Camp Will Be Coming Soon.

I just want to point out something to you new on the site. I have added a chat feature to the DNB (Located on the Right>>>). So if you are looking to talk ball with me or other intelligent readers like you... please register for a chat name (Which takes under a minute) and get to know others that read the blog. One of the things the DIno Nation Blog has always tried to be about is giving basketball fans a place to find people that love the sport like them. I do live blogs, chats, fantasy games anything that can help the readers have some fun, that is something I am all for. Hopefully people take advantage of this latest edition to the blog.

So welcome to September. Hard to believe but by the end of this month the Raptors will be opening up training camp. The word on the street is that the Raptors will be returning to Ottawa to hold camp at Carleton University again. It will be a whole new crew from last year though. It is going to be a very exciting and interesting time once this collection of players Bryan Colangelo has brought together hit the floor.

So with that being said 10 things I am looking forward to this Pre-Season.

#10- Finding out who and what Sonny Weems is all about.
#9- Seeing how B.C refers to this group. I am guessing it will not be best team he has had in Toronto.
#8- Jack and Calderon playing on floor together. How will that work?
#7- Will Andrea take more steps forward? Want to see what he has got.
#6- Who has the Wright Stuff? Is it Wright or Belinelli or both?
#5- D-FENCE
#4- Reggie Evans battling and being tough...Bringing Back that Old School Oakley Ethic.
#3- A healthy Jose Calderon what can he do?
#2- Heir Canada starts his journey to take his crown. Demar DeRozan has me excited
#1- C B 4...The biggest season of his career and hopefully not his last.

Now for something that I am not looking forward to all that much. Canada taking on Argentina in the FIBA tournament. After the 2 games on the weekend I have lost all my passion for Canada and their chances to make it to World Championships. Games versus Argentina, Brazil and Dominican Republic all will not be easy. However I am stick to my plan to live blog the games. Canada tips off with Argentina at 4pm on The Score and I will be kicking off the Live Blog @3:45. So make sure you come back here and check it out. Canada could use your support. In addition so could I because it is not easy Live Blogging when there are not people there adding there 2 or even 3 cents to things.





Shout out to all the folks that have got into our Mock GM League people are really getting into it. Just 2 teams remain and there is still room for people to get in the game as agents. Sign up at PASPN.NET then use this link to join the league as a G.M or Agent. I am the Hornets G.M if you are looking for me. Which as I have said in the blog was my favourite team before the Raptors were around.

The Raptors Great Expectations

The Toronto Raptors entered into this off-season looking like a team that could be on the verge of being blown up. What I am saying is having the core of it altered. However that is not what happened, it was just everything else. Last summer many were excited about the acquisition of Jermaine O'Neal. However, as I have said a few times this is different this summer. My initial reaction to the J.O trade if you recall was that I hated the move. When the deal had fallen apart I wrote that it was probably for the best. Eventually, I would be swayed into thinking it could be a good thing but my initial instinct was correct. The trade involving one of my favourite players in T.J Ford, I had felt was clouding my judgment.

This season is different and my eyes are wide open. It is not that I am a huge fan of any one player that has been brought into the fold. Sure I picked the Magic to go to the NBA Finals last October and Hedo was a big part in how they got there. I always have said the Raptors need to address what they lost in T.J Ford. They now have with Jarrett Jack. Who ironically beat out Ford as did Jose Calderon here. Amir Johnson was one of a number of talent young guys that the Pistons had. I am not sure he stuck out from the group in any way. Reggie Evans has long been on my list of guys that would make a good fit on the Raptors. He adds rebounding and a toughness that has not been here since Charles Oakley was traded to the Bulls. Marco Belinelli has talent and was in need of a new place to call home. Don Nelson did not exactly help Marco grow and develop as a player. Many credit Jay Triano for getting Andrea Bargnani back on the right path with his career. Perhaps he can do the same for Marco? Can Sonny Weems be the next Jamario Moon or Pops Mensah-Bonsu? I have no idea at all but he has spent a lot of time in the D-League and you would hope and think that he is motivated to stick around in NBA. I have never traveled with an NBA team or a D-League team but something tells me you roll a little better in the NBA. You can ask Rasho Nesterovic how they roll in the NBA cause he is back as well. Which I think all Raps fans are happy about.

Basically this is a lot different then last year hoping that one guy was healthy and that a point guard that had never been a starter for a full NBA Season could hold up. We all know how that played out last year. However with this team it is build with some depth and is not so dependent on so few things. Let's say Demar DeRozan develops a little slower than we all expect. Is that the end of the world? That is just one example, but the point is, it would take a number of things going wrong for the Raptors to not still be competitive. Last season they were a J.O or Jose injury away from being a very bad basketball team. Even if Chris Bosh missed time are you not somewhat confident this team could still win? That is how much better Bryan Colangelo has made things this season. I doubt anyone will be able to get him to say it but this could be the best team he has assembled with the Raptors. He said something like that last year and the words came back to haunt him. This time around he will leave those kind of embarrassments for folks like me and other media outlets to say.

It is clear the expectation level has risen for this Raptor team. Along with that will be a rise in speculation on the future of Chris Bosh. This is going to be a season that will ultimately tell you a lot about Chris Bosh as a basketball player and as a person as well. How will he handle being in a contract year, with heavy expectations for his basketball team and the constant speculation by the U.S media about his future. How tough is Chris Bosh mentally? This season is going to provide a real answer to that question. Can he lock in on the task at hand and put aside all of the pressure and speculation and perform at a high level? I think he can do it. My personal expectations are that we see the best season ever from Chris Bosh. If I am right given the amount of talent that now surrounds him it could indeed be a very successful year for the Raptors. Some people will crack under pressure. However pressure is also what makes diamonds. The question will be is if Bosh comes up with a diamond like performance will diamonds be forever for the Raptors? In other words, if Bosh has a huge season will that help ensure he stays or pave the way for him to go? If I am going to bet on it if Bosh is successful and the Raptors are along with him, CB4 will remain a Raptor maybe not for life but for another contract at least. Sure this is speculation on my part but the one thing I am pretty certain of, is Chris Bosh is not going to be answering any questions about his future until he wants to and that is not going to be anytime soon.

Given the way the schedule has been constructed, we will all know just how good this Raptor team can be early on. If the Raptors can be a team that is above .500 heading into 2010 they will be on a path to success. The real question then becomes what is success for this team? They still even in the best case situation most people see them as 4th best team in the East or worse. Which would mean the Raptors in theory need to finish in 4th or 5th to advance at least a round in the playoffs. Which if you go by expectations would see a Hawks and Raptors Playoff series. Interesting that would be given the strange and odd history between the 2 clubs. However there is an entire season to play and you never know what lies around the corner. Just ask the Miami Heat who apparently have had there young star in Michael Beasley find himself in a rehab suffering with depression. The point is life is dynamic and none of us truly know what tomorrow can bring be it good or bad.

But if you base things on what the expected outcomes could be the Raptors seem like a team that is ready to return to the Playoffs once again. There is a lot of heavy expectations for them to do so. Which I think is fantastic. After all this will be year 15 of Raptors basketball. Just to have grown to the point that so many people care about the Raptors and basketball is something to smile about. A lot has changed in 15 years and one of those things is the number of fans and people that love basketball. If you have been a life long basketball fan this is something that is cause to celebrate regardless of if this team matches the lofty expectations that will come it's way. The Raptors are truly relevant and important to a lot of people. Look around the league at how many cities that can not honestly say that. Raptor fans have stuck with this team from the start and just grown in size and scope. I can not think of a group of people I enjoy more as a whole than Raptor Fans. I am proud to invest my time each day for such loyal and passionate people.

