Bosh or Bargnani Problems Remain The Same.

Chris Bosh has been playing a key role for the Miami Heat as they lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals. I mentioned on Friday how the the Raptors no matter what they may say after he has gone, were ill prepared to have him walk. Ultimately, when you think about the Raptors now they have basically just elevated Andrea Bargnani to the roll of Bosh on their roster. In comparing the two players they offer a much different skill set at first glance. Bosh would always be considered a better rebounder and Bargnani a better shooter. Still both at times have been questioned for their desire to defend and do the dirty work. In some senses the Raptors are still following the same model that they failed to have success with under Bosh. Bargnani quickly replaced Bosh in terms of his role on the team. The one role the Raptors have never replaced since he left was the one that Vince Carter filled with the Raptors. That dynamic small forward that could both attack the basket and make a poster, but still be able to hang out beyond the arc and bomb 3's at times.That is something the Raptors have not replaced. Demar DeRozan has half that equation in being able to attack the basket and make spectacular finishes. He lacks that three point threat to truly be taken seriously by a defense to worry about him.

The Raptors ultimate problems might not be all that different without Bosh as they were with him. I don't think Andrea Bargnani is a significantly better player than Bosh or every will be unless the Raptors fix these problems. Can Bargnani have more success than Bosh did if the Raptors find a dynamic wing option and a better point guard to attack the basket? Probably they can but they had seven years of trying to find those things with Bosh and were never able to find that proper mix. Another thing that was missing was a true center that could rebound and defend. The Raptors hope they have found that piece in Jonas Valancuinas. In many ways could develop into the Anti-Bargnani. If he can make up for Bargnani's lack of rebounding and have his back as help defender it could make for a nice pairing. Still, without that dynamic wing and attacking the hoop point guard the Raptors remain somewhat flawed.

Andrea Bargnani is no more a 1a player than Chris Bosh was. He just isn't that guy even if you believe the guy that exploded for about a stretch of 13 games is the real Andrea Bargnani moving forward. The one good thing about Bosh leaving has been it has allowed Andrea Bargnani to play at his natural position and even if it is just from a mental point of view, he is more comfortable at that spot. Ultimately the Raptors problems before Bosh and after him still are basically the same ones including the fact that Bosh ultimately left and went elsewhere.

It has always been a source of frustration for the Raptors top star whoever that happened to be to recruit players to come here to play along side them. Some will tell you if the Raptors start winning the players will come. Really think this is honestly true? I mean you may hate him now, but Vince Carter was at one time in Toronto considered one of the best players in the league and likely was the most popular. Raptors were winning and appearing on national T.V in the United States.  What was he able to attract to the Raptors in terms of free agency? The answer is not much except of a past his prime Hakeem the dream that quickly turned into a Raptor nightmare. If he can't get anyone to come in that position on top of the NBA map can we honestly think that Chris Bosh could have or Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan can?

Basically the Raptors are a team that by and large has had to build a team with only 2 of the 3 major components you have too build a franchise. In the time Bosh was here the Raptors would never venture into that level of being a tax team with greater penalties for being one the Raptors are no more likely to do that with Bargnani. In fact, Colangelo all but said that would be the case for this upcoming season. If you are not going to over spend a little and being willing to go that extra mile to try and change the Raptors free agency fortune it is going to be hard to see a solution to this problem.

Friday I was talking about hope and not so much today. Still if you want some hope of how the Raptors fix this problem in free agency I will give you a long term answer. You clearly have noticed that basketball has had a lot more talented Canadians playing the game these days. Legit Canadian Draft prospects are now becoming the norm and not the exception. If enough of these Canadians develop into true NBA players the Raptors will have a pool of free agents that would actually value the Raptors differently. The idea of coming home and playing here might be to much to pass up. Steve Nash has manged to avoid the temptation of it. Still as the numbers increase of Canadians not all of them will be able to resist you have to figure. This solution is not keeping Bryan Colangelo his job or helping out in the short term unless you in fact sign Nash. Over time though the Raptors need to consider this as their one advantage they have in free agency.    

I guess what I am saying is the Raptors are still a team that is trying to build around primarily a power forward that has some obvious flaws but some obvious talent. So really has anything changed in terms of the game plan for the Raptors?  Not so much I guess.

Hope is Back In the House In Raptorland

I can say that the last year or so has been the most painful in doing the Dino Nation Blog and just in general as a Raptor fan since the very start. There was a long and painful off-season that was all about the NBA Lockout. It was a dark and dank time that offered no signs of hope for the coming fall. Even when the lockout came to an end sometime in November it did not really offer much hope in terms of the Raptors. Bryan Colangelo made it pretty clear by his words and his actions that the Raptors goals had little to do with what would actually take place this season. At least in respect to challenging to be back in playoffs. The Raptors basically were back to square one almost in some senses. They had a new coach that was going to "Change the Culture" of the Raptors. We have heard this before many times. To his credit, if anything this was accomplished this season, Dwane Casey actually did that. It was the flickering of that hope coming back. It had been all but erased when Chris Bosh took his talents to South Beach. The Raptors can say what they like about that, but they clearly got caught with their pants down in that whole situation. They were ill prepared to move on to a new era without Bosh as the centerpiece.

This off-season the Raptors have the chance to move forward from the abyss they have been in since Chris Bosh left. The buzz is back around the Raptors as they have been the most talked about team heading into the NBA Draft and NBA Off-Season. Colangelo offered no hope last season with the promise of hope in this season to come. He even did that in terms of his draft pick last season taking Jonas Valancuinas. Which at the time was not the most popular choice with many Raptor fans. After a year most folks have had a change of heart. That might be in part because of the Raptors marketing of their pick constantly, or it might be that Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker the two guys most fans wanted, have been below expectations at the start of their NBA careers.

The excitement is back in the Raptor fan base and you only need to spend a day on social media like Twitter to see that is. The danger is the excitement is based on rumours, talk and buzz. Bryan Colangelo to keep this momentum going needs to answers this buzz with actions that live up to it. Which could be pretty hard to do when all is said and done. We have heard names like Steve Nash, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and others as being possible Raptors. There is also a buzz around the draft as well and what the Raptors could do with 8th pick if they in fact keep it. Colangelo has done nothing to throw a wet blanket on these expectations so you have to believe he is going to try and match them or exceed them. This is by far the most challenging off-season for Colangelo in his time in Toronto. To say that it is make or break for his legacy and long term job security is not speculation as much as it is fact.

I have said many times that in all sports what a sports franchise is in the business of really doing, is selling this idea of hope to it's fanbase. The Raptors are once again able to do that with fans having some realistic and some not so realistic expectations for this franchise and the players that make up the roster and those who could. If at the end of this off-season the Raptors can be considered a playoff team or a contender to be one that will be the first step in restoring some real hope for this franchise. Something that has been hard to do even when they had Chris Bosh for the last couple years of his run here in Toronto. It is always a good feeling to have hope for the future. Not just in sports but in life in general.

