Dino Nation Blog

DNB Game In Pictures III

2012-01-28T16:12:00.003-05:00

Ok this has been a fun feature. But we are taking into the next level. It is Raptors and Nuggets DNB Game in Pictures.....Roll'EM!!!

Hope you enjoyed if you did go on Youtube and like this video. Follow the Dino Nation Blog on Twitter @Dinonationblog and like us on Facebook.

It Was Over Before It Was On

2012-01-28T10:55:00.004-05:00

I came out for a Raptor game in which they probably had little to no chance to win and got the Toronto Rock. TSN was up to their old tricks and as they had the end of a Toronto Rock game on instead of the Raptors. It was about a year ago I was covering the NBA All-Star Game when I still worked for The Score. TSN decided that it was more important to get Sportscentre on the air then let the country know who won the MVP of the ALL-Star Game. It motivated me to head to twitter and begin a hashtag #TSNHATESBBALL which ended up trending in Toronto on that night. Ever since you will see some people still using the hashtag when TSN screws something up in their basketball coverage. So when the lacrosse game was finally over the Raptors had already fallen in a deep hole 10-2 and would never lead for the rest of the night.

Once again it was a horrible first quarter with the Raptors shooting 1-12 before the camera's started rolling in Denver. Linas Kleiza would get the start at the 4 for the injured Andrea Bargnani. Raptors were down 28-12 and to add insult to injury Andre Miller made the last 3 of those 28 on a buzzer beater heave. The second quarter the Nuggets would just add to the massive advantage and led 54-32 at the half.

The Raptor would stage a comeback as they often do. They would get as close as 6 points. Casey would take out some of the guys that were leading the charge. When Calderon, Butler and DeRozan were put in, all who were not having great nights, the Nuggets took over to close it out for the 96-81 win. If you got depressed and tuned out before the final buzzer you might have missed a little bit of excitement.

Al Harrington thought he was fouled by Linas Kleiza. He would be jaw jacking with Kleiza the entire way up the floor. The Raptors while this was going on had got the rebound off the miss and called a time out. But Harrington continued to flap his gums and stay in the face of Kleiza. Finally Kleiza shoved Harrington and it caused a little scrum of pushing and shoving. No fists would fly but it did cause a little excitement.

The same old story for the Raptors with a slow start and digging a huge hole that they are unable to dig out of. Three players had some decent stat lines for the Raptors and that was bout all. James Johnson was the only starter in double figures with 16 points and was 7-10 from the field. Barbosa lead the Raptors off the bench with 19 points. He continues to be the most attractive trade chip the Raptors hold. Jerryd Bayless has started to look good since returning with 18 points and he was 7-10 from the field and was 4-5 from 3 point range.

Raptors end this strange road trip in New Jersey on Sunday. The Nets were winners on this night and are a game in front of the The Raptors in the Atlantic. Not that either team is looking like a playoff team or anything. The Atlantic Division basement bowl this will be on Sunday.

Raptors In The Land Of Tebow Miracles May Be All Out Of Them

2012-01-27T12:11:00.005-05:00

Before we get to the game tonight in Denver as most of you probably saw we have an injury update from the Raptors on Andrea Bargnani. An MRI has revelled no significant damage to Bargnani's re-injured calf, however he is out indefinitely. These two things don't seem to go together. But what it means in terms of the here and now is don't expect to see Andrea Bargnani any time soon. Which makes what would have been a tough task with him, next to impossible now. It is one thing to scramble and out play a team for a 5 minute overtime without him, it is quite another to play a full 48 minutes without him. Matt Devlin dropped a pretty amazing stat in our interview yesterday. The Raptors without Bargnani the Raptor are 3-19 over the last couple seasons. I don't have the numbers for the Raptors in the past without Bosh or without Vince Carter but they can't be much worse than that.

It will be another Italian front and center tonight in the form of Danilo Gallinari. When I hear people talking about most improved player in the NBA and making the All Star Game don't hear much talk about him. But there should be talk. He is having a break out season in Denver and for a time in Fantasy Basketball season was the number 1 ranked player in all of the NBA. Like Bargnani he can make the three, you can argue for his position he is a better rebounder and he has nicer overall floor game. Stopping him will likely fall in the hands of James Johnson for most of the evening.

Denver is likely to be without it's point guard in Ty Lawson as he is listed as doubtful. Rookie Julyan Stone could see some extensive minutes playing behind Andre Miller. Speaking of rookies the Nuggets have two good ones in Kenneth Faried a beast on the glass and a shot blocker, along with Jordan Hamilton who played on the wing at Texas with Canadians Cory Joesph and Tristan Thompson. The Nuggets also of course have Nene back resigned in the off season. Along with an experienced yet like Al Harrington.

Raptors without Bargnani what they will do is up for debate. The last time he went down they turned to Ed Davis who has since gone deeper into the dog house of late. After his 25 point performance and given his skill set many feel a move to Kleiza at the four against his former team makes a lot of sense. I would agree and remind folks that he played a significant amount at the 4 in his time with the Nuggets. So it is not like he is unfamiliar with the position. In fact of late he has been playing there for the Raptors more than in the past.

Safe to say for the Raptors to make it 3 wins in a row it would be a minor miracle. If Tim Tebow is walking out on that floor he would be wearing a Nuggets Jersey so he is no help. How the Raptors make up for the 24 points that Andrea Bargnani provides will be the biggest issue moving forward with out him in the line-up.

3 Keys:

Start Strong: We can just leave this as a key until the Raptors actually do it. As I stated in the interview yesterday with Matt, no matter what level of basketball you care to talk about, playing from behind is not desirable. It makes a team have to expend far more energy than they would like too. In the thin air of Mile High Country you need all the extra energy you can find.

Compete on the Glass: Another common theme in the keys to the game. But against Denver is is vital, adding Faried made a team that already was decent on the boards that much better. This kid is an impact rookie. I remember a reader mentioning him as a fantasy sleeper and a dark horse for rookie of the year. He may not quiet be that Rookie of the Year but he is extremely solid and a difference maker on the glass.

Defend the Arc: Denver have some weapons from long range. Identify who is on the court and wear those shooters are. The Raptors ability to use the zone effectively should be greatly reduced against this team. Gallinari is only one of several capable long range strikers.

So no matter how much tebowing Raptor fans do tonight it would seem will be next to impossible to get a third win in a row. That said wins in Phoenix and Utah were not forecast either. However minus Bargnani is a big difference as we have seen the Raptors this season are close to a .500 team with him and without him might be the worst team in the league. Now that is POWER!!

Starting 5 With Matt Devlin From Denver

2012-01-26T14:23:00.006-05:00

Today in the Starting 5 we catch up with Matt Devlin on the road with the Raptors in Denver, after some extra work last night in calling a double OT win for the Dinos in Utah. We start with conversation on that game and the unfortunate injury to Andrea Bargnani. Also look back a bit at the win in Phoenix. We also talk about the major step up Bargnani has made on the floor and Matt says who he thinks deserves the credit for it. In addition thoughts on the struggles of Ed Davis, Amir Johnson and Demar DeRozan. We also get into some discussion as well about James Johnson. Matt shares his thoughts on how Johnson reminds him of a player he covered prior to coming to Toronto still playing in the league today. All this and some talk of Jack Armstrong and Tebowing in Denver. It is a informative and hopefully fun conversation for your listening pleasure. We also make reference to Matt's road segment that appears on Raptors.com "Life on the 2nd Bus". Matt references the latest episode so I wanted to give you folks a link to it. Someone apparently Tebow's in it given the fact the Raptors are in Denver. As for the picture that comes from the Raptor press room from a game I covered last season. You might remember it as with Matt's blessing I posted it on Twitter. So with out further adieu here is the latest episode of The Starting 5.

Thanks to Matt for making time for us. Matt has been kind enough to be a guest with us since his arrival in Toronto and we always enjoy having him as a guest. This maybe a back to back for us in The Starting 5 as well as we are attempting to get another guest lined up for tomorrow. So keep you ears and eyes ready. I will try and make mention of it on Twitter if it comes together. We look forward to talking with Matt again and appreciate him taking the time after a long night of work to be on with us today.

An Eventful Long Night In Salt Lake City

2012-01-26T08:53:00.006-05:00

Based on how this game started it sure didn't look like it would be a significant night. The Raptors continued the not so great tradition under Dwane Casey of coming out flat in the first quarter. Given the fact the Jazz had been off since Saturday this was a terrible sign. But the Jazz were short handed as Al Jefferson would be scratched prior to game time. The Jazz seemed to have a game plan to run the Raptors into the ground. A sound strategy given they were the fresher team. They would push the ball at every opportunity and the Raptors looked like a tired bunch early in this one. Raptors would rally after being down by as much as 18 in the first to make it a 32-23 game after one.

The little Raptor train would not stop chugging. As I was all a long thinking I don't think they can, I don't think they can, they would keep on saying yes we can. Eventually this would have to catch up with them right? They would get close and knock on the door to taking the lead many times only to have the Jazz answer. The Raptors had never led in this game and I was convinced it would remain that way. Andrea Bargnani was off to a slow start but like the night before would get things going eventually. Demar DeRozan was fairly erratic throughout this game. We saw some good moments for Demar and some bad ones. Jose Calderon was having a terrible scoring night but that would change later in the night. Andrea Bargnani would finally give the Raptors the lead with three to put the Raptors up 50-48. Jazz would tie it and look to take the lead before the half but James Johnson would have one of his 6 blocks on the night which was 4 more blocks than he had points. But he was a defensive difference maker. Raps and Jazz were all even at 50 at the halftime break.

It may have been 50/50 at the half but you didn't think that was the Raptors odds of winning this one? Jazz were the rested team and you figured eventually that would show. A fumble and turnover by Andrea Bargnani and a bad foul by DeRozan was part of the Jazz having a 7-2 run to start the half. But the Raptors would score the next six and take the lead again at 58-57. Jose Calderon would finally score with 7:40ish left in the 3rd for his first points of the evening but he would get more later and some key ones. It was a hard fought 3rd quarter but when it was done the Jazz had a 75-69 lead and you had to figure would pull away and finally put this to bed.

Amir Johnson baby steps to getting of Dwane Casey's doghouse began with a block on Kanter to start the 4th quarter. Kanter by the way is God awful he has a Hoffa like game. Raptors would battle hard and in the late stages were down 86-83 in a rough and tumble 4th quarter. Linas Kleiza would make a couple free throws to make it a one point game with a minute to play. Jazz score and a Bargnani answer and it was 88-87. Jazz reestablished a three point lead but then with 13 seconds left Jose Calderon nails a three ball to tie this game up at 90. Raptors would get the stop they needed and unexpectedly this game was going to overtime.

Last time the Raptors were in an overtime game it was not even in North America. It was a triple OT thriller with the Nets in London England. Which was a loss if you forget. Calderon tied this thing at end of regulation and on a drive would give the Raptors the lead. Then Calderon dropped a dime to Linas Kleiza in the corner for 3 and Raptors had a 95-90 lead. Calderon turnover later on would give the Jazz a break away dunk and the lead was back to just 2. Millsap a tap in over Bargnani tied it. You think that is the bad news but it wasn't the Raptors had to call a time out. Andrea Bargnani had re-injured his calf and would be done for the night. After this game was over he would say that this time the injury to his calf was in his words "much worse". But Raptors would fight on without him as Kleiza out of the time out hit a dagger three. But the Jazz would nail their own 3 with just 3 seconds left in the 1st overtime and tied this game at 100.

Raptors heading to a second OT and Bargnani not an option? At this point they had to be done right? Not exactly the Raptors who in games without Bargnani in first injury were terrible, would be at least for the rest of this night inspired. A Linas Kleiza air ball in the start of OT sure didn't give you an indication that is what would happen but nothing was sticking to the script tonight. A Demar DeRozan free throw would but the Raptors on top 104-103 and they would not trail again. A long two from Kleiza and a huge 3 from Calderon was in the end enough to seal it. Raptors get the thrilling 111-106 win in double OT.

Bargnani had 25 points and Kleiza the same 25 points off the bench. But this was a team win through and through. Unfortunately the loss of Bargnani which on surface seems for an even longer stretch hangs over this win like a dark ominous storm cloud. But let's reflect on what the Raptors have done in the last two nights snapping a 14 game losing streak to the Suns and 12 game losing streak to the Jazz. That is pretty amazing. The biggest part to both of those wins though will be getting an MRI in Denver and is not going to be around to try and make it 3 in a row. It will be interesting to see if the rest of this team can still rally from the confidence gained from these two wins. Maybe not as much in Denver on Friday but in New Jersey on Monday where the Raptors could actually make this a winning road trip. They could in Denver as well but that seems more unlikely.

Reminder we have Matt Devlin scheduled to join us sometime to be a guest in the Starting 5. I am assured he still has his voice after last night. So make sure to be on the look out for that. Maybe a guest tomorrow too. Will see.

No Easy Task To Make It Two In A Row.

2012-01-25T15:44:00.008-05:00

I have to say the fact the Utah Jazz are 10-5, winners of 4 of their last 5 games is quite a surprise. The Jazz now without Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams you would think would be in full rebuild. After all Tyrone Corbin who took over from Sloan was only 8-20 last season. The trade that saw Williams go to the Nets did bring the Jazz some young talent in Derrick Favours and Devin Harris but this was not a team expected to do much this year by most. They have two solid bigs that are the main pieces to the puzzle in Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, they are the teams top scorers as well. Truth is by looking at the Jazz it just doesn't look all that impressive on paper. But the Jazz are by and large still a team that it is about the system more than the parts that make up the system. Corbin coached for years as an assistant to Sloan so that system for them mostly remains the same.

The Raptors have had almost the same lack of success vs the Jazz as they have had with last night's opponent that Suns. Raptors have lost to Utah 12 straight times. Two very different teams in terms of style. What it always largely comes down to when facing the Jazz is how you defend the pick and roll and if you are able to compete with them on the glass. The Raptors for the first time this season are pretty much healthy and have the full roster in place that Bryan Colangelo has assembled for this season. Dwane Casey is making some bold choices in terms of the roster of late. Unless your name is Andrea Bargnani it seems pretty clear you better perform or you could find yourself on bench. Rasaul Butler and Amir Johnson have already played their way out of the starting five. Demar DeRozan has been shown perhaps some more patience but to suggest he is secure in his starting role would not seem to be wise. If his production and decisions do not improve with Bargnani now back he could be delivered a message as well with a seat on the bench.

Heading in the opposite direction is a guy like James Johnson. Already a defensive type player, which with Casey is always going to give you opportunity. He is starting to make his presence known on the other end of the floor. Beyond the struggles of the Raptors youngsters in DeRozan and Ed Davis, the biggest glaring problem has been the lack of production from the small forward position. Linas Kleiza almost had won the job by not playing a single game. That is how bad Butler and Johnson had been. Ultimately Linas has not really been bad, but on a bench that needs scoring, he along with Leandro Barbosa have been the only two players providing that consistently. Johnson has been putting in work on his shot and over the last couple games we have started to see some results.

Ultimately the questions for the Raptors seem to be if they can produce on the offensive end of the floor. Is this going to be a Kevin O'Neil like offence that struggles to score, or can they be better than that. On nights when Andrea Bargnani is scoring the answer is better. But can we really expect this on a nightly basis? Andrea is averaging 23.4 points a game, That is a point or so better than Vince Carter under Kevin O'Neil with 22.5 per game. Here is where things differ though, Jalen Rose was the 2nd leading scorer on the Raptor squad in 03-04 after he arrived in a trade with Bulls. He averaged 16. 2 points per game, tied with Donyell Marshall who came in the same trade and averaged the same point per game total. Demar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa are second and third in scoring on this Raptor squad at 14. 2 and 13.2 points per game. They also I think most would agree are not as consistent scorers as Rose and Marshall were. The Raptors Offence is ranked 29th in the league. That is second last in the league which is where the O'Neil led Raptors were as they were 28th with the NBA having one less franchise back in the 2003-04 season.

We can all agree the Raptors defence is at least heading in the right direction. 19th overall is a lot better than 30th. But the Kevin O'Neil Raptors were even better at 7th in the league out of 29 teams. The comparison between the two is not exactly a fair one. The team O'Neil had was far more talented than the one Dwane Casey has currently. But still that is the only real bench mark we have for a defensive minded Raptors basketball team. Tonight will be a challenge on both ends of the floor as the Jazz have a solid offence they run that is ranked 11th in the league and a defence that is middle of the pack at 16th.

Not to mention the schedule that helped the Raptors last night when they played a tired Suns team flips on them tonight playing a rested Jazz team that last played on Saturday. It was a 108-98 win over Minnesota. So if the Raptors get off to a slow start tonight as has been the pattern of this season the chances they make a comeback like last night is greatly reduced.

3 Keys:

Strike First, Strike Hard: Yes the immortal words of Strike Force. If the Raptors start off slow like they did in Phoenix you can just call the Jazz Demolition and give them the win. Anyone who has played basketball will admit this freely. To play from behind is a lot tougher than it is to play with a lead. Dwane Casey to his credit played every guy dressed last night vs the Suns. He will hope it pays off with more energy for his club tonight. But if they don't use it right away they will be in serious trouble.

Protect The Glass: The worst thing you can do against the Jazz is allow them to get rolling on the offensive glass. If they do, the Raptors will get 2nd chanced pointed to death. Any defence, no matter how good, always has to complete stops with defensive rebounds. The odds you stop a team the second time around drop off dramatically.

Secondary Scoring: I am never sure if you can doubt anything much about Andrea these days, but I will go out on a limb and say he isn't scoring 30+ tonight. Can the Raptors with Bargnani scoring at around his average find enough offence to keep pace with the Jazz? If they can they will have a chance to be in the game. If not they have no shot.

Recap tonight and tomorrow at some point will be talking with Raptors play by play announcer on the T.V side of things Matt Devlin. Should be fun to have Matt in The Starting 5 tomorrow. So look forward to that. If we are talking about a 2nd win in a row for the Raptors that would be a surprise but a welcomed one. Game is on TSN2 tonight at 9pm with Matt and Jack calling all the action from Salt Lake City.

Raptors Get Their Offence Back In Form Of #7

2012-01-24T23:38:00.005-05:00

The rumours were true Andrea Bargnani after 6 games on the shelf was back. It would be a slow start for Bargnani but he would get hotter than a Phoenix afternoon in July by time this one was done. Suns were returning home after a loss last night in Dallas. Raptors needed to jump on them early but Raptors just can't seem to do that even with Andrea Bargnani. The Suns powered by as always Steve Nash, were out to an early 27-17 lead. It seemed like despite the return of Bargnani it was going to be more of the same for the Raptors. Bargnani was not the only line-up change by the way, Amir Johnson it would appear in Dwane Casey's dog house as Aaron Gray replaced him in the starting line-up. Amir only played just over 12 minutes in this one. Demar DeRozan also saw little action in the late stages of this game as his shooting woes continued going 2-8 on the night and just 4 points.

But no Young Onez were needed as Andrea Bargnani started to get on track in the 2nd and would explode in the 3rd. Speaking of explosions Robin Lopez would get ejected from this game and even Canada's favourite son Steve Nash got a technical foul. The Suns despite the good start seemed to be easily frustrated the rest of the way. Leandro Barbosa would get the Raptors going in the right direction with back to back 3's in the second and it seemed to spark the offence as they scored 31 points in the 2nd and cut the lead down to 4 at the half. It had been a long time since the Raptors were still in a close game heading into a 2nd half. In the third quarter Andrea Bargnani just went off on the offensive end. He looked every bit the "Italian three point master" as the lyric goes in the TBJ All Star Campaign Video. He was on fire from behind the line hitting one from the top of the arc that was at least 2-3 feet behind the line with ease. In total Bargnani would ring up 18 points of the Raptors 31 in quarter. Raptors were up 8 heading to the final quarter.

It wouldn't be the Raptors if they just cruised on to the easy win would it? Steve Nash has never lost to the Raptors in his second tour of duty with the Suns. A perfect 14-0 heading into tonight. The last win ironically came in 2004 with another coach that was all about defence in Kevin O'Neil. He would lead the Raptors to their last win in Phoenix with some guy named Vince Carter. To put it perspective Jerryd Bayless who is from the Phoenix area was a freshman in high school. So back to the Raptors trying to hang on for dear life. They would hold a 10 point lead most of the way but Steve Nash had some fight left in him and would try to will his team to a win. Suns would get very close, the Raptors appeared to be home and cooled out but then Butler happened. Rasaul Butler would throw the ball away and Suns cut the lead to 4 points in late stages. Raptors would call a time out. Jose Calderon who has never got much love from the DNB went totally loco on Butler and with just cause. He just has been a complete failure. But Bargnani would make a few free throws and the Raptors would dodge the bullet and get out of Arizona with a win 99-96.

This was the Andrea Bargnani Show as he finished with a season high 36 points, a perfect 12-12 at the line 10-21 from the field and 4-6 from 3 point land. The fact he only had 6 rebounds we will FORGET ABOUT IT!!! After all he was the single reason this team got a win they badly needed. Best supporting role honours to James Johnson who is learning how to make some shots as he had 18 points and had Andrea's back with 10 rebounds. Barbosa did the early damage as Bargs was heating up as he had 19 points in his former home going 7-14 and was 3-3 from three point land.

As much as I am truly thrilled the Raptors ended their losing streak I don't think they are out of the woods by any stretch. But looking on the other side of the floor it was so sad watching Steve Nash try and will something out of a Suns team that is just not good enough. If you have a heart and soul you could not help but want to see Steve Nash get a new lease on life with a contender. Aside from Marcin Gortat there was very little help for Steve Nash.

Enjoy it while you can folks. Utah a team that I figured would struggle has been the surprise team of this NBA Season. A win tomorrow will be much tougher. But after 8 losses you deserve to enjoy it. Wins are not going to come easy this season. So enjoy every one as much as you can.

Raptors Chance To End Their Pain

2012-01-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

This is the night where the Raptors can put an end to this losing streak. First reason being is it is likely that Andrea Bargnani will return tonight. Second they face a Suns team that is on second night of a back to back, as they were in Dallas last night with the WWE taking over their home. Telfair will be sitting tonight out for the Suns tonight as he received a flagrant 2 foul last night in Dallas and that is an automatic suspension for a game. Suns are 6-10 and have a 3-4 record at home. If there was a night that was set up for this steak to end tonight would be the night.

If it doesn't happen here is two reasons why it won't. Steve Nash always plays well when he knows Canada is watching. This game is on the main TSN likely because of him and him alone. Also the Raptors have been getting abused on the glass of late. The guy that could take advantage of that is Marcin Gortat. He had a huge double double in a loss to the Mavs. The potential return of Bargnani is going to help many things but rebounding is likely not one of them.

Raptors need to begin getting the starters and the start of games heading the right direction. The Raptors starting 5 without Bargnani has been positively awful. The Raptors must find a way to stay in the game early to have any chance to be in the game late. If Bargnani is back and able to score like he is capable this will be a big help in that regard.

3 Keys:

Make Nash A Scorer: You would rather see Steve Nash score 30 then have 15 assists. If he is able to get his team involved it makes the job that much harder. He will likely have to play some extra minutes with Telfair out from the suspension. On a second night of a back to back as well.

Rebound: Raptors have been awful on the glass and it has really been a big reason why they have not been able to be competitive of late. Everyone needs to crash the glass. Harder to do when playing zones on defence but not impossible.

Secondary Scoring: If Bargnani is back the Raptors are still going to need others to step up and score with him. Demar DeRozan or anyone else needs to take advantage of the return of Bargnani. If he isn't back this is still important. Raptors have been getting decent production from Barbosa and Kleiza off the bench of late.

If the Raptors don't take advantage of this gift a win in Utah or Denver seems highly unlikely. The Nets would be the next likely spot when searching for a win. But after losing 4 games on the road in West heading back East that doesn't seem as likely. Raptors mantra tonight needs to be 8 is enough and we would all agree with that.

WWE and Raptors have invaded PHX.

2012-01-23T11:06:00.004-05:00

My two world's have officially collided in Phoenix Arizona. The Raptors and the WWE are in the same town on the same day. Clearly the Raptors need some motivation so how about we have some WWE Superstars attempt to motivate the Raptors. This has the potential to be a total train wreck of a blog or one of the best ever. So are you ready? I SAID ARE YOU READY? Than for thousands reading this blog and the millions that really should be......Let get ready to S%#K IT!!!

Up first Santino Marella.

Santino: So really I have just one question? Where is he?

Amir: He who?

Santino: My all time favourite basketball player? Andrea Bargnani!!! That is one reason I am doing this to get an autograph and picture.

Amir: Well he ain't here so guess your out of luck.

Santino: Some one is going to pay for this and it might just be you my big tattooed basket baller.

( Santino attempts to apply the cobra. but is far to short so he grabs a chair stands on it and Amir blocks the cobra and takes the chair smashes Santino with it then slams him into the locker room door and throws him out )

Amir: NEXT!

(Kane's Theme music plays and in walks the 7 foot masked monster)

Kane: I know why you all lose. You are to nice. You must embrace the hate. (He looks at Demar DeRozan) You need to channel your anger and take it out on your opponent. You will not win until you drive to the net with hate in your heart. Then and only then will you find what you are looking for.

Rasaul Butler(Under His Breath): This is stupid. Everyone knows Wrestling is fake.

Kane(Turns to Butler): I am fake? I have seen you play and you are impersonating a basketball player. I will show you fake!!!

(Kane picks up Butler by the throat slams him into a Locker and chock slams him into a laundry bin.)

Kane: Any Questions?

(Kane Leaves and the lights in the Locker room go out. A figure with lights flashing on his jacket extends his arms and posses then exits and lights come back on)

Jose: Who was that?

Jamaal: Chris Jericho he is Canadian like me.

( Zack Ryder enters the locker room)

Aaron Gray: Zack Ryder you are my hero man.

Zack Ryder: Thanks Broski.

Jose: What is a Broski?

Aaron Gray: It is like what you would call an amigo.

Zack: Was Kane here?

Demar: He Definitely was just ask Rasaul!!!

( Zack looks in the Laundry bin and sees Rasaul Butler laid out)

Zack: Looks like Kane had a slam dunk. Anyway I was told you guys needed some motivation or something. So basically I was a no talent hack and started doing a show on Youtube became popular and got to become a star.

Amir: I make funny videos.

Zack: Cool how many hits do your videos get I am at like 100k a week.

(Amir Scowls)

Zack: Sorry bro!!! Any way time for me to go. make sure you like me on Facebook....Follow me on Twitter and buy all this cool Zack Ryder Stuff on WWE.Com....Take Care and Spike your Hair....WOO WOO WOO....You Know It!!!

Aaron Gray: Bye Zack!!! I think I am going to Spike my hair like "The Birdman"

(Zack sticks his head in the door)

Zack (Looks at Amir) Anyone ever told you that you look like Andre 3000?

(Amir throws a towel at the door and Zack leaves. In walks John Cena wearing a throw back Celtics Jersey)

John Cena: Later Zack. Hey guys. Now I am here to help you become more like a good team, like the Boston Celtics. See they, like me have " Hustle, Loyalty and Respect" It all starts from there.

Raptors (as a group): CENA SUCKS!!! CENA SUCKS!!!

(Cena turns and heads for the door)

John Cena (Talking to himself) : Seriously the Toronto Raptors told me I suck? They would know right? Maybe I do suck....No your John Cena and you are loved by millions of kids under the age of 13 and you do not suck!!!

Demar: You know maybe this is working that is the first thing we have done as a team all year!!!

(C.M Punk the WWE Champion enters the Locker Room. )

C.M Punk: What are you doing in my locker room.

James Johnson: This is our locker room.

C.M Punk: I am the best in the world and I got this (Raises the WWE Championship)

James Johnson: I train in MMA I don't sweat you.

C.M Punk: That a fact so I am suppose to be scared now right? You want to hear some reality. All of you basketball players are soft. You never had to earn anything in your privileged jock existence. You sign million dollar contracts and forget where you come from. I have seen fights in basketball games and trust me I don't sweat anyone in this room.

James Johnson: You talk a lot of smack for a little guy.

C.M Punk: Least I have reason to talk smack what have you done? You are the starter on one of the worst teams in the NBA. Congratulations!!!

James Johnson: We're just having some bad luck!!!

C.M Punk: Luck is for losers. What you all need to do is ask yourself if you want things to change. So do you!!!

Raptors (as a group) Yes!!!

C.M Punk: So what are you going to do about it!!!

Raptors (As A Group) Pound The Rock?

C.M Punk: Pounding the Rock is nice. I am not a fan. But honestly I don't need your help to do that, you need to pound the other team. Anyway this has all been fun in a strange sort of way. But I really have better things to do like tweet to my followers on Twitter. So later.

(James Johnson attacks C.M Punk from behind. Putting him in a rear naked chock hold. C.M Punk kicks him the groin and walks out )

Linas: I guess that means I am starting tonight.

(Andrea Bargnani walks in)

Andrea: I have good news. Tonight I am going to play.

Raptors (as group): About Damn Time.

( Santino Morella rushes back into the locker room)

Santino: Son of gun. It is you. I am your number 1 fan. This is a big honour for Santino. Can we get a picture?

Andrea: Sure

(Santino gets on a chair stands on it next to Andrea and loses his balance falling on Bargnani's foot)

Amir: Now see what you did.

Andrea: I think it's broken.

Raptors as a group have a collective Sigh!!

Hope you enjoyed this. No basketball players or WWE Superstars were hurt in the actual writing of this blog. The opinions expressed are totally 100% fake and would never actually happen. But in a season like this it sure beats talking about losing every single day.

Raptors Get Slammed In La La Land.

2012-01-22T21:06:00.006-05:00

It was likely a sign when the first play of the game was a lop to Blake Griffin for an easy slam dunk. There would be many dunks that would follow. Despite having Jerryd Bayless back for this one it would matter very little. He was not going to stop DeAndre Jordan from slamming it down. Ed Davis wasn't either as he got posterized early. It was the same script as the Raptors have been following of late. They would dig an early hole make a fight to come back only to get slapped down again. But if anything the way the Clippers were doing it to them was entertaining. The first quarter was better than some slam dunk contests. Amir Johnson again with 2 early fouls would be a spectator with 6:24 left in the first. Raptors couldn't hit a barn let alone a basket early in this one(started 3-16) . Caron Butler the better Butler in this game, he hit a 3 with 5:27 left in first and Clippers were up 16-6 and they were as it turns out well on the way to victory. The Raptors by time the first quarter was over had just 11 points and the Clippers had 27 on the board and this game was done pretty much.

