These are my Toronto Raptors Linkage links for February 7th from 09:19 to 11:34:

• Vince Back To Toronto? – Vince, of course. Yes, it seems unlikely that any owner can sign off on a 32-year-old guy making $33M the next two years without blushing, but it's not impossible.

  Two agents told us today that the Nets have talked to San Antonio, Cleveland, Chicago, and — really, one said this, and we don't believe him – Toronto. Interesting choices, none of which fit into your "perfect world" scenario.

• Raps won’t rush Bosh – Chris Bosh likely won't play until Tuesday at the earliest and might be shut down until after the NBA all-star game. His sprained right knee cost him his first start in 51 games this season last night in New Orleans and will keep him out of this evening's match in Memphis as well.

  "(The Raptors training staff) broke it down for me that if you don't pay particular attention to it, it could get a lot worse," Bosh said.

  The knee had been bothering him a few days prior to taking himself out of the lineup during Wednesday's loss to the L.A. Lakers. He suspected that three busy summers, including playing for the gold medal American team at the Beijing Olympics, might have caught up to him.

  "I'm fine walking around, but during the game you're (running) and dealing with a lot of things," Bosh said. "We're working on getting my leg a lot stronger than it is now."

• Raptors bug out – The Raptors, minus the injured Chris Bosh, started slowly, overcame a 14-point deficit and then spent the final minutes gawking as the Hornets sank eight threes en route to a franchise-record 15.

  "A lot of those were contested, but they got into a rhythm," Jamario Moon said.

  "Our guys got stuck inside and tried to challenge, but got there a little late every time," Triano added.

  "They got some dribble penetration and got it rolling from the outside. It wasn't just one guy (game high scorer Peja Stojakovic had seven threes, but only one in the rally). They were in desperation mode. They rolled the dice and hit it."

• Failing and falling and finding blame – You wish the all-star break was starting today? I’ve got a feeling the players, coaches and execs around the Raptors do.

  Been a long time since I’ve seen a group as shellshocked as they were last night; it was if they were hit in the collective gut by a boulder. A lot of silence in the locker room (until the gregarious Mo Pete stopped by for a visit that is) and a lot – a lot – of questioning.

• Hornets sting Bosh-less Raptors – Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Like five lightning bolts they hit, one from this corner, one from that corner, one from over there, a couple from the top of the key, a barrage of three-pointers that buried the Raptors.

  They came quickly and decisively and hit like a blur, five three-pointers as part of a 17-0 New Orleans run that turned a winnable game into just another loss last night for the Raptors, who staggered out of town not knowing exactly what hit them.

• Raptors Game Day – This week's game against the Lakers was switched from TSN to TSN2, with this game being moved from TSN2 to the main network to make up for it. Some trade. The Grizzlies are bumbling along in typical fashion. They went 1-13 in January, but have started this month with two straight wins, over the Wizards and the Rockets. They were hosting the Clippers last night, which means they will not have to travel, as the Raptors did.
• 5 Q’s with 3 Shades of Blue – The Grizzles, 2-8 in their last ten and the Raptors, 3-7 in their last ten face off tonight in Memphis. It's the battle of teams in the lower echelon of their respective conferences on a second game of a back to back. The Grizzlies are young, with such great talent in Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and OJ Mayo who is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year.

  I was ableto ask Joshua at 3 Shades of Blue a few questions about the Grizzlies.

• Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game – Bombs Away – The first 24 minutes of the game were very interesting. After a slow start in the first quarter, Triano made some key adjustments in the second quarter to help give the Raps a spark. From the opening tip it was pretty clear that the Hornets, despite being shorthanded were going to have their way with the Raps and their man to man defense. Their shots were falling, in particular from beyond the arc and even though Coach Scott was using a Princeton type of offense rather than the teams usual dosage of pick and roll the Hornets players looked sharp. On the flip side the Raps were having a tough time finding a rhythm and getting into their sets.
• Morris Peterson Interview – The longtime Raptor and current Hornet guard joins Eric on the Raptors/Hornets pre-game show. Peterson talks about Chris Bosh's future and what he believes the power forward will do in 2010.
• Joey Graham Interview – The Raptors' swingman joins Jonesy before Toronto's matchup with the New Orleans Hornets. Graham talks about how certain players have had to assume different roles with the team battling the injury bug.
• Jose Calderon Interview – Toronto's floor general joins Eric before the Raptors/Hornets game to discuss his status and how his recently aggravated hamstring injury has been healing.
• Rant of the Week: Chris Bosh – So you don’t like it when the fans boo.

  So you are the lone All-Star rep of the Toronto Raptors, one of the worst underachieving teams in the NBA this season

  So you might be a free agent in at the end of next season.

  Our question to you is, “are you playing to the best of your ability”, if for nothing else to justify your multi-million dollar salary?”

  Our short answer is, “NO”.

• Preview: Grizzlies vs. Raptors – The teams are tied 13-13 in the overall series. Memphis had won eight consecutive games over Toronto before dropping the last four meetings. The Grizzlies hold a 7-5 edge at home. Darrell Arthur missed Friday's game due to a family illness. His availability for tonight's game is unknown. Kyle Lowry still is day-to-day with a sprained right ankle. Bosh did not play Friday night because of a sprained right knee. He is traveling with the Raptors and listed as questionable. Jose Calderon came back from a sore right hamstring and played in the Raptors' loss to New Orleans.

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Related posts:

1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 6th through February 7th
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 7th through February 8th
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 8th through February 9th
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 10th through February 11th
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 6th from 14:35 to 14:40