Last DNB Before The Draft

Things are going nuts as the draft keeps getting closer. I want to try to have some calm sanity as we get ready for draft night. There are people, myself including all making judgements on these players that make up this draft class. Examining what we like and don't like about players. pretty much putting them under a microscope. There is nothing wrong with that, it is what people are paid to do. However, I just want to stop and hit the pause button for this final moment before the draft. As much as we may like or dislike a given player, for all players that hear there name called it is a special moment. I think that gets lost in the shuffle some times. When in years past we have had Stephen A Smith losing his mind and ripping people at an alarming rate. Dick Vital is the same going off on NBA teams that draft any guy from Europe. It is fine to evaluate and have an opinion. However is it so much to give it 15 seconds to let a kid have his moment before you bury his career for dead?

For most guys in this draft it has been a lifetime of playing and loving a sport that has lead to this moment. There is the odd exception like a Hasheem Thabeet that comes to the game late in life. But even those are special stories as well. Just the fact of 60 dreams being realized is entertaining in and of itself. We do not need the ranting idiots like Stephen A Smith to add fake drama do we? Well actually Stephen A Smith won't be there. He will not be snacking on cheese doodles. Can't say I will miss him. Now if we could some how eliminate Dick Vital we would be making progress. I love the guys passion for the NCAA but he has a clear bias that comes out every year. Love the his passion but leave him off the NBA draft.

Tell me more about these kids as people instead of taking the time to tell me why he is going to be a complete bust.There is still lots of time between picks to do that. But would it be so bad to use an extra 30-45 seconds of talking to these kids. After all this is the biggest moment in their lives to this point professionally.To often in this modern sports world it is all about breaking down people and not enough about building them up. I want to see fresh young faces that still have that star eyed look and may one day become a star. Do we not get enough of people talking about the draft prior to it?

I guess the point to all of this is to say, when you are watching the draft, even if it is for 5 seconds think how life changing a moment it is for every person you see. There are a lot of crappy reality shows on television. The draft is real and the people who lives change are as well. They will have entire careers to be evaluated and judged. But on this day I want to see a bit more of the magic of the moment and a bit less of the talking heads.

So whoever that newest Raptor will be. Understand that for him it is the greatest moment of his basketball life. Even if it is not the guy you want to be picked. Besides there have been times when picks were not loved by fans and worked out well. Damon Stoudamire was booed in Toronto and he went and won rookie of the year. He said on draft night he would turn those boos to cheers and he did that. ESPN just destroyed Charlie Villianuva and he ended up the second best player in his class according to ROY voting. There is always going to be the busts like the Hoffas. However still do you think he really lost? He got paid and made an amount of money that if he handles it right could set him up for a long time. That is what the great thing is of the draft that it can change people's lives for the better.So Bust or All Star is to be determined but the impact on lives is certain.

Just thought this was a good thing to write prior to the draft and perhaps add a bit of perspective to all of this. You are all welcome to come join us on The Score.com for are liveblog @ 7pm as I will be hosting with Scott Carefoot and we will have Holly MacKenzie at the draft tweet for us live from NYC. It should be a good part. I will add the direct link later but if you don't see that posted just go to www.thescore.com and click on liveblogs and you should find the blog listed and just click on it and it is as simple as that. I am going to be there to the end at midnight. Scott will be there for the first round. I guess he is the David Stern of our show. But it is going to be fun and I have been looking forward to this for awhile. So it would be great if you would like to share your draft night and be part of our draft party on the score.com

That is all for me till after the draft. I likely will still do the odd tweet. Because I am rapidly becoming a Twitter addict. You can follow me @dinonationblog on Twitter if you miss me in between blogs.

Direct Link To Live Blog of NBA Draft On The Score.com 7-12pm

Dino Blogger On Score.Com Draft Night

Just a short announcement. I told you that I was going to be somewhere on draft night online. Well I can now confirm that I will be doing NBA Draft Live Blog on The Score.com . Come Join myself, Scott Carefoot of Raptorblog and The Score along with Tweets from at the draft in NYC from Holly Mackenzie From The Score Court Surfing Blog and Slam. I can't think of 2 better people to hang out with on Draft night. That is aside from all of you the loyal readers of the Dino Nation Blog. We hope to give you all the info and fun you need for to make your draft night a fun one. Based on what has gone on the last few days the NBA teams are doing their part to make it exciting.

So the fun gets started @7pm est.

Go to http://liveblogs.thescore.com

I will have a direct link to the blog tomorrow and post it here and on my Twitter account @dinonationblog

So I am going to be busy getting prepared to be a good host. I am going to be there till the last pick is made. So feel free to come join me and make the Dino Blogger part of your draft night. Bring your opinions and excitement and let's have on heck of an online draft party.

If you have any draft comments or questions leave a comment here and as I am working on my draft prep I will chime in with an opinion or answer.

B.C Speaks, We Listen And Trades Happen

Why wait for tomorrow when you can do it tonight? Right? So 1,2 and 3 trades go down. But first this is the Dino Nation Blog and Bryan Colangelo was front and center for the media today. Colangelo has always been a pretty straight shooter and today was no exception. So what did we learn? From the mouth of B.C barring something totally unforeseen the next Raptor will be one of 5 guys.