The Summer Of B.C

Things are slowing down as we approach the end of August. However what a summer it has been for Bryan Colangelo. He truly has recreated the Toronto Raptors and done what most felt was near impossible. Only the core of this Raptor roster remains from opening night in Philadelphia last year. How it will all work out is up for debate but no one can question that Bryan has not been hard at work reconstructing this Raptor roster. He even in a interview on the Fan 590 this past week suggests he may not be done.

If there was an off-season G.M of the year award it would go hands down to Bryan Colangelo. He has given Jay Triano a number of tools and options to allow him to be a success in his first full year as head coach of the Raptors. It has to be a good feeling for Triano to know that his G.M would put in so much work and is always striving to make this team better. It allows him to just focus on the task of coaching this squad and getting them prepared to be successful. Speaking of Jay, Romy Aquino of Hoops Head North had a chance to interview Jay as he was out in Halifax. I got to know Romy as he did a bit of work live blogging with us on The Score.com, so congrats to him on being able to land an interview with Jay Triano.

In a summer that started with rumours of if Chris Bosh would be traded it has drastically changed for the better. I entered into this off-season feeling unsure about the Raptors future. Now that we are approaching the end of it, I find myself the most optimistic I have been in a long time. Sure there still is a lot of questions to be answered. The biggest of which is if Chris Bosh will remain with the Raptors beyond this season. However the team Colangelo has built gives me hope that it is possible to see a path that may lead Bosh to stay in Toronto. At the start of this off-season that was a lonely dark road that few people dared go down.

I had said in this blog long before this reconstruction started that the number one goal of Bryan Colangelo was to keep Chris Bosh and not trade him. I am not sure how many people believed me when I said it, but now do you believe? You should because Colangelo said that part of why he came here was to build a team around a talent like Chris Bosh. I think to often Bosh is not given the true respect he is due at times. He is a top talent in the NBA however you cut it and he gives all that he has to try to win. Vince Carter was and is a guy with immense talent but seldom lives up to it. Chris Bosh as worked is way to NBA stardom and he continues to do so.

This summer could mark the turn of not just Raptors chances for this upcoming season but for the franchise as a whole. Bryan Colangelo can change the perception of this franchise once and for all if he can re-sign Chris Bosh. That will end all of the V.C, T-Mac and Damon Stoudamire leaving talk in the history books where it belongs.

So Could You Do Better Than B.C?


I got approached by Ngozika Nwaneri about a fantasy basketball game called Mock GM. I took a look at the game and concept and it seemed pretty interesting and something very different from you average fantasy sports game. Now in the past I have taken part in all kinds of basketball related games. From sim leagues to fantasy leagues there is nothing I have not given a shot over the years. It seems fairly obvious that if you write a blog on basketball you would be a junkie for anything basketball related. I was asked if I wanted to set up a league for the Dino Nation Blog to try this out, I thought it looked interesting so after exchanging some e-mails, we did create a league for all of you to take part in if you like. Here is the link to our league on Mock GM. It is free to play and it will not cost you anything. How is works is unique. Instead of you standard fantasy game in which you would hold draft and pick players, you start with the current NBA franchise you sign up to be G.M of and go from there. You can also choose to go the Jerry Maguire route and be an agent for up to 30 NBA players. The league is set to launch on Friday at 7pm (Toronto Time) and basically it works on a first come first serve basis. I am going to allow some reader the chance to run the Raptors and I will take on some other team. I may even decide to be an agent. If you want some background on how all of this work I will provide a couple links to the basics and the rules. Mock G.M Basketball 101 and the rules to play as a G.M or Agent. However I thought it might be a good idea to have Ngozika pay a visit to the starting 5 as well to give me and you an overview of the game and tell us more about it.



It seem interesting enough to try. I still will have your more tradition fantasy options for you when the season approaches. But this offers a chance for fans who all think they have the answers to go out and prove it. Same goes for bloggers as well. It is very easy to say what you would do in a G.M's shoes but this game comes as close to putting you in that chair as you are likely going to get. As mentioned interview as well if you are a bit foggy on how the CBA works this will provide you some real life experience as to how it does. So if you think you have the stuff or just are looking to have some fun in the dog days of summer sign up at PASPN.net and get ready for the fun to start Friday. If you have friends or family that you want to join up feel free to invite them to play as well.

Adnan Virk Of Raps T.V In Starting 5

Today in the starting 5 it is a pleasure for me to welcome back Adnan Virk. I got to know Adnan long before he was "The Baller" when we worked together. He has done very well for himself since those days. He recently made the move from The Score to Raptors T.V and will also be working on the other networks of the MLSE family. When I do an interview with Adnan you never know what might happen. This time around we talk about Bryan Colangelo, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Demar Derozan and Jarrett Jack. That along with some thoughts on Adnan's new job and he even offers me one. It is always fun talking with Adnan and we have a lot of fun doing our interviews together. There is near the end someone in the background who is not exactly a fan of our interview. But hopeful you will be a fan of what we did this time around. It sounds like Adnan is going to be a very busy guy, but I will do my best to bring him back whenever possible. He truly is one of the funnier people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Now if I could just get him to call me James instead of Jimmy. It was a nickname from when we worked together, although I forget the exact reason why.





Adnan did mention his blog on Raptors.com I will have to add that to the Web Directory. Right now his blogs are going under the Raptors TV blog. Not sure if that will change once the season starts I guess will see. But Adnan is always a guy that brings a lot of fun and energy to what he does. I am looking forward to him being part of the crew on Raps TV for this upcoming season. Hope you enjoyed this latest chat with the two of us. You truly never know what you are going to get when the two of us get together. The only guarantee is we both do are very best to be entertaining and informative. All the best to Adnan in this move and wish him nothing but success. Also the weather in Southern Ontario was not good. So you may not have been able to check out DNB Radio, but you can hear the full show if you check over on the right under DNB RADIO.

Matt Devlin is in The Starting 5

At this time last year Matt Devlin was in China covering the Olympics. It has been just over a year since Matt became the play by play voice of the Toronto Raptors. The team that he first signed on to cover has had quite the make over. Just 3 of the players who's names he called on opening night in Philly last year remain on this Raptors basketball team. He has in that year been a guest in the Dino Nation Blog on many occasions. I had Matt come on after he called his first ever game in the pre-season and many other times. He is always willing to come on and share his thoughts and have some fun with me. Today was no exception as we talk about many different subjects. Including Jay Triano and what all these changes mean for him. The job Bryan Colangelo has done in this off season. He gives his take on where this Raptors team fits into the mix in the Eastern Conference. Along with thoughts on the most recent trade. At least, the most recent one at the time of the interview. The way Bryan Colangelo is going you can never be sure. We even talk Twitter. Matt was on a cell so there is a bit of audio issues with that. But hopefully it does not take away from your enjoyment of the interview. But cellular technology is not perfect.



Thanks to Matt as always for making time for us here at the Dino Nation Blog. I do not keep stats on this sort of thing but Matt has been one of our most frequent visitors to the Dino Nation Blog and it is greatly appreciated by me. It has been a pleasure to get to know him in some small way over the past year. He is always very easy going and willing to take the time out for me.

So hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget DNB Radio is on the air over the internet on Blog Talk Radio at it's new and improved time of 10pm EDT. Hope you tune into to listen as I will have some thoughts on this interview and a couple others I have done recently. That along with thoughts on the Raptors and NBA along with maybe even some calls from you folks as well. I have another interview scheduled for today and if all goes well that you can look for tomorrow here on the Dino Nation Blog. I may have time to get a clip of it and give you a sneak preview of it tonight on DNB Radio.

Raps Have 15 and Reason To Think Positive?

You can never be certain with Bryan Colangelo but it seems like the Raptors... might be done? There is still talk that Raptors would like to move Marcus Banks but that seems more like mission impossible. But the Raptors have reached that magic number of 15 to fill a roster. It has been a heck of an off season... has it not? 9 new faces and realistically only the core players remain. Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon are really the only players of significance that Colangelo kept. No offense to Quincy Douby, Patrick O'Bryant and Marcus Banks, but I don't think any of them can be considered rotation players. It has always been said that Bryan Colangelo hates to lose. They also say actions speak louder than words. Well a loud and clear statement has been made to Raptor fans. It has been that same statement made to Chris Bosh. If the true goal of Bosh is to win. Which Zack Cooper said yesterday he thinks it is, in our interview and I agree with him. Chris Bosh has to be impressed with the response of his G.M to failure. In fact Bryan Colangelo makes other G.M that make excuses that they can't make moves look quite silly.

True all of this is on paper and in theory but everyone to a man thinks the Raptors have greatly improved. Many folks like to use statistics and what not to try to illustrate points. I respect the folks that do the work and research it takes to do these type pieces. However I have always based my opinions based on what I know and what I see. Stats are great when you are talking about your fantasy league. However it is about wins and loses at the end of the day. Lots of options for this team in terms of depth. It should make for a very competitive situation for the final few spots in Jay Triano's rotation. Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems just become 2 more people in the mix battling for time.

The last time Colangelo did a major make over like this the results were fantastic. If you want proof just go look at the banner that hangs in the ACC for evidence. That being said this team needs to do some things that Division Championship team did not. The first and foremost thing is get off to a quick start. That team that won the Atlantic actually never got off to the greatest start if you recall. This team given it's schedule can not afford to fall behind like that out of the blocks. There was no Boston big 3 back then and the East as a whole was much weaker. If you are willing to concede that Boston, Orlando and Cleveland will be the top 3 teams in the East. That leaves just one home playoff spot to secure. The Atlanta Hawks held that spot last year. They also have made some adjustments and improvements. But, no team in the East has made more changes than the Toronto Raptors.

As much as people will crunch numbers and stats it will come down to that great unknown called chemistry. How all the people and personalities come together. A large part of building that falls on the coaching staff and of course head coach Jay Triano. In his time with team Canada, Jay did a tremendous job at building that kind of chemistry in short periods of time. He will need those skills to do that for this team to get them ready for a very challenging start to the the schedule. Go look at it for yourself, and tell me how many easy wins you find in November?

They do say it is not how you start it is how you finish. However if the Raptors want to not just make the playoffs, but make noise in them, that phrase will not apply. Remember how everyone talked last year about the turn in the schedule. Well the Raptors can't wait around for that this season. If the Raptors are serious about being in the mix in the East they can not be saying wait till February. That is when the schedule drastically shifts in the Raptors favour this year.

Even though it may be all just on paper at this point Bryan Colangelo has done a heck of a job turning over this roster. I don't think you can find a person that thinks he could have done anymore then what he has done. It is now up to his choice for the coach of this team to make him look good. It is up to the players as well. If Chris Bosh has the breakout season that I am personally expecting along with all these changes it should make the Raptors a solid team that no one can afford to overlook. Still a long way to the end of October, but expectations are growing for this team and unlike last year, I think there is a more solid foundation to believe in them.

Starting 5 with Zack Cooper From Fan 590

The Dino Nation Blog is always looking to add to our guest list. Zack Cooper works for the Fan 590 and does a lot of work for the Fan 590 in covering the Toronto Raptors. He can be found on many days covering Raptor practices or games. So to have someone like this as a guest is obviously something that will add some insight for us. It has been an off-season full of changes and the faces have changed quite a bit. Zack also hosts the the show Got Game on the Fan 590. That is on Sunday's at 5pm. He has a passion for the whole gaming world, as well as the sports world. So we do talk a little bit on that as well. I also recently had the pleasure of being a guest on The Fan 590 with Zack and was grateful for the opportunity to do that. He gave me my debut as a guest on the station. So it only seemed right to bring him to the Dino Nation Blog for his debut in The Starting 5. It is growing to become quite the impressive line-up. So is the Raptors line-up for that matter. We talk about the latest trade to go down off the top and get into all the moves that have been made. In addition some thoughts on what all of this will mean for Chris Bosh. I hope you will enjoy this latest edition of the Starting 5. There are a few more guests scheduled for this week. Zack is hitting in the lead off spot and does a great job in kicking off what should be a good week for the DNB on the interview front.






It has been great to recently get to know Zack. I am very lucky to have got to know so many talented folks thanks to the Dino Nation Blog. I consider Zack to be one of those talented folks. I had always enjoyed his work and hope to have him as a guest moving forward. I think you will agree he offered some excellent informed opinion and is someone that is around this Raptor Organization and can offer an insider point of view for us. Zack mentioned about Twitter and loving to chat gaming or sports so if you want to follow him on twitter he is @ZCoopertown Two more guests this week so make sure you check back in with us. Both are returning guests to the Starting 5. I am on Twitter as well if you want to keep on top of what is going on with the Dino Nation Blog that is one of the better ways to do it @dinonationblog

NEWS NOTE:

The trade for Roko Ukic and Carlos Delfino for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems mentioned in this interview is now OFFICIAL the Raptors have issued a press release. Thanks to Holly Mackenzie for the heads up.

Don't Cry For Me Roko Ukic ..You Were Suppose To Be Much Better

If you have never seen the movie Evita with Madonna the humour of the the title may be lost on you. But none the less it seems Bryan Colangelo despises summer vacation of any kind. Still hard at work attempting to make his Raptors better. The deal that is being reported

To The Bucks:

- Rights to SG/SF Carlos Delfino
- PG Roko Ukic

To Toronto

- Forward Amir Johnson
- Guard/Forward Sonny Weems






When you consider the Raptors are doing basically a sign and trade for Carlos Delfino, was not like he was ever on the roster. This basically becomes a trade about Roko Ukic.It seems pretty clear that the Raptors felt much like myself that Roko had not developed at a rate they were happy with. That is why they went out and signed Jarrett Jack and it is why they considered drafting Jonny Flynn. So it makes sense to see Roko on the move. I was asked on the first DNB Radio if I saw any trade possibilities for Roko or Marcus Banks. My response was that I saw it as unlikely. However Bryan Colangelo was smart enough to package Roko with an asset he had, but had no intention of using in Delfino. Coming back the other way is Amir Johnson who was on of those young players on that Pistons bench that was suppose to be the the future. He is someone who perhaps could bring something to the table. Weems I will admit I am not all that familiar with but he is 6 foot 6 and will be a depth player at both shooting guard and more importantly small forward. He comes from a solid college program in Arkansas. Basically these are 2 guys that may be something or may not. This is not a trade that is going to shake the foundation of what has already been constructed by Bryan Colangelo. The deal speaks to me more about where Roko was at than anything else.

