9 Games To Go, 9 Questions To Answer

With 9 games to go let's take a look at 9 questions about the Raptors future going forward:

1. Bryan Colangelo's future with the Raptors? It has been the question that has hung over this season all year long. It was always suppose to be a formality but it has yet to become a reality. You have to wonder now if we still will see Bryan Colangelo next season. It still seems likely we will. But with the ownership of MLSE very much up in the air with the teacher's pension fund looking to sell their stake in the team it makes things a little less certain. Do we even know if Bryan wants to come back? If there was another opportunity in the league would he take it? There had been thoughts he could go to New York but with Isiah Thomas surfacing again in New York in some unknown advisory roll pretty sure that keeps B.C far away from the Knicks. Before you can answer any other questions you need to answer this one.

2. Jay Triano stays or goes? So many people want to find reasons for Jay Triano not to be fired. You have to figure that if Colangelo were to be gone Jay would be right behind him. Any new G.M that is going to have any real impact would almost 100% want to bring in his own coaching staff. But even if Bryan remains can he afford to stay with Jay Triano? Whatever you want to say about Jay the fact can not be denied that this team has not bought into his defensive system or his system on defence simply doesn't work. You can point the the Raptors lack of talent on that end of the floor as the reason. But it is up to the coach to find a way to make this team at least some what competent in terms of defence. I have yet to find a person that believes Jay Triano is the long term answer for this team moving forward. It is my believe the longer you keep him the more you are just wasting time. In a year that everyone admits was about development, in terms of defence this team has shown none. It has regressed in fact to be one of the worst teams on the defensive end of the floor that this franchise has ever seen.

3. Andrea or Demar? Who is this team ultimately being built around. Is it Andrea Bargnani or Demar DeRozan. Given the lack of improvement of Bargnani as a defender and a rebounder it would be truly scary if it is him. The Raptors also have stayed with Bargnani at the center position which seems to not be a good fit. In DeRozan he has shown a lot of improvement this season. Maybe not as much as people would have hoped for. But enough that you can see a day where people consider him the best player on this team. If you look around the league a team build around a dynamic wing player that is athletic is a lot more common than build around a big man. Other than a few franchises this is the case. The exceptions to the rules are true dominant traditional centers that rebound and defend. Bargnani is not that is he. I said as the start of this year the development of DeRozan was the key to this season. His development was the biggest factor. He needs to take over this team and become it's young leader. Bargnani is just never going to be that for this franchise.

4. Young Onez are one and done? It sure looks that way. Amir Johnson and Demar DeRozan will still be around. But with James Johnson coming on board it would seem that Sonny Weems days as a Raptor are coming to a close. It is something I think will have impact beyond just him being gone. We just got through talking about how important Demar DeRozan is for this franchises future. To toss his best friend over the side will be something that is going to bother DeRozan even if he never admits it publicly. He will say it is a business and will miss Sonny and all of that. But the chemistry and the relationship these 3 players built with each other and fans was something pretty special. While the basketball arguments for why this is happening are obvious, still it is sad that the Young Guns turned to Young Onez appear to be dust in the wind.

5. Reggie Evans say good bye or hello again? It is a very tough choice on what to do about Reggie Evans. When he has been out there he has been a force and a presence. The one guy that when he puts on a jersey on this team you know exactly what you get every single night. But the injuries to his foot are a big concern. He is sitting out with pain in that surgically repaired foot. I love Reggie and I think he adds a tremendous amount of value to this team. But I am very worried about these foot troubles Reggie is having. I am not sure you can be confident he can remain healthy. I know he will work hard. But it may be out of his control. If he was willing to take a short term contract at a very small number I think it is worth it. But if Reggie wants more than that it will have to be elsewhere. Reggie is perhaps my favourite person on this team. I hope for his sake he can be healthy and successful where ever he is playing. I am just not sure it can be here in Toronto. If it is Raptors will have a player that is a guy that commands respect in the locker room and just by his effort challenges others to match it. But to do those things Reggie has to be out on the floor playing and last two seasons that has been a challenge.

6. Draft Who, Draft What? I am pretty certain on what the Raptors need to do here. Point guard is what you want to draft. Assuming the Raptors luck is the same as it was in the season which is bad. That point guard you can watch in Final Four in the form of Kemba Walker. If you can't get rid of Jose Calderon at this point. Walker maybe a better version of T.J Ford and at his best could provide the same one, two punch Raptors had in the Forderon days. Kembaron? Jerryd Bayless has not shown to be a true challenge for minutes or Calderon's job. Kemba Walker will challenge Calderon and has the talent to surpass him. Calderon is just not a starter in this league. Walker has shown to be a tremendous talent and is the darling of March Madness. If the Raptors were to be lucky enough to get the number one pick they would likely have the chance to draft Irving from Duke. The only other player that might interest the Raptors is Harrison Barnes. The dynamic young freshman had a rough start at UNC but took big strides at the end of the season. These 3 players are likely the biggest difference makes the Raptors could hope to acquire in this draft.

