Paul Jones has been covering the Raptors since day one. You can catch Jonesy's analysis every game on the FAN590 as well as Raptors NBA TV’s Double Dribble with Eric Smith. Paul will bring you the inside scoop all season long on raptors.com.

by Paul Jones
--raptors.commentator
April 4, 2005

(TORONTO) -- In Sunday’s post-game news conference when head coach Sam Mitchell was asked about making the playoffs -- the Raptors are six games back with nine to play -- he smiled and mentioned something about a Toronto winning streak, teams in front of them losing every game and cashing in a miracle.

The Pistons' parade of dunks stopped Sunday night when Pape Sow checked into the game. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

It doesn’t look like the playoffs are going to happen for the Raptors, but there has to be something positive about playing out the string and the last nine contests.

Can’t think of it, well how about a chance to see a rookie named Pape Sow get into games. When you’re a rookie second-round pick that was acquired in a draft day trade, any chance to play is a good one.

“I just go over there, compete and play,” said Sow when asked about his minutes after the loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. “Whatever minutes you get, you just have to go out there and do your best. I don’t care if it’s even two seconds.”

The native of Senegal has been getting bits and pieces of time and not just garbage minutes, signifying the game is over. No, Pape has graduated from being the human white flag or 6’10” human victory cigar.

He has been in games when it counts and has contributed significantly, even if the box score says otherwise.

In Sunday’s defeat to Detroit, he was on the floor when Toronto closed the gap in the second quarter. He also got a first-hand look at a player that both Sam Mitchell and assistant coach and Director of Player Development Alex English feel he can emulate in the Pistons' Ben Wallace. Toronto is looking for the intensity lift that comes with Sow’s presence when he is on the floor.

“When he was in tonight (Sunday versus Detroit), in the first half he did it (raised the intensity) for us,” noted English. “He makes things happen, little things, like deflections. We chart contested shots and the whole time he was out there I was just marking all the time. He was contesting shots.”

Sow is never going to give you less than 100%. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

English, who has worked with Sow and the other young players over the course of the season, has seen improvement.

“His offensive game has improved even though you haven’t had much of a chance to see it,” says English, a hall-of-fame player. “What makes Pape Sow good though is that his intensity is consistent. When he’s out there, he’s consistently trying to play defense and rebound. He knows that we don’t need him to score so he works hard on that.”

During the pre-game warm up when Chicago made its last trip into Toronto, Bulls assistant Pete Myers looked at Sow working out at the other end of the court and asked how he was doing.

Myers liked Sow when he saw him work out last year before the draft in California. An “animal” Myers described him as with a smile. Myers was impressed with Sow’s intensity and fearlessness in competing against big-name talent.

So the comparisons to Wallace may not be out of line, and in time this is what the Raptors hope he will become.

“You can kind of say he’s a model of a young Ben Wallace,” said English cautiously. “It took Ben Wallace a while to get to the level and the consistency he’s at now. Pape will take some time. It will take some effort at summer league and putting some time in with his national team. But I think next year, he’s going to give us a big lift.”

So go ahead and characterize the last nine games any way you want. To some the season may be over, but to Pape Sow, it may just be the start of his season and the road to the future.