Andre Aldridge Of NBA-TV In Starting 5

Sometimes I am asked how some of the guests I get end up in the Dino Nation Blog. I will tell you how I got this one cause it is neat story. I have mentioned like most of the free world, I have embraced Twitter
(@dinonationblog). One of the folks I follow on there is @NBATVAndre. Which is Andre Aldridge of NBA TV. Any time I fire a comment off his way, I usually would get an answer back. So I figured why not ask if he would like to come visit the Dino Nation Blog and all of us Raptor Fans up here in Canada. I was happy to get a positive response. It took awhile to put together because of his busy schedule and my own. But we were able to get together today for what I found to be a very enjoyable chat talking about a bunch of topics. Thoughts on the Big Shaq trade to him showing some school pride for his fellow Trojan our draft pick Demar DeRozan. As well as some talk about CB4 and the Raptors season that lies ahead. Not to mention some thoughts on Ex-Raptor coach Sam Mitchell and TNT's Charles Barkley. I hope Andre had as good a time talking with me as I did in talking with him. So have a listen he also gives some love to Canada's own and The Score's own Cabbie.

So, this was a lot of fun and it was all made possible by Twitter. Combined with the fact the Andre was willing to do it. Hope to have him back again in the future. Oh and if any of you were holding out hope for a return of @CV31 AKA Charlie V looks like you are out of luck unless you live in near Detroit. It is said he signed a deal with the Pistons along with Ben Gordon. As it said at the end of the interview, I was doing Baseball tonight for the Score.com. So I will get caught up on what I have missed and have some thoughts tomorrow.

The Winds Of Change Are Awful Slow

Maybe it is just me, but I grow tired of the daily rumour mill that circles the Toronto Raptors. I am on the record saying this team needs to make changes it is not like I have changed my mind or anything. However it is just reaching the point of I just can't wait for the trade deadline to come and go. It gets to the point you are not sure if you should go out for the nigh,t or turn off the computer, out of fear you might miss the trade that is likely to happen. It is like living on high alert. When I was live blogging for The Score someone said that ESPN was reporting that J.O was getting moved to Miami for Shawn Marion. Turned out they were just someone having fun. Well it was not all that funny. I mean heck could you imagine missing out on something that big. It is my biggest fear. Well not really but it ranks up there. What was true about ESPN was that the article I had linked up by Holly Mackenzie of Slam and Court Surfing Blog on The Score was linked up on ESPN. Congrats to Holly she is someone that works really hard and I am happy for her. I have had some moments like that and they are really exciting. Have not been on ESPN or anything but big moments for this blog. So please Bryan Colangelo end my pain and do something for my own personal sanity if nothing else.

Here Come The Bulls

As shocking as it was that Chuck Swirsky left to take a job on Bulls radio. If anyone had said the Bulls, upon the his return to Toronto, would be in front of the Raptors in the standing you would have thought they were nuts. But that is the case as the Bulls sit a half game in front of the Raptors in the standings in the Eastern Conference. Derrick Rose is the first overall pick from last year's draft and thus far he is up to the hype that goes along with that. Andrea Bargnani can relate to the pressure that goes along with that moment that David Stern calls out your name first. Chuck Swirsky is a big fan of Rose as you could hear in his interview yesterday. He is a talented young man there is no question about that. But just like Brandon Roy is the best player out of his draft class. I think O.J Mayo will be the same for his. However the gap between Mayo and Rose at this point is small. In case of Roy and Bargnani until the last 8 games it was as wide as the Grand Canyon. However Bargnani is on fire and showing confidence that we have just not seen from him. Making big shots and being as clutch as it gets. The shot to close out regulation in Boston I would argue, despite the final result, was the biggest shot of his NBA career. Any plans to trade Bargnani may have been put on ice if there were any at all. Bryan Colangelo has made every suggestion in his interviews that it was not in the plan.

