Gee Wiz

We will get to tonight's match-up in a minute. But there is a much bigger story to talk about first. Richard Peddie, it was announced earlier this week is stepping down as CEO/President of MLSE as of December 31st 2011. That would be big news on it's own kind of. But the bigger news is according to The Toronto Star it seems The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is in talks with Rogers Communications to sell them a majority interest in MLSE. This would be a huge move giving them control of all the major sports teams in the Toronto market place. They of course already own the Blue Jays. What this will mean for the Raptors remains to be seen. The future of Bryan Colangelo? Will Rogers take control of broadcasts has they have with the Blue Jays? More games on Sportsnet 1 in our future? There are about a million questions on what this would mean. Obviously the Raptors are just part of the package and the real jewel in this deal in terms of Rogers would be control of the Leafs. If this happens the price take is said to be over a billion dollars (1.3 B number is The Star) and would be the largest transaction in North America sports history. Will this mean good things for the Raptors? Up until recently Rogers track record with the Blue Jays has been not that great. But when you look at the major sports teams it is the Blue Jays with brightest future currently. Aside from them being doomed to be in the AL East and that makes getting into the playoffs a lot tougher in comparison to the Leafs or Raptors.

Now on to your regularly scheduled preview of the Raptors and Wizards. John Wall is listed as day to day and the Raptors have already avoided him once, not that it helped much. Still John Wall is a pretty amazing kid on the floor and his story off the floor is just as amazing. Take a minute to read this article on Wall from the Washington Post. Warm fuzzy feelings about Wall aside the Raptors would rather see him in a suit than in a uniform. Who will be in uniform and ready to play is Raptors rookie Ed Davis. Bryan Colangelo admitted that Davis' time table was moved up based on the injury to Reggie Evans. Speaking of Reggie he had surgery on his injured foot this morning. All the best to Reggie for a speedy recovery. Based on Raptors play vs Atlanta he is needed. But will not return anytime soon.

The Basics: Washington 5-11(Winless in 8 Road Games this season) Raptors 6-11(5-5 in Last 10)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors had their worst effort since a road loss to the Wizards. Josh Smith had a triple double and the Raptors had no answers and this game was never really close. Jay Triano said that each of his starters were out played by their counterpart on the Hawks and he was 100% correct.

Key Match Ups: Andre Blatche is a handful and he provides blocks, rebounds and hustle for this Wizards team. Who will match-up against him is kind of unclear. The Raptors started Joey Dorsey in place of Reggie Evans with not exactly great results. Amir Johnson had his issues with staying on the floor against the Hawks because of foul trouble. I highly doubt Ed Davis would start in his first game? But 1 or all of those 3 must find a way to deal with Blatche. Javale McGee should have his hands full with Andrea Bargnani. That is if Andrea shows up for 48 minutes. He didn't vs Atlanta after a decent first half he disappeared with only 2 points in the 2nd half. Demar DeRozan has been in a funk and battling a hamstring issue and he will have his hands full with Gilbert Arenas. If John Wall is not in the line-up that will give Arenas a lot more touches and shots(with a basketball) vs the Raptors. DeRozan needs to step up his game and with no games since Sunday you would think that Hamstring has to be feeling better.

In Case You Missed it: We have our 4 winners now for our MGD Contest and they will be joining Myself and Danielle for Raptors vs the Nuggets on December 10 in the MGD Best seats in the House. Congrats to Lanny, Mary Anne, Ray and Chi our contest winners. Thanks to all that entered the various contests we had. So on that night the Dino Nation Blog will be hosting that event. But every other Friday when the Raptors are at home I will be there covering the game with press pass in hand. Beginning this Friday with the Oklahoma City Thunder hitting the ACC. My surprise pick to win the NBA Title this year. Looking forward to it and excited to kick off DNB TGIF at the games with a bang.

I will be live blogging this one for The Score.com and Mobile tonight and will post the links later today. The Re-Cap might have to wait till tomorrow as after that game I am also live blogging Duke in NCAA action and after that it is on the Air on the Radio at midnight on CJLO on The Sports Grind. You can listen online at CJLO.com. Just the average busy evening in the life of the Dino Blogger.

As promised your links for tonight Raptors Game vs Wiz on Scoremobile and Score.com

"Jiggly Bits"

Midnight Madness. The non-NBA fan doesn't hear these words until the week before Christmas when retail establishments thrust some individuals into a panic-frenzied state in an effort to both start and finish their holiday shopping. Sure, the big box stores are staying open late to HELP you get that last-minute gift. But don't kid yourself. They are hiding something. They want you to be thinking beyond the holidays and remember how they helped you out of a tight spot. Insert Washington Wizards. Talk about hiding something: Gilbert Arenas. While most of you were tucked in your beds at 12:01am this morning fast asleep, the Washington Wizards opened training camp, leaving some in the media wishing they were at home with their warm and fuzzies on. C'mon. The Wizards are trying to be more fan-friendly and this morning's event drew about 4,000 according to some reports. We know Gilbert Arenas is trying to get over that pesky gun conviction and so to, are the Wizards after an embarrassing 2009-2010 season to say the least. Arenas was avoiding the camera and tried to hide in plain sight. Please. That's what a two year-old does with chocolate all over their face inching away from the cookie jar. What he should have done was just stand there, answer the questions no matter how annoying they were to him and move on. No hide and seek. Just stand and face the music until the volume subsides. There's madness everywhere in the NBA, though. Let's touch on a few: Carmelo Anthony, NBA coaches coming and going and oh yeah, the "we are so awesome yet not really" speech were heard from some in the Raptors camp on Media Day.

