These are my Toronto Raptors Linkage links for January 27th from 07:28 to 22:40:

• It’s not quite do or die time, but close – Tuesday's clash at the Izod Center is key for the Raptors, as the Nets, who are a half-game behind the Bucks, lead the season series 2-1. It is the final game between the two teams this season, and the outcome of the series could be a factor in any playoff-seeding tiebreaker.

  "This one's especially important for us because they have the season series on right now," Bosh said. "In case of a tie later on, we want it to be locked up instead of them having the advantage."

• Advanced Raptors Statistics –
• NBA debut a rude awakening for Raptors’ Jawai – "The move I did in Detroit was a travel," Jawai said Tuesday, a rare instance of an NBA player agreeing with an official's call. "Back home I'd get away with that move. But I'm in a different country right now. I've just got to adjust myself and my moves to the NBA
• The Basketball Prospectus Stats Pages – Many of the statistics you'll find on these pages are exclusive to Basketball Prospectus. The player pages include numbers derived from my WARP rating system as well as Bradford Doolittle's NBAPET rating system. Meanwhile, the team pages include the statistics Bradford uses each week to create the Prospectus Hoops List rankings. Above and beyond these, there are other player stats, like two-point percentage, you simply won't find anywhere else.
• Will Jermaine O’Neal’s Horror Productions Be The Death Of Kathryn Humphreys? – So did you know that the veteran of more than 750 NBA games is also a burgeoning horror film producer?

  If you answered no, you're no different than several of his Toronto teammates.

  But CityNews' Kathryn Humphreys got word of the horrific hobby and talked to O'Neal about it in a blood-curdling one-on-one that stretched the theatrical limits of both entertainers.

• Horrible time to be a Toronto sports fan – The Toronto Raptors? They were supposed to be the one Toronto team that offered hope this season. Nobody expected the Raptors to be the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers, but most looked at their team and saw a decent roster capable of making the playoffs and perhaps winning a round. Alas, the Toronto curse has hit the Raptors too. They stink. Their season is a train wreck. The coach has been fired and the franchise could possibly lose its franchise player Chris Bosh at the end of next season.
• Raptors Back At Work, Set Sights On Jersey – After taking a day off, the Raptors were back at practice ahead of a big divisional match tomorrow night in Jersey against the Nets. Since Jose Calderon has come back to the lineup after resting his hamstring, the Raptors seem to have found a decent solution to their backup point guard woes. Check out the video recap special to FAN590.com.
• Triano wants Calderon’s minutes to increase – “I would like to see him play more minutes, obviously,” coach Jay Triano said Tuesday. “We’d like to build that back up. We’ve kind of set a benchmark as far as a number of minutes so he doesn’t fatigue the muscle and doesn’t get too fatigued after being out. He certainly has shown that he’s been able to handle the minutes we’ve given him at both ends of the floor.”
• O’Neal gives a sobering perspective – Is he going to the Miami Heat in exchange for forward Shawn Marion? Or is he headed to the Sacramento Kings in a trade that would bring the Toronto Raptors center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons?

  Amidst the trade rumors that continue to buzz around him, Toronto forward-center Jermaine O’Neal offered his thoughts on that with Toronto Sun reporter Lance Hornby.

• NBA Power Poll – Raptors #24 – Jermaine O'Neal said of the possibility of being traded again: "There's always a chance." Raptors fans can only hope he's right.
• RaptorsHQ Stock Watch for January 27, 2009 – For a Toronto Raptors squad that looks to be heading for a pick in the mid first-round however, most of these names won’t apply as other teams will be calling them to the podium long before the Dinos are on the clock.

  That’s why, for RaptorsHQ’s first edition of “Stock Watch” this year, we thought it might be interesting to talk about five lesser-known individuals; five players who fit specific needs for this team and who are currently not amongst the lottery talk.

• So the Raptors do have depth at point guard – If you're of the view that making the playoff in such fashion would be a worthy feat, there's hope. If you you're of the view that it's lipstick on a porcine farm animal, there's that too.
• Will Bosh Go the Way of Carter, McGrady? – The Toronto Raptors organization is slowly becoming that girl that you want to have a relationship with, but don’t want to commit to. The one that you tell, “I like the way things are right now,” it lasts for a few years, but when push comes to shove, you’re out of there.
• Jose Calderon: The Spanish Saviour? – The Raptors’ level of competition, with all due respect to the Bulls and Kings, has been lackluster at best. The Kings have yet to muster 48-plus minutes and beat an Eastern Conference team. But “The Spanish Fly,” as a wise weasel-looking man once said (I love you Swirsk), has provided hope to the players as well as the fans.
• Jalen Rose’s comments on Chris Bosh – toward the end of the clip.
• Bargnani’s Next Contract – So what’s the ball park on Andrea Bargnani’s next contract?

