Raptors Face Early Challenge To Save The Season

Seems a bit extreme to say in late November. But back to back loses and a fan base that is clearly as frustrated as the Raptors if not more. The time has come to define just who and what this 08/09 Raptor season is going to be. Nothing in life is a sure thing but if I was to bet on it, I would say when we look back on this Raptor season we will point to this time period. Last season was defined by the injury to T.J Ford. It would shape everything that would follow that moment. That happened in early December so it may not be so crazy to suggest this. After back to back loses one that was heart breaking and the other humiliating the time has come for everyone to take a step back and evaluate what is going on. The trade for Jermaine O'Neal brought with it a ton of expectations from fans, media and the Raptors as well. But everyone understood that there was some risk to this move and that even though the Raptors could be better, it also left issues that could cause trouble. A lack of depth, no real back-up point guard and the health of Jermaine O'Neal. I also was concerned about Jose Calderon and his health given the lack of depth at point guard.

All of these issues are front and center at the moment. You can also add in a few others that were not on the table. Sam Mitchell and his coaching abilities. For some Raptor fans this issue was on their radar but I think most thought in the organization and the majority of the media that Sam was going to be o.k. Thus far it has been anything but o.k. The more games that pass the more that Sam Mitchell gets put under the microscope. There is also the total lack of production from the Raptor wing players which has caused Andrea Bargnani to play at the 3 spot because no one has shown worthy of the Raptors options beyond him. Anthony Parker at times looks old and out matched on defense and his shooting has been hot and cold to extremes. Jason Kapono has not shown the offensive production that fans would expect and hope for. He also has not shown any ability to be any kind of a defender. Jamario Moon has had is fairy tale rookie season go smashing into a wall of reality. Many wondered why it had took Jamario so long to make it to the NBA. This season may be showing us why that was. Also we have Joey Graham who is rapidly showing that despite his impressive athletic ability he does not have the basket ball IQ and energy to match that prototype body.

You even have just plain bad luck when it comes to the drafting of Nathan Jawai. He got knocked out of the box before he every has got started. Nobody could have imagined him getting sidelined by a heart condition and not being able to play at all. The Raptors in looking for another Jamario Moon in the rough came away with Hassan Adams who has been a complete bust of a signing and shows no signs of changing. The Raptors answer to help spell Jose Calderon while young Roko Ukic learns the NBA was Will Solomon. Beyond a truly great game vs Miami in replacing an injured Jose, he has been a turnover machine. Just about every gamble the Raptors took coming into this season has come up snake eyes.

Along with that while the Raptors have struggled the rest of the division with the exception of the Sixers are doing better than expected. The Knicks and Nets are not the basement dwellers that many might have expected. In fact as of right now the Raptors sit in last in the division they won just a couple years ago. The Celtics as we saw are just as dominate as they were last season. Even the Sixers after a slow beginning have turned it around a bit. So time to work your way through these issues may not be there for the Raptors.

You throw in a really lousy salary cap situation and not many chips that you can move it all is a pretty tough deal for the Raptors. The biggest chip you have to move is one of the few bright spots of an under .500 Raptors squad. Andrea Bargnani has now got to a level that if you traded him you would watch in fear that he may turn out to be the big star that he was promised to be by being selected #1 overall. I do not envy Bryan Colangelo at all. He faces a number of challenges and some of the choices he made are responsible for that. Also I am sure hearing that every NBA G.M is forming a line to sign away your star player in 2010 does not make you feel that good. It also probably was not great to watch that same player be totally frustrated to the point he did not want to talk to his team mates or anyone as he watched his team get humbled at the hands of the Celtics. He was taking a beating and not getting the touches he wanted and he was, as we all were embarrassed by his teams lack of defense.

So how does this team dig itself out of this mess. If you ask the fans they will mostly point the finger at Sam Mitchell and say that he needs to be fired. There is a number of candidates out on the market that could fill his seat. The top 3 names on that list would be Flip Saunders, Avery Johnson and Jeff Van Gundy. All of which would be considered the best 3 coaches not currently with a job in the NBA. If you made that change, the Raptors would have to learn a totally new system. Doing it with out much time for practice, with a lot of banged up bodies and a short roster.You have to wonder how easy that would be to do? It is easy to say fire Sam but that is something that you need to consider. I fully admit Sam Mitchell has not been making much of a case for keeping his job recently. But just by making a change the Raptors will not magically get better. It will take time and it may be time they just don't have in an improved Eastern Conference. I am not saying that makes Sam Mitchell bullet proof by any means. After every loss the chances increase that despite what I have laid out the Raptors may have no choice but to give it a shot.

However that coach will still face all that Sam Mitchell has had to deal with. The lack of depth and a bench, injuries to two of his three star players. A lack of a real option at point guard to play behind Jose Calderon. A team that has not been able to defend consistently. All of these issues will still remain with or without Sam Mitchell. These are issues some of which are things that Bryan Colangelo must address. He after all is the one that put this roster together. He is the one that handed these risks to Sam Mitchell to have to deal with. You can judge how Sam has dealt with those challenges but you have to include Bryan Colangelo in the mix for the construction of this roster. If Bryan feels that this is as much his fault in some ways it may not be as bad for Sam as people think. But still some of things of late are not exactly giving Bryan Colangelo reason to give Sam Mitchell a pass for some of the problems that Bryan put on his plate.

If Colangelo wants to correct his mistakes he has not exactly put himself in a good position to do that. Any move he could construct will almost have to involve going into the Luxury Tax which is a costly thing to do from a pure financial standpoint. Not to mention it seems that a number of teams are on the hunt looking to improve. Joe Dumars already pulled the trigger on the gun to start the race to get better by going after Allen Iverson. A number of teams in the east now search for their Answer. Cleveland, Orlando and Boston have all been teams looking to lure Antonio Mcdyess to not go back to the Pistons.

Raptor fans are always willing to help Bryan Colangelo do his job. They seem to be focused on Golden State and a couple of players on that roster. Marcus Williams and Marco Belinelli as targets for the Raptors. I am not sure about that to be honest. But I will say that at least Raptor fans pay attention. Williams was a guy Colangelo really liked in his draft year. In fact the Raptors were hard at work looking for a late first round pick to select him as he fell in the draft. But in the end they would not find a pick and the New Jersey Nets would select him and end up sending him to the Warriors once they brought in Devin Harris. After watching Harris on Friday it is easy to see why they did. Marco was also someone that the Raptors were rumoured to be high on in the draft. They also at least looked into the idea of moving up in the draft and getting a high pick to try to bring him to Toronto. The question is does that mean the Raptors still like these guys? If they do the question becomes what do they have that Golden State would want. Jason Kapono could be an option in that run and gun Warrior system. But why people think other teams are interested in Joey Graham is beyond me. The truth is if Joey had any value he would be gone already.

