anygivensunday1.gif New Orleans at Toronto 6pm ET

Welcome back Mo Pete. Later on today one of the more popular former Raptors returns for his first game at the ACC since becoming one of the enemy. There will be 26 stories from Chuck about how Mo is a class act and a stand up guy etc. so get ready for the Mo Pete love fest. In the end he is on the wrong team and I just hope he does not follow other former Raps on their return (Roger Mason Jr.) and kill Toronto with dagger jump shots. This will be a huge step in grabbing the 6 spot in the East. New Orleans is pretty much the last really good team Toronto will play this season so a win will really help in their battle with the Sixers and Wizards. Can they do it? Of course they can. The Raps can beat anyone on any given Sunday but they can also lose to anyone. We shall see.

Chris Paul is earning MVP consideration as he’s led the New Orleans Hornets to the best record in the their conference. He has to be the focus today. Slow down or stop CP3 and you have a great shot and beating the Hornets. Ford and Calderon are a little on the small or slow side so look for AP to get some duty.

Chris Bosh will look to help the Raptors win three straight for the first time in more than a month (In a Walmart voice “It’s true) today against Paul’s Hornets, who are coming off one of their worst losses of the season. How often do the Raptors seem to get a really good team coming off of bad loss? Seems like a lot. The Hornets will be ready to get back to winning ways so the Raps have to bring the A-game.

The D has to really step it up and play more like the Pistons game than the Knicks game to win. In the five games since Bosh’s return, the Raptors are only surrendering 86.0 points per game.

The PG play as always will be important as well. T.J. really was under control on Friday and Toronto needs more of that.
Ford is averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 assists since returning to the starting lineup over the last two games. He has only one turnover in his last four contests.

Even though the media has narrowed it down to Kobe vs. LeBron, Chris Paul has made his case as the league’s most valuable player all season, but he’s been especially good in the past 12 games, averaging 24.8 points and 13.9 assists. The guy has 44 assists against only three turnovers in his last three games. Now that is Calderon numbers and then some.

Don’t forget the team’s other All-Star. David West, has also played well lately. He’s averaging 25.8 points over his last five games.

Both Paul and West had big games in New Orleans’ first meeting with Toronto — Paul had 23 points and 16 assists while West had 33 points and 11 rebounds. Thanks to Bosh’s 29 points, the Raptors won 97-92 win on Dec. 31.

Rasho has to have another Rasho game, Delfino has to crash the glass and get dirty in the trenches and Moon will have to drive to the hoop and pass on those jumpers the whole league wants him to take. Add these three things to a good game from Bosh and the PGs and the Raps should be in good shape to win.

Notice I don’t even care what Bargnani offers up anymore. I have really given up and whatever he does is like buying something and finding out it is on sale.

It will be good to see Mo Pete and it will be good to get a big win against one of the best teams in the West.

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It will be a stressful afternoon all around. I am first in my NCAA pool with a big payday. I need Texas and Kansas today and that will be a stretch to get since Memphis is playing really good.

A Kansas, Texas and Raptors win seems like a tall order for a Sunday but I am going to throw caution to the wind and predict all three.

Raps show us something and beat the Hornets 102-97. Boo ya!

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