The Winner Losses And The Loser Wins

Herm Edwards the NFL Head Coach of the Jets at the time told us all that "You Play To Win The Game", which was totally turned upside down last night in Milwaukee. The team that won, the Bucks, had already been eliminated by virtue of the Sixers win over the Nets that concluded before this game ended. Something that both teams in the end were not happy about. As stated that win clinched a playoff spot for Philly and it also didn't help the Raptors who were tied with the Nets in the Lottery Standings. The Raptors did start off this game like a team that wanted to win and they were the ones battling for their playoff lives. This would fade away as the night went on. Demar DeRozan upped his fan base by getting tossed from this game for tossing a ball into the stands after he felt he deserved a call he didn't get. This was to the delight of the folks in Tank Nation who may in fact have plans to build a DeRozan Statue should the Raptors land the first overall pick. Maybe not. In any case at times we have seen a DeRozan this year that has become frustrated and angry over the lack of respect he seems to get from refs on a nightly basis. Demar is a pretty low key individual but when these things happen you see the inner fire that burns inside him. If he ever can embrace that and use it on the basketball court he will be well on his way to being a superstar.

Brandon Jennings a good buddy of DeRozan would lead the scoring charge for the Bucks in this one. He had 25 points but just shot 9 for 23 with 5 assists and 3 steals. In this blog we have speculated at the idea of Jennings and DeRozan being paired up in Toronto. There is no doubt Jennings is by far a better defensive option than Calderon, but there is also no question he is a very different player on the offensive end. Jose Calderon needs to almost be motivated into taking his shot. Brandon Jennings is happy to chuck up shots from the moment the ball is tipped. Still I see it as a realistic option for the Raptors, if they truly believe in DeRozan and want him here for the long haul. These two guys already have a built in chemistry and are close friends of the court. It might just be what both need to get each other to the next level. Jennings has stated after next season that he plans to look to go to a larger market. Toronto is a larger market depending on what is meant by the term.

Colangelo no doubt is going to be exploring every option at his disposal and this one might be a solid one. The problem becomes what exactly do the Raptors have to land a Jennings and what the price would be. It has become common practice in the NBA to unload a guy that says he wants out before it is to late and you get nothing. That said the Bucks are still in the driver's seat and don't have to do anything. They clearly are looking to change direction with the move they made with Golden State trading away former first overall pick Andrew Bogut to the Warriors for Monta Ellis along with some other parts to that trade. There is also talk the Bucks could make a move at both the head coaching position and G.M position, so who is to say if they will be as high on Jennings as the current management was and maybe still is.

That is a story for another day as for the story of this game the Bucks win 92-86 and like the Raptors can plan for the off-season starting Thursday. Jennings and DeRozan could be working out together by next week in L.A. Oh right I said that was a story for another day.  It should be noted that James Johnson seems back in the good graces of coach Casey and started and delivered with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.

B.C Positive Spin Class In Session.

When Bryan Colangelo talks, you always have to try figure out what he is saying to an extent. Let's do the best we can to translate what Bryan Colangelo had to say post trade deadline. First, the move he made sending Barbosa to the Pacers. It appears his main motivation was not the 2nd round pick he got in return for Barbosa. It was more about getting the 7.6 Million that Barbosa is making this year off the Raptors books. Colangelo claims this will give the Raptors 11.5-12 million in cap room heading into the draft. Which according to him is the most of any NBA team heading into the draft. Why this is important is it gives the Raptors options to make trades prior to the draft once the season concludes on April 26th. As Colangelo taught us with his trade for Reggie Evans and sending Jason Kapono to Philly NBA Teams can make trades from the moment there season is over. So all non playoff teams would be options after the 26th of April. As teams are eliminated they are added to the pool of teams the Raptors could do business with.

Colangelo also now has two second round picks that he can dangle in both trades and perhaps to move up in the draft. Given the Raptors overall history in the 2nd round and Colangelo's nature to move second round picks it is highly likely the Raptors don't hang on to these picks at the end of the day. That is me adding my two cents not something Colangelo said. What Colangelo didn't say but seemed to infer was that Barbosa could actually return to the Raptors, or at least they would be open to the idea. What Barbosa could get on the free market is up for debate, but safe to say it will be far less than 7.6 million he banked this season. Barbosa likely knows that too as he took his option for that amount to remain with the Raptors. Barbosa has also expressed that he has had a positive experience in Toronto and has a long standing relationship with Bryan and seemed to enjoy the Toronto fan base. Also the Raptors pick up a TPE as part of this deal that will kick in for the 7.6 million. Some see this as big deal and another added element of flexibility. These are likely some of the same folks that said the same thing about the Bosh TPE that ultimately the Raptors did little with for a far larger amount. If the Raptors use it then it can help if they don't it means nothing.

What about Jose Calderon? Bryan said many teams did inquire about him. However he stressed how happy the Raptors were with him and how he has played with this roster. He basically said that until the Raptors have an answer to replace Calderon he would likely not be moved. That said he also mentioned the ability to use amnesty clause. Calderon would be due 10 million plus in the final year of his deal. It seems unlikely you would use it on him. Linas Kleiza who has had an up and down season would be another option but with the coming of Jonas Valanciunas it would make sense to keep Linas around beyond basketball reasons. Bryan did of course not miss an opportunity to brag about Jonas stating that in his view had he been in the upcoming draft he would be the 2nd pick overall pick behind just one player, that he could not name but safe bet he was talking about Anthony Davis from Kentucky the consensus number one pick heading into the NCAA Tournament starting today.

If the Raptors were to not act prior to July 1st and do not use the Amnesty clause according to Colangelo that would give the Raptors roughly 20 million dollars of cap space post July 1st. Keep in mind the Raptors would have to sign both their draft picks in Jonas and whatever they get from this draft as part of that. According to NBA T.V today there are 5 teams with over 30 million of potential cap space. The top of those in the 35 million range. Also worth noting one of those teams is the Dallas Mavericks and Mark Cuban who will be active you can count on that. If you are a betting type I would suggest Colangelo will exhaust all trade scenarios rather that try to get in the Free Agent market. The Raptors have obvious issues at convincing top talent to come to Toronto. Not to mention the Raptors recent ventures into the Free Agent market have been pretty awful with signings of Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Kapono. Still his J.O trade was no bed of roses either. Colangelo did state that if the Raptors go shopping regardless of how they will be looking to do it, will be for several additions not just one big home run swing. In other words Deron Williams is likely not in the Raptors wheel house as an example. Not that he ever was, but a big name, big money guy is not on the horizon.

