Playoffs Give You Hope As A Raptor Fan?

As we sit on the verge of the start of the Eastern Conference Finals do you feel a little more optimistic about the Raptors future? We end up with a final that was not an expected one as Boston slogged their way to the Eastern Conference Final. Facing the Miami Heat who would not be stopped by Chris Bosh injury or Indiana Pacers. The team everyone expected to face the Heat was the Bulls who had a injury of their own to deal with. Derrick Rose the former M.V.P might not even be back in time for next season. In fact he likely won't be. The Bulls without him were not able to handle the Sixers who are not exactly a juggernaut in terms of an opponent. Boston limped there way through a seven game series to finally finish them off. Honestly though the Sixers are offensively challenged at best. The Hawks did their typical chocking in the first round. The New York Knicks had nothing for the Miami Heat and are in need of a good off-season to scare anyone. Problem in that is Amare and Carmello are making most of the money and have still yet to find a way to be good together. Orlando fired a good coach and lousy G.M and Superman still likely wants out of town.

The point of all of this is beyond the Miami Heat is there any team in the Eastern Conference that really scares you. The Bulls if Rose is back and playing at the same level would. After that it really is wide open for the most part. The Pacers are a good team but they are far from world beaters as the Heat at less than 100% proved. Boston will be a year older and not that much better. Although they will get Jeff Green back potentially who they acquired in the Kendrick Perkins trade last season. He say out the entire season with heart condition. If you are a non playoff team in the East you should feel like you have some hope unless you are the Charlotte Bobcats.

If you are the Raptors, with a lottery pick to come and your first round pick from last season making his debut in Jonas Valancuinas, also some cap space to play with to add some more pieces you have to feel even better right? While this past season was only marginally better in terms of record for the Raptors it was a success in terms of culture change. The Raptors actually can play some defense. Casey even refers to it as playoff style defense in terms of it's effort and intensity. That might be a stretch but it still does prepare the Raptors nicely for the grind it out painful to watch at times Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Bryan Colangelo still has to make the right moves and some luck of any kind in the draft lottery on Wednesday would be welcomed. Which by the way we encourage you to join us for our Lottery Chat on Wednesday Night here on the website. If Colangelo can make a few skillful trades and make a splash in free agency who is to say the Raptors can't be a playoff team. While the Raptors are a long way from ever getting out of the Eastern Conference to the NBA Finals. A quick rise to playoffs and even the second round which currently is the franchise best is not out of the question.

Nothing you have seen in the Eastern Conference Playoffs makes you think that the Raptors can not over take most of these teams given the assets they have to play with. It is just a matter of pressing the right buttons. The Division the Raptors call home can be classed as competitive, but the Atlantic is not exactly filled with a dominant contender anymore. Boston despite their appearance in Conference Finals isn't. The Knicks have issues and are on verge of hiring a coach that is good in the regular season and horrible in the playoffs in Mike Woodson. The Sixers do not have any truly scary weapons on offense and Nets be they in New Jersey or Brooklyn remain pretty much a joke and most likely will be losing Deron Williams to Dallas or someone else. It won't be easy but the opportunity is there for the Raptors to rise again as they did when Colangelo first arrived on the team.

It has been a dark couple years since Chris Bosh took his talents to South Beach. However the future or light at the end of the tunnel could be in sight.

10 Things On Last Night, Tonight and Beyond

So it is late in the season. I am tired and need to combine a re-cap and a preview into one. Thanks to folks at St Louis Wings for hosting me for the night for the game with the Thunder. I learned that the Easter Bunny is bigger than the Dino Blogger in two ways. Still, the folks at St Louis Wings have always been great to me and it is a great place to catch a game. Any restaurant/bar that puts basketball first in Canada is a rare gem to find. That said back to business, here are 10 thoughts on what we saw last night and what to expect tonight against the Pacers and beyond.

