Im Just Boshing You

Raptor fans, oh how I feel for you. In due time, you will all be holding your breaths awaiting for the notification of Chris Bosh’s destination for 2011. For the last seven years you have been watching this kid grow up to be one of those most effective and respected big men in the league. This man saved this organization after the dreaded VC incident (I’m sorry for bringing up the horrible past) and at one point actually put Toronto on the map as a legit basketball organization. After seven years of loyalty on all ends of the court, Raptor fans will pray as they watch the biggest summer in NBA history unfold, with the future of their organization in its hands.

Chris Bosh cannot leave Toronto. He has done too much there to just get up and leave. I was once invited to see the Raptors at the Air Canada Center and the city just absolutely loves Chris. Just the other night when he scored his 10,000 point as a Raptor (first Raptor to reach 10,000 might I add) the ACC went nuts, absolutely nuts, while bosh was focused on the court showing no recognition to the crowd. Everyone was standing to appreciate the hard work this man has done for the Raptors while Bosh didn’t even show emotion as he nailed his 10,000 point as a Raptor, and his career. There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone in Toronto wants this guy to stay, and if he doesn’t it will be a devastating blow to the city and the organization.

One year after his rookie season, Bosh was given the keys to the raptors organization as the face of the franchise, and boy did he respond. He was undersized for his position, a scrawny teenager drafted out of Georgia Tech to play with the big boys right from the get go. Following a solid sophomore season, Bosh had no limits to his potential. Every year he just kept getting better and better, it was a joy to watch this kid develop.

Toronto fans waited patiently as Bosh was developing into a nightmare for opposing forwards. Everyone knew that Bosh was going to be the guy that would lead Toronto back to the playoffs since the ______ era, now it was time to build around him.

Their first attempt was to bring in a solid PG in TJ Ford. That plan did not go so well, even though it brought them the Atlantic division title. The Raptors than brought in Bryan Collangelo and made a block buster trade to make bosh happy by bringing in Jermain O’neal and drafting Andrea Bargiani. Jermain was plagued with injuries and the fans grew tired. Jermain later became Shawn Marion and Marion became Hedo Turkoglu (and we all know how that experiment is going).

During all this, CB4 was a saint. He did not create problems by criticizing the player Toronto brought in to play with him. He rarely showed dis-trust and dis-respect for anyone in the organization. He was calm, patient and solely focused on basketball and improving his game. Bosh new that they were going to build around him, its just unfortunate that none of the attempts meshed well together.

As of now, the Raptors are loosing ground in the eastern conference and are currently holding on to the 8^th seed with Chicago 3 games back. Bosh has done what all free agent superstars SHOULD be doing during their troubles and all season: not saying anything about where he’s going and focusing on basketball.

Bosh is aware of all the things Toronto has done to retain him, like signing his good friend from college Jarret Jack to a 4 year deal (he’s more effective than Turkoglu IMO) and during the trade deadline, there were talks of bringing in his best friend Josh Powell from the Lakers. Bosh knows what’s going on, he knows that Toronto will do anything to keep him, and Toronto just might have to do that.

Come July, CB4 will have the Raptors organization by a thread. Sure, he gets the most money if he signs with Toronto, but at this point in his career that’s not a priority. No one really knows what’s going on in Bosh’s head although there have been signs of him claiming he wants to stay in Toronto. Although he has never mentioned the phrase “I want to stay in Toronto” or anything along that line, CB4 has stated his love for the city and the players he is with at the moment. But we all know CB4 wants to win, and as of now it doesn’t look like Toronto is the best destination for that. For Bosh, that’s what its going to come down, his desire to winnow or his desire to stay loyal to the organization that brought him up and trust they will bring in a winning cast.

Of course, we all know that Bryan Colangelo and crew will do whatever it takes to keep CB4 in a Raptor uniform past this season. What can Toronto offer but more money that will intrigue CB4? Come next season I don’t believe Toronto has that much cap space, maybe a MLE the most since signing Turkoglu in the off-season (if CB4 signs with Toronto.) That would mean bearing any trades, the Raptors roster wont be any different than it is now, and the results of this roster…well….lets just say its not up to level if we hope to retain Bosh.

If Bosh decides he wants to leave, he has plenty of options to do so with plenty of teams clearing cap space. He can go to Miami to team up with wade, he can chose New York’s spot light and #1 city in the world with the potential of playing with LBJ (imagine!) Or he can go to Chicago, and develop alongside Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The point is Bosh has numerous options, he must feel like a kid in a candy store with a unlimited tab.

If he leaves Toronto (and sadly it’s a big possibility,) I cant imagine how long it will take for the organization to recover. Assuming the raptors finish in the lower seeds of the eastern conference, Toronto will get a mid 1^st round pick………..oh wait, they traded it to Miami to get Marion/Turkoglu. If Bosh leaves WITHOUT any deal worked out to get something in return, Toronto will suffer and they will suffer hard. They’re best player will be a Italian forward who has shown signs of flashes and little consistency on the boards paired up with an aging forward whom Toronto is grossly overpaying. Toronto needs to find a way to get something out of Bosh if he decided to cross the border, here’s a couple of situations I worked out:

Sign n trade Bosh to New York for David Lee, Chandler: This would be best case scenario. Lee would be a huge downgrade from Bosh but he has room to grow, and who knows how effective he can be in a new offense and players around him. Chandler would be a bonus, an athletic forward with a progressing shot and respectable D, he’s an asset on any team. Bosh gets to go to NY and potentially play with another superstar.

Sign n trade bosh to Huston for Kevin Martin and Brooks (or Scola, Ariza, Battier) Another best

case scenario for Toronto. They would get a wing scorer which is desperately needed on that team if Bosh is gone and will get a nice complementary player as well. Houston will get Bosh, potentially a healthy Yao, and strong complementary players to go along with them.

Sign n trade bosh to Portland for Aldridge + filler: This trade would make sense for both teams. Bosh and Roy would be a devastating duo in the west, making Portland’s rebuilding stages complete and ready for a championship run. Toronto would get a poor mans Bosh so the offense wont have to change that much since Aldridge’s game is similar to Bosh.

If I were Toronto, I would pray he stays…..screw it ill just say it, BOSH HAS TOO STAY! He means everything to Toronto, Bosh solidified Toronto on the basketball map. He should retire in purple and red, he should recruit people to play with him and not be recruited. Bosh did state earlier this season that he would rather lead a franchise than share the role, which he can definitely do in Toronto. He constantly states how amazing the city is, and he’s probably settled in Toronto after seven years here with his family…….OK im going to stop ignoring the giant panda in the room and mention that Bosh looks like a raptor…..think about it, if he looks like a Raptor, and plays for the Raptors, than its destined that he will remain a Raptor.

Choose your own adventure: Bosh, its all up to you now. There are two keys in your hand. The key in your left hand opens the gate to the path of Village Hero. Whenever you walk by the streets of Toronto people will look up in awe (not because you’re taller than them) and respect for the man that stuck by his town for better or worse. The key in your right hands holds the path of The Messenger. You will be seen in Toronto as a respectable man who once brought joy to the town. You will pass by the city every so often bringing gifts of joy and thoughts of what could have been. You will not be verbally shunned, but there is an obvious tension in the air whenever you come back to visit.

Choose wisely Bosh, Choose Wisely.

T-T-R

You Be The Judge?

(Title photo courtesy of The Vancouver Sun)

(Raptor photo courtesy of Lookliker.com)