Guy Smiley is Reincarnated

So you are at a Christmas party and get stuck in a convo-circle with a bunch of people you don't like. What do you do? Make conversation and put on a happy face. This is what Carmelo Anthony did on media day trying to address the "should I stay or should I go" story. You could tell he didn't want to be there and was wearing his Denver Nuggets uniform like a kid wearing his Sunday best - uncomfortable. Think back to early this summer when he was offered a 3 year, 65 million-dollar contract extension. He still hasn't signed that little piece of security and instead offers up the "keeping my options open" excuse. He claims he never wanted to be traded but wants to leave some options open until the end of this season when he'll sit down with the Denver Nuggets Management and go from there. "I'm here, man. I'm here today. Whatever the future holds, it holds". Does this sound like a guy who just wants to get out there and play some ball? Look at all the issues the Nuggets have to face this season. George Karl is coaching on a one year contract - though his health issues are behind that one. Chancey Billups has a team option for 2011-2012 and Kenyon Martin along with Chris Anderson are nursing injuries. Not a good way to start the season, boys. Not a good way.

Just Rip the Band-Aid Off

Seriously. How painful is it going to be this season for a third of the teams in the NBA? We have 30 teams, 8 of which have a new coach which means a whole lot of dip testing going on trying to figure out team chemistry. Here are the list of Head Coach newbies: Monty Williams of the New Orleans Hornets; Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls; Keith Smart of the Golden State Warriors; Avery Johnson of the New Jersey Nets; Larry Drew of the Atlanta Hawks; Doug Collins of the Philadelphia 76ers; Byron Scott of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Vinny Del Negro of the L.A. Clippers. The two I am most concerned about are the last two on this list. Not so much for Del Negro, though he's coming off a tough coaching stint with the Bulls and I hope it works out for him with the Clippers. Remember that other club Byron Scott wanted to offer his coaching services, to? As a former Laker, Scott wanted to coach his former team and continue his legacy in the purple and gold. But Phil Jackson wasn't ready to give up his seat yet so Byron Scott was forced to make a decision and he decided to move to Cleveland. I know you know this story but doesn't it sound a little suspicious to you? I called it here on the DNB in a "Jiggly Bits" piece after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Championship. I had a feeling Phil was going to retire as Head Coach of the Lakers since he missed the Championship parade and gave the "doctors appointment" excuse. Unless you are hooked up to tubes and lying in a hospital bed, you don't miss something like that, especially as a Head Coach and especially when a routine doctors appointment can be rescheduled in light of winning an NBA Championship. I am sure stepping down after 20 years of coaching is a hard decision to make and is a reason why he took the summer to do it. Or maybe he didn't want to hand off his 'baby' to Byron Scott and wanted him to move on to another team. Phil Jackson has admitted to saying he would like to promote one of his coaching assistants, Brian Shaw to the position. I know Phil is almighty powerful but remember, he doesn't have the power to do that. If he did, why would he waste it on Brian Shaw? Why not use it to bring back Red Auerbach from the dead in his Head Coaching prime or reincarnate himself because really, who IS going to replace the great Phil Jackson. Man, this season is going to be pure bananas. I am looking forward to every minute of it.

You Can't Blame Him

Imagine you have a bunch of microphones in your face and you own the Toronto Raptors. What would you say to the media given what you have? Of course, you are going to use phrases like it "feels better" when describing your current team or ride the positivity train. That is what Brian Colangelo did on Media Day and that is his job. I think it was interesting he was all cool and collected when talking about Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu leaving and how the Raptors are not "held hostage" by certain contracts now and how they finally have some "financial flexibility". Ok, I get it. But when you start answers with, "No knock on Chris, but he tended to hold onto to the ball a lot" or "No knock on Hedo, but I think (Linas) Klieza will give us more than Hedo" how could you not think there was even a little resentment there. Granted, it will be hard to replace the average 24 points and 11 rebounds Chris Bosh gave the Raptors each night but at least Colangelo is realistic in thinking it is not going to come from one person. Maybe he is right. Maybe some of the other Raptors 'hiding in Bosh's shadow' will be given a chance to perform. Maybe we will see some great things from this team now that they are able to make a fresh start. Or maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up and try our best to get behind a team who is clearly rebuilding again. I'll go with door number three.

Basketball Beyond the Floor

Remember to join me on here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing Condition The NBA Way. It's a strength and conditioning book published in 1994 and written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches in the NBA at the time. It's funny and you do actually learn something from it. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.

"Basketball Beyond the Floor"

"My proudest times as a coach are those when I recognize that a group of players has become a team, a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts" (Mike Krzyzewski in The Gold Standard written with Jamie K. Spatola). If you were paying attention to the 2010 World Basketball Championships this year and wondered, how did Team USA do it? The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team is the answer to this question. While it doesn't talk about this year's team, it explains how Duke University Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski took over the Team USA program and brought it to life with some key tools. It certainly helps he was blessed with some serious talent on the squad, too. This is one of the first 'how to' coaching books one can take seriously. Each chapter lays out the layers to building a great team and shares the 'moments' from his coaching career which exemplifies this. Think about it. For the past 30 years, he has been the Head Coach of the Duke University Blue Devils, won 3 NCAA Championships and 12 National Coach of the Year awards. Why wouldn't you listen to what he has to say about coaching? There is so much meat to the book that we can't possibly touch on everything, so let's dig into the highlights.

