Ford Tough Forever

I woke up to some really sad news for myself as basketball fan. Learning that T.J Ford has shut it down for the rest of the season and most likely his NBA Career. T.J was the first NBA player to talk with us here in the Dino Nation Blog. He was one of my all-time favorite NBA players. When Bryan Colangelo acquired Ford from the Bucks it was one of my personal most exciting moments. I had become a fan of Ford during his career at Texas. There was something about the way he played the game that appealed to me on some level. He was far from the biggest guy on the floor. However he played at such a high rate of speed with an aggressive nature and swagger to it all. He may not have been the biggest dog in the fight but he played like he was. That fearless nature he had would lead to some great moments and some devastating injuries. As tough as Ford played the game it was perhaps his mental toughness that I would grow to admire more. After his injury in Milwaukee his bright NBA future was put in serious doubt. However after a long rehabilitation he came back and was that same aggressive T.J Ford.

Still, with Ford gone for the Bucks it would lead to the emergence of his back up Mo Williams and led to T.J being expendable for Milwaukee. That would bring him to Toronto and make me one of the happiest people on earth at the time. He would bring all that fire and passion to the Raptors. He would team up with Chris Bosh and it was an optimistic time for the Raptors. Perhaps for the first time since Vince Carter had left town. He would be backed up by Jose Calderon and the two became an unstoppable 1-2 punch for the Raptors at the point guard position. They were the perfect compliments to each other. All would be fine until some started to feel that Calderon maybe should be the 1 in that 1-2 punch. Still Ford remained as the starter and Sam Mitchell would juggle between the two. It would lead to a point guard controversy. Ford would be a spectator watching Calderon turnover the ball in game six to the Nets and the Raptors season would be over.

T.J would start to be painted as a villain by some. The only reason being that he was unwilling to surrender his starting role. He was not afraid to say that he wanted to be the starter and that was that. In contrast Calderon would say he would do what was best for the team and just wanted to win. It seemed to be suggested by omission that Ford didn't want to win. He did want to win, he just felt that he as the starter was the best way to achieve that. Still, Ford would remain in the starting role and everything remained fine until that fateful night in Atlanta. T.J Ford was having perhaps one of the best games of his NBA Career and as he was about to finish off a lay-up in a game that was basically done it happened again. Ford would be sent crashing to earth by Al Horford. I to this day maintain it was a stupid and unnecessary play by the then Hawks rookie. Ford would leave the court on a stretcher with fear in his eyes. No doubt going through haunting memories of his last serious injury at the hands of Mark Madsen. While Ford never held any ill will towards Horford, as one of his biggest fans I sure did. This would cause a series of events that would lead to the ultimate implosion of "Forderon". While T.J faced another long road back to getting on the floor, Jose Calderon was coming out and taking his game to another level. Late that season Ford would return and at first would not be given his starting job back. He struggled in a reserve role to Calderon. Some labelled it as T.J sulking. Which was grossly unfair, this guy had to fight back from physical injuries and no doubt some mental hurdles to return. All to be told thanks for that, but were not going to give you your position back. This after a game before his injury where he had perhaps his best game as Raptor. Eventually Sam Mitchell was forced to once again make Ford the starting point guard. Mitchell said at the time it was at the suggestion of Calderon. Again Ford was painted as the selfish villain and Calderon the hero. The Raptors would limp into the playoffs and play the Orlando Magic. Aside from one game in Toronto both Ford and Calderon were out played by Nelson for the Magic.

It led to the off-season where it all came to an end. Ford stayed consistent in his desire to remain the starter. Jose Calderon was about to become a free agent which made this even more of an issue. After a season of saying he wanted what was best for this team in his first interview back in Spain Jose was singing a different tune. It was the same tune that T.J had said consistently for two years. I have always seen this as a pretty cowardly act on the part of Calderon. Still in the end it worked for Jose, as he got a brand new big money contract and Ford was moved in what turned out to be a horrible trade for both the Raptors and him to the Pacers. T.J would never really have the same success with the Pacers. Still the Pacers clearly won this trade for the other part of the deal, that saw them collect the Raptors draft pick that season and turned it into Roy Hibbert. The Raptors got stuck with Jermaine O'Neal who lasted less than half a season in Toronto and a second round draft pick in Nathan Jawai that never panned out.

After watching his role with Pacers melt away to next to nothing by the end of his time there an older and more accepting T.J Ford would find a new home not far from his home of Houston with the Spurs. He would also have a fellow Texas product to mentor and teach behind him in Cory Joesph. But sadly, Ford once again had to battle injuries and has decided to shut it down for the season and perhaps his NBA Career. He has two kids a son and daughter and he seems to worry about his own quality of life and ability to be there for them. I hope the best for T.J Ford in whatever he does going forward with his life. He was not the bad person that some in midst of a heated point guard controversy tried to paint him out to be. He was and is a person with a lot of fire, drive and determination. All qualities that I personally have always admired.