Jrue Holiday (UCLA) - Expected back for a second look prior to Thursday. Just my take they are trying to convince themselves he is better than Jonny Flynn. But I am here to say no way. Size may matter but heart matters more. That being said Eric Smith in his chat today was high on him and thinks Raps are as well.

Demar DeRozan (USC)- Let's call him the people's choice. I remember another people's choice. Ed O'Bannon. Not saying Demar DeRozan is going to have that awful a career. Let's all hope so if the Raps to take him. But I am not digging this private workout against no one. I am just not digging when people say Vince Carter and this guy in the same sentence. They mean in potential talent not in attitude. I have been told and read he is a tremendous kid and I have no doubt of that. But 19 with upside is not making me get as excited as everyone else. But he could indeed be the top guy on the board for the Raps at 9.

Gearld Henderson (Duke)- Love the player hate the school. I have seen him play and I like what he can do. If I am endorsing anyone that played for Duke they have to be good. Henderson just seems to me a guy that I can trust is going to be good. I am more confident in what I am getting in him than I am convinced in what exactly I get in DeRozan. Here is something to chew on. Henderson is more ready now to play in NBA. Where have I heard that before? Brandon Roy was the most draft ready and some guy named Bargnani was drafted for his upside. Just something to think about when you compare DeRozan and Henderson. The gap in Mock drafts may make it look like these players are not close at all. But reality is that I think they are.

James Johnson (Wake Forest)- B .C likes this guy. At least he keeps saying his name. But I am not sold on this guy. He does have a black belt so please don't hurt me. He does seem like a guy that would help on defensive side of the ball. But I just don't see it even though draft express has replaced him as the Raptors pick instead of DeRozan. Seems I am not the only one not as high on DeRozan as he has be on a steady decline and now sits at #11 on their draft board going to play with the Nets and if he is V.C like he would get to see the real V.C or what is left of him.

Jonny Flynn (Syracuse)- I am putting my one year streak of being right on the Raptors draft choice on the line with Jonny Flynn. If you read this blog on a regular basis you know how much I think of the point guard position and it's importance. I also like small scrappy guys like T.J Ford, Rajon Rondo, D.J Augustine and my new fav Aaron Brooks. Jonny Flynn is an athletic freak of nature despite his lack of size. The only thing bigger might be this kid's heart. To but that type of player in a gym with Alvin Williams...OH I LIKE IT AND I LIKE IT A LOT. Jonny Flynn is going to be not just good but great. In a point guard heavy draft I am convinced that he will be in the debate for the best in this class at the point. I am more willing to bet on Jonny than Roko and after last season I am not willing to go into another season without a legit back-up. Jonny Flynn is more than legit and if Roko does turn out ok...can you say trade Jose? It could happen. But regardless of that Flynn is a guy I trust if Calderon goes down like last year. The kid flat out wants to win and he showed you that in the NCAA post season at the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. There was a tiny point guard named Damon Stoudamire that Raptors fans booed. He turned out to be rookie of the year. Don't make the mistake of booing Jonny Flynn. He will make you sorry for doing it. Trust me.

More on what Bryan had to say tomorrow. But on to the deals....

On To the Trades

To The Spurs- Richard Jefferson

Can't stand the guy and trust me this is not the answer to save the Spurs. Jefferson has done NOTHING since Jason Kidd left Jersey. I admit that I have never liked R.J even before he insulted Toronto fans in the playoff series with the Nets. I think he has been an under achiever for the majority of his career. Over hyped and not as good as everyone says he is.

To The Bucks- Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto (For a few hours)

Said to be a cap move for the Bucks. But they add some toughness and I actually like this deal for the Bucks. At least I did when they were keeping Oberto. But as you will see he was not a Buck for long.

To The Pistons- Fabricio Oberto

Minor move but I like it for Pistons.

To The Bucks- Amir Johnson

saving money seems to be a theme for the Bucks.

To The Wizards- Randy Foye and Mike Miller

Interesting not sure what to make of it but Miller could be a nice fit and add some 3 point shooting pop. Foye will never be Roy and a fresh start can only do him good.

To The T-Wolves- Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov and Darius Songaila and the fifth overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft

Why main question is why did the T-Wolves feel the need to move up. What does this mean for their other picks in the draft? All solid questions. On the players they take back minus the draft choice I don't like the trade but add the pick and we will see.

So it is almost Midnight do you know where your favourite NBA Star is? He might not be there in the morning. The moves and trades are starting to heat up getting ready for Thursday. So hope you enjoyed this special late edition of the blog.

NBA Draft Idol

I am not sure how many times Chris Bosh has been mentioned in the Dino Nation Blog. I am thinking it is a lot. That is why I was sad yesterday to learn Kelly Clarkson has likely never read the Dino Nation Blog. She was on Much Music yesterday after Bosh had appeared on the show earlier. Now the fact that both Clarkson and Bosh are from Texas I thought the two might have got to know each other the night before at the awards. Guess not, because when Clarkson came on the V.J dude who I have no idea who he is, was talking about Bosh. Clarkson interjects that she has no idea who Chris Bosh is. I guess that just proves that as famous as anyone thinks they might be it is all relative. So if Kelly wants to learn about Chris hopefully she reads the DNB. I just found this to be really funny and a cute way to kick things off today with nothing to do about the draft.