Sure the Raptors would put on their spunky little charge back going on an 11-2 run in the 2nd quarter. But it was more a case of the Clippers taking foot of the gas and Raptors taking advantage. A time out and Vinny Del Negro had his troops back and focused and they quickly went right back to work. Raptors would outscore the Clippers 26-22 in the 2nd but still were in a big hole down 49-37 at the half. Clippers would storm out of the locker room and pretty much took care of any doubt early. By the end of the 3rd this in effect became an exhibition game. While the Raptors continued to play it's top players the Clippers had called off the dogs. The final score of 103-91 was not a clear reflection of the Clippers true dominance on this afternoon. The stat line of DeAndre Jordan of 16 points and 16 rebounds with a highlight reel full of dunks was. Mo Williams had 26 off the bench to lead all scorers. The Clippers didn't have Chris Paul and didn't need him as Chauncey Billups had 14 assists despite only 5 points. On the Raptors side of things DeRozan tied his career high in NBA in L.A but that is only 15 points. He continues to have struggles returning home. That will be the Raptors only visit to L.A this year as the Lakers will travel to the ACC next month but the Raptors will not be returning the favour in the shortened schedule. Only 33 points for the Raptors starting 5 as a whole. If not for Kleiza with 16 and Barbosa with 19 the Raptors would have been challenging the team all-time low in points of 54. The Raptors had more fouls (12) than points (11) in the first quarter.

You look for some signs of improvement but in reality the Raptors seem to be the same movie over and over again. If you are a fan of Elvis movies it is kinda like that in a bad way. The story is only a little different but ultimately Elvis will sing a few tunes and act awful and it will be over. Same thing with Raptor games. They will come out flat, get behind big, make an attempt at a comeback only to have it fail. By the end, the game is not in doubt, you have sad faces on the bench and the other team's starters chilling out. This losing streak could go a long time if the Raptors can't find a way to beat the Suns on Tuesday. That will be much easier with Andrea Bargnani who officially has the slowest healing calf muscle on planet earth. D-Wade is second if you were wondering.

Raptor fans based on my twitter account are to the point of being fed up. Not as many folks talking about pounding rocks, much more focused on how this franchise is hitting rock bottom. Which it is hard to argue. No matter if you are rooting for this team to lose and tank or not. Tanking alone will not solve this. This young core the Raptors have claimed to have is not as deep or as strong as advertised. Jonas and the mystery pick in the ultra funky(fixed) NBA lottery is not going to change this team into a winner. The truth is as shocking as it is to say the only piece fans can feel confident in is Andrea Bargnani. This is of course assuming he continues on the path he was on prior to his injury. There is no guarantee he will. That is why his chances of making the All-Star Game are slim to none. He has not played enough games not that anyone has but him especially. He had a great 10 or 11 games to begin the season. If he does not come back as good as that this team will be in more trouble than we even realize.

If you are frustrated and upset with how this team has played....you should be. If you are not than you should be. Rebuilding or Reloading, or whatever Colangelo is calling it these days, this team is not good and quite frankly an embarrassment. The NBA lockout ended and it was suppose to bring basketball back. What the Raptors have been playing the last 8 games barely qualifies as basketball. It could be considered torture in some cultures. I am tired of hearing apologists, let's call this what is which at this point is an epic disaster. They say things have to get worse before they get better. Well it sure can't get much worse. If this remains the same the Raptors need to re-think who is running this team's offence. Along with the people in that offence. Improved D at times is great, but it leads to some ugly basketball until we see some results on the other end of the floor. I can except ugly and winning, but ugly and losing is not good for the soul. Maybe we need co-head coaches. Jay Trinao as your head coach of the offence and Dwane Casey as head coach of the defence. Is that an insane idea? Absolutely, but is it any worse than what I am watching on a regular basis....Not really. This is going to be a long and painful season and the rainbow and pot of gold at the end of it you just might find out is fool's gold.

I used a word that I consider the most scary word in sports today. Apathy, and that is what I am starting to see in terms of the Raptors. Once you have people going that route it is hard to bring them back. It is going to take more than just modest improvement if people truly give up on this team. I for whatever reason and am not one of them. But I am not the one to worry about. If you are reading this you likely are not either. It is the people that are not and basically have become fed up with it altogether that are. This franchise will always have a loyal core of fans. But if it is ever going to grow and not shrink, than things will have to improve at a rapid rate in the next few years. Which is not as likely as it might have seemed starting this season in my opinion.

Welcome To Lob City Raptor Fans

2012-01-22T11:33:00.006-05:00

The Raptors face the most hyped team of the 2011-12 season. It also became the landing spot for Reggie Evans the former Raptor for the past 2 seasons. I often make jokes about how many point guards they have in Minnesota but how about this team with Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams. Now Billups when Paul is healthy plays at the shooting guard possession. Speaking of shooting guards any game in L.A means a return home for Demar DeRozan. If your thinking this will mean a big day for Demar DeRozan think again. In 4 returns home in his brief NBA Career he has only averaged 8.7 points and shot 14/43 for 32.5%. So if he is going to have a breakout game in L.A today would be his first.

Jerryd Bayless and Andrea Bargnani are both on the trip and both game time decisions. When these guys come back the Raptors hope this will address their struggles on offence. Today with or with out them that will include dealing with some shot blockers in Griffin and Jordan for the Clippers. Getting points on the inside is not going to be easy. If you are going to drive to the hoop you better do it with purpose. If you don't the highlight dunk you were thinking about could turn into a highlight block real quick. The Raptors in their latest lost got crushed on the glass. That is where there former team mate will make his mark. Reggie Evans as we got to see when he was healthy is a beast on the boards. Blake Griffin is also no slouch on the glass.

The Clippers have had some big wins on their resume recently. They have got the benefit of this crazy NBA Schedule early with 9 home games already in which they are 7-2. They are 8-5 overall so bottom line is they take care of business at home. The environment in L.A for Clippers games has changed. They are bringing in more fans than in the past thanks to all the hype. The Staples Center is rocking now for not just Lakers games. Today will be a tough task for the Raptors regardless of who is playing.

3 Keys:

Compete on the Glass: If you don't do it the chances of beating this Clippers team will greatly decrease. The Clippers are going to attack the glass on both ends and if the Raptors have a performance like they did against Portland they are toast.

Value possessions: This Clipper team is looking to turn you over and get out and run. That is what makes Lob City Hi-lights happen. Chris Paul is one of the best at taking the ball away at his position in the league. Clippers will be lurking in the passing lanes looking to get those easy picks and transition baskets.

Transition Defence: This team as just mentioned wants to run. The less easy points you can give this team the better it is for you. They really don't need your help with all the talent they put on the floor. So don't make it easy for them. Get back and defend and make them have to beat you in half court.

The reality is the Raptors are likely looking at loss number 8 square in the face. Clippers while extremely hyped do have talent to back it up. The Raptors will need to play an incredible team game on both ends to have a chance to win.

Unlucky 7 as Raps Head West.

2012-01-21T12:38:00.003-05:00

I remember having a conversation with Paul Jones during a Raptor losing streak. It is hard not to have the losses blend into one another after awhile he had said. Last night at the ACC the venue was different and so was the team they were facing but that is about it. Raptors against Boston shot 30% and did not get to the line. Last night against Blazers it was 31.8% and still no free throws. The result on the scoreboard was similar as well with the Raptors in a deep hole early that they would never climb out of completely. The Blazers 27-14 and there only concern was Lamarcus Aldridge who was a pick reason why they led was back in the locker room with a bad back. But he would return and Blazers would extend the lead out to 21 points. This is when the fans at the ACC had seen enough and let the Raptors have it booing loudly as if Vince Carter had just arrived. The Raptors would rally late in the quarter but still be outscored 20-18.

The Blazers were a team having there own struggles as they had lost 4 of their last 5. The Raptors would make the predictable but futile "tease" push and get this game to with in 5 points. But the Blazers would stomp on the gas and Lamarcus Aldridge who the Raptors passed on for Andrea Bargnani was doing the damage with 33 points and a career high 23 rebounds. It was a 94-84 Blazers win.

The Good:

James Johnson 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals shooting 10-17
Raps held Blazers to 40.2% Shooting.

The Bad:

The Glass Portland won battle on glass 55-40 and had 17 offensive boards.
Raptors shot 36.6% (Demar DeRozan 7-21)

The Ugly:

The Center Position for Raptors Amir 0 points and 4 rebounds , Aaron Gray 0 points 6 rebounds

The Raptors thankfully have a day off so we can all find something to make us smile. The will play the Clippers 3:30 Toronto time on Sunday. That will be no easy task. This season is living up to everything people thought it was going to be. Which was a really bad team. Raptors have been all that and more with injuries and the schedule making it even more so.

Raptors Make A Stop Over In Toronto

2012-01-20T10:55:00.005-05:00

Toronto Raptors may get to the point that the ACC feels like they are on the road. It is a brief stop over for the Raptors to take on Portland before they hit the road for a murderous 5 game road swing. Given the Raptors history on west coast trips, to steal a game vs the Blazers would be big for team moral. But the Blazers are a solid club above .500 in the tough Western Conference. Still no word on if Bargnani or Bayless will be back. Seems like Bayless is more likely than Bargnani at this point.

Raptors in the 4 games without Bargnani are 122-280 from the field shooting 43.5% they have only averaged 77.75 points in those games. That is not going to win you many basketball games. While the Raptors miss him on the defensive end as well, it is his offence that is what they miss most. In that time with no Bargnani, Demar DeRozan is just 24/63 for 38% from the field and is averaging just 14.7 points per game. That is just a 0.4 increase in his scoring from his season average. You can make the argument that things become a lot harder for Demar with Bargnani out. Not only does he become a bigger target for defences, but the spacing on the floor changes without Bargnani. Making it more of a challenge to get to the rim.

As for the Blazers when a team basically has lost 2 first round picks to injuries and is able to be this good you have to be impressed. Greg Oden has been a bust and Brandon Roy was not a bust but is done far to soon. Still the Blazers have kept on keeping on. Adding talent like Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton to play with Lamarcus Aldridge who is rounding into one of the top power forwards in the game. Oh and they also added Jamal Crawford who is one of those "Raptor Killers" and is coming in off a 22 point game for him recently. Portland after a surprising 4-2 start have lost 4 of their last 5. The lone win against the NBA owned and New Orleans operated Hornets. Who are struggling much like the Raptors. As proof the NBA schedule is not kind to anyone this is the 5th of 6 games on the road for Portland on a trip has seen them bounce around North America.

3 keys:

Ball Movement: Blazers have 6 players that average 10 points or more and average 21.6 assists per game. Raptors need to do what they can to keep the Blazers from sharing the rock. Meantime the Raptors on offence need to pass the rock a lot better. There have been too many turnovers and not enough ball movement. In everyone of the games the Raptors have won part of that winning formula has been excellent ball movement.

Win on the Glass: Portland you would think would have an advantage on the glass but they have been out rebounded on the season by the average 2 a game. They do hold a slight advantage on the offensive glass. Raptors can not afford to give up second chances to this team they will make you pay for it.

Get to the Line: Raptors have not exactly got the benefit of calls on this road trip. Well now you are at home take advantage of it and attack the basket and get to the line. A first quarter like we saw in the last game with Boston is unacceptable. You have to get to line in the NBA and get some easy points. The Raptors shooting troubles at times make that even more vital.

Raptors will be hard pressed to find the winners circle but will attempt to do it at 7PM game is on TSN 2 and you can catch me tweeting my face off during the game @Dinonationblog on Twitter as always.

DNB Game In Pictures II

2012-01-19T13:57:00.012-05:00

So we had so much fun we decided to do it again. Unfortunately another loss for the Raptors but that does not stop DNB Pictures from having some fun. So let's get ready set ROLLEM!!!

Desperate Celtics Crush Raptors

2012-01-19T11:03:00.004-05:00

On Twitter before this game ever tipped I said it was a case of need vs want. The Raptors no doubt wanted to win and snap their 5 game losing streak. The Celtics needed to win to snap their same 5 game losing streak. The Raptors entered this season with no expectations of success other than the ones the team had for itself. While in Boston the expectations are always high and have been that way pretty much forever. Certainly since the Big 3 arrived in Boston. When someone needs something as opposed to wants something always bet on the guy that needs it. That was the case early in this game and it was clearly the case in the third quarter of this game.

The Celtics came out and set the tone in this basketball game. The Raptors tried to battle them off but just couldn't. It was a new starting line-up for Toronto as James Johnson finally replaced Rasaul Butler in the starting line-up but Johnson struggled in the new role. He on the game was 1-7 with just 4 points and had 3 turnovers. Raptors other Johnson in Amir continued to revert back to old habits and found himself on the bench early with 2 fouls. The second foul was of the questionable variety but they count all the same. On that second foul it cost Demar DeRozan a bucket who early on was doing the right things. Driving to the basket and attacking. Made a three pointer but went right back to the attack. But as the calls did not come he reverted to shooting jumpers and forcing shots. There was one play where his lack of ball skills got exposed by Ray Allen quite nicely. This all with a story we have seen many times before as Rajon Rondo owned Jose Calderon for 3 quarters. Rondo would leave the game after taking a hard foul by Linas Kleiza that was changed from a flagrant two to a flagrant one.

This game was pretty much decided after the first quarter. In that quarter the Raptors shot just 30% and did not get to the line once. It gave Boston a 29-14 advantage that they would never give up. The Raptors did show some fight and cut the lead to 6 at halftime. But the Celtics would quickly turn that back to a 12 point advantage to start the 3rd quarter. Rajon Rondo who as mention left during this quarter with a wrist injury had a great line for a full game let along just 2/3rds of one. He had 21 points shooting 7-8 with 2 assists and 3 rebounds. The Raptors starting 5 did not have a good night. Just 37 points total shooting 13-40 (32.5%) as a group. Only two Raptors would make it to double figures in this game. Demar DeRozan had just 11 points shooting 4-16 and continuing to struggle to get things on the right track. The second Raptor lead the team in scoring and would not be someone you would guess if you had 3 tries and had not seen the game. Gary Forbes the new proud uncle as he reported on twitter had 18 points going 5-6 from the field and 7-8 at the line. He might be the only Raptor that could take anything positive away from this one.

The score when the beating ended was Boston taking it 96-73 as they end there 5 game losing streak. Raptors losing skid climbs to 6 the longest active streak in the league at the moment with no clear end in sight. Portland is a team that is playing good basketball and they will be taking on the returning home Raptors at the ACC on Friday. This road trip was always going to be a tough one but it proved to be even more ugly than many could have imaged. The Raptors are 2-7 on the road for the season and 4-11 overall.

Raptors Face The Struggling Celtics

2012-01-18T11:37:00.004-05:00

The Raptors only division championship came in the last season the Celtics were struggling like this. Boston at the time was a lot like the Raptors are now. They like many Raptor fans are this year were hoping to hit the lottery. The big prize in that lottery was suppose to be a dominant big man out of Ohio State named Greg Oden. The Celtics would fail to win that lottery and in the end that was the genius for the creation of the "Big 3". The Celtics stripped away their young core to bring in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. It was enough to convince Paul Pierce to stay. The fact they lost the lottery had a dynamic impact on them and the entire Atlantic Division including the Ratpors. We can only guess how both teams futures would have been if the Celtics got their man in Oden. Something to think about for the people cheering for Raptor losses this season.

But at the time I had said the Celtics would have a 3-5 year window to win NBA Championships. The window is closing. That creation of the Big 3 in Boston is also credited for the creation of what we see in Miami today. Lebron James, Chris Bosh and D-Wade said one of the factors in them coming together was the fact as individuals they could not get passed the Celtics. Another thing that came out of those moves was the emergence of Rajon Rondo. At the time many people did not think Rondo was good enough to play with these 3 superstars. He has emerged as a superstar himself and now likely the most important piece of the Celtics puzzle. Despite that it was rumoured the Celtics were shopping him hard prior to the season. How the potential end of big three era may have started is with a trade with OKC. Kendrick Perkins who would be the other starter on that original cast was moved to OKC at the deadline last season. It seemed to cut the soul out of the Celtics and they have yet to be the same since. Health concerns have sidelined the big piece the Celtics got in that trade in Jeff Green.

All of that is the history behind how we got to where we see the 4-10 Raptors taking on the 4-8 Celtics both losers of 5 straight basketball games. When you look a little closer though the level of competition in the Celtics losses has been far greater. Losses to Dallas, Chicago, OKC and twice to the improved Pacers. Part of the Celtics decline has been the lack of presence in the middle. J.O who Raptors fans will remember is their starting Center. He is no spring chicken himself. Shaq who Boston brought in last year is now trade jokes with Barkley, Kenny and Ernie on TNT. A nice move the Celtics did make though is flipping "Big Baby" Glen Davis to Orlando for a more consistent Brandon Bass.

3 Keys:

It Is All About Rondo: Now the Raptors against a superior point guard in Derrick Rose were able to bust out a zone and use it effectively. Against Rajon Rondo that might not work as well. Not because Rondo is better than Rose but because of the weapons Rondo has on the floor with him. Ray Allen at the top of that list. While the Celtics don't have the depth of outside shooters they have had in the past they do have quality. Rondo in a 1 on 1 match-up with Jose Calderon is a complete mismatch.

Who We Got?: No Bargnani is the word for this one. But the Raptors could have Bayless, Johnson and Gray who all have practised with the team. That is right I did say practice. In a season that has had few of those Raptors were able to have one. This was a season made for Allen Iverson there will be so few practices it will not be funny. Raptors unlike A.I could sure use a few.

Demar DeRozan needs to be Demar DeRozan: Things have been tough on Demar. Even threw out a tweet about how in tough times you find out who your real fans are. Some of those people that may seem like haters might just be concerned fans. They also could just be fickle haters. But that is not the issue. What is the issue is, that Demar needs to get back to playing more like he has in the past. Stick to what you do well and don't go beyond it. Ray Allen has always been a tough match-up for Demar and maybe that will bring out the best in him. We can only hope. If not DeRozan could find nothing but haters and tough love until he finds the answer.

So someone has to win and to be honest the pressure to be that team is more on the Celtics than the Raptors. There were no Celtics fans cheering for their team to make the lottery this season. I just want to say the Celtics do have some great fans as well. I remember watching a game and Boston was down like 20 and the fans were cheering trying to fire them up to make a comeback. When is the last time that happened at the ACC? I have never once heard a Boston fan boo because they didn't get pizza. Something to think about. However should Boston some how lose to the Raptors tonight you may just hear some boos even from those faithful fans. Game starts at 7:30 and can be found on Sportsnet.

Round Ball Review: Negative Work Environment.

2012-01-17T14:47:00.004-05:00

Here is the latest episode of the Round Ball Review. Even the guys are having trouble getting along during this losing streak. But they manage to get through another episode and hopefully provide some laughs along the way.

That is it for the guys. But they were not the only ones making fun of Primo Pasta today. Check out The Basketball Jones campaign to get Andrea Bargnani voted to the All-Star Game in Orlando. Here is a link to it. Just a day of comedy all around. What is not so funny is the Raptors have lost 5 straight and head into Boston tomorrow. But for now have a few laughs and enjoy. If you are new to checking out Round Ball Review they have been doing episodes off and on for many years here in the DNB. You can see the old episodes on the DNB's YouTube Channel.

More Of The Same In The ATL

2012-01-16T21:14:00.003-05:00

The Raptors would be another man down as the entered Atlanta for a special MLK Day Matinee. James Johnson joins Jerryd Bayless, Aaron Gray and of course Andrea Bargnani. The writing was on the wall it seemed heading into this one. Demar DeRozan day started out the day on the right foot with the Raptors opening score in this game driving to bucket and getting an easy two points. But by the end of the afternoon DeRozan would be as frustrated as the fans watching the game likely were. He would get a rare technically foul and end up on the bench cooling his jets with 4 fouls. Amir Johnson would also have his issues with foul trouble as well on this afternoon. He quickly had to make an exit in the 3rd quarter with about 9 minutes left. For an undermanned Raptors squad that made it an even rougher afternoon.

It did start somewhat well though with an 11-5 lead in early going in the first. But Josh Smith would be big all afternoon and it started with 8 points of a 10-0 run that brought the Hawks back to take the lead. This would set a pattern for most of the afternoon. The Hawks would seem to turn it on and off proving that they are, both good enough to be good, but why they never will be great. They were the like a cat playing with a mouse before they killed it. Raptors fought back to get the lead down to 4 with the score 22-18 only to see the Hawks pull away again before the end of the first with a 26-18 advantage after one.

In the second despite many foolish and silly turnovers by the Raptors, the Hawks were letting their foot off the gas pedal, especially at the end of the half. After letting a 34-22 lead be trimmed to 36-30, only to go on another 7-0 run and have their largest lead of the game at 13 points. But again they let things slide and only led 50-45. It was a gift the Raptors were still in this game.

The Hawks continued to feed Raptor fans hope and their own fans concern. The Raptors with a less than full roster, and having a few folks in form of Young Onez as spectators were able to hang around. Barbosa was the main offensive weapon, his 22 points off the bench led the Raptors on the afternoon. The Raptors would be just down 2, heading to the fourth quarter with the score 73-71 Hawks. But as often been the theme for the Raptors of late, the 4th quarter was an epic disaster. They would take over 5 and half minutes to even register a field goal. Hawks did enough to close the door outscoring the Raptors 20-13 and finish off the Raptors 93-84.

Raptors 5th loss in a row as they head next to Boston to conclude this 3 game road swing. Josh Smith had the line of the game with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Joe Johnson was not shabby either with 27 points 5 rebounds and 6 assists with a couple steals. Compare that to the Raptors future as Demar DeRozan had just 10 points and was 5-17 from the field. Ed Davis did have a season high 11 rebounds but only 7 points as he was forced to play 40 minutes in part because of Amir Johnson's foul trouble. Johnson did have 13 points and 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. Calderon had 13 points and 11 assists but also 4 turnovers. You can certainly understand why the Raptors are struggling with injuries mounting combined with the schedule that has been challenging. But, if you are not starting to have some deep concerns about this young core that Raptors have claimed they are building, then you must not be paying attention. Is it a product of the new system? Is it a product of having to play harder with a focus on the defensive end of the floor? Is it the fact the Raptors were handcuffed by the lockout and had no control of there young players for the entire lockout? It could be all of the above. But for the Raptors ultimate game plan to work they need a lot more from their young core. That begins with Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis.

Raptors Have Early Start On MLK Day in U.S

2012-01-16T10:18:00.005-05:00

Before we get to basketball today just a few words on what today is in the United States. Martin Luther King was one of the many that struggled for civil rights in the 60s. He was one of the great men that lead that struggle. When I was in high school studying American History this time period was one I took particular interest in. I have always had great respect for not just King but Malcolm X and all the others that fought for the rights of African Americans. The fact we live in a time that has a black president is something that perhaps these men could not even have imagined. So take the time to learn about their struggle. Here is the most famous speech Dr. King delivered it is one of the best speeches given by any man of any colour:

So that is why I will not complain that the Raptors play at 4pm on Monday. They are in Atlanta to take on the Hawks. As mentioned when we talked with Jack Armstrong last week, the Hawks have lost an important piece to their puzzle in Al Horford. To me, Horford is the heart and soul of this Hawks team. While the Hawks have more talented players in Joe Johnson and Josh Smith they do not provide that leadership and heart that Horford does.

Smith comes in off perhaps his worst performance of the season with just 8 points in a win for the Hawks over Minnesota. While Joe Johnson remains productive but many will point to his contract and say that he should produce much more. The Hawks are a good team that has never been able to find the parts to be that great team. They come into the game today looking for their 10th win of season sitting in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Actually sitting second in the Southeast behind Orlando not Miami. The Heat with their losing streak are a half game behind the Hawks.

As for the Raptors they continue to struggle against three things. The schedule, injuries and themselves. James Johnson the latest Raptor to catch the injury bug had x-rays on his ankle that were negative but his status for today as of right now is uncertain. The schedule is what it is and there is nothing you can do about that. But the Raptors turnovers and missed free throws along with having trouble getting to the line at all are things that they control. As Scott Carefoot in Raptor Blog referenced that 1 for 7 performance was the worst for the franchise since back in it's first season in the league. Demar DeRozan did not even get to the line in that game. This has to change fast if the Raptors hope to compete on any level.

Despite the great improvements on defence you still at the end of the day must score more than than other team to win. Turnovers and missed free throws will do nothing to help in that regard. The Raptors would be served not by the words of Martin Luther King but by those of Malcolm X as they need a win and will take it "By any means necessary." So let's get to some keys to the game.

Get There And Make It- I just went through how important it is for the Raptors to get to the free throw line and once there cash in on their attempts. This offence struggles to score at times and without Andrea Bargnani that struggle is even greater.

Battle on the Glass- Hawks are by nature an athletic team. Minus Horford they still are that. The Raptors need to fight hard on the glass and close out defensive possessions. They can not afford to give up rebounds that lead to second chances points or transition opportunities.

Transition D- The Hawks are a team that can get out and run. Josh Smith is a finisher in transition and the fewer easy points you can give up to him the better. Give yourself a chance to guard the Hawks in the half court and try to shut them down. The Raptors at times did an excellent job of this against Chicago. This was done mostly through the use of zones and the Hawks are a team that is not exactly known for 3 point shooting so it might be a good idea to go to the zone early and often today.

That just about does it. I encourage you even as Canadians to take some time to remember a great man in Martin Luther King today. His dream still lives today and it is up to all of us to keep it alive and be mindful of the past. I have friends of all colours and backgrounds. I think basketball more than perhaps any other sport is a true collection of all of these cultures. I judge people on how they treat me and not by the colour of skin or religion or anything else. That is how I was raised and is part of who I am. On a day like today it is important to reflect on those values and spread them to others. We have come a long way in terms of race relations but there are still people in this world that have not seen the light and may never see it. At the end of the day we as people can only control our own actions and our own way of life. But together we can show that we as people of any colour, race or creed can all be as one and love a sport like basketball. United by a common bond and love of something that we all share.

DNB Game In Pictures

2012-01-15T14:36:00.016-05:00

This is something new will try for the odd Raptor game that has some extra time between games. Basically we have some photos from last night's game with some fun captions to give you all a laugh so if your ready...Roll'Em

Raptors Show Some Fight But Lose On Points.

2012-01-14T22:09:00.004-05:00

The Toronto Raptors had about as much chance of winning this game as Tim Tebow has in beating Tom Brady. But while Tebow is currently on the way to being crushed by Brady. The Raptors in Chicago had a lot more fight than one might have expected coming in. But in the end the Bulls would come out on top of things but it was an interesting ride to get there.

Demar DeRozan got off to a good start with 6 of the Raptors first 8 points. Amir Johnson did not as he was sitting on the bench just over 3 minutes into this one. He had a foul on the opening possession than picked up his second with 8:49 to go in the 1st. Bulls had a 12-8 lead after DeRozan's third score but would then go on a run and push the lead to 21-8. This prompted Dwane Casey to call a time out and change his approach on defence. The Raptors went zone and it worked really well. Derrick Rose could no longer pick apart Jose Calderon. The Bulls struggled to find any offence at all. James Johnson was having a solid two way performance against his former team. He along with Leandro Barbosa were leading a wave of scoring from the bench. The Bulls 24-13 lead after one, was being chipped away as they had empty possession after empty possession. In fact the Raptors were able to get the lead 35-33 with about 1:30 to play in the half. That was the first time they had led in the game since it was 4-2 Raps in the early moments. Toronto would reverse the 24-13 advantage in the 2nd as they outscored the Bulls by the exact same margin for a offensively challenged 37-37 halftime score.

Raptors came out in the 3rd and continued on with zone defence with a more traditional looking 2-3 zone. Bulls would nose out ahead by 5 points but a DeRozan 3 pointer would bring the Raptors back to level at 44 a piece. It was a scrappy 3rd quarter as both teams had their issues getting the ball in the basket. The Bulls would again push out to a five point bulge and would end up with just a 4 point lead after 3 with score just 56-52. Some more bad news on the injury front for Toronto as James Johnson was out with a twisted ankle and after reports he may return, as it ended up he would not. The Bulls came out of the blocks in the 4th and quickly built their advantage to 11 points. The Raptors made one finally push back but the Bulls responded and re-established the 11 point advantage and push it further with a Rose bucket to make it 71-58 Chicago. The Raptors were challenged to score, they had one possession where they had 3 or 4 attempts only to finally have Kleiza end up at the line. Which was a rare event. Raptors making a foul shot was even more rare. They went 1-7 from the line. Demar DeRozan did not get to the line even once in this game. Barbosa was the only Raptor to make a free throw in this game. The Bulls would close this game out and earn a hard fought 77-64 win moving to 5-0 at the United Center on the season and 12-2 overall.

Raptors fall 4-9 and have lost 4 straight. They next hit the floor at 4pm on Monday as it is the MLK Holiday in the U.S and they will take on the Hawks. DeRozan and Barbosa shared the team high in scoring with just 15 points. Raptors were able to hold Rose to just 18 points but he had 11 dimes to go along with it. The fact the Raptors were able to hang with one of the NBA's Elite teams was encouraging but in the end another loss and they lose a player as well with Johnson going out. Despite all of that you had to at least be a little impressed with how Dwane Casey schemed on defence to give the Raptors a fighting chance through 3 quarters. It was noted that Casey was even more active than usual on the sidelines in the broadcast.

So that is about all for the game. However I want to make mention of an interview conducted by Eric Smith that was part of the pre-game radio broadcast with former Raptor broadcaster Chuck Swirsky. Believe it or not this is the 4th season since Chuck left for Chicago. Time real does seem to fly by. Chuck since leaving Toronto has never explained why he left other than for "Family Reasons". He has been in this blog many times and out of respect to Chuck we have never pressed to have him explain. Eric Smith in this interview with Chuck, it finally is explained in depth what those reasons in fact were. So I encourage you to go have a listen.

I honestly never knew the reasons Chuck had left till today. I had heard bits and pieces of this story but never knew what was fact or fiction. I have always loved Chuck as person and I am sorry to hear of the reasons he had to leave a place that he did and still does love. Chuck and Eric both will always have a special place in my heart. I was just doing a college radio show locally here in Hamilton and emailed Chuck and later Eric about being guests on the show. Chuck would do that small radio show several times as would Eric. Chuck would also help me get to know a few people in an attempt to advance myself. He is a great human being and truly cares for people. I may have issues with his style of broadcasting at times. But never the man. The man is one of the best people I have had the chance to know. I have appreciated his wiliness to be a guest here in the DNB since leaving for Chicago. Now knowing what was going on for him personally I appreciate even more. Whatever you may think about Chuck, he gave a heck of a lot to helping sell this Raptor franchise in his time here. He should always be respected for all that he did to try and grow the Raptors and game here.

