Deer Fear On Display At ACC

Last night the game resembled a game you might have seen last season. The Raptors were not playing defence but were scoring fairly well. In terms of Demar DeRozan it had to feel like the past as well facing long time friend Brandon Jennings and having his dad on hand watching the game in the stands. For those who are not aware Jennings and DeRozan have played together as kids coming up on the AAU circuit. So it was a game that he was more than likely hyped up for. Demar was showing off his new found ability to make the three point shot hitting back to back threes in what was an up and down, back and forth first quarter. While it was a great start for the Raptors on offence, it was not the start they were looking for on defence. Despite that the Raptors did for the first time since January 13th have a lead after the first quarter 29-28.

In the second the Raptors lack of defence would catch up with them. In our preview of this game one of the keys was to identify shooters and be aware when they were on the floor. If the Raptors were aware, they sure couldn't stop them. Mike Dunleavy was looking like an All-Star at times in the 2nd. Carlos Delfino the former Raptor looked like he couldn't miss for the majority of the night. That along with a solid game inside from Drew Gooden who had 20 points and 14 rebounds on the evening. The 2nd quarter was the best of night for the Bucks as they out scored the Raptors 30-22 and took a 7 point lead into halftime.

The Raptors would show there only signs of life on defence in the 3rd quarter of this game. The Bucks who are by no means an offensive juggernaut came back to earth slightly. They were missing some shots after making a large percentage of them in the first half. James Johnson sent a few back on the night as well with 3 blocks in the game. Raptors had by the end of the 3rd clawed there way back to 3 points down trailing 76-73.

The Raptors would only find bad news in the 4th quarter of play. Jerryd Bayless who had really started to come into his own since returning from an ankle injury, would re-injure that ankle and not be around to finish this game. The Raptors once again despite being slightly better on defence had let to many guys feel confident early. Carlos Delfino made an amazing three in which the Raptors on the play actually played good defence. It just seemed it was going be that kind of night for the Bucks. In the end they would pull away and get the 6 point win. They would do it with 6 players in double figures scoring, led by the former Raptor Carlos Delfino putting up 25 matching the total of Demar DeRozan who scored another set of back to back threes in the 2nd half. But it was in the end not enough as the Bucks won 105-99.

Some fans at the ACC seemed more upset that the Raptors only got 99 points and no pizza for them. What they should be upset about is the fact the Raptors home record is just 3-7. I have long made a point that this promotion needs to change. Have fans get pizza if the Raptors hold a team to under 80 or something like that. It has been proven over and over again that a number of fans are not mature enough not to boo if they are denied pizza which costs like 3 to 4 bucks. So change it and make it about something that is positive in stopping teams from scoring. That is something the Raptors didn't do in this game.

People will say that this is me being negative and not objective. However, despite this game being close for large portions of it, I never felt like the Raptors would win. Why I felt this way was unlike teams of the past, this Raptors team can not outscore people. When you factor in Bargnani not being in the line-up that only adds to the point. The Bucks even though they are a lot like the Raptors based on the style they want to play, being defensive minded, do have the capabilities and options to be able to score.

Beyond DeRozan's 25 the Raptors got a nice overall game from James Johnson that had 15 points. Kleiza and Barbosa continued to be the main scoring options off the bench with 12 for Linas and 11 for Leandro. But the Raptors have to get back to playing defence if they hope to win games. Dwane Casey was quoted as saying "We have lost our pride in guarding a yard." The Raptors have just been making life more difficult for themselves of late. Even though they have 6 more games at home it gets tougher before it gets easier. Next up is the Boston Celtics who humiliated the Raptors the last time they met, after that the face the L.A Lakers, Knicks and Spurs.

If this home stand does not go well it pretty much will secure the Raptors the seat at the lottery, that almost everyone expected them to have heading into the season. But they still might not be bad enough to have the greatest odds in the NBA Lottery. It is almost the worst case scenario you could have imagined for the Raptors. Not good enough to be good but not bad enough to be horrible.

Last Stop Of Raptors Tour 2010/11- Milwuakee

The season is drawing to a close and based on Jay Trinao's pre-game presser last night it would seem what you saw last night is what you will get the rest of the way. Which means no Bargnani, Calderon, Amir Johnson, Barbosa etc. In terms of Johnson while Trinao would not elaborate he said that Johnson they have been told by doctors has more than just an ankle sprain. Given the Raptors have a long term investment in him that is cause for concern. How much cause you really can't say not knowing the full extent of what is wrong. At least it was slightly better than the standard hockey lower and upper body injury. We do have a body part an ankle that has taken a ton of abuse this season. Amir Johnson is likely done for the year and really gave everything he had for this team. A true warrior like effort and he did all he could to earn every penny he was paid. But Raptors move on nine strong or weak as the case maybe. Facing a Bucks team that had higher expectations this season than Toronto and has fallen well short of them. I was one of the view that did not praise the Bucks off-season. They in my opinion took steps backwards not forward and as they will watch the post-season with the Raptors and others it is hard to say I was wrong.