I am no American Idol, not a multi time NBA All Star either. But the growth of the Dino Nation Blog is always humbling to me. The fact I have more than 400 followers on Twitter( @dinonationblog ) is something. I work very hard at what I am doing and it is great that I get so many folks that take the time to say they enjoy the Dino Nation Blog. That is one of the reasons I am always working hard to make the Dino Nation Blog bigger and better each day. I have some big plans for this off-season for the DNB. I hope they all come together. When they become closer to reality I will share with you what to expect. So even thought Kelly Clarkson may not know who I am and lots of others. I am happy and humbled at just how many people do. It really is a thrill when I talk with anyone that knows the blog and enjoys it.

As for the draft on Thursday really is there anything left that I have not said or anyone else has not said at this point? If the Raptors do not draft Demar Derozan or Jonny Flynn at this point it would be a shock to me and to many I would imagine. But anything can happen on a draft night and changes can alter not just the Raptors plans but anyone in the draft. I have been convinced that if the Raptors do not walk away from this draft with 2 players it will be a failure. At least in my eyes.

The real problem in this draft is I don't think there is one franchise player in the draft. Not even Blake Griffin to me will end up being a franchise player. Not that he can not be the best player on a bad team. But that is not a franchise player is it? It makes me wonder just what people are thinking when they talk about trading Bosh right now. O.K so you do that. Who is your franchise player? You think you are getting one back in the trade give your head a shake. So who is it? Not Jose Calderon. He may be a solid player but he has yet to establish himself as a starter in some ways. He has never establish much in terms of success as a leader. If your answer is Andrea Bargnani. I will need to see it to believe it. I fear that the day Bosh is traded Andrea Bargnani will have attention shift to him and cave to that pressure. When Vince Carter was traded Bosh was not even fully ready to be the franchise player. If he wasn't how on earth can anyone think Andrea is?

But what this draft can offer the Raptors is 2 options to fill spots on a team that lacked talent on the bench and had a glaring lack of depth. Had someone leave a comment yesterday that is would be a mistake for the Raptors to draft Jonny Flynn. That is not true unless you believe that Roko Ukic or Marcus Banks can be your back up point guard. Anyone think that? I will but Jonny Flynn against either option and he will school both. Let's not forget that the draft is just a part of an overall puzzle. There is no reason to think that if Flynn is not drafted other moves would not follow.

Details still to come but I can guarantee you that I will be liveblogging for the NBA Draft. So plan to hang out with the Dino Blogger for your NBA Draft when I have the details to share I will post them in the blog and elsewhere. Just 2 more days to answers.

3 More Sleeps To Draft Night.

So much talk and speculation in the air. The NBA draft goes down this Thursday and all those Mock Drafts can be thrown out and the REAL DRAFT BOARD takes center stage. Shockingly last night no one on the MMVA's asked Bosh about his thoughts on the draft. O.K maybe it isn't so shocking. If George Stroumboulopoulos still worked for Much he would have asked. I could go on and on about how much that the MMVA's left me feeling old and less than entertained. I liked Kelly Clarkson and they should have cancelled the show American Idol once she won the first show. But this is a basketball blog not some gossip rag like Perez Hilton does. How does a guy like that get popular and tell others what is cool? If that is what determines if you are cool the Dino Blogger will pass on being cool. Although the NBA Draft process is not full of rumours and gossip. But if people expect Chris Bosh to have his name mentioned on draft night as part of a trade you will be sad and disappointed much like a little girl who did not get to touch her favourite Jonas Brother. Bosh is not getting traded on draft night. I will gladly but my streak of predicting things correct on the line.

Also, when you consider all the promotional work Bosh has being doing lately in Toronto. Can anyone seriously say that Bosh hates the city? He could stay home in Texas and not come back to Toronto until training camp for the most part. In fact lots of NBA players really do like the city. Playing for the Raptors and how folks feel about the city are not as connected as people like to believe. Demar DeRozan has been the latest who had been tagged with this anti Toronto and anti Canada label. DeRozan when he did finally workout for the Raptors said he loved the city. What concerns me far more from his thoughts on Toronto is the fact he worked out solo. I would much rather have seen him do a traditional workout against others. Unfortunately that did not happen. That likely has more to do with DeRozan's agent and not the kid himself. Agents have a lot to gain or lose on draft night just as much as the players they represent. In the way that NBA is set up the lower the player goes the less money they make. So some agents go out of their way to protect their clients from being exposed. But just in trying to avoid that sometimes that costs them just the same.

Jonny Flynn on the other hand is on the rise with most people as DeRozan and his stock for some is dropping. It is hard to find anything bad to say about Jonny Flynn. He is a small point guard that can jump out of a gym. He is a much better defender than he is given credit for. You can blame the school he played college ball for that. Syracuse using the zone as the primary defense has left many an NBA scout wonder what kind of defenders players from Syracuse can be on the next level. Joey Graham was thought to be a good defender coming out of college but playing in mostly zone at Oklahoma State perhaps helped that reputation live. The obvious issue for Flynn would be his size. However there have been a number of smaller guards to hit the league that have made that risk seem a lot less.