Some recent rumours suggest that the Bulls might be though. Andres Nocioni is the name that seems to be a part of that talk. A tough minded player that would in theory address the Raptors issues at the wing spot. But didn't we already have a guy like this? Carlos Delfino...who is still an option should he return to the NBA. Colangelo is on the record saying that the Raptors would likely match any offer that he were to get should he return to the NBA. But despite what many have suggested Colangelo seems to feel that won't happen till next year. I think Nocioni is an upgrade in comparison to Delfino but enough to give up what is being suggested when you could likely get Delfino for cheaper? I am not sold on that personally. Tyrus Thomas name has been floated as part of a package as well. But he has been a big disappointment like Bargnani had been until recently.

Here is the bottom line on all of this trade stuff. I am not sold that we have heard the real deal that will end up being made yet. Bryan Colangelo has done very little to put out trade speculation. He is on the record saying only one thing for certain. That he has no plan to move Chris Bosh in any deal. He has strongly suggested Bargnani would likely not be moved if it were up to him. Most have figured that Jose Calderon is also safe to stay on Raptor Island. But Colangelo has never real made a strong statement to that point on the record that I have heard. The fact Jose is a BYC player based on signing his new contract makes it seem unlikely. What BYC means in simple terms is that only half the amount of the contract can be counted in calculating a trade. That is why we needed to wait so long for the T.J Ford and O'Neal trade to be made final. Ford had a BYC on his contract that needed to come off and that was the reason for the hold up. The CBA is a complicated thing. They need a book CBA for idiots. This is not that, but if you ever have CBA questions that you need answers to. Here is a link that can help you.

FAQ ON CBA

Calderon and J.O Returns Help Or Hurt?

It has been like the other shoe that is waiting to drop. The Raptors have been playing some of their best basketball of the season with out 2 of what was being billed as the Raptors Big 3 prior to the season. Which I said at the time I was not buying into as I felt nothing had been proven. Well I think that is still the case as I sit on a cold January morning. I am not a Celtic Fan by any stretch of the imagination. However they have the best big 3 and in my mind that was proven in spades over the last 2 games. Based on injuries and just a overall lack of chemistry. I had hoped that Jermaine O'Neal would have an impact like K.G did in Boston and make the Raptors a better defensive team. But at this point I am not convinced even K.G could make a solid defender out of some of the people on this roster with Calderon and Kapono at the top of that list.

Most believe and I tend to agree that the best thing for the Raptors would be to leave Andrea Bargnani in the starting line-up at the Center spot. He was shown a fragile confidence over his Raptor career and to send him back to the bench after his play of late runs the risk of shattering that confidence that he has displayed in the last while. This all is logical and makes a lot of sense but the problem is will Jermaine O'Neal agree and accept that logic. That is a question that only Jermaine knows the answer to that. If he does not it also makes Bryan Colangelo's job harder and likely would force his hand to move O'Neal sooner rather than later. I have suggested in this blog that I believe that it is in Colangelo's best interest to hold on to the O'Neal contract for as long as possible. The closer 2010 gets the more likely teams will over more that have dreams of getting a player like a Wade, James, Bosh or a number of other big name free agents. The pressure from all sides will grow. So trading J.O at this point to me would not get you the same as it could down the line. But if he has a negative impact on Bargnani and the team as a whole what else can Bryan Colangelo do? Jermaine may surprise everyone and be a total team player and accept a roll as the Raptors 6th man. Given his history I am not sure if I want to bet a lot on that happening.

When it comes to Calderon he has to get better as a defender and that is just the bottom line. To earn all that candy (as it says in the funny Raptor kids ads) he needs to start doing things to improve his effort on defense. It really has a negative impact on how the Raptors play defense with Calderon playing the way he does. The point guard is key to any defense and is for lack of a better term the first line of defense. If Jose breaks down and gets beat by his man it sets off a chain reaction that leads to open shots like we saw Ray Allen making at the ACC on Sunday. Help defense is all based on a chain of moves and the quicker that chain is forced to act the more likely it will break. Also we have seen Roko Ukic show some ability to get into the paint on offense and make some of the things happen that we did when T.J Ford was here. People compare Ukic to Calderon but there is more Ford in Ukic then there is Calderon. The only thing Roko and Calderon share is common experience in coming from Europe to the NBA. But from a game standpoint the are very different players.

