Anderson Will Be Key for Nuggets

It has been a couple of seasons since SWAY last caught up with Chris Anderson. Back then he was fresh off the boat from a two year suspension from the NBA on a drug rap. Not much was disclosed; he had gone quietly into the night. And then he had re-emerged, a washout in many people’s eyes and getting burn in five games with the New Orleans Hornets at the end of the 2007-08 season. He was rusty, but he looked good though his stint with the Hornets - the team he was under contract with at the time of his suspension - was short. He caught on the next season with the Denver Nuggets - the scene of his first pro stop and the only other NBA team he had played for. It wasn’t long before Anderson had total recall and so did the fans.

 

“That’s what they got me for,” Anderson told SWAY Sports. “To be energetic and play defense. That’s what I love to do, I love to block shots. I alter shots.”

 

Over the past two seasons in Denver Anderson has been one of the most efficient reserves in the league and up until this season, one of the best bargains. Defensively and on the glass he is a dizzying ball of energy stretched across a 6-10 frame. Offensively he plays it close, keeping his percentages high with sound positioning, put-backs and dunks. Since returning to the NBA Anderson has averaged 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 points and over two blocks per game. Last season he registered a career-high 2.5 blocks - second only to Dwight Howard in far less minutes - over 71 games and shot 54 percent from the field. For that successful return the Nuggets handed him a five-year contract that could top out at $26M with incentives. It cemented him as part of a Denver core that has bullied its way to a top three standing in the western conference for most of this season. Currently, Anderson sits third overall in blocks per 48 minutes for his 1.8 average in nearly 23 minutes of play a night, another career-high. His rebounding (6.4) and point totals (6.1) have remained virtually the same from last season while his shooting percentage actually rose to over 56 percent.  Despite the improvements to other parts of his game Anderson’s specialty remains attacking the shot, which is the motor to his game.

 

“Blocking a shot and dunking on people… it’s the same all around this room,” said Anderson eying his teammates. “If somebody else dunks on somebody it’s definitely going to put a little spark into it. That’s all you need is that little spark. Fire it up and next thing you know you’re playing at a high level.”

 

Call it the world according to the “Birdman”, Anderson’s well-earned moniker. His personality also transfers to off-court business and despite his rocky past he figures comfortably in the organization’s marketing efforts. His tatted torso is now celebrated and his on court antics are no longer deemed a distraction. His true colors are shining. His role is about to expand some too, with power forward Kenyon Martin sidelined by injury heading into the playoffs. If the Nuggets plan on returning to the conference final Anderson will have to play a significant part. He’s no savior but he will be depended on more than he has been at any other time in his career… the role of a lifetime. The Nuggets will also be without head coach George Karl as he battles cancer, making for some serious internal adjustments.

 

“We miss him,” said Anderson. “But it’s up to us to be professionals and come out and dig ourselves out of the hole we’re in”

 

The hole he refers to had its ground first broke when Karl stepped away from the game for treatment. The Nuggets haven’t gotten as many stops in recent games as they have for most of the season and without Martin the problem has been magnified. The race for second seed in the western conference has tightened.

 

“That just falls on us,” continues Anderson. “We’re not protecting the basket as well as we should be. It’s a matter of trusting each other and getting out there and playing as a unit.”

 

Assistant coach Adrian Dantley has done serviceable job in Karl’s absence but a recent three-game slip raised flags with the Nuggets, especially with Dallas and Utah surging. Along with center Nene, Anderson knows he is responsible for closing the gaps and with that comes a closer study of his approach. He is also aware of the immediate dividends his style of play pays out when he’s at his best.

 

“When I’m in there they don’t really drive to the basket anyway,” explained Anderson. “They like to pull up jumpers and just throw some shit up. But sometimes I take it out of context and I’ll try to go block shots I don’t even have any business trying to block. That right there puts us in a bad situation because now we don’t have two bigs rebounding. It gives the (other) team an opportunity to get an offensive board. It’s just a matter of being a smart defender and knowing when to go and not to go.”

 

In many ways Anderson’s road back to NBA stardom has been mirrored by the ascension of the Nuggets to legitimate contender. Led by a young superstar in Carmelo Anthony and a grizzled veteran and former champ in Chauncey Billups the team seems poised to make a serious run despite the absence of Karl and Martin, their two most vocal citizens. Anderson knows all about seizing the moment and making the most out of each chance. He has faced far worse odds and cleared much higher hurdles and after reaching the conference final last season Anderson also knows that the push starts now.

 

“That’s just it,” Anderson pinpoints. “We’ve got to turn it up right now. If we try to play like a playoff team at the end of the season it’s going to be tough.”

Stretch Drive Drama

At this point there are really only 17 teams at play in the field of sixteen playoff positions up for grabs in the NBA. Nine reside in the eastern conference and the other eight in the western conference, an uneven mix made interesting by several surprise turns from some teams over the course of the season thus far. Others have come as advertised and with some you just don’t know what’s up. As the last leg of the season gets underway, here is your NBA sweet 16 - and (dis?)honorable mention - in predicted order of finish.