The Basics: Raptors 22-58 (Still tied with Wizards for 3rd worst in NBA) vs Bucks 33-47 (21-19 at home this being their final home game of the season)

When Last We Saw Them: I was there in person and watched the Raptors build a huge lead and almost watch it melt away. Maybe it was the Raptors small line up of just 9, the fact both teams had nothing but pride to play for, but whatever it was this felt like a summer league game. Raptors get the win and remained tied with Wiz for 3rd worst in NBA.

The Key Match Ups: No Bogut and Bargnani which is advantage Raptors as Bogut in previous match-ups has been unstoppable for the Dinos. Milwaukee goes with a undersized starting five and the one you might worry about most has the nicest hair in the gym. Carlos Delfino for whatever reason gets jacked up to play his former club and if he gets hot from 3 point land could make for a long night. Bayless has done well scoring and running the offence but on D not so much and Brandon Jennings is a guy that has potential to go off if you let him. Last home game of the year for the Bucks and Jennings would like to put on a show for his fans you would have to imagine. Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis are perhaps the only reasons to watch the Raptors these days and look for them to try to take advantage of lots of playing time and continue their positive play down the stretch.

Other Things of Note: Just want to say I had a great time in Toronto yesterday and covering the Raptors for another year. From fans of the blog, to people who have become friends, media friends and the Raptors staff and players it has all made for an enjoyable second season covering the team. More thoughts on this is in the post prior to this one if you care to check it out. Also I made my weekly visit to the Team 990 on early Saturday Morning. Not much Raptors talk in it but lots of talk about the coming NBA playoffs in it so give it a listen if you like.

Where is it on: TSN....No Really!!! The main network for one last time this season. How the Bucks get on a Main Network and on Wednesday the Heat do not is one of the mysteries of what the heck the people do in scheduling of sports in this country are thinking. Something tells me I never want to know. Psst....Miami Heat are a pretty big deal.....They have this guy that use to play for the Raptors too. Might have seen it on the news on ESPN.

Raptors Rewind- From The Land Of MGD

Miller Genuine Draft is my favourite beer. Chalk that up as another useless dinoblogger fact. It is made in Milwaukee and that is the home of not just my favourite beer but the Bucks. The Bucks were the darlings of the early NBA season and Brandon Jennings was the king of the rookie class. Some reality has set in on both fronts. The Bucks coming off the road and the Raps on the second half of a back to back. Raptors had a good effort vs the Eastern Conference leading Cavs and the face the Bucks twice before facing Kobe and the Lakers on Sunday. Anything less than 2 wins would be a disappointment. This should be the harder of the two to get for the Raptors. Sonny Weems returns to the line-up after missing last night's game vs the Cavs.

1st Quarter

Ah memories of last season with no TSN 2. I never got a picture till the Raptors had a 7-2 lead. From when the T.V came back on it was the Bucks pushing back. Although Bucks were not exactly shooting the lights out. Andrea Bargnani finally gets Raps going again with a long 2. Hedo Turkoglu the goat last night off to a better start 2 of 3 with 5 points as he hits a 3 ball. That is already 2 more points than last night. 14-8 Raptors midway through the first quarter in front of friends and family of the Bucks in Milwaukee. Amir Johnson scores to answer a Bucks bucket. Andrew Bogut the big Aussie was off to a good start he scores and it was 16-12.

Jerry Stackhouse enters the game as he just signed with the Bucks his last job was in Satellite Radio. Bucks were going strong and Brandon Jennings 3-ball made it an 11-2 run and the Bucks lead 19-16. Raptors were not doing a could job guarding Jay Triano's house. Let's see if a time out will change anything? Demar DeRozan's jumper is getting better on a daily basis he hits for 2. Bucks answer with a 3 ball. Chris Bosh the counter punch 2 and it was 22-20 Bucks. Chris Bosh gets fouled makes 2 at the line and ties it. Jose Calderon drives with reckless abandon and scores off the drive. Raptors close the Quarter strong to lead 24-22 after 1.

2nd Quarter

Jerry Stackhouse misses he is a bit rusty I guess. CB4 not so much nails a jumper to extend the Raptors lead. This was looking like a game the Raptors would have to grind out a win. Both teams were not exactly impressing anyone with how they have played early on. Amir Johnson already 2 fouls in the books and a rare 2 for 2 at the line for him. More Amir as Bosh finds a streaking Amir as he SLAMS IT DOWN. Trying to get myself a bit pumped up. Raps were building some distance and had built the lead to 7 points with the score 35-28. CB4 had a strong first half yesterday and again tonight with 16. The key will be to keep it rolling unlike last night.

Carlos Delfino you might remember he was the guy with the good hair. He had 6 points and 5 boards against his former club early on. Calderon was doing a good job and in this new reserve roll has been better than good. He extended the lead to 9 only to have the fellow with the good hair and a pretty good jumper at times hit a 3 ball to cut lead to 6. Bosh continues to be strong and his total climbs to 18. But Bogut would answer and score. Raptors would but the pedal to the metal after that and build a lead to 52-41. Bucks were staying in it with the 3 ball with jacks from Delfino and Bell falling and Raptors lead cut to just 5. CB4 answers the bell on track for a possible monster triple double with 22 points 8 rebounds and 4 dimes. Not trying to jinx it but it would be the first in his career. On the other side of things remember that good start for Hedo for get about it he is now 2 for 7. Raptors take a 56-49 lead into the half. A good but not great first half for the Raptors overall.