This also would put an end to any speculation of a return of Pops Mensah-Bonsu or Joey Graham until further notice. There is an outside chance that Marcus Banks could be bought out to open up a roster spot but that would seem unlikely at least not to just bring back Joey or Pops.

I heard someone on the Fan 590 today just in a full rage about the fact the Raptors would trade Roko and give up on him so soon? He used the example of Calderon. See that is your problem right there. What Jose Calderon did from year 1 to year 2 is the exception and not the rule. I watched Roko play in all 5 summer league games and he really had not shown any huge signs of growth or development. It was basically the same Roko. He also brought up his numbers with Croatia being improved. What people do in FIBA Basketball does not translate over to the NBA necessarily. Steve Nash did take his time with team Canada and used it as a spring board to his NBA Career but again that is rare and not the rule.

What both Nash and Calderon did was special and truly Roko beyond the odd flash of brilliance has never been that "special". This was a guy drafted by Rob Babcock. He was a projected first round pick that fell into the 40's. These things do not happen by accident. Rob Babcock does not have the best draft record in the world in his brief and destructive term as Raptors GM. Charlie V I would class as his only true solid draft choice. The rest have been variations of the word "bust". Could light come on one day and Roko will become a good point guard in this league? You can never say no for certain but the odds are highly in favour of the house on this one. Doug Smith on the same fan 590 said he doubts Roko is better than a 3rd string point guard for the Bucks. Who have according to Raptorblog's Scott Carefoot (and I don't disagree) the worst starting point guard in the league in Luke Ridnour. How can you really question Colangelo shifting things around and adding some depth at small forward and perhaps power forward in the case of Johnson.

So please don't shed any tears for Roko Ukic, or for Pops or Joey for that matter. This off season was about erasing all that went wrong last season and the addition of now (if this deal does get finalized) 9 new faces that mission has been more than accomplished. It also gives Jay Triano a fresh canvas to paint on in his first year as head coach full time. This was something that had to be done for Jay to have a good chance at being successful in my view. The only question I have is for Bryan Colangelo...are we done now? I doubt he will have time to answer as he is likely on the phones trying to trade Marcus Banks for someone. If Bryan can do that he truly will have nothing left to do but sit and wait for the season to begin.

Eric Smith Is The Guest In The Starting 5

It has been awhile since Eric Smith has been a guest with us here at the Dino Nation Blog. He had a acceptable reason though, as he recently has become a father. Family is always something that has been important to me as many of you know. I was able to catch up with Eric after co-hosting the Game Plan with Jack Armstrong. Eric will be doing the show next week when Jack is having some vacation time. So it was great to talk with Eric and get his thoughts on all that has gone on with the Raptors this off-season. We get into his thoughts on the job Bryan Colangelo has done. His thoughts on if Jarrett Jack impacts on the re-signing of Chris Bosh. This along with his thoughts on Bosh staying or going in general. Along with some thoughts on the Raptor draft choice DeMar DeRozan. He shares how he thinks the Raptors may use him. Along with talking about the fact the people need to manage expectations both good and bad. Also some thoughts on the schedule and the task that faces Jay Triano and the Raptors. In getting ready for DNB Radio tomorrow I had been making some music bumpers for that. So name that tune off the top and then it is Eric and myself. Hope you enjoy it.

Eric Smith in Starting 5

James B's Podcast

So thanks to Eric for his time and thoughts on the Raptors. Just a reminder to everyone about the start of DNB radio on the web tomorrow night at 10pm. The first show is going to be an hour long and I am looking forward to it. Going to have a guest in the first 30 minutes and you can call in and take part. Check the link for all the details.

Challenges That Lie Ahead

It has been a summer of excitement and enthusiasm with all the moves Byran Colangelo has made. The release of the schedule yesterday was a sign it is clear reality is coming. There is no question that this new group of Raptors are going to be baptized under fire. Jay Triano will need to prove Bryan Colangelo right and not wrong in picking him to coach this squad. I have grown to be accepting of Jay despite my doubts. However if this thing does not get off to a good start all eyes will be on Triano. It will be interesting to see what happens should things go wrong. I think most people want Jay to be successful because he is Canadian. It is not to suggest he is not a good coach, it is just the reality that he has a positive bias going for him. Sam Mitchell was someone who based on his personality that would be a guy you loved or hated. He was bombastic and funny, with Sam what you saw was what you got. Despite a much more mild mannered approach, Jay is a competitor as well. Last season when he smashed a defenseless clipboard you got to see that fire inside him.

One of the things, that I had said would be required, for Jay to be successful, was a turnover of this roster. He had been a part of this organization for far to long to not require that. It is a very hard task to move from being an assistant coach with a team to the head coach of the same team. The core players remain but there has been enough change that Jay can be effective. Chris Bosh has a solid relationship with Triano and actually endorsed him keeping his position at head coach. The question will be when adversity comes, and given that first month of the schedule it will, how is that handled.

No matter how much you love the moves Bryan Colangelo has made, it still will come down to his choice as coach and that coaches choice of staff. It will be a great task to get all of this talent to learn fast and get to know each other over the span of a training camp and pre-season. This Raptor team will need to be ready right from the start. It is a lot of pressure for Triano. I am not saying that I don't hope and think he can rise to the challenge. But I think everyone would agree that Bryan Colangelo has went above and beyond to give him the tools to be successful. Now it real is up to Jay.

It is also is up to Chris Bosh. If the goal for Bosh is to get a max contract he will need to rise to a new level. Much like the case with Triano, he can not say that Bryan Colangelo has not done all he could to make the team around him better. It is on the defensive end where Bosh has the most room to grow. He did average a 20 and 10 season last year. That fact seems to get lost on some with the Raptors terrible season.

Despite what people like Chad Ford seem to think they know...Bosh seems happy here. Ford in a recent article suggests that Bosh is counting the days till he can return to the United States. That seems odd when you consider that Bosh has spent perhaps the most time I can ever recall this off-season in Toronto. Anyone who saw him out at Caribana would dispute the fact he seems so unhappy here... according to Ford. When all this is said and done a lot of people could be eating crow if Bosh remains a Raptor. I am proud to say that I am not one of them.

Calderon and Bargnani also must prove they are going to be core pieces worth keeping. Bargnani took some major steps forward last season. The addition of Marco Belinelli should add some stability for him off the floor. He must continue to grow on the floor and live up to the promise of when he was selected number 1 overall. In terms of Calderon he must show he can stay healthy and expand his game. Better defense and taking more educated risk on offense is necessary. The addition of Jarrett Jack gives the Raptors options should Calderon not improve in these areas. It also will allow him to play less minutes, which at least seemed to be a factor in some way to his injuries in my opinion.

Speaking of opinions. I have lots and hopefully you do as well. I am going to start tomorrow doing a weekly radio show online. DNB Radio is set to take to the internet on Thursday at 10pm. I am going to have a guest but there also will be time for you to call in and have your say as well. If this is successful it will continue every Thursday from now right through the season. There is a call in number for the show (347) 994-2767. I hope to hear from some of you.

Raptors Schedule Drops

I have joked around about on Twitter(@dinonationblog) the Raptors will indeed play 41 home dates and 41 away dates in 2009/10 season. The schedule was released officially at 1pm today. The info had leaked about a few dates but here is the official final word.