Raptors Start Road Trip In Chicago

2012-01-14T10:57:00.003-05:00

The odds of hitting a bullseye according to some site I found on the internet is 1/50. The Odds the Raptors beat the 11-2 Bulls is probably greater than that. In fact this entire road trip offers no easy games with stops in Atlanta and Boston after this. But at least the schedule slows down a little for the Raptors after this. A day off between games in this season is gold as the Raptors will play on Monday in Atlanta and Wednesday in Boston. Chicago returns home after beating Boston last night. The Bulls have been on the road a lot with only 4 of their first 13 games at the United Center. But when they have been home they haven't lost.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey took all the blame for the loss vs the Pacers last night. No doubt he deserves some of it. But not all of it. If his team had just made it's free throws it never would have come down to one of their worst free throw shooters in Jamaal Magloire having to make free throws to keep the game alive. The Raptors would be happy if this game was close enough to be within free throws. But the Bulls are rolling and even a turf toe injury to last year's MVP Derrick Rose has not slowed them down. Beyond him the Bulls have the depth of talent most teams would dream to have. That depth got even better with the addition of Rip Hamilton. Bulls are on a 4 game winning streak in which they are destroying people. They have won by an average of 14.5 points during this winning streak. That includes a 24 point margin in which they clobbered the Pistons.

3 Keys to Game

Bombs Away Bulls- Bulls have a few 3 point specialist and you need to be aware when they are on the floor. Derrick Rose will be you can count on that. Brewer, Korver and Watson are the 3 most likely shooters from behind the arc. If Bulls get driving to the paint and kick out to any of these guys it will be a long night at the office for the Raptors.

Rose Owns Jose- Derrick Rose injured or not will have no problem handling Jose Calderon. He has had little problems with him in the past and tonight should be no different. Raptors may look to go zone a lot and try to keep Rose out of the paint that way. The odds seem a lot better. Problem will be the first point we made. The Bulls do have a few capable three point shooters.

Glass Wars- The Bulls have a number of guys that are more than capable rebounders. Noah, Boozer, Gibson even Asik. Raptors will be hard pressed to even stay close in the rebounding battle. But the most important thing is keeping the Bulls off the offensive glass and giving them 2nd chances. They are good enough you really don't need give Derrick Rose another 24 seconds to kill you.

After a tough loss and travelling to Chicago I find it hard to believe the Raptors will stand a chance in this one. That being said last night with no Bargnani (Which should be same tonight) I thought they had zero chance to be competitive but they were. Doing the same tonight will be a much bigger challenge.

Raptors Start Strong and Fizzle Late At ACC

2012-01-13T21:54:00.005-05:00

This was a game fitting of the date on the calender. It was if you have not checked a calender today Friday the 13th. Lots of odd things would occur at the ACC on this night as the Raptors limped in to face the Pacers without Andrea Bargnani. This game was not going to be pretty. How on earth would the Raptors make up for the 22 points that Andrea Bargnani both averages and scored that exact number vs Pacers in the home opener. Demar DeRozan was heading into this one having perhaps the worst stretch of games in his young career. Everything pointed to a Pacers blowout win. But that is not what happened at all.

The Raptor came out like a house on fire. DeRozan was scoring and getting to the line at will. The Raptors at one point had built up a 16 point lead in the first half. It was pretty stunning to say the least. Raptors had come out and dominated the first 27-15 but after peaking at that 16 point lead in the 2nd the Pacers would quickly cut that lead to 8. As part of the Pacers comeback Danny Granger would block Ed Davis who started for Bargnani on the night. Granger would decide to taunt him and get a tech. Which although stupid was not a big deal except he already had a tech early in the game for arguing a call. So Mr. Granger would be sent to the his Bat Cave away from home in the visitors locker room. The Pacers would push on and get the lead down to 5 at the half with the score 45-40.

The Pacers came out of the locker room minus Granger and quickly got the game to within 2 points. The Raptors showed they had some moxie and rebuild there lead to 10. But the Pacers kept coming and the Raptors were struggling to hang on. The battle would be tight all through the 4th quarter and then some terrible mistakes in the final moments would seal the Raptors all to familiar fate. The first mistake came on the second of two Pacer free throws with the game tied at 90. Pacers would make the first but miss the second. But they would end up getting the rebound and be fouled and go back to the line. It would be the 6th for Amir Johnson ending his night with just 9 points and 5 rebounds. So that gave the Pacers a 93-90 lead. Raptors need a 3 now to get this game to overtime. Jamaal Magloire was not going to be the guy to make that three pointer but he was on the floor. In defence of Casey it was likely to rebound a missed three and give the Raptors a second chance to make it. But what happened was inexpiable. The ball would be inbounded to Magloire and he was fouled be it intentionally or by accident, regardless it was a wise move by the Pacers. Hack-A-Canadian is how I referred to it on Twitter. Aside from the obvious that the Raptors could not make a three, Magloire is also terrible at the line. In his career just 64.2 % from the line but has not shot above 60% since 2003-04 season which is the point his career started to nose dive. He would miss both badly at the line. Pacers would follow it up 2 points and seal it up for a 95-90 win. The second win for them in Toronto in the last 30 days.

DeRozan after the hot start would end up with the same 23 points he scored to lead the Raptors in the previous loss to the Pacers. Barbosa continued to be effective off the bench with 20. Calderon also had a decent stat line. In the end the key stat is this game was at the line. Pacers went 32-38 from the charity stripe and the Raptors just 20-32. It was a solid performance from the Raptors on the night. They really deserved to win this game. But in the end they have no one to blame but themselves for why they didn't. Things get no easier as they head to Chicago to take on the Bulls who are currently about to get a win over the Celtics. Bulls will have the best record in the NBA at 11-2 and are a perfect 4-0 at the United Center.

Note: Minor Error on my Part.....DeRozan had 22 in the opener vs the Pacers in opener and Bargnani 21. Sorry about that.

No Bargnani Likely Means No Hope.

2012-01-13T12:24:00.005-05:00

The Raptors with a healthy Andrea Bargnani scoring 21 points were not able to beat the Pacers in their home opener losing 90-85. Now After Dwane Casey has proclaimed Andrea is unlikely to go and is listed as day to day the chances of a Raptor win tonight seem bleak. It is also a safe bet you will have a much smaller crowd than you did on opening night. Demar DeRozan did actually lead the Raptors scoring in that game with a flurry late in the 4th quarter. But as we discussed in an interview with Jack Armstrong last night here on the blog Demar has been struggling. The fact he will become the number one scoring option and even more of a focus of the defence is not likely to help that.

The Raptors will have Linas Kleiza who was not around for the first game. Given the lack of production they have had from the small forward position that can only help. In that game with the Pacers it was a typical night of failure on offence for Butler and Johnson combining to go 4-11 with just 9 points. Where the Raptors can make up the 22 points that Andrea Bargnani averages will be the major problem for how ever long he is out. Barry Davis a reporter for Sportsnet speculated that Andrea missed 4 games with a similar injury last year. Bargnani did go for an MRI yesterday on the injured calf. Strange as it sounds the Raptors will miss Bargnani's presence on the defence as well. The Raptors defence without Bargnani in the 4th vs the Kings was clearly not the same.

3 Keys To Game

By George You Better Stop Him- Paul George is one of the most unique covers at his position in the NBA. After all there are not to many giant shooting guards in the league. Listed at 6 foot 8 but likely is closer to 6 foot 9 or 10 the guy is a match up headache. He was a big factor is the Pacers win on opening night with 18 points. Demar DeRozan will not only have to try to find the hoop more on offence he will have to try to stop this guy on defence.

Center of Attention- We often joke in the DNB and call him a former Raptor. Which technically Roy Hibbert is. But the loss of Bargnani gives the Raptors one less big in the rotation that is already missing Aaron Gray. Could be a big night for the former Georgetown star in the place that he should have called home.

Point Guard Battle- Last time around Darren Collison owned this match-up doubling up Calderon in assists and being the straw the stirred the drink for the Pacers. Tonight Calderon like some others may feel more pressure to score and depending on his shooting could do just that. But on that defensive side of things, Collison is the prototype of the new, young and fast point guard entering into the league that have exposed Jose Calderon.

Let's face facts if Bargnani can't play tonight or tomorrow in Chicago it is very unlikely we see anything but 2 more losses added to the tally. This once .500 surprising team would be a not so surprising 4-9 if that were to take place. So as the snow finally falls in Southern Ontario so to do the Raptors. One is just a lot prettier than the other.

Season Debut of The Starting 5 With Jack Armstrong

2012-01-12T18:40:00.007-05:00

One of the things at the Dino Nation Blog I am most proud of is The Starting 5. It has been the driving force that has made this blog as well known as it is. Given how the NBA Season was sprung on all of us, I did not want to impose on guests during the holiday season as they tried to prepare for an NBA Season, that none of us were sure would happen and when. So, it has been awhile now and we are back at it with the Starting 5. There have been many guests we have had the thrill of having over the years. But this man is by far our favourite he is the colour analyst for the Raptors since the last time we had a lockout prior to this one on Radio at first and now for many years on T.V. Hello Jack Armstrong and welcome back to The Starting 5 for another season. In this episode we talk about the NBA and it's crazy schedule. Jack shares his thoughts on everything from Pounding The Rock to the age old question of if he will ever be joining the rest of the world on Twitter. An in depth look at the struggles of Demar DeRozan. Thoughts on Dwane Casey and the new coaching staff. As well as his thoughts on the new and improved Andrea Bargnani and why he can succeed potentially where Chris Bosh could not. It is all in there in a in depth 30 minute chat with our good friend Jack Armstrong.

Thanks to Jack and now that the Starting 5 is back you can expect all of the guests we have had in the past like Paul Jones, Matt Devlin and our ever growing list of regular guests to be popping by. In addition to any new ones we come across along the way. So hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for your support of the Starting 5 and please make sure to visit us daily for all our work covering the Toronto Raptors. It has been a 4 year plus ride of a lifetime for me. I am so thrilled to have the chance to bring you quality guests like Jack and hopefully some quality info and opinion on a daily basis.

Raptors Lose More Than Just Another Game.

2012-01-12T02:05:00.003-05:00

The Toronto Raptors did not exactly come out like gangbusters after what most would consider an embarrassing performance in Washington. Both teams looked pretty awful to start this game. In fact the whole first half was borderline unwatchable but fair close. Andrea Bargnani was rebounding but wasn't scoring. Which considering how the rest of this roster was scoring was a big issue. Leandro Barbosa off the bench was picking up some of that scoring slack, while Demar DeRozan was still continuing to struggle. He would end the night just 5-9 with 13 points and 3 turnovers in just under 30 minutes. Barbosa on the other hand would lead the Raptors in scoring with 24 points off the bench shooting 11-18 from the field.

The Raptors were not playing exceptionally well but would manage to head to the 4th quarter tied at 63. But the Raptors would also be without Andrea Bargnani who had been ruled out for the rest of this game with a calf injury. They would miss him in that forth quarter as Demarcus Cousins would take over this game late and be a huge factor down the stretch. He had a 21 points and 19 rebound on the night, and despite some typical Cousins stuff like getting teched up for taunting after a dunk, when the game was still in the balance. it did not take away from his performance. Kings would win the 4th quarter 35-28 and the game overall 98-91.

While the Raptors watch Bargnani go out they also got to watch Linas Kleiza come in and look pretty good almost a year after his injury that led to micro-fracture surgery. Given the fact Rasaul Butler and James Johnson have pretty much no offence individually or combined it was a welcomed site. In 14 plus minutes Kleiza was able to go 3-6 and got to the line 5 times making 4 which totalled for a 10 point night. Johnson and Butler combined for 1-9 performance with just 3 points (Butler had 3, Johnson 0).

That being said Kleiza being back is not going to make up for no Bargnani if he is unable to play. The thought of this team being without Bargnani against the Pacers and or Bulls is a scary one. His status for those games on Friday and Saturday is not known as of now. If you needed any proof of how much a change there has been in how much the Raptors rely on him, it was evident in that 4th quarter with out him on both ends of the floor.

Later today the Starting 5 returns to the DNB and our guest is the one and only Jack Armstrong. So be sure to come back and have a listen to that later tonight or tomorrow.

Embarrassed Raptors Return Home To Play Kings

2012-01-11T09:42:00.004-05:00

If you are not embarrassed by last night's loss to the Wizards you should be. I felt embarrassed and was just watching the game. It is one thing to lose to a team searching for it's first win. It is another to come out and get destroyed. Raptors blamed themselves in the post game comments last night and they were right to do so. It is not that the Wizards played exceptionally that is not what happened. Raptors played flatter than a pancake and made so many silly errors you lost count fairly early on in the night.

In to the ACC roles another team in terrible shape. The Kings have already fired there coach and have a unhappy young star in DeMarcus Cousins. Kings come in 3-7 off a 112-85 loss to Sixers last night. It is all there on the table for a quick bounce back for the Raptors if they choose to take it. That said, it is also there on the table for another epic failure. As inconsistent as the Raptors have been it is hard to know which is more likely. But just from a personal pride standpoint you hope the Raptors can find a way to get a win. You also look ahead to Friday and Saturday and see it very unlikely to get a win vs the Bulls and Pacers.

3 Keys To Victory:

Value Possessions: The Raptors did not value the ball last night at all. They gave it away far to many times and had lazy and stupid passes that you can go to a local high school game and not see. It is also important to get quality shots and try making a few of them. We saw ugly jumpers, missed lay ups and air balls last night.

Drive More, Shoot Less: These are not your dad's Raptors. The days of the Raptors being able to save themselves with three point shots is over. They can make some three's on occasion but by and large this team is better severed to take mid range shots and get into the paint. The only guys on this Raptor team that should have a green light to shoot the three are Andrea Bargnani and if he is hitting it Jose Calderon. The rest of them need to leave there three pointers in the locker room unless the shot clock is at :01.

Don't Sing It, Bring It: There were a lot of interesting things said after last night's game. Bargnani said the team was mentally soft. Demar said he has to step up and play better. That is wonderful that people understand there is problems. But you can talk about it all you like, till you do something about it nothing will change. Let your actions reflect your words.

I understand that not a lot was expected from this team. I also understand that lots of people would love to see the Raptors lose as much as possible to cash in come May in the draft lottery. But what also has to be understood is at this point this young core that Colangelo claims we have to go into the future with is not good enough at this point. If they are to ever be good enough they need to play much better than what we saw last night. You can take Jonas and whatever player you want in the upcoming draft, that alone will not fix this. Dwane Casey was brought in to change the culture of the Raptors. Pounding a rock is all well and good. However if you slap a rock a million times it will never break. The Raptors have had four games this year where they didn't pound a damn thing. They did however make many pound their heads.

If there is one thing I have come to respect about Casey it is nothing is candy coated. He tells it like it is. After sitting listening to Jay Triano say his team's effort was good time after time when it clearly wasn't this is refreshing. So I am pulling for Casey to get the job done. But he is starting to realize how tough a job it will be.

Raptors Recap Of Washington Debacle With Round Ball Review

2012-01-10T23:22:00.003-05:00

Tonight's game was awful. It was just terrible. I figure doing a recap of this one would only add to your pain. So instead we call on our friends Joey G and J.B to recap this one. They will give you some laughs and actually tell you a little about the game. So take it away guys:

Hopefully you got a laugh or two from that. The Raptors performance tonight in Washington was no laughing matter. It was pretty awful. It is the 4th time this season where the Raptors pretty much got blown out. Raptors look for a much better effort as they return home to face the Kings. Demar DeRozan really is struggling and it is something to be concerned about. Does cutting Rasaul Butler fix things no. But should Butler be gone. You bet your life. I have never been a huge fan of Linas Kleiza but he can not return soon enough. For the brave souls who want to check out the Boxscore here it i s. But be warned it isn't pretty. Nothing was about the Raptors performance in Washington.

Raptors Look To Keep Wiz Winless

2012-01-10T13:06:00.003-05:00

No one wants to be the first team to lose to a team that is struggling. The Raptor at 4-5 need to be on high alert as they hit Washington D.C to take on the 0-8 Wizards. There are not to many teams the Raptors can say they have more talent than in the NBA. But the Wizards might be the exception to that. John Wall is great and all but when you look beyond him you do not see a lot of people that can score a ton of points. Who leads this team in scoring? Nick Young is the answer with just 15.4 points per game. What the Wizards do have is some shot blocking in the form of Blatche and McGee. But what they have most of all is desperation and that can be a positive and a negative. The positive is the Wizards lack the true confidence it takes to win. The negative is they are doing anything they can to try and win just a game. Raptors had to work extremely hard to beat Minnesota at home last night and the tank may be a little empty tonight. Andrea Bragnani played 45 minutes last night and might be at the top of that list.

3 Points for Wiz and Raptors:

Strong Starts On Both Ends- When you play a losing team the key is to make them give up. How best to accomplish that is fast starts in the first quarter, 2nd half and 4th Quarter. These are key points in any basketball game and if you can jump on the Wizards at these points they may just accept their fate. Let them build confidence and hang around and you have a fight on your hands.

Attack Attack Attack- The best way to attack a shot blocker is take it right at him. Demar DeRozan should leave his 3 point shot in his bag of tricks tonight and slash to the basket early and often. What the Raptors don't want to do his hang outside and take jump shots. Andrea Bargnani can help draw bigs out of the paint and clear the runway for himself to drive or others.

Make Wall a Scorer- John Wall wants to get others involved. So don't let him and force him to be the scorer and not the distributor. If John Wall is taking more jumpers than driving and kicking the odds the Raptors are winning is increased by a large degree. So back it in even use the zone more than normal and dare Wall to beat you as shooter.

Obviously the Raptors will need some people to step up. Ed Davis, Demar DeRozan, Barbosa all can make this easier if they can contribute something on offence in this one. These are two teams that at times are challenged to score. But the challenge for the Wizards to score is far greater. If the Raptors can score 90 points and play defence to the level they have been that should almost guarantee them a 5-5 record and 0-9 record for the Wizards.

Raptors Refused To Lose

2012-01-09T23:06:00.004-05:00

Somethings stand the test of time. The Raptors have not lost to Minnesota in Toronto since 2004. That was so long ago K.G was still on the T-Wolves. However what was different was how the Raptors would beat the T-Wolves this time around. The Raptors are making you redefine what you have come to expect from this team. The poster boy for that change is Andrea Bargnani. In his 6 years prior to this one he was never good enough to live up to his selection at number one in the NBA draft in 2006. But it is not like that draft was without other failures. A draft that saw Adam Morrison go number 3 to Charlotte, Former Raptor Patrick O'Bryant was picked in lottery at number 9 by Golden State. Brandon Roy was not a bust talent wise but he now sadly is no longer around. But there is something about that tag of first overall pick that makes you either a complete bust or a franchise changing superstar. It was 6 years of trying to avoid that label of being a bust. But this year everything we thought we knew about Bargnani has changed or it seems that way. He can't defend but this year he can. He can't be consistent but this year he has been the most consistent Raptor night in night out. In a season that Demar DeRozan was suppose to take the mantel as the face of this franchise, DeRozan has been more like Bargnani than Bargnani.

The Raptors as group have with few exceptions in there history won games based on their offence and three point shooting and flashy dunks. This Raptor team can at times be challenged to score and they feature some players who clearly have nothing going for them on offence at all. Tonight James Johnson did nothing much on offence. He did make a three pointer but by and large his shooting is not good enough for most D-League teams. What he is though is the Raptors best defender. The Raptors lack the scoring and 3 point shooting that most teams get from the small forward position. But the defence part they seem to have covered. Still it is hard to watch Johnson and even harder to watch Rasaul Butler on the offensive end of the floor. In football this wouldn't be a problem but in basketball you need to play both offence and defence. It is probably the reality that the Raptors will be looking for a small forward in the draft or spend some of that cap room to find a true starter at the position. Truth is since Rob Babcock (who now works with T-Wolves) traded Vince Carter there has never been anyone close to replacing him.

Not everything has changed with the Raptors though. Amir Johnson is still the same player he just has a lot more help in terms of defence. His chemistry with Jose Calderon remains the same. But actually one thing has changed about Amir. No it isn't his bigger muscles that he bragged about here in the DNB. He has found a way to remain in the fight. In a game that was foul filled Amir Johnson managed to stay out of foul trouble and contribute. He was able to balance five fouls and play 30 minutes having a fantastic night with 19 points and 11 rebounds and 8 of those came on the offensive end extending possessions. That was the grit to go along with fantastic 31 point and 9 rebound night for Andrea Bargnani who played 45 minutes of a possible 48.

It was a scrappy night that featured a fired up Jose Calderon that was taking on his fellow countryman Ricky Rubio. Which in the end proved to be a pretty even battle in the boxscore. Claderon finished the night with 14 points 6 assists and a steal. Rubio had 10 points the same 6 assists and 3 steals. Kevin Love meanwhile did get some numbers but had a night full of struggle to get them. He had 13 points and 14 rebounds but shot 3-16 and T-Wolves as a team shot just 33. 8% on the night.

But perhaps the biggest change came in the 4th quarter. The Raptors nearing the end of the 3rd quarter had a 12 point lead and by the early stages of the 4th quarter it was gone. That is nothing new for the Raptors. However what happened next was. The Raptors had an extra gear on this night and picked up their defence and got their offence on track, in the end building back the lead they had given away. They fought through and were able to find a way to win. They had no breaks the whole night from the refs as the T-Wolves got to the line 33 times making 26 of those free throws. Dwane Casey earned one of those free throw attempts with a technical foul. However unlike in the past the Raptors did not complain about it, they did something about it. In the end they got a much needed 97-87 win to start the first game of 3 straight.

The Raptors move on to Washington to face a desperate Wizards team that is the only team yet to register a win in the 2011-12 season at 0-8. They have already had one of those famous players only meetings and Rashard Lewis missed their last game for apparently getting into a fight with assistant coach Sam Cassell prior to tip of the game. It is clear who is in charge in Raptorland his name is Dwane Casey. He has brought an accountability back to this franchise that has been lacking for a long time. Maybe not since Charles Oakley laid down the law in the locker room as a player. Casey demands maximum effort and will accept nothing less. It doesn't mean he will always get it as the last two games before this one proved. However he is always going to demand it. His demands might just have changed the reality that we have known as the Raptors. Change has come to the Raptors and it is starting to take shape.

Spain's Civil War Round One

2012-01-09T11:21:00.002-05:00

Knowing Jose Calderon it is unlikely he is going to say a bad thing about Ricky Rubio. However it has always been a tense relationship between the two as they have battled for playing time in the summer for Spain over the years. That battle now hits the floors of the NBA and the first one will take place in Toronto. Rubio has dazzled the NBA after his long awaited debut. Drafted all the way back in 2009 he finally has made his way to the NBA. So if you are upset having to wait a year for Jonas Valanciunas think how people in Minnesota have felt. The Raptors only hope the transition for him goes as well as it has for Rubio. Personally I took a flyer on Rubio in fantasy basketball and am one happy owner. He has impressive stats across the board with 9.9 points per game, 7.6 assists, 1.1 steals and is averaging 50% from behind the 3 point line with a hair under 4 rebounds a game at 3.9 rebounds per game. Calderon has better numbers overall with 12.4 points per game, 9.4 assists the one major difference is in 3 point % where Rubio has the clear advantage with Calderon at just 38.7%. Spain will be watching even if North America in general might find the T-Wolves vs Raptors a snooze.

So three points for tonight's Match-Up:

Ed and Demar Please Stand Up- It has been a rough go for the Raptors two most recent draft picks on the roster. Both are in bad need of good nights. As the Raptors begin this back to back to back it is vital these guys get going in the right direction.

Energy Level- Raptors will have a tough time dealing with Kevin Love who is taking his "Numbers" to incredible levels. I mean his stats not his cheesy PR driven fragrance for men. The Raptors will need to match the T-Wolves energy and battle hard on the glass. If they don't you can see a result like they had vs the Nets or worse like they had vs the Sixers.

Limit Rubio- If there is anyone that would have a good scouting report on what Ricky Rubio can do it has to be Jose Calderon right? So will see if Jose is able to help his Raptor amigos in how to stop the Spanish Fly that is Ricky Rubio on defence.

Win lose or draw Raps will hop on a plane and head for Washington. They will not get to visit Obama though. The Mavs are doing that today and Vince Carter is meeting the President. Doesn't that just turn your stomach? Leave it to Vince to find a way to meet the President of the United States without winning a championship. That being said Lebron James has met him several times and campaigned for him in the last election. When people liked Lebron in Ohio which in politics is a big swing state. But that is a different story for another blog. In terms of this blog we are not asking for much, just a game that I can watch and not feel like I am being punished for doing something wrong.

62 Ways To Get Your Butt Kicked In Philly

2012-01-08T11:49:00.007-05:00

Think of the worst Saturday Night you had in your life. You got a clear picture of it in your mind? This game in Philadelphia might be worse than that. Jack Armstrong's jokes and funniness were the only things that would keep you sane at times. This was poorly played basketball game by both teams in the beginning and by the end just one team and that team was the Raptors. As bad as the Raptors were vs the Nets this was perhaps 10 times worse. Raptors failed to score 20 or more points in any quarter and had a season low 62 points. I thought the K.O comparisons were over but maybe not. K.O did manage to kill offence even worse than this. Three times under K.O the Raptors scored less or the same as tonight. The low mark a 73-56 classic loss to Minnesota on November 1st 2003 who ironically the Raptors play Monday. Also on my birthday (November 23rd) of that same year they only scored 62 points in a 82-62 loss to the Bucks. There was also a 60 point game as well that year. Andrea Bargnani scored 21 of the 62 points meaning the rest of the entire roster only managed 41 points in 4 quarters. Raptors as a team shot only 31.8%. Take Bargnani away and the Raptors shot 19-66 which is 28.7%. The Raptors failed to rebound last night but did improve on that tonight it was just everything else that sucked.

Rather than go through the blow by blow of this game which may cause people to lose their will to read. The Game although very hard to watch was close at times. The Raptors would actually come out of halftime and cut the Sixer lead down to 3. Doug Collins would call a time out and before you could blink the Raptors were down 12 and basically done from that point moving forward. Sixers outscored the Raptors 56-28 in the second half. It was awful and ugly.

The Raptors have picked the worst possible time to go cold as the chances of improving during this stretch of games is going to be tough from a physical stand point. Casey saying his team had effort but just gave in physically is not what you want to hear when the team is on the verge of the dreaded back to back to back. People were half joking and half fearful in wondering just how bad it would look by the end of this stretch of 7 games in 9 days when the Raptors face the Bulls and Pacers.

In a game like this one there is any number of players you could blame for it. But when you perform as a unit so horrible on offence really to single out individuals would be pointless. They as a collective group wearing red jerseys were awful. On a night where you wondered how the Raptors would respond they simply didn't.

If there are many more games like this one the Raptors may just make even their most loyal and passionate fans look away. There was nothing pretty about that performance in Philly. Safe to say the Raptors days of being a .500 team for this season are done. I will doubt they can ever get back to that mark again this season. Raptors improved defence has gone away to a great degree. Casey said he was seeing signs of how the Raptors played last season but even last season they could score some points. This season was never suppose to be fun and it is looking like it will be much as it was advertised, after the Raptors teased us with some reason to hope. Watching that game last night left you feeling hopeless.

So hopeless that is the original draft I forgot to post the final score which was 97-62 Sixers.

Philadelphia's Finest

2012-01-07T11:56:00.004-05:00

Many felt the Eagles would be on their bye week waiting to see who they would play in the playoffs. The "Dream Team" of football was a flop. The Phillies never made it to the World Series. For the purposes of research I am told the Flyers are in 4th in NHL's Eastern Conference. The team on top of their Division and the best team in Philadelphia with no Allen Iverson required is the Philadelphia 76ers. Perhaps they are not that. However it is true that Sixers lead the Atlantic Division thanks in part to slow starts from the Knicks and Celtics. But Doug Collins after a very rough start in Philly last season has not looked back since.

Sixers started the season with a very long road trip that covered a lot of miles. They managed to survive it and come out of it with a 3-2 record. They just had their home opener last night if you can believe that and took care of business whacking the Pistons 96-73. The recipe for wins is one of a team philosophy. The Sixers have 6 players averaging 10 points or more through 6 games played. A major reason for there success has been the development of Jrue Holiday. He had a rough night scoring last night vs the Pistons with just 5 points but he dropped 9 dimes to keep the offence humming along.

So here are 3 points to consider for tonight's game vs Sixers.

Rebound, Rebound, Rebound: The Raptors would have had an easy win over the Nets last night if they just did their job on the glass. Any defence even the schemes used by Dwane Casey can be exposed if you fail to finish off defensive possessions with rebounds. Nets got on the offensive glass and did a solid job. Sixers have the people on the roster to do the same.

Work on Holiday: Deron Williams did damage last night to the Raptors defensive effort. He made Jose Calderon a weak link in the chain. Jrue Holiday is capable of doing the same. The Raptors must do a better job of stopping him at the point of attack. If they do not it will be a race to recover the rest of the possession.

Bounce Back For Raptors Duo: Demar DeRozan was MIA last night. Andrea Bargnani looked a lot like the Andrea Bargnani from the last 6 years and not the 6 games of this season. Bottom line is the Raptors need to have both of these guys to perform if they are going to have a chance to beat anyone. There is a drop off once you get past these two in terms of scoring. Both need to step up and do their share on offence while doing there part of the other end of the floor.

This will be a big game not in terms of if the Raptors win or loss but how they respond after what was by all accounts their worst effort of the season last night.

Just When You Think The Raptors Are Better....

2012-01-06T21:44:00.002-05:00

Honestly being a Raptor fan is a tough existence. They have a way of playing with your mind. Most Raptor fans came into this season expecting the worst. But after 6 games they had been pleasantly surprised. Confident...maybe even a little cocky. The Nets were not going to be a problem. O.K... Deron Williams and Kris Humphries were back for Nets but we got this. Not so fast. The Nets came into the ACC and the crowd was going after Hump and he in the end would get the last laugh.

It didn't start off like it was going be a bad night. But if you looked closer the signs were there. New Jersey had just a one point lead after 1 quarter 23-22. But the Raptors were getting killed on the boards. Also the Nets were not shooting well but were from beyond that 3 point line. That with second chance points and Deron Williams looking to be 100% would be the theme for the rest of the night. Williams had 24 points 9 assists and 5 rebounds with a couple of steals in his return to the Nets line-up.