1. The Result Was Obvious- There was not a doubt in my mind last night's Raptor game would end up with the result it did. The Thunder were in bad need of a win coming in and the Raptors provided that perfect springboard to do just that. OKC had sat a top the Western Conference for the majority of this season and getting passed by the Spurs made losing to the Raptors not an option.

2. Thunder Fans- There is a lesson to be learned for Raptor fans from the people in the stands in OKC. It has become the best home court advantage in the NBA. Be it crazy fat guys with bunnies painted on them with masks or just your average OKC Fan they all get it. I am pretty confident they are never worried if they are treated to a slice of pizza. I am also confident that even when they sucked, which wasn't that long ago, they were not rooting for their team to lose (Tank). They are people that are just passionate to have the NBA in their city. That passion has died down in Toronto. While Raptor fans are a loyal group they also have become jaded and divided at times. I understand why that is, but still when you watch a game in OKC you see what being a fan by it's true definition is all about. They are more than just the example of how to build a team they are an example of how to build a fanbase. I miss the days when Raptors fans were like this.

3. Bargnani Tough?- I really am starting to have serious doubts about the future of Andrea Bargnani. Again this calf injury becomes an issue and he sits the 2nd half. No the Raptors were not tanking, as I mentioned earlier this result was an obvious one. I am left to question what kind of pain threshold Bargnani truly has. This is aside from the debate on if he has truly turned the corner as player. Even if I am to believe that, which I remain unconvinced, it becomes a moot point if he is not healthy in the long term. I don't mean to diminish a calf injury but this has become rather ridiculous on some level.

4. James Johnson Saga- I have no idea what James Johnson did. I don't care what he did to be blunt. I do support what Casey has done in sending a message. That said enough already. It was pretty hilarious watching the Raptors try and guard Kevin Durant with James Johnson on the bench. Matching the potential MVP of league on a 10 day contract player is not just punishing Johnson, it is punishing the team as a whole. Casey was quick to get him in there. Let's all move on now though and give Johnson his spot back. Credit to both Casey and Johnson, along with team for keeping whatever happened on the down low. Sure we all would like to know what happened but honestly we really don't need to know.

5. Jaamal's Impact- If I hear one more time this year about the impact of Jaamal Magloire, I swear that I am going to puke. Tell me has there ever been a player in the history of this team praised for doing so little? I mean seriously. I guess it is a situation not unlike the one with Jay Triano, in which because he is Canadian people are wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is what he has been in reality. A trash talking tough guy that still knows how to commit a foul in the NBA and can occasionally show you he use to be a good to great player 10 years ago. That is all. He likely isn't coming back and I would seriously wonder if the Raptors had not come along, if he is even in the league at all. Sadly this is the guy that will go in the history books as the first ever Canadian Raptor. It makes me sad for all the young up and coming talent we have in this country that could have been that. The only old Canadian I would want to have that honour played basketball for his country and is a two time NBA MVP.

6. Barbosa Is Back- If you are not at least a little happy for Leandro Barbosa getting a chance to play for a playoff team you may have no soul. This is a guy that game here and never once complained and went out and did his job for the past couple seasons. Given this crazy NBA Sked, I confess I have not seen much of Barbosa since leaving. But based on the boxscores and random comments I see on Twitter he is doing what he does in Indiana and I am happy for him.

7. Roy Hibbert- I have said this consistently for awhile, it pains me to watch this guy play and know he will go down as a draft pick of the Toronto Raptors. Now it should be noted if not for the trade with the Pacers he would have never been picked by the Raptors. They felt he was too slow for their up tempo style of basketball at the time. That said, I at the time thought he was a great answer for the Raptors at center. He is never going to blow you away but he does all the things that you would hope that a center would do. On top of that having met him once he is a pretty great young man. Georgetown has not produced to many stiffs at the Center position over the years. It is one of the safest bets in the NBA draft when you take a center out of Georgetown. When you look back on that trade that brought J.O to Toronto the biggest loss in it was Roy Hibbert.

