Has there been a more bizarre week in the history of the NBA? Chris Paul is trapped in New Orleans with no signs of getting out. Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando and then he kinda does, but then he says he loves you Orlando but hates Otis Smith. Kobe is pissed and it isn't about Mike Brown, it is about Lamar Odom being traded for next to nothing. This because Odom had his feelings hurt and wife yell at him for almost getting traded to New Orleans. Instead a Kardashian in the city of the world's most famous porn movie seems fitting to me. David Stern jokes are all the rage on twitter. Kevin Garnett has taken Stern off his Christmas card list and does not like this demanding schedule. In terms of former Raptors , Vince is a Mav, T.J a Spur and Kris Humphries is single in life and in the NBA without a team. My main guy Reggie Evans is also on the list of players that are homeless and likely saying trade Chris Paul and Howard already. Kwame Brown is making millions still. Mark Jackson will regret leaving ESPN before Kwame is cut? Big Baby has been sent to Magic Kingdom. Rumours he was to big for some of the rides at Disney World are 100% true. Meanwhile Kendrick Perkins looks like he lost a small person in terms of weight. The number is said to be 30 pounds it looks more like 50.
This and about 500 other things have happened in the last week or so. Aside from Stern botching the whole Chris Paul situation to the point that Paul is thinking of suing the league in an attempt to get his freedom. I know I joke but this is actually true. He would sue for damages and a court order to allow him to be traded to Lakers or the Clippers. Problem is the season starts in 11 days. By the time a court hears this case it may well be the All-Star Break. That was a joke but to get a ruling from a court during the holidays in under 11 days? I see that as highly unlikely. Here is an idea have David Stern and Chris Paul go on Judge Judy. I mean hell the NBA has been embarrassed a ton already why not go all the way. Who wouldn't enjoy Judge Judy yelling at both Stern and Paul? I know I would.
Cory Joesph has had trouble suiting up for the Spurs. Some legal issues about working in the States. This just seems bizarre seeing as he played for the Longhorns in the same state that he is playing his pro ball. Tristan Thompson did not have the same issues as even the government is fearful of the wrath of Dan Gilbert. Once Joesph is able to play he will have a very familiar face in former Longhorn T.J Ford. This should help Joesph learn the ropes a little faster. It will also cut down on his minutes on the down side. As for Thompson for now he will be coming off the bench behind longtime vet Antwan Jamison. He makes his debut at home against the Raptors on the 26th. Be make his pre-season debut on NBA T.V on Friday vs the Pistons.
Proof not only Raptor trades fail. O.J Mayo for the 2nd time in under a year was off to the Pacers only to see the deal fall apart. This one falling apart had nothing to do with David Stern or Michael Jordan. While one of the big prizes in Free Agency has done the far from normal thing of staying with the team he was with. Nene was never coming to Toronto according to Leandro Barbosa because it was to cold. But it does snow in Denver right? Or has Tim Tebow made it a tropical island? Regardless Nene is staying in the land of Tebow with the Nuggets not the Broncos.
There is no doubt I will be talking about at least some of these things tonight on the Radio 12ish am on CJLO on The Sports Grind.
Showing posts with label Chris Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Paul. Show all posts
12/14/11
3/8/11
"NBAz in 7 Dayz"
Blame the Media. Those insignificant sensational story crafters who cart cameras and recorders to every game documenting our every word. Unbelievable. Miami Heat Head Coach Eric Spoelstra has dug himself in a hole and lost the shovel. In a press conference following their disastrous loss to the Chicago Bulls, Coach Spoelstra made the following statement, "There are a couple of guys crying there in the locker room". He later retracts this statement claiming there was no noise or emotion and blames the media for creating what he calls "Crygate". This is why most members of the media carry a recording device in addition to some other form of note taking tool so there is no chance of any coach or player pulling a "Spoelstra". Especially when camera crews record you making the statement, there is no way this is the media's blunder. All he did here was reveal the Miami Heat are softer mentally than first originally thought if indeed there were tears shed in Miami's locker room. As a Head Coach trying to prove his team can compete as an elite team in the NBA, this tops the long list of things you don't talk about. LeBron James is taking responsibility for what he calls letting his team down in the final minutes of Heat games. Finally, someone in that club showing some leadership arising from this mess. But don't get too excited - let's see if actions speak louder than words for the remainder of the season. A team taking this statement to heart? The Los Angeles Lakers. Let's discuss their winning streak since All-Star break, Dwight Howard's suspension and Chris Paul taken off the court on a stretcher.
See Dave? It's Science.
What were you doing one year ago today? Well, the Los Angeles Lakers were winning five of their first 10 games after the All-Star break, lost six of their final nine and hung on by a thread to make the playoffs. The Boston Celtics pulled the same prank on us wining as many games as they lost with a 27-27 record after Christmas. But who was in the NBA Final? Boston and Los Angeles.
So this year, no one need be fooled. Sure, the San Antonio Spurs have the best record in the NBA right now (51-12). But as of Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only team without a loss since the All-Star break. Their win on Monday came after beating San Antonio 99-83. So the Lakers are showing they have not faded into the sunset and are ready to defend their title. Having said this, the remainder of the season won't be easy. Take a look at their upcoming road trip: Atlanta on Tuesday, Miami on Thursday and Dallas on Saturday. No walk in the park that's for sure. When they return home, they start a stretch of 7 home games beginning with the new and improved Orlando Magic. They have a long way to go to make the final dance but at least they are looking ready to face the music.
Van Gundy stands by his man
The NBA has awarded the first league suspension for excessive technical fouls. Pause for a second to think about this (if you don't know already) and say who first comes to mind. If you said Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, you would be right. If you said his Coach would subsequently read him the riot act, you would be wrong. Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy says he thinks his star center has shown restraint this season and believes his sense of control has been "amazing". Amazing or not, Dwight Howard is a candidate for MVP honours this season and a league first suspension for excessive technical fouls does not look good on a resume. Howard served his one-game suspension by sitting out Orlando's 89-85 loss to Portland Monday night. This comes after his 16th technical foul of the season against Chicago last Friday. Now, for every two technical fouls he receives for the remainder of the season, he will receive a one game suspension. Coach Van Gundy claims (according to a Elias Sports Bureau statistic) Howard has been fouled 593 times this season without any of those calls being labeled flagrant. There's an old saying I learned at a very young age, "You can't control want happens to you but you can control how you react". If the stat Coach Van Gundy is quoting is true, that would make any player upset. But does that give you a license to argue, get in the referee's face and impede the ability of your team to advance in the game at hand? No. I realize there is an inherent inconsistency in the way any infractions are called in the NBA and in any sport for that matter since you don't have the same referee calling each game. But they are all playing by the same rules which govern the league and for the most part, are on the same page. Dwight Howard is not a bad guy and is a talented player. If he has shown restraint as Van Gundy claims, that's great. It just wasn't enough against Chicago and won't be for the rest of the season if this keeps up. Good call or bad call, he is the one who opened his mouth.
Chris Paul taken off on a stretcher
In the Hornet's game against Cleveland Sunday night, Chris Paul left the floor on a stretcher after hitting his forehead on the shoulder of Cleveland guard Ramon Sessions. He was fully conscious the whole time and never lost feeling anywhere according to Hornets management. He was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for precautionary tests and later rejoined the team at the arena, leaving with them on their charter flight to Chicago. He missed Monday's 77-85 loss to Chicago and no word yet on his return. He was diagnosed with a concussion and this is where I become concerned. I realize everyone has varying recovery schedules when it comes to concussions but there needs to be a league standard and strict requirements need to be met before any player is allowed to return. It is very disconcerting to me to watch players let their mouth guards dangle out of their mouths, let alone chew on them during a stoppage in play as if it is an expendable item. This piece of equipment aids in reducing the severity of injuries but does not prevent them. What does not reduce the severity of concussions is returning to the game before you are ready. Once you have been concussed, you are susceptible to more concussions and the level of severity can increase. Right now, there is no clear cut standard across the NBA and some players are able to just walk back on the court with no real hoops to jump through, if you will. This is a real problem in my opinion and if the league is serious about preventing these types of injuries, they need to set standards now before we see players forced to leave the game for good.
Thank you for joining me today. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw). See you on Thursday for more NBA coverage and a look toward the playoffs in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".
See Dave? It's Science.
What were you doing one year ago today? Well, the Los Angeles Lakers were winning five of their first 10 games after the All-Star break, lost six of their final nine and hung on by a thread to make the playoffs. The Boston Celtics pulled the same prank on us wining as many games as they lost with a 27-27 record after Christmas. But who was in the NBA Final? Boston and Los Angeles.
So this year, no one need be fooled. Sure, the San Antonio Spurs have the best record in the NBA right now (51-12). But as of Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only team without a loss since the All-Star break. Their win on Monday came after beating San Antonio 99-83. So the Lakers are showing they have not faded into the sunset and are ready to defend their title. Having said this, the remainder of the season won't be easy. Take a look at their upcoming road trip: Atlanta on Tuesday, Miami on Thursday and Dallas on Saturday. No walk in the park that's for sure. When they return home, they start a stretch of 7 home games beginning with the new and improved Orlando Magic. They have a long way to go to make the final dance but at least they are looking ready to face the music.
Van Gundy stands by his man
The NBA has awarded the first league suspension for excessive technical fouls. Pause for a second to think about this (if you don't know already) and say who first comes to mind. If you said Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, you would be right. If you said his Coach would subsequently read him the riot act, you would be wrong. Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy says he thinks his star center has shown restraint this season and believes his sense of control has been "amazing". Amazing or not, Dwight Howard is a candidate for MVP honours this season and a league first suspension for excessive technical fouls does not look good on a resume. Howard served his one-game suspension by sitting out Orlando's 89-85 loss to Portland Monday night. This comes after his 16th technical foul of the season against Chicago last Friday. Now, for every two technical fouls he receives for the remainder of the season, he will receive a one game suspension. Coach Van Gundy claims (according to a Elias Sports Bureau statistic) Howard has been fouled 593 times this season without any of those calls being labeled flagrant. There's an old saying I learned at a very young age, "You can't control want happens to you but you can control how you react". If the stat Coach Van Gundy is quoting is true, that would make any player upset. But does that give you a license to argue, get in the referee's face and impede the ability of your team to advance in the game at hand? No. I realize there is an inherent inconsistency in the way any infractions are called in the NBA and in any sport for that matter since you don't have the same referee calling each game. But they are all playing by the same rules which govern the league and for the most part, are on the same page. Dwight Howard is not a bad guy and is a talented player. If he has shown restraint as Van Gundy claims, that's great. It just wasn't enough against Chicago and won't be for the rest of the season if this keeps up. Good call or bad call, he is the one who opened his mouth.