Take the time

This was the underlying thread which ran through the book. Take the time to choose your people, understand context, gain perspective, form relationships, develop a support system, establish standards, cultivate leadership, learn the language, adapt internally, practice, for self assessment, get motivated and last but not least, game time. This is how he lays out each chapter - a sort of 'good coaching techniques' checklist. One of the first Krzyzewski techniques that stood out for me was the notion of 'selfless service'. Coach Krzyzewski wanted to see if his 2006 Olympians had a capacity to feel at a deeper level than looking out for number one. So he brought in a former player of his, who was a General in the United States Army, Bob Brown and 3 wounded soldiers, to give the players a pep talk: "What makes teams great is the selfless service - It's putting the needs of someone else before yourself. On the basketball court that might be diving for the loose ball or taking a charge. On the battlefield it may be running into a wall of bullets or putting your life on the line for someone". Clearly fighting for your country and fighting for Olympic Basketball gold are two very different things. But the point was made. I agree. It is OK to have an ego and be driven, but the ego cannot be bigger than that of the team.

The 'moment' which exemplified this point was my absolute favourite. Captain Scott Smiley was one of the wounded soldiers and was permanently blinded by a piece of shrapnel in his eye. USA Basketball staff got him a set of earphones which were connected to the lav mics on Dwayne Wade and Gilbert Arenas. With Wade and Arenas doing the play-by-play, Captain Smiley could experience practice. Well, doesn't Dwayne Wade pause to express his pride for wearing the Team USA jersey to Captain Smiley but acknowledges people like the Captain were the real heroes? There are a few players I can think of which need this lesson - to think beyond the end of their nose.

Knowing when to "me" and when to "we"

"The best leadership your team can have is a combination of your strengths and theirs" - Mike Krzyzewski. You may or may not know, as Head Coach of the Duke Men's Basketball program, Krzyzewski recruited Kobe Bryant to come play for him. Had he not decided to got straight to the NBA, Krzyzewski says in the book Kobe would have played his college days with him. This is what I find interesting. Krzyzewski saved an email from Kobe and in it Kobe describes his vision for the Olympic team: "...I think our team should be filled with players who are willing to play for you. Guys who want to be coached so that you can do what you do best with no worries of communication between pro players and college coach". This was my concern back in April of 1989 when FIBA voted to allow pro basketball players to play in international competition or for a national team outside the NBA. Olympic players and coaches are not paid so what is the draw for these players? Some come from teams where they are catered to, so how does a college coach get these guys to listen to him? By getting players with Kobe's mindset to model that type of behaviour. Krzyzewski also touches on this when he talks about adapting within the team: "When leaders make clear their willingness to change, it establishes an environment in which everyone can be comfortable adapting". Again, it is OK to have an ego and be confident in yourself but you can't see yourself as above the team. Let's face it, we all have egos and if someone tells you they or someone else doesn't have one, they are clearly delusional. The idea here is, keep the ego in check.

Throw away the rulebook - sort of.

Instead of a list of rules, Mike Krzyzewski believes in establishing a set of standards. He believes once a group agrees on a set of standards, they unite and become focused to a single purpose. In the book, he lists a set of 20 standards his Duke team needs to live by. Here are the ones which stand out for me:

(3) Confront Immediately - Let nothing linger.
(12) Flexibility - We don't complain.
(17) Unselfishness - We make the extra pass. Our value is not measured in playing time.
(18) We are This Duke team - The time is now - not the past.

#12 and #17 kind of go hand in hand since the one thing you hear players complain about is playing time. However, I am not sure it is OK to be satisfied with, say, 5 minutes of playing time. Sure, you don't complain and realize your contribution might have been helping your team gain possession in the transition let's just say, but I think the 5-minute-a-game player needs to continue to work hard and improve his game to show why he deserves more playing time. More playing time means more time on the floor to become better. Something which can't be accomplished in 5 minutes. But I think this is what Krzyzewski is trying to say: work for more playing time, don't try and complain to get it.

Flick Pick of the Week

See if you can find the made for TV movie "Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story". It's a true story about a college player named Hank Gathers, who collapsed and died during an NCAA Tournament game. Keeps with the theme of keeping things in perspective.

To follow this week's discussion, I thought we would read Rebound Rules - The Art of Success 2.0 by another NCAA coach, Rick Pitino. You will also know, Rick Pitino was Coach and President of the Boston Celtics. I want to see how this compares to The Gold Standard. I will see you on Tuesday for another serving of Jiggly Bits. So until then, happy reading.

"Jiggly Bits" - Danielle de Graauw

It's all about the ladies today. Marion Jones SHOCKing the WNBA, the 2010 NCAA Women's Tournament looking for a shocking upset of the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies to shake things up and the McMaster Maruauders failing to upset the Simon Fraser Clan in the CIS Championships over the weekend. But we will also have a little discussion on "athletic character" bringing in some comments made by Gilbert Arenas this week - lots to sink our teeth into, so let's dive in.

Marion Jones Returning to Basketball

I'll bet most of you forgot Marion Jones played basketball. When she began her basketball career at North Carolina back in 1994, Marion was the starting point guard for the Tar Heels' national championship team. About three years later during the 1996-1997 season, she is playing her final season of competitive basketball just shy of the WNBA's debut. I think it was always in the back of her mind to play and the break from her track and field woes allowed her to do some soul searching. Now we get to watch her write a new chapter in her life as the newest member of the Tulsa Shock. Now that's the positive side of me talking.