3rd Quarter

Bucks start off on a run as Delfino hit a jumper and Bucks chopped the 7 point lead to 2 in the blink of an eye. Bosh the drive the score and the 3rd foul on Bogut. Bosh would make the and 1. Carlos Delfino hit a 3 and he had 17 against his former club. Raps lead again just 2 points. The Bucks would tie it up at 61 and Jay Triano calls a time out as his team had come out of the locker room FLAT!!! Raptors were struggling and Bosh and Calderon were the lone guys that to this point were only Raptors having a good game to this point. The Bucks had their first lead since the first quarter up 66-65.

Chris Bosh gets to the line and he was perfect 10-10 at the line with 27. Bogut a score and a terrible turnover from Jack and that lead to an easy Jennings score. This was going to be a dogfight of the sports variety not the Micheal Vick variety. Raptors tied it at 70 only to watch Carlos Delfino nail a 3 to extend lead to 5. Bosh answers with 2 he had 34 but it was the Bucks on top 77-72. This was like a flashback to games earlier in the season where Bosh was on fire and the team around him was non existent. If a few guys could step up and help CB the Raps should be able to take this one. Raptors would take the lead 78-77 on an Antonie Wright bucket only to have Luke Ridnour score back to back baskets and give the Bucks an 81-78 lead. That is how the 3rd would finish. Bucks a 10 point swing in that quarter and what would the Raps have left in the tank on a second night of a back to back. Bosh who on Prime Time Sports on the fan 590 was called a 1a guy and rarely gets 40 points was on his way to getting 40 and not looking like a 1a player on this night but he was in desperate need of a Robin to his Batman.

4th Quarter.

Hedo Turkoglu scores and would he awaken for the 4th? More help from Jose with the score plus a foul and the game was tied at 84. More Jose to the rescue with a much needed 3 and Raptors leading 87-86. However Jerry Stackhouse would answer with a 3. Bucks were getting a team effort and it was helping them stay on top. The Raptors defense was doing their part as well. Leading 93-89 with 7 and a half to play.

Raps would trail by 6 and Bosh pushing took a charge on another night he likely would not. Raptors were doing one thing right they were 24-24 at the line...Bosh the latest to make his free throw. Antonie Wright ever since my grade of F in the DNB has been playing well. I am not taking credit for it but he makes a big jump shot and cuts the lead to 2. Raptors were still stuck 2 and make it 4 as Bogut was killing the Raps with 25 far above his average. He would then foul Bosh and I think that is his 4th. Nope his 5th and Bosh finally missed one at the line and split a pair. Raptors trail 99-98. A big moment with 4:11 to play and Bucks up 3 as Bogut shoves Jarrett Jack to the floor earning foul # 6 and a front row seat to watch the end of this one. Bosh the score and the foul he has 41 going to the line looking for 42. If he gets it the Bucks lead will be 1 again and he does. Tying his career high of 42 points. Bosh a block on the D but Bucks control and score the lead is back to 3. Hedo a turnover and Raptors were in trouble down 3. Bucks can't capitalize but a terrible jumper from wright and Bucks do cash in this time with a score plus a foul the lead is 6. on three straight possession the Raptors don't get the ball to Bosh and there reward was they were down 8. Finally goes to Bosh but to late as Bosh sets a new career high with 44. Bargnani would hit a 3 with 28 seconds to play cutting lead to 5 but the fate of the Raptors seemed set barring something bizarre. Nothing bizarre would occur and the Bucks down the Raptors 113-107.

All I got to say is your Franchise player has 42 points and he doesn't get the ball on 3 straight trips. That is a failure of epic nature in terms of coaching. After the first time you should be calling a time out saying to get the ball to Chris. After the second time YOU REALLY should be calling a time out and saying GET THE BALL TO CHRIS. the 3rd time you just shake your head. If you were a fan of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air the dopey coach of Will Smith's Prep School had a simple game plan and it was pass the ball to WILL. If he could figure it out why couldn't Jay Triano or the other 4 guys on the floor for the Raptors. A very frustrating loss as the Raptors go below .500 on a night where the Bobcats beat the Heat by a ton. Just saying.