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

 

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

There Will Be Blood

I can almost picture LeBron James going ape-shit with a pickaxe on a mission to mine black gold from the mother earth ala Daniel Day Lewis. It’s not unlike what he has been doing in the NBA for the past seven years, rocking the boat between genius and on-court insanity, doing everything but win a championship for long-suffering Cleveland sports fans. How serious were the Cavaliers about helping him accomplish this feat and thus, keep him in Cleveland for the now? They went out and got the “Big Common Denominator” Shaquille O’Neal who has appeared in five NBA Finals over the last decade. Despite a rocky start O’Neal showed enough chemistry with James - before going down with a thumb injury for the remainder of the regular season – to know that come the postseason he will be the anchor and worthy sidekick. In the meantime the Cavs went out and traded for the vastly underrated Antawn Jamison who will allow the team to continue their roll to regular season supremacy while keeping their eye on the prize.

 

2. Orlando Magic

Goodfellas

The Magic don’t miss Hedo Turkoglu no matter what you have heard, though that won’t be fully determined until the end game result in the playoffs, where it’s championship or bust after last year’s Final appearance. Is Vince Carter the guy to put them over the top? The Magic never thought Hedo was worth the $56M five-year deal the Toronto Raptors eventually gave him and judging by the way Turkoglu has played this season they were right. The Magic are happy with V.C. as his replacement but it’s the addition of Matt Barnes that has given them a grit on both ends of the floor than they have never before possessed. With Dwight Howard and Carter as your main identity, that is a must. The Magic may never be as mean as they need to be but they got to the Final in 2009 with less and if it spreads, watch out. The second overall seed in the east looks like a lock.

 

3. Boston Celtics

The Harder They Come

Nothing less than a championship will do, realistically, in about four NBA cities and Beantown is one of them. Alas, the doubters are many with injuries continuing to rattle the C’s. Kevin Garnett has clearly lost some general influence, but is he good for one last postseason push? The one where his knees fall apart in the process? Dings to Paul Pierce and a slide in scoring from Ray Allen has left point guard Rajon Rondo as the most important player on the team, and with the above-mentioned trio we’re not quite sure what that means. Despite his subtle impact Rasheed Wallace will come to play in the postseason and at something resembling full health these Celtics are still Michael Jackson dangerous. Jury’s still out on whether trading for Nate Robinson was more Marbury than good, but snagging Finley was cool in a “screw-it-let’s-just-get-downright-old” kind of way. Another division title, another home court seeding… that’s about all that’s assured for the Celtics.

 

4. Atlanta Hawks

Fast and Furious

The Hawks can be a blur at times, with all five of their starters possessing the ability to run like guards. Al Horford is a freak center and Josh Smith has refined his game, which means less stat-stuffing and loads of impact. Don’t look now but Joe Johnson could be the franchise player with the most promise surrounding him. With Marvin Williams on the up and off-season addition Jamaal Crawford vying for Sixth Man of the Year honors, nobody wants to see them come playoff time. Until then the Hawks will make a push for Boston’s third overall seed in an effort to delay their possible playoff meeting with the Cavaliers until the conference final. It would also help them avoid the hot Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks play the Cleveland Cavaliers twice more in April as well as position battling teams like Charlotte, Milwaukee and Toronto while Boston Celtics play out the string against five sub .500 teams thrown around two important games against the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s a little late in the season for the C’s to be making statements, but with all the doubts hovering around their elite status, bashing the Bucks and “unfearing the deer” would send the right kind of message. The Hawks will need to make one of their own.

 

5. Milwaukee Bucks

Beat Street

When people starting referring to the Bucks as a team of average players our collective minds boggled, trying hard to see how either Brandon Jennings or Andrew Bogut fit that bill. As a rookie Jennings has shown tremendous upside and has carried the team at times this season, admirably if you consider the season-ending injury to Michael Redd. Bogut meanwhile has become one of the best centers in the league, a steady performer with nice hands and timely defense that have him next to Dwight Howard as Defensive Player of the Year. Both have led the Bucks to a surprising fifth seed position that looks to be all theirs. A three-game set against Boston, Atlanta then Boston again on the road should prove to be a good playoff warm up to finish the season. Numbers-wise maybe the Bucks as a roster don’t match up but, since we prefer to look at digits in the win/loss column versus the stat sheet, let the record show that the Bucks have been one of the hottest teams since the all-star break, winning 16 of 21 games since February 17 with victims including Cleveland, Boston, Denver, Atlanta and Utah. Nothing average about that.

 

6. Charlotte Bobcats

Bad New Bears

OK, so bears aren’t bobcats, but our point is that it feels like the ‘Cats have just brawled their way into playoff contention, making up for a truly abysmal 11-26 road record with solid defense and timely crunch time plays, particularly at home. If they can continue a recent trend of picking up a few road games the ‘Cats will be a tough out in the first round against any of the big three… their defence is that good. Stephen Jackson has been on his best for head coach Larry Brown and the remodeling that began last summer by trading away Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler ended this past February with the trade for athletic prowler Tyrus Thomas. They should catch Miami for the sixth seed and in doing so avoid Cleveland and Orlando for starters. Brown seems headed for another successful makeover, which usually means he is ready to move on. With the Bobcats on the verge of their first-ever postseason appearance nobody will boo him if he bolts.