There has also been talk that Flynn could end up replacing what the Raptors traded away last year in T.J Ford. In terms of defense Jack Armstrong said Flynn in his opinion will be better defender than Ford. I think it is pretty common knowledge that I am a T.J Ford fan. However I agree that T.J could be a much better defender than he shows. I would also agree that Flynn is going to be more Rajon Rondo like in terms on defense. If both Flynn and DeRozan are on the board I am taking Jonny Flynn. But would Bryan Colangelo is the real question.

The worst case for the Raptors would be if both Flynn and DeRozan were gone. What happens if that is the case? Well if it is that may mean that a couple of guys have fallen down the draft board. Who are they? Could be Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry. Long before a lot of Raptor fans knew who Demar DeRozan was, Curry was the people's choice. His dad Dell a former Raptor and it seemed like a logical fit. To the best of my knowledge Curry has not worked out for the Raptors and I would expect at this late hour is not going to be. I think the major concern for Curry is defense. The two most likely teams that could hide that weakness would be the Warriors and the Knicks. Now take it for what it is worth because believe it or not people tend to lie as the draft gets closer. I know that is shocking isn't it. However the talk is the Knicks have not been in love with Curry as much as they once were. Evans has been the name I would hear tied to Derozan. Some were for Evans and others were for DeRozan. Evans is a combo guard out of Memphis and if the Raptors drafted him he most likely plays the 2. This may not be fair but when you consider all the questions the surround the Memphis program you might have some concerns about Evans. Draft Express also lists in terms of weak points his decision making and 3 point shooting.

Aside from those two player you have Jrue Holiday out of UCLA. Another combo guard that the Raptors would likely be looking to play at the 2. I personally watched a few UCLA games this year and to be honest was not blown away by him. He is said to have good defensive skills. However when I read not ready to contribute right away and limited upside that scares the heck out of me. The Pac-10 had a pretty down year overall. Which is something to consider not just with Holiday but DeRozan as well.

If you want to throw a complete wild card into the mix how about DeJaun Blair from Pitt. He much like Glen "Big Baby" Davis has lost a ton of weight since we last saw him on the floor. Davis when I first saw him in summer league for the Celtics I was truly shocked. Same reaction will be when some people see Blair. However being so undersized in terms of height I do not know if he can be effective on the next level. I can not see him ever playing at 3 and he is to small to play 4. In today's NBA I think you would need to be the second coming of Charles Barkley to be effective at the size. I don't see Blair as that. He does have a good sense of humour like Barkley though.

There is also the whole idea of teams trading up and down. That will make some Mock drafts not worth the page they are printed on. Oh the fun of it all. Bottom line is no matter how much you read or study you still will have to show up on Thursday night to know what truly is going to happen. That is what makes the draft so great. About the only thing we think he know is that Blake Griffin will be picked first by the Clippers. But maybe that is not even a lock. So as the title says 3 more sleeps to answers.

NBA Consensus Mock Draft

This is not going to be a long post. But I noticed on NBA.Com they came out with the Consensus Picks from 12 of the Major Mock Drafts. So here they are the most common picks at the various positions. Also note this is as of June 17th.

1.	LAC	Blake Griffin (12)
2.	MEM	Hasheem Thabeet (6)
3.	OKC	Hasheem Thabeet, Ricky Rubio (5)
4.	SAC	Ricky Rubio (3)
5.	WAS	James Harden (6)
6.	MIN	Tyreke Evans (3)
7.	GSW	Tyreke Evans (4)

8.	NYK	Stephen Curry (4)
9.	TOR	Demar DeRozan (8)
10.	MIL	Jonny Flynn (5)
11.	NJN	DeJuan Blair (5)
12.	CHA	Gerald Henderson (4)
13.	IND	Jonny Flynn (3)
14.	PHX	Earl Clark (3)

The number in (-) is the number of Mock Drafts that had him in that position. You will note that Demar DeRozan other than Blake Griffin has toe most drafts having him head to Toronto( 8 out 12 ). Here is the Consensus picks based on a point system with the number pick getting 14 points and the 14th pick getting 1.
1- Blake Griffin (Oaklahoma)

2- Ricky Rubio (Spain)

3- Hasheem Thabeet (UConn)


4- James Harden (Arizona St)


5- Jordan Hill ( Arizona )

6- Tyreke Evans (Memphis)


7- Demar DeRozan (USC)

8- Stephen Curry (Davidson)


9- Jrue Holiday (UCLA)

10- Brandon Jennings (Roma-Italy)

11- Jonny Flynn (Syracuse)


12- DeJaun Blair (Pitt)


13- Gerald Henderson (Duke)


14- Earl Clark (Louisville)




Also I wanted to include the Mock Draft from the guys as The Hoops Doctors.

Hoops Doctors Mock Draft

Here is a link to the NBA.Com Mock Draft article where this info came from. Just some more info and opinions to consider prior to Thursday.