Now for the realistic side. I really hope she doesn't screw up this time. I know this chapter is supposed to be a new start for her but she can't possibly think she is going slip back into our sports pages without any mention of the fact that she lied, took steroids and served 6 months in prison for it. If we just rolled out the red carpet and let her back into the sporting world on a get-out-of-jail-free pass, we would be doing a disservice to those athletes who were true to their word and earned our trust. She should be held accountable and I hope she makes a new name for herself in Tulsa. I really do. Think about it. What if Michael Vick decided to take a break from football and work out with the Detroit Pistons or (god forbid) the Los Angeles Lakers? or if Tiger Woods said "to hell with golf - I'm playing a new ball game now"? I am all for the art of redemption and I don't think any of us can really say what it is like to have camera crews and other media documenting our every move and mistake. I believe in second chances but I don't think a simple "I'm sorry" and "let's move on" kind of attitude can cut it in a world where professional athletes should be held to a higher standard when so many people look up to them. I think this season will be a real eye opener for her since she will be one of the older players in the league as a rookie and she's not the star anymore. She's going to have to earn that badge again. I hope for her sake and for the little girls out there watching, she does.

Lady Huskies and Lady's Hockey - Lots in common

So going into the 2010 Winter Olympic games we knew it would be a stick show-down between Canada and the USA on the ice - all the games before it, a mere formality. Some have been saying the same about the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies' path towards basketball greatness. They are currently unbeaten and not just for this season either. They are on a massive win streak of 70 games and if they steam roll through the March Madness tournament, which many are saying is pretty much a done deal, their record may climb to 78-0. But in a field of 64 teams competing, anything can happen and we won't really see the front runners until the third round in my opinion. A lot of people make the mistake of hanging onto the pre-season records of these teams when making picks for their office March Madness pool. You also need to look at how they won those games: Were they close? Did they have to battle back from a third quarter deficit to win? A lot of factors come into play. I bet you the UCONN Lady Huskies are looking past #16 seeded Southern University in round one. But a lot can be said for the experience of playing under pressure and playing close games and having the emotional intensity of playing cool given the cards are stacked against you. I'm just saying you can't win every game and the Lady Huskies can't take anything for granted.

No Bronze Baby staying in Hamilton

Wow, did Hamilton ever put on a show this weekend. As I mentioned lask week, McMaster University hosted the CIS Women's Basketball Championship tournament and as you know, I was cheering for my MAC ladies. (Carleton University wasn't in it, my alma mater). They didn't get steam-rolled like some people tried to tell me before the game - the Marauders really held their own even though they lost 94-76 to Simon Fraser University. Considering the SFU Clan are leaving the Canadian University athletics system for NCAA Division II ball, that's huge. I am not just saying this as a fan but as someone looking at this critically.

This was their third opening round match-up in five years and Simon Fraser won all three. So with SFU going on to win this year's tournament, claiming their 5th bronze baby in 9 years, that's a little hard to compete with. But you should have seen Emily Ledger hit the jumper to cut Simon Fraser's lead to three points with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. I was on the verge of dialing Spike Lee to re-write Hoosiers to take place in the Hammer and insert the Lady Marauders. But alas, there was no upsetting the SFU Clan who eventually stole the show. Don't worry MAC - there's always next year. And if Carleton isn't in it, you'll have my support 100%.

Gilbert "I deserved to be punished" Arenas

Gilbert Arenas was suspended from the Washington Wizards for taking out four guns in what he says was an attempt to play a prank on teammate Javaris Crittenton in December. As if we could forget that little Christmas present. The latest is he plead guilty to a felony charge in January and will be sentenced next week. Also, he is still suspended from the NBA until the end of the season. But wait it gets better. He plays on the heart strings of Wizards fans by saying he "messed up" the legacy of Wizards owner Abe Poulin, who died in November. Nothing like being caught doing something stupid, on the verge of facing the judicial music and calling on ghosts from NBA past to help your image. Seriously? Not even the Scrooge could look this foolish. He put all but 4 of his 500-gun collection in storage when he had kids. So this is a guy that is clearly comfortable around guns but also de-sensitized by them. I hope the judge hearing his case next week is a fan of the Christmas Carol and makes Gilbert see the errors of his ways.

Week Ahead Featuring "The Wiz"

I want to start today by encouraging all Rap Fans to vote for CB4 and do your best to get him in the starting line-up in his hometown of Dallas. Let's show him at least the fans have his back. He has played like the All Star that he is this season. If fans could ban together and pull off some kind of miracle and get him voted in, I am sure that would mean something to Chris. So if in the past you have filled out 1 ballot this year full out 10. If you vote 10 times...vote 20 times and so on. This maybe the last time you get a chance to vote for Chris as a Raptor to go to the game. If you have enjoyed watching Chris Bosh grow into one of the great players in the NBA take the time to vote for him.

Now on to the matters at hand and that is the Washington Wizards. The Raptors can say at least were better than the Wizards. Well not really but record wise it is true. While everyone was wildly predicting great things for the Washington Wizards I was one of the few that did not. In true Wiz Fashion they have already had a major injury in Antwan Jamison and yes Gilbert Arenas is still talking a better game than he plays. Although at least he is playing for a change. The worst thing the Wizards ever did was re-sign him. How you can commit the amount they did to a player that has a long injury history and a longer history of being a self centered diva is beyond me. Some still hold out hope the Wizards can turn it around. Let's just hope it doesn't happen this week. Jamison has played 6 games since returning to the Washington line-up. His numbers are what you have come to expect from him 21.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. Coming back to earth slightly after a huge debut in his return to the line-up.