8. Raptors Can Be Spoilers- When you look at the Schedule remaining the Raptors could have a impact on the playoff race. Starting tonight with Pacers two games ahead of Boston for 3rd in the East, followed with games vs Sixers, Celtics, Hawks twice, Heat and Bucks. It gives you some motivation to go out there and try and win games. It is also the reason that people hate tanking in general. Tanking has an impact on the teams that are actually in the playoff race. This is why David Stern needs to step in and do something dramatic to the NBA Lottery System. It was designed to prevent this sort of thing. Still if you look around the league it isn't working. The concept of tanking is talked about far more than it ever was back in 1985 when there was legit concern teams would tank to land Patrick Ewing one of those Georgetown centers we mentioned earlier. I say this with all due respect to Anthony Davis, if he has half the career the Patrick Ewing had, he would be a fortunate young man. However, with all the hype surrounding him you would think he was better than that and going to project to be the next superstar of the NBA. I would venture to say that is vastly optimistic. He could turn into a fine NBA player and likely should. That said is he going to be better than a hall of famer or some great recent top picks? I don't see that. Don't believe me it is ok. I will rest easy knowing that I also never was impressed with this guy named Greg Oden and said Kevin Durant would be better. I am sure that I was laughed at for that and I will use the obvious line of who is laughing now?

9. Reality Math- What we knew before this season even started is now fact. The Raptors based on their loss in OKC and some other things last night have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Still with nine games left which for fans feel pretty pointless, it is still important for some folks on this team. No matter what happens in these final games it will not change the fact this summer is going to be a huge off-season for the Raptors. What guys do down the stretch of the season may help shape/decide if they are going to be a part of this team moving forward. If for no other reason than that, this is ultimately why the concept of tanking is stupid. Players fighting for jobs and their place in the food chain are not going out to try and lose or even think of losing. Especially when you look at guys on 10 day contracts. They are fighting for their very NBA lives every night and day they step on the floor.

10. Time Flies Even When Your Losing- At some points this season has been very painful to endure. The losing combined with this crazy schedule can make your head spin. At least it has seemed to go by fairly quickly and the fact this NBA Season was only 66 games and not 82 games was a blessing given the state of this franchise. There has been so much blind hope for the future this year, it has bordered on the insane. While I do think the Raptors are heading in the right direction, the speed in which some think things will change is likely not going to be the reality. As bad as this season has been the Raptors ultimately did improve as hard as that is to believe at times. It speaks to how bad they were last season and how much it was needed to make a coaching change. I was one of the few that had been saying that long before it was cool. Funny how the people that weren't in favour all love Dwane Casey now and the change in direction of this franchise. I think one of the things I find most frustrating is how people change with the wind and are never truly brought to task for it. Yet when I go out of the box of and say something that ends up being right, I take abuse at the time for it and no one other than me says that I was right. Maybe people just have got use to the fact that I will tell them that I was. Whatever the case, I am proud of my track record on things and do take comfort in the fact that it must mean I know what the hell I am talking about at the end of the day. That is in many ways it's own reward.

So I decided to do this instead of a preview and it ends up being twice as long. Oh well the off-season and a bit of a break will be here soon enough. Happy Monday all and hope you had a pleasant holiday weekend.

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.

Trade Deadline Day: Barbosa Is A Pacer.

11:25 am: It appears the best the Toronto Raptors could do is get a 2nd round pick for Leandro Barbosa. Marc Spears of Yahoo was the first to break this trade and several sources including David Aldridge from NBA TV/Turner have confirmed the deal. It was not made clear is this is the Pacers pick or not but if it is the Raptors didn't exactly get a ton in return for Barbosa. No players were required to come back and Pacers had roughly 13 million in room to make the addition. This will help the Pacers out adding some scoring to their bench.

More updates as they become available. I will just be updating this post for the rest of the day. It would be a surprise if the Raptors did anything else though.

