Some Early Reflections On The Season That Was

First off I apologize for no blog yesterday. Just was a lot of stuff going on life wise to take care of. We never did recap the Raptors loss to Miami but basically it could be summed up in one line. Lebron James is awesome. You may not like the guy as a person but he is a hell of a basketball player however you care to cut it. His detractors will point out his lack of rings and the fact he has had sometimes in the 4th quarter where he can go missing. All that said he is a pure athletic freak that it is fun to watch perform if you can get over all your hate.

The season is winding down for the Raptors with just 3 games left to go. It honestly has seemed to fly by, as it seemed like the Raptors had a game every other night. Oh wait, with the NBA Lockout schedule they pretty much did. They say time flies when you are having fun. I am not sure much about this season was all that fun. It would appear though that the Raptors have at least hired the right coach. Dwane Casey has been nothing short of fantastic this season. I am not sure if many believed he could actually turn around the Raptors miserable defense into something respectable but he has. That fact alone it pretty amazing but when you consider how he was able to with all the disadvantages the lockout offered it is flat out beyond logic. On top of all of that you have a season in which your squad was injury plagued. Miracle worker might be going to far, but whatever comes just before that would some up what Dwane Casey has done this year.

That was a success, what was not a success to any large degree was the moves Colangelo made in the off-season. When Aaron Gray looks like the best signing that you made there is a problem. This talk of the Raptors adding all of this leadership they so desperately needed was about as believable as the "It's not you, it's me" line someone gives you when breaking up with you. Carter and Butler didn't even last the season and Jaamal Maglorie might be the most over hyped Raptor for doing next to nothing that I have ever seen. Aside from that band of veteran leadership brought in there is Gary Forbes who even after 63 games remains a bit of a riddle as to what he is or can be? The Raptors did find a decent player in Alan Anderson with their 10 day contracts. There is no guarantee he will be around next season.

Demar DeRozan after starting off having all kinds of trouble has rallied in the second half of the season. He still looks like he has the potential to grow into the star many hoped he could be. Ed Davis meanwhile has perhaps shown why he slipped into the draft down to the Raptors at 13. He until very recently had shown zero signs of improvement or even life. Still, the giant question left by this season will be which was the real Andrea Bargnani? Was it the guy that started the season like gangbusters and after 13 games was being hyped and an All-Star Candidate? Or is it that guy that came back after his calf injury that hobbled him for most of the season. That guy looked a lot like the Andrea from the past 6 seasons before Casey arrived.

Then we have hype in two forms. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. That would be the Raptors insistence on hyping up their draft choice that never got to play this season. I think his name is Jonas something. You might have heard of him a time or two or 2 thousand times from the Raptors this season. I think they have made a huge mistake in building all of this hype. It will bite them in the butt if Jonas Valanciunas does not come through right away. They will then whine to their fans to be patient. Well maybe they would be if you hadn't run a year long hype campaign about the kid. I am convinced by the time he gets here he will walk across Lake Ontario to his first practice with the Raptors. At the end of the day I don't blame him at all for all of this. A dose of reality on all of this hype is that big man in the NBA seldom just show up and take over. It takes a long time to develop them generally. So why you would tie a rocket to this kids back and send expectations to the moon? It is short sighted and ultimately stupid.

Now to the less advertised hype. Bryan Colangelo has consistently laid out a plan that is centered on this upcoming off-season. He basically in his actions and words wrote this season off before it ever started. I think he might be as shocked as anyone that Dwane Casey has been able to get 22 wins and counting out of this group. It almost feels like a wrestling hype job when I say what comes next. This is likely the most important off-season of Byran Colangelo's career with the Raptors. I feel like we say that almost every summer. Just like ever wrestling or UFC show is going to be better than the last one. However, this is the truth if for no other reason than Bryan Colangelo has made it the truth in how he has approached talking about this season and next. If all he has is another top draft pick and his boy wonder Jonas than he is in trouble. Don't expect the changes to come through free agency though. Colangelo is likely to use his cap space in trades to look to improve the Raptors. Given his track record at free agency that might be a wise idea. Although a lot of his trades have not exactly worked out that well either especially lately.

It promises to be an interesting off-season and given how Colangelo has set things up the off-season moves could come very early on. The trade of Barbosa made that possible. It is safe to say the Raptor fan base will expect and demand much more next season. The pressure is on MLSE and Colangelo to provide a winner and not an apology and excuses.

DeRozan Leads Raps To Big Win, Before Going Down Late.

The Raptors prior to this one took the advice the Dino Nation Blog has been offering from the start of the season They waived which is a nice way to say cut Rasaul Butler who had been a major disappointment the entire season. He had been buried on the bench for quite some time. Raptors may be looking at bringing in some guys on 10 days now with both Carter and now Butler released and the roster down to the bare minimum. That is in the days to come as for tonight they take on the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin returns to the site of one of the big moments of his Linsanity to run here at the ACC. Knicks are in a tight race to hang on to a playoff spot so expect them to be going all out against the Raptors tonight.

DeRozan opens up the scoring with a baseline jumper and that is followed by a Bargnani three and Raptors open up with 5-0 lead. Bargnani with a nice move draws a foul on a nice pump fake by Bargnani sending him to the line for a pair and Raptors had a 9-2 lead. Raptors had an 11-4 lead and Mike Woodson who was a perfect 5-0 coming into this one as Knicks head coach wanted a time out. Raptors were taking 3 pointers and not making them giving the Knicks a chance to get back in this game but they were not taking full advantage still down 15-9. DeRozan with a nice two point effort nails it. Lin answers with a drive and score to mix of cheers and boos. Raptors were on fire early 8/15 from field and another DeRozan bucket. Amare Stoudemire with a nice score in the paint and the Raptors still had a 19-14 lead. Jeremy Lin had a turnover and was getting the John Cena treatment from the Toronto crowd some cheers and some boos. Raptors had an impressive start with a 25-16 lead in the first quarter. DeRozan the more efficient but both he and Bargnani had 9 points a piece.

Knicks on shot 36.8% in that first quarter. Ed Davis after a sloppy turnover makes up for it on the next possession getting the Raptors lead to 10 at 29-19. Raptors lead kept growing and was up to 12 with a time out on the floor. Knicks cut that lead in half to 6 with 7:26 to play in the half. Knicks had a chance to cut the lead further but after a missed three they would turn it over on a bad Davis pass looking for Chandler in the lane. Again the Knicks had a chance to cut into the lead and the Raptors switched to zone which leads to a deep three from Lin that doesn't fall. But you had the feeling the Knicks were going to get back in this if they cleaned some things up. Anthony got the lead down to 4 but Bargnani nailed a jumper in the lane to make it 35-29 with just over 4 to play. James Johnson took a ill advised three made up for it with a steal and a pretty lay-up to make the lead 6 once again. Despite shooting 5/19 in the quarter the Raptors still lead this game 37-31 with 1:20 left to go in half. A missed dunk by James Johnson on an air ball Raptor attempt summed up the Raptors offense in the 2nd quarter nicely. A Novak three in corner at the buzzer made this a 3 point game at the half in favour of the Raptors. It was 39-36 and these teams looked hard pressed to to get to 80.

An Aaron Gray turnover looked to be a sign of more of the same. Jeremy Lin to cheers followed by Boos hit a 3. Stoudemire scored to get the Knicks as close as they have been with the score 41-40. Back to back Bargnani buckets with an Anthony deuce in between. Raptors would get the lead back to 5 as the Knicks seemed content to chuck up three attempt, after three attempt. The Raptors went on an 10-2 run after the Knicks got to with in one. Demar DeRozan would force the Knicks into a time out with an amazing finish on the alley oop. He had 20 and the Raptors had a 9 point lead. The Knicks offense was just awful in this game. A Chandler dunk over Bargnani out of the time out was nice though. But Amir Johnson answer with two on the other end and Knicks went right back to chucking three's as Lin missed another. Andrea Bargnani with a nice turnaround and the Raptors lead was 11 and trending upwards. Demar DeRozan wanted a three but settled for a long two and the Raptor lead was up to 14. Another DeRozan bucket made it 16 and for DeRozan he had 24 on the night and we still had 15:30 of game action to go. J.R Smith finally made a basket for the Knicks but Amir Johnson answered that score and it was 64-46 Raptors with just over 2 to play. Knicks showed a little life near end of 3rd with back to back hoops but DeRozan added two more to give the Raptors a 70-53 lead to take to the 4th.

Knicks were 1/17 from three point land. Safe to say that will need to improve for them to get back in this one that they have never led. J.R Smith makes it 1/18 from three to start the 4th. Smith would get an old fashion three with a shot and one foul to cut the lead to 14. Knicks started on a 7-0 run capped by a Novak three to make it 70-60. Gary Forbes gets back to back hoops to get the Raptors back on top by 14. Novak another 3 though and Knicks were trying to make a push. Gary Forbes was keeping the Raptors alive with 6 big points in the 4th and Bargnani had a nice slam after a J.R Smith bucket and Raptors had stabilized things and got lead back to 15. DeRozan would take it back to where we started with a huge slam and it was 82-65 Raptors. Salami and Cheese for everyone? It sure looked like it. Back to back steals finished with dunks would look similar to what the Knicks did to the Raptors earlier in the week. This time it was the Raptors rubbing the salt in the wounds on this night. Unfortunately at the end of this one with game pretty much decided Demar DeRozan would land awkwardly trying to block a shot and he would head straight for the locker room with 30 points and not returning. Solomon Albi even got in this one and scored. But the injury to DeRozan cast a damper on what was a tremendous win for the Raptors 96-79.

