I'm in for the Raptors! Anthony Parker did awesome against the Nets and I bet you think differently of the Raptors if you saw their game against the Bucks last night. Raptors have added so much talent this off season with the addition of Parker, Jones, Garbajosa, Bargnani and Rasho. All though many people didnt like the Charlie/Ford trade, it just made us better now that we finally have a pass-first PG. Raptors have so much depth now so I'm on the Raptors side. Celtics: CLos CeltixQueen 44Thrilla Squishface bengcord3 cMac44111 Franchise4Ever Raptors: Junoon P.A.P. Chutney Fever hustler SkiptoMyLue11 Locke AirJordan Iggy
<div class="quote_poster">AirJordan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Just a little something for the Celtics fans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h8AFdg03c</div> Wasn't that Vince Carter that hit that winner? I'm sorry, but you don't have a player of Carter's caliber any more. Not close as a matter of fact. But nevertheless, his defection taught american fans all they needed to know about Canadian basketball. It won't last.
<div class="quote_poster">Junoon Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Celtics suck. lol I love pissing off these Celtics fans </div> Well, the last time I checked, Kobe didn't drop 81 points last year on the Celts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCoBEwErrAY...related&search=
<div class="quote_poster">Squishface Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wasn't that Vince Carter that hit that winner? I'm sorry, but you don't have a player of Carter's caliber any more. Not close as a matter of fact. But nevertheless, his defection taught american fans all they needed to know about Canadian basketball. It won't last.</div> You forgetting Bosh son?
<div class="quote_poster">Iggy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> Celtics: CLos CeltixQueen 44Thrilla Squishface bengcord3 cMac44111 Franchise4Ever Raptors: Junoon P.A.P. Chutney Fever hustler SkiptoMyLue11 Locke AirJordan Iggy</div> Isnt rip-city on the celts side too? <div class="quote_poster">rip-city Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Celtics! Count me in.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Squishface Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wasn't that Vince Carter that hit that winner? I'm sorry, but you don't have a player of Carter's caliber any more. Not close as a matter of fact. But nevertheless, his defection taught american fans all they needed to know about Canadian basketball. It won't last.</div> Hmm... I never knew Bosh wasn't of Carter's calibur. Whatever, at least the Raptors arent 0-2.
I don't get why you think the C's are better than the Raptors. Besides pierce your team is pretty much players who...won't live up to their potential, which is nothing.
<div class="quote_poster">Squishface Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wasn't that Vince Carter that hit that winner? I'm sorry, but you don't have a player of Carter's caliber any more. Not close as a matter of fact. But nevertheless, his defection taught american fans all they needed to know about Canadian basketball. It won't last.</div> And your comments reinforces to Canadian fans how ignorant you Americans really are. Do you have any idea how big the Raptor fanbase is? There's a reason we're always near the top in attendance. Hockey is always going to be first and the media will always be hockey-oriented here but basketball is bigger around here then you're assuming. Furthermore, you don't need to look further then JBB itself to see the Raptors popularity. As far as I know, our team forum is the one that has enough members to have it's own team lounge...I don't see nothing for you guys.
