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"Andrea's improving, but everybody keeps saying, 'he's not playing like he did last year.' I don't want him to play like he played last year," Mitchell said. "Because last year he stood 30-feet from the basket and played. We don't need that Andrea. Because if he stands up 30-feet from the basket, we can put (anyone) on to guard him.

But he has to evolve now. He has got to learn how to play the game. He has to rebound, be more of a defender."

Raptors coach Sam Mitchell was evasive when asked a question by a Toronto reporter last night, and then admitted he was being that way on purpose.

"I don't trust ya'll," he said, with a mischievous grin. "Let me tell you what ya'll have done to me (since becoming head coach in Toronto). I have become a cynic of people. I don't believe one thing people say. I was born a trusting fool, and ya'll have educated me to the point to where anytime ya'll ask me a question I always think there's something you're trying to do to me."

Chris Bosh had defended Rasheed Wallace as well as possible, forcing Wallace to take and miss a fallaway jumper from the middle of the lane. But instead of any Raptor grabbing the miss, and perhaps leading to a basket that would have put them ahead, the Pistons got the ball and two quick passes later Billups hit a three-pointer to put Detroit up by four.

Then it was Toronto turnover, Piston basket, Toronto turnover, Piston basket, Toronto turnover, Piston basket, the kind of lightning quick strike by a good team that puts away lesser opponents.

The Detroit Pistons aren't invincible. They have their bad days and their uninterested games.

But the Toronto Raptors have yet to catch them one of those times, and it's not clear they can beat Detroit otherwise.

Which brings me to the main point: If Bargnani wants to remain a role player in the NBA, he can simply be a guy that gets spotted against favourable defensive match-ups and remains a one-trick pony on offense. The league is full of the type (Donyell Marshall, Mehmet Okur, Troy Murphy, Raef Lafrentz etc.) and they