Raps Roll Into Motor City

Raptors will be busting out those ugly green uniforms tonight. I have never been a fan of those. Makes them look like the Celtics. If it made them play like Celtics I would be in favour of them. The Raptors and the Pistons are both going through hard times. Earlier this season Detroit had a revolt against it's coach and he only played 6 players in a game in response. Can we hope for another revolt tonight? Probably not. Amir Johnson the former Piston has remained back in Toronto. He tweaked his other ankle in practice according to reports. He is doing a nice thing for you fans that have supported him this season though. He has organized a pretty cool contest for 50 fans to hang with him. Check out the details here. He has really embraced Toronto at a tough time to do it. He deserves a lot of credit for that as much as he does for being a warrior for this team this season. When Amir Johnson isn't playing in a game, people because of knowing type of guy he is, never question it for a second.

The Basics: Raptors 18-48 (Lost 13 in A Row on Road) Pistons 23-44 (16-17 at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: Raptors battled with the Bobcats but off nights from Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan was just to much for the Raptors to over come. Reggie Evans tried to will the team to a victory but they fell short and Bobcats got an important win for their playoff chances.

Key Match Ups: Good rookie battle with Greg Monroe the former Hoya taking on Ed Davis the former Tar Heel getting the start for the injured Amir Johnson. Monroe is having a good rookie year averaging 8.5 points and 7 boards a game. Davis in less games has averaged 7 points and 6.8 boards per game. This will be a good test for Davis with someone at the same level as him in Monroe. Whenever Tracy McGrady sees those old Raptor uniforms it tends to fire him up. Maybe the green jerseys will throw him off. He makes up the back court with Richard Hamilton who has been living in the Dog House in Detroit. He was rumoured to be heading to the Nets in the Mello deal that never was. He has been benched for many games this season racking up more DNP-CD's than points at times. It makes for an odd match-up for the Raptors. I am not sure I want Jose Calderon guarding T-Mac. So perhaps we see DeRozan on him. Some people (I being on of them) see a lot of McGrady's game in DeRozan.

Other Things of Note: We are having fun with March Madness on Yahoo and on The Score.com with Bracket Buster. Once you have signed up on The Score join our group DNB Madness the password is dnb4life. As for Yahoo, if you have a Yahoo account already just click on the link and join are group. If not make a Yahoo account and then just click on it. I love March Madness. I will share a couple personal stories with you as to why. When I was little back in the old days the only games we would get in Canada were the late games on Thursday and Friday. They started at 11:35pm well past my bedtime. But every March Break, I would go spend time with my Grandmother, and bless her heart she would make all my favourite snacks and go to bed and let me stay up and watch. March Madness always reminds me of her as a result. In modern times it has become a family tradition for my mom (Who knows nothing about College Basketball) to fill out brackets and try and beat me, who does know some things about College Basketball. She did win one year based on an incredible run by the LSU Tigers led at the time by current Celtic Glen "Big Baby" Davis. We don't have any prizes it is all for fun. So join in the fun and sign up.

Update: Had a chat with our Friends at St Louis Wings they are coming up with something for the winner of our Yahoo Bracket Pool. I did it for that one because The Score one does have prizes from The Score available. I will share details on what you can win in blog tomorrow or if you can't wait that long when I find out will tweet it as well.

Where Is It On? TSN 2 (I screwed up on this one and that is no joke)

"NBAz in 7 Dayz"

March Madness. If you are a basketball fan, it is hard not to get drawn into the hoop hype. There are 17 notable Canadians in the tournament including Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, both playing for the University of Texas. If you nodded your head at the second sentence of this intro, you have most likely filled out or waiting until after the first round to fill out, your March Madness brackets. Whether it is for the office pool or for just for bragging rights, making those picks will be hard for anyone since how many can say they have followed every team and has seen every game leading to this tournament. This year is tough since the talent is pretty even and we may just have a Cinderella team take out #1 ranked Ohio State. Here on the DNB, there's a way for you to get connected to the tournament and get your basketball fix: message @dinoblogger on the site or on Twitter for more information.

Today's "NBAz in 7 Dayz" will be all about connections: NBA links to NCAA ball, NFL to NBA and Twitter to an NBA related case in the US legal system. Lots to nibble on - go grab a snack and get ready to get your head around it.