Don't Cry For Me Roko Ukic ..You Were Suppose To Be Much Better

If you have never seen the movie Evita with Madonna the humour of the the title may be lost on you. But none the less it seems Bryan Colangelo despises summer vacation of any kind. Still hard at work attempting to make his Raptors better. The deal that is being reported

To The Bucks:

- Rights to SG/SF Carlos Delfino
- PG Roko Ukic

To Toronto

- Forward Amir Johnson
- Guard/Forward Sonny Weems






When you consider the Raptors are doing basically a sign and trade for Carlos Delfino, was not like he was ever on the roster. This basically becomes a trade about Roko Ukic.It seems pretty clear that the Raptors felt much like myself that Roko had not developed at a rate they were happy with. That is why they went out and signed Jarrett Jack and it is why they considered drafting Jonny Flynn. So it makes sense to see Roko on the move. I was asked on the first DNB Radio if I saw any trade possibilities for Roko or Marcus Banks. My response was that I saw it as unlikely. However Bryan Colangelo was smart enough to package Roko with an asset he had, but had no intention of using in Delfino. Coming back the other way is Amir Johnson who was on of those young players on that Pistons bench that was suppose to be the the future. He is someone who perhaps could bring something to the table. Weems I will admit I am not all that familiar with but he is 6 foot 6 and will be a depth player at both shooting guard and more importantly small forward. He comes from a solid college program in Arkansas. Basically these are 2 guys that may be something or may not. This is not a trade that is going to shake the foundation of what has already been constructed by Bryan Colangelo. The deal speaks to me more about where Roko was at than anything else.

This also would put an end to any speculation of a return of Pops Mensah-Bonsu or Joey Graham until further notice. There is an outside chance that Marcus Banks could be bought out to open up a roster spot but that would seem unlikely at least not to just bring back Joey or Pops.

I heard someone on the Fan 590 today just in a full rage about the fact the Raptors would trade Roko and give up on him so soon? He used the example of Calderon. See that is your problem right there. What Jose Calderon did from year 1 to year 2 is the exception and not the rule. I watched Roko play in all 5 summer league games and he really had not shown any huge signs of growth or development. It was basically the same Roko. He also brought up his numbers with Croatia being improved. What people do in FIBA Basketball does not translate over to the NBA necessarily. Steve Nash did take his time with team Canada and used it as a spring board to his NBA Career but again that is rare and not the rule.

What both Nash and Calderon did was special and truly Roko beyond the odd flash of brilliance has never been that "special". This was a guy drafted by Rob Babcock. He was a projected first round pick that fell into the 40's. These things do not happen by accident. Rob Babcock does not have the best draft record in the world in his brief and destructive term as Raptors GM. Charlie V I would class as his only true solid draft choice. The rest have been variations of the word "bust". Could light come on one day and Roko will become a good point guard in this league? You can never say no for certain but the odds are highly in favour of the house on this one. Doug Smith on the same fan 590 said he doubts Roko is better than a 3rd string point guard for the Bucks. Who have according to Raptorblog's Scott Carefoot (and I don't disagree) the worst starting point guard in the league in Luke Ridnour. How can you really question Colangelo shifting things around and adding some depth at small forward and perhaps power forward in the case of Johnson.

So please don't shed any tears for Roko Ukic, or for Pops or Joey for that matter. This off season was about erasing all that went wrong last season and the addition of now (if this deal does get finalized) 9 new faces that mission has been more than accomplished. It also gives Jay Triano a fresh canvas to paint on in his first year as head coach full time. This was something that had to be done for Jay to have a good chance at being successful in my view. The only question I have is for Bryan Colangelo...are we done now? I doubt he will have time to answer as he is likely on the phones trying to trade Marcus Banks for someone. If Bryan can do that he truly will have nothing left to do but sit and wait for the season to begin.

It Costs A Lot To Look That Good

Yesterday, was a basketball junkies delight in the Toronto area. The Jays did not trade their star pitcher and The Leafs did not sign some 4th line guy that can win a hockey scrap. So that made the Raptors signing of Jarrett Jack get a lot of love. Colangelo still has a few thing left to do. It will be interesting to see what he does. I am not on board with signing Carlos Delfino for some stupid amount of money. Yes 5 million for a guy that is coming off a season with injuries in Russia is to much. The Raptors could afford to spend that much cause they have the room under the tax threshold, along with the Bird Rights to Delfino. However, Colangelo did make reference to the expected decline in the cap next year. Which would also mean a decline in the tax threshold as well. Which may mean the Raptors will not use the full space available.

Carlos Delfino for my money has grown in stature by being away for a year. Not saying the guy is a bum or anything. However is he really a vital piece this team can not live without? He was said to be that grit that was missing from the Raptors last year. However has Bryan Colangelo not already done a fine job of addressing that issue? Reggie Evans, Wright, Jack and DeRozan. That is a quarter of the Raptors dressed roster on a given night. He is a streaky shooter and a better than average defender. I would be happy to welcome him for the right price. However just because we hold his "Bird Rights" is not reason to over spend on him. If he is concerned about money he can go back to Russia and have it. I think it was fairly obvious that he did not enjoy his time in Russia.

The Raptors could still sign someone at the veteran minimum and I would be just as happy. Brent Petway who was on the summer league roster is more athletic and is a solid defender as well. He does not over the versatility of a Delfino nor the shooting skill in comparison. However we are talking about a player that would be on the back end of the rotation. If not Brent I am sure there are lots of other options you could bring in for that veteran minimum contract.

