DNB Top Ten: Big Threes

Last week we took a look at the top ten point guards in the league and in this weeks installment, we'll be looking at the top Big Three's in the league. So here's the top ten 3 player combo's in the league.

1. Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo, Celtics ( 62.6 PPG, 23 RPG, 22 APG)

Kind of had to cheat on this one because the Boston Big 3 just won't be the same without Rondo. When these guys are on the court together good things always happen on the defensive end, which usually results in great plays on the offensive end. With players like Shaq, Big Baby and Nate Robinson surrounding them and with the return of Kendrick Perkins in a few weeks, this trio is poised to lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals once again. That's if they can stay healthy.

2. Wade, Bosh and Lebron, Heat (69.3 PPG, 21.8 RPG, 13.3 APG)

After getting off to a very mediocre start in which many questioned whether they can co-exist and many trade rumors involving Bosh started, the South Beach trio has responded and shown just how good they can be, by going 15-1 in the month of December and winning 21 of 22 games. It looked like they were going to continue that trend into January. Not to mention that this trio currently has the highest +/- amongst 3-man combos with +290. Though they may lack the bench production and depth as the original Big 3 in Boston, each of these guys can take over a game at any point and led their team to victory, unless Lebron tweets about "karma" again.

3. Kobe, Gasol and Odom, Lakers (59.1 PPG, 25.3 RPG, 11.5 APG)

These guys have helped the Lakers win two consecutive NBA titles and it's been mostly due to these guys. With probably the best closer in the league in Kobe, a threat in the middle in Gasol, and an all-around big man who can handle the ball and spread the defense in Odom the Lakers, are gearing up for another shot at the NBA Finals and a chance to complete the 3-peat and the franchise's 17th title.

4. Parker, Manu and Ginobli, Spurs (50.1 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 14.6 APG)

The most experienced of the Big 3.s on this list. These guys have won three NBA titles together and currently looking for their 5th title in franchise history all of which have come after the 1999 season. With the best record in the league right now at, 35-6, the Spurs are looking in great shape to complete that goal and bring the championship parade back to San Antonio for the 4th time since 2003.

5. Rose, Boozer and Noah, Bulls (58.8 PPG, 26.5 RPG, 12.9 APG)

With the acquisition of Boozer last offseason, the Bulls have propelled themselves to title contenders status. With Rose running the offense and Boozer and Noah patrolling the paint, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with come playoffs time. Though the trio has only played 9 games together this season due to injuries to both Boozer and Noah, we haven't gotten a full glimpse of what they can do yet, but when that happens opposing teams should beware.

6. Durant, Westbrook and Green, Thunder (65.9 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 13.4 APG)

One of the best up and coming trios currently in the league. Coming off a great season last year, in which they put up quite a fight against the Lakers in the first round, these three are looking to lead the Thunder to a top 4 seed and get them past the first round. These guys may only be together for a few more months though, as the Thunder have yet to offer Jeff Green a contract extension, and may let him go as a free agent. Either way this is a trio worth watching even if it is for a few more months.

7. Kidd, Dirk and Terry, Mavericks (47 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 15.4 APG)

These three have been apart of many successful seasons with the Mavs, but have yet to win and NBA championship. The Mavs had a shot in 2006, without Kidd, but ended up losing to D-Wade and the Miami Heat in the Finals. With all three in their 30's and entering the final seasons of their careers, the window for them to win that title is slowly closing. If there was ever three players who can lead the Mavs to their first franchise title, it's the two Jason's and the German, but with that window closing will they be able to accomplish that or once again see another team walking away with the prize.

8. Williams, Millsap, Jefferson, Jazz (56.4 PPG, 20.4, 13.4 APG)

With Jerry Sloan's coaching the Jazz are once again poised for another 50 win season and a deep post-season run. After acquiring Jefferson, they now have a presence in the post alongside Millsap, who can scored, defend and grab rebounds. Add that to D-Will's ability to make plays and shoot the ball and you have a great inside-out game. Toss in Millsap's hustle, rebounding and clutch shooting and you have a dangerous trio. Not sure if they'll be able to win the title this season, but with these no still in their mid-20's and entering the prime of their careers, the Jazz may just win a title within the next 5 years.

9. Turkoglu, Howard, and Nelson, Magic (46.4 PPG, 20.8 RPG, 14.1 APG)

After about a season and a half apart, the Orlando trio has been reassembled once more and looking to make some noise in the Eastern conference. The last time these three were together they made in the the NBA Finals, though Jameer wasn't 100%, where they would ultimately lose to the Lakers. Now with a healthy Jameer, and a not so crappy Hedo along with the insode force that is Dwight Howard, the Magic are poised for a deep playoff run, but would the Celtics or Heat put an end to that run.

10. Stoudemire, Felton and Gallinari, Knicks (59.5 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 13.4 APG)

At this point last season the Knicks were already looking at who they'll select in the draft, but it's a totally different story this year. With the additions of Amare and Felton the Knicks have made themselves a playoff team once more. With Amare's relentlessly attacking the rim, Gallo hitting threes and Felton making plays the Knicks have become and exciting team to watch. Though they are a long shot away form being a title contender, mostly due to their lack of defense, they would remain a force in the East for years to come with their Big 3 and it's supporting cast.

Up and Coming:

Griffin, Gordon, and Davis, Clippers (57.2 PPG, 18.5 RPG, 15 APG)

After year's of being viewed as "That Other LA team" the Clippers are out to make themselves known with their trio of Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. With wins against the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Bulls and Lakers ( all of which have Big 3's that appeared on this list) this season the Clippers have shown that they have a really bright future ahead of them and maybe their days of being an automatic lottery team may be over in the near future. Not sure how long Baron will remain there, but he can provide that veteran experience needed in clutch game situations.

That concludes another edition of the DNB Top Ten, if you feel like anyone was left out of shouldn't have been included, feel free to leave a comment below or in the DNB chat. Stay tuned for next weeks installment.

Boston Beatdown with A Touch Of Irish

So Bayless is a no go and everyone else on the trip that will play. But I still don't like the Raptors chances much. Boston after having a loss to Toronto earlier in the year is not going to sleep on them. Not to mention they are riding a high coming from beating one of the NBA's best in the Spurs. It makes the Raptors come from behind win in Cleveland not seem all that notable in comparison.

Boston wins the tip and like a continuation of the last time they met Paul Pierce opens the scoring. Kleiza answer with a foul line jumper and were off and running and tied at 2. Boston turnover on a 3 second call and a nice up and under move by Andre for a jumper for 2. Ray Allen an open 3 this is like a recurring nightmare for Demar DeRozan and the Raptors. Pierce like in the last game they met getting to the line and making a pair and Celtics led 7-4. Rondo jumper would add to the lead. Calderon responds hooking up Amir for an easy 2 and it was 9-6 Celtics just 3 minutes in. Bargs some decent D on Shaq leads to a stop and Calderon bucket on the other end. But Ray Allen strikes again he says it is 3, refs say it is 2 and they will review it. Replay says give that man a 3 pointer but for moment it is 2. Ray Allen would get an extra point prior to the review as he made a tech on an illegal defence call for the Raptors. Pierce a 3 and no dispute on that one. Celtics were up 15-8 pending review. Klezia hits a 3 to get the Raptors within shouting distance. Raps would get back to within two and then give up an easy slam to Big Baby Davis.

Back to back hoops for DeRozan would tie the game at 17. Celtics would reel off 4 points and a time out was called which should produce another point for Boston as that Ray Allen shot had yet to be reviewed. It looked like clearly a 3 to me. Yes indeed after the time out it was 22-17 not 21-17 so give Ray Allen another 3. An Ed Davis sighting it has been awhile since Ed had a decent game. Rajon Rondo with a move that I just don't have words to do just to what he did. It was an assist for Rondo and it was entertaining for everyone watching. Time Out with 2:11 left in the first and their lead was 9 with the score 28-19. Turnovers down the stretch and Boston had a 34-22 1st quarter lead.

Celtics shot 63.7% in that Quarter, the Raps were not bad at 56%. Raps open the quarter sticking a jumper and came out in a zone on D. Not a good idea against this team. Harangody nailed a 3 and was off to a great start off Boston bench. J.O takes Ed Davis to school and would score. Ed Davis would get some revenge with a block later on, but Raps were in trouble down 13 in this one with the score 39-26 in favour of green team. Barbosa steal and drop off for Andrea, but he is short on the 3 attempt and Boston makes them pay with 2. Bargnani on next possession steps out of bounds and turns it over. Ed Davis was getting in a individual battle with J.O and he was more than holding his own. He dunked one on J.O and given his short lack luster Raptor career I enjoyed it. But Raptors were still down 13. It was getting worse Nate Robinson nails a 3 and Jose Calderon was easily picked out of the play. Celtics were 6/9 from 3 and had a huge 51-34 lead with still over 5 to play in half.

A Kleiza turnover was not helping the cause. Can we just start Julian Wright I mean what do we have to lose? Rondo back on the floor and Raps were getting torn apart. Down 21 sure now let's call a time out Jay Triano. But honestly no time outs regardless of when they were called tonight. A Calderon 3 out of the time out was only and band-aid to a cut that needed about 18 stitches with was the Celtics lead. Boston was running Toronto off the floor and built the lead back to 22. It was 67-45 at the half and Celtics were putting on a clinic at the expense of the Raptors.