 

7. Miami Heat

Bird on a Wire

When Udonis Haslem talked to SWAY Sports earlier this season he went off on how all the people who doubted the Heat’s supporting cast were going to eat their words. And while Dwayne Wade’s soldiers haven’t exactly been mind-blowing, they’ve been more than what was expected. So why does it feel like their always a loss away from spiraling? Along with the Raptors, Bobcats, Bulls and Bucks right? Shouldn’t we know better by now, so fooled were we by Wade’s “off” season of a few years ago? Their 17-point comeback win over the Raptors on March 28 showed heart, reinforcing the simple fact that Wade, no matter who surrounds him in the black and red, will not allow the Heat to lose. This will mark the second straight season they’ve reached the playoffs after nearly every preseason publication predicted they wouldn’t. And how much will what they manage to do when they get there, if they get there, impacts what Wade does about his impending free agency? Not as much as you’d think but more than what Miami fans are hoping considering their tenuous hold on a spot.

 

8. Chicago Bulls

Running Scared

Who would have thought that Joakim Noah meant so much to the bumbling Bulls? Indeed, the borderline all-star only recently returned after missing 18 and in his absence the Bulls went from playoff surety to outside-looking-in status. Upon his return they have put themselves back in the hunt with the Toronto Raptors and the eighth seed in their sights. Trading away John Salmons did more good for the Bucks than for the Bulls and if it weren’t for the Raps taking a near-fatal nosedive of their own Chi-town’s finest might have been too far-gone. Instead they find themselves with a fighting chance, a scary franchise guy in Derrick Rose (who recently returned from an injury of his own) and a defending rebounder in Noah that makes an impact. If their back-to-back wins against Philadelphia and Houston after a 10-game losing streak are a sign of encouragement what does having four sets of back-to-backs remaining on the schedule (three which have the second game on the road) suggest? All will have equal importance to their chances down the stretch and at the very least they’ll make it interesting for the Raptors. In fact we’ve pegged them to straight up steal the spot on the last day of the season. How’s that for balls?

 

MENTION: Toronto Raptors

Live and Let Die

After seven years of Chris Bosh the Raptors still don’t know who they are. Most would identify them as an offensive force but it’s when they play defense that they win big. Inconsistency on that end along with spotty performances from Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani and injuries to Bosh, Reggie Evans and Jose Calderon have sapped some of the fun out of their midseason party, back when they looked like a threat in the eastern conference. Now they are hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot and part of a five-team race for the four available bottom seeds. With the way they have been playing of late the bigger surprise will be if they make it in than if they don’t. Head coach Jay Triano has already replaced Jarrett Jack in the starting line-up with former starter Calderon and Turkoglu was recently bench for skipping the teams March 26 loss to Denver with the flu, only to be spotted eating out. Not exactly the kind of dedication expected from somebody who made it all the way to the NBA Final last season. Five of their final 13 games are against plus .500 playoff teams including two sets of back-to-backs featuring Miami, Charlotte, Cleveland and Boston with three of those matches on the road. Add that the Raptors have the second worst road record amongst all current playoff teams and you get wins coming at a premium and a once-promising season fading slowly.

 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

 

1. L.A. Lakers

The Usual Suspects

Remember last season when everybody from Kenny “The Jet” Smith to the Pope was saying that the Lakers were walking around with a sense of entitlement? Too sure of a championship? Too cocky for their own good? All they did was go out and win the damn thing and then oust Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest, which absolutely amounts to defensive overkill. Not that it has been blatant all season - the Lake show suffered their first three game losing streaking in over a zillion games - and all the LeBron James and Kevin Durant MVP talk has kept Kobe Bryant off the map a little bit. He is still a clear number two candidate from this view and Bryant will play like the number one come playoff time. That hard fact, along with the magnificent Pau Gasol, is the biggest reason why the Lakers are the favorites to hoist the hardware again this season, no matter what LeBron is doing in Cleveland.

 

2. Dallas Mavericks

Cannonball Run

The Mavericks feel like they are going a million miles an hour to nowhere, even with Dirk Nowitzki shining brightly beside Jason Kidd, who has moved into full blown mode as team leader. Disco Dirk is still the man but Kidd makes the Mavs go. The big trade that brought in Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood was solid and paid immediate dividends in the form of a 13-game game winning streak. Since that elongated honeymoon ended the Mavs have dropped embarrassments to both the New York Knicks and New Orleans Hornets. Haywood in particular will be a nice piece to throw up against the beefy frontlines of the Lakers, Nuggets… even the Cavaliers and Magic out east. Still, those teams appear to have more resolve, not to mention better franchise players and supporting casts. Familiarity plays and big part with the Lakers and Nuggets, who remain more or less unchanged from last season, save for a Ron Artest. The Mavs will be a handful for any first round opponent, particularly with the emergence of rookie guard Rodrigue Beaubois and the continued brilliance from Jason Terry off the pine. Alas, they seem to have bugs to work out of the new collective and ironing out the wrinkles during the regular season is a whole lot different that trying that crap in the playoffs.

