(C)RAPTORS - Should I finish it?

Raptors Monthly Recap: January 2009

Toronto, ON - January was by far the best month of the season to date for our Toronto Raptors. If not for an embarrassing home loss at the hands of the lottery-bound Charlotte Bobcats, they would have gone undefeated for the month.

The new year opened with a low-scoring overtime win in Philadelphia, coming off a trade that brought in three new Raptors. They followed this up by returning to Canada to beat the Hornets by ten, as Jose Calderon outplayed rival point guard Chris Paul. Toronto made a trip to Minnesota two days later, and made quick work of the home team Timberwolves, blowing them out. This was followed by another blowout, this time a home victory against the perennially pathetic New York Knicks, which put their winning streak at 5.

The streak unexpectedly ended when the lottery bound Bobcats upset them at the Air Canada Centre 90-86, led by Gerald Wallace's huge game. The Raptors redeemed themselves however, by defeating the Phoenix Suns 100-93 in the final game of January. They finished the month with a 10-6 record, good for the third seed in the East, and the Atlantic Division lead. Chris Bosh has continued to improve as the season progresses, and averaged 20-10 during the month. Andrea Bargnani is making a series case for the Most Improved Player Award, with a pair of 25 point games, and Jose Calderon has been trying to assert himself as the best point guard in the Eastern Conference.

Raptors 91, Sixers 86 (OT) | Bosh: 15/18/6; Iguodala: 23/13/10 [RECORD: 6-5]
Hornets 95, Raptors 105 | Calderon: 16/4/10; Paul: 17/4/7 [RECORD: 7-5]
Raptors 107, Timberwolves 91 | Bosh: 25/10/6; Jefferson: 12/14/3 [RECORD: 8-5]
Knicks 94, Raptors 113 | Bargnani: 25/8/2; Lee: 13/15/4 [RECORD: 9-5]
Bobcats 90, Raptors 86 | Wallace: 29/8/5; Bosh: 22/8/4 [RECORD: 9-6]
Suns 93, Raptors 100 | Bosh: 22/14/3; Nash: 25/1/7 [RECORD: 10-6]

Home: 6-3 (3-1); Away: 4-3 (2-0); Overall: 10-6 (5-1)

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic----------------------Central-------------------Southeast
TOR 10-6----------------------CLE 14-1--------------------MIA 11-5
BOS 8-7-----------------------CHI 9-6--------------------ATL 8-7
NJN 9-8-----------------------IND 7-6--------------------ORL 9-8
PHI 9-9-----------------------DET 6-8--------------------CHA 6-9
NYK 4-14-----------------------MIL 8-11-------------------WAS 9-13

Western Conference Standings:

Pacific---------------------Northwest-----------------Southwest
LAL 13-5--------------------OKC 8-6---------------------HOU 13-5
PHX 11-8---------------------DEN 8-10---------------------DAL 8-7
GSW 7-6---------------------MIN 7-9---------------------SAS 8-10
SAC 9-8---------------------POR 7-10---------------------NOH 7-11
LAC 2-11---------------------UTA 7-11----------------------MEM 6-14

League Leaders

Points Per Game:
1. James (CLE): 28.2
2. Bryant (LAL): 27.1
3. Nowitzki (DAL): 26.8
4. Durant (OKC): 26.0
5. Wade (MIA): 25.7
28. Bosh (TOR): 18.2

Rebounds Per Game:
1. Howard (ORL): 11.5
3. Chandler (NOH): 11.1
3. Stoudemire (PHX): 11.0
4. Jefferson (MIN): 10.7
5. Duncan (SAS): 10.4
9. Bosh (TOR): 10.0

Assists Per Game:
1. Nash (PHX): 10.8
2. Williams (UTA): 10.5
3. Paul (NOH): 9.7
4. Billups (DEN): 9.0
5. Miller (PHI): 8.4
7. Calderon (TOR): 8.0