The Nets would have their best quarter of the game in the 2nd outscoring Toronto 26-19 and taking a 8 point lead to the break. While Raptor fans would boo Kris Humphries, which is honestly pointless and stupid. He would do what he does and had a huge night on the glass with 9 offensive rebounds and 16 rebounds overall. He only had 6 points on 2-8 shooting but the Nets had more than enough offence on this night.

Anthony Morrow was the biggest contributor for the Nets from behind the arc going 6-10 and ending up with 24 points to match Williams scoring effort. That would be Deron Williams. The Nets actually made some obscure NBA History with at one point having 4 Williams on the floor at the same time. This was not the excuse for the Raptors troubles though as the Nets shot 48.4% behind the arc despite shooting 38.8% overall. If the Raptors could have just shown up on the glass this win was there for the taking. Amir Johnson had 10 boards and Ed Davis had 8. but they needed some help. Davis had a nice night with 11 points as well and that will get lost in the fact the Raptors did not play well as a group.

Demar DeRozan after a magical performance on Wednesday had one of his worst nights of his NBA career to this point. Just 3 points on 1-6 shooting with a couple rebounds and a couple assists. Andrea Bargnani finally came down to earth tonight. His improved defence was MIA and his numbers across the board were down. He had just 17 points shooting 6-12 with just 4 rebounds on the night. Jose Calderon had a nice stat line but his lack of ability to guard Deron Williams was on full display. Even when the Raptors put him on someone else he was getting exposed. If he is on your fantasy team you will be happy with the 19 points and 8 assists. But in reality he was not that good.

Nets outscored the Raptors in every quarter and I have consulted with math experts and they assure me that means the Raptors will lose 100% of time in this situation. Dwane Casey will no doubt have lots to say to a captive audience on a plane to Philadelphia. The Final Score was flattering to the Raptors as this game was over in the early 4th quarter. Nets get just there 2nd win of the year 97-85 at the ACC.

While tonight was no doubt disappointing. I will wait to see how the Raptors respond tomorrow night in Philly before I get to upset with anything. Raptors can ill afford to go on a bad skid now as the games will be flying at them fast and furious. After Saturday in Philly they have the dreaded back to back to back to deal with. Which includes a trip to Washington and back right in the middle. The Raptors will not have time to improve relations and meet with Obama. Tonight started a murderous 7 games in 9 days a daunting task for the Dinos or any NBA team.

Raps Face Atlantic Division Back to Back

2012-01-06T11:42:00.004-05:00

Toronto Raptors are going to be some busy damn Dinos in the next little while. The NBA Sked offers them 5 games in just 6 days. It starts tonight at the ACC vs Nets. That means the most hated player in the NBA comes to town. What a joke that is. Kris Humphries is far from that. He is a good dude and I have been saying on Twitter Toronto Fans should cheer hump because we know better. He has become a much better player since his days in Toronto. All that being said with Williams banged up and Brook Lopez out it has been a struggle for the Nets. Even Hump himself has been banged up and missed the Nets last game on Wednesday. Deron Williams also practised with the Nets yesterday and will play.

In terms of the Raptors Jerryd Bayless did practice a little but I think is likely doubtful. Raptors might be wise to save him till Monday if he is ready. Given the way Jose Calderon has played of late it is not like he would get a lot of minutes anyway. After this one the Raptors travel to face believe it or not the Atlantic Division leading 76ers. But first thing is first let's give you three keys to tonight's Nets vs Raps Game.

1. Make It Tough On Deron- I have actually had cracked and bruised ribs. It is a terrible amount of pain. But the pain is not the really problem it is the fact it makes ever breath you take hard. So the Raptors should make sure to bump and bang Deron Williams as often as possible within the rules and hey maybe even outside of them a little. If he is not back to 100% (Which is likely) he will feel it.

2. Battle of the Boards- Humphries is a fantastic rebounder now. It is why he will survive this whole marriage gone wrong. But I meant on the basketball court. The Raptors despite the win vs the Cavs did lose the battle of the boards. It has been a team effort on the glass this year under Casey. So they have to do that tonight to have a chance at winning their 3rd in a row.

3. Lots of Bargnani- The Nets really don't have anyone that can match-up with Bargnani so feed him early and often and let him do his thing. Bargnani is like a player in NBA Jam on fire right now and the Nets have no fireman to put him out. So make sure you take advantage of that. It should be simple for Andrea to get 30 but against the needs be greedy and get him 40.

So that is all. If your heading down to the ACC #CheerHump because the idea of him being the most hated player in the NBA is a joke. Raptors are on a nice roll and if they could sweep this back to back might even go somewhere they haven't been in a long time. Sitting on top of the Atlantic Division. In a short season these games in the division take on more significance.

Bigger and Badder But Same Amir

2012-01-05T14:10:00.004-05:00

Since Amir Johnson arrived in Toronto he has really embraced it. In fact sometimes the L.A native sounds like he is Canadian. In talking with him about his new more bigger look for the 2011-12 season he sure sounded like one. "Can you tell" Johnson said while flexing his bicep like a WWE Wrestler, " Like I said this summer the beer has been good to me, been drinking a lot of beer and it has been helping my arms." That sounds like most Canadians workout program in the summertime. But Amir Johnson is not looking like that typical Canadian guy and is not sporting any Molson Muscle that you can see. But when getting serious about things Amir talked about the work he put in while he was recovering from surgery on his ankle. "Real talk, I've been hurt all summer and I had chance to work on my body and gain some muscle," Johnson continued "So the injury kind of helped me put on some muscle and then I rehabbed on my foot all summer."

Johnson has had his position on the floor change some what playing more at the center position with move of Andrea Bargnani to the power forward. But be it at 4 or 5 according to Amir it is pretty much the same. "For me, It really doesn't matter 4 or 5, in the mean time your guarding in the same positions on the floor it doesn't matter." Johnson says. In terms of his roll on this team he sees it as the same. "I have the same role which is to play hard, play defence and rebound and block shots and control the defence." Johnson stated. Another thing that has not changed is his chemistry with Jose Calderon. It has been on full display in the Raptors first few games of this new season.

Prior to last night's match-up with Canada and Toronto's own Tristan Thompson I asked Amir for his memories about when he returned to his home in L.A for the first time. "Absolutely man, I remember myself like him being very excited to play in front of family and friends." Johnson continued and talked about the future for Thompson, " Sky is limit for him I think he is going have a bright good year this season." Amir ended up being part of the defensive effort that made it a rough homecoming for Thompson. But there will be many other chances for Thompson as perhaps the most famous Canadian baller of all time said on Twitter. Steve Nash was on Twitter late last night wishing he was able to watch Thompson make his return. He offered some encouragement to Tristan via Twitter " @RealTristan13 will be back in Toronto showing out for years. Good to get the 1st 1 out the way."

Amir Johnson has made his own impact since coming to Toronto and making it a second home for himself. He has along with Demar DeRozan and when he was here Sonny Weems as the Young Gunz turned Young Onez have reached out and touched a lot of the youth in Toronto. Amir is aware of the impact that the Raptors have on the youth of not just Toronto but across the country. "It's like a cycle and it is big" according to Johnson. We are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the impact of the NBA in Canada. Be it Tristan Thompson, Amir Johnson, Demar DeRozan or Steve Nash, Canada's youth have NBA stars that they now get to see on T.V or live down at the ACC. It is something that I as kid growing up never had. Amir said that he is happy to have the NBA Back and I think all of us that love the sport agree with that.

Amir is a little bigger, playing now with the starters but ultimately is the same person on and off the floor that he has been since his arrival in Toronto. Which is a fun loving warrior that gives all he has both on and off the floor. He is an example of someone that has a good balance between working hard and still having fun. Which makes for a pretty good role model even though Charles Barkley says NBA guys are not suppose to be those. If I had a son and he was an Amir Johnson fan and that was his guy, I would be cool with that.

Raptors Steal The Spotlight In Thompson's Homecoming

2012-01-05T12:24:00.004-05:00

The focus heading into last night's game was the return of Tristan Thompson coming home to Toronto. At the end of the night it was the home town team he watched as a kid at Skydome. In his NBA debut Thompson had a pretty impressive outing against the Raptors despite his team dropping their home opener. It would end up a disappointing night for the estimated 200 or so people that came specifically to see Tristan Thompson's debut in Toronto. What was also disappointing was the crowd beyond those 200 friends and family that were in attendance. Officially the attendance was listed at 14,468 but it seemed like less. That did not include the media presence which was strong for this one. In the end Thompson had just 1 point and 3 rebounds in 16 plus minutes of action.

Andrea Bargnani would have 30 more points than that and continue this amazing run he has had to start the season. Again getting 7 rebounds to go along with that impressive scoring night and 3 assists. Shooting a lights out 11-16 from the field. You keep expecting Andrea Bargnani to come back to earth but to this point he has not. On the day that All-Star voting has begun he is putting up All-Star worthy numbers to this point. Demar DeRozan who last season made a total of 5 three pointers matched that Wednesday night in a single game. He credits the work he put in during the off-season in which he would make 300 threes while working on the shot in a given day. He was 9 of 18 overall and finished the night with 25 points. While Jose Calderon had 13 points and 11 assists shooting 6-8 from the field. The Raptors have a Big 3 now? Really? Maybe not just yet but on this night they sure did.

The other thing that should be pointed out is the Raptors defence actually was better the second time around against the Cavs. Holding them to just 77 points from 94 points in the opener and from 41.2% shooting percentage, to I believe a season low for an opponent of 29.4% from the field last night. This is significant because the Cavs players and coaching staff obviously had video to break down of the first meeting and ultimately still could not find weaknesses to exploit. That is an encouraging sign. It is also lends some credit to the fact that Casey says this defence continues to evolve and improve. He seemed very encouraged from the effort last night based on his post game comments.

Aside from the obvious numbers that jumped off the page from the 3 main Raptor players their were some other positives. Ed Davis had another solid outing against the Cavs with 8 points and 7 rebounds. James Johnson had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. The main issue for the Raptors coming out of this game might lie on the offensive end at the small forward position. Butler was 0-6 in 16 minutes and Johnson just 1-8 while Gary Forbes was 1-4. That adds up to 2-18 for those keeping score at home. Still Casey in the post game presser was more focused on the defensive effort of Johnson and seemed less concerned with the lack of production on offence. The bench as a group combined for 20 of the Raptors 43 rebounds on the night. Raptors actually lost the battle on the glass 45-43. But they won where it counts on the scoreboard 92-77 to even there record at 3-3.

I came to watch Tristan Thompson debut and ultimately walked away impressed with the Toronto Raptors. In the beginning my concerns that Raptors basketball was heading back to the dark days of Kevin O'Neil seem to be fading away. This Raptor team is proving they can score while playing on a defensive level to a point that we have not seen perhaps since O'Neil. While the people that remain pessimistic will point out their wins are just 2 over the Cavs and a win over the struggling Knicks who lost to the Bobcats on this night. Even in the loses the defence has been "The Rock" or constant in this equation. Which is the most encouraging sign. Casey talks about wanting to play with playoff style intensity on defence. There is no guarantee that leads to the actual playoffs for this group. But enough eyes have opened up to at least not just dismiss the idea as crazy. Casey has brought along with defence some accountability back to this basketball team. You will work hard on the defensive end or you will not be seeing much time on the floor. It really is as simple as that.

Quick 3 Points On Raptors vs Cavs.

2012-01-04T10:48:00.003-05:00

I am heading down to cover this one. Had it circled on my calender from the day the new schedule came out. Tristan Thompson's home coming was a game that I was not going to miss. His Cavs come in off a win vs the Bobkittens. Cleveland is 3-1 since there loss in the opener to the Raptors. So with not a lot of time let's get to three quick points on Cavs vs Raptors.

1. Second Time Around- This will be the first time a team gets a second look at the Raptors new defensive system (In Regular Season). In the pre-season Boston had a much better performance in the second game vs the Raptors than the first. What can Cleveland do now with film of what the Raptors were able to do against them on opening night.

2. Cavs Rookies- Kyrie Irving did not have a good NBA Debut thanks to the Raptors. Since than Irving has started to look much more like the player that was deserving of the #1 pick. While Tristan Thompson was up to the challenge of playing his home town team on opening night. Can he respond the same way when he comes home to play those same Raptors? It is going to be a challenge for the Raptors to deal with both.

3. Can Raps Build Off MSG Win? The Raptors had what could be a break through performance vs the Knicks. They were able to hang on and close the deal after play games in which they were in them but could not finish them. This is a Cavs team that will be a tougher test than the one they played on opening night.

So that is all I have for you. Going to be scrambling around to see what I can get pre-game in terms of interviews and what not. So got to get my stuff together and get on my way to Toronto it is always fun to come back to the city. It will be a night for Tristan Thompson that he likely is not going to forget regardless of the result.

Raptors Better Than Advertised?

2012-01-03T13:04:00.006-05:00

I generally take pride in having a good take on the Toronto Raptors. To have that feeling of knowing what to expect. It is not unlike when you are a wrestling fan you know what is coming next before it happens. As an example fans had been told someone was coming to the WWE and they already had Y2J signs ready to display. How did they know? Mainly because wrestling is predictable and scripted. Sports does not follow a script and as much as you can think you know sometimes you don't know. Could anyone have predicted the Denver Broncos would make the playoffs with Tim Tebow as their quarterback when the season began? He wasn't even the starter. Life and sports are dynamic.

In a lot of ways despite the Raptors making big strides under Dwane Casey some of the same old issues are still lingering around. Raptors no matter what defensive system they have employed have all seemed to have issues with defending the three point line. The Raptors traditionally have always had issues holding leads even with some of the best rosters they have put on the court.

It gets to the point as a long time fan you don't just hope it won't happen but you know it will happen. The Raptors could have as big a lead as you like at any point in the first three quarters of a game and you wait for that other shoe to drop. To not expect that to happen makes you incredibly loyal or ignorant to history. But the history really shouldn't apply after all this team has many different parts, but this has been a theme that has lasted longer than anyone on this roster.

The idea of changing culture gets thrown around a lot in this organization over the years. You know when that really happens? When people honestly don't go into a 4th quarter expecting the worst and hoping for the best. When you have enough confidence to sit there calm and secure that your team can win the game.

When you start to break this down to the individuals there are positives and negatives. Dwane Casey is all positive to this point. You can't help but applaud his effort to take a core group of players, that many felt it would be next to impossible to get them to play defence and he has made it happen. The poster boy for that lack of belief was Andrea Bargnani. If you had never seen the first 6 seasons of this guys career you would not believe how awful he has been in terms of his effort and defence for 6 years. Is 5 games enough to wash away 6 years of a bad taste in your mouth? No not really, but it is enough to make you stop and wait and see.

The player that has been wildly inconsistent has not been Bargnani it has been DeRozan. Last night we saw his most complete performance of the season. Ed Davis who many had high expectations for has had his issues. He also has had his opportunities reduced by the improvment and position change of Bargnani. About the only thing that seems to be consistent in what we have known about the Raptors in the past is Jose Calderon. If you love Jose you point to how he is still one of the most efficient floor generals in the NBA. If you hate Jose you point out he still can not stay in front of almost any point guard he faces. You point to his shooting and on one night his fans will see glimpses of the shooter he once was, on another you will see the shooter he has become for his detractors.

In terms of the new Raptors you have seen a Jamaal Magloire that is offensively challenged but has at times made an impact on the glass. Much as I hate to admit it a lot like what you could get out of Reggie Evans. If not for the other factors that bother me about Magloire I would almost like him. The main difference to me is Reggie is so genuine and I find Magloire to be the opposite. He has embraced this role has the hometown guy that has finally come home. But I can't help but think the chance was there long before the end of his career and his lack of playing for this country ever makes it hard for me to accept him as any kind of Canadian Hero. But if we keep it to basketball a game like last night is what a Reggie Evans could do on the floor.

Anthony Carter really would not have been playing at this point if not for Bayless and his injury. If you take that into account it is hard to tear the guy apart. Would he have been my choice as the 3rd point guard for this team? No. But given his role I don't expect much. He to me is a different more defensively sound version of Derrick Martin. Who was half coach and half player. Now we get on to perhaps the most puzzling of all. Rasual Butler who until the 2nd half in NYC last night did not look like he belonged starting in the D-League forget about on an NBA roster. He came alive late to make some key shots and boards to help secure the win last night. Maybe it was to harsh to expect more given in a normal season last night would have been the second last game of the pre-season more or less. In terms of Aaron Gray he has been sidelined with heart issues. Makes you wonder if Raptors were aware when they signed him? Same thing happened with Nathan Jawai in terms of finding out about heart issues with him on eve of training camp. Is this simple bad luck or did the Raptors miss something? Never going know the answer. But it is hard to be angry about something like that with the player. You just hope the best for their lives screw basketball. As for Gary Forbes seems like a great guy have not seen near enough of him to have any strong opinion.

When you look at this team as whole it really is not all that impressive. It looks like the team that many had very little in terms of expectations. But some how they are able to come together and find a way to hang around and be in games. The improved defence is the reason. Some even have fired off things like this team can be in hunt for the playoffs in the East. The people cheering for lottery balls are very dismayed by that. I am just not to the point of being convinced they can be that. However if they can build on what they did in New York and find ways to hang on and grind out wins maybe I can be swayed. When this season started I said the Raptors would be able to hang around in more games than people think. So far that is true. But I also said they would likely lose more of those games than they would win. That is the part I am starting to question. It would make you feel more confident if Knicks had Amare Soudemire in the line-up and the Raptors had the same result. In this crazy season you are going to catch and have to endure a lot of good and bad breaks in terms of the schedule and injuries. The Raptors had the bad draw in terms of the schedule last night but got the good draw in terms of injures. No Bayless vs no Amare is advantage Raptors.

So maybe at the end of it all. The Raptors are who I thought they were. But I remain willing to accept they could be better than that. But I have no real indication of if that is true yet. I am pretty excited to be going to see it in person tomorrow night. Tristan Thompson and the Cavs get a second shot at the Raptors. This will also be a good test to see what a team does after getting a look at the Raptors improved defence the second time around. Tomorrow could hold some answers on if this team truly can be as this blog asks, better than advertised?

Raptors Start Strong And Hang On In NYC

2012-01-02T22:10:00.004-05:00

Well the Raptors do catch a break before the ball even went up in MSG. No Amare Stoudemire for the Knicks. The Raptors would take full advantage of that. Andrea Bargnani had in the past had one of his best performances as pro at MSG. Early on it looked like he might top that performance on this night. Bargnani was an army of one in the first quarter. There was not a lot of support other than from Demar DeRozan. The problem was the Raptors were having some issues defending the 3 and Carmelo Anthony was leading the charge behind the arc. He had three triples and 13 points all totalled in the first and the Knicks had a slim 23-22 leading. They shot 5-12 from three point range in the quarter.

What happened in the 2nd was an explosion of Raptor offence and their D had made some adjustments and it all was working well. Bargnani had to take a seat in the first after picking up 2 fouls in the first. But the Raptors would battle hard with out him starting the second quarter on a 8-0 run. The Knicks would take 4 minutes before they recorded a point. Carmelo Anthony would be the guy to get the Knicks on the board finally. But it was an impressive defensive effort from the Raptors and they had a 17 point halftime lead and were holding the Knicks to 28.2% shooting. There is no way the Raptors can mess this up right?

This is the Raptors so where there is a will to blow a lead there is a way. In the 3rd the Raptors offence went into deep freeze and the Knicks led by Carmelo Anthony would chop the Raptor lead down. It took 6:30 for the Knicks to erase 11 points off the Raptors 17 point lead. The Raptors were able to stop the bleeding a little and managed to escape the 3rd quarter with a 9 point lead.

But they had an 11 point lead last night and that was not enough. It sure looked like 9 was not going to be either. The Knicks would get as close as 3 on several occasions. The game was coming down the stretch and after 3 quarters of doing very little, other than getting his butt kicked by Mello, Rasaul Butler made some key shots and rebounds. But after a couple of free throws from Bargnani who after his hot start had chilled. But in being fair the Raptors were not getting him very many touches. But in the clutch Bargnani made to key free throws as mentioned. It would come down to a play out of a time out. Something went wrong for the Knicks. Not sure what the play was suppose to be, but a Mello three with still lots of time on shot clock and 17 seconds left in game was not it. Raps would get the rebound and they made the free throws from Carter to ice it. They hang on to win 90-85 and shock the Knicks at MSG.

This was far from perfect let's be honest. But the fact the Raptors did hang on to the win could be the break through this team needed. This could be a breakthrough moment for this team. What happens next will greatly determine that. The Raptors needed this win badly though to re-enforce that despite not winning the last 3 games they had played better. In Casey's mission to keep this team buying into his message it was a win in more than just the standings. The Raptors come home 2-3 which is a big difference mentally than 1-4. A rematch against a Cavs team that has rebounded nicely after dropping there home opener to these Raptors. Tristan Thompson comes home to Toronto it should be a special night at the ACC. Speaking of Canadians it should be noted that despite not scoring a point, Magloire was able to haul in 10 rebounds tonight which contributed to the Raptors winning the battle of the boards 44-39.

Round Ball Review Returns To The DNB

2012-01-02T15:22:00.005-05:00

After a long absence the Round Ball Review is returning to the Dino Nation Blog. Some things have changed but Joey G is still the same for the most part. Hope you enjoy the Round Ball Review as we bring it back for at least a couple episodes.

So there will be at least one more episode. This is one of the more funny things I have created in the Dino Nation Blog and they are a lot of fun to produce. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do putting them together.

Raps Catch A Break In NYC?

2012-01-02T11:32:00.004-05:00

It can be hard to keep up with this schedule being condensed it can be hard to keep up with all the games. Here is a handy little offering from The NBA on YouTube:

So that was what happened yesterday including the Raptors meltdown in Orlando. They move on the New York City where an opportunity is knocking for them. Amare Stoudemire turned an ankle on the Knicks west coast road trip and is a game time decision for tonight vs the Raptors. The Knicks went just 1-2 on that road swing west and will be looking for a win at home to climb above the .500 mark. Even with no Amare they will still have to deal with Carmelo Anthony.

In terms of the Raptors they need some one to step up be the second option consistently to be the Robin for Andrea Bargnani in terms of scoring. That is suppose to be Demar DeRozan, but it has been a struggle for DeRozan who has failed to put together a solid 4 quarters of offence together this season. He is trying to establish a three point shot that he worked on in the summer. It is still not there yet. While he has improved the shot it is still the weak part of his game. Even in his mid-range game he is forcing a lot of shots. He needs to get back to being a slasher and getting points in transition. His handles are still a weak point as well. There is a lot of things that need some work. It seems he more than anyone is having trouble with balancing the new defensive system and his offensive game.

Ed Davis has also struggled after a solid opener. His minutes have been less than you might have expected in part due to the great performance of Andrea Bargnani. After Bargnani logged 40 minutes yesterday on the 2nd night of a back to back Ed Davis could see some more minutes tonight and he needs to use them. The Raptors main issue will be what to do when Jose Calderon has to take a seat. Jerryd Bayless was ruled out of both yesterdays game and tonight's and will be re-evaluated when the Raptors return to Toronto on Tuesday. He had an ugly ankle turn in Dallas that has him on the sidelines. Calderon himself has not been durable and you worry if the Raptors over play him to compensate for the loss of Bayless it could cost them in terms of Calderon's health. Anthony Carter has not really been that impressive in the minutes he has seen since the Bayless injury. Barbosa and Forbes can play the point but are less than ideal options. Bayless was not off to a great start to the season but it seems clear he is better than any of the Raptors other options.

Knicks know all about struggling point guard play. They are actually hoping that Baron Davis once he can get healthy can be the answer. I would say that the Knicks sooner rather than later will be in the market for a point guard. The problem is what exactly do they have to get one?

It is a 7:30pm tip time at the New Look Madison Square Garden. You can find it on tube on Sportsnet 1. On the Radio as always on the Fan 590. I like always will be tweeting my face off @dinonationblog.

New Year But Same Old Problems For Raptors

2012-01-01T21:00:00.004-05:00

I am getting the reputation of being a negative person. Shocking I know. So let it be said the Raptors played for 3/4 of this game about as good as you can ask. Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon who often take a lot of shots in this blog were both fantastic. Bargnani added to a solid performance in Dallas with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists tonight in Orlando. While Calderon had one of his best shooting nights in recent memory with 18 points, going 3-4 from 3 point range and 6-9 overall. This along with 13 assists which pushed him past 3,000 in his 7th year in the NBA.

The Raptors from the start got the jump on a Magic team that clearly looked like they had enjoyed to much fun ringing in 2012. Hedo likes to party as Raptor fans well know. Dwight Howard started the game with a great offensive rebound and slam but seemed to have his interest level drift in this game. Raptors went on a 8-0 run after that and continued to pound on the Magic to the tune of 21-8 at one point in the first. The Raptors lost a little ground with the second unit but still had a healthy lead of 27-18 after one.

In the second the Magic's leading scorer got it going after sitting out most of the first with two fouls. If you think we are talking about Dwight Howard, we are not. Hedo? Come on now? No Ryan Anderson is that guy and he was fantastic matching the solid performance from Andrea Bargnani. In an ironic twist it was Anderson making the 3's with Bargnani driving to the basket getting 2 at a time. Anderson has much the same type of game as Bargnani but not nearly has skilled. But still the Raptors would take a 52-47 lead to the break.

Here is why you should love Dwane Casey if you don't already. If this was a Triano coached Raptors you would expect the Magic to continue to climb back and crush the Raptors early in the 3rd. But the Casey led Raptors were the ones that came out swinging. The Raptors got their double digit lead back and they would hold it to the end of the 3rd with an 11 point lead heading to the 4th.

But no matter who the players are or who the coach happens to be the Raptors have had a history of 4th quarter failure. This not so happy tradition was on full display in Orlando. The Magic as if they finally shook of there "rust" from New Year's Eve came alive in the 4th. Dwight Howard had a massive rejection of Bargnani that you will no doubt see on the highlights of this game. The Raptors offence hit the skids and the lead would evaporate as fast as Canadian snow on a warm Orlando night.

While we gave praise to Calderon and Bargnani. There was blame to go around as well. Demar DeRozan is making some awful shooting choices and despite his 17 points he shot just 4-12 and had 3 shots blocked. Lone positive was 6 boards from Demar. James Johnson provided nothing on offence and was only slightly better on defence from the game with Dallas. Also starting to be a point of worry is Ed Davis who after a solid opener vs Cavs has been on the steady decline. Just two points and only 1 rebound? Hey if we are going to slam Bargnani...Ed Davis hello. Ed Davis has to be a contributor on the glass.

Raptors defence which has been the great story to this point got progressively worse in this game. When it was all done the Magic shot just a shade under 50% easily the best performance by a Raptor opponent this season. Raptors have little time to figure it out as they hop a plane to head to NYC and a Monday meet up with the Knicks. Raptors end up fumbling this one 102-96 to the Magic. Magic outscored the Raptors 32-15 in the final quarter. A all to familiar ending for Raptors fans on a day that is suppose to be about new beginnings.

Raptors Preview For Hungover Fans

2012-01-01T09:24:00.004-05:00

First thing we need to talk about is fluids. Drink Gatorade and lots of it and you should be alright for the game. You see when you drink that makes you dehydrated. Honestly this is a medical fact. So go get something to drink and will get started here.

Hungover Fan Question: Who are we playing again?

Answer: Orlando

Hungover Fan Question: Is Dwight still on the Magic?

Answer: Yes he is.

Hungover Fan Question: When is the game?

Answer: 6pm

Hungover Fan Question: What Channel

Answer: TSN 2

Hungover Fan Question: Can the Raptors Win?

Answer: Anything is possible.

Hungover Fan Statement: V.C Sucks!!! V.C Sucks!!!

Answer: No that was last game he isn't in Orlando any more.

Hungover Fan Statement: Can we get Dwight Howard in a straight up trade for Bargnani?

Answer: BALL

Hungover Fan Statement: Ha Ha...Ball

Answer: Yes Ball the team that puts the ball in more wins. Allow me to refer you to this helpful video

Hungover Fan: Ball in basket...Pound The Rock...Go Raps Go!!!

Answer Good enough.

Hope everyone had a Happy and Safe New Year's and that first part about Gatorade actually works if you are actually hung over. If you are not hope you found this fun. Raptors will have a tough task today and it starts on the boards as Dwight Howard has been a beast on the glass.

Raps Tried To Win But The Mavs Did Win

2011-12-31T00:34:00.006-05:00

It's seems pretty easy to please Raptor fans these days. Show up and don't get blown out and happiness reigns supreme on Twitter. The Raptors did show up in Dallas and they did try. Even had a lead in the 3rd quarter when their old buddy Vince Carter led another team back to beat his former club. In the end this was a battle of the Raptors wanting to win and give their new coach an unexpected victory. While there was a Dallas Mavericks team that was off to the worst start of a defending Champion in over 40 years. They needed to win and they did just that.

The new and improved Andrea Bargnani clearly came to play tonight. He was a big reason the Raptors could even claim to be in this game. While no one can deny his improvement this year my feelings on his future remain the same. It is kind of hypocritical of a lot of people to not agree. If you can say after Chris Bosh left town that you can't really win with him why should it be different with Bargnani? While Bargnani is less likely to leave the Raptors the same things that were said about Bosh and why the Raptors couldn't win with him apply. Bargnani is clearly this teams top scorer. But even now at his natural position that was once occupied by Bosh he can not provide enough to help this team win. Chris Bosh was often taken to task for the games he had big performances often came in games the Raptors lost. The same can be said for Andrea Bargnani. He was about as good as it gets for him tonight shooting 11-18 with 30 points and had 7 rebounds. There was only one assist in that though. Maybe that gets to the fundamental problem with a traditional four as your main piece. It is often said that your best player is suppose to make everyone around him better. I fail to see how Bargnani has done that today or ever.

But his improvement is a positive no matter how you choose to look at it. But to me it makes him an attractive piece to move not keep. In a stacked draft class coming up you would think a team would be willing to part with a first round pick to get a scorer like Bargnani. On a contending team he is a great second or third option. Raptors could get another solid pick and perhaps a player they could use at point guard or a legit small forward something the Raptors have failed to have since Vince Carter left. Never once have the Raptors traded a player at high point of his value. You only need to look at the Vince Carter trade and the next to nothing they got as Bosh left via free agency. Perhaps the last time the Raptors got any true value with a core player in a trade was when they moved Antonio Davis. They did alright in that deal despite losing a fan favourite in Jerome Williams as well. If the Raptors are truly rebuilding then don't go half way.