 

3. Denver Nuggets

Inglorious Basterds

The Nuggets are facing a big wave of psychological warfare… with themselves. As if the loss of Kenyon Martin – in the midst of one of his best pro seasons – wasn’t tough, the biggest health concern – perhaps in all of sports – is the battle with cancer head coach George Karl undergoing. The odds aren’t good that Karl returns for the playoffs (though with Karl nothing is out of the question) so the Nuggets will be without their bench boss and their grittiest frontcourt performer. When we talked to Nuggets players they all seemed determined to move forward but with unknown return dates for both that’s easier said than done. Extra pressure will be on forwards Nene and Chris Anderson to make up for the grit they lose with Martin out. They started to slip mid-March and it took a Carmelo Anthony buzzer-beating jumper against the Toronto Raptors to snap a three-game losing streak on March 26. With Anthony’s prowess, Chauncey Billups’ steady hand and J.R. Smith’s spectacularly erratic game the Nuggets will still challenge for the second seed in the western conference, thus giving them the second “easiest” road to the conference Final. However the absences of Martin and possibly Karl will hurt both efforts.

 

4. Utah Jazz

Ricochet

The Jazz’s ability to surprisingly win on the road this season has come at a price, most notably to their home record or, should we say, some mathematical equation that measures their home wins against those of other teams. How about Denver? The Nuggets have the most home wins in the Northeast division and the Jazz rank third overall in the western conference in that department – fourth overall in the NBA. As silly as it sounds, it may mean that the Jazz are finally getting a consistent effort no matter where the ball is tossed, though a .500 road record is good not great. Seven of their final 11 games are on the road, including two three game road trips, so there are tune-up opportunities there. With all the distractions that could have stemmed from the Carlos Boozer free agency drama but didn’t the team has moved through the season admirably. There isn’t enough there to be title contenders but the Jazz are the next best thing.

 

5. Phoenix Suns

The Postman Always Rings Twice

In Steve Nash’s case the mailman rings, like, 10 times. Nash will never die. At 36 he is doing things on the fly, with a pass or shot that still boggles the mind. You thought back-to-back MVP awards was the pinnacle? Nash is averaging even more points and assists than he did last season while maintaining stellar field goal percentages from the floor to the free throw line. This is in the first season of a new contract everybody thought he was crazy for signing because of the rocky previous season and the impending free agency of forward Amar’e Stoudemire. All Nash did was turn them into a dark horse contender for the crown. Don’t sleep on the Suns. Like their Jazz rivals they have been able to stay focused on the task and with forwards Channing Frye cemented as one of the key off-season signings in the league, Jared Dudley a spark off the bench and Robin Lopez coming into his own the Suns have a great mix of youth to go with elders Nash, Grant Hill and Jason Richardson. The Suns have won eight of 10 games so far in March including five in a row. Considering that they finish the month with dates against softies New York, Minnesota, Chicago and New Jersey the Suns have a real shot at reaching up and stealing a seed from one of Utah, Dallas or Denver.

 

6. Oklahoma Thunder

Deep Cover

Even with Kevin Durant’s mug plastered on video game boxes worldwide nobody saw his Thunder team coming. What head coach Scottie Brooks has been able to do with this ultra-young squad in such a short time is phenomenal because you can see a teacher’s imprint. The focus the Thunder has as a collective is impressive, whether they are up big or in a dogfight. Game-changer Jeff Green and the growing Russell Westbrook provide excellent speed and defense while guard Thabo Sefolosha is a stopper that might be more bargain than Matt Barnes. Sure there have been lapses. Losses to the Sacramento Kings and L.A. Clippers early in the season were concerning but after November the Thunder haven’t lost to a plus .500 team but five or six times. Five of their final 13 games are against sub-.500 opponents and seven of those contests are at home where they are 22-12. Perhaps most impressive about this band of young bloods is their 20-15 road record, which has kept them in the mix for the fourth seed overall. It also makes them a dangerous first round opponent no matter where they land. In fact, if the Thunder is not a home-seeded team we’re already semi-prepared to call a first-round upset. Their remaining schedule includes dates against four of the six division leaders and how the kiddies ball out the string will play a large part in predicting their fate come the second season.

 

7. San Antonio Spurs

Cloak & Dagger

Each season you want to say that the Spurs are getting old, but they’re not. The core of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan is still in tact and should be primal but the trio has become injury prone early. Head coach Gregg Popovich tried to pre-empt the trend by resting his main Spurs heavily at the start of the season but it hasn’t been as much help as it has in seasons past. Oddly, it’s the supporting cast that seems faded with Matt Bonner, Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill not quite the raucous reserves there were in 2009. Oh, and Richard Jefferson has been a bust as a Spur and since the team made no effort to fix the problem don’t expect a big turnaround. They’ll wrap up the 6^th or 7^th seed but we thought the Spurs would have one more dogfight left in them this season after their unceremonious dumping last spring. We were wrong.

 

8. Portland Trailblazers

Die Hard

What can you say? The Trailblazers only lost front men Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla for the season and major injuries to Travis Outlaw (before he was traded) and Rudy Fernandez. They traded for Marcus Camby to fill the void up front was a solid move by the team. They also endured a point guard controversy, which eventually led to the trading of one-time starter Steve Blake, a move that helped improve role definition. Starting Nicolas Batum has paid off recently too and the ability to make these moves and adapt to his ever-changing roster is what has kept head coach Nate McMillan’s name near the top of the Coach of the Year conversation. The Blazers have been on fire in the month of March and have maintained a healthy road record despite the bumpy ride. Good thing. Six of their final 11 games are on the road with stops in Oklahoma, Denver and L.A. to play the Lakers. Their home dates aren’t much better with two match-ups against Dallas and another versus Oklahoma on April 12. The Memphis Grizzlies play seven of their final 11 games on the road, six of those against playoff teams. That helps the Blazers hold off the all-but-dead Grizz as much as anything.