Could the Raptors offer anything in this second half. Well perimeter D was not better as Pierce hits a 3 to push the lead back to 21 and Shaq would make that 23. Nice bucket for Demar in paint a leaner over Shaq. Celtics were just getting to many easy baskets in this game another Big Baby slam. This was just ugly and the Raptors were just a team that looked out matched. In traditional Raptor fashion they would make a little push to get to down 15. But another 3 from Boston and it was back to 18. Raptors were having a long night and to be honest so am I watching it. But Raps would make another push and a Barbosa 3 would make it a 13 point. An Andrea "Air Ball" would not help matters, Jay Triano seemed convinced he was fouled. Jay seems to have a growing issues with calls. Why not blow a gasket and get booted to make a point. We all know that he knows the magic word and he could break a clipboard too. Squeaky wheel gets the oil just ask Doc Rivers who always has some words for the refs. Meanwhile the game was still in progress and Boston was leading 94-77 late in quarter. In fact that is what the score would end up being after 3.

Here was the Raptors were going fool you run started with a Kleiza 3 to cut lead to 2 touchdowns. If Raptors can sign Tom Brady to a 10 day contract they might have a shot. He does have a bye this weekend in NFL. But Instead Boston's other BIG STAR...Rajon Rondo nails a rare 3 for him. Raptors were still fighting as Bargs got what he would call a slam to cut it back to 12. Jack Armstrong had an excellent analogy for what was going on. It was like the Celtics were the big brother holding the little brother (Toronto) by the head and letting him swing wildly and miss. Raptors had back to back misses in form of turnovers with a chance to cut lead to 10. Out of a time out Ray Allen makes a 3 and that was that. The Raptors fools gold run was over and Boston lead 107-86 with under 7 to play. The Boston reserves were in and they were still kicking Raptor tail. Harangody was looking better than RUDY out there. He went to N.D for school if you didn't know. There really is no more to say about this that has not already been said. Raptors were digging a bigger hole. When the pain stopped it was 122-102.

Really there is nothing good to say about anyone's performance that comes to mind. I have some work for The Score to do on Sunday. But have no fear Ryan our DNB Intern is here. He will have your pre-game and post game for the Raptors vs Kings. I am only going to be able to see a portion of that one. Ryan will do a good job I am sure of that. I may get a blog in sometime tomorrow. This was an ugly one and the less said about it the better.

Here Come C's Minus K.G?

Kevin Garnett has a calf injury, like the Raptors Andrea Bargnani has an injury to his calf as well. If we see either today it would be a surprise. Celtics will have Rondo this time though which was something they didn't have in the match-up the Raptors won at the ACC. The season series is tied and 1 and will be done by next week with a game today in Toronto and then the two teams hook up again in Boston on Friday. The Raptors continue to be banged up and have players going in and out line-up. It has to be frustrating in terms of this team building any kind of chemistry. Only the Washington Wizards have had more different starting line-ups than the Raptors. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo is still a huge challenge for the Raptors. While K.G is the emotional leader of this team without him does not mean doom for them. Least not against the Raptors.

The Basics: Boston 24-7(On 2 Game Losing Streak) vs Toronto 11-21 (3-7 in Last 10)

When Last We Saw Them: Demar DeRozan was great and the Raptors defence was not. It has a banged up group of Raptors that could only play one solid quarter of defence. DeRozan had a career high 37 in the loss.

Key Match-ups: Ray Allen will give Demar all he can handle. It is a match up of the shooter vs the dunker. Take the shooter in this match-up. Ray Allen will run DeRozan to death on defence. Rajon Rondo owns Jose Calderon there is no other way to put it. A Jose at not 100% has 0 chance to stop Rondo. Amir Johnson vs Glen Davis with no K.G. Johnson seems to be feeling better and he will need to be. As much as we make fun of Glen Davis at times he is a much improved basketball player. He was a 2nd round steal for Celtics like Blair was the Spurs.

Other Things Of Note: Some of you might have heard I have had a cold but I am feeling close to 100% and will be a go for the Live Blog today on The Score today here is a link to join me.Raptors are just 7-9 at the ACC this season and were 11 games below .500 in the Calender year of 2010 overall.

Where is it on? When? TSN Deux and 6pm

Suns And Magic Are Not Done Yet.

Just when you thought you had it all figured out... the Magic and Suns said not so fast. It would still be a great surprise if the Suns or Magic make it to the NBA Finals. In the case of Orlando it would be historic as no team has ever come back from being down 3-0 in a series. People in Boston might be sweating just a little if they happen to be hockey fans as well. The Bruins had a 3-0 lead on the Flyers and blew it and now the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup. It makes you wonder why no team in the history of the NBA has ever been able to come back from 3 down. Boston knows the other side of things as well. The Red Sox came back from 3-0 down to beat the hated Yankees. Like Yogi Berra a famous Yankee said it isn't over till it's over. While fans in L.A and Boston looked ahead to see each other. People in Phoenix and Orlando are hopping to crash the party.

Many people love the tradition that is the Celtics and Lakers. As a kid I grew up in the 80's and was not a Lakers or Celtics fan. I actually liked the Sixers and Doctor J. Maybe it was because I played for the Sixers in my local house league here in Hamilton. It could just be that Julius Erving was a fantastic player. But most in the era were fans of Bird or Magic. All 3 were legends and the Sixers were able to break through and win a title over the Lakers in that decade. It was always big news in the 80's when the Finals did not include both the Lakers and Celtics. I guess with all due respect to Kobe Bryant and the Big 3 in Boston, there is no way to match the rivalries of the past. Not just Bird and Magic in the 80's but Chamberlin and Russell in the 60's. Also in those era's you did not have Salary Cap which made it much easier to keep teams together over a long period of time. Even in just 2 years since the Lakers and Celtics last met in the Finals the rosters have changed a bit. The main guys may be still there but the supporting casts have changed quite a bit.

If you are not a Lakers fan and not rooting for Steve Nash what is wrong with you? The guy got a black eye, busted nose and he just keeps going. Nash regardless of if he ever makes it to a finals will go in the history books as the greatest basketball player that Canada has ever produced. No mask on Steve Nash, he has a grit that I would gladly put against player in any sport. Age or injury it just doesn't matter to Steve Nash. If they handed out NBA titles for desire alone Steve Nash would have more than 1 ring. It is a brand new series with the Lakers tied at 2. The Suns use of a zone defense has slowed the Lakers enough to allow the Suns to outscore them. Phil Jackson is correct in saying it isn't as much about the Suns zone, as it his about his own team and their lack of defense.

But in a playoffs that have not had a ton of drama to them, it would be nice to see both Orlando and Phoenix make them more interesting. They have at least set the stage for a slim chance that Lakers vs Celtics may not happen. Which for many would be disappointing. However the odds are still very long for both teams. Not as much for Suns as it is for Orlando, who are left with zero room for error. Should be fun to watch. I will being doing the game 5 that majority of folks myself included never thought would happen. Magic return home where they have yet to win in this series to take on the Celtics. Should be interesting coming off that OT win in game 4.

Down The Stretch They Come

Honestly it does not feel that long ago that I was up in Ottawa excited about covering my first Raptors training camp. In some ways this season has flown by. In others it seems to have been long and painful especially lately. As much as I still feel the recent line-up chances were born of desperation it has has an impact. The Raptors have had better effort overall but still have had some of the same problems. Just 8 games remain for the Raptors with a 2 game lead over the Chicago Bulls. Let's take a look and see what is left for this team

@Sixers and vs Golden State

The Raptors will not over look ether of these teams or they shouldn't. Raptors dropped a contest to the Sixers that I was there for at the ACC. They also lost to Warriors on the road. These were two games that the Raptors should have won. In fact when you look back at standings it is safe to say Raptors will regret more than a few games from this season. It is why they are still not secured in the playoffs, and it seems a long shot to finish any higher than 7th. Both teams offer different challenges. The Sixers can be an athletic team like the Hawks that cause the Raptors fits. While Golden State is a team that can exploit the Raptors terrible 3 point defense and they did just that in Oakland on that west coast trip from hell.

@Cleveland, vs Boston @Atlanta

3 playoff teams here and the likely first round match-up in the Cavs. Clearly if the Raptors want to make believers out of folks it will need to happen here. The Raptors actually beat the Cavs to open this season. They had a luck of the Irish win over the Hawks and they have had no luck against Boston not just this year but for several years. These 3 games fall before a huge match-up with Bulls at the ACC. Any game the Raptors could steal of these 3 games would be helpful in turning the corner from worrying about the Bulls and focusing on trying to move up and catch the Bobcats. All 3 teams will be tough. Cleveland now has Jamison to go along with James. Boston for whatever reason just has the Raptors number. Rajon Rondo is a big reason why as he has owned Calderon for his entire career. Then all you need to say is 146 points and that says it all about the Hawks. Also keep in mind Joe Johnson did not play in that loss to the Raptors.

vs Chicago

This will likely be a huge game unless the Raptors could some how eliminate the Bulls prior to it. Derrick Rose has boldly predicted that Bull will make the playoffs. That is going to be tough to do considering the Raptors own the tiebreaker. While both teams will have pressure on them make no mistake the pressure should be more on the Bulls to get the road win. Raptors will need to have a plan to stop Rose and account for the Bulls on the glass. Even if the Raptors stub their toe in this one they have 2 games left vs non playoff teams to close out the season. But depending on how things shake out Raptors may need this game regardless to make a run at 7th.