Steals Per Game:
1. Paul (NOH): 2.6
2. James (CLE): 2.3
3. Ginobili (SAS): 2.1
4. Robinson (NYK): 2.0
5. Bryant (LAL): 1.8
23. Calderon (TOR): 1.4

Blocks Per Game:
1. Duncan (SAS): 3.2
2. Howard (ORL): 3.1
3. Chandler (NOH): 2.8
4. Yao (HOU): 2.7
5. Kirilenko (UTA): 2.5
44. Marion (TOR): 1.2

Field Goal Percentage:
1. Kapono (TOR): .582
2. Nene (DEN): .577
3. Curry (NYK): .570
4. S. O'Neal (PHX): .564
5. D. Howard (ORL): .559

Three-Point Percentage:
1. Scalabrine (BOS): .647
2. House (BOS): .625
3. Belinelli (GSW): .591
4. Kapono (TOR): .582
5. Nelson (ORL): .570

Free Throw Percentage:

1. Stojakovic (NOH): .968
2. Allen (BOS): .960
3. Nowitzki (DAL): .954
4. Calderon (TOR): .948
5. Nash (PHX): .945

Your team record is looking better than at the end of last month! Keep it up. And the sim engine sucks because Bosh cant even get to 20ppg.

great job getting the Division lead you could make a big splash in the playoffs if you keep this up!

3-point percentage leaders

Great job Lamrock.

Nice. I love how you do the recaps.

Chris Bosh Named An All-Star Reserve

February 10, 2009 | Sports | NBA | All-Star 2009

Toronto, ON - For the fourth consecutive year, Chris Bosh will be named an all-star reserve. After narrowly being edged out by Dwight Howard for a starting spot, Bosh was, as expected, voted into the game as a reserve.

Bosh, 24, has had yet another strong season for the Atlantic Division leading Raptors, averaging 19.2 points and 9.7 boards per game, along with a career high 3.5 assists. "He totally deserves it," commented teammate Jose Calderon, considered by some to be a snub. "Yeah, I was a little disappointed to miss out again, but what matters is winning games, and there is always next year," Calderon said about not being voted in. Calderon has averaged 12.5 points and 8 assists per game this season.

The Western Conference starting five will consist of Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Yao Ming. Bryant led all West players in voting with just over two million. The Eastern starting five will be Gilbert Arenas, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. LeBron led all players with 2.8 million votes.

Several players will be making first time appearances in the game. The Eastern Conference sees high flying pocket dynamo and Most Improved Player frontrunner Nate Robinson, star Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala and Pacers superstar forward Danny Granger making the cut for the first time. Meanwhile, Grizzlies star Rudy Gay, Timberwolves big man Al Jefferson and superstar Jazz point guard Deron Williams will be making their first all-star appearances for the West.

The entire 2009 NBA All-Star Game Rosters are as follows:

Western Conference:

PG - Chris Paul | Hornets | Second Appearance
SG - Kobe Bryant | Lakers | Eleventh Appearance
SF - Carmelo Anthony | Nuggets | Third Appearance
PF - Dirk Nowitzki | Mavericks | Eighth Appearance
C - Yao Ming | Rockets | Seventh Appearance
----------
G - Chauncey Billups | Nuggets | Fourth Appearance
G - Brandon Roy | Blazers | Second Appearance
G - Deron Williams | Jazz | First Appearance
G - Tracy McGrady | Rockets | Eighth Appearance
F - Rudy Gay | Grizzlies | First Appearance
F - Tim Duncan | Spurs | Eleventh Appearance
C - Al Jefferson | Timberwolves | First Appearance

Eastern Conference

PG - Gilbert Arenas | Wizards | Fourth Appearance
SG - Dwyane Wade | Heat | Fifth Appearance
SF - LeBron James | Cavaliers | Fifth Appearance
PF - Kevin Garnett | Celtics | Twelfth Appearance
C - Dwight Howard | Magic | Third Appearance
----------
G - Nate Robinson | Knicks | First Appearance
G - Joe Johnson | Hawks | Third Appearance
G - Michael Redd | Bucks | Second Appearance
F - Andre Iguodala | 76ers | First Appearance
F - Rashard Lewis | Magic | Second Appearance
F - Danny Granger | Pacers | First Appearance
C - Chris Bosh | Raptors | Fourth Appearance

I noticed your playing Bosh at C rather than Bargnani. Maybe playing him at PF could get his numbers up? Anyway, nice to see CB4 making the All-Star Team. Both teams have a lot of young stars. The Robinson selection shocks me, but I guess he must be killing it in NY. I think the East will take it this ASW since the West has way too many guards. And I don't mean to sound like a stubborn Suns fan but, no Amare or Shaq?