He has always been known for having a big smile on his face more times than not. I never did get a chance to talk with him his last time through Toronto. It was not through lack of effort on my part. He is still loved by so many people here in Toronto. He really made a impact in his time here. In fact he has done that all along his basketball journey. He loves the program that took him to the NBA in Texas. If it is possible to bleed burnt orange it likely pumps through T.J Ford's veins. He through that love of Texas has had a positive impact on three young Canadians with that love. Sam Mitchell once said he would want his daughter to date a guy like Jose Calderon. I personally if I had a daughter would rather she found a guy like T.J Ford. He is someone that has overcome a lot all in just trying to follow his dreams and his love of the game.

When you look back on his career there will be lots of "what if" moments, it does not change the thing that made him great. The tremendous heart and determination he brought to the game of basketball. I don't think he is done in that either. While he may never play another NBA game the chances he remains involved in basketball in some form or fashion is high. He has always been one to share his knowledge help others grow. I would venture to say that will continue in some form and he will contribute to the game in that way.

For myself, I am sad to see someone that I enjoyed no longer a part of the league anymore. But I am proud to have had the chance to have talked with one of my favorite athletes on a few occasions. He was the first guy in the NBA to be a part of this blog as I mentioned and that is something I will always remember. I wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do and will hopefully talk with him again down the line. The fact some people still love him as Raptor fans after all that went on, speaks to what he brought as both a player and person. He helped me love this game more and for that I am thankful too.

Raptors Play Tough But Get Spurs In The End

Rather than do a re-cap will just give some thoughts on my evening at the ACC watching the Spurs and Raptors. I chatted with Demar DeRozan prior to this game. We got into how the team had performed recently. Will have more on this later today in a feature on Demar but in general he felt encouraged from the play of late. The Raptors would be even more short handed than expected as Linas Kleiza had to sit this one out. Bayless is coming along and did come out for shoot around. He seems to be alright but after injuring the same ankle he is playing it safe. Trying to get it back to full strength so he can avoid a third occurrence of this injury in the future.

This game looked like it was going to be an ugly loss for the Raptors in early going. The Spurs jumped out to an 8-0 advantage. Troublesome in how they did with a couple early 3's. The Raptors would dig a deep hole but as they have done of late they kept fighting. It would have been very easy for this team to roll over and die after the first half. But Demar DeRozan came out in the second half determined to be a difference maker. The Raptors would get this game tied eventually but the Spurs would answer every Raptor push with one of their own.

Jose Calderon still had a solid night on offence but came crashing down to earth on defence. It is not the first time Tony Parker has schooled Jose and it won't be the last. Jose had 16 points and 11 assists and a couple steals. But it paled in comparison to Parker's 34 points and 14 assists which included in that was a 12-12 performance at the line.

I have always seen Parker as a guy that gets lost in the shuffle in a galaxy of great NBA point guards. He had the very public break up of his marriage but he seems back on track this season. He is going to the All-Star Game in Orlando and people got to see why tonight at the ACC. A lot fewer than saw the Jeremy Lin show the night before. Tony Parker has been doing his thing for years and not days. He has championship rings and all you could want on your resume. For as much as Jeremy Lin has dominated the attention of the media. I think Parker flies consistently below the radar. I am not sure if he ever has got his full credit for being as good a player as he is. If Jeremy Lin has as good a career as Tony Parker he would be fortunate.

Same would apply for Cory Joesph. Will also be doing a feature on him and his return to Toronto. He has some pretty nice guys to help him adapt to the NBA in Tony Parker and someone that has already had an influence in T.J Ford. It is not bad to have guys like that to learn from, Tristan Thompson also has a pretty nice role model to learn from in Jamison. Joesph has had a much different path than Tristan, but also has the advantage of a solid proven organization to be part of. He has spent some time in the D-League with Austin. But he still has just as big a smile as he did when he was in town to workout for the Raptors in the spring. The same he had playing for the national team in summer when I caught up with him here in Hamilton. It might have been a little bigger on this night though. It was no lock he would see the floor but with T.J Ford out the odds went up a little. He would get his moment late in the 2nd. He entered the game to a nice ovation and had a pretty uneventful 2:50 on the court.

But it was an experience he will likely never forget. When Tristan came to town for the first time he talked about being a kid sitting in the Sprite Zone. Cory talked in an interview during the broadcast about watching Mighty Mouse Damon Stoudamire. The Raptors as an organization get a lot of grief for their lack of success in their history. It is deserved without question. However, they also deserve credit for the fact they have made the NBA something that is a real goal for a generation of kids like Tristan and Cory and countless others. You only need to look at the NCAA today to see the amount of Canadians on the rosters in Division 1 basketball. When the Raptors and Grizzlies entered the NBA it was a big event beyond just the NBA being in Canada and having two teams. It took the game invented by a Canadian and brought it home with the greatest league in the world. Kids no longer saw their basketball heroes on just a T.V set they got to see these giants live and in person. Next time you are at a Raptor game just look at all the kids you see and imagine how that inspires their young minds. Maybe some of those kids will be having their night coming back to their hometown some day. They might even play for their hometown team. The Raptors just by existing at all have done this. Not to mention the probably thousands of kids that have went through camps the Raptors have put on for young boys and girls over the years. In covering games into my 3rd season the fact I was there to see both Tristan and Cory's debuts is a personal highlight for me. Not because of anything they did in the games themselves, just what it represents in the larger picture.

