DNB Back From Vacation

So is in the NBA Lockout over yet? No....well I am back from vacation at least. I have to be honest over the 2 weeks I took a break a lot of stuff did happened. Dwane Casey has his coaching staff with no team to coach. Jonas Valanciunas has been elected to the hall of fame...wait no he won the World Under 19 basketball Championship. He also got many Raptor fans excited about him based on his play. Under international rules against people in his age bracket he dominated. Bryan Colangelo is searching for a G.M? Wait isn't he the G.M? It seems when the smoke clears on this NBA Lockout he might not be. Raptors don't need players or games to make news this lockout is going be great. Oh and speaking of players on the roster Sonny Weems looks like will be taking his talents to Europe. Deron Williams is the biggest name to make the jump so far. But unlike Williams the contract Sonny is taking apparently doesn't have an out clause and will pay him more than what he earned with Raptors last season. In other NBA News Yao Ming has been forced to retire from his injuries.But at least we will always have the memory of Charles Barkley kissing a donkey's backside thanks to Yao. There was also this classic commercial.

As for Yao being in the Hall of Fame if he is it won't be for his play it will be for other reasons which in my view don't make you a hall of famer. But back to Barkley as he is going to be joined by Shaq who is also now among the retired. TNT announced that Shaq will be part of their line-up when and if we are playing basketball again. Barkley seems very excited about the addition he was actually doing an interview on the NFL Network from a celebrity golf tournament. But in terms of the lockout Chuck like most is very grim about any short end to this. The NFL is poised to save the day and the season by finally ended it's lockout it would appear. If people think you will see a similar scene in the NBA with Billy Hunter and David Stern I would suggest you don't hold your breath.

I find this whole situation pretty depressing. I have kind of went through stages of grief to some degree. But whatever emotions we all have had at the end of it is a business. Sports use to be a distraction and a diversion from life. Now all to often it is a reflection of real life.

In terms of the Dino Nation Blog for the remainder of the lockout barring some news of note we will be coming to you every Tuesday and Thursday. I really can't think it is possible to do anything of quality for 5 days a week with very little actual news to go with. So for the remainder of this work stoppage I will be doing blogs on Tuesday and Thursday. We might keep Ryan's DNB Top 10 alive as well after I talk with him and see if he wants to keep it alive during the lockout will let you know.

It is very hard to not take this personally as a fan of the game and also as someone that tries to eek out a living based on the game. But all that being said for me personally I understand why this is taking place and on Thursday will give you my personal take on the lockout. So come back for that. During these tough times for the NBA I urge you not just to support this blog but all blogs. We were not getting rich prior to the NBA Lockout and I fear for a lot of folks the NBA Lockout may see a lot of talented folks have to find something else to do. But in terms of myself I worked far to hard to build the DNB to let it just die. So I am committed to making this work some how, some way.

On The Eve Of Doomsday

Well here we are sitting on the edge of lockout abyss for the NBA. If you consider yourself an optimistic person you will be encouraged by the fact the NFL appears to be on the verge of solving their labour issues. But to compare the two disputes is a little misleading. The NBA is in much worse shape overall than the NFL. The NBA is much more in a position similar to the NHL prior to their lockout that took away an entire season. Which ultimately never solved the issues. At the time it appeared the NHL Owners had landed a major victory. They got a salary cap put in place. A 15% rollback on salaries and all seemed good. But at the start of that new agreement the NHL Cap was 39 million and the cap floor was in the low 20 million range. Fast forward to today and that floor is now 48 million dollars. The major issue for the NHL has been the rise of the Canadian Dollar and that has made the NHL an even more profitable league as a result based on it's 6 Canadian franchises(Soon To Be 7). Now obviously the NBA is different and only has the Raptors here in Canada. The impact of the Canadian dollar is helpful for the Raptors but really has little impact on the league as a whole.

