What's Bosh smoking?? I want some!

http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Ba...942253-sun.html

A few weeks ago, Sam Mitchell arrived at a clinic for his pre-season
medical.

Like everyone else at the overcrowded clinic, he was told to take a
number, take a seat and, after his name was called, go into the little
room and pee in a cup.

Mitchell didn't have a problem with that. Coming from a working class
background, he wasn't about to pull a prima dona act. Even though if he
was the head NBA coach in an American city he surely wouldn't have had
to wait.

But he finally did get a little hot under the collar when, after
patiently waiting his turn, he was informed his doctor forgot to fax
over his file and therefore would have to come back and start all over
again.

Unimpressed, Mitchell threw up his hands and left the building, deciding
to cool off by walking back to his office at the Air Canada Centre.

"As I walked, I noticed a guy sleeping on a grate," MItchell said. "And
then a noticed another guy lying under a bridge and then a little, old
lady on the corner begging. After walking about 50 feet past, I stopped,
walked back and gave her (some cash) and she smiled and said 'God bless
you', and I realized that, hey, something like that shouldn't get you
upset."

Putting things in perspective was the message of Mitchell's anecdote
yesterday, as the Raptors gathered for the annual pre-training camp
media day at the ACC.

But he might want to do himself a favour and schedule a walk down
University Ave. after every game this season.

It's going to be another long year at Raptorland. Probably not 27-55
long, but this is a team that still has a ways to go toward respectability.

Sure, general manager Bryan Colangelo did a nice job upgrading the
roster, but with nine new faces, and none of them named LeBron James or
Dwyane Wade, Mitchell will have his hands full getting everyone to pull
in the same direction.

And that's where Chris Bosh comes in.

Mitchell expects his star forward to step up, yet again, both on the
floor and in the leadership department. Without him doing that, forget a
big-time improvement.

Bosh will be hard-pressed to improve on his stats from last season, when
he averaged 22.5 points and 9.2 rebounds and was named to the NBA
all-star team.

But the laid-back star can step up in the leadership department, and
that's exactly what he plans to do.

"This is my fourth year in the league and I had the last two seasons to
prepare for it, so I think I'm ready," he said.

Given his stature within the club, Bosh was asked repeatedly yesterday
what he expects from the Raptors this season.

"That's a good question. I don't want to say a number too low or too
high, so I'll just stick with more wins than losses," he said.

At face value, Bosh expects the Raptors to finish, at least, 42-40,
(more wins than losses) which is a huge improvement and would no doubt
put them in the playoffs.

Whether that side-door prediction comes back to haunt Bosh (the way Rob
Babcock's honest yet ill-fated prediction last year that the team would
probably lose more games than the year before), won't be known until the
season is over.

But at least he is willing to take a stand, and Mitchell, for one,
doesn't mind that at all. If Bosh wants to make predictions, fine.

If he wants to rant and rave in the locker room, even better, though
Mitchell doesn't expect that to happen too often.

There are other ways to demonstrate leadership.

"Just because you run around yelling and foaming at the mouth all day
doesn't make you a great leader," Mitchell said, adding he expects Bosh
to lead by example. "You want your team to take on the personality of
your best player and the thing we like about our best player, he's
unselfish, he's team-orientated and he has a commitment to be here."

"Forget about what you say, it's your actions that matter."

Bosh's actions spoke volumes when he signed a contract extension through
to the 2010-11 season, even though he has yet to play on a Raptors team
that has made it into the playoffs.

But, deep in his heart, he believes this season he'll finally get that chanc
--
Cheers,
Pr0metheus.

Looks like Bosh is thinking exactly along the same lines as I was when
I made the prediction on altraps.com the day after we drafted Bargnani,
that we'd win 42 games.


Pr0metheus wrote:

Did Bosh read your post on altraps.com?

"ebrian" <ebrian@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1160004642.556016.94720@m73g2000cwd.googlegro ups.com...

No, that's why I said "looks like Bosh is *thinking* exactly along the
same lines...".

Thinking is a little different from reading. Nevertheless, yes, I made
that prediction on altraps.com, which is a forum where I like to
frequent to read about others' opinions of Raptors basketball and other
things related to them.

42 wins. I definitely think we're capable of it. You know what's
great? 42 wins in the West got you a ticket to the golf course. In
the East? 5th seeding.


Eric Lew wrote:

"ebrian" <ebrian@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1160059653.610653.310900@m73g2000cwd.googlegr oups.com:


Hi there

As usual, I am willing to take on predictions despite the anti-Raptors
karma it gives me.

I am currently enjoying a 1-year subscription to ESPN Insider (and their
print magazine) courtesy of a preseason bet with ed last season (I said
that there was no way in sweet hell that they would win 35 games). Big
props to ed by the way, for being a true gentleman and 'paying up'

I will gladly put a one-year ESPN Insider membership on the line and say
that there is no way in sweet hell that the Raptors will win 42 games
this season.

Best,
GM

ps: I just googled last year's prediction thread and found you predicted
38 wins, and I offered another bet. Take this one! You don't even have
to stand by 42! I'll give you 41!

Good Man <heyho@letsgo.com> wrote in
news:Xns9853AB7B27C0Dsonicyouth@216.196.97.131:



actually the bet was 30 games, my mistake.

Yep.. I predicted 38 last year but it was for bragging rights, nothing
else.

42-40, I stand by it.

By the way, yesterday I told my co-worker that the Leafs would win all
their games this year, but unfortunately they proceeded to lose to the
Senators. I'm predicting that they'll win the rest of their games,
minus all games against the Sens.



Good Man wrote:

"ebrian" <ebrian@gmail.com> wrote in news:1160083555.115253.297780
@c28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:


so what you're saying is, no bet? even a measly ESPN Insider subscription?
I'll even give you 37 wins.

- j

Man I was wrong about that too as the Leafs totally crushed the Sens
last night.

ebrian wrote:

It is against my personal laurels to gamble, therefore I can only base
bragging rights on this.


Good Man wrote: