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.

DeJa Vu For Two

The Raptors will get to repeat their last two games and hope for better results. The venues will be different for both but the same two teams stand in their way. First up is a re-match with Knicks that dismantled the Raptors down the stretch in the 4th at MSG. In that game Jerryd Bayless had a coming together that left him with a left hip pointer. He tried to go vs the Bulls the next night and was unable to go. Will see what his status is for tonight. If he can't go that leaves Jeremy Lin for Jose Calderon to deal with for the most part. It is hard to imagine the Raptors can change much in just a couple days to find a way to beat the Knicks or the Bulls for that matter.

Just 19 games remain in this season and for the Raptors it is much more about the individual parts than the wins and losses at this point. A number of players future with the Raptors will be decided in part based on how things go down the stretch. Ed Davis would be at the top of that list who has struggled for the majority of his 2nd season to this point. Still to move someone on a rookie contract is highly unlikely and it is next to impossible to get fair value in return. Amir Johnson has had a rough season as well. Depending on where the Raptors go in the draft it could make his future in doubt. If the Raptors hit the lottery and got Anthony Davis from Kentucky that would almost make it certain that Davis or Johnson would likely be out. When you consider the Raptors would have Bargnani and Valanciunas who are not going anywhere. There also might be a place for Aaron Gray moving forward. The rest of the Raptor additions have been a disappointment for the most part. Magloire and Butler it is safe to say will not be back. Carter is already gone. Gary Forbes may have an opportunity to prove his worth in these last 19 games. The trade of Barbosa perhaps benefits him more than anyone else. The Raptors will also have to decide what they want to do with Jerryd Bayless. He will be a RFA and have the chance to go elsewhere. The Raptors would be able to maintain his rights by matching any offer he would see come his way.

The Raptors will be looking to evaluate many things over these last 19 games. It is safe to assume some will confuse this with tanking. That ship or tank is silly to suggest at this point the Raptors are going to finish pretty much where we predicted them to finish on their merit. It was not with tanking in mind that I wrote the Raptors would finish 20-46 and 12th in the East. We are just over a month from the end of the season and yet again the focus is about the long term future and not the immediate future. Still this team is a long way from being competitive. While many look to next season as the year things finally start to turn around. That still could be true but if you expect an instant turnaround that might be a little much to expect. Bryan Colangelo will have a lot of tough choices to make this off-season and the start of those decisions is going to happen over this next month.

Raptors Sluggish At The Mecca

Jose Calderon returns to the Raptors line-up as mentioned in our preview Jose actually did a solid job the last time he matched up with Jeremy Lin. What will become of the improvement we have seen out of Jerryd Bayless is another issue altogether. The Knicks are trying to hang on to a playoff spot and the Raptors despite what anyone trying to spin positivity might say are playing out the string. So a game like tonight offers the Raptors a chance to play spoiler and build on what they have been doing. A loss to Bobcats was not exactly a building moment.

Demar DeRozan with the cut to the lane and score to get this one under way. Demar sometimes steps up to a big stage will see if that was a start to something big for him. After his first bucket both teams had two empty possessions. Tyson Chandler would get a slam and drop a foul on a nice pass from Stoudemire. He missed the free throw though. DeRozan's second shot would fall of the rim but get put back in by Aaron Gray on the glass. It was just 5-4 Knicks with 3 minutes gone by in this one. A steal by Melo and then the return pass from Lin to Melo for the break away lay-up. Calderon would hit a 3 pointer to make it a 10-9 Knicks lead. But more Jose this time hooking up with his buddy Amir, the lead would not last as Knicks got a dunk at the other end. Lead was ping ponging back and forth between the Knicks and Raptors at the mid point of the first quarter. Andrea Bargnani with a drive down the middle of the lane with a slam. Chandler answers with two at the other end and it was 16-15 Knicks. Raptors got called for an offensive foul and were down 3 with 4:04 to play. Carmelo Anthony would double that lead with a 3 in rhythm. Knicks were starting to get on a bit of a role and playing some defense something that was unheard of with Mike D'Antoni in charge. Demar DeRozan was not shy taking shots tonight and he was making his fair share to cut lead to 4. Bayless made a basket but then on the next possession ran over J.R Smith for a charge. Smith got on the offensive glass for a tab back to extend the Knicks lead to 6. Linas Kleiza nailed a buzzer three from very deep it would be reviewed but looked good to me.

The three would stand and that made score after 1 Knicks leading 27-24. After a good play by Kleiza to close the 1st, a bad play near start of 2nd with a bailout foul with little left on shot clock. Ed Davis showing signs of life with a score and a rebound leading to Bayless bucket to tie the game at 29. Knicks went on a 7-0 run after that and Dwane Casey was forced into calling a time out. Raptors after a Bargs airball out of the time out would get rolling with 5 point push of their own. Knicks would respond and re-establish their advantage and make it even a little more now with a 42-34 lead. Make that a 10 point lead and Andrea Bargnani was getting taking to school on defensive end. Some regression perhaps? Who said that? Jeremy Lin meantime you may have hear of had 6 assists and added a corner three to his stat line to give the Knicks an 11 point lead. Bargnani showing his point guard skills with a nice pass to Amir Johnson for the slam dunk cutting the lead down to 7. But another Lin three...actually make it a 2 and the Knicks would take a 9 point advantage to locker room if they could hold on for 8.5 seconds. Fields would play good D on Calderon and do just that. Knicks take a 53-44 lead to the locker room.

Teams were trading buckets earlier and the Raptors interior defense was lacking. Knicks would star to pull away sparked by Lin with a jumper, than a nice Alley Oop play with Fields and it was 61-50. Then for some reason Aaron Gray blew a gasket and got tossed from the game after the techs and all the Knicks lead was up to 15 points. The Raptors were helping restore Linsainty as he helped his team restore a 15 point lead with a deep 3. Raptor had been having a 3rd quarter to forget much like they did in Charlotte but against a better team. But the Knicks did not exactly take advantage and put them away. Raptors had a chance to cut the lead to single digits. That would happen if a banged up Bayless could make a couple free throws after colliding with A'mare which he did. However, on other end A'mare got an easy put back to push lead back to 11 with the score 79-68 for Knicks. The Raptors based on how they played should feel fortunate to be only down two more points from halftime.

Calderon was in for the 4th and Bayless might be done for night will see. Knicks were doing enough to stay on top and not much more than that. If the Raptors could get a little run together they might be able to get in this game. Still the Raptors looked pretty disinterested and both teams seemed frustrated with the refs at times. Bayless is a tough minded guy and was back in there playing along side Calderon for now. Ed Davis had a nice slam and had a quiet 7 points and 7 rebounds. However when Ed does well more often than not it seldom leads to a Raptor win. Novak hitting a open three after the Davis slam was looking to keep that trend continuing with Knicks up 87-76. Barring something spectacular the Knicks would give Spike Lee a win on his birthday up 89-77 with under 6 to go in the 4th. Bayless tried to give it go but would be done for the night with a left hip pointer. Jermey Lin with a break away dunk...Good Night and tip your waitress. The Knicks would get another dunk on a sloppy Raptor turnover and Chuck Swirsky watching in Toronto has got out the salami and cheese on the Raptors chances in this one. This was getting into a major embarrassment fast. Really fast as the Knicks lead was on steroids now up 101-79 and the Knicks would pull the starters with 3:20 to play. How bad was it? We had a Solomon Alabi sighting. Knicks would take this one 106-87.