Chris Paul taken off on a stretcher
In the Hornet's game against Cleveland Sunday night, Chris Paul left the floor on a stretcher after hitting his forehead on the shoulder of Cleveland guard Ramon Sessions. He was fully conscious the whole time and never lost feeling anywhere according to Hornets management. He was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for precautionary tests and later rejoined the team at the arena, leaving with them on their charter flight to Chicago. He missed Monday's 77-85 loss to Chicago and no word yet on his return. He was diagnosed with a concussion and this is where I become concerned. I realize everyone has varying recovery schedules when it comes to concussions but there needs to be a league standard and strict requirements need to be met before any player is allowed to return. It is very disconcerting to me to watch players let their mouth guards dangle out of their mouths, let alone chew on them during a stoppage in play as if it is an expendable item. This piece of equipment aids in reducing the severity of injuries but does not prevent them. What does not reduce the severity of concussions is returning to the game before you are ready. Once you have been concussed, you are susceptible to more concussions and the level of severity can increase. Right now, there is no clear cut standard across the NBA and some players are able to just walk back on the court with no real hoops to jump through, if you will. This is a real problem in my opinion and if the league is serious about preventing these types of injuries, they need to set standards now before we see players forced to leave the game for good.
Thank you for joining me today. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw). See you on Thursday for more NBA coverage and a look toward the playoffs in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".
3/1/11
G-Tech Star Returns To Toronto
I can honestly say I was pretty stunned on the Monday after the All-Star Weekend the new came out that former Raptor Jarrett Jack had been arrested for DUI in his home of Atlanta. Jarrett was one of the more stand-up people I have come across in covering basketball in terms of dealing with the media. People genuinely liked him and respected the fact he was always willing to talk win or lose. He was regarded as a leader in the Raptor locker room in his short time with the club. So it was very sad to see this story and you hope that it is a one time thing and he can get on the right path. You are thankful that he did not kill himself or worse someone else. This is something that we all deal with in our lives NBA Star or not. Hopefully it teaches people not do this or gives someone a second thought before they step behind the wheel of a car. If you can stop one from doing it, then do it. Think why we come down on pro athletes more for this type of transgression is because they can easily afford to pay for a driver, take a limo even take a cab. Yet month after month and year after year we hear story after story of athletes getting in trouble for DUI at some point they need to learn the lesson and let's hope it doesn't take someone getting killed to learn it for others.
That may have nothing to do with tonight's game between the Hornets and Raptors but it is important to speak up and bring light to the subject. Far to many people have lost lives due to impaired driving and it is a serious matter that effects us all as people. In our little fantasy world that is pro sports it is not going good for the Raptors. Bargnani missed the last game with the flu. His status for tonight last reports I saw was still up in the air. While rumours swirl about Chris Paul eventually moving to New York, the future of the Hornets franchise in doubt with league stepping in and buying the team, it has not stopped the Hornets from being one of the bigger surprises in the NBA this season.They sit 5th in the Western Conference and as it stands now would have a first round playoff date with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The one thing you can take heart is despite the Raptors struggles, the team existence is never in question under the ownership of MLSE. That being said after 16 years Raptors fans seem fed up. MLSE even announced lowering prices on tickets next season. A response to the drop in attendance and fan interest this season. A surprising move still from a company that has not always responded in this way. Leaf fans are very jealous. But there is always that whole question of if there will be a season to deal with.
The Basics: Hornets 35-26 ( 3-7 in Last 10) Raptors 16-44 (11-20 at ACC)
When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors started the game as if they were shot cannon a 22-3 start only to fade and burnout like a comet. The Mavericks by the end of it had laid a pretty serious butt kicking on the Raptors. As mentioned the Raptors were without Andrea Bargnani and While DeRozan was good he could not take his game up a level to make up for the loss. Nor could the rest of the Raptors.
Key Match-ups: Raise your hand if you are worried about Chris Paul being matched-up with Jose Calderon. For all those that raised your hand....me too. Calderon has had some successful nights vs Paul though. One of more successful you have to go back to New Year's Eve 2007. Calderon had 17 points and 12 assists while Paul bettered his numbers with 23 points 16 assists and 7 rebounds it was the Raptors getting the 97-92 win in New Orleans. But Calderon is not the same guy now as he was then. You can argue Paul isn't as well. But an injury free season is getting Paul back in the conversation as on the best point guards in the league. In that game back in 2007 David West had 33 points to lead all scorers. He has done well in his career against the Raptors. Shutting him down will also be a big factor. Bayless, Jack, Belinelli all will be playing against former team and could have some added pep in their step. Another problem for the Raptors will be Emeka Okafor who has adjusted nicely since coming from the Bobcats to join the Hornets.
Other Things of Note: Hornets have dominated the all-time serious between these 2 with a 30-18 advantage all-time. Hornets back in January came up with a 85-81 win and will look to return the favour from last season and sweep the Raptors and surprisingly the Raptors swept them in 2009-10 season. How good is Chris Paul? Here is how he compares to 2 hall of famers in Magic and Isiah through 400 games :
- Magic Johnson Steals: 944 Points: 7248 Assists: 4097
- Chris Paul Steals:960 Points: 7576 Assists: 3982
- Isiah Thomas Steals: 934 Points: 8307 Points:4109
You can see why the Knicks might have some interest in him. This is the last game for the Raptors before they make the long trip to London for back to back games with the Nets. Who also have a really good point guard in Williams. Paul and Williams in the same division with Rondo and Holiday as well. Raptors need to upgrade at the point guard spot if they hope to compete in the new Atlantic Division. Myck Kabongo potentially could be a guy that could do that. But he has yet to even play a college game yet. Raptors would like to head to England on a positive but that is going to be difficult.
Where Is On? Sportsnet 1 ( Hockey Trade Deadline Coverage apparently is not done yet.)
10/25/10
On The Eve Of A New Season.
Yesterday was out at the Raptors Fan Jam and had a good time. Got to meet a bunch of people and some longtime readers of the DNB. I am putting together a feature for Wednesday with thoughts from all the people I talked to about the upcoming season. Tomorrow will be our annual NBA Preview with a special guest in Myck Kabongo. I interviewed Myck last week to get his thoughts on the upcoming NBA season and I will add in my thoughts to go along with that interview. Two seasons ago I nailed that NBA Finals and Champion calling for L.A to defeat the Magic. Last season I picked the Cavs to beat the Lakers (Thanks Lebron) and that didn't happen. What I did get right was the coach of the year in Scott Brooks. I always want to be right with my picks but to get everything right is almost impossible.
The dark cloud that is going to hang over this entire NBA Season is the lack of an agreement on a CBA. In recent days the actions of both the league office and the NBAPA do not give you a lot of optimism they will find a deal. The league throwing out words like contraction does not exactly help things. I did have someone ask me if the Raptors would ever get contracted. First of all, I think the whole suggestion of contraction is an idle threat. In the 4 major sports there has never been contraction of a franchise. It almost always is re-location of franchises. But even if contraction were to happen the Raptors would not be in danger for a number of reasons. First and foremost they are profitable. The idea of contraction is to get rid of teams that are dragging down the league as a whole. Teams that are not making money or barely scrapping by. That is not the Raptors and even if attendance takes a dip this season it won't be the Raptors. The second reason is David Stern. It was his idea to expand to Canada and the fact the Grizzlies failed is one of his great regrets. As long as he is running the league I can not imagine the Raptors not being safe. Also as much as we all may complain at times about MLSE, the fact that they are on more then secure financial ground is a reason the Raptors can last for the long term.
Future of Mello and Chris Paul- Carmelo Anthony if Denver does nothing will become a free agent and be the marquee name on the Free Agent Market. Having a new G.M from our very own Raptors organization makes the chances of that happening pretty slim that Denver will stand pat. Many feel it is not if Anthony will be traded it is more a case of when. As the season start is now hours away, it would seem clear prior to the season is not going to happen. So the question will be when and until it happens you can expect rumours to fly throughout the season. If the Knicks get off to a slow start this will make the pressure on them to make a deal and get Anthony even more so. That is the team that most feel is on the top of the list of where Anthony wants to go. Also you have Chris Paul sitting in New Orleans and not exactly thrilled to be there. The Hornets can afford to be more picky though with Paul under contract for the next 2 seasons. However if he really is unhappy that is not going to do anything for team moral of a franchise that real needs to turn things around. You want to talk about a team in trouble in terms of being a viable NBA franchise the Hornets would make the top of that list.
Miami Miami Miami- If Lebron James sneezes there may well be a story about it. This season is regardless of if the actually win a title going to be ALL ABOUT THE HEAT. This is like Boston's Big 3 X100. Garnett, Allen and Pierce was a great 3 some but no one thought they could be contenders for a decade if they stuck together. These 3 guys can regardless of if you like it or not. The MWO is not going anywhere anytime soon. They are going to be talked about good, bad or indifferent for the entire season. Already some turbulence with an injury to Mike Miller that may see him out till January. Heat go out and sign Jerry Stackhouse. Basically losing on any night is not an option for this team. Obviously they are not going 82-0 but with ever loss will come a huge amount of drama. But when you throw a Championship style celebration before you win anything and say you are not just out to win this year, but for the next 5 or 6 years, that comes with the territory.
K.D for MVP- Kevin Durant has had a big summer and as fast as Lebron James star has fallen, Kevin Durant has watched his rise. His Thunder made the playoffs last season (I called that one too) and they gave the eventual Champion Lakers there toughest test on the road to the Finals. NBA Elite 11 with him on the cover may never see the light of day but nothing can stop K.D from making the Jump to NBA Ultra Elite in being considered one of the top 3 players in the game. The team around him is growing better as well and at the top of that list is his point guard Westbrook. I like K.D and his Thunder to do EVEN BIGGER THINGS this season. Part of that is K.D living up to the hype as a front runner for the MVP. Greg Who? Yeah Oden was worth that #1 pick wasn't he. While he racks up medical bills Durant is racking up Gold Medals and soon trophies.