As for the bigger picture for the Raptors, you have to give them and Dwane Casey a lot of credit. I have not heard anyone make excuses for being undermanned. The Raptors have fought with whatever and whoever they have had the last 4 games. Despite just the one win to show for it, they have shown a lot of fight and been pretty fun to watch. It has become contagious at this point. If I had said in my preview that Butler and Carter would combine for 20 points, people would have questioned my sanity. But that happened on this night. What also did was Demar DeRozan having a big night and showing a real determination. This has been a tough season for Demar but it has not stopped him from having that same desire inside to improve and grow. He is starting to show some signs he might be turning the corner and getting comfortable again.

In the end it was a 113-106 loss for the Raptors the 4th loss in 5 games in this home stand that has just 2 games left, Friday vs the Bobcats and Wednesday vs the Pistons. I am going to be there for both and I hope we see the progress the Raptors have made pay off with a couple wins. This team plays like it has the last 4 games they will crush the Bobcats and Pistons going away. Let's hope that is what we see.

After The Circus Here Comes The Rodeo

We did a live chat last night so I never did a re-cap of last night's game. Jeremy Lin was the star going in and he left that way, hitting a dagger three to complete the Knicks comeback. This season the Raptors have both battled back from some large holes and blown some large leads. Last night after one of their better first halves of the season they let it all get away from them in the 4th. Jose Calderon put together arguably his best to games back to back in his NBA career. At least from a scoring prospective. Lin who had his struggles in this game came alive in the 4th and started to find some chemistry with Amare Stoudemire, returning to the Knicks line-up after the death of his brother. Only the 2nd sellout crowd of the season at the ACC, many of whom came to see Linsanity, got to see what they paid for. The Raptors gave a good fight overall but let one slip away. Lin's 3 pointer left the Raptors just .5 seconds to respond and they could not, 90-87 Knicks and the Raptors face a back to back with the Spurs tonight.

San Antonio with little hype and fanfare has quietly made their way to 2nd in the Western Conference at 20-9. They are on their annual Rodeo Road Trip with Toronto being stop 5 of the 9 games away from home for the Spurs. They are a perfect 4-0 so far with the latest win coming at the hands of the Pistons. After an injury early in the season Manu is back and Spurs seem primed to make a push at getting first place in the West.

Canadian Cory Joesph makes his first appearance here in Canada and his home of Toronto. Joseph has seen some time in the D-League, while he has been hard pressed to see any action with Spurs because Tony Parker is having an All-Star season. Also his back-up being T.J Ford the former Raptor it has been hard to find time but has to be quite the learning experience. Ford never content to be the back-up in his time here is happy it would seem to accept the role and live close to his home of Houston. T.J after being traded from Toronto fell out of favour with the Pacers and signed with the Spurs as free agent once the NBA Season got started after the lockout.

Also, when the Spurs come town, that means the return of Toronto resident and former Raptor Matt Bonner. The Red Rocket married a girl from Toronto and makes it his off-season home. He has been trying to this point unsuccessfully become a Canadian to play for the national team. He is one of the more loved figures in Raptors history. The biggest highlight that made him so, might have been a game vs Minnesota, in which he got into a mix-up with Kevin Garnett still on the T-Wolves at the time. Bonner would get ejected and leave the floor to cheers from the ACC faithful. Since leaving Toronto in a trade that landed him with the Spurs, he has become a key role player for them and can be found a top the NBA in terms of 3 point percentage for the past few seasons. He has really developed into a legitimate NBA player. He was also in the front lines as a VP in Players Union during the NBA Lockout.

Raptors have had 3 impressive performances and only 1 win to show for it. They will need a 4th impressive performance if they hope to hang with San Antonio.

3 Keys:

Value Possessions: Last night how the Raptors let the game get to that dramatic moment with Lin nailing that three was very simple. The Raptors committed far to many turnovers and it cost them in the end.

Jose vs Tony: Jose Calderon has been playing out of his mind. Even at times on defence which is something I don't think we have ever said in the DNB. Tony Parker is playing at an All-Star level and will be heading to Orlando. It is going to be a tough challenge for Calderon to compete for a 3rd straight game. Jerryd Bayless is said to be a game time decision and might make the load on Calderon a little less.

Perimeter D: Manu leads a cast of characters that can make their shots behind the three point arc. Be aware and get after them or it could be a very long night at the office for the Raptors.

I am heading down to the ACC to cover the next 3 games. Looking forward too it. That and hosting our contest winners on Friday. I figured in this NBA Season I should pull a back to back to back. Although mine is over the span of a week. Raptors are just 1-3 on this 7 game home stand despite some great efforts of late. Making it 2-3 will be no easy task at all. What will be an easier task is trying to win our final set of tickets for our MGDDNBVIP Contest that with happen sometime Thursday before Noon.

Cory Joseph Is A Go For Canada.

