Bosh/Calderon/Humphries shot 27/42 and the rest of the 8 players who played shot 10/45 combind. 3 more baskets and everyone is a winner.

Jump shooting teams that are not making shots must concentrate on other things like rebounds and turnovers. Obviously Rap’s are still a work in progress.

Bosh said it best…”Sometime a bear fights best when he’s wounded.” And the Wiz was bad hurt.

Come On RAPTORS you have to keep the intensity up. Bosh & Calderon can’t be the only consistent players on a team with so much talent

It seems like the MOST serious issues are 2: #1 – The Raptors have a knack of having duds look like Studs, how many times have we seen scrubs destroying the Raptors on the boards? I could care less if the Raptors lose due to sheer talent, I can live with that; but when you get out manned and hustled, that’s unacceptable. DEFENSE needs to be addressed, either by bringing a big man that can defend or some sort of coach that can harden us up. Because that defense out there, is pathetic – from every one. Not one Raptor defended well, including Moon, and despite Bosh lighting it up on the other side. We will NOT win ANYTHING, not even a playoff series if this keeps up.

You could see the tight choking defense that Washington had in the 3rd quarter like Boston’s, and as usual we could not break it or respond. If our shots not falling in a game, we are doomed.

#2 A slasher/2nd option scorer. Will elaborate.

Not going to go into Bargs, I pesonally thought he was Okay on the boards, scoring is still a struggle with the shot. Showed some flashes including an in-the-traffic putback dunk on the offensive end. He barely, or didn’t get to see the floor in the 2nd so it’s not fair to judge his performance on that.

Bosh, great in the 1st half, disappeared in the 2nd half until the last seconds. I thought it was BOSH time in overtime, but he didn’t show up. ANYONE THINK THAT BOSH SHOULD’VE TOOK OUT BLATCHE AND JAMISON IN THE SECOND HALF? If that had happened… that would’ve been much easier on us.

Delfino was probably one of the worst Raptor tonight. I’ve never seen such a bad night at chucking even for Delfino. Some driving to the rim, please. Don’t stay on the perimeter.

I agree on Kapono, but the only reason why Kapono isn’t effective for us because we do NOT have a slasher. If we did, Kapono would be A LOT more open on the wing as the defense collapse on the slasher. THAT’S our second need. And we need it bad for Kapono to thrive.

Have much much more to say, but I’ll leave it here.
Must win tonight.

1. Arsenalist, your criticisms are spot on, especially what Smitch should have said at half-time. Some of the posters, however, are negative to the point of stupidity. Seriously, PsychicSpy, what’s the point of writing that “you’ve emotionally distanced” yourself. Why even bother reading or posting at all then? Way to be a fairweather fan. What, if you were a Nets, Bulls or Heat fan (all three predicted to do better than the Raps), would you be burning your jersey right now? A real fan sticks with it (with educated critical commentary like what Arsenalist writes). Period.

2. I’m also tired of the ragging on Bargs. He’s a 21-year-old from Italy, NOT a finished NCAA product with 3-4 years college time put in like Roy and Gay. Marvin Williams, with one year at UNC, was weak his first couple years. Bynum, a high schooler, was brutal his first couple of years. And we all know about Dirk. BC KNEW the Raps weren’t going to win it all in Year 2, that’s why Bargs, a project, was not an illogical pick. It’s Hoffaitis in a nutshell.

3. In the NBA, anyone can win a game. All the predictions like, “the Raps were supposed to win”, are witless and useless. The Raps weren’t supposed to beat Dallas, and did. Weren’t supposed to beat San Antonio, and did. Weren’t supposed to beat New Orleans, and did. That’s the way it goes. The Wiz are a well-coached team and the Raps did not respond well. I hope the Raps (and Smitch) plan better tonight, because I’m going to the game, but I don’t plan on “emotionally distancing” myself.

@Birdman: OK, if Andrea’s game isn’t to play down low, let him play up high. Actually he’s doing that right now and sucking so bad at it that one has to wonder what he can do for us, if anything, playing anywhere on the court. I don’t think it’s a matter of where he’s playing but how he’s playing. If you’re saying his 7-ft frame is really useless and he may as well be 6′ 8”, then we fucked up drafting him.

@Crank: I was in NY, sometimes one is forced to miss a game.

(1) In 2 years, Bryan has built a soft team of streaky shooters… and done NOTHING to address helping Bosh inside. (Andrea is too soft to EVER be sanely projected inside).

(2) We are a 43-44 win, 1st round exit team. Period.

(3) Other than Bargs… it’s hard to make the case that any young Raptor player will get significantly better. And Bargs needs to be traded along with Kapono.

(4) Sam is probably getting the most out of this team… and Bryan knows it.

(5) Bryan has a history of assembling soft teams. But since his Daddy made the final decisions in Phoenix… Bryan’s track record really started in Toronto… and right now… his 3 biggest moves are potentially mistakes.

(6) Roko is NOT a savior. Babcock is gonna save Bryan?
Enough about Roko.

(7) I’ve emotionally distanced myself from the Raps…
too up and down… until there is a major shakeup.

On Raptor TV… I saw DMart, Delfino, and Bargs playing poker with some millionaire “box owners”. Bargs acts like a 10 year old trying to please. He has the demeanor of a waiter… not an NBA center. Did anyone check this guys’s personality before they grabbed him at #1?

Has anyone thought to discuss that asking Andrea to rebound and play down low just isn’t his game? He’s not Tyson Chandler. Take away his height (about 3 inches) and he’s almost a (very) poor man’s Rashard Lewis, who plays foward, not center and is a spot up shooter but does little else. I would definitely put Hump in the starting lineup as Bargs just can’t handle the pressure, with Bosh playing center. Bosh has done that before, to mixed results. Still better than Bargs starting at C.

As an aside, if any of you are looking for more US-based Calderon-lauding columns, check out this one. Snellings is pretty much ready to have Calderon’s baby.