@ Detroit vs New York

The Pistons have has a train wreck season and the Knicks are waiting for the hit summer movie that is sure to be a smash in NYC- "Waiting For Lebron". Assuming these games will still have meaning for the Raptors there is no way on earth they should lose ether of these games. If they have any ideas of stealing a playoff series both these games need to be impressive wins and feature great defensive effort. Even if they don't mean anything Raptors still need to polish things in terms of their defense and I am not sure they can afford to rest players and not show up for these games.

Expectations Killed

When you look at this sked the Raptors should expect to be 5-3 and that would give them a 42-40 record which would end up being about 3 or 4 wins below the expectations most had for the Raptors this season. That being said have the Raptors done anything according to script this season? It has been a long season that there just as been a feeling that Raptors have not lived up to the expectations placed upon them. Still if they do make it back to the playoffs that would be a step in the right direction. If not for the free agency of Chris Bosh looming large it might leave people feeling differently about things. Because playoffs or not the goal of this season is all about keeping Chris Bosh a part of this team moving forward. In terms of that many feel the Raptors have fallen short in that regard.

Bosh has talked about wanting to be a core piece on a winning team. The Raptors need a strong finish to this season and a strong playoff performance to at least give Raptors a shot to keep their star. Everyone seems to feel that Bosh's decision will be based on how this team performs in the post season assuming they get there. Which how this season has gone post All-Star break is a big assumption. It may not be just about that. However the Raptors putting their best foot forward as a team to close this season and in the playoffs is a step in the right direction. You only hope they have not taken to many steps backwards since the All-Star Break for it to matter.

There is just an odd feeling through Raptorland. Some not feeling making the playoffs matters. They think Bosh is going to go and this team will be forced to re-build. Others feeling that Raptors are heading for yet another first round disappointment. Everyone craves the same thing at the end of the day. Bosh and the fan base both want to see this team advance and take the steps to become a part of that elite group in the East. Clearly they have not got there and the difference between Atlanta, Orlando, Cleveland and even Boston is noticeable.

However things shake out it is going to be the most challenging summer of Bryan Colangelo's career as a G.M. If he can convince Bosh to stay he likely goes back to being the super genius that he was billed as when he arrived. If not he will be under an extreme amount of pressure to hide his mistakes and find a way to make this team successful in a post Bosh Era. That might just be mission impossible in my view. It get's said time and time again that Raptors can move Bosh in a sign and trade. I am convinced that is how it happens if he doesn't stay. Bosh is not leaving 30 million on the table no matter how much he may truly want to win. But can the Raptors realistically land a 1a option in a sign and trade? Seems highly unlikely when some do not even consider Bosh that 1a option himself. I think he is, but without some help around him it becomes far to easy to gang up on him and limit his impact.

We need some kind of spirit of optimism badly. It is up to the Raptors to provide some fuel for that optimism for both the playoffs and the hope to keep this franchises best player.

Boshless Raptors Take On Nets

So some folks thing the Raptors can be o.k should Chris Bosh leave in 2010. Well let this be your preview of the future without him... kind of. Paul Jones (@Paul__Jones on Twitter) tweeted this stat for us all, with No Bosh the Raptors are 17-36 with a .321 winning percentage. Jonesy gives credit to John Rusin who fans may know better as " Jumping Johnny Rusin " back in the Swirsky era of Raptors basketball. Normally you would not sweat the 5-49 Nets even if it is a road game. But when you consider that stat it does make you a bit concerned.

What the Raptors will need to address most of all is how you replace the Bosh and his 24.5 points on offense. Up to this point Bosh had played and started every game this season. He had said that it was the most energy and he had never felt better this deep into an NBA season. Jay Triano said he is hopeful that Bosh will be ready to go vs Washington on Saturday. It will be a rare Saturday night contest on the CBC with Hockey taking a break for the Olympics. Obviously it is not just Triano hoping for Bosh to be ready to roll for that game. Bosh was a huge factor in keeping the Raptors in a game vs Memphis where the Raptors came out flat as a pancake.

Hedo Turkoglu had 1 point and 1 ball in that game vs Memphis. The Raptors will need a heck of a lot more than that if they hope to avoid what would be an embarrassing loss to the Nets. Jarret Jack also had a night to forget and he needs to bounce back strong as well. Some others the Raps need to step up to make up for no Bosh would include Demar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani. But beyond those starters the combination of Reggie Evans and Amir Johnson will have the bulk of the responsibility for making up for the 11.4 rebounds that Chris Bosh also provides.

A Word On Deadline

The Raptors as I was telling you did not make a move. There was a rumour of a deal with the Lakers that would have saw Powell and Vujacic coming to the Raptors for Banks and O'Bryant. However no miracle for Bryan Colangelo on that one. It would have been one too when you consider Banks and O'Bryant when this team is healthy are always a lock to be on the in-active list. The Celtics did make a move and while some praise the addition of Nate Robinson to the Celtics I think it was an epic failure for Danny Angie. The Celtics needed a major shake up and adding the Mascot of the Slam Dunk Contest was not what most had in mind. Raptor fans should know the value of a guy like Eddie House for that team and unless Ray Allen "Finds his Game" the Celtics will miss House and his 3 point shooting ability. House in that Knick system should have a lot of fun and Raps should take note of him when they play the Knicks 2 more times in March and April. The Cavs adding Jamison make them the massive favourite in the East as far as I am concerned. The Magic Hawks and Heat like the Raptors all stood pat. The only other team in the current playoff mix that made moves was the Chicago Bulls. Actually my surprise playoff pick the Bobcats also made a move so my bad Bobcats.

@jalenrose Meet @dinonationblog

The Knicks cleared a ton of cap space and look to be making a push to get to stars in the 2010 lotto. They will end up with just 4 players under contract. You will remember Jalen Rose once guaranteed that James and Bosh going to New York would happen in 2010. I mention this cause I had a little twitter exchange with the former Raptor who for the record I am a big fan of. I love the Michigan Wolverines and was a big fan of Jalen from his days at Michigan. Here is what the exchange was.

@jalenrose- "I majored in broadcasting because I was annoyed by so many "shock media reporters"..who throw stones in glass houses! Judge but cant play?!"

@dinonationblog- "So that is why you Guaranteed Bosh and James would be Knicks cause you don't like shock reporting? Just saying Jalen #GoBlue"

@jalenrose- "that day...that was the case...I KNOW BOTH situations & camps VERY well..minds change daily...it still may happen...right?"

@dinonationblog- "May yes but Guarantee no. You played here you know how T-Dot is and the fragile nature of Raps fans about guys leaving."

So that was the exchange and I thought it was interesting. I am proud of all Jalen has accomplished in broadcasting. To his credit even in his playing days he was working towards a career in sports broadcasting. He has made a very easy transition to it. I have no doubt he knows the situation better than me. He knows far more people and has far more contacts than me. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that. He should have known as a former Raptor what that comment would mean in terms of Toronto. He himself said things change daily so if that is the case why make the guarantee? I like Jalen, and someday would love to interview him and talk about not just this but many things. He is a guy that knows the game well and has done a great job in his post NBA career in broadcasting. Will It happen that I ever interview him? No idea but I have learned in doing this blog this long never to say never about anything. Jalen Rose has an open invitation to be in the DNB's Starting 5 anytime. So someone let him know OK? But seriously check out Jalen's website and hear his takes on the NBA. Majority of them I enjoy just that one about the Knicks was not among them. Hope I haven't ticked off one of the Fab 5 at me.

So enough about Tweeting and Twitter. Raptors if they were to lose Bosh in the short term to injury as they have, it could not have happened at better time with Nets and Wizards as the next 2 games and a very like February schedule overall. I am live blogging the next 2 games for The Score so be you Jalen Rose or just your average Raptors fan I will have a link for you later in the day to come experience all the action with me of the Raptors game tonight with the Nets.

Update 5:10pm

As promised you link to Raptors vs Nets on @The Score.com and Score Mobile. I will kick things off around 7:50pm

DNB "The Word"

Dino Blogger is all decked out in Canada Red and White for the Olympics that starts Friday. Canada will have home Ice/Snow advantage in those games. Although reports are not much of ether in Vancouver. It is all to kick off a new segment inspired by Steven Colbert and his show the Colbert Report. It is THE WORD with a Raptor Twist....Enjoy.



So that was...THE WORD. Hope you enjoyed it and will bust it out once in awhile as a semi-regular feature on the DNB.

Raps and Celtics @ The Score

I am going to be working for the Score today covering the Raptors and Celtics. Can the Raptors winners of 8 of the last 9 games get a win at the ACC over the hated Celtics? A little revenge on Paul Pierce? what will happen and how will it all go down? Let's all find out together as it happens on The Score.com and Score Mobile. The Blog is scheduled to start at 1pm but I always tend to get things rolling a little early for the Raptors games. So come join the party at The Score.

Raptors vs Celtics Liveblog

As a result there will be no Raptors Rewind. There also may not be a blog tomorrow as I am having some dental work done and I may not be able to write anything or want to for that matter. Here is hoping will be talking about a team that has won 9 out 10 the next time I talk to you.