Whatever Bryan Colangelo does he must be mindful of Chris Bosh. It is not that Bryan Colangelo needs Bosh's stamp of approval to do anything he likes. But the fact that everyone is talking about 2010 and Chris Bosh is human and can not help but notice all the many articles, blogs and media that are suggesting and in some cases saying they know where he will be in 2010. But I do want to make a point for all of you folks that seem to think this matters. Actually I got 2 points for you. The first is that this is not the first time people have talked about Bosh prior to a contract expiring. Phil Jackson right in Toronto made a suggestion that was good enough to get him fined that he would have interest in Bosh coming to the Lakers. Still Chris Bosh would resign in Toronto and never end up with them. Also you have the example of Vince Carter to look at. V.C re-signed in Toronto and he did it to get the most money. He would after look to be traded out of town with that extra money in his back pocket. I think Chris Bosh is just as smart as Vince Carter and maybe even a lot smarter to be honest. Vince may have his UNC degree in Afro American studies but despite Bosh only having a year of college it is clear he is a highly intelligent young man. So it would make sense for him to resign with the Raptors and get a contract that offers him the most money and if things are not to his liking after that point ask in a much more quiet way to be dealt from Toronto if he was unhappy. One thing I do know is that for as long as Bosh wears that number 4 Raptor jersey he will bust his butt. Happy or not he has far to much character to go out the way V.C did. That would allow Bryan Colangelo to look for a way to convince Bosh he made the right move to re-sign in Toronto by signing another big name to play along side him. There are lots of other names in 2010 that can fill that bill.

But in the short term the Raptors need to look in the mirror and find something. They had high expectations and they are not reaching them. If they needed any kind of reminder a sold out ACC of booing fans sent a clear message to drive home the point. Jose Calderon needs to be honest and admit he needs to do much more on defense. I mean he is battling through an injury but he has always been a poor to awful on the ball defender. That is just one example. But every player has to look and see what they can do to make this group perform better. It may not even be stuff on the floor. There are guys on this team that can say they have given a solid effort this season. Bosh is at the head of that list. But the challenge for him is how does he help raise the bar for the rest of his team. He talked about being an M.V.P. He is playing like one and has the numbers to back it up. However the truly great ones that win M.V.P do it in part because they make all the players around them better. BIrd, Johnson, Nash, Bryant and Jordan all did that. That is the next challenge for Chris Bosh. Everyone can look in that mirror and come up with things they can do. The time for that has come because if it does not happen right now to do it later down the line maybe to late.

It will be a very interesting two days for the Toronto Raptors to re-group and re-focus on the task at hand. They have to find the answers and a trade and coaching change may be down the line but they are not going to magically make all the problems go away. When you dig a hole it takes the same amount of effort it took to dig it for you to dig out of it. There are no short cuts and easy fixes to get that done. This is the time that will define this Raptor team and tell them and us what they are made of.

Raptors Rewind- Dino Blogger Birthday Edition

Well I am getting older and slept in so I didn't get a chance to write a preview. But the most important news may have not been in it anyway. There was a suggestion on Raptors T.V that not only might J.O play today but he may actually be in the starting line-up? He is listed as day to day with a strained knee and I don't think anyone was expecting that. It would be a nice birthday present for me and a relief for all Raptor Fans. That being said I will wait till the tip before I actually believe it. The Celtics were the last team prior to the Nets to break the hearts of Raptor fans. Much like the New Jersey game the Raptors built a big lead and watched it slip away. Paul Pierce was in the role of Vince Carter and the result was the same. Raptors T.V is confirming that Jermaine O'Neal is going to be in the starting line-up. Suddenly this game becomes a lot more interesting as a result. So I am excited about this game. I was not looking forward to watching the Raps without J.O try and match-up with Boston but now there is reason to hope. Need to keep an eye on how J.O looks early in this game but this is great news that was totally unexpected for Toronto.

1st Quarter

So here we go Celtics and Raptors get set to go at it for Round 2 of their season series. Bosh would take the tip and and they went right to O'Neal but he missed a fading attempt. Both teams were off to a slow start as this was a very early 12:30 tip due to the Grey Cup here in Canada. Ray Allen would open the scoring almost minutes in with a 3-pointer. A steal and score for Rajon Rondo and the Celtics were off to a fast lead. Paul Pierce had a 3-pointer as well and the Raptors were 0-5 from field and Cetlics were going off. Kendrick Perkins had a basket and the Raptors had spotted the World Champs a 10-0 lead. Sam Mitchell was forced into a time out early in the first quarter to try to find some answers.

Calderon would miss a jumper out of the time-out and the Raptors were 0-6. Finally Andrea Bargnani would make his way to the free throw line to get the Raptors on the board. He made both from the line with 7:55 to play in the first quarter. Kendrick Perkins would respond on the other end going at a less than 100% Jermaine O'Neal. Kevin Garnett would score on the next trip down the floor. Chris Bosh would finally score from the field for the Raptors. Calderon would score on the next chance and it was 14-6 Boston early. Ray Allen would add 3 to that total and it was not going well. Rajon Rondo drove to the basket and scored and the Celtic lead was 13 and growing. Rajon Rondo would drive and score again and this game was looking like a massacre.

A Bosh block on defense as he was looking to fire up his team and try to stop this wave of the Celtics crashing down on the Raptors. Every point the Raptors were getting was a struggle as a Jose Calderon jumper needed a kind bounce to get in the basket. The Raptors only had 8 points and they were down 22-8. Calderon made another jumper this time straight through. Jose was getting taken to school on the other end by Rajon Rondo who was having a great start to this one. Jermaine O'Neal would get a basket as he was fighting through injury. That lead to Andrea Bargnani getting a 3 pointer on the next trip. But right after that he would pick up foul number three and we were still in the first quarter. Just when Raptors had built a small amount of momentum that would be like a wet blanket to it. The Celtics defense was like a blanket as well as the Raptors tried to get it in to Bosh and it was taken away by Kevin Garnett. He would turn that into points out of the extra possession for the Raptors. He would later hit a 3 pointer of an offensive rebound for the Celtics. The first quarter was over and the Celtics were not taking the Raptors lightly up 32-20 after a quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

This seems like a massive task for the Raptors on this day. The Raptors had 6 turnovers and the Celtics were shooting 57% for the Celtics. Both bad signs for the Raptors. Jermaine O'Neal was on the bench after playing the entire first quarter. Raptors had a couple of scores with K.G taking a break along with the rest of Celtic starters. Roko Ukic would come in to relief Jose Calderon which speaks to Will Solomon's play of late. Kris Humphries was in the game and adding some energy. He had a basket and he had another drive and went to the line. Jermaine O'Neal had a quick break and checked back in for Bosh. But it was the Hump show at the moment he 6 points in just 3 minutes on the floor. The Raptors had climbed back against the Boston reserves down just 36-30.