Make it 7 Day- Basketball Editon

Today in Hamilton they are having a huge rally about this whole hockey team mess. I was on Fan 590 this week on Game Plan and suggested I'd rather of a NBDL franchise than an NHL one. Not that I am against my home town getting a hockey team. Just that living here all of my life I have come to doubt it would ever happen. I also have grown to be sick of the media and it's attempt to make Hockey the be all and end all in sports. If there ever is a make it 2 day in Vancouver I would be more likely to hop a plane and go to Vancouver for that than to hope in a car and drive to downtown Hamilton today. Also beyond it being make it 7 day it is The Score's Cabrel Richards aka Cabbie's Birthday. No idea how old he is but he has a child like nature that makes him who he is. So Happy Birthday to him. So in honour of Make it 7 day I have a bunch of lists of 7 for your pleasure today. We had a blog earlier this week brought to you by the letter D. Well today it is lucky 7's.

NBA Draft 7

1. L.A Clippers will select Blake Griffin
2. Memphis will select James Harden
3. OKC will select Haseem Thabeet
4. Scaramento will select Ricky Rubio
5. Washington will select Jordan Hill
6. Minnesota will select Tyreke Evans
7. Golden State will select Demar DeRozan ( OH NO Raptors Fans)

and a bonus pick at 9 your Toronto Raptors select...

Jonny Flynn

It is Friday as well. People who are on Twitter know that as Follow Friday. So I will give a little Follow Friday love here at the Dino Nation Blog with my 7 favourite twitter folks. I can not include myself but if you want to follow me it is @dinonationblog. Now on to my list.

7. @chrisbosh- CB4
6. @Rapsfan- One of the crew from Raptors Republic
5. @ JustinRWalsh- Recent guest in Dino Nation Blog
4- @NBATVAndre- Andre Aldridge of NBA T.V
3- @ Eric__Smith- Raptors own Eric Smith from @fan590
2- @jeskeets & @Tasmelas- Put these two together as they are together on The Basketball Jones
1-@stackmack- The lovely and Talented Holly Mackenzie of The Score Court Surfing and Slam

Honourable Mention to- @Nat77- Heels on Hardwood, @raps_fan- girl who loves basketball, @scottcarefoot- Raptor Blog and A guy I owe a ton too, @tj_ford- My Fav PG no matter what, and lots more should be on this list. But that will have to do.

To close out this list of 7's, Draft Express had a ton of interviews up on there site and You Tube. I watched a ton of them yesterday and here are 7 that stood out. They are in no particular order. Most come for the combine held in Chicago in late May.

DeJaun Blair (Projected 13th pick on Draft Express)



Pat Mills ( Projected 31st pick on Draft Express )



Stephen Curry ( Projected 7th pick on Draft Express )



Gerald Henderson ( Projected 12th pick on Draft Express )



Hassem Thabeet ( Projected 3rd pick on Draft Express )



Demar Derozan ( Projected 9th pick on Draft Express )



Jonny Flynn ( Projected 10th pick on Draft Express )





So that does it for me today. If the mood hits I may write something on the weekend but if not see you all Monday and enjoy your weekend. If you want to see more of these interviews head over to Draft Express I consider it the best draft site out there.

Today's Blog Brought To You By Letter D

No this blog is not about the latest puppet ad by Nike. But if you have not checked it out here it is:






The blog is brought to you by the letter D as in Delfino. Bryan Colangelo dating back to February of this season has dropped hints that Carlos Delfino would be returning to the Raptors. He pointed out that the Raptors do indeed hold his rights as a restricted free agent. Yesterday the Raptors made a qualifying offer to make sure that they keep those rights. It is the first step to be taken in what should be the return to the Raptors if all goes well. Delfino is a big fan of Jay Triano and a joke he made back at the Olympics has become the reality. Many of you have likely heard this, but for those who have not I will repeat it. Delfino was said to have joked with Triano that he would return to the Raptors when he was the head coach. No one could have imagined at the time that (A) Sam Mitchell would be fired and (B) Triano would end up as his replacement.

I never disliked Delfino and think he was decent in his time with the Raptors as short as it was. I have thought in being away for a year people have tended to over blow exactly what he was. I will fully admit that I did not keep up with his progress playing in Russia. Delfino at least the one who left was a streaky shooter and a better than average defender. He can also play some point guard in a pinch and with all due respect to Anthony Parker do it better than him. Delfino would get to play some point when he suits up for Argentina so it is a much more regular occurrence for him. So at the end of the day if Delfino is back I have no problem with it. However I do not know how much of an impact he will have but it can't hurt.

D is also for Demar DeRozan. The day that just a few days ago some fans wondered if it would happen at all is now here or at least expected to be. Derozan is scheduled to work out for the Raptors today. There has been a firestorm of opinion about why Demar was holding out on working out for the Raptors. Some go to the old standard that he has no desire to play in Canada. Others have said that it was nothing to do with Canada and everything to do with where the Raptors we picking. DeRozan has a belief like many mock drafts that he will not be there when the Raptors select at #9.

