Concern For Bosh, Ford As Opener Draws Near

Discussion in 'Toronto Raptors' started by Shapecity, Oct 23, 2006.

  1. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Two starters didn't play, another may well have had the night off, too, the top draft pick was unavailable, a key sub was limited to seven minutes because his stomach was sore. That would generally mean the Raptors were in for a long, long night.

    But with this new and seemingly improved roster ? at least in six pre-season games ? the absence of key players was a mere nuisance.

    With the second unit again picking up the slack, holding its own against the other team's starters and beating up on the opposition scrubs, the Raptors won their sixth straight pre-season game last night, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-90 at the Air Canada Centre.

    But it was the guys who didn't play, rather than a result of a meaningless pre-season game, which has to be troubling to the Raptors.

    Chris Bosh sat out ? his third game on the sidelines ? because his left heel was sore; T.J. Ford got the night off because he had a stiff back and a sore hamstring; lingering ankle trouble kept Andrea Bargnani from playing and, while Sam Mitchell said before the game the spate of injuries wasn't a bad thing, he was sugar-coating it a tad.

    Sure, the Raptors are deeper and can get to more talent further down the roster this year than any of the previous three, but now with only two pre-season games left, they need their all-star power forward, starting point guard and top draft pick.

    "In the past, what separates teams is (if they) can survive an injury to one of your better players," Mitchell said. "Hopefully, by all these guys (P.J. Tucker, Uros Slokar and Darrick Martin) getting to play and having confidence, if we do have injuries where a guy's going to miss a week or two, we've got guys I ... have confidence in."

    Slokar had six points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes and Kris Humphries, who started for the absent Bargnani, who had been starting for the absent Bosh, had 16 points and nine boards, including a potential game-saving offensive rebound with less than 10 seconds left.

    "I did a lot in limited minutes early on in the pre-season and struggled a little bit last game," said Humphries, who is destined to be the fifth man in the big-man rotation. "For me, I'm trying to just get in there and pick up the pace. I'm not worried about the little details. Throughout the season, that'll work itself out."

    Bosh, of course, refuses to say anything except he'll be ready for opening night, while Ford expects to play Wednesday. Bargnani is day-to-day with a wonky ankle.</div>

    Source
     
  2. og15

    og15 JBB *********

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    I have no concern, anyone have concerns?
     
  3. deception

    deception JBB Banned Member

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    be concerned- bosh his going to be dealing with this year, bargnani has had a bum ankle since summer league and ford as a troubling history of injury woes.
     
  4. Chutney

    Chutney MON-STRAWRRR!!1!

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    Bargnani's injury is apparently from the Italian League and he rushed back into action for the Summer League a bit too quick. I'm not too worried about it.

    Same with Ford. His injury history is ridiculously overblown and he's already ready to play in the next preseason game.

    Bosh's is more troubling. The only positive is that we are a very deep team and he won't have to over-exert himself as he did last season. Hopefully the pain isn't as bad as Duncan's/Kidd's.
     
  5. AirJordan

    AirJordan JBB JustBBall Member

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    Bosh will play the last preseason game
     

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