This week that sees the Raps take on the Wiz twice and Hawks and the Bulls. I watched the Bucks (who Raps play Next Week) and the Bulls play last night and Milwaukee pulled out a 2 point win over Chicago. I had not seen a ton of the Bucks this season but safe to say that this team is for real and will be part of the race for the playoffs. Even though it is early both teams sit in front of the Raptors and it is always important to get wins vs the teams in front of you in the playoff race even at the start of December. This is a key week if the Raptors hope to start turning things around.

At least the will not have to worry about Mike Miller dropping 3's tonight for the Wiz as he has been injured. But they will need to figure a way to stop Arenas as he can still get hot and is still faster than Jose Calderon even with his repaired knee. The Raps issues really are the same each game of late and it is not as much about individual match-ups. They need to get some things right before you even consider the match-ups.

• Better Defensive Effort ( Transition and Perimeter most of all )
• No Second Chances ( Offensive Rebounds can kill a Defense )
• Less Help More Do ( Players need to stay in front of their man )
• When the Offense Stops the Defense Never rests. (If shots don't fall still have to defend)
• Heart, Hustle and Overall Effort (Full 48 minutes)

Those are just some of things that stick out. Really regardless of who the Raps are playing these things need to improve. Also the Raps need to figure out how the heck to sweep a back to back. They get 2 more chances to do that this week . The time for excuses and talking is rapidly running out. This week in December is going to tell us a lot on if the Raps can get this thing on the right track sooner than later if at all.

The End Of Some Dreams

When I was a kid there would be times at a family gathering or something with adults around where an adult would try their luck playing me at a video game. The outcome was usually bad for the adult. I remember how bad they would be and said to myself that I would never be that adult. That was a goal of mine, never to be that adult. When I was older that was not going to happen to me. However thanks to modern technology you can now play games online. I get my butt beat by someone on the other end that is likely far younger than me.

When I started this blog there was another goal I had to walk the fine line of being a fan and still being a professional. People I know in the media suggested it was impossible. After all the root of the word fan is fanatic. There is also a pain that goes along with being a fan. You grow attached to players and teams. I have dealt with that pain all season in having my favourite player traded to Indiana. It would be something that would be easy to accept if the team got better but they did not. Now we head to another summer and a lot of folks are talking about Chris Bosh and his time being with the Raptors being done. I have loved as a fan watching Chris grow and become one of the better players in the NBA. There is always a debate in my head between objectivity and being a fan. Through out this season I have noticed the fan part of me is slowly going the way of my video game skills. The truth is I always some where stuck in the middle between being a fan and trying to be a journalist of sorts. It is becoming a painful experience to be a fan of this team in a lot of ways.

You also have this issue of fans saying you are a homer if you try to support the team and say something positive. The fan in me and the journalist in me agree this team needs changes. However does it need to get blown up and start over from square one? I honestly don't think that as well. This season on every level for everyone has been a horrible failure. The one exception to that might be Andrea Bargnani. However beyond that it has been a horrible year. The irony of that is for me personally it has been a great year. I have worked hard and got to accomplish a lot of things. So that is a good thing for myself and the Dino Nation Blog. Which hopefully is good for all of you that read it as well. But it is hard to be happy or proud when the main focus of this blog is in the state it is in.

The other thing is no matter how hard you try to fight it, we are all tied to the success of this team. That is the one common bond that Management, Coaches, Players, Media and Fans all share. It is all connected and each of those elements is impacted by this team and how it performs. If they under perform eventually that will mean less readers and viewers for folks in the media. I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say I am sick of this team and can't take it anymore. People frustrated with the whole T.V mess and TSN 2. Could you imagine if this team was on a playoff run? The 3 games (Pacers,Wiz, Sixers) down the stretch are on TSN 2. Ironically this game tonight was suppose to be on ESPN between the Raps and Wiz. The point is for everyone it is in the best interest of all for this team to be good. Sadly this season they were not.

I often wonder as well what makes fans tick these days. I mean there just does not seem to be the loyalty there was when I was that same kid kicking adults butts at video games. People just don't seem to care about the individuals like they use to. Fans have bought in and accepted that sports is a business. I understand that as the journalist in me. The concept of sports being a business. However as a fan I truly can't. I love players to much for that. Maybe I am old school in my thinking about some things. I mean there is something to be said for old school values. In wrestling which I often jump to for examples. John Cena wears a T-shirt that says Hustle, Loyalty and Respect. All great qualities and all things that are part of this blog. I think there is no question that I hustle. Scott Carefoot has referred to me as the hardest working Raptor Blogger out there. I do work hard and invest a ton of time into this thing. It has not been until this last little while that I have taken a day off here and there. Sometimes even my day offs are not really days off. I live blog for the Score and in fact am doing 2 games tonight. There are also the many things that go into getting all the guests I am able to get. Loyalty is something I also can say I truly am. I have stuck to my guns on many things and stayed loyal to the people that I feel strongly about. Lastly I do my best to respect everyone from the guests that I have to all of you out there. My father always told me when he was alive to respect those that respect you. I do my best to do that. Even sometimes when people don't respect me I do my best to take the high road. I may not be a fan of John Cena but I am of those values.

Sure we could have talked about the Raptors and Wizards in a game that means very little. However hopefully this was a lot more interesting. I pour a lot of myself into this and some people like that and others do not. I just feel it is the best way to do it. Gilbert Arenas is actually playing basketball again. Why that is another question altogether. I mean practice with the Wizards and get back healthy. However to play in these last few games screams to me as a look at me move. Arenas will say he is doing it for the fans. Do the Wizards have any fans that are still paying attention at this point? In fact do the Raptors? Oh what a classic it should be. Two teams that have been playoff teams now as total outsiders playing out the string. FUN WOW!!!