Just a Note 2:10pm: Anthony Carter who the Raptors never officially released is part of trade as well. There is also a TPE exception that will kick in for 7.6 Million or there about. Given how the Raptors botched that with the Bosh sign and trade so if you choose to believe that they won't do it again that is significant. But in the end it is nothing more than possible flexibility down the line. As I said at time of the Bosh sign and trade TPE is not wearing a uniform and until it turns into that it is nothing.

Update 2:45- Mike Wells who covers the Pacers says Anthony Carter is NOT part of this trade. Proving that no one truly wants Anthony Carter...LOL.

Raptors Start Strong and Fizzle Late At ACC

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

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

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

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

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

No Bargnani Likely Means No Hope.

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

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

3 Keys To Game

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Behind Enemy Lines"

Rip off the band-aid. Take a deep breath. OK, now I am ready. Today's edition of "Behind Enemy Lines" is difficult to write since my job is to bring you the dibs on the Raptors' opponents and what the Raptors need to do to win. Each week, I pride myself on highlighting the positive qualities of our beloved Raptors but it seems like lately, all the other team has to do is show up and the Raptors walk away dejected and win less. The only reason the Raptors are not in the bottom of East is because Cleveland and their 26-game losing streak is. Oh hey, there is a positive - I feel so much better. The Raptors are at home this week hosting Portland, L.A. Clippers and Miami. Let's get it.


Portland Trail Blazers @ Toronto Raptors - Friday, February 11th:

• The Blazers and Raptors have met once already this season - November 6th, 97-84 Portland.
• At the time, the Raps were 1 and 5 and Portland was 5 and 2. (Now? Raptors 14-39, Blazers 28-24).
• During their last game, three Portland players were over 20 points on the night: Brandon Roy - 26, LeMarcus Aldridge-22, Nicolas Batum - 20. For the Raptors? Jarett Jack - 16 (doesn't do them much good now), Andrea Bragnani, Leandro Barbosa and Jose Calderon all had 12 points.
• Portland lead the first three quarters of that game - the Raptors edged them in the fourth but it was not enough.
• Portland's Inactive list: Armon Johnson, Greg Oden, Elliot Williams and Brandon Roy. Roy is back at practice and will be a game day decision on Friday. Marcus Camby was not in the line up on Monday against Chicago with a left knee injury. He is day to day.
• The Raptors need to watch: LaMarcus Aldridge - he had a career high of 42 points against the Bulls on Monday.

Los Angeles Clippers @ Toronto Raptors - Sunday, February 13th:

• This will be the first meeting of season for the Raptors and Clippers.
• The Clippers have been enjoying some press and attention as a result of the Blake Griffin show, but the Clippers are still 3 spots from last place in the West (13th).
• The Clippers will be meeting Cleveland this Friday before meeting Toronto on Sunday.
• Since both DeMar DeRozan and Blake Griffin are competing against each other in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest next weekend, this game may be a "look what I can do" preview - one to watch.
• The Raptors need to watch: Besides Blake Griffin, the Raptors need to watch Clippers guard Baron Davis who had 16 points, 16 assists against the Knicks on Wednesday (116-108 Clippers).

Miami Heat @ Toronto Raptors - Wednesday, February 16th:

• Miami and Toronto played twice this season - November 13th (109-100 Miami) and January 22 (120-103 Miami).
• As of the January 22nd meeting, Miami was 31-13 and the Raptors were 13-31. (Now Miami is 38-14, 2nd behind Boston in the East).
• The top 4 scorers in that game for Miami were: LeBron James - 38; Mike Miller - 32; James Jones - 15 and Eddie house (off the bench) - 13.
• The top four scorers for the Raptors were: DeMar DeRozan - 30; Andrea Bargnani - 28; Jose Calderon - 14 and Amir Johnson - 14.
• Miami lead the first half, Toronto surged in the third but Miami sealed their win in the fourth.
• Miami Inactive list: Udonis Haslem, Jamaal Magloire and Dexter Pittman.
• The Raptors need to watch: Beside the obvious LeBron James? Chris Bosh. He had 19 points and 7 rebounds against the Pacers this week. Plus, he may be taking the "play it cool" advice from LeBron and his return to Cleveland. If the Raptors want to take this win, they need to thwart to efforts of Chris Bosh to be easy-going and joking around with his former teammates. If he plays calm (as LeBron did in his return to Cleveland) the Raptors will be in trouble.