Wall vs Griffin - Blake Griffin had he been healthy was the pre-season run away pick to be Rookie of the Year last season. John Wall is that guy this year. But wait a second, Griffin can win that award as well. In rare situation you have two number 1 picks and only one Rookie of the Year Trophy. If you are trying to look for an edge in this it likely goes to Wall. Clippers even if they do turn the corner are still in a tough Western Conference. While the Wizards play in the East where a playoff spot is a much easier goal to get. If the numbers are similar in case of a tie the team in the playoffs will take the prize. Both should be fun to watch and if Griffin has no issues health wise he will push Wall all season to be Rookie of the Year. The gap between these 2 and everyone else is large. The only guy that stands a chance to get in this conversation outside of these two is Cousins in Sacramento.
Kobe - Has there ever been an off-season he was talked about less? This is a guy that thrives on motivation. Phil Jackson is back as well and the chances he sticks around much longer are growing slimmer each year. So combining those two things, and the chance to 3-Peat all make you think sleeping on the Lakers might be a mistake. Injuries have been a big part of the story with Kobe and he still has not had surgery on that troublesome finger. His team also has issues with injuries or more to the point Andrew Bynum does. But the Lakers quietly added some nice parts to improve their depth. Steve Blake could have an impact on the Triangle offence like a Steve Kerr or John Paxson did with Bulls.
Those are 5 big stories that will dominate the season. However the future of the CBA and the Lockout that could happen next season will hang like a dark cloud over it all. It is hard to focus on this season with that hanging over it. Next year's NBA preview might be not about what happens when they play, but if and when they will play. That is something no one should want to happen. More NBA talk tomorrow with Jiggly Bits and The DNB's Season Preview.
The dark cloud that is going to hang over this entire NBA Season is the lack of an agreement on a CBA. In recent days the actions of both the league office and the NBAPA do not give you a lot of optimism they will find a deal. The league throwing out words like contraction does not exactly help things. I did have someone ask me if the Raptors would ever get contracted. First of all, I think the whole suggestion of contraction is an idle threat. In the 4 major sports there has never been contraction of a franchise. It almost always is re-location of franchises. But even if contraction were to happen the Raptors would not be in danger for a number of reasons. First and foremost they are profitable. The idea of contraction is to get rid of teams that are dragging down the league as a whole. Teams that are not making money or barely scrapping by. That is not the Raptors and even if attendance takes a dip this season it won't be the Raptors. The second reason is David Stern. It was his idea to expand to Canada and the fact the Grizzlies failed is one of his great regrets. As long as he is running the league I can not imagine the Raptors not being safe. Also as much as we all may complain at times about MLSE, the fact that they are on more then secure financial ground is a reason the Raptors can last for the long term.
So here is a list of things that should be big stories this season.
Future of Mello and Chris Paul- Carmelo Anthony if Denver does nothing will become a free agent and be the marquee name on the Free Agent Market. Having a new G.M from our very own Raptors organization makes the chances of that happening pretty slim that Denver will stand pat. Many feel it is not if Anthony will be traded it is more a case of when. As the season start is now hours away, it would seem clear prior to the season is not going to happen. So the question will be when and until it happens you can expect rumours to fly throughout the season. If the Knicks get off to a slow start this will make the pressure on them to make a deal and get Anthony even more so. That is the team that most feel is on the top of the list of where Anthony wants to go. Also you have Chris Paul sitting in New Orleans and not exactly thrilled to be there. The Hornets can afford to be more picky though with Paul under contract for the next 2 seasons. However if he really is unhappy that is not going to do anything for team moral of a franchise that real needs to turn things around. You want to talk about a team in trouble in terms of being a viable NBA franchise the Hornets would make the top of that list.
Miami Miami Miami- If Lebron James sneezes there may well be a story about it. This season is regardless of if the actually win a title going to be ALL ABOUT THE HEAT. This is like Boston's Big 3 X100. Garnett, Allen and Pierce was a great 3 some but no one thought they could be contenders for a decade if they stuck together. These 3 guys can regardless of if you like it or not. The MWO is not going anywhere anytime soon. They are going to be talked about good, bad or indifferent for the entire season. Already some turbulence with an injury to Mike Miller that may see him out till January. Heat go out and sign Jerry Stackhouse. Basically losing on any night is not an option for this team. Obviously they are not going 82-0 but with ever loss will come a huge amount of drama. But when you throw a Championship style celebration before you win anything and say you are not just out to win this year, but for the next 5 or 6 years, that comes with the territory.
K.D for MVP- Kevin Durant has had a big summer and as fast as Lebron James star has fallen, Kevin Durant has watched his rise. His Thunder made the playoffs last season (I called that one too) and they gave the eventual Champion Lakers there toughest test on the road to the Finals. NBA Elite 11 with him on the cover may never see the light of day but nothing can stop K.D from making the Jump to NBA Ultra Elite in being considered one of the top 3 players in the game. The team around him is growing better as well and at the top of that list is his point guard Westbrook. I like K.D and his Thunder to do EVEN BIGGER THINGS this season. Part of that is K.D living up to the hype as a front runner for the MVP. Greg Who? Yeah Oden was worth that #1 pick wasn't he. While he racks up medical bills Durant is racking up Gold Medals and soon trophies.
Wall vs Griffin - Blake Griffin had he been healthy was the pre-season run away pick to be Rookie of the Year last season. John Wall is that guy this year. But wait a second, Griffin can win that award as well. In rare situation you have two number 1 picks and only one Rookie of the Year Trophy. If you are trying to look for an edge in this it likely goes to Wall. Clippers even if they do turn the corner are still in a tough Western Conference. While the Wizards play in the East where a playoff spot is a much easier goal to get. If the numbers are similar in case of a tie the team in the playoffs will take the prize. Both should be fun to watch and if Griffin has no issues health wise he will push Wall all season to be Rookie of the Year. The gap between these 2 and everyone else is large. The only guy that stands a chance to get in this conversation outside of these two is Cousins in Sacramento.
Kobe - Has there ever been an off-season he was talked about less? This is a guy that thrives on motivation. Phil Jackson is back as well and the chances he sticks around much longer are growing slimmer each year. So combining those two things, and the chance to 3-Peat all make you think sleeping on the Lakers might be a mistake. Injuries have been a big part of the story with Kobe and he still has not had surgery on that troublesome finger. His team also has issues with injuries or more to the point Andrew Bynum does. But the Lakers quietly added some nice parts to improve their depth. Steve Blake could have an impact on the Triangle offence like a Steve Kerr or John Paxson did with Bulls.
Those are 5 big stories that will dominate the season. However the future of the CBA and the Lockout that could happen next season will hang like a dark cloud over it all. It is hard to focus on this season with that hanging over it. Next year's NBA preview might be not about what happens when they play, but if and when they will play. That is something no one should want to happen. More NBA talk tomorrow with Jiggly Bits and The DNB's Season Preview.
7/27/10
"Jiggly Bits"
Chris Paul has met with the management of the New Orleans Hornets and did not request a trade according to Hornets' General Manager, Dell Demps. In a statement read by Harold Kaufman of the Hornets' management team, this is a direct quotation from Chris Paul commenting on yesterday's meeting: ``I have been a Hornet my entire career and hope to represent the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana for many years to come``. The operative word here is ``hope``. While the meeting came off as positive, we didn`t hear directly from Chris Paul himself (at the time I am writing this) except from a prepared statement. But since this statement is all we have to go on right now, let`s roll with it. This statement sounds more like he`s running for office and not trying to keep or look for a new job in the NBA. Sure, I know sporting events are a welcome distraction from the every day woes of the average fan, but some of these players are being heralded as the second coming of the Holy One himself. The City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana have been through hell and back with Hurricane Katrina and I hope for their sake Chris Paul stays for that reason. But realistically, he is responsible for winning basketball games and the future of the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana is the responsibility of their local governments and the United States Government. Since Chris Paul has two years left on his contract with the Hornets, he has to wait before he has full control of where and when he goes. But the moves he has control over now are the firing and hiring of agents, which he has done. He is now represented by Leon Rose who also represents LeBron James. Paul has also agreed to work with LeBron James` LRMR marketing agency. Hmmm. Maybe he does want to play with LeBron in Miami. But please, for the love of all things sacred and the game of basketball, read the fine print before you declare you hate a player for making a decision based on what`s best for him, instead of the city in which he lives. Now we can move on to some discussion on my stand-out trades and another fine being doled out by the NBA for disparaging comments.
Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant: the new Batman and Robin
I love this move. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But I really don`t think this is a case of anything going beyond trash talk. There is a difference between genuine hate and trash talking rivalry - any athlete knows this. Remember, Matt Barnes went to UCLA and Kobe Bryant personally rallied for Barnes to play in Los Angeles. These are key points. Barnes could have gone to the Cavs for more money and Miami was also on the table of options believe it or not. Think back to last summer and Ron Artest signing with the Lakers. Kobe pushed for him even after physical battles during the regular season and a confrontation in the playoffs. Maybe Barnes is a second choice since Kobe pushed for Raja Bell who ended up with the Utah Jazz - who knows. All I know is, the Lakers are showing they are ready to take on the league and the `three kings` in Miami this season.
T-MAC is `take me back` in Chicago
We have heard this story before. Think back to 10 years ago. Chicago was also in his list of options in 2000 but ended up going from the Raptors to Orlando instead. It was a different time then. The Chicago Bulls were in the post-Jordan era and Tracey McGrady was not willing to take on the baggage. Now he has players like Derrick Rose in favour of him coming to Chicago but I would be a little weary of that. Remember, 10 years ago Derrick Rose was 11 years old right when Tracey McGrady was really becoming `T-MAC`. So this may just be a case of Rose wanting to play with the guy he grew up watching in all those highlight reels. For it to work in Chicago for McGrady this time around, I really don`t see him starting. Maybe as the Bulls` 6th man. There are a few players I wouldn`t want to see minutes taken away from: Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas (more of a proven veteran leader than McGrady), Luol Deng and of course, Carlos Boozer and Rose. Plus, don`t forget about McGrady`s back and knee. I wouldn`t want to see him working the hot-cold baths in the training room while his team is out on the road trying to win basketball games.