Wiz And Raps Share Common Ground

When this season started both Wizard and Raptor fans expected much more. Eddie Jordan and Sam Mitchell were coaches that had earned some level of success. Jordan was a coach of an All Star Game for the Eastern Conference not all that long ago. Sam Mitchell of course was the Coach of the Year just a few seasons ago. The Wizards have been without Gilbert Arenas for the majority of last season and all of this season. The irony is the Wizards made the choice to re-sign Arenas for over a 100 million dollars worth of contract. You would think they would know his health better than anyone else. But still they made the choice to bring him back. The Raptors have had issues with health that some might say they should have known better about as well. Jose Calderon after an injury at the Olympics after he had resigned with the Raptors has continued to have some minor injuries that have plagued him through out the year, Jermaine O'Neal has had a long history of injuries and time missed. He has had some minor injuries as well. Both will be out for this game as they did not travel with the Raptors on this mini two game road trip. Two teams with playoff goals are not even in the playoffs as it stands now. While there is still hope Raptors could sneak back into the playoff race it would seem that the Wizards are done as far as that idea for this season. After all they sit in dead last in the conference and to be able to just pass all the teams in front of them would seem unlikely. After winning their first back to back games of the season the Wizards have lost 3 of 4 games since that time. The Raptors have not been able to string wins together as well. After winning the first 3 games of the year the Raptors have not been able to win more than 2 in a row since. They had a chance to change that against the Bucks but would fall short. So two teams desperate for a win it should be fun.

Trade Winds Continue To Blow

A day does not go by without another rumour about the Toronto Raptors. It has to be difficult for the players and their families. That is a fact that often is lost in all of this thirst for change. But unless you name is Chris Bosh you have heard your name in some rumour if you are a Toronto Raptor. Even Nathan Jawai who has yet to play a game I saw in a trade rumour. But the latest and most loudest of the rumour mill has been talk that Bryan Colangelo has been shopping around Jermaine O'Neal and his big contract with all that cap space in 2010. Colangelo has only confirmed that he has no interest in trading Chris Bosh. It is not like he has done much to stop all of the talk about his players. It makes sense to let the rumour mill run wild if you are Colangelo. If he can build interest in players on this roster it can only help his chances of making a move. I personally am starting to think Colangelo is looking to make a major move. If he wanted to just do some minor tweaks you have to think he could have made a move by now. What is clear is with each passing day the expectation level of fan base for what Colangelo will do increases. The chances of people feeling that he has not done enough will increase as well.

But the challenge that faces Colangelo is a difficult one indeed. If you accept that the plan is to keep Chris Bosh in 2010. Which Colangelo has given ever indication that it is. He faces the difficult task of trying to improve this team and keep or restore the confidence of Bosh in him. But in doing that he may have to give away some of that massive amount of cap space he has been able to acquire. The majority of which lies in the contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The performance recently of Andrea Bargnani has left some to think the Raptors need to leave him as the starting center. But for that to happen Jermaine O'Neal would have to be put on the bench. This is not a good thing on any level. You can only expect that O'Neal would be less than happy about that. A drop in his performance and production would likely follow. This would all impact on his value as a player for the next season and a half. Now if a team is making the move just to get the cap space his contract and is not concerned with anything else that is not as big an issue. But that would mean he would need to go to a team that is not it the playoff hunt but still could be a reasonable option to attract free agents in 2010. That would likely eliminate a lot of Eastern Conference teams as there are still a lot of teams thinking they can make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Still would you really want to bash your brains out to make the playoffs only to have to try and beat the Celtics, Cavs or Magic in a 7 game series. Sure the Hawks took Celtics to 7 games and they did drop an overtime loss to the Bobcats and have struggled in recent days. But a better draft choice and a way to sell your fans that help is on the way in 2010. It is a nice way for a G.M to buy some time. These are the type of thoughts that could be going on for G.M's that might be considering taking on Jermaine O'Neal.

Is Bosh A Lock For The All Star Game?

It seems farily clear at this point that Chris Bosh will not be getting voted into the All-Star Game as a starter. So that will leave it in the hands of coaches in the league. Bosh has been well respected around the league and the fact he played so well for Team U.S.A doesn't hurt as well. That should have nothing to do with this but hey the coaches making the choices are all Americans and proud ones I am thinking. But with the Raptors less than impressive record will that cost Chris Bosh? I am thinking that it will not and Bosh will make it to the roster for the Eastern Conference. He is still one of the best at his position in the conference. I will say it will not be the slam dunk guarantee that it has been in the past. I think it will be something that will be interesting to watch. If Bosh some how got left on the sidelines how would he re-act to that? Hopefully we will not need to find out. I would think it would be a personal disappointment. That being said it is not as huge an event to Bosh as it might have been to a guy like Vince Carter who missed the All-Star Game last year for first time in a long time. Bosh would also get a rest if he was not in the game and it may not be a totally awful thing if he was able to relax for a bit. Although the Raptors do get an entire week off based on the schedule around the all-star game. They face the Spurs on the 11th and do not play again till the 18th taking on the Cavs. They are both games that are at home at the ACC. This could be a chance for Triano to get some of that much wanted practice time he has needed.