"Ya'll gon make me loose my mind, up in here"

Nothing like a little DMX to put NCAA hoops in perspective. Before the promos for this even started, this tune ALWAYS reminded me of March Madness, filling out brackets and loosing yourself in this great game. Arguments can be made for the Superbowl or even NBA final, but what makes this tournament pure 'madness' are two things: the number of teams in the tournament (64, not including the first round) and the level of play. Some people forget the players in this tournament are boys becoming men and for some of them, this may be the highest level of basketball they will ever play. So going nuts after draining a three at the buzzer is not only exciting for us but exciting and emotional for them. When I hosted the Saints Invitational High school Basketball Tournament earlier this year, I got to see a Canadian version of basketball madness. These kids played five straight games to make it to the Championships and man, were they feeling it. Dragging themselves in the gym, trying to getting themselves psyched by taking in a game before their much anticipated trip to the final. Once tip-off came and went, something switched on and everyone in attendance got to see some great basketball.

I have interviewed and spoke to many scouts and all have told me there is one thing that will separate the amateur athlete from the elite player who will go the distance: conditioning. It is sad but there are some players who believe this is not as important as practicing your jump shots or stand out plays to get yourself noticed. I spoke to a scout once who told me he really only pays attention to the last half of a game because this where you can tell which players are going the distance and putting conditioning high on their priority list. Some things to think about while getting into the 'madness' this week. Another thing to consider is number of NCAA basketball players connected to the NBA in one way or another. Here are a few:

Not in the Tournament (but notewirthy):

1. Austin Hollins, University of Minnesota (son of Lionel Hollins, Head Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies).
2. Ralph Sampson III, University of Minnesota (son of Ralph Sampson, 4-time NBA-All Star).
3. Jeremiah Rivers, Indiana University (son of Doc Rivers, Head Coach of the Boston Celtics).
4. Jeff and Marcus Jordan, Central Florida University (son of NBA great Michael Jordan).

Tournament Bound (check your bracket picks for these):

1. Jon Horford, University of Michigan (son of Tito Horford who played for the Bucks and Bullets in the 1990's and brother of Al Horford, the All-Star center for the Atlanta Hawks).
2. Jordan Dumars, redshirt, University of Michigan (son of Joe Dumars former player and now Pistons President).
3. Josh Bartelstein, University of Michigan (son of NBA and NFL agent Mark Bartelstein).
4. David Stockton, Gonzaga University (son of John Stockton, who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz and brother to Shawn Stockton, a junior guard at Montana University).
5. Nolan Smith, Duke University All-American (son of the late Derek Smith who played for five NBA clubs, including the Celtics).
6. Ledrick Eackles, Oakland University (son of former Washington Bullets and Miami Heat guard Ledell Eackles).
7. Phil and Matt Pressey, University of Missouri (son of former Buck and current Cavaliers Assistant Coach Paul Pressey).
8. Tim Hardaway Jr., University of Michigan (son of Tim Hardaway, former Warriors and Heat guard).
9. Cameron Ayers, Bucknell University (son of Randy Ayers, former 76ers head Coach and current Assistant Coach of the New Orleans Hornets).
10. Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame University (brother of Indiana Pacers forward, Tyler Hansbrough).
11. Chris Smith, Louisville University (brother of J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets).

NBA and NFL playing the waiting game

As you may already know, the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) found a loophole, a strategy if you will, in which to gain leverage with their employers, the NFL. Members of the NBA's Player Association are playing close attention. Here's why. The NFLPA filed for decertification so they could legally sue the NFL in court for violating antitrust law. Decertification means the NFLPA technically does not exist at the moment, therefore the players now have the power to be named as individuals in a lawsuit against their employer. The NFL then locked out its players and essentially shut things down until further notice. It is possible for the same thing to happen in the NBA .

