Bargnani calls it a season
By RYAN WOLSTAT, QMI Agency
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  Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Toronto April 6, 2012. (REUTERS/Mike Cassese) |
To the surprise of, well, nobody, Andrea Bargnani's season is over.
The Raptors did the expected ahead of Friday's date with the Boston Celtics, shutting down leading scorer Bargnani for the remainder of the campaign.
He missed 26 games due to a left calf strain and left Sunday's game in Oklahoma City with calf tightness which has kept him out from there.
He averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 33.3 minutes in 31 games.
The team is holding him out to eliminate any further risk.
"The injury is still there and the risk versus reward of him continuing to play and injuring it again, possibly tearing it, I'd rather and the organization would (rather) it healed completely," said head coach Dwane Casey.
Bargnani played the best basketball of his career in his first 13 games, competing with a new-found vigour on defence and Casey said he will expect him to play the same way next season.