Why I bring up the NHL example is that if the NBA is going to go down this road they have chosen they better get it right. I think you can list a number of reasons why this lockout needs to happen in terms of the NBA Owners. While interest in the NBA has grown thanks to those 3 guys down in Miami. So has a growing issue of players control of the league. Sure it is great if you live in certain cities the way the NBA is currently constructed. But for small market teams and a team like the Raptors it is not exactly a great setup. While the Raptors can survive the fact that they basically are playing at a disadvantage there are other teams in this league that can not survive that over the long haul. Not to mention the whole idea of competitive balance which is fading fast under the current CBA.

While the impact of this lockout on myself and others like me could have a major impact. I mean for the last few years I have tried to eek out a living in covering Raptors and the NBA. So this lockout is no doubt devastating for me and others that try to do the same. But as a fan of the game I can understand why this is happening. If after all is said and done the NBA is better off I will be happy. However if this ends up similar to the NHL result in which nothing is actually solved I will be less than thrilled. I make it no secret that I have not been a fan of the NHL or Hockey for quite some time. The fact they blew an entire season away and basically stuck up their middle finger to the fans of their sport is part of why. Most of Canada has long forgotten that lockout and support the sport and league with very little consequence. But in the U.S the story is different for the NHL. The league dropped off the map and is not really on level with other major sports. Now the NBA will not have this happen but it will be a blow to the league should they let a season go away.

The outlook is far from optimistic for this lockout but I have a lot more faith in David Stern than I would in Gary Bettman who once upon a time worked under Stern in the NBA. It is vital for the league that he does. But it is going to be a long road to get there and you only need to look at how long it has taken the NFL to finally gain some momentum towards a deal. The issues in the NFL are far less and then is far more money to be made. The NBA issues are much more complex and not easily solved. How do you create a CBA that ensures teams some kind of security that players will not just stay with a team and then bolt at the first opportunity to do so. Players on the high end of the NBA pay scale make far to much money that is the major issue. Chris Bosh and Lebron James already were going to be loaded for life before they made the choice to head south. In the past greed was always the secret weapon for owners in CBA's. If a player could make more money playing somewhere it was always more likely that team had a great chance to retain that player.

Here at the Dino Nation Blog we will try to fight and stay alive during this lockout. It is not going to be easy but I have not given almost 4 years of my life to this to let it just be taken away. More than ever we will count on you folks that read and support the blog to help in that. What will happen during this lockout and how it will impact on us is unclear. But I urge you all to stick with us and support the DNB. I will do my best to keep things rolling along some how. It will likely mean less blogs and having to be very creative but I will do my best to keep this thing rolling along.

How long will this last is uncertain but it would seem highly unlikely we are talking about an NBA season getting started at the end of October. Things are always a little slower in the summer but with no off-season at all that will make it very different. It is hard not to be some what emotional about all of this. I have worked extremely hard to get everything I have with the DNB. Although this is something that is out of my control and really out of all fans of the NBA's hands. Still I refuse to give up and pray that we will all be better for this on the other side.

It is always a pleasure doing this blog and I will miss doing it as often and speaking with you on a more frequent basis. For now we will wait and see how things play out and once things have settled in likely take a break and come up with a plan for how we move forward from here. I thank you all that have supported the Dino Nation Blog and together with your help we will keep it alive through these difficult times for all of us.

DNB Is On Vacation

Greetings folks. I am in bad need of a mental break and need some time to recharge my batteries. Some of you that are close to me know some of the challenges I have been dealing with. Aside from the obvious ones of an uncertain future for the NBA next season. I really need to take a break for me. Ryan is busy with exams for school as well. So it seems like a good time to just take a break for the Dino Nation Blog. So barring any significant Raptor News we will be on Vacation till May the 2nd.

I always appreciate your support of the Dino Nation Blog. In 3 plus years of doing this I never taken an intentional vacation. Due to some technically issues we had to shut down a couple times. But never just to relax and take a break. I hope by taking this time off I can get my energy and enthusiasm for what I do back. It has been a tough few months and I have grinned through them till the end of the season. When we are back Jack Armstrong is scheduled to drop by. So we have that to look forward too. I will probably book a few more guests while taking this break as well. Yeah because anyone that knows me is aware I never truly fully take time off 100%. Also will be doing my Radio stuff on Next Wednesday on CJLO and Back on the air on Team 990 after having this Saturday off.