It was a great night for both DeRozan and Bargnani on this night. More for DeRozan but his late injury makes it hard to get the full satisfaction this win should have provided. Gary Forbes as mentioned really stepped up in the 4th and when the Raptors were on the ropes a bit he was the one that came out swinging. If DeRozan is seriously hurt it is unlikely we see him tomorrow in Chicago. The injury update on him will be vital. Ironically he would have tied Alvin Williams for the most consecutive starts in Raptors his if he were to suit up tomorrow in Chicago. That is in serious doubt now.

UPDATE 9:55PM: News on DeRozan is good. Eric Smith tweeted that DeRozan has tweeked his left ankle but should be good to go tomorrow in Chicago but will be reevaluated. So it appears he will travel with the team and will see from there.

Raptors Can't Camouflage A Flawed 4th Quarter

Better late than never right? I apologize just not feeling my best last couple days. That is why once the season is done will look into building a staff here for the DNB. So the Raptors busted out the camo and looked like a different team for 3 quarters. Well that might be an exaggeration the Raptors did play well and hang with the Roseless Bulls for 3 quarters. The Bulls are still very good without Rose heading into last night they were 10-4 without last year's MVP. So let's get to some game notes:

The Old Andrea Is Back: No not the one from the start of this season. The one from the last 6 years prior. His defense has at best been regressing. His offense last night was pretty much a train wreck. The only positive was he was making some solid passes and getting some assists to his stat line. He had 8 points 6 assists and 5 rebounds shooting 2-10 on the night. That is not going cut it. If we don't see improvement Raptor fans may point to his start to the season as the opportunity lost to trade him in the future. If people want to use the injury as an excuse that is fine but that then calls into question his durability. I think the highlight of the regression on defense I am talking about is when Carlos Boozer turned Andrea into a tree and fake one way and left him standing there and went for a dunk.

4th Quarter Blues: The Raptors have proven this season that they are capable to hang with even some of the best teams for a time. But when it comes to the 4th quarter and time to win the game the have had some epic failures. You can argue that in the last two games they have been perhaps the worst. John Lucas and Kyle Korver hit back to back threes and you knew it was coming as the game was tied. Once the Bulls took the lead they were like a sports car running from a bicycle. The hope would be with a greater depth of talent next year the Raptors will be able to have more complete 48 minute efforts as a result. Last night the Raptors out played the Bulls for 3 quarters but when it was winning time the Bulls showed why they have the best record in the league.

Demar DeRozan: You still have concerns about him as a defender. Still his offense is growing to be more consistent and the worries that people had at the start of this season should be less. He got off to a hot start last night with 11 points in the first quarter. He still managed to keep his scoring up through the whole 48 minutes. He finished with 23 points and shot 11-25 in the game and had 6 rebounds. It would be nice to see DeRozan be able to grab a few more boards as part of his game. At his position his advantage his is athleticism at the end of the day and that is part of taking advantage of it.

James Johnson A Year Later: It was about a year ago that the Raptors acquired James Johnson from the Bulls. He would likely still be fighting to get minutes and barely see the floor if he remained in Chicago. Slightly more used than Solomon Alabi is here with the Raptors. He has shown through his opportunity he has gotten here that he deserves to be a rotation player in the NBA. He had a nice night against his former team 16 points and 7 rebounds and shot an efficient 8-14 from the field. The Raptors likely still need a starting small forward at the end of the day. Still, Johnson as a back-up that can bring it on defense with a developing game on offense is a nice fit coming off the bench for a winning team.

In the end the Raptors despite having a 7 point lead in the early 4th quarter and but the end the Bulls ended up with a 12 point win 94-82. The Raptors also had to go most of the way without Jerryd Bayless who tried to give it a go with a left hip pointer but after just 1:29 on the floor it was clear he could not play in this one. He would watch the 2nd half in suit and like all Raptor fans sit helpless watching the Bulls come back and take over this in the 4th.

Playing Out String In Philly

Raptors road woes are well documented (6-33 on the Road) that being said this is one of the few places on the NBA map the Raptors have won. But that was early in the season (94-86 Win on Nov 17 2010), and that was a much different Sixers team. After a very slow start to the season Doug Collins has turned this thing around. Some even say he deserves to win the Coach of the Year Award. I am not one of those. But he has done a solid job turning the Sixers into a playoff team once again. Raptors have been without Andrea Bargnani 4 of the last 6 games and when he has been in there it really hasn't done anything. If it was my call I would just shut him down for rest of season. Let Ed Davis play and gobble up the extra minutes. Jose Calderon returned the last game and again I would rather see Jerryd Bayless at this point. Raptors should just play the kids and honestly should have been doing it for a long time. This team could easily make it to 60 losses on the season. They play Philly tonight, Nets on Sunday, Bucks on Monday and close it out with Heat on Wednesday. It stopped being about winning a long time ago.

The Basics: Raptors 21-57 (Lost 6 straight on Road) Philadelphia 40-39 (1/2 game behind Knicks for 6th in East)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors lost to the worst team in the NBA in the Cavs and trailed by as many as 22 the less we say about this game the better.

The Key Match Ups: Jrue Holiday is the key match-up for the Raptors to figure out. His improvement has been a big part of this Sixers turnaround. In a new system this season he has been able to shine. The Eddie Jordan Princeton offence was not a good fit for him or the Sixers. Be it Calderon or Bayless there needs to be an improvement on defensive end. Jodie Meeks can be a deadly 3 point shooter at times he is averaging 41% on the season. Raptors defence of the three point line has been a joke for most of the season. When ever you see Toronto vs Philly the name Andre Iguodala comes to the forefront. He still remembers Rob Babcock for passing on him in the draft and often is very motivated to come out and show Raptor fans what they missed out on.

Other Things Of Note: Your Ping Pong Ball Standings down the stretch:

• 1. Minnesota 17-62 --
• 2. Cleveland 17-61 (1/2 Game Back)
• 3.Washington/Toronto 21-57 (4 1\2 Games back)
• 5. New Jersey 24-54 ( 7 1/2 Games Back)

So with a loss the or a Nets win the Raptors would enter the Draft Lottery no worse than 4th and meaning the lowest they could pick is 7th. By winning the season series with Cleveland it would put 2nd out of reach. So really if you want to scoreboard watch you are looking for Washington wins down the stretch. Basically Raptors will enter the lottery 3rd or 4th it looks like.

Where Is It On? Sportsnet 1 (Stick around after to watch the Jays a team that is WINNING)

Raptors Crash The Blake Griffin Party

Think more people are hyped up about Blake Griffin than I am. Yes he is good I get all that I just do not see him as the second coming or anything. He will be a great player in this league and he can fly no doubt but he is still on the Clippers and they still suck.

Raptors might have been sick of hearing about Blake Griffin to a 10-4 start and the returning Amir Johnson with a big swat on Blake Griffin. But early foul trouble would send Amir to the bench and Raptors lead would shrink to just 2 points with 6:11 to play in first and the score 14-12. DeRozan not Griffin the games high scorer with 6 points early on. Clippers would come out of time out take the lead then Demar gets a questionable charge call on what was a nice drop off and easy dunk for Ed Davis. But instead a turnover. Clippers got out on the break and the fans that just came for the Blake Griffin Show got what they wanted with a massive alley opp slam and Clippers lead 18-14 Clippers. But after all the ooohhhh and awwws died down the Raptors went back to work and took control of the game again leading 24-18 with under 2 to play in Quarter. Demar DeRozan had 10 points and 0 highlights. Bledsoe not Griffin with the fancy moves on drive would tie this game up at 24 after 1.

It was a sloppy start to the 2nd Quarter and the highlight or low lite to this point was a steal and a break by Baron Davis that looked in slow motion but Baron is just that slow. Clippers got the hoop eventually and led 28-26. Amir was a warrior just fro being out there but foul trouble perhaps from being a step slow was an issue as he picked up his 3rd. All the Blake Griffin groupies that came to the game were sad to see he also picked up his 3rd foul. Ed Davis woke this game up a bit with a nice slam and he had 7 points and 6 rebounds Raptors took the lead back 40-38. By time half rolled around it was 48 a piece tied at half just as they were after 1.

Honestly the third quarter was as fun as watching paint dry. That being said the Raptors had built a 64-59 lead. But that all ended with one thunderous Demar DeRozan Jam and a star down at Clipper bench as to say I am going beat your boy next Saturday. It was kind of an uneventfully 3rd quarter other than that dunk but the highlights were Ed Davis was playing well and Raps were leading 78-71. It was a good quarter for the Raptors though it just wasn't terribly compelling. But the Raptors did but 30 on the board in the 3rd and had the crowd being Raptor fans instead of Blake Griffin sightseers which was good.