This of course would be a lot easier to do if Demar DeRozan was showing signs of taking the next step. While Bargnani has shined it has been a bit of a troubling start to Demar DeRozan's third season. There is no really dramatic improvement in his defence. While he seems to be forcing his offence and we have seen many more forced shots than we have highlight dunks. Tonight DeRozan had just 11 points with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Shooting just 4-12 as well. James Johnson who was a big hit with Raptor fans since he arrived is starting to see his honeymoon end with fans. He did not score a point and was a -14 for a guy that is suppose to be one of you best defenders?

Another chip the Raptors have to play that is less attractive than that of Bargnani is Leandro Barbosa. He had 20 points will the rest of the Raptors bench had just 6 points. Barbosa decided to use his player option to collect his 7.2 million dollars owed for this season of service. He clearly can score and he clearly is not a guy that is ever going to be defence first. The Raptors may want to hang on to him to have his salary come off the books as it is a big piece of that 20 million or so Colangelo would have in cape space next season. But if you can get a player you like already under contract that you would control for a few seasons is that not a better option. Raptors have had their struggles being a player in free agency in the past. Colangelo's big signings have never been smashing successes. Hedo Turkoglu the most recent but there was also Jason Kapono prior to that. They still would have a decent amount of cash to spend as well. But the key is when you go to move Barbosa it is from a position of strength. If you don't get what you want you cash is your 7.2 million in cap room and call it a day.

Mavericks had 5 players in double figures three of those coming off the bench including Carter. Bargnani schooled that Dirk fellow as he not only outscored him 30-18, but even out rebounded him 7-4. But in the only stat that matters Nowitzki got the W. The Mavs get in the win column for the first time this year with a 99-86 win over the Raptors. Both these teams sit at 1-3 on the season but the difference between the two teams is massive.

I grow tired of hearing that it was a entertain loss. If this was a movie or a concert that would be great. But as much as sports becomes more and more entertainment based it still is about winning and losing. The Raptors have proven that while their effort level may be improved and there defence is with out question miles ahead of any point under Jay Triano. They held the Mavs to 44.4% shooting on this night. But at the end of the day moral victories are for losers. This whole attitude of the Raptors at least tried hard and it was more entertaining than watching paint dry concerns me. Great just friggin awesome. Look I get it and yeah there are some good things. But at the end of the day is this core group good enough? Not really sure. At the end of all of this have the Raptors actually solved any of their problems? I think they have solved at least one. Dwane Casey is a keeper it looks like to me. He is not taking any pride in the fact his team tried hard. He expects and demands more. As should all of you that are just satisfied with a team giving an effort. But can this team attract free agents? Remains to be seen. Will the ownership of this team be willing to go to that next level to make the Raptors a true contender when the time comes? Or will the be happy to have a team that is good enough to make the playoffs and do nothing really. See the Atlanta Hawks as the classic example of that. Although they have tried to spend money just maybe not always wisely.

I think what I find frustrating is people seem to just accept and buy in no matter what. While I truly admire the loyalty of fans, I am not ready to see the Raptor fan base morph into the one that cheers for the hockey team that hasn't won since 1967. In theory the Raptors are in a good position for success. But when you place that against this teams failure of the past how confident can you truly be? While I am not as over the moon about Jonas Valanciunas has some people. I think he has a good shot at being successful. However I need to see it against NBA talent under NBA rules to be convinced. Also as this season grinds along and people look to the future the amount of pressure on him will be intense. I mean it is almost now as some people see him as a Savior. Raptors still have no point guard and no real dynamic small forward. At best Jonas is a piece to your puzzle but he is not going to be able to pass the ball to himself. He also can't defend the wing position. Maybe you find that answer in the draft. But for tank nation you might want to look up the odds of worst team actually winning the lottery.

Speaking of point guards Jerryd Bayless turned his angle in this game and did not return. He did have an x-ray on the ankle that came back negative which is positive. That being said if you saw the replay of it on TSN it was a pretty nasty twist. We saw are first look at Anthony Carter as a result and got to see Forbes play some point guard. Along with a bigger dose of Jose Calderon who was having fun playing someone slower than him. A decent night for Jose with 11 points 7 dimes and a couple steals. Jose can defend people that are his lesser in terms of speed. Problem is that list grows shorter ever season. No one will cry more when Jason Kidd retires than Jose Calderon. As for Bayless his status vs Orlando is not known but safe bet he could be out. Aaron Gray remains out with a heart condition. This will take Raps fans back to the struggles of short lived Raptor Nathan Jawai. But we are told things with Gray are not as serious. He is still able to practice with the team despite being held out of game action. Obviously you hope for the best health wise. Basketball wise based on what we did see of him the Raptors are not missing much.

I guess the point I am making is that people tend to be far to accepting. Some of these people were the same ones that never thought we needed a coaching change but they now have fully sold out to POUND THE ROCK. If you have learned anything from reading this blog I hope it is that I don't just follow the crowd. I have been ahead of the curve on a lot of things. Long before you heard anyone questioning Jose Calderon I was. When people were applauding a trade for Jermaine O'Neil that was not me. I was the guy that told you Roy Hibbert was going to be good. The Raptors at the time felt he was to slow to play in their system. Well is Jamaal Magloire going to win a race against Roy Hibbert? Not likely. In terms of him I seem to be the only one that remembers how this guy consistently turned his back on this country and the national team. Only now at the end of his career when he has very little left to offer does he become a Raptor. Yet he is applauded like some hero cause he happens to be from Toronto. You want to applaud an NBA Player from Toronto? Tristan Thompson will make his only visit to the ACC on Wednesday. Applaud him. I never liked Hedo signing as well. This all may seem like bragging on my part. It is not meant to be. But it is to say and illustrate that I often have a good sense on things and have a good track record at being right. But just because I am a realist and I am not so willing to just accept everything at face value doesn't mean I want to see this team fail. I like everyone else want this team to be a success. But I don't do it with disregard or forget the long history of failure with this organization.

If the Raptors problems were simple and easy to fix there is no doubt there have been some smart people in this organization over time that could have fixed them. But it isn't simple, it is very hard. This Organization wants your patience. I say for some they have been patient for 16 years. Based on that it at the least should make you at best skeptical of the Raptors rather than to just buy into whatever they are selling to you. However you care to look at this season, it in many ways is a lost season. Some see it as a means to an end. But there is no guarantee it is a happy ending. Applauding effort and trying is ridiculous to me. That should be a given. Like I tweeted tonight. Yoda put it best....Do or do not.....there is no try.

Raptors Face The Struggling Champs

2011-12-30T11:58:00.004-05:00

Dallas almost was able to get in the win column last night. Kevin Durant saved the day with a last second shot and kept his Thunder undefeated at 4-0 while the Mavericks have started 0-3. In their first two games the defending champs were hammered by Miami and Denver. Maybe they miss their defensive guru Dwane Casey who returns with his new team the Raptors. It is more likely they miss Tyson Chandler who was almost a Raptor and instead ended up with a ring playing for the Mavericks. The Champs are not the same team as last year. Vince Carter signed in Dallas after being let go by the Suns. Lamar Odom who was almost a Hornet was so disturbed by this he had to be shuffled off to Dallas by the Lakers for not much at all. Safe to say the Mavericks will be hungry to get a win and they will be happy to do it at the expense of anyone. The Mavs will not be coming to Toronto so if you indeed need to boo Vince Carter this year it will have to be at your T.V screen.

Obviously the Dwane Casey factor is the big story to this game. The Mavs should know better than anyone how to operate against Casey's defensive system. While Casey should know better than anyone the weak points of what the Mavs do. But in the end it might just be about the Mavs desperation to get on track after they have come out so poorly to begin the season. The Raptors can not afford a start like they had against the Pacers. The Mavs as mentioned played last night in OKC and the Raptors will have a bit of an advantage in that. If the Raptors can hang around for 3 quarters and come up with the 4th quarter heroics we have seen in the first couple games led by DeRozan they will have a punchers chance. But that will be the tricky part being able to hang around.

Key Match Up: Andrea Bargnani from since he entered the league has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. Even Dwane Casey surprisingly has used the comparison. But if we are being honest the comparison is an insult to the big German. His performance in last season's playoffs alone should be proof of that. Not to mention his MVP season that did not get matched with a MVP Playoff Performance. Andrea has been a pleasant surprise so far. Despite his offensive numbers being slightly down his improved effort on the defensive end has been praised up and down by everyone connected to the Raptors. His rebounding is still not really impressive. But the key to this match-up is that both guys have a match-up they are not use too. Most times they are matched up with players that would rather play in the post than out beyond the 3 point line.

In another match-up that will be interesting will be DeRozan vs Carter. Many also compared DeRozan to Vince when he was drafted. But that comparison is not really one that has held up over time. Vince in his day was the best athlete in the NBA. He was a dunking machine that could not be stopped. If you want someone to compare DeRozan too it is more Vince's Cousin T-Mac that DeRozan is similar too. In any case regardless of who is on the other side of things, Demar must get things going early. If you had looked at DeRozan's numbers minus the 4th quarter they would be scary.

Even if the Raptors manage to compete in those match-ups you still have Odom to deal with not to mention Jason Kidd. The Raptors will have to hope there young rested legs are enough to keep them in the game. Along with any tricks or advice Dwane Casey can provide. But given the circumstances it is hard to imagine the Raptors getting a win tonight. Dallas did play well last night despite the loss and finally started to look like a team that was defending their NBA title.

The Raptors will have some tough challenges to deal with after that this as well. Orlando still has Dwight Howard and look pretty good early on while the Knicks have struggled on the road in the west after a thrilling Christmas Day win over the still win less Celtics.

If the Raptors return home with anything but three more losses it would be a surprise for sure. But the chances are they will be 1-4 returning home to face the Cavs who they beat to open the season on Boxing Day. It might not be a case of wins and loses for the Raptors on this trip as much as it will be a test of their defensive improvement and if they can truly be able to score against a higher level of competition.

One way or the other will have a better idea of if the Raptors will be the team that was advertised with having little chance at winning or the surprise team that they have claimed they strive to be. Tonight could be the toughest test on this road swing given how the Mavs are really in a must win situation. After all in a shorter season for a team that is expected to make the playoffs you can not afford to have many long losing streaks and hope to be in a good position for the post season.

Raptors Lack Tradition

2011-12-29T11:20:00.004-05:00

I am not sure what I expected after 16 seasons of the Raptors being in the NBA. But this team really lacks tradition. It is always constant change. The place they call home has seen more makeovers to it's court than perhaps any other team in the same time frame. The entire colour scheme has changed. There is a lot of people that would suggest the Raptors name itself should change to Huskies. The Raptors are on their 8th coach now and there have been many changes of culture. The Raptors lack any kind of lasting identity. The Raptors really lack any kind of true rivalries. Most of the Raptors attempts at having a rival have not lasted. When it all started there was the Grizzlies who were their natural rival. They of course went to Memphis and so ended that. The Sixers and Raptors battled in one of the best playoff series in history. But soon after both teams fell on hard times and the rivalry fizzled. There have been the rivals based on guys leaving. A couple of times with the Magic based on T-Mac and Vince being part of that franchise. There was a playoff series between the two as well. The same story with the Nets as Vince was traded to them and there was one playoff series between the two, along with sharing a division. But by and large none of these have stuck. Some would say the Celtics are but that is more the bully in the school yard that has taken your lunch money for years.

When you think of the Raptors what pops in your head? Perhaps fans booing Vince or T-Mac. If the Raptors have any sort of tradition it lies more in the fans. They have always booed the guy that has left them high and dry. They have always cheered the guys that hustled and busted their butt even after they have left. A group that is always discounted but continues to show up.

This is not just the Raptors issue in fact the NBA team I had cheered for prior to the Raptors was a lot like that. The Charlotte now New Orleans Hornets. Short of a Ric Flair WOOOOO!!! I am not sure the Hornets have any real kind of tradition. When you say Hornets not any rival jumps to mind. Is this just a case of it take a long time for expansion teams to make roots. In the case of the Hornets they were up rooted and replaced by Bobcats.

But OKC has only been around for a short time and they already have some tradition. The fans don't sit until their team scores a basket. They despite having some ugly uniforms and a pretty simple logo have kept it the same. They still lack rivals but you can see some starting to grow for them vs Dallas and Memphis. Thunder Up has been made famous by the tweets of their superstar Kevin Durant.

MLSE owns one of the most traditional and iconic franchises in Hockey. The Leafs have fed off that tradition for years. After all when you have not won a championship since 1967 what else can you do. They have many rivals some old traditional ones like with the Habs, to new and more modern ones with the Sens. They even market it as "the tradition that binds us all". Yet on the Raptors side of MLSE that tradition is lacking.

Perhaps it comes down to the simple fact of not a lot of winning. Hence you have constant change to try and run away from your not so spectacular past. Whatever the reason is the fact the Raptors lack any sort of tradition is something as someone who has supported them from day one I find myself craving.

I grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. They have all you could ask for in that regard. The star on the side of a silver helmet is iconic. They have traditional rivals that last no matter records of either side. You say Cowboys and Redskins and people have a long history to draw on between the two teams. You can not be a Redskins fan and like the Cowboys and the same is true if you cheer for the Cowboys if you like them you hate a number of teams Giants, Redskins, Eagles and 49ers will never be teams you cheer.

I hope that I live long enough to see the Raptors have a tradition and true identity. I am not sure a rock that sits in the dressing room is going to be it. But what the Raptors have to do is stop changing the paint on the floor, the colours on a uniform and say this is who we are and what we are. That is something that is needed. Perhaps that comes along with simple winning. But maybe you need to start establishing that before the winning comes. I don't crave 3-D logos or countless variations of uniforms. I carve something that is the same and feels like home. Feels like a good old sweater that is comfortable. In 16 years the Raptors have yet to provide that.

Inconsistent Raptors Fail To Rally In Home Opener

2011-12-28T20:35:00.004-05:00

Raptors had a full house for their home opener. For those that question basketball in Toronto they need to wake up. After being told basically your team has no chance at doing much of anything this year the Raptors still packed the house. That full house was not treated to much entertainment in the first quarter. They did see some rare events like Andrea Bargnani taking a charge. But by and large both teams struggled in the first but the Raptors really did shooting sub 30% from the field and had just 11 points and trailed 18-11 after one.

The Raptors would slowly start to get the locks off the offence that had been a one man operation in the first with Bargnani largely being their only true effective player on offence. On the other side of things Paul George was showing you why many are excited about his future. He was part of the key match-up I mentioned in the set-up for this one. The other side of that match-up was DeRozan and he failed to score in the 1st half. Raptors could not stop the lead for the Pacers would take the lead into half at 38-34. Not exactly an offensive classic in fact there was a lot of offensive things. But Andrea Bargnani was not one of them. He was perhaps the only reason the Raptors were hanging around.

In the second half the Pacers got back to work and took control of things out battling the Raptors in the 3rd and getting some breaks in terms of the officials for most of the night. Demar DeRozan did start to make himself known on the offensive end but like in Cleveland he has a pretty forgettable first 3 quarters. It reminds you of the whole Tim Tebow phenomenon. Tebow Time at least for 2 games has a Raptor equal and it is DeRozan Time. He again exploded late in the 4th and finished with 22 points(Which led the Raps). But the Raptors had let the Pacers get to far in front to catch. The Raptors would make a strong push aided by the sold out crowd but the Pacers were able to take the body blows and close the deal for the 90-85 win.

The Good: Bargnani despite the typical rebounding struggles The Raptors would be no where close if not for Bargnani. Defence was still good enough holding the Pacers to 39.5% shooting.

The Bad: DeRozan's first 3 quarters. Bayless at times took the Raptors out of their offence and went rogue despite his 5-9 shooting and 13 points. Calderon struggled as well so let's just say general point guard play was poor for very different reasons.

The Ugly: 19 Turnovers. The Raptors are not good enough to have those kind of mistakes and win basketball games.

Now it really gets tough with games vs The Mavs, Magic and Knicks. This will truly test this new Defence to the next level. Especially against the Mavs who should know how to beat this D better than anyone for obvious reasons and they are a desperate team early in this season after an ugly 0-2 start.

Can The Raptors Keep Up The Pace In The Home Opener?

2011-12-28T09:55:00.006-05:00

It is the Home Opener a little later than originally advertised:

Kardinal Offishall will be in the house for halftime as well. Not to mention prior to the game there is going to be a tail gate party that is free for everyone tickets to the game or not at Maple Leaf Square. All this because the Raptors are of course 1-0. Well not exactly but once all the hype that goes with the home opener is finished the Raptors have a tougher task in front of them than they did in Ohio.

See the Pacers actually signed good players instead of punchlines for a TNT Segment with Charles Barkley and Shaq. On a side note Shaq is going to be huge hit on TNT. But between the trade the Pacers made with Spurs and signing David West it has made them a sexy pick to be one of the improved teams in the East.

While the Raptors were making short work of the Cavs, The Pacers were doing much the same to one of the East's other bottom feeders in Detroit. Roy Hibbert the Raptors draft choice for the Pacers as part of the J.O deal got off to a nice start to the year with 16 points and 14 rebounds. He will be a load to deal with for the Raptors tonight. Pacers had 3 players with double doubles in that win and 5 were in double figures as they beat Detroit 91-79.

Key Match-Up: Could go with Roy Hibbert vs Amir Johnson but instead let's go with Paul George and Demar DeRozan. Two young rising stars in the league doing battle at the shooting guard. DeRozan did not look his best in Cleveland till near the end of the game. Tonight he will have a legit test on both ends of the floor.

Other Things of Note: Pacers got to the line 25 times vs Detroit making 20 of those. They also shot 46.7% from beyond the 3 point line. They also feature a deadly duo of point guards with Darren Collison and George Hill. Lou formally Louis Amundson was also added to the Pacers and did not play in the opener.

Raptors are 10-6 in home openers last year snapping a streak of 4 straight wins in their home opener with a loss to the Knicks. It is hard to find any stat in Raptor history where they have a winning record but this is one of them. It is just the rest of the season that has been the problem. Those other 81 games or in the case of this season 65.

So the atmosphere should be off the hook to start. Will it be by the time this one is over becomes the big question. If the Raptors can hang with Pacers that would open a lot more eyes than beating the Cavs. But it will not be easy. Pacers look to have a very talented team that I predicted in this blog should be one of the 8 teams left standing for the playoffs in the East. Early Start time for this game of 6pm? Why that is I have no clue. But it is on once again as basketball officially has returned to Toronto.

DNB Top 10- Over Reactions To Last Night's Win

2011-12-27T11:30:00.003-05:00

Let's be honest we all as Raptor fans can be pretty moody. When things are good some tend to go a little overboard. When things are bad the same is true. So here are some classic over reactions to avoid so you don't look silly after last night's win. Or maybe were just being silly. Either way it makes for a solid top 10.

#10- Got to start saving money for my playoff tickets in May.

#9- That Ed Davis is better than Chris what's his name in Miami

#8- Dwane Casey for Coach of the Year.

#7- Jose Calderon can play defence it is indeed a Christmas Miracle.

#6- Amir Johnson is going to average double double this year.

#5- I am going to get fat from all the free pizza I eat from Raptors 100 point wins at home.

#4- The Cavs were a quality team

#3- Andrea Bargnani will win Defensive Player of the Year....Book it.

#2- Raptors have the best bench in the NBA.

#1- Raptors are going to have a better record than Dallas and the Lakers.

Joking aside the Raptors did play well against a team that honestly if they hadn't beat this list would have been 10 reasons the Raptors won't go 0-66. Will see what happens when they take a step up the food chain on Wednesday for the home opener at the ACC. But for now enjoy a win just don't catch yourself saying anything on this list. It is still likely to be a long season but that was a heck of a start for the Raptors. They deserve lots of credit.

Raptors K.O The Cavs.

2011-12-26T19:07:00.003-05:00

The Raptors went to Cleveland and they showed us some things we have not seen in a long long time. Hustle and heart and an overall team effort that we haven't seen in years. The defence first was as advertised and much improved. But the offence was not left at the border either. The Raptors had 10 players play in the game and 8 of those 10 were in double figures scoring. Calderon and DeRozan led the group effort with 15 points each. For DeRozan the majority of that came late in the 4th quarter. Calderon was great on offence and not nearly the liability he has been in the past on defence. Amir Johnson might have been the best of the bunch getting the start at the center position and he had 13 points and 13 rebounds some key ones down the stretch.

Andrea Bargnani was not the scoring force we are use too. But he was able to make some key baskets down the stretch as well. Calderon clearly made his case for why he should be the starter for this team with 15 points as mentioned but 11 assists and 6 rebounds as well. The Raptors battled hard and had 9 blocked shots and won the battle of the boards 45-37. Ed Davis looks much improved as well as he got a key offensive rebound and a put back score when the Cavs had crept back to within 2 points.

Tristan Thompson had a solid debut for the Cavs. He had 13 points and 5 rebounds in just 17 minutes on the floor. Kyrie Irving the first overall pick struggled with 6 points shooting 2-12 and was able to get 7 assists despite his troubles shooting. The Cavs looked like the team that was well on the way to returning to the lottery more than the Raptors on this night.

There were bumps in the road along the way but the Raptors for the most part gave 100% effort on both ends of the floor and were rewarded with a win for their efforts. Forget pounding the rock the Raptors were passing it and doing it well. They had 35 assists on 42 made field goals shooting 53.2% from the field. While the Raptors held the Cavs to just 41.2% from the field.

Give the Raptors credit for taking apart a team that they should beat. The home opener should be a step up in class with the much improved Pacers coming to town for the Raptors home opener on Wednesday. But if the Raptors can perform like they did tonight the ACC will be more filled than expected this year and fans will have a lot more to get excited about.

This was in it's truest sense a team win. The Raptors are never going to beat to many teams any other way. If you were told that DeRozan would do little in the first 3 quarters of this game and that he and Bargnani would combine for just 28 points what would you think the result would be? Chances are a loss and likely a bad one. But the Raptors may have answered a question that I asked in the preview for this game. Who is going to be the third scorer for this team? The answer might be everyone. The simple fact is the Raptors will need a team effort to have any chance to win games. Against some of the better teams in this league even with that team effort it will be tough to pull off a win. But without it the chances are next to impossible.

This is a long way from being a fair tale story just yet. But the Raptors matched apathy in terms of expectations with energy and hustle that people who have followed this team have not seen in years. So far so good but this is just step one of what is going to be a tough grind of a season for everyone in the NBA. But it was about as good a first step as you could have hoped for. The Raptors showed they can play defence and not let it stop them from being able to score on the other end.

After a long lockout and more gloom and doom talk than you can shake a stick at, the Raptors provided fans a performance they can be proud of and a win. Dwane Casey deserves a lot of credit for changing the attitude of this team. Under Jay Triano the Raptors would have folded at some point and lost their lead and given up. That didn't happen tonight. Things have changed and the change was badly needed. Raptors win 104-96 and cruise into the winner's circle.

The Season Some Never Thought Would Happen Is Here

2011-12-26T11:58:00.009-05:00

NBA Basketball returned and started with quite the bang in New York City. The Raptors make their way to far less exciting local in Cleveland Ohio. Given what is expected for this Raptor season it might be a fitting place for it to start. It also offers a dream start to a NBA Career for Toronto native Tristan Thompson playing against the team he grew up watching. Many including myself had hoped that he would be the first ever Canadian to start his career with the Raptors. But for the first time ever a Canadian will throw on a Raptor jersey and also likely start in Jamaal Magloire. I can't lie my level of excitement for this season is just above watching paint dry which is what the pre-season kind of felt like. But not all Raptor fans share in my lack of enthusiasm. Here is some proof.

See some people are excited. In fact the Raptors should feel fortunate so many fans still remain loyal to them given how things have gone the past few years. A lot look at this season as something they must endure to get to the end of the rainbow. But what happens when you get to the Emerald City and find out the wizard is nothing more than an incompetent boob? The Cavs will have two rookies in Thompson and Irving to watch this season. The Raptor fan base waits for their draft pick to come next season. While experts not just from here but around the league see a bright future for Jonas Valanciunas there is no guarantee in that. What you can guarantee is the pressure on him will be massive.

Key Match-up: I was inclined to say Tristan Thompson on Andrea Bargnani but Thompson is not expected to start so will see that match-up at times but not a lot. But I thought I would go with Kyrie Irving against Jose Calderon. Yet another point guard that has entered this league that will be an almost impossible challenge for our athletically challenged point guard. See the biggest problem with Jose Calderon is the league has changed so massively at his position since he arrived in Toronto. John Wall, Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo and many others that are just flat out fast. Not only are they fast but in many cases they are highly skilled. It is not that Jose is significantly worse as a defender it is the league has changed to make him so. Irving was the high scoring Rookie in the Pre-Season with 21 point vs the Pistons. In front of a home crowd with all eyes on him you can expect big things from him. This will be a real good test for Casey's defensive system which had mixed results vs Boston. It is not if Irving goes by Calderon it is when he does and what happens next.

Other Things To Watch: In the pre-season we saw one game of this improved Bargnani that we were constantly told about in training camp and we saw one example of the old Bargnani we have come to hate. Well some of us have. Which one shows up when the lights come on in Cleveland? Also beyond Demar DeRozan and the aforementioned Bargnani who is going to score for this team consistently? The defence will no doubt improve on some level but if it is at the expense of the offence how much further ahead are the Raptors really? It is a riddle that this season will likely tell us.

The Raptors continue to talk about this young core group that they have. What will lie ahead for the likes Ed Davis, James Johnson, Jerryd Bayless and Amir Johnson and the rest. In order for this plan to work some of these guys along with Bargnani and DeRozan must take their games to the next level. While this cast of castoff veterans the Raptors have brought in, will be expected to aid in that development can they add anything at all on the floor itself. Aaron Gray and Jamaal Magloire did next to nothing in the pre-season. While Carter and Butler didn't even play in both pre-season games.

The Raptor's worst season all-time was a 16-66 effort back in 1997-98. If the Raptors lose 66 games this year I officially give up. But in terms of percentage that 97-98 season was a franchise low .195 winning percentage. For the Raptors to sink below that it would take a 12 win season in this lockout shortened schedule. Vegas if you are the betting type of person has the Raptors at 15.5 wins. Slightly higher than that low mark. In the only other lockout shortened season the Raptors with a team that would grow into the best team they had in terms of playoff success road a rookie named Vince Carter to a 23-27 record. The next season they would win 45 games and make it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

It promises to be a long season with little to get excited about. The Raptors future beyond that may be left for ping pong balls to decide to a degree. But if the Raptors are to do any kind of surprising this season a team like Cleveland has to be a game that you win. If you can't beat them there is not to many teams in the league below them in terms of talent. They like the Raptors are trying to dig out of a hole left by a star heading to Miami. The one in Cleveland is a lot deeper.

I wanted to share a story with you all about one of the people in that video. They had been a long time fan of Morris Peterson. In talking with them I mentioned that Mo is on Twitter. @Mopete24 if you did not know. Anyway I had looked it up for them and in the process of sharing the info with them Morris Peterson happened to stumble upon the mention of him and thank this person for their support. It was nice of him to do that. It made the longtime fan very happy. It is also made me feel good to have played a small role in it. In a season such as this one it could be easy to take for granted that I get the chance to talk to many NBA players and all of the Raptors. But these events on Christmas Eve reminded me what a great thrill it is for fans to meet players and even exchange a brief conversation. If this team wins 12 games or 33 games it is still a privilege to have the chance to talk to players and know them on some small level in the context of work. Thanks for the reminder Movernie.

So regardless of how the Raptors end up doing it is a lot better to have them around than to not have basketball at all. It was a lot of fun to watch games again yesterday on Christmas. So hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with the people you care about. It is time to go to work for the Raptors and me. In a season that will offer little break for either.

There is No O in Ugly

2011-12-22T11:38:00.005-05:00

What can you say about last night in Boston and still have Santa bring you presents? The answer is not a lot. The Raptors could not register a basket in the first four and half minutes of the game. It would only slightly improve from there. At times you wondered if the Raptors indeed had any offence in place at all. Other times they seemed to be in such a hurry to play defence they would just chuck it up in a hurry. I mean glad they have bought into playing defence but that is a bit extreme. That new and improved Bargnani....Forget about it! Back to the Bargnani we all have become accustom to. Only 4 rebounds for him. That improved defence had a lot of leaks in it and did not travel well. Bargnani did have 20 points and was 7-17 from the field. Aaron Gray continues to depress with 0 points and 5 rebounds. DeRozan and Bayless struggled as well with Double D going 4-13 from the field and having 16 points he did have 10 rebounds to lead the team. While Bayless was 4-16 and had just 12 points with only 2 assists. Calderon wasn't any better with 6 points and just 2 assists.

You can look up and down the boxscore and be hard pressed to find anyone that you could consider had a good night. The Raptors once again looked much like a Raptor squad in the Kevin O'Neil Era. In fact maybe worse as they shot as a team 24-74 for 32.4%. It is pretty ugly and it sure isn't entertaining. The Raptors may make all those people that want them to lose happy. But the NBA Lottery has no guarantees and the damage a season like this could do to individual players could be significant. For those waiting on Jonas Valanciunas to arrive the kid no matter what you think of him is not a Savior. Raptors will have an opener on Boxing Day that you have to consider a winnable game for them. An effort like we saw in Boston and no game for this team will be considered winnable.

Dwane Casey has 5 days to convince us he really has an offence to install because to this point there is no evidence that he does. Coming out of this mini pre-season it is hard to feel encouraged about anyone at this point really. Boston is not going to be the world beaters they have been in past season and Paul Pierce didn't even play in either game for them.

The long season that everyone has been warning you about is on the verge of beginning. My suggestion is go enjoy the holidays and hang on to those good memories because you will need them to get through this season. No matter what uniforms the Raptors plan on wearing the guys in them are going to be challenged to remain competitive at best. The entertainment value on most nights will be non-existent. If you want entertainment catch a lot of Clipper games after the Raptors have probably lost.

For the record the Final Score read 81-73 Boston but it was not really that close. It is an allusion like the Raptors funky 3-D logo.

We here at the Dino Nation Blog will be taking the next few days off for the holidays and will be back on Monday for the Season Opener in Cleveland. Enjoy the time with friends and family and I wish all of you that support the Dino Nation Blog a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays which ever applies to you.

I will be showing up for our DNB Fantasy Draft tonight though. So best of luck to all that have signed up to take part in that. If you want to sneak in and join the draft you will need to find a buddy to join you. When you have a pair of people that want to join contact me @Dinonationblog and I will send you both the info to sign up. Reason for the buddy system is so we maintain an even number of teams and it does not mess up our draft from happening.

DNB Notebook

2011-12-21T13:22:00.004-05:00

Ok first thing is first. Raptors game will not be found on T.V tonight so get your laptop & some hot coco and click on this link. Through the magic of Christmas you will see the game. Bayless and Gray will be starting according the the members of the travelling media which are few for this one. Raptors also confirmed this with a tweet.

