Well, if you watched the game, you saw what I have been preaching. The Raptors are a bonafide up and comer.
Poor play - Billups, Prince, Maxiell, McDyess
Good play - Delfino, Hunter, Webber, Billups
Great play - Rip and Sheed
Sheed was a workhorse tonight. He fought Bosh every inch of the way, and showed the young fella how to play at another level. Maybe his best regular season performance in a Pistons uniform to date. Classic.
Toronto Coach Sam Mitchell said in the postgame that this was a night that Chris Bosh and some of the other young Raptors grew up. That Chris now understands that players are going to come after him.
On the downside, Sheed did pick up his 15th tech from one of the worst refs. Courtney Kirkland.
Hamilton had a very efficient game and played solid defense on Parker.
Unfortunately Rip was also the beneficiary of a spotty call. He was tagged with a flagrant foul for what looked like a graze on Anthony Parker's face that may or may not have been embellished with a flop.
I really thought the Pistons played decent and the Raptors played almost as well as they can. That's a good sign because if the Pistons play great, they should be able to keep getting teams down by big #s.
As an aside, does anyone believe we are playing Flip's playbook anymore? Sure looks like a bunch of talented players just balling with a lot of improvisation and plays off of instinct. They look like they are having fun and with the exception of Tayshaun (and at times to the detriment of Billups) not thinking too much.
We're officially hot right now. Let's burn up the Clippers.
