Raptors Last Day Of School Is Here.

Today is not your normal preview so throw away that format kids. Who wants to work to hard on the last day of school anyway. This game could have meant something for Miami which would have made it a tad more interesting but they are locked in 2nd place in the East. The Raptors have been locked out of the playoffs for awhile. Speaking of Lockouts the first sign of the NBA Lockout is making the rounds today. Vegas Summer league and the Orlando Summer League apparently have been cancelled is the rumour buzzing around. So as much as this is a mealiness affair tonight versus the Miami Heat, you still might want to watch, because no one can honestly tell you the next time you will get to see the Raptors play a game. Sad as that may be it is the reality.

However if you do watch you will have to endure watching Chris Bosh laughing it up. He has had the last laugh on the Raptors this season without a doubt. This Raptor season can be used as exhibit "A" as to why he decided to leave last summer. The Raptors without him are not exactly good, a potential 60 loss season with an L tonight makes the case pretty clear as to why Bosh left. This seems a very fitting way to end what has been one of the worst seasons in Raptors history.

Also apparently according to Peddie the outgoing head guru of all things MLSE the board has not decided the fate of Bryan Colangelo. He refused to comment on the story that suggested it was one holdout on the board that was keeping Colangelo from getting his extension. Dave Feschuk first had this story back on March 12th if you missed it here is the link. If Colangelo is not decided on it would seem highly unlikely we get a decision on the future of Jay Trinao any time soon as well.

It has been a forgettable season in a lot of ways. The one bright spot has been the development of Demar DeRozan. He has made big strides. Andrea Bargnani has not. When the Raptors are back, whenever that will be, you have to hope that this team is being built around DeRozan and not Bargnani. While some people are super excited about ping pong balls and the draft lottery I am not as excited. I do not see any "Franchise Player" in this draft class. A class that is being limited by the looming NBA work stoppage. At least the Raptors will be one of the few teams with a chance to just get a player that can have an impact. But no one in this draft strikes me as a franchise changer. If the Raptors do fall to the Heat tonight they will secure the 3rd best odds in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery in May.

So tonight it all ends for the Raptors and with the NBA's future in some serious doubt it makes the Raptors future is even harder to figure out. A new CBA will dramatically impact on how you are able to fix this team. No matter if it is Bryan Colangelo or someone else. The rules will change on how the game is played in terms of building a team. So it is hard for anyone to exactly know the answers to fixing the Raptors without knowing the rules of the game.

As bad as this season has been. When you look at the bleak future for the NBA with no guarantee when or dare we say "if" next season starts. It make the sting of this awful season seem a little less. After all even a lousy season and one of the worst seasons in team history is better than no season at all isn't it? I still have many good memories of this season despite the Raptors awful year. The future for the Dino Nation Blog and all blogs like it are in serious danger as well. There are a lot of people that make a living off the NBA and the Raptors. I can tell you if I did the Dino Nation Blog for the rest of my life I can almost guarantee I will not make what an NBA player does in the season. It is really scary to think all your hard work for 3 plus years can be taken out from under your feet. The sad thing about Lockouts is the people that make the least and ones that don't make a thing and are just fans are the ones that suffer.

So for 2 and half hours try and watch a basketball game that honestly will look like a Vegas Summer League game at times and remember what you love about it. It might be hard to remember when all the dust clears. I will do my best to figure out a way to keep doing what I love to do. I pray that I am able to be around on the other side of all of this. Some how, Some way, I will be. Or I will die trying to be. That is how much I love what I do. It makes it hard not to be bitter and angry over the lockout. Really hard.

Something that isn't hard is to thank all of you for another season of your support of the Dino Nation Blog. Remember tonight's game is on Sportsnet 1 and tips at 8pm. It is the last day of school in a basketball sense and there is no guarantee when we will see all these faces again. The Dino Nation Blog does keep rolling along in the summer months. So stick with us. But thanks for another great season of support and love. It may not have been great in terms of on the court but it is always a pleasure to share my thoughts and opinions with you and do my best to keep you entertained and informed.