<div class="quote_poster">Junoon Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">And your comments reinforces to Canadian fans how ignorant you Americans really are. Do you have any idea how big the Raptor fanbase is? There's a reason we're always near the top in attendance. Hockey is always going to be first and the media will always be hockey-oriented here but basketball is bigger around here then you're assuming. Furthermore, you don't need to look further then JBB itself to see the Raptors popularity. As far as I know, our team forum is the one that has enough members to have it's own team lounge...I don't see nothing for you guys.</div> I have said time and again that I'm not one of those basketball fans that ignores Canada's influence on the game around here. I know that Toronto is just huge on basketball. However, the game is rooted (monetarily and historically) in the US. State-side (where the vast majority of fans are and money is), no one cares about Canadian basketball. Unfortunately for Canadian fans, if americans don't care about your effect on the sport, then you don't get to stick around for very long. It's hardly your fault, or even the team's fault, but they have been dealt a cruel hand. That said, I don't wish that fate on any city in any sport. I was merely stating that there is a very strong chance that because the team's effect on the league has been minimal at best, we probably won't see a team in Toronto for very long. It's unfortunate, but it's money. Especially since the Canadian dollar just doesn't stack up on the open market. All that in mind, you don't have anything to worry about for some years, but it's probably true that a Canadian team would be subject to contraction long before even the worst of american teams, it's just economics. <div class="quote_poster">AirJordan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't get why you think the C's are better than the Raptors. Besides pierce your team is pretty much players who...won't live up to their potential, which is nothing.</div> Can someone explain to me what this statement proves? Toronto's players are all about potential too, there's one player on that team that is remotely worthy of recognition right now, the rest are gambles, just like our team. <div class="quote_poster">Iggy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Hmm... I never knew Bosh wasn't of Carter's calibur. Whatever, at least the Raptors arent 0-2.</div> That's true, the Raptors aren't 0-2, and good for them for that, but Bosh is not of Carter's caliber, and if you think he is, you're deluding yourself. He is loaded with ability and potential, and he's a remarkable inside threat. But the kid has played one full season, put up excellent numbers in one other season, and hasn't really accomplished anything as a player. I know that Vince hasn't been on any winners yet, but he dragged that dead weight team around for years as the only marketable player, and the only guy driving them in a positive direction. Bosh has so far propped the team up for two seasons, not enough to claim the same feat as Carter, but enough to be able to see that he's going to be the man with the albatross around his neck, just like VC. At least the Raps had the eye enough to go after and acquire the services of a brilliant tactician and personnel mind like Colangelo. Without him, this team's vision is as severely limited as ever, but with his touch, they will probably right the ship within the next couple seasons.
We know what we are gonna get from most of our players, you don't. Raptors are no where near as horrible as the celtics this season.
<div class="quote_poster">AirJordan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">We know what we are gonna get from most of our players, you don't. Raptors are no where near as horrible as the celtics this season.</div> Tell me what players you know what you're going to get from? Bargnani? He's never been in the NBA. Garbajosa? Ditto. TJ Ford? He's spent most of his career injured. Calderon? Never played a full season. Bosh? Almost definitely. Graham? He's played one season, and didn't even break 20 minutes a game. Humphries? He's never played a full season, and hasn't ever played in Toronto. Fred Jones? He's played one full season, and hasn't been consistent in his other time. Darrick Martin? You know what you're going to get from him. Nothing. Just like his other 11 seasons. Rasho? Definitely. Parker? Not a chance. He's played all of half a season in his career. Mo Pete? Yep. Slokar? Nope, he's never played a minute. Sow? Nope. And if you did, it would be negligable, because he's just not that good. Tucker? Nope, never played a minute. In total, that gives you all of four players that you can be certain what you'll get from them. And one of them you aren't going to get anything from, so what does that say? A total of three useful players you can expect production from, just like the Celtics. That would be Wally, Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins. And you've got Olowokandi and Scal that you can be certain what you'll get from them too. All told, you can't actually expect anything from the majority of the players on either team. And please don't throw out rubbish accusations without anything to back them up.
My one gripe about Bosh is that he hasn't been able to take the Raptors to the next level (that means playoffs). True, he's been dealt a team that sunk to the bottom after Carter's leave but I really expect the Raptors to make the playoffs this season, mainly because I'm anticipating Bosh's explosion onto the NBA 'superstar' map. He will never gain the recognition that Carter gained, simply because he doesn't carry the flash that Carter carried in Toronto. Bosh is a poorer (not that much poorer) version of KG, and at this point of time, that is the perception he gives off to (casual) fans. He is not as popular as Melo Wade and LBJ for a reason; he lacks their marketabilty. I'm a Raptors fan, and Bosh will always have my support but VC single handedly transformed the Raptors from a 16-66 team at the end of '98 to missing the playoffs by only a couple of games and making basketball exciting again in Toronto by the end of his rookie season. At the end of his rookie season, Carter promised the crowd at the ACC that we would indeed make the playoffs the following season and he delivered on that promise by improving his overall game. Regardless of losing in his rookie games, Carter was always an amazement to watch; the way he played, and the way he made everything so easy captivated just about everyone. Bosh doesn't have that appeal to him (IMO). I think I'm just being bias because I grew up watching Carter, and from 1999 - 2002ish, I can attest to the fact that the city was completely his in terms of basketball in that time period. Bosh has been a great franchise player so far, and I respect and thank him for staying with the team even when we clearly sucked, but until he leads us into the playoffs farther than Carter did, I will not consider him a better franchise player than Carter was.
