Blazers vs Raptors - Preview
Ezra Ace Caraeff | Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 8:16AM 
Well, it could be worse—the Blazers could have paid $60 million for Hedo Turkoglu. In a season that has featured wildly inconsistent play, shattered ligaments, and enough heartbreak and drama to fill a teenager’s livejournal entry, the only given is that all Blazers fans can say, with great confidence and relief, well at least they didn’t sign Hedo.
Turkoglu has became the albatross dangling from Toronto’s neck (and payroll), a 12 point a game scorer that will only get worse with age and whose season highlight came with a now infamous one word answer during a post-game interview. He won’t wear a protective mask that the team requires of him and he has distracted the media’s attention away from an otherwise excellent Raptors team. He’s everything Portland wanted to avoid and more.
Unfortunately for a Blazers team that made things uncomfortably close against the lowly Nets, the Raptors are about more than the Turkish Jordan. Chris Bosh is game time decision with an ankle injury, a status he shares with Marcus Camby. The Raptors might not even need Bosh, having just won a pair of games (albeit against New Jersey and Washington) with their superstar on the bench picking out condos in Miami (or New York) for next season. Toronto is far from flashy but the have solid depth—hence winning when Boshless—and a dependable selection of role players from Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan, and Mr. Step-Out-of-Bounds-While-Shooting-a-Three himself, Jarrett Jack. While Jack lost his job to just about everyone during his stay in Portland, his numbers this year aren’t too far from Andre Miller’s line.
We’ll save some of the Raptors talk until later in the day when we’ll post a great interview with Sam Holako from Raptors Republic, who guarantees Chris Bosh will be on that team next year. See? That’s what we professionals call a teaser.
Tip-off: 4pm
TV: Comcast
Las Vegas Line: -3
Reader Comments (9)
You sound pretty convinced that Bosh is leaving the Raptors. why would he go from a winning team up in Canada to a lottery team like NY, when even Bosh and Lebron have both said they wont accept anything but the max contract, and that Lebron doesnt want to be second fiddle. They couldn't sign two marquee agents AND win. It's highly unlikely, says Bosh himself if you read the article on NBA.com yesterday.
Just go finished watching Bosh's dvd and he loves Toronto and wants to establish a legacy, not flounder in NY. Just saying.
Why on earth would Bosh want to leave $30 million and risk going to a potentially worse situation? By all on the record accounts (and that's all anyone can really go by), he loves being Toronto's number 1 guy and if everything falls into place - namely Colangelo offering him the max - he wants to be with the Raptors for at least one more term.
In fact, when has any NBA star ever left $30 million on the table? Maybe Shaq when he took off for L.A.
There's no precedence for anyone leaving that much money, while a sign and trade is easier said than done without gutting the other team. Based on history and all the hard evidence, everyone should expect each of the big 3 to stay with their respective teams. Everything else, such as this article, is just bogus speculation with absolutely ZERO to back it up. Bad writing, boys.
Yeah, I was just joking. I don't think Bosh is going anywhere.
Did anyone mention that Bosh probably won't leave Toronto, yet?
LOL
Not yet. Let me be the first to address the elephant in the room.
Bosh is staying with his current team.
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