The next step in this process of hope might not be so easy. It is the same one that 27 other NBA Teams will face. That is how on earth can you be a serious contender for a NBA Title. If the first two games of the NBA Finals have not convinced you that OKC and Miami is on another level from the rest of the NBA you will eventually learn this lesson. It is more than logical to think we can be on the verge of a Celtics vs Lakers type of rivalry that could dominate this decade. But the Raptors are far from worrying about those monsters that lie ahead they would just like to get back to the post season and be part of that conversation. In a season that might include the NHL being on the sidelines with their own lockout. This is a time to capture the hearts and minds of the casual sports fans in Toronto and Canada. The Raptors had this handed to them before when the NHL missed an entire season and they  missed out on that golden opportunity. They now  may get a rare second chance to get it right. This a long with the fact you have a fan base that is starting to feel like they have seen it all before and tired of excuses and want to see some results. The time is now for the Raptors to be on the attack. We have 15 days to July the 1st and the Raptors in that time need to find a way to make all the right moves and cash in on all this buzz and hope that has been created.

Raptor Fans Are Like Elephants

People have a hard time figuring out Raptor fans. Like why on earth were they still booing Tracy McGrady after all these years. I saw a tweet from someone with the Hawks that stated that Raptor Fans are like elephants they never forget. I think that is kind of true and it is kind of what I dig about writing about this team and for Raptor Fans. To often in this modern world, so much gets forgotten and swept aside. A guy can honestly go to jail and comeback and be a hero in this world. Scandal is only temporary and it steals all the headlines. For whatever you personally think about how Raptor fans act towards guys like Vince Carter, T-Mac and Chris Bosh, it to me will always be cool. It is a collective way of people calling someone out for in their opinion doing them wrong. If it was just a one sided thing I might not be as supportive. Thing is that it isn't. If a guy like Jerome Williams, Morris Peterson or Alvin Williams show up at the ACC they are met with cheers. This is because fans believe that these players and a few others showed them respect. They did it through how they played on the court and how they treated folks off the court. Basically people in Toronto are pretty good at figuring out who is genuine and who isn't.

That leads to what Amir Johnson did last night for Raptor fans and his own fans with his Roll with Amir Event. I can't imagine the likes of Carter, Bosh or McGrady reaching into their pocket and with little fanfare taking out 50 fans for the night on their dime. But not just to give them tickets to a game, but to go out with them after the game and interact with all of them and give them stuff. All just to say thanks for their support and love throughout the season. That is what Amir Johnson has done his last two seasons here in Toronto. While on the floor he models the effort and energy and attitude of Raptor fan favourites of the past. He has taken it to a whole new level off the floor with this event. I have the good fortune to talk with anyone on the Raptors I care to with covering games. That is not the case for fans. It is something I always keep in my heart when I cover games. The average fan getting a chance to talk with an Amir Johnson or a Demar DeRozan is a rare and in some cases once in a lifetime experience.

When Chris Bosh decided to check out for South Beach it created the birth of something new. It was the Young Gunz, better known as the more politically correct Young Onez these days. Amir along with Demar and Sonny Weems took Bosh's exit as an opportunity to embrace Toronto fans. It was what they needed badly after watching yet another star player get what he could out of Toronto and then leave them behind saying thanks for the memories. Toronto needed some players to step up and say they were loved and appreciated and that is what Amir along with Sonny and Demar did. While it has been tough times for the Raptors on the floor in the past few years since Bosh has left, it never stopped these guys from being out front and still there doing their part to embrace fans. It is easy to show love for people when everything is going great and your riding high. It takes some true character and genuine love to do it even when things are not so good.

While the Young Onez may still be miles away from bringing a championship to Toronto they have had an impact on Toronto. Sonny Weems still keeps in touch with all the people that supported him here on Twitter even when he was half a world away playing ball in Europe this past season. Amir Johnson had some personal issues that never were made public other than that. Still, he keeps a smile on his face and goes out of his way to embrace the support he gets from his fans. It is something that even in a season like this Raptor fans appreciate.

The Raptors future on the floor finally seems to be turning in a positive direction. Which is great news for everyone. However, don't forget all that was done by guys like Amir Johnson in the days that were darkest after Chris Bosh left. It should be remembered and cheered as loudly as the boos that rain down on the likes of Bosh, Carter and McGrady. But like that Atlanta person tweeted " Raptor Fans are like Elephants they never forget." Make sure you remember that in terms of Amir Johnson because he more than deserves it.

Chris Bosh Shines As Heat Toy With Raptors.

The Miami Heat got in at 4:30am were are told. Which for any other team would be a story. For Miami that is the regular team curfew in South Beach. There are lots of empty seats this year for Bosh's return to Toronto. A little different story last year. Raptors are a lot different too. That being said the Heat are pretty much the same unstoppable force they always are.

The game starts with a Bosh bucket in the lane to a smattering of boos. It would start a 10-0 run for the Heat to start this game and it was not a surprise. The lack of people in the building was considering the opposition beyond the Bosh return you have Wade and James two of the best players in the NBA. Raptors would get a basket after a time out but the beat down just kept rolling along with score 16-2. The Raptors would show small signs of life on offense but their defense was to make a joke and a point MIA. The Heat led 22-10 and really were getting whatever they liked on the offensive end. DeRozan had a few nice scores and on a drive to the hoop he cut the lead to 26-15 for the Heat. Raptors would get together a little run and make this a six point basketball game. Chalmers with timely 3 ball makes the lead back to 9. Still the Raptors kept charging and had got this back to a respectable close game down just 31-27 after one.

Bargnani was getting it done and he remains glued to the bench to start the 2nd. The Raptors were now a scrap bunch with Amir Johnson and others like Gary Forbes in the fray. They cut lead to just 2 for the Heat the closest they had been since practically the opening tip. Bargnani would return and maybe message received as he hit a baseline jumper to tie the game at 35. Raptors would get the lead on a Derozan lay up from a feed from Anderson on 10 day contract. Raptors lead 41-39. Chris Bosh had seen enough of this he makes a jumper and ties this game up. Then Wade with a great move of a pick set for him and to cap it off Lebron James with a dunk as the Big 3 go back to back to back scoring to give Heat a 47-43 lead. The Heat would expand that to a 59-51 lead closing out the half on a 12-4 run sparked by the Super Friends.

Bosh has 14, James has 14 and Wade has 13 points. Also with 14 points Demar DeRozan but he does not have the support to battle with the Big 3. Alley oop to James to start the half but the Raptors respond with Jose to Amir hook up. Amir getting the start in 2nd half replacing Aaron Gray in starting group. Bosh than gets a slam to groans from the ACC crowd. The Raptors were keeping it close as Demar nailed a jumper after another Amir score. The Heat were letting the Raptors hang around for now with the score 65-61. Back to back hoops from D-Wade would get the Heat lead back to 8. But the Raptors pushed back again and Bargnani three ball cut the lead to just three at 69-66. Bargnani after being benched for awhile got the message and has played much better since. Made a couple free throws to get the Raptors to just one point behind. Demar DeRozan meantime loves playing the Heat having an excellent night attacking constantly and he does again to tie the game up at 76. Heat again respond as Lebron James makes a jumper like it is easy as pie. Andrea Bragnani does one better with a big three ball to make it a one point lead for the Heat. James Johnson would score and the Raptors would lead this thing in the third 81-80. Raptors got their lead to three but then a wide open rookie Norris Cole nails a three and this game was tied at 83 after 3.