Actually, Bosh gets better stats at Center. He was averaging 13 and 8 before I made the switch and now he's almost a 20-10 player again. Nate the great was a surprise, but his stats are pretty strong. His overall rating in the game is 85 and I forgot to edit it down. Oh well. No Amare, Shaq or Nash this time around. Nash is putting up all-star numbers, but so are the four guards in front of him, while Amare and Shaq are underachieving.

All-Star Game recap up next. Stay tuned.

Can't wait hard to predict who'll win although i think it's gonna be the western all-stars

East cruising to a landslide victory

LeBron Wins Second Straight All-Star MVP As East Defeats West

February 22, 2009 | Eastern Conference All-Stars (35-23) @ Western Conference All-Stars (23-35)

Taking place in Phoenix, it is a surprise that no Suns were voted in to the 59th NBA All-Star game. Nonetheless, it was a great day for Phoenix basketball fans, as it was an exciting game from start to finish. Cleveland's LeBron James scored an amazing 42 points en route to the second straight Eastern Conference win, and his second straight All-Star MVP.

The first quarter was standard all-star fare. Chris Paul alley-ooping it to everybody, LeBron James slamming it down and Tim Duncan playing basketball. The West finished the first period with a 34-30 lead, with Kobe Bryant hitting a buzzer-beater from half-court. The second quarter was more of the same, with the East never quite getting the lead. LeBron posterized Duncan on one end, while Duncan sunk a bank shot on the other. The West was up seven at the half, with LeBron James being the leading scorer with 18, while Kobe Bryant led the West with 14.

The West's lead grew in the third, prompting East All-Stars coach Mike Brown to take a timeout. This led to a 21-4 run giving the East their first lead since the first quarter. The score was 96-91 East going into the fourth. In the final period of play, LeBron exploded, scoring 17 of his 42 points, leading the East to a 131-122 victory. James was named MVP of the game, finishing with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.



LeBron became the first player since Bob Pettit in 1959 to win back-to-back All-Star game MVP's. West coach Phil Jackson referred to LeBron as "probably the best player in the world right now", prompting Kobe Bryant to demand a trade, which he rescinded three hours later. Hornets guard Chris Paul has a great game for the West, scoring 22 points, dishing 14 assists and getting 6 steals. "Its good to get away from the awful season the Hornets have been enduring. Even though we lost, it was still the best game of the season for me," commented Paul in the postgame interview.

Also having a noteworthy game was Raptor big man Chris Bosh, who had a double double with 17 and 12. The littlest all-star Nate Robinson scored 11 points, while fellow first-timers Andre Iguodala and Danny Granger had 8 and 4 respectively. Deron Williams established himself as the poor man's CP3 with 11 points and 5 assists, while fellow first timer Al Jefferson had 8 and 11 and Rudy Gay was the only scoreless player in the game. This East win makes the overall score East 36, West 23.