7. Trade Bargnani? Many think if Bryan Colangelo is still on board there is no way this happens. Still there was a rumour in a New York paper that Bargnani may in fact be in play for the Knicks. While I don't think the Knicks have a package that would interest the Raptors enough to get Bargnani. After all they gave up a lot to get Carmelo Anthony. But the fact it is out there that Bargnani could be in play is news. I am convinced that unloading him now would be the smart move for this team. If you can find a team that is desperate enough to over look his lack of rebounding and defence for his offence you need to consider it strongly. Other teams have given up on first overall picks before. If you can get some actual value for him before he bottoms out you need to do it. Bargnani has reached the point that it would seem unlikely he finds God and is able to defend and rebound all of the sudden on a consistent basis

8. Ed Davis a part of the solution? It sure seems like it. Now he is not the Chris Bosh replacement that some billed him as when he was drafted. But he offers a solid rebounding presence and can be a decent defender in a good system with other players contributing to that system. He also has the potential to be something that Raptors have not had in a long time. A shot blocking presence that can change shots and block his share of them. Not since maybe Antonio Davis and Keon Clark were putting on the purple have they had this. Davis is not going to be a superstar. But he can be an effective part of a winning formula. Davis has surprised me this season given the amount of time he has missed. But he to his credit jumped into an NBA season and on most nights has looked like he belongs. You hope his development can continue on the right path. With a lock out looming who knows what that would mean for the Vegas Summer League. But DeRozan gained a lot of confidence from his time in Vegas last summer. You hope Davis would get a chance to do the same.

9. How much will the new CBA help the Raptors? When there is a new CBA no matter how it turns out Bryan Colangelo has done a solid job setting the Raptors up to be prepared for it. The general answer to this question for me is pretty simple. The more the owners win the more the Raptors win in terms of the CBA. Here are just a couple examples. If we get a franchise tag added to the mix. This gives you more control to keep your stars here to grow. Demar DeRozan can get better without the fear that he will be leaving. It also would give the team time to prepare should a player want out. It also would provide teams another weapon to avoid situations like the ones we have seen with James, Bosh, Williams, Anthony and Paul. Also if they eliminated the MLE this would cause players to really have to choose between money and winning. Would a guy really take a minimum salary to go play for a contender. Perhaps some older veteran players would but it makes it a much tougher choice for players to turn their back on teams with money to spend. Raptors will have money to spend and if the new system makes it easier for them to spend it. Regardless of the CBA we end up with Raptors are positioned well for it and that credit goes to Bryan Colangelo.

The Raptors Road To The Unknown

There are now just 19 games left in the Toronto Raptors 2010/11 season. I was talking to someone over the weekend and they hit me with that number and I was kind of surprised. The season goes by so quickly, it really does. In those last 19 games it is more about the Raptors positioning in the draft lottery than anything else. But even that is flawed to a degree.

The Lottery itself is a bit suspect in nature. Some people have a hard time believing in it's legitimacy. From the very first lottery that saw Patrick Ewing going to the New York Knicks people have wondered how on the level it is. All those conspiracy believers may not be right but enough strange occurrences have happened in it makes you wonder. But legit or not this NBA Lottery maybe the most unusual ever given the back drop for the draft. The NBA's looming CBA issues and the lack of a deal and a lockout looming threaten to alter the draft class. Many feel that because there is a real question if we even have a season next year will cause many kids to take a pass on the draft. However David Stern has never been a fan of letting youngsters in this game. He created the rule to bring an end to high school players being drafted. The last ever high schooler drafted is on the Raptors Roster in Amir Johnson. Who is to say that Stern does not push to increase the eligibility age to enter the draft. That might make kids flock to this draft if they saw that as a possibility. The general consensus is this draft class is stocked with power forwards. The one position the Raptors seem to be over stocked. In a terrible season like this people look to the draft for hope and answers. But in terms of this season it may just provide more questions than it does answers for the Raptors. Much like the year Andrea Bargnani was selected, there is not a clear cut number 1 selection. No slam dunk Blake Griffin or Lebron James to select.

As for the future of this team we still have yet to even see if Bryan Colangelo is coming back. It is widely assumed that he will. It was also widely assumed that Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans had been traded. If Colangelo is back that likely means Jay Triano will remain as well. Regardless of if Bryan is back or not he has laid a foundation to fix this team under the new CBA. But it is hard to even say how well he has done in that regard with having no idea what the new rules are going to look like. The game is going to be altered and rule book to how you build a franchise will be re-written this off-season. Teams will enter the draft most likely with no clear road map as to what free agency is going to look like and no clear idea to when that even takes place.