Happy to report one of my favourite people has found employment. Reggie Evans has been brought in by the Clippers for anyone that has any ideas of pushing Paul or Griffin around they now have an answer.

Raptors will wear God awful uniforms on March 21st to honour the military. I am guessing this was suppose to happen on November 11th for Remembrance Day. Truth is this is more gimmick than it is tribute. I had a father serve in the Air Force and if he was alive I am sure he would not feel honoured. I was also stunned by the amount of attention the gimmicky Raptors 3-D logo got. I am tired of gimmicks and honestly they may think they work but they really don't. Only the stupidest or loyalist of fans don't see through this junk. It is more of a magic trick to distract from the horrible on court product.

The NEW MLSE might be just as bad as the old MLSE. Only need to look at the complete failure by Rogers in the whole Yu Darvish bidding process. The Jays did not land the Japanese star pitcher. Now post facto they refuse to even acknowledge they were trying. Again do people at the top of these companies not understand that by and large people are intelligent and not nearly as stupid as they seem to think? This is going to be half of the evil empire combined with Bell that will be running the Raptors. Should I hold any confidence that the Raptors will be allowed to spend beyond a luxury tax in the future? No not a chance in hell. In fact I read something last night that looked back to 1992 payrolls and compared it to today. Jays salaries are only 6 million higher than it was back then. The only team less was the Kansas City Royals at 2 million. How I wish a Canadian Version of Mark Cuban would come save us all. Santa likely can't provide me that gift.

That is all I have for today. Try not to kill anyone over a parking spot. Try to remember it is the holidays and good will on earth and all of that. I am going to go put on my Jack Armstrong and Eric Smith Christmas Album and try and be festive.

DNB 2011-12 Season Predictions

2011-12-20T15:07:00.005-05:00

So it has reached that time of the year where I must become a educated guesser on what will happen in this NBA Season. So if you are ready we will begin with the guess work.

Your Playoff Teams in the East:

1. Miami

2.Chicago

3. New York

4. Atlanta

5.Boston

6. Indiana

7. Philadelphia

8. New Jersey

Obviously a Dwight Howard move to New Jersey could mess up the order of this quite a bit. But think these are the 8 teams you see in the playoffs the order I could see changing based on moves and injuries could make it tough on teams the biggest of those could be Boston.

As for the Raptors they will not be in the Playoffs yet again but no one is expecting them to be. The big question for most is will they be the 15th team in the East and likely 30th in the NBA. That answer is no. Detroit will be worse than the Raptors. Think the Wizards will be as well. Also the Bobcats will not be up to snuff. So that would leave the Raptors finishing 12th with more wins than expected at 20-46. I think the Raptors will hang around in enough games to steal a few here and there. They also have the advantage of some young players that will be able to handle the grind of this crushing schedule.

Now on to the West:

1. OKC

2. Dallas

3. Portland

4. L.A Clippers

5.L.A Lakers

6. Denver

7. San Antonio

8. Memphis

The West is a lot tougher to figure out. I am convinced that OKC is the class of this conference now. Dallas got worse, Lakers got worse and the Thunder stayed the same for the most part but have a Kendrick Perkins that looks in fantastic shape and a year of experience at playing as an elite team. The Clippers are the real wild card with Chris Paul. Think 4th is a conservative approach as to where they will end up.

What Raptor Fans really care about is your Lottery Top 5

1. Detroit

2. Washington

3. Charlotte

4.Utah

5. Toronto

Now on we go to the Awards:

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Paul

Dwight Howard has owned this award for years but with the issues of getting out of Orlando and how long that takes think it will be a Destraction and a less focused Howard. Chris Paul will rack up a ton of steals and get the Clippers running. I thought about going with Dwayne Wade or Lebron James but decided to go with Chris Paul and I am sure David Stern will be on hand to give him his award. Tyson Chandler in New York would have been a more conventional pick to make.

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving

I wanted to say Tristan Thompson but that would be my Canadian Pride talking. You may say that picking Irving is going the easy route but it is not a lock the number one pick always gets the award. Irving has the opportunity and the ability to cash in and win the award. He is starting from day one and has little challenge for minutes in Cleveland.

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks

The first time I picked him people thought I was nuts. He ended up winning the award. This time my pick will be viewed in a lot different light. Eric Spoelstra will not get the credit for the Heat dominating. While same will be true for Vinny Del Negro with the Clippers. Want a long shot? Frank Vogel will have a nice group with Pacers and they should be much improved.

6th Man of the Year- Taj Gibson

Boozer has been losing favour in Chicago and in a season that has injury issues at the forefront given the schedule it is not looking good for Boozer given his history. All this says to be big things for Taj Gibson. Think that is a good a guess as any. Want a total shot in the dark. Norris Cole the rookie in Miami. They love him and getting to play with the Big 3 in Miami can only help him wrack up some impressive numbers off the pine backing up Chalmers.

M.V.P- Lebron James

People have started to hate him a little less and he has had a extended off-season to get upset how we were all mean to him and his friends. So Game On. Kevin Durant, Rose the defending M.V.P will be in the conversation. Chris Paul could also get a serious look if he is able to make the Clippers the better team in L.A

So what is left to do? Oh right who is going to win it all? Last year I picked this and it almost happened so this year I will pick it again with the same two teams and a different winner.

The OKC Thunder will defeat the Miami Heat in 6 games.

Your Finals MVP : Kevin Durant.

You can bet that I will brag about everything I get right and hope that you all forget everything I get wrong but those are my educated guesses for this season. If you want to share yours feel free to leave them in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Dinonationblog.

"The People's" Face of Franchise in the DNB

2011-12-20T11:26:00.007-05:00

I started having access to the Raptors when Demar DeRozan arrived on the scene. Prior to experiencing it for myself I was told what a great kid he was. I remember watching him just fooling around after a training camp practice and being totally in awe of how this kid could fly. I would sit down with him that day and talk, both of us were a bit more reserved in our conversation. Demar was getting use to life in the NBA and I was waiting for someone to tell me that's it your out of here.

Thankfully no one has said that to me. I would also get to know someone who no one really knew much about when he came here in Sonny Weems. One of the coolest things that I have got to see in the past couple years is the special relationship between DeRozan and Weems. They had a great friendship and had fun and competed at just about anything. Weems decided to take his talents to Europe instead of waiting to see how the NBA Lockout played out. But the friendship still continues long distance.

"I have been trying to talk to him as much as I can," DeRozan said. "He has been playing well and I am trying to keep up with him and he definitely misses being here." In terms of the future this could be just a year apart for the two. The Raptors did tender a qualifying offer for Weems and would hold his rights if and when he decided to return to the NBA. That being said with the addition of Forbes and Johnson both under contract beyond this season and in addition to Kleiza it could be tough for Weems fitting in this roster. But no matter where he is playing he will always have DeRozan in his corner and vice versa.

In terms of year three for DeRozan the goals remain the same. " I got two years of experience and I am just trying to learn and understand what it takes to win and help my team win." Part of helping him do that will be Raptors new head coach Dwane Casey who DeRozan was familiar with from working with him at camps in Vegas in the off-season in prior to Casey's arrival in Toronto. "He is a hands on guy and gave me a lot of pointers." According to DeRozan, "It is just a blessing to have him as our head coach now." It obviously was a plus for Casey having two years of working with Demar in Vegas when he was considered for this job in Toronto. He also obviously has the respect of Demar and by the sound of things in training camp the rest of this roster as well.

"Everything is still the same ain't nothing changed with me just trying to get better on that basketball court." DeRozan stated. He might not have changed but everything around him clearly has. He was the guy addressing the fans at the end of last season and he was the guy that welcomed them back. There can be some debate as to who the franchise player is on the court but off the floor the face of the Toronto Raptors is clearly that of Demar DeRozan. Not to mention the fan base that have many wanting to see him take the reigns as the leader of this franchise. A lot to ask of a young man that would be a senior at USC in a different era. But in this modern world of the NBA it is all about making an impact sooner rather than later. The patience of letting a player grow and mature is not what it once was. However the Raptors have done a decent job of that with DeRozan.

DeRozan has always been praised for his work ethic and among the new things he brings to the table for year three is improved range and a better three point shot. This has always been a personal concern of mine. People have been saying about how DeRozan needs to develop that ability to shoot from long range. However, we all saw Vince Carter develop his range and fall hopeless in love with the three point shot, thus losing some of the aggressive driving nature that made him what he was. No chance of DeRozan ever saying dunking is over rated though. He feels his new found range can be a weapon to help him drive to the basket once people respect he can make that shot. "Definitely, I am just adding more weapons to my game and building on it."

Is this new focus on defence going to take some time to get their energy balanced on both ends? DeRozan doesn't think so, "Not at all, there is no way you can prepare for in game shape. It is different from practising and playing against each other all day. I think once we get in the rhythm of going up and down on offence and defence we will get the hang of it." time for that will be short with the season less than a week away. After that, this challenging schedule than kicks in and that is a challenge of it's own. But DeRozan is not looking at it any differently and plans to approach it the same way. "Everybody has been playing this game along time and you approach it as a professional and you just understand what you gotta do and you go out there," DeRozan continues his thoughts on challenge of the schedule, " I approach it like any other season, come in prepared mentally and physically ready and take on the challenge."

To be young and have energy to not sweat this schedule. I am not sure some older guys will look at it the same way. We all heard the comments of Kevin Garnett on the schedule and he seemed to have much more of a problem with it. But even if this was a normal season with a normal schedule it was always going to be a challenge for the Raptors. Demar DeRozan seems ready to accept that challenge head on. We all wait and wonder just how well he will do in his attempt. This will be a big year in terms of how DeRozan is viewed going forward. Can he take it to that next level and be considered a star and the leader of his team or will he just be a good player that continues to improve but requires some people to help him take a team to the next level. Time will tell but there is no question that DeRozan still has the potential for a lot of improvement and growth and has yet to reach the apex of his talent.

Up to this point it has been fun to have a front row seat for the ride. Demar says he is still the same and in many ways he is. But there seems to be a greater understanding of where he is in his journey and a more focused and determined approach. His connection to the fans has given him a ton of support that he openly acknowledges and seems to feed off of it. We have seen it all before with others in the past. But the hope is this ride has a much more positive ending for both fans and DeRozan.

Some Toronto Love From Returning Raptors.

2011-12-19T13:12:00.006-05:00

Basketball is back and so are the Raptors. It has been a longtime away from the city for a lot of the returning players and what they missed the most was you. When asked what he missed about Toronto that was Demar DeRozan's answer. "Just the interaction with fans and the support system that they give us. There is nothing like it." Demar continued his thoughts on being back in the city, "It just feels good being in the city and fans seeing you out and getting to play in front of them."

Demar says once this season is done he wants to spend more time in Toronto this upcoming summer. He had talked about having a charity game for fans in Toronto during the lockout that he and Amir were trying to put together. It was a tradition that Vince Carter had started in Toronto and it was briefly continued by Steve Nash for a season. But according to Demar it is coming back, "I am going do it in the summer. Try give back to the city a bit. Bring in some NBA guys and have a game for the fans to watch."

Jerryd Bayless would likely be able to get an invite for that game. He has been pretty vocal about his love for the city and his happiness about being here. What did he miss about being away from Toronto? "Everything, I love the city there is a lot of things to do in the city. It is a place that I want to make my home for a long time and hopeful it is." In terms of his personal goals for the season " Just to win and if we win everything else will take care of itself. I just want to win and be a part of this franchise for a long time and that is my main focus."

The Raptors are happy to be back and happy to have the fans back as well. It was a pretty decent turnout for a pre-season game on Sunday. Part of that was the team they were playing, and the fact this was the lone pre-season home game. But still, the numbers compared to other NBA markets in the pre-season looked a lot bigger than games I saw in other markets via T.V. As an example the pre-season game in Detroit, once one of the strongest NBA markets, but is not as much anymore, it looked like a high school game was being played, not an NBA contest with Detroit and Cleveland.

Will have more on Demar DeRozan in another post. But will share this little bit now. When I asked him how he would pitch Toronto to other NBA Players if asked, he again brought up you folks that cheer on the Raptors. "It is a great city and a very diverse city and the support system from the fans is great." There is no doubt Raptor fans are some of the most passionate and supportive you can find. This is as long as they respect you and like you. When you lose that respect it can be hard to ever get it back. Jermaine O'Neal likely doesn't have the same fuzzy feelings about Toronto as Demar. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and even Chris Bosh have all still claimed to love Toronto, but the love for them is more in the form of boos than cheers. But for now Demar DeRozan sits in a spot that they all have before him, on the rise and becoming the "People's Choice" as the "Face of the Franchise". The hope is that the next chapter that Demar will write in the coming years has a different result. There has never been a star on the Raptors that has truly embraced fans the way he has. When he and Sonny Weems just showed up to play some ball at a basketball court it was surprising. It is hard to imagine Vince, Tracy or Chris doing that. Raptor fans have to have two hopes in terms of DeRozan. One that he continues to improve and develop into a superstar. After that and maybe more importantly he will remain in Toronto once he does. It will always be a fear in the back of Raptor fans head until someone actually does stay for the long haul.

Flashbacks Of K.O Era In 1 Point Loss

2011-12-19T09:58:00.006-05:00

Dwane Casey was brought in to fix the Raptors awful defence. One Game in he seems to have made some significant progress in that. He also seems to have made some progress in making Andrea Bargnani pay attention on defence and on the glass. It all brings back memories of Kevin O'Neil and his one season with the Raptors. In which yes their defence was very good allowing the 6th fewest points in the league at 88.5 points per game. But the problem for that squad was the offence in which they averaged an NBA worst 85.4 points per game. Now Casey admits that there is still a lot of work yet to be done on the offence. Raptors did get stops yesterday but they also were in the Christmas spirit of giving with 21 turnovers. Celtics were without Paul Pierce and played their starters reduced minutes. All that being said based on the focus of training camp you have to say aside from not getting the win it was a success.

The Raptors got little to no production from Andrea Bargnani's old position at the 5 spot. Jamaal Magloire had zero points and played less than 10 minutes. Aaron Gray has only 2 points and 4 rebounds and Amir Johnson just 4 points, 5 rebounds and a block. This is a short term concern but in the long term people will point to the fact that Jonas Valanciunas is coming to fill that void next year.

Rasual Butler is still waiting to score his first basket as a Raptor. He was 0-4 and missed all three that he attempted from beyond the arc. Making a better first impression was Gary Forbes with 5 points, 4 assists, 2 boards and a steal in just under 15 minutes of floor time. Anthony Carter did not suit up in this game for the Raptors.

Raptors last two draft choices both had good starts to this shortened NBA Season with Demar DeRozan showing off his new found range he worked on in the off-season going a perfect 2 for 2 from three point range. He was 5-10 overall with 14 points and 3 rebounds. Ed Davis had a solid performance 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of floor time.

While Bargnani was getting all kinds of praise for his new found commitment to rebounding nad defence it did come at a cost as he only shot 4-14 for 16 points but was 2-3 from the arc and got to the line 7 times making 6 of them for a team high 16 points. But the big bold number in the stat line was the 9 rebounds. Dwane Casey said the goal was to try and get Bargnani to average 2 rebounds a quarter. He manged to meet that goal in this one.

As for the point guard controversy that we are not going to have. Hard to pick a winner out of this one but if forced to make the call the edge would go to Calderon despite shooting just 2-8 he did have 6 assists and just 1 turnover with 7 points. Bayless was 4 for 10 netting him 10 points with 3 assists but 4 turnovers. If Bayless is ever going to take the job as starter he will have to do a better job taking care of the ball.

Back to the whole K.O Comparison. In that season the Raptors as a team shot 41.8% which was 28th in the league. Raptors shot just 38.4% yesterday. You can make the argument that team K.O had has more offensive punch than this Raptor team has. Vince Carter, Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall, Morris Peterson and Alvin Williams. Even Vince struggled to get points that season with just 22.5 points per game. The question for the modern version of the Raptors is beyond Bargnani and DeRozan where are the points going to come from consistently. You also wonder if this new found Andrea Bargnani can still score to the level of the old one that thought defence and rebounding was for someone else to do.

This is all just a first impression though. Dwane Casey still has more offence to bring into the mix and there is going to be a period of adjustment. Not that anyone will admit it but some players are using up more energy on defence than they have in the past. It is going to take time for their bodies to adjust to this added work load. You have a lot more energy on offence if you are not going at full speed on defence. So let's see if the Raptors can improve the offence back to a level were use too without sacrificing the defence that we are not use too.

If that doesn't happen you could see a lot of nights like what we saw on Sunday afternoon where the Raptors can keep it close but ultimately not close the deal. Which for some is exactly what they would like to see. After all there is a good portion of Raptor fans that are already thinking about the NBA Lottery. Wins lose ping pong balls theory of life. But at least in the locker room that is not the goal. But to get more wins they not only have to pound the rock they need to shoot it a lot better.

Still if you did not think it was possible for Dwane Casey to get this team to play and buy into defence he at least one game in proved that he can make it happen. Keeping that going through what will be the grind of a unprecedented NBA Season will be the challenge.

So the Raptors fall 76-75 to Boston coming close but falling just short as DeRozan missed on a runner in the lane and Bargnani who actually got the rebound could not get it to fall on the putback.

Had a chance to catch up with Demar DeRozan and Jerryd Bayless prior to this game and you can catch the results of that in the next couple days in the DNB as the Raptors will take on this same Celtics team on Wednesday in Boston.

Raptors Tough Talk Will Be Put To The Test

2011-12-16T11:18:00.003-05:00

The Toronto Raptors have been talking tough in this training camp. Much talk of a change in mentality and a focus on defence. Well all that talk gets put to the test nicely against the Boston Celtics. Ever since the Big 3 appeared in Boston they have been the Raptors school yard bully. Kevin Garnett has been at the forefront of that. We all remember some of the events that have happened when these teams have hooked up. From Garnett yapping at Jose Calderon to a well placed knee by Paul Pierce to Chris Bosh's southern region.

Rajon Rondo will also be a nice test for this defence. Can you actually hide a Jose Calderon in this system? It is a safe bet will find out fast. Rondo has flat out owned Calderon in the past and blows by him really at will. The Celtics issues might lie at the center position. Shaq has retired and J.O is really the only true center they have left on the roster. While the Raptors may not have added quality but they do have depth at the five spot. Jamaal Magloire , Arron Gray and a bigger Amir Johnson all will see time at the five spot this year. Ed Davis might even see some minute and you have the raw Solomon Alabi as well.

Doc Rivers seemed less than impressed with his team's conditioning coming out of this lockout. The Raptors should give them a good test in that regard with their run and gun style offence. Raptors did few things well last year but one of them was fast break points. Boston will get a good run if nothing else playing against the Raptors for two games in the pre-season.

At the end of this two game pre-season we should have a good idea if all this talk has any merit to it. Andrea Bargnani has been catching praise for his new found effort on defence and on the boards. Will see what happens when the likes of K.G is on the other side of the equation.

The time for talking is almost over. Raptors will be having a practice for the fans at Variety Village in Scarborough. it gets rolling at 6:30pm but you need passes to get in that were available at the ACC Box Office so safe bet they might all be gone at this point.

I won't be there but I will be there Sunday for Raptors and Celtics. Today is my mom's Birthday so that will be the main focus of my day. If you can't make it down to ACC for Pre-Season game it will be available on Sportsnet with a 1pm tip time. See you folks Monday with lots of good stuff from my trip to the ACC.

DNB Top 10- Bargnani Rebounding Edition

2011-12-15T09:49:00.003-05:00

So Dwane Casey thinks Andrea Bargnani can average 2 rebounds a quarter which would make 8 rebounds a game. Honestly Raptors fans have a hard time buying into this. So here is a list of things that will happen BEFORE Bargnani averages 8 rebounds a game.

#10 Obama's 2nd term in office

#9 Lebron James wins five championships

#8 David Stern retires.

#7 A NBA All Star Game in Toronto takes place

#6 Myck Kabongo is the Raptors starting point guard

#5 All Raptor Games are on Sportsnet 1 or TSN 2

#4 Vince Carter's number is retired at the ACC

#3 Chris Paul wins a title with the Knicks

#2 TFC wins the MLS Cup

#1 Hell freezes over and Leafs win Stanley Cup

So that is our list. You have some better ones tweet them at me @Dinonationblog and I will re-post them on Twitter. In short sorry Dwane Casey seeing is believing. First the comments about Bargnani being like Dirk and now this. Casey is setting himself up if he is putting his faith in Andrea. Many Raptors fans have done it before he got here and been disappointed.

7 Dayz of NBAZ

2011-12-14T08:52:00.005-05:00

Has there been a more bizarre week in the history of the NBA? Chris Paul is trapped in New Orleans with no signs of getting out. Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando and then he kinda does, but then he says he loves you Orlando but hates Otis Smith. Kobe is pissed and it isn't about Mike Brown, it is about Lamar Odom being traded for next to nothing. This because Odom had his feelings hurt and wife yell at him for almost getting traded to New Orleans. Instead a Kardashian in the city of the world's most famous porn movie seems fitting to me. David Stern jokes are all the rage on twitter. Kevin Garnett has taken Stern off his Christmas card list and does not like this demanding schedule. In terms of former Raptors , Vince is a Mav, T.J a Spur and Kris Humphries is single in life and in the NBA without a team. My main guy Reggie Evans is also on the list of players that are homeless and likely saying trade Chris Paul and Howard already. Kwame Brown is making millions still. Mark Jackson will regret leaving ESPN before Kwame is cut? Big Baby has been sent to Magic Kingdom. Rumours he was to big for some of the rides at Disney World are 100% true. Meanwhile Kendrick Perkins looks like he lost a small person in terms of weight. The number is said to be 30 pounds it looks more like 50.

This and about 500 other things have happened in the last week or so. Aside from Stern botching the whole Chris Paul situation to the point that Paul is thinking of suing the league in an attempt to get his freedom. I know I joke but this is actually true. He would sue for damages and a court order to allow him to be traded to Lakers or the Clippers. Problem is the season starts in 11 days. By the time a court hears this case it may well be the All-Star Break. That was a joke but to get a ruling from a court during the holidays in under 11 days? I see that as highly unlikely. Here is an idea have David Stern and Chris Paul go on Judge Judy. I mean hell the NBA has been embarrassed a ton already why not go all the way. Who wouldn't enjoy Judge Judy yelling at both Stern and Paul? I know I would.

Cory Joesph has had trouble suiting up for the Spurs. Some legal issues about working in the States. This just seems bizarre seeing as he played for the Longhorns in the same state that he is playing his pro ball. Tristan Thompson did not have the same issues as even the government is fearful of the wrath of Dan Gilbert. Once Joesph is able to play he will have a very familiar face in former Longhorn T.J Ford. This should help Joesph learn the ropes a little faster. It will also cut down on his minutes on the down side. As for Thompson for now he will be coming off the bench behind longtime vet Antwan Jamison. He makes his debut at home against the Raptors on the 26th. Be make his pre-season debut on NBA T.V on Friday vs the Pistons.

Proof not only Raptor trades fail. O.J Mayo for the 2nd time in under a year was off to the Pacers only to see the deal fall apart. This one falling apart had nothing to do with David Stern or Michael Jordan. While one of the big prizes in Free Agency has done the far from normal thing of staying with the team he was with. Nene was never coming to Toronto according to Leandro Barbosa because it was to cold. But it does snow in Denver right? Or has Tim Tebow made it a tropical island? Regardless Nene is staying in the land of Tebow with the Nuggets not the Broncos.

There is no doubt I will be talking about at least some of these things tonight on the Radio 12ish am on CJLO on The Sports Grind.

Some Media Day Sunshine and Rainbows

2011-12-13T10:38:00.004-05:00

Ah yes the sunshine and rainbows that is media day. There was a time in which I saw media day as an important event. Maybe because I have never been to one. But ultimately it really is just a lot of positive talk. It happens in every NBA city. The teams that have legit expectations tell you why they will live up to them and the teams expected to do little tell you why they will surprise people. The Raptors are expected to do little. In fact depending on who you talk to very little. But obviously the people in the Raptors organization are not going to buy into that. They believe that they can be better than what most expect. Still the actions speak louder than the words in terms of the moves the team as made. Not that they are bad moves for the direction the team is trying to head. There is no doubt a culture change was needed and required. That is one of the main reasons you have Dwane Casey as the head coach and not Jay Triano.

If Jay Triano came out with this whole "Pound The Rock" philosophy it would be looked at and scoffed at rather quickly. Dwane Casey has the respect of being part of a championship winning staff, that has it taken in a different light. Regardless of the messenger I think the whole concept is a bit like a college raw raw type thing. Having a giant rock in a locker room is not going to make Andrea Bargnani learn to play defence or rebound. Although having some vets who have shown they can defend and rebound elsewhere can. Ultimately if you or I buy into this latest culture change for the Raptors it doesn't matter, it will be based on if they do. Obviously at the start of a season people are on board but will they be after a long and tough January schedule?

But ladies and gentlemen perhaps the biggest news is Andrea Bargnani now knows he has to rebound. WOW it has only taken how many years for this to sink in? He also is getting his way and finally moving to his natural position with the additions of Jamal Maglorie and Aaron Gray at the Center this will move Bargs to the power forward spot. Once this move happens the excuses have basically run out for Andrea Bargnani. People hoping he will be run out of town sooner rather than later can't be thrilled he might be looking to become a Canadian. However once Chuck Swirsky became a Canadian he was gone the next season so you never really know. Coach Casey for what it is worth praised Bargnani for his leadership and work on defence in practice. Really? Leader and Andrea? Seeing is believing and if we see the same old Bargnani in pre-season games vs Boston no one will be buying it.

It seemed pretty clear by the end of last season the idea of Andrea Bargnani being the franchise guy had been thrown out. It was now going to be Demar DeRozan's team. Even though he is not wanting to say that just yet. But all signs point to DeRozan continuing to develop into the star player for this young core. Dwane Casey's job will be to groom him into a player that can play on each end of the floor. The potential is clearly there for DeRozan to make a big jump this season. When you look at big stars the likes of Kobe Bryant and T-Mac it was really year number three where there numbers took a massive jump. Although they did not have to endure the murderous schedule that DeRozan will. But if the Raptors are to be the surprise team that they claim to be it will take DeRozan being a big piece of that.

But the reality is what it is and at the end of the day this team still has a long way to go. In a perfect world could they be better than we expect? Absolutely it can happen but the chances it will remain slim. When all the positive talk ends and reality is here it will not be easy. A short training camp for a new coach with little practice time for a team trying to learn a completely different defensive system. It is hard to imagine it can work well enough to make the Raptors any type of playoff team. The time to create change will not be there to ultimately change fast enough in all likelihood.

Even though no one on media day is going to say it directly the Raptors appear to be focused on building alright but towards next season not this one. That doesn't mean this team is going to come out and go 0-66. But it takes time to make change happen. The Raptors do not have enough of it to make it happen this year. They also lack the talent pool to make it happen as well. But the veteran guys they have brought in can have a positive impact on this young core in their development. Many of these guys have come in from franchises that were based in the fundamentals of defence first. That will be the goal for them with the constant help of Coach Casey preaching defence first. In wrestling when a guy wins a championship and people expect his reign to be short he is labelled a transitional champion. The Raptors have some transitional players at the moment. But they could start the ball rolling in the other direction by their influence on the core talent that is here.

The question than will become is if this core is truly good enough to carry this team when the focus shifts to simple wins and loses and not changing cultures and mindsets. Jonas Valanciunas will be added to this core and likely a significant player in the upcoming draft. The Raptors look to establish a culture and identity for them to blend into.

The Raptors have to balance building and improving in the midst of a horrible schedule that will push them to the limit if not beyond it. The biggest thing will not be how much the Raptors lose, but how they react to it, and if they continue to work and try and build when all this talk of being a surprise team and a playoff team fades back into reality. This season will set the table for a season where all of the excuses will run out for everyone in this organization. Fans are tired of losing and desperate to get behind a winner. If the Raptors do not produce that winner beyond this season it is going to be difficult to keep people interested in them. In fact it might be impossible because a lot of fans are at the end of their rope.

If this is all wrong and the Raptors can be that surprise it will be a step in the right direction. But it will also be perhaps the wrong time to make it given the level of talent in this draft. But the good thing is that it is not a draft with just one good player it is one with many many good players no matter where the Raptors fall. I have said it and believe it, no one drafted in the top 5 in this draft class would get a sniff in this upcoming draft class in the top five.

When will we know things have started to change? When we are not talking about ping pong balls before we every tip it up to play a game. At it's foundation Media Day is all about the purist thing we have in sports....hope. All 30 teams hope to win but there are only a select few that know they can and ultimately only one that will. Raptors are still miles from being that one. Which after 16 years of hoping is pretty frustrating for fans.

Weekend Of Little Excitement

2011-12-12T09:17:00.004-05:00

If you were expecting a ton of excitement in terms of the Raptors signings you were not listening to Bryan Colangelo or thought he was lying. It is not that the Raptors moves were horrible but they were far from headline grabbing.

First on of the reported Pietrus trade with the Suns that is now not happening. The trade that would have seen Pietrus come over for the Suns for a conditional 2nd round pick is dead. Raptors had Pietrus in and he apparently is not healthy, some issues with his knee that Raptors medical staff felt could take a month or so to get right. So that was that in terms of that deal. Down the line if Pietrus gets healthy it would be no shock if Raptors re-visited this move. But in the short term it is dead and done.

Another deal still in the waiting to happen mode is for Gary Forbes. The Raptors have signed him to an offer sheet as a restricted free agent and with the new CBA rules an answer from Denver should be coming by today or tomorrow on if they will match or not.

Jamal Maglorie was all done and signed sealed and delivered. He was saying all the right things about being the first Canadian to suit up for the Raptors. It would be some solid PR if you forget the fact he consistently has turned his back on team Canada. That takes some shine off the feel good story of the hometown guy finally coming home. In simple basketball terms he will be a help to the Raptors maybe more as a teacher than a player in terms of defence. As I said his play peaked in about 2003 when the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans and went to the Western Conference. He was a little used Center for the Miami Heat. He will get more use here but one wonders if he can last under the grind of this gruelling lockout schedule.

If he can't never fear the Raptors signed Aaron Gray. Yes Aaron Gray. I will wait for you to collect yourself. Gray is every bit the journeyman Center that has had to many teams to mention. His most recent stop was in New Orleans. If the first adjective used to describe a guy is he is 7 foot whatever that is usually a warning sign. You can't teach height. But you also can't teach talent and Gray has very little of it. He is another body in the mix. But what this means combined with Maglorie is it looks like Andrea Bargnani has finally got his way. Yes Andrea Bargnani you get to play your natural position at the four. So now let's hear what the excuse will be if he can't do any better there?