East 30 32 34 35 131
West 34 35 22 31 122

All-Star MVP: LeBron James (CLE): 42 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 5 Steals, 16-28 FG

Noteworthy Performances:

Eastern Conference All-Stars:

Chris Bosh (TOR): 17 Points, 12 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Dwyane Wade (MIA): 13 Points, 6 Assists, 4 Steals
Dwight Howard: (ORL): 12 Points, 12 Rebounds, 4 Blocks
Nate Robinson (NYK): 11 Points, 4 Assists, 3 Steals
Gilbert Arenas (WAS): 9 Points, 6 Assists
Andre Iguodala (PHI): 8 Points
Kevin Garnett (BOS): 5 Points, 6 Rebounds
Joe Johnson (ATL): 5 Points, 3 Assists
Danny Granger (IND): 4 Points, 3 Rebounds
Rashard Lewis (ORL): 3 Points
Michael Redd (MIL): 2 Points

Western Conference All-Stars:

Chris Paul (NOH): 22 Points, 14 Assists, 6 Steals
Kobe Bryant (LAL): 21 Points, 6 Rebounds
Carmelo Anthony (DEN): 16 Points, 5 Rebounds
Brandon Roy (POR): 13 Points, 4 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Deron Williams (UTA): 11 Points, 5 Assists
Al Jefferson (MIN): 8 Points, 11 Rebounds
Tracy McGrady (HOU): 8 Points
Chauncey Billups (DEN): 7 Points, 4 Assists
Tim Duncan (SAS): 6 Points, 8 Rebounds
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): 6 Points, 4 Rebounds
Yao Ming (HOU): 4 Points, 5 Rebounds, 3 Blocks
Rudy Gay (MEM): 0 Points, 2 Rebounds

U made my boy Kobe sound bad man.

And Bosh looks like an old old man.

LOL at Kobe demanding a trade.

Wow! 42 points from The King!

What a game by the King. Bosh was good too

That's why we call him the King,Kobe demanding a trade what happened to him?

you also made my man CP3 sound bad....but nice game, hopefully after this All Star Break your Raptors can keep up the good pace and continue to roll!

Raptors Defeat Nets Behind Bosh's Monster Game

February 24, 2009 | Raptors [12-7] @ Nets [10-12]

East Rutherford, NJ - The New Jersey Nets came into this game knowing it was a must-win. With a 10-12 record, they were just a game and a half behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth and final seed in the playoffs. The Toronto Raptors came into the game on a two game winning streak, and apt to break the hearts of the near-twenty thousand fans packed into the Izod Center.

The game started with both teams scoring at will and the Raptors in control. Though the Raptors only finished the first period up 4, they should have been up by more. New Jersey got their act together in the second quarter, locking down on defense, but failed to ever take the lead. Toronto went into halftime leading 46-42. However, the game didn't start until the third.

Opening the quarter with a pair of Bobby Simmons threes, the home team took their first lead of the game and got the home crowd back into it. Vince Carter began to light up his former team, but after one taunt too many, the Raptors had had enough. Down 60-54, Toronto finished the quarter scoring eleven straight points to take the lead and the momentum going into the final quarter of play.



The backcourt tandem of Vince Carter and Devin Harris kept the Nets in the game for the first half of the fourth quarter, but then sharpshooter Jason Kapono came off the bench, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the final period. The Raptors ended up cruising to a 93-80 victory, vaulting them to second place in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Nets loss sets them back to a 10-13 record, 2 games worse than the Magic.

Chris Bosh had a superstar night with 27 points and 11 rebounds, to lead his team. Vince Carter led his with 21 points of his own. Bosh was very happy about the win, citing the Nets as the Raptors' "biggest enemies" and a potential first round matchup. While its doubtful that the Nets will end up the seventh seed (or higher) after this loss, this victory was still a tremendous one for the 13-7 Raptors.

TOR 29 17 19 28 93
NJN 25 17 18 20 80

Player of the game: Chris Bosh (TOR): 27 Points, 11 Rebounds, 3 Assists

Noteworthy Performances:

Raptors:

Jason Kapono: 21 Points
Jose Calderon: 10 Points, 10 Assists, 3 Rebounds
Andrea Bargnani: 12 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Blocks
Shawn Marion: 7 Points, 11 Rebounds

Nets:

Vince Carter: 21 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Devin Harris: 15 Points, 8 Assists, 4 Rebounds
Brook Lopez: 16 Points, 7 Rebounds
Bobby Simmons: 13 Points, 3-3 3PT
Yi Jianlian: 8 Points, 6 Rebounds

Raptors Monthly Recap: February 2009

Toronto, ON - With a 3-1 February, the Raptors continue to exceed expectations following last season's disappointingly mediocre campaign. With a 13-7 record, the Raptors now have a 1.5 game hold on the Atlantic Division and is in second place in the Eastern Conference with nine games to go.