October/November

October 28th vs Cleveland
October 30th @Memphis
November 1st vs Orlando
November 4th vs Detroit
November 6th @ New Orleans
November 7th @ Dallas
November 9th @ San Antonio
November 11th vs Chicago
November 13th @ L.A Clippers
November 15th @ Phoenix
November 17th @ Denver
November 18th @ Utah
November 20th vs Miami
November 22nd vs Orlando
November 24th vs Indiana
November 25th @ Charlotte
November 27th @ Boston
November 29th vs Phoenix

December

December 1st vs Washington
December 2nd @ Atlanta
December 4th @ Washington
December 5th @ Chicago
December 8th vs Minnesota
December 9th @ Milwaukee
December 11th vs Atlanta
December 13th vs Houston
December 15th @ Miami
December 16th @ Orlando
December 18th vs New Jersey
December 20th vs New Orleans
December 23rd @ Detroit
December 27th vs Detroit
December 30th vs Charlotte

January

January 2nd @ Boston
January 3rd vs San Antonio
January 6th @ Orlando
January 8th @ Philadelphia
January 10th vs Boston
January 11th @ Indiana
January 15th @ N.Y Knicks
January 17th vs Dallas
January 19th @ Cleveland
January 20th @ Milwaukee
January 22nd vs Milwaukee
January 24th vs L.A Lakers
January 27th vs Miami
January 28th @ N.Y Knicks
January 31st @ Indiana

February

February 2nd @ Indiana
February 3rd vs New Jersey
February 7th vs Sacramento
February 10th vs Philadelphia
February 17 vs Memphis
February 19th @ New Jersey
February 20th vs Washington
February 24th vs Portland
February 26th vs Cleveland
February 28th @ Oklahoma City

March

March 1st @ Houston
March 5th vs New York
March 7th vs Philadelphia
March 9th @ L.A Lakers
March 10th @ Sacramento
March 13th @ Golden State
March 14th @ Portland
March 17th vs Atlanta
March 19th vs Oklahoma City
March 20th @ New Jersey
March 22nd @ Minnesota
March 24th vs Utah
March 26th vs Denver
March 28th @ Miami
March 29th @ Charlotte
March 31st vs L.A Clippers

April

April 3rd @ Philadelphia
April 4th vs Golden State
April 6th @ Cleveland
April 7th vs Boston
April 9th @ Atlanta
April 11th vs Chicago
April 12th @ Detroit
April 14th vs New York Knicks

I will break this down and have some thoughts on it later this afternoon

Here is the full release from Raptors.com

August Pot Luck Blog

Welcome to the dog days of August, where the potential 15th guy on the roster gets a lot of talk and love. But seriously will it matter all that much? If it is Pops Mensah Bonsu, Carlos Delfino or someone else, not to say that whoever the Raptors add would become number 15 on the roster deep chart. I think, the Raptors have done enough to be a better team regardless. But in the month of August there really is not much to talk about. Well there was this that involved a Raptor and a bunch of Canadians.




Part of me wanted to see Andrea in there throwing punches. However, Andrea was clearly in there trying to be a peacemaker. You talk about a conflict of interests of the Italian born #1 pick of Canada's lone NBA team. No question it was a dirty play that started that whole mess by the Italian. A conflict of interests for Canada Basketball as well not like anyone could go pop Andrea in the mouth. After all, the Raptors are a major source of funding for Canada Basketball. If you have been noticing there has been some positive results for Canada Basketball this summer. But the true measure will be if they make it to the World Championships. But at the younger levels of the program the future is bright.

There is the slow and painful to watch Stephon Marbury decline from reality. I watched an hour and said no more. This sounds very TMZish but Chis Bosh was in town along with Lebron James, Terrell Owens and Ex-Raptor Morris Peterson. All in town for Bosh's kick off party for Caribana. Truth is there is not a lot that goes on at this time of year. Things can go wrong like they did for the Indiana Pacers. Tyler Hansbrough who most felt the Pacers drafted to high will be sidelined for 1 to 2 months. That is clearly not a good sign for Larry Bird and crew.

Oh there was the talk of Allen Iverson to the Knicks as well. If it turns out David Lee is gone, and A.I ends up in, with all due respect to A.I it would make better sense to have David Lee. The excuse of the 2010 sweepstakes is rapidly not becoming and issue any longer for the Knicks. The dream of Lebron with a D-wade or a Chris Bosh is dying fast. Someone please tell Jalen Rose his guarantee is in big trouble.

So what do you do in the summer time to fill the void with no basketball? (Leave a comment and share it with us) I have been live blogging some baseball for the score. It has caused me to miss a lot of a great start for my hometown team the Ti-Cats. They made news this week bringing it Argo Arland Bruce III. This could be the CFL's answer to the Vince Carter trade if Bruce fits in here. The player the Argos got in return signed with the Buffalo Bills. So he will play in Toronto just not for the Argos. I am happy the Ti-Cats are showing signs of being better it really felt like they were becoming the CFL's answer to the L.A Clippers.

I did get to watch Orlando Magic fan Tiger Woods win his 69th golf tournament. I was live blogging the final round for The Score. What a treat it is to watch Tiger Woods do his thing. Never once did you think he was going to lose. There are view people in sports that inspire the confidence of a Tiger Woods. Michael Jordan may be the closest thing we have seen in basketball to Tiger. Back in the days before I was born you could make a case for Bill Russell as well. All they both did was win championships. Which is what Tiger does. He has now won 69 golf tournaments an amazing accomplishment that he has reached and is still in his 30's.

We went all over the sporting map today but it is a holiday nobody wants any kind of deep thinking reading for a holiday do they? Besides there is still 28 days to go in a month that does not promise a lot of NBA news in it. Although with Bryan Colangelo can you ever be sure he is truly done? That is part of what makes it fun to be a Raptors fan. However the summer of B.C is slow coming to an end. The fall will truly decide how good this summer has actually been. I am not as optimistic as some of you. I still think the top 4 in the East last year will be the same this year although they all have some new faces and challenges ahead. So enjoy the extra day off if you have it and see you all tomorrow.

Pasta For 2?

Things had become a little blah in Raptorland. But when Bryan Colangelo is your G.M that is just a phone call away from changing. Colangelo never allows himself be satisfied with what he has done. He also seems to have strong feelings about certain players and does not seem to rest until he lands them. That all being said if you have not heard the latest move of the "Super Genius" that is Colangelo here it is.

Marco Belinelli To Toronto

Devean George and $$$ To Golden State

I truly scratch my head as to what is in this deal for Golden State. Anytime you trade a player past his prime to get a guy that has yet to reach his potential is a good move. Not unlike the signing of Jarrett Jack this also offers a friend for Andrea Bargnani to have on the roster. Clearly things did not work out for Marco in Golden State after he was drafted he had tore up Summer League and looked to have a very bright future.





Here are his career numbers from NBA.Com. The Raptors also save a minor amount of cash in the deal. Belinelli has a year remaining on his rookie contract. While George is set to be a free agent after this season. Just another weapon to add to the mix for Bryan Colangelo. There real is nothing to lose and a lot to gain in this deal.

This has been a heck of a summer in which Bryan Colangelo has re-established himself with the fans and perhaps his superstar in Chris Bosh. Clearly even Bosh has to admit that Colangelo has done all humanly possible to improve this team. What this will mean in terms of filling out that last roster spot is unclear. It may allow Raptors to sign Carlos Delfino. However it might also give them some leverage to negotiate with Delfino as he would now be a luxury and not a requirement.

But for now yet another Bravo for B.C it has been a heck of a summer.

Update 1pm

Here is the official press release from the Toronto Raptors on Belinelli trade. They also confirmed the signing of Rasho Nesterovic and his return to the Raptors.

