Utah Jazz A Litmus Test for The Raptors

Tonight's game against the Uath Jazz is a litmus test for the Raptors. After a grind it out victory versus the 76ers, the Toronto Raptors came out with their best display of this young season with an absolute thrashing of the Chicago Bulls. But the Utah Jazz pose some interesting matchups. At 6-2, the Jazz are buitl similarly to the Raptors with some diverse big men in Kirilenko, and Boozer, an oversized shooter in Okur . They have a wide array of shooters, have a strong bench, and like to keep the ball moving up tempo. If Chris Bosh can neutralize the play of the Utah big men, then the game will come down to a showdown of guards and the bench, which is a battle the Raptors can definitely win. Either way, at 8 games into the season, and after a few days to rest their legs, tonight we will have a vison of how the Raptors can shape up against an upper echelon western conference foe.

Colts Lose but Chargers Still Going Downhill

Adam Vinateri, the rock, can’t get it done for the colts. He like, Vanderjagt joins the ranks of Indy kickers you can’t get it done for Peyton Manning and the Colts when they need them most. The Colts however will be fine, assuming they can get healthy, and are still due to battle the New England Patriots in the adjusted Super Bowl. The Sandiego Chargers however still seem to be traveling in a different direction. Although they pulled out a win to remain atop the worst division in the AFC, Norv Turner still has his team spinning downward. Tonight’s match up remained me of a Pats vs. Dolphins battle from a few years back in Foxborough. The only differences were instead of snow we had rain, and instead of an Adam Vinateri field goal we had an uncharacteristic miss. But the plot is the same. Like Wanstaat’s Dolphins Norv Turner was backed up to his own goaline at a critical juncture in the game. Like the Dolphin's Ricky Williams, the Chargers have a superior Running Back in Ladanian Tomlinson, and like Wanstaat, for some unknown reason, Turner calls for Rivers to drop back and pass. The result is the same, a defensive touchdown and a turning point in the game. Tuner’s saving grace thus far in Sandiego is that his entire division has collapsed and his team is so talented they refuse to be basement dwellers. But it is too tough for an NFL team to succeed when they have to overcome the adversity of poor play calling in addition to the normal rigors of the NFL

Ravens Hit Rock Bottom

The Baltimore Ravens have officially lost my respect as they consistently make the worst personnel and coaching errors on the Offensive side of the ball. It seems like they don’t want to contend, as after every year they are a contender and need only some minor tweaking, they go and blow there whole offense up again and sink to the bottom. Consider that after their Superbowl year, they replace their quarter back and have struggled for stability there since the Trent Dilfer Era ended until Mcnair was picked up last season. And then, after reemerging as a ball control and defensive powerhouse based on timely plays from Steve Mcnair and power running form Jamal Lewis, they decide to get rid of Jamal and go with Willis Mgahee, who fits into the Baltimore scheme like a square peg in a round whole. Incidentally, Jamal seems to have been a great addition to the thriving offence in Cleveland. Hmmmm….interesting how that works.

Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns Playing Sound Football

After 10 weeks of the NFL season, The Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns have finally earned my respect as the solid football teams they are touted to be.

The Dallas Cowboys are clearly the class of an all be it weak NFC, but are the class none the less. With a sound, all around performance on both sides of the ball today against the surging New York Giants, they remain u undefeated within their division and conference, with their only defeat to the AFC powerhouse Randy Moss and the New England Patriots. Tony Romo ran a balanced offensive attack, using his legs to by time, and calculatingly spreading the ball around to all receivers and handing off to his two star backs. The effective balance inevitably allowed Terrell Owens to break free for two big scores in the 4th quarter. On the other side of the ball, the Dallas defense swarmed Eli Manning and receivers, demonstrating that defensively they are capable of shutting down the upper echelon of NFC offences. It appears that the Cowboys are on pace for an NFC conference final with the Greenbay Packers, who with an identical record and lead by a living, playing legend in Brett Farve, are looking incredibly solid.

The Cleveland Browns, although in a losing effort, showed today that they can score with the best of them in the NFC. Jumping out to an early lead against a very stiff Pittsburgh Defense, and putting up 28 total points although they still have kinks to work out defensively to be considered with the best. The play of young upstart Derek Anderson is sure to keep Brady Quinn on the bench, as the combination from Anderson to Braylen Edwards is proving to be one of the most effective in the league. And with a powerful back in Jamal Lewis, who still has plenty of tread on the tires, the Browns could contend for a wild card, and be formidable down the stretch for any opponent.

