Lowest Point In Raptors History?

The Dino Nation Blog has only been around a couple years now. So the lowest point in the history of the Dino Nation Blog is for certain. The Dino Blogger has been a fan from day one long before there was blogs or a Dino Blogger. In the entire history of this franchise has there been a worse moment? The Vince Carter trade was a low moment and comes to mind. That was a low point but we had Chris Bosh as the young star who was going to lead us back from that. Which he did and took this franchise to some places that Vince never did. There was a 16 win season way back a long time ago. However in that season the Raptors level of expectation was not all that great. When you add up all that is going on with this team on and off the floor it could be the worst point ever. Bosh is now being painted with the same brush as Vince Carter and already is considered a dead lock to leave but many folks out there. In watching that mess last night in Memphis it is hard to make the case for Chris Bosh to stay. If you are Bryan Colangelo how do you look Bosh in the eye and say I will fix this and make it better. I mean this is a team that Colangelo built and he claimed was the most talented he has had in his time in Toronto. In firing Sam Mitchell that only served to put the spotlight of attention on Bryan. What has become clear is that Mitchell was not the only problem. Given how this team performed since he has left may just speak to how good a coach Mitchell was. People may debate that but hey this team has never played to a level that was better since Mitchell had his pay checks forwarded to Atlanta. The Raptors are now in a spot where they are bad but are not going to be bad enough to benefit at this point. That is unless they get lucky in the lottery. Today will attempt to go through all the bad and see what can be done to fix it short and long term for this franchise.

T.V Please

This one is the easiest of all. MLSE needs to tell Rogers and TSN to get their issue solved and they need to do it in a way that these folks will understand. How is that you ask? Well MLSE owns another property that both Rogers and TSN drool over. That being the Toronto Maple Leafs. It becomes really simple. MLSE can just hold the future of leafs broadcast over the head of both and say that they are fully willing to pull games from both Sportsnet and TSN in the future and put them on Leafs T.V. If you did that how fast do you think Rogers and TSN are a table signing a deal and singing we are the world. I am saying that it would take under 24 hours max.

I have been saying it all year. Regardless of who is the real villain, they all have insulted us as basketball fans. Even the best game of the year was buried on TSN. Maybe I am wrong screw the folks at MLSE. David Stern was a lawyer can you come up here and fix this mess. After all you brought basketball to Canada and I am sure you would like most of the country to be able to watch it. If they are unwilling to make a deal go to the CRTC and say that you want the rules changed so Raptors broadcasts can be part of NBA League Pass in Canada. But someone needs to step up and help us the fans of basketball here in Canada. Watching games on feeds and hoping you can find them. It may be fine for some. However to me it is just unacceptable to have to hunt down a game. It is not like I am trying to watch porn, I want to watch a basketball game. So why do I have to be made to feel dirty as if I were hunting the net for free porn?

2009/10 Starts Now

No more of this nonsense talk about the playoffs. The focus needs to be on next year and what the future of this franchise will be. The big question is will that future include Chris Bosh. If it is going to it will take an amazing effort from Bryan Colangelo to turn this team around in a hurry like he did when he first arrived on the scene. This is a lot more difficult a task however because Colangelo is not cleaning up a mess that was here and not his own. This is his mess and his mistakes that are looking back at him. Would another G.M walk in to this franchise and not blink in trading an Andrea Bargnani or even a Jose Calderon. They may if they felt they were not the right guys. It is always hard to admit you were wrong for anyone. You also are fearful that you give up on a player to soon and have that come back to bite you.

Joel Bosh Save Us!!!

Maybe they should sign Joel Bosh and that will convince Bosh to stay? I am only kidding but a fellow blogger had a chance to interview Joel and I wanted to give him a hook up with a link. So if you want to know more about Joel Bosh check out this interview.

But the serious changes that need to happen must start to happen now. Start looking for a real head coach for this franchise. Jay Triano is no doubt a smart basketball person but just has not been able to make that near impossible transition from assistant to head coach with the same organization. Not that he would but if I was making a list for Bryan Colangelo with my coaching candidates to take over this franchise here is my list.

Coaching Candidates of Dino Blogger

3. Avery Johnson- I like what he did in Dallas and think Mark Cuban over re-acted in his firing. The question would be in could Colangelo even convince him to come? Memphis tried and failed to get him out of his broadcasting job. Given that Grizzlies have young talent and Raptors are lacking in that regard and not much better it could be a very tough sell.

2. Jeff Van Gundy- Another person very happy in broadcasting. He also recently expressed his desire to have family time now that broadcasting allows. But he clearly still has the coaching bug. If Jeff Van Gundy can't make this defense better who on planet earth can? Again a tough sales job may be needed to convince him. If not for that he would be on top of this list. In my conversations with Jack Armstrong he speaks highly of both Stan and Jeff as coaches and I think he is a good fit to restore pride in this Raptor franchise that is in bad need of some.