David Stern forgot how to add and subtract
This one just kills me. Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Khan was recently fined $50,000 for comments he made about Michael Beasley`s past marijuana use. According to my source, the Timberwolves as a team were also fined for the comments its President made. This means the NBA is collecting $100,000 dollars for comments they feel are equal to the severity of Dan Gilbert`s rant on LeBron James leaving Cleveland. I think Dan Gilbert`s comments on LeBron James are far worse than what David Khan said about Beasley. By the NBA essentially fining both situations $100,000, they are saying both hold the same weight. In a radio interview on an ESPN affiliate, David Khan called Michael Beasley (who was recently acquired by the Timberwolves) ``a very young and imature kid who smoked too much marijuana``. Not a good thing to say about a player who is supposed to be a part of the Timberwolves family and should be fined. Good move on that part. But not status worthy of Dan Gilbert`s hissy fit.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Remember to join me here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing WNBA retiree Lisa Leslie`s life and career chronicled in Don`t Let the Lipstick Fool You. You will agree with the title after you read this book. Happy reading and see you on Thursday.
Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant: the new Batman and Robin
I love this move. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But I really don`t think this is a case of anything going beyond trash talk. There is a difference between genuine hate and trash talking rivalry - any athlete knows this. Remember, Matt Barnes went to UCLA and Kobe Bryant personally rallied for Barnes to play in Los Angeles. These are key points. Barnes could have gone to the Cavs for more money and Miami was also on the table of options believe it or not. Think back to last summer and Ron Artest signing with the Lakers. Kobe pushed for him even after physical battles during the regular season and a confrontation in the playoffs. Maybe Barnes is a second choice since Kobe pushed for Raja Bell who ended up with the Utah Jazz - who knows. All I know is, the Lakers are showing they are ready to take on the league and the `three kings` in Miami this season.
T-MAC is `take me back` in Chicago
We have heard this story before. Think back to 10 years ago. Chicago was also in his list of options in 2000 but ended up going from the Raptors to Orlando instead. It was a different time then. The Chicago Bulls were in the post-Jordan era and Tracey McGrady was not willing to take on the baggage. Now he has players like Derrick Rose in favour of him coming to Chicago but I would be a little weary of that. Remember, 10 years ago Derrick Rose was 11 years old right when Tracey McGrady was really becoming `T-MAC`. So this may just be a case of Rose wanting to play with the guy he grew up watching in all those highlight reels. For it to work in Chicago for McGrady this time around, I really don`t see him starting. Maybe as the Bulls` 6th man. There are a few players I wouldn`t want to see minutes taken away from: Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas (more of a proven veteran leader than McGrady), Luol Deng and of course, Carlos Boozer and Rose. Plus, don`t forget about McGrady`s back and knee. I wouldn`t want to see him working the hot-cold baths in the training room while his team is out on the road trying to win basketball games.
David Stern forgot how to add and subtract
This one just kills me. Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Khan was recently fined $50,000 for comments he made about Michael Beasley`s past marijuana use. According to my source, the Timberwolves as a team were also fined for the comments its President made. This means the NBA is collecting $100,000 dollars for comments they feel are equal to the severity of Dan Gilbert`s rant on LeBron James leaving Cleveland. I think Dan Gilbert`s comments on LeBron James are far worse than what David Khan said about Beasley. By the NBA essentially fining both situations $100,000, they are saying both hold the same weight. In a radio interview on an ESPN affiliate, David Khan called Michael Beasley (who was recently acquired by the Timberwolves) ``a very young and imature kid who smoked too much marijuana``. Not a good thing to say about a player who is supposed to be a part of the Timberwolves family and should be fined. Good move on that part. But not status worthy of Dan Gilbert`s hissy fit.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Remember to join me here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing WNBA retiree Lisa Leslie`s life and career chronicled in Don`t Let the Lipstick Fool You. You will agree with the title after you read this book. Happy reading and see you on Thursday.
7/26/10
NBA Heroes, Villains and Jobbers
The NBA is getting a WWE feel to it beyond the NWO comparisons. If there is a mega baby face in this NBA it is Kevin Durant. In a summer where many peoples reputations have taken hits. Kevin Durant's list of people singing his praises grows. He will be the leader of a Team USA that is far from at full strength. Durant will be the leader of what overall is a very young team U.S.A. They will be challenged up front, with no Bosh or Howard. So it was no surprise that Kevin Durant was the star among stars, in the U.S inter-squad game with 28. For the details on others check this out from the Associated Press.
Most thought Lebron James and Chris Bosh were jerks in how they handled their exits to Miami. In fact, the Bosh rewriting of history continues in Miami. He sure never looked as unhappy as he comes off in media coverage now. Here is a big spread on Bosh in Miami Hearld titled From Raptor to Rapture. Seriously can Miami be anymore cheesy about this? I am sure they can. After all this is the same city that held Shaq a parade when he came.The Miami party continues on till tip off of the NBA Season and beyond. While others outside of Miami may paint Bosh and James as scumbags, it is hard to top Chris Paul.
A meeting is suppose to be taking place today. In that meeting Chris Paul is expected to confirm he wants out in New Orleans. He and his agent seem to have a plan to cut and run on New Orleans. Paul has been rumoured to have his own dreams of building a big 3 in New York with Amare and Carmelo. The only problem is your not a free agent. In fact Mr. Paul is not a free agent for 2 years. But Raptor fans know all about a star player pushing his way out of town....See Vince Carter. Still this leaves an even worse taste in my mouth. Paul was one of the faces of this city, that helped give the city hope after Katrina and the devastation. The Hornets have not had the success of the Saints, winning the Super Bowl this past season. Perhaps that may be part of Paul wanting out, who knows. Safe to the the Saints will always be number 1 team in New Orleans. If Paul follows through on this, he will become an even bigger heel than James. It is one thing for Lebron to leave Cleveland, it is quite another for Paul to leave New Orleans. The city still faces challenges now with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But Paul is no longer the smiling face that helped rebuild this community.
The Front runners in the Paul Derby seem to be The Knicks and Magic. The Lakers are also said to be on Paul's short list. Other teams in the mix include the Mavericks and Trailblazers. It will be interesting to see if New Orleans will get strong armed into trading Paul away. Many feel that Darren Collison is ready to step in and be a starter in the league. But that being said do you really want to trade you star player with a gun placed at your head? It really is a no win situation for the Hornets.
The Raptors have been quiet of late. Antonie Wright is no longer a Raptor. He signed with the Kings over the weekend. It seemed pretty clear from the start the Raptors had little to no interest in keeping him. I was never a fan of him in his short time here. He was a guy never short on words. But very short on action for me. He talked like he was some kind of leader on this team. I would suggest he was a leader in his own mind. Billed to be a defensive stopper coming in last season. He fell short of that and short at a lot of things. He is rapidly becoming a NBA journeyman, as the Kings will be his 4th team, after stops in New Jersey, Dallas and here. The only free agent the Raptors had beyond Bosh that they appeared to have interest in was Amir Johnson. Raptors went above and beyond to sign him. Patrick O'Bryant was at summer league on another team's roster this year. Can you say hello D-League? While Rasho Nesterovic is not likely to be back as well.
Welcome to the last week of July. Hard to believe isn't it? Raptors will need to make some moves before the season you have to figure. Everyone just try to stay cool while you wait. It is hot out there.
Most thought Lebron James and Chris Bosh were jerks in how they handled their exits to Miami. In fact, the Bosh rewriting of history continues in Miami. He sure never looked as unhappy as he comes off in media coverage now. Here is a big spread on Bosh in Miami Hearld titled From Raptor to Rapture. Seriously can Miami be anymore cheesy about this? I am sure they can. After all this is the same city that held Shaq a parade when he came.The Miami party continues on till tip off of the NBA Season and beyond. While others outside of Miami may paint Bosh and James as scumbags, it is hard to top Chris Paul.
A meeting is suppose to be taking place today. In that meeting Chris Paul is expected to confirm he wants out in New Orleans. He and his agent seem to have a plan to cut and run on New Orleans. Paul has been rumoured to have his own dreams of building a big 3 in New York with Amare and Carmelo. The only problem is your not a free agent. In fact Mr. Paul is not a free agent for 2 years. But Raptor fans know all about a star player pushing his way out of town....See Vince Carter. Still this leaves an even worse taste in my mouth. Paul was one of the faces of this city, that helped give the city hope after Katrina and the devastation. The Hornets have not had the success of the Saints, winning the Super Bowl this past season. Perhaps that may be part of Paul wanting out, who knows. Safe to the the Saints will always be number 1 team in New Orleans. If Paul follows through on this, he will become an even bigger heel than James. It is one thing for Lebron to leave Cleveland, it is quite another for Paul to leave New Orleans. The city still faces challenges now with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But Paul is no longer the smiling face that helped rebuild this community.
The Front runners in the Paul Derby seem to be The Knicks and Magic. The Lakers are also said to be on Paul's short list. Other teams in the mix include the Mavericks and Trailblazers. It will be interesting to see if New Orleans will get strong armed into trading Paul away. Many feel that Darren Collison is ready to step in and be a starter in the league. But that being said do you really want to trade you star player with a gun placed at your head? It really is a no win situation for the Hornets.
The Raptors have been quiet of late. Antonie Wright is no longer a Raptor. He signed with the Kings over the weekend. It seemed pretty clear from the start the Raptors had little to no interest in keeping him. I was never a fan of him in his short time here. He was a guy never short on words. But very short on action for me. He talked like he was some kind of leader on this team. I would suggest he was a leader in his own mind. Billed to be a defensive stopper coming in last season. He fell short of that and short at a lot of things. He is rapidly becoming a NBA journeyman, as the Kings will be his 4th team, after stops in New Jersey, Dallas and here. The only free agent the Raptors had beyond Bosh that they appeared to have interest in was Amir Johnson. Raptors went above and beyond to sign him. Patrick O'Bryant was at summer league on another team's roster this year. Can you say hello D-League? While Rasho Nesterovic is not likely to be back as well.
Welcome to the last week of July. Hard to believe isn't it? Raptors will need to make some moves before the season you have to figure. Everyone just try to stay cool while you wait. It is hot out there.
7/23/10
Barnes Out The Door, Hope Not Far Behind?
Well now another would be Raptor is officially on another team. The Raptors after having a deal worked out to acquire Tyson Chandler from Charlotte, would watch him later get traded to Dallas. Now Matt Barnes who had agreed to a deal with Toronto only to have it fall apart is elsewhere officially. News now is that Barnes has signed a deal for far less money with the 2 time champion Lakers. Here are the details from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo. It is another situation where the Raptors miss out on someone in a very public way. It is hard to now stand up there and say, when you make other moves, these were the best ones. Clearly the Raptors had targeted players like Diaw, Chandler and Barnes and they will now become the measuring stick for other deals.