The Raptors attempted to address another concern with signing Rasual Butler. He is a decent defender that can make a three point shot. The Raptors despite the likes of Calderon, Barbosa and Bargnani had one of there worst seasons from beyond the arc in the history of the franchise. Butler should help out with that as well as this defensive makeover.

There is talk that Raptors are still one of four teams in mix for Reggie Evans but it is hard to see where Reggie would fit in this group. The Raptors did also add Anthony Carter who would be the 3rd point guard. That has yet to be made official but whoever the third point guard is makes little difference especially if they go the veteran Derek Martin route.

It is hard to say that any of these signings change the Raptors outlook as individuals. Even as a collective group they do little to shift the bottom line. It will be the impact they have on the existing roster that will determine their worth. If they help establish a better overall team defence and get players to buy in. If Andrea Bargnani is able to thrive with the move to the 4 spot. But ultimately Bryan Colangelo said he was only looking for guys for the short term and that is what he got. Nothing flashy but the hope would be the Raptors added some substance. That remains to be seen.

I don't think you can be all that critical of the moves made. But at same time if any of these signings do much for interest in the Raptors I would be stunned. It also likely will not mean a major difference in terms of the team's ultimate outlook. When teams are lining up to fight for the likes of Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, the Raptors are signing Aaron Gray and Rasaul Butler it just doesn't measure up on the excitement scale does it.

Big News Friday

2011-12-09T14:44:00.002-05:00

So just your average Friday right? Not quite. Last night the Chris Paul to the Lakers deal was first crushed by fans and media alike for it being totally hypocritical on the NBA's part. Then owners telling Stern to kill the deal. It almost made the fact the CBA was finally ratified an after thought. So after all of that we wake up to this morning to the news the BCE and Rogers have joined forces to purchase a 75% stake in MLSE from the Teacher's Pension Fund. Larry Tanenbaum added to his stake in MLSE to 25%. What it means that Rogers Sportsnet and TSN now own the Raptors may not be much better than before. Clearly the Leafs are what both were after and the Raptors are pretty much an after thought. There was lots of talk of content for the networks but not a ton of talk about what they are willing to do to build a winner. It remains unclear how much different things will be. Part of the BCE portion will be part of their pension fund. That is not exactly a good sign. But to process what at the end of the day this will all mean for the Raptors or for MLSE as a whole is still up for debate. Rogers has failed to this point to step up to the plate and spend money on the Blue Jays. They were taken to task for suggesting fans need to come out to the ballpark before they spend money. Well if that is there attitude it is not like people will be flocking to the ACC for the Raptors anytime this year.

All this and you almost forget that training camps and free agency officially open for business in the NBA today. We already have two moves made by the Raptors. Jamal Maglorie will be coming home perhaps far to late to make an impact. But he does give the Raptors a vet and a guy that can play at the center position. The latest news is the Raptors are expected to send draft picks in the 2nd round to the Suns for Mickael Pietrus. Raptors were in desperate need for a swing man with only James Johnson ready to roll at the small forward position. I have never been one to be concerned with second round picks and Pietrus has been someone the Raptors have been rumoured to be pursuing him for a long time. Both deals are following the plan Colangelo said out in his press conference earlier in the week. Just a year left for Pietrus and Maglorie on a veteran minimum contract for a season.

It is far from exciting and the Raptors will likely add a third string point guard and perhaps another big to the mix. ESPN must have missed B.C's press conference earlier in the week. He said he had no intention to use the amnesty clause this season. ESPN seems to think he will use it and blow out his number 1 draft pick in Andrea Bargnani. I find that hard to believe. While there is lot to be critical about when it comes to him. The Raptors would be foolish to at least not give him another year or try to move him before they resort to that extreme.

So were off with a bang to the Raptors season even if much of it has little to do with hear and now for the Raptors. Maglorie and Pietrus are not going to massively change the Raptors outlook. But they could impact on a young impressionable core in the future regardless of if they happen to be here for the results of it. Time will tell on a lot of things. But one way or the other people will look back on today as the start of a new era for all of Toronto sports it remains to be seen if it will be in a positive or negative way.

Raptor News, Notes and Random Anger.

2011-12-08T10:39:00.007-05:00

For years many have wanted Jamal Maglorie to be a Raptor. That however stopped being a good idea at least 5 years ago perhaps even longer. When the Hornets left the Eastern Conference was the peak of Maglorie's NBA Career. I have always had a strong desire to have a Canadian be part of the Raptors roster. However this is not what I had in mind. The fact Maglorie, time and time again has taken a pass on playing for Team Canada has made him fall in my eyes. I think it is really a shame that someone like this will be in the history books as the first Canadian to throw on a Raptor jersey. He fit right in with that group in Miami as far as I was concerned. Not that he played much. Sure it is a one year deal and will not impact on the bottom line at all. It just upsets me based on the history this signing will represent. Something this guy never has done for his country. I would sooner have Justin Bieber on the Raptors than him.

This news broke late last night it followed a press conference that was truly depressing. It wasn't meant to be and it does have some excited about the future of the Raptors. But that would be starting next season and not this season. If I was a casual basketball fan and watched that it gave me no reason on earth to watch the Raptors this year. While the honesty of it all should be admired and it is better than setting up unrealistic expectations like has been done in the past. It still was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that this team has little to no desire to improve in the short term beyond internal improvement. A signing of a guy like Maglorie only drives home that point more.

There has never been a Raptor season I have looked forward to less that I can recall. If I as someone that has supported this franchise from it's birth feel that way I can only imagine how a casual fan feels about it. Expect attendance for the Raptors to take a nose dive this season. There lack of focus on this season combined with an NBA Lockout that promised competitive balance and only served to line Owners pockets while still giving players the freedom to force their way out of markets. If this plan doesn't work as the Raptors envision the countdown to Demar DeRozan leaving is on. If DeRozan becomes a star and then follows the same path as all the rest it will be a serious blow to this franchise. There will be no turning him into a villain and making him the bad guy. Something they were able to do with Chris Bosh and were given indirectly more than enough to help from Bosh's own actions.

This season has been made pretty irrelevant before it ever started. While next season might be the most important in the history of this franchise. It will be one of those fork in the road moments. If things don't go well it could be a serious blow to this franchise and it's long term outlook.

I feel for Dwane Casey who is in a tough situation with this schedule and a very short training camp. It is going to be tough to implement his system and keep this team rolling through a challenging to say the least schedule. But this is not that Adam Sandler movie where you can press the fast forward button. You can call it re-buliding, building or changing cultures. Raptor fans have heard it all before and newsflash some of them are pretty much fed up with it. The Raptors have set the bar as low as possible for this season and perhaps as high as possible for next season. So see you at the NBA lottery where we can talk about how you can rig a ping pong ball. That is always fun every year.

DNB Top 10- Not in the Top 20 Locks

2011-12-07T12:33:00.006-05:00

They (Raptors or NBA TV) apparently have put together a list of the top 20 Raptors of all time. Instead of doing that today on the top 10 we will do the top 10 people that will NOT be in the Raptors Top 20 players of all time. This has more fun potential to it does it not?

10. Jimmy King- He was a member of the Fab 5 in Michigan and he was the first ever second round pick of the Toronto Raptors. He started the great tradition of failed second round picks in Toronto. I would mention some but they might end up on this list.

9. B.J Armstrong- Technically he was the first Raptor ever not that he ever played for the Raptors the former NBA Champion thanks to some guy named Jordan would be traded long before the Raptors first game vs the Nets at Skydome.

8. Gary Trent- will not be making the list either. Some how Trent managed to play for four different NBA Franchises. Starting in Portland than off to Toronto and would move along to Dallas and Minny before fading into the abyss after the 2003-04 season

7. Keon Clark- It is pretty scary to hear the stories after the fact about Clark. He played apparently high or dunk for most of his time in Toronto. The fact he would end up in jail on drug related charges is not surprising given that info.

6. Alexsandar Radojevic- Was 7 foot 3. He was drafted by the Raptors. He was a complete failure and than ended up in Utah...This story sounds familiar but will get to that later. Here is proof that size does in fact not matter. The thing that is more puzzling is why 4 years later Utah would think he had gotten any better?

5. Mamadou N'diaye- Got to hang around with the Raptors for almost 3 seasons it took Dallas only half a season to pass on him. He will never go down as the 2nd greatest player to come out of Auburn since Charles Barkley. He likely in not even the best NBA Player from Sengal. But the name was cool he had that.

4 Hakeem Olajuwan- He was a two time NBA Champion in Houston. A real stand up guy that did a great deal in the community. An NBA legend and would find his place on many lists of the best centres to play the game. But the only dream shaking we saw in Toronto was the one that earned him a pay check for doing next to nothing. He was no dream for us.

3. Micheal Bradley- Was a Nova Wildcat and was at the time thought to be a steal for the Raptors in the draft. But the only stealing that was done was him earning a paycheck from the Raptors. He bounced around to 4 other teams but spent the majority of his 173 game NBA Career with the Raptors.

2. Micheal "Yogi" Stewart- If there was a man with less basketball talent that got paid more money I would like to know who it was? Adam Morrison? Maybe but still Yogi Stewart was more team mascot than he was player. The former Cal Bear spent 4 years of fun here in Toronto. If he didn't have fun he sure had the money to have fun.

Do we all know who # 1 is? You know you do so get ready to yell it out at the top of your lungs....

1. Rafael "Hoffa" Araujo- He became the poster boy of Rob Babcock's failure. He had 2 years of just pathetic performance before he was in perhaps the greatest trade of the Colangelo era sent to Utah for some bad ass and a guy that would go on to marry some girl named Kim. He also was a power forward in the NBA. Kris Humphries became famous and Arajuo is infamous with all Raptor fans. He is in a class of his own as perhaps the WORST RAPTOR OF ALL TIME. But that debate could be a long one. A lot longer than talking about who has actually been good here in the last 16 years or so.

Sked Does The Raptors No Favours.

2011-12-06T20:19:00.003-05:00

The NBA Schedule is out and Raptors will open it up against Canadian Tristan Thompson. Chris Bosh makes his lone appearance with his Heat Buddies in Toronto on March 30th. Raptors new home opener is now against the Pacers on the 28th of December. Raptor face 17 of their first 26 games on the road and will have little time off while doing it. This does not bode well for a team trying to learn a new system with a new coach in charge. If the Raptors have any hope at the playoffs things are a little brighter in February with a 7 game homestand. Here the link to the schedule on NBA.Com. Also here is the official press release from the Raptors on the announcement of the schedule.

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday a revised 2011-12 regular season schedule featuring 66 games from December 26 to April 26. The club will tip-off its 17 season in the National Basketball Association at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Monday, December 26. The team’s home debut at Air Canada Centre will be Wednesday, December 28 at 6 p.m. versus the Indiana Pacers. Raptors season seats are available by calling (416) 366-DUNK (3865), while single-game ticket information will be released at a later date. The Raptors will launch a special "72 Hour" Tip-Off Pack with sales starting Wednesday at noon. Fans can call (416) 366-DUNK (3865) or visit www.raptors.com for more information. The Raptors will face 17 of their first 26 games on the road (December 26 – February 6). After that stretch, Toronto will play 12 of 15 games on its home floor (February 8 – March 7) with only a two-game set at Houston and New Orleans and a single game at Detroit being played away from Air Canada Centre. The schedule features 19 games in 31 days in January, with the 19 contests being an all-time franchise high for a month. Twelve of the 19 January outings will be on the road, including a stretch of eight of nine games from January 14-29. January also consists of the team’s lone back-to-back-to-back set with games January 9 versus Minnesota, January 10 at Washington and January 11 versus Sacramento. The Raptors will play five games in six days, January 9-14. The longest road swing is five games which occurs twice: January 22-29 and March 13-20. The longest home stand of the season is seven games February 8-22, which equals the club record set from November 30 – December 14 in the 1999-2000 campaign. Noteworthy games on the 2011-12 schedule include the lone home matinee contest of the season when the Los Angeles Lakers make their only visit to Toronto on Sunday, February 12. The Raptors will play host to the defending Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat only once at Air Canada Centre on Friday, March 30. The Raptors will face the New York Knicks on February 14 and March 23 and the Boston Celtics on February 10 and April 13. Toronto will play its eighth season in the Atlantic Division, joining Boston, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. The Raptors were a member of the Central Division from 1995-2004. The schedule features 48 games within the conference: four games (two home, two away), against six teams (Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, New Jersey, New York, Washington); three games (two home, one away) against four teams (Charlotte, Indiana, Milwaukee, Orlando); and three games (one home, two away) against four teams (Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia).Non-conference games include: two games (one home, one away) against three teams (Denver, Houston, Memphis); one home game against six teams (Golden State, L.A. Lakers, Minnesota, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio); and one road game against six teams (Dallas, L.A. Clippers, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Utah). The busiest day for the Raptors this season will be Wednesday with 17 games on the schedule. Friday tops the home schedule with 11 games at Air Canada Centre, while Sunday and Wednesday feature a high of seven road contests. The majority of the team’s home games will fall on Wednesday (10) and Friday (11), with the combined 21 games accounting for more than half of the 33 home dates. The Raptors’ busiest month is January with 19 games followed by March with 17 contests. The busiest home month is March with 10 games, while the busiest road month is January with 12 games away from Toronto. The Raptors will have 20 back-to-back outings in 66 games, which is up two from last season’s total spread over 82 games. A high of eight contests will be a road game followed by a road game. The Raptors’ 2011-12 television schedule will be released at a later date. For the sixth consecutive season, all Raptors games will be aired nationally in Canada.

Given the schedule and the roster the Raptors would be hard pressed to match the 22 wins of last season in this shorter 66 game schedule. It looks like the schedule maker did the Raptors no favours. But the Raptors youth should serve them well. It will have to if they are to have any hope of surviving this NBA Schedule.

Raptors Fantasy Advice Part 1

2011-12-05T12:37:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing I have learned in playing fantasy sports for far to many years it is your favourite team is a trap. Your expectations for the team you root for can be unrealistic and cause you to draft players far to soon to get true value for them. In terms of the Raptors there is no one on this team that should be selected in the first few rounds of your fantasy draft. The other thing I have learned is the difference between fantasy and reality. Some players can be great assets for your fantasy team and yet you would never want that player in reality. Fantasy is all about the raw numbers it does not take into account when those numbers are produced. So if Andrea Bargnani comes out and scores 20 points in the first half and lays an egg in the second half and only gets 4 points you still get 24 points of production. But in reality you would rather his performance was more balanced.

So with those words of general wisdom let's look at the individual Raptors and where they might fit on your fantasy draft board.

Andrea Bargnani: The great thing from a fantasy prospective is at his position he can make you a lot of three pointers. The bad thing is for his position he is a terrible rebounder. He also does not provide a lot of defensive production in terms of blocks and steals. If you plan on drafting Bargnani you better have some solid rebounding at other positions. In your typical 12 team draft you probably are not even going to consider him until the 4th round. The exception to that would be if there becomes a run on the Center position in your draft but even then it would still be risky going any higher on Bargnani. He would be a steal anytime after the 6th round. If you can draft him along with another center depending on your leagues roster set up that would be ideal.

Some Things To Consider: Raptors are going to have a new emphasis on playing defence. If Andrea Bargnani continues to be a liability that could impact on his minutes. Also you have Amir Johnson and Ed Davis looking for minutes. What the Raptors do in terms of filling out their roster could also have an impact. If they find a defensive minded center that could both help or hurt Bargnani. The help is he could see more time at the 4. The hurt is if the Raptors are looking for defence at times it could find Bargnani on the bench.

Outlook: Bargnani should be the same in terms of points and three pointers. Could see a slight increase in rebounds and blocks. He should still be the Raptors biggest threat to put points on the board.

Jose Calderon: There is no question in terms of Fantasy that Calderon can be a key contributor. He can have a high free throw % can make some threes on occasion and is a high assist to turnover ratio player. The problems are can he actually keep his starting role and the minutes that go along with that? Also he is not exactly durable and can leave you high and dry. There is no way you should have Calderon as your main point guard in fantasy. There are far to many players at his position that are a better value. Calderon is a guy that you can likely find still sitting on the board late in the draft and makes a quality guy to have on your fantasy bench. It all depends on how things go for Calderon in reality. If Jerryd Bayless wins the starting job than Calderon is likely not worth drafting at all. But if he hangs on to his starting role he is worth having. Calderon does give you a lot of different things in terms of fantasy. He is a safe player in a lot of ways that shoots generally a high percentage. His assists coming off a fantasy bench could be welcomed.

Things To Consider: Just like Bargnani in terms of playing time you have some worries. Even more of them with Calderon. He is not a lock to keep his starting role. He is often injured and his lack of defence could find him is Casey's doghouse. Calderon might be worth a flyer late but he has no business being drafted as anyone's main point guard in fantasy basketball.

Outlook: Less minutes but perhaps some improved production. Less time on the floor could mean a better Calderon in terms of percentages. Although if he starts to press looking for more minutes you may be in trouble. But I would expect his 3 point and free throw % to go back to more levels we are use to after a down season in both last year. Maybe an extra steal here and there with the new focus on defence. Ultimately a guy that won't hurt your team in terms of % stats and could actually help prop up some lousy free throw shooters on your roster. Not that Calderon gets to the line a ton but when he does he usually makes them.

Demar DeRozan: The best way to put it in terms of fantasy is not ready for prime time just yet. It will be another year of improvement. But there is still some holes in his game fantasy wise. The biggest one is a lack of a three point shot. In both fantasy and reality it would be nice to see DeRozan develop a long range game. But even if he does he is never going to be a gunner. The idea is prove you can make the shot and that will set up chances to drive to the basket. That is one of his strengths. If he continues to build on his free throw % that will be key as he will get to the line a lot and make up a higher percentage of your rosters free throws. Could also see the some improvement in steals and maybe even rebounds. Everything is trending in the right direction but DeRozan is still not an elite player in terms of reality or fantasy. There are no points for style in fantasy if that was case DeRozan would score well on many of his dunks.

Things to Consider: You will be hoping to see his steal numbers rise with the Raptors never defensive system. Steals can lead to transition chances and give DeRozan some more chances at some easy points. You will be tempted to take DeRozan earlier than you should. He is a great value in the mid rounds and is a foolish mistake if drafted in the first 3 rounds. Look at it this way would you consider DeRozan a top 100 player? How about at his position is he even in the top 10? I would have to say no on both and that to me translates to a player you can't even think about until the 5th round at the earliest.

Outlook: Continued improvement across the board the key stats to look at will be steals and three point percentage. Improved steals can be a big help for any fantasy team. While you hope for little in terms of three pointers and that he will just not hurt you team overall in terms of three pointers. You will need to find some people that make threes to place around him if you plan on using him as a regular in your line up.

Ed Davis: Upside lives in Ed. He is a viable option for your fantasy team as a guy that can come off you bench and get you some boards and blocks. Davis at this point in fantasy terms I would consider a specialist. You are taking him just for those stats. His points and everything else you should not be concerned with. But what he does on the glass and in terms of swats could be key. It seems like Reggie Evans may be out the door and that will leave a lot of rebounds on the table and expect a bigger and badder Ed Davis to get his share. A guy that can be a sleeper in a draft that is not filled with fellow Raptors fans. Wait it out and go for Davis in the late rounds and get some serious bang for your buck.

Things to Consider: What the Raptors do in terms of depth at the big positions. Ed Davis will still get his minutes but the more bigs the Raptors have the less time for Davis or Amir Johnson. Especially if the Raptors land a center that shifts Bargnani over to the 4 at times. A bigger Davis could find his way on the floor at the 5 spot as well. In the new scheme of a lot of zone looks this could help Ed Davis build on his block numbers as a help defender in the zone looks.

Outlook: Nothing but sunshine for Ed Davis. I would expect improvement across the board and a player that will can some attention and be higher up the fantasy food chain next season. Ed Davis has still yet to have a normal training camp in his NBA career but it will not slow him down in terms of his development.

Will do some more of these tomorrow. Dino Nation Blog will be having a fantasy league or two as we have had every year so look for that info coming soon.

Locked Out For Nothing But Money

2011-12-02T12:21:00.003-05:00

Yes Virgina there will be a NBA season starting on Christmas Day. But in the end this lockout served no purpose other than to line owners pockets and did nothing to impact the real change that fans should have wanted for the NBA. At least fans that do not live in the big markets of the NBA. Ultimately nothing much has changed from when this all got started. Chris Paul is still going to force is way out of New Orleans. Dwight Howard is going to follow the example of Shaq and get out of Orlando and leave it a mess. The whole idea that this deal does anything in terms of competitive balance for this league is a complete joke. Nothing has changed other than the teams with money will have to spend slightly more of it. But that will not stop them from doing it.

This has been a complete failure on the part of owners for the collective fans of all NBA Teams. Some franchises are now doomed to be nothing more than glorified developmental teams for the NBA. Why on earth should people in small markets waste their money on that? If not they will lose their team? Big deal if that team was actually capable of winning. But under this system it would take a minor miracle for that to be the case. It also gives them little assurance, that any player that is least bit talented, is in any way part of their community other than for a few years. Why would anyone buy into these guys and buy merchandise or tickets for a guy that basically will be gone inside of five years.

In terms of the Raptors if they have any hope of changing their terrible history there is nothing offered in this CBA to help them out. If they are to be successful it will take them stopping pretending to be a small market team when they clearly are not. Ultimately the Raptors will need to spend money to compete with the large markets of the NBA. It becomes even more vital when you consider the division they are part of. Boston on tradition alone will always be one of those big market clubs that can attract free agents. New Jersey now powered by a Russian Billionaire, that sure has heck is not going to be intimidated by any increased luxury tax from stopping him from spending. The Knicks who are the classic example of a larger market franchise in New York. Along with Philadelphia that is a huge sports town that does not take to losing all that well.

In a sense the Raptors have become a lot like the Blue Jays, in terms of being in a division with some of the big spenders of the league and having to find a way around that. While it is not like baseball, in terms of the Raptors could finish third in the division and still make the playoffs, it still will be tough having to play these teams more than anyone else in the conference, outside of the division. While things for a team like Miami are vastly easier. If the Raptors got to play the Magic, Bobcats and Wizards more than any other teams that would be great. But they are stuck in the Atlantic facing teams that clearly will be willing to spend and have the ability to attract top talent to their franchises.

It is far from an optimistic outlook. It also makes the hopes of keeping talent seem bleak as well. Demar DeRozan heading back to the west coast at the first logically opportunity seems likely if not for certain. The Raptors at the end of this lockout still stare at the same problems and challenges they faced heading into it. MLSE has toyed with saying they are willing to be a tax team in the past but never actually going there. If they are to keep DeRozan or any other talented player that comes along they will not just have to talk about doing it they will have to do it. The only way to be a consistent winner in the NBA is now clearly to become one of the few willing to spend money. It has become a game of survival of the richest. There is the odd exception to that rule but not many teams have guys like Kevin Durant that are willing to make a small market home. Even OKC is eventually going to face this issue of having to be a tax team eventually. MLSE is not without means and if they choose not use them it will be there fault that the attendance for the Raptors continues a downward spiral. You can have who ever you like running this franchise unless they have the ability to spend money and build a winner they are doomed to at best be a fringe playoff team.

So while most rejoice in the fact there will be a basketball season this year, you may be missing the bigger picture. That bigger picture is that at the end of the day a lockout that promised a lot of hope for the Raptors future has delivered none. The same issues they had going in they have coming out of it. The ball is in MLSE's hands to decide if they are truly interested in winning in the NBA or not. If you flipped the systems of the NHL and NBA is there any doubt they would go to any limit in terms of spending to make the Leafs a winner? The question will become if they ever are willing to spend that same money on the basketball side to become that winner. In real terms with players on the roster. You can build a new practice court, hire more suits but at the end of the day you need to bpt your money on the guys on the floor.

So it is put up or shut up time for MLSE. But given the direction the club is heading that may wait for another year. But at some point the excuses end and it comes down to are you willing to spend money or not. The sad thing for fans in other "actual" small markets they do not have the option. But the Raptors clearly do and up to this point have failed to deliver on it to the full extent they can.

I have to say at the end of the day the lockout was a complete shame and did nothing for the NBA other than give them more money. But if no one spends the money it is just about the bottom line of some owner that is already rich, is ultimately what this was all about. In the end the NBA has failed to deliver what they promised. The NBA Cares about one thing and that is making money. They are no Santa Claus for giving you back the season. More like Scrooge who is just concerned with their own business. Well to paraphrase Jacob Marley the fans are your business NBA. It is a shame you really don't see that.

7 Days of NBAZ

2011-12-01T12:29:00.002-05:00

It is time for our weekly look around the NBA that we like to call 7 Dayz of NBAZ. So, if you are ready let's hop aboard the train.

Chris Paul should never end up in New York if you think about it. Who owns the Hornets? That would be the NBA. They have preached that they are looking for a more balanced competitive league throughout this lockout. Creating another super team in New York is not what they meant.

Superman is set to fly away from the Magic Kingdom. In this new NBA of teams being pro-active and trading their stars before they have a chance to walk away D-12 is the latest to be in this position. Not sure where Dwight ends up but as a Magic fan you have to be worried that Otis Smith is the guy pulling the trigger don't you? The trades he made last year were just awful. This trade is perhaps the biggest in the history of the Magic franchise. But cheer up Magic Fans he can't possible do as bad as Rob Babcock did for the Raptors with Vince Carter? Or Can he?

Danny Angie is pouring cold water on Rajon Rondo trade rumours. The Celtics would be flat out insane to trade Rondo. Can he be a handful to deal with at times? Yes. But that is why you convinced Doc Rivers to comeback and paid him all that money. Many including myself think that Rondo is the most important player on this team. If you want to give a death sentence to the original big 3 then go trade Rondo.

It is almost a new season and Andrew Bynum might be on the block again. It is like signs there is an off-season begins with a good Bynum trade rumour. The Lakers have bigger fish to fry in terms of proving they can actually win without Phil Jackson with or without Bynum. The reason they can't move Bynum is they are with and without him quite a bit. He is more damaged goods than Kris Humphries after his marriage to that Kim girl. Hump is a free agent both on and off the floor by the way.

If there is a trade or free agent rumour that does not involved the soon to be Brooklyn Nets can you tell me what it is. Looks like the Nets missed the memo about how teams are going to now spend less and that the new super luxury tax was going to slow spending. Russian Billionaires laugh at such things. Vodka for everyone and pass the check book. The problem will be selling players on coming there. But now with move to Brooklyn not just a pipe dream but a soon reality that task might become easier. Regardless the Atlantic is starting to become no joke. The Nets would like to stop being one.

Want Marc Gasol? Forget about it. Grizzlies ownership says they will match any offers on the Free Agent. Still will someone try? You bet they will even if it is a division rival trying to drive up the price.

So that was a quick look around the league. Back to more Raptor related stuff before the weekend on Friday. Hope all is going well in your world out there.

DNB Top 10- NBA Legends Edition

2011-11-30T20:23:00.002-05:00

So we sit and wait for all the legal stuff to get done and training camps to open. So what to do for the DNB Top 10? Well we have seen a lot of old basketball games over the NBA Lockout so how about my all time favourite NBA Legends? Sure why not.

10. Walt Frazier- He was before my time as player. But I have seen some of the old footage and he was one of the guys from back in the day that I think could fit in today's NBA with his style on and off the floor.

9. Dominique Wilkins- The Human Highlight Reel and he was. The guy was just a fantastic dunker and was robbed of a Slam Dunk Championship twice. Once by Jordan and once by Spud Webb. Just an amazing talent that never really was able to see any true team success.

8. Jerry West- The Logo. He was one heck of a player and if not for a guy named Bill Russell would have many more rings as a player. He in modern times is one of the best NBA Executives of all time. He also is the logo of the entire league that is hard to top.

7. Kareem Abdul Jabbar- He was a long time force in the NBA and dominated in college. His record for all time scoring leader may never be touched. His Sky Hook was almost unstoppable. He sadly a lot of times comes off as bitter these days but in his day he was great.

6. Shaq- He is retired now so he can be on this list. The early days of Shaq in Orlando was something special. He was the dominating force that a Dwight Howard was years later. Through his entire career he always brought a dose of fun to the game.

5. Jordan- Sure he probably should be higher but for me I respect all that Jordan did but this is my list so he doesn't have to be #1. It is not like the guys ahead of him will suck. Maybe I am bitter that he screwed the Raptors in that trade. As a player everyone knows what he did. I enjoyed his journey to getting to winning Championships far more than once he started winning them.

4. Larry Bird- Guy was just amazing. He never looked like a guy that could beat you down in basketball but he was the most deadly and clutch shooter in the NBA for years. When you think of the Celtics for people of a certain age it is Larry Bird that you think of. The 80's were all about him and the next guy on this list.

3. Magic Johnson- Showtime was all about Magic Johnson. It was amazing to watch some of things he would do and he made it seem so routine. Even when he came back to the NBA after retiring after finding out he had the HIV virus he played in an All-Star Game and won the MVP and you never doubted he would for a second. People rave about the point guards of today but none of them could hold a candle to Magic.

2. Julius Erving- Dr. J was just amazing. I got the tail end of his career. His dunk in the NBA Finals vs the Lakers is truly the best move I have ever seen in basketball. It really was amazing. I was a Sixers fan when I first started watching basketball. In part because that was name of my team in house league but more about watch Dr.J do amazing things in the air.

1. Bill Russell- Many will say Jordan is the greatest of all time. I will say they are wrong and say it was this guy. What Bill Russell did was just insane. He was a player coach for one of his championships. No one will ever match what his Celtics did and for Lebron James of the world that think it is easy to win a championship it isn't but maybe Bill Russell would make you think it was. He to me is the greatest ambassador of the sport of basketball. The finals MVP trophy is named after this man and it is well deserved.

Everyone has there own list for this one. There is no right or wrong answers only great NBA Legends in every list. It makes you seem like an old guy when you say it but today's NBA is not what it use to be. It is still a great game but the players from back in the day were truly amazing and hard to beat. I will take the 10 on my list and it could crush any team you care to make from today's players.

Who is Core Worthy?

2011-11-29T09:37:00.007-05:00

Toronto Raptors by almost anyone you will talk to are playing for the 2012-13 season in the 2011-12 season. The Raptors talk about have a young core that they are building around. But who really belongs in this core and will survive to the other side when this team is actually good. At least we hope will be good.

