Its_asdf's Raptors Dynasty - Discontinued

Poor Play Frustrating Bosh
Franchise Player "Not Content" with Current Situation


December 18, 2009
Doug Smith
SPORTS REPORTER

Following the Raptors' last minute fourth quarter beat down against the New Jersey Nets en-route to their fourth consecutive loss, Raptors all-star Chris Bosh was literally at a loss for words. "I don't know what you guys want me to say," Bosh said as he chuckled sacrastically to the slew of cameras and reporters huddled around him. "We flat-out sucked."

The lanky 6'10 forward is quickly growing tired of Toronto's inability to defend, as they currently allow opposing teams to hover around the 50% field goal percentage range; the highest in the NBA right now. The Raptors' offense, while much improved, struggle to hit their shots down the stretch. This is especially true for the Raptors' three point shooting, which has been their achilles heel this season despite being a perennial powerhouse from beyond the arc in recent years. The Raptors are near the top of the legaue in three point field goal attempts but are hovering in the bottom ten in terms of 3 point percentages. Bosh believes that it's old habits from last season kicking in when the Raptors are in panic mode.

"Ever since I was a rookie this team has always been a jumpshooting, perimeter oriented team," Bosh said. "Now that Jay is actually trying to build an offense that plays more on the inside; we have difficulty adjusting to that, so we just try to go for the home run three pointer whenever our backs are against the wall. We've got to change that."

Bosh was also quick to call out the team's lack of mental toughness as well as their poor play on the court. "Last season I thought we lost a lot of games because we didn't have the right mentality to close out games. We're showing a lot of the same signs from last season. It's disappointing because I thought we were past that bump in the road. We're way better than our record is showing."

When asked whether this poor play could affect his decision to stay when the off-season arrives, Bosh refused to comment on his situation. "We'll deal with that when the time comes," he said. "I'm focused on trying to win with this team right now and there's a lot of basketball left to play."

If the Raptors keep this up, Bosh might be singing a different tune sooner or later.


The look of frustration has been evident during the Raptors' losing skid.



Evans Not Good to Go Just Yet
Back Up Big Needs More Time for Sprained Finger




Mike Ulmer - raptors.com
December 18, 2009




To make matters worse for the Raptors, it looks like they could be without energetic big man Reggie Evans for another week. Evans sustained a sprained finger in the beginning of December during a blow-out victory against the Dallas Mavericks when he attempted a block an Antoine Wright lay up. Team doctors indicate that the finger has not healed as quickly as anticipated and that the 6'8 Evans could miss up to 6 more days.

Evans, who was traded during the off-season from the Philhadelphia 76ers for Jason Kapono, averaged only a pedestrian 3.3 points per game as the Raptors' first big man off the bench, but served as a perfect back-up to compliment the likes of Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani by averaging 5.2 boards.

It seems as though Toronto has missed Evans' hustle and rebounding a lot more than expected, as the Raptors have gone 1-5 since his injury. "We're obviously hurting a lot more than expected," said head coach Jay Triano. "Patrick (O'Bryant) and Nathan (Jawai) have done a pretty good job sliding over to make up for Reggie's production, but his intangibles and energy are what we miss the most."

john26 - I'd liken Terrell to a poor man's Carmelo; he can score in a variety of ways, especially from mid range and the post, but he does tend to be a bit iffy on the defensive end and from beyond the arc.

Martti. - No question. As you can see from the article written above, something will be done to appease Bosh.

Sit - Always going against the majority eh? Heh, I'm not too sold on the teams inability to defend and inconsistency from beyond the arc... I'm still not 100% on who I'm going to deal though, not much outside of Marion/Bosh/Bargs/Calderon/Terrell hold any value on the team.

XpLosibo - Thanks for the heads up, I think I'll give it a shot.

thierryhenry50 - He's become a bit of a softie and a chucker these past few games, but when those shots fall you can't help but fall in love with the guy.