Kobe and Cabbie Coming To The Score.

I would like to close today by saying how much I look forward to the next chapter of the Kobe Bryant and Cabbie story coming to The Score. Sure the blog is part of The Score Sports Federation but if this was any network I would feel the same. Cabbie and Kobe have done some truly funny stuff over the years. I hope some day to have him (Cabbie Not Kobe) visit us here. Not that Kobe would not be welcome but I am being realistic. So I give you a look back on the touching moments between Cabbie AKA Cabrel Richards and The Black Mamba AKA Kobe Bryant:




Coming to The Score in February is the next chapter of the saga of Kobe and Cabbie. When will the Dino Blogger go 1 on 1 with Cabbie? I do not know but I am throwing out an invite to Cabbie. I think it would be a lot of fun. Cabbie has talked to a ton of guys in the NBA and really and truly has a gift of bringing out the lighter side in them. I enjoy his work a lot and he has brought me many laughs as a viewer over the years.

Just a reminder that I am not going to be doing a Raptors Rewind tonight. I am doing some Live Blog Work for the Score. So I will get some form of recap up late tonight or early tomorrow. But I will be pulling for the Raptors in spirit. I will be working on the Duke vs Georgia Tech game and hoping for CB4's old school to pull of what would be a major upset over Duke.

Wiz And Raps Share Common Ground

When this season started both Wizard and Raptor fans expected much more. Eddie Jordan and Sam Mitchell were coaches that had earned some level of success. Jordan was a coach of an All Star Game for the Eastern Conference not all that long ago. Sam Mitchell of course was the Coach of the Year just a few seasons ago. The Wizards have been without Gilbert Arenas for the majority of last season and all of this season. The irony is the Wizards made the choice to re-sign Arenas for over a 100 million dollars worth of contract. You would think they would know his health better than anyone else. But still they made the choice to bring him back. The Raptors have had issues with health that some might say they should have known better about as well. Jose Calderon after an injury at the Olympics after he had resigned with the Raptors has continued to have some minor injuries that have plagued him through out the year, Jermaine O'Neal has had a long history of injuries and time missed. He has had some minor injuries as well. Both will be out for this game as they did not travel with the Raptors on this mini two game road trip. Two teams with playoff goals are not even in the playoffs as it stands now. While there is still hope Raptors could sneak back into the playoff race it would seem that the Wizards are done as far as that idea for this season. After all they sit in dead last in the conference and to be able to just pass all the teams in front of them would seem unlikely. After winning their first back to back games of the season the Wizards have lost 3 of 4 games since that time. The Raptors have not been able to string wins together as well. After winning the first 3 games of the year the Raptors have not been able to win more than 2 in a row since. They had a chance to change that against the Bucks but would fall short. So two teams desperate for a win it should be fun.

Trade Winds Continue To Blow

A day does not go by without another rumour about the Toronto Raptors. It has to be difficult for the players and their families. That is a fact that often is lost in all of this thirst for change. But unless you name is Chris Bosh you have heard your name in some rumour if you are a Toronto Raptor. Even Nathan Jawai who has yet to play a game I saw in a trade rumour. But the latest and most loudest of the rumour mill has been talk that Bryan Colangelo has been shopping around Jermaine O'Neal and his big contract with all that cap space in 2010. Colangelo has only confirmed that he has no interest in trading Chris Bosh. It is not like he has done much to stop all of the talk about his players. It makes sense to let the rumour mill run wild if you are Colangelo. If he can build interest in players on this roster it can only help his chances of making a move. I personally am starting to think Colangelo is looking to make a major move. If he wanted to just do some minor tweaks you have to think he could have made a move by now. What is clear is with each passing day the expectation level of fan base for what Colangelo will do increases. The chances of people feeling that he has not done enough will increase as well.