Demar DeRozan is the obvious lock on this list. Everyone hopes to see the same strides from DeRozan we saw last season. Casey would obvious like to make his future star player into a better player on the defensive end. He will have more chance of success with him than Andrea Bargnani. DeRozan has the athletic tool set to use on either end of the floor. He will be the face of this franchise and if he isn't this team is in serious trouble.

Amir Johnson is the running buddy and the only remaining Young Gun along side DeRozan. While many question his contract it is impossible to question his heart. If Casey can help Amir find a way to stay on the floor and still keep his aggression he could be an important piece to turning this team around on the defensive end. He likely becomes part of the rotation and a bench player as this team evolves. Given his salary that is a pretty expensive bench player.

The Raptors will say that Andrea Bargnani is part of their future. I will say in the words of Public Enemy not to believe the hype. Casey is not a miracle worker and Bargnani is not Dirk. You can't hide him and many with good reason question if he has any effort or desire to rebound and defend. Sure he can shoot 3's and score in bunches but that alone is not enough. The heat will only increase when Bargnani sooner or later moves to the power forward spot and still sucks. Amir Johnson and Ed Davis are not going to sit on the bench long if that would be the case. A Bargnani trade must happen or a least should happen if this team is serious about rebuilding.

Jerryd Bayless is no doubt young and did show flashes at the end of the season. While I think almost everyone will agree that Calderon is not part of this team's core moving forward the question is will Bayless be? There will be lots of attractive options in the draft including at point guard. For example would anyone not take Austin Rivers today and start him in front of both Bayless and Calderon? This season Bayless needs to make a clear claim that he is the point guard for this basketball team. The easiest way to do that is play on the defensive end of the floor. Jose Calderon has yet to figure out the mysteries of how to play defence in the NBA and is not likely to find the God of Defence under Casey. Ultimately Bayless is likely your back up combo guard when this team is on the path to being good.

James Johnson was everyone's flavour of the month last year other than perhaps me. But honestly people is this the guy you see as you small forward going forward? Really? I remain unconvinced of that fact. I do think he can be a solid option on a bench in a winning situation. But there was a reason this guy didn't get time on a good team in Chicago and that is he is not good enough too. In Toronto with virtually no competition and currently literally no competition it is easy to start. But there is no way I would consider Johnson a top 30 player at his position. If Johnson wants to live up to the hype he created last year he should have the chance to do it. Could he be part of the core going forward? Yes. But would I have him as part of it? No thanks I will pass. James Johnson is becoming the new version of Joey Graham for me. Hopefully it is not as long a painful a process.

Ed Davis is likely a lock to be in this core. His rookie season showed signs of promise. rebounding and shoot blocking are two things currently is short supply. Ed Davis brings you both and the Raptors have some more of that stored over in Europe at the moment. Davis is never going to be the smooth offensive player that Chris Bosh was. But that being said Bosh may not ever be the shot blocker that Davis potentially could be. If the Raptors were to cut bait on Bargnani he could find his way to the starting line-up. If not he still will always find minutes regardless of if he gets his named called. There is no question his skill set can make him someone that can be a solider in the change that Dwane Casey wants to bring on the defensive end of the floor.

Jonas Valanciunas has impressed everyone and for some provided a glimpse of hope for the future during the dark days of this NBA Lockout. If he can bring what people have seen with him to the NBA he will answer the Raptors questions at Center. But can he do what he is doing on the NBA level is still the remaining question. One of the biggest issues in that transition will be foul trouble. He likely is going to have trouble staying on the floor in the NBA. But with Dwane Casey's defensive system with a high use of zone concepts it may prove to be an excellent fit for him and make the transition smoother than it might be elsewhere. In many ways Valanciunas is the Anti-Bargnani. He rebounds, he defends and he likes to get in the mix and get dirty. There is more than enough promise to believe he could have a bright future with the Raptors. You would love to see the Raptors bring in an assistant coach to work with bigs and help speed his development along. Patrick Ewing working with Dwight Howard type situation. Who that guy would be? Not sure. If you look in the Raptors past a guy like Antonio Davis comes to mind. His kids are done school by now and would not have to learn the metric system right? No clue on if A.D has any desire to get into coaching at all but someone like that.

That pretty much is the base of what the Raptors will be taking forward with them to the other side and hopefully grow into a successful team. How the Raptors use this cap space they will have to build around this core they have will be the big question as to if they get to that other side. In the past when the Raptors had a young Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady they surrounded them with a group of veterans that helped them grow and learn. That is what this team is really lacking right now. The leaders they have in terms of experience are guys that hardly fit the bill. That is why a guy such as Reggie Evans may not be a part of the long term future but can at least be a guy that can keep the peace until some more guys of his experience and style come along. Jose Calderon is not going to lead anyone anywhere.

Raptors season will be more about the individuals and their development both individually and as a group. There is little chance this team can go anywhere but the lottery and given the draft class this year that is far more appealing than getting swept by the Heat in the first round as an 8th seed. At least there is only 66 games to endure and not 82. But do not expect anything dramatic from the Raptors unless Bryan Colangelo has been lying to us all. Raptors will have 3-6 new faces on the roster this year but I would not imagine to many of those players will be long term guys as far as the future goes.

So now what?

2011-11-28T10:21:00.005-05:00

Before we get to today's blog we have started our own store here at the Dino Nation Blog. It is away for you to support the DNB and show your loyalty. After being around for now 4 years and having to survive a NBA Lockout it was time to do this. So check out the store and see if anything tickles your fancy. More items will be made as we roll along.

Now on to what we do. The one thing that this new CBA provides that will be very interesting for all teams is an amnesty on one contract. It allows a team to buyout one of their existing contracts without penalty to the salary cap. So the Raptors could use this on anyone under contract currently which is a pool of 10 players. Obviously you can rule out a number of folks. The two names at the top of the list for this to be cashed in on would be Jose Calderon with 2 years left on his deal and Linas Kleiza who still is not ready to come back and play ball after a torn ACL from last season. He still has 3 years remaining. Most will feel this is a no brainer it should be Calderon. But there is no guarantee the Raptors have to use it on anyone. In a season where Colangelo has already downgraded expectations of what he might do with the Raptors cap space which will be significant. I could easily see the Raptors not using this clause and saving it for next season and adding to what again will be a year in which the Raptors could have even more room to play with as Barbosa and his 7.5 million will come off the cap after this year. It also would at least open the option of using it on Andrea Bargnani if he were to struggle for another season and the Raptors could not trade him. But it will not be used on Andrea now. I would think this season will be make or break in terms of Bargnani's future with the Raptors.

In terms of Free Agents the Raptors may only have really one decision to make on their own free agents. Sonny Weems is under contract for the season in Europe along with the Andrea Bargnani of France Alexis Ajinca who is likely to stay in France by choice. Julian Wright after his refusal to play under Jay Triano really should not be considered coming back although with no Weems and Kleiza not ready to go it is not the 100% slam dunk he is gone that it might have been. But the really choice the Raptors will face is what to do about Reggie Evans. He has shown great leadership in his couple years in Toronto but also has been injured for significant chunks of time. It will be interesting to see if the Raptors want him back and then if they can keep him should they. Evans is a nice role player for any team and when healthy he has still proven to be one of the top rebounders in this league.

Dwane Casey is going to have a tough task turning this team into even a decent defending team. That challenge will be even greater with a shortened training camp and the fact as training camp is going on so will NBA free agency and new players brought in will be thrown into the mix on the fly. Many said in the NFL that teams with new coaches would struggle but that has not been the case for all. Ask any fans of the 49ers about that. But teams that added a significant number of new faces did not fair as well. Ask any Eagles fan about that. So you may not like the Colangelo proclamation that the Raptors are likely not to shake up the world this year in free agency it might be a wise idea. Also if the Raptors were to shock the world and actually be better than expected the rules in terms of trades have become less restrictive and that cap room could be used in terms of trades just as easily without having to convince anyone on the greatness of Canada. Just because you sign someone and make a big splash is not guarantee of success. Joe Dumars would like to have his choices on Charlie V and Ben Gordon back I am sure. The Raptors clearly were not impressed with Hedo and had to move him along.

But if you listen to most it seems the Raptors are doomed to another season of development. Which likely means the Raptors are more in line to be competing for lottery position rather than playoff position. Whoever the Raptors end up getting will be a bargain as rookie contracts have been reduced by 18% in the new deal. They will also be coming in with the Raptors pick this season playing in Europe in Jonas Valanciunas. That also may be a reason to hold on to Bargnani as once Jonas does arrive it would give Bargnani the move to his natural position according to him of power forward. In a draft class that is expected to be packed with talent as many players took the option of another year of school rather than gambling on if the NBA would play or not this year. That combined with one of the more dynamic freshman classes in years in college basketball should lead to quite the pool of talent for this year's draft.

That is at least a quick overview of what lies ahead. For us in the Dino Nation Blog will start getting things back rolling again with interviews and all of that stuff eventually. It is hard to go from a dead stop to rolling back at 100% for everyone and that includes blogs. But will get everything up and running as your use too. It is just nice to be back and have something to talk about that does not involve Labour Negotiations.

DNB Annivsary Top 10

2011-11-26T10:36:00.004-05:00

Ok so I haven't really done much in the last few months. I have worked on my 2k12 skills and WWE 12 skills. Dinoblogger 11 has never logged so much time on X-Box live. Not only is the NBA Back but today marks 4 years in the books for us at the Dino Nation Blog. I just had a birthday and my memory sucks not because I am old just because it does. But in 4 years I should have 10 things to say about the Dino Nation Blog? Highlights, Lowlights and everything in between. So here we go.

#10- The DNB was and still is the best idea I have had after 2 am in my life.

#9- The DNB will never win awards for it's skillful writing. But that being said we never claimed to know about English just about basketball. I strive to write things that are entertaining and interesting for everyone even if I break some rules of grammar from time to time.

#8- I keep my dreams alive through this blog. I never could have imagined how many of them would come through from doing this for 4 years. I am always humbled by all that this blog has accomplished.

#7- The Raptors have got progressively worse since the Dino Nation Blog was created. We are not responsible for that please direct all your blame for that to the good folks at MLSE. I never wanted to Trade T.J Ford...They Did. I never wanted to sign Hedo they did. I knew Rob Babcock was an idiot...they didn't. I liked Roy Hibbert they didn't. This could go on and on and on.

#6- I am a guy that belongs on the Radio or T.V that happens to try to write everyday.

#5- This has become more than just something I do and in effect my job. It has become a family to me and all of you that take the time to come here on a regular basis I thank you.

#4- It started with Training Camp in Ottawa and it has grown from there. Covering the Raptors and the NBA is truly a privilege. I am very proud that I am deemed worthy to get a media pass to cover this team.

#3- I am thankful to every player that has taken the time to talk to me. It started with T.J Ford and has grown to guys like Demar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson, Reggie Evans and countless others. While I was not on the side of players in this labour situation it was just about the Raptors having a chance to be better. I have nothing but good things to say about almost every player I have ever had a chance to talk with.

#2- Eric Smith, Paul Jones, Jack Armstrong and Matt Devlin along with countless other folks in the media who take the time to talk with me for this blog. Long before this blog had any kind of credibility they came and gave there time and answered whatever questions I had for them. I am happy that some of these people I can consider not just people I work with but people who I consider friends on some level. All there contributions have made this blog better.

#1- This lockout has given me a lot of time to reflect on how much this blog became a part of my life. The countless people mentioned in this and the tons more I could have mentioned. It has been a gift that I gave myself and through hard work and effort I hope it will live on for many years to come.

I can not tell you how much I missed this. But I also admit that I really needed a break from it and the lockout did provide that. I could have tried to muddle along during that Lockout but if I am not given you something that I believe is worth your time, I am just not comfortable doing it. So barring a complete disaster it appears we are back in business.

To all of the many people this blog has brought into my life be it in person or through my computer screen I am very happy to have you in it. The Dino Nation Blog was built as a last shot to hang on to my dreams and I am still hanging on. Also it goes without saying how much I thank my mother for putting up with all the craziness this blog has created for her life and me looking after her. She has always been supportive in all that I am doing. For that I am lucky and fortunate.

I am happy basketball is back but in a way I am sad and disappointed that is took this long to come to an agreement in a society and world with far greater problems than that. I will never believe a NBA Cares Ad again because at the end of the day they don't. I do and hopefully always will.

Basketball is back on our 4th Anniversary?

2011-11-26T04:50:00.005-05:00

It's OVER? Looks like that is the case. The players and owners have reached a deal it seems. The fact I am up at this hour to find out is not unusual. So it figures while most of the world was asleep this all comes to an end. The word is a 66 game season will begin on Christmas Day. Training camps are said to be opening on December 9th if all goes well. Players and Owners will still have to vote on this deal but most feel it is going to pass. All this goes down on the 4th Anniversary of the Dino Nation Blog. This has been a tough time and a tough year for the blog but we have made it through the storm?

Also news yesterday that the Raptors owners have decided to stick around. MLSE will not be sold. So is it better the devil you know? Also with this new labour agreement will anything change in terms of the Raptors. I would not hold your breath with a new super luxury tax as part of this deal. But in reality the Raptors with even more cost certainty should stop trying to pretend to be a small market team and spend some money. Raptors will have money to spend as well even if they will not head into the land of luxury.

But based on comments of Bryan Colangelo do not expect the Raptors to spend much of that cap space on this short season. It was clear to me that Colangelo just looked at this as a lost season and made his plans accordingly. Including drafting a rookie that will not be here till next season. So even though basketball it looks like is back, the Raptors likely will still be terrible. Dwane Casey is not a miracle worker I don't think. So the Raptors will be rebuilding for yet another season. The big storyline will likely be Demar DeRozan taking over the title of face of the franchise from Andrea Bargnani. He will do it minus on of his Young Gunz buddies. Sonny Weems unlike many NBA Players that decided to go to Europe does not have an out clause in his contract. There was no guarantee he would have been back anyway as he was a restricted free agent. Raptors did make a qualifying offer so when Weems makes his way back to the NBA Raptors will hold his rights.

Is this the year we finally see Jose Calderon just go away? Will Bayless and him have an open competition in camp for the starting job? Yes folks if you have not figured it out we are talking basketball again. Raptors will also have to decide if they want to bring back free agent Reggie Evans. Raptors had a few other free agents but the only one that will even be considered coming back is Reggie. Tough to say if there will be a big market for Evans after two injury plagued seasons in Toronto. When healthy he still can hit the glass and be one of the top rebounders in the league.

Lots of time to sort all this stuff out but it is just a pleasure to be back talking basketball with you all again. I have missed doing this and missed talking basketball with so many of you. But it appears that is a thing of the past. But as the Raptors learned with a trade for Tyson Chandler it is never a deal until it is signed. NBA and the players have a bunch of B-list issues to sort out and they will need to vote to approve this deal. However at this point if this were to go south both sides would get buried and I think they all know that.

So is it forgive and forget and move on? I can only speak for myself. I will forgive sure but not forget. This whole experience has made me a little less passionate for the sport that I love. Will I get over it in time? Sure likely but I am not going to forget this and say no harm done. I remember after the NHL came back how much people acted liked idiots in this country. At the end of the day no sport is bigger than life itself. If there is any lesson I take away from all this greed and nonsense that is it. I also realized what a screwed up world we live in when I don't have basketball to stop me from paying attention to it. I learned that I really don't need to tweet everyday if I don't want too. That life marches on if this blog is written everyday or not. But all that being said I have invested 4 years of my life into the DNB. That is longer than pretty much any relationship I have ever had with a woman except for one. So that might have been the hardest thing about this lockout for me. Watching all that I worked for in the last 4 years be completely out of my hands. It was frustrating and it hurt. There is no doubt a lot of hurt and hard feelings coming out of this on the over side. We all will need time to heal. Hopefully that can happen and this deal can create an NBA that is worth watching for fans in every city that has a team in this league.

So if all goes well will see you Monday!!!

NBA On Verge of Return and Raptors Will Still Be Rebuilding

2011-10-28T12:54:00.003-04:00

Everyone is all giddy with optimism that the NBA is on the verge of a return. Most feel a deal could get done as soon as this weekend. Good right? Well yes it is but maybe not as good if you are a Raptor fan. This is for a couple of reasons. First reason is the deal itself. The deal that is being constructed, at least based on the talk that is out there, is not going to be a deal that helps out the Raptors as much. It likely could have if the Owners got the big win they were looking for out of this labour deal. If a system, that stopped the big spending be damned teams from being able to do that was in place, that would have helped the Raptors. MLSE has never been one of those teams. Faced with the challenges of being the lone franchise in Canada and the perceptions that exist about playing here they should be. You can say all you like about Toronto being a wonderful city which it is. But those perceptions even if they are incorrect are the reality. The long list of people that have left the franchise make that so. There is also this franchises less than impressive history which is factual. We all know this franchise has just one playoff series win and it was so long ago it was back when they played 5 games in the first round. The bottom line of the new CBA is it would have an even more punitive luxury tax which if MLSE was not willing to go over it under the old system it is hard to imagine they will under this new more costly one. But it is not going to stop the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, L.A Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics of the world from doing so. It will not stop the possibility of more Big 3's like the ones we see in Boston and now Miami from forming. This is all bad news for the Raptors.

What happens if Demar DeRozan becomes every bit the star we hope he can become? When his time comes and the L.A Lakers want to bring the Compton kid home is there anyway for the Raptors to stop that from happening? It would appear not based on the CBA Talks. Which for the Raptors and small market teams is a complete failure from this process. While the focus of these talks have largely been focused on money directly there is an indirect money issue that has failed to be addressed. How will the paying customers in the small markets of the NBA feel about being somewhere between the NBA Elite and the NBDL? My guess is not to favourable. Everyone will point to OKC as the shining example of how a small market team can make it work. But in reality that took some luck and having a guy that is like Kevin Durant both as a player and as a person. Those guys are not growing on trees and easy to find. OKC has done a fantastic job but in reality without Durant none of it happens.

Also there is what Bryan Colangelo has been saying. Already making a preemptive strike to say that this year will not be the Raptors year once again. That there is likely another year of growing to do for this franchise. Even openly talking about what a great draft class there is expected to be for next year's NBA Draft. That sounds like the talk of a team heading back to the NBA Lottery regardless of if the NBA plays 82 games this year or 72. But when the Raptors drafted a rookie that was never going to play this season that likely sent that message already. Colangelo also has suggested the flexibility that he has created in preparation for the new CBA is likely not to be used this season.

So the NBA might be back and your reward Raptor fans is you are told to wait till next year, before the season is even started or a new CBA is even signed. It kind makes this whole lockout thing ending not as happy as it perhaps could be or should be. But MLSE will be happy to take your money once again for as many games as the NBA will allow once a new CBA is in place. I had a lot of hope that things would be better for the Raptors coming out of this lockout, but in the short term that seems unlikely. In the long term who knows but waiting for next year gets old ask fans of the Chicago Cubs about that.

A New Suit Added To The Waiting Party

2011-10-26T20:33:00.005-04:00

How is everyone out there? Working on your 2k12 skills? The Raptors really suck in 2K this year it almost makes missing a season seem like a blessing. Just like NBA2k12 the Raptors will have no rookies. But there is some news. In the worst kept secret of the Raptors non off-season it is true Ed Stefanski has joined the Raptors front office. Here is the press release from your Toronto Raptors management.

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have hired Ed Stefanski as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations. Stefanski joins the Raptors from upper management positions with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, where his teams qualified for the NBA playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons. In his position, Stefanski will report to Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

“Ed Stefanski embodies everything I was hoping to attain when the search began for a top level basketball executive to join our staff,” said Colangelo. “Ed brings to the table experience, smarts and a great feel for the game and of people.

“I am very excited to join Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors organization,” Stefanski said. “Toronto is a world class city and the Raptors fans are strong supporters.

“The team has a young nucleus of players that have a big upside. And with the addition of Head Coach Dwane Casey I am looking forward to witnessing their growth and improvement.”

Stefanski, who has earned a reputation throughout the NBA as an excellent evaluator of talent, spent the past four seasons in a president and general manager role with Philadelphia. With the 76ers, Stefanski returned the franchise to playoff status via trades, the re-signing of key performers and the acquisition of athletic, younger players in the NBA Draft. Despite having only mid-first round picks in three of his four drafts, Stefanski was able to add lottery-level talent to the team.

Prior to joining Philadelphia, Stefanski spent nine seasons with the Nets. He was promoted to general manager of the club in the summer of 2004 following a one-year stint as the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations and four seasons as the team's director of scouting.

While with the Nets, Stefanski oversaw the team's basketball operations and was heavily involved in the club’s roster development and player personnel matters. He helped to build New Jersey’s back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship teams in 2002 and 2003.

A 1976 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School of Business), Stefanski played three seasons for Penn, where he was coached by Hall-of-Famer Chuck Daley. Stefanski was a member of two Ivy League Champions (1974 and 1975), helping the Quakers reach the NCAA Tournament in both of those seasons. In 1979, Stefanski also began a 20-year run as a colour analyst for Big Five basketball and ESPN’s Atlantic 10 basketball coverage.

Now for those thinking that he will be replacing Colangelo in the decision making that will not be the case. He is a very experienced voice in the room that becomes part of that consensus building that Colangelo loves so much. He will be introduced to the media tomorrow and I would guess we might get to see it on Raptors NBA-TV? I know you will all miss watching the constant flow of old basketball games that I lived through.

As for the Lockout they say progress in being made. I have heard that one before. My advice is if you are expecting this all to be solved in the short term don't hold your breath. When this is solved the Raptors will have to hit the ground running as the team they produced last year as the 2k12 ratings suggest and the fact they picked 5th in the draft but should have been 3rd is that they were not good. The rules might be very different under this new CBA. The whole concept of trading and the money matching to 125% might be a thing of the past when the dust clears. I am trying to figure out if that makes it easier to dump Calderon and Bargnani? I think it does.

Speaking of Bargnani there are rumours that he may sign with a club in Italy. I am hoping there is some way they get to keep him when the lockout ends. Demar DeRozan was tweeting that he is going to be in town and hit every gym in Toronto. Yes Basketball never dies or whatever that union B.S is they are spiting out says. But glorified exhibition tours and charity games is nothing close to the NBA unless you are talking All-Star Weekend.

As for me? Well I have been turning Myck Kabongo into the leading scorer in the NBA (in the aforementioned 2K12. Maybe by the time he enters the draft this whole lockout business might be done by then. I miss having news to bring you folks on a regular basis. But at the same time I have taken this time to relax after almost 4 years of pushing myself to work hard in this blog everyday. I am doing my best not to become bitter and jaded from all of this. But that might be impossible. All I can say is when they do get this deal done it better be the right deal or this will all have been a complete waste of time. I want basketball back just as much as anyone but with a CBA that makes this league competitive for all 30 teams not just the ones in Miami, Boston, L.A, Chicago and the odd OKC Exception to the rule. When Carmelo Anthony is shooting his mouth off about wanting to play with Chris Paul it makes me think some guys in this league don't get it and don't care to get it. Just pay me my millions and give me a team of superstars so I can win a championship in a city that is cool enough for me. It is that type of attitude that makes this lockout acceptable to me and necessary.

If you think the Owners are the evil ones in this thing you really don't get it. Have they taken advantage of it and gone for blood. Yeah but did you expect anything less? I remain committed to the belief that David Stern is smarter than Gary Bettman and will get the NBA a better deal than the current NHL Deal at the end of the day.

Hopeless?

2011-09-26T11:11:00.002-04:00

The first steps to the end of hope have been taken with training camps being postponed and exhibition games up till October 15th have been cancelled. I had always stated that when we saw the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat that was the last "real" basketball we would see in terms of the NBA in the 2011 calender year. It seems that very little progress has been made in terms of coming to a deal. The Owners seem to locked in at what they are willing to give to players in terms of a percentage of the total revenues generated by the league.

While we have seen these gloried exhibition games start to get some main stream attention. Honestly if anyone remembers the Vince Carter Charity games that is about all these are. Defence in these games is a myth. Shawn Marion once dropped 50 in on of those charity games. The former Raptor and now Mav even in his prime was never dropping 50 in an actual NBA game. There is really nothing on the line for these players and no one is going to risk getting injured in games such as these.

The depressing reality of things is starting to sink in for people. I have always expected things to go this way and was well aware no last minute miracle was likely to come. That still doesn't make it not hurt as both a fan and someone that covers this league. I have decided to just write occasionally during this time. Lots of people are doing their best to plug along. I just can't do that. If I am going to write or do interviews it is going to be because it is something I feel is worth your time. Aside from the blow by blow of the lockout which is really the only thing that matters right now there is not much of that to write about. Even the blow by blow of the lockout has become pretty much stale. In fact what we are seeing in effect is a stalemate at this point.

I will still chime in every now and then and keep the Dino Nation Blog alive. I look forward to when we can get back to what we do here on a regular basis. It has been a really strange time without having this blog to fill my schedule on a daily basis. Some of those things are good and most are not. I am not getting any younger while this lockout goes on. None of us are. If we get any kind of season at the end of this it would be great at this point. I have been less active on twitter as well. But I was on their last night and someone was asking Charles Oakley something about Peyton Manning and I asked him if he thought the injured star of the Colts would play before the NBA. He said he thought he would. For those that do not know most think Manning might be done for the NFL Season. So the next game he could likely play would be in August. So that would be saying the NBA will not have a season without saying it. Oakley in his career was an active part of the union so take it for what it is worth. But I have always thought of Oakley as a straight shooter and if he thinks a season is unlikely that makes me worry.

Not sure when the next time will be that you hear from me. But keep the faith and at the end of all of this I look forward to things being back to the way they have been for almost 4 years.

Just When You Thought We Were Dead

2011-09-06T12:35:00.002-04:00

Kids are back in School so it seems fitting we get back to work in a kinda sorta way. No NBA Season coming anytime soon. Canada has once again failed to make it to Olympics. We here at the Dino Nation Blog are no longer partnered with The Score. Things keep rolling along in this life. Still you got to keep going and keep your head above water. Which is a lot easier to do for locked out NBA players than it is for people trying to eek out a living covering this game.

In terms of The Score it was always my intention that this relationship was going to come to an end for some time. Some that know me personally have been aware of that. The simple fact of it all is the company that I became a part of a few years ago is not the same as it was. At the time the Sports Federation that the Dino Nation Blog was a part of from day one to it's death on August 30th a lot changed with The Score. On that day one The Score was one of the broadcasters of Raptors Basketball. The also carried March Madness in this country. They were the clear network for basketball fans in this country. They also had people like Adnan Virk and Cabbie as part of the mix. Two people that I knew and respected. But things changed with the company over that time such as the eliminated The Score Tonight, Raptors and the NCAA Tournament were gone. So was Adnan and Cabbie. A steady stream of the reasons I wanted to be and was proud to be partnered with them went away. It was going to be a difficult choice to leave but one that I decided to make at the start of this year. However with the NBA Lockout coming not one I was prepared to make until we had that situation sorted out. But The Score decided to end the sports fed which included more than just basketball. So it became a moot point.

There are still some folks that work for them that I will always wish the best for regardless of if I work with them or for the company. Scott Carefoot is the one that brought me into the company through the Sports Fed in the first place. He was the main reason I wanted to remain loyal to it and the company. If not for him this relationship never would have happened in the first place. I thank him for all that he did for me and will always consider him a friend in this business. On the same day I met Scott for the first time was also the day I met this girl named Holly Mackenzie. Little did I know how far Holly would go in terms of covering basketball and the Raptors. She has always been a friendly nice person that I highly respect. No one works harder than Holly and no one loves basketball more than this girl. She has a passion and work ethic that will take her places. Well it already has and even bigger places as the future plays out. She has always been a good friend to me and I will always root for bigger and better things for her. Then there is Tas Melas and the guys on The Basketball Jones. I can only really say I know Tas the others I have met. It was because of knowing Tas that I got to know of this crazy show that is The Basketball Jones. I can not tell you how many laughs they have provided me. I promoted what they did before they were part of The Score and after they were. What they do is down right entertaining and enjoyable regardless of where it is done or happens to be. There are others that I have got to know as well in my time with The Score all who have been great to me. Natasha, Romy and others.

So while I personally have my issues with the direction of the company itself it has nothing to do with my feelings towards the people that I consider friends that are still a part of it. One of the things about the media that is like the sport of basketball is that really the circle of people involved is pretty small in it. People in the media change networks and affiliations just like players, coaches and management types change teams. It is just the reality of things. Just as it is rare for a player or coach to remain with an organization forever the same is true in the media.

The fact that none of us have any real basketball to cover is the bigger issue at the moment. When you hear players like Kevin Garnett talking that if a season is lost then so be it you should be worried. Most are aware of my total lack of interest in the NHL. It wasn't always that way. But my mild interest in the NHL took a complete nose dive when they lost an entire season. That combined with the total disregard of any other sport in this country by the media in general lead me to be pretty much anti-NHL and anti-hockey to a point.

Guess the biggest fear now is how many fans of basketball that were like me in terms of the NHL will be put off by the results of this NBA Lockout. Make no mistake about it when you talk about a labour dispute there is only one winner. Not the owners and not the players it is the lawyers that are always the winners. The losers could be many and I fear that some casual fans of basketball will get tuned out for good like I was in terms of the NHL. Like many were with Baseball in their strike back in 1994.

Instead of talking about a new era for the Raptors with lots of question marks that is not what we are doing and honestly won't be doing for quite some time. I have to admit as much as I was prepared for all that has gone on it still is very depressing. We always tell are kids to work hard and try your best but the harsh reality is no amount of work can change this situation on my part. It is coming up on 4 years of my life that have been dedicated to this blog and covering the Raptors and this sport that I love. Many relationships and marriages don't last that long.

I have been seen less on Twitter and kind of pulled back from things. I hope that is to save my energy for brighter days ahead. These days are pretty dark for all that "Love This Game" and it is pretty hard to sell to anyone that the "NBA CARES" at the moment. When this whole nightmare comes to an end is just guessing at this point.

But long before all this started I said that it needed to happen for the NBA to be better on the other side of things. If after this lockout it means I can honestly believe Demar DeRozan can stick around and be a star with the Raptors and remain it might all be worth it. But the pain to endure to get to that point is not a fun process for anyone. It also may not turn out that way in the end. If that is the case this whole process has been for nothing. Well nothing that matters to fans of the sport. I could careless who makes how much money at the end of the day. That includes myself. Sure it would be nice to make money and have a good life. But ultimately life is what you make of it. Money is only one part of it. The thing I miss more than anything is the people that become a part of your life when you do this. From the people I work with, to the people that read this blog. That is what I will miss most of all. The fact their will be no NBA Games to talk about is a distant second.