So the Raptors looked to close out the Clippers and get a win. In the past 2 games the Raptors faded badly in the 4th quarter. Raptors were surviving with a 85-79 lead with 7 minutes to play. Bayless couldn't miss a three vs Portland but he was struggling tonight. Jack Armstrong might have put it best the Raptors were winning this one ugly. But winning was the key and they still were 87-83 but they gave up a rebound on free throw miss and Griffin would make them pay making it a 2 point game. But a Bargnani minor miracle would fall off glass plus a foul and that was huge. Griffin would get called for a foul battling with Ed Davis. Barbosa would score on this ensuing possession and the Raptors had restored their 7 point advantage. Bargnani would answer a Clipper score and time was running out on the Clippers. In the end the Raptors would hang on for the 98-93 win.

Was a good team win tonight with 6 Raptors in double figures. There were not a lot of style points but given how things have gone in 2011 for the Raptors does anyone care? Ed Davis had perhaps his best game as a Raptor with 13 points and 14 rebounds. A career high in boards for the 2nd night in a row.

Starting 5 With Ryan Wolstat

We have always from the very beginning of doing the Starting 5 tried to bring you many different opinions and viewpoints from the main stream media. While we have been successful in doing that to a large degree, there has been one omission to that. We have never had anyone from the traditional print media to be a guest here. You know newspapers, well that changes today as we welcome Ryan Wolstat from the Toronto Sun to join us in the Starting 5. As with many of the guests we have had got to know Ryan through twitter (@WolstatSun) and eventually we met in covering the Raptors. So it is great to have him aboard and talk a lot about the uncertain yet certain future of the Raptors. That seems confusing, but if you listen to the interview it will not be. We talk about the futures of Bryan Colangelo, Jay Triano and some of the players that make up this roster. If anything we accomplish showing that bloggers and newspaper writers may not in fact hate each other as many assume. It was an enjoyable conversation and hopefully one you will enjoy as well.



Thanks to Ryan for helping us break some new ground with the DNB's Starting 5 and who knows maybe it will open the flood gates to more people from his world coming into our world here in the Dino Nation Blog. One of the great things of having access to games beyond the obvious things you see in talking with players and covering games is being able to build relationships with people in the media. It is something I have worked hard to do, and am so happy that so many people when asked to come join me here, have been happy and willing to do so. Hope to have Ryan join us again and become one of the many regular folks will call on to talk with here in the Dino Nation Blog. Another Ryan in the blog tomorrow as Ryan Richard our DNB Intern makes his debut in audio form, as we start doing a weekly DNB Podcast with myself and one of the members of my loyal staff. That will become a regular weekly feature on Wednesdays unless we have a guest booked to talk with on that day.

Some Thoughts On The Future For Raptors.

How will the Raptors respond after that early Christmas miracle in Detroit. As much as you have to be impressed by the Raptors comeback in Detroit. It still is a major concern how this team got down to the Pistons by 25 points in the first place. The Raptors sit 2 games out of the playoffs but they also sit only 4 games out of last place in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors have had wins over Orlando, Boston and OKC who will all be playoff teams. But they have lost to teams like the Wizards, Bobcats and Kings that clearly won't. Perhaps more than in any year in recent memory you truly never know what your going get with the Raptors. Is it going to be the Andrea Bargnani that poured in 41 points and made his team better or the guy that disappears for large stretches of games that could catch a cold easier than he could a rebound. Will we get the Sonny and Demar that attack the rim and make slams and get to the line? Or do we get the Sonny and Demar that get jumper happy like Vince Carter and Chris Bosh have done in the past. There is just nothing that is consistent about this team from the individual parts of the team to the overall collective effort.

Isn't this what we should expect though? This was always going to be a young team and as such consistency is always the last thing to come for young players. The fact the East has been bad enough that the playoffs are not a far off dream at this point does not change what the Raptors are. While we all may get frustrated by the inconsistency it is not like it shouldn't have been expected. The one thing that we should be a concerned about is how this team is playing defence. The Raptors have to figure out how to be a decent defence. Whatever the offence produces really isn't the issue at this point. I think the Raptors have proven that on most nights they can score even without Chris Bosh. The thing that ultimately has to be addressed is how this team plays defence.

Things have not changed with Bosh out of the picture in a lot of ways. This team still feeds off it's offence and does not show enough pride in it's defence. You are not going to have to many nights where you can show up in the 4th quarter and decide to play defence and win. This team has to think defence first. If the Raptors just become the same team with the same identity it had with Chris Bosh is not going to get this team anywhere. Defence has to be something that is a priority for everyone and the Raptors need to change the culture of how they approach games. Don't worry about if fans get a slice of pizza at the end of the night. Worry about keeping teams under that hundred point mark. I am sure stats would back this up that when the Raptors hold teams under 100 points their chances of winning increase greatly.

Also it is important to realize that the plan for this team is all about life in the NBA after the new CBA. Bryan Colangelo has rightful identified an opportunity for the Raptors to become a player in the new CBA world of the NBA. If just one thing happens in the new CBA it could be a huge difference to the NBA landscape in terms of free agency. The elimination of the MLE (Mid Level Exception) would make the Raptors and Toronto a much bigger player in free agency. If teams over the cap are not given that exception it takes a number of teams out of the mix. The Raptors if they choose to hang on to Peja and keep their Bosh trade exception in the bank they are going to have a great deal of cash to spend. What the Raptors need to do with that money is to find a guy or a couple of guys to come in and do what Kevin Garnett does for Boston. No not drop F-Bombs and talk smack. But some guys that will become the conscious of this team defensively. That is what is missing for this team. They can score the basketball but they need a leader on this team that will demand respect and demand effort defensively. It is much easier to be soldier and fall in line than it is to be the guy that steps up time after time. There are guys in this locker room that understand that this team will go no where unless they improve on defence. However the Raptors need someone that can be that fiery leader to bang the drum everyday to make sure that it happens.

As for the rest of this season the Raptors need to change their mindset and get the young core thinking defence first. If the Raptors play defence they can feed off that and get even better on offence potentially by creating turnovers. The worst thing that can happen to the Raptors is that the same culture of offence first and defence second that was part of the Bosh era does not change. Bosh leaving offered only one really good thing. It was the chance to change the culture and approach of this Raptors team. The Raptors need to create an identity for this basketball team.

More of the same and recreating a team with the same general philosophy is not going to get the job done. It isn't just about making the playoffs it is about advancing in them once you get there.

I was busy on the weekend as I was a guest on the NBA Breakdown on Sunday night. They also had Toronto Rapper Kardinal Offishall on the program as well worth a listen for sure. Also I made my weekly radio appearance on The Franchise radio show on Team 990 in Montreal talking NBA and Raps. Of course the weekend started hosting our MGD contest winners at the ACC here is some of our winners and me with Jack Armstrong.

Revenge Rondo Or Not On Minds Of Boston.

R-E-V-E-N-G-E that is what tonight will be about for Boston. After having a 8 game win streak vs the Raptors snapped last Sunday. Reggie Evans claims it is about revenge for the Raptors as well. Raptors have lost 4 straight in Boston. But with all due respect to Reggie that doesn't fly. Celtics felt embarrassed after losing to Thunder with no Kevin Durant then losing to the Raptors that most in U.S had pegged being worst in the East. That is a lot more motivation for them. They also were without Rajon Rondo who was obviously more hurt then I thought, as he still has yet to play with sore hamstring suffered late in the loss to the Thunder. His status with a sore hamstring remains up in the air. Delonte West will not be playing and could be lost until the playoffs for Boston with a broken wrist. Ultimately if the Raptors can beat the Celtics a 2nd time within a week and extend their winning streak to 5 games Rondo or not it would be somewhat impressive.

The Basics: Boston 11-4 (1st in East, 6-1 at Home) Toronto 6-9( 9th in East, 4 Game Win Streak)

When Last We Saw Them: Raptors had little trouble beating a Sixers team that was tired and on the 2nd half of a back to back. It was a positive debut for Jerryd Bayless and Reggie Evans had his first double double of the season and a career high in rebounds with 22. It included a Raptor record for rebounds in a half with 15 in the first half and 10 in the First Quarter.

Key Match-Ups: Shaq is coming off his own double doubles recently vs Atlanta and Nets while he has fit in very well with his new team in Boston. He had a fast start in the game on Sunday only to eventually foul out with a lot of time left in the 4th. Who and how the Raptors choose to guard him will be vital. If Rondo is in he would be the biggest issue for the Raptors. Bayless and his defensive skills might help the Raptors finally keep this guy under control. Ray Allen is always someone that needs to be watched for his ability to make clutch 3 point shots. While the Celtics biggest concern is likely how to deal with Bargnani who may be on one of his best streaks offence wise of his NBA Career. He is averaging during this Raptors win streak 27.2 points a game and shooting 56.3% from the field.