Jack Armstrong In DNB..But On Twitter?

It is always great to have Jack Armstrong come visit us here at the Dino Nation Blog. Who better to follow up having T.J Ford than one of my favourite guests in Jack. The last time Jack joined us I believe was prior to the NBA Draft. A lot has changed since that time and we go through a lot of the changes. As well we talk about Chris Bosh and his future this season and long term. Demar Derozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack and others are all talked about. We also address something that a lot of people on Twitter want to know. When will Jack Armstrong be on Twitter? I talk with Jack and give some creative ideas on how we might be able to get Jack Armstrong to join the Twitter Universe. I would not have even tried if I did not feel it was something the people wanted. I also would not have tried if I had not known Jack would have some fun with it. But regardless of if he makes it on to Twitter or not I am always happy to say hello to him and talk basketball. Which is the majority of what we talked about. But I gave it the old college try at the end of the interview to give some ways for Jack to consider joining Twitter. I should have mentioned to him the Jeff Van Gundy is on there. Anyway it is always great chatting with him so hope you enjoy this latest visit from Jack Armstrong.









Hope you enjoyed that interview. Jack is truly a great guy and I consider it a privilege to have him as a guest. He may never get on Twitter but regardless of if he does or does not people will always love Jack. I think that is why so many would like to see him on there in the first place. But he will hopefully always be a guest here on the Dino Nation Blog cause I love having him.

Tough Enough? Got Oak?

Bryan Colangelo made a clear and bold statement after this season. He declared what had been said in the fan base for a long time. This team was not tough enough. So he has gone about changing that this off-season. The most obvious of those moves was his first move in bringing in Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono. Jason had that laid back almost surfer dude approach to life. While Evans is a guy that brings his lunch box to work everyday. I would not expect there is sushi or anything you would find on the menu in the corporate seats at the ACC in that lunch bucket. What defines, what Reggie Evans is all about, is a game where he snagged 20 rebounds and recorded 0 points. Evans knows his role and accepts it freely.

Colangelo would also continue to add some toughness with his draft pick Demar DeRozan. He also was able to bring in Antonie Wright as part of that trade that brought in Hedo Turkoglu to the Raps. Jarrett Jack also was signed and is an upgrade in defense and toughness at the point. This was very lacking last year. Not to mention the Raptors welcomed back tough and gritty former point guard Alvin Williams. He was a selection of Jay Triano to add some toughness to the coaching staff as well.

But with the news a couple days ago that Charles Oakley wants to coach in the league that got people talking. Oakley for years has been the poster boy for when the Raptors were tough. He was the guy who was not afraid to speak his mind about anything. From his belief that 75% of the league were marijuana users, to calling out the team's star at the time Vince Carter. He also once famously popped a guy at a shoot around. Oakley is probably one of the most loved all time players for both both Raptors and Knicks fans.

Jeff Van Gundy in an interview once said that Oakley was the smartest player he has ever coached in the game. High praise from a guy that does not just hand out complements. It is also proof that he just might make a heck of a coach. It sure makes better sense than appearing on the Spike show Pros vs Joes. I can't help but feel sad for any player I see appearing on that show. I think that is like hitting rock bottom in your sporting career no matter what the sport.

Mark Cuban has taught us that there is no limit on the number of coaches you can have. There is no cap to worry about in terms of coaches. I found it so curious why the Raptors seem to have no interest. Why not? If the goal in to get tougher, be better on D, and have some accountability does Oakley not address all of that. He did as a player. Could he not do the same as a coach?

The word is that the Knicks maybe where he wants to land. However why not make a pitch to get him back in Toronto. People don't seem to like when I mention the concept of PR. But there is no question it is a slam dunk in that aspect. However based on all of the that I have said above it may make solid basketball sense as well.

Would Toronto not welcome Oakley back with open arms? MLSE can not really use a tax or a cap and an excuse not to get this done. Sadly it looks like it will not happen. Just another chapter to the Charles Oakley legend in Toronto. What if we had brought in Oakley as a coach? I have no doubt that Oakley could develop into a very good coach. The toughest thing for him to learn will be how to tone down his over the top personality. If you thing Sam Mitchell was over the top at times. Imagine what a Charles Oakley presser might look like after a bad loss? Oh the entertaining possibility much more entertainment than a Terrell Owens reality show or a Starbury Ustream that never ends.

Just want to thank everyone for what was a big day for Dino Nation Blog yesterday. It is really cool when the blog does something big like that. Anytime that happens I get a lot of folks that offer me some praise and get to chat with a lot of my readers. The support of you folks that have found and come back on a daily basis is humbling and greatly appreciated. If you found it through Facebook, Twitter or on The Score.com or somewhere else does not matter. The fact that you read each day and show me both kindness and love is, it also is motivating to keep me working hard not just for myself but for you.

Someone who has shown me a lot of kindness is going to be my guest in the Starting 5 later this afternoon...The Coach...Jack Armstrong. I will be talking with him late this afternoon so you can expect to see that interview up and posted sometime this evening. We have a ton to talk about with all the changes made by this team. Looking forward to it.

T-Dot Is Now "New" Jack City

I mentioned this in the live blog this afternoon. New Jack City is one of my all time favorite movies. I use to own the video tape and loaned to to friend when he was going on a road trip for football. Sadly it was lost and not returned. Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown was just one of the best roles Snipes has ever done. Ice-T is also one of my favourite all-time in Rap music. So I guess this makes the theme song for the Raptors this year New Jack Hustler?

There is no doubt this team is going to have more hustle and fight to it. From the first move of the summer adding Reggie Evans to the move today that brought Jarrett Jack to T.O. There is a new attitude and look to this Raptor team. Demar Derozan is tweeting daily about the work he is putting in. Jarrett Jack spoke about pushing Chris Bosh beyond to get to new levels. Not to just be happy with being a gold medalist and a multi time all-star. But to reach the brass rings of winning titles and M.V.P's. Having someone that is a good friend may just be able to do that. We all have people in our lives that can say stuff to you and that you will take to heart and act on it. Something they would say if said by someone else may not have the same impact as if said by that person. I mentioned that friend who borrowed my New Jack City tape. He was the star on the high school football team I played on. In being that a lot of people would tell him how great he was. I was one of his closer friends and I never did that. Instead I would always offer solid advice and never pump up his ego. I figured he had enough people to do that. I think he counted on me to be real with him and give him the honest truth, not just what he wanted to hear, but sometimes what he needed to hear.

I have no more insight into the relationship of Jarrett and Chris than anyone else. However if their relationship is anything like the one I had with my friend in high school it could be just what Chris Bosh needs. To stay motivated to win and not just win but win here with his friend. It seemed pretty clear by Bosh being in attendance for the press conference that this was something different. Sure he was excited about Hedo signing but he was not there for that. Now he was in town shooting for his DVD. However I think that was just a happy coincidence but regardless I think he would have been there. Jack said when he called Bosh and told him the news that Chris though he was pulling a prank. But it was very real.

Also you are hearing a message from Chris of late as well. This team has to get better at all positions including the 4 and that is me. He posted a couple clips of his workout on Twitter today. Although there is a fun side to Bosh with all the tweets and making DVD's and all of that. He does work hard at his main craft of being a basketball player as well. I think that point is lost on people. Chris Bosh wants to win and that has not changed.