The Raptors ability to be competitive in the NBA may greatly be helped by the results of the collective bargaining agreement. While the Raptors are in no danger of moving this league has other teams that are in that position. The Sacramento Kings seem almost a lock to move to Anaheim while the league itself owns the Hornets. Look around the league and you don't need anyone to tell you it has some serious issues in small markets. The actions and events that lead to Chris Bosh and Lebron James going to South Beach are being felt. Now New York wants to have a similar model and have 2 thirds of it in place. While there is no question the general interest in the sport overall has been helped by the creation of this super team in Miami. NBA ratings have been up and interest in the sport has been too. But in contrast to that interest is down in this market. The attendance for the Raptors is off from the past. Television and Radio numbers are down as well. Even online interest is down if I base it on myself. The easy answer to that is losing. Team loses interest will drop. But really it can be a much larger and bigger problem. It can be a loss of hope. When there is no hope that a team can truly be a contender you have a serious issue. While in a market such as Toronto that is not a death blow by any means it is for other markets and makes teams become not viable.

This CBA will need to address that competitive balance. Which in real terms that ability to have hope and faith that any team can truly win be restored. Oklahoma City is the exception and not the rule. Fans in markets need to have faith that they can have stars and not worry that at the first chance they have to leave they will bolt for a more attractive situation. You are never going to be able to create a perfect system but the NBA must create a better one that allows teams to have the ability to keep it's stars. That can be tough when at a certain point players have made so much money that it becomes less about the money and more about other things. It is not like you can mandate someone to be loyal. Players will make the point that franchises are not always loyal as well. Teams on any given day when they are able to make trades can send a player packing at the drop of a hat.

The end result of the CBA will have a lot of say in what the Raptors future is going to be. If fans can embrace Demar DeRozan as the next one or just the next one to leave. I had said long before this season had ever got started that his development was the most important thing of this entire season. Injuries and a lack of any sort of a competitive team has made that even more the case. Whatever they come up with in a new CBA is not going to change one simple fact about the NBA. This is a star driven league and more than any other sport you truly need a star player or players to have any hope and being a serious contender. The Raptors as currently constructed have no star or franchise player at the moment. They have two potential stars in Bargnani and DeRozan. But when you look at things realistically the chances that Bargnani ever reaches that level grow less and less as the days go by. The same is not true for DeRozan who is showing true signs that he can be an elite player in this league. It has not been in the way that a Vince Carter burst on to the scene in Toronto. It has been a steady progression of improvement. Demar is still very young and I think we sometimes expect so much from kids these days. Not everyone can be like Lebron James or Sidney Crosby and walk into a sport and instantly dominate it. It takes time for most to learn and grow and develop into superstars. But there is not question that Demar at least has the tools in terms of ability to become one.

The question will become if DeRozan can reach that level can this team surround him with a team that is capable of winning. They have failed to do that with Carter and with Bosh. While you can point to those players and lay some of the blame on them, you have to assign blame to the Raptors as well. If Colangelo is indeed back he will need to get things right. While Bryan has had a lot of success in bringing in some complimentary pieces. When Colangelo has looked to hit the home run he has struck out every time. This will be his last chance to get it right and it may take him doing some things that many do not see him doing. He may need to take a hard look at Andrea Bargnani and if he truly should be here. Can he be a complimentary piece to a DeRozan or do you need to trade him and move on. Bargnani is not and will not be this team's franchise player. If people are going to question if Bosh could be to argue that Andrea can be is beyond ridiculous.

Who ultimate Colangelo makes part of this young core moving forward is going to be vital. While Bargnani is part of that mix if Colangelo is not willing to move him. DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson all I would suggest are the other locks but after that it becomes cloudy. Jerryd Bayless is a real question mark above all others. He has not exactly blown anyone away really. Especially as the losses have mounted for this team, he has seemed to see his play drop off as well. He is likely to see more competition come his way as a result. I can not imagine the Raptors would not seriously be interested in finding a young point guard to develop and eventually replace Jose Calderon. You have Sonny Weems who it would appear has been ruled expendable by the Raptors acquiring James Johnson. It seems unlikely that both Johnson and Weems would remain. Solomon Alabi has in a sense just become the white flag for the Raptors throwing in the towel on games. He has bounced back and forth from the Bayhawks to the Raptors. I am not sure what to make of his future. Maybe they give him another year to see if they can turn him into anything. He very much is a project like Nathan Jawai was suppose to be and never was.

It will then become finding the vets to place around this group. In terms of the vets they have it would seem unlikely that Reggie Evans or Barbosa enter into the longer term plans for the Raptors. Both have been plagued with injuries and we have only got to see snap shots of what they are capable of doing in Toronto. The Raptors however the CBA shakes out are going to have cash to spend. Evans contract is going to expire and unless Reggie takes a serious discount I can't see him being back. While Barbosa becomes an interesting asset entering the final year of his deal. Definitely he is an interest piece for a contender if he is healthy. He also will offer a ton of cap relief for whoever is holding is contract by the end of next season assuming we have one that is.

But to truly know what this team or any team is going to be able to do in the future is just not possible. We have no road map on what teams will or won't be able to do. At the same time the NBA's future is in flux so is the NFL's future. They too are in the beginning of their labour situation. While the two are not related exactly should the NFL find a way to have labour peace, as an NBA fan you would hope that increases the pressure for the NBA to do the same.