Raptors’ Wright Calls For More

After Wednesday night’s 113-87 loss to the visiting Utah Jazz reserve guard Antoine Wright faced the media in front of his locker. His spoke carefully, perhaps in part bewildered by the performance his slowly but surely slipping Toronto Raptors squad had just put on. It was an effort devoid of any urgency whatsoever. It was written all over his face and if any Raptors could look each other in the eye after the loss, it would have been like looking in the mirror, which is the first place Wright suggests they look.

“The way we played tonight was piss-poor,” said Wright with no need to emphasize.

And he wasn’t asked to. The proof was in the pudding almost from the get-go when the Jazz executed on both ends of the floor without much resistance from the hometown representatives. The Raptors have been accused of being over-confident at times this season, particularly during their high point in January and February when they were winning against some good teams only to falter against lesser opponents. They’ve tempered that glow recently but at least there was an edge to that dampened trait. Starts are concerning now and third quarters are iffy again. Key forward Hedo Turkoglu continues to dip in and out of the line up for various reasons. At least one starter has been changed. The uncertainty all of that brings seems to have helped to suck the life out of the team. It’s as if they don’t believe they should be in this situation instead of finding a way out of their new reality.

“It’s a bit of a letdown,” said Wright of the team’s recent efforts at home, which have include blowout losses versus the Oklahoma Thunder and Jazz by an average of 25 points. “We’re playing for so much and to have all this at stake and still be worrying about trying to guys up for games is frustrating. I know it’s frustrating to out fans.”

The fans at the Air Canada Centre have been just as Jekyl and Hyde as the team they are paying big bucks to see. As many rounds of boos have hung in the air as cheers, though these days the booing comes quick and often. The solution to the fan discontent is to win of course but nobody on the team has been able to come up with a consistent formula. The franchise made itself over in the off-season and held a close door meeting early on which helped to immediately turn around their November/December losing ways. The improvements were thought to be a turning point but instead a month later the team is in a dogfight just to make the playoffs and old habits are back. They currently hold a weak 2.5 game over the Chicago Bulls who have shown signs of improvement after stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah returned from injuries this week.

One of the biggest problems with this Raptors team as they attack the stretch drive is the lack of a locker room general, a spot usually best played by the team’s best talent. As Chris Bosh goes so do the Raptors but since returning to action from an ankle injury a few weeks ago the all-star’s impact has been less than the stellar play that had him just outside the MVP conversation for most of the season. That was before Toronto lost nine of 10 games between February 24 and March 14, a collapse bookended by losses to the Portland Trailblazers. Bosh, a leader in free throw attempts for the better part of this campaign, has seen his trips to the line drop without his trademark aggressiveness. He sits at sixth in the league with 8.5 attempts per game but it is a long way of from the 10 or 11 he was getting before the ankle injury. In his first game back against Philadelphia he didn’t even make a charity stripe appearance. In a comeback win versus the Atlanta Hawks last week he didn’t get there until the dying minutes of the game. That lack of aggression has spread to his teammates, even for a shooting team like the Raps.

“To lose like this is disheartening but we have to have a short memory and we’ve got to get over it,” continued Wright.

Can they beat the demons (Does Deron Williams racking up more assists than the entire Raptors team count as a demon?)? That is the question chasing the Raptors and much of the answer will come in the form of their bench production… and youth. With kids like Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan seeing their first major professional minutes as steady parts of a rotation lack of experience is a concern.

“Some of the younger guys don’t understand the intensity you have to have at this end of the season,” said Wright who last year started for a contending Dallas Mavericks team. “It’s not about coach “taking me out” or about “Aw, I’m not getting my shots” at this point in the season. it’s about playing and getting to the second season and giving yourself a chance. You can’t look forward to that moment unless you lay the groundwork for today.”

Wright is one of the more honest locker room voices in the league but it is the core pieces like Bosh, Turkoglu and Calderon that must step into those roles. Bosh stating that he feels as though he is doing enough won’t sit well with brass and mates looking for more. On a team with its share of inexperienced postseason players a lot of the talk seems to be coming from the supporting parts instead of the main cogs that have been to the postseason with this franchise and others. That won’t work in the crunch, when it really matters and when life or death is the only choice. It is simply too late in the season to be questioning motivation, searching for new player configurations on the floor and identifying an unquestionable leader. If that’s the case, it’s already too late.

Toronto Making Playoff Push Interesting

The return of Chris Bosh was supposed to set things right for a team that had become passive in his absence. Yet in his comeback story against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers Bosh came out slow and, not surprisingly, the rest of his team followed accordingly in a 114-101 loss at the Air Canada Centre. Neither squad took over the game but the 76ers started just well enough and finished just strong enough to seal the deal and send the Raptors to a costly loss, one that kick-started their current three-game slide. The team is now just 3-7 in their last 10 contests and as a collective has shown decidedly less spark of late.