Injured Celtics Whack Raps

No Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Marquis Daniels for Celtics. Doc Rivers joked that the Celtics held a lottery prior to the game on who would start. Rasheed Wallace would have his number called and that was big. Wallace has always had an answer for Chris Bosh and on this night he would as well despite not having a great year himself. We all still remember the game in San Antonio near the start of the season where the Raptors faced the Spurs with no Duncan or Parker. The Raptors would fall hard on that night losing a game that many felt was a gift wrapped victory. Many had that same feeling heading into this one with a 5 game win streak heading into it. However the Celtics were on a rare 3 game slide for them and motivated to not have it climb to 4.

The Celtics that were playing were hungrier than the Raptors that were. Which did include Hedo Turkoglu who had left the Bobcats game at halftime because of a knee bruise he suffered in practice on Tuesday. Despite the odd positive from the Raptors, it was a general lack of defense and rebounding that did in the Raptors. What were those positives? Well there was a nice highlight reel dunk from Demar Derozan and Andrea Bargnani was driving and taking it to the hoop on occasion.

The Raptors did not get blown out in this one. However you never really felt that they were in it. They had closed the gap to 6 late but never could get much closer than that. Jarrett Jack had one of his worst games since taking over from Jose Calderon with his injury to his hip. Marcus Banks gave people all the proof you should need on why trading Calderon would not be a wise idea. He was even worse in relief of Jack in this one.

Chris Bosh had several cost turnovers in this one and on the defensive end both he and Bargnani were far from good. In short the Raptors had a game that should have been one they could have one slip away. There have been more than a few of those this season and that alone is a reason this team remains below .500. The Raptors could have reached the .500 mark last night with a win but with San Antonio and Orlando on the horizon those thoughts of .500 are likely to fade away for awhile. Not to mention this same Boston team in Toronto a week from today. You have to figure they will be healthier by then.

Raptors and Spurs later today with an odd 6pm start time.

Raps Kick Off 2010 In Beantown

The first blog of 2010 as the Raptors begin the year in Boston. Celtics are banged up and coming off a west coast trip and losses to the Warriors and Suns. While The Raptors closed 2009 winning 5 in a row. If they could steal a win in Boston they would reach the .500 mark for the first time since near the start of the season. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett both question marks heading into this one. Raptors will be without Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans. Antonie Wright is expected to get the start if Hedo does not go. He will be a game time decision. Wright has been in and out of the doghouse this season. He did play well filling in for Hedo against the Bobcats. This is the front half of a pretty nasty back to back as they travel home and face the Spurs on Sunday.

It is a challenging start to the 2010 schedule for the Raptors for sure. The Celtics will be back to face the Raptors again next Sunday back at the ACC. Also on the up coming list is the Orlando Magic who have owned the Raptors this year winning all 3 contests so far this year. Jose Calderon has said he is close to being ready to return and that will make for an interesting choice for Jay Triano. He was here as an assistant during the whole T.J Ford/Calderon situation. Sam Mitchell stuck with Jose over the returning Ford. He would later flip flop and go back to Ford as the starter based on his struggles in the back-up roll. This is going to be the biggest decision for Jay Triano in his short time as head coach of the Raptors. That is something for another day though as it will be Jack and Banks that will have to deal with Rajon Rondo.

Given the history of Calderon going against Rondo that may not be such a bad thing. Rondo is a point guard that can expose Jose on the defensive end. Depending on who is in and out for the Celtics Rondo will be a bigger part of the scoring mix for Boston.

This could be a good time for the Raptors to catch the Celtics and score what would be an unlikely win when you scan the schedule. Hard to know what to expect with so many players status up in the air for this one. However the Raptors learned a hard lesson earlier in the year about taking for granted a good team when they have guys out. The Spurs crushed them with no Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Hopefully the Raptors learned from that experience. Boston is a tough place to get a win regardless of who the Celtics have healthy.

Can the Raptors keep the roll going? Will see but if the Raptors if they can make it through January and exit in about the same spot they are now things look bright. February is the best month of the Raptors schedule by a country mile. It is a point where the Raptors could make a run away from the pack and focus on positioning in the playoffs rather than just making them. But they have to be in position to do that.

Happy New Year to you all and thanks for supporting the Dino Nation Blog in 2009 and hope you will continue to do so in 2010.

Raptors Rewind- Boston Punk Raps

It was a slow start for both with just a 2-1 Boston lead after 2 minutes. Hedo gets burned on the D and makes up for it with a game tying 3 pointer and it was 6-6 in the early going in Boston. Celtics were not on fire heading into this one getting less than impressive wins over the Sixers and Knicks. The D was looking Swiss cheese like but the O was back to normal and that was keeping it close tied at 10 with Bosh's first field goal of the night. The battle of defenseless ball continued a wide open alley oop to K.G would make it 16-14. Demar would drive to the hole and score and it was even at 16. Celtics had hit 9 of their first 10 attempts and the score was tied at 18. Sometimes I feel like screw the defense let's just try and out score people. I know it is crazy but hey go with your strength and D is clearly not it for this team. Chris Bosh hits a jumper and Ray Allen gets rid or Demar on a screen and hits the counter 2. We are tied at 20. Rondo owns Jose and shows you why with the blow by for 2. Not long after Jose gets the hook.

Antonie Wright was in the game as well and drives and scores. Hedo hits a 3 pointer to give the Raps a short lived 25-24 lead. Wallace would but C's back on top and Rondo in a mismatch against CB4 would get to the hoop and draw a foul. Bargnani would get to the line and cut lead to one and Wallace would nail a clutch 3 near the end of the Quarter. Johnson an offensive foul the 5th turnover of the quarter for the Raps. Rondo is an equal opportunity blow by beat-down artist as he schools Jack to score for Boston to close the quarter. C's close the quarter with the largest lead of the night. It was 33-27 for them after 1.

2nd Quarter

Celtics were shooting 83.3% and Rondo had 8 points and 5 assists and this looked ugly early. After the Celtics opened with a score Jack would get the score plus the foul that he would cash in making it 35-30 men in green. Raps actually showing signs of D and Jack would score in transition and Raptors has lead cut to 2 at the 37-35. Amir Johnson shows hustle and gets a hook in the lane as a reward and Raps despite a terrible defensive effort trailed just by 2 with the score 41-39. Johnson would leave soon after with his 3rd foul.

Sheed hit his second 3 of the night and Bosh would answer with a 2 and trailed 46-43. Marco...3 ball and this game was tied as logic suggested it should not be. Pierce would hit a 3 and Bosh the counter punch 2 and Raps were in it. If they had this offense in Charlotte they could have won. However this is not Charlotte and getting a win was not going to be easy at all. The Pierce 2 has been changed to from a 3 to a 2 and we are tied at 48. The game was tied at 50 with 3 to play. Two easy baskets for Kendrick Perkins...Bosh gets a response and the lead was 2....Hedo makes a 3 and the Raps lead 55-54. That would be the score at the half and it makes little sense but the Raps lead 55-54.

3rd Quarter

Raps shooting 66.7% and Celtics 67%...D is just a rumour in Boston on this Black Friday in the U.S. Raps come out and score only to have Boston tie it with a 3 making score 57 all. Raps a little mini 4-0 run and they are on top making the odd steal and play to get the score in transition for Hedo. He has 15 points and looks like the Hedo we were suppose to get. Rondo just took the ball away from Bosh and no one running back allowed Rondo a chance to show his dunking styles. Pierce a basket and back to even at 61. K.G was robbed of a basket plus a foul..a terrible call. But it was made up quick as Ray Allen would make and get the foul call. Celtics took a 64-61 lead. C's would get an easy dunk and get the lead up to 5 points.

Raps were in the danger zone at the mid point of the 3rd quarter. How would the play in this final 5 minutes would be key for them. Early signs were not good as the Raps give up 2 more and commit a turnover leading to 2 more and the lead was 9. For anyone who does not believe Rajon Rondo is good he was giving you more evidence as he was pushing the Celtics to a 10 point lead. Raps offense had come to a halt and there lack of D the entire night was shinning through now. The game that was once tied now had the Celtics up 15 points....make that 17 and the Celtics lead 82-65. Bargs hits a 3 but that was needed like 4 minutes ago. Celtics closed that final 5 minutes like the championship contenders that they are taking a 87-72 lead to the 4th.

4th Quarter

Huge slam by Pierce and Chris Bosh is down on the play and slow to get up. Triano and Rivers exchange words and Raps frustration was boiling over. Bosh was ok but where was his team standing up for him. GET WELL SOON REGGIE...THAT IS WHERE WE NEED HIM. Raps got a little bit back into this thing after that blow up as a Hedo 3 pointer would cut the lead to 10 but I am serious disturbed at how no one stood up when the team's star gets taken down. Ray Allen would answer with a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would answer that with a slam and he had 20.

Raps would continue to fumble and bumble with another turnover. C's don't cash in and Jack would score to get it to single digits briefly. Celtics would score and Raps would answer. Eddie House would hit a dagger 3 ball to make the lead a dozen. The time was slipping away and it was 99-87 with 7 to play. Raps just had given up to much ground to get back in this one. It is sad it took their star player getting kneed in the gut to wake them up. Celtics would weather the storm and take the lead back up to 14 points and lead 105-91. This game was lost at the end of the 3rd. However this 4th quarter was like a slap in the face to the Raptors and sadly most of the men in the white shirts just took it. Raps have just put it on cruise control so will I. They are on the way to falling to 7-10 as they trail 110-98. A hard foul by Jack with under a minute to play is nice but was needed earlier. Raps lose this thing 116-103.