He alluded to several young players being out there on trade deadline. He mentioned as he often does about having conversations that do not lead to trades today, but are used as a base to further conversations in the summer. If the Bucks pairing of Ellis and Jennings is not a roaring success, I would not be shocked if Brandon Jennings is on the Raptors radar. That would be the point guard that helps you move Jose Calderon along. Colangelo has in the past expressed a desire to have a point guard for the future for this young group. He also would be a nice piece to pair with his childhood friend Demar DeRozan. Prior to the Bucks move Jennings expressed a desire to look at big markets when he is a on the market, which normally would not include Toronto. However he likes Toronto and has someone already here that knows it well.

Is that an option? I have no idea, but what is fact is this has to be "The Summer Of Bryan" and if it is not than Colangelo is dead. He and this organization have preached for patience and pointed to this summer where they will have all of these tools to improve the team. Raptor fans have been treated to a season that in many ways has meant nothing from before day one. While it has been great to see the job Casey has done in changing the mentality of this team. Making defense a priority not just something people talk about. Still this team has never been designed to win and the fact people want it to lose and tank is not exactly a positive experience to live through. The time is up and the Raptors have to stop with the positive spin talk and the hyping up of their draft pick that has yet to play a game and ultimately deliver a team focused on winning and heading towards the playoffs and beyond. Raptor fans have heard enough talking for a life time since Chris Bosh decided to bolt for South Beach. Regardless of what the Raptors say they dropped the ball and blew it when it comes to how they handled the Bosh situation. While people will show them some form of sympathy and allow them some time to turn the page. The time is up after this summer.

Buck Off A Hour Early

The Raptors may appreciate the fact we have sprung ahead. It is one hour less they don't have to wait to put what happened in Detroit behind them. They will be attempting to do that without Jose Calderon in all likelihood. After Jose had been having one of his most durable seasons in years he stepped on Brandon Knight's foot and turned his ankle badly. X-Rays were negative but I am positive we don't see Calderon for quite awhile. Which makes you wonder if the Raptors will still release Anthony Carter as planned. There was no official announcement that they had done that. However, it was common knowledge that was the plan. Just four days prior to the trade deadline the Raptors are awfully thin at the point guard position. It makes any chance of dealing Calderon likely go out the window. Still that was a remote possibility at best. Andrea Bargnani is back and will be interesting to see how much he plays after just 19 minutes yesterday against Detroit. The Raptors planned to limit his minutes heading into the game. The game itself helped limit his minutes by it being a blowout.

The Bucks are a team that knows all about injuries they have had their fair share over the years with their top player Andrew Bogut. He is a lot like Bargnani in the sense of being a first overall pick that has always struggled to meet lofty expectations. The Bucks are trying to hunt down the struggling New York Knicks coming into the day just 2 games behind them for the final playoff spot in the East. While they try to hold off Cleveland and Detroit from passing them. The Cavs enter the day percentage points behind the Bucks with 2 games in hand. While the Pistons thanks to that win vs the Raptors are just a game and half behind those two teams. They all have thoughts of tracking down the Knicks for the final playoff spot.

Brandon Jennings gets to pay a visit to one of his favourite places according to his Twitter. He also gets to match-up with his childhood friend Demar DeRozan. These two grew up in L.A and have played together as kids in AAU programs and are very close friends. It leads to speculation of if the two players may ever hook up somewhere together on the same team in the NBA. Jennings has let it be known that he plans to investigate his options once he hits the open market in a few years. Could Toronto be in the mix to land him? Jose Calderon's contract would be ending at the same time. Jennings said he wants to play in a large market which for some Toronto would be and for others it would not be. The more wins the Raptors get the larger the market may become not just for Jennings but other free agents.

Winning is going to be a lot tougher without Jose Calderon. As much as the Raptors missed Bargnani given their lack of depth at point Calderon could be a greater loss for this team that even with him has been challenged to score at times. It is a huge opportunity for Jerryd Bayless who will see a ton of minutes now after he himself was sidelined for a large part of the beginning of the season from an ankle turn similar to that of the one Calderon suffered.

3 Keys Today:

1. Ball Movement- It is vital that Raptors keep the ball movement going. They did a tremendous job of that vs Houston and not so much vs Detroit. No Jose makes it a much harder task but Bayless needs to remember to be a distributor more than a scorer with Calderon out.

2. Pride- Quite simply yesterday should have been a complete embarrassment for this team. Dwane Casey should have to say very little for this team to respond after a mess like that. If they don't respond you can bet Casey will have a lot to say.

3. Contain the Lead Deer- Brandon Jennings was always going to be a problem in this game. Jose Calderon healthy or not was not going to be able to guard him. Bayless has shown flashes of great defense this season when matched against Deron Williams. We could use some of that effort today against Mr. Jennings.

Looking Ahead To The Post Calderon Era

Change is coming for the Toronto Raptors at the point guard position sooner or later. Jose Calderon seems like his days with the Raptors will eventually be done. While he has never been a favourite of ours in the DNB, it seems clear now the end is coming. Calderon next season will enter the last year of the contract he signed back in 2008. In that time the Raptors record has been 103-170. Even Bryan Colangelo talked about the need for a point guard for the future. There have been rumours that Calderon himself wants to play for a contender. If he does I am not sure that it would be as a starter. But whatever the case it seems the longest serving Raptor who came here in 2005-2006 is on the way out. He along the way has averaged 7.1 assists and has 3,201 total assists currently, which is the franchise record all-time. But a lot has changed since 2005 and the point guard position has evolved. That evolution of faster type players at the position has been the problem that has plagued Calderon. While his offence at times has bordered on brilliance his defence has always been the issue.