The sad fact is that as fans we are held as the hostages in these things. It takes away your ability to even look towards the future with no really idea on what it will be. Which in terms of the Raptors is all they have going for them right now is the future. The present has been painfully obvious you could argue even as far back as when Chris Bosh signed in Miami. We all remember the post Vince Carter Raptors. It took a long time to recover from that. This time around the Raptor fan base is far more bitter and far more jaded. They have endured 16 years of a team that has not been able to deliver on it's promise of wanting to be a winner and a contender. They are more educated as fans and are not as easy to accept that this team will be able to get it right this time. After all they have enough history of them getting it wrong to be justified in thinking that it will not change.

However with a new CBA that will eventually come it is hard to predict what it will mean for the NBA and for the Raptors specifically. What is not hard to figure out is this fan base regardless of that is tired of losing it's stars, tired of losing faith and just tired of losing in general. The pressure to get it right will be intense. Raptor fans are not like Maple Leaf fans and are not willing to wait 40 plus years for them to get it right.

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.

A Season In Limbo

As we sit here on the first Monday of January the Raptors sit tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-22. In the West we could honestly start talking about next season with a record like that. In the East though the Bucks sit 13-18 in the final playoff spot. Compare that to the West where Portland holds that 8th position at 18-16. While the playoffs remain a mathematical possibility it is highly unlikely it happens for the Raptors. All indications are this team is looking toward next season and beyond to be competitive.

What Colangelo is banking on is the New CBA and the bigger the owners win likely the bigger the Raptors will win to a point. Let's just take one small thing that the owners have wanted and use it as an example. They want to scrap the MLE (Mid Level Exception) all together. So if that were to happen it instantly takes teams that are over the cap out of the running in free agency. So the Raptors with cap room would be able to offer the most dollars to top level free agents. The option of a player taking less to play on a contender would almost be wiped away. Unless they are willing to take the league minimum to do it, or a contending team would actually have cap space of their own. Given the recent moves in Orlando and Miami it is not going to be them. In fact you go and find a contending team that has cap space, there is none that spring to mind. Maybe the Knicks? Thanks to the frenzy of activity for 2010 there is not a lot of teams with money to spend.

Toronto also has a group of young players that if the group can stick together could be very good with the addition of one or two top tier players. While lots of people make a lot of noise about playing in Toronto, if the team was able to win those detractors would not be as loud. If there is less competition in terms of free agency Toronto starts to look a lot more attractive to folks. Also when you consider to make the jump to the playoffs and being a contender in the East is a lot easier, that is another plus in the Raptors favour.

Colangelo is setting up the team in a way that it can be a contender in the NBA under the new CBA. It would seem that the owners are set on doing all they can to create a much more restrictive collective agreement and that will make the cap room the Raptors will have even more valuable. While talk of a lockout looms the end result of this latest labour war will be of huge importance to the Raptors moving forward. Colangelo has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in his moves as a G.M. He has shoved all the chips he can find in, betting on the owners winning to some degree in this new CBA. The moves he makes once that new CBA is established will make or break the Raptors for the next 5 years. He is going to have one final shot at getting it right.

Why is it so vital he gets it right other than the obvious ones. If he doesn't this new CBA will also likely lock him into the choices he has made and trading away his mistakes will not be as easy as it has been under the current CBA. So the next moves Colangelo makes have to be the right ones or the Raptors could be doomed for a long time to come. However, if he hits it right the Raptors could vault into the mix in the East as soon as next season and have a foundation to be a contender for the future.

In a sense this is a season in limbo for the Toronto Raptors. But anything their young emerging players can do will help add to the sales pitch to bring some top tier players to Toronto. Demar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani can be good solid players and if you added another couple proven talents into the fold, the Raptors could have a very appealing line-up when they suit up for next season. Assuming there is a next season that is. It seems almost unthinkable the NBA would be as stupid as the NHL and let an entire season go away just to win a labour battle. However, sanity in labour negotiations seldom happens.

It is a scary time for all of the NBA. But when the sun comes up and new CBA is in place, it could be a time for Raptor Fans to rejoice. Bryan Colangelo for whatever you think of him, always has a plan. If this one works it might be his greatest one since signing a guy from Canada to come play of the Suns.

On The Eve Of A New Season.

Yesterday was out at the Raptors Fan Jam and had a good time. Got to meet a bunch of people and some longtime readers of the DNB. I am putting together a feature for Wednesday with thoughts from all the people I talked to about the upcoming season. Tomorrow will be our annual NBA Preview with a special guest in Myck Kabongo. I interviewed Myck last week to get his thoughts on the upcoming NBA season and I will add in my thoughts to go along with that interview. Two seasons ago I nailed that NBA Finals and Champion calling for L.A to defeat the Magic. Last season I picked the Cavs to beat the Lakers (Thanks Lebron) and that didn't happen. What I did get right was the coach of the year in Scott Brooks. I always want to be right with my picks but to get everything right is almost impossible.