Heat again start the 4th and get out to a 4 point lead. Andrea Bargnani has been a totally different guy since getting benched early in this one. He fought for a rebound and drew a foul and then nailed a three on the extra possession he created. Bosh made a couple at the line but then James Johnson fires up a three ball and ties it at 89. Jose Calderon gets smacked in the face and called for a foul and doesn't like it and gets a tech. All that leads to three points for the Heat. Miami would get another star call as James Johnson got called for a charge. Heat go on a 8-0 run and lead 97-89. Out of time out Jose scores on a jumper of a nice screen. Wade answers that as he is fired up and was talking trash earlier. Chances of the Raptors winning had faded fast. Heat were playing defense much more to the level they normally do. That was the biggest difference in this worth quarter. A steal to drive home that point and D-Wade slam part of a 16-4 run that sees the Heat leading 105-93 with roughly 3 to play. Heat would go on cruise control the rest of the way. Bosh misses a dunk down the stretch fans got a chuckle but Bosh go a redo and smashed it down to give him 30 on the night to tie for the game high with D-Wade. Heat take this one 113-101.

Chris Bosh wins and all you get is a lousy slice of Pizza. Demar DeRozan had 28 and in this environment vs the Heat always seems to shine. Bargnani was terrible at the start, fantastic in the middle and was quiet late. It was a fun ride but the expected result.

Bosh Is Back! Who Cares?

Last season you can argue the first time the Miami Heat rolled into town was the biggest game of the season. It was so big we packed St Louis Wings up the street from the ACC to watch the game on T.V. It was the biggest event of the Raptors season and it wasn't even close. A year later does anyone really care that Chris Bosh and his super friends are coming to town? I guess will see tonight. The Raptors have had only one sellout this season when Linsanity hit Toronto. Kobe Bryant couldn't sell the place out. Can Bosh along with his buddies Wade and James? Will see, but I don't think people care like when Vince Carter returns to Toronto. Bosh no doubt will get booed, but will it be an all game, loud every time he touches the ball type thing? I tend to doubt it. I just really don't care that he left anymore honestly. I understand why he did and agree with why he did to a large extent. How he left could have been done in a much more classy and mature way but that really doesn't make my blood boil. Bosh has taken a bigger bashing from the national media in the U.S than anything he could face here in Toronto. He wanted more fame and now he has it and he has got to see the disadvantage of that more than the advantage you can argue.

Bosh got to the NBA Finals, but honestly he was not the reason why they lost. His numbers in year two with the Heat are almost the same as they were in year one. Still, you can argue he has had a better year this year in fitting into his role for the Heat. He has a bit more element of respect this season as well. He played in a game with no Lebron and no Wade and was able to do what he did in Toronto and lead his team to a win. The focus of the pressure has shifted on to Lebron James and Chris Bosh has been able to slide into the background to a degree. He had to understand when he made the decision he did that he was going to be the third wheel in Miami. It is something I think deep down he is cool with.

When Bosh was in Toronto he was expected to be a leader and many felt he just wasn't. He was clearly their best player but he wasn't the best leader. He was better than Andrea Bargnani in terms of numbers though. The difference is that Bargnani is not expected to be the leader of this team. He is not the greatest interview in the world. Chris Bosh was a good interview and was always in high demand and after Vince Carter was traded became the Face of the Franchise long before he really should have. Bargnani no matter what he ultimately becomes will never truly be that face of the franchise in that sense. He just doesn't have the personality. Bosh loves the attention and it almost became a distraction to what was important. While he still gets his fair share of the attention he craves, because of a lot of it being negative, Bosh has pulled back some and focused on basketball more. Something many might have wished he did in his time with the Raptors.

In terms of how Raptor fans feel about Bosh it will never be to level people felt about T-Mac and Vince Carter. There just isn't that same hate for him that there was for those guys. Maybe after tonight I will change my mind, but I just don't get the sense that people really even care anymore. In terms of my own personal feelings they are much like the ones I have in regards to Vince Carter. I never have hated Vince just been more disappointed in him. I have the same disappointment about Bosh for a different reason. Vince I just am disappointed he never made the most out of his talent. In terms of Chris, I am disappointed that he lacked the class and respect that he had shown through most of his run with the Raptors. Bosh since going to Miami got a good dose of the lack of respect and class that he forgot about from the media and fans.

I am left to wonder if the Chris Bosh we saw in the first 6 years of his career in Toronto was actually the real guy. I liked that guy. The one I see in Miami now I don't. Did fame or the quest of fame change him? He would deny that he has changed at all and it is all of us that have changed. I don't think I have changed other than in my opinion of him.

There is a basketball game of course and the Heat come in off a win over the team that beat them in the NBA Finals. They now face the coach that was able to keep them in check for the most part in Dwane Casey. The amount of talent Casey has to stop them now is significantly less. The Heat have been by their terms struggling of late just 6-4 in their last 10 games. They sit three and half games behind the Bulls for the top seed in the East. Still they have a comfortable five game advantage over Orlando to hang on to the second spot. They recently lost to OKC on the road and I expect when all is said and done that is who they will see in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have had the ability to play above their heads against some very good teams. Not always pulling off the upset but making it a long night at the office for them. No matter what happens the Toronto fans will likely make it a long night for Chris Bosh. At least you would think they will. Perhaps they will feel like I do and could care little about Bosh being back in town. Indifference is far more insulting than any insult you could come up with to throw at Chris Bosh. This is a guy that if he has proven nothing else that he likes attention.

Superman Returns!!!

Earlier this month when Dwight Howard flew in to Toronto as a member of the Orlando Magic, many probably thought it might be for the last time as member of the Magic. The NBA Trade Deadline was looming and most experts felt the Magic had no choice but to trade their star. This based on what happened here in Toronto with Chris Bosh and in Cleveland with Lebron James. Those moves to create the Big 3 in Miami changed the landscape of the NBA perhaps forever. Despite a new CBA not much had changed in terms of teams being able to maintain their stars. There was talk of some type of franchise tag being part of that deal but it never materialized. Long before the Raptors lost Chris Bosh or even Vince Carter, the Magic lost Shaq to the L.A Lakers. This was more a case of deja vu for people in Orlando. Would they go the root the Utah Jazz who decided to learn from the mistakes of Toronto and Cleveland and traded their star point guard Deron Williams to the Nets. That seemed to be the popular conventional wisdom and it was the same root the Denver Nuggets would take in trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. I think it is safe to say the Jazz and Nuggets are in far better shape than the Cavs and Raptors currently.

Many speculate as to why Dwight wanted to leave in the first place. Orlando had been to The Finals and have done like the Cavs and Raptors and tried to build a team around him. However, the blunders of Otis Smith especially recently in acquiring Gilbert Arenas and bringing back Hedo Turkoglu. Many feel that Howard has not been thrilled with Otis Smith's performance and that is something he shares with Orlando fans actually. Some also wonder in Stan Van Gundy and his rather gruff approach was part of the reason as well. Howard in the past had even made comments about the fact Van Gundy was always so negative and he had encouraged him to be more positive with the team. Not sure how successful that has been. Dwight was complicating the issue by it seemed at times almost daily changing his mind on the topic of if he wanted to stay or go from Orlando. Howard genuinely seems to love the fans in Orlando but also seems utterly unimpressed with management. I would venture to say Dwight cares more for the people in Orlando than Bosh does for people here in Toronto or James does for the people in Cleveland. Dwight seemed to want a way to leave Orlando and still be the good and fun loving guy that people love. He had seen how Lebron James was turned from super hero to super villain. What Howard could seem to understand was you can not make everyone happy and still do what you want and feel what is right for you.