Other Things Of Note: Boston has won 2 straight since losing to the Raptors. They blew out the Hawks and then returned home Wednesday and were less impressive in a win over the Nets. Raptors all-time record in Boston is a pathetic 8-20. Did you know Andrea Bargnani is now 3rd on Raptors all-time list for 3 pointers made? He recently passed Doug Christie and now only has V.C and Mo-P in front of him. Odds are he ends on top of this list are high. Odds he makes top 10 on list for rebounds is low. For the last time the Raptors won 2 straight vs Boston you need to go back to 2006/07 season. Where the Raptors actually won 3 straight vs Boston that season with a win in December 2006 and 2 in January of 2007. It is also the last time the Raptors won the season series with Boston.

In Case You Missed It: We are into week 3 of our ticket giveaway with MGD. Here are the details on your latest chance to win a pair of Tickets to watch a game with me in the MGD Best Seats in The House on December 10th vs Denver. Also my Score schedule and Raptors schedule are once again not working in harmony so the Re-Cap of this one may again make that will have to be delayed. Also on last thing are weekly DNB Chats kind of fell off the map. Looking for a good time to have them so please vote and let us know what works best for you?

Raptors vs Sixer In Rematch From 7 Days Ago

Since these two teams last met the Raptors have been on a roll and made a trade. Toronto entered last Wednesday in a tie for last in the East with Philly. Raptors would win and have not lost since with wins over Houston and Boston. Tonight is also the debut of Peja and Bayless. There was some talk that Bayless may take #4 upon his arrival to the Raptors but has decided to go with 5. The CB4 legacy safe for now. Well other then what he did to trash it leaving for Miami and all. Raptors sit a full 2 games in front of Philly heading into this one at the ACC. So win or lose the Raptors will not drop to the basement in the East. That being said Philly is definitely one of those "Winnable" games that the Raptors must get this season to remain competitive.

The Basics: Sixers 3-11(1-7 on the Road) Raptors 5-9 (4-4 vs East)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors shocked the NBA with a 1 point win over Boston. A Paul Pierce fade away did not fall and the Raptors pulled out the improbably win over Boston. This was after letting Boston erase a lead that climbed to 11 points. But the Raptors would find a way to pull out the win as Amir Johnson hit free throws to force Boston into having to score with 2.7 seconds left which they did not.

Happy to be here: Both Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless expressed their happiness to be in Toronto. Odd right? They just came off a team, that when they left was tops in the Western Conference. But truth is that they had little to do with that. Peja is happy about Toronto's Serbian community and his wife is Greek which also has a strong community.Sound all very Hedo like. Let's hope the play from Peja is not the same. From Bayless, it was all talk of opportunity and a chance to be part of this young core. Will it be long before the Young Onez had a 4th member to the group? If you listen to Jerryd chances are not that long. He also is said to be a solid defender at his position by most. Something the Raptors have lacked for a LONG LONG Time. Isn't that right Jose, Jarrett and T.J? Finally the Raptors may have an answers to stopping elite point guards.

Other Things Of Note: IGGY's Back. Andre Iguodala (who did not play last week) returned to the Sixers line-up in a 2 point loss to the Wizards who welcomed back John Wall. Iguodala has always been a Raptors killer since entering the league. His last game vs the Raptors last season he lit up the Raptors for 33 points. The all time series between these once heated rivals is at 30-28 in favour of Toronto. Raptors hold an edge in all the team stats this season with the exception of 3pt % and A
assists. Philly who struggled shooting the 3 ball last year under Eddie Jordan have improved this year shooting 35% from 3 point range under Doug Collins to this point. Peja if he plays a role, should help the Raptors poor 3 point % which is below 30%. Remind me again why that 3 point streak is important? Which for those that care sits at 956 consecutive games with making a 3.

Key Match Ups: Jose Calderon avoided Rajon Rondo but will not be able to avoid Jrue Holiday tonight. If he gets matched up on Holiday that could be ugly. But maybe this is where we get to see Bayless shine in his debut? Will see. Andre Iguodala will make it a long night for whoever is on him. That we would assume for the most part will be Sonny Weems. While for the Raptors, as it was shown the last time these two teams hooked up in Philly, have a huge advantage with Bargnani. The Sixers have no one capable of stopping him and it showed in that last meeting.

In Case You Missed It: Yesterday was my birthday. Late gifts are always welcomed. But I was so touched by all the birthday greetings I received that I felt the need to write this. Also you are running out of chances to win our Contest for The Best Seats In The House with MGD. Check out your latest chance to win tickets and join me for Raptors and Nuggets on December 10th. Congrats to our Latest Winner Mary Anne who I believe is from Toronto. If not my bad but congratulations to her and Good Luck to all of you that enter.

Looks like I will be working another game for The Score tonight so good luck to the Raptors and your re-cap might be a bit delayed.

It Was a Magical Night But Not How You Think.

The Raptors would be hard pressed to find a tougher back to back in the NBA. The Magic are a good basketball team and have solid coaching in Stan Van Gundy. This is not going to be easy at all. When you add the fact of no Barbosa or Kleiza and some other banged up bodies in Jarret Jack and Reggie Evans. Hope fades even further.

But Raps were looking decent early and hanging with the Magic. They got a 8-0 run that sparked and gave them a 13-9 lead, and that was enough for SVG to want to vent to his team during a timeout. Raptors were going with a zone which has been effective against Orlando recently but zone is not great against the 3 point shot. foreshadowing of an Orlando 3 to take the lead. Good early sign as Demar gets to the line and makes his free throws. This was a back and forth affair and it was tied at 22. Another SVG time out and Stan was not a happy man at all. This was a battle and quite honestly an unexpected on tied at 28 with 1:20 to play in the first. Amir Johnson had come in for Evans and was doing a heck of a job early and keeping the foul magnet deactivated. Raps 3 point defence was leaking badly though and Pietrus hit an open look to give the Magic a 1 point lead. Joey Dorsey gets to the line and could give the Raps the lead with 2.3 left in first. But missed both and Magic lead 31-30 after 1.

Raps shot 63% from the field in that 1st Quarter and still were down 1. Dwight Howard got a lot more from Hakeem then the Raptors ever did and he shows some of his new stuff for a pretty lay-up. Defence was just not happening in this game as teams were trading baskets like this was a tennis match. Magic held a 37-34 lead when we reached the first T.V Timeout. Raptors would get it rolling and pass the Magic and build their own 3 point lead. Magic were 1 for there last 5 shots. Magic nail a 3 and it is 40 all. Heir Canada takes it at Air Canada and scores and is fouled couldn't convert and 1. Note to the Raptor defence cover Pietrus they weren't and he nails another 3. Andrea Bargnani had 18 first half points. But still Raptors can only manage to be tied at 54. But he was not done hit a 3 to make it 21. Bad D on the other end and tied at 59. Evans draws a charge to close the half basically with .2 seconds left. All even at 59.

Turnover out of the half that is not ideal for the men in red. But Evans comes up with it on other end and Jack a pull up foul line J. Who is that bearded man? V.C that is who it was and he answers. This was a knock down drag out fight and the Raptors might be under manned but it was not stopping them. It might even be helping them forcing some new combos to play on the floor. Bargnani was cooling off though and that is a bit of a concern but was still close 70-68 Magic. But the Raps were not going away in fact they re-took the lead 75-72. The Raptors were not going away a Calderon 3...and then a Johnson bucket the largest lead of night 82-76. The Raptors would take a 89-82 lead to the 4th.

We have seen the Raptors take leads to the 4th before. Not just this year but in many years the Raptors have not been the best closers in the world. So it was nervous time and the Magic would make it close. But for whatever reason the Raptors would not give up on this night. Weems with a huge clutch 3 set the table for a Raptor win. Earning that nickname Money Weems. It would come down Demar Derozan bring down the hammer looking almost V.C like. He had tied his career high and had a chance to improve on that in a very clutch situation. Up two points and heading to the line for 2. Demar stepped to the line and drained them. A new career high of 26. A Jose Calderon steal as well. Amazing. The Raptors had almost been owed something from the basketball Gods. They head to Miami snapping a 6 game losing streak with a 110-106 win over the Magic. If I had not seen it for myself I would doubt it too. But THIS HAPPENED.

On to Miami to face this guy who I had a little fun with during the game. Bargnani had 27 with only 6 in the second half and Demar DeRozan had as mentioned a career high 26.

The B.C State Of The Raptors Address

Well you have to hand it to Bryan Colangelo in terms of he is never at a loss for words. He had lots to say, that being said Raptor fans may not have like some of it. The fact Jay Triano's job is safe would be at the top of the list for many. According to Holly Mackenzie there were 7500 words in all. She would know as she posted a full transcript of what B.C said on the Nothing Easy blog on The Score. Here is the quote the that makes Jay Triano breath easy. B.C said, " I look around the league and I count as few as six and as many as nine possible coaching vacancies this summer. I have no intention to make this one of those nine." So that answers that question. If you think Jay is the problem clearly Bryan does not agree with you. He would go on to say Jay is a young coach in terms of his position as an NBA Head Coach and is learning. He claims that the coach and Hedo left things being on the same page. So, some how Jay Triano has managed to survive this post All-Star collapse with his job.