Honestly what happened at the start of this 4th Quarter was wrong. I said it when T.J Ford was taken out in Atlanta. Again when Calderon was elbowed in the head later that year by the Hawks. Now tonight when Bosh gets a knee to the gut from Pierce. STAND THE HECK UP AND BE COUNTED. I want to see a raptor pop someone in the face and say we are not taking it anymore. Would that player get suspended. No doubt...but he would be an instant fan favourite and maybe make people think twice the next time. I can guarantee you that if Reggie Evans is in this game no way that goes with zero response. The heck with boxscores this is about HEART not STATS!!! Stand up for your star that has busted his butt for this team all year.

Let's NBA With Andre Aldridge From NBA-TV

It is a great thrill for the Dino Nation Blog talk with Andre Aldridge from NBA-TV about the upcoming NBA season. We talk a little on the Raps and Demar DeRozan is a former Trojan as is Andre Aldridge so he talks about his fellow Trojan. We also talk about all of the top contenders in the NBA. We talk about former Raptor V.C teaming up with Superman in Orlando, Shaq and Lebron in Cleveland and Rasheed Wallace with the Celtics. In addition the Ron Artest joining up with the Lakers. How about OKC and Kevin Durant? They get some mention as well. If you are not already following Andre on Twitter you are missing out....@NBATVAndre is a must follow for anyone on Twitter. It was great for Andre to make time for us just prior to going to air for the first night of NBA action on NBA TV. Up here north of the border you can often catch his fine work on Raptors NBA TV. We hope to have Andre back as a guest going forward giving us some insight from the U.S point of view and his own.

Andre Aldridge From NBA TV In Starting 5

James B's Podcast

Thanks to the people at Turner Sports for helping set this up and to Andre for taking the time to talk with us here at the Dino Nation Blog. It is a great to have someone who has covered the NBA for so long as a guest here with us on the Dino Nation Blog.

Raps Starting 5 Debuts In Hartford

So... it has taken about a half a month but last night we all got are first look at what most feel will be the Raptors starting 5 on opening night on the 28th. Why not start against one of the best in the Boston Celtics. The result was far from ideal as the Celtics won the game 106-90. Bosh had 21 but just 6 for Hedo and Andrea. Demar DeRozan had a rough shooting night going 2 for 8 but did get to the line 7 times and landed an elbow on K.G. That got me out of my chair. But what was a big concern was Reggie Evans turning his ankle. There is no update on his status but safe to say you will not see Reggie at the ACC in a uniform tonight vs the Houston Rockets.

Bosh had his longest run of the pre-season of just over 27 minutes. He struggled picking up 5 fouls on the defensive end of the court. You could see the frustration in Bosh with the calls going against him. In general with the replacement officials I have found there are far to many whistles and there is a lack of flow as a result. Let's hope for all fans of basketball that the real refs are back in time for the start of the season. If every b-ball fan could chip in a dollar to make this situation go away it would be well worth it. This situation is a regrettable one to say the least. If the true motivation of the league is to just hang tough to send a message to players, who's CBA expiration is just around the corner, then it is wrong simple as that.

I did not take away a lot from last night's debut for the starting 5. Bosh is just starting to get up to speed in terms of playing an amount of minutes close to his normal workload. Hedo is just getting started. What was a bit disappointing was Andrea Bargnani. I had mentioned that when there is no Bosh on the floor Andrea really seems to just play and play well. Bosh returns and Andrea slides into the background. Andrea needs to go get his and be an impact player with or without Bosh out there.

Happy to see a point guard getting to the hoop and drawing fouls. Jarrett Jack was given a lot of praise on the Boston broadcast. They stopped short of saying Jack may have made a nice pick up for the Celtics. No question Jack is an upgrade from Eddie House is there? It seems clear that Jack is going to be a big piece to the puzzle the only question for me is just how big. How much will we see him and Jose on the floor together. Will we see Jack in to close games for his defense? All still up for debate.

I will be interested to see how the Raps play on Sunday when they face the Celtics again. It seemed that Boston was aware that the Raptors may be the biggest challenger to them winning the Atlantic. We did see a lot of the starters for both sides last night. At times it felt a bit like a regular season game. So will see if the Raptors look better on Sunday. After all the pre-season is about improvement. A good way to measure that improvement is to face the same team. When the Raps opened the season against the Sixers you could easily see the improvement from game one to game two. But before that one they will take on a Houston Rockets team that looks a lot different as well. Yao is out for the year and Ron Artest is in L.A, while Trevor Ariza is on the team from L.A and T-Mac claims he is back. Will see I am still not taking T-Mac in my fantasy league. He is still a bad back away from being on the shelf for weeks at a time. Believe it or not we are under 2 weeks from the start of the season. The Pre-Season is flying by fast. After watching a few exhibition games of Raptors and other teams, I am glad for that fact. Pre-season basketball just doesn't do it for me. I just don't have the same level of interest in the outcome. But that all changes October 28th. Till then a few more exhibition games to endure.

Playoffs In July?

First off today there was an issue that occurred in early morning hours that rendered the Jack Armstrong Interview unplayable. I have fixed the problem and apologize to anyone that was not able to listen to it. You can hear it now here is a link to it.Thanks to a number of readers that made me aware of this problem. It has been a big couple days for the blog and thanks to all of you that have made that happen.

I have no guest today it is just me. Maybe I should interview myself? That would be odd wouldn't it? Something you might see in say the WWE? I admit that I totally forgot about Shaq hosting Raw on Monday night. But I was able to see the highlights yesterday. It was classic Shaq and I got some chuckles but WWE is not what it use to be. But the line of the night was not said by Shaq. It was said by Chris Jericho.

Jericho- " When I heard we were having the most dominant player in the NBA(As guest host of Raw) I naturally assumed it was Kobe Bryant "

Shaq could only respond by calling Jericho... Christina. That was pretty old and dated. WWE writers have gotten old and predictable. Same might be said for Shaq himself. No doubt the big man will be in the spotlight playing Robin to Lebron James as Batman. Will it work? That is one of the bigger questions heading into this NBA season.

In fact all top 4 teams in the East have made moves that they hope will upgrade their talent. Orlando has Ex-Raptor Vince Carter. Who I was reading the new NBA Live 10 when it comes out will get booed by Toronto fans in video game as well. Truly EA tries to live up to there motto of "If It's in the Game, It's in the Game". Rasheed Wallace is going to be a Celtic. Boston has had a number of trade rumours still buzzing so it is clear Danny Angie is not done. The Atlanta Hawks also have added Jamal Crawford to the mix. I think it is safe to say all 4 of these teams make the playoffs again unless something goes drastically wrong.

So that leaves 4 spots that last season were held by Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. All of which have done very little in terms of getting better this off-season with exception of Detroit. Philadelphia has a new coach in Eddie Jordon. But they have lost there point guard Andre Miller. Miami has not exactly been loading up to keep D-Wade happy have they? Chicago lost Ben Gordon to the Pistons and he was a big part of what they did in the playoffs. Gordon along with Charlie Villianeuva are now Pistons. But really will this help the Pistons be better? The are former teammates at UConn.

Bottom line of all of it is for Raptors to make playoffs it takes one of these teams to fall back for them to get in. Truth be told you could make a case that all 4 of these teams could miss the playoffs. If I was going to rank who is most likely going to miss out it would go like this. With most likely team at top and least likely at the bottom.

Philadelphia (Sorry Jason Kapono and Eddie Jordan)
Chicago (Sorry Chuck Swirsky)
Detroit ( Joe Dumars prays I am wrong)
Miami ( D-Wade on his own can save the Heat )

I could see easily that 3 of the 4 may not make the playoffs. If that is true who the heck moves into those spots? Well here are my 3 picks to fill out the playoff field.

Toronto Raptors ( Seriously with all the moves if they don't it is a disaster of an epic nature)
Charlotte Bobcats ( Young and up coming Bobcats. Tyson Chandler might push them over top)
Washington Wizards ( Subject to Gilbert Arenas making it to opening night )

So what will it look like (Subject To Change)

1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Orlando
4. Atlanta
5. Toronto
6. Washington
7. Charlotte
8. Miami

Remember when people laughed about the the Southeast Division? 4 teams in the playoffs can that be right? It could be. Washington and Charlotte have a very small margin of error for me. Detroit and the Bulls should be teams right there if they should slip. This is just a snapshot thought and things can change. As for the Raptors being 5th? It seems the right place for them. They are not better than any of the top 4. Atlanta maybe is the closest with the other 3 miles ahead.

If I change my mind on this over the summer I will let you know. If you want to doubt this hey by all means. Predictions are subjective. I will point out though that I did predict the NBA Finals last year prior to the season. Not to many folks had the Orlando Magic playing the L.A Lakers did they? I got to brag about it now because really can I successfully call it 2 years in a row? That would have some long odds I am thinking.

If You Didn't Like Last Night- You Don't Like NBA Basketball

There was an announcer that used the line "If You Didn't Like That You Don't Like NBA Basketball". Well if that line every applied more to anything it is the Bulls vs Celtics series. I admit that I could care less about the Celtics or the Bulls. That being said the games and the battles they are having have been unreal. Another instant classic last night as the two battled in a triple overtime thriller. It was just as exciting as the 6 OT game between Syracuse and UConn and the way it was going it looked like it could go 6 OT's. Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose have been both very special in this series.