So, the Magic had option A to trade Howard or option B, which was to gamble like the Raptors and Cavs did and risk being left with nothing as the franchise was when Shaq left for L.A as a free agent. In the end the managed to come up with an option C that saw Howard forgo his opportunity to become a free agent this some and agree to accept his player option for next season. They basically have postponed what might in fact be the inevitability of Howard leaving for at least a year. It seems pretty clear the Magic are not going to come anywhere close to winning a championship this season. Chicago recently dismantled the Magic and not even Superman is enough to beat the Big 3 down south in Miami. The Magic are not going to get any closer to a championship this year. Which is what this is all about for Howard. You wonder how things might be different if the Magic were able to defeat the Lakers for the lone NBA Finals Dwight Howard has made.

Raptor fans tend to wallow about how superstars have left here. Some believing it is all about Canada and take it as personal insult. There is a lesson in all of this for the Raptor fans. Orlando does not have the weather issue of Toronto. It is often brought up about the high taxes here in Canada for players. Well Orlando last I checked is the state of Florida which has no tax on income just like the same advantage the Miami Heat enjoy. At the end of the day you can come up with a million excuses as to why people leave Toronto. Ultimately it is no different than why they would leave Orlando, Milwaukee, Sacramento, Minnesota and many other teams. It comes down to to fundamental things. The first is fairly obvious and that is winning and having a player buy into the belief he can win a Championship with that organization. The second is not as obvious but it is about power. Vince Carter left in part because he was unhappy with the choice of Rob Babcock as G.M of the Raptors. He had his own person in mind that being Dr.J. While Carter was clearly right about Babcock there is no evidence to suggest his choice was right either. No NBA team has hired the NBA Legend since. I am unaware if he has even interviewed for an open position since than. That is just one example of a player wanting to have power. Now players and agents would spin what I am calling power into the word input. Whatever you care to call it most players want it. Notice the topic of money never came up. The truth is after a certain point the superstars in this league have made more than enough money. Money is something the guys on the lower ends of the food chain to worry about.

It is important to understand that lots of markets have their problems. None that can't be over come by that magic tonic that is winning. There is no doubt the Raptors have some of the most unique problems of any franchise in some ways but it is not like other teams don't have their issues as well. That brings me to a topic from the game against the Bulls. Which was a fantastic basketball game. Still instead of focusing on the fact the better team won and it was a great effort, it was a lot of Raptor fans blaming the refs. It was those same Refs that kicked out one of the Bulls best players halfway through the game. It was those refs that gave the Raptors 4 free throws that they made one of at the end of OT. Every team from time to time feels they don't get a fair shake from the refs it is not unique to fans in just Toronto. Can we just once say are guys played good and the other guys played better and we lost a close one.

Also this has nothing to do with taking on the Magic but a good example of why tanking is a guarantee of nothing with what went on in Atlanta. Anthony Davis most people believe is the number one pick in the upcoming draft. He got injured in his teams battle with Baylor. It looked serious at first, but he would return and play in the game still flavoring the knee his injured. However, you are always within the blink of an eye of everything changing. So to waste an entire season all with the goal to land on specific player is always one serious injury away from getting nothing. It is also why I will always support any college player that wants to leave school as soon as possible. Kentucky was never going to give Anthony Davis millions of dollars he would get in the draft if he were to go down and lose his basketball career. It is not to say Kentucky doesn't have the millions to do it, that is just how the NCAA works. Charles Barkley once famously said that college football and basketball were the last forms of legalized for of slavery in America. While that does come off as outlandish it is not that far from the truth. Also the Magic are a classic example of why you can never truly have faith in the NBA Lottery. They won back to back lottery's and the second time they had a less than 2% chance of winning.

As for the game itself? It is the same old story. Find a way to stop Dwight and if you can do that you have to find a way to guard the perimeter on defense with all their shooters. The Raptors and Magic once had a rivalry primarily based on players leaving Toronto. First there was Tracy McGrady that went directly to Orlando and then there was Vince who went via New Jersey and was traded to Magic eventually. There is no longer that buzz anymore. Not even the friendship between Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard that produced some of both guys best games of their careers. Dwight is taking a longer path than Bosh did in leaving Toronto but if anyone thinks he is going to be in Orlando long term you are fooling yourself. Just like Dwight is if he thinks giving the Magic an extra year is going to make his exit out of town any easier next season. Ask people that still boo T-Mac and Vince about how it works when you leave town. Fans get emotionally invested in players and even if you hear it 10,000 times that sports is a business for fans it never is. It is almost always personal.

So I am off to Toronto to cover this game. I was convinced Dwight Howard would be gone but I would still get a chance to see Stan Van Gundy as he was going to still be around. As it turns out both will be. As for the Raptors it will be interesting to see if both DeRozan and Bayless are able to play. Calderon would love to see Bayless are being pushed to limit there last two games with huge minutes. While DeRozan had been playing some of his best basketball of this season in the last 4 games. So will talk with you tomorrow with thoughts on this one.

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.

Raptors Surprise Folks With Entertaining Effort In Miami

So let's be honest no one really expected the Raptors to win today. That being said they sure gave an effort to try and make you believe they could. It started out looking like the game many expected. The Raptors would score first but then the Heat would rail off 8 straight points. But the Raptors fought back and took the lead. This would be a theme that would continue through out the day. The Heat proved they were the better team with what was at best a B- effort for them. That might even be kind. Who had an A+ effort, and it started from the first quarter, was Demar DeRozan and it continued to the very end of the game tipping a long pass in the late stages off Dwyane Wade. At first it looked like it was going to be a long day. DeRozan was matched up with Lebron James on defence. Lebron scored easily on first few trips matched up with him. But Demar was attacking with purpose today. He had 11 points in the first Quarter and had an unbelievable jam in the 2nd, as he drove down the heart of the lane past 4 Heat players. He had, when it was all said and done 25 points on 8-16, 9-11 at the line and had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a couple steals. In the end Lebron James was better than that with 30 points going 10-17 and had 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Those stat lines kind of mirrored the game as whole.

The Heat each time they would start to look to pull away the Raptors would find a way to fight back. The Raptors were just down 53-48 at the half time break. In some ways they were playing a far better game than there demolition of the Wizards on Friday night at home. But the Heat are not the Wizards. Things really took a turn for the worse when James Johnson turned his ankle. The Raptors best defender was forced to take a seat and it seemed like the Raptors had a good 32 minutes but the blowout was on. The Heat's lead started to grow and grow, while the Raptors offence for the first time in the game had skids at the worst time. Johnson would comeback later in the game. His status tomorrow in Washington will be important news for the Raptors. So as you probably started to make your plans for the Super Bowl the Raptors once again had a run in them. They would get as close as 3 points down in the late stages. But the Heat were just to much and to good for the Raptors to complete the miracle upset. Miami takes this one by just 6 points winning 95-89.