Colangelo said of his own performance, "I’m not proud of averaging 40 wins and only making the playoffs twice. I’m just not". He is not alone in that, if you listen to talk radio or scan the internet you will find many people the same, and some even wanting Bryan to be gone. However Bryan thinks that picture that media and blogs paint, is one that is far more doom and gloom than the reality. Forgive me if I am not that optimistic, when it would appear the team's best player is on his way out. Colangelo did little other than put out a token effort that the Raptors would like to re-sign Chris. Here is what he said on Bosh's Future," It’s the biggest unknown right now, but I would tell you that I fully embrace the notion and fully intend to talk about him staying a Raptor and talk about the things that might happen, should he stay and talk about the success we might have should he stay and why Toronto is the right place for Chris Bosh ". Colangelo would later go on to confirm what Chris Bosh had said, that regardless of stay or go, he and Bosh have a deal to work together. Which makes it seem more likely the Bosh Era will end via "Sign and Trade" in the summer.

This of course leads to Andrea Bargnani as the face of the franchise and most likely the most talented player on the roster. What would B.C say the impact would be on Bargnani should Bosh go. Colangelo said the following on this topic " I don’t know if he’ll ever be ready to replace Chris fully, but he’ll have the opportunity to assume a much bigger scoring load, he’ll have the opportunity to emerge as a more a dominant scorer within this team. There’s times when he gets a little lost in the offense and he gets a little anxious when he does touch the ball. But you’re talking about a seven-footer who is 24-25, he’s got better – with the exception of staying flat the second year – he’s gotten better every step of the way. Despite the constant, constant criticism of the contract, it’s a very good contract. There are a lot of people out there in the league seem to agree with us. That it’s a very good contract for a kid with that kind of production and that kind of potential. For another $15m more you can get 1.2 rebounds from LaMarcus Aldridge..it’s a very good contract. There’s a lot of value there and there’s a lot of interest in him. He’s going to have a chance to emerge if Chris leaves and if Chris stays then we’ll find way for him to get better at things he needs to get better at. Rebounding he’s got a little bit better, but it’s not good enough." Seems a bit defensive doesn't he? Unlike the team he constructed.

So time out, I have some rebuttal if you do not mind. The contract is bad if Bargnani never lives up to it in terms of his potential. The fact we still have to talk about Bargnani still in those terms is reason enough for me to call that a bad contract.Then the comparison between Andrea and Aldridge is smoke and mirrors. Come on now seriously, who would not trade for Aldridge straight up for Bargnani and not blink. Colangelo refuses to admit that he made a mistake on Bargnani and he never will. Also when his biggest supporter tells you he will never fully replace Chris that is cause for concern.

From Bargnani to Raptors version of the movie "Groundhog Day". Once again we have 2 point guards and only one starting spot. Playing the role of T.J Ford is Jarrett Jack and Jose Calderon returns as Jose Calderon. Tell me if this B.C quote sounds familiar at all. Bryan on his point guard situation-" They both want to be here. They both have professed to not care about starting. Clearly there was some sort of disconnect there. We need more consistency at that position. It’s just that simple. That’s probably an indictment of both of them. At the same time, it’s an acknowledgment that we’ve got two very talented players that are capable of playing and starting and leading the team. Jose did it during stretches and Jarrett did it during stretches. We need to truly ascertain whether they can play together and co-exist. If we come to that determination that something needs to be done, we’ll make a move. That’ll be something that we heavily scrutinize this summer, this off-season." Let me just say this. Somewhere out there in Houston Texas, T.J Ford is laughing and saying I told you so. Hey here is an idea, trade Jose for T.J and we can do this all again next season with Jack and Ford. If Jack is the one that ends up voted off the island, Bosh leaves and Triano stays that is a "trinity of terror" for most Raptor fans. Colangelo wants to say that it is a small but vocal minority that is painting all of this doom and gloom. However I interact with Raptor fans every single day and trust me it is not a minority. From the casual fan to the die hard Raptor fans everyone is concerned. The root of that concern is how this team defends, and to bring back the coach responsible, and the point guard with no defense in his game, while the star player walks is truly a "trinity of terror". That is not doom and gloom talk, that is just reality for most Raptor fans.

Bryan was asked about if he felt the fans frustration? B.C said " I feel their frustration. I think they would be less frustrated if there wasn’t such a frenzied movement." Cool I am part of a frenzied movement. Tell us more on this new group I am part of. Colangelo would explain this movement, in this quote " But we cannot be swayed by the angst of a vocal minority that wants us to be someone we’re not. What we are is we’re a solid organization, one of the best-run organizations in the NBA and in professional sports. Top to bottom. I’m talking about hockey, basketball, soccer, real estate, everything. Television. it’s a company that will do everything in its power to answer the fans’ concerns, and that’s what we’re doing. The one thing we control is our effort and our attempt to make it happen." Allow me to respond to this.

When is MLSE going to understand a couple things? Just because you own a hockey team, soccer team, Condos, and many other things does not interest me as a Raptor fan. I am ONLY a Raptor fan and none of these other things concern me, unless they impact on the Raptors. They as an organization have said the Raptors Organization is committed to winning a championship. That is what I am concerned with. That is all I am concerned with. If your hockey team sucks or wins the Stanley Cup (insert 1967 joke here) I could careless. Colangelo in talking about Bosh and re-signing mentioned the idea of being a national franchise with opportunities for Chris to be marketed in Canada. Well do you think people in Calgary, Vancouver, St. Johns, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay or any other city care about these other things. Do they care if the Leafs or Toronto FC win? Do they care if you sell condos in Toronto or not? No, they care if the Raptors are successful. No one is disputing the fact MLSE is a successful and well run organization in terms of profitability. They also do not care about those things. They care about winning and the Raptors ultimate success on the floor.

That leads to this whole topic of the Raptors being a tax team or not. MLSE has always left it out there, that they are willing to be a team that goes over the tax threshold, but have never ventured beyond it. Once again Bryan threw out the MLSE line on this topic. He said " The commitment is there from ownership to exceed the tax if necessary. And we’ll do what we can to bring the right pieces in." Chris Bosh in his exit interview made a point, that he believes it is a requirement to being a championship team. Which I agree, as did Jack Armstrong and Alex Seixerio in recent interviews. So why has this not happened in Chris Bosh's time here? This Organization has said they want to win a championship. Ironically it would appear they may become a tax team after their best player leaves. They may have no choice given the contracts of Turkoglu, Calderon and Bragnani. In fact B.C detailed that he has several plans that would include being a tax team. Here is what he said, "the amount of flexibility we have that will determine to what extent we exceed the tax. I’ve got scenarios where I can paint a picture that we’ll be a 3-million-dollar tax team. I’ve got scenarios where we’ll be a 7-million-dollar tax team. And I’ve got scenarios where we’ll be higher than that. But they’re all scenarios because of the unknowns of free agency and the off-season that have yet to be determined. Today, those answers aren’t available.". It is an off-season full of unknowns not just for the Raptors but many NBA teams.

What was made pretty clear is that the Raptors you see now, will not be anything like the Raptors you see in October. Colangelo seems committed to changes regardless of if CB4 is on board or not. In the past, a press conference like this would have calmed Raptors fans. However not this time around. Bryan Colangelo is still the same guy. Confident and secure that he can save the day. The difference is the Raptor fans have lost the total faith in him that they once had. Colangelo is still the same guy he was when he rolled into Toronto, it is just people instead of bowing and saying thank you for coming to save us. They now see him as the reason for their pain. I will close with a Jack Armstrong line. Bryan has gone from "Peacock today" to "Feather duster tomorrow". When the dust all clears will he still be the super genius we all use to think he was? Time will tell. However let me make it clear. Nothing would please me more to write that Colangelo was right. As I mentioned in the interview with Alex Seixerio, it is no fun to cover a team that fails. It is not good for business ether. So nothing would please me more than for Bryan to be right and successful this off-season. That being said it is hard to see a path to that success given what we know. Good luck to him as I have a feeling as smart as he is, some luck is going to be required.

Raps Try To Avoid Doomsday.

It was December 19th 2008. The Raptors started a 5 game road trip in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were 2-24 when they entered that game against the Raptors. The Raptors would of course lose that game 91-83 and for many that was the point hope died last season. The Raptors were 10-16 after that loss to the Thunder. When you fast forward to almost a year to the day the 11-17 Toronto Raptors take on the 2-24 Nets. This one is at home at the ACC and not a road game. However the situation is all to similar for the Raptors and it makes you think this game could represent a breaking point for a lot of fans and perhaps for this organization as a whole.

There was a realistic belief this team had made big steps in improving in this off season. But as you look back a year ago the improvement has not come and the Raptors face a no win situation for the Raptors. If you beat the Nets really no one is going to be excited and if you struggle to win that would not be good. The worst case scenario is if the Raptors were to lose to the Nets. If that happens you can expect all hell to break loose around this team. There is a legit anger and frustration in the fan base for this team. There is also a legit frustration from this team's star player in Chris Bosh. I would venture to say both have a pretty short fuse at the moment.

