Work Left To Do

Chris Bosh Still Has Work To Do

Well It was not the plan to move the Blog the last week of the season. It is a lot of extra work to get done for the Dino Nation Blogger. But how can I complain when you watch Chris Bosh play 40 minutes a night and battle giving everything he has got to try to lead his Toronto Raptors. His performance on the National stage in the United States was very impressive. It gives you a good feeling as he will play under that kind of spotlight in the playoffs. But before Bosh and the Raptors get there they must win the last 2 games of the regular season. Miami and Chicago are both far from the playoffs and Raptors will be a favorite in both contests. If they do what they are expected to do it should get them the series that everyone has said would suit them best. Playing the Orlando Magic in round 1. It is not that the Magic are without talent they have Superman after all. But the Raptors have a huge advantage at the point guard position and should be able to take advantage of that. Chris Bosh also has had some of his best games when he has been matched up with Dwight Howard. The two formed a friendship in Bosh’s one year at Georgia Tech. Howard was a high school star in the Atlanta area and would hang around the Georgia Tech Practices and become friends with some of the players including Bosh.

The Raptors would actually have a bit more playoff experience then the Magic and it is a much different match-up as opposed to playing the Pistons.  Even though the American media would still make the Magic a favorite in this series that would be a mistake in my opinion. If you know the history between these clubs it does not make sense to perdict a easy win for the Magic. I would expect a good series with these two teams hooking up.

One of the things the Raptors got right yesterday was the start of the game. The Raps can not afford the slow starts they have been known for this season. The goal of these next 2 games should be to K.O the Heat and Bulls as fast as they can. The longer they hang around the more willing they will be to fight for a win. The Raptors are in a spot where they control their own fate thanks to the Washington Wizards who beat the Sixers and they have now lost 2 in a row. If the Raptors get a win tonight the pressure will be squarely on the Sixers as the magic number to finish ahead of Philly would be 1.

 I had mentioned in yesterday’s blog which unless you were very quick never got to see. So I will say it again, the coverage on ABC I thought was interesting and the Raptors were given a pretty fair evaluation. I disagree with some of the things. At Halftime Micheal Wilbon of PTI fame suggested that people expected the Raptors would win as much as 52 games. I seem to recall U.S publications picking the Raptors to finish out of the playoffs. So unless Wilbon has a lot more friends in Canada then I know about I think that was a massive over estimate of where the American Media expected the Raptors to be. I have said it a few times if you are waiting for total respect from the U.S media it will be a long wait.

The truth is that Raptors have not performed to the level that most people expected. But what is also true is all of that may not matter. The Raptors when this season began many said they would be judged on what happened in April and May. In other words what they do in the Playoffs. If they face the Magic they have the best match-up they could expect to have given the performance of Boston. The Division Title was not an option this year and the chances at home court advantage became a lot tougher based on that. So if you can’t get that at least you can have a Match-up that is too your advantage. I loved what Jack Armstrong said about the Orlando crowd. He said something to effect of an old guy in a shirt with palm trees is not exactly going to be a huge factor as far as making noise. I am parphrasing what I remember but that was the basic idea. The home court advantage in Toronto will be far greater. That helped by the Star player taking to the Media and Utube to make sure of it.

So 2 more to go and Raptors can get ready for a Florida business trip if all goes according to plan. Raptor Rewind tonight after the Heat Game. I hope this game is not Jack Armstrong’s last as a Raptor Broadcaster.  I have loved his work over the last 10 years and if he is not back next season I will be very sad and pissed at the people at MLSE that didn’t keep him around. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. After all when a man has a catch phrase of HELLO how the heck can you say Goodbye. I for one don’t want too.

 

 

Tags: Bosh, Jack Armstrong, Raptors, Wilbon