What was interesting was for most of this game it was an up and down the floor affair that was very entertaining. But it sure didn't seem like a style that was going to be one the Raptors could hang in the game with. But hang they did and if you believe in moral victories the Raptors got one today. But more importantly will be what they do with back to back solid performances. A re-match with a Wizards a team that was resting today kicking back on Super Bowl Sunday, should prove to be not so easy. It is safe to say the Wizards will be looking to get some pay back for a terrible performance by them in Toronto on Friday. It is vital for Demar DeRozan that we see something similar from him tomorrow. This was in my view his best performance of the season. But the NBA is a what have you done for me lately business. So it will be all about what he can do for an encore. Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza were of help today as both had 17 points. If you want to look at an example of what we can't see from Demar look at Amir Johnson today. After a breakout performance he was not much of a factor today with 2 points and just 6 rebounds.

Another thing that stuck me was how little Chris Bosh stuck out for me in this game. He struggled going 3-13 with 12 points and 8 rebounds. But it wasn't just that. I just never cared to notice him. There has never been a game when Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady has played against the Raptors home or away that I was not fully aware of them at all times. Bosh today blended into the scenery. I am not sure what that says about him or me, there is just not that fire and anger in terms of Bosh. On March 30th in Toronto that might change for folks. But I am not really sure if Bosh will ever be on that level for folks in Toronto. Time will tell for a lot of things. But in the here and now looking at just this game you had to be pleased with the Raptors effort against one of the best teams in the NBA, if not the best.

The Heat Is On!!

I was stunned to hear a conversation on NBA-TV (Not NBA TV Canada) about if the Raptors could be a playoff contender. It seemed crazy to consider a 8-16 team as a playoff team. But as we enter Sunday the Raptors sit 2.5 games behind the 10-13 Bucks for 8th in the East. The Raptors are 6-7 win Andrea Bargnani and 2-9 without him. So, if Bargnani is able to return sooner rather than later it is not a totally insane thought. If the Raptors some how made it to the playoffs there is a good chance they might play the Miami Heat. The Heat enter today at 17-6 a game and half behind the Chicago Bulls. On paper a match-up with the Raptors and Heat in playoffs would be a 4-0 slam dunk for Miami. A regular season game with no Bargnani offers even less hope of a win. The Heat are 10-2 on their home floor. Chris Bosh is playing closer to the Bosh we remember in Toronto than the inconsistent 3rd wheel that many last season refused to acknowledge as part of the big three. Bosh is averaging 20 points a game and 7.7 rebounds. The Heat after a failed trip to the NBA Finals are not the circus that they were last season. Another guy that is playing more like the former version of himself is Lebron James. Averaging 29.2 points, 7 assists and 8.5 Rebounds. Bosh and James have been so good it as led some to say that they really don't even need Dwyane Wade. It has been an injury plagued season for Wade and he is only averaging .7 points more than Chris Bosh. Added to the mix this season for Miami was Shane Battier who helps a team that already played a solid brand of defence.

So how can the Raptors win this game? They can't or shouldn't have a chance to win this game. Only way they have a chance is if Miami beats Miami. Which playing an early game on Super Bowl Sunday might have already happened in the bars on South Beach. But even a Heat team that partied all night still might have enough for the Bargnani free Raptors. All that said the Raptors are coming off one of their better performances of the season. But that was against the Washington Wizards. There is nothing about the Wizards that resembles the Heat.

So 3 Keys:

Stop Bosh: Miami being Miami will likely look to target Bosh and try and give him a big day vs his former team. So expect the Heat to feed him the ball often. He is going get his if they have anything to say about. Trouble is how much can you really ask a team to focus on Bosh with James and Wade on the floor. If it was me I would stick Amir Johnson on him and take my chances it doesn't get him in foul trouble.

Score 48: No not 48 points. That would be bad. Score for 48 minutes, if the Raptors hit any scoring droughts they are dead. Heat can score easy and often most times and you need to keep pace. A traditional first quarter failure from the Raptors and this game will be over at half time.

Identify Shooters: Important to realize when shooters are on the floor. Guys like Mike Miller and others that are capable of making 3 pointers. It is hard enough to stop the Big 3 as it is let alone if they have guys dropping bombs from around the 3 point arc.

Raptors will lose today that is almost certain but the good news is they move on to play the Wizards. They just need to not get dismantled today and still feel good about themselves when they leave Miami. They might not feel so good about missing the Super Bowl. But this is a business trip after all.

Some Toronto Love From Returning Raptors.

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.

Oh My Bosh!!!

This was so funny I had to share it with you all in the DNB:

Onion SportsDome

See it isn't just me that makes fun of Chris Bosh!!!

The Starting 5 With Chuck Swirsky

Here at the Dino Nation Blog we have always made it a point to invite Chuck Swirsky back to talk with us when the Bulls are playing the Raptors. That is coming up this week on Wednesday so we ring it up to Chi-Town to talk with Chuck. It is always interesting to hear what Chuck has to say and he talks about his work as broadcaster here in Toronto and his view on his time calling Raptor Games. We talk about Vince Carter with an interesting story on how Chuck feels about V.C these days. His thoughts on Chris Bosh and his leaving the franchise and how Bosh has acted since. Along with thoughts on Demar DeRozan, his Bulls and much more. We went into a little overtime with Chuck but think it was well worth it. While I don't always agree with everything Chuck has to say. I have always respected him as a person and know that many Raptor fans still love him and miss him. So that is why I keep inviting him back to talk with us. Hope you enjoy.





Chuck is never short on opinions and offered some interesting things today. He is coming back Wednesday to Toronto as Bulls take on the Raptors. He might even get out to Real Sports Bar. He always use to say it is always a pleasure talking Raptors basketball. Well I say that is always my pleasure to talk with him. Chuck has always been kind to me dating long before the Dino Nation Blog existed. Chuck did interviews with me when I was just a college student at Mohawk College on their radio station. He and Eric Smith both did that and I have always appreciated it. While I don't always agree at times with everything they say, as people I have great respect for them. So I will always be grateful to both for what they have done for me both with the interviews they have done with me, and the help they have offered me personally and professionally.

Thanks CB...I Am A Cartoon

This will be the last mention of Chris Bosh in the blog for awhile. Least I hope it is. Ian McClusky is a talented guy who did a number of funny cartoons with Nat from Heels on Hardwood. He also won a contest put on by former Raptor Charlie V. He is beyond being talented at what he does, a passionate Raptor fan as well. In his latest Cartoon from his website he made for the Chris Bosh Return, it seems that I make an appearance as well. I had joked with Ian about doing a cartoon of me. Well he took me at my word and made a pretty good likeness. So I don't want to ruin the cartoon for you, so just go look and see what happens but needless to say I come off better than Chris Bosh does at the end of it all. While you are on the site check out some of the other cartoons as well. I have seen them all and they all make me laugh. So now I am a cartoon what is next? A talking Dino Blogger Bobble Head? Who knows. But I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Ian thought enough of me to turn me into a Cartoon Hero!!! Thanks Man!!!