If he does in fact workout today maybe the record can be set straight. Derozan prior to all of this had been the choice of the people when it comes to Raptor fans and who they want to select. You can vote in our new poll on the right by the way. But we will see come draft night what happens in regards to DeRozan. It is clear he has lost some juice in terms of being fan favourite to Jonny Flynn who when he rolled through and since as said he would be very happy to wind up a Raptor at the end of draft night. The Niagara Falls, New York native said he lives so close to Canada that it would be just fine with him to end up in Canada as it is familiar to him living in a town on the border. USC is a long way a long way from Toronto and bet they don't see much snow.

One of the most famous stories in Raptor history is when JYD traded from the Pistons to the Raptors jumped in his truck and drove through a snow storm to get to Toronto. It made him an instant fan favourite. Speaking of which the newest Raptor Reggie Evans who is expected to bring some "D" to the Raptors was in town. I heard his interview on the fan 590 on the Game Plan and if you follow my Twitter (@dinonationblog) you already know that I am jacked up. Reggie said all the right things and finally we have a guy to fill that long lost role of Charles Oakley. In a blog I wrote just after the trade I still believe. Toughness has returned to T-Dot. No longer will the Raptors just sit back and turn the other cheek. Al Horford, Anthony Johnson and anyone else that wants to take cheap shots at Raptors beware.

Oh and last but not least a reminder that the "D"raft is coming up fast on June 25th. So I hope you all enjoyed today's blog brought to you by the letter D. You know like "D"ino Blogger or "D"ino Nation Blog.

Update 3:25pm- Demar DeRozan work out in T.O

The very talented Holly MacKenzie was at the draft workout that feature the much talked about Demar DeRozan. It seems Demar has a much different view of Toronto than some have been suggesting. Check it out through the talented and skilled words by Holly on Court Surfing Blog

Update 2 3:58- DeRozan 1 on 1 Raps.com

Video of 1 on 1 with Demar DeRozan

Starting 5 with Justin Walsh From Slam Magazine

Today's guest has been covering basketball since the age of 17. He is now a contributing writer and on the editorial staff at Slam as well as a senior writer for Ball Is Life. I can not recall what I was doing at 17, but aside from playing high school football and partying...not much. I was not covering basketball I know that much. In his work Justin has always been doing a lot of working in scouting and evaluating talent. How I got to know him was in my work livebloging for The Score. Not knowing his background I was like who is this guy and how does he know so much? I to say the least was impressed. So much so that I found out his background and got in touch with him to come talk some ball here in the Dino Nation Blog. Given his background and the upcoming draft it seemed a logical time to have him as a guest. We talk about a number of the guys in this draft class starting at the top with Blake Griffin. Justin is not exactly on the Griffin bandwagon and He tells us why. Along with his thoughts on some of the Raptors options and give his take on why Demar Derozan may not be coming to workout with the Raps. That and a ton more of interesting stuff.



I hope you were as impressed with that interview as I was. Justin was great to talk with and I will be having him back in the future for sure. I thank him for his time and look forward to having him back in the Dino Nation Blog in the future. I do my best to find interesting and knowledgeable people to come talk with us in the Dino Nation Blog and Justin does indeed fit that bill.

Starting 5 with Ryan McNeill Of Hoops Addict

Today our guest on the starting 5 is Ryan McNeill of Hoops Addict. Ryan gets a chance to cover the workouts for the Raptors so I thought that was a good enough excuse to invite him to be a guest. He was on hand to watch Ty Lawson, Earl Clark and others do there thing for the Raptors. Here is some links to the scrums of a number of folks from today at the Raptor workouts. Alvin Williams talks about his new role with the Raps. That was made official today that Alvin is joining the staff. It is great to have "Boogie" Williams back in town and part of the Raptors Organization once again. Check out the links to the scrum from today from over on Hoops Addict site.

Alvin Williams from Today
Ty Lawson from Today
Earl Clark from Today

I had a chance to chat with Ryan for his thoughts and impressions on the day that was. He also give his take on the Raptors recent trade and some thoughts on CB4 and his future.

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Ryan also has exclusive interviews with Austin Daye, Derrick Brown and James Johnson. All of which Ryan mentioned in our interview. Thanks to Ryan for his time and being a guest with us here on the Dino Nation Blog. Hope to have him back in the future as a guest.

Tuesday Timbits

Happy Tuesday. The Orlando Magic hope it will be a lucky Tuesday for them. Can they bounce back on their home floor and make this a series? If they do not the Finals are pretty much done. They always say a series has never really gets started till a team loses on their home floor. However the way the Magic lost game 2 it had to feel like they let one slip away. Magic seem to be re-acting to the Lakers and that is not really going to work. I hear Sam Mitchell saying the Magic just have to make shots!!! But it seems that the addition of Jameer Nelson has been a distraction rather than a boost.

I think the Magic would have been better served to wait till this game to have brought back Nelson. If the Magic were going to be in the same spot of down 2-0 it may have been used as something to rally behind. The Fans in Orlando would no doubt be excited to see him return. It just seems like it might have made sense.