 

“I guess we felt we had an easy game,” said forward Antoine Wright following the loss against Philadelphia. “You can’t expect to win games just coming into them like that. We have to do a better job of getting our minds ready for the games.”

 

Reading between the lines one might conclude that an air of over-confidence may have gripped the team. When February began nearly the entire team saw it as a soft spot in the schedule. Their most recent loss to the Kings had all the makings of a sure win, before the squad unwound drastically in the third quarter after building a first half lead. It was a bad sign out of the halftime recharge and uninspired defense allowed the Kings easy buckets in transition. The result

 

“We have to do everything different,” said center Andrea Bargnani before leaving on the western journey. “Every single thing.”

 

In the midst of a four-game west coast road trip that takes them through California to face the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors and then into Portland to face the Trailblazers, the Toronto Raptors - at 10-21 on the road - will need to rediscover their edge. The have already lost the first two games of the swing - a heartbreaking, last second loss to the Lakers and a horrific stomping at the hands of the Kings. Take a look at the contenders for the fifth through eighth seeds and the Raptors’ timing for a lapse could not have been, well, more untimely. Easy? Focus? Uninspired? Change everything? Not things a team wants to hear (or admit) during the last quarter of their schedule with a playoff berth at stake.

 

The Charlotte Bobcats have won five straight games and have gone from ninth seed to sixth in the span of a week. The Milwaukee Bucks have also won five in a row to claim the fifth seed once thought to be a lock for Toronto.  The Miami Heat have dipped in and out of the postseason picture for the past two weeks but have now won two straight matches to place themselves back in the mix, leaving the Raptors hanging on to the eighth seed. While just 2.5 games separates all of the above-mentioned the ninth place Chicago Bulls, despite having lost seven straight games, are only two games behind the Raptors and the final playoff position. Expect the musical chairs to continue until the final day of the campaign, a scramble Raptors did not believe they would be a part of three weeks ago.

 

With two games remaining on their current tour - a date with the dandy Golden State Warriors and resilient Portland Trailblazers - and a follow-up mini home stand against the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma Thunder looming - the circumstances leave little room for error. Missed opportunities to create space in February and early March, particularly with the Bulls in a terrible slump, place them in a reality that demands a quick turnaround.

 

A case can be made for this team to slide either way.

 

The Raptors’ two big stars, Bosh and off-season addition Hedo Turkoglu, have been disappointing of late. In the three games since returning from a seven game, injury-induced absence Bosh is averaging just 16 points on 19 of 52 shooting from the floor. His rebounding numbers have also fallen to just eight per night and he has visted the charity stripe just nine times total. With Turkoglu continuing a season-long funk the supporting cast has been put through the grinder. Covering reasonably well for early-season injuries to forward Reggie Evans and, to a lesser extent, Wright seems to be catching up. Reserves Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson have been good but they cannot save this team. The slow progression of Turkoglu’s impact has also been costly. The pine crew have been unable to fill the holes as of late with their big names struggling, so much so that talk of a line up change has been whispered and could happen before the team returns to the ACC on Wednesday for their game versus the Hawks.

The Unlikely Memphis Grizzlies

“I’ve been through it,” says veteran forward Zach Randolph on the tough road ahead for his Memphis Grizzlies team. “It ain’t easy.”

 

The first thing that strikes you about the young Grizzlies is the confidence and much of it stems from Randolph. During their five-game losing streak around the All-Star break the onlookers and analysts that had predicted the Grizzlies to follow the formula of yet another lost campaign began dusting off their “I-told-you-so” diatribes. That was where the Grizzlies would fall off the cliff. That was where they would stumble. Down the stretch and out of their surprising perch in the middle of the playoff picture. It was to be the end.

 

And it happened – sort of – only there hasn’t been the freefall that killed most Grizzlies teams before them. Much of that has to do with mindset and Randolph has finally shown signs of leadership. As the oldest and most experienced player on the team (does Jamaal Tinsley count?) it was an unavoidable responsibility but the new and unexpected role as team leader fits him better than most figured. There is new fight in Randolph after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Memphis last summer (his fourth team in as many years) and a renewed focus is evident. Before that his trade out of New York to L.A. came as a shock to him as well. It all added up to a reality check.

 

“I know I can play the game of basketball,” says Randolph. “I’ve been through a lot. I talk to the young guys and I relate to the young guys. I’m just being vocal and leading by example.”

 

Thus, the seeds of doubt do not grow in this version of the Grizz locker room, even if it still exists in the front office. The strong word is that team brass anticipated the slide and wondered if O.J. Mayo (17.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG), their prize draft pick of nearly two years ago, was the man to get them over the hump. Over the doubt.

 

“Defensively (I) really get after it,” says Mayo of his role. “I really try to keep guys involved and keep (their) confidence high, keep the team together and don’t let the adversity pull us apart. Stay strong and get out of this thing together.”