At the crux of the NFL issue sits how the owners and players are going to divide up 9 billion dollars. In the NBA, owners are not only looking to divide up 4 billion dollars but they are looking to change the pay scale in the NBA by going with a hard salary cap. They also want to get rid of most or all of the current exceptions to the cap that teams get to re-sign their star player for more dough or for teams who are over their cap limit to add experienced veterans at a lower price. If both sides in this issue can't come to an agreement, I am sure they will be looking to their NFL counterparts to see if decertification is a viable option for them. Think about it. If U.S. District Court Judge David Doty decides in favour of the NFL players (which he has a reputation for) and that gets both sides talking faster, maybe the NBPA might think decertification is the way to go. But if the Judge Doty decides in favour of the owners, then the NBPA might sit tight and not take that drastic step. Something to think about going forward.

Tweets calling out Twits?

Another legal rangling story for you. Minnesota Timberwolves beat reporter for the Associated Press Jon Krawczynski is being sued over tweets about NBA official, Bill Spooner. This is what allegedly happened according to the suit filed by Spooner. Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Kurt Rambis was upset over a foul called against his team versus the Rockets on January 24th. Spooner allegedly tells Rambis he would review the call at halftime. Rambis reportedly inquires how his team was supposed to get the two points back. Spooner's suit claims he didn't respond to Rambis' question but AP reporter Jon Krawczynski tweeted his version:

"Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on the Rockets. That's NBA officiating folks".

Associate General Council for AP Dave Tomlin provided this statement in response: "We believe all of the facts we reported from the game in question were accurate". Also, as of this morning, an AP spokesperson said the organization has not yet been served with a lawsuit. To top it all off, Minnesota lost the game by 4 points (129-125) so those 2 points could have made a difference in crunch time. So now if the everyday, average fan is sitting at the game, overhears something and tweets it, are they considered a journalist reporting what they see from the game? Not exactly. Jon Krawczynski is a seasoned reporter, trained in proper journalism at a university or college like most are and as such is made aware of the legalities of the profession. Anyone with a cellphone or computer can tweet whatever is on their mind, good or bad, this is the nature of free speech. But Krawczynski was at the game in his capacity as a journalist and is held to a higher standard. Do we have another 'Spoelstra' moment here? Who knows. There are two sides to this story and everyone will have their own opinion. I hope this proves to those using Twitter to think before you tweet. People are reading and paying attention. Your reputation and the person the comment is made about is at stake, so be careful.

Thanks once again for joining me this week. As always keep your comments and suggestions coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw). See you on Thursday for more "NBAz in 7 Dayz" when we will continue our discussion on the NBA playoffs and my picks I alluded to last week. See you then.

No Props Just Talk with Demar DeRozan

The growth of Demar DeRozan has been great to see on the floor. Selfishly it is great to see off it as well. I starting interviewing NBA guys on a regular basis in his rookie year and I hope that I have picked up my game a bit as well. But Demar in terms of interviews has. This chat with Demar we do everything from his personal definition of what he meant by "Going Ham" on the rest of this season, to his experiences in both L.A at All-Star Weekend and in London and some thoughts about college ball. I think it is one of the better chats we have had with Demar hopefully you will agree.

I am sure USC would love to have Demar DeRozan as a Junior but he is of course in year two of his NBA journey and doing very well. He is taking big steps on and off the floor and you can see a day when he could be the next one to try and lead this franchise to where we all want to see it be. Winning again and "going ham" in the NBA playoffs. Let's hope those days are ahead for both us, Demar and the Raptors. Kemba Walker is the point guard for UConn Huskies, it was interesting to hear Demar's thoughts on him and the fact he and Ed Davis know him pretty well. Might be someone the Raptors consider in the draft. Just a thought.

Starting 5 with Ray Bala Talking Madness From A Canadian Perspective

This week kicks off March Madness and there is some Canadian Content in that tournament. I wanted to bring in Ray Bala from @Canballreport on Raptors HQ to talk some NCAA ball. We have a great conversation about players like Kris Joesph, Andy Rautins and some other Canadians you may not know. We also have a conversation on a great two part article written by Michael Grange in Globe and Mail recently on Canadians heading south to play ball. Next season at this time of year you will likely be hearing a lot about Tristan Thompson who is committed to Texas for next season. Texas is an 8 seed in the tourney this year after having been ranked #1 earlier in the season. We talk about some general rules to follow when filling out your brackets. Along with some tips on teams to like or not like. Along with some talk of some of the top guys for the NBA draft in June like Evan Turner and John Wall and some others. Even a little Canada Basketball talk with Canada heading to the World Championships in Turkey this summer. The Dino Nation Blog is mostly about the Raptors and the NBA but it is also about growing the game and fans of basketball in this country. Ray is one of the folks trying to help in that by doing a great job in Raptors HQ and on his Twitter account making folks aware of what Canadians are doing on the college level and elsewhere. So have a listen and take pride in the fact Canada is starting to develop some ballers.