So Now What?

It is all over Chris Bosh came back and Toronto is still standing. The Raptors put up a much better fight then Cavs did under similar circumstances in December. The Raptors and the fans refused to lay down and play dead in this one. Chris Bosh like all the other former stars performed well in his return to Toronto. From the Raptor point of view their 2 best players left in the post Bosh era played like it last night at least on offence. Bargnani's defence makes you just cringe at times but no one can deny his offence was on point last night. Lots of clutch shots and a number of them big three pointers. While DeRozan before a busy All-Star Weekend back at home was focused on the task at hand. Perfect 6-6 at the line and had 24 points a couple steals and block. While Ed Davis who some pointed to as the eventual replacement of Bosh when he was drafted out of UNC came to play last night. He had 8 points and was one of few Raptors active on the glass with 13 rebounds. He combined with Amir Johnson with 11 boards accounted for over half of the Raptors rebounds on the night with 41 all totalled for the team. Davis is never going to be what Bosh is on offence but on defence he has potential to be much better.

The future for Bosh in Toronto was sealed with kisses to the crowd after he was booed loudly during a post game interview. People who think they know better will say this is going away eventually. It isn't, Chris Bosh and Toronto will always be at odds and like Vince Carter and T-Mac he is always going to hear boos from the fans. Honestly with his immature and stupid behaviour he has earned all of it. To continue to preach that you did nothing wrong in how you left is not anything anyone is going to buy except Chris. Bosh went from a guy that once claimed to want to be part of the solution in Toronto, to now a footnote in the problems for Toronto. You can certainly question the job the Raptors did in surrounding him. No matter how anyone may feel personally about him the point he made about this franchise not being a tax team and going that extra mile to win is 100% correct. But what is also true is Chris Bosh has done nothing but stick his foot in his mouth in talking about Toronto since he left. Bosh said that if people were able to boo him they never really supported him to begin with. I am paraphrasing but it was basically something to that effect. He just doesn't get it and doubt he ever will. Most people I think are disappointed in how he has changed as person. He is not the same person and many will say it is not for the better. He may win titles and get all the fame he wants. But he also might have sold his character as a person to do it. In the world we live some would say that it doesn't matter as long as you win. But it should matter how you win as well.

It is good that this game was last before the All-Star Break because I think everyone needs some time to recover from this. The most important thing about all of this I said was how the Raptors young players would respond to this circus like environment. The good news is for the most part they stepped up to the challenge. What becomes difficult now is how the Raptors will close out the rest of this season. There is at least for me, a sense of climax to this season. Let's face it there will not be another game like this all year. The Heat will return to Toronto to close out the season and unless it means something for Miami there is no guarantee Bosh, Wade or James will even play much if at all. But despite that this season will march on and the development and decisions that are made will impact on this team's future. It is vital that a guy like Andrea Bargnani build off what he did tonight and DeRozan as well. Not to mention Ed Davis, Bayless and a list of others all have to continue to grow.

I do not expect the trade deadline to provide many answers for the future. I expect the Raptors to be fairly quiet at the deadline. There is just a sense that while there is still roughly 2 months left in this season that this was the peak, and on the other side there is the cold reality of what this season has been. Which is a major disappointment. I laugh at how people suggest the Raptors are some how better without Chris Bosh. They are not. Can they fix this and make the team better and eventually have a new star and new face for this franchise. Absolutely they can. While the person Chris Bosh has become makes me both sick and sad at the same time. The basketball player is still one of the most skilled players at his position in the league. Ed Davis is not going to replace Chris Bosh and no one else is. If you are truly honest about it no one has ever really replaced Vince Carter. I wonder what Carter thought of last night as a side note. The boos were louder for him. But the boos will still come for both. But the Raptors can not easily replace them as both were deserving All-Stars in their time here. NBA All-Stars do not just come along ever year. In the history of this franchise there have only been 3. Antonio Davis was an All-Star once but was a replacement and not originally named an All-Star at the time.

How the Raptors and maybe more importantly the fans approach the rest of this season will be interesting. I have noticed as have many that attendance and interest has dropped off in the Toronto Raptors this season in terms of attendance and ratings. Last night was a reminder of what Toronto can be in terms of a basketball market. But this was more like the circus coming to town. There is enough hardcore interest in this team for it to never truly be in danger. However people want and crave more nights like last night and none of those are coming anytime soon. Add in the fact there lockout looming, if I was MLSE it would concern me. A lot of the hardcore fans are fed up to a point. Last night some of that frustration got aimed at Chris Bosh. But if you were listening to fans comments in the build up to this game a lot was at Colangelo and MLSE as well. Four times now this franchise has failed to keep it's marquee attraction and they have to find a way to fix this problem. When you already see fans talking about "When DeRozan Leaves" you have a problem. It is easy to think a kid from L.A would bolt just like everyone else. But will see what future holds. If there is a guy that stays for the long haul he will be loved like no other in this franchises history. I am excited to see what Demar can do this weekend. After that I am not sure if anything will be all that exciting the rest of this year.

A sad way to end this but a very honest one. But I don't want to go out on a downer like that. So instead I will thank all the folks that came out last night to our party. I also want to thank Manu and the entire staff at St Louis Wings for being a great host to our event. Also thanks to Forest Kenney from Molsons/MGD, The Young Onez, Tas Melas from Basketball Jones, and Julian Wright who was an unexpected visitor after the party had wrapped up. They all contributed in making it a great experience for everyone that came out. Also for all that did come out thanks to all of you as well. Hamilton is my home but more and more Toronto is becoming my second home and it is as a result of all the great people I have got to know there. It is an ever growing list and it makes it feel like a 2nd home for me. You all make me feel like a Champion and I got the picture to prove it:

A Message From The Dino Blogger

Happy Bosh Armageddon Day

This is not going be your normal DNB Preview. No one cares about records in this game. No one cares about anything other than this game. I have talked about Chris Bosh and what he did and didn't do pretty much the entire week. But basically this is his judgment day. People who think Bosh will be welcomed back to Toronto might be as delusional about this as Bosh himself.

This is not about the choice he made it is not about the 7 years he spent with this franchise. He did give all he had in his 7 years here. People who question that were honestly not paying attention. But what he also did was find a way to exit Toronto in perhaps a worse way then Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. There was no social media back in those days. Chris Bosh is widely credited for being one of the first players to embrace the social media era and use it to market himself. It is very ironic that same social media is how he buried himself. Tonight he will understand just how badly he did. Chris Bosh took his 7 year legacy and flushed it down the toilet 1 tweet and 1 interview at a time. If he doesn't believe that or if you don't believe that just watch tonight.

Bryan Colangelo failed in two ways. 1st he did not build a team around Chris Bosh to win in Toronto for the long term. Second he never should have called Bosh's effort into question. Even if he knows it was the truth he should have stayed quiet.

MLSE has failed as well. Bosh made one valid point in the very early days of all this. Bosh said the Raptors never were a tax team in his time here. You can not honestly say that you are committed to winning and spending money if you never went beyond that tax threshold. Also MLSE has failed in terms of television. Chris Bosh made point about Raptors not being on national t.v in the states. But how about here in Canada. The fact this game is on TSN 2 is an utter disgrace. It really is. This is your biggest game of the year and it has been shoved on a B network. Shame on them for allowing this to happen.