Once again, thank-you for joining me this week. As always keep your comments and discussions coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw, red microphone). Have a great weekend and see you on Tuesday for more NBA coverage in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".

Pacers Starting Fresh With The Raptors

The Indiana Pacers decided they had enough of their coach Jim O'Brien. It would appear the choice to send him packing was made by ownership according to the Indy Star. O'Brien was fired Sunday after posting a 121-169 in his 3 years plus. He has been around close to the same amount of time as Jay Triano so let's compare shall we? We Shall, Triano is 78-117 in his 3 years with the Raptors. O'Brien had a .417 winning percentage while Triano's works out to be .400 winning percentage. People make the excuse that Triano has not had a lot of talent to work with. Well did Jim O'Brien have a ton of talent? The Pacers best player was who Danny Granger? I know he is not "Mr Popular" these days but Chris Bosh was more talented than him. You can make the argument that the situations are fairly similar. Pacers have had there share of injuries over the last 3 years. Frank Vogel Pacers assistant becomes there interim coach. P.J has more head coaching experience than him. Just stating the facts. Raptors will try not to see there losing streak climb to a dozen. While the new era for the Pacers begins.

The Basics: Toronto 13-35 (4-11 on Road vs East) Pacers 17-27 (Lost 7 of 8)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors were in Minny and got utterly embarrassed by the T-Wolves. The less we say about this game the better so we will say no more other than it was the Raptors 11th straight loss. But you already knew that.

Key Match-Ups: Well it will be interesting to see what Frank Vogel does in his debut. One of the reasons for O'Brein's demise was said to be how he handled young players and specifically Roy Hibbert. Our former Raptor for a few weeks. Also on a couple of my fantasy teams not that anyone cares about that. Andrea Bargnani will have his hands full with Roy in the paint. It would not seem likely that the Pacers would play Hibbert on Bargnani on defence. Darren Collison has not exactly taken the Pacers by storm as many felt he might. He has 13.7 points a slight improvement on his numbers with the Hornets but his assists have dipped from 5.4 to 4.8 assists through 41 games played for the Pacers. You also have T.J Ford who is always motivated to play against Jose Calderon, and sometimes that is good news for the Raptors, and other times it is good news for T.J. Calderon and Bayless will need to be better than Collison and Ford for the Raptors to have a chance to win. But the biggest issue will be on the glass once again where the Pacers should have an advantage. They average 43.2 rebounds per game to the Raptors 40.7.

Other Things Of Note: The Pacers demolished the Raptors in their only meeting this season that was also in Indy winning the game going away 124-100, and it is on a growing list of games where the Raptors were embarrassed badly. In case you missed it, I wrote a piece yesterday taking a look at where this is all going for the Raptors in terms of the future. But nothing that I wrote can top what Kevin Durant had to say about our good old buddy Chris Bosh. Seems a good time to mention our event coming up in Toronto for the Bosh return on Feb 16th.

The (Un) Welcome Back Bosh Party @ St.Louis Wings

• Location: 595 Bay St (North of Dundas)
• When: Feb 16th 2011
• Time: Come early if you like. But will have game on with Heat and Raptors that tips @ 7PM
• Details: Were working on them but you can expect a good time, some giveaways and the best place to watch the game outside of the ACC itself. We are even going to try to set up a speakers corner where you can share your thoughts on Chris Bosh and his return. It is going to be a great time so if you can't get tickets for this game this is going to be the next best thing.

The guys at St. Louis Wings had been asking me to come and be a part of a Raptor game for awhile and I said if we are going to do this let's do it big. Looking forward to hosting this event and hope to see many DNB readers come out to have some fun. It is always a treat for me to meet the people that read the blog and Raptor fans in general so I am looking forward to this.