Jermaine O'Neal had a jumper and the lead was down just to 4 points. But just after that J.O would tumble to floor and it looked like he gave all that he could. We may not see any more from Jermaine today we will have to wait and see. The Celtics meanwhile had the some of starters back and built back the lead to 41-32. The crowd was lit up at the fact that K.G was not called for a foul on Chris Bosh. I can't say I blame them after watching the replay. The Celtics were back and rolling with the starters, Ray Allen made a jumper for 2 and then he made a 3 point and the Celtic lead that had been cut to 4 was back to 13 points at 48-35. Tony Allen would add to that with a basket plus a foul. On top of that the Raptors were 1-8 on their last 8 chances to score. It was all leading to the largest lead of the day for the Celtics at 18 points with the score 53-35 and still three and a half minutes to play. Anthony Parker would make a much needed 3 pointer. But Eddie House answered that right away with a 3-ball for him.

Kevin Garnett scored over Bosh and the Celtics were in firm control late in the first half. Bosh was able to respond with a score on the other end. The Raptors were able to create a turnover and Jose Calderon would find Jamario Moon for an alley opp. But the Raptors would need much more of this if they had any hope of winning on this day. The Raps continued to chip away and Paul Pierce would get a technical foul late in the half. Jamario Moon was at the line and after Jose made the tech Moon would make both. Anothny Parker was just a fraction late of cutting the lead to single digits. But the Raptors should feel very fortunate to be down just 10 points at the half.

3rd Quarter

So the Celtics made some uncharacteristic turnovers and let the Raptors get with in range of a comeback. Word from Sam Mitchell that we have seen the last of Jermaine O'Neal for the day in his halftime interview. Paul Pierce had a quiet first half started the second on the right foot. The Celtics started on a 5-0 run and the Raptors were right back in trouble again. Sam Mitchell would call a time out to state what was pretty obvious. Jamario Moon made a steal and was fouled and heading to the line but he was 1-2 from the line. Ray Allen gets 3 for the Raptors 1 point from Moon. Chris Bosh would find a way to score which had been not an easy task for him today.

The Celtic lead had climbed back up to 19 with the score 71-52. This game was showing just how good the Celtics defense was. It also showed how far from being an elite level team the Raptors were. Rajon Rondo would blow by Jose Calderon for yet another time and score. Chris Bosh was still fighting as he was fouled and headed to the line making both. But it was really like shoot a sling shot at a guy with a machine gun. The Celtics were scoring far to easily and ever Raptor point was a struggle to get. That was the difference in this game. Midway through the 3rd quarter it was 79-60 and if there was a way to just hit fast forward and end this I think Raptor fans would welcome that.

A rare defensive stop by Jose Calderon as he caused Rajon Rondo to travel. But that was a small victory in a sports war that the Raptors were getting just hammered in. The lead had climbed to 21 points and Chris Bosh was showing his frustration as his Raptors were down 83-62. The crowd was upset as well booing the Raptors who had not shown much fight at all. Sam Mitchell was again with out answers and he really needed to start finding some if he wanted to remain the man calling the shots for the Raptors. The shots or plays he was calling were not working at all. The defense that Sam always says is the focus was non-existent.

Kendrick Perkins got a easy jam and he was talking smack and got a technical foul. Basically the only things the Raptors were getting was based on what Boston was giving them. Bosh was getting hammered at every point he touched the ball. The Raptors were not looking to him enough. Brain Scalabrine made a 3 pointer and it really just summed up what an awful day it was for the Raptors. The score was 92-69 and we were in the 3rd quarter. Chris Bosh would make a 3 pointer but just like everything the Celtics had an answer as Eddie House answered with a 3 pointer for them. The Celtics were 10-14 from behind the arc to this point. The Celtics lead was 95-73 after 3 quarters of play.

4th Quarter

Andrea Bargnani opened the 4th quater with a 3-pointer and Roko Ukic would score of a steal and got the basket and a foul shot. But it was likely far to late. But Roko Ukic had another steal and the Raptors started the quarter on an 8-0 run. But the Celtics Glen "Big Baby" Davis had a basket plus a foul. The Raptors were playing both Ukic and Calderon together which they had started doing near the end of the third. But no gimmick type line-up was going to be able to erase all the damage that had been done. The Celtics after the Raptors little charge got back on track and the lead was 102-83.

Chris Bosh was still in this game and it was rapidly becoming a question of why? Calderon is banged up and O'Neal was as well. What was being proved by having Chris in the game at this point? That is a question for Sam Mitchell. It is only one of many he would be asked. Anthony Parker made a couple of 3 pointers but this was a case of far to late for the Raptors as they still trailed 109-91.

On a day with almost no bright spots. Roko Ukic was getting time on the floor and was one of few Raptors who was showing some good things. That will help in his development and is likely the only positive you can pull out of this game from a Raptor perspective. He had 7 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers in almost 14 minutes to this point. There was still over 5 minutes of time to learn for Roko. For everyone else it was 5:23 of pain to endure. Bosh was finally taken out of this game and that should have happened a lot sooner. Graham and Adams were in the game which was a clear sign that even Sam Mitchell had the understanding it was garbage time. The dejection on Chris Bosh's face jumped off your T.V screen. The Raptors were taking advantage of the garbage time to make the final score look much different from what it really deserved to be. A Joey Graham bucket made the score 115-103. The Raptors had a lot of soul searching to do over the next few days as they do not play again till Wednesday against the Bobcats. They will still be in search of their first win of this home stand. The Celtics during the time out were trading tips about golfing as the need to talk about basketball was long gone. While on the Raptor bench there was a lot of blank stares. The final score for the record was 118-103.

If you want to put yourself through the pain I will provide you with the boxscore. No need to do a summary as I think much of it was said in the 4th quarter. I have a rest of a birthday to try to enjoy and hopefully that will wipe away a lot of the last few hours for me. In your case as readers I suggest you go find a good Grey Cup Party and try to forget basketball for a few hours.

Raps/Celtics Boxscore

J.O Injury Update.

This will not be a very long post but there is good news on the Jermaine O'Neal Injury front. It seems that big brace that J.O wears on his knee did it's job. The injury news is fairly good. After some Raptor fans were ready to call off the season. It seems you can get off the bridge and not jump off it. I give you the latest news from D.Smith and E.Smith. Doug of the Toronto Star and Eric of the Fan 590.

Doug Smith on J.O

And

Eric Smith Also On J.O

So everyone can now breath again. Things look about as good as you can expect after a pretty nasty fall. Sean Williams may not want to go anywhere near J.O the next time the two meet. It would seem unlikely J.O will play tomorrow against Boston. Which is understandable, but also to bad because the way he was playing of late, the Raptors could have used him for sure. So that is the latest. See you folks tomorrow to get ready for Celtics an Raptors.

The Saturday Raptor Hangover.

This has nothing to do with drinking. For that I could drink some gatorade and feel better in a hour or two. Last night's game versus New Jersey was costly on so many levels. The top of that list is J.O going down and out at the start of the 4th quarter. That was a dirty play by Sean Williams. He grabbed Jermaine's jersey and yanked him to the ground. That is my take on it, that is and was a dirty play and there is nothing I will read that will change my mind. I saw it and likely you saw it so we can all make the decision for ourselves. No matter how it happened and what you think about it, the fact remains is it happened.

On the broadcast they said it was a strained left knee. I have heard some speculation about it but until and MRI is done on that knee nobody is going to know for sure. This is the knee that has been the one talked about that has caused Jermaine all the problems over the last few years. He does wear a big brace on that knee and that could have helped a bit in this case. Let's hope it did. But it goes with out saying this is a major blow for the Raptors. It is just a case of how big a blow it will be.

As for the Game

Even if there was not the J.O injury to be upset about there was the game itself. Vince Carter showed people just why they once loved him. He was the guy making the two most important plays of the game. He can be one of the best players in the NBA when he wants to be. On this night it was very clear that he wanted to be. From his prospective it must feel good to get a win in Toronto. I mean after all the fans of the Raptors have never treated him with anything but hostility in his returns to the city when he is on that A.C.C floor. It is not to say that he has earned some if not all of that from the fans. They felt he gave up on them and some will never get past it. This was one of the more painful chapters in the long story of Vince Carter and his post Raptor career as public enemy number one in Toronto. He missed on clutch shot that could have sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals but on this night he made two truly great plays to beat the Raptors.

Chris Bosh had another unreal night all for not. He out scored Carter by 3 points tying his career high of 42 points. Andrea Bargnani had a career high 29 points and yet despite all of that the Raptors still lost. I mean you lose a player to injury, you lose an 18 point lead and you did everything possible to get a win and it was not enough. That is the definition of frustration with no dictionary required. How the Raptors can put all of this behind them and get ready for the Boston Celtics is really hard to say. This has not been the start that they wanted and it is not the start that fans wanted. This is the type of situation that will define a team. This is exactly why I am glad Chris Bosh is the franchise player and not Vince Carter despite his heroics. Chris Bosh no matter the situation that is in front of him never gives up and never gives in. The same can not be said for Vince Carter on a night to night basis. Last night he did but over the long haul day in and day out, Chris Bosh gives all he has. That defines another word and that word is character.

Hey Jalen...Shut Up

Jalen Rose made it no secret near the end of his career that he wanted to be in the media. If there was a microphone and a camera Jalen Rose would find it. I like Jalen mainly because I was and still am a fan of the Michigan Wolverines. Just like former Raptor broadcaster Chuck Swirsky, I am happy to cheer GO BLUE. So this comes from someone that really has been a fan of Jalen and I am happy for him in getting a good living for himself after his NBA Career. But that being said he is going off shooting off his mouth and saying things that I have no confidence he knows anything about.

At several points last night on ESPN he was proclaiming that he knew for a fact that Chris Bosh and Lebron James were coming to New York in 2010. He was saying that Nate Robinson would have to give up his number for Chris Bosh. Same for Q-Rich with LBJ. Jalen does not know anything when all is said and done. To say that any player is going to another team is a lock is stupid. I took some heat for suggesting Dwyane Wade may be considering Toronto as an option for 2010. But I never said it was a lock and there was no doubt that it would happen. That would be silly to do and Jalen for a guy that has wanted a career in the media for as long as he has, you would think he would know better.

Not to mention the fact that Rose played here and spent time in Toronto and was treated very well by the media and fans here. What did we do to you Jalen? I mean why are you out there saying that our star player is a lock to go to the Knicks? Please as a Michigan fan and a Raptor fan, Please SHUT UP.

But if only it was that simple. Jalen is not the only one at ESPN that is talking about the Knicks and Bosh. All this speculation is sparked by the two trades the Knicks made on Friday. Sending Zach Randolph and Marty Collins to the Clippers and Jamal Crawford to the Warriors. It is part of the Knicks Salary dump plan for 2010. James, Bosh and Wade are all mentioned in this ESPN article. Is it just me or does ESPN talk more about 2010 than they talk about the actual season being played.

ESPN TALKING KNICKS AND 2010

Sam Mitchell Haters For Once I Agree

I don't think you will find a blog that has been more supportive of Sam Mitchell. He may not know but the Dino Nation Blog has had his back a lot. But last night there was no defense for what happened at the end of regulation play. The Raptors had two chances to inbound the basketball and were unsuccessful both times. That just can't happen. It is Sam's responsibility as he had two chances to draw up something to get the ball in play. Sure the players have to make it happen but come on. I had written despite my support of Sam that this season would define him one way or the other as relates to his future with the Raptors. At this point Sam is truly on the edge as far as keeping his job. I don't think injuries or excuses can save him. I really feel bad about this because if Sam Mitchell and his time with Raptors is coming to an end I will miss him a ton. But he really isn't giving his supporters a lot to work with. Add in the fact that with J.O getting hurt he has less to work with it may just be to much to over come. When you look across the way last night at Lawerence Frank I don't think anyone can say that he did not out coach Sam Mitchell in this basketball game. He was able to give Vince Carter the chances to kill Raptor fans hopes for a win. Vince did just that.

Some CIS and Score Love

I like to try to support other forms of basketball beyond the Raptors and the NBA. I think it is important to do so. But being honest about it during the Raptors season those chances are rare to be able to do it. Thankfully one of the sites that is part of the Score.Com Sports Federation makes their focus the CIS. So if you are looking to read about coverage of basketball on that level go check them out. They do football as well and I am sure will have a lot about the Vanier Cup which is right in my backyard here in Hamilton. The Score is broadcasting the game as well with pre-game at 1pm and kickoff set for just after 2pm. But for here we are all about basketball and they had an article with the early season rankings in the CIS in both Men's and Women's basketball. So if you want to follow the CIS basketball season check them out:

CIS Rankings in Men's And Women's Basketball


So that is about it for me. I am praying and hoping for a birthday miracle for the Raptors to get me a win tomorrow. It may take just that given the state of things for the Raptors and the task of facing Boston was not easy at full strength let alone at something less than that.

Raptors Rewind- The V.C Retro Edition

Well before we get started with this game, big news in the division these two teams take part in. Al Harrington is going to be a New York Knick. He was traded for Jamal Crawford earlier today. The Knicks are a surprising 6-5 and the Raptors have 4 straight at home and are looking to make a move and leave the Nets, Knicks and Sixers behind. Vince Carter hate will never die for some but it is a whole new era not just for the Raptors but for Vince. The Nets no longer have a big three they just have V.C. He has guys like Devin Harris and Yi as team mates now. Harris has be outstanding and Mark Cuban has to be disappointed with the trade he made looking at how Harris has performed. It is the Nets and Raptors and it is always exciting so lets get ready. Let's Go Raptors and I am sure more than a few will add V.C Sucks!!!

1st Quarter

I got a prediction for you in this one. I am saying J.O has at least one hard foul on V.C. It be sweet to see. I don't hate Vince but would I like to see him get knocked around? HELL YA!!! Raptors win the opening tip. J.O would hit a turnaround and open the scoring. Devin Harris who is leading the Nets in scoring had the answer. In case you were wondering the fans still hate Vince. His first touch of night got the boos and the miss on his shot got cheers. A lot of fans said they were over the Vince thing but seems they still like to get on him just like always. But the rest of Nets had an 8-6 lead without V.C to this point. Andrea Bargnani would make a shot to tie it at 8. Devin Harris tried to break a 10-10 tie but he was denied by J.O. It was Vince Carter taking advantage of a mis-match scoring on a jumper over Jose. Jermaine O'Neal did not like a call and said a few bad words. That was good enough to earn a technical foul that the Nets would make to hold a early 13-10 lead.

Trouble for the Nets though as Vince Carter and Yi would pick up fouls back to back. That was the second for both and we were still fairly early in the first quarter. Both remained in the game and the Raptors made two free throws to pull to 1 down. There was a lot of fouls being called in this game and the Raptors were already in the bonus. Bargnani would cash in a pair from the line. A Jose Calderon triple gave the Raptors a 17-15 lead. Vince Carter had an answer for that with a vintage V.C jam. But Bosh answered that with a basket and one. Another bucket and another that was 7 straight for Bosh and it matched the Raptor lead of 7. That says a lot, V.C got the highlight and Chris Bosh just got it done. That sums up the difference between these two to me. Jarvis Hayes would end the CB4 run with a jumper. But it didn't slow Bosh a bit he went right back on the other end and scored. The Nets decided to double Bosh and he just tossed it out to Jose and he nails a three ball. He would then get a steal and got the easy lay-up. The score was 31-19 with just a minute and a bit left to play in the first. Bosh had another 2 free throws to add to an impressive first quarter. Bosh would look for 2 more but he could not convert but he had 15 of the Raptors 33 in the quarter. The Raptor lead was 33-22 after one quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

What a start for Bosh and the Raps. The crowd was fired up for a Friday night with Vince Carter in town. Jamario Moon had check in along with some others. But Moon was 2-2 to start his night at the office. the teams were trading buckets early. Kris Humphries would match Moon with 2 scores in a row of his own. Raptors had a 41-28 lead. Jason Kapono got in on the fun with a two pointer. But Vince Carter had the nice finger roll to respond. Jarvis Hayes would hit a 3-ball. Nets cut the lead to 8 points. But Andrea Bargnani pushed it back to double digits. Vince Carter answered the boos with a nice fading jumper.

Jose and Chris Bosh returned but it was Andrea Bargnani with a 3 pointer. Vince Carter was heating up a bit as he made back to back scores after the Bargnani 3-pointer. But Bargnani got another chance to make a 3-ball and he would make it. Bargnani showing some smarts as he drove it this time and got himself to the line. He would make both and he had 16 points and the Raptors lead 53-43. Andrea Bargnani is starting to show just why he was picked number 1 by Bryan Colangelo. Jermaine O'Neal did not want to feel left out as he would score and draw a foul. He would have to wait for a time out to see if he could convert the 3 point play. He would make it and the Raptor lead was 11 points. Jose Calderon scored a 3 pointer off an inbound play. The Raptors looked very good tonight. Everyone had bee down playing this game and Vince's return. But the Raptors were all fired and had a 61-47 lead heading to halftime.

3rd Quarter

So the Raptors played a great first half of basketball could they make it two? New Jersey had two chances to score on the opening trip and missed both. But after Raptor miss Vince Carter would get a score. Anthony Parker who had not scored in the first half was making up for lost time with 4 early in the third. Vince Carter would be denied by J.O and the crowd loved it. Chris Bosh would score on the other end. The Raptors had built up a 69-51 lead. The Nets were in some serious trouble. Nets rookie Brook Lopez would get a basket and a foul. He would miss the shot and Bobby Simmons would score on the put back. He would score again and the Nets had a 6-0 run to cut the advantage down to 12 with a time out on the floor.

Raptors out of the time out had turnover but J.O made sure they would not pay with a rejection on the defensive end. Devin Harris had been MIA for the Nets. The Nets were coming on despite that as Vince Carter hit a 3 pointer to cut the lead down to just 7. But Andrea Bargnani made a nice move off a Calderon feed to score. But Vince Carter would drive and kick it out to Yi for three pointer he would make. Bosh was working hard and heading to the line looking to get the lead back to double figures after the Nets had got to with in 6 points. He would make both and was 9-10 from the line on the night. Raptors lead was 75-65. But New Jersey would not go away as the fought back to 6 points down. They were using zone to frustrate the Raptors on defense. But Chris Bosh would drive and score plus the and 1.

The Nets were down 7 points and Devin Harris was back. He was apparently having some stomach issues. The Canadian food was not sitting well or he accidentally ate Vince's food... maybe. The Raptors were starting to break down the zone a bit. But this game was now a close one. Andrea Bargnani would hit a big 3-ball at the end of the quarter to make the lead 9 after 3 quarters. Bargnani had 23 points. Bosh had 26 and the Raptors lead 85-76.

4th Quarter

A terrible start to the 4th quarter for the Raptors as Jermaine O'Neal hit the floor hard and grabbed his left knee. He would walk off the floor but if anything there was a lot of concern. It was the knee that Jermaine had issues with that he wears a brace on. Sean Williams would get a well deserved flagrant foul one. O'Neal was unable to make the free throws. He would check out of the game and head to the locker room. A lot of concern if you are a Raptor fan. But the Raps still had a game to win and the crowd had the life sucked out of it with the J.O injury. Will Solomon was playing terrible again in relief of Jose. The lead had been trimmed down to just 6 points.

Chris Bosh and Calderon would return. A rare Calderon turnover would lead to a basket and a foul. After being down 18 points the Nets were now down 86-85. Bosh would score off a Calderon feed. But Devin Harris like a blur would respond. Andrea Bargnani hit a big 3 point shot. Vince Carter was waiting to join the party and his Nets would score to make it 91-89. Jose Calderon would score before V.C would get a chance to get back in the game. Time out and V.C was coming back. Raptors fans would like to see J.O coming back but there was no sign of him.

Devin Harris would drive and score with ease out of the time out. A Bosh miss and Harris would score to tie it at 93. Both teams had several chances to take the lead. Chris Bosh would finally score and get fouled to but the Rapotrs back in from with the basket and one. A report from the locker room for J.O was a strained left knee and would be going for testing and would not return. Kris Humphries who would normally not be in there at this point took advantage of his extra floor time and score a big basket as the Raptors had run off 7 straight since New Jersey tied it at 93.

Carter would miss an ugly attempt for 3 points. But the Raptors could not take advantage and Devin Harris would drive to the hoop on the Nets next trip and get fouled and make both. Chris Bosh would get to the line thanks to a Vince Carter foul. He would make both. Brook Lopez scored for the Nets on the other end. But Jose Calderon made a big 3-ball in response on the other end. The score was 104-97 with less than 2 minutes to play. Calderon was fired up as the Nets would score only to see Jose drive and score to keep the Raptor lead at 7 points. The Nets would score and look to foul Jose Calderon but that is not what Lawerence Frank wanted. Jose would make the shots. Vince Carter would hit a big 3 pointer to give the Nets a little hope with 24.2 seconds left. Raptors had trouble getting the ball in it forced a time out and they still couldn't get it in and took a 5 second violation. New Jeresy would take advantage and score. Calderon was fouled and made both free throws. Vince Carter drove to the basket and scored. Parker would be fouled with 2.2 second left. He would miss the first free throw and he made the second. Jersey had the ball down 111-108 and one last chance. Vince Carter would catch the inbound pass and nail a very long 3 point shot and the game was tied. Raptors would have 0.5 seconds to try to avoid overtime. But that was a sick feeling to see V.C make that shot. The Raptor tried to get it to Moon for a tip in but it would fail. We were going to overtime and you had to feel the Nets had all the momentum.

Overtime

The Raptors let this game slide away to the point that we were in overtime. Raptors would win the tap but they could not score as Bosh would mis-fire. Vince Carter would hit his shot. Chris Bosh on his second chance to score he would not miss. He would have it again after a Jersey miss and he would score and get the foul which he would make. Devin Harris would low by Jose and get his own basket and one and we were tied at 116-116. Andrea Bargnani would had been making big 3 pointers all night made another. Vince Carter would answer that with a long 2 pointer. Chris Bosh hit a big jump shot from on the corner of the box. The Nets would make a 3 pointer and it was all tied again at 121-121. Devin Harris would give the Nets the lead with under 50 seconds left in the first overtime.

Bargnani would miss a 3 pointer and Bosh could not get the rebound. New Jeresy would have Devin Harris sent to the line. He could only make 1-2 and the Raptors still had life down 3 with only 19 seconds left in the first overtime. Andrea Bargnani would get an open look to try and tie the game but he could not. New Jersey again would go 1-2 from the line. Raptors were down 4. Chris Bosh would not die as he hit a rare 3 pointer over Devin Harris. Nets at the line again 4 seconds on the clock they make both and the Raptors are down 3 with 4 seconds to play. The Raptors would look to Parkerville court and find A.P and he would hit the 3 pointer to tie the game with 2.1 seconds left in the first overtime. Vince Carter would kill the Raptors again on an alley opp of the inbound pass. The Raptors last chance desperation half court shot would not fall.

From an entertainment stand point this was a fantastic game. But from a Raptor fan perspective it was truly heart breaking. Bosh tied a career high with 42, Andrea Bargnani had a career high 29, but it was 5 of Vince Carter's 39 that was the difference. On top of all this you had J.O going for tests on the knee that had been the cause of all his problems prior to coming to Toronto. I could not imagine a worse case scenario for the Raptor Fans. The posts that are being made on fan boards at the moment will definitely be rated PG-13. After all of this The Raptors are 6-6 and I find it hard to believe that they can bounce back to score a win over the Celtics for a nice birthday present for the Dino Blogger. This was a very hard loss for the Toronto Raptors and their fans. For the details of how it happened check the boxscore below.

Raps and Nets Boxscore

Matt Devlin Part 2

It has been a crazy week with all that has been going on. Tuesday I had Matt Devlin by to talk about the Magic vs Raptors. That was all in audio form. But as with all the Interviews there was a second part. There was a lot to do this week so I planned ahead and asked Matt a few questions that would still make sense a few days later. Matt is of course new to the Raptors and he has not been here for the rise and fall of Vince Carter. So having that fresh perspective I asked him if he understood why some Raptor Fans still hate Vince Carter and was it time to move on for fans?

Matt Devlin- "Listen, I understand why fans take exception to Vince. From a stand point of they feel burned by him. I understand why people feel a certain way towards him, and it is understandable. Should you move on? Well that is up to the individual who am i to say. I don't know from a specific standpoint, each individual has their own feelings about Vince and what he has said and what he has done. But I do know that a lot of people feel burned by it. If they feel that they got burned and they never want to cheer for Vince Carter, so be it. If the feel that time has passed enough that there o.k with Vince and moved on from it, so be it as well.

But from a fan perspective, that is what makes it fun, that whole love and hate relationship. That is what builds rivalries and that is what keeps people passionate about the game. There are guys that you want to see and guys that you don't want to see. There are guys that you want to see because you don't like them. That is part of every sport not just basketball."

Vince Carter or not this is a key point in time for the Toronto Raptors. The Eastern Conference is all bunched up. The Raptors have ideas of being an elite team in this conference so is now the time to make a move in the standings for the Raptors?

Matt Devlin- "Number one, you take a look at the Raptors and the majority of their games have been on road. Their first extended home stand starts on Friday(Today). You look at the next 6 games and 4 of those are at home and that is an opportunity. In fact it is 4 in a row at home starting with New Jersey so you do want to take advantage of that. I think everyone (in the NBA) looks at that. Everyone is looking at the moves they have made in the off-season and trying to figure out where they are at. Changes have been made in organizations and people are asking how good are they at this point. Do they need to make a move to improve. But there are always opportunities in the schedule to take advantage of in the season and move forward."

There has been lots of talk of if the Raptors will make a move. If they do will that include going over the tax threshold. What is Matt Devlin's take on what Bryan Colangelo will do?

Matt Devlin- I think the first thing is Bryan Colangelo wants to win. Not just win in the regular season, he wants to win in the playoffs, he wants to win it all. When you have that as your base or starting point, then you take a look at everything. If he feels there are opportunities out there that can get the team over the hump and win for a long period of time he is going to do it.

The other aspect of it is that Raptors have just started using this big three line-up. So I think you have to play it out and give it time. The other thing that you always have to remember when making deals...I mean I was getting a lot of e-mails, when things heated up about Al Harrington and Gerald Wallace and all the different trade possibilities. You always have to look at it from the stand point of what would the other team want that you have. That could be a player or a contract or a combination of both. So, are you willing to lose other assets that you have in order to get something in return. So you always need to be mindful of that when you are looking at a deal.

This is something I have always talked about. Trade Checkers do not have any common sense to them. Just because the math works out does not mean it makes sense. I talked with Matt about the guys who have been under the gun. The Raptors wing players. Jamario Moon, Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker. Matt had some things to say about all of them.

His thoughts on Jamario Moon- "Know who you are and consistency is the key at that position. I think Jamario Moon needs to be an energizer and he knows that. So, that he needs to provide consistent energy especially now that he is coming off the bench."

As an example of that he pointed back to Sunday's game vs the Bobcats- "He had 8 points and 5 rebounds with 4 assists and a couple of blocks in 19 minutes. That is perfect. The thing i liked best about what he did in that game was he only took one three pointer and got to the line five times."

His take on Jason Kapono( On topic of shot selection ) -" You look at his numbers from three point range and he has never been a volume shooter. He is not a guy that just shoot to take a shot. He takes shots with in the flow of the game. He is not going to force a shot. I have seen him play for a long time and I have never seen him take a forced shot unless it was in a late clock situation that he has no other option. He is going to work the ball and work it with in the system and work for open looks. He took 4 shoots from three on Sunday and I don't how many more you really would want him to take. There might be a game where he take more shots from 3-point range depending on the flow of the game. For whatever reason there are times in which he will he will only take like one or two shots and it has got to be more than that. But I think he is a guy that likes to work the offense and he is not going to force up a shot."

His thought on A.P(If age is catch up to him) - " He is 33 years of age and every night you are asking him to guard the best players in the game on a nightly basis. So if you get anything from him offensively I think it is a bonus, because he has to expend so much energy on the defensive side of things."

That does not answer to me why A.P has started shooting the ball so poorly. maybe that is a factor of getting a bit older as well. I am really not sure. He should have his most energy at the start of a game. Matt's point of guarding the best players in the game is valid. They are also for the most part a lot younger than A.P. But in the last game for the Raptors it was Parker getting hot later in the game and was a big factor in the Miami win. If Anthony can play well defensively that is how he helps the Raptors the most and is his primary role.

Matt has had a chance to get use to his new role here with the Raptors and I just asked him for his thought on how things were going for him in his new job. For his thoughts on how he has felt about his new job as the Raptors play by play man.

Matt Devlin-" Just a first class organization. I am amazed on a daily basis with level of the people that they have in the organization. As well as in the broadcasting department, because I have worked for two other organizations and at the league level with NBA-TV. I just think they have so many great things going for them. It is the same thing with the fan base. Were about 3 weeks into the season and haven't had many home games but the crowds have been fantastic. Sunday in Charlotte ( Where Matt Was Last Year ) there were only 8,000 people in the building. From my stand point (Toronto) is just a fantastic place to be. From the fans and their reception and the organization as a whole. Toronto as a city and an organization has just so many good thing going for it. From all aspects it has just been fantastic for me."

There has been an adjustment for a lot of folks to Matt. Some fans have really been enjoying him. Some fans still miss Chuck Swirsky. But I can only say based on my deals with Matt. He has always been willing to talk with me for the Dino Nation Blog. He has really wanted to reach out to the fans from the first time we had spoke. I think i mentioned this before but the first time we spoke he took a huge amount of time to get to know me personally and get my thoughts on Raptor fans and everything to do with the Raptors. It is not like I am an expert or anything. But I think he was aware that I had a good idea of the fan base from my unique perspective. He is a great person and is a much different style of broadcaster from Chuck. Some have enjoyed that and others not so much. That being said I have nothing but good things to say about Matt. He is a good person just as Chuck was and both care very much about the fan base. That is a great thing.

Some Thoughts From The Desk Of Dino Blogger

Last night on the show "Hoops" there was a couple things of note. Jack Armstrong was really stressing the idea of not only Chris Bosh staying in Toronto is 2010 but the idea of perhaps bringing in another star to play along with him. That player he was strongly suggesting was Dwyane Wade. There has been a lot of talk about this. Wade and Bosh do have the same agent and Wade in his post game comments made some suggestions he liked the direction that Bryan Colangelo was taking the Raptor Franchise. So let the rumours begin as 2010 talk seems to dominate the NBA conversation lately. I have said that it could all be a lot of hype for nothing but I can't fight a forest fire with a garden hose so if people are talking about it would be wrong not to mention it.

