Doug discusses what many have since Bosh's departure ..... that being who will wear the biggest target on this team this season. I think the general consensus here would agree that this is Bargnani's team now. That being said, pressure is at an all time high right now for Andrea. Now all we can do is sit, wait and see if he's up to the task of taking this team on his shoulders moving forward.
Source - Doug Smith's Raptors Blog
Got to wondering the other day – in response to a series of questions on the topic – on who bears the most pressure or responsibility for whatever is going to transpire this season with the local Heroes Of The Hardcourt.
And while you know I don’t entirely like to single out one or two guys because it’s truly a team game, I guess I should.
I would say the guy we’re going to find out the most about would be Andrea Bargnani, who will no longer have the security blanket – or Albatross, depending on your view – of Chris Bosh around.
There have been moments when the big kid has looked extremely good and quite comfortable but that’s always been a decided second banana. Teams always game-planned for Bosh first and foremost; that’s not going to happen this year and if Bargnani doesn’t step up his game – at both ends of the floor – this is going to be one hellaciously long season, I fear.
Can he?
Well, it’s funny. There have always been snippets of, I don’t know, ego might be the right word, in Bargnani’s personality. There’ve been moments when you felt he felt he might be being under-utilized and that he’d relish an increased role. Nothing to outward, just a look, maybe a quick comment, stuff like that.
So maybe he can. He better for their sake because they need him to be very good.
We’ll go over some others as the rest of this week unfolds but I’d put Bargnani as the guy with the biggest target on his back right now.
And while you know I don’t entirely like to single out one or two guys because it’s truly a team game, I guess I should.
I would say the guy we’re going to find out the most about would be Andrea Bargnani, who will no longer have the security blanket – or Albatross, depending on your view – of Chris Bosh around.
There have been moments when the big kid has looked extremely good and quite comfortable but that’s always been a decided second banana. Teams always game-planned for Bosh first and foremost; that’s not going to happen this year and if Bargnani doesn’t step up his game – at both ends of the floor – this is going to be one hellaciously long season, I fear.
Can he?
Well, it’s funny. There have always been snippets of, I don’t know, ego might be the right word, in Bargnani’s personality. There’ve been moments when you felt he felt he might be being under-utilized and that he’d relish an increased role. Nothing to outward, just a look, maybe a quick comment, stuff like that.
So maybe he can. He better for their sake because they need him to be very good.
We’ll go over some others as the rest of this week unfolds but I’d put Bargnani as the guy with the biggest target on his back right now.
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