I got nothing more to say on this one. Actually Happy Birthday Spike Lee. That is all.

Knicks Running Hot Again

The Knicks didn't make any trades at the deadline but they did make a big move. They fired Mike D'Antoni and replaced him with another Mike. Mike Woodson the former Hawks head Coach is now running the show in New York and has the Raptor flavour with former head coach Darrell Walker and former Jim Todd. So far so good as the Knicks have been on fire since the coaching change. While Tebowmania is now on the trading block, it is not as bad for Jeremy Lin. Still Linsanity has pretty much died down despite to this point he remains the starting point guard. Perhaps the peak of Linsanity was in Toronto when he nailed a game winner to sink the Raptors and was cheered for it in Toronto. Tonight he will be on his home floor in New York and have Carmelo Anthony along side this time around. It was Anthony's lack of a relationship with D'Antoni that seemed to lead to his firing. He also doesn't seem to be much of a Jeremy Lin fan at the end of the day.

The Knicks being a dysfunctional roller coaster is nothing new. The Raptors are far less dysfunctional but are also far less talented. Jose Calderon actually did a decent job matched up with Lin at the peak of insanity. He should be back in the line-up tonight. Jerryd Bayless has stepped up his game while Jose has been sidelined with a bad ankle. One wonders if that will continue. Bayless is starting to look a lot like T.J Ford in a way. T.J was never same player in the back-up role as he was when he was the starter. Bayless has shown he can be something quite different when his name is called. When you take this last week and how he performed at the end of last season without Calderon the numbers are significantly better. So how Bayless plays may be as big a story as how Calderon looks in returning.

Andrea Bargnani had one of the better nights of his career playing at the World's Most Famous Arena aka Madison Square Garden. Almost everyone in the NBA gets a bit of a buzz from playing at MSG and it something the Knicks always have to deal with. It is part of the deal when you play in New York. More times than not you get the best punch from you oppositions stars. The Raptors come off a weekend where they get a surprising win of the Grizzlies and less than 24 hours later with more than a few issues they dropped another game to the Bobcats.

It is a small sample size but the Knicks numbers since the Coaching Change are impressive. Here is some of the key ones to take note of:

• Points For: 112.6 (They have scored over 100 in all 3 games)
• Points Against: 89 (Most was 100 on Road vs Pacers)
• Anthony: 14.6 PPG 43.5% FG% 5 assists 30.7% 3PT Range.

Obviously Carmelo is not lighting the world on fire so what has sparked this New York turnaround? The answer might be their bench which now as an added wildcard to the mix in J.R Smith who was one of those guys that were in China for part of the NBA Season. Knicks have averaged 55 points coming from the bench. Steve Novak has been doing his part as well.

So let's get to the 3 Keys:

1. Perimeter Defense: The Knicks have a number of options that are more than willing to fire it up from three point range. J.R Smith and Novak were mentioned but there are many others to add to the list. Raptors must defend the three point line to stand a chance in this one.

2. Bench Points: Raptors lost a big part of their bench in Barbosa. To expect them to outscore the Knicks might be asking to much. You just can't let it be totally lopsided. The Knicks second unit has a lot of scoring punch in comparison to the Raptors.

3. Ball Movement: When the Raptors have success on offense it is always tied to them having good ball movement. It is safe to say the Knicks are going to score their fair share despite the Raptors efforts on D. So that will put the pressure on the Raptors to score more and when they do it is because of ball movement.

#MGDDNBVIP Contest # 3

Linsanity is invading Toronto if you have not heard. I know we still have not had the winner for contest #2 but I will be busy covering the Raptors vs Spurs tomorrow so Contest #3 will be tonight as well. Right here on the website and if you have the best comment of the night you win contest #3. We will also announce at the end of the chat the winner of contest #2. Feel free to enter both. You can only win once of course. But take your shot at both.

So come hangout with us tonight and experience Linsanity in our DNB Chat/Liveblog and have your chance to win. Make sure you are around at the end of the game to be eligible to win. Simple as that. So join us tonight for Raptors vs Knicks and you will have your chance to join us in VIP Suite on Raptor Fan Night to see the Raptors take on the Bobcats.

Join us at 6:45 for Raptors vs Knicks

Your Va-LIN-Tine's Knicks vs Raptors Preview

Happy Valentine's Day. There may not be another Valentine's Day like this ever for the Toronto Raptors. Having covered the Raptors for a normal game a time or two, the amount of media to welcome Jeremy Lin is off the charts. The last time I can remember the Raptors having to use the media lounge to hold a press conference in that room was for the Big 3 and the return of Chris Bosh to Toronto. There could be more people on hand today, for the arrival of the biggest story in the NBA this season. You almost forget that all of this Linsanity has taken place with the Knicks two biggest stars a couple weeks ago on the sidelines. Amare Stoudemire has been away from the team due to the tragic death of his brother. Carmelo Anthony may only be heading to the All-Star Game thanks to fan voting. He has been out with a groin injury.

But people only seem to care about Jeremy Lin these days. Spike Lee, the world's most famous Knick fan has turned his twitter account into basically the evaluation center for your Jeremy Lin nicknames. There is just no real comparable story that I can recall in watching basketball from being a kid back in the 80's.

The Raptors seem to like the big stage of late. They had a solid performance down in Miami not that long ago, Beat the Celtics and came oh so close to upsetting the Lakers. This may sound silly, but in terms of a stage to perform on this season, it might not get any bigger than it is tonight. Yes that includes when Chris Bosh and the Heat roll through in the end of March. Chris Bosh could only dream of having the attention of Jeremy Lin.

If we go back in time when Lin was released by the Warriors, I had thought Toronto would have been a good landing spot. The Raptors are now out in the media saying they strongly considered him. Apparently so strongly that they signed Anthony Carter instead? There is a chance we might see Carter get some minutes guarding Lin, if Jerryd Bayless is not able to go. He is a game time decision for anyone that cares about anything not related to Linsanity. Carter or for that matter Calderon don't seem like much of a match for the Jeremy Lin show. Although, the Calderon we saw vs the Lakers can hold his own scoring with Lin.

As much as I might take credit for seeing Lin as a fit for the Raptors. That was as 3rd point guard flyer that would draw some media buzz. But here is something I got very wrong. I picked the Knicks to win the Atlantic Division, and I really didn't see it as much of stretch. They did lack a point guard, but I figured they would find a way to acquire one and maybe even get really lucky and get a bargin price for Steve Nash. Instead, the Knicks lack of a point guard was glaring and until Jeremy Lin jumped into the spotlight, the Knicks were no lock to make the playoffs let alone win the division. Now you have Lin and Stoudemire expected to return shortly. Not sure if that means as soon as tonight but soon. Mello eventually will be back and that will be the test. Will these two superstars fall in line and let the Linsanity continue. Do they even have a choice at this point? Can Lin do what I thought a Nash would do and give the Knicks the balance needed for both Stoudemire and Mello to be effective. That will be the test.

For the Raptors the test on this night is pretty much how they defend the pick and roll. A lot of what Jeremy Lin does is based on his ability to work the pick and roll in the half court. He is not the world's greatest shooter from the outside yet. But did poke holes in that theory vs the Lakers. My money says that Dwane Casey is going to throw a lot of zone looks at Lin and the Knicks to see how they handle that. The Comparison of the story of Jeremy Lin and his quick rise to the biggest story in sports compares to Tim Tebow. However, the comparison stops there. Lin has not re-invented how you play the game of basketball. He is consistent for most of the 48 minutes of a game that he is on the floor. Tebow used an offensive style that has not been used in the NFL in likely 50 years and had magical finishes after horrible beginnings. That is not Jeremy Lin.

3 keys for tonight:

1. Defend the Pick and Roll: How the Raptors defend this will ultimately determine there fate more than anything else. If Lin is able to work the pick and roll with little difficulty you can expect Linsanity to continue and the Raptors to get carved up.

2. Transition D: In the system the Knicks run it is all about getting the ball and running. Steve Nash was the greatest conductor of this system. He would make the scoreboard pop like a pinball machine. Making stars out of average players. So the Raptors have to be alert in transition and avoid turnovers that can lead to breaks.

3. Attack the hoop: Knicks really lack any kind of shot blockers that you would fear. Especially minus Stoudemire. So attack them and take everything to the paint early and often. You turn this into a jump shooting contest and you are playing into the Knicks hands.

That about does it other than to remind you that we have are MGDDNBVIP Contest #2 that ends at the conclusion of this game. If you missed the video yesterday here is the guys from our Round Ball Review with the contest details:



Good Luck and after this contest will have 2 more chances to win between now and Thursday.

Round Ball Review: The Joey G System

The guys from the Round Ball Review are back for another fun filled episode. Joey G has some strange ideas of what is going on in the world and NBA. Even a little stranger that usual. Hopefully you enjoy and check out the guys new and improved set.



If you enjoyed this video please go on YouTube and like it. I love doing this segment and it would be great if more people became aware of it. But even if not the Round Ball Review will keep on rolling. It is just to much fun to stop doing. Hopefully it amuses you half as much as it does me in making it.

DNB Top 10- Lockout Edition

Hello all. The DNB Top 10 will make a lockout appearance. James Borbath your Dino Blogger at the controls. So if there wasn't a lockout what would we be talking about? That is the focus of this DNB Top 10.

10. Mama can that man Coach? Yes Mark Jackson finally will be a coach in the NBA. It seems almost fitting the lockout is preventing him from getting his chance. But can he actually be a good coach in the NBA? How can he help or hurt the development of Steph Curry. Can he actually make the Warriors more than lottery regulars?

9. I thought we had a G.M Already? The Raptors are searching for Bryan Colangelo's replacement as G.M. The team leading up the search is Bryan Colangelo. What all this will mean for the Raptors and how this will impact on newly hired coach Dwane Casey. Don't you hire the coach first and then a G.M?

8. Hang Up Your Spurs. Have we seen the end of an era in San Antonio? After a first round exit to the Grizzlies who had never won a playoff game let alone a series prior to that. Is this the end for Timmy and the rest in San Antonio?

7. What will Mark Cuban Do For An Encore? Mavs are champs and Mark Cuban said the might not even get rings? Championship Belts? Who knows but could you see the Commissioner David Stern being happy about this? More important then all of that was this a flash in the pan or are the Mavs legit contenders to repeat in the West?

6. OKC now legit contenders for an NBA Title? Step one make the playoffs....check. Step 2 make it all the way to the Conference Finals...check. Step 3 Go to the NBA Finals ??? It sure seems that Kevin Durant has a team on the verge of greatness in one of the NBA's smaller markets. Can the Thunder be considered the best in the West and the guys to challenge the folks in Miami for years to come in the NBA Finals? Can Russell Westbrook be part of that winning formula?

5. Got Mello Now What? Oh yes the Knicks have Carmelo Anthony and Amare too. They finally returned to the playoffs. But the have no G.M in place after Donnie Walsh was forced out. Rumours that Isiah Thomas could be back. Oh it is a mess in New York City. If and when this lockout ends will the Knicks have the power to build on what they have? A new CBA might just high jack there plans of building there own super team to compete with the Heat.

4. Boston Is to old to win? We talked about the Spurs might be done. How about the original Big 3 in Boston. Has the window shut on their chance to call themselves contenders in the East? Sure they still are likely the best team in the Atlantic Division but that is not saying a lot when you look at the Sixers, Nets, Raptors. Aside from the aforementioned Knicks there is not a lot in the division. But in the East with Bulls and Heat looking far better than Boston is this the end for them. Rajon Rondo would have to be super human for it not to be.

3. Coming Soon...Superman Has Left Orlando Again. Oh yes we all remember when the original Superman Shaq took his cape and flew off to La La Land. Now Dwight Howard is already making noise he will do the same. Well if Orlando does not contend for a title. Which is a pretty safe bet they won't. So will Otis Smith get the drop on Dwight and trade him like The Nuggets and Jazz did? Or will he ride it out and face the possibility of getting screwed over like the Cavs and Raptors. But cheer up Magic fans you still have 4 more years of Gilbert Arenas the former agent 0 to look forward too.

2. Miami Heat How Do They Improve? They still have there 3 mega stars. But they lack some serious depth in South Beach. If the new CBA is not a friendly one how will the Heat get better to start winning all those rings Lebron James promised? If they can't add depth beyond the 3 big names how long before we start hearing Chris Bosh trade rumours? The newlyweds would not like to be relocated to some awful place like Milwaukee or worse Sacramento. While some Raptor fans would take pure joy in even the possibility.

1. Lakeshow Drama In Full Effect. We have heard very little from Kobe Bryant. He was not in the loop on the hiring of Phil Jackson's replacement. He might have to call Lebron James and get the low down on why Mike Brown is a terrible coach. Oh and we have Ron Artest who has changed his name like Chad Johnson did in the NFL. Lamar still married to a Kardashian. Mike Brown's over under on being Laker Coach is perhaps 2 years at best. It is never easy to replace a coaching legend in sports. Jimmy Johnson did a good job replacing Tom Landry with the Cowboys. But those things are rare. How long before Phil Jackson gets a call from Pat Riley to ask to take his talents to South Beach? Will it take longer than it will for Kobe to get Brown fired or demand a trade out of L.A? Things are not looking up for the Lakers. It is scary to think the Clippers might have a brighter future than the Lakers. Well it might not be that bad but things sure are set up for a Lakers implosion.

So those are things we should be talking about. Instead we are talking about the lack of progress in labour talks. Here is a story from Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo Sports on where things stand with the Lockout after unsuccessful talks on Monday. But it is summer time and he weather is hot so enjoy it. The NBA Lockout will be still there waiting for you in the fall.

NBAZ In 7 DayZ - Playoff Edition

The least debated of the post season awards was handed out, and no surprise Dwight Howard wins the Defensive MVP for a 3rd straight year. No one has ever accomplished that feat. But the harder feat for Dwight will be to take his Magic anywhere in the playoffs. The group around him is anything but defensive minded. The Hawks who took game 1 of their opening round series against the Magic. They last season took the worst beating in the history of the NBA Playoffs. That humiliation might have just motivated the Hawks to show up this year. It motivated them to send Mike Woodson packing. He was the coach in Atlanta for 6 years and improved his win total every season. But his team and their lack of performance in the playoffs was the reason he was let go. Stan Van Gundy has to worry about his future if the Magic go out in first round. Not that he will lose his job, but he very well could lose Dwight and that would make his job a lot tougher to keep in the future.

I had told you that the Boston and Knicks series would be closer than people thought. That Amare Stoudamire if he plays big in this series could help the Knicks upset Boston. In Game 1 both of those were true. It was a pretty exciting game and if the Knicks can come up with a similar effort they might just be able to head back to New York tied at 1. Boston just has not been the same since Kendrick Perkins was dealt at the deadline. Despite Jermaine O'Neal being able to turn back the clock in game 1, he is no Kendrick Perkins. Rajon Rondo has not exactly played to his All-Star level of late. Maybe he should watch Russell Westbrook for some inspiration. Boston also might have noticed that the Miami Heat trashed the Sixers last night and that Chris Bosh guy is looking pretty good. But Boston has to get there in the first place to face the Heat and that will not be an easy task.

Speaking of turning back the clock how about Jason Kidd? He was pretty amazing in game one for the Mavs. He hit six shots from beyond the arc and had one of the best playoff performances of his long career. Dirk also got a bit dirty getting in the paint and taking the ball to the hoop. The Blazers on the other hand could say they didn't get the full bang for their buck. Gerald Wallace who I said would be key in the Blazers upsetting the Mavs was not exactly the factor he needs to be in game 1. Also the Blazers have a huge advantage with Lamarcus Aldridge and the need to take advantage of it. Tyson Chandler is a good to great defender in the post. But Aldridge is quicker and can make jumpers from the mid-range. You wish that the old Brandon Roy was still around. But injuries have taken away the brilliance that once was Brandon Roy. I still don't trust the Mavs and will see how they respond once they face some adversity in this series. If they can get out of Dallas up 2-0 that would be well advised. The Rose Garden is one of the better environments in the NBA.

Many have raved about what a great weekend of basketball it was. This is true it was some of the best first round basketball we have seen in the playoffs in quite some time. Both number one seeds were pushed to the brink. The Bulls survived and won a similar type game last night coming out on top in a tight affair. The Spurs were not as lucky going in the history books as the first team to lose a playoff game to the Grizzlies Franchise. I can't help but still feel sad as no matter how good these playoffs can or will be it is not going to change one fact. That fact is that when it all is over and a champion is crowned that might be it for a very long time. The Lockout is looming and it is like a dark cloud that has hung over my head all season. Part of me says just enjoy the moment and not think about it. But that is very hard to do for me seeing as I try to eek out a living covering this sport. But I will try my best. No question the product on court right now has been pretty fantastic.

Empire State Of Embarrassment

Here is your recap of the this one between the Knicks and Raptors. If you happened to miss this one consider your self one of the lucky ones. It was not pretty at all. If you hear disappointment in my voice you can understand why if you watched this one.

For the truly brave here is the boxscore of this butt kicking in NYC. Raps back at it facing the Cavs tonight at ACC and I am going go out on a limb and say tickets still available.

DNB Preview Of Raps and Knicks

Here it is in glorious audio tones of your truly your preview of the Raptors in NYC to take on Knicks. Shockingly no Spike Lee references in this at all.

Also not if you catch the Raptors on the Radio with Paul Jones and Eric Smith the game has been moved up the Dial to CKOC in Hamilton here is a link to that. Tip time is 7:30 at MSG.

Toronto Suns Coming in 2011/12?

No the Raptors are not being named after the Toronto newspaper. But ever since Bryan Colangelo came to Toronto there have always been comparisons and rumours tied to his time in Phoenix. Add this to the latest rumours as it seems B.C will be back according to a story by Mitch Lawrence from the New York Daily News. That is not big news as it has been widely thought he would be. What is news is his former coach is in trouble in New York. The story suggests that if D'Antoni is let go he will not have to look hard for a job. He would come to Toronto and Jay Triano would be out.

While Jay Triano should be out, the reasons he should be are not because this team lacks offence. This team can't defend and it is not like Mike D'Antoni is going to bring a system that will change that. Steve Nash is not walking through the door. Well at least we don't think so. But even at it's peak of excellence, the Suns Colangelo ran were not a team that could win a championship. In the playoffs you need to be able to play defence at some point.

This is all speculation at this point. D'Antoni is still the coach of the Knicks and has not been fired yet. If Colangelo is going to rebuild this team in the pattern of his old Suns teams that will make them entertaining to watch. Especially if you plug say Kemba Walker into that system. But people want a team that will defend. They want a team that can you know actually stop someone from scoring. Not to mention if D'Antoni comes here he will put Pizza Pizza out of business. Seriously all that free pizza is going to ruin them. 100 points for a free slice...better make that 120 points.

This also would suggest that Andrea Bargnani will be part of the mix. Why would I say that. Simple, D'Antoni played ball and coached ball in Italy and you would think can relate to Andrea Bargnani on a much different level in comparison to Sam Mitchell or Jay Triano. He also is not likely to be concerned if he plays plays defence.

While I have always felt there should be a change of the coach for the Raptors this is not what I had in mind. D'Antoni had his best success with the Suns. In fact maybe his only success. People forget that D'Antoni had a short run with the Nuggets going 14-36 in 1998-99. His record in New York has been 97-141. In 4 full season starting in 04-05 with the Suns and Colangelo (For most of it) and Nash he averaged 58 wins.

Also if you are going into full Suns mode who exactly is going to make all these 3 point shots in the system? Well Colangelo does have money to spend under a new CBA and if D'Antoni was brought in you would think the roster will be fine tuned to his style of play. If this all comes to pass the Raptors will be trying to use slight of hand to avoid their real problem. That they can't defend. First step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. The Raptors if they did go in this direction would not be doing that.

Also can this system even work in the Eastern Conference? That remains to be seen. While the natural instinct is to say it can. After all the Western Conference is the better conference. Look at the playoff race in the East if you care to argue. But when you look at the teams at the top of this conference they are teams that can defend. Boston and Chicago are teams that both have a defence first approach.

For those who dream of a Jeff Van Gundy or someone like him coming to save the Raptors. It would appear he is not walking through that door. Even the Suns in the post Colangelo and D'Antoni era came to realize that you have to at least play some defence to win. There has never been a team that has been able to outscore a team to death in this league to ultimate success. Raptors Assistant Alex English was a part of a Denver Nuggets team that tried to do that. From 79-80 to 89-90 the Nuggets were in the playoffs more than they were not. They won a lot of basketball games and scored a ton of points. But only one time did they make the Conference Finals in 84-85 losing to the Lakers. In a sense the Nuggets were the Suns before the Suns were the Suns.

This team may improve and may become very entertaining if they go this route. They could grow into a consistent playoff team. But if you crave more than that this might not be the direction to go. History tells us that teams like the Nuggets and Suns can win in regular season and can even have some success in the post season. But to win a Championship is not in the cards. Defence wins Championships, not flashy offence and entertaining basketball. If you get that as well it is a bonus. But there is no way to win without being able to defend. Eventually it catches up with you no matter how many points you put on the scoreboard.

"NBAz in 7 DAYz"

The Los Angeles Lakers have now confirmed the NBA has rescinded Andrew Bynum's second technical foul from Sunday night's game against the New York Knicks. This is interesting for two reasons. One: Andrew Bynum was ejected after the now rescinded technical foul. Two: This is the first time since NBA referees were given enhanced powers that the NBA has rescinded a call. This raises many questions. Will it only change the information recorded on the box scores? Will Andrew Bynum still have to pay a fine? What will this mean for future calls? This is serious business which is why today I will address these issues, including the circumstances surrounding the Bynum incident as it happened on the floor and a review of the rules surrounding technical fouls in the NBA.

The Incident at hand - Arguing with a Referee

On Sunday, Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers was ejected from the Lakers' game against the New York Knicks for arguing a foul call. Referee Leon Wood called a foul on Bynum while Bynum was defending Amare Stoudemire. Wood walks over to the scorer's table and Bynum steps into Wood's path with his arms outstretched to express his frustration over the call. This earned Bynum the first technical foul. Bynum continued to argue with Wood and this earned him the second technical foul, now rescinded, which caused the ejection from the game. The official NBA rule book outlines the power given to officials to 'correct errors' during a game and also outlines the process by which a team can protest a call or if the NBA decides on it's own if a call needs to be reviewed. The difference between these two situations is if the error is discovered during the game, it is up to the referee to correct it. After the game, correcting errors is at the discretion of the NBA as directed by its Commissioner.

This is where the subjective nature of the NBA's 'discretion' becomes unclear. The Lakers won the game in question 109-87 over the New York Knicks. The box score from this game still lists Andrew Bynum as having 2 technical fouls. Based on the NBA's ruling, Bynum will only have the first technical foul applied to him and any subsequent fines. But realistically, what can the NBA do after the fact for the action of being ejected from the game? Bynum was putting up some good numbers before he was ejected in this game against the Knicks with 18 points and 7 rebounds. If the Lakers lost to the Knicks, would the score change? The details of the decision to rescind the second technical foul against Bynum will come out soon I hope, so some of these questions can be answered. Until then, I am going to give you a few 'technical' points to consider when you are watching NBA games this week or in the future.

Play by the Rules

Call me crazy, but the Official NBA Rulebook is a good read if you give it a chance. It lists the things an NBA player, coach or bench staff can do during a game to be assessed a technical foul. They are:

• Delay of Game - Player and Team
• Excessive Time-outs
• Face or Eye Guarding (Face guarding is exactly how it sounds - getting in someone's face. Eye Guarding is the act of putting your hand over your opponents' eyes from behind them)
• Fighting
• Hanging on the Rim - Deliberate (This doesn't include when you are trying to look out for your own safety or the players' below you - it refers to the grandstanding or showing off which can inhibit others' safety)
• Illegal Substitute
• Throwing the Ball at the Official
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct (Includes Punching)

The one in question in Bynum's case is "unsportsmanlike conduct". We know that unsportsmanlike conduct in any sport is any action which is detrimental to the game or is committed against the spirit of fair play. In the NBA, this can mean a coach, player or bench staff. It is not like "punching" or "throwing a ball at the official" which are clearly defined infractions. In Section V - Conduct, Subsection (e) it says: "Cursing or blaspheming an official shall not be considered the only cause for imposing technical fouls. Running tirades, continuous criticism or griping may be sufficient cause to assess a technical foul. Excessive misconduct shall result in ejection from the game". So according to Referee Leon Wood Andrew Bynum was excessively expressing his frustration and warranted an ejection from the game. Bynum was complaining and was pretty vocal about it and by all means you can say Leon Wood was right to apply the first technical foul on him. However, was it worse than Ron Artest's or Kobe Bryant's who also were assessed a technical foul on the night? The number of technical fouls you accumulate in a season and during the playoffs also affects how much a players' fine is assessed. Consider all of these issues and challenge yourself to read the NBA rulebook if only to better acquaint yourself with the rules. This way you can look at calls intelligently, instead of being one of those people who yell at their screen incessantly not having a clue. One of my pet peeves.

Thanks for joining me today. See you on Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".

Bravo Bargnani

I feel almost obligated to write this blog. Andrea Bargnani has taken more than his fair share of abuse in blogs, in the media and in general. He never should have been the first overall pick. We could have had Brandon Roy or a number of other names that people will throw out. He can't rebound and he definitely can't defend. But if we are going to point out the bad with Andrea, it is only right to point out the good as well. Last night, granted in a lose, was the best game of Andrea Bargnani's career. He played like a guy that was a first overall pick and a franchise player. He and Amare Stoudemire traded blows like 2 UFC fighters will be doing in a cage at Rogers Centre on April 30. One would make a shot and the other would answer. It really was an impressive display in both offensive skill and clutch performing.

What I expected with Bosh leaving has not happened to Bargnani. What was what I expected? I pretty much thought teams would now double Andrea, and he would not be able to deal with it, and his production on offence would go down the drain. Long before last night he had proved that wrong. But not only last night was Bargnani getting his... to the tune of 41 points. He was also helping others get their own as well. When players are measured in this league it is not just what they do as individuals but it is what they do for the team around them.

How many times have we heard how guys like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan made the teams around them better. That for some is the ultimate definition of what makes a "Franchise Player". Andrea Bargnani for the first time for me at least for a night looked like a guy that was a "Franchise Player". It may have been just a one night thing, but this will be a moment if Andrea can develop into a true franchise guy that we will look back on. Don't get me wrong he will never be in the class of the all-time greats that I mentioned. He may never even be in the top 10 players in the league right now. But last night he showed that he has the ability in him to be a dominate player in the NBA.

True he has a long way to go on the other end of the floor. I don't think anyone is ready to even class him as an average defender yet. He still may not rebound to the level we would want and hope for. Although since Reggie Evans was injured, his rebounds in 6 games have gone up to 7.5 per game(Season Average is 5.7). Jack Armstrong made the point that Andrea may just not have as many opportunities to get rebounds with a guy like Reggie on the floor with him. In averaging almost two more boards a game there might be some truth to it.

Doubters will point out the fact that he also while scoring all of those points was not stopping Amare Stoudemire from doing the same. But I think the fact he was answering him on the other end showed that Andrea has a competitive fire inside of him. So many people have written this guy off along the way. I am one of them. It sure seems like he still could be something pretty great by the time the story is done being told.

Patience is something we all seem to lack in this modern world. You only need to look at how people have been throwing Demar and Sonny under the bus to see that. People seem to get frustrated a lot faster in comparison to the past. But things take time and not everyone can come into the league and dominate right away. It has been a long and frustrating road with Andrea Bargnani in that regard. But perhaps last night was a sign that we are starting to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Andrea Bargnani has always been a pretty blunt and honest person. Part of that is him learning the English language but still do you every recall Chris Bosh saying he personal sucked on a given night. If Andrea does not play well he would be the first to tell you. I am still not saying their will be a statute outside the ACC of him some day. Which I wrote once when I was to the point of frustration with him and other issues with this team. But he may just be a lot better than many of us gave him credit for being. I am willing to admit when I am wrong and in terms of Andrea I have been about some things.

After all of this I just hope he follows up this performance with a solid game vs Denver. If the Magician disappears it will take the shine off what was a pretty big night for him in New York City. The only bigger night for him was when the Raptors drafted him. It has been a long road for all of us from that moment to this one.

An Instant Classic In NYC

Raptors are 5-1 when they win the First Quarter. First thing about that is they have only done it 6 times. Second thing is when they do it they likely win. In NBA in general team that wins first Quarter wind up winning about 70% of time. So in short....Start BETTER!!!

1st Quarter.

It looked better at least in first 3 minutes. Better D and buckets from Bargs, Demar and Calderon and an 8-4 lead. Knicks fought back and tied it up at 8. It was shaping up as a close battle as it was 13-12 Knicks. The good news was at least early the 3's were not falling for the Knicks. Gallinari took it right at Ed Davis with a slam and Calderon on the other end nails the jumper even up at 16. Both teams were not exactly taking care of the basketball leading to a pace that both teams like in going up and down. Knicks are better at it though. Calderon nails a 3 ball and Raps had a 4 point lead with under 5 to play with the score 20-16. Knicks answer with a Gallinari 3. This was staying tight tied at 22. Kleiza misses 2 free throws then fouls on the other end. He has not been good and that is an understatement. I would rather see Wright getting some of his time personally. Did he hear me typing? Nails a 3 ball on a nice set from Bayless. It would spark a 9-0 run to give the Raptors a 32-26 lead. Raps get that start we talked about off the top with a 32-28 lead after 1.

2nd Quarter

Raps get an easy 2 from Sonny Weems to start the 2nd Quarter. That would get Raps off on the right foot and they would build a 37-28 lead to start the 2nd in style. From there it was up and down and teams trading buckets to make it 41-32. Bayless had some assists coming off the pine. A Bargnani basket would make the lead 11 and the Knicks needed to take a time out and figure some things out. Bargs already has 14 and was off to a hot start and was demanding the ball as well nice to see. Douglas open 3 would cut the lead to 8 but the Raps responded with back to back buckets and made the lead a dozen the largest of the night to that point. Even without Amir the Raps were playing Kleiza at the 4 and that was working well. Why no Amir...early fouls not a new story there.

But the Knicks were making a push as Chandler nailed a 3 and then Felton another 3 and a 12 point lead was down to a 3 point lead 53-50. At this point Jay Triano calls a time out and honestly what is he going to say that hasn't been said. Raps can't allow teams like the Knicks to get open looks from 3. Knicks got it to with in 1 point and Bargs nails the clutch 3 ball to get lead back to 4. But the Knicks came storming back and Landry Fields had a serious score to tie it at 56. Jose complaining about a call gets teched up or rather the lack of a call. Tech is made and 12 point lead is officially gone 57-56. A late Amare bucket would give Knicks a 59-57 halftime lead.

3rd Quarter

Apparently the Raptors lead was up to 13 at one point. Perhaps I looked down....but 12 or 13 no matter that lead was history. Bargs gets a score right out of the gate to tie it at 59. Good news for Raps as their have been times we have seen Bargs go off in first half only to disappear in the 2nd half. He is the Magician and all but not the way we want him to be if that happens. Demar had a sick dunk but it disappeared thanks to an Amir Johnson offensive foul his 3rd. Bargnani would step up and give the Raps a 64-63 soon after.

Raps D was still a concern as Chandler had a nice baseline slam to give the Knicks the lead 68-66. Raptors were 3 of 13 in quarter and another miss and Knicks score....Time to talk it over. Time out Raptors trailing 70-66 with 6:20 to play in the 3rd. Bargs drops a dime to DeRozan that was his 5th. Then Bargs scores to giver him 26 and tie the game at 70. Raptors were doing a good job getting to the line 21 times so far and with 4:20 left in quarter 77-74. Demar DeRozan was starting to get it rolling showing people just what he is capable of doing. He had 17 and the Raps had a 81-78 lead. Bargnani would check out and an odd line up of Bayless, Barbosa, DeRozan and Davis and Kleiza was on the floor. Bayless a nice drive and score and 1 would get the lead back for the Raptors after they had given it away. Rookie mistake by Ed Davis with a silly foul on Amare. It ends up all even at 84 heading to the 4th.

4th Quarter

Win or lose I can live with what we have seen tonight some growing and learning both good and bad for a number of individuals. A Fields 3 to start the 4th was not good. Bargs with a 2 point answer and Bargs has been consistent tonight. At least on this night Bargnani was playing like a franchise player. He has 30 and has kept the Raptors in this game. Sonny Weems was back in and I am pretty confident it was not to take a 3 which he missed and the Raptors were trailing 91-89. But the Bargnani show continues on as he scores and has a season high 32. But Amare answers to make it 96-93 Knicks with 6:40ish to play.

Bad offensive possession and Bargs fell down trying to get back on D and it would lead to another Amare score on the break. Time out and Raptors needed it as they were on the ropes stuck 5 as Jack Armstrong would say. Weems struggles continue as Amare took care of him but got back and got on the glass and leads to the Bargnani basket plus a foul which he makes and he has a new career high of 35 and hopefully counting. But Amare would answer again and it was 100-96 Knicks. Fields would score and have his own and 1 that he missed but Amare got the board and Knicks could not cash in. Weems would draw contact as Demar dropped it off trying to get his buddy going. Makes the free throws and it is 102-98 Knicks. Bargs was on the bench for a quick or not so quick rest..meantime Raps were down just 2 with score 104-102 closing in on 2 minutes to play.

Demar DeRozan would draw the 5th foul on Amare and head to the line with a chance to tie it up with 2:09 to play. Demar makes both and is 7-8 at the line and were tied at 104. More Amare though and he scores again. Bargs would draw contact at the other end and he split a pair at the line. Just 1:30 to go and Raps can't stop Amare he scores again and has 16 in the Quarter. Raps go to Bargs and he scores. But Amare answers on the other end this was a 2 man battle....Raptors trailing 110-107. Raps get nailed with a costly 5 second cal but Knicks can't make them pay. Bargs a 3 for the TIE NAILS IT!!!!. But Raymond Felton answers and gets a kind roll with just 2.7 left gets the answer 3. Bargs from VERY DEEP....NO!!! But still what a night for Brags with 41 points and 7 boards. In the end he needed 44 for the Raptors to extend this game but couldn't do it. Knicks win 113-110.

That being said this was by a long way the best game of Andrea Bargnani's career. At least on this night he was every bit "The Franchise" player that Amare was for the Knicks. A tough tough way to lose but the Raptors brought all they had and fell up short tonight. I can live with that as I think all Raptor fans can. Knicks have won 12 of 13 and 6 in a row. The Knicks have turned the corner and are one of hottest teams in the NBA.

3 Strikes Your Out At MSG

Yes it is only December but for those of you holding out hope for the playoffs tonight is a very important game. If the Raptors lose tonight the season series with the Knicks is a wrap. If they some how find a way to win they will keep the season series alive till April 5th. That being said a tiebreaker vs the Knicks might not mean a thing. The Knicks are looking really good of late and are winners of 5 straight. The Raptors have lost 2 in a row starting with a disappointing loss to these Knicks. Demar DeRozan and Sonny Weems did not play well vs the Knicks. Both have had their struggles of late and talk of changes to starting line-up have become popular. I would just say to that, if this year is about development you let them try and figure it out. However, they do need to figure things out sooner as opposed to later.

The Basics: New York 13-9 (4-5 at Home) Raptors 8-13(2-8 on the Road)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors were giving up 3-balls at an alarming rate and when the pinball machine stopped they had a 24 point loss in Indiana. A lack of perimeter defence has been a serious issue of late. This was a constant problem last season and it is becoming a growing one for this year.

Key Match-Ups: Really they have not changed in a week. Demar DeRozan needs to be better than Landry Fields. I joked around the last time saying Landry who? But he was the rookie of the month in the Eastern Conference. For a 2nd round pick to do that is a pretty huge accomplishment. But Demar is a lottery pick from the previous draft and has to show he is the superior talent. Amare Stoudamire has feasted on the Raptors in 2 games so far averaging 25 points and 10.5 rebounds in 2 meetings. Bargnani in the same 2 games is averaging 19 points and and 6.5 rebounds. Obviously perimeter defence will be essential to have any chance at winning.

Other Things of Note: The Knicks have just not won 5 straight but 10 of their last 11 games. The lone loss came to Atlanta 99-90 back on November 27th. This winning of 10 of 11 came on the heels of 6 game losing streak. The Raptors have a 3 game winning streak at MSG and an overall 11-18 record in NYC all-time. The Knicks are averaging 107.7 points per game this season and are shooting 46.6%. The Knicks in the Season Opener shot 26% from 3 Point Range but in their latest win shot 44.4% from beyond the arc. It appears the Raptors were fortunate that they were in New York because if they had not been it sures seems like Jay Triano would have had them practising. But as in all things in New York with no notice getting anything in New York is next to impossible. But Triano was clearly not happy about his team's play in Indiana and if you watched it you know why he has reason to feel that way.

Flat Raps Get Flattened By Knicks

Just going give some thoughts on today's game. If you missed it and want a blow by blow of the game check out the Live Blog I did for The Score. So here are some thoughts about what I saw.

1. There was no secret to the fact the Knicks were going to shoot from 3. They make almost 9 a game as I mentioned in our preview. So the Raptors lack of defence on the perimeter especially early in this game might have been the most disappointing aspect. You don't even need a game plan to know this.

2. Andrea Bargnani coming off a double double was just awful. He had 16 and 7 but based on what the Knicks did, he should have had a big day. For most of the day the Knicks had Wilson Chandler defending him. You should have been posting him up all day and with that as your man you should have been a force of the offensive boards. I would not call 1 board on the offensive glass doing that.

3. Demar and Sonny got crushed in their match-ups as Fields and Chandler were much better on the day. They just didn't have it today on defence. Offence was not great from Demar with 12 and Sonny with just 4 points. Both were just not good today.

4. Defensively the rotations were just awful. Nothing else to say...Awful.

5. Time out usage by Triano was not good. Now granted the way this team played today it likely doesn't matter, but it started early when Knicks got up 13-8 after making an open 3. I would have called a time out right there. Triano didn't and it just got worse and he had to use a time out anyway. There were a few other points where Triano just was slow on the draw.

6. Only 2 guys that played well were Amir Johnson and Jerryd Bayless. Both were very good and it was a shame to see their efforts wasted.

7. Kleiza just isn't as good as people thought he was. I heard a Hedo comparison in our live blog. That wasn't fair but if people even in jest are making that comment you aren't getting it done.

8. Ed Davis has been a pleasant surprise so far...nothing flashy but 6 points and 8 rebounds. I will take it. Like to see a block or two but my expectations are very low given all the time he has missed.

9. Pizza....WHO CARES....If you go to a basketball game to get a free slice of Pizza....STAY HOME. Raptors honestly need to CHANGE THIS PROMOTION and DON'T wait till Next Year!!!

10. Amare has made me a believer. I expected him to be a big flop in NYC. Really showing he can handle the spotlight. Some guys fail when they leave Steve Nash behind...others don't and Amare has been big in helping turn the Knicks around. They WILL BE a playoff team.

Final Score was 116-99 win for the Knicks, and it was not as good an effort as we saw on opening night, that is not progression that is regression. People getting hopefully of the Raptors being a playoff team may need to think again. It is part of the process with a young team. Consistency is a talent. I forget who said it, think it was Bill Russell, but whoever did say it was on the money. Raptors have not got to the point where they are that. It is a long road to establishing yourself and Raptors are still very early in that journey.

Might Be A Lot of Nights Like Tonight

Well it was great to be back Live Blogging the Raptors on The Score.com and Score Mobile. If you want an account of the blow by blow of tonight's game you can check it out. The one thought I walked away with is there could be a lot of nights like tonight during this season. The Raptors did lose 98-93 to the Knicks. But the Raptors fought hard most of the night and had two good looks at 3's to tie the game late. They even had the lead at various points. If you are a fan that honestly thinks this team can make the post season you are likely upset. If you are a fan that felt this team was only going to win 20 some odd games or less you might be impressed. If you are a realist, which is what I class most Raptor fans as being, then you are happy about some things and not so happy about others.

Let's begin with Andrea Bargnani who addressed the fans to start the game. It was somewhat awkward but nice to see Andrea make the attempt. You are thrilled offensively how he started this game. It probably gets lost in all the complaining about his lack of rebounding and defence, but Andrea Bargnani is starting to show he has a mid-range game. Just 1 shot from 3 point line on the night and he made it. But a lot of longer shots from the 2 point range that he makes very easily. The Raptors vaunted 3 point streak almost died tonight. Not till an Andersen 3 ball late in the 3rd did it survive. But honestly during this streak, that is an NBA record, how successful have the Raps been? I would be much happier with a Raptors team that can defend the 3 point shot then make a ton of them. Andrea also scored down in the post and got to the line. Normally he is good from the line but tonight was just 5-8 when he got there. Not saying Andrea should give up taking 3's or anything but to be more economically in taking them is not a bad thing. Had a couple blocks and just 6 rebounds. A nice night for Andrea although his magician nickname was true as after he got 18 in the first half he only had 4 points in the 2nd. He was only 8-21 on the night which is not exactly thrilling. But the main thing is can he be a consistent scorer. Obviously he needs work on the defensive end but Rome was not built in a day. Or in the case of Andrea 4 seasons.

Moving along the point guard debate is over. Jarrett Jack is your starting point guard and is playing like it. I will take 16 points 6 dimes and 3 steals from my starting point guard and be happy with that. Jose Calderon is not what he once was on offence and despite the odd attempt to be a good defender, he is just not. Full marks for taking one on the numbers and drawing a charge tonight though. His 2-8 shooting night with just 4 points and 7 assists is just not going to cut it. While the desire of fans to see him traded grows his play is heading south. No not to South Beach and not to anywhere else anytime soon. It is far to risky for another team to think Jose can suddenly bounce back and be what he once was. It is also not just us that notice he can't defend. This is all without mentioning his contract that is far to high for a guy that is just no longer a starter in this league.

It is early but may I be the first to recommend we bring back the Young Gunz. The Artists formally known as that, now going by Young Onez all had rough nights. Amir just 2 points and 1 rebound to go with his 4 fouls in an unspectacular 13 minutes. Weems just 6 points shooting 2-6 with block and a couple assists in a less the thrilling 20 minutes. While Demar started looking ok late in this one, but he was lacking the OH MAN moment and only got 9 points in 26 minutes as a starter. Did get to the line 6 times making 5 though. These are the guys that a lot of fans were counting on to help this team surprise and be better than people think. I like them all but they know as much as anyone this has to get better. Gunz or Onez, whatever just start playing some ball please. I am hopefully they bounce back on Friday.

Did you hear it? REGGIE REGGIE...the chant is back. A lot of people bailed out on this guy and that was unfair. But you like him now with his 16 rebounds. He had 0 points but only 2 attempts. This is a guy that once had 20 rebounds and 0 points. Reggie is option number 6 in a starting 5. Still this is a guy that when he is right can have an impact and he is showing it. So for all you people that hated on him last year don't go changing your tune. Fact is we just never got to see a 100% healthy Reggie and now we are. This is the guy that was advertised when he came here. Besides would you really want Jason Kapono back?

The New 3. Maybe that will catch on but likely not. Barbosa, Kleiza and Andersen. For me Kleiza was hot and cold and this was not one of his better nights with 13. As for Barbosa despite the wrist trouble he seems o.k. It was not a great shooting night going 6 of 16. He also manged to put in 13 points. But I think Andersen impressed me the most, with his 8 points and 5 boards in just 13 minutes of play. That is 5 boards in 13 compared to Andrea's 6 in 35. I just like all the different things Andersen does.

Jay Triano went 10 deep in this one. I was a little impressed with the improvement in his time out selection at times. I was not impressed that he failed to find an answer for Chandler who was killing his team on this night. Jay is changing and evolving as a coach but there is still a ways to go with him. If you are waiting for the other shoe to drop and see Jay get fired, given the state of the franchise, I would see that as highly unlikely.

