Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Where are they now - Chris Bosh

Well, Chris Bosh had by far the best game of his career the other night, scoring 33 points (12-19), 15 boards, 9-10 from the stripe, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, all in one game - the Raptors win over the Hornets. Well that has sparked a bunch of articles and mention of Bosh, so here's a sampling:


BOSH BY GOSH
Very nice article from his hometown paper, including a statistical comparison of Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett's first two years in the NBA - scary close!!!

"People have got to realize he's only 20 years old, and he's doing a lot of great things," Raptors forward Morris Peterson said. "If you look at guys like Garnett, and some of the guys that came into the league at his age, he's definitely right up there with those guys at their age, if not better."



Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is aware of Bosh's improving skills. When the Mavs beat the Raptors 122-113 in Toronto on Feb. 6, Bosh had eight rebounds and scored a career-high 29 points. He hit 8 of 12 field goals and 13 of 14 free throws before fouling out.


"He really took it to us, and I think he certainly has an unbelievable upside to his game," Nowitzki said. "He's very athletic, he really developed his jump shot from 17-18 feet, and he's going to be a great player in this league.


"What makes him tough to guard is he's got a very explosive first step. He faces you up, he goes both ways; he got me in foul trouble in the game [in Toronto], and he's difficult to match up with."


Since the Raptors traded Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets two months ago, a lot of their offense goes through Bosh, who has 21 double-doubles this season. Even the team's Web site has a bold statement next to Bosh's picture: "A New Era In Raptors Basketball Has Begun."


BOSH CREATES A BUZZ


BOSH, RAPTORS SLAM HORNETS

Bosh grabbed 15 rebounds and went 9-of-10 from the foul line. He scored on a variety of mid-range jumpers and quick inside moves, setting his new career mark on a baseline drive in which he twisted in mid-air to softly drop the ball in from close range. The shot gave Toronto a 90-72 lead and sent a number of fans to the exits with more than 4 minutes to go.


"You hit a lot of shots and you sense it. I was basically staying aggressive," Bosh said. "I made a couple jump shots and my up-fakes became effective and that opened up some drives for me."


TEAM REPORT

The Raptors improved to 14-4 when Bosh scores 20-or-more points. Bosh registered his 22nd double-double of the season. For the year, Bosh is posting 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.25 blocks per game.


BOSH ERUPTS AS RAPTORS SINK NO

The 6-foot-11 forward, whose previous best game was a 29-point outing against Dallas in February, went over 30 with a nifty up-and-under move for a fourth-quarter layup. He scored on dunks and jump shots and finger rolls in an excellent all-around effort.


Hey, did I mention that the "best PG in the NBA" - "our own" Stephon Marbury, actually had a game worthy of the title? He scored 26 pts, but more importantly had 16 assists in a win over Golden State. Way to go Steph - showing the difference in a SG and a PG.....finally.


BOSH STRIDES FOR BEST

Bosh averages 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoots 47.7 percent from the field. The Lincoln graduate is a stronger player than he was as a rookie and much more aggressive in the low post. Instead of trying to fake his defender to get the advantage, he now powers to the basket. Bosh already has attempted 394 free throws this season to rank 15th in the league.


"Coach [Sam] Mitchell sat me down and told me to make one quick move and just go by the guy," Bosh said. "Read how their movement is and go to where they're vulnerable. So far, it's worked real well for me."