1996 OHL Scholastic Player Of The Year digs the finest in rustic literate Canrock (Constantines, Cuff The Duke) along side North America's answer to Mogwai the "can't talk thinkin" Explosions In The Sky.
I wonder if this is some sort of clever, outside-the-box marketing ploy to lure hipsters to hockey. Seriously though, I'm kind of bummed that me beloved, style-laden NBA can't manage any better. I know they play corny music in the arenas, but who would've thought it was all hand-picked by the players?
The tired, old cliche about European players being "soft" officially died today. From the Toronto Star:
Facing Tuesday's 1 1/2-hour surgery to repair the gruesome lower-leg injury that fractured his fibula and spun his left foot to an inhuman angle, Jorge Garbajosa was asked for his preference of anaesthesia. There were, the story goes, two options: the full-body knockout or a needle in the lower back to numb everything below the waist.
"Garbo says to the doctor, `Just give me the back shot because I want to see what you're doing,'" said Maurizio Gherardini, the Raptors assistant general manager, flashing a broad smile as he told the tale. "That's the kind of guy he is."
His injury was absolutely gruesome, but the Raptors are hoping the 29-year-old Spaniard will make a full recovery in six months. Garbajosa is apparently hoping to return in five months, though, so that he can represent his country in the European basketball championship in September, which is being held in Garbajosa's hometown of Madrid. I'm sure the Raps would rather him err on the side of caution when it comes to his recovery, so we'll have to wait and see if that actually happens.
The Raptors aren't expected to be able to truly replace Garbajosa in their starting lineup -- especially with Andrea Bargnani also sidelined, they don't have another big man who can draw defenders out to the three-point line and also crash the boards because, well, those guys are pretty hard to find. They were able to crush the Heat in their first game without Garbajosa on Wednesday, and they'll be tested again on Friday when the face the Wizards, whom the Raptors are trying to stave off for the No 3 seed in the East.
While not quite as gruesome as Shaun Livingston's knee injury (which, in an eerie coincidence, happened exactly one month ago to the day), Jorge Garbajosa's ankle injury on Monday night certainly ranks up there. You may not think it's that bad at first, but that's probably because you're not getting the right angle on it -- fortunately, the first slow motion replay shows it pretty good (or bad, depending on your point of view).
I'm guessing it was even more disgusting up close -- watch teammate Jose Calderon's reaction as soon as he sees it. He does a double-take and then immediately motions to the bench. Al Jefferson's reaction once he finally notices is even more telling -- he immediately cringes and looks away. After the game, Jefferson had this to say:
"I really thought he broke his leg," Jefferson said. "We bumped, my leg hit his leg, and I looked down and he was all twisted up. He was screaming, and I could feel his pain."
Not surprisingly, someone quickly put a towel over Garbajosa's ankle as he was being tended to on the floor and then as he was carted off the court -- you don't want to subject fans sitting up close to something like that. The announcer guessed that he dislocated his ankle, which, considering the fact that bones were definitely not where they were supposed to be, I'd say sounds about right. Needless to say, whatever the official diagnosis is, it's safe to rule out him playing again this season and probably even the playoffs.
Andrea Bargnani was hospitalized early this morning and will miss a good chunk -- if not all -- of the rest of the season following an emergency appendectomy. From the Toronto Star:
There is no official word on how long Bargnani will be sidelined. Bargnani is expected to be released from hospital in the next few days. Recovery from an appendectomy can generally take between three weeks and a month; the NBA regular season ends April 18.
Ordinarily you might think losing a key player would doom the Raptors, but this is a team that played well in Chris Bosh's absence earlier in the year and is currently nursing a 5.5 game lead over the Nets in the Atlantic Division. The Nets have lost seven of their last 10, with their only wins coming against the likes of the Grizzlies, Hornets and Clippers, which doesn't suggest they're prepared to make a real push for a division title.
But still, it's unfortunate timing to say the least that the Raptors will head into the playoffs with such an important player just getting back from injury. Bargnani has averaged 11.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 25 minutes a game this year, but he's gotten better as the season has progressed, averaging 14.4 points with 4.4 boards in 29.1 minutes the last two months.