The dark cloud that is going to hang over this entire NBA Season is the lack of an agreement on a CBA. In recent days the actions of both the league office and the NBAPA do not give you a lot of optimism they will find a deal. The league throwing out words like contraction does not exactly help things. I did have someone ask me if the Raptors would ever get contracted. First of all, I think the whole suggestion of contraction is an idle threat. In the 4 major sports there has never been contraction of a franchise. It almost always is re-location of franchises. But even if contraction were to happen the Raptors would not be in danger for a number of reasons. First and foremost they are profitable. The idea of contraction is to get rid of teams that are dragging down the league as a whole. Teams that are not making money or barely scrapping by. That is not the Raptors and even if attendance takes a dip this season it won't be the Raptors. The second reason is David Stern. It was his idea to expand to Canada and the fact the Grizzlies failed is one of his great regrets. As long as he is running the league I can not imagine the Raptors not being safe. Also as much as we all may complain at times about MLSE, the fact that they are on more then secure financial ground is a reason the Raptors can last for the long term.

So here is a list of things that should be big stories this season.

Future of Mello and Chris Paul- Carmelo Anthony if Denver does nothing will become a free agent and be the marquee name on the Free Agent Market. Having a new G.M from our very own Raptors organization makes the chances of that happening pretty slim that Denver will stand pat. Many feel it is not if Anthony will be traded it is more a case of when. As the season start is now hours away, it would seem clear prior to the season is not going to happen. So the question will be when and until it happens you can expect rumours to fly throughout the season. If the Knicks get off to a slow start this will make the pressure on them to make a deal and get Anthony even more so. That is the team that most feel is on the top of the list of where Anthony wants to go. Also you have Chris Paul sitting in New Orleans and not exactly thrilled to be there. The Hornets can afford to be more picky though with Paul under contract for the next 2 seasons. However if he really is unhappy that is not going to do anything for team moral of a franchise that real needs to turn things around. You want to talk about a team in trouble in terms of being a viable NBA franchise the Hornets would make the top of that list.

Miami Miami Miami- If Lebron James sneezes there may well be a story about it. This season is regardless of if the actually win a title going to be ALL ABOUT THE HEAT. This is like Boston's Big 3 X100. Garnett, Allen and Pierce was a great 3 some but no one thought they could be contenders for a decade if they stuck together. These 3 guys can regardless of if you like it or not. The MWO is not going anywhere anytime soon. They are going to be talked about good, bad or indifferent for the entire season. Already some turbulence with an injury to Mike Miller that may see him out till January. Heat go out and sign Jerry Stackhouse. Basically losing on any night is not an option for this team. Obviously they are not going 82-0 but with ever loss will come a huge amount of drama. But when you throw a Championship style celebration before you win anything and say you are not just out to win this year, but for the next 5 or 6 years, that comes with the territory.

K.D for MVP- Kevin Durant has had a big summer and as fast as Lebron James star has fallen, Kevin Durant has watched his rise. His Thunder made the playoffs last season (I called that one too) and they gave the eventual Champion Lakers there toughest test on the road to the Finals. NBA Elite 11 with him on the cover may never see the light of day but nothing can stop K.D from making the Jump to NBA Ultra Elite in being considered one of the top 3 players in the game. The team around him is growing better as well and at the top of that list is his point guard Westbrook. I like K.D and his Thunder to do EVEN BIGGER THINGS this season. Part of that is K.D living up to the hype as a front runner for the MVP. Greg Who? Yeah Oden was worth that #1 pick wasn't he. While he racks up medical bills Durant is racking up Gold Medals and soon trophies.

Wall vs Griffin - Blake Griffin had he been healthy was the pre-season run away pick to be Rookie of the Year last season. John Wall is that guy this year. But wait a second, Griffin can win that award as well. In rare situation you have two number 1 picks and only one Rookie of the Year Trophy. If you are trying to look for an edge in this it likely goes to Wall. Clippers even if they do turn the corner are still in a tough Western Conference. While the Wizards play in the East where a playoff spot is a much easier goal to get. If the numbers are similar in case of a tie the team in the playoffs will take the prize. Both should be fun to watch and if Griffin has no issues health wise he will push Wall all season to be Rookie of the Year. The gap between these 2 and everyone else is large. The only guy that stands a chance to get in this conversation outside of these two is Cousins in Sacramento.

Kobe - Has there ever been an off-season he was talked about less? This is a guy that thrives on motivation. Phil Jackson is back as well and the chances he sticks around much longer are growing slimmer each year. So combining those two things, and the chance to 3-Peat all make you think sleeping on the Lakers might be a mistake. Injuries have been a big part of the story with Kobe and he still has not had surgery on that troublesome finger. His team also has issues with injuries or more to the point Andrew Bynum does. But the Lakers quietly added some nice parts to improve their depth. Steve Blake could have an impact on the Triangle offence like a Steve Kerr or John Paxson did with Bulls.

Those are 5 big stories that will dominate the season. However the future of the CBA and the Lockout that could happen next season will hang like a dark cloud over it all. It is hard to focus on this season with that hanging over it. Next year's NBA preview might be not about what happens when they play, but if and when they will play. That is something no one should want to happen. More NBA talk tomorrow with Jiggly Bits and The DNB's Season Preview.