Where Is It On? Sportsnet ( The Rumours they tried to cancel covering this game for a Post All-Star Game Breakdown show are 100% false....Honest...No Really)

"Behind Enemy Lines"

Who do you think is the most valuable team in the NBA right now? Miami fans may say the Heat and while it is true they had the hugest jump in value percentage, they still sit in the seventh spot according to a recent report. Give up? The New York Knicks. They have jumped over the Lakers for top spot as the most valuable franchise in the NBA. Forbes magazine ranks them as number one and valued at $655 million due to an increase in ticket sales and sponsorships at Madison Square Garden. The most troubling part of their report? According to Forbes, 17 of 30 teams in the NBA lost money last season. Unbelievable. More than half the teams in the NBA? Good news for the Raptors, they sit at 10th on Forbes most valuable NBA team list. Let's hope one day that's their rank in league play. This week, the Raptors take on the Bucks, Timberwolves, Pacers and Hawks. Let's get at it.

Milwaukee Bucks @Toronto Raptors - Friday, January 28

• This will be the first time the Bucks and Raptors will meet this season.
• As of Thursday, the Bucks are 17-26 and 9th in Eastern Conference (5 spots ahead of the Raptors).
• Milwaukee notable: Bucks signed guard Garett Temple to a 10-day contract. Temple, 24 years old, has appeared in 30 games with San Antonio, Houston and Sacramento over the past two seasons.
• Milwaukee Inactive List: Brandon Jennings (left foot), Drew Gooden (left foot) and Michael Redd. John Salmons has been out with a right hip injury but was rostered against the Hawks this week but no playing minutes logged.
• Raptors need to watch: Garett Temple. He started the fourth quarter against the Hawks this week after only one practice since being signed to the team Tuesday. He made a solid impact on their defense in the dying minutes of that game.
• Key for the Raptors: The Bucks are putting on a happy face. They have lost 10 games in their last 15 and the Raptors need to play consistent and push the right buttons.

Toronto Raptors @Minnesota Timberwolves - Saturday, January 29

• This will be the first time the Timberwolves and Raptors will meet this season.
• As of Thursday, the Timberwolves are at the bottom of the West, 10 and 35.
• Timberwolves Head Coach Kurt Rambis has been like the Wayne Gretzky of the coaching world this season. Lots of talent and experience coaching a less than mediocre team. (Rambis was 14 years in the NBA as a player, 9 seasons with the Lakers. He spent 7 seasons as an assistant coach with the Lakers beside Phil Jackson before coming to Minnesota).
• Timberwolves Inactive List: Lazar Hayward and Kosta Koufos.
• Raptors need to watch: Forward Kevin Love. He had 31 points, 21 rebounds and shot 3 for 3 from behind the 3 point line for the Wolves against the Thunder during their last meeting.
• Key for the Raptors: This team is fighting stay alive but this is the kind of team that can be the most dangerous and unpredictable. They have nothing to loose. The Raptors need to make sure they do loose by sustaining a lead of at least 10 throughout the game - not letting the lead change hands.

Toronto Raptors @Indiana Pacers - Monday, January 31

• The Pacers and Raptors have met once already this season on December 6th. Pacers took it 124-100.
• The Raptors edged them in the 3rd quarter of this game in points but the Pacers held on in the rest.
• During this last meeting, the starting Pacers were all in double digits: Danny Granger put up 21 points. Only the Raptors top three saw double: Jose Calderon also had 21.
• Indiana Inactive List: Dahntay Jones, Josh McRoberts and Lance Stephenson.
• Raptors need to watch: Brandon Rush. He had 26 points off the Pacers bench against the Raptors in December.
• Key for Raptors: Have a stronger bench. Barbosa and Bayless both had twelve points each off the bench when they last met the Pacers. They need to be able to go the distance with this team.