NCAA Talk With Ray Bala

DNB Productions

Thanks to Ray for taking the time to talk with me. It is always nice to get to know more folks that love basketball and are passionate Canadian basketball fans. There are lots of us out there. I do the best I can with the Starting 5 to get to know more of them and allow you folks that read the DNB to get to know them as well. Follow Ray on Twitter (Link Above) and you will get to learn a lot about some of these up and coming Canadian talents that are representing Canada and the sport that a Canadian brought to the world. If I learned anything from the past Olympics in Vancouver, it is to never lose that passion for this country and for what I love in basketball. It will always be part of the mission of the Dino Nation Blog to help try to promote the sport here in Canada and help grow the sport and bring more fans to the table. Have some fun and sign up for the 2 NCAA Pools I have started with The Score and Yahoo.

Dino Nation Blog March Madness Pools

Sign up for The Score's Bracket Busters Contest then

JOIN GROUP: DINO NATION BLOG MADNESS/ PASSWORD: DNB

on Yahoo- Dino Nation Blog Madness League ID 70545 there is no password.

Oh No For West Coast

A different script but the same result a loss. After a 3rd straight loss (To Golden State) Chris Bosh expressed his frustration with what was going on with this team. Why should he be any different than all of us. The difference is Bosh is the one that becomes a free agent at the end of the season and hearing stuff like that will get an even larger reaction than normal. This on the heels of comments from Triano that this team was selfish and Colangelo making comments about agents complaining about clients minutes. None of it in the end impacted on the Raptors enough to change things.

It was a different script from the last 2 games where the Raptors had decent first half performances only to blow the games in the 3rd quarter. In this one the Raptors would trail the Blazers by 11 points at the half. Jose Calderon would get the start in the second half. He had played well in the loss to Golden State. The Raptors would actually fight in the the second half and cut to the lead to 2. When the Raptors had got it close Bosh had a key turnover and had 3 on the night after 6 the night before. Blazers fans were booing Hedo Turkoglu all night long. Clearly the don't read the Dino Nation Blog in Portland cause if they did they would realize HeDon't more than HeDo. Portland fans should have been chanting THANK YOU HEDO for not signing with the Blazers. As I tweeted last night I would gladly take Andre Miller for Hedo straight up right now.

The Raptors in the end fall to defeat 109-98 Portland and go 0 for 4 on the trip. They are on a 5 game losing streak and fall below .500 for the first time since January. What makes all of this even more concerning is with the exception of the Bulls in 9th all the teams around the Raptors are playing well. The Bucks at the top of that list who now sit 5 games in front of the Raptors in 5th where the Raptors sat prior to this post All Star Break collapse. Heat and Bobcats are also starting to win as well. Things do not get any easier for the Raptors when they return home. The Hawks and Thunder are 2 teams that if Raptors were playing well would still be of concern. Athletic teams that have always caused issues for this Raptors team.

The Raptors could easily be staring at a 7 game losing streak taking on the Nets who the Raptors have beat all 3 times they have met this season. In short things are not good. This week March Madness gets rolling so later today I am going to do an interview taking a look at that with a focus on Canadians in the Tournament.

If you would like a Raptors distraction the Dino Nation Blog has you covered with a couple March Madness pools on The Score and Yahoo.

Sign up for The Score's Bracket Busters Contest then

JOIN GROUP: DINO NATION BLOG MADNESS/ PASSWORD: DNB

on Yahoo- Dino Nation Blog Madness League ID 70545 there is no password.

Talk about not the greatest timing but despite the Raptors struggles RUN THIS BAR RAPTORS WEDNESDAYS will still go as planned at 291 Queenston Road here in Hamilton. This Wednesday be in the house for Raptors and Hawks( March 17th) and will be giving away 2 tickets to see Raptors look to get some revenge on The Warriors on April 4th. Be at the event to have your chance to win.