  There are a couple of different angles that one could look at this from, but there are two main points of view that seem most prevalent at this point in time so let’s have a look at them.

• AB, most improved? – One of the most stagnant races has been the MIP award with Harris at the forefront since day 1. But after looking at the numbers, is Harris really most improved, has he got that much better? In my opinion, there are more deserving players who have made huge strides in their development.

  So here it is, the top 5 candidates for MIP. You may be surprised where I think people should rank.

• V.C, JVG, and CB4 with some Jose on the side. – There is so much talk about what the Raptors would lose in the basketball sense if Bosh were to leave in 2010. But it should also be noted what they would lose as far as a person if he were to leave. I hope in both cases that Bosh will remain with the Raptors because he is not just a great basketball player he is a great person as well.
• Kings closely watching Miami/Toronto trade talk –
• Patients, Raptors cheered by visit – Moon's wife Tamara gave birth to daughter Taylin three weeks ago.

  "Even if I wasn't a new father, it still makes me feel good to come here and give back," Moon said. "It does me good to know I can lift their spirits. You remember when you were a kid."

• Harris to be a test – They will face the New Jersey Nets tomorrow, which means contending with Devin Harris. Facing Harris, a much quicker point guard than they have seen in awhile, will be a true test of how well Jose Calderon is faring in his return from a right hamstring injury, and how well Anthony Parker can sub for Calderon.

  Coach Jay Triano is very happy at how Calderon has looked in the past two games.

• Parker makes mark – Triano wanted Parker to think more offensively.

  "Think score all the time," Triano urged. "You can always become a passer when they take that away. You think score, you can make something else happen. "When you have injuries, different guys can step up and prove what they can and can't do. Anthony has shown we're a pretty good team with him as point guard. We're a big team, we can do a few different things where we post him up on certain plays."

• Parker finds a new home as point guard – Anthony Parker's game was missing for most of 31 days, and maybe the best place to begin looking would have been at the bottom of a cliff.
• Raptor tidbits – Messina still linked to Toronto, a closer look at Jawai – The Etore Messina to Toronto rumours won't die. The most heralded coach in Europe has long been linked to the team, since Bryan Colangelo and Maurizio Gheradini are admires, and because Messina has a history with Andrea Bargnani.
• MO’ BETTER BEARD: Bearded Bargnani vs. Beardless Bargnani – Ever since the New Year, Andrea Bargnani has really stepped it up. The production from the former #1 draft pick has increased dramatically. He has moved from a Darko comparison to a Dirk comparison. In this same time frame, Andrea looks to have stopped shaving and has grown a ridiculous beard that only the Gasol brothers could be jealous of.
• Raptors visit Hospital for Sick Children – Video
• The Burden of High Expectations  – As a Toronto Raptor fan, I know far too well how a season ripe with optimism can be darkened with a few untimely injuries and losing streaks. No, the Raptors aren’t the worst team in the NBA this year, not even close, but they are performing significantly below expectations.
• Time To Move Chris Bosh – So is Bosh a glorified stat-stuffer or a legitimate franchise player? I'll take the former 10 games out of 10. His playing well or not playing well has absolutely no influence on the game.

  His game is absolutely out of touch with the rest of his team's offensive plan. He brings next to nothing defensively. On offense, although he has a very unique skill-set for someone of his height, he is undoubtedly a ball-stopper, and someone you can never run an entire offense through. Worse, he is playing out of position.

• Teams are a joke in Big Smoke – I don't own a Toronto Raptors hat yet. I'm waiting for the right one and the market for basketball hats in Kingston doesn't seem to be great. I'll bet my Raptors hat will have to purchased in Toronto.

  Like the Leafs and Jays, the Raptors are mired in disarray.

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Related posts:

1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 10th through January 11th
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 30th through January 31st
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 12th through January 13th
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 13th through January 14th
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for January 11th through January 12th