It has to be hard for Jeff Van Gundy to be calling the series that his brother is coaching in. I have never had a brother or sister but it would seem obvious that would be difficult. He is on Twitter if you want to read J.V.G tweets.... @Notorious_J_v_G. If Jeff ever decides to put down his headset and pick up a clipboard again I will be truly sad.

Holly Mackenzie had a good write up on Jonny Flynn who recently made his way through Toronto. She is really a talented writer and one of my favourite people to talk basketball with. I have been trying to get her to come be a guest in the Dino Nation Blog for a long time. Hopefully at some point we can put it together. But till that happens you can check her out writing for the Score Court Surfing and for Slam. She loves her ball and it shows in everything she writes. I also did a write up myself called View form the North . It is over on The Hoops Doctors site. It has in there a link up from Hoops Addict to Jonny Flynn talking to the Toronto media after his workout. They also have video of Jrue Holliday talking to the gathered media. Ryan McNeill from Hoops Addict will be my guest later in the week to talk about Draft and other basketball things as he has been covering the workouts in T.O. Look for that late Wednesday or Thursday.

I had mentioned that the Orlando Sentinal was letting fans blog for the finals. They actually have someone from Canada doing one. Check it out. In the first one Alicia Bell the writer of that complains about not being able to find a bar in Vancouver with the NBA Finals on. I think all of us in Canada can relate to that one. I remember when I dated someone who worked at a bar that was my in to getting the Raptors game put on one of the several T.V's in the place. But I don't think people should have to resort to those levels.

It is not a bar but the live blogs they put on a score can give you that bar type feel from your home or if you are out on the go and have an Iphone. That is likely where you will find me for Game 3 and beyond be it working or just as a fan. The NBA Draft is fast approaching and hopefully I have some exciting news on that as it gets closer. June 25th is the date and it is always a fun time to see what will go down in N.Y.C that has become the home of the Draft in the NBA just as it is in the NFL.

Aside from the obvious interest in Chris Bosh it seems that Anthony Parker may be on the Cavs Radar. If Cavs fans think they are landing Bosh they are nuts. I was reading something on a Cleveland site that suggested that Anderson Varejao, Delonte West and trade fodder. They also suggest they may need to add a first pick. Really you think? This is what my summer is going to be? Oh man. But Parker signing with the Cavs might be a more realistic option. Parker has always said he likes Toronto and is happy here with his family but to play with Lebron James? That might be to good to pass on. But it is just a rumour and one of about 10,000 we will hear over what has the makings of a very long summer.

Jack Armstrong Coaching Us On NBA Draft 101

It has been a busy day. After talking with Chuck Swirsky, I talked with Jack Armstrong after he did is show on the Fan 590. Jack and I talk mostly about the upcoming NBA draft from a Raptor perspective. But along the way Jack comments on a number of the current Raptors and how it relates to the draft. Jack still does cover the NCAA along with his Raptor duties. I remember on a Saturday during the Raptors season Jack had mentioned he was doing a broadcast of Louisville and Cincy. In my job live blogging I have an extended sports package and was excited to learn I could see that game. Living here in Canada and not getting ESPN, unless it is picked up by one of our major networks, I had never seen Jack call an NCAA game. I had always wanted to because he use to do such a great job at covering the NCAA Tournament on T.V here in Canada in Studio for Sportsnet. Jack did the same solid job he does on Raptor broadcasts in covering that game. Jack of course is a former coach in the NCAA. So as much as most now after 11 years people think of Jack in terms of the Raptors. He still is very much on top of the NCAA game. In talking with Jack I can't tell you how many times he refers to the many coaches he has known over the years. So who better to get us up to speed on the NBA Draft.






It is always great to talk with Jack and I have really been honoured to have him as a regular guest in the Dino Nation Blog. Whenever Jack has the time to share with me for the Dino Nation Blog I am happy to have him.

Ring It Up From Chicago...Chuck Swirsky Back In DNB

I was sitting back last week and with the rookies were being put through their paces at the combine in Chicago. I had noticed on Twitter that Chuck was their talking with the various players. So I fired off an e-mail to Chuck and asked him if he would come on the Dino Nation Blog and talk about the draft prospects as well as some NBA and Bulls and Raptors. Chuck has been a guest of mine on the radio in the past back when I was working on a college station back in 2000. He appeared on the basketball segment the Round Ball Review. That is now the name of my animated feature I do in the blog. But back then it was a basketball segment on a sports talk show. I reached out to Chuck and had him as a guest prior to his first game back in Toronto. That was his debut here in the Dino Nation Blog and this is his second appearance. We had a great conversation that covers everything from the Draft to what he thinks might happen with Chris Bosh. Since we last talked Chuck even has had the chance to meet President Obama. He gives his thoughts about that once in a lifetime experience for a lot of people. That and a lot more.

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Thanks to Chuck for taking the time to talk with the Dino Nation Blog. I know many Raptor fans still miss Chuck and some always will. I have always said what a great person he is and you would be hard pressed to find a better person in this world. You can't pay a bigger complement to someone then that. I am glad to have had the chance to have talked with him over the years.