Sorry to see you slip under .500 but hopefully it's just an obstacle on the way to a compelling underdog story come Playoff time. Enjoyed the articles as usual, nicely done!

love the 'look of frustration' pic

something about evans i really like; he's a workhorse, Ho Grant-type (well, at least the Ho Grant before he started feeling like HE needed more offensive touches and that MJ shot too much lol)

looks like CB4 is acting like a GM KOBE (asking for trades, to be traded etc) that's something to watch out for

love the 'look of frustration' pic

Agreed, that was well chosen.

Great work on this. Just checked out the dynasty threads for first time in a couple of months & saw you had started another Raptors one. Loved the draft coverage

Not a good week and a frustrated Chris Bosh. Surely not what the Raptors want. It seems like in real life where the Raps have a potential loaded squad but due to a lack of aggressive play and inconsistency they cant find a rhythm and thus a winning streak. Maybe you could even trade Bosh before you let him go for nothing Its an interesting situation for sure. Keep it up

Hmmm.. If you still have a poor record come February I think you may just have to trade Bosh before you lose him to free agency...

Mind you, with NBA Live 2005's free agency logic you probably still stand a good chance of keeping him so long as you meet the contract demands.

Yeah, the frustration picture looks great!

Not really familiar with Live '05's free agency, but if it's something like '06, then you shouldn't have a problem re-signing CB4.

But I really like dynasties where players opt for free agency because a team is struggling or smtg like that. It adds realism to it.

Wish you all the best and hope you get your team in the Playoffs!

No question. It's just a bit frustrating when it happens and you don't have a Plan B.

Nice frustration pic Hope Evans recovers asap.

5-19 12-12
*Click on the logos for boxscores

Calderon and Bargs Help Snap Raptors' Losing Streak (104-80 Raptors)

December 18, 2009

The Memphis Grizzlies managed to show up at just the right time for the slumping Toronto Raptors. The Raptors halted their four game losing skid and returned back to the .500 mark by dominating the league's current cellar dweller, the Memphis Grizzlies. "There's no doubt that we needed this one," stated Andrea Bargnani, who finished with a game-high 27 points.

The first and third quarter is where the Raptors did most of the work in terms of building their lead. Toronto had easily built up a double digit lead in the first quarter and would keep it that way for the entire game. The third quarter helped Toronto build up on that double digit lead and finally blow the Grizzlies out with a 20 point deficit.

Memphis had struggled mightily throughout most of the game to get their offense going. The Grizz shot only 41% and hit 2 of their 13 three point attempts. "Defensively, I'm very proud of how we played tonight," said Raptors head coach Jay Triano. "Say what you want about Memphis being one of the worst teams this year, but we managed to play 4 solid quarters without taking any posessions off in the defensive end."


One of Bosh's 7 offensive rebounds included this sick put-back slam.

Notes:
-Raptors' injured forward Reggie Evans has been activated for the first time since he injured himself against the Dallas Mavericks, but was played only sparingly for 3 minutes. "We just wanted to test out the finger - We wanted to see if it was working out and he didn't look too comfortable yet," Coach Triano said. "I think it'll be for the best if he sits out this week."
-Memphis' poor performance continues, as they have only won one of their last five games.

Player of the Game:

Jose Calderon
Pts - 22
Rebs - 2
Asts - 11
FG - 8/14
Stls - 2

14-11 12-13
*Click on the logos for boxscores

Gordon Leads Amazing Fourth Quarter Charge (106-88 Bulls)

Dcember 20, 2009

The Chicago Bulls flaunted their superior guard depth and without any answer for Ben Gordon in the fourth quarter, things turned ugly quickly for the Toronto Raptors. 'Awful' was the only way to describe the fourth quarter for the Raptors, as they shot only 4 of 17 from the field during that span while also allowing Ben Gordon to score 13 points. Kirk Hinrich also played a great role off the bench 19 points and four assists to make up for Derrick Rose's early foul trouble.

"Gordon is always lights out come crunch time," Chris Bosh said. Bosh was kept in check all game long and struggled from the field, as athletic post defenders Ivan Hrkac, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas all had their share of locking down the league's leading scorer. Without Bosh providing the offense down the stretch, it was not a wonder why the Raptors had difficulty generating their offense. "This loss is mostly on my shoulders. I should have stepped my game up when it mattered."

The Raptors actually did very well in the early going, forcing Derrick Rose into early foul trouble which saddled him throughout most of the game. The Chicago Bulls seemed to have lost thier composure on offense without their star guard, as they had 9 turnovers in the first quarter alone, but the Bulls tightened their play and only allowed 2 more afterwards. Once back-up guard Kirk Hinrich got into his groove in the third quarter, the Bulls easily erased a 10 point lead and took the lead immediately in the fourth quarter.

"A big part of the Raptors' offense came at the free throw line," Hinrich said. "Once we took that away from them in the fourth quarter it was pretty easy from then on."


An unsung hero was Bulls rookie Ivan Hrkac, as he shut down the paint in the fourth.

Notes:
-The Raptors will hope to even the score as they play the Bulls once again this week on the 24th.
-Toronto went 0/7 from beyond the arc, snapping their streak of 870 consecutive regular season games with at least one three pointer made.
-This game was huge as Chicago, Detroit and Toronto are all fighting to solidify their positions as the 6th, 7th and 8th ranked teams.

Player of the Game:

Ben Gordon
Pts - 28
Rebs - 1
Asts - 0
FG - 11/21
3ptFG - 5/6

13-13 7-17
*Click on the logos for boxscores

Carney and Terrell Come Up Big in Bosh's Absence (106-91 Raptors)

December 22, 2009

The Toronto Raptors managed to get their pay back against the Indiana Pacers despite losing Chris Bosh early in the game. Raptors head coach Jay Triano tried to shake things up on hs team by starting rookie Chuck Terrell, who made his debut a memorable one with 22 points. The biggest surprise of the night however belonged to Raptors guard Rodney Carney. Carney scored a career-high 26 points and made a season-high 6 three pointers. The Raptors, a team that usually struggles from behind the arc, jumped out to an early lead thanks to Carney's hot shooting and rallied behind his 13 points in the first quarter.

It wasn't until the second quarter when the Raptors started really rolling though. The Raps continued to ride the hot shooting of the Raptors trio of Carney, Terrell and Calderon. The third quarter was the point when the Raptors managed to extend the lead to 20 points, and the final quarter consisted of the Raptors toying with the Pacers with their reserves.

When asked about his hot shooting, Carney had difficulty explaining it himself. "It was just one of those games man," smiled Carney. "They left me open for a few posessions early on and then basket just got a lot bigger. I couldn't miss."

The Raptors victory came at a huge price though. Bosh collided in mid-air with Pacers' forward Troy Murphy at the 2:06 mark in the second quarter and landed awkwardly on his right foot after the collision. Bosh attempted to re-enter the game in the third quarter and played for 3 minutes but was forced to sit out because the pain soon became unbearable. "It was a scary moment for us," said Calderon, one of Bosh's closest friends on the team. "Every one held their breath when he limped back on to the bench."


Rodney Carney provided some much needed offense from behind the arc.

Notes:
-Toronto made a season-high 11 three pointers.
-Pacer guard Marquis Daniels is rumoured to be on the trading block in order to make room for young guards Haji Lo and Brandon Rush
-Rookie Haji Lo is the second Korean player in the NBA next to Ha Seung Jin. He sustained an arm injury after colliding with Chuck Terrell in the first quarter. Lo has averaged 6.2 points off the bench.
-After the game medical staff have confirmed that Bosh's injury is in the achilles area of the foot. The severity of the injury is yet to be known.