In Addition to taking a break from the DNB that is also going to include the DNB Twitter Account. I just want to take a complete break. So if you are someone I am close with and have other ways to get a hold of me feel free to use those. But with a few exceptions here and there I am going to be taking time to rest until May 2nd.

Hope people understand this. It is really needed. I could push through like I always do. But I think if I did it would probably not be what is best for me personally and for you the readers. It is Easter Weekend and if you celebrate that holiday enjoy the time with your friends and family and may the Easter Bunny be good to you all.

Thanks for your understanding and patience.

James Borbath

3 In A Row?

It has been a long time the Raptors could say they were on a winning streak. While two in a row is not anything stunning it is something. The people cheering for ping pong balls are screaming why now. But just like when you slap down 5 or 10 bucks in your NCAA Office Pool it is a gamble. Not a gamble based on skill either. There is also those who are not as trusting that feel the NBA Lottery might not exactly be on the level. But forgetting about the draft and lottery balls as a basketball team what you want to see is progress. We are seeing some of that. DeRozan has become a consistent scorer. James Johnson is becoming that defending wing player the Raptors have needed for a long time. Andrea Bargnani may still not be tearing up the boards or impressing anyone with his defence. But he is doing what we take for granted and that is score and doing a lot of it. Reggie Evans and Leandro Barbosa are playing well and making the choices the Raptors will need to make about them much tougher. Ed Davis who struggled last night has showed signs that he can be a part of the future. This team is starting to figure some things out. While it won't change the fate of this season it does help.

When you look across the way at the Denver Nuggets as Raptor fans you might just be a bit jealous. Why do I say this? Look at how the Nuggets dealt with the Carmelo Anthony situation. While Masai Ujiri who came from the Raptors Organization did not see the situation as ideal in what he was forced to deal with. I would suggest Denver fans are likely a lot more happy than Raptor fans or Cavs fans are. Toronto and Cleveland rolled the dice and lost. Having seen that from the inside in Toronto gave Ujiri the road map of what he knew he had to do in Denver. Shocking as it may seem the Nuggets are actually playing well with both Mello and Billups gone. It was a pretty unbelieveable deal that he was able to engineer under the circumstances. Cashing in on the Knicks desperation to bring Anthony home to N.Y.C. Going to do this a little different today for the rest of this preview check it out in audio form all the same stuff just in voice rather than words. Yes TSN and Sportsnet jokes too.

A Little Bonus Material:

Amir Johnson made his way through The Score and a number of other media outlets to promote his Roll With Amir Contest Here is that from his You Tube the interviews were prior to his return to the line up this past Friday vs the Wizards.

Here is the link to Amir's website. Tried to find him on Friday to talk about this with him. But could not track him down pre-game. But kudos to him for doing something great for you Raptor Fans. As

The Raptors look to the future and try some things, we at the Dino Nation Blog are going to be doing the same. The goal is to make this site much more of a Multi-Media platform. More Audio and soon to more video will eventually be the goal. While we make these transitions feel free to offer your input. In the comments, on DNB Chat, On Twitter, On Facebook, If you see me walking down the street when I am in Toronto. It is all welcomed. I thank all of you that support the Dino Nation Blog and it will continue to do it's best to make this a place that you want to check out everyday and be a part of. I get told a lot about all the great steps I have made in the 3 plus years of this blog. But trust me when I tell you that it is far from where I want it to be and where it will be. I work hard not just for myself but for all of you.