The month didn't start off so hot as the Raptors lost to the league-best Cavaliers in Cleveland 112-101. LeBron James scoring 37 points raised a question about the Raptors defense. Thankfully, the Raptors were playing the Michael Redd-led Bucks next, and were able to pick up an easy victory there. Then, the Clippers came to town, giving Toronto an automatic win, and letting Chris Bosh only play 21 minutes. Canada's team finished off the month strong with a win over former Raptor Vince Carter and the New Jersey nets.

The Raptors are now 8-2 in the year 2009 and are arguably the second hottest team in the league. Their schedule will ramp up in difficulty next month with a long Western Conference road trip, but it looks like the Raptors will likely be the 2009 Atlantic Division champions. Whether they finish 2nd, 3rd of 4th in the East is the question.

Raptors 101, Cavaliers 112 | James: 37/9/4; Bosh: 29/10/2 [RECORD: 10-7]
Bucks 93, Raptors 109 | Calderon: 18/3/12; Jefferson: 23/2/3 [RECORD: 11-7]
Clippers 76, Raptors 90 | Calderon: 13/3/8; Camby: 9/12/3 [RECORD: 12-7]
Raptors 93, Nets 80 | Bosh: 27/11/3; Carter: 21/5/4 [RECORD: 13-7]

Home: 8-3 (2-0); Away: 5-4 (1-1); Overall: 13-7 (3-1)

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic----------------------Central-------------------Southeast
TOR 13-7----------------------CLE 18-1--------------------MIA 14-8
PHI 12-9-----------------------IND 11-6--------------------ATL 9-8
BOS 13-10-----------------------CHI 10-8--------------------ORL 10-9
NJN 10-13-----------------------DET 8-9--------------------CHA 8-12
NYK 4-17-----------------------MIL 9-15-------------------WAS 10-17

Western Conference Standings:

Pacific---------------------Northwest-----------------Southwest
LAL 15-6--------------------DEN 13-11---------------------HOU 17-7
SAC 13-10---------------------OKC 10-9---------------------DAL 13-8
PHX 12-10---------------------POR 11-12---------------------SAS 9-12
GSW 8-12---------------------MIN 10-13---------------------NOH 8-14
LAC 4-16---------------------UTA 9-12----------------------MEM 7-17

Playoff Picture

(1) Lakers [15-6] Vs. (8) Blazers [11-12]
(4) Nuggets [13-11] Vs. (5) Kings [13-10]
(3) Mavericks [13-8] Vs. (6) Suns [12-10]
(2) Rockets [17-7] Vs. (7) Thunder [10-9]

(1) Cavaliers [18-1] Vs. (8) Hawks [9-8]
(4) Heat [14-8] Vs. (5) 76ers [12-9]
(3) Pacers [11-6] Vs. (6) Celtics [13-10]
(2) Raptors [13-7] Vs. (7) Bulls [10-8]

League Leaders

Points Per Game:
1. James (CLE): 30.3
2. Bryant (LAL): 28.7
3. Nowitzki (DAL): 27-1
4. Wade (MIA): 26.6
5. Durant (OKC): 26.4
18. Bosh (TOR): 19.5

Rebounds Per Game:
1. Howard (ORL): 11.8
2. Jefferson (MIN): 11.4
3. Chandler (NOH): 10.4
4. Stoudemire (PHX): 10.2
5. Boozer (UTA): 10.1
7. Bosh (TOR): 9.9

Assists Per Game:
1. Williams (UTA): 11.0
2. Nash (PHX): 9.6
3. Paul (NOH): 9.2
4. Billups (DEN): 8.5
5. Calderon (TOR): 8.4