Matt Devlin In The Starting 5

Had a chance to chat with Matt Devlin today. We get in to the whole Big 3 in Miami. Matt's thoughts on all of that including how the Heat will do on the floor. Take a look back on the Raptors perfect run at summer league. Thoughts on Demar, Sonny and their performance. In addition to talking about the rookies Davis and Alabi. Also if anyone else might fit like say Bobby Brown? We talk about where the Raptors go in the post Bosh era. Is it a good thing that the fans have adopted the Young Guns as the new faces of the franchise? For both them and for Andrea Bargnani. What will be the role of Leandro Barbosa? What becomes of almost traded Jose and Reggie? Lots of question and lots of answers mixed in with a little bit of fun that we always have with Matt.

Just after this conversation with Matt, the Raptors made an announcement that they have hired David Amber to work on Raptors T.V. Amber was actually at TSN when I was there, and he would move on to ESPN. He now replaces Adnan Virk who after 1 season with MLSE took a job offer to go to ESPN. So in a sense the Raptors and ESPN have made a trade. Will see how it works out for Raptors T.V moving forward. Amber is also going to be contributing web content as well on Raptors.com as Adnan Virk had done. Amber is a grad of both McGill and Syracuse and seems excited to be back working at home in Toronto.

Matt Devlin also remains with the Raps as he declared in our interview and it is always great talking with him. I appreciate the relationship we have built since his coming here to the franchise. He has always been willing to come on and talk with us at the Dino Nation Blog and I thank him for that as always.

The AFTERMATH

Before we get to the main topic. Amir Johnson re-signed and seems very happy to be back in Toronto. It doesn't hurt to have the 34 millions bucks as well. Raptors have signed Linas Kleiza to an offer sheet, 4 years and 20 million is the numbers being thrown around. My reaction to this, is not a move that gets me excited. Kleiza wasn't even playing in the NBA last year. He, like Delfino did the year before, bolted for more money outside of North America. Also, the Raptors may in fact may end up with some spare parts from the Bosh deal (Draft picks possible TPE[Trade Exception]). The good news is Micheal Beasley will not be, as he was shipped off to Minnesota. Which likely speaks to his lack of value in the league as whole.

But the fate of the Raptors aside for the moment, it sure feels like the NBA changed last night. A lot of folks comparisons to the wrestling's NWO have a lot of merit. Pat Riley is the Eric Bischoff of the group. Just like the NWO was in reality just part of the WCW. The Miami Heat are part of the NBA. The NWO in the storyline of wrestling goal was to take over and destroy the WCW. While the Miami's goal is not to destroy the NBA, it is to win a championship. However, even if not intended they will do damage to the NBA. That damage begins in Cleveland but will only grow from there. Safe to say Miami will be the most hated team in the NBA. However the people that will hate team the most are the owners of small market teams. Dan Gilbert's statement to Cleveland fans was an example of the raw anger that will build up. He will be leading the charge to a lockout seeing the loop holes in the CBA as the reason for his misfortune along with blaming James. The reality is that Cavs failed to build a winner around James, just like the Raptors failed to do the same around CB4. No one put a gun to any teams head and said to create cap space for 2010 season. To create this situation for both to leave. Cavs and Raptors saw what was going on around them.

The Villains of the 2011 Lockout will be the Miami Heat and Pat Riley. But as much as we all may be sickened by what has happened here. You have to at least on some level admire the 3 players and Riley for being able to pull this off. This was the right of all 3 players to do this. Free means free after all. While you can sure question the morals and ego that lead to all of this, you can't question that they played with in the rules.

The idea of a cap system in sports in to create a level playing field for all. This has not happened and it is a failure of the CBA to do so. In baseball their is no cap and nothing in place to prevent this from happening in that league. Sports is all about having hope. The obvious example of no hope is here in Toronto with the Blue Jays. They play in the AL East and their chances of making the playoffs are remote at best ever year. The Yankees and Red Sox have budgets that are beyond imagination. It took a decade of losing for Tampa Bay to get to the point of challenging those 2 teams. While it is possible to beat the odds the chances are slim. Miami Heat are not going 82-0 as someone tweeted to me. But the hope for teams that are in markets that have challenges and teams who are limited in terms of budget all wake up to the reality of this could be them. How do you feel about Brandon Jennings future today if you are a Bucks fan? Is this your team in say 6 years? Under this current CBA it very well could be.

The impact of the NWO on wrestling was a positive one as WCW became the #1 wrestling company and jumped ahead of the WWE in ratings.The NBA has enjoyed being the king of sports talk in the short term with all this free agency talk. They may meet the same fate as WCW on a lesser scale with a lockout. The NWO while it was a short term success many in the wrestling business see it as what killed WCW. The egos of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are not that different from Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan. Egos could implode the Heat as well eventually.

David Stern has a CBA that has been designed to give the home teams the advantage of 30 million dollars (In Case of Bosh,James and Wade) and an extra year of a contract. However if as Bosh,Wade and James all have said this isn't about money it is about winning,then we a problem here. That is ultimately the goal to be a champion after all. The problem is with the massive amount of money playesr can make these days it doesn't take long for money to not be an object. So the CBA and it's design to cash in on players greed instead of the desire to win has failed.