Now if the Raptors had listened to this blog we could be already experiencing "Linsanity" here in Toronto. I am not going to tell you that I saw Jeremy Lin becoming the NBA's answer to Tim Tebow. I didn't see that coming. But what I did see on the day he was released from Golden State was an opportunity that seemed to make sense. The Raptors needed a third point guard option and this was a kid that was young and could blend in with this young core the Raptors had been trying to establish. But what I also saw was an opportunity from a pure business prospective for MLSE. The Raptors have always thought basketball first but a very close second has always been business and public relations. They are constantly looking at ways to expand their market to bring in people to support their brand. The fact they have a very international based look to them is not an accident or just by chance.

In the past we have seen the impact a Yao Ming has had, and even Yi to a lesser extent. I have to admit when I went to cover a game last season between the Raptors and Warriors I was taken back by the amount of Asian media that was there to see Jeremy Lin. Toronto has a large Asian community and this seemed the perfect slam dunk to cash in on that. Raptors needed a point guard. Here was one that had yet to develop but people felt had upside. He is born in the U.S and speaks English as a first language. He went to Harvard to play his college basketball. He fit the Raptors squeaky clean image of nice guys that we have gotten use too. It seemed like a perfect marriage of business smart and not basketball dumb. After all like I said people thought this kid had talent. Instead the Raptors passed and went for Anthony Carter as part of this veteran leadership movement they were trying to establish. It makes little sense to me at least at the point guard. Jose Calderon is not in need of a vet at this point. Bayless should be able to learn from Calderon to some degree. So why the Raptors went in this direction puzzles me. The fact Lin has found a place in New York who was desperate for a point guard only makes it sting a little more. So the Raptors missed the boat on "Linsanity"coming to Toronto.

So what now in terms of the search to find the successor to Jose Calderon. It seems clear the Raptors don't see Jerryd Bayless as the answer. The Raptors had the ability to extend Bayless but decided to pass on that. He still could be part of the puzzle but as the starter that seems unlikely. There is of course the NCAA Draft and the Raptors looking more like a lottery team by the day. You will have options in this draft class with out question. One of those being Myck Kabongo from Toronto who despite having some struggles in his freshman year at Texas is thought of as an NBA Talent. However, in a draft class that has so many options in terms of guys that play the small forward position, and rank higher than Kobongo, it makes drafting him seem unlikely if not impossible, at least with the Raptor's pick. If they acquire a second first round pick then point guard becomes a possibility. As much as this draft class has been hyped it really does not have that much in terms of the point guard position. Aside from Kabongo who is a freshman and would have to declare for the draft, there are only two other names listed at point guard that rank in the first round on Draft Express, Kendall Marshall from UNC and Damian Lillard from Weber State. I would also say that Austin Rivers who made a huge 3 last night to beat UNC is a guy that can play the point. But all of the players just mentioned at least at this point sit ranked outside of the lottery.

If not the draft then where do the Raptors go? Well Bryan Colangelo has made a point to remind us often of all this cap room he has secured for next season. Brandon Jennings would be a restricted free agent by time Calderon's deal is up. He has been recently noted by Raptor fans about his tweets about his love for Toronto. Let's face it who wouldn't want to live in Toronto compared to Milwaukee. Joking aside this is an option that might solve two problems at once. Jennings is a talented kid who can play the point. He has his draw backs for sure. But what he also has is a relationship with Demar DeRozan that dates back to growing up as kids in L.A. In terms of story lines with the Raptors a close second to the turnaround of Andrea Bargnani has been the inconsistency of Demar DeRozan. There are many theories as to why this has been. However the most common one seems to be a case of confidence. When Demar has it he can be the future rising star that people have seen him as. When he doesn't it exposes the flaws in his game that have become glaring and obvious.

The Raptors are likely to make a push to upgrade at the small forward position. This means the chances that Sonny Weems returning to Toronto to once again to be Demar DeRozan's main source of support seem unlikely. While some will see it as simplistic and not give that much credence, I think the lack of Weems plays a role in the struggles of DeRozan. Even if it is not evident to DeRozan himself. I mean this is a young guy, that saw his best friend on the team for the most part go away, while he was left with an increasing role and more demands on him. So it makes a lot of sense that Jennings could fill this missing piece for DeRozan. Jennings also is a kid that has a lot more swagger to him than Demar DeRozan does. If you brought a Brandon Jennings into the mix that swagger would likely impact on Demar and give him that confidence that has been lacking at times. It all seems to make sense.

The problem is to make it happen might not be so easy. Jennings is going to be a restricted free agent so the Bucks would have the ability to match any offers that came his way. But at times Jennings has clashed with Scott Skiles and the Bucks may not be willing to spend a ton of money to keep him at all cost. If the Raptors were to trade in some of that cap room they have for Jennings it would be something that might appeal to the Bucks. Would the Bucks have interest in a Calderon for a season and take the cap room he would provide for the future? Problem in that is Jose is not going to be Scott Skiles dream point guard. His lack of defence would likely drive him insane as it likely does Dwane Casey. But some how Bryan Colangelo owes it to himself to look at this situation and figure out some plan of attack to make it work. Jennings could be worth the gamble. Colangelo has never been afraid to do that.

Will it happen or will it be a case like the one with Jeremy Lin in which the Raptors miss the boat. Time will tell as they say. But it sure is an intriguing and risky direction to go. But Jennings does offer a skill set that can be one that fits a lot more with the direction the point guard position is heading in the NBA. He would be a huge change for what Raptor fans have become accustom to under Calderon. Both in good ways and in bad ways. However, as we discussed off the top the Calderon Era at the point guard position has not led the Raptors to any kind of real success. In fact the opposite is true. Jennings did little last night to make a strong case for his cause in his performance. Still, he has upside and a built in chemistry and connection in DeRozan waiting here in Toronto. It could be a magical combination for the Raptors. When you put it along side Bargnani, Jonas and a small forward to be named later likely coming from the draft. That is a young core and starting line-up that could be fun to watch for years to come.

