| Bend, But Don't Break Authored by Gagan Gandhi - November 6, 2008 - 10:16 am
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
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It was a great showcasing of talent as one team is trying to re-gain the edge of past glory, and the other is trying to be identified as a team with an edge.
It's a sight the Raptors were hoping to avoid this early on in the season – facing All-Star Allen Iverson. But, with Monday's blockbuster trade between the Pistons and Nuggets, it's a battle they thought they had no choice but to face head on.
However, Chauncey Billups, the point guard going the other way in the deal, didn’t complete his physical in time for Iverson to start against the Raptors.
I'm pretty sure Toronto didn’t mind.
In the end though, it was the Pistons' experience, poise and depth that paid great dividends against a Toronto team that seemed to be firing on all cylinders heading into the game. After a see-saw affair in the early going, Detroit took the lead 25-24 and never looked back as Toronto couldn’t seem to get the needed stops on defense to take control of the game.
But really, the main story continues to be the blockbuster deal that landed Allen Iverson in Michigan.
In acquiring Iverson, the Pistons are admitting that this may indeed be their last "kick at the can." It's very similar to the desperation moves of the Suns and Mavericks last season, who acquired Shaquille O'Neal and Jason Kidd, respectively.
However, Pistons general manager Joe Dumars took a calculated risk and since it’s only a few games into the season, they should have enough time to gel as a unit. They have an unmatchable starting line-up, one that now boasts Richard Hamilton, Iverson, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace.
This move makes great sense for the Pistons because if the team doesn’t perform as hoped, Iverson can be disposed of at season's end and Dumars will then have tons of cap space to work with in the summer. If it works out like he hopes it does, they could be battling the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals again next spring.
With the team Detroit had coming into the season, many believed they were a club whose stock was on the downswing. Sometimes all you need is a little shake up and a swagger, and the man known as 'A.I.' brings plenty of it. Combine that with the attitude of Wallace and this is a team that is not going to be fun to play against.
Meanwhile, despite the loss, the Raptors have looked like a team who know what’s expected of them this season. Chris Bosh has looked like a man on a mission. Jose Calderon has been earning his new contract. Jermaine O’Neal has brought exactly what was advertised, the edge on the defensive edge that Toronto has lacked for so many seasons before.
Add that to the fact that Jamario Moon looks like he's gotten a bit more range on offense, Jason Kapono is hitting shots like it's going out of style and Andrea Bargnani has shown flashes of the talent that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2006, and it's not hard to understand why so many predicted playoff success for this Toronto team.
But with that said, it's early in the season and the East appears to be wide open.
Wednesday night’s matchup between the Pistons and Raptors had fans of one team saying bring on the Celtics, and the fans of the other wondering what it is their team is still missing.
However, it's important to realize that one loss, four games into the season, doesn't make or break a season, just like it's important to realize that one win doesn’t guarantee you an NBA championship.
It's the one guarantee about the NBA: there's going to be wins and there's going to be losses.
It's all about balance.
Please e-mail Gagan (gaganhoops@gmail.com) with any comments or questions. |
