Raptors GM: Bosh milked injuries, gave up on Toronto

[Mike-Dub]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-bosh-slamed-0727,0,7281345.story

Raptors GM: Bosh milked injuries, gave up on Toronto

Colangelo: Bosh might not be franchise player

Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo had some harsh criticism of Chris Bosh, who left Toronto as a free agent and joined Dwyane Wade and LeBron James with the Miami Heat.

Colangelo, speaking with Canadian radio host Bob McCown of FAN 590 on Monday, said Bosh milked injuries, gave up on the Raptors last season and might not be a franchise player.

The Raptors were in a neck-and-neck race for the eighth playoff seed toward the end of the season, which they ended up losing to the Chicago Bulls by one game. Bosh missed several games down the stretch due to injury.

"Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games ... I'm not even questioning Chris' injury. I'm telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn't there and he chose not to play," Colangelo said.

"The fact that our season was spiraling downward and we were hoping he'd come back sooner and we were also dealing with a few other things at that point ... we were really struggling there."

Colangelo thinks that Bosh just didn't care by then.

"Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn't quite into it down the stretch, he wasn't the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it."

"At the same time, I never felt we were quite in the game [in terms of signing Bosh to a new contract]. There was too much out there, too much built up for him to take an easy out here, and he decided to do that."

Colangelo also implied that Bosh is not a franchise player.

"We tried in vain to put pieces around Chris. Different pieces, different styles. It didn't work out."

"No matter what type of player we brought in, it didn't seem to have the right mix with him as that centerpiece."

Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of this is true, but the truth is somewhere in between.  If the guy did milk injuries and gave up on his team shame on him, what a loser.

[wdleehi]

I don't blame him.  What was he playing for?  The team was terrible.  He was thinking about his future.  And he knew his future was with another team.   

[RAcker]

And the GM's from Toronto and Cleveland will now have tea together.

[Mike-Dub]

I don't blame him.  What was he playing for?  The team was terrible.  He was thinking about his future.  And he knew his future was with another team.   

For his current team that he had a contract with!  For pride!  To win!

[Roy Hobbs]

I think Bosh is a bit underrated, but he's always struck me as a bit soft, and these comments seem to confirm that. 

At the same time, if Bosh was such a problem, why did Toronto try to re-sign him, rather than trade him at last year's deadline?  If he's a lazy, injury-milking second fiddle, I would have moved him when his value was higher, rather than for a couple of future first rounders.

[Mike-Dub]

I think Bosh is a bit underrated, but he's always struck me as a bit soft, and these comments seem to confirm that. 

At the same time, if Bosh was such a problem, why did Toronto try to re-sign him, rather than trade him at last year's deadline?  If he's a lazy, injury-milking second fiddle, I would have moved him when his value was higher, rather than for a couple of future first rounders.

He wasn't milking the injuries before the trading deadline?  Idk that's one of the reasons that I can think of for why they didn't trade him.

[Rashi]

I don't blame him.  What was he playing for?  The team was terrible.  He was thinking about his future.  And he knew his future was with another team.   

For his current team that he had a contract with!  For pride!  To win!

Exactly.

These athletes get the opportunity to showcase their talents, and regardless what kind of a team they ended up on, their number one priority should be to use their talents to help improve their team in any which way possible. Just because they are on a bad team doesn't mean they sit back and let their contract expire without going on that court and giving your 100%.

Now I don't know how much truth this article holds, but my comment was in regard to some of these players having the attitude of not putting their best effort forward just because they are on a bad team.

[BballTim]

I think Bosh is a bit underrated, but he's always struck me as a bit soft, and these comments seem to confirm that. 

At the same time, if Bosh was such a problem, why did Toronto try to re-sign him, rather than trade him at last year's deadline?  If he's a lazy, injury-milking second fiddle, I would have moved him when his value was higher, rather than for a couple of future first rounders.

  It seems like he's mainly displeased with Bosh's "work ethic" after the trade deadline when they were fighting for a playoff spot.

[Who]

Colangelo is just covering his rear end. He is in damage control mode.

The media has started to turn on him and the number of disenchanted Raptors fans are growing with each passing season. It won't be long until his job is in danger.

[Mike-Dub]

Colangelo is just covering his rear end. He is in damage control mode.

The media has started to turn on him and the number of disenchanted Raptors fans are growing with each passing season. It won't be long until his job is in danger.

His job should be in danger.

[KCattheStripe]

Also, Toronto did a horrible job building around Bosh. Drafting Charlie V and Bargs who are also face up 4s.  Draftin Araujo and not Iggy, Al jeff or Biedrins. Joey Graham instead of Danny Granger. It's almost as if Colangelo never wanted him.

[Finkelskyhook]

Bosh fits right in with the messiah in Miami....

Colangelo is toast.  So I agree this fits somewhere in the middle.

Bosh always struck me as a Shareef Abdur-Rahim soft type.

[jgod213]

Colangelo is just covering his rear end. He is in damage control mode.

The media has started to turn on him and the number of disenchanted Raptors fans are growing with each passing season. It won't be long until his job is in danger.

His job should be in danger.

Agree with you guys entirely.

Bosh played 36 minutes a game, put up ~24/10 every game, and did it very efficiently.  I cannot blame him at all for being 'disgruntled' with the team down the stretch because it was everyone else on that roster that underperformed, not Bosh.  Where's the article on Hedo? He put up a whopping 11/5 every night! 11 POINTS A GAME!!!! I also never heard Bosh complain, as opposed to Hedo.  Colangelo tried but ultimately he never put a #2 next to Bosh - Bargnani could end up being that guy, but when you're spending most of your cap $$ on guys like Hedo (11 pts/game) and Calderon (10 pts/game, only 25 min/game) you are the one to blame.

[Mike-Dub]

Colangelo is just covering his rear end. He is in damage control mode.

The media has started to turn on him and the number of disenchanted Raptors fans are growing with each passing season. It won't be long until his job is in danger.

His job should be in danger.

Agree with you guys entirely.

Bosh played 36 minutes a game, put up ~24/10 every game, and did it very efficiently.  I cannot blame him at all for being 'disgruntled' with the team down the stretch because it was everyone else on that roster that underperformed, not Bosh.  Where's the article on Hedo? He put up a whopping 11/5 every night! 11 POINTS A GAME!!!! I also never heard Bosh complain, as opposed to Hedo.  Colangelo tried but ultimately he never put a #2 next to Bosh - Bargnani could end up being that guy, but when you're spending most of your cap $$ on guys like Hedo (11 pts/game) and Calderon (10 pts/game, only 25 min/game) you are the one to blame.

Colangelo's job should be in danger, but Bosh is just as much at fault.

[fairweatherfan]

Wouldn't surprise me - it's pretty obvious both Bosh and LeBron knew they were heading to Miami well before the season ended.  Even having that in the back of your head will affect how you act, especially in terms of coddling injuries.

Heck, if Bosh knew he was leaving and that Toronto wasn't going anywhere in the playoffs, you could argue he did them a favor by getting them a lottery pick.

On a related note, is there a worse team on paper in the East than Toronto right now?  Here's their depth chart:

Calderon/Jack
Barbosa/DeRozan
Kleiza/Sonny Weems
Amir Johnson/Ed Davis
Bargnani/Dwayne Jones

I don't see how that roster gets more than 25 wins unless some of the young guys put it together bigtime.