Deer Fear On Display At ACC

Last night the game resembled a game you might have seen last season. The Raptors were not playing defence but were scoring fairly well. In terms of Demar DeRozan it had to feel like the past as well facing long time friend Brandon Jennings and having his dad on hand watching the game in the stands. For those who are not aware Jennings and DeRozan have played together as kids coming up on the AAU circuit. So it was a game that he was more than likely hyped up for. Demar was showing off his new found ability to make the three point shot hitting back to back threes in what was an up and down, back and forth first quarter. While it was a great start for the Raptors on offence, it was not the start they were looking for on defence. Despite that the Raptors did for the first time since January 13th have a lead after the first quarter 29-28.

In the second the Raptors lack of defence would catch up with them. In our preview of this game one of the keys was to identify shooters and be aware when they were on the floor. If the Raptors were aware, they sure couldn't stop them. Mike Dunleavy was looking like an All-Star at times in the 2nd. Carlos Delfino the former Raptor looked like he couldn't miss for the majority of the night. That along with a solid game inside from Drew Gooden who had 20 points and 14 rebounds on the evening. The 2nd quarter was the best of night for the Bucks as they out scored the Raptors 30-22 and took a 7 point lead into halftime.

The Raptors would show there only signs of life on defence in the 3rd quarter of this game. The Bucks who are by no means an offensive juggernaut came back to earth slightly. They were missing some shots after making a large percentage of them in the first half. James Johnson sent a few back on the night as well with 3 blocks in the game. Raptors had by the end of the 3rd clawed there way back to 3 points down trailing 76-73.

The Raptors would only find bad news in the 4th quarter of play. Jerryd Bayless who had really started to come into his own since returning from an ankle injury, would re-injure that ankle and not be around to finish this game. The Raptors once again despite being slightly better on defence had let to many guys feel confident early. Carlos Delfino made an amazing three in which the Raptors on the play actually played good defence. It just seemed it was going be that kind of night for the Bucks. In the end they would pull away and get the 6 point win. They would do it with 6 players in double figures scoring, led by the former Raptor Carlos Delfino putting up 25 matching the total of Demar DeRozan who scored another set of back to back threes in the 2nd half. But it was in the end not enough as the Bucks won 105-99.

Some fans at the ACC seemed more upset that the Raptors only got 99 points and no pizza for them. What they should be upset about is the fact the Raptors home record is just 3-7. I have long made a point that this promotion needs to change. Have fans get pizza if the Raptors hold a team to under 80 or something like that. It has been proven over and over again that a number of fans are not mature enough not to boo if they are denied pizza which costs like 3 to 4 bucks. So change it and make it about something that is positive in stopping teams from scoring. That is something the Raptors didn't do in this game.

People will say that this is me being negative and not objective. However, despite this game being close for large portions of it, I never felt like the Raptors would win. Why I felt this way was unlike teams of the past, this Raptors team can not outscore people. When you factor in Bargnani not being in the line-up that only adds to the point. The Bucks even though they are a lot like the Raptors based on the style they want to play, being defensive minded, do have the capabilities and options to be able to score.

Beyond DeRozan's 25 the Raptors got a nice overall game from James Johnson that had 15 points. Kleiza and Barbosa continued to be the main scoring options off the bench with 12 for Linas and 11 for Leandro. But the Raptors have to get back to playing defence if they hope to win games. Dwane Casey was quoted as saying "We have lost our pride in guarding a yard." The Raptors have just been making life more difficult for themselves of late. Even though they have 6 more games at home it gets tougher before it gets easier. Next up is the Boston Celtics who humiliated the Raptors the last time they met, after that the face the L.A Lakers, Knicks and Spurs.

If this home stand does not go well it pretty much will secure the Raptors the seat at the lottery, that almost everyone expected them to have heading into the season. But they still might not be bad enough to have the greatest odds in the NBA Lottery. It is almost the worst case scenario you could have imagined for the Raptors. Not good enough to be good but not bad enough to be horrible.

Make Or Break Point For The Raptors?

The Raptors begin a monster 7 game home stand tonight with just a 3-6 record at the ACC on the season. They are 8-18 overall as they get ready to host the Bucks,Celtics, Lakers, Knicks,Spurs, Bobcats and Pistons. When you look at it on paper the Raptors have 3 games that would appear to be loses with Celtics, Lakers and Spurs. Two games you would consider must wins vs Pistons and Bobcats. So in all likelihood this home stand will be determined by 2 games vs the Knicks and the game tonight vs the Bucks. Which also would be two teams if the Raptors were to every get serious about contending for a playoff spot this year would stand in their way. The Bucks are 10-14 and have to hear the footsteps of the Knicks just a half game behind at 10-15. Milwaukee despite being 5-5 and in their last 10 games they have struggled on the road just going 3-10 on the season so far.

The Raptors come in off a disappoint loss in Washington. Some will say it was disappointing that they could not come back and win in OT. Others will say it was disappointing they got behind 18 points to Wizards in the first place regardless. The loss in Washington is one of those losses that could linger with a team potentially. Tonight marks the two week point from another Raptor overtime game that had it's own impact with the loss of Andrea Bargnani. I mention that only because the last time Bargnani was out this is how long it took him to return. At the time he re-injured it he said it was worse. Indeed it seems so as there has been no news that Bargnani close to ready to return. If I were to guess I would say the Raptors may even hold him out till after the All-Star Break. But as I said that is just a guess.

Bucks know all about injuries as Andrew Bogut has been out since January 25th and has appeared in only half of the Bucks games this season. The latest issue is with his ankle and he could be out for 8-12 weeks. That is a big loss in a season like this. So that leaves the Bucks to look for even more from Brandon Jennings. It has been a nice season for Jennings so far with 19.2 points per game, 5.3 assists and shooting a good % for him at 43.1%. The Bucks seemed to go wrong a couple years back when they had made it to the playoffs and then made a number of moves that off-season that seem to have sent them in wrong direction. Tonight marks the first of 3 meetings between the two clubs on the season.