For the young Raptors team this is a night that will be very important. This is a big game environment and they need to step up. This is a big night for the futures of Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan. How they perform will go a long way on what we can learn about how they play in big games. For everyone on this roster this will be defining game for how fan perceive them. If they do not go full out or show Bosh any kind of love they will bury themselves with many in this fan base.

For a team that has no playoff chances in any real terms. This is a one game playoff for this team and it is a game that means far more to the fan base than it does for the players. They need to realize that and step up to the plate.

For people that say they will cheer Chris Bosh. Go ahead if you like but how he has disrespected this city and acted like an idiot all summer. He didn't show any thought for his legacy for his legacy in how he left so why should you.

As for here in the DNB. We have are (UN) Welcome Back Bosh Bash at St. Louis Wings. Prizes and fun all night long as I will be liveblogging the game For The Score from the party. Also here on the Dino Nation Blog we are going to set up a Raptors Speakers Corner here on the site from the Party. So tune in all night and see what fans are saying from our party. Will have the Ustream feed up for the entire game if all goes well.

But if you are at the ACC, at our Party, At home or anywhere else enjoy this game because after this one is the hangover of what is a very disappointing season. Win, Lose or anything else that happens tonight that reality will not change.

What Is An Acceptable Outcome To Wednesday?

What is an acceptable outcome to the circus that will be Chris Bosh and the Heat coming to town. The obvious answer is the Raptors come up with a highly unlikely win over the Heat. This game means far more to the fan base then it does the players. I am not saying the Raptors would not like to stick it to their former teammate in Bosh. But for them it is not personal it is just playing against a former teammate. They look at it as part of the business that is the NBA. But for this fan base who were here for all 7 years of the Bosh era it is not business for them. It is personal for them. Heck it is personal to me. I know it shouldn't be but it is. Yesterday in the blog in talking about the silly debate on if fans will boo or not, I laid out some of my personal feelings about all this. I am disappointed in Chris not in the choice he made to leave, but in the aftermath of how he handled it. Something he still refuses to admit that he did anything wrong. I heard the first of what will be many interviews with Chris Bosh this morning on the Fan 590. He also claims he has no idea what to expect when he returns. Really he doesn't know? He sure as hell does know. We all know. But the point of if Chris will be booed and heckled beyond belief is not the point of what were talking about today. What is an acceptable outcome to this game for people?

Is it enough that fans just let him have it for two and half hours and they get there chance to respond to all the stupid tweets and comments regardless of the outcome of the game itself? The natural comparisons for this will be the returns of Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. On April Fools Day 2001 was the return of T-Mac with the Orlando Magic his new team got a 104-101 win and McGrady was 8 for 21 with 24 points and 7 rebounds with 5 turnovers. T-Mac infamously embraced the booing claiming it was proof that Raptors fans still loved him. Vince Carter did not exactly embrace his role as a villain as quickly as his long lost cousin. But he would perform better on April 15th 2005 in his first return to Toronto. He had 39 points, 9 rebounds ,4 assists and 3 steals in a 101-90 win for the Nets. So both played well and their teams won. So should we expect the same for Chris Bosh? Well Bosh obviously is not the main guy on his new team like Carter and McGrady were. However the Heat may decide to try and make sure Chris gets his. Lebron James certainly got his, on his return to Cleveland. It was a 118-90 thrashing that got the Heat heading in the right direction and the Cavs into the tailspin season they have had. James had 38 points and heard it from Cleveland at the start and it faded in and out throughout the night.

So if we shutdown Chris Bosh and lost would that be enough? Not for me at least. The most disappointing thing about the return to Cleveland for the Cavs fans had to be the fact their team for the most part rolled over and played dead. The Raptors despite their horrible record have had very few nights where you can say they have done that. It was also an issue how some of the Cavs treated Lebron. They didn't have any hate for him and some of them made that glaringly obvious. How will we feel if some of the Raptors were to do that? Hopefully they are smart enough to know better. But is it enough if the Raptors put up a hard fight and in the end lose, because they just don't have the talent ultimately to come out on top.

Is it a case of you just want to see Chris Bosh get beat up with in the context of the game. If he gets knocked on his butt a few times and has a hard night at the office is that enough? I am not talking hurt the guy and if you are wanting that, I really don't have much time for that. There is nothing that makes it acceptable to want a guy hurt. It just isn't the right thing to do under any circumstances. But to have some Charles Oakley style justice is fine with me.

Is it nothing more than an improbable win will do? No matter what happens it is not going to make up for what has been an awful season. As much as it might be painful to admit it the reasons Chris Bosh left were actually sound. Bryan Colangelo had several chances to get it right with Chris and failed to find a formula to build a team around him. While Bosh detractors will claim that it is because Bosh is not a main guy to carry a team. His going to Miami in the situation he has might be the ultimate admission of that. But as I pointed out in that same article above Chris Bosh could make the argument this franchise never spent the money to truly compete. The Raptors never were a tax team in his time here and truly invested in becoming a winner which is what they have always claimed to want to be. Chris Bosh whatever you might think of him personally is a heck of a basketball talent and he may not be on the same level as his two running buddies with the Heat. He is a very good basketball player and the coaches in this league recognized that by sending him to his 6th straight All-Star Game.

This game regardless of the result will not make up for the huge void that has been left by Bosh leaving. The still to be used trade exception and Miami first round pick along with the Raptors own pick will not likely either. But this is a chance for one night to have a game that means something to everyone that considers themselves a Raptor fan. It is a chance to make fun things like videos which we did in doing a re-mix of the TBJ video that everyone saw earlier this year "Like A Bosh".

But what the ultimate best outcome might be is we get to see how these players on this young Raptors team respond to a big game environment, with the closest thing to a playoff atmosphere Toronto will experience as a sports town this year. How will Demar DeRozan, Andrea Bargnani and others respond to that environment? If they step up and perform well that is part of that growth process that everyone has been talking about all year. But once this is all done, the Raptors reality will not have changed. This has been a terrible season and the Raptors miss Chris Bosh in the sense of having a true star player far more than he misses Toronto and being the main man.

But to parphrase The Rock tomorrow- Finally Chris Bosh Has Come Back To Toronto!!! It may feel a lot like this:

Maybe not because let's face it Dwayne Johnson and Dwyane Wade will both be bigger stars than Chris Bosh will ever be. But it is going to be the biggest thing to hit Toronto in a long time. Along with being the biggest Raptor game since they were last in the playoffs vs the Magic.

