Chris

Bosh

Mitchell “made (Bosh) get out of his death bed” to play that night. His December averages of 10.9 points and 6.7 rebounds are behind his season averages, but maybe Sunday’s game will snap him out of it.

Bosh led the Raptors to a 3-1 record, posting averages of 20.5 points, 13 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while hitting 30-of-50 shots. He’s only the second Raptor ever to win the award. The other guy now plays for New Jersey.

''I thought about maybe looking at Chris Bosh as a starter one game to see how he does,’' coach Kevin O’Neill said. ''I still like to see him come off the bench rather than (start).’' Bosh has been one of the league’s most impressive rookies in the preseason and is a good sleeper pick.

Bosh has missed four games with a strained knee.

Bosh should be starting in all formats.

“It’s all right,” Bosh said. “I’m just going to see how it goes. I’m going to rest it but at the same time I don’t want to take too much of a rest. I just want to get out there and play.” Jerome Moiso had his third career double-double filling in for Bosh most of the second half last night.

With Rafael Araujo in Toronto, the Raptors figured to move Bosh out of the center spot. He remains likely to be Toronto’s starting power forward.

Several clubs are believed to have some interest in Lavrinovic, who is averaging 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds this season, but there is one big problem, as the 24-year-old reportedly spent two years in prison for the rape of a teenaged girl he committed with his twin brother Darius and another man. "(The rape conviction) concerns me enough that we’re going to investigate,” Raptors interim GM Jack McCloskey said. “That’s one of the things we’d certainly have to look at and consider ... (but) if he’s paid his debt to society. ... Once we talk to him face-to-face that’s an opportunity to evaluate (his character) even more.”

It had long been assumed that Bosh’s career had come to an end due to blood clots, but this is the first time Bosh has acknowledged that he is no longer holding out hope he’ll be medically cleared.

Bosh said that it’s “complicated” and still hasn’t made a decision. He also said he could see playing with the Knicks, “If they make me a deal.” The fear with Bosh’s blood clotting issues is that contact could result in severe internal bleeding. Even if he does make a comeback to the NBA, he wouldn’t be a real fantasy option given his age and the blood clotting issue.