3 Keys:

Identify Shooters : We are not talking shots in a bar but shooters on the floor. Bucks do have a number of them that are capable of getting hot. Being aware of that will be vital. How the Bucks ultimately shoot the 3 ball and how the Raptors defend it could be a huge factor.

Pride In The Paint: The whole aspect of pride for defending and protecting the paint seemed to go missing in first half in Washington. Raptors need a full 48 minutes where they defend their paint vigorously.Lapses like in Washington will almost seal their fate.

Good Start At Home: Raptors need to get this first quarter and first game at home off on the right foot. This home stand is not a walk in the park in terms of opposition as we mentioned. So the Raptors need to get the people behind them early and feed off that late. It is vital the Raptor start showing some pride in defending their home floor.

That just about does it for this preview. Tonight you can catch me on radio in Montreal so the re-cap of this one will likely appear in the blog tomorrow.

Last Stop Of Raptors Tour 2010/11- Milwuakee

The season is drawing to a close and based on Jay Trinao's pre-game presser last night it would seem what you saw last night is what you will get the rest of the way. Which means no Bargnani, Calderon, Amir Johnson, Barbosa etc. In terms of Johnson while Trinao would not elaborate he said that Johnson they have been told by doctors has more than just an ankle sprain. Given the Raptors have a long term investment in him that is cause for concern. How much cause you really can't say not knowing the full extent of what is wrong. At least it was slightly better than the standard hockey lower and upper body injury. We do have a body part an ankle that has taken a ton of abuse this season. Amir Johnson is likely done for the year and really gave everything he had for this team. A true warrior like effort and he did all he could to earn every penny he was paid. But Raptors move on nine strong or weak as the case maybe. Facing a Bucks team that had higher expectations this season than Toronto and has fallen well short of them. I was one of the view that did not praise the Bucks off-season. They in my opinion took steps backwards not forward and as they will watch the post-season with the Raptors and others it is hard to say I was wrong.

The Basics: Raptors 22-58 (Still tied with Wizards for 3rd worst in NBA) vs Bucks 33-47 (21-19 at home this being their final home game of the season)

When Last We Saw Them: I was there in person and watched the Raptors build a huge lead and almost watch it melt away. Maybe it was the Raptors small line up of just 9, the fact both teams had nothing but pride to play for, but whatever it was this felt like a summer league game. Raptors get the win and remained tied with Wiz for 3rd worst in NBA.

The Key Match Ups: No Bogut and Bargnani which is advantage Raptors as Bogut in previous match-ups has been unstoppable for the Dinos. Milwaukee goes with a undersized starting five and the one you might worry about most has the nicest hair in the gym. Carlos Delfino for whatever reason gets jacked up to play his former club and if he gets hot from 3 point land could make for a long night. Bayless has done well scoring and running the offence but on D not so much and Brandon Jennings is a guy that has potential to go off if you let him. Last home game of the year for the Bucks and Jennings would like to put on a show for his fans you would have to imagine. Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis are perhaps the only reasons to watch the Raptors these days and look for them to try to take advantage of lots of playing time and continue their positive play down the stretch.

Other Things of Note: Just want to say I had a great time in Toronto yesterday and covering the Raptors for another year. From fans of the blog, to people who have become friends, media friends and the Raptors staff and players it has all made for an enjoyable second season covering the team. More thoughts on this is in the post prior to this one if you care to check it out. Also I made my weekly visit to the Team 990 on early Saturday Morning. Not much Raptors talk in it but lots of talk about the coming NBA playoffs in it so give it a listen if you like.

Where is it on: TSN....No Really!!! The main network for one last time this season. How the Bucks get on a Main Network and on Wednesday the Heat do not is one of the mysteries of what the heck the people do in scheduling of sports in this country are thinking. Something tells me I never want to know. Psst....Miami Heat are a pretty big deal.....They have this guy that use to play for the Raptors too. Might have seen it on the news on ESPN.

Two In A Row?

It seems like a long time ago the Raptors got their win to snap their losing streak at 13 games. I was there at the ACC and the sense of relief was evident. Can the Raptors carry that momentum with them to Milwaukee 3 days later? Leandro Barbosa is expected to be back as he travelled with the team. Jerryd Bayless did not. It has been a disappointing year for the Bucks that made some moves in the off-season looking to remain a playoff team in the East. But injuries have been a problem for them as it has for the Raptors. Brandon Jennings injuries were to the benefit of his friend Demar DeRozan who got to replace him in the Dunk Contest. Jennings is back on the floor for the Bucks now though, but since his return the Bucks are just 1-4. If you have never checked out the game notes from the Milwaukee Bucks for a Raptor game you are missing out on some good laughs.

The Basics: Raptors 14-37 (4-13 vs East on Road) Bucks 19-30 (On 4 Game Losing Streak)

When Last We Saw Them: Finally the Raptors got a win. The starting 5 all came to play and Raptors were able to take out the T-Wolves at the ACC. Jose Calderon was dropping dimes, Bargnani was hitting shots, DeMar and Sonny were doing what they do and Amir Johnson was a beast it was a winning formula for the Raptors who showed no Love to the T-Wolves.

Key Match-Ups: Brandon Jennings has yet to have a big game since returning to the Bucks Line-Up. Will Jose Calderon provide the chance for the Jennings to go off. You sure hope not if your cheering for the Raptors. Carlos Delfino and Demar DeRozan will be an important match-up for each side to win. But how the Bucks beat the Raptors in OT in Toronto was Andrew Bogut and Andrea Bargnani's told lack of ability to stop him. Ultimately that is the most important match-up in this game for both teams. Andrea if he can score like he did vs T-Wolves is something the Bucks need to be aware of. While the Raptors can not afford to have Andrea left on his own to try to stop Bogut.

Other Things Of Note: Bucks are not exactly blazing in the first game of back to backs they are just 4-9 and only average 89.9 points in those 13 games. We didn't mention him in the key match-ups but Corey Maggette is averaging 18 points a game for the Bucks in the 5 games since they hooked up with the Raptors. If the Raptors can get a fast start their chances of winning will increase dramatically. The Bucks are 7-21 when they trail after the 1st Quarter. Had a great conversation with Ryan Wolstat from The Toronto Sun if you missed yesterday in the Starting 5. Also we are gearing up for our (Un) Welcome Back Bosh Bash on the 16th at St. Louis Wings. You can be our VIP Guest and invite a friend to join you, we will be having details on Twitter @Dinonationblog on how you can come join our party on our tab.