 

Will it be enough? The Grizz certainly hope so, especially since the strong word is that the Golden State Warriors rejected a trade offer out of Memphis that reportedly would have sent Mayo and busted second overall draft pick Hasheem Thabeet to the Dubs in exchange for Monta Ellis (the Grizzlies will face the Warriors twice in March. Yum.). The Allen Iverson experiment blew up in everybody’s face. Deciding whether to move out or retain the versatile Rudy Gay (20.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG) has been a back room debate for a while. Randolph was written off by half the league as a supremely gifted but undesirable character. Thabeet has since been demoted to the D-League. The team is crazy young with an average of roughly 2.5 years experience including four rookies. There were a dozen built-in excuses for the Grizzlies to splinter this season but they did not, a big a change as any from previous seasons.

 

So to say the pre-game locker room mood prior to their contest against the Toronto Raptors on February 17 was calm isn’t enough. It wasn’t a forced cool or the cruel drawl of eventuality, but rather a been-there-done-that vibe that spoke more to lessons learned than open wounds. After all, the team has rebounded admirably from an early season seven-game slide that threatened to bury the campaign right out of the gate. Since then they’ve pretty much owned the Portland Trailblazers and beat the Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers. They would have beat the Lakers twice if not for a pair of missed free throws from Mayo and a game-winning three-pointer by Kobe Bryant in the dying seconds of a 99-98 home loss. Since that nasty November they have gone on six streaks of three or more games and the five-game skid was their first prolonged struggle since the top of the schedule.

 

“We’ve been here before,” says Mayo. “We’ve been where no one expected anything of us. We’ve been to where people thought real high of us as a team that’s turned this thing around and have a chance to go to the playoffs and have a pretty nice seed. Now we’re .500 and we’ve got to continue to work hard and not listen to what’s around us. Just believe in this locker room and go out and play hard.”

 

The Toronto game is important because it was a crossroads moment for the franchise – sink into the realm of expectation or rise as a playoff contender in the bruising western conference. The Raptors had won nine straight home games coming into the match and eight of their last 10 overall, another team making a name for itself in the slice and dice NBA. 10 lead changes and 13 ties later the two teams were battling in the crunch. First there was a late Mayo three to help send the game to overtime. There was Randolph playing with five fouls for the fourth quarter and extra frame and keeping steady enough to continue his 24-point, 11-rebound assault.  There was Gay driving in the daggers down the stretch with eight straight points to seal the victory. And there they were, the three new faces of the franchise and the biggest reasons why the Grizz are good.

 

For Randolph (20.4 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 49.4% FG) Memphis is a sort of revival stop. The young veteran was written off as a talented problem by many after behavioral questions dogged him while playing with the Trailblazers. Stints with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers were spotty and did little to change the perception of Randolph as an overpaid knuckler.

 

“I’m trying to take it to that next level,” says Randolph.

 

Randolph has had four streaks of scoring 20 or more points in at least three straight games including an eight-gamer where he averaged nearly 23 points a game. Compare that to his season average of about 20 points per night and there isn’t much difference, but the key is dependability. Randolph hasn’t exploded. In fact, he has scored 30 or more just six times this season and before dropping 32 points and 25 rebounds on his old Knicks team to finish February he hadn’t dropped 30 in over two months. However, he has started in every game he has played for the Grizzlies, the first time he has ever done that for a team in a season. To side, the last time he played anywhere close to a full schedule was during his 2003-04 tour of duty when he played 81 games and started in all but one. Health, happiness and production have not only helped to re-establish his impact but they have allowed Randolph to develop his leadership skills as well. The Grizzlies roster is full of youngsters who clearly feel they can lean on him as a veteran presence, a dimension to Z-Bo that did not exist at his other NBA stops. It is maturity more than anything that helped pull it all together and the league recognized it by selecting him as a first-time All-Star this season. According to Randolph Memphis has a lot to do with it.

 

“It’s getting in a good situation,” says Randolph. “I’m in a good situation now. We got some great young guys who have a lot of talent.”

 

The Portland Trailblazers of a couple seasons ago were the forefathers to this bunch. A 12-game winning streak in 2007-08 wasn’t enough to get them into the postseason that year but the signs were there and it set the stage for the development of its young stars and a team fast-becoming a perennial playoff contender. Hovering at around .500, unable to string together wins and dipping in and out of the playoff positioning have the Grizz facing a similar scenario, essentially making this a building block, role-defining year for the franchise.

 

“It’s just a little adversity in the midst of the season,” says Mayo. He knows time is running out to make a final push in the tough western conference. “Hard work got us to where we are and hard work can get us out of what we’re in. Some people call it a slump but they’ve got so many names for it. We just have to come out and work hard and play through it.”

 

But it won’t be easy.

Raptors Struggle Without Bosh

The belief here is that the biggest contribution a franchise or cornerstone player can make with their team besides stellar on-court performance is the mindset they instill in the rest of the players, especially when they are absent through illness or injury. As the focal point of a 12-15 man roster in the NBA there is a lot of weight resting on the shoulders of 25-point a night scorers. That is why the top teams, the ones that make the conference finals, always have two or more legitimate offensive threats, usually of the all-star variety. If they don’t have that they employ a high-caliber defensive stopper, sometimes more, to make up the difference. Everybody else makes due without such luxury.

Over the grind of an 82-game schedule bodies fall and for the Toronto Raptors the wounded have been many… and key. Forward Reggie Evans missed 51 games with an improperly diagnosed foot ailment. Point guard Jose Calderon has missed 14 with varying bangs and bruises, most notably a hamstring setback. Antoine Wright has missed 10 games after getting off to a slow start to the season, though some of those absences were DNP-CD’s (coach’s decision).