Sure he is a much different guy from the some what shy introverted guy that first arrived in Toronto. However at the core of it all he works hard at everything he does. People may focus on his off court endeavors and some look at them with hate. I see a guy that is just flat out smart and knows how to have success beyond what he does on a basketball floor. He is a pioneer in a lot of things he has done. One of the first athletes that has truly understood how to take this new technological based world we live in and use it to his advantage. What is that expression don't hate the player hate the game. But the truth of the matter is that he has been at the front of creating a whole new game with Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and his own website. There is a real true genius about it all. However I think Bosh understands that at the end of the day it is how he is as a player that is what drives the whole thing.

Whenever I see comparisons of Vince and Chris it just makes me sick to my stomach. In this latest move bringing in Jack people have again brought in the Carter comparisons. But C.B never demanded that Jarrett Jack be a Raptor. Bryan Colangelo was just smart enough to see the benefit of it. Jarrett Jack as I have been saying in the past few days would make a good fit regardless of Bosh. However for all the reason stated in what has been written here, there are some obvious benefits to this. Chris is not anything like a Vince Carter. People in Orlando may find that out the hard way this season.

Jack is a tough minded guy and you could hear that in some of his words today. There have been a number of failed matches with Chris over his time in over his time in Toronto. However maybe the one that he had when he was the ACC Freshman of the Year and became a #4 selection in the NBA draft was always the best one.

This may not be New Jack City. However there is a new attitude and swagger back in T-Dot. Not sure if it matches the swagger of a NIno Brown or a Gee Money. However let's hope it is not because if you have seen the movie it does not end up so good for them. Bryan Colangelo has successfully changed the script in Toronto and now it is up to Jay Triano and his staff along with these players to get it done. Still a few more additions to be made but the foundation has been set.

Can this movie have a happy ending that sees Chris Bosh remain a Raptor? That is the ultimate question that this season is going to determine.

Jack Presser Live Blog

The Dino Nation Blog is JACKED to announce this latest LIVE BLOG EVENT. So if you are on facebook, Twitter or where ever you may be tell a friend and let's make this the BIGGEST DNB LIVEBLOG ever. After all Jarrett Jack is a Raptor. You know Chris Bosh is happy about that. So let's share in the joy together. Come back here at 2:15pm and be part of this latest live blog. If the press conference is not online or on Raps T.V we will still have a kick butt Raptors Chat for you to enjoy. It is Tuesday Afternoon did you really have anything else to do?






So see you at 2:15 pm looking forward to having fun with all you folks that support the Dino Nation Blog.

Reunited and It Feels So Good?

Word coming from Larry Bird the president of the Pacers that indeed the Indiana Pacers will not match the offer sheet of the Raptors for Jarrett Jack. So let the Georgia Tech reunion happen. Chris Bosh was the A.C.C Freshman of the year playing along side Jarrett Jack at the rambling wreck of Georgia Tech. I always liked the Yellow Jackets if for no other reason there cool logo and mascot. Michigan will always be on the top of my list for favourite college though. But now Bosh and Jack have reunited officially here in Toronto. I always thought it was a marriage that made sense. I even thought in Jack's draft year the Raps should have jumped in and got a late first round pick to select him. But that never happened. However better late than never. Timing is everything and many will question the true motives of this move. But as much as it is an added bonus that Jack and Bosh are friends this move still makes sense. Roko Ukic may never be what people had hoped and made it clear in summer league he is no where close to being a legit back up point guard in the NBA. People myself included felt it was necessary for the Raps to address the back-up point guard position. After many( Myself not included) said that it did not matter if the Raps had a legit back up point guard last year. That turned out as I said it could to be a huge mistake. There was no way the Raptors could afford to enter another season in that situation again. O.K..Time out!!! for a You Tube Intermission.





That was Buzz the Georgia Tech Mascot. Jack is expected to be in town tomorrow to make this all official "Official". I will be doing a live blog of the press event if it is indeed covered on Raptors T.V. If not it will end up being another Raptor Chat. But just to prepare you all should try to get this next little number from You Tube down if you would like to welcome Jack to T.O in a good way.



It is no Hail To the Victors..that is the Michigan Fight Song if you did not know. I will dig that up when we have Brent Petway back in the blog. But for one day I think T.O will all have a lot of Yellow Jacket Love.

Different Actors But Same Movie For Raptors?

I can't help but sit back and wonder if this is a case of De Ja VU. But first let's clear some stuff up. To sign Hedo the Raptors have to give up rights (Renounce) Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino and Joey Graham and Pops Mensah-Bonsu by July 7th. Also in addition I have read and been told that the Raptors also will not have their MLE(Mid level exception) as a result of this signing. According to Doug Smith the only way the Raptors could get it back it to workout a sign and trade for Shawn Marion with Orlando. Given the fact they brought in V.C that seems unlikely. Perhaps some wacky 3 way deal could be worked out but I would not hold my breath. Basically the Raptors have given up the rights to 5 players and their mid level exception to sign Hedo. That seems like a heck of a lot does it not? Just like trading T.J Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and Roy Hibbert for Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai. That deal became worse given the health issues of Jawai. J.O also would have his injury issues as well. Would anyone do a 6 asset deal to get 1 player in a trade? I mean this is for Hedo not Dwight Howard.

I hear and read all of this talk about how great this is that we landed a high end free agent. It is only great if it works, if it doesn't it really means nothing. In fact honestly I question if it even means anything at all in terms of North American players. Does the fact we signed Hedo make the next Trevor Ariza type free agent sign in Toronto. Ariza in case you forgot or did not hear was offered allegedly 9 million more to come to Toronto and passed. Does that change this from happening again? Not unless the Raptor become a consistent and winning team.

In fact, I think the success of Demar DeRozan could have more impact on getting North American free agents than a Hedo signing. If DeRozan lives up to his promise and becomes a star and remains in Toronto that will do more for attracting free agents than anything. If a kid who grew up in Compton California gives Toronto a stamp of approval that will speak louder than any Euro player signing in Toronto in terms of North American talent. There would be a certain street cred about that. It is not to say that Vince Carter or Chris Bosh don't have that. But it is different. Dallas and Florida are not anything close to where DeRozan comes from. I may have watched Boyz In The Hood one to many times. However I think it would be something that might change attitudes about players coming to Toronto. It just a theory but I think it might have some merit.

But signing a Euro based player beyond improving the on the court product will have little to no impact on free agency in the future. The Raptors in the end regardless of what it does for future free agency may have given up far to much to sign Hedo. They will need to hit some major league home runs in terms of signing guys to minimum deals. As I suggested perhaps a guy or maybe even 2 on the summer league roster would have to get signed and make an impact in some small way.

The depth of this team is truly lacking and I am not convinced this is something Bryan Colangelo has some magic answer for. A sign and trade for Marion is extremely unlikely with the Magic. If the Raptors have no mid level exception they are really screwed in terms of adding depth. This team to me would enter the season in the same position it did last year in terms of being just one injury away from certain doom. If any play 1-3 goes down the Raptors could be totally screwed.

The one thing I can bet you won't here from Bryan Colangelo that this is the best roster he has had since he has been here. I think he learned his lesson on that last year. But it seems he has not when it comes to building depth on this team. Honestly I don't like to come off as the voice of doom. In fact, unlike some writers and bloggers, I really hope that I am wrong. I want to see the Raptors do well and succeed. If that happens to make me wrong about some things I can live with that. But I never write anything that I don't believe to be true from my prospective. That was the lesson I learned from the Jermaine O'Neal trade. I hated it from the start and would allow myself to be swayed. Well not this time. This is a bad contract and it does not address enough to out weigh the problems it creates. All this being said I do think the Raps will be a playoff team. But as I said a few days ago the goal is suppose to be Championships not Playoff appearances.