Just a brief update that might make you re-think if you would like to go out and see Team Canada on the weekend. Cory Joseph is going to be playing for Canada. The first round pick of the San Antonio Spurs has decided to suit up for Canada in the Pre-Olympic Qualifier and play on the weekend in exhibition games at Ryerson on Saturday and here at McMaster which I will be covering on Sunday afternoon. Tickets are 10 bucks well worth coming out. This will be a big plus for Canada to add Joseph to the fold. His Texas Teammate Tristan Thompson will not be though. But it is a step in the right direction that he might someday if Cory remains committed to the program. Myck Kabongo could also be a potential player for Canada in the future but he will be pre-paring in Austin for his freshman season with Longhorns. Picture on the left is from when both Thompson and Joseph were in town working out with the Raptors prior to the NBA Draft. Leo Rautins will be happy to have Joseph on the squad no doubt. He will be happier if Thompson and Kabongo follow their friend to his roster. Myck played lasted summer for Canada's under 18 team and earned a bronze medal in San Antonio. Rautins would love to have another Spurs player as well in the former Raptor Matt Bonner who still is being denied his Canadian Citizenship.

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.

De Ja Vu Experience at the ACC

I was covering this one for The Score doing the liveblog thing. So if you want a blow by blow of this one feel free to check it out as it happened. That or maybe go back and read our recap from January 19th when the Raps visited that Spurs.The Scripts from the 2 games were pretty similar. DeRozan had 28 on the 19th and 26 tonight at the ACC. DeJaun Blair went crazy in both games and the Raptors hung with the Spurs in both games only to have the Spurs pull away with it late. The Raptors played 3 solid quarters of basketball tonight but other than in the 3rd Quarter did not offer much on the defensive side of the ball. I am just going make some points on this one rather than you tradition game recap. In other words a DNB Game notes addition.

• First it has to be noted what a warrior that Amir Johnson continues to be. He turned his ankle in the First Quarter and had to be helped back to the locker room. But by the time the 2nd quarter rolled around Amir was back on the floor. It really is so commendable given the circumstances of this franchise right now that he continues to fight like this. Not since Alvin Williams wore a jersey have we seen this kind of character and heart from a player in a Raptor Jersey. He had 12 points 13 boards and 3 blocks at far from 100%

• Demar DeRozan maybe the best reason to keep watching the Raptors these days. He has really taken his game to the next level this season. I said coming into this season that his development was the biggest factor of the season. Not how many games the Raptors won or lost but what type of DeRozan we had at the end of the season. All indications are we will have a vastly improved one. I have no faith that Andrea Bargnani can carry or take this team anywhere. We have all heard the expression that you star player has to be your hardest worker and set the tone for a team. Demar is that hard worker. Look at how far his jump shot has come in just a year and half. It didn't just happen by accident. All those hours he puts in the gym are finally starting to show up on the floor. He rarely drove at the start of this one because he didn't have too. He was making shots. If he could make shots like this on a regular basis he will be coming very tough to stop as he showed when he did decide to add the drive to the mix.
  

• These have been tough times for a couple of the Raptors. Jerryd Bayless has really seemed to have struggled over the last little while. He returned to the line-up tonight and really never seemed to find any kind of traction in this one. His minutes have been all over the place due to Calderon's injury problems. As the Raptors turn the page to looking to the future this season we need to really see what we have in my fellow J.B. I think we all know the good and the bad that we have in Calderon by now. Time to start evaluating what exactly we have in Bayless. Ed Davis has kind of faded back into the woodwork. He showed a lot of positive signs early on but of late to me has been a total non-factor and I am a bit concerned. But again you have to keep playing him even when a Reggie Evans returns to know what you have in Ed and let him learn and grow.
  

• Oh Bargnani what do you do with a problem like Andrea? The same criticisms I have made in the past about Jose Calderon apply to Bargnani. There is one major difference though. Jose Calderon just can't defend it is not that he doesn't try to defend. In the case of Bargnani it would seem he has the skills and the body to be able to defend. He has decent speed and a big body but he just doesn't seem to want to use it or know how to use it. The time of saying he is still developing is quickly passing. Drafted back in 2006 was a long time ago. He has handled the offensive issues of no Chris Bosh fine. But Bosh leaving is not really any explanation as to why his defence is so horrible. This team with Chris was brutal as a unit and Bosh is not like a Dwight Howard that hides others defensive mistakes to often. I do not know of anyone that thinks should Bryan Colangelo remain he would consider trading Bargnani. But ultimately that might be what should happen. His highly skilled offence can still get someone to bite at this point. Ideally if you have a legit center and move him to his true position at the 4 you may actually have a good player in Bargnani. But a franchise player stuck out of position at the 5? Not a chance. The 29 points were great but no team can afford to have a center that gets you just 2 rebounds. Ultimately like I have said about Jose in the past his his liabilities on the defensive side of the ball out weigh his effectiveness on the offensive end you have a problem. Tonight you had a problem. You disagree? Go check out DeJaun Blair's stat line and tell me if you still disagree.
  

• I am always honest in my feelings or bias when it comes to players. I like Sonny Weems. He is a good person and fun loving and one of the guys that I have got to know in covering games. I want to see him there next season when I am covering games. For that to happen Sonny is going to have to pick things up down this stretch. The defence has to improve, the quick jumpers need to go and he needs to start driving more like DeRozan has been doing. Weems can be a dynamic and athletic presence on the floor. But he needs to play smart and as he is starting to look like he is healthy there is no more excuses. Basketball IQ has nothing to do with how healthy you are. Sonny needs to go back and watch tape of what he did last year. If Weems Contract was up last season he would have a new contract and be secured to remain part of the Young Onez with Amir and Demar. They are likely rooting for Sonny to stay and so am I. But the -11 the worst in the starting 5 and the poor shot selection has to change. Forget about making long 2's and trying to make 3's go back to that mid-range game and drive off those looks when it is there. While on D there are no easy match-ups but bring that same fire he has to dunk the ball on the break into his defence. Hoping Sonny can get it done.
  