I used earlier in the week the Fred Jones example as having to go with a plan B in terms of signing someone. The Raptors are in bad need of both a legit center and a small forward. It seems hard to imagine the Raptors entering the season with Bargnani at the 5 spot backed up by a second round draft choice that is raw and unproven. The Raptors could use guys more suited to play the 2 and 4 spots to play at small forward, but that would cause issues on defense, for a team that claims to want to improve on that aspect.
It is not like Colangelo will stop trying though. It just is not in his nature to do so. However, if the Raptors remain true to the plan to remain below the tax threshold, the amount of wiggle room is very small. Colangelo has stated in interviews that although the Raptors had plans to venture into the Tax Threshold, those plans were based on having a re-signed Chris Bosh. No Bosh, and no tax seems to be the result. So that eliminates a lot of options. Including the use of that massive trade exception from the Bosh deal. It seems pretty clear the Raptors plan on holding that till next season, or at the earliest the trade deadline. It would take out of play the idea of trading for an Andrea Iguodala unless Philadelphia were to consider Calderon and some expiring contracts.
I am sure Bryan Colangelo has a plan. But what letter plan are we down to now? Plan C? D? It just does not look promising. This team as constructed now is no where close to being a playoff team in the East. This is without taking into account that Chris Paul is trying to force his way out of New Orleans we are told. He has given 3 options for his destination and one would hurt the Raptors very badly being the New York Knicks. According to the New York Post the Knicks are willing to trade anyone and anything other than Amare to land Paul. Adding Paul to the Knicks makes them a playoff team for sure in my opinion. The Raptors would tumble to at best 3rd in the division and with many teams in the east upgrading, hard to see Raptors being able to hold ground. Also, you may be aware of comments Paul is said to have made about establishing a New York big 3, with himself, Carmelo Anthony and Amare. I like the Young Guns as much as anyone but they are not on the level of these threesomes that are popping up in the East.
But Colangelo seems focused on what he can do under the new CBA. In the moves he tried to pull off their was a clear focus on clearing cap for the first free agency in 2012 after a new CBA would be in place. The hope being that it will be a much more tighter cap system and thus increase the value of cap room. While it would also decrease the amount of teams able to compete in the free agent market. Things like the out and out end to the Mid Level Exception have been thrown out there as possibilities under the new CBA. Even some hardliners talking about a hard cap at the end of it all. No one knows for sure the exact outcome. But everyone is predicting at the end of it the players side is going to lose. The sale of a team for 450 million dollars is not going to stop the NBA from pushing for a much tighter deal in the next CBA.
You must commend Colangelo for thinking ahead to this. When you consider he has still yet to sign an extension with the Raptors as he enters the final year of his deal. Most G.M's would try to save their own butt and say the heck with the future. But B.C clearly has one eye on this season and one eye on the NBA's new reality in a new CBA.
Unless something major breaks I am off for the weekend. Raptors are holding Dance Pak auditions, and sadly I have been passed over as a guest judge. If you are over the age of 18, and have 2 years of dance experience, and are female, you can take your shot to join the dance pak. Auditions start at 11am Saturday and you need to be at Gate 1 by 10 am according to the press release the Raptors issued. There you can get all signed up and registered. Good Luck to all the ladies that try out.
I used earlier in the week the Fred Jones example as having to go with a plan B in terms of signing someone. The Raptors are in bad need of both a legit center and a small forward. It seems hard to imagine the Raptors entering the season with Bargnani at the 5 spot backed up by a second round draft choice that is raw and unproven. The Raptors could use guys more suited to play the 2 and 4 spots to play at small forward, but that would cause issues on defense, for a team that claims to want to improve on that aspect.
It is not like Colangelo will stop trying though. It just is not in his nature to do so. However, if the Raptors remain true to the plan to remain below the tax threshold, the amount of wiggle room is very small. Colangelo has stated in interviews that although the Raptors had plans to venture into the Tax Threshold, those plans were based on having a re-signed Chris Bosh. No Bosh, and no tax seems to be the result. So that eliminates a lot of options. Including the use of that massive trade exception from the Bosh deal. It seems pretty clear the Raptors plan on holding that till next season, or at the earliest the trade deadline. It would take out of play the idea of trading for an Andrea Iguodala unless Philadelphia were to consider Calderon and some expiring contracts.
I am sure Bryan Colangelo has a plan. But what letter plan are we down to now? Plan C? D? It just does not look promising. This team as constructed now is no where close to being a playoff team in the East. This is without taking into account that Chris Paul is trying to force his way out of New Orleans we are told. He has given 3 options for his destination and one would hurt the Raptors very badly being the New York Knicks. According to the New York Post the Knicks are willing to trade anyone and anything other than Amare to land Paul. Adding Paul to the Knicks makes them a playoff team for sure in my opinion. The Raptors would tumble to at best 3rd in the division and with many teams in the east upgrading, hard to see Raptors being able to hold ground. Also, you may be aware of comments Paul is said to have made about establishing a New York big 3, with himself, Carmelo Anthony and Amare. I like the Young Guns as much as anyone but they are not on the level of these threesomes that are popping up in the East.
But Colangelo seems focused on what he can do under the new CBA. In the moves he tried to pull off their was a clear focus on clearing cap for the first free agency in 2012 after a new CBA would be in place. The hope being that it will be a much more tighter cap system and thus increase the value of cap room. While it would also decrease the amount of teams able to compete in the free agent market. Things like the out and out end to the Mid Level Exception have been thrown out there as possibilities under the new CBA. Even some hardliners talking about a hard cap at the end of it all. No one knows for sure the exact outcome. But everyone is predicting at the end of it the players side is going to lose. The sale of a team for 450 million dollars is not going to stop the NBA from pushing for a much tighter deal in the next CBA.
You must commend Colangelo for thinking ahead to this. When you consider he has still yet to sign an extension with the Raptors as he enters the final year of his deal. Most G.M's would try to save their own butt and say the heck with the future. But B.C clearly has one eye on this season and one eye on the NBA's new reality in a new CBA.
Unless something major breaks I am off for the weekend. Raptors are holding Dance Pak auditions, and sadly I have been passed over as a guest judge. If you are over the age of 18, and have 2 years of dance experience, and are female, you can take your shot to join the dance pak. Auditions start at 11am Saturday and you need to be at Gate 1 by 10 am according to the press release the Raptors issued. There you can get all signed up and registered. Good Luck to all the ladies that try out.
2/2/10
Jiggly Bits - Danielle de Graauw
So what are you doing for Valentine's Day? I'm spending it watching the classic, yet epic drama that is the NBA All-Star Game. Every year, we talk about who got in and who didn't, who started and who didn't. And to tell you the truth, I agree with the starting line-ups in both the East and the West. However, it would have been nice to see Chris Bosh in that top five. It's too bad the coaches deciding his fate couldn't consider how the Raps have surged foward in the last 5 games. This is his fifth straight all-star game, tying Vince Carter for the most appearances in Raptors history. He's going to be busy between now and the 14th since the game will be played in his hometown of Dallas and everyone will want tickets.
NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Eastern Conference
As you all know, the coaches making selections in both conferences cannot vote for members of their own squad. This year, they've repeated themselves by picking four first-timers as All-Star reserves. Young, too - 23 years old and younger. Al Hortford (23) of the Hawks, Rajon Rondo (23 - he has teammate Paul Pierce for support and guidance in his first all-star appearance) and Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose. Now, Rose has had some injuries to deal with this season and has had to battle back. Since Christmas he has helped the Bulls to a 12-5 record and his personal stats (23.1 points, 6.5 assists, 50% shooting) are totally worthy of a spot on the All-Star Team in the East.
I think the biggest story out of the Eastern Conference Selections with only 6 teams above .500, I don't see any serious snubs. I'm thinking New York Knicks David Lee should have been at least considered. But when you consider the Knicks record so far this season (18-25), you might think this is what held him back. Is this why Chris Bosh was left out of the starting line-up? because of the Raptors record? Some of you might tell me Hedo Turkoglu was passed over, but when you're up against Lebron James, Paul Piece and your own teammate (Bosh) in the forwards category, that's a tough nut to crack. At least he made the list of considerations. Let me know what you think.
NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Western Conference
Deron Williams must be over the moon to be selected this year. He's led the Jazz to the play-offs for the last 3 years, named to the U.S. Olympic Squad, all-around awesome career so far for someone who's just 25 years old and now he's an all-star. Totally agree with this choice. Other new comers in the Western Conference? Thunder forward Kevin Durant - yes. Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies - yes. But here's where I begin to question things. Of the all-star vets that were chosen (Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy and Pau Gasol), Gasol is the surprise for me. I know you are probably thinking he would be the first one from that list I would defend. This is his third time being selected as a back-up centre but he wasn't even the "every day center" for the Lakers (Andrew Bynum is). Gasol has also missed 17 games so far this season. Are we thinking his superior games played aside from those missed games were so incredibly awe-inspiring, it out-weighed even his dip in the scoring category? Hmm. Something to think about.
Overall, the selections by the West coaches went pretty much according to schedule. But I thought for sure Chris Kaman was going to get the nod since he's been snubbed for the second time. Just looking at the stats and comparing him to other centres in the West, he's having a great season. Plus, the Clippers are making a real run for the play-offs (just ignore the 20-25 record part of that equation).
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the Dream Team
Yes, there is a connection - sort of. So I was reading an article recently talking about where all the 2010 Winter Olympic Athletes will stay while the games are on. Guess who said this: "I'm a black millionaire - I've earned the right to stay where I want to stay". Give up? Charles Barkley. He was responding to all the hoopla surrounding the U.S. Olympic Basketball team staying at a $900-per-night hotel rather than the Olympic village back in 1992. In 2004, the "Dream Team" stayed on a luxury cruise-liner during the Athens games. Seriously? This SO bothers me. Sure, some countries competing have more money, resources and talent, but it becomes a level playing field when the athletes stay together in the Olympic Village - away from the fans and the media. It takes away from the experience and the spirit of the games when we go galavanting around five-star hotels, whining there isn't a mint on the pillow. Bad move by Team U.S.A. organizers - hope they get it right next time. There - I've said my bit.
NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Eastern Conference
As you all know, the coaches making selections in both conferences cannot vote for members of their own squad. This year, they've repeated themselves by picking four first-timers as All-Star reserves. Young, too - 23 years old and younger. Al Hortford (23) of the Hawks, Rajon Rondo (23 - he has teammate Paul Pierce for support and guidance in his first all-star appearance) and Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose. Now, Rose has had some injuries to deal with this season and has had to battle back. Since Christmas he has helped the Bulls to a 12-5 record and his personal stats (23.1 points, 6.5 assists, 50% shooting) are totally worthy of a spot on the All-Star Team in the East.
I think the biggest story out of the Eastern Conference Selections with only 6 teams above .500, I don't see any serious snubs. I'm thinking New York Knicks David Lee should have been at least considered. But when you consider the Knicks record so far this season (18-25), you might think this is what held him back. Is this why Chris Bosh was left out of the starting line-up? because of the Raptors record? Some of you might tell me Hedo Turkoglu was passed over, but when you're up against Lebron James, Paul Piece and your own teammate (Bosh) in the forwards category, that's a tough nut to crack. At least he made the list of considerations. Let me know what you think.
NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Western Conference
Deron Williams must be over the moon to be selected this year. He's led the Jazz to the play-offs for the last 3 years, named to the U.S. Olympic Squad, all-around awesome career so far for someone who's just 25 years old and now he's an all-star. Totally agree with this choice. Other new comers in the Western Conference? Thunder forward Kevin Durant - yes. Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies - yes. But here's where I begin to question things. Of the all-star vets that were chosen (Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy and Pau Gasol), Gasol is the surprise for me. I know you are probably thinking he would be the first one from that list I would defend. This is his third time being selected as a back-up centre but he wasn't even the "every day center" for the Lakers (Andrew Bynum is). Gasol has also missed 17 games so far this season. Are we thinking his superior games played aside from those missed games were so incredibly awe-inspiring, it out-weighed even his dip in the scoring category? Hmm. Something to think about.
Overall, the selections by the West coaches went pretty much according to schedule. But I thought for sure Chris Kaman was going to get the nod since he's been snubbed for the second time. Just looking at the stats and comparing him to other centres in the West, he's having a great season. Plus, the Clippers are making a real run for the play-offs (just ignore the 20-25 record part of that equation).
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the Dream Team
Yes, there is a connection - sort of. So I was reading an article recently talking about where all the 2010 Winter Olympic Athletes will stay while the games are on. Guess who said this: "I'm a black millionaire - I've earned the right to stay where I want to stay". Give up? Charles Barkley. He was responding to all the hoopla surrounding the U.S. Olympic Basketball team staying at a $900-per-night hotel rather than the Olympic village back in 1992. In 2004, the "Dream Team" stayed on a luxury cruise-liner during the Athens games. Seriously? This SO bothers me. Sure, some countries competing have more money, resources and talent, but it becomes a level playing field when the athletes stay together in the Olympic Village - away from the fans and the media. It takes away from the experience and the spirit of the games when we go galavanting around five-star hotels, whining there isn't a mint on the pillow. Bad move by Team U.S.A. organizers - hope they get it right next time. There - I've said my bit.
12/20/09
Raptors Rewind- Cowboy Up Edition
Chris Bosh and the Dino Blogger are both smiling today because the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New Orleans Saints. The undefeated New Orleans Saints. How the Cowboys eventually won the game was on a defensive play by Ware. He less than a week earlier was taken off the field in a stretcher with an injury to his neck. The Hornets are far from undefeated (12-13) and in fact the Raptors have a win already over the Hornets. The lesson in what the Cowboys did was as good as their offense played for 3 quarters it was in the end the defense that secured the victory. The Raptors have struggled all year on defense and unlike in football, the guys on offense are the same on defense. But the lesson is clear as good as you can be on offense you need to have a defensive effort at the end of the day to win. Chris Paul is just as talented on a basketball floor as Drew Brees is on a football field. Paul is truly talented and is coming off one of his best games of this season. It will not be easy but the Raptors need to "Cowboy Up" and get a win.1st Quarter
Raps win the tip and get a Bosh dunk that is a nice way to start. CP3 gets fouled by Bargs and makes a pair at the line. Demar Derozan scores and Hornets answer it was a nice start 4-4. Chris Bosh would get his second score to make it 8-6. Bargnani got a steal but Raps could not cash in and extend the lead. Later Jarrett Jack would though and draw the foul. Raps had no Jose again and Jack himself was sent home with a cold from practice yesterday. He would make the and 1 and Raptors lead 11-6 early. Hedo Turkoglu would add to that with a 3 pointer and Raps were on an 8-0 run. New Orleans take an early time out to try to get on the right track.
Hedo missed a lay-up then Devin Brown wen on a personal 5-0 run despite having a shot blocked by Chris Bosh. Bosh would drive and score plus the foul to put an end to that. He would miss the and 1 free throw and the Raptors would lead 16-11. Oakfor was fouled and missed both at the line score remains the same. Jack and Derozan get buckets and the lead was 20-13. David West would score and draw a foul that he would make Raptors still were up 4 points. Bosh jumper is good just like a Romo pass to Miles Austin. Bosh accurate like a Romo as well starting off 4 for 5 from the field. Marco Belinelli checks in and makes his first shot that is a good sign for him. Raptors building a nice lead with the score 24-17. A bad pass from Marco and Bosh is able to get it but eventual coughed it up and Hornets close gap to 24-20. Bosh on the next trip drives and draws a foul on David West his second. Bosh makes both at the line and Raptors are up 6. Hornets go to a small line-up as West checks out. Amir Johnson an ill advised shot and CP3 makes Raps pay at the other end. Paul would try to make them pay again with a 3 at the buzzer but it does not fall. Raptors lead 26-22 after 1.
2nd Quarter
Both teams misfire to start. Marcus Banks a drive and score nice. His D on the other end was not there as CP3 with the easy score in transition. Paul would come up gimpy after that and went to the bench right away. Peja a miss but rebounds it and he scores and the Raptors lead 29-26. Hedo the pull up jumper and he nails it. Andrea Bargnani with the score and Raptors lead was 33-28. It would be nice if Raps could build a lead with Paul out. But the opposite was happening as Raps had let the Hornets close to within one with the score 33-32. Hornets make a 3 out of the time out and take the lead as we get word Paul will not play the rest of the half. Hedo Turkoglu a much needed 3 point answer and Raps back in front. A Bargnani slam and Raps lead was back to 3 and the starters were back in and trying to take advantage.
But the Hornets continues to scrap and were being successful and re-took the lead 41-38. Jack tried to tie it up but missed fired Bosh could not get the rebound. Chris Paul was checking back in trying to gut it out and his team had built a lead in his absence. Raptors offense had got very sloppy and they were making turnovers and had fallen into a slump. Hornets lead was at 5 until Sonny Weems finally had a score and they go inside to Bosh and score again to cut the lead to just 1. the burst of offense continued with a score inside from Bargnani and Raptors back on top 44-43. New Orleans were working the offensive glass as Okafor got their 10th offensive board and scored. Bosh would respond on the other end and score plus a foul to get the Raps back on top. Bosh would make the free throw after a time out and he had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Nice pass by Hedo inside to Amir Johnson and the Raptors had a 49-45. Hornets miss and Jack pushes it and scores in transition. Oddly enough Raps were playing better with CP3 on the floor than off it. West would get a basket to cut the lead to 4 before the halftime buzzer. Raptors take a 51-47 lead into the halftime break.
3rd Quarter.
It was far from a perfect half from the Raptors but they had a lead and closed the first half well. Chris Paul remains in their and it seems clear not at 100%. But David West would get a score on the opening possession and cut Raps slim lead in half. He would score again and the lead was gone tied at 51. A Hedo steal and uncontested score would give the lead back to the Raps. Jack would score as well driving to the hoop with no one getting in his way restoring the 4 point halftime lead at 55-51. Hornets call a time out and you have to wonder if Paul could remain in there and help his team more than hurt them. Raptors were doing a decent job at times of going inside and punishing the Hornets. Paul at full strength is one of the league's best defenders but with his ankle issues it may not be possible.
Raptors would score again out of time out and build the lead to 6. The Hornets would respond with 4 straight until Bosh would drive to the basket for a slam. CP3 would find a way to score and a turnover and another score and we were even at 59. Andrea Bargnani hits a timely 3 pointer to give the Raptors the lead back. Andrea had just 9 points on the day. However Peja would answer the 3 with one of his own and we were tied at 62. This was shaping up to be a dog fight with teams tied up at 64. Okafor a score plus a foul and Hornet back on top with a 3 point advantage. Bargnani scores then a DeRozan slam off the break and Raps lead 68-67. DeRozan the next trip took a jumper likely not the right idea. He would recover after Hornets took the lead briefly as he drove and scored. Raptors hanging on with a 70-69 lead. DeRozan was giving the Raps some life and was on a scoring spurt. Raptors riding it to a 74-69 lead. It was a game effort being put in by Chris Paul but if I was a Hornet fan(I use to be one) I would be concerned if he was helping or hurting the overall effort at this point. It's clear to everyone including the Raptors that he is not at 100%. Weems and DeRozan all kinds of hustle but no finish as Raps tried to extend the lead. Weems would finally find the basket taking it to the hoop and the lead was 7. Weems and Demar DeRozan get full marks for hustle and effort to close the 3rd and Raptors benefit with a 76-69 lead.
4th Quarter.
Raptors holding the Hornets just under 40% on the day which is good. Marcus Banks starts the 4th with a turnover which takes away from what has been a decent effort by him in limited minutes. However Raps get a turnover right back and Banks makes up for it with a score. Bosh a nice move on the baseline to draw a foul and head to the line for 2. He would make both and Raptors had largest lead of the day at 9 leading 80-71. Some sloppy play and Hornets run off 2 straight scores. A Paul miss with some decent D from Banks and an Amir Johnson score and the lead back to 7 with Raps leading 82-75.
Paul has checked out with 8:30 to play and that might be the last we see of him today. Hornets score on first possession without him. Banks continues to bring it on both ends with a score on the O and good D leading to a failed trip for the Hornets on the other end. Bosh a score, he has 21 and Raptors have their largest lead of day again at 9 with the score 86-77. Bosh takes a break out of time out. Amir Johnson gets on the floor and gets dirty earning the tie up for the jump ball. He wins the tip and the FREE AMIR movement is loving it!!! The Raps were hustling and battling and this is what fans have been dying to see.
