Yesterday I watched Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo, in his post-season media debrief, duck and weave questions from the Toronto media regarding Chris Bosh's feature.
In an ESPN article published on April 16, Bosh said the following,
"I just want to win basketball games, I want to play in the postseason, I want to advance. I've been playing seven years. It's time to start thinking about stuff like that."
As a Toronto sports fan I can understand Bosh's desire for W's. I often find myself wishing I could sell my fanaticism on the open market to the highest bidder. I'd probably take a pay cut and go to Boston.
But I was born at Mount Synia hospital in downtown Toronto, and my allegiance to teams of sport begins and ends there.
So now I must contemplate a Raptors season without the face of the franchise, who for his unmistakable resemblance to the teams mascot, seemed to fit perfectly.
I will remember how easily Chris could score the ball, and his trademark ferocious yelling, punching, screaming madness whenever he made a signature play.
But also that it took 7 years in the association, and a contract season for him to realize he should hit the gym.
What fans of the Raptors should realize when they watch the cities most successful star athlete scurry back to America is that CB4 is one of the NBA's best scorers and rebounders but he isn't, nor was he ever, a complete player.
Chris is Pau Gasol with a punch. He needs to play with another superstar to be successful, because he cannot pass and does the brunt of his scoring in isolation post plays.
He is soft defensively and is below average at getting blocks for a player of his size and athletic ability. When coupled with Andrea Bargnani's soft play the Raps 'bigs' should start a traveling band called "Free Ride to The Basket." Then the fans could enjoy a score while the opposing team wreaks havoc on the Raptor's rim.
The reason the Raps haven't been capable of getting to the playoffs the last two seasons is largely due to their very soft big-men.
Compound their soft interior with slow cover wings like Hedo Turkoglu, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono, Jose Calderon, and Joey Graham and opposing offenses loved playing against the Raptors. If the only resistance Lebron is going to face is getting around the stiff and slow Turk, the Raps are going to allow 60 point halfs, and 30 point quarters regularly (ahhemm the entire second half of the season).
With or without Bosh the Raps can score the basketball. Andrea is a unique and highly skilled forward, Jack is a solid PG and with Calderon the Raps have a good 1/2 punch. Weems and DeRo have high ceilings as wing players and good work ethics to boot. Turk cannot be worse then he was this season, using conventional wisdom.
The Raps can move forward with a young nucleus, the lottery pick in this years draft, their return from a Bosh sign and trade, and a free agent from this godly class. They can address the problem that has plagued them since drafting Bargnani. And move on without their star, because they couldn't win with him.
Bosh will find success elsewhere, when he is the second option on a team. And the Raps will be better for it down the road.
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