Almost Forgot

So that is about it for today. Oh yeah one last thing. I have kind of been having some fun about this on facebook. Chuck Swirsky is returning to Toronto next week but he will be coming to the Dino Nation Blog in the Starting 5 before that. I have not figured out the exact day that I am going to have that interview in the blog. But it has already been done and is all ready to roll. I just wanted to let some folks know about it and try to get a few more people aware of the blog. I mean it is how things work. Cabbie interviewed Kobe Bryant and that is not going to hit the air till February. I am looking forward to that. Maybe I can convince Cabbie to visit here and talk about it. I will see if I can. But for now it is the Dino Blogger one on one with the Swirsk. I think I can post him up and score. Well no it is not that one on one it is an interview. I am not sure how I'd fair in b-ball against Cabbie. We both are of the same body type. It would not be a classic contest by any means.

Update- Joey Graham will Start Tonight In Place Of Moon- Noon

Jamario Moon is heading back to Alabama to be at the birth of his child. That has Joey Graham getting the call to start in tonight's game against the Wizard's. News comes from Eric Smith of the Fan 590. So all of the Joey G fans will get a chance to see a lot more Joey against the Wizards. This makes a even shorter roster for the Raptors who are already without Jose Calderon, Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai who has yet to make his NBA debut as he works back into shape after being sidelined with heart concerns. Calderon has the bad hamstring and J.O the bruised knee.

While I am writing should give this a mention the latest trade rumour that has been floating around. Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker to the Mavs for Josh Howard and two other players. Hoopsworld claims this deal is close to happening.

The Raptor Roller Coaster- All Aboard!!!

When you choose to be a sports fan you are basically taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. It has those extreme highs where you think you are just going to keep climbing till you can reach the moon. Suddenly without warning you go falling back down crashing towards the ground and you scream. That is what it can be like and from game to game you never know what might happen. If you have ever been to Disney World and got on the ride Space Mountain that is basically what it is like. Sometimes you just want to close you eyes tight and wait till the ride is over. The Raptors who had fought hard to beat a good team in Orlando in almost the same position exactly last night the would crumble down the stretch. Last night may have given folks T.J Ford or Mike James flashbacks based on Will Solomon's actions down the stretch. Andera Bargnani and Chris Bosh have over 50 points combined and Will Solomon is having a terrible shooting night. But yet we see Will Solomon not once but twice jack up long range bombs. That just goes against common sense and logic. I mean if you have an open look sometimes it is because a team doesn't think you can make a shot. The Raptors will say that is why they didn't worry about Luke Ridnour as he took two long range shots as well. He would make both of his. That is the difference between a goat and a hero. If he were to have missed his shots, Buck fans would have the same reason to complain. Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva had even better nights going for the Bucks. No one said being a pro athlete was fair did they? It is anything but fair.

Charlie V Is Same Old Charlie

Now I admit that I have not went out and confirmed this as fact. Still I am willing to bet on a few Raptor fan sites and posting boards someone is saying see Raptors never should have traded Villianueva. I would also bet they never watched the game couple nights before where he stunk against the Bobcats. You might have taken notice that he was not starting for the Bucks as well. There is reason for that I am sure. It might just be that Charlie V remains the same talented but inconsistent player that the Raptors traded to Milwaukee. Remember when ESPN ripped Charlie on draft night and he went on to have a successful first year here in Toronto. Well one of the knocks from the guys on ESPN was his desire to work hard and be consistent on a nightly basis. Look back on his career and can you debate that they were wrong? I can't make the case despite the fact Charlie as a person may be one of the best people you will find in going around the league. There was a reason that the Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian and Luc Mbah A Moute. It had nothing to do with giving their announcers headaches in trying to learn to say those names. What it had to do with is they are not sold on Charlie Villianueva as the answer for them at that position. It is not like the Bucks are drafting a shooting guard in the first round or a Center. They have faith in both Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut to play starters minutes at those positions.

The problem is that most Raptor fans only watch Charlie Villianueva in the few times he plays the Raptors in a season. There is no question that he has a chip on his shoulder for these games against the Raptors. I think he truly took in personally that he was traded by the Raptors and it shows every time he suits up against them. It is much like how Andre Iguodala feels about the Raptors passing over him in the draft for Haffa or Hoffa or complete bust take your pick. But they do not watch the rest of the games the Bucks play and see highlights or read boxscores the rest of the time. The truth is Charlie V is that same guy he was when he was dealt in a lot of ways. He has the talent to have nights like last night or the time he poured in 48 points against the Bucks as a Raptor. But he also can just as easily play with disinterest and be a complete non factor. Raptor fans complain at the lack of consistent play from Andrea Bargnani well Charlie V can be just as inconsistent with his game as Bargnani. The one thing he would provide when he is on his game more than Andrea is rebounding. However Andrea when he is on can provide more shoot blocking and offers a much more consistent shot from long range when he is on his game. Charlie is a great guy and I am not here to say that if he had remained with the Raptors I would not still like him and cheer for him. What I am saying is he is not as good a player as he gets made out to be by some Raptor Fans. In the end he is a lot closer to the player that ESPN thought he was than the one Raptors fans think he is.

Opportunity Is Still Knocking If Raptors Can Answer

Sure last night was a disappointment and the Raptors basically cancelled out one of those surprising wins they earned over Houston and Orlando. Still they have a chance to keep it rolling in the right direction with games against the Wizards and Grizzlies. It is even more important when you consider the next two after that. Back to back, home and home, with the Boston Celtics who have suddenly dropped a few and have people questioning if they are truly the best in the league. That could make the Raptors the perfect platform to make a loud statement against. It all means that you need to take care of your business in these next two games.