One last thing here is my appearance from on the Weekend on Team 990 in Montreal on the franchise radio show talking NBA and Raptors.

Back From The Madness To The Reality Of The Raptors

I had a weekend of Madness and was live blogging 3 games over the weekend. I also was hanging out in the Score Live Blog with D.J Bennett making some new basketball friends. I was unable to watch the complete version of the Raptors and Clippers. However the result is not a shock. The Clippers truly suck. I mean as bad as it has been in Toronto, it is nothing in comparison to the Clippers. Raptor fans had high expectations and that may be why it hurts a little more. Clipper fans, if there truly is such a thing, have been use to failure. They might have had hope with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. However hope in Clip Nation is like a moth to a flame it doesn't last long. The same can be said for the Raptors win on Sunday. The one thing folks may remember is a steal and a dunk but Jose Calderon. In his entire time as a Raptor I can not recall Jose throwing down a dunk. I am thinking it will be a rare event that you can tell you grand kids you saw it. Raptors will have till Wednesday to enjoy a win. Bucks will come in still very much alive in a playoff race and Charlie V will be twittering away from the ACC. The sad reality of things is the Raptors have been reduced to the roll of a spoiler. They will be playing a lot of teams fighting for the right to get demolished by the Boston Celtics.

James Harden Off My Draft Board

I kept hearing Raptor fans talking up James Harden and that he was the guy for the Raptors. After watching to less than impressive performances in the NCAA tournament from him for ASU. I am not convinced. What people do in the NCAA Tournament means a lot to me and scouts tend to look at it close as well. What do you do when the lights are the brightest? How do you perform under the glare of them? The answer for James Harden is not so hot. If the Raptors are some how lucky enough to hit the lotto and get in the top 3. The guy that I would like to see is Haseem Thabeet. The big guy from UConn is a defensive beast and has drawn comparisons to Mutumbo. Not the old Mutumbo you see now, the you finger wagging shoot blocking force. If not so lucky and Raptors slot in around where they are suppose to select which would be 7th currently I believe. The guy that I think might make sense as much as I hate the school is Gerald Henderson. The Duke product is a slashing scoring guy that sticks out in a Duke system that is not exactly designed for a player with his skill set. Yet he still funds ways to be very effective in it. Those are some early draft thoughts from me. There is lots of time before the draft to break down the entire draft class. But those are some thoughts on 3 guys that should be hearing their name called in June.

Nathan Jawai Back From His D-League Mission

I was surprised to see Nathan Jawai in a suit at the ACC on Sunday. He had a nice run in the D-League and put up a some decent numbers. What I also learn about Nate is as nice as he is the big guy has a temper on the floor. It was not an uncommon thing to see technical foul and Nathan Jawai in an NBDL boxscore. I welcome that kind of aggression and anger to this squad. Raptors need much more of it. Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Nathan Jawai are two of the bigs the Raptors should have moving forward. Both bring some defense and rebounding which have been sorely lacking on this basketball team. Jawai still has a long way to go. However he does have an impressive skill set and showed it much more in the D-League than he had with the Raptors. That was the point of his trip to Idaho in the first place. But he is heading back to Idaho and was in town for some tests and should be back with Stampede by mid-week according to Doug Smith in the Star.

He has averaged in 10 games:

12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in an average of 25 minutes on the floor.

It will be a key summer for Nathan to take all that he has learned this season and apply it this off-season. I have not given up on the big man and think he can come back next season and hopefully have an impact. Upon further review it seems Nathan may be sticking around as Andrea Bargnani missed yesterday with a heel injury. Jawai may stick around for the end of the season and get some time as Raps reality sets in as a playoffs math is almost done.

Sorry for the lack of production on behalf of the Dino Blogger over the weekend. I am always working hard though know that. Sometimes it takes awhile to see that as I do a lot of work behind the scenes in getting guests for the Dino Nation Blog and setting up things that hopeful will add to you enjoyment of this blog and keep you coming back for more. In what has been a very tough season I am grateful for all of you that keep coming back. It is always good motivation to keep working hard and grinding it out. Raptor fans are first rate and have a ton of passion, love and support for this team and hopefully this blog as well.

10 Reasons To Watch March Madness

It is a Raptor Off Day. So Bring On The Madness. So here is 10 reasons to Watch The NCAA Tournament this year.