Raptors On The Way Up

The Raptors fast paced 2 and 0 start filled Raptor Land with excitement and optimism. The ensuing poor shooting three game losing streak caused some anger and pessimism. But after watching the Raptors tough out their 2nd victory of the season over the 76ers, I think the truth is the Raptors are right where they should be, and are on the way up.

The onset of every season brings ups and downs, and young teams generally play harder out of the gate than veterans trying to find their legs. And team strategies/game speeds tend to even out around the 10th to 15th game. So there is no real concern about dropping a few and going hot/cold in the early goings. And in spite of the Raptors up and down performances, game six showcased an extra intangible most criticize the raps for lacking…tough defense down the stretch.

The mysterious Jamario Moon showed tremendous athleticism in pestering Igoudala down the stretch, showcasing another depth the Raptor bench can reach. And Star Chris Bosh gave his first pumped up fist pump of the season after a big time block on Andre Miller. The incredible part of this block was Bosh fell for the pump fake, then landed, and got right back up in time to swat the ball away. Then, after the struggling Delfino missed two from the charity stripe, Bosh managed to grab the offensive board, and seal the game with a free throw of his own.

The Raptors then carried the momentum from this tough win with a solid balanced performance tonight against the bulls, improving their record to 4 -3.

NBA Preview

Here is a comprehensive NBA preview written by the Red Headed Scoring Machine , Chris Craxton.

Atlanta: Not signing either of the Josh's (Childress & Smith) to extensions was questionable. However Atlanta will have good salary cap flexibility next summer and is probably hoping to make a big splash. Team will again be athletic and fun, but with no significant additions can be counted on to be amongst the bottom third of the league again.

Boston: Boston's got the best big three in the league. Period. By a huge margin. All of these guys have been, and still are, all-star caliber players. But Rondo? Rondo?? Are you serious?? Danny Ainge has done a good job of making this team look good enough but thats about it. Does anyone these days still think you can win a championship with zero depth? Not only that but Boston has pretty much no young, developing talent or salary cap flexibility for the future (which looks bleak in the post-Garnett era). Way to go Danny, way to go.

Charlotte: Another young, interesting team. Interesting not from the point of view that they'll shake things up this year (because they won't) but because they will continue to remain a bottom feeder for yet another year. And Okafor turning down $13 million a season? Are you kidding me?

Chicago: Good. Really good. Great young solid core with Ben Wallace anchoring them down low. One beef: Joakim Noah?? They needed low post scoring and they got the reincarnation of Anderson Verajao (seriously, check out the hair). Kid's gonna have to prove himself. Look for the Windy City to hit the 50-win plateau this season.

Cleveland: Ok so no one gave a damn about Pavlovic and Verajao until they refused to sign and everyone suddenly noticed that Cleveland had no one else. Let's face it, this team is LeBron James. The Cavs are gonna have to put some more talent around the King if they expect to repeat last season's success, let alone win it all.

Dallas: What can I say about this team? Dirk is unstoppable (unless you're Stephen Jackson and Don Nelson of course). They are a winning machine. They added Eddie Jones and Juwan Howard which will give a boost to their bench and provide a great veteran presence. Will be ridiculously good again, but the question remains: Can Dirk lead them to the Championship?

Denver: My man Eddie Johnson over at HoopsHype says he doesn't think the team meshes well and may be prone to a few losing streaks here and there. I agree. However their talent is undeniable. The health and productivity of the front line may very well determine their season. This team will be a huge question mark throughout the season and a dangerous dark-horse come playoff time.

Detroit: Rasheed Wallace needs to shut his mouth. I know he likes to try and rev up the Pistons by running his mouth, but there is no conspiracy. LeBron was out of this world, get over it. Detroit will be good again, no doubt there, but they need C-Webb back. I know he's got zero hops and isn't what he used to be, but he is still big, still a great passer and still a great shooter. They'll make their run.

Golden State: This team is completely insane. But you know teams are afraid of them either because of what they did to the Mavericks or because you know Stephen Jackson is packing heat. To be honest I think they'll be good if they can remain focused. Good enough to scare the Mavericks anyways.

Houston: Would you want to guard Yao or McGrady? Me neither. And so far, they both look good. I think if Rick Adelman can get Yao and McGrady in the same chapter (never mind on the same page) these guys will do big things. Real big. As in contenders for the title big. Oh and Steve Francis... seriously??