If that was not enough for you. The Magic with no Howard who was suspended and Courtney Lee who was injured(By Howard) took on the Sixers and won in a blowout. At this time I would like to say sorry to Marcin Gortat. I joked around yesterday and said that he could not get it done. I doubted the new Polish Power for the Y2K. He had I think was 11 and 10 and that is about half of an average Dwight night in the playoffs. So the Magic move on and will get the team that survives Game 7 between that Bulls and Celtics. The Magic have not performed at a high level in round 1. Could the fact that the Bulls and Celtics are taking everything the other has to offer end up benefiting the Magic? Just a thought.

Ray Allen is getting it done when it matters the most for Celtics and is a big part of why this series has been as much a classic as it is becoming. Also it makes me laugh that there was talk earlier in the year if Vinny Del Negro was going to last as coach of the Bulls. I think win or lose in Game 7 it is safe to say that Vinny will have a job next year. That being said I am stunned the Michael Curry is going to remain as coach of the Pistons who went out in flames to the Cavs that will wait to get the winner of Hawks and Heat series. It is crazy to think that Curry keeps his job after the season the Pistons have had. I am much more willing to give Jay Triano a chance than I would be Michael Curry. It is not that I have been a supporter of the Triano return. I have not been. But Curry clearly was part of the problem in Detroit. However Joe Dumars was the guy that but him in that situation by trading Billups for Iverson. While Billups plays on with the Nuggets as they destroyed the Hornets. Allen Iverson was MIA for the playoffs. That was not Curry that was on Dumars. Still Curry just never looked like he had control or the respect of his team and that seemed clear to me. Triano for what it is worth had the respect of the Raptors and the endorsement of the star play. I think if you took a straw poll in the Pistons Locker Room I am pretty sure Curry is voted off the island so to speak.

Despite all of this excitement that has been going on the end of the story remains the same for me. It seems clear that we are heading towards a Kobe vs Lebron Final. That as far as hype will be an epic battle. That being said the Bulls and Celtics have put on a show that will be hard to top. Can Game 7 be as exciting as the first 6? Last year the Hawks pushed the Celtics to 7. The Game 7 ended up being a real stinker with the dirty birds getting destroyed. I do not think the Bulls will meet that same fate as the Hawks. They may not win but they will show up.

Fans of basketball have been rewarded with a lot of excitement in this year's NBA Playoffs. There has been a really nasty edge to some of it as well. I have liked that. NBA needs to let them play. The talk of guys getting suspended and being not in games like Howard last night and the whole mess with the Suns and Spurs a few years ago in my opinion takes away from things. The NHL finds ways to bend he rules to fit what makes sense. Why not do the same in the NBA. Unless it is something that is truly awful I say let them play. Rajon Rondo does not play in game 7 based on tossing Hinrich into a score table it will be fans that lose. Not just Celtic fans but all fans. Back in the 80's go watch some classic games and you will see lots worse things happen to players and I don't recall anyone being suspended. We become to hyper sensitive in the sports world today. If I sound like Charles Oakley so be it. The stars of basketball in the 80 and 90's must chuckle at what gets considered a big deal now a days. That reminds me Pros vs Joes is starting again soon what NBA oldschoolers will be on the show. Ex-Raptors Kevin Willis and Charles Oakley have been on the show. There are a few other I likely have forgotten. There is no better way to kill an hour than watch an episode of Pros vs Joes.

Raptors Try To Keep Hope Alive

The Toronto Raptors have no intention of fading into that dark night and missing out on the playoff party. They still see hope and a chance to get in the playoffs. Even if they do did you happen to catch the Boston Celtics game yesterday? They put a beating on the Dallas Mavericks that was real just impressive to say the least. Also, you can bet that the Celtics learned a powerful lesson last year getting taken to the seventh game by the Hawks. If the Raptors some how avoid the Celtics the task is not much easier. How bout the league M.V.P elect Lebron James. He has lead just about every M.V.P race you can find on the internet. I take part in one of those and King James has been on top all year:

M.V.P and Roy Rankings

That does not seem like a series that the Raptors can win. The only other option that would be realistic as a match-up for the Raptors is the Orlando Magic. While the Raptors have taken a step backwards after losing to the Magic last year. Orlando has taken a huge step forward. They are flirting with becoming a contender in the East. A recent loss to Boston would suggest they are not there yet. The Raptors also have got a win over the Magic this year. They have not beat the Cavs or Celtics. But in a 7 games series the Raptors would be a huge underdog against the Magic as well. So the bottom line to all of this would suggest that the Raptors are in tough no matter what the outcome of the next 3 months.

You can point to injuries and they have played a role in what has happened. But the Raptors have had many games well in hand that they have let slip away. They could have a much better record and it would be not unreasonable to think that they should. I think the true fans want to believe that this team can still salvage the season and make it to the playoffs. Part of me wants to see this happen. However part of me does not because I just don't know what that will do for the long term future. I mean the goal is to win it all, or at least it should be. I do not think anyone is thinking the Raptors can win the championship this year right? If the Raptors can get in the draft lottery and draft a quality player is that not better for the long term picture? Being able to draft a top player in the draft could be start of fixing the Raptors issues at the wing spot. How nice would a Gerald Henderson look like as a Raptor? There are some other names that you might be able to find. But that is not very fun to cheer for. I think most of us felt the Raptors days of being in the draft lottery were behind them. But here we sit just 2 years removed from a Division Title talking about the draft lottery. Maybe this can be like what happened for the Spurs. They had an injury plagued awful season and they went to the draft lottery and won. The prize of that lottery was Tim Ducan. Not to say that the Raptors were as good at that Spurs team that got Ducan. But they do have some quality parts in Bosh, Calderon and now it seems Bargnani. That is not a bad place to re-tool from.

Bryan Colangelo has not made a move to this point.( Jake Voskhul signing aside ) He has said to have been working very hard to make a deal though. But if Colangelo is forced to wait till the trade deadline it may be not such a bad thing as he will have a clear picture of where his team is at. What moves he makes will have far more to do with next season though. Next season could be the most critical on for the Raptors in quite some time. It will ultimately determine the future of Chris Bosh. If you think this team is better off without Bosh you are crazy. Bosh is still the straw that stirs the drink and it is much harder to sell a new star to come to Toronto. Chris Bosh has at least grown to know and by all indications enjoy the city of Toronto. Just having the cap space to sign players is not enough. They need reason to want to sign with a team. Look at some other teams around the league for proof of that. Were players running to Chicago when they had a ton of cap space? How bout Memphis, L.A Clippers or Atlanta. But if you can keep Bosh you have the chance of him helping bring others to the party. If you don't have him what do you have beyond what you always have had to attract free agents? The answer is not much.

Forgive me for not planning the parade route based on wins over the Bulls and Kings. Still we can be optimistic that this team has not given up and is showing some much needed fight. I would love for them to pull off some miracle out of all this. I just try to keep things in perspective and understand that no matter what happens the rest of the way it will be much lower from the goals laid out at the start of the year. That is frustrating for all connected to this franchise.

Raptor Rewind- From The Real Rose Garden

Now the actual Rose Garden is in Portland of course. But United likely can't afford sponsorship for the arena in Chicago in these though times. So why not just call it the Rose Garden. Maybe because of that M.J statue outside. Rose may never be as good as that guy. But same may be said for a lot of guys not named Kobe or Lebron. The Raptors got burned badly last time they saw Derrick Rose. But this time with the exception of Kris Humphries it is all hands on deck. Jose Calderon and J.O along with Chris Bosh all good to go. Still can it make a difference? Well it should on offense. But that is not as big a problem as the lack of defense. Jose Calderon is not going to improve that at all. In fact Rose could likely beat him as easy as the back ups. But J.O will add some shot blocking to the mix. However with his bags packed waiting for word on when that call is coming from Miami how hard can we expect him to play? I am not sure to be honest with you. It seems clear the writing is on the wall that he is not here for much longer. Just being a normal human being that makes it hard to stay focused. You can make the speech about being a professional and all of that. I hear you, but when you have been reduced to a secondary role on a team that has their playoff chances hanging by a thread, how much can you really expect. Bosh got humbled by Noah in the last match up of these two teams. Knowing the type of guy Bosh is I doubt he has forgot that. However his overall frustration with this team is becoming clear. I don't blame him a bit for that. He may not like the term frustration but it fits what I am seeing. It has been an awful year after what was likely a high point in his life winning a gold medal. There has been nothing golden about this season for Chris Bosh. I even wonder if he might pay the price for the lack of his team's success by not getting named to the All Star Game. People talk about Danny Granger not getting the nod because of his team's record. Well Bosh's team's record is very similar. The next 4 games on the schedule are not hard games but after that 4 very hard games( Magic, Hornets, Cavs, Lakers ). Paul Jones and Eric Smith made that point in their Vlog today and it is a valid one. If the Raptors don't win 3 of the next 4 games any kind of a comeback trade or not will not matter. So with that sobering news let's get ready for some basketball shall we?