Chris Paul does return but he really is labouring in this one. Banks a wide open 3 and missed it. This is why I struggle to give this guy credit. Raps gave up 4 straight and we have a time out with Jack and Bosh the Georgia Tech crew set to check back in. They were needed as the reserves were out of gas. It was 86-81 Raptors and they real need to close this one out as they have played hard and earned the right to be in the winner's circle. Bosh missed a dunk but Bargnani got a steal on the other end. Only to have Chris Bosh fumble it out of bounds. Hornets take advantage and score and the lead had slipped to 3. Bargnani stepping up in crunch time with a key bucket for 2. However Hornets get an easy score on other end. Bosh redeems himself for a few mistakes since checking back in with dunk. Raptors get a block from Bargnani with nice help defense. The killer B's were working off each other pretty well.
The lead would build back to 7 points but Hornets just refused to go away as a Paul steal his first of the game would lead to Hornets getting to the line with a chance to cut lead back to 3 which they do. Jack a miss and Raptors were hanging on just barely with 1:20 to go. Bargnani picked up foul number 5 sending Okafor to the line. He made the first and missed the second. Hornets ended up with it and had a chance to tie. Raptors fortunately get a loose ball foul send Hedo to the line. Hedo made both and that was key making it a two possession game with the score 94-90. Paul fouled with 1:05 to play and he makes both at the line. Open 3 for Bargnani does not fall but Chris Bosh on the offensive glass gets rebound number 11 and turns it into 2 points. Raptors again up 4 points and both teams fighting hard for a W. Bosh with a block on Chris Paul leading to him traveling and a huge turnover late. Hornets are forced to foul. Weems to the line and he missed his first but makes the second and Raps lead 97-92. Brown takes a 3 and Amir Johnson is there to rebound the miss he is fouled right away with 32 seconds to play. Amir goes 1 for 2 and the lead is 6. Posey a miss from 3 and that will do it...Raps win 98-92.
This was a game where the Raptors played how the fans want and expect this team to play. It was a solid victory. A nice early Christmas present for Raptor fans. They have truly earned it this season. Raptors had 3 Raptors with double figures in rebounds for the first time this season.
11/6/09
Beware An Angry Hornet
The Raptors start a 3 game road stretch and face Chris Paul and the Hornets to kick it off in New Orleans. Paul is to say the least an angry young man of late. There was talk after a loss to Boston he tried to get into the Boston locker room. This is not the smiling Chris Paul that we see on those NBA Cares ads. Raptors have Jose Calderon still playing less than acceptable defense. It could be trouble given the way Chris Paul is feeling these days. Hornets are 2-3 on the young season and in the Western Conference you have to be much better than that. Hornets come in off an OT win over Dallas who the Raptors will play tomorrow night on the 2nd half of a back to back. Paul is off to an amazing personal start averaging 30 points and 8.2 assists and has been making shots from 3 point range where he is a blazing 12-15 from behind the arc. Chris Bosh has some very nice numbers as well through 4 games with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Hornets are undefeated at home despite the 2-3 record. Raps did have some recent success in New Orleans winning on New Year's Eve a couple years back. Even though Paul has been hot from 3 point range the Hornets are shooting just 35% as a team. Still Peja and Moe P are going to look to take the 3 point shot. Inside the Hornets have All-Star David West and Ex-Bobcat Emeka Oakfor. Could be a nice match-up for Andrea Bargnani.
This may be the best chance for the Raptors to get a win on this 3 game trip. However it will be far from an easy task. You can expect to see both Jack and Wright taking turns guarding Chris Paul after we see Jose Calderon get blown by a few times. The main goal for the Raptors should be to force Paul to be a scorer. He alone will not beat the Raptors unless he can get his team involved. Raps should be able to have an advantage in the front court and that is how they can win. Bosh, Bargnani and Turkoglu can all get the better of their individual match-ups. Bosh has the most difficult of the 3 going against David West. The Raptors will need to battle on the boards though as both West and Okafor are capable of having a double double on any given night. Okafor is averaging 11.2 boards a game.
It is becoming so hard what to expect from this Raptors team from game to game. One of the things they need to do is get off to a better start. On the road they can not afford to get off to slow starts. Some will say that may mean having Demar DeRozan go to the bench in favour of Wright. I still think you roll with the rookie for now. It is not like you can't have a very fast hook for him should Demar not play well. He does offer little spurts of athleticism that you do not want to see go away. Also Wright offers a defensive spark of the bench that this team badly needs. It is just 4 games into the season I am not really in favour of making any major changes to the rotation at this point. Heck we have not even get to see Reggie Evans in the rotation yet. It is not to say that this starting line-up will last the entire season. It may not but now is not the time to shuffle the deck.
The bench will be important tonight with it being the first half of a back to back. The more they can add the better it will be for tomorrow night in Dallas. It was the bench lead by Jack and Wright that got the Raps back in the game vs the Pistons. The more the Raps can get from the bench the better off they will be. They have many challenging games in this early schedule and there will be some nights that the starters are going to have to carry the load.
So will see what happens tonight as the Raps would like to get this 3 game road trip off on the right foot. Speaking of feet Reggie Evans left foot seems to be on mend and hopefully it will not be long before we get to see his regular season debut.
This may be the best chance for the Raptors to get a win on this 3 game trip. However it will be far from an easy task. You can expect to see both Jack and Wright taking turns guarding Chris Paul after we see Jose Calderon get blown by a few times. The main goal for the Raptors should be to force Paul to be a scorer. He alone will not beat the Raptors unless he can get his team involved. Raps should be able to have an advantage in the front court and that is how they can win. Bosh, Bargnani and Turkoglu can all get the better of their individual match-ups. Bosh has the most difficult of the 3 going against David West. The Raptors will need to battle on the boards though as both West and Okafor are capable of having a double double on any given night. Okafor is averaging 11.2 boards a game.
It is becoming so hard what to expect from this Raptors team from game to game. One of the things they need to do is get off to a better start. On the road they can not afford to get off to slow starts. Some will say that may mean having Demar DeRozan go to the bench in favour of Wright. I still think you roll with the rookie for now. It is not like you can't have a very fast hook for him should Demar not play well. He does offer little spurts of athleticism that you do not want to see go away. Also Wright offers a defensive spark of the bench that this team badly needs. It is just 4 games into the season I am not really in favour of making any major changes to the rotation at this point. Heck we have not even get to see Reggie Evans in the rotation yet. It is not to say that this starting line-up will last the entire season. It may not but now is not the time to shuffle the deck.
The bench will be important tonight with it being the first half of a back to back. The more they can add the better it will be for tomorrow night in Dallas. It was the bench lead by Jack and Wright that got the Raps back in the game vs the Pistons. The more the Raps can get from the bench the better off they will be. They have many challenging games in this early schedule and there will be some nights that the starters are going to have to carry the load.
So will see what happens tonight as the Raps would like to get this 3 game road trip off on the right foot. Speaking of feet Reggie Evans left foot seems to be on mend and hopefully it will not be long before we get to see his regular season debut.
2/6/09
Big Easy, Nothing Is Easy In Raptor Land
So both Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh have travelled with the team. Calderon is listed as probable and Bosh as doubtful. Bosh had an MRI on his knee and it is said to have shown no structural damage. But I would be pretty shocked if you see Bosh play on this trip. Calderon playing again is not a wise move to me as well. But the Raptors also still see a chance to make the playoffs for them. I am not thinking that is the case as well. Whoever is healthy is going to get out on the floor and try to go at it. Hornets have their own injury woes as Chris Paul sat out their last game and they lost to the Bulls.
This is a TSN 2 affair so find you favourite internet feed, radio or satellite link up to find the game to watch it. I have grown tired of talking about the issue. We all know it and it has been a shame that people have not stepped to the plate and got it fixed. Basketball fans lose and that sucks.
Hard to tell you what to expect in this game with the status of two key players in the air. If Paul plays as opposed to Calderon I think the advantage is greater for the Hornets to have Paul in the line-up. If Jose plays it will help but not as much given what I have seen from him of late. More on the Hornets in a new feature- Better know a Hornet. It may be a feature will see. But Ryan of Hornets 247 does stop by for a visit.
Jake Voskhul Getting Some Love
Better Know A Hornet (The Guest- Ryan from Hornets 247)
Steven Colbert has on his famous show better know a district. Where he interviews politicians. Well I tough once in awhile it would be cool to get know the other NBA fans, bloggers and others. So we kick this off with Ryan from Hornets 247.
1. Hornets had high expectations and have not matched the performance of last season to this point. Does that have fans concerned or is it just a case of get in the playoffs and how the team performs there?
No, this definitely has the fans concerned. They understood how close they were last year before falling to the Spurs, and since then the Hornets Front Office has operated on the premise that they are only a player or two from taking a championship. This team isn't built to make any easy major shakeups or player additions over the next few years, so if this team is weaker than expected, we're stuck with it. This is a TSN 2 affair so find you favourite internet feed, radio or satellite link up to find the game to watch it. I have grown tired of talking about the issue. We all know it and it has been a shame that people have not stepped to the plate and got it fixed. Basketball fans lose and that sucks.
Hard to tell you what to expect in this game with the status of two key players in the air. If Paul plays as opposed to Calderon I think the advantage is greater for the Hornets to have Paul in the line-up. If Jose plays it will help but not as much given what I have seen from him of late. More on the Hornets in a new feature- Better know a Hornet. It may be a feature will see. But Ryan of Hornets 247 does stop by for a visit.
Jake Voskhul Getting Some Love
I gave Jake a hard time when he was first signed. It was more about frustration with Bryan Colangelo needing to do more. However in the brief time he has got out on the floor I love him not be afraid to lay the wood on someone. He also wears the Dino Blogger's old football # of 77. I was asked a few questions about Jake that was part of an article written on Jake. Have a look at a nice write up on Jake in the Good Point.
Better Know A Hornet (The Guest- Ryan from Hornets 247)
Steven Colbert has on his famous show better know a district. Where he interviews politicians. Well I tough once in awhile it would be cool to get know the other NBA fans, bloggers and others. So we kick this off with Ryan from Hornets 247.
1. Hornets had high expectations and have not matched the performance of last season to this point. Does that have fans concerned or is it just a case of get in the playoffs and how the team performs there?
2. Chris Paul was an M.V.P candidate last year and this year is not a big part of conversation. Is he still playing at that M.V.P level and it is just a case of others playing on a higher level?
