MONTREAL — With the departure of franchise player Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani is the heir apparent for the Toronto Raptors and is expected to lead a young yet game and athletic team to the promises land known as the NBA playoffs.
Bargnani, with a career-best season immediately behind him and expectations to contribute more this season, welcomes the challenge.
“Every year there’s more pressure,” the 7-foot forward said before he and the rest of the Raptors concluded an eight-game pre-season schedule with an entertaining 108-103 win Friday night over the New York Knicks before a record-setting crowd of 22,114 at the Bell Centre.
“I think it’s good have more pressure on you because it means you’re doing the right things. When you’re not doing it, nobody is going to expect nothing from you. When you’re doing it, it’s good. And you just have to keep working.”
Bosh bolted from the Raptors during the off-season to sign with the Miami Heat and be part of a dream trio with Heat MVP Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bosh spent seven seasons with the Raptors, where he emerged as the face of the franchise and fan favourite in the wake of Vince Carter’s exit after the 2004-05 season.
He left the club as its all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles and free throws.
Many expect Bargnani will have to fill the void left by Bosh, or at least try. The Raptors took Bargnani No. 1 overall in the 2006 NBA draft and the native of Rome, Italy, who turns 25 on Tuesday, definitely appears to be entering his prime after having set career highs last season, averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.39 blocks per game.
“Personally I think you have to keep getting better,” said Bargnani. “Better at everything. Better in every (statistical) number. And just keep going that way.
“I know what’s expected of me. I definitely have to go inside more and that’s an independent thing from Chris being gone,” he continued. “(Going inside) is part of the game I have to keep developing. Keep getting better at.”
Raptors head coach Jay Triano, into his second season as head coach of Canada’s only NBA franchise, though no doubt appreciative of Bargnani’s approach to the new season, has made it clear that no one player will be responsible for the team’s success, which this season is geared to making the playoffs after being on the outside looking in the past two seasons.
“They’re going to have to be a team. Have to play together,” Triano said in response to how the team could succeed in the absence of Bosh. “It’s going to have to be points by contributions by everybody. We’re going to have to have guys who maybe make a little bit of a sacrifice to get more involved in the offence.
“Some of our guys are going to have to score more points than they have in the past,” said Triano. “At the same time they’re going to have to try to do that without being selfish, otherwise you disrupt the team. We don’t have the one focal guy to go to.”
Triano said Bargnani was among those who needs to step up his game and expects he will.
“He’s one, but we’re not putting the pressure on him to score 24 points a game like Chris Bosh did,” said Triano. “He will find a way to score points.”
Friday night’s record-setting crowd, nearly a 1,000 more than seating capacity for Canadiens’ games — and maybe the only time a Montreal sports fans have ever cheered, done the wave and sang Ole, Ole, for a Toronto team — got a good idea how the Raptors will take on the new season when it begins against the same Knicks next Wednesday at home.
They play uptempo, quick and athletic, and there’s no quit, at least there wasn’t any hint of it Friday night as they rolled to a 62-45 lead at halftime and then, after letting a 15-point advantage get trimmed to four in the final minute, they held firm to even their pre-season record a 4-4, the .500 mark for the first time since 2008.
Bargnani’s 15 points in 23:31 time on the floor was tops among seven Raptors in double figures. Toronto got 12 from starters forward Linas Kleiza guard DeMar DeRozan and David Anderson, Leandro Barbosa, Jose Calderon and Sonny Weems, combined for 46 points off the bench.
“I’m happy with the way we move the basketball and the way we’ve been able to play with intensity,” said Triano. “The players are playing as a team and sticking up for each other which is a good sign, too.”
Everyone will be watching to see if it continues when the games are played for real.
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