There is also the talk of Rasho Nesterovic coming back after a year in exile in Indiana. Rasho has a soft spot for the city and his first child was born here. The talk would be that Raptors could use the Bi-Annual exception to land him. That is 1.9 million more or less. In NBA terms chump change. A far cry from the large contract he had when he was here before. There is far less room to negotiate with Rasho. If he wants to come back to Toronto he can for that amount. He does like Delfino have options in Europe at likely a better pay rate.

The bottom line for me on both is sure it would be nice to have both back. It also seems pretty clear that is these are the first options for Bryan Colangelo as well. However if they do not come back it is far from the end of the world. The major work on the turnover of this team has been done. If the Raptors go elsewhere to fill out the roster it would not mean a heck of a lot. In terms of Delfino to over pay for him would have long term impact on the cap that may not make it worth the bother.

Even though I am happy with what Bryan Colangelo has done. 53 Million and 50 Million for Turkoglu and Bargnani are both risky contracts for me over the long haul. I will say, in terms of Bargnani it could look like a steal as well, it is all up to Andrea. Some say even the number for Jack is on the high side as well. I am not among those. If you have not understood how vital the point guard position is after last year, there really is nothing more that can be said to convince you. But the point is the Raptors if they stick to the MLSE credo to remain under the tax threshold they are walking a very fine line. If this team is successful people will not worry about these things for the next few seasons.

There is also the reality the Chris Bosh will need to be addressed and it seems clear that he should command somewhere close to a max deal. If he has a season that is on par or better than his career numbers. So enjoy the present but always remember that there is a future to deal with as well. No one expects the Raptors to win a title this year do they? It is about growing over seasons and building to that level. The key thing that Bryan has done in terms of re-signing Bosh or not... 4 of the 5 starters for the Raptors are locked in stone for the next 3 years at least. If Bryan Colangelo wants it to be.

Love Is In The Air

Chris Bosh (Dallas Morning News)"But I love Toronto. And Toronto loves me." -For the rest of the article click here.

Raptor fans might have hoped for next line to read. So, I am staying in Toronto and I am going to be a Raptor for life. It did not say that but it seems that Chris Bosh is very happy with things these days. He has his Bosh Twitter Army that is now 50,000 strong. The team Bryan Colangelo is building around his star is looking pretty solid as well. On Monday we should know if Jarrett Jack his college teammate from Georgia Tech will be on board. According to David Aldridge on NBA.com it is not know if the Pacers will match as of yet. Given the state of economic of the Pacers and the fact they signed Jones it would seem unlikely.

The Raptors next one Demar Derozan had a game high 20 points to help the Raptors even their summer league mark at 2-2. Holly Mackenzie was in the house and checks in on The Score with her recap. I tried to live blog this one and it was not a shining moment for the Dino Nation Blog. Technical issues and a pretty awful game even for summer league did not help. But if you came out for that or the live chat yesterday afternoon thanks to you. Roll the highlights courtesy of NBA.com. Note the "HEIR CANADA" Reference!!!




Raps vs Suns- Boxscore


So the Raps close out vs the Bucks today. If you have not been adventurous in hunting down feeds or paying 15 dollars U.S to NBA.com. Raptors T.V is starting to re-air summer league games. I personally have said this for years that Toronto should have coverage the Knicks get at summer league through MSG. They do summer league right. No reason that MLSE can not do the same for us Raptor fans. Yeah it costs money but they have money let's go. If they use the economy as the excuse what was the excuse 5 years ago?

Carlos Delfino according to some reports wants 5 million? No thanks I will pass if that is true. Get Von Wafer, Matt Barnes or Kleiza on the phone. There is an advantage in resigning Delfino as the Raptors hold his restricted free agent rights but that does not mean they should feel they have a gun to their head to re-sign him. If Carlos does not like that he can try his luck with Memphis,Clippers or Charlotte. Ask AI how much fun an option that is. There are also reports that Delfino may not be at 100% with some issues with his shoulder.

Raptors close out Summer League taking on the Bucks @1pm Vegas time, 4pm Local T-Dot time. If they get a win the Raptors will close summer league with a winning record of 3-2. Sure it is only summer league but it is nice to hear winning record and Raptors in the same season.

Speaking of Nice to hear. Alvin William was on the Fan 590 last night on Prime Time Sports. Here is that link to that interview with "Boogie" Williams. Here is a link to that.

Lots of warm and fuzzy feelings in Raptorland. It is great to have some positive vibes around the Raptors these days. It sure is a lot better than the summer I expected.

Raptors Doing More With Less?

For weeks now we had been hearing about how this team was getting close. After every lose you would hear players and head coach Jay Triano talking about it. There would be a lot of talk about how few practices this team had under Triano. It honestly sounded like a party line to explain the failure. Jay Triano a couple games ago would call a time out and the team came out and did not follow his advice. He quickly called another time out and gave his team a quick and firm message after which he walked away. Chris Bosh would follow that up with his own form of verbal abuse. The Raptors seem to have got the message. One of my points had been I did not see any emotion from anyone and that this team seemed to accepting and to easy to find excuses. Well in the last two games when this team had some really legit excuses in that they had no Jermaine O'Neal or Jose Calderon they would play well with no excuses required. O'Neal and Calderon may not even go on this mini two game road trip to Milwaukee and Washington. But after wins over Houston and Orlando maybe it will not matter as much as we would have thought a few days ago.