Toronto Raptors @ Atlanta Hawks - Wednesday, February 2

• The Hawks and Raptors met twice already this season. Toronto lost both times.
• During their last meeting on November 28th, Atlanta lead the first 3 quarters in scoring. Toronto tried to rally in the 4rth but it wasn't enough. Final score 96-73 Hawks.
• Top four Hawks in double digit points versus two in the Raptors line-up. It was Bargnani and DeRozan for the Raptors.
• As of Thursday, Atlanta is 5th in the East at 29 and 17.
• Hawks Inactive List: Josh Powell, Pape Sy and Marvin Williams.
• Key for Raptors: Don't let them have the lead for more than one quarter if that. On their first meeting of the season on November 28th, Atlanta lead the scoring in the 1st and 4rth quarters and lead the first three in the second meeting. The Raptors need to pace themselves, no costly turnovers and be strong in the fourth.

As always, thank you for joining me. Please keep your comments and suggestions coming on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw, purple jacket/red microphone). Have a great weekend and see you again on Tuesday for more NBA coverage in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".

Raps Give Up A Blizard Of 3's In Indiana

Raptors on the road for a 2nd half of a back to back and are coming off a pretty terrible performance against the Knicks. The Pacers are returning from a visit out west and they have lost the last 2 on that trip. Still at .500 though and maybe one of the early surprises of this NBA season. The Raptors are a bit of a surprise as well at 8-12 they were predicted by many to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. But they have been better than that and even have people considering the playoffs could be possible. Both the Pacers and Raptors have been spectators for the playoffs the past few seasons. One team will take a small step towards towards that goal tonight.

1st Quarter

Both teams struggle to find the hoop early. Collison got a break away score and Amir answered to make it 2-2 but it took a 1:40 to get points on the board. I mentioned in the preview Danny Granger can make 3's and he hits one here to make the game 11-6 Pacers early. But buckets by Calderon and Amir cut the lead down to just 1. But a Pacers 7-0 run capped off by a Rush three pointer would make it 18-10. Another Granger three ball and the perimeter defence is once again brutal at least early on. Pacers have built a 25-15 lead with 2:35 to play in 1st. Pacers were shooting 50% and Raps were giving up many open looks. T.J Ford was going get some extra playing time as Collison picked up 2 fouls. But Pacers were not slowing down as they had a 31-18 lead after 1.

2nd Quarter

A James Poesy open look at three off a Raptor turnover....It is raining 3's in Indiana as Dunleavy nails another 3. Just brutal effort on defence and Rush hits another 3. Jay Triano calls a time out with the score 42-21....Little Late Jay. A Barbosa 3 was like a bee bee gun going up against a machine gun at this point. Pacers were 9-13 from beyond the arc and this was getting embrassing with the score 51-29. It just wasn't getting much better. Raptors may well have lost this game already they have dug a huge hole for themselves to dig out of to the tune of 60-37. A Calderon 3 would make the lead 20. Pacers have 62 points with still 2 minutes to play. Remember what the Raptors did to the Wizards...this was the same with Raps playing the role of the Wizards. Bargnani got his first made FG with less then a minute to play in the half. Raptors were getting spanked to the tune of 68-44 at the half.

3rd Quarter

Going through the motions might be the best way to describe the Raptors effort coming out for the 2nd half. Pacers were a team that looked desperate to win and it was showing in all aspects of this game. Pacer were maintaining a 24 point advantage with the score 78-54 with 6 to play. Roy Hibbert slam made me shed a tear. He is going to be a solid big man in this league for the next 10 years barring injuries and he could have been our guy. Pacers were not playing as well had some turnovers but the Raptors were not cashing in on them but they had cut the lead to 16 on an Ed Davis bucket. Love the way this kid hits the offensive glass. Raptors still down big 78-62 but Pacers call a time out before it gets out of hand. Raptors did get a 10-1 run thrown together but even with that they were still down 15. But Pacers made their own push back run capped off with a Posey 3-ball. It was a 22 point lead heading to the 4th. 89-67 for the Pacers.

