Rick Brunson .com - Ain't no thang!

The Rick Report: Pre-Season Game #2
Toronto Raptors 88, Detroit Pistons 81
October 12th, 2003
DNP-CD. Doesn't that roll off the tongue nicely? Dee-Enn-Pee-See-Dee.

Three games into the Raptor portion of Rick Brunson's career all he has managed is a few minutes of garbage time against a team from Greece. The current belief is that Coach O'Neill is saving the Brunson for the regular season. Since he'll be playing a solid 48 minutes a night there is no reason to wear him out now.

Rick didn't play but Chris Bosh sure did. Time to start up the Bosh Bandwagon as he ended up with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Detroit's new draft pick Darko Milicic, picked two spots before Bosh, only played 10 minutes and was a non-factor with 4 points and 5 rebounds. Perhaps the bouncing ping-pong balls did the Raptors a favour after all.
Defence has been Coach O'Neill's mantra since being hired but the point totals against the Raptors have grown in each successive game. Even Ben Wallace lit it up for 14 points tonight. That's like Michael Jordan scoring 55. Seven of Wallace's 20 rebounds were on the offensive glass. That's two more offensive rebounds than the entire Raptor team.

"It ain't about pleasing the fans," said Rick Brunson. "It may be ugly basketball, but ugly basketball wins games. I think the fans will appreciate that over time."

Tell me that again after two teams combine for 48 turnovers.

Jerome Moiso had more fouls (5) than points (4).
Vince Carter outscored the whole Piston roster in the 3rd quarter.
Michael Curry's revenge upon his former teammates? 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds, 0 steals, 0 blocks, and 3 turnovers in 17 minutes.
Piston forward Darvin Ham did not score thus denying the fans a taste of the Ham Slamwich.