Like A Bosh- The Re-Mix

Unless you have been living under a rock you have all seen the this classic Basketball Jones Video from earlier this season. But in case you do in fact live under that rock or just want to see the original again here it is:

Like any great song bands will do covers and people will do remixes and that is what we did. Thanks to the skills of Andy AKA (@GameEnt15) on Twitter with very little help from me. The debut of Like a Bosh- the Remix

Make sure you come out to our (Un) Welcome Bosh Bash at St Louis Wings 595 Bay St (The Atrium) location. We are going to have prizes, I will be live blogging for The Score from the party and we are going to have a Ustream set up here on the DNB for a Speakers Corner for folks at the Party to sound off during the game. I have worked my butt of to make sure this is going be worth people coming out for. So if you come I promise you my best effort to make this a fun night. If you have tickets to the game come by Pre Or Post Game will be there. The Prize List is taking shape and let me tell you I am impressed. We already have prizes from folks at Molson's/MGD and even got something from the TBJ guys from The Score and a lot more. This is the event of the Raptor Season and if you can't be at the game this is THE NEXT BEST THING.

The Stupid Boo Or Not Boo Debate Is Back

I grow tired of media, fans etc weighing in on what people should do in terms of booing players. It comes up every time McGrady, Carter and now as of Wednesday Chris Bosh comes to town. Do we hear people losing their minds over Matt Bonner, JYD or Oakley getting cheers? Then why must everyone feel the need to tell others what they should do in terms of jeers. I just find the whole topic stupid to a point. Everyone connected to the Raptors have their own opinions on players that have played for this team good and bad. Where should I or anyone else get off in telling you what to feel and do?

I have said in this blog that Bryan Colangelo was wrong to call Bosh's effort into question at the end of his time here. He should have said nothing and left it alone even if he felt it was the 100% truth in his mind. But there is different because Bryan Colangelo is in charge of running this franchise. The paying customers at the Air Canada Centre do not have to show any restraint or professionalism in how they react to players. There is a line to how far it should go and that I will agree you can debate. But to debate if people should boo or not boo is beyond stupid.

Not to mention the fact we all know what will happen anyway. This is the city that has booed Vince Carter for years and T-Mac even longer than that. Chris Bosh is going to get booed out of the building at the ACC on Wednesday and everyone knows it including him. People make various arguments as to why you shouldn't boo him. He gave 7 years to this franchise and did lots of work in the community with charities and what not. He also far more than Vince Carter ever did connected with the fans and the city. He embraced Toronto in his time here. However his comments since leaving have not reflected that. He made one valid point in his final press conference as a Raptor. Never in the Bosh Era did the folks at MLSE invest in this team beyond the tax threshold. He felt that was a mistake and likely felt it was a lack of faith in him or in wanting to win. He did not go as far as that but it is a logical assumption. He also had the opportunity to play with two of the best players in the NBA, and guys who were his friends, although not to the point the media hyped it up. I can understand the fact he left and even if it just stopped there be supportive about it.

But it didn't just stay at that. He could have just attacked MLSE and said that he felt the organization was not committed to winning, and while he loves the fans and Toronto, he can not remain if that is the case. I mean heck to me that would kind of make him a hero in a way. Calling out MLSE and putting it on them to explain their actions was a much better exit strategy than the one he went with. No he decided to take to Twitter and turn his free agency into a side show. He decided to make some documentary about it that has still to see the light of day. He decided once he had chosen to go to the Heat to go on every single program in the U.S.A that would have him. Then their were the stupid comments he made. Saying that Canada was different. Now he explains it more when he gets ripped for it. But if he truly cared about his time here and organization he knows that people in the U.S will not see it as that. They will see it that were living here in igloos with no cable to get NBA League Pass. The one that irked me most of all was the now my grandmother can watch me play games. Excuse me Mr Millionaire Athlete you can't afford to buy her league pass? She was not living up here so she could get it right? But what Bosh was really saying was he could be on national television in the U.S on TNT and ESPN. Barkley jokes about TNT being bias against Canada aside the Raptors just to not draw for ESPN or TNT, and they gain no advantage in terms of advertising dollars. But all that being said, Vince Carter because he was more flashy and had more fans than Chris Bosh was able to break through on to main stream U.S television. He even got to play on Christmas Day before it was expanded to the 5 game festival it is now. So maybe it is just a case of in terms of popularity, V.C was better than Chris Bosh.

This is why many are mad at Chris Bosh. It is all this junk after the fact. Tweets like "Life has Changed" and willingly or ignorantly rubbing it in to Raptors fans. If people are mad and hurt by all that has gone on, they have every right to be. Chris Bosh made his own bed and as much as he may want to say that we had a great 7 years and life goes on. He knows that in Toronto that is not going to fly. Perhaps the thing that boggles my mind is he was here and saw it all go down when Vince Carter left. Was he not paying attention? If there is anything of all of this that totally stuns me, it is Chris Bosh managed to have a worse exit from Toronto than Vince Carter did. I honestly did not think that was possible.

Yet Bosh seems to legitimately care about saving his legacy such as it is in Toronto. What other explanation can be given for every time he is misquoted, or taken out of context, he comes running back to Canada on the radio or t.v. Which by the way he wanted no part of from the time the season ended until well after he decided to go to Miami. He shut out the media in Canada during that time. Surely he is not stupid enough to think he can save his legacy here is he? I still consider him the best player this franchise has had. But just as Vince Carter did with his exit, it will prevent that from ever being acknowledged.

Chris Bosh stopped doing the thinking and let "his people" do his thinking after he left from that final press conference in Toronto. While his people did an excellent job in getting him exposure in the United States, they did an equally horrible job in protecting his legacy in Toronto. If that in fact matters to Chris, he should have taken control. I wanted to just blame "his people" for what he has become, but ultimately the people work for Chris and he is in charge. If he let them take control that is his fault at the end of the day.

This blog in his time in Toronto supported Chris even at times when not a lot of people did. I am not ashamed of that at all. I have never said this in the blog but he once even messaged me and said he had read this blog before and liked it. I will assume that was the truth and be thankful for that. But ultimately there is no defending how he left, and I will not even attempt to do so. I have also never said this in the blog before, but while were on the subject it seems a good time to mention it. There was some talk about having him come in the blog for an interview. It was nothing I ever mentioned because I was not certain it would ever happen. Ultimately it never did. But I would get chances to talk with Chris in getting access with the Raptors so it really didn't matter. If people pay attention to my twitter account they can probably figure out who was making these promises about Bosh coming to the blog and did not come through. I don't hold that against Chris though. I would not be shocked if he was never even made aware of it. That same person accused me of changing. That I was not going to be taken seriously as a journalist because I had turned my back on Bosh or was bashing him. He can think what he likes. The reality is at the end of the day I am disappointed in Chris. I felt he was a better person than what he has shown since leaving Toronto.

But those are my feelings and you all have yours, so as it has been said in the past in this blog, it is not my right or anyone's to tell you what to do. If you pay for a seat in the arena, as long as you are not doing anything that would be against the rules the ACC has in place in terms of conduct, no one should have an issue with it. I have made my feelings known about how I hate people cheering for Pizza. But I only express why I feel that way and ultimately you don't have to listen.

These debates about fans booing or not booing need to come to an end, they are pointless and really are for no one to say other than each individual. Boo, Cheer or read the newspaper when Chris Bosh is announced at the ACC. It really is your personal decision. Your right as a fan. Don't let anyone take that right away from you.

K.D's Bosh Comments Video

I mentioned the Kevin Durant Comments in the blog this morning but here is the video of those comments in regards to Chris Bosh:





no retort from Chris and if he is smart...which can be debated of late...there won't be.