In the end the Spurs were the better team and by the 4th quarter came around the Spurs had another gear to go to and the Raptors are to young to know what that gear is yet. Spurs showed you why they have the best record in the NBA in that 4th quarter. They got it done through defence and there is a lesson in that for the Raptors. Regardless of the first 3 quarters come the 4th quarter the good teams in this league can get stops. The Raptors need to learn how to do that. Getting in a scoring match with teams that have more talent then they do is seldom going to result in wins. Spurs won by 9 points in San Antonio and tonight won the game 111-100. The games were almost carbon copies in many ways.

Start Of A Tough Home Stand For The Raptors

These next 4 games at home are not going to be easy starting with the team with the best record in the NBA on their annual "Rodeo Trip" the San Antonio Spurs. So far the Spurs are 3-1 on the trip after dropping the opener to Portland 99-86 who the Raptors will see Friday, from there the Spurs have beat the Lakers, Sacramento and Portland since. This is right smack in the middle of this 9 game road trip for San Antonio. The Raptors come in off a very ugly loss last night in Milwaukee and have lost 13 of their last 14. But the Raptors are on a one game home winning streak with the win over the T-Wolves. Prior to that they had not won since January 9th vs the Kings. No word on status of Jerryd Bayless tonight who did not travel with the team to face the Bucks. Reggie Evans is still at least a week away by all accounts but is looking pretty good from what people are saying. Let's be blunt about it, the Raptors are in tough tonight matched up with the best team in the NBA record wise this season.

The Basics: Spurs 43-8 (4-3 vs East On Road) Raptors 14-38 (4-4 vs West at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: It was ugly pretty much all night as the Raptors shot a terrible percentage and eventually the Bucks pulled away from the Raptors in this one. Beyond Andrea and Demar the Raptors were hard pressed to get points and only managed 74 points just two off the season low vs Orlando of 72 on January 21st. Andrew Bogut again proved to be a problem for the Raptors and they did not have an answer to stop him or Brandon Jennings in this one.

Key Match-Ups: Matt Bonner has been recently out for the Spurs so Toronto may not have to worry about the Red Rocket. Bonner despite the efforts of The Basketball Jones is not going to the 3 point contest either. Bonner has had a nice season with Spurs and has become a decent player for them. All the Red Rocket love aside the most important guy on Spurs to deal with is Manu Ginobili. Sonny Weems struggled guarding the Bucks wings and this is a step up in class from that. The Raptors will also need to deal with DeJaun Blair who ripped apart the Raptors when the teams met up in San Antonio. All this and you also have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to account for as well. It is in short going to be a tough night for the Raptors and they may not have a clear advantage in any match-up on the floor. If it is DeRozan that guards Manu that would still leave Sonny with Richard Jefferson to deal with. Nothing easy about this one for the Raptors. A glimmer of hope DeRozan poured in 28 in that 104-95 loss vs Spurs. But the Raptors really got beat badly in that game in the paint by Blair and Manu had a big night as well.

Other Things Of Note: I will be liveblogging this one for the good folks at The Score. Also today on Twitter will be announcing the Trivia Question that can make you our VIP Guest at our (Un) Welcome Back Bosh Party that goes down next week. Reggie Evans is going to be a Dad for the 3rd time and the due date is the day the Heat come to town. Not sure if Reggie will be ready for that game and even if he is may have to tend to the newest member of the family. I offered him my best wishes to him and his family, and do the same here in the Dino Nation Blog. Reggie is a good dude and the Raptors really have missed him. They were 8-11 when the big fella went down, and since things have not been as good with other injuries that followed, and a lot of losses. I am down covering the next game as the Raptors may have Brandon Roy to deal with as well as the rest of the Trailblazers on Friday.

Where Is It On? TSN2 ( Sorry Spurs you are the best team in NBA but TSN has to start getting ready for NHL Trade Deadline I am sure you understand )

"Behind Enemy Lines"

13. It is hailed as the unluckiest of unlucky numbers and the Raptors now have it. Thirteen straight losses hurts no matter how you slice it but if we are trying to see the forest through the trees, the Raptors have to start winning sometime and why not this week against Minnesota, Milwaukee or San Antonio. I know this line of thinking hasn't been working for the Cavs who now sit at the bottom of the East with 22 straight losses, but realistically, we have to start somewhere. I have heard every joke under sun about the Raptors and it's viability as the only Canadian NBA franchise and their current losing streak. But just like that other professional sports franchise in Toronto, as long as the team makes money, the team will go nowhere - some say figuratively and literally. If the product is not producing, it will cease to increase in value and profits will take a nose dive just like their record. At the end of the day, the Raptors need to turn this ship around and just like I have said for the past 13 games, it is entirely possible for this to be their week.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Toronto Raptors, Friday, February 4th:

• The Timberwolves and Raptors have played once already this season. Last Saturday, Januray 29th -Minnesota took the contest 103-87.
• Minnesota lead the scoring for the first three quarters of this game.
• The depth of Minnesota's bench was the key. The top three off the Timberwolves' bench combined for 39 points (Wesley Johnson-14, Jonny Flynn-10, Martell Webster-15). The top three off the bench for Toronto combined for 30 points (Ed Davis-15, Jerryd Bayless-10, Julian Wright-5).
• Timberwolves Inactive List: Lazar Hayward, Luke Ridnour.
• Raptors need to watch: Kevin Love. He posted 21 points in 24 minutes for Minnesota during their last meeting.
• Key for Raptors: The Raptors' starters played more minutes but produced less than Minnesota's starters. With Barbosa, Evans and Kleiza on the Raptor's Inactive list, it will be hard not to transfer the bulk of the work and minutes to the current starting line-up. They need to relieve the pressure by scaling back minutes slightly and keep everyone fresh to play. (Easier said than done, I know).

Toronto Raptors @ Milwaukee Bucks - Tuesday, February 8th:

• The Raptors and Bucks have played once this season. It was last week on Friday, January 28th: a 116-110 loss for the Raptors and still fresh in their minds.
• The lead flip-flopped over 4 quarters in this game with the eventual tie in regulation forcing it into overtime. OT saw Milwaukee with 12, Toronto with 6.
• A plus for the Raptors? Their bench was stronger than the Bucks' during their last meeting. However, the Bucks' produced more for minutes played per player than the Raptors - a reoccurring theme for Toronto.
• As of Thursday, the Bucks sit 4 spots above the Raptors at 10th in the East with 19-28.
• Bucks' Inactive List: Drew Gooden (out 4-6 weeks, treatment for plantar fascitis, left foot), Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd.
• Key for the Raptors: Play solid on both sides of the bench and not relying on a few guys to do all the work. This game will be played after a few days off so the rest may help.

San Antonio Spurs @ Toronto Raptors - Wednesday, February 9th:

• Spurs and Raptors met once this season, a few weeks ago on January 19th. Spurs took it 104-95.
• The Raptors were leading in the first half but as always, the Spurs regroup and dominate the second half.
• A plus for the Raptors? DeMar DeRozan had 28 points on the night.
• In their last game versus Portland, the Spurs lost by 13 points - significant since they have the best record in the league right now (40-8) against Portland's 26-23 (8th in the West).
• Spurs' Inactive List: Matt Bonner.
• Key for Raptors: San Antonio is strongest in the second half. Reverse the 'jedi mind trick' on them and do your best work in the third and fourth quarters. (Assuming the Raptors best next Wednesday is enough to take the Spurs).

Thanks for joining me this week. As always, keep your comments and questions coming on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and Facebook (Danielle de Graauw, purple jacket/red microphone). If you have a chance this weekend, visit the Bucks' home page. Their official website is hilarious how they try to entice the Canadian audience by making references to Canadian artists Sarah McLachlan and Men Without Hats. Their best tidbit? Celebrating #99 and "Brantford's Wayne Gretzky's 50th by holding their 9th consecutive opponent to 99 points or less". Nice to know Brantford was mentioned, though I would be more impressed if they could find it on a map.

DNB Top Ten: Big Threes

Last week we took a look at the top ten point guards in the league and in this weeks installment, we'll be looking at the top Big Three's in the league. So here's the top ten 3 player combo's in the league.

1. Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo, Celtics ( 62.6 PPG, 23 RPG, 22 APG)

Kind of had to cheat on this one because the Boston Big 3 just won't be the same without Rondo. When these guys are on the court together good things always happen on the defensive end, which usually results in great plays on the offensive end. With players like Shaq, Big Baby and Nate Robinson surrounding them and with the return of Kendrick Perkins in a few weeks, this trio is poised to lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals once again. That's if they can stay healthy.

2. Wade, Bosh and Lebron, Heat (69.3 PPG, 21.8 RPG, 13.3 APG)

After getting off to a very mediocre start in which many questioned whether they can co-exist and many trade rumors involving Bosh started, the South Beach trio has responded and shown just how good they can be, by going 15-1 in the month of December and winning 21 of 22 games. It looked like they were going to continue that trend into January. Not to mention that this trio currently has the highest +/- amongst 3-man combos with +290. Though they may lack the bench production and depth as the original Big 3 in Boston, each of these guys can take over a game at any point and led their team to victory, unless Lebron tweets about "karma" again.

3. Kobe, Gasol and Odom, Lakers (59.1 PPG, 25.3 RPG, 11.5 APG)

These guys have helped the Lakers win two consecutive NBA titles and it's been mostly due to these guys. With probably the best closer in the league in Kobe, a threat in the middle in Gasol, and an all-around big man who can handle the ball and spread the defense in Odom the Lakers, are gearing up for another shot at the NBA Finals and a chance to complete the 3-peat and the franchise's 17th title.

4. Parker, Manu and Ginobli, Spurs (50.1 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 14.6 APG)

The most experienced of the Big 3.s on this list. These guys have won three NBA titles together and currently looking for their 5th title in franchise history all of which have come after the 1999 season. With the best record in the league right now at, 35-6, the Spurs are looking in great shape to complete that goal and bring the championship parade back to San Antonio for the 4th time since 2003.