How you can eliminate what in a sense has been player conclusion is unclear and likely impossible. What will hurt the Owners argument is all the money they have been throwing around to everyone else. It is hard to cry poor and foul when you are spending money like it is from a Monopoly game.

While Leborn James had an hour T.V show on ESPN that was to say the least at times some pretty bad television. Kevin Durant quietly has signed an extension with that thriving city of OKC. It is nothing like South Beach and K.D is nothing like the 3 guys that are in Miami. So you want a hero maybe he and the OKC Thunder are it. Kobe Bryant for all his drama has remained a Laker which is a little easier to do.

What we have seen is the birth of a team that will have a chance to win many championships. However they may be a ring short of expectations. We also saw the spark to ignite what will be a war over the new CBA and a lockout that looms in 2011/12.

Yes we have all been Witnesses or will be to it all. July 8th will be a day pointed back to for years to come. For basketball fans, it may turn into a moment that is one of those where were you moments. Just like we all remember where were for many historic events. Time will tell but it sure has that feel. Wrestling fans all remember where they were when Hulk Hogan the Immortal hero of wrestling fans for years turned heel. Lebron James made his heel turn not on Pay Per View but on ESPN. In a sense he has sold his soul to win a ring. Part of me admires that. But a larger part of me is sick to the stomach about it and what it could mean for the future.

Countdown to NBA Meltdown

Yes tonight at midnight in theory it could all come to an end. After 2 years of hype and build up from the folks at ESPN. The 2010 Free Agency Market opens for business. In the true spirit of overkill that we have come to expect/mock ESPN for.... they are ready. A Lebron tracker page on their website complete with count down clock to free agency. What you are still not impressed? Or there is more people. How about the game that is sweeping the nation, the NBA Free Agent Slot Machine. Spin the slots and send LBJ,D-Wade, CB4, Joe Johnson, Dirk and 3 others to possible destinations. Fun for the whole family. This along with all the great ESPN Insider info that is so good you have to pay for it. So what if Jalen Rose was wrong about his guarantee that LBJ and Bosh would be Knicks. They have your money regardless of if they were right or wrong. Not to mention the info will make it's way to Real G.M and other media soon enough right or wrong.

I may have to eat my own bit of crow if LBJ, Wade and Bosh end up in Miami. When a writer, who's name escapes me, from ESPN suggested it was possible that all 3 guys could end up playing for the Knicks. I believe that I responded that he was pretty much insane to think that could happen. Well he was wrong about New York but there seems to be a decent chance it could happen in Miami. The 3 superstars have apparently met and it seems that James is the one that is sitting on the fence according to the speculation.

It all leads you to wonder is all of this good for the NBA as a whole. It would appear the NBA tampering rules are now more guidelines then reality. Players conspiring which has never been illegal has now become public and broadcast everywhere from social media to CNN. When the dust clears from all of this about the only thing I am confident of is that David Stern will still be NBA Commissioner. If he is not happy with how this all plays out, he will be able to do something about it fairly soon. After the summer of free agency in 2010, we will gather again next summer for the summer of the CBA. Stern and the owners including the ones that this free agency will not benefit (Which will be many) will be looking to fix this. Things were already looking looking dark in terms of the CBA and this free agency period is not helping matters. When players can impact on how the league is shaped and not owners. Is it any surprise that owners don't like that?

At the front of that list should they not save Lebron you can expect to be Cleveland. You could make the argument that if not for Lebron the Cavs franchise may be gone. The Cavs were is sorry shape when the magic ping pong balls fell and they were given their king.Should they lose him does the franchise just fall right back to that abyss it was in? Which in case you forget was one of the worst franchises in the league that could not draw flies to their games. That is a problem in a number of markets these days. What is the message to those markets from this free agency? Stern created a CBA that was designed to prevent the NBA from going the way Major League Baseball has. Giving home teams that advantage of being able to pay the most and the longest contract was suppose to help teams keep their stars. However if the 3 biggest players in this free agency all thumb their nose at that. What does that say to fans of those small market teams? It is one thing if teams fail from their own stupidity like the Knicks did under Thomas or the Clippers have done since leaving Buffalo. However to have not at least in theory a level playing field is not good.

This is not to mention the Raptors who although having the money to compete, they still face a lot of the issues they have since the franchise was born. The fact we still hear on a routine basis players mention taxes as an issue in playing in Toronto. While no we still don't get ESPN, we do have Sportscentre not Sportscenter. The fact the Raptors still have to deal with these things is both frustrating and surprising given the world we live in. Toronto while loved as a road destination by almost everyone in the NBA, coming to play,stay and live is a different matter for some.