Where Is It On: TSN (On The Big Network See Winning Has It's Benefits)

Demar Will Dunk In L.A For All-Star Weekend

A number of media sources are confirming that Demar DeRozan will replace Brandon Jennings in the dunk contest. We recently chatted with Demar in the DNB and he talked about the dunk contest and the fact he was not going to be a part of it. In that interview with us Demar was just hoping for anyway to be a part of All-Star Weekend which will be in his hometown of L.A. Well now he will be in it as part of the Dunk Contest and should get the call to be part of the Sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge on All-Star Friday night. DeRozan was robbed of the dunk title last year losing to Nate Robinson. DeRozan recorded the only perfect score in what was a lack luster competition.

Blake Griffin was the favourite of the assembled field and Nate Robinson claimed it was set up for Blake Griffin to win. Jennings is being replaced by DeRozan due to a injury that will not allow him to compete. The other 2 guys in the contest are the Wizards Javale Mcgee and Serge Ibaka from the Thunder. Demar's inclusion has been posted on NBA.com so looks like Demar is heading home to take on Blake Griffin in his home arena.

Clearly Griffin is still going to be the favourite to win the contest but Demar DeRozan is perhaps the ultimate wild card to throw into the mix and this at least on paper has the makings of a showdown for the ages. This has to be nice news for DeRozan and Raptor fans and slightly takes away the sting of a Raptor 5 game losing streak.

So DeRozan is clear for take off in L.A!!!

DeMar DeRozan: The Forgotten Star

We have all seen DeMar DeRozan blossom into a pretty good NBA player after having somewhat of a sub-par season in his rookie year. But who could blame him for that performance, after-all he was playing behind the likes of Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and dare I say Hedo Turkoglu. He has taken huge steps in his sophomore season to better his game and become a better all-around player, but in the eyes of the NBA community outside of Toronto he's not really getting the credit or respect he deserves. Some may view him as just an athletic player who can get up and throw down some dunks on a regular basis, but he is continuing to expand his game and making strides to becoming a star in this league.

After finishing the 09-10 season with a decent 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists, he is currently averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 boards and 1,7 assists and these numbers may continue to increase as there is still over three months left in the season. We have also seen his scoring averages increase each month from 11.5 in October, 11.9 in November, 15.9 in December and 19,3 through 3 games in January. Not to mention that he is averaging 23.8 points over his last four games and has scored in double digits in twelve straight games, highlighted by a 3 point output in Houston, and I'm sure he'll continue producing at this astonishing rate. But still you hardly hear about these things outside of the Toronto media.

Another aspect of his game that has improved is his determination to take the ball to the hoop and get to the FT line, though he does get a bit too overaggressive at times. Last season he averaged 2.5 FT attempts per game, and that number has doubled this season as he is currently getting to the line 5.2 times per game which ranks him 30th overall in the league and 1st amongst Raptors players. To put that into perspective Chris Bosh, who was one of the best at getting to the line last season, gets to the line about 5.5 times per game this season, Pau Gasol and Paul Pierce get there 5 times, fellow teammate Andrea Bargnani attempts 4.9 per game and Rudy Gay, who is perhaps one of the most athletic guys in the league gets there about 4.2 times. He also ranks 28th overall in FT's made this season with 134 makes, and 23rd in FT attempts, with 178, which is only two less than Pau Gasol and more than the likes of Chris Paul, Danny Granger, and Josh Smith. DeMar could even be getting to the line more often if he got a few more calls to go his way, as the referees haven't been giving him the benefit of the doubt must lately. That's not to say that the refs are out to get him or anything, but if you have watched the last few games, you'll be questioning some of the no-calls also.

Then there was the whole thing of him being snubbed for the Rookie team that competed in the Rookie-Sophomore game at last years All-star weekend. Of the nine players selected only four ( Tyreke Evans, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Curry, and Jsmes Harden) were selected before DeMar in the draft and only one of the remaining five (Brandon Jennings) was selected in the lottery. The remaining four were comprised of two picks in the 20's (Omri Casspi, 23rd, and Taj Gibson, 26th) and two second rounders (DeJuan Blair and Jonas Jerebko). Upon a closer look, this wasn't really as big a snub as it seemed as most of these guys were having better seasons than Demar at that time and ended the season with better scoring averages, except for Blair, but he was a beast on the boards in his limited minutes. But then at that very same All-Star weekend, Demar had to earned his spot in the dunk contest via a dunk-in against Eric Gordan, instead of being invited to participate like the other contestants. He would eventually win this, but ultimately lose in the finals of the main contest via fan vote to Nate Robinson.

So after having a dunk-in last year, you'll think that the NBA would do the same this year, but to no surprise they didn't and selected Blake Griffin, Brandon Jennings, JaVale McGee and Serge Ibaka for this year's contest. If DeMar had to participant in the dunk-in last year, why don't two other players get to compete for that final spot again this year. Was it because the didn't like that format or did they rather he earn his way into the contest instead of just giving him a spot? But before we get any conspiracy theory's started, let's just say that in the end he showed why he deserved to be in that contest last year. Now in terms of this year's selection choices, in which DeMar was once again not selected, I'll leave that for another day.

Overall, DeMar has become a solid NBA player and as much as his game has improved he has yet to receive the credit he deserves. But, then again there have been a long history of Raptors players who had to worked very hard in order to be recognized by the league, whether it had been VC, Bosh or Bargnani. So if DeMar keeps up his great work ethic and keeps on improving, in due time he would be getting that respect he deserves.

