Good win by the Raptors last night in Washington. It seems like they are slowly demonstrating signs that they are becoming a calmer more organized team while developing a tougher mental approach to the game. After all, they did win with only nine players and missing three starters at that. Head coach Jay Triano has often remarked that there will never be a perfect game and things will happen during the course of play and as a team, you just have to keep playing and work your way through the more difficult stages of the game.
Toronto has won three of its last four games and the one loss was a game they let slip away from them so it is a matter of them maintaining this mindset consistently. There's going to be a dilemma when Jermaine O'Neal is healthy enough to return to the line-up as Andrea Bargnani is playing very well and has settled into the starting role with great confidence. The summer of work on his post-up game is showing as Bargnani may finally be reaching the point where his inside game is good enough to force the opposing team to keep guarding him with a bigger player. In the past, when Bargnani has drifted out to the perimeter, opponents would use a smaller, quicker player to cover him. Now, after a summer of work, his post game is serviceable enough that if he sees a smaller defender, he can play inside effectively forcing the other team to continue to cover him with a bigger player that is reluctant to venture away from the basket. When Bargnani does use his perimeter skills, it also helps to stretch defence and spread the floor for teammates. Triano is in a bit of a win-win as O'Neal had been playing well before his injury averaging 21 points and 7.2 rebounds a game while shooting just under 60 percent.
Chris Bosh and Bargnani are developing nice chemistry and even though point man Jose Calderon is out of the line-up, the ball is moving well and the collective decision-making by the team is good. True, the turnovers numbers are up but that is to be expected without Calderon. Toronto's fastbreak scoring is also above its season average over the last four contests.
There was another former Raptor sighting last night in the U.S. Capitol District. Tony Massenburg, or "T Mass" as he was referred to back in the day is working with the Wizards young big men. He pointed to JaVale McGee as his main project right now. Massenburg who played his college ball at the University of Maryland shares the NBA record, along with Jim Jackson and Chucky Brown, having played for 12 different NBA clubs. Massenburg was a member of the 2005 NBA Championship team in San Antonio and reflected back fondly on his time in Toronto.
Speaking of former Raptors, the Los Angeles Clippers having just waived Hassan Adams after acquiring him in a trade from Toronto are about to sign Fred Jones to a 10-day contract.
The Miami Heat used a minor trade to clear some cap space and move itself into position to re-sign Alonzo Mourning once his rehab is completed. The other team interested in Mourning is the Boston Celtics now that Dikembe Mutumbo is off the board.
It will be interesting to see what kind of reception Allen Iverson receives in Denver as the Pistons are in the Mile High City on Friday night to take on the Denver Nuggets.
And finally, some interesting tidbits on Larry "Legend".
