Tradin Questions About Some Dinos


The Celtics got revenge on us on Friday, and now its our turn to get revenge on the Raptors for a defeat we suffered back in December.  It was one of those rare close losses we've had this year where I walked away thinking we should have won.  Let's hope the guys put it together tonight.

Matchup: Hornets(49-22) @ Raptors(37-35)
Off Efficiency: Hornets 108.6(6th), Raptors 107.6(10th)
Def Efficiency: Hornets 102.8(8th), Raptors 104.0(13th)

We traded questions with Ryan over at HoopsAddict.com, and answered some questions for Adam at RaptorsHQ.com(So did At the Hive).  It so nice that people want our opinion and to read our stuff.  Did I mention how the American Idol post generated more than 10,000 visits?  Ron says he's going to start watching Hannah Montana and writing about that.  I'm sure none of you will have any problems with that, right?

So here's the questions we asked HoopsAddict.  Be sure to check out the RaptorsHQ and HoopsAddict previews for more Hornets talk!

Hornets247: Jose Calderon or TJ Ford.  Which should be kept and which sent packing?
 
HoopsAddict: I think both players should be kept. To me, this is like asking a Lakers fan if Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom should be sent packing. Both play a huge role for their respective teams while bringing different things to the court. Calderon is a player that methodically runs the offense while darting through the lane for lay-ups or pops three-point shots when the defense sags off him. Ford is the energy guy and provides the team with a spark while hitting shots that make you jump out of your seat.

Hornets247: To keep with making you pick between players, let's say Toronto wins the 2nd pick of the 2003 draft.  You have Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West and (hee hee) Darko Milicic on the board.  Who do you take?

HoopsAddict: Hands down Chris Bosh. Before he got injured late this season he was averaging 30 points and 10 rebounds for a stretch of nearly a dozen games, he's the leader of this team, he's one of the more articulate players in the NBA and he's the someone you want to be the face of your franchise.

However, a close second would be Dwyane Wade.

{Edit: I feel like a complete moron for leaving him out – Ryan}

Hornets247: Toronto recently went on a pretty ugly slide while Bosh sat out, and your team has unfortunately slid to 7th in the east, facing Detroit in the first round.  Is that a death knell to your team in the playoffs, or do they play Detroit well?  Would climbing a spot and facing Orlando instead help that much?

HoopsAddict: Don't sleep on the Raptors. Their recent skid was due to Chris Bosh missing 11 games and the team enduring a gruelling five-game west coast trip. They beat Detroit earlier this week and now they only play two games in their last 10 against teams with records above .500 (New Orleans and Detroit). Also worth noting is the game against Detroit comes with three games left and it's likely Flip Saunders will be resting his starters in anticipation of the playoffs. With the Raptors currently on a two game win streak it's possible they could go into the playoffs winning 9 of their final 12 games.

In regards to Orlando, that's the team fans have been clamouring to see for months. Chris Bosh matches up great against Dwight Howard, our point guard tandem would rock Jameer Nelson and company plus Jamario Moon has proven he can lock down Hedo Turkoglu.

The mere thought of facing Cleveland or Detroit on the other hand sends chills down the spines of Raptors fan.

Hornets247: Every team has a few holes in it – what sort of player or players does your team need the most?

HoopsAddict: We need help on the glass. We routinely are out-rebounded and it's been our kryptonite all season.

Hornets247: Fact or Fiction:  Not having Jorge Garbojosa for most of the season has really hurt the Raptors.

HoopsAddict: Fact. As I stated in the previous question, the team has been weak on the glass all season. Garbajosa's toughness and experience would have been a great asset to a Raptors squad that has played fragile all season.


So that's it!  TJ Ford and Jose Calderon present the best 1-2 combination at Point guard in the league, Chris Bosh has always given us problems, and Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Carlos Delfino and Jason Kapono is a nice stable of swingmen.

Should be a tough one.


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