Bounce Back A Must For The Raptors

After the last few days of people calling for Sam Mitchell to be fired. Others wanting unrealistic trades. Most of you are getting back to a more calm state I would hope. In fact you may even be feeling a bit positive that the Raptors can get back on track against the Bobcats. I bet that 76ers fans felt like that too. But they ran into one of the most under rated rookies in this draft class of a lot of talented rookies. D.J Augustin had a career night of his short NBA career. 25 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Larry Brown the Bobcats coach was using something the Raptors would do last year with T.J and Jose. He was playing both D.J and Raymond Felton together. Felton had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The Bobcats were winners over the Sixers 93-84. Here is the boxscore:

Bobcats/Sixers Boxscore

One of the issues the Raptors have had is getting beat of the bounce by guys like Devin Harris and Rajon Rondo in recent games. So the message for everyone is don't sleep on the Bobcats. It will take a better Raptor effort if they are going to stop this slide that they are on. It will not be as easy as you think.

Court Surfing In Dino Nation Blog

Some of the folks over at the Score in the court surfing section have been putting in their two cents on the Raptors and Sam Mitchell. First is another D.J (Bennett) and Randy Urban share there thoughts via video.

Court Surfing on The Raps

Meanwhile another member of the Court Surfing staff of writers had a lot to say on a bunch of topics Raptor Related. He talks on Jose and CB4, Sam Mitchell and J.O among them. Joe Casicaro is the writer and among what he has to say is that J.O may have had more guts than brains and Sam Mitchell is a great man but that it is out weighed by him being a worse coach. I admire Joe and his courage. I am not sure if I would be that direct given the temper of J.O and Sam Mitchell. I would not J.O or Sam mad at me.

Raptors Early Woes

I have not met any of these guys but hopefully as the relationship between The Score grows I will get to know more folks over there and see if we can work together for some things. It is all new so it is a matter of folks getting to know me. Likewise for me to get to know them. It is not like Cabbie is on my speed dial at this point or anyone else at The Score. But in the future I welcome the chance to work with them if they are willing to do so. I may even pop in on the live blog for the Court Surfing Show on The Score. That is tonight at 7:30pm.

Live Blog- Tonight 7:30 Court Surfing

Eddie Jordan You Are The Next Contestant On Replace Sam Mitchell Show

O.K for some of you folks I have a beef with you. If you are one of these folks that automatically take every released player and fired coach and automatically assume they are the right guy for the Raptors. Eddie Jordan after only being able to get 1 win out of 11 with no Gilbert Arenas was fired from the Wizards. I read just totally insane stuff from some fans out there. Eddie Jordan is a great defensive coach? He is? Please go back and watch some Raptor and Wizards games from the past and see if you want to say that. I am not here to knock Eddie Jordan and is he a good coach? I think so. But to automatically assume he just enters a line of guys just hoping that his phone will ring and Bryan Colangelo is on the other end is not likely.

All of these names you hear are still getting money from their former teams. Some are also getting paid for T.V gigs. They are in no hurry to rush to get a job and can afford to be selective in where they will look to go next to a point. Doug Smith in an appearance on the Fan 590 last night suggested that any of these big names you hear are not likely to come during the season. He gives a very logical reason for this and that is the fact that they all will want a long term contract. Is Bryan Colangelo prepared to do that or will he wait till the off-season and just give an interim job to Alex English or Jay Triano. Scott Carefoot in the Raptorblog yesterday suggested he would take anyone other than Sam at this point. I think a lot of folks share that opinion. If Sam Mitchell was to go and that is the case that Raptors just promote from the staff. I would really be pulling for Jay Triano as it would be a historic move to have the first ever Head Coach in the NBA from Canada. Sure it would be interim but it still would mean a lot. But I am in no way a fan of wanting to see people get fired most of the time.

Sam's Loss Would Be Your Gain?

One Raptor Blog is offering 25 dollars for the person that is successful in saying when Sam Mitchell is fired. I have to say this in not something I would do. I try even in these tough times to still have some element of positive stuff. That is just the way I am and how I choose to look at the world. But hey times are tough everywhere so if someone is giving you a chance to win money. Well It would not be right of me not to point you in that direction so you can have a shot at the cash. So check out the link to Cuzoogle. I must offer my apology to the Cuzoogle the site was left of my blog directory when I had to swap sites. It was not intentional thing at all. It is one of the more funny and entertaining raptor sites out there. After I am done this I will add him back to the directory.

Cuzoogle Contest Link

Speaking of contests I am going to be having my own contest as well. Just ironing out the details. But it should be fun and I think you will be happy with the one and only prize that will be on the line. This contest is just being put on by the Dino Nation Blog and is not connected to The Score. How you will be able to win? What you will win? Find out on Thursday when Dino Nation Blog celebrates one amazing year of doing this thing we call the Dino Nation Blog.

That is about all for today. I also have an interesting interview set up for Friday that I should have put together on the weekend. So there is that to look forward too as well. It is not from one of our regular guests it is something basketball related that I hope you all will enjoy. So take care and see you folks tomorrow as the Raps will be looking to bounce back against the Bobcats.