1st Quarter

Raptors busting out the black jerseys for this one. Bulls win the tip and away we go. Ben Gordon who is not a happy camper missed his first shot of the night. Raptors also miss on their first trip. Derrick Rose moves on the break off a turnover for a lay up. Andrea Bargnani would respond and open the scoring for the Raptors. Calderon would get the next basket and makes his first jumper in a long while. Ben Gordon was fined for showing up late for the Bulls plane and he let it be known he was not happy. He would make a 3 pointer with a little lighter wallet. But Bargnani was off to a good start and Anthony Parker would add to that effort as well. Raptors had an early 10-7 lead. Jamario Moon got a quick hook for Joey Graham. But Derrick Rose was taking it to Calderon he made a sweet move and left Jose wondering where he went. Bulls fought back to take a 13-10 lead. Calderon would at least make up for his bad defense by making a jumper. Anthony Parker who was back to his normal position after filling in for Jose seemed to be enjoying that as he made another jumper. That put the Raptors back up by a point.

J.O had checked into the game and made a jump shot. Bosh would take it to the bucket and jam it home. Raptors had an 18-13 lead. Chicago would answer with a bucket but J.O would hooked up Joey G for 2. Raptors would get another jumper from Calderon who was 3-3 to start his return and he would have a seat with Raptors up 22-17. Kapono would check in for Calderon and Parker would slide over to play the point. Graham would get another basket to give the Raptors a 7 point lead. But Deng would answer and a block on Bosh, that would lead to Tyrus Thomas dunking it in the grill of J.O. The Bulls had cut the lead down to 3 points. Thomas had the block as well that was on Bosh. A travel on Jermaine O'Neal would give Bull a chance to cut more off the lead but would not be able to score. Andrea Bargnani would drive and draw a foul and head to the line. He would make both from the line and the Raptors lead 26-21. He would get another basket next time down the floor and had an early eight points and the Raptors lead 28-21. Kirk Hinrich was in the game and makes his first attempt of the night. The Bulls would get a tap back on a Hinrich miss as they had made it closer late in the 1st. Raptors lead 28-25 after the first quarter in Chicago.

2nd Quarter

Both teams were shooting off the charts. Raptors shooting 66% and the Bulls 57% as defense was a lost art in the hometown the new President. Bulls would open the scoring and cut the lead to just 1 point out of the gate in the 2nd. J.O would make his way to the line and made both. Turnover for the Bulls would lead to a push out that would see Andrea Bargnani get to the line. Bargnani would split a pair and the Raptors lead 31-27. Raptors continue to roll as Kapono would make a 3 pointer and Raptors lead 34-27. The Bulls would storm back on a run to tie it up at 34. But Bargnani would snap that run and Derrick Rose would quickly answer.

Andres Nocinoni would make a 3 pointer to give the Bulls the lead 39-36. Chris Bosh felt he was fouled before a time out. He would plead his case to Dick Bavetta but he was not going to win that conversation. But out of time out he would just drive and score. Jamario Moon was out of the dog house and back in the game and scored to give the Raptors a 40-39 lead. Bulls would once again push back but a Derrick Rose air ball would break that run. Bulls had a 44-40 lead at that point and Jose Calderon made a jumper and he looked very good with his shot tonight. Calderon would hook up Moon and he already had 8 point and 5 dimes. But the Raptors still trailed 46-44. Derrick Rose would recover for the air ball and make his next shot. Be Gordon would follow up on that with a shot of his own. Jermaine O'Neal would get fouled by Tyrus Thomas and Thomas was talking trash and J.O was to say the least not amused. It may have distracted him as he missed his first free throw and made the second. Bulls were hanging on to the lead up 50-48. Thomas and O'Neal would get together again giving J.O a chance to tie the game and he would. All even at 50 with less then a minute to play. Teams exchanged baskets and stayed tied at 52. Jamario Moon would send Deng to the line with a chance to give the Bulls the lead from the line. Which he would do making both. Raps would call a 20 second time out looking to get a score with 10 seconds to go in the half. Bosh would drive it and get to the line. He would make both and a Rose throw up from far away would not fall. So we head to the half tied at 54.

3rd Quarter

Solid first half for Andrea Bargnani who was only player in this game in double figures with an 11 point effort in the first half shooting 50% from the field. Defense is still pretty much MIA in Chicago as Raps were shooting 54% and Bulls 52% from the field. First play of the half went to Bosh would would draw the foul and send him to the line. He would make the basket and make the and 1 at the line. Claderon would then look to get it to Bargnani would wold make his first shot of the second half. Raptors had a 60-55 lead in the early stages of the 3rd quarter. Calderon would find Bargnani on the break and he would drive and score. 8 dimes for Jose in his return and 16 points for Bargnani. More important than all of that the Raptors lead 62-55.

A correction on the as Bargnani 3 pointer was changed to a 2 pointer. So make it 15 for him. But Bosh and Calderon both would score and the Raptors had built a 65-55 lead. They had started the quarter on an 11-1 run. Calderon would score again and he had 12 points and the Raptor run had been extended to a 13-1 run. This was nothing like the Bulls team that came into the ACC just over a week ago. The Raptors had a better roster to play against them. However the Bulls were just not as good as well. That combination had the Raptors leading 67-56. Bosh would foul Nocioni hard and these to struggling teams were starting to get after each other. The one on one stuff with O'Neal and Thomas was spreading though out the rosters of both teams. Bargnani would hit a 3 pointer after Nocioni would make the foul shots. Andres would answer with a 3 pointer for the Bulls. But the Raptors would move the ball well and find Parker for a 3 pointer. Raptors lead 73-61. After a Bulls score Ben Gordon would look for another and he took a hard foul from Jamario Moon. He could only split a pair and the Raptors lead 73-64 with just about half of the third quarter to play.

Wide open look for Kirk Hinrich would quietly had scored 12 off the bench for the Bulls. Raptors were showing signs of leakage still leading 73-67 but the offense had gone cold. But Raps were hanging in for now as J.O picked up a charge. Derrick Rose with a sweet jumper and the Bulls had an 8-0 run and cut the Raptor lead down to just 4. Jay Triano had seen enough and wanted a time out. Raptors couldn't score out of the time out but Bosh created a turnover at the other end. It would lead to him getting a score on the other end with a jumper. Bosh would have a chance to build the lead more but would get called for a travel. But again on the other end created a turnover and this time it lead to a Parker basket. Raptors lead 77-69. Bulls would answer but Parker would make it back to back baskets for him. Another hard foul by the Raptors and the Bulls split a pair from the line. Parker at the point now would hook up Kapono for a 2 point jumper. Bulls would make a pair from the line and the Raptors lead was 81-74. Joey Graham would make a jumper to give the Raptors a 9 point lead to take to the fourth quarter. They lead it 83-74.

4th Quarter

It sure looked like the Raptors could hang on to this one. The question as it has been all season is would they? Raptors at shot it well all night as they were shooting 56% from the field. The 4th started with a mid range jumper from Kapono. The Bulls would answer. Nocinoni had a chance to cut the lead further but would miss the 3 pointer. Bosh would get on the glass and allow Joey Graham to get to the line and make a pair from it. After a slow start Joey was doing well. Raptors were as a team up 87-77. A steal for Joey and he set up Parker for an open 3 pointer but he would miss it. Raptors were not allowing any easy baskets as they fouled Ben Gordon hard. He would make both. But Joey Graham was heating up as he had 2 more and had 13 on the night. Raptors lead 89-80. The Raptors were showing some toughness that we had not seen at any point this season that I can recall. Ben Gordon would make a jump shot and cut the Raptor lead to 7 with the score 89-82.

Full marks to Jose Calderon as he had out played Derrick Rose to this point. Ben Gordon was the one guy keeping the Bulls in it. He made another running jumper to cut the lead to 5. A three second call on the Raptors would give Bulls a chance to cut the lead more. However Nocioni would miss a 3 pointer. Kapono would miss as well and the Bulls with another chance to score would do so. Jose Calderon would get a much needed basket to push lead to 91-86. Gordon would find his way to the line though and make a pair and the lead was back to just three. A Bosh miss and Bulls had a chance to tie or pull to down 1. Deng would make it happen for the Bulls. Calderon would look to get it to Bosh who would deliver. A Bulls turnover which was a frequent occurrence in this game would lead to Joey Graham heading to the line for two after a time out on the floor.

This was one of the better effort we had seen from the Raptors in quite some time. Graham would miss his first but make his second. Deng would score on the other end and the Raptor lead was just 94-92. Rose would foul Calderon and send him to the line where he had not missed all year and would not here. Raptors lead 96-92 as Jose was 78 for 78 from the line on the year. Andrea Bargnani would foul Noah but he would miss a pair. After that Noah would pick up his 6th foul ending his night and sending Bargnani to the line with 4:38 to go. Bargnani would split a pair and the Raptors lead 97-92. Nocioni would try a 3 pointer but would not make it and Raptors claim the board. They would miss but get on the offensive glass and that would get Parker a open look from 3 point range in the corner and he made it. Raptors lead was up to 8 with the score 100-92. Joey Graham was hot tonight making another jumper and he was 6-7 on the night. He would take that effort back with him on defense helping the Raptors get a stop. Raptors would have the ball up 10 with 2:48 to go. Jose Calderon would get a score and he had 18 on the night and the Raptors lead was a dozen. Andrea Bargnani would pretty much seal it up with a 3 pointer and Raptors lead 107-92. Adding insult to injury for the Bulls Calderon would jack up a 3 pointer and nail it. Calderon would continue to see his point total rise and his free throw record with 2 more from the line. He would get to take a seat after he had an amazing return with 23 points and 10 assists. The Raptors would have their first win since beating the Grizzlies at home on January 9th. It was a 114-94 white washing of the Bulls.