Player of the Game:


Rodney Carney
Pts - 26
Rebs - 3
Asts - 2
FG - 10/14
3PT - 6/7

15-12 13-14
*Click on the logos for boxscores

Bulls Bully Raptors on Christmas Eve (97-88 Bulls)

December 24, 2009

The Bulls showed that Christmas isn't necessarily a time for giving as they beat the Raptors by double digits for the second time this week. The Raptors were without ledaing scorer and all-star Chris Bosh for the first time this season, and it showed in their inconsistent play throughout the game.

In place of Bosh, the Raptors started Shawn Marion who finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Toronto got off to a solid start as usual in the first quarter, but poor offensive rhythm in the second and fourth quarters cost the Raptors the game. "We played great for quarter one and three," said Rodney Carney, who followed his career high night with another solid 18 point performance. "Whenever we got defensive stops we were successful... But in the second and fourth quarter we just looked lost out there without having Bosh to lean on."

Carney referred specifically to the first quarter when the Raptors forced 8 turnovers which accounted for 14 of the Raptors points in the opening quarter. Later in the third, the Raptors successfully contained Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, forcing the Bulls to hit only 8 of their 28 shots attempted in the quarter. The Raptors were even within striking distance mid way into the fourth quarter when they were down only 86-85. Unfortunately, the Raptors hit a dry spell while also allowing Ben Gordon to catch fire and nail back to back three pointers while managing to only score 3 points within the final 4:50 of the game.


Gordon forced the issue at times, but came up big when it mattered.

Notes:
-Chicago has been one of the more preservering teams in the league, as they clawed their way back from an 0-7 start to the season to become the 6th ranked team in hte east.
-Bosh's injury was confirmed to be a torn achilles tendon and did not dress for tonight's game.
-Raptors back-up forward Reggie Evans has yet to fully recover from his sprained finger but saw 8 minutes of action due to Bosh's injury. "Im at about 80% right now, but we need all the big bodies we can get down low to fill in for Bosh," he said.

Player of the Game:


Ivan Hrkac
Pts - 12
Rebs - 8
Asts - 0
FG - 4/7
Blks - 3

Raptor of the Week



Jose Calderon

Jose beat out a very solid Andrea Bargnani this week for Raptor of the week honours. Calderon's slow but steady improvement throughout the season thus far has churned Jose back into the lethally quiet and efficient third option that we saw a few seasons back. In addition to the sky-high shooting percentages, Calderon's distribution of the ball has been stellar. averaging just 1.5 turnovers per game and a sparkling 5.2 assist to turnover ratio for the week, we can only hope that with Bosh out Calderon can continue his efficient performance.

PPG - 16.8
RPG - 3.3
APG - 7.8
FG% - 54%
3PT% - 46%
*Note: These are only averages for the week.



Bosh Likely to Miss 4-5 Weeks
Torn Achilles Tendon Forces All-Star to Sit Out




Mike Ulmer - raptors.com
December 25, 2009




It looks like Santa left a terrible present under the tree for the Toronto Raptors this year. Raptors all-star Chris Bosh landed awkwardly in the second quarter of a blow-out victory to the Indiana Pacers this week and medical staff were quick to admit that Bosh's injury could keep him out of the lineup for at least one month. "We ran some tests immediately after the game," Bosh told the media before the Raptors' loss to the Chicago Bulls. "The trainers kind of looked at the tests and shook their head. I knew then that something was terribly wrong."

Despite the injury, Bosh did manage to hobble back on to the court during the Indiana Pacers game and played the first three minutes in the start of the third quarter. Bosh soon realized that he could barely place any weight on the foot let alone run and jump. "After we iced it a bit and gave my foot some rest I thought I was good to go," recalled Bosh. "The pain came back real quick and I just didn't have the mobility to move the way I wanted to."