Steals Per Game:
1. Paul (NOH): 2.9
2. James (CLE): 2.4
3. Bryant (LAL): 2.1
4. Artest (HOU): 1.9
5. Westbrook (OKC): 1.8
23. Parker (TOR): 1.5

Blocks Per Game:
1. Duncan (SAS): 2.9
2. Howard (ORL): 2.6
3. Yao (HOU): 2.5
4. Kirilenko (UTA): 2.4
5. Smith (ATL): 2.2
36. Bargnani (TOR): 1.4

Field Goal Percentage:
1. Nene (DEN): .582
2. Curry (NYK): .568
3. D. Howard (ORL): .565
4. Kapono (TOR): .564
5. S. O'Neal (PHX): .560


Three-Point Percentage:
1. Scalabrine (BOS): .613
2. Webster (POR): .592
3. House (BOS): .587
4. Kapono (TOR): .570
5. Wafer (HOU): .550

Free Throw Percentage:

1. Stojakovic (NOH): .960
2. Allen (BOS): .955
3. Calderon (TOR): .953
5. Nowitzki (DAL): .945
5. Nash (PHX): .941

Race To The MVP

1. LeBron James (CLE): 30.3/7.6/7.4 (Cavaliers: 18-1) - LeBron James will be the 2009 MVP. He has the stats, he has the team and the Cavs are looking on the verge of a dynasty. Even if LeBron goes scoreless in the last 10 games, and Cleveland loses every single one, he will probably still win this award.

2. Kobe Bryant (LAL): 28.7/4.0/5.4 (Lakers: 15-6) - Kobe will not be a back-to-back MVP, but the Lakers star is having a nearly identical season to last year's MVP campaign. The Lakers are #1 in the West, and he is the second best player in the NBA.

3. Dwyane Wade (MIA): 26.6/4.6/7.2 (Heat: 14-8) - The Heat are a mere 1.4% behind the Raptors for second place in the Eastern Conference, and look to be the only team to post more wins in this 29 game season, than in last year's 82 game year. Wade is lighting up the scoreboard, and the Hear are a contender again.

4. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): 27.1/8.6/3.6 (Mavericks: 13-8) - Don't look now, but the Mavericks are quietly #3 in the Western Conference and could be a sleeper team this year. Dirk continues to put up dominant stats as always.

5. Chris Bosh (TOR): 19.5/9.9/3.3 (Raptors: 13-7) - Chris Bosh started off the season slow, but is now claiming his spot as the best big man in the Eastern Conference (Dwight Howard is having an off year). Bosh and the Raptors have the fourth best record in the NBA, and threaten to make some noise these playoffs.

6. Chauncey Billups (DEN): 19.7/5.1/9.5 (Nuggets: 13-11) - Chauncey's status as an MVP candidate has been a subject of great discussion in NBA circles. he has been undoubtably the best point guard in the league this year, and is putting up career stats. However, the Nuggets are just 13-11 and are not even a guarantee to make the playoffs.

7. Danny Granger (IND): 25.9/6.8/2.5 (Pacers: 11-6) - The Pacers have been a shocking revelation this season, currently holding the third seed in the East, and are a fraction of a percent out of second place. Danny Granger is an MIP candidate and has established himself as a legitimate star in this league.

8. Steve Nash (PHX): 19.4/3.0/9.6 (Suns: 12-10) - The Suns aren't having the best season, but Nash has kept them afloat and is posting similar numbers to his second MVP season. Nash will likely be overlooked for MVP consideration this season, much like Billups.

9. Kevin Durant (OKC): 26.4/5.2/4.5 (Thunder: 10-9) - The Thunder started out the season so hot, shocking the league with a 7-2 record, and holding the Northwest Division lead. Since then, the nonics have gone 3-7, and could miss the playoffs. Nonetheless, Durant was an all-star snub and is putting up huge numbers.

10. Dwight Howard (ORL): 17.9/11.8/1.8 (Magic: 10-9) - Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic have taken a large step backwards this season. Howard still leads the league in rebounding, but the Magic are currently out of the playoff picture, and will need Dwight Howard to take it to the next level if they want to do anything this year.