#10- It will be more exciting the rest of the Raptors Season
#9- Advanced scouting for the draft
#8- Because you can and it isn't on TSN 2 it is on The Score
#7- To Cheer on Schools you have never heard of.
#6- When else can you watch 12 straight hours of basketball?
#5- It is a great way to get away from your kids if you have them
#4- Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, DeJaun Blair, Johny Flynn and many more.
#3- To flex your basketball knowledge or lack of it.
#2- Cause it is more exciting than any Toronto Sports team.
#1- Your Office Pool, Money, Prizes, Pride.

With that I am off to get pie eyed on basketball. It is just about an hour away. I can't wait!!!

Madness 12 Hours Away

Just a final reminder for your chance to win a Sony MP3 player you need to sign up and fill out a bracket by 12 noon tomorrow. So go to sign up for Score Bracket Buster contest. After that make sure you join the Dino Nation Blog's group.

DNBMadness
Password is: raptor

simple as that. If you are a loyal reader of the Dino Nation Blog give yourself a chance to win something and fill out a bracket. Everyone is doing it. Some proof below:

Obama Has March Madness






That is what the basketball President thinks but what do you think? Take your shot at it and you can win.

What Do You Say After That- Holy Bobcats Batman!!!

I have sat here for about hour and half thinking about what to write today. There have been low moments in the season, a lot of them, but some how I have always figured out something to say. Today I have not that much to say. I mean honestly what can you say? The Raptors got smoked it really is as simple as that. The smile from Sunday quickly washed away.

All year I have tried to avoid, to a point, not to go to far about Jose Calderon. I mean it is no secret he was not my choice to be point guard of this team. But seriously gloves off for me. This goes far beyond who is better him or T.J. This is about the fact that he just isn't good enough and that is the bottom line. Kenny Smith earlier in the year suggested Calderon was not even a guy who should be a starter in this league. I am not going quite that far. He does have skill but is he the All Star Point Guard that he was projected to be? Not even close. He gets numbers when it comes to assists and if you want him for your fantasy basketball team you should pick him up. However in basketball, in reality he is a failure and the Raptors over paid to keep him. There has been talk he has been injured throughout this season. I have no reason to think that is not the case. However if you are going to put on a uniform and play than you can not use it as an excuse if you don't perform. Now Jose personally has not but it has been out there enough that he really has not had too. I just don't see with the changes that the Raptors have made from a standpoint of offensive system. Calderon is a point guard that operates in a half court system. He has his entire life played basketball a certain way. To expect him to change and suddenly become a run and gun point guard is far to much to expect in my view. If Chris Bosh leaves part of the blame in that will be the failure of Calderon to live up to expectations. Calderon is not the point guard for this basketball team. The point guard for this basketball team is wearing 13 for the Suns. Nash is older and may only have a few years left. But the impact he can have on a young Roko Ukic could help speed up the learning curve for him. I am convinced of this fact and no one will change my mind about it. This is the move that will fix a lot of the problems with the Raptors.

The Raptors have damaged their profile not just locally but nationally. They always talk about wanting to be Canada's team, well go get Canada's greatest player. Jose Calderon from a marketing stand point does nothing. You think people care about some guy from Spain in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal or any city you care to insert. I am not talking hardcore basketball fans. I am talking the average guy on the street. Would that same average person on the street be excited about Steve Nash coming to play for the Raptors. You bet they would. There is a legit basketball debate to have on if Nash could have an impact. However I think Nash would welcome that debate and the challenge of playing for Canada's team. Who in this country has the guts to bet against Steve Nash? I mean this guy avoids playing for Canada basketball and people hardly make a peep about it and are more than willing to give him a pass. So if he comes to play for the Raptors is anyone going to challenge that he can't play anymore? Not a chance and if they do people will jump on them and bash them with no mercy.