On Second Thought Good Luck Chicago You'll Need It

I was among the folks that wanted to see the Raptors make the post season. That didn't happen of course and the Raptors now have a first round draft pick. After watching Cleveland pretty much put the boots to Chicago, still looking like they were not at 100% was scary. Does anyone think the Raptors would have done any better yesterday? Not really. So that being said I will be happy with the draft choice and look forward to have a seat in the draft lottery. Chicago may not win a game in this series. Cavs look like a team on a mission and I am glad I picked them in pre-season to win the NBA Title. Here is a look back to day 1 of the NBA Playoffs.

Playoffs Re-Cap- Day 1

Cavs 97 Chicago 83

Cavs had an offensive drought and that is the only reason the Cavs didn't win this game by 20 +. A ho hum 24 from Lebron James. It is only going to get better for the Cavs and worst for the Bulls. Cleveland I called to win this series in 5. I have no idea how Chicago can win a game in this series. If I had it to redo I would call the sweep which Anas did in out playoff preview.

Atlanta 102 Bucks 92

Brandon Jennings was fantastic and yet it still wasn't enough. The Hawks have experience and poise now in the playoffs and they can display it against the in-experienced Bucks. I still think some how some way the Bucks will eek out a win. But this series will be Atlanta's and it won't take long.

Boston 85 Miami 76

This was by far the game of day 1. The Heat lead most of the way. Until the Celtics would awakened and took over. The Celtics played perhaps the best defense they had in months. The made D-Wade into the invisible man. Then near the end we had a fight with K.G in the middle and he would be kicked out of this one. Will he be in for game 2? Might need to hear from the league on that. Now I took Heat in 5. But that went out the window. Heat are not beating Boston 4 straight. They also have allowed themselves to get into the Celtics kind of game. Fights, smack talk and defense that all is how Celtics like to play. Heat now have a fight on their hands.

Denver 126 Utah 113

Didn't these teams get the memo about the playoffs are about defense? Maybe it is the thin air in Denver. Someone mentioned in our preview the Jazz had no one to check Mello. Well give that person a gold star as Carmelo Anthony went off for 42 points. Yes that is a career playoff high. More important think we got our answer if Denver is under pressure or inspired by George Karl. The answer is clearly inspired.

K.D vs Kobe today that should be fun. I am also going to be doing the Mavs and Spurs for The Score on the live blogs so join me at 8pm for some playoff fun. In addition don't feel to bad the Raptors are not there by watching the Cavs yesterday it is clear it would have been a short trip.

Raptor Regression

Win number 4 will not be as easy with no Jose Calderon who did not take the trip and Andrea Bargnani a no go with his bad ankle. Jack and Rasho the two former Pacers enter the line-up. The task becomes a little tougher in terms of depth. However I actually like both match-ups better on the defensive end for the Raptors. Jack should be able to stay in front of Jennings and Rasho can bang with Bogut. Bucks have an impressive home record of 7-3. Should be fun.

Or...maybe not. That is unless you were tuning in to check out Brendon Jennings who was just fantastic. He would catch fire at the end of the first quarter and really that would be it. We could go through the entire blow by blow of things but the short answer is the Raptors regressed back to the team they were prior to that meeting in Washington. Chris Bosh had his league leading 20th double double but he was about the only Raptor on his game at all offensively. The defense was back to being offensive. Ex-Raptor Roko Ukic would end up out scoring everyone not named Bosh on the Raps roster. He had 17 points in the game and that was his season high for the Bucks this year. The Bucks rolled and it was never in doubt after that end of the first quarter surge by Jennings as he had 22 points before leaving the game late with an injury at the end of the 3rd. The Bucks who struggle to reach 90 most nights would pour in 117 and that was more than enough for the 117-95 win.

It was a clear regression on behalf of the Raptors. True they did play without Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. However not to many people have been praising Jose or Andrea for their defense of late have they? That being said anytime Marcus Banks hits the floor should be a red alert that things are not good. Banks was slightly improved with 2 points or 3 assists. But that is no where close to the production that you need from your back up point guard. He was 0-3 from the field and took 2 three pointers in his 3 shots missing both.

Even Demar DeRozan who started this game looking like he would be off to another good night he fizzled out early scoring just 8 points snapping a streak of games with double digit points. Jack was decent on offense but is D was lacking. They now keep +/- in the NBA and Jack was a minus 19 which topped the team. Not suggesting it was all his fault but he sure wasn't part of the solution. In fact on the defensive end there was not anyone that jumps off the page as part of that solution.

Cue the impending doom like music...Next up for the Raptors....The Atlanta Hawks. That team that put up 146 points not so long ago. At least it is not in Atlanta that may help slightly. If you think the Hawks have cooled off any...not so much. They played last night as well and kicked around the Bulls 118-83. So the question will become was this like having a slip on a diet for the Raptors? Eating a Ice Cream Sundae and then getting back on the straight and narrow in terms of playing defense. The game against the Hawks should give us a strong indication win or lose.

The only other point I want to make is once again Hedo Turkoglu was no where close to playing at the level his contract suggests. I was reading yesterday that according to Forbes the Bucks as a franchise are the cheapest in terms of value in the NBA. The empty seats last night showed you why. The number for the Bucks was like 252 Million I think and we are going to pay Hedo 53 million which is roughly a 5th of what it would cost to buy the Bucks. At this point the Bucks seem like the investment with upside. Hedo has been a shadow of himself and really has been one of the bigger disappointments of this season.

4 For A Buck?

The most important thing off the top is that Jose Calderon is not going to be back tonight against the Bucks. That is according to the Fan 590 as of this morning. In fact he did not even travel with the team.That means that Jarrett Jack will get the call again to start for the second straight night. The Bucks were the surprise team out of the gate this NBA season but they have come crashing back to reality. Just 2-8 in their last 10 and they sit tied for 6th in the east just a half game in front of the Raptors. That is correct the Raptors would be a playoff team if they started today sitting in 8th. That is the wonderful thing about the Eastern Conference you get on a minor win streak and you are in the playoffs.