1. Eddie Jordan- Look at what he did with the Wizards with very little. It all fell a part this year. But how long can any coach be expected to keep a team going with a star player that writes more blogs than plays basketball games. He has a good sound system of offense and without Gilbert Arenas has had the Wizards be able to play decent to great defense. He may not be on the top of many lists you will find out there to get this job, but hey lots of the people writing the lists also thought this team would be good. I was one of those as well. But point is there are no perfect answers.

Some names not on my list:

Mark Ivaroni- He to me had a chance to show his stuff with Grizzlies and failed to get it done. I am not sold on him and think he is a guy that was an assistant that showed he can not make the transition to being a head coach. Just cause Colangelo knows him and was rumoured to want him in the past does not mean he is or should be a candidate for this job.

Ettore Messina- I am not going to try to take away from what this man has accomplished. It is impressive what he has done in Europe and the Euro-League. That being said that is not the NBA. It has different rules and a entire different culture of how teams work and function. The power of the players in Europe is far less than that of the NBA players. I will not get into the nuts and bolts. Just in general coaches have far more power and control. There is also obvious rule variations and a learning curve for a coach as well. Any Euro coach that would come here great or not. Euro players have to take time to adjust to the NBA so why would a coach be any different? No thanks not now. Chris Bosh is not staying and no North American star player will go near Toronto to be part of this Euro experiment. The fact this guy's name is out there speaks to me that Maurizio Gherardini has to much of a voice in this team. I am tired of Raptors ignoring North American options for European ones. This team needs to stop having a Euro Bias and fast. In hiring Messina it would only increase that issue and make this team look more like a Euro League team than a NBA franchise which it is.

Don't Buy Into The Mirage

You can think this is Joey Graham bashing or whatever you care to think. But this is just proof of what I have said all along about Joey. When it means the least Joey plays his best. You can buy into all the hype and nonsense if you choose too. He is a athlete the likes this franchise has never seen. I include Vince Carter in that mix and anyone else. But here is the difference. Graham does not have the ability to show up and play in games when they mean something. Joey has always thrived at points when this team has been at some of it's worst points as a franchise. If you or more importantly the Raptors get fooled into it so badly that Graham is re-signed with the Raptors you will both get what you deserve. That is a flat out slap in the face back to reality when Joey fades back into the player he has always been. Flashes of great play after 4 years is not reason to lose your mind and ignore the 3 and half years that happened before it.

Ask yourself this when has Joey performed well when it meant a lot in his career other than his play down the stretch in the Division title year that some point too. Personally I think that gets overrated. Also I hear a lot of people saying trade Bosh and keep J.O? What has happened this season that makes people think that? When healthy which as been few and far between J.O has played well but better than Bosh? I mean Bosh is going to the All Star Game not J.O. Bosh was on team U.S.A not J.O. When J.O was team U.S.A had one of the worst performances ever internationally. But that is going far off topic. Point is Chris has a solid history with this team that has been disrespected and tossed aside. Why? Just because a couple knuckleheads like Jalen Rose and Steven A Smith said he was leaving? Even prior to that fans were booing the guy. This team is in rough shape and Chris has given everything he has all the time he has been here. A lot of the same people on his case now are the same ones that were on Vince Carter and saying he did not try and gave up on the team. Well Bosh has busted his butt and you hate on him too. So what is it exactly that you want? It seriously makes me sick. Some fans that can chat M.V.P for a guy and in a short amount of time later want to run a guy out of town. But it is nothing new. T.J Ford after his injury got a nice and well deserved cheer from the ACC crowd. By April he was booed and eventual wanted out of town by this same part of the fan base. I am a loyal person in all that I do and to see that kind of lack of loyalty in people really makes me angry. If you have never liked Chris Bosh or T.J Ford or whoever that is one thing. But to go with the wind or mob as the case maybe... is another. May people in your lives treat you that way as well. I mean seriously how would you like that. It is not fun if it happens to you.

The thing I find in all of this is it will bring out the worst in some people and it is just sad and painful to watch. I have said many times everyone wants what is best for this team but the way some of you go about that is just wrong. You can be upset, you can be angry, all of that. Heck, I am all of those things myself. But that does not mean you have to become some kind of person that is part of a mob of hate. Be angry at what has happened and not the people it is happening too. Judge them on their entire record not just the latest chapter of the story. Just some things to consider before you write that next Bosh hating post, or Colangelo, or whoever it is you blame for this mess. You can still have class and express your displeasure. It is possible but it is a lot easier to just react and say whatever is on the top of your head. It is going to be a very long trip to April 15th.

There is much more to cover, but hey by April 15th I am sure I will get to it all.