Outside Looking In: Yao (HOU); Roy (POR); Johnson (ATL); McGrady (HOU); Martin (SAC)

Good win over the Nets Cavs 18-1!

Your team record looks a lot better at 13-7

2008-09 Second Trimester Player Evaluations

The Good:



Chris Bosh - 19.5/9.9/3.3/0.9/1.0 - Bosh has continued to play excellent ball following his poor November performances. He now averages just under 20 and 10, and is an MVP candidate. Bosh has been the catalyst of the Raptors' surprising success.

Jose Calderon - 12.4/2.3/8.4/1.4/0.0 - Calderon has continued to put up stellar numbers, and has likely put the rumors of a Steve Nash or Ricky Rubio coming to Toronto to rest. Calderon has put up borderline all-star numbers, and has been a huge part of the Raptors' 8-2 record for 2009.

Andrea Bargnani - 14.7/5.3/1.0/0.5/1.4 - With the emergence of Nate Robinson, Bargnani probably won't be in serious consideration for the Most Improved Player Award. Nonetheless, he has proven to be a solid second option, and is shedding the bust label he received last year. Bargnani is knocked for his defense, but he is leading the team in blocks this year.

Jason Kapono - 11.8/1.7/2.3/0.6/0.2 - Kapono has been kapwning teams all season long with his deadly shooting stroke and scoring ability off the bench. In just under 25 minutes a night, Kapono has been the most efficient scorer for the Raptors and leads the league in true shooting percentage. Kapono could very well put Marion and/or Parker out of a job with his play.

The Decent:



Shawn Marion - 11.4/5.9/0.8/1.3/1.0 - Marion's play has declined in every possible way this season, and Jason Kapono's minutes are starting to eclipse Marion's. Marion probably won't be back next season, but could be included in a sign-and-trade. Hard to imagine the 30 year old Marion having too much value now though.

Anthony Parker - 10.8/2.8/3.0/1.5/0.1 - Parker has been pretty solid as a starting shooting guard this season, but with Kapono's superior play, it is starting to resemble Dahntay Jones and Antoine Wright's starting spots on the Nuggets and Mavericks. He does lead the team in steals for some reason.

Jarrett Jack - 5.4/1.6/1.5/0.4/0.0 - Jarrett Jack doesn't average very many assists for a point guard, and hasn't played particularly well in any facet for the Raptors. However, as a backup point guard, Jack has done everything expected of him.

Darius Miles - 3.6/1.3/0.4/0.2/0.5 - Miles has been a pleasant surprise for the Raptors. He plays under ten minutes a game, but he shoots an efficient .525 from the field, and is a solid defender. He could end up being resigned instead of Marion this offseason.

Jeff Foster - 2.4/3.7/1.8/0.2/0.3 - Foster was brought in to come off the bench for 10-15 minutes to grab rebounds, and thats pretty much what he has done. He also shoots 51%, so he can't really be faulted.

The Bad:



Steve Francis - 3.1/1.2/1.2/0.3/0.0 - Francis has been nothing but filler so far, as he averages a pedestrian 3 points in 8 minutes a game. He shoots a subpar 41% from the field, but at least he has been better than his former backcourt partner Stephon Marbury has for the Celtics

Jake Voskuhl - 0.9/1.2/0.3/0.0/0.1 - Voskuhl has only played in eight games this season, and 3 of them were Marios. On the bright side, at least he doesn't average a Voskuhl

Nathan Jawai - 0.5/0.3/0.0/0.0/0.1 - Same case as Voskuhl, except he plays even less. His six fouls will be useful if they play the Magic in the playoffs though.

*Adrian Griffin and Patrick O'Bryant have yet to play a game this season

Play Jawii! He is a beast!

Lol I love those new basketball words... "Mario" "Voskuhl"

Sit, Yep. That one guy who was a scout or something slated him as the next Dwight Howard!

thierryhenry50, I'll keep 'em coming!