Full marks to a couple guys that I take issue with. Jose Calderon was they guy that was advertised when this season began with an outstanding night. Also Joey Graham really got after it tonight and was great. Given the way Moon has played of late I never thought I would say this but put Joey G in the starting line-up. A Boxscore worth looking at for a change.

Raps/Bulls Boxscore

This looked a lot like the team that was advertised at the start of the season. I will point out this was just one game and in and of itself does not mean a lot. However when you have lost 7 straight games...Screw that enjoy this win folks because not only did the Raptors earn it, but so have all of us for having to watch the 7 games before this one. Raptors will look to make it 2 in a row against the Kings on Sunday night. If they have half the effort and energy they showed tonight they should do that easily.

State of The Raptors Address

Maybe this is inspired by watching all of the events of yesterday with Barack Obama. I could not help but think of the contrast to what I was watching, in comparison to the Raptors situation. I have always tried to keep a somewhat positive approach to what the Dino Nation Blog is all about. That goes in contrast to all that is going on at this moment and time in the Raptor world. In watching Barack Obama take office you could not hide from the true hope that he has created, not just in America but around the globe. Hope is a rapidly fading word in the Raptor fan vocabulary. I find it sad that people be little those who are hopeful. If you have faith, that this team can turn around and make some form of a sporting miracle happen. Do not let anyone break that spirit of hope. I may not share that hope and may tell you why that is. I just remember back, to being a child and always having true blind faith that the team I loved would win. I truly believe that we all have that experience in us. Just like with all things as we grow older things change. How you view something like Christmas as kid is vastly different, from the one you have as an adult.

There is a lot of anger in Raptor fans and that is a justified anger in many ways. You were promised a better team that would compete and be better. You have not been given that. You expect at least to be able to watch this team win or lose. That has not happened with the whole TSN 2 mess, you have not even been given that right. Chris Bosh has been angry as well. He has not been thrilled with a lot of things. The latest of which would be the choices made by Jamario Moon down the stretch. He has also not been thrilled to have people booing him. I agree with him on that one. Bosh has made his share of mistakes he is not perfect. That being said he has grown into a star and a leader in front of all the people that follow this team. To often in this world it is all about what have you done for us lately. The history of what you have accomplished gets swept under the rug. But the true answer to all of this tension that exists has very little to do with the play of Bosh. It is based out of fear of the unknown. Chris Bosh and his future, in these times of trouble have become the focus. People just assume that he will leave like all the others before him. We have all hard what happens to those who assume right? You do not know what Chris Bosh will do. I am not even sure if Bosh knows the answer himself to be honest. He strikes me as a guy that lives in the moment.

This may be why Bryan Colangelo may just be making a major shift in the Raptors overall gameplan for the long term. The original plan was to ride Jermaine O'Neal for a couple years and cash in his contract to build around Chris Bosh. It was the thought that hopefully the Raptors could at worst be in a similar spot to where they had been a playoff team. But the best case was they would take steps to improve and advance in the playoffs. But things don't go as planned in life. If they did we may have been saying Madam President today. Hillary Clinton was expected to win, the Democratic nomination was going to be Clinton's to lose and on to the presidency. However no one counted on a man of colour named Barack Obama coming along and inspiring the youth of America and beyond. We all know what happened from there. The point is that life can always offer surprises both good and bad.The Raptors have gone off course and it will not be fixed over night. I have written before in this blog that it is easy to say you want change. It is a much different task to accomplish change. But with ever loss it is clear this team needs change.

Colangelo is in a very hard spot that he has placed himself in. He now faces the task of admitting his own failure and coming up with a new plan and implementing that plan. What the plan seems to be is a shift from looking to 2010 and change the focus to 2009. He does not want to see his star player endure another losing season and have to try to pitch to him to return after that. The new call or new hope is to become a player in the 2009 free agent market and build a team around Bosh that he can believe in. It will be much easier to compete in that free agent market as everyone still has dreams of landing the many big prizes. It also will give Colangelo control to not over pay as he could still wait till 2010 if need be. That is why a player like Shawn Marion was such an attractive option. The goal is turn the Jermaine O'Neal contract into cap space in 2009 and start to rebuild this Raptor team. Least that is the signals we are being given.

It is clear that Bosh is looking for help and has seen little beyond the recent surge of Andrea Bargnani. He has shown his frustration both in his facial expression and his words after the last loss. What happen in this next month leading up to the NBA trade deadline will tell us a lot about where this team is heading. It will speak to the direction this franchise is going in how it plans to keep it franchise player. Nothing is ever for certain but Colangelo has consistently stated that he is looking to build around Chris Bosh.

It has been a season of falling idols in Toronto. Bryan Colangelo is no longer thought to be the man who has all the answers. He is now questioned loudly and with good reason based on a track record that has had more misses then hits. After his first year in which the team would have a great deal of success and win a division title it has been a rather quick slide down. Jamario Moon was a fairly tale find that stormed on to the scene but now looks like someone that was only meant to have 15 minutes of fame. Jose Calderon emerged from the Raptor point guard civil war as the winner. He was suppose to ride that victory and new contract to the All Star Game. Instead he has spent time on the IR and when he has been in the line up looked far from the top point guard in the east some folks billed him to be. Jermaine O'Neal was brought in as the hope to lead the Raptors to the next level. But a change of jersey has not changed the fact O'Neal and his body have been through quite a lot in his long NBA career. Just like a Tracy Mcgrady that came straight out of high school and faced many injuries in his career. You wonder if J.O's career has seen it's best days and this is the beginning of the end. Bosh himself was on an extreme high coming off an Olympic Gold. He was considered one of the big reasons for the U.S being able to rise to the top of International basketball again. He returned to the Raptors and started the season where is Olympic experience ended. However more recently he has struggled like the rest of his team. He has had several mistakes late in games that have cost the Raptors. The guy that heard chants of M.V.P now reads some questioning if the Raptors should trade him before he decides to leave.

It all makes you wonder just who can we believe in? It is hard to have faith in people that have disappointed you. It is clear for any Raptor fan that this season has been a disappointment and a painful one indeed. This tells you a lot about people and the character that they have. That is true of all, not just the people that make up this organization but of us as fans of it. Is it really productive to tear people down and kick them as they are down? You see a lot of that these days. I am even guilty of it from time to time. I was live-blogging for The Score and it was the game between the Celtics and Suns. I mentioned my frustration of the Raptors recent struggles earlier in the day. A Boston fan responded and said that he understood. After all his team was struggling with about 20 wins in the season the Raptors were champs of the Atlantic Division.

The Celtics were able to make major changes and do it very quickly. The Raptors road to change may not be so fast. The Celtics do have an advantage of being a franchise with a history that is one of the greatest in all of pro sports. People still question if the Raptors can bring American stars to Canada. It is an old problem that people still wonder if it will ever go away. However as the world we live in gets smaller and access to things becomes easier no matter where you live. It makes it more possible to have a lot of the comforts of home with you where ever you go. The time has come to flip the script on the issue. Canada is an opportunity for NBA players to not just have fans in one city but in a whole nation. We need to be proud of what Toronto offers and confident that people will see that. Vince Carter became a star here and so has Chris Bosh. The old arguments that you can not be successful in Toronto are not true. It takes finding the guys that can believe in that and see the true opportunity Canada offers.

In the end things may get worse before they get better. However being a sports fan is all about faith and hope. Barack Obama has created a message of hope and faith that the world has embraced. It is time for someone in this Raptor Organization to step up and provide that faith and hope. The difference is that before someone can do that for the Raptors they must restore faith and hope about them. This has been a sad season to watch in many ways. Despite myself having some success. Not just me but other bloggers as well like the guys at Raptors Republic. They have joined a network like the Dino Nation Blog has done. I congratulate them on that and know it is pretty exciting from my own experience. We are all tied into this Raptor experience. The challenges that this team has faced will bring out a lot of the worst in all of us. But it also says a lot about the character of all of us. That goes from you all the way to Bryan Colangelo. May we all at the other side of all of this be able to look back on these times as part of the struggle. After all the goal for everyone is for the Raptors and Obama to come together in more then just a blog. They will be building a basketball court at the White House we are told. The Raptors hope one day to get a tour of that court as part of a visit as NBA Champions. That idea seems so far away at this moment in time. However that is what you have to do is hang on to visions like that. Does it seem realistic? Not at all. Do I know how we reach that point? Don't know that answer as well. But what I do know is that if you loose faith and hope in everything you can never find an answer. If this blog took that attitude it never would have got to where it is at. Each day it takes giving the best you have each day. This Raptor team needs to start doing that and if that best is not good enough. Then change must come to the Raptors and it will. It is not a pretty picture but we can all still hold out hope for a better tomorrow. To often of late it is all about what this team can not do. The task ahead of the Raptors may seem hard and impossible. But the one that faces Barack Obama is far greater and far more important. But his supporters say YES WE CAN. Well there needs to be a lot more of that attitude here with Raptors. As the Raptors head into a game with the Pistons tonight losers of 6 straight it may be as simple as that for this team to truly find a way to say YES WE CAN and believe it.