At the end of the day I see the Raptors in a lot of games that are a lot like this one. The difference between epic failing season and playoffs is a large gap. What will determine the Raptors future is how many games like tonight's can they win. Cavs are up next on Thursday and will be flying high after beating a team that beat the team with Lebron. Clearly by this theory the Cavs can beat the Heat. My God Dan Gilbert was right. Actually not really. I use last year's Cavs as the example. The Cavs started 0-2 with losses to Boston and Toronto and it did not exactly destroy their season. That happened in the playoffs.

A win for the Raptors will be vital with team heading out on that difficult western swing. 81 more to go and it was exciting tonight. However as Herm Edwards said " You play to win the game". As I said on the Radio in Montreal tonight it is hard remain excited if you do not get the validation that is winning. After 5 or 6 losses in a row losing gets old real fast. Ask last seasons Nets about that. Not saying the Raptors will be that but losing is never fun and seldom is exciting.

Raptors Dit Bonjour Knicks, Bon Au revoir la Saison de Pre

I figured if Amir Johnson can try French so can we here at the Dino Nation Blog. So what was that in English you are wondering? Raptors say hello Knicks, good bye pre-season. Least that is what my French to English translation program says. I am not sure what Amir said in French but here is his attempt at it, rocking a Habs hat which will play well in Montreal. I know the first line is hello I am Amir Johnson after that I got no clue:




I am thinking battling Amare Stoudemire will be tougher then tackling the French language. I am also not sure how hard these teams will play given the fact they will meet again 5 days later to start the season. Safe to say there might be a little game playing by both teams. The Knicks unlike the Raptors have a lot of expectations and they did land Amare and some others. But Amare is not James, Wade or even Bosh. Raymond Felton another addition is not Steve Nash ether.

If the Raptors are going to shock the world or at least North America and contend for the playoffs in the East, this is one of the teams that they will need to beat to make that happen. I think the Knicks are a team that can be good enough to sneak in the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. What happens tonight does not matter nearly as much as what happens in 5 days. You only need to look to the NFL for examples of this. It has happened many times where teams meet up in the final week of season knowing they will face each other the next week in the playoffs. The result in that final game seldom means much. This is much the same. Whatever the result tonight I will almost guarantee the game next Wednesday will have a very different result in many aspects.

Still it will be a full house in Montreal and temptation to put on a show for both teams will be there. Also given the way these teams want to play it should have a fast pace to it and be up and down the floor. After all there is 5 days to rest after tonight so why not run. But obviously run carefully because the one thing both of these teams do not want is an injury at this late stage of the pre-season.

The real work for the Raptors starts tomorrow as they will kick things into high gear to prepare for the season. Practice may not be Allen Iverson's thing but for Raptors and all NBA Teams these last few days are pretty vital to put the finishing touches on their game plans for the upcoming season.

I think tonight will be a way to judge individuals and how they match up but not convinced we see much in terms of overall scheme from the Knicks or the Raptors. Still the best thing of all....PRE-SEASON IS OVER...after tonight.

"Behind Enemy Lines"

Welcome to the first edition of "Behind Enemy Lines" here on the DNB. Every Thursday throughout the regular season, we will be taking a closer look at the opponents of the Toronto Raptors: what they are up to, talk strategy and anything newsworthy. This week, the Raptors have only one regular season game against the New York Knicks in Toronto on Wednesday at 7pm. Before this match-up, the Knicks will meet the Raptors at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec and so will end their pre-season. The end of the pre-season usually signals the end of the off-season/pre-season drama and we all get down to business. I hope. There are a few things to address today about the Knicks: their roster and the possibility of Carmelo Anthony being added to it, plus things to look for when the Raptors meet them a total of 4 times during the regular season. Also, we need to discuss the NBA's ban on those 'vertical leap' shoes and if the Raptors need to worry about them.

Addition and Subtraction with the New York Knicks

So let's first take a look at the New York Knicks' roster, who they gained and who they lost. First, obviously, we mention Amar'e 'the bait that never snagged LeBron' Stoudemire. A power forward with a hefty price tag in my opinion, but let's hope Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni gets full use out of him. Look for Stoudemire to spend time at the centre position like he did in Phoenix and try to take the face of this team. The Knicks have also added veterans Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike to their roster pool along with the rookie talents of Landry fields, Andy Rautins, Jerome Jordan, Timofey Mozgov. Knicks management tried to give this club a serious face lift in anticipation of LeBron James coming to New York and the serious possibility of challenging for at least a division title. They shaved nine other players off their roster including Tracy McGrady and Al Harrington. So look for this team to go through some serious adjustments during the first few games of the regular season as they try to make up for a lack of continuity.

Now let's touch on the issue of Carmelo Anthony. Let's make it clear he did not demand a trade but is looking to keep his options open - one of those options is to leave Denver. Carmelo Anthony has declined to sign the contract extension that would keep him in Denver through to 2014. Also, he has put his Denver area mansion on the market this year - a move home owners do only in anticipation of relocating because clearly Anthony is not fishing for how much he can get for his mansion so he can make a quick buck. What does this have to do with the New York Knicks, you ask? Well, according to one source, the Knicks were warming up to the idea of including either forward Danilo Gallinari or forward Anthony Randolph in a deal for Carmelo Anthony. But nothing is confirmed and we literally have to wait until 11:59pm on Sunday night to know if Carmelo will be in the Knicks line-up Monday night versus the Raptors. This is because NBA teams have until the day before the NBA regular season to reduce their active list to a maximum of 12 players. Teams must also have 8 eligible players dressed and able to play in a regular season game or else they will be fined. So this is why it is important for players to be healthy and ready to go. Time is ticking away for Carmelo Anthony and whether or not he's in a Knicks uniform on Monday remains to be seen.

Things to Look for

Let's face it. The New York Knicks have not been a stable club during the past two seasons. Look at how many different players have played for them in two years: 43. With this kind of player shuffling, as a Head Coach you will also be shuffling through many starting line-ups. For Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni? He's had to use 34 different starting line-ups. This does not make the 103 losses in 164 games easier to swallow. However, with Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton on the roster, this should add the stability the Knicks are looking for. The more I think about it, the more I worry about the possibility of Danilo Gallinari included in a possible trade for Carmelo Anthony. Gallinari made 186 three pointers last season, the second most in the league and in Knicks' history. Plus, Carmelo Anthony has expressed his respect for Gallinari. So this young (22 years old) Italian import's style of play will only explode by playing with veterans like Stoudemire and possibly Carmelo Anthony. Fingers crossed.

'Magic' Shoes in the NBA? No Way.

So there's a new line of sneakers which claim to increase your vertical leap. Athletic Propulsion Labs Concept 1 shoe has a spring based system which is supposed to help you get up higher for those rebounds and dunks. But don't get too excited - they cost $300 US and no player in the NBA will be wearing them thanks to the league. This is because under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game which creates an undue competitive advantage. According to the Los Angeles-based company, many NBA players, including about 30% of the rookie class apparently, have "expressed interest" in the shoe. The company won't reveal the names because the players have signed with other companies. I wonder if any of those players were Raptors? I guess those players expressing interest in the shoe, better just work on their game instead relying on the magical powers of footwear.

Thanks for joining me today - I will see you next week for more "Behind Enemy Lines" here on the DNB. Before then, join me on Tuesday for your NBA news fix with "Jiggly Bits". Have a great weekend.