The Wizards can laugh at how disappointed and frustrated Raptors fans are at their season. I mean they are going through a cruel version of deja vu. Last year they had a star player that was writing more blogs then he was playing games. This year the re-signed that player for over 100 million dollars and he still is blogging and not playing. Lot of folks like Gilbert Arenas and think he is a truly colourful character. That is true and he was at one time a very talented player. After two years of being on the IR and blogging more then he has been playing does not seem good. I think he may just end up being a huge elephant in the room with his large contract. The Gilbert Arenas prior to injury was worth that contract. The one that sat out the majority of last season was not. That mistake of re-signing Arenas may cost the Wizards for a long time to come. If only it was just Arenas who was getting injured but Jamison and Butler have had their share as well. It would all lead to Eddie Jordan being shown the door. I feel bad for him because I think given what he has had to deal with in Washington he had done a remarkable job. If he was a name that came up for the Raptors job I would not be disappointed to have him. Washington is 3-7 in their last 10 games which for them is improvement. They are a sad and pathetic 7-25 on the season and dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Memphis is a much different case as they have a lot of hope for the future. O.J Mayo is the real deal and when you also have Pau Gasol's baby brother Marc you have the start of some pretty nice building blocks. Memphis is 11-23 and far out classed in the Western Conference. But they can look at a team like Portland as reason to be hopeful for the future. The Raptors can not afford to over look anyone at this point. If Jay Triano wants to make that point clear, watching the last 5 minutes of the OKC game is a great way to drive home your point. The Raptors again sit in a spot where they can make a few steps back towards respectability or they can stumble and fall and dig a whole deeper that is already pretty massive. It is a lot to ask of a team that is down it's starting center and point guard but they have shown that they are able to do it. The question now becomes if they can do it consistently. It is a lot easier to bring you max effort against someone that you know is better. It is a different challenge to do that against a team that is struggling like you are.

Bryan Colangelo Is Playing The Game

I don't think anything that Bryan Colangelo does in not done without a thought process behind it. He was been doing interviews of late and sending out some messages. The question becomes who is the audience for these comments. Is it an angry fan base that is starting to question his choices. Could it be that he has not been happy with what he has been hearing on the phone and is sending out a message that this is not a fire sale in Toronto. There is no real way to tell why Bryan has chosen now to start a bit of a media appearance spree. But clearly even with out him taking part in the process he has been the talk around the league as eveyone is waiting to see what move he is going to make. About the only thing that you will not find to read is that Bryan Colangelo is NOT going to make a move before the February trade deadeline. Everyone around the league expects him to make a move. Given his past reputation some even expect it to be a big move. That is a lot of hype and pressure to live up too. I some how feel that Bryan understands that this next move no matter what it is will be key to how people view his career in Toronto. He is as aware as anyone that this is a what have you done for me lately business.

Colangelo has stuck to his guns to this point and has defending his number one selection Andrea Bargnani. He has said that they have not made an offer to another team that includes Bargnani. He says he takes many calls about his availability. Colangelo in his defensive of the pick of Andrea said that he even said that Brandon Roy was going to win the Rookie of the Year. He said that Bargnani was picked for a variety of reasons and he was the best fit for the Raptors. The comment about Roy is true as Colangelo was on the record as saying that Brandon Roy was the most NBA ready of the players in the draft. So that would not be far from saying he would be the rookie of the year. He even went as far as to praise Roy and how he is getting to the level of a superstar player in the league. He said if people are going to compare Andrea to Brandon Roy than Andrea could be considered a failure for some. He suggested that it was more about judging Andrea on his own merits. He pointed to his youth and the fact that they had been asking him to learn several positions. He didn't go as far as saying that was a mistake but you were left with the impression that is what he was saying without saying it.

This season before it started I said would end up deciding the Sam Mitchell debate. Well it has done that in a negative way. Although Sam is starting to do his thing on T.V as he made a guest appearence on NBA T.V on the weekend. Thanks to Holly Mackenzie for giving that a mention. I have no doubt if Sam wants a career in T.V he can have a long and successful one. But I don't think he is ready to settle into a media career just yet. However turning back to Colangelo in firing Mitchell he has now made this season a lot about his legacy as the G.M and President. He will have one last card to play even if he does not find the trade to save the season. In fact he could have a couple depending on what he does. The most obvious is he will be in a spot to hire a coach that is his guy and their will be no debate about it even if that guy was Jay Triano. The other chip he has is that massive contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The 2010 frenzy is only going to grow as the year gets closer. A contract worth 23 million dollars of cap space is almost as valuable as any player in the league at this point given the free agents that are out there to be had in 2010. The longer and closer to that time the more attractive Jermaine O'Neal and his contract will become. There is no question this big chip to play of keep was at the core of why Colangelo made the trade in the summer to acquire O'Neal. If O'Neal was able to perform well on top of that it was going to be a win win situation. It has turned into a lose win situation. That contract is still a valuable asset to have no matter the win total the Raptors end up with this season. Colangelo is not going to give it up unless he gets exactly what he wants in return.

So for a lot of reasons you can expect the roller coaster ride to continue on for the rest of this season and will get really wild as we get closer to trade deadline day. It may not be as fun as you like but it sure does make for a lot of information and speculation to keep up to date on. I'd love for someday a G.M to write a book long after he retired and recount all of the things that happened behind the scenes. If Bryan Colangelo were to write that book I would be in the front of the line to buy it.