Bryan Colangelo has taken a lot of heat of late with all that has gone wrong. However while the results have not been successful the basic plan was an interesting way to find a loop hole. His approach to trying to use Toronto's appeal to European players was a great idea in theory. Over time it has been proven to be unsuccessful. Bargnani, Turkoglu, Calderon, Garbajosa, Nesterovic and others have had varying amounts of successes and failures. The one point that is a red flag to this European loop hole is international play. The Raptors have learned this over and over. The worst example in the injury of Jorge Garbajosa and his playing for Spain far to soon. Which would end his career in the NBA. Jose Calderon would be injured in playing for Spain. While most recently Hedo Turkoglu came into camp burnt out from playing for Turkey in the summer. He would go on to have a terrible season that was injury filled.

The advantage to having American based players is the odds they will play for Team USA are slim. Even if they do as in the cases of Vince Carter and Chris Bosh, the amount of time they have to play in games is far less than a Hedo has to play for Turkey, or Jose for Spain. That is another issue that David Stern needs to address. While the NBA grows and becomes more global in scope, having all of these players suited up for their countries in the summer, and then play a NBA season is burning the candle at both ends. Just like it would be difficult for hockey players in this country to say no to playing for their country. The same is true for these Euro players to say no to their countries. The NBA eventually has to find a way to say no for them.

But that is more of a side issue. The point is in theory the idea was a pretty good one despite the fact it failed. The NBA is on the verge of a free agency that will have a far greater impact then just where James, Wade, Bosh and others play. This is by all accounts, a game changer for the league going forward. The fallout maybe as much drama as the 2 year build up to July 1st 2010.

Doom and Gloom On Friday

The big news in the NBA yesterday was the suspension of Rashard Lewis. He was suspended 10 games for having failed a drug test having elevated levels of testosterone. This will mean that Lewis will miss among those 10 games a trip to Toronto with the Magic on November 1st. But it opens up a much larger question of steroids in the game. I had an interesting chat with Justin Walsh of Slam Magazine on the topic in the debut of DNB Radio last night. If you missed the show you can listen to the show in it's entirety over on the right under DNB Radio. Here is what Lewis had to say in his defense in a statement released yesterday.

Rashard Lewis Statement(From Magic.com):

“First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty.Toward the end of the season I took an over-the-counter supplement which at the time I did not realize included a substance banned by the NBA. I apologize to Magic fans, my teammates and this organization for not doing the research that should come with good judgment. I hope this unintentional mistake will not reflect poorly on our team and its great character. I hope every athlete can learn from my mistake that supplements, no matter how innocent they seem, should only be taken after consulting an expert in the field.”

I am not here to tell you what to think. However, in all sports have we not heard a similar story to this before? Justin Walsh made some valid points on why steroids may not make sense for basketball players. However for the average casual fan of the sport will this not just lump basketball in with baseball and football? It has been a summer of steroids in baseball, Manny, A-Rod and most recently David Ortiz. This also has been an issue that has been addressed by the U.S Government. The 10 game suspension is light in comparison to the 50 game ban that baseball issues. 30.8% of the season missed for Manny and just 12.1% for Lewis.

If you had told me to pick someone who was going to get nailed for performance enhancing drugs or steroids don't think Rashard Lewis would have been in my top 50. The problem in this is not that someone got caught cheating. It is the shadow that is casts on the game as a whole. It is about the guys who are clean that get lumped in. Dwight Howard, Lebron James and others now may have to deal with the issue. If they are clean athletes and not cheating that takes away from their greatness. The fact I used the word "if" just shows you the difference. I have always wanted to believe for the most part basketball is a clean sport. That might be being naive in the world we live. If this turns out to be a one off event it may not matter. However it opens the door to things going down a very wrong path.

More gloomy news for a Friday. We also talked about Labor unrest last night on DNB Radio. David Stern is taking a hard line with things for the next CBA. He is said to want a 50/50 revenue split with the players. That number now is at 57% for the players. But he also wants to tighten up the cap. No more mid-level exception, a dollar for dollar tax for those that go over the tax threshold. It is a dark and gloomy forecast that could mean a lockout is coming. This is why it might play into hands of Cleveland, Miami and Toronto to keep their stars. Players like James, Bosh and Wade would be well advised to get as much as they can for as long as they can. That plays to the advantage of the teams they are currently with. That may go away in the new CBA as well the concept of "Bird Rights" could be gone. It is going to be interesting how the NBA (David Stern) is going to get what they want financially but still have player stability. It just might not be possible. Still love him or hate him if anyone can pull it off it is David Stern. You do not keep your job for as long as he has without being highly successful at it.

While the mood around the Raptors has been sunshine and lollipops the times ahead for the NBA could be dark indeed. So take some advice and enjoy the good times. You really can never be certain what lies ahead. Twitter can get hacked and you suddenly wonder how you lived life without it.

Back on the radio tonight in the traditional sense, for my weekly appearance on the Off The Bench on CJLO. Should be on at my regular time 12:15am. Thanks to all that checked out DNB Radio last night. I got positive response on Twitter from the show. Thanks to Justin Walsh and the folks that called into the show. We will do it all again next week at 11pm next Thursday. I hope folks enjoy it and get behind the show and help make it as successful as the Dino Nation Blog has been. Have a great weekend folks.

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.