Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo: “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. The fact that our season was spiralling 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. 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.”
Not malingerers then
Fact: Bosh missed 7 games spanning 18 days between 2/17 and 03/07/2010 over a sprained ankle.
But Colangelo claims Bosh was "cleared to play" after one day and one missed game (2/19); that Bosh missed 6 more games for no apparent reason.
Fact: Kobe Bryant missed 5 games spanning 18 days between 2/05 and 2/23/2010 over a sprained ankle.
But Kobe, GM Mitch Kupchak, Coach Phil Jackson all agreed Bryant should take as much time as needed to heal the ankle, to minimize risks for recurrence or worse by returning prematurely despite negative MRIs which -- like Bosh's -- indicated no acute damage to Bryant's ankle. Moreover, Laker docs did not "clear" Kobe to play after 1 missed game because team physicians heeding patient feedback concurred with the patient, as Kobe (the patient) explained: "tendons are a little different; they have their own agendas on what [and when] they want to heal."
Were it not for the All-Star break, Bryant would've likely missed just as many games as Bosh.
Yet, the Lakers won 4 of those 5 games without Bryant. While the Raptors lost 4 of 7 without Bosh.
Setting aside quality of opponent, which was the better team without their franchise star? Just as who, precisely, put those teams together?
The buck stops where it should for Colangelo: his drafts, his trades, his free agents, i.e., his incompetent feat [sic].
More facts.
Kevin Durant missed 7 games spanning 15 days between 2/27 and 3/14/2009 over a sprained ankle.
Chris Paul missed 8 games spanning 20 days between 11/13 and 12/4/2009 over a sprained ankle.
Pau Gasol missed 9 games spanning 19 days between 3/14 and 4/02/2008 over a sprained ankle.
Tim Duncan missed 4 games spanning 13 days between 12/2 and 12/15/2007 over a sprained ankle. Duncan also missed 12 games spanning 24 days between 3/20 and 4/13/2005 over a sprained ankle.
Carmelo Anthony missed 9 games spanning 17 days between 1/23 and 2/09/2010 over a sprained ankle.
None of the owners, general managers or coaches for the franchise players above ever whispered, hinted or accused said players of "checking out," low pain "tolerance," "choosing" not to play. None of the team physicians for the franchise players above ever "cleared" their patients after 1 missed game despite negative, non "excessive" damage indicated on player MRIs.
Unlike Toronto, where Raptor docs don't now (presumably) and didn't then (according to Colangelo) exercise similar caution regarding ankle injuries.
Unlike Bryan Colangelo, who knifed the only "franchise" player in Toronto history (cf. McGrady, Carter) that actually embraced his GM's promise to deliver a trophy.
And Raptor fans wonder why they're Toto losers in Bryan's Land of Oz? Lapping up Colangelies like Labradors lapping Kibbles? Go figure (see comments).