Bargs Back As Raptors Back On Road

Paul Jones via Twitter says that Andrea Bargnani took part in practice with the team and is likely to go tonight and will be officially listed as probably for tonight's game. The Raptors have not exactly been setting the world on fire without him so that is welcome news. Not sure of the status for Weems and Bayless but likely they both are out but who knows. The Raptors will take whoever they can get that is healthy enough to put on a uniform. Chicago put the boots to the Raptors in a visit to the ACC and are playing some really good basketball of late so it will be a tough challenge for the Raptors tonight. They will be minus Noah though who after a great performance vs Toronto was forced from the Bulls line-up and is out for a long time yet. But Derrick Rose is good to go and he in his short NBA career has had a lot of success against the Raptors.

The Basics: Toronto 11-22 (4-12 on Road) Chicago 22-10 ( 14-3 at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors gave a game effort but in the end faded to a more talented Boston Celtics club. Rajon Rondo returned which was good news for Boston who were without K.G. The lone bright spot aside from the Raptors hustle and fight being undermanned was the fact Demar DeRozan had another good night. After a career high 37 he followed it up with 27 on his home floor at the ACC. DeRozan for whatever reason has been better on the road versus at home. So it was nice to see a solid performance in front of what was a sellout crowd at the ACC.

Key Match-Ups: Rose against Calderon should be a big advantage for the Bulls. Calderon turned his ankle late in the Boston game and has been in and out of the line-up with foot/ankle issues. Calderon at 100% has a hard time staying in front of Rose. Carlos Boozer and Amir Johnson will match up and the key for Amir is to stay in the fight and avoid getting into foul trouble. If the Raptors have to turn to Ed Davis my guess is Boozer eats the rookie alive. Andrea Bargnani if he returns would have no one at the center position that could offer him much of a challenge. Kurt Thomas will challenge him on the glass and inside but is not going to be any match for him on the outside. Even if Bargnani is not at 100%.

Other Things Of Note: We at the DNB have added a staff member. Ryan Richard is joining our staff as our DNB Intern of sorts. You may know him better as @Ronny006 on Twitter. He is a big Raptor supporter and a real hoop junkie. He also likely knows what the hell "The Dougie" is and other things you young people know. I felt a good dose of youth would be good for the Dino Nation Blog. After all, the Raptors have a ton of it, so why not have someone closer to their age writing for us. Ryan is going to have his own feature and will be filling in for me from time to time when my Score schedule and the Raptor schedule are not in harmony. I am convinced he will make a positive addition to our team joining myself and Danielle. I had said in November that we were likely going to expand the blog to add more people. So this is likely not a surprise. But it is important to me we find the right people. I always make choices that will add to what we do and people that I am confident that will treat you the readers well and add to your enjoyment of the Dino Nation Blog.

Where Is It On? Rogers Sportsnet (RAPS ON MAIN CHANNEL WOW!!!)

DNB Fridays

Just wanted to make a little announcement. The Dino Nation Blog will be covering all Friday Home Dates for the Raptors for the rest of this season. It has been our privilege to have access to the Raptors last season and now this season. This will allow us to have a more consistent schedule and allow you the readers to know when I am there to cover games. The lone exception to that will be December 10th in which I will be busy hosting some lucky contest winners in the MGD Best Seats in The House vs Nuggets. This starts this Friday with the OKC Thunder taking on the Raptors at the ACC. Here is a list of the dates.

• Dec 3rd - OKC Thunder
• Dec 17 - New Jersey
• Jan 14th - Detroit
• Jan 28th - Milwaukee
• Feb 4th - Minnesota
• Feb 11th - Portland
• Feb 25th - Phoenix
• Mar 11th - Indiana
• Mar 18th- Washington

There will be two additional dates we will be in the house for as well. One in April because the Raps do not have a home date on Friday in April and another to be determined. I am thrilled this could be worked out and thanks to Jim LaBumbard for the opportunity to have a consistent presence in covering the Raptors. I also thank all of you for your support of the Dino Nation Blog and hope this latest announcement will allow us here at the DNB the chance to serve you our readers better.

So it is TGIF for the DNB for the rest of the Raptors home schedule. We look forward to it as I hope you will as well.