Hedo Turkoglu was another slow starter, obligingly given time off after a busy summer of playing basketball. The Raptors as a club actually made it sound like Hedo playing basketball all summer was a bad thing, with everyone from management to in-house broadcast teams waxing on about the fatigue Turkoglu was battling. For what? Most observers would agree that so far Turkoglu has only shown up in full force on occasion and they might also tell you that he is coming off like a one-man San Antonio Spur; he doesn’t make noise until the stretch run of the season begins. That would be right about now but the problem with Turkoglu’s theory is that it does not take into account other factors – not unlike the above-mentioned – that require a ready, steady hand should the cards be suddenly reshuffled. It is a theory that works well when teams are stacked with multiple all-stars, as they have been for most of Turkoglu’s career. In San Antonio, Sacramento and Orlando high-end pieces were plenty, which is not the case in Toronto. The Raptors simply are not good enough for that approach.

In Toronto they are missing their franchise player Chris Bosh and they don’t quite know what to do. Except for wait that is. Wait and keep it together long enough to solidify their seeding in some way. Alas, they have gone from seven games above .500 last week to just three games over the line this week. As close as they were at making that final strike for home-court advantage two weeks ago, they have lost serious ground and momentum since. The Raptors are now closer to being out of the playoff picture than they are to that fourth seed dream, just a couple games up on the eighth seeded Miami Heat who lead the ninth place Charlotte Bobcats by just half a game. The Raptors are not a very good team without Bosh, who has missed the last six contests with a severely sprained ankle.

In fact, even with him the Raptors struggle to win against quality opponents, despite all that overblown January success. And didn’t guard Jarrett Jack call last month friendly February? A month in which the team went 5-5 with losses against the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies doesn’t sound so friendly. Jack’s assessment had the dangerous whiff of overconfidence. So now comes the menacing month of March when the squad could face up to eight plus .500 teams depending on where the Bobcats and Heat are by month’s end when the Raptors play them on a back-to-back. Nine of their 16 games in March are on the road. Of those road games they play up to five .500 teams, again depending on how the Heat and Bobcats are rolling. In case you are wondering the Raptors own the worse road record of any currently seeded playoff team in the league. They also rank in the bottom third of the league in terms of victories against winning opponents, with or without Bosh.

The Raptors were hoping to avoid a prolonged Bosh absence this year, something that has become expected in Raptorland. The difference here is that Bosh’s previous injury absences were knee related problems due to wear and tear. The ankle injury wasn’t lingering, it just happened. Not only does that mean that Bosh’s get-strong summer plan still seems to have helped his previous durability issues but it may also serve to get him back sooner than expected, though ankles are tricky little things. The perennial all-star is expected back in time for Friday night’s home game versus the New York Knicks at the Air Canada Center. Frankly, that should be considered a blessing given his past. He has appeared in over 70 games just once since his sophomore season of 81 games played.

If he returns Friday as expected he would be on pace to record 76 games played. That is an important number because the Raptors have needed him more as a franchise player than anybody else in the eastern conference outside of Miami. Without him the Raptors have shown that they are just not that good. While they would appear to have a duo of potential all-stars in Turkoglu and scoring center Andrea Bargnani, it hasn’t translated to success or leadership in Bosh’s absence. If you can look at their recent 2-4 record without him in the line up and spin a positive out of it, it would be a great feat. The realist will see that the wins came against the Washington Wizards and New Jersey Nets, two of the worst and most dysfunctional teams in the history of the NBA. Against the postseason contenders that helped compile their current four-game losing streak – Portland, Cleveland, Oklahoma and Houston – the Raptors looked sloppy save for a valiant effort against a Shaq-less Cavaliers squad last week. In Oklahoma and Houston they were downright horrible.

Not encouraging signs for free agent to be Bosh. With a supporting cast of Turkoglu, Bargnani, Jack, Jose Calderon and DeMar DeRozan all signed to long-term contracts the chemistry that they show with one another without Bosh is just as important as what they show when he is leading them onto the court. How they play is just as crucial as the way management approaches Bosh this summer to negotiate what is expected to be a maximum deal.

We can recall vividly the time spent covering the Raptors when Bosh was just a rookie. His attitude was impressive, especially when he not so subtly showed dismay at Vince Carter and his “reduced” effort as the guard worked his way out of town in a trade. Unless much has changed in the Bosh philosophy – and in covering him up close and personal since that rookie season clearly his resolve has only grown – it’s hard to believe that he is not just as frustrated with the Turkoglu situation.

How that all contributes to the off-season talks regarding Bosh’s long-term plans is anybody’s guess. For his part Bosh has handled his impending free agency well, effectively putting it on the back burner for media and fans alike to focus on the season at hand. As it has always been maintained in this corner, his decision will rest heavily on the playoff success of this team and the development of its core pieces as a unit. Much of that responsibility lies on Turkoglu and Bargnani and as leaders in Bosh’s absence they have failed to even tread water.

A good team does not go south so quickly because of the absence of one player, even one as stellar as Bosh has been this season.