Change Is Not Easy

First off Happy Father's Day. To be honest, I lost my father and for folks in my position, this day has mixed emotions. I have mentioned my father a few times in this blog. He was not much of a basketball fan. But he did have a passion and love for sports. If he was alive today he would be glued to his T.V watching Mike Wier try to win a U.S Open. The lesson that I have always taken with me from my father is to be grateful for all that comes my way. I get to interview people and have had a chance to take my love of sports and try to make a career out of it. So it has always made me grateful for anything that comes from that. He living in Hamilton and working at Dafasco was a big Ti-Cat fan. I had the chance to cover some Cat games and go in the press box. Covering the CFL may for some not seem like a huge deal. But being in that press box at Ivor Wynne was a place I am sure my dad would have loved to have been. So I consider all that I do a privilege. It takes a lot of ego to work in the media on any level. But the lesson in that story I just told is what will always keeps me humble and grounded. So for anyone that is in my spot on this day, I hope you can have memories and remembrances that you can keep with you like that. Also, if you still are lucky enough to have your father be grateful for that everyday and not just today. Trust me in saying there are lots of folks that would trade to be in your shoes and have a father to talk with and enjoy. I am not sure what my dad would think about what I do. I would hope, that he would be proud and happy about all that I have done. I know this much the Dino Nation Blog would have a few more hits each day because my dad would likely tell everyone he knew to come on the site.

You always hear the expression that these are not you father's (Insert Team Name). Like everything in life sports teams change. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not so much. Raptors made a major change last year that would rank in the not so much category. So here we sit on the verge of change again. Some has already happened in moving Jason Kapono for Reggie Evans. Change is something that is easy to sell in hard times. Obama became President on a message of change and hope. Those two words just go naturally together. The reasons you make change is to provide a new and better outlook on things.

But not all change is good change. Chris Bosh being traded would rank in that for me. Some people may think so but it has been said in this blog many times how much I disagree with that. In fact if Bosh is traded I think it will be a loss of hope for the near future for a great deal of Raptor fans. Trading Bosh is never going to result in a deal that will match the level of player he is. People are always so quick to focus on what is wrong with Chris Bosh and they forget far to fast all the things that are right. If you are expecting to Bosh to be a Kobe, Lebron or D-Wade you will never be happy with the guy. However he has shown that at his own position on the floor he can be ranked up with the very best at his position. He is a 4 time all star and you could even make the argument that early in his career he deserved another. The constant number of Bosh rumours will continue and it does not mean much of anything. Lots of times these rumours that pop up are nothing more than test balloons to see what the reaction might be. Like say Golden State has interest in Bosh as that was the latest rumour I can remember off the top of my head. Why not put a story out that suggests a trade and see what happens. Have the Raptors and Warriors talked? I am sure they have but just as sure as I am that Raptors have talked to many teams. There is no way to truly know what gets talked about unless someone tells us. That does not happen much if NBA G.M's want to have a solid relationship with other teams. So you get these stories leaked from sources with in the organization. Every once in awhile one of these stories will be proven to be true. But just because you read something on the internet, in a newspaper or even on T.V or Radio you hear it. That does not mean anything beyond speculation 95% of the time. So as this summer rolls along keep that in mind. My speculation is that Chris Bosh will remain a Raptor and be in training camp this year. I have no sources to confirm this, it is just a general sense that I get.

Change in life can be a painful process. Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World said that they fear change. I am with them on that. Change is always a scary thing. That is why you need to have that hope to go along with it. Because without hope and faith that the change will make things better you have nothing. However to just state you want change is not enough. It takes a ton of work to make that change happen. Be it changing a country like Obama or just changing ourselves it is never easy. It takes intelligence, dedication, drive and the odd lucky break never hurts. Bryan Colangelo I think has all of those qualities to do the job. What he will turn this Raptor team into over the summer is going to be very interesting. The next part of putting that puzzle together happens this Thursday with the draft. I fully expect and yes hope that the Raptors are going to walk away from the draft with 2 first round picks.

I am not sure if this is the debate in the Raptors war room but it seems in the fan base and media it is down to two guys. Demar DeRozan or Jonny Flynn. Derozan is the favourite of most. The Raptors desperate need for a wing player and DeRozan have the athletic finishing ability that Raptors have not had since flight 15 headed to New Jersey. Flynn is a tough guy that would also fill a glaring need in back up point guard. Jose Calderon has proven that even though he is a starter worthy player that playing extended is not something his body can handle. Flynn is more or less a T.J Ford like replacement. Not in terms of personality but in terms of offering a dramatic change of pace. But be it DeRozan or Flynn the Raptors have more than one need to get back on track. That is why the 3 million or so dollars they acquired in cash considerations will be vital and will allow them to buy a 2nd 1st round pick. Honestly this MUST happen in my view. So I am planning based on it happening. There are 2 combos that I like a lot for the Raptors based on picking DeRozan or Flynn.

The DeRozan Option:

Raptors select at 9- Demar DeRozan (USC)
They acquire a pick in range of 25-30 and draft Pat Mills ( St. Mary's)

This gets the Raptors the best option they can hope for at the wing staying a 9. It also gets you a point guard in Pat Mills that in other drafts would be at the top of the class in terms of point guards. This draft has depth at the point guard position and it would be a crime if the Raptors did not take advantage of that. Mills is an Aussie like Nathan Jawai. In fact they are good friends. So in addition to getting a point guard that scouts loved at the Olympics and got praise from Chris Paul in playing against him twice. They also bring in someone that may add a level of comfort for Jawai and help in his development from a mental point of view. In the past Raptors had Jose and Garbo from Spain. Why not have a couple young Aussies to team up on the roster.

The Flynn Option:

Raptors Select at 9- Jonny Flynn ( Syracuse )
They acquire a pick in the 18-23 range and select Sam Young (Pitt)

Bryan Colangelo stated this team needs to get tougher. If you thought he was joking the trade for Reggie Evans should make you a believer he was not. Flynn despite is small size is a warrior in the way a guy like an Allen Iverson is. Not to say he plays anything like Iverson in terms of game. But in terms of heart and desire. Just look to the game the eliminated Syracuse from the NCAA Tournament for your proof. Young is part of a very tough team out of Pitt and he would offer a different answer to the wing problem than Derozan. But that does not mean it would not be a good one. If Colangelo pulled off this 2 some he again makes another statement to how this Raptor team is getting tougher and meaner. The idea of an Alvin Williams working with a talent like Jonny Flynn is something to be excited about.

At the end of the day, if Raptors can pull off one or the other it will address 2 big needs for this team. I have mentioned in talking with folks about this draft what Miami was able to do last year. They added Beasley and Chalmers and they became rotation players right away. I think that if you can do the same if you are the Raptors this year you can be very happy with things.

So once again Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Also for those without a father on this day my thoughts and prayers go out to you. But be it Mother's Day, Father's Day or Flag Day. Do not just leave it to the holidays on a calender to show the people you care about that you love them and they matter to you. We never know how long any of us will be here. Do not forget to do it or you may live with regret for the rest of your days. We all share a love of basketball but as human beings we all share some other things as well. The ability to love and be loved. Love in and of itself is the biggest risk of all. So if you love someone be it your Dad, Mom, Wife, Kids or anyone else. Always let them know it every chance you get.