Toronto Raptors Reggie Evans goes up for a rebound against Philadelphia 76ers Jrue Holiday (L) during the first half of their pre-season NBA basketball game in Toronto, October 13, 2010.MARK BLINCH
Toronto Raptors forward Reggie Evans abides by simple rules.
First, the Skittles. Only eat them on Saturdays. There may be all sorts of new flavours in tempting orange, purple and green bags. But if he's going to keep off the 15 pounds he spent the whole summer sweating away, he's going to have to ration his favourite candy.
Second, no whining. So Chris Bosh left town? That's life. Business is business. "Only girls sit around and mope," he said.
And third, do your job. It is not to be Kevin Garnett or Dirk Nowitzki. His role is to get rebounds, then dish the ball to someone else who can shoot. Be the dump-truck driver of the NBA.
"That's the uniqueness of the blue-collar player," Evans said after practice at the Air Canada Centre on Monday. "[They]put their Levi's on, construction boots, and button up their shirt and just go to work. They get in their dump truck, their tractor trailer, whatever, and just go to work.
"You see me and Amir [Johnson]going down on the floor for a loose ball. Ain't worried about no scratches, ain't worried about no bumps and bruises. You know, it's just all-out everything."
The rules have been working for Evans lately. On Sunday, when the Raptors beat the Phoenix Suns 121-100, Evans contributed 12 rebounds. He, along with Johnson (11 rebounds), were widely credited with adding the energy and intensity the team needed in the second half for the win, after a sluggish stsart.
Head coach Jay Triano said on Monday he's spoken to Evans about his role on the team this season. Nothing fancy. Just get in there and work.
"We have guys that play the piano and guys that carry the piano. He carries it. Do your job and let the other guys do their jobs. He knows what his role is. He's become pretty good at it."
As one of the team's more veteran players, the 30-year-old father of two, who is in his ninth season in the NBA, sees a secondary role for himself: mentor. He's not afraid to take Johnson aside during half time or time outs, giving him advice. ("If you don't say nothing, that means you don't care; you don't want to see a person having success," he said.)
It's not just Johnson. He said he's watched Andrea Bargnani come out of his shell this season, and he's not afraid to give him that extra boost of confidence he'll need to face the extra scrutiny from fans and the media.
"Chris overshadowed a lot of stuff, and I let [Bargnani]know, like, you the all-star. You the franchise. Sometimes people just need to know that: You the man. You the face. Take over. You can take over. But what you're saying is genuine. It's not just to make a friend, it's from the heart."
The Raptors will have a lot to overcome this season, from Johnson's penchant for getting into foul trouble and their comparatively small size, to rookie Ed Davis's injury and Bargnani having to spend more time with this back to the hoop and out of his comfort zone.
While they fared well against the smaller Suns, they'll have a tougher matchup on Wednesday, when the Raptors face the Chicago Bulls, who beat them earlier in the preseason. The Bulls' powerful front court is led by Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. (Newly acquired forward Carlos Boozer is out with a fractured hand).
Evans said he's ready to dig in. "We got our hands full with Noah, their whole front court is good," he said. "Hell, like anybody else."