<div class="quote_poster">Junoon Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">My one gripe about Bosh is that he hasn't been able to take the Raptors to the next level (that means playoffs). True, he's been dealt a team that sunk to the bottom after Carter's leave but I really expect the Raptors to make the playoffs this season, mainly because I'm anticipating Bosh's explosion onto the NBA 'superstar' map. He will never gain the recognition that Carter gained, simply because he doesn't carry the flash that Carter carried in Toronto. Bosh is a poorer (not that much poorer) version of KG, and at this point of time, that is the perception he gives off to (casual) fans. He is not as popular as Melo Wade and LBJ for a reason; he lacks their marketabilty. I'm a Raptors fan, and Bosh will always have my support but VC single handedly transformed the Raptors from a 16-66 team at the end of '98 to missing the playoffs by only a couple of games and making basketball exciting again in Toronto by the end of his rookie season. At the end of his rookie season, Carter promised the crowd at the ACC that we would indeed make the playoffs the following season and he delivered on that promise but improving his game. Regardless of losing in his rookie games, Carter was always an amazement to watch; the way he played, and the way he made everything so easy captivated just about everyone. Bosh doesn't have that appeal to him (IMO). I think I'm just being bias because I grew up watching Carter, and from 1999 - 2002ish, I can attest to the fact that the city was completely his in terms of basketball in that time period. Bosh has been a great franchise player so far, and I respect and thank him for staying with the team even when we clearly sucked, but until he leads us into the playoffs farther than Carter did, I will not consider him a better franchise player than Carter was.</div> All true, but don't lose sight of the fact that this Bosh fella is just starting his basketball journey. Not only that, but now he has a front office staff capable and willing to make his success a reality. My only concern for Toronto this year is that there just isn't room in the east for them to make the playoffs. There are eight teams and more that have either a better shot or an entirely equal chance at it. Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Milwaukee (they are defnintely even odds with T.O), Miami, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, or even Boston (again, push odds) all have the possibility of doing just that. And that list has two teams in it that can't make the playoffs, just because of numbers, nevermind a third one on the bubble. Toronto, with any luck, will be back in the postseason very soon, but I don't think this is the year.
Wow squashface get a pair of glasses By knowing what to expect, this means we know whether they will suck or contribute.
<div class="quote_poster">AirJordan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Wow squashface get a pair of glasses By knowing what to expect, this means we know whether they will suck or contribute.</div> You don't know if they will suck or contribute...because they have no NBA EXPERIENCE! I have a pair of glasses, and they work fine, you aren't communicating a point with any validity.
<div class="quote_poster">Squishface Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">All true, but don't lose sight of the fact that this Bosh fella is just starting his basketball journey. Not only that, but now he has a front office staff capable and willing to make his success a reality. My only concern for Toronto this year is that there just isn't room in the east for them to make the playoffs. There are eight teams and more that have either a better shot or an entirely equal chance at it. Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Milwaukee (they are defnintely even odds with T.O), Miami, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, or even Boston (again, push odds) all have the possibility of doing just that. And that list has two teams in it that can't make the playoffs, just because of numbers, nevermind a third one on the bubble. Toronto, with any luck, will be back in the postseason very soon, but I don't think this is the year.</div> You nailed it. That's the thing about people who point to Bosh's lack of success. You have to look at the front office and the organization's stability. Lebron, Carmelo, and Wade may have gone to equally bad teams, but they all had decent-good GM's who had front office support. Compare Bosh's situation to those players and even to Carter's: he came in as a rookie playing for a coach and a GM that would both be fired at the end of the season. He then watched a new, inexperienced GM and coach take over and had to endure the franchise's horribly managed and very awkward transition from VC to Bosh. The next season, he's labelled the face of the franchise, but sees a rift between the coach and the GM, and then has his GM fired. This season has really been the first time Toronto has had a stable and competent front office since 2001. And I also agree about Toronto having just as many potential players as Boston. That's why this bet is so interesting.
<div class="quote_poster">AirJordan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't get why you think the C's are better than the Raptors. Besides pierce your team is pretty much players who...won't live up to their potential, which is nothing.</div> To me it looks like you are the one who needs a pair of glasses. No one is saying the Raps younger players don't have potential but do you mean to tell me Celtic guys like Delonte West, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe or even Tony Allen have NO potential whatsoever? To me it looks as if you dont actually know anything about the Celtics.