I seriously would have bet my house the Raptors would have gone 0-3 for this homestand and sit at 12-22. But instead they have a couple unexpected wins and sit 14-20 and have moved out last place to 3rd in the Atlantic Division. The Raptors have done it by playing with a lot more effort and energy on both ends of the floor. Triano has got this team running more on offense and playing harder on defense. The win over Houston did not impress me personally as I chalked it up to Houston looking bad as much as the Raptors looking good. The win over Orlando I walked away stunned and impressed. The Magic came into Toronto on a serious roll and had won 9 of their last 10 games. I have been very impressed with them this season and think they have been over looked in favour of the Celtics and Cavs. Once is an accident and twice is a trend. So if the Raptors can follow up with a win tonight over the improving Bucks we may just have something. Until the year 2009 came around the Raptors lacked a quality win on their resume. These type of wins get a lot of talk in college basketball. When teams are trying to get into the NCAA tournament one of the things people look at is quality wins and toughness of schedule. The Raptors had the tough schedule but no quality wins to speak of. Now to start 2009 they have back to back quality wins. When all hope was starting to fade in this fan base, the Raptors have given life to the flame of hope in Raptorland.

B.C On The Mic

When Bryan Colangelo does an interview everyone stops and listens. It is like those old investment advertisements for E.F Hutton. When the guy would speak in the ad the entire room would go silent to hear what he had to say. I get that feeling for ever Bryan Colangelo interview. He talked about a number of issues in his halftime interview on CBC. There were lots of interesting things said and lots of lines to read between. Colangelo seemed to down play what expectations they had for this team at the start of the season. He said the the goal was just to advance further into the second round. The question was asked about being expected to be contenders in the east that prompted this response. Colangelo is truly great at spin and staying on message. He would make an excellent political candidate or advisor/spokesman for one some day. Maybe he could run the Barkley Campaign in Alabama in 2014. Although with Charles recent issues that would be tough to spin but if anyone could do it B.C would. In case you have been living under a rock of late, Barkley had been picked up for DUI and was on his way according to him to have some "fun" in his SUV with a woman that was not his wife. But back to Bryan and what he had to say about the Raptors.

The topic of Carlos Delfino came up. Colangelo stated the fact that the Raptors indeed still have his restricted free agent rights. He seemed to suggest that he did not get the impression that Carlos would be coming back to the league as fast as others have suggested. Although if you are a hockey fan you will recall how easy it is to break a contract with a Russian Team. The labour rules in Russia only require you give two weeks notice same as if you managed the Moscow McDonalds. So these things can change quickly. Colangelo did say the Raptors would be interested in having him back and suggested the Raptors would match any offers that came his way be it next year or this season. He did seem to suggest he felt it would be next year as opposed to this year. So for those of you that think Defino could make a difference you should be happy to learn about that.

What would a Bryan Colangelo interview be without some talk about Andrea Bargnani. He talked about how Andrea had been shifted around playing at different positions. Which I would like to point out was greatly encouraged by Bryan at the start of the year. He would go on to talk about him being young and growing and learning. It was pretty much your standard Andrea Bargnani defense speech. It sure did not seem like a man that was read to trade Bargnani anytime soon. Bargnani has been playing out of his mind since replacing J.O in the starting line-up. The question wasn't asked that I would like to know. Which is what happens when J.O is healthy? Will Andrea end up back on the bench despite all of this and J.O just return to starting line-up. The one thing that is true if teams are calling for Bargnani and Bryan would consider moving him he has reason to play hardball now with the recent performance of Bargnani. I got no such impression from Colangelo that he is all that interested in moving Andrea. However being the smart guy that Bryan Colangelo is, that is likely exactly what he wanted me to think as well as every other G.M in the league.

Speaking of that idea. Bryan talked about all the rumours that include his name that seem to be in almost every city in the NBA these days. He suggested that it is people speculating and seeing blood in the water after a slow start for a team that had higher expectations. He said although he is active in looking to improve this team that there are lots of factors that go into making trades happen. He was in no means looking like a guy who was in a rush or panic to get something done. When asked directly if he would consider trading Chris Bosh the answer was a flat no followed by a detailed explanation. When he was asked about the fact that Bosh could leave in 2010 he talked about it being his job to convince Bosh to stay and he was going to work to build the team into something that Chris will want to be a part of. When he was asked if it was accurate that the only players he would not consider moving were Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon he did not answer that question in a direct way and it makes you wonder why. He answered the question about Bosh directly why not Calderon? There was a rumour that Steve Nash could be moved for Calderon in a package to the Suns. Nash in talking about being a free agent in 2010 did express a desire to play in both New York and Toronto as well as returning to the Suns.