Bargnani's absence should mean more minutes for Kris Humphries, but he doesn't have a shred of Bargnani's long-distance range. If he can stand the extra minutes, the team might be better off giving starter Jorge Garbajosa a few extra minutes and boosting Morris Peterson playing time off the bench.
Morris Peterson has weathered the storm with some bad Toronto teams over his career, but it finally looks safe to say that he's headed back to the playoffs after a five-year layoff. Even so, the playffs will be bitter-sweet this year, as they'll likely be his swan song as a Raptor. From the Toronto Sun:
Frustrated over a lack of minutes this season and the fact his NBA statistics are nearing all-time lows, a subdued Peterson admitted yesterday, following the team's shootaround at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, that he may not return to the Raptors for the 2007-08 season. Peterson is in the final year of a three-year deal and is eligible for free agency this summer.
"That's something I'm definitely going to have to look at," he said, when asked if his frustrations this season will impact on where he plays next year. "When summer comes, I'll evaluate what I want to do, and where I'll want to be."
MoPete is being kind, because I can't imagine any possibility of him returning next year. He certainly won't have trouble finding a contract -- his scoring is down to 10 points per game (almost seven fewer than last year), but it's almost entirely just a product of his role since his scoring per-48 minutes is right in line with last year.
The Raps could have easily traded him at the deadline to any number of teams but instead decided to hold onto him for their playoff push. But for a guy who's seen the team's lowest lows, it has to be frustrating to watch the team's turnaround mostly from the bench. Even if the market decides this summer that he's no longer a full-time starter in this league, he can get bench minutes next year with a legitimate title contender, not just a team happy to be playing beyond the regular season.
When GM Bryan Colangelo assumed control of the Raptors, a lot of people figured one of the casualties of his arrival would be Sam Mitchell, who "guided" the team to a .366 winning percentage in his first two years as head coach.
But Mitchell has not only avoided the ax but also led Toronto to a genuine resurgence: their current three-game losing streak aside, the Raptors are leading the Atlantic Division and appear to be a lock for the playoffs. Even so, Mitchell is entering the final year of his contract, and it's far too early to assume that he will be brought back next season.
Just don't go calling him a "lame duck." From the Washington Post:
"I don't swim in water. I don't have webbed feet. And I don't go 'quack, quack.' I take it as an insult to call me lame duck. I don't know what that means."
Andrea "Il Mago" Bargnani was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the second month in a row today, but unfortunately a family emergency means he has little time to celebrate. From SLAM! Sports:
Toronto Raptors rookie Andrea Bargnani will miss the team's next two games due to an illness in his family.
According to a team spokesman, the 21-year-old was waiting out poor weather in Toronto before flying home to Italy. The Raptors play host to the Milwaukee Bucks Friday before visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
He's expected back in time Tuesday's road game against the Washington Wizards.
At least the Raps will play one of their next two games at the Air Canada Centre, where they're surprisingly tied for the fewest home losses in the entire Eastern Conference (and trail only Utah, Phoenix and Dallas in the league). Expect a bit more playing time for Kris Humphries, who had a season-high 16 points on Wednesday, and Jorge Garbajosa.
Things are coming together for the Raptors at just the right time. Despite injuries to key players over the last several weeks, they locked up the Atlantic Division when the Nets lost on Friday and celebrated by completely dismantling the Bulls on Sunday. 
If you believe the latest scuttlebutt being bandied about by reporters these days, Raptors coach Sam Mitchell will be in demand if the Raptors opt not to renew his contract at the end of the season. Many of these rumors suggest the Charlotte Bobcats will be first in line if he's available. From the 
Via 
The tired, old cliche about European players being "soft" officially died today. From the 
Morris Peterson has weathered the storm with some bad Toronto teams over his career, but it finally looks safe to say that he's headed back to the playoffs after a five-year layoff. Even so, the playffs will be bitter-sweet this year, as they'll likely be his swan song as a Raptor. From the 
When GM Bryan Colangelo assumed control of the Raptors, a lot of people figured one of the casualties of his arrival would be Sam Mitchell, who "guided" the team to a .366 winning percentage in his first two years as head coach. 