There comes a point where you have to just blame someone or something. Fans have not missed a shot, blown a defensive assignment or lost a single game this season. I think most fans believe right or wrong that they care more than the team they cheer for at the moment. I really do not think that is the case and if I was wrong in that I really don't want to know. If only fans had the athletic ability to play the sport. Fans think if they did, they would bust their butt and not get beat or die trying. If you have every watched the movie Rudy, I think that is the passion we want to see in athletes. That is coming from a Michigan fan saying that.

It is not very realistic to think that way. If you are the New Jersey Nets don't you think they want to win games? Everyone does and at the end of the day the team with more talent usually will win. However sometimes you fall into the trap of thinking talent is enough without effort. That is what I personally think of as the whole Vince Carter way of things. Unfortunately when teams lose games you see sometimes misguided effort. The Raptors or the Nets woes can not be put on just one individual. We try to do that in sports and often it is the coach who takes that ultimate blame. If you want proof just ask Lawrence Frank who is no longer coaching the Nets. Players often try to do more than what is required and in the end cost the team. Basketball is team sport and it is rare that an individual can consistently carry a team on his own to victory. That is what makes night's when a Kobe or Lebron James go off and win a game on their own amazing. However despite a ton of individual success Bryant has never been able to win a title without a solid supporting cast.

While some people have wanted to point the finger of blame at Chris Bosh a lot of time for me it makes little sense. He is just one guy out of 15 and can only do so much. I think he wants to win more than anybody I have seen him say it from his own lips. He is counted on to be the leader of this team and I understand that. He also needs people that are willing to buy in and follow along and fight with him. In his time with the Raptors that has not happened. If you think back to the Vince Carter days he never real was able to lead this team as well. Yes he was the best player on the team by a wide margin. However it was not until guys like Antonio Davis and Charles Oakley came along that the Raptors started to have some form of success. I am not sure if Bosh has ever had that kind of support in terms of leadership. J.O sure wasn't much of a leader. In fact J.O wasn't much of anything in Toronto. Hedo Turkoglu was expected to be some form of a leader for this team. He has lead in terms of being at the head of the list of inconsistent players on this roster.

This game will not solve much should the Raptors win it. However if they are to lose it, this season and Chris Bosh are both likely going to be lost. Despite some folks already starting to think that this team would be better off that way in the long run, I am not in that camp. When you look at the other 2 members of the Raptors supposed core, in Calderon and Bargnani really how good have they been? If those 2 guys were free agents coming up in 2010 to you think there would be a long line of people wanting them? The answer is likely not. They have been bitter disappointments in terms of production and in leadership. This Organization gave both players new contracts and since signing them both have been far below expectations.

A loss to the Nets on Friday may be looked back on as a Doomsday type moment for this franchise not unlike when they traded away Vince Carter. If you think about it Vince was not convinced this team could be a winner moving forward and to this point he has sadly been right. I am not a huge Blue Jays fan by any stretch of the imagination. However when I watched them trade away their franchise player. It made the sick reality hit home, that if things don't drastically change, I am going to be in the shoes of Jays fans, watching my team's franchise player walk away. It won't be because he hates Canada or Toronto. It will be because he wants to win and it will be as simple as that.

Which Ironically is what we all want as well, but fans don't sign contracts and have free agency. Maybe we should and we could not have to suffer with the same old things year after year. The Raptors will lose a lot more than a single basketball game if they lose to the Nets. The may lose Bosh, The passion and interest of this fan base and most of all hope. Sports is all about the concept of hope and without you are truly screwed.

Raptors Get Heat Stroked In Miami

It was important for the Raptors to get off to a good start. Miami you had to expect would be fired up and looking to bounce back from an embarrassing lose, something the Raptors can relate to for sure. Raptors would win the opening tip and get a score in the post from Bargnani. Next would be a sign of things to come on 2 fronts. Demar DeRozan would miss a lay-up and the Heat would run in transition for the easy score from Wade. This would be a long night for Demar and the Raptors transition D would be burned many more times before the night was done. The Raptors would hang in this one early though. Jay Triano would be frustrated early on getting a early technical foul and the Heat after converting the tech would have a 4 point lead with score 16-12. Miami was sloppy in it's execution with 5 early turnover but the Raptors did not make them pay with just 2 points off them. Andrea Bargnani had a solid opening quarter with 10 points. He would give the Raptors a 22-20 lead. They would lead 26-22 and would give up an open jumper in the corner to Haslem and lead 26-24 after 1 quarter.

Haslem would score to open the second as well and even the score at 26. Bosh would pick up a foul early in the Quarter his second and he would be forced to have a seat..Raptors along with looking bad in the transition on D also were getting beat on the glass on the defensive end. The Heat would be getting second chances and Micheal Beasley on one of those would score to give the Heat a 35-30 lead. The Raptors would fight back to 39-36 as Bosh would return to the floor. This would be the point that this game would go south in a major way for the Raptors. Hedo Turkoglu would hit a 3 getting the lead down to 2 and from there it was over. Raptors would have 3 chances to score to tie it and could not and the Heat would get the easy score in transition plus a foul. It was a 5 point swing anf it would be a key moment in the game in retrospect. The Heat would but together a run fueled by Raptor mistakes the most glaring a blown alley oop play where Demar tried to hook up Pops for a slam. The Heat would build an 11 point lead. The Heat would score 36 in the quarter and have a 60-50 lead at the half. Some glaring halftime stats included Bosh with 0 rebounds, Raptors being outscored 17-2 in fast break points, bench points all Heat as well 30-12.

The Raptors would come out in the second half and get the lead trimmed to 6 points and that would be the closest they would get.Wade and Micheal Beasley were looking as good as Shaq and D-Wade ever did. It would be 81-66 before you knew it as the Raps were looking sloppy on offense and invisible on defense. This would continue for the entire quarter and the Raptors would trail 91-74. Really no point to talk much about the 4th quarter as the Raptors would basically throw out the reserves with no chance to win and a game vs Orlando tomorrow. It is worth mentioning yet another NBA player has his career high against the Raptors. Well to be fair he tied his career high as Michael Beasley had 28 points and 11 rebounds on the night. Wade has just 19 points on the night but ever point he made seemed to come at a backbreaking moment in the game. Bosh had 28 points as well but just 2 rebounds. While Bargnani who had 10 points in the first quarter would finish with just 14. Hedo after his best game as a Raptors was back to being sleep walking Hedo with just 12 points. Jack also after 4 strong games came crashing down to earth on this night.

Raptors just had little fight once they got behind and like on many other nights this season they gave up on both ends of the floor. They were having to fight to score and when they couldn't there defense that was far from good became non-existent. Jack Armstrong was there to watch it all on TSN and he is going to be my guest tomorrow in the late afternoon. Safe to say we will have a lot to talk about and sadly not much of it good. Raptors lose in uninspiring fashion 115-95. The questions are many when it comes to this team. I really start to wonder if Jay Triano and this group fit together. It seems clear he does not get the effort from the required on a consistent basis. Sam Mitchell would always demand fight from his teams and when he stopped getting that fight from his team he was shown the door. He would demand more from this team and get in people's faces be it privately or in public through the media. It just does not seem to me that Jay Triano can be the task master that this team needs to produce. It is not a question of if he is an intelligent basketball mind or not. It is just about if he can get the effort and execution that is required. Sadly his overall record both this year and last tell you that he is falling far short in that regard. It may not be right and the players are a big part of the problem. However at the end of the day you can't fire a team but you can fire a coach. That being said Triano needs to take responsibility for the team's performance or lack of it. It is his job to get these guys to perform.

If this team every does turn the corner tonight is one of the nights they will deeply regret come April when they are in the heat (no pun intended ) of a playoff race. However with every lose you start to wonder if there will be playoffs to worry about if things do not change rather quickly.

Jacked About A Win In T-Dot

The Raptors answered the bell and came out on fire at the ACC. They would take a slim 2 point lead after 1 and before the half was done that lead was 20. However it really wouldn't be the Raptors if they didn't make it exciting now would it? The Heat would storm back in the late 3rd quarter and start of the fourth. They would cut the lead down to just 1 point. But they never would get that lead as the Raptors held them off. Some key 3 pointers for Jarrett Jack who moved Parkerville Court to New Jack City. He was 3 of 4 from 3 point range and had 17 off the bench.

If you want to hear how it all went down I live blogged this one for the Score. This game was basically the opposite of the Raptors loss in Utah. It was Miami that was fighting up hill most of the night and in the end they ran out of steam at the very end. Dwyane Wade had 30 points and so did the youngster Chalmers but it in the end was not enough. Bosh and Bargnani both recorded double doubles in the win. What made it even more impressive is the Raps history coming off a west coast trip in their first home game back they have only managed to win 27% of the time. The Raptors won another time in similar circumstances in the year they won their only Division title. The Raptors came home to face the Cavs and Lebron James with a terrible record and coming off a winless west coast trip. They would shock everyone and beat the Cavs and many point to that game as a turning point for that team. They like this team had a lot of new faces and were struggling to find an identity.

Things will not get any easier as the Raps face a Magic team that is feeling good about itself with a win over Boston. They are without Nelson for 4 to 6 weeks but so far have been able to make due with a guard combo of Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson. The Raptors will not be able to get away with making all the turnovers that almost cost them the game vs Miami. They will need to clean that up and be very aware of guarding the 3 point line as the Magic have to many shooters to mention that can make that shot. This will also mark what turns out to be the only regular season appearance of Vince Carter in Toronto. When the Magic came in earlier in the month and blew out the Raptors they did it without Vince, Rashard Lewis and Michael Pietrus. It will be no easy task for the Raptors to even their record at 7-7.