5. Rose, Boozer and Noah, Bulls (58.8 PPG, 26.5 RPG, 12.9 APG)

With the acquisition of Boozer last offseason, the Bulls have propelled themselves to title contenders status. With Rose running the offense and Boozer and Noah patrolling the paint, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with come playoffs time. Though the trio has only played 9 games together this season due to injuries to both Boozer and Noah, we haven't gotten a full glimpse of what they can do yet, but when that happens opposing teams should beware.

6. Durant, Westbrook and Green, Thunder (65.9 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 13.4 APG)

One of the best up and coming trios currently in the league. Coming off a great season last year, in which they put up quite a fight against the Lakers in the first round, these three are looking to lead the Thunder to a top 4 seed and get them past the first round. These guys may only be together for a few more months though, as the Thunder have yet to offer Jeff Green a contract extension, and may let him go as a free agent. Either way this is a trio worth watching even if it is for a few more months.

7. Kidd, Dirk and Terry, Mavericks (47 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 15.4 APG)

These three have been apart of many successful seasons with the Mavs, but have yet to win and NBA championship. The Mavs had a shot in 2006, without Kidd, but ended up losing to D-Wade and the Miami Heat in the Finals. With all three in their 30's and entering the final seasons of their careers, the window for them to win that title is slowly closing. If there was ever three players who can lead the Mavs to their first franchise title, it's the two Jason's and the German, but with that window closing will they be able to accomplish that or once again see another team walking away with the prize.

8. Williams, Millsap, Jefferson, Jazz (56.4 PPG, 20.4, 13.4 APG)

With Jerry Sloan's coaching the Jazz are once again poised for another 50 win season and a deep post-season run. After acquiring Jefferson, they now have a presence in the post alongside Millsap, who can scored, defend and grab rebounds. Add that to D-Will's ability to make plays and shoot the ball and you have a great inside-out game. Toss in Millsap's hustle, rebounding and clutch shooting and you have a dangerous trio. Not sure if they'll be able to win the title this season, but with these no still in their mid-20's and entering the prime of their careers, the Jazz may just win a title within the next 5 years.

9. Turkoglu, Howard, and Nelson, Magic (46.4 PPG, 20.8 RPG, 14.1 APG)

After about a season and a half apart, the Orlando trio has been reassembled once more and looking to make some noise in the Eastern conference. The last time these three were together they made in the the NBA Finals, though Jameer wasn't 100%, where they would ultimately lose to the Lakers. Now with a healthy Jameer, and a not so crappy Hedo along with the insode force that is Dwight Howard, the Magic are poised for a deep playoff run, but would the Celtics or Heat put an end to that run.

10. Stoudemire, Felton and Gallinari, Knicks (59.5 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 13.4 APG)

At this point last season the Knicks were already looking at who they'll select in the draft, but it's a totally different story this year. With the additions of Amare and Felton the Knicks have made themselves a playoff team once more. With Amare's relentlessly attacking the rim, Gallo hitting threes and Felton making plays the Knicks have become and exciting team to watch. Though they are a long shot away form being a title contender, mostly due to their lack of defense, they would remain a force in the East for years to come with their Big 3 and it's supporting cast.

Up and Coming:

Griffin, Gordon, and Davis, Clippers (57.2 PPG, 18.5 RPG, 15 APG)

After year's of being viewed as "That Other LA team" the Clippers are out to make themselves known with their trio of Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. With wins against the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Bulls and Lakers ( all of which have Big 3's that appeared on this list) this season the Clippers have shown that they have a really bright future ahead of them and maybe their days of being an automatic lottery team may be over in the near future. Not sure how long Baron will remain there, but he can provide that veteran experience needed in clutch game situations.

That concludes another edition of the DNB Top Ten, if you feel like anyone was left out of shouldn't have been included, feel free to leave a comment below or in the DNB chat. Stay tuned for next weeks installment.

Raptors Try To Avoid Getting The Spurs

Spurs have won 15 in a row at home and are an overall 22-2 playing games at the AT&T Center. Oh and the have the best record in the NBA as well. Not exactly the place you want to be if you are on a 4 game losing streak. Some good news it looks like Bayless will be back tonight. Kleiza is questionable for tonight, and all the other injured bodies back in Toronto. To be honest the Raptors chances tonight are not good. But you probably could figure that out for yourself. In fact the next 3 games will all be a tough task for the Raptors. However the Raptors have had some surprises this season but I would not hold you breath tonight.

The Basics: Spurs 35-6 (11-3 vs East) Raptors 13-28 (4-10 vs West)

When Last We Saw Them: Raptors had a lot of fight in them for an MLK Matinée vs the Hornets. Well everyone not named Bargnani that is. Raptors got some bad calls at the end and could not hang on for the upset win and their losing streak climbed to 4 games.