Roko Ukic did look very good yesterday. Steve Nash has had back issues in recent days and is getting to the point he may not have many years left. But if you think Roko could end up being a started down the line it might make sense. There has been quiet talk that Nash is not happy with the system under new coach Terry Porter. It would be a bold move for sure if Colangelo was able to make that kind of trade. Jay Triano and Steve Nash have a great relationship and he would fit in quickly in Toronto you would have to think. But Colangelo was not talking about any of this kind of speculation. Honestly that is what is as well. But it should be noted how well the Raptors defense has looked without Jose Calderon in the game over the last 7 quarters of basketball. I am not thinking that is an accident.

Just like all Bryan Colangelo interviews it was interesting and he did not say a lot but he gave hints and lots of lines to read between. Sometimes the things he does not say are just as important as the ones he does say. The one thing that has been clear since the firing of Sam Mitchell is that the spotlight is firmly on Bryan Colangelo and what his next move will be. That is one thing that was not talked about was the coaching position. It is safe to assume that Colangelo is still comfortable with giving Jay Triano the rest of the season to audition himself for being a candidate for the job.

Can The Raps Continue To Roll In Milwaukee?

The last time the Raptors won 3 games in a row the team they beat was the Milwaukee Bucks. It was at the start of the season when the Raptors had stormed out to that 3-0 start. The last of those wins was against Milwaukee. The Raptors would go on to lose to the Pistons after that and it would be the last time and only time this team has won 3 in a row all year. If the Raptors are serious about getting back in the playoff race they will need to put together winning streaks and longer ones than just 3 games. The Bucks have shown signs of improvement lately.

The 16-19 Bucks have managed to go 9-5 at home so far this year. One of those 5 loses as mentioned to the Raptors. They have had a real balanced approach with 6 players averaging double figure scoring and none of them over 20 points. Michael Redd leading the way with 19.4 per game. If Andrea Bargnani is a bust as a number one pick what does that make Andrew Bogut? He has not lit the world on fire with his play for the Bucks in his career. But this season averaging a respectable double double of 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. There is also Charlie Villianueva the former Raptor who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. The Bucks made a big trade for Richard Jefferson and I think they were hoping for more than 17 a game from him. But that is what they are getting. The Bucks also let Mo Williams go to the Cleveland Cavs and he has been having a great year playing with Lebron.



The reason that they let Williams walk was the up and coming talent of Ramon Sessions. He is paired with Luke Ridnour as the PG combo for the Bucks. The other player that they are excited about in Milwaukee or they should be is this guy:




Not saying that Luc Mah A Moute is going to be a household name. It doesn't roll of the tongue as easy as James or Jordan. He is not going to be those guys by any stretch of the imagination. What he is though is an exciting young player that seems to add a spark to the Bucks and can grow into being a solid role player in this league.

Despite having yesterday off the Bucks are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. They enter this game coming off a disappointing loss to the Bobcats in the road end of a home and home set that they won the front end in Milwaukee on Friday. The Bobcats took advantage of the fact the Bucks were without Andrew Bogut who missed the game and is listed as day to day with back spasms. Raptors with no Jermaine O'Neal would still have a massive size advantage on the Bucks without Bogut in the line-up. The Raptors just need to understand despite a couple wins they have long given up the right to overlook anyone. If they every do the rest of the season if I was the coach I would pop on a DVD of the Thunder game just to make my point.

So the Raptor will look to make it 3 in a row and this is a rare Raptors T.V affair from Milwaukee on a Monday. So if you are not a Raps T.V subscriber your welcome to see what happens here in the Raptor Rewind. It may be possible I may end up live blogging this game. If it happens check back and I will have a link for you to that. Raptors Rolling? I know it just seems to strange but it is the most recent reality in a wacky season.

Raptors Look To Continue To Rally On Boxing Day

Well it is time to get back to work for the Raptors and for me. But before I do that I just wanted to say I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Christmas. It was made a little easier to get in the holiday spirit with an impressive Raptor win to head into the break. The Clippers were a team missing some major players and played an awful game. But hey we will take it at this point. Some interesting news over the Christmas break. So let's get to it.

Carlos is Bringing Sexy Back To NBA?

Reports are coming out of New York that the Knicks are looking at signing Carlos Delfino to an offer sheet. The Toronto Raptors still have the right to match an offer that Delfino would get. It is just as it would work in the off-season. Delfino was a restricted free-agent and the Raptors continue to hold those rights should Delfino return to the NBA from Russia. The reason for Delfino making a return is because the team's in Russia are hurting for cash. Some teams have not been able to make payroll. Delfino is playing on a team with another Ex-Raptor Jorge Garbajosa. The Raptors hold no rights to Garbo as he was bought out of his contract. But in the case of Delfino the Raptors would have 10 days to match any offer that is tabled to Delfino. Carlos was a restricted free agent and that is why the Raptors would be able to match. Many feel that given the Raptors struggles that should the Knicks or anyone else make an offer the Raptors would match it. This could be another part of a trade puzzle for Bryan Colangelo. If he brought back Delfino he would be able to move a Joey Graham or Jamario Moon. Even could move Delfino in a sign and trade perhaps? Not sure on that one. But it would be another chip for Bryan Colangelo to have. This could be why he has not made a move to this point but there is no way to know until Bryan tells us and to this point he is not talking to us. But he is doing a lot of talking on the phones from what we are lead to believe.

