Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
As the Raptors continue to flounder, Chris Bosh continues to show his frustration. Here's what he told the Toronto Star's Doug Smith after last night's blowout loss to the Jazz.
“I can’t instill it in guys. You have to have it on your own; as much as I would like to, as much as I would like to do everything, you can’t do everything."
If that doesn't sound like Bosh has a defeatist attitude, I don't know what does. But who can blame Bosh at this point? He sees the writing on the wall: this season will end the same way the previous six did.
Sound familiar? The symmetry between Bosh's plight and Kevin Garnett's on the Timberwolves is obvious, right down to the fact that both players didn't make it out of the first round in their first seven years with the team. Both players are supremely talented power forwards who need help. Both players had GMs who overpaid marginal players that didn't fit with their skills. Both players got to the point where they got tired of trying to lift up their mediocre teammates.
Still not convinced? Allow Zach Harper, writing on Raptors Republic, to spell it out for you. Go check it out and get back to me if you're still dubious.
The question now is, which team can lift up Bosh like the Celtics lifted up KG?
9 comments
Comments
The problem with this is that KG was a MUCH, MUCH better defender than Bosh
Garnett won that MVP back then for a reason. Not only was he a slightly better scorer than Bosh, but he could shut down his man on defense. Bosh, on the other hand, is one of the reasons why the Raptors have one of the worst defenses in league history. If it weren’t for the 1990-91 Nuggets and various other teams in the ‘80s, they’d be the worst.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
by LACK on Mar 25, 2010 2:21 PM EDT reply actions
It's hard to look good on defense
When you’re playing with Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Hedo Turkoglu. Bosh looked pretty damn awesome on D in the Olympics, for example.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Mar 25, 2010 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Garnett's Defensive Teammates in Minnesota were a joke
KG was an annual 1st team NBA All Defense member and a contender for Defensive Player of the Year in Minnesota playing with teammates like Troy Hudson, Anthony Peeler and Wally Szczerbiak. Bosh has never remotely approached Garnett’s level on defense.
KG’s combo of offense and defense are part and parcel of what make him a historic player. Completely ignoring one side of the ball is like saying that Ben Wallace was similar to Tim Duncan because they had similar defensive impacts, completely ignoring that Duncan dusts him on offense. You’ve got to look at the whole package.
by drza44 on Mar 25, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
KG also benefited from playing with good solid defensive centers and point guards who defended better than Jose Calderon
Besides, nobody is saying Bosh is on KG’s level defensively. We’re just saying he’s not horrendous.
And hell, nobody is saying Bosh is as good as KG. We’re just saying their plights are similar. Both were stuck on mediocre teams that didn’t surround them with the right players.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Mar 25, 2010 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
No he didn't
KG spent his career in Minnesota playing next to centers like Rasho (who spent some time in Toronto), Olowokandi and Mark Blount. And as for point guards, this is what was once written about Troy Hudson:
“Troy Hudson probably gets the award for the being the worst defender in the league. He is dead last among point guards in both the statistical and adjusted plus/minus ratings and his adjusted plus/minus ratings are consistently horrible. He is playing a game on the defensive end that is not remotely like anyone else’s in the league.”
Anyway, to your last point, I do recognize that there are some similarities between KG and Bosh. But there are some pretty big differences too, bigger than the impression one would get from the article you linked or from this article called “Chris Bosh is Kevin Garnett”. That seems to be saying a bit more than just that there are some similarities to their plights.
by drza44 on Mar 25, 2010 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Nesterovic was a pretty good defensive center
Who never played in Toronto. And Terrell Brandon was a much better defensive point guard than you’re giving him credit for, as was Malik Sealy.
Also:
That tells you what you need to know.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Mar 25, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Rasho Nesterovic played in Toronto from 2006-08 and has been the 5th big man in Toronto this season
Terrell Brandon was a good defender, but you must be confusing Rasho with somebody else…
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
by LACK on Mar 25, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
And Jarrett Jack isn't that bad of a defender
He’s the starting point guard now, not Jose Calderon. KG played next to Wally Szczerbiak for 6 or 7 years, and Wally was a pretty terrible defender who was just as bad as Hedo, maybe a bit worse.
"Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." - Charles Shackleford
""He’s a stiff." - The Legendary Doug Moe
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors." - Weldon Drew
"I really didn't want it, but now that I've won it, it's nice. It's an honor. It's nice to know people don't think you're a total idiot. ... It must have been a poor year for coaches." - Doug Moe...talking about winning 1987-88 Coach of the Year award.
"We're just tough, man" - Chauncey Billups
by LACK on Mar 25, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
They have Nesterovic in common...
In other words, your stance was that “KG benefited from playing with good defensive centers” with respect to Bosh. But if both played next to Rasho, then that isn’t an advantage for KG now is it? Brandon in Cleveland was a solid defensive point guard. Brandon in Minnesota, after his knee surgeries, not so much. He was a gambling matador who might get steals but was routinely torched by his man. That said, that isn’t the point.
The point is that even when KG had awful defensive teammates (like the Hudson/Peeler/Wally/Rasho or Mike James/Ricky Davis/Hassell/Blount teams) he was still an all-world defender. In other words, Bosh having poor defensive teammates isn’t an excuse for HIM being a blah defender, which was really my underlying point all along.
And I read your paragraph the first time. I still disagree that Chris Bosh is Kevin Garnett.
by drza44 on Mar 25, 2010 7:37 PM EDT reply actions
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