Key Match Ups: Tim Duncan is Mr Fundamental and Andrea Bargnani is not that. But that being said it will be interesting to see if Andrea can find his shooting touch. He was terrible vs the Hornets. Manu Ginoblli and whoever the Raptors have to guard him will be a key match-up. Manu could go off against the depleted Raptors and it would shock no one. Let's give some credit to Jose Calderon for his play against Chris Paul. His reward is he gets Tony Parker who will be a challenge for him as well. In general the Raptor Perimeter defence will be challenged by many on the Spurs including former Raptor Matt Bonner who has really turned into a nice role player in his time with the Spurs.

Other Things Of Note: Were having a Party!!! At St.Louis Wings on Feb 16th for the Big Bosh Return at the Bay St (Atrium Location). Will have more details for you as the date approaches. Also in case you missed it we had a piece on Demar DeRozan in the blog recently as I talked with him on a number of topics. Raptors are 9-20 all-time and just 4-11 in San Antonio all-time. Spurs shot 39.9 % from 3 point range. Raptors have had 15 different starting line-ups and the Spurs just 1 which explains a lot about both teams.

Where is it on? Sportsnet Uno (This might not be a bad thing that less people get to see this)

"Behind Enemy Lines"

The Raptors are on a 3 game road trip after hosting the Pistons at the ACC on Friday and need to consider two things about their opponents: the depth of their bench and sustaining a lead for more than 2 quarters. We are seeing some pretty good basketball from the Raptors and their starters putting up better numbers but their downfall has been playing consistently. This week they are up against Detroit, Washington, New Orleans and San Antonio. Consider the points I mention below when watching these games. I look at each game individually and analyze what the Raptors need to do to win. Yes, even against the Spurs who are first in the Western Conference because I believe the talent is there. Let's get to it.


Detroit Pistons @ Toronto Raptors - Friday, January 14

• These two teams have played twice already this season and split the wins.
• Their last meeting on December 22, saw Detroit win 115-93 over the Raptors.
• During this game, Detroit's top 4 starters averaged about 24-28 playing minutes. Toronto's top 4 averaged a significant amount more at 33-37 minutes. Not much difference in production from the top 4, the difference came from the bench.
• Detroit Pistons Inactive List: Jonas Jerebko (right Achilles tendon - partial rupture), Terrico White (broken right foot) - both have missed 37 games so far and Ben Wallace.
• The Raptors need to watch: Richard Hamilton and Tracy McGrady who had 35 and 17 points respectively coming off the bench during their last meeting with the Raptors.
• The Key for Raptors: Go hard in the first two quarters and go into the 3rd quarter with a respectable or sizable lead. During their last meeting with Detroit, the Pistons dominated the 2nd quarter producing 38 points to the Raptors' 21. The Raptors' fought to catch up after that.

Toronto Raptors @ Washington Wizards - Saturday, January 15

• These two teams played twice this season and split the wins.
• Their last meeting on November 16th saw the Wizards win 109-94.
• Washington lead the first 3 quarters of this game. Three of their 5 starters put up double digit points, including Gilbert Arenas with 20 and Andray Blatche with 22.
• The key to this game was Washington had a more consistent and productive bench: Nick Young with 20 and Hilton Armstrong with 10.
• Washington's Inactive List: Josh Howard and Hamady Ndiaye.
• Key for the Raptors: Do not let the lead change hands and if it does change, keep it to a minimum and of course, on the Raptors side. And shut down Nick Young. Young had 43 points in the Wizards' last meeting with Sacramento which saw the lead change 5 times and tie 8 times. Be consistent and solid.

Toronto Raptors @ New Orleans Hornets - Monday, January 17

• This will be the first of three meetings for these two teams this season.
• New Orleans currently sits at 6th in the Western Conference and is on a two game win streak as of Thursday morning.
• New Orleans pulled off a 92-89 win in their last game versus Orlando where they lead the 1st and 4rth quarters.
• This will the first time the Raptors will meet their former teammate Jarret Jack since he was traded to New Orleans. He has played 27 games in a Hornets jersey - none of them as a starter. (As a Raptor this season, he played 13 games all of which were starts).
• The next time they meet after Monday's game will be on March 1st in Toronto.
• Key for the Raptors: stay strong in the first half and even stronger in the 4rth quarter. The Hornets have guys like Chris Paul and Marcus Thorton who can be counted on for key shots and for putting up solid numbers.
• Hornets Inactive List: Marcus Banks and David Anderson.

Toronto Raptors @ San Antonio Spurs - Wednesday, January 19

• This will be the first of two meetings for the Spurs and Raptors.
• San Antonio currently sits at 33-6, is in 1st place in the Western Conference and is on a 4 game win streak as of Thursday morning.
• Their last game against the Bucks saw a 91-84 result in favor of the Spurs. They only lead the 3rd and 4rth quarters of this game.
• Spurs Inactive List: James Anderson.
• Key for the Raptors: Don't count out the Spurs if you are leading at the half. They are a team who has proven their ability to re-group and score points. And forget about their record and standings - they are just like any other team in the NBA - a team to beat.

Thanks for joining me today. As always, I love hearing your comments and suggestions. Please add me on Facebook and Twitter - I am the one with a purple jacket and a red microphone. Or you can leave a comment after this article and I will add you. (Go to the friend page not the "public figure page". The "public figure page" just popped up and is not authorized).

As always have a great weekend and I will see you here on Tuesday for more NBA coverage in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".