4th Quarter.

Really not a lot to say by this point the Raptor mad some small dents into the enormous lead but 102-81 with 6:43 to go it seems clear this one was done...In fact it was very clear a lot sooner than that. Brandon Rush was 6/8 from 3 point range and I believe Danielle mentioned him in Behind Enemy Lines. A good call by her. As for the Raptors nothing good about this night and they lose in huge way 124-100 as a team the Pacers were 13/26 from behind the arc.

Raptors heading into this season I had stated that the Raptors had to have effort to beat anyone in this league. The level of talent makes it a requirement. When the effort is not there you get nights like tonight. The Raptors showed little to no effort on defence and it made keeping pace on offence was next to impossible.

"Behind Enemy Lines"

I have heard and read it all about tonight's game in Cleveland. There is a lot being said with it being the first time LeBron James has played the Cavaliers in a Miami uniform. Everything from 'LeBron James ripped this city's heart out in a TV tour' or 'I can't wait for him to feel some pain'. I understand the frustration at decisions these pro athletes make or how some carry themselves. However, I don't understand the time and negative energy spent on signs and other devices to express hatred. Now it is personal and no longer about basketball. The Cleveland Cavaliers and area police are preparing for an event not like any other this city has ever seen because of the hatred some feel towards one person and his team as a by-product of this hate. Sure, be upset he left Cleveland and be happy if the Cavaliers win tonight. But let's get back to what this beautiful game is all about - cheering for the love of basketball. The Toronto Raptors have four games this week: Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and 2 against New York. Let's dig in.

Friday, December 3 - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Toronto Raptors

• This is the first time these two teams have met this regular season.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a triple overtime win over the New Jersey Nets, 123 -120.
• Kevin Durant, Cole Aldrich and Daequan Cook are on the Thunder's inactive list. Kevin Durant sat out last game because of a sprained knee and is day to day.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder sit at 13 and 6 so far.
• The last two times these two teams met during the 2009-2010 season, Andrea Bargnani put up an average of 15 points. Only when Chris Bosh wasn't in the line up did DeMar DeRozan put up more than 10 points against the Thunder.
• Key to Friday's game: the Raptors need to watch their transition game. Against a team like Oklahoma, you can't afford too many turnovers or the snowballing of little mistakes.

Sunday, December 5th - New York Knicks @ Toronto Raptors

• This will be the second and third time these two teams have met during the regular season.
• The Knicks won the last time they met the Raptors on October 27th, 2010, 98-93. Andrea Bargnani, Linas Kleiza were the top two scoring Raptors with 22 and 13 points respectively.
• The Knicks have won their last two games and are 10 and 9 so far.
• The Toronto Raptors need to watch NBA Rookie of the month, Knicks' Landry Fields. He ranks fourth among rookies in scoring and second in rebounding.
• The key to the next two match-ups with the Knicks: play solid team defense and own each rebound. Neither team has a perfect record so far and both are looking to be consistent and solid.

Monday, December 6th - Toronto Raptors @ Indiana Pacers

• This will be the first time these two teams have met this season.
• During the 2009-2010 regular season, the Pacers and Raptors met four times and split the wins. Andrea Bargnani was the most consistent scorer for the Raptors during these meetings, putting up 34 points in one game. Other Raptors like Jose Calderon and Sonny Weems were inconsistent against the Pacers but put up decent numbers.
• The Indiana Pacers are 9 and 8 on the season so far and are really no more successful than the Raptors. Monday's match-up could be anyone's game.
• Paul George, A.J Price and Lance Stephenson are on Indiana's inactive list.
• Key to this game: Watch Brandon Rush. He has been on fire with his hot hands as of late and if his supply of passing is cut off, that may be the key. Indiana has a few players who can be off on a good night if you force them to make shots.

So there's your food for thought for the week. Thanks for joining me. I will see you again on Tuesday for more "NBAz in 7 Dayz". Have a great weekend.