Vince Is On Colangelo's Wish List?

There was a report based out of Oregon, that says Colangelo has 3 guys he has been targeting to trade for. Antwan Jamison of the Wizards, Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats and Vince Carter of the Nets. I am not sure how much stock you can put into this story. But it would not seem likely given the Nets surprising start that they would be looking to move Vince at this point. Not to mention Vince Carter is still public enemy #1 in Toronto for a lot of the Raptor fan base. Jamison who is Carter's Brother In-Law, if you did not know. He was originally drafted by the Raptors and traded for Carter. He is a different matter. I had conversations with him years ago at Carter's All Star Games. I know he likes the city of Toronto and it sure looks a lot better than his current situation with the Wizards right now. What is would take to bring him to the Raptors would be the question. It would also be a question of where he would fit in here once he did come? Most likely a very big man to play at the 3 spot? Anyway it is just talk. Gerald Wallace has been talked about for a long time as someone on the Raptor wish list.

There was also talk of a trade between the Knicks and Raptors that would include Marbury and Eddie Curry. But the Raptors have claimed that they have not talked to the Knicks since the draft. However with this Carlos Delfino situation that could be coming maybe that will spark talk between the two clubs. Being in the same division and both sitting with about the same records it seems more unlikely these two teams make a deal. Also when you factor in that these two teams have yet to meet and will play 4 times. Basically don't hold your breath on any Knicks Raptors deal unless it were to be about Delfino and a draft pick in a sign and trade.

So Bring On The Kings ?

For a start this game is on the main network over at TSN. Wow, gee thanks!!! But more on TSN 2 mess later. The Kings are an awful 7-22 and a team that once had one of best home court advantages in the league, is a less than impressive 5-9. The Knigs come into this game on a 4 game losing streak. About the only good thing about working for the Kings is you can get a free room at the Palms when you visit Las Vegas. Teams have been laying the smackdown on the poor Kings scoring almost 106 points per game against them.

Both teams record in the last 10 games is nothing to be proud of. The Raptors are just 3-7 but the Kings are worse at just 2-8. John Salmons who had once been a guy that was going to becoming to Toronto. He would back out at the last minute and head to Sacramento. He said that a higher power told him to do so. How has that been working out for you? Well personally at least this season pretty good. He is averaging 20 points a game. Some are even saying that Bryan Colangelo is looking at him as a guy he might still want to bring to Toronto. If there is any truth to that this will be his audition for him and Raptor fans to check him out. The only higher power that needs to be consulted for a trade in the NBA League office in New York City.

So we will get to see if the Raptors big win over the Clippers was able to be the spark to get this team heading back in the right direction. I had said if not for all the doom and gloom the Raptors should have a chance to save this road trip. The also play the Golden State Warriors who Jeff Van Gundy challenged anyone to name their starting line-up at this point. However before that a real test against the Portland Trailblazers will be tomorrow. The Raptors are racking up there frequent flyer miles for sure in this holiday season. What their record is when they come home to face the Nuggets on New Years Eve will be interesting and important. After that New Years Eve tilt followed by the Rockets and Magic as part of a 3 game homestand through 2008 to 2009. All 3 teams are among the top teams in the playoff race. Not easy tasks at all.

Your Christmas Rewind

I wasn't thrilled about there being 5 games on Christmas Day. Having said that there was some pretty good basketball games. A Laker win to snap the Celtics 19 game winning streak. Chris Paul and his steal streak are done. His Hornets got hammered by the Magic. Dwight Howard had a Christmas gift for NBA fans as he announced that Superman will return to defend his Slam Dunk Title in Arizona. The Spurs got a win on a buzzer beater from an unlikely source to beat the Suns speaking of Arizona. But for a complete wrap on Christmas Day you can check out Holly Mackenzie over on The Score's Court Surfing Blog.

Thank You Santa

Raptor Fans Have Had Enough And Are Not Going To Take It Anymore?

I always try to see what is going on with the Raptor Fan base. Well someone has decided enough is enough. They are putting together a protest over this whole TSN 2 mess. It is set to happen on Dec 30 th at the Rogers building in Toronto. I have reached out to this person and they are going to come by to do an interview prior to the event. But before that time you can check out some info on it from a event group on Facebook. You know if not for Facebook I would never get invited anywhere. People have a stag and doe, a birthday party or whatever it is on Facebook. But as for this Raptor Protest here is you link for that.

Rogers Protest on TSN 2 Affair

So that is it for this morning. A late night battle with the Kings and A Raptor Rewind to come after that. The break is over and it is back to work for me. I love it though and hope you had a great holiday and have come back to visit and read the Dino Nation Blog. Well if you are reading this I guess you have right. Anyway hope is not dead in Raptorland just yet. But it is a flickering flame that a strong breeze could blow out. Let's hope it keeps burning strong.