But the Raps can take some confidence from a win over Miami into the Magic game. They can also feel confident that they can score with this Magic team and that is not a luxury that many NBA teams can claim. You can expect to see a little more of Rasho Nesterovic in this game to match up with Howard and Gortat. Although Amir Johnson has been doing solid work and should Rasho not be effective he will likely not be given to much rope to work with. Johnson has been a great spark off the bench and gives this team a lot of the things they hope to get from Reggie Evans when he returns.

Speaking of Reggie I am going to be starting a new segment in the Blog called "Bet That". Which is an expression that Reggie often uses in responding to his followers on Twitter. I asked Reggie if he was cool with the idea and he gave me the green light. So I hope people will enjoy it most of all Reggie. It is designed to be something that is a bit more lighter and funny and when you see the first one hopefully you will get the idea. I will get some instant feedback on it from Reggie himself most likely when I am in the house covering the Pacers and Raptors on Tuesday in T.O. So I better get this right or I am in big trouble...LOL. So look for that new segment late tonight or tomorrow and hopefully you will find it entertaining and amusing cause that will be the idea. To give you an example of it. Here you go.

The Toronto Raptors are happy as hell to get a win over the Miami Heat...BET THAT!!!

The ones in the actual segment will be more funny most of the time but each and every item ends in BET THAT...which near as I can figure means something is very good or a deadlock. I will get the proper definition on Tuesday.

10 Keys To Victory

Everyone seems to be of the belief that the Raptors will be better. The only question is how much better will they be? Well here are 10 things to look for early on that should give you a good indication. If all of these things happen the Raptors should be on the path to perhaps a home playoff berth. If a majority of them do they will be a playoff team. So let's get the list going. They will be in no order of importance.

1. Chris Bosh is putting up career type numbers. After all it is his contract year unless we all get shocked by a contract extension before the season. The key numbers to watch will be rebounds and assists. If those numbers are on the rise things should be going well. Points wise if he can average 20-25 points as he has done in the past that should be good enough. Also if we see a rise in blocks and steals along with an overall better defender that will mean more than adding a point or 2 to his scoring average.

2. A new and improved Jose Calderon. What does that mean? It means a better effort on defense. No one is every going to convince me Jose will ever be a great defender but if he could just be average or a bit better i'd be happy. On the offensive side it will be the challenge of Jay Triano to convince his point guard to take more risks and push the basketball. Triano did a great job in helping develop Steve Nash. If he could make Calderon a little more Nash like on offense the results would be dramatic.

3. No more Mr. Nice Guys. Reggie Evans must lead the charge to make it clear that this is not the same warm and fuzzy Raptors. A more aggressive attitude is required. This team is going to be challenged in terms of rebounding. They also need a major improvement on defensive side of the ball. A group of this basketball team have to take on that role of defense first and offense second. For those guys on the fringe of the rotation want minutes just play D, Grab some boards and make a hard foul and time will be yours.

4. Development continues for Andrea Bargnani. He showed signs of the start of a post game and the ability to be a decent defender. A more inside and out type of offensive approach along with a bit more desire to defend and rebound. If you see Andrea blocking a shot and grabbing a board and scoring the odd basket in the paint those are all good signs. We all know Andrea can shoot it but he needs to show that he can do more. He starting doing that last year and must continue down that path.

5.Better than .500 after November. The start of the Raps schedule is extremely challenging. If this basketball team exits November with anything north of .500 record wise this will be a huge sign that Raptors will indeed be in play for home court advantage. It is a month full of playoff teams from both the East and West will make it a challenging month to say the least.

6. Hedo Turkoglu's gas tank. After a run to The Finals and Euro Basket will the Raptors key off-season acquisition have a healthy and productive year. Managing minutes and expectations will be key. Hopefully Hedo can have enough PIZZA POWER...to last all the way through the season. He is going to be key you have to figure in the Raptors offense.

7. If part of number 2 happens it will help this man most of all. Demar DeRozan is dunking the ball in transition and does not look out of place on defense it will mean big things for his rookie season. I know he has been working on his shot but the more dunks he can have as opposed to shots the better. Not just for him but all of the Raptors. If Demar is getting dunks it will mean the Calderon and Jack are being effective at pushing the ball and the defense is playing better. So to rip off a Bill Walton line...Throw it Down YOUNG MAN..Wait he says big man but whatever...Dunk IT and MAKE SOME POSTERS.

8. Jay Triano has a impact and establishes a rotation quickly. I mentioned how tough the schedule will be early on and that is the challenge for Jay Triano. He will not have the luxury of many games to experiment during the season. He also has to ride this squad to push the ball and to be accountable on defense. Jay has proven to be effective in using his plays after time outs to some success. Those are just a few things of the many that will be challenges for Jay in his first full season as head coach of the team.

9. Jarrett Jack and the bench will not have to do much to be better than last year. However the added depth this squad has must contribute and play a role. If they can you can afford to give Calderon, Turkoglu and Bosh time to rest. If you can reduce the minutes those 3 have to play night in and night out it will be a benefit in several ways. The first and most important is less wear and tear on all 3. Also it will give them a chance to max out there effort when they are on the floor. If they are all playing 30-35 minutes a night and able to go 100% that will be huge. If you have to have Bosh playing close to 40 along with Hedo that is not going to be a good situation in the long run. In terms of Jack he offers a defensive option if Jose is not getting it done on that end of the floor.

10. Less Help and more responsibility. Jack Armstrong always likes to say that "Help" is the weakest word in the defensive vocabulary. If you don't hear people yelling that word it will be a good sign. The overall defense and how they work as individuals is going to be key. This basketball team should have no trouble scoring points. What will be the deciding factor is can they get stops down the stretch of games. If they can that may be the best sign of all for the Raptors as a whole.

So that is some things to look for over the pre-season schedule and start of the season. DNB RADIO is kind of in limbo at the moment as my work schedule is conflicting with it and I may have to look for a new time and day to do the show. Perhaps Monday might be an option but will see. The Yahoo League is full for Fantasy and if you want in for our ESPN League just send me an e-mail you would like an invite sent to. E-mail me at dinonationblog@sourcecable.net or give me a shout on Twitter @dinonationblog.

Raptor Moneyball

The NBA Cap has been announce and it is indeed lower. 57.7 Million with the all important tax threshold number at 69.92. Also news that the NBA warns this is only the tip of the iceberg? ESPN paints the picture for us. They conclude that this may make the Raptors chances of keeping Chris Bosh increase. I am not sure if they made that statement before or after they heard about this little number. 5 years and 50 million but we are not talking Hedo. We are talking a contract extension for not Bosh but Bargnani. To say it make my stomach do flip flops over this news is close to accurate. I mean a good half season or 3/4 of a season gets you 50 million bucks? What is next a 3 year 32 million dollar deal for Joey Graham? I joke about that, but this is no joking matter to me.

Why is Bryan spending all this money with a cap about to take a nose dive. I am sorry but I fail to see the logic. I understand you lock up Bargnani for a reasonable rate for a long time I get that. However given the dropping cap and the fact Bargnani realistically has not had back to back solid seasons yet in his NBA career. You add this to the 53 million for Hedo and the 45 + they spent on Jose. If the plan is to keep Chris Bosh it sure isn't looking that way. Where is the money to resign him? Also what else could you afford if you are able to resign him. If the drops in the ESPN Article are any where close to accurate this makes it seem bleak that Bosh could re-sign and the Raptors be competitive.

This is all under the assumption that MLSE will stick to the commitment they have always had to stay below the tax threshold which will be dropping at that same alarming rate. If the Raptors do have a long term plan that involves not being concerned with that tax threshold I would have no issue with Hedo's deal or the extension to Andrea. Both are risky to some degree but I could live with it. However does anyone seriously expect MLSE to have such a 180 in policy and suddenly go for broke. Not in the literal sense but risk a small amount of their bottom line to do this? I have no confidence or info to suggest that they would.

Some fans are just seeing the short term picture and not the long term one in my view. Let me but it in some kind of context. If you became aware that the company you were working for planned to cut jobs in the next 2 years what would you do? Would you go out and buy a new car, new house and add to your stock portfolio? Most would save out of fear they may lose there job or lose hours. So why would the Raptors go on a spending spree when they can see that their cap and budget are heading down. It does not make any sense.

Raptors better win this season because this maybe the last chance to do so in a long time unless there is some cosmic shift in the NBA Cap or the thinking at MLSE. I admit that I took economics from my high school football coach. However I don't think you need to have a vast economic background to understand that Raptors are taking some serious long term risk.

Some may conclude that Bryan Colangelo is already hard at work planing for the post Bosh era. I don't want to believe this fact but the numbers are painting a picture that sure suggests it. About the only thing that is making me think positive about the Raps is Demar Derozan. This kid was Tweeting about practice yesterday...Not a game...No Practice. Now with all due respect to AI, when a young kid is putting in work like this it gets me excited about his future. Here is hoping that Demar is rip down rims in Vegas starting Friday.