This was a huge blow to the Raptors frontcourt as Reggie Evans is also still nursing a sprained thumb injury. This leaves only Andrea Bargnani, Patrick O'Bryant, Nathan Jawai and to a certain extent Shawn Marion as the only healthy big men available. Because of Bosh's inability to play, Evans has forced himself to come back a bit early to relieve some minutes at the power forward spot in place of the 6'10 forward out of Georgia Tech.

Bosh has averaged 22 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game and 1.04 blocks per game thus far this season, leaving a huge gap to fill on both offense and defense.

Last edited by Its_asdf on Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Andrew - Thanks, missing out on the playoffs is definitely not what I have in mind, especially with all of the excitement and hype in the up coming season as a Raptor fan. I also agree with the free agent logic in that it doesn't tend to be very active at all. Anthony Parker and Joey Graham are still sitting in the free agent pool this far into the season, I might need to manually dbf edit them to a team soon.

Clutch - Evans is definitely one of the "goons" on the team that keeps every one else in check; or at least that's how I usually perceive him. He's going to be 100% in a day or so, which is at least a sliver of good news in the midst of the Bosh injury.

XpLosibo - lol, I tried not to paint Bosh in a negative fashion like the media sometimes tends to do over here, but I did want to convey that there is a sense of urgency in order to get things done to make him happy.

The X - Nice of you to pop by The X! It seems like yesterday when you still had your own 2348920 page dynasty with Mickael Pietrus as the star of the team.

hova- - I'm not too sure about dealing Bosh himself. I think Colangelo's pretty adamant on trying to keep Bosh in Toronto but at the same time moves will still need to be made (referring to my dynasty, not in real life ). Stay tuned for an interesting development soon enough though.

Martti. - It would definitely make for an interesting story when that time comes. I'm not even sure if this dynasty will go on when school starts, but if I do get to the point where the off-season arrives, there will be fireworks I'm certain...

thierryhenry50 - Yeah Evans is pretty much healed... But now with Evans back in Bosh is now out... It's frustrating but at the same time I love the realism.

And thanks to everyone for the compliments towards the picture... I personally didn't find it that great, especially considering that Live '05 loses out to Live '06 when it comes to player celebrations and animations and whatnot, but I made the best of it I suppose....

Awesome Screen Shots how do you get screen shots that awesome?

It's frustrating but at the same time I love the realism.

Good. Great wins but tough losses. Grizzlies and Pacers suck

Jose's shooting percentages =

And your team seems to be banged up and hurting.

Damn.. A month without Bosh will be disastrous for the Raptors.. It's Bargs' time to shine.. And maybe O' Bryant can give you solid minutes while CB4 is out.. The chance of getting into the playoffs without Bosh is almost slim to none, thankfully its still early and you could probably make a push in the second half of the season..

Bitter week. Loosing Bosh and to the Bulls twice. Your frontcourt is really thin now. Maybe sign a big man to throw in. (only for the minimum)

This Bulls rookie is really interesting ... but what the hell, his name is Ivan hrkac and he is black?? Sounds special to me. Keep it up, Im lovin this old school 05 dynasty

Terrell and Carney were amazing against Indiana! Without Bosh it will be tough as hell. Starting Terrell and moving Marion to PF was a great move!

Ouch, Bosh out for such a long time, but I hope you can win without him too Get that playoff spot.

The X - Nice of you to pop by The X! It seems like yesterday when you still had your own 2348920 page dynasty with Mickael Pietrus as the star of the team.

I don't think Pietrus was ever the star of the team. I knew my teams were pretty bad at times, but not that bad

I hope you get to the playoffs but by chance if you don't is this a strong, very strong draft, average, weak or very weak draft?

Those games against the Bulls simply prove everything I've said about John Paxson in the last month to be 100% true.

Sorry to hear about Bosh's injury, that's a huge blow but on the plus side it keeps things interesting and forces you to make changes. I groaned when I lost Ben Gordon for 20 games in my NBA Live 06 Dynasty but on the plus side it made for an interesting couple of months and ultimately I came through it. Hopefully you'll be able to do the same.