Indiana: I've heard nothing about them all summer (save Jermaine O'Neal trade rumors) and that should continue into the season.

Clippers: Elton Brand is the heart and soul of this team. And now that he is gone for the season, Clipper fans can only hope that there are other teams out there worse than theirs.

Lakers: I feel sorry for every guy on their roster not named 'Kobe Bryant'. Kobe has the unique ability to make it all about Kobe. And when it's not all about Kobe, it's all about Kobe. The guy is the most talented basketball player on the planet and all he has succeeded in doing is alienating everyone on his team (especially the poor Bynum kid). The Lakers are in a tough spot whether they trade him or not unless they magically convince someone to give up their entire team. If I'm Mitch Kupchak I'm trying to get a hold of Danny Ainge right now... no wait... he already traded his team.

Memphis: I root for the Grizzlies only because they used to be Vancouver's team. And because I like Pau Gasol. Conley is going to be good and Navarro is best buddies with Gasol, two good moves in the off-season. They should be better than last year but unfortunately not as good as the Beasts of the West.

Miami: Let's have a look at Shaq's stat line from the first game of the season: 9 points, 7 boards, 5 fouls and 4 turnovers. I'm not gonna tell you that Shaq's done, because he's not. But with Wade out and Shaq still working himself into game shape the Heat are going to have a big hole to dig themselves out of in the second half of the season.

Milwaukee: Honestly I don't think anyone cares about the Bucks. They're not good enough or bad enough to be talked about. The most interesting thing about their season will be Yi. Will he dunk over Yao this season? If he does, I'm buying the rights to that poster and setting up shop in China.

Minnesota: The KG era was over. They had to face it. And they did, by getting almost an entire team of youngsters for him. But make no mistake, they will be terrible.

New Jersey: Teams should be scared. Very scared. With a healthy Jefferson, Vince Carter being Vince Carter, Nenad Krstic back and a developing Marcus Williams the Nets have the talent to say to Jason Kidd, “Ok Jason, here's some guys... go make us really good.” Scary thing is, with a healthy Jason Kidd, he'd do it.

New Orleans: With Chris Paul at the helm this team could do very well. They've got talent. If they can stay healthy and gel as a team well probably see them in the playoffs. The problem again being they are not one of the Beasts of the West and will likely fall in the first round in indeed they do make the post-season.

New York: New York is fun to talk about. It's like Isiah thought to himself, “Hmmm how can we possibly get more delinquent. Oh I know, lets get Zach Randolph!” Can Eddy Curry and Zack Randolph really co-exist? If they could they'd have the scariest front line since the Twin Towers. But with so much talent MSG is not going to be a good place to be when they start to lose.

Orlando: Intriguing. Rashard Lewis is a phenomenal talent. Dwight Howard is a beast. But do they really have what it takes? Something tells me they're one more significant addition and a few years away from being true contenders.

Philadelphia: People are giving Philly zero love. But let me tell you something, this team will be in every game. They'll lose every game, but they'll hang around long enough to give Philly fans hope for next year. Willie Green is sick and Kyle Korver might be the next Reggie Miller in terms of shooting off screens. If they could just get some more help down low.

Phoenix: Steve Nash. Period.

Portland: Portland got screwed. Could you imagine if next years draft had a Tim Duncan, LeBron James or Jason Kidd in it? Oden's out for the season and Brandon Roy is probably still hampered by that heel. Do you think they might just do badly enough to land another top pick? Also: I think with Oden out for the season they should be trying to get Bill Walton out of retirement. It has been too long.

Sacramento: Dear Geoff Petrie: Please trade Ron Artest to the Knicks. Pretty please?

San Antonio: San Antonio didn't get any younger this season. Oh wait a minute, I forgot I was talking about the Spurs. No one cares if they got any younger. Tim Duncan is a championship-winning machine. It's what he does. Some people are born to be doctors or make delicious donuts. Tim Duncan wins championships. Expect him to add another this season. Oh and a note to the NBA: This year when Tony Parker scores 25 a game in the finals remember it's because of Tim Duncan.

Seattle: Errr... Oklahoma? The Sonics look to be moving out of town and who can blame them? No one in Seattle really tried to get this arena deal done. Unfortunately for the Sonics regardless of what city they're in they'll still be terrible.

Toronto: As my man RK commented, Toronto may have the best bench in the league. Why is this? Chemistry. These guys are all ball players. They only care about winning, not their stats. Bargnani was sick in his sophomore debut putting up 20 points in 22 minutes. These guys are talented and deep and will get more dangerous as the season wears on. Also: Can we please start calling Jose Calderon the 'Spanish Bulldog'?