Still have yet to hear on a Hedo presser. When it goes down I will set up a live blog. Last but not least the Dallas and Marion Sign and Trade has a sticking point as you might of heard. The Mavs don't want Marcus Banks. Is Banks truly the one guy in the league that no one truly wants. He gets passed around like he has the plague. You can't help but feel bad for him.

Not in the same way you would for Michael Jackson's little girl yesterday which was truly so sad. On a much smaller stage, at about 2 years older, I spoke at my own father's funeral. The courage in that little girl to do that is far greater than any NBA player. Stuff like that puts all this basketball talk, good, bad or indifferent into prospective. I am still upset about all of this but have it in the proper prospective.

6 Games To The Unknown.

Well now math supports what I have felt for a long time. The Raptors will have 6 games to finish up before the most interesting and important off-season in Raptors history. Chris Bosh and his future will be issue number one. Bosh of late seems very unlike a guy that wants to get on the first bus, plane or train out of town. He has come out in support of Jay Triano. No need to do that or have an opinion if you don't plan on staying. While in New York he was questioned about 2010 and came back with an answer about how he loves Toronto. I am not saying that means a lot. After all Vince Carter still to this day I believe is on the record saying that he loves Toronto. Damon Stoudamire still loves the city as well. He did say he regrets leaving Toronto. It is hard to know what Bosh will do. But Colangelo is going to find out. You already have money invested Jose Calderon. Andrea Bargnani will eventually have to be re-signed. Given his play this year and the signs of progression he has shown it seems likely Raptors will want to do that. That is in the future but if you sign Bosh to a max deal or close to it. The Raptors would be invested in a 3 players. Add in the fact of a decline in NBA revenues and a likely decrease in the cap and tax threshold. It makes these choice made in the next couple years even more important. Can a big 3 of Bosh,Calderon and Bargnani produce a championship? I am not convinced of that personally. Raptors struggles were based on a number of things but one near the top of that list was a lack of the depth. If you have so much invested in 3 guys it seems unlikely you can add to that depth. It would seem unless teams are willing to pay the tax the era of the Big 3 may be coming to an end in the NBA not just in Toronto but everywhere. Just something to think about.

Jay Triano and his future seems like it may be somewhat secure for next season and that seems odd. I hope that I am wrong on the Triano but what I think really doesn't matter. I just look at it like this, if we could sign say an Eddie Jordan can anyone make the debate that he is not more qualified? You could make the same argument for a number of other candidates. The one guy that would not apply to is Messina. The Euro coach has been rumoured to be tied to the Raptors. Joe Casciaro wrote a good feature on him on the Court Surfing Live Blog. I admit to not knowing a lot about Messina but here is what I know thanks to old fashion common sense. They say it takes Euro players a few years to adjust to the North American game. So the same would apply to coaches as well it would seem only logical right? Look had how badly NCAA coaches have bombed out in the NBA for proof. Messina would only be the right choice if this team is truly starting over from square one and was not concerned about winning in the next couple seasons. Does that sound anything like Bryan Colangelo in the least. Doesn't to me. I think Colangelo believes he can re-tool this team and get them back in the playoffs fast. A coach that has never coached in the league let alone North America is not going to be able to do that in the short term sorry but I am unconvinced. It would be like taking a NFL coach and throwing him into the CFL with no experience coaching in the league. Hey that is what the Argos did isn't it? But in football he at least has a larger support staff to help make the transition.

There is also the tough choices on existing players and if they will or should return. I have talked a lot about that already. It is in my view the only player I would bring back not under contract next year is Pops Mensah-Bonsu. I would consider Shawn Marion but I am unconvinced he would consider Toronto. I think if a player is going to take a huge pay cut than he is more likely to go to a contender. If a guy goes somewhere based on cash alone you have to be concerned and it also is not a wise move for your cap in the long term. If Bryan Colangelo could get a do over would he have signed Jason Kapono for the amount he did? I am thinking no.

There is also a great unknown for both management and players. That is the fact that after 2010 you have 2011 and that may reshape the NBA far greater than 2010 will. No matter where Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and other sign, The CBA will still expire the next season. That given the sad state of the economy of the NBA could bring major and sweeping changes to the NBA. Not even David Stern knows what will happen at the end of that. However you can bet that the CBA as it is written now will not look anything like the one that will be in place after that next one is signed. There is a real chance of a long a bitter fight to get that signed. A work stoppage and a lock out or strike is a real possibility. That is something that should be in the back of the head of all NBA G.M's going forward into 2010 and beyond. What may seem like a fantastic move today could be looked at 3 or 4 years from now as a major mistake.

People may have lost faith in Bryan Colangelo but he is always someone who sees the big picture and if you don't think these things are on his mind moving forward you have no idea about Colangelo. So the unknown for the Raptors this off-season is just the beginning of a lot of unknown years for the entire league. This will be very interesting times moving forward. I know a lot of time MLSE is not exactly loved by the Raptor fan base or by me at times. That being said the way things are looking in the NBA these days the fact that the Raptors have secure ownership and I would think are profitable is no minor thing. They do get some things wrong but the fact that they have deep pockets is a good thing.

10 Things I Never Expected This Raptors Season

I just thought today I would do a list for today. I have a lot of things to get done as I will be off to Toronto tomorrow and going to be doing some stuff at The Score. You may even end up seeing me on Court Surfing will see. That is 7:30 tomorrow and no Raptors game to get in the way. Speaking of which before we get to our list. Raptors T.V is going to simulcast the 2 games on Raptors NBA TV. Gee Wiz what a great idea I wish i could have thought of that. Oh wait I did when all this mess started in the summer. Thanks for nothing. I mean I will be honest if not for the blog and work I am not sure if I would be a Raptors TV subscriber. That being said on with our list I am pretty sure the TSN 2 mess will make it on the list.

10 things that I did not expect to happen this Raptor Season.

10- Jose Calderon Gets Benched- I mean given all that was expected if you had told me in March that Jose Calderon would be benched down the stretch of a game I would have laughed. I know that I am not a Jose fan but this is the main guy and I never would have thought he would be benched for Anthony Parker to play the point.

9- J.O being Traded- I give Colangelo credit for correcting his error when it comes to O'Neal but to actually have traded you big off-season pick up is truly shocking.

8- Talking Draft and Not Playoffs in March- I really am shocked that the Raptors are totally out of it. March Madness is always something I love and watch. But to be watching wondering who would make a good lottery pick for the Raptors. Unreal.

7- Jay Triano as Coach of Raptors- I think Sam Mitchell getting fired was not a total shock. The timing of it likely was. I really was hopefully this day would come for Jay Triano. However the spot he has been put in has been awful. It all is a shame.

6- Joey Graham Being A Key Rotation Player- I know that I have always been the voice of anti-Joey things. But I give him credit for taking advantage of what has been an awful season for most. He has done enough to get himself another contract in the NBA. I just hope it is not here. That being said I am happy that Joey will likely get to remain in the league. Something heading into this season I think would have been questioned by a lot of folks.

5- Awful Defense- We made the trade in the summer to get better on defense. Bosh had a summer of playing great defense for team USA. The Raptor defense has never been great. But this season has been truly brutal. Be it Mitchell or Triano this team has failed to stop anybody for most of the season and it continues on.

4- Wing Woes- I knew that the Raptors were not going to be strong at the wing spots. But this has been awful. Part of how Joey has had the chances I mentioned in #6 was because Jason Kapono, Jamario Moon (Now in Miami) and Anthony Parker. Just a total meltdown failure. Jamario Moon went from Cinderella to an Ugly Step Sister in terms of his story. A.P looks older and slower and is more inconsistent than ever. Jason Kapono has just been awful. It all adds up to bad things for the Raptors and it has.

3- Andrea Bargnani- The one bright spot is a sea of woe. Andrea Bargnani has had a great 3rd season and has been a happy surprise. I was convinced he was mentally gone and not coming back. However through all the losing and all the problems the most consistent thing about this team may be Andrea Bargnani. If that does not shock a lot of people I am not sure what will.

2- In Honour of Total Disrespect Of Fans We Give You The TSN 2 Mess- O.K it is MARCH AND THIS IS STILL NOT SOLVED. GIVE ME A BREAK. I am stunned and saddened that this is still something we are talking about. I have said it all in the past and I am not going to bother repeating myself. The latest move by MLSE that I mentioned off the top does not erase this issue by a long shot. THIS IS WRONG WRONG WRONG and should be a total embarrassment for all involved.

1- CB4 and You The People- If someone had told me people would be demanding for Bosh to be traded in March back in November I think everyone would laugh. But that is where we are with a lot of fans wanting to get rid of Chris Bosh. I am not among them. But the fact that people are trying to make comparisons to Vince Carter and Chris Bosh although they are not true in my view still is amazing. It will be an interesting summer and I am hopeful that when all the smoke clears I will still see Chris Bosh in a number 4 jersey.

So that is my list what is yours? Feel free to share it in the comments. The great thing about lists is there really are no wrong answers.