Brandon Jennings opened up everyone's eyes scoring 55 points. He has struggled recently though and he maybe the best of his rookie class when all is said and done. He did win the Rookie of the month for the opening month and a bit of the season for the Eastern Conference. That being said the Raptors should still be happy with their choice of Demar DeRozan. He offers the Raptors the slashing and athletic scorer that they truly needed. There is no doubt that if the Raptors drafted Jennings the off-season would have taken a much different turn. There is no way they sign Jarrett Jack and he really seems to be someone worth having at this point. Jack is never going to be a Brandon Jennings in terms of skill. However he has proven to be someone who looks like he can be a leader for this Raptor team which they need. Bosh tends to lead more by example and Jack does more with words along with action.

If the Raptors can get a 4th win it would be a huge step in the right direction. The Raptors were truly on the brink of watching the season fall of a cliff. They have been able to turn things around and seem to have figured it out on what it will take for this team to win basketball games. The true test may lie ahead on Friday when they stare in the face of the Hawks that ripped them apart and pushed them to that brink. If they could enter into that game riding a 4 game win streak since it can only help.

Andre Bogut has returned to the Bucks line up. He like Andrea Bargnani has struggled to live up to being a number 1 pick in the draft. Bogut has often been injured and as a result has not lived up to expectations people may have had for him. He is a rough and tumble guy and the big Aussie can be someone that could cause the Raptors problems. The best way to solve that problem is to get him into foul trouble. Bosh and Bargnani both are quicker and if the attack Bogut the fouls should come.

If you want an X-factor that you may not think of for the Bucks...how bout Charlie Bell. In the past he has had some nice efforts against the Raptors. If he is shooting it well he could do some damage. In terms of shooting you have to think the Raptors will bounce back after an off night shooting last night at the ACC. The Raptors have been finding ways to win and let's hope they can do it again.

Another word of warning for the Raps is the Bucks average just over 8 made 3's a game( That is 4th in NBA). So the Raptors will have to do a solid job guarding the 3 point line and do not over commit to stop a Brandon Jennings. Jack in the starting line-up may in fact be a better match-up to go against the young buck rookie. Jack is more capable of keeping Jennings in front of him and not be as dependent on help.

Let's Get Two

The one thing that stood out for me in the Bryan Colangelo state of the Raptors address was the desire to acquire a 2nd first round pick. It makes a lot of sense to me. Now if you have that second pick your options become a lot more open on what you can do with you pick at 9. Just for an example let's say the Raptors take Jonny Flynn or Ty Lawson at #9. Both should be their if you scan the mock drafts. If you were able to acquire a pick in the late teens or early 20's you could select a player like a Sam Young. Young was here for a workout but was injured during testing for his vertical jump. That would make a dynamic duo for the Raptors to add to the mix. In a draft with a lot of point guards/shooting guards in the mix it makes sense for the Raptors to look at those guys. Roko Ukic has not done enough to not look at it. But the desperate need for a legit wing player makes it almost required for the Raptors to have 2 first round picks to address both.

If the Raptors won the draft lottery that would offer a different issue as it would be hard to pass on a talent like Hassem Thabeet who would make a quality option at the 5 coming off the bench behind Bosh and and Bargnani. There is also Ricky Rubio who Jose Calderon knows well. But the odds of the Raptors winning the lottery are very long and it would seem highly unlikely they get lucky. That being said the odds of the Chicago Bulls were long as well last year. Magically they won the lotto and low and behold the hometown kid Derrick Rose was there for the taking. This is good news for Thunder fans if you believe that the lottery is not on the up and up. The fact that Blake Griffin went to Oklahoma is playing in your favour. It would be good news for Griffin as well does anyone really want to have to go play for the Sacramento Kings who have fallen back to the level of The Clippers after a short run at the top of the west the Kings are back to being the joke they use to be.

So dealing in reality it is likely the Raptors will look to stay at 9 and look for a second pick later in the draft. Most years in the draft I would not be that optimistic about that strategy. But this year I like the plan. There is a lot of question marks in the draft. I would say that a guy picked from those later picks might have just as good a shot as some of the late picks in the lottery. The last time the Raptors had 2 first round picks it landed them Charlie V and Joey G. In the case of both they have had mixed result. Charlie clearly is the guy that may turn out to be a very good player when all is said and done. Joey is well frustrating and a guy that has lived on that potential word for a long time.

Bryan Colangelo said he wants to get tougher. Well that is why I mentioned the two players I did in Lawson and Flynn. Both in the NCAA Tournament showed a great deal of toughness. Sam Young has that kind of tough swagger too. Playing out of the Big East makes anyone a little tougher in the case of Flynn and Young. Lawson played the entire tournament with turf toe. How you get that playing on hardwood is another story. But the injury sounds like not a big deal but it is very painful. I played football in my high school years and can remember a few folks having this type of injury it is painful and what makes what Lawson did in the NCAA tournament that much more amazing.

A couple other names that I feel deserve mention are Brandon Jennings and Stephen Curry. Jennings is the kid that bucked the system. He took his skills to europe rather than being forced to the NCAA. He wanted to enter the draft right out of high school but the new rules that David Stern brought in just a few years ago. Jennings at one point was a legit option for the Raptors at 9. But he is climbing up the draft boards and will likely not be there for the Raptors. Curry is the pick of some including Draft Express for the Raptors at 9. There is some common sense in all of this. Curry did after all start hitting jumpers on the floor at the ACC. Not the conference but the Raptors home arena. His father Dell played for several years with the Raptors. It makes sense that Stephen would not have any issues with coming to Toronto. He is undersized and a lights out shooter. Many question if he can do that on the next level. I think he can but I am not sold he makes a solid fit for the Raptors. How can he guard his position on the next level would be my major concern. I watched him go head to head with Pat Mills in the NIT and he did light up the scoreboard but so did Mills who he was guarding most of the time. Mills is a smaller point guard that is lightning quick. But if Curry can't stop him how does he stop bigger and stronger folks on the next level. The answer to be says that he does not. He has a roll in the NBA but on a team looking to improve on the defensive end it does not seem like a good selection.

Put hey we have lots of time to talk about it all. The draft is still over a month away and we have yet to even find out where the Raptors will be selecting. To find that out come join me as I host a live Blog on NBA Lotto night that is set to start @ 7pm on May 19th.