Playoffs, Raptors And A Good Cause

I have mentioned him in the blog on many occasions but this is the first time I have had him as a guest. Scott Carefoot who writes Raptor Blog, and is the person that offered me a chance to team up with The Score, is our guest today. He has stopped by to talk about the NBA Playoffs, NBA Draft and the Raptors of course. But there was also another reason I invited Scott to come talk with me. Over to the right you may have notice the Team Maxwell link. Scott has a 3 year old son who has been diagnosed with Autism. Scott and his wife are taking part in a charity event to raise funds to help find a cure for this and help all the children that have this affliction. I do not have any kids of my own but have always loved kids and anything that helps children is something I am willing to support. So I hope you enjoy are conversation about basketball and at the end of that Scott talks about what he is doing to help find a cure for Autism. After hearing the interview or even if you do not and want to help please click on the link on the right and help out if you are able to do so.




So I hope you enjoyed that. It took a good cause to get me to get Scott to come talk ball with us here at the Dino Nation Blog. However he is a smart guy and has done this longer than anyone out there. Raptor Blog has been around longer than any blog out there. It is pretty much the first ever blog on the net covering the Raptors. I personally think that is something to be respected for. I have the chance to interact with Scott quite a lot and respect his opinions on basketball and the Raps. I may not always agree but I respect his views. So bottom line is this is something we will do again.

So anything people can do to help please do, it is for a good cause.

U.S Holiday Edition Of DNB

It is Memorial Day in the U.S.A. That is not why this is going to be a short edition of the blog though. They are putting a new roof on the place I call home. So I have banging going on and it is hard to think to be honest. It did not take much thought for Jose Calderon to take a pass on playing for Spain in the European Championships. Bryan Colangelo did everything short of forbidding Jose to play which as he explained he could not do. However reading between the lines was easy. It is like when a wife tells her husband she does not want anything for her birthday. She never means it and if that man is dumb enough not to get a gift he is in trouble. This is a topic I have talked about more than a few times. David Stern needs to step up to the plate and come up with some kind of plan together that takes the choice of playing for national teams out of players hands. It will not be a major issue when they open up talks for a new CBA in a few years. However it is something that should be put on the table. We have seen the effects on the NBA from players getting injured to just not getting the rest they need. Even in the 12 month a year sports world we live in, Players do need down time.

Just look at Chris Bosh chilling in Miami and Vegas for proof. Normally I am a fan of Chris and his videos and having fun. However I am not so sure if advertising how great you life is when times are tough for most makes a ton of sense. Add in the fact his future is unclear and there already has been a backlash against him from some fans. I am not saying that Chris should not have fun and enjoy the money that he has earned. I am just saying that making videos that highlight that fact may not be a wise move in these tough economic times.

Aside from that how bout the Orlando Magic. I am pretty proud of the Magic. The Dino Blogger showed them a lot of love in the pre-season predictions and they are showing you why I did. Stan Van Gundy did not win the coach of the year as I predicted he would. Dwight Howard did not get his first M.V.P trophy. But the NBA finals vs the Lakers was my NBA Finals prediction and it is very much alive. I had tried to back away from the pick saying the the Cavs were likely going to get out of the East. I lost faith in Superman and fell in love with the idea of a King making it make to the finals. I am sorry Orlando Magic, it looks like my first impression way back in October may have been the right one.

Someone also pointed out to me the fact I nailed the Raptors Draft pick last year. Technically that is true as I thought the Raptors would take Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown. Well they did select him only to be part of the ill fated Jermanie O'Neal trade. So this person asked me who is my call for the pick this year. Well aside from the banging on the roof being distracting. The fact Bryan Colangelo is shopping for a second pick to me makes the choice a little more of a challenge this year. If I nail their pick 2 years in a row that would be pretty funny. It is not like Bryan Colangelo is doing Interviews in the Dino Nation Blog at this point. Not that he would not be welcome. I think he would be a great interview to do. In fact no on person suggested to be that Hibbert was going to be selected at all. They did have him up for a workout but that was public knowledge. Bottom line is the Raptors had no interest in my pick and if not for the Pacers I would have been wrong. Still no matter how you end up being right it still feels good to be right. So I am going to take a pass for now before I make my pick this year. I have a streak on the line after all.

What would a holiday be without some entertainment. So here is the latest Kobe and Lebron puppet show. It is an upgrade from #3 which was WEAK!!!

Matt Devlin Talk Playoffs and Draft (Part 1 of 2)

Matt Devlin has been a busy guy since the end of the Raptors season just about a month ago. He has been working on TNT Broadcasting the Playoffs. I was able to catch up with Matt and we had a good conversation on the NBA and the Raptors. But in this first part we focus on the NBA and in Part 2 that I will be posting later we talk about the Raptors. But Matt had a chance to cover both the Magic who surprised the Cavs in game 1 along with the Nuggets who just tied up the Western Conference Finals heading back to Denver. We also chat about Shaq as a broadcaster and some thoughts on the top of the NBA Draft board with Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio being discussed.




I will post part 2 on Monday or over the weekend in that we talk Triano, Bosh, Calderon and players that play internationally. Along with that we explore one of the most up in the air free agent periods in the history of the NBA. We even talk about Twitter and if Matt is going to jump in on the latest craze sweeping the Internet and the NBA.