But the challenge that faces Colangelo is a difficult one indeed. If you accept that the plan is to keep Chris Bosh in 2010. Which Colangelo has given ever indication that it is. He faces the difficult task of trying to improve this team and keep or restore the confidence of Bosh in him. But in doing that he may have to give away some of that massive amount of cap space he has been able to acquire. The majority of which lies in the contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The performance recently of Andrea Bargnani has left some to think the Raptors need to leave him as the starting center. But for that to happen Jermaine O'Neal would have to be put on the bench. This is not a good thing on any level. You can only expect that O'Neal would be less than happy about that. A drop in his performance and production would likely follow. This would all impact on his value as a player for the next season and a half. Now if a team is making the move just to get the cap space his contract and is not concerned with anything else that is not as big an issue. But that would mean he would need to go to a team that is not it the playoff hunt but still could be a reasonable option to attract free agents in 2010. That would likely eliminate a lot of Eastern Conference teams as there are still a lot of teams thinking they can make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Still would you really want to bash your brains out to make the playoffs only to have to try and beat the Celtics, Cavs or Magic in a 7 game series. Sure the Hawks took Celtics to 7 games and they did drop an overtime loss to the Bobcats and have struggled in recent days. But a better draft choice and a way to sell your fans that help is on the way in 2010. It is a nice way for a G.M to buy some time. These are the type of thoughts that could be going on for G.M's that might be considering taking on Jermaine O'Neal.

Is Bosh A Lock For The All Star Game?

It seems farily clear at this point that Chris Bosh will not be getting voted into the All-Star Game as a starter. So that will leave it in the hands of coaches in the league. Bosh has been well respected around the league and the fact he played so well for Team U.S.A doesn't hurt as well. That should have nothing to do with this but hey the coaches making the choices are all Americans and proud ones I am thinking. But with the Raptors less than impressive record will that cost Chris Bosh? I am thinking that it will not and Bosh will make it to the roster for the Eastern Conference. He is still one of the best at his position in the conference. I will say it will not be the slam dunk guarantee that it has been in the past. I think it will be something that will be interesting to watch. If Bosh some how got left on the sidelines how would he re-act to that? Hopefully we will not need to find out. I would think it would be a personal disappointment. That being said it is not as huge an event to Bosh as it might have been to a guy like Vince Carter who missed the All-Star Game last year for first time in a long time. Bosh would also get a rest if he was not in the game and it may not be a totally awful thing if he was able to relax for a bit. Although the Raptors do get an entire week off based on the schedule around the all-star game. They face the Spurs on the 11th and do not play again till the 18th taking on the Cavs. They are both games that are at home at the ACC. This could be a chance for Triano to get some of that much wanted practice time he has needed.

Almost Forgot

So that is about it for today. Oh yeah one last thing. I have kind of been having some fun about this on facebook. Chuck Swirsky is returning to Toronto next week but he will be coming to the Dino Nation Blog in the Starting 5 before that. I have not figured out the exact day that I am going to have that interview in the blog. But it has already been done and is all ready to roll. I just wanted to let some folks know about it and try to get a few more people aware of the blog. I mean it is how things work. Cabbie interviewed Kobe Bryant and that is not going to hit the air till February. I am looking forward to that. Maybe I can convince Cabbie to visit here and talk about it. I will see if I can. But for now it is the Dino Blogger one on one with the Swirsk. I think I can post him up and score. Well no it is not that one on one it is an interview. I am not sure how I'd fair in b-ball against Cabbie. We both are of the same body type. It would not be a classic contest by any means.

Update- Joey Graham will Start Tonight In Place Of Moon- Noon

Jamario Moon is heading back to Alabama to be at the birth of his child. That has Joey Graham getting the call to start in tonight's game against the Wizard's. News comes from Eric Smith of the Fan 590. So all of the Joey G fans will get a chance to see a lot more Joey against the Wizards. This makes a even shorter roster for the Raptors who are already without Jose Calderon, Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai who has yet to make his NBA debut as he works back into shape after being sidelined with heart concerns. Calderon has the bad hamstring and J.O the bruised knee.

While I am writing should give this a mention the latest trade rumour that has been floating around. Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker to the Mavs for Josh Howard and two other players. Hoopsworld claims this deal is close to happening.