There is also chatter that Mark Ivaroni is going to be around Toronto for a few days. He was an assistant with the Suns and there seems to be suggestions that Ivaroni may in fact become the lead assistant and the coach in waiting should the struggles for Jay Triano expand into next season. If there is no Steve Nash I would think this is a stupid idea. However if the plan is to run and Ivaroni was the lead assistant to Mike D'Antoni. I think with Nash in the mix it would work well and give Triano a bit of job security based on their relationship. I just think when I look around I see the table set for a Steve Nash move to Toronto. Maybe I am crazy and the losing is getting to me. Maybe I am just looking for some ray of hope. But I think there is more than just a crazy idea in this. When you take time to think about it given all that has gone on this season it really makes a lot of sense. It really is the only short term answer that could perhaps save this team from having it totally blown up and starting over. I am just thinking that is not the case and not what MLSE wants or will do. An empty ACC at playoff time is not something the folks at MLSE want. The Leafs are already in a rebuild mode and I can not imagine they are willing to send the Raptors down the path again.

March Madness @ DNB

The folks at The Score are putting up a Sony Mp3 Player for the winner of the Dino Nation Blog's Madness group on the Score. So sign up for the bracket buster contest and than join the Dino Nation Blog group with the info below.

Group Name: DNBMadness
Password: Raptor

If you have trouble signing up please contact me and I will send you a personal invitation and get you set up. Use the e-mail over on the right to get in touch with me anytime. It is dinonationblog@sourcecable.net. If you had signed up for the facebook Madness pool please note that NO PRIZES will be awarded for that and you only way to be eligible to win the MP3 player is to be in The Score Bracket Buster in the DNB Madness group.

Random Thoughts For A Friday.

I am feeling a bit punk today so I think I am going to keep this brief today. Just 10 random things that are like totally unrelated but were things I felt like talking about.

At the top of the list. Obama is going to check out the Bulls tonight. Imagine to have the leader of the United States a basketball fan. While here in Canada basketball can't bump curling and gets stuck on a network I can't get and majority of people are in the same boat. Sucks.

Go Blue. My Michigan Wolverines cling to hope of making the NCAA Tournament with a win over ranked Purdue. No this is not chuck checks in. But I like Michigan as well. Having said that I think Wolverines are NIT at best.

From K.G to Blake Griffin. Even King James got banged up last night. An injury bug has infested the sport of basketball.

15 teams are getting an NBA handout/bailout? Raptors have no comment. Please don't tell me MLSE took the money. They will just use the Leaf price ticket increase they don't need it. Yeah like I know what MLSE books say. But teams that are on that list for sure. Sacramento, Indiana and Milwaukee just look in the stands and you will see my evidence.

I am excited for March Madness. Maybe it is working all the live blogs doing college games for The Score but I am pumped up for March Madness it may be the most exciting tournament in a long time.

I want to thank the Toronto Sun for breaking the news that Shawn Marion thinks it is cold in Toronto. I know this was probably just as shocking for all of you as it was for me that a guy who went to school in Las Vegas, played in Arizona for most of his career and came from Miami. So the fact he finds it cold in Canada is a true shock to all.

The excitement of the new run and gun Raptors is kind of unexpected. Steve Nash may not play so could the Raptors catch a break and win 3 in a row? Anytime you think this Raptor team will do something expect the opposite. You will be right more than you are wrong.

Twitter is becoming a big thing. I am not sure if I get it. However It is cool to have the support of folks on Twitter. I guess I am suppose to twitter about that? Best twitter feed there is? The Real Shaq. It is so funny. It also makes me not feel so bad if I have a typo.

Hockey Trade deadline is coming 12 hours of professional broadcasters trying to fill time. This has become a sport in Canada as well. It really is over the top. Still all the best to the Hockey folks at being able to do it. It is the craziest day in Sports broadcasting in this country.

It's funny I couldn't wait for this season to get started. Now in some ways I can't wait for it to end. It has been a long season and a painful one as a fan. That being said I still work hard win or lose. So I thank everyone for hanging in with the Dino Nation Blog. After a season like this I think everyone in the media should thank the fans. I mean seriously I may not always agree with some of the things fans say or do. But I respect the passion and dedication of the folks out there that love the Raptors.

That is about it. If you every had a sleep and snore Ernie you will get this last line. Yawn.....I feel sleepy...I need a nap. I only hope that after the nap that " I FEEL GREAT ". Here is hoping you feel better than me and see you later tonight with a recap of Raptors and Suns. Oh I did promise a link to Stampede game.

D-League Game Links

There, now I am done.