Matt Bonner on Team Canada?- We all remember the red rocket. He was a beloved character in Raptor history. He lives in Toronto in the off-season. He married a girl from Canada and the wedding was in the summer in Canada. He also has a Canadian grandfather. All of this is leading to the idea of Bonner playing for Canada internationally. In an interview last night he confirmed that this is something he wants to happen. So Canada may have a red rocket to play for them in the future. I would love to see it. Matt Bonner may not be a superstar and is just a role player. But he is a guy that just seemed to touch Raptor fans in a special way that few have.

Will V.C STILL SUCK? Yes the Nets roll into the A.C.C tonight and it will be interesting to see if Raptor Fans still have all of that "LOVE" for V.C. Some fans have been saying it is time to move on. I would agree in might be but not on nights like tonight. Vince Carter has showed in the past that the people in the A.C.C (that he once claimed was still his house) those fans get in his head. So I say bring the noise and bring the hate. Till Vince Carter can prove it doesn't matter I have no problem with fans going nuts. It is not like the case with Tracy McGrady because when the fans booed him he loved it and played better from it.

Back To Work For Dino Blogger.

I can now get back to work and get to doing what I am here to do. I have got so many offers of congratulations on this new venture with the score and I can not list you all but thanks so much. It is a great thrill for me and I think it will be great for the blog and it's readers. So with that said let's get back to work.

Welcome Back Jose

What a difference one player can make to a basketball team. Jose Calderon may not have been running at 100% last night. But whatever percentage it was, it was far better than what Will or Roko can provide. The Raptors were a turnover machine without Jose and it was very noticeable how much Jose means to this Raptor team. His stats last night were not eye popping or anything but what it meant for others and the team was. The health of Jose Calderon is always going to be a major factor for this roster. The amount of minutes he is having to play will make Raptor fans nervous. I share in that concern. But until Will Solomon or Roko Ukic prove they can be effective on a consistent basis. Sam Mitchell has a tough task in figuring out how to keep Jose and his minutes under control will be an issue. Jose did have a bit of a tweak to his ankle last night but played through it. Raptor fans love Jose for the most part he gives them a lot of reason to do so. I only wish he was a better defender but that can be said for a few folks on this roster.

J.O Is Getting On Track

This is the J.O that people were hoping for when the trade was made. Big rebounding nights and being a shot blocking force on the defensive end. He is scoring a little less than some folks may have expected. I was never really concerned about that. J.O was here to make the Raptors better defensively and to add some toughness and rebounding that was sorely lacking. He is starting to get use to play major minutes and getting use to playing consistently after a few season plagued with injures. It all takes time and that is something Raptor fans are not always willing to give. But I really think J.O has done about as good as you could hope for at this point. We always hear that Jermaine O'Neal is a 6 time all-star. That is fact, but that is also a few years ago and a we injuries ago. It will take time to build back to an all-star level and he may near get all the way back. But what is clear is that he seems motivated to give his best effort to do so. That is all Bryan Colangelo, Sam Mitchell and Raptor fans can ask.

No Trade...No How...Not Now

Many have floated the idea of trading Andrea Bargnani over the last season and a bit. I was among them at one point last season. That time has passed for me. Andrea Bargnani had one of the better nights of his NBA career last night. I have seen an overall change in him that makes me think he is worth keeping for the long run. The biggest thing about Andrea last year that was the concern for myself and others, was the lack of progression in his development. I don't think anyone can make that claim this year. He is showing signs of an improved post game, better defensive effort and an overall effort that is there consistently. To make a move with him at this point would be a mistake. He is showing the things you want to see and he is still very young and has a lot of room for growth. When Bryan Colangelo selected him it was based on that long term outlook. If Colangelo was looking to the short term Andrea Bargnani would not have been his pick. There is just nothing that would convince me that trading Andrea would not be something that people would look back on and regret down the line.

Just When I Was Ready To Give Up On A.P

I admit watching Anthony Parker last night when he was at 0-5 on the night I was like COME ON. Well he did just that and went off shooting at a level I had not seen for him in a long time. In my talks with folks they point to how hard it is for Anthony Parker to be guarding the toughest guy to stop on the floor on most nights. It takes a toll on a player to work that hard on the defensive end. That is why you see some star players take breaks on defense to save up some energy. But A.P is out there for his defense first. His shooting has suffered some times as a result. But if that is the case and it is about his defensive assignment. I do not understand that most times A.P is starting cold shooting. He should be at 100% or close to it at the start of the game right? It will be interesting to see if the Raptors will consider moving Anthony Parker at any point through out this season. His contract is done after this year and the summer had rumours of offers to return to Europe for A.P. I am not sure if the Raptors will move him but he could be a player that would have some interest for a team looking to add a player for the short term. But it is clear to me that no matter what Anthony Parker will likely not return after this season. He has been a good player for the Raptors in his time here but age and time are catching up to A.P. When your sister is the superstar of WNBA you are hard pressed to even be the best basketball player in the family.

Raptors Need To Learn To Play With A Lead

I don't know if it is just being the team from Canada or what. But the Raptors just can't seem to hold large leads. It has been something that has gone on in the history of this franchise. It is o.k to win a game by 20 or 30 I would be happy to write about that I really would. Far to many times the Raptors take big leads only to watch them melt away like snow in heat. Last night the Raptors lead by 17 and that lead was erased and it took a second wind from Toronto to pull out the win from Miami. This has to change and it is up to Sam Mitchell to make that happen. He tries to call time outs and stop things from getting out of hand. That is what most coaches would do. Phil Jackson was known for not doing that and letting the players figure it out. However Sam Mitchell does not have Kobe, Shaq or M.J on his roster. But maybe he should give it a shot and allow this team to figure it out for themselves without having him try to break the momentum with a good stress releasing time-out rant. One way or the other Raptors need learn how to be a front runner.

Some Final Thoughts

Tomorrow I will have the second part of my chat with Matt Devlin. We talk about the ex-raptor Vince Carter and a bunch of other topics. I also want to take this chance to welcome folks who might have just found the blog through the partnership with The Score. I hope you will become a regular reader and be a part of this growing Nation of Raptor and Basketball loving folks that make the Dino Nation Blog part of their experience as a fan. I value my readers and want you to feel part of the Dino Nation Blog. Thanks for checking this blog out. As for all of the regular readers thanks for your support and hope you are happy about this new era for Dino Nation Blog. So tomorrow it is Matt Devlin and a Raptors Rewind of the Raptors and Nets. Will V.C still suck? Who knows but nothing gets Raptor fans more fired up then the topic of Vince Carter.

See You Tomorrow and feel free to leave a comment if you like