…On second thought, it appears as though the boys at The Basketball Jones have done just that for Bargnani, via the following All-Star campaign video.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [The Basketball Jones]

The Raptors defeated the New Jersey Nets quite easily, 94-79, in a game played at Toronto’s Skydome in front of more than 33,000 fans.  The Grizzlies’ first game was on the road at Portland’s brand new arena, The Rose Garden, and they were not polite guests as they left with a 92-80 victory.  However, it was downhill from there for both franchises, as the Grizzlies finished with the NBA’s worse record at 15-67, while the Raptors finished second last with a mark of 21-61.

The Grizzlies franchise lasted only six seasons in Vancouver as poor attendance and a lack of interest forced owners to move to Memphis, Tennessee.  Although the Raptors remain in Toronto the outlook is not good, as they have failed to make the post-season in each of the last three seasons and they have won only one playoff series in franchise history.

Here is a look at the history of the Raptors.

Notable Birthdays
Phil Simms: NFL – Born November 3rd 1954 (age 56) in Lebanon, Kentucky

Paul Quantrill: MLB – Born November 3rd 1968 (age 42) in London, Ontario

Darren Sharper: NFL – Born November 3rd 1975 (age 35) in Richmond, Virginia

Well don’t tell that to Raptors fans (myself included), who also lost their star to free agency last summer, and have won only one playoff series in team history.  Sure, we had a first overall selection in 2006, but all we got out of that was Andrea Bargnani.  Yes, the Cavs sucked bad last season, but they were championship contenders in their five seasons.

So cry me a river Cavs fans.  One year of futility doesn’t make your team or city the logical feel-good choice for the first overall pick.  I can argue this fact all day, but instead, I’ll turn things over to my animated friends below.

(Warning: The following video contains plenty of NSFW language.)

That has worked out quite well for Raptors fans, as their team averages 101.1 points per home game, despite a 10-17 record at the Air Canada Center (that may have something to do with their opponents averaging 104.5 points per visit).  This season fans have capitalized on over 50% of their opportunities, with the Raptors scoring at least 100 points in 14 of their 27 home games.

The Raptors have been stuck in a slump lately,winning only two of their past 18 games, and they have failed to reach the century mark in their last two home games (although, one just so happened to be a victory over the Clippers).  The last time the hometown crowd in Toronto won pizza was on February 9th, when their team fell to the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 111-100.

Check out the crowd go nuts after Leandro Barbosa hits a meaningless free-throw with 21 seconds left to give the Raptors 100 points, and the fans a free meal.  Seems like a great way to keep butts in the seats the entire game, even if the home team is getting smoked.

Hat Tip Video – [The Basketball Jones]

TBJ exclusive: Like A Bosh from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

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So after watching his Raptors fall 125-108, largely because of a strong effort from Williams, what did Jay Triano have to say?

“What the f*&k you gonna do?”

Nothing Jay.  Absolutely nothing.

Hat Tip – [Slam Online]

After making a big push to acquire Hedo Turkoglu as a free agent last off-season, the Turkish forward disappointed Raptors fans throughout the 2009-10 campaign and was often scrutinized for his lack of effort an tendency to choose partying over playing.  Turkoglu was dealt to the Phoenix Suns during the off-season after asking management for a trade.  However, although he may be gone, the fans have certainly not forgotten the tarnished legacy he left behind in Toronto.

During Sunday’s game, one incredibly vocal fan decided to remind Turkoglu of exactly what the Raptors’ faithful thought of his one-year tenure in Toronto.  Listen closely.

Hat Tip – [The Big Lead]

During an exhibition game last night between the Toronto Raptors and the Phoenix Suns in Vancouver, British Columbia, Reggie Evans and Grant Hill exchanged a few pats on the rear end, which was enough for the officials to hand out technical fouls to both players.  It was the second technical foul assessed to each player, resulting in their ejection.

Thankfully, it was only a preseason game, so rather than arguing with the officials, Hill and Evans shared a laugh with one another before heading to the showers together.  We refuse to speculate as to whether any more ass-slaps were exchanges behind closed doors.

Derrick Rose shot 15-22 and scored 39 points.  He went to the free throw line 10 times, hitting on 9 of them.  That is huge for a player some say does not take enough contact and shoot enough free throws.  He also had 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks while only turning over the ball twice.  The 39 points is a career high for the young point guard.  He did have help from his backcourt mate Hinrich who scored 30 points.  Joakim Noah also chipped in with 16 rebounds.

The Bulls are battling for the 8th seed in the East and it is going to come down to the last game of the season.  With the Bulls ahead of Toronto by 1 game, but Toronto holding the tiebreaker, we won’t know who Cleveland is playing in the first round until after the final game of the season.  There is one thing we do know though, and that is that Derrick Rose put up a filthy “Stat Line of the Night”.

Having won only one of their last nine games, the Raps were desperate for a win as they took on the Hawks in Toronto. It started off well as the Raps went into the locker room at halftime with a 59-56 lead. But they must have gorged on donuts during the break because they came out dead for the 3rd quarter and the Hawks mounted an 11-point lead to start the 4th.

Star player Chris Bosh was having shooting woes, so Andrea Bargnani stepped it up big time. The 7-footer from Italy led all Raptors with 22 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 8-14 from the floor and nailed 2-4 from downtown. He also had a blocked shot and a few assists. How great is it to have a 7-footer that can score from anywhere on the floor? Real nice. The Raptors overcame the deficit to pull put the win 106-105, and their playoff hopes are still much alive. Andrea Bargnani has The Stat Line of the Night for 3/17/10.