Utah: Very impressive last year and with no significant changes (although D-Fish was a hero in last years playoffs) we should see another strong outing from this ball club. Andre Kirilenko just needs to shut up and play. He had a bad year last year and Jerry Sloan being the hard ass that he is benched him. So stop crying, get over it and start playing like you mean it.

Washington: Did you know that DeShawn Stevenson's grills reads 'Poppa Smurf'? Good stuff. Gilbert Arenas is ridiculous and they have a good team. Very dangerous offensively but they still need more size and toughness down low. Also: YouTube 'Gilbert Arenas vs. DeShawn Stevenson'. I think Poppa Smurf coulda had him.

Moss not Brady for MVP

Randy moss entered the NFL and helped create a dominant offence out of nowhere. He turned Randall Cunningham from a granite counter top salesman into one of the leagues elite for a year. He made Culpeper seem brilliant. And well healthy in Oakland made Collins seem respectable. And now he has turned a very good, meticulate, calculating offence into an unstoppable juggernaut.

A true superstar can always produce. In the face of team’s game planning to stop him, he will still make plays, put up numbers and create opportunities for his teammates. In essence he always gives his team a chance to win, by making incredible plays and making everyone around him better. And to a T, this is what Randy Moss is doing for the 2007 New England patriots.


This is hardly a rags to riches story, but consider that the patriots have offensively remained more or less the same the past few years, and in comes moss. Now, all of a sudden Brady is having a season for the ages, far beyond anything he has accomplished before statistically. He has already eclipsed his career touchdown mark, and we are only halfway through the season. Stallworth and Welker, although they are considerable upgrades from last years receiving core, are also having career years. They are enjoying the benefit of single, off the ball coverage (as press is impossible as the safeties need to sit too deep on moss) and running wild in open space. And even in the urn game has benefited. Be it Maroney, Faulk, Morris etc. any running back in the New England scheme is picking up key yardage when called upon. If the NFL started a stat for assists, Moss has helpers on just about every td, and at least 90% of the first downs for New England thus far this year. And what about his own performance while drawing all of this attention from the defense? Oh he is merely leading the league in tds, yards and amongst the leaders in receptions. He has glided past triple coverage to catch a deep ball. He has sat in double coverage and merely extended his arms to make a play. It seems like whenever Brady tosses a ball his way, regardless of whether the ball is on the money, over or under thrown, moss some how emerges from the slew of defenders in attempted coverage and makes a play.

The 2007 New England patriots, barring competition from the Indianapolis colts may go down as one of the best teams, if not the best team of all time. And if there is any justice, any amount of true football know-how amongst the MVP voters, Randy Moss not Brady, will win MVP.

Raptors Ready For 07

Raptor Land is full of optimism as the new NBA season begins, and why not? After an Atlantic division title, some solid off season acquisitions, and an opening day win, Jerry Colangelo and Sam Mitchell have built one of the deepest teams in the league around a talented all star, and another one on the making.

The evolution of all star Chris Bosh is complete as he is a consistent 20 plus points and 10 boards a game guy. He is a team leader and a force on defense. And now we have the privilege of watching the evolution of a 2nd all star in Andrea Bargnani. His newly acquired off-season bulk, coupled with a year of experience in the Association should lead to a strong post presence to add to the 7 footers ungaurdable downtown range. In tandem, Bosh and Bargnani could be a new look version of the twin towers.

Alongside the all-star big men, the raptors may have the deepest lineup from the point to the wing. They are the only team in the NBA that can rotate two starting caliber point guards in Calderon and Ford. On the wing, Parker, Kapono, Delfino and Dixon, are all deadly from 3, and can cycle and slash in the half court set. A healthy Garbajosa is Mr. Intangible. He can play any spot from 2 through four and bring hustle, defense and scoring in any situation.

Subbing in Joey Graham is like adding instant athleticism, and rotating in Nestorovic allows the raptors match up with any big man, and also to add the high post offence to their half court game. And finally we come to the ultimate x factor, Chris Humphries. Having this guy on the court Is like having a cheat for NBA live for energy and loose balls, Humphries sin the game means havoc on the glass, and energy boost on the court. And he does it all with a smile on his face.

Put this all together and the Raps have a starting line up to battle anyone, and possibly the best bench in the league. There division may have improved, but so have they, and come springtime, expect the Raptors to be playing some exciting ball.