3. Deadline approaches and Hornets have a lot of injuries. Does that mean the Hornets might be shopping for some depth at the deadline?
4. Many folks were saying David West should not have got the All Star Nod in the West. I am guessing you disagree but maybe not?
5. If Steven A Smith had a story on the Hornets how likely would your fans believe him?
People believe Steven A Smith? The last big story Steven broke was that Kobe wasn't going to be going back to the Lakers. Steven has good contacts, but he uses them to dig around for a bit of juicy gossip, and then yells it to the rest of the world. Literally yells.
Being the good polite Canadian that I am, Hornets 247 had questions for me and I was happy to answer them:
Dino Blogger Behind Enemy Lines
Jack Armstrong Answers Questions From Raps Republic
The guys over at Raptors Republic were able to catch up with Jack Armstrong and have him answer some questions from the readers over there. Here is link to that. I was glad to see the guys at Raps Republic were able to hook up with Jack. I know they had been trying to make that happen. So good for them he is a favourite guest here and always will be. Jack will be back here at the Dino Nation Blog at the end of the season.
12/14/08
Raptor Rewind- CP3 VS CB4 Sunday Showdown
Lots of stuff to get out of the way before we get started on injury front. First on the list is that Tyson Chandler is a scratch for today's game. Meanwhile the Raptors will have both Anthony Parker and Kris Humphries in the active roster. But the starting line-up that has been able to get two straight wins will remain with both Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon remaining in the starting line-up. Some were speculating about a trade and if it involved Parker or Humphries. But this would but an end to that for now. Still with December 15th tomorrow stay tuned for news. Doug Smith in the Toronto Star suggested the Raptors will sign Jake Voskuhl and that could mean one of two things. It could mean a trade is coming or announcement about Nathan Jawai not being able to play for the rest of the year. It is one or the other because I can not imagine the Raptors are going into the luxury tax to sign Jake Voskuhl. But enough of the trade speculation there is a game to be played. A very tough one at that as the Hornets have won 7 of their last 10 after a slow start. But they do come in off a loss to the Celtics. Seems we say that about a lot of teams when they come to visit the Raptors. Mainly because Boston is hardly losing a game and the NBA schedule maker seems to make a Boston and Toronto pairing for a lot of teams road trips. So with all of that news it is time to play some basketball.
1st Quarter
Raptors win the tip but missed a jumper. But the Hornets quickly got it inside for a score and the first points of the afternoon. Chris Bosh after a couple failed trips for the Raptors, he would drive and get fouled and head to the line and make both. Jamario Moon would hit a 3-ball off a pass from Bosh out of a double team. A Raptor turnover lead to a 3-1 break and jam for David West. Jose Calderon would answer that with a 3-ball for him and an early 8-4 lead for Raptors. David West and Jermaine O'Neal would exchange baskets for their respective teams. Chris Bosh would trip and fall getting tied up with Hilton Armstrong. But after a moment was back on his feet and fine.
Jermaine O'Neal would get fouled and head to the line for 2 shots that he would make. Raptors continue to lead 12-6 almost half way through the quarter. Butler would get a 3 pointer for the Hornets and Jose Calderon would respond with a 2 point shot for the Raptors. A concern for the Raptors as Jose Calderon would pick up his second foul and head to the bench. Chris Paul would make the free throws and Roko Ukic who has been showing sign of improvement was in. Chris Bosh showed some hustle saving a ball from going out of bounds that would lead to a Jason Kapono 3 pointer that has become a more common sight under Jay Triano. The Raptors had a 17-11 lead. Kapono would add to his total with a two point shot this time. Andrea Bargnani would get in on the scoring with his first basket. Stojakovic would find a nice look at 3 points for him that he would make. The Hornets had pushed back to get it down to just a 21-18 Raptor lead. Andrea Bargnani with an awkward but effective drive for 2 points. James Poesy would find an open 3 point look that he would take and make and the Hornets trailed just 23-22. Jermaine O'Neal would split a pair of free throws and Raptors would take a slim 24-22 lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter
Despite just 2 points from Chris Bosh and an 0-5 start for him the Raptors had a lead. Antonio Daniels recently picked up in a trade for ex-raptor Mike Jame was on the floor and he missed a 3-ball on his first attempt. But the Hornets would get on the board with the first 5 points of the quarter and a 27-24 lead for the Hornets. Jermaine O'Neal would break the run with a basket for him. J.O was looking to score again but had his shot blocked and he looked like he felt he was fouled. But no call and the Hornets kept rolling with another basket. O'Neal would get an easy jam of a nice dish from Anthony Parker who was playing his first game ever as a reserve for the Raptors. Chris Bosh was able to make a shot and Raptors were back all even at 30 with the Hornets.
Jose Calderon would break the tie with a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would find a miss match and run over an undersized Hornet for a jam. Raptors were all of the sudden hot as Calderon would score again the Raptors stormed to an 11-0 run and had a 37-30 lead. All of this with Chris Paul on the bench unable to do anything to stop it. The Hornets would call time to address what was going on and likely get Paul back in the game.
Jose Calderon looked a little gimpy after he scored but remained in the game after the time out. James Poesy would end the 11-0 run with a 3 pointer for the Hornets. After that the Hornets would get 1-2 from the line which would be answered by an AP 3 pointer. That would be followed with another Raptor basket. The Raptors had got back on track and after a couple free throws by CB4 it was 44-36. James Posey was having a good game and he hit yet another 3 pointer for him. Another two for the Hornets and another Posey 3-ball and the Hornets had an 8-0 run to tie the score at 44. This was an entertaining game for people with no real interest in the outcome. Jay Triano would not be among those and he would call a time out and try to address the leaks that were leading to James Posey getting some open looks.
Chris Paul would find the ball after a Moon block and hit a nice jumper and the Hornets on a 10-0 run were back in front by just two points. Chris Paul would drive and kick to Peja Stojakovic who would drain another 3 pointer. The Hornets had stayed in this game thanks to the 3-ball. They had built their largest lead of the day of five points with a 49-44 lead. James Posey would disagree with a call and get technical foul and that foul shot was made by Jose Calderon to break the run for the Hornets. Chris Bosh would head to the line on the disputed foul call and make 1-2. David West would have a basket on the inside and the Hornets lead was back at 5 points. Raptors had gone ice cold to close the quarter going 0-8 from the field. One last chance to make it closer at the half. But a Parker turn and fire from very long range would not fall. Hornets took a 51-46 lead into the locker room at the half.
3rd Quarter
Chris Bosh was only 2 for 10 and had just 9 points. The Raptors had about 18 minutes of good defense but that last 6 minutes is why they enter this half behind by 5 points. James Posey had 15 to lead the Hornets and Jose Calderon lead the Raptors with 13 first half points. Hornets were shooting 51% and the Raptors just 38%. Both teams would fail to score on their first attempts to score of the second half. Jermaino O'Neal would open up the score sheet for second half with a mid range corner jumper. Chris Paul would have an answer for that. Hilton Armstrong who was replacing Tyson Chandler would get a score on a drive to the paint. David West had a basket as well and Hornets had a 57-48 lead.
Chris Bosh would make a shot and try to change the flow of the game. But Butler would score in response. But Jose Calderon would answer that with a 3 pointer. Raps would get a second straight score and pulled back to down just four points with the score 59-55. David West was quietly having a good game and he had another basket for his totals. Chris Bosh would answer with a basket for him. Jose Calderon would follow that with another 3-ball. James Posey answer with yet another 3-ball for him. The Hornets get another score on a rare Posey miss from 3 point range after that and it was 68-62.
Bosh out of a time out would get the ball and draw a foul on David West and head to the line. Bosh would make both and he was 7-8 from the line on the day. Raptors were picking up the effort on defense but needed to cash in on offense for it to pay off. But a Bosh miss on a fading jumper was not going to get it done. Bosh was not having a good shooting day. Perhaps sensing that the next time he got the ball he would drive again and head to line once again thanks to David West that had 3 fouls now. Chris Paul after the Bosh made free throws would turn on the jets and get to the line himself. He too would make his free throws and the Hornets lead 72-66. Chris Bosh answered his team U.S.A team mate with a jumper for a score. Joey Graham would follow that with his first basket of the day and the Raptors had climbed back to down just two with score 72-70.
During the broadcast it was confirmed the Raptors have signed Jake Voskhul. It was said it will not effect the cap and no trade as part of that. Which could suggest that Nathan Jawai may be done for the year. It would seem the only logical conclusion. But Voskhul will be available as soon as tomorrow against the Nets. Meanwhile the Hornets would close the 3rd quarter on a run to take a 80-72 lead into the 4th quarter. The Raptors had trouble closing quarters and that has been a major difference in this game and could be a deciding one.
4th Quarter
Both teams would start the quarter cold as the Raptors had to missed shots and a turnover. But the Hornets also had failed to score. We were over 2 minutes into the fourth and still no one had scored. Jason Kapono 3- ball would not fall and the scoreless battle would continue. Butler would break the scoreless drought with a big 3 pointer on off a short shot clock. Jermaine O'Neal would get a 2 in response. Hornets would answer with a two pointer of their own. Bosh would then head back to the line and had a rare miss going just 1-2 and the score was 85-75 Hornets. Bosh was right back at it after a failed Hornet trip. He would score and get fouled and make the extra point pulling the Raptors to down 7 points. Peja would get a two point response for the Hornets. But Jose Calderon would get a 3 pointer for the Raptors. Both teams had got back to scoring but the Raptors were not in a position to trade buckets as they trailed 89-81 at the mid point of the 4th quarter.
Chris Paul would swipe away the ball for his first steal of the day. That was significant as he had a streak going that was the second longest in league history. He trails former Raptor Alvin Robertson who holds the record for most consecutive games with a steal. But the steal would not turn into points and the Raptors would actually score and cut the lead down to just 6 points. But a missed 3 pointer and a turnover cost the Raptors two more chances to cut into the Hornet lead. Butler off a Chris Paul pass would hit a very big 3 pointer for the Hornets to make the lead 9 points. J.O would score a two in response but time was running out and the Raptors may regret not getting closer when they had the chance.
Jason Kapono had two chances to make a 3 pointer and missed both. Jamario Moon would hustle to get the offensive board on the second miss and make a pair from the line. Raptors trailed 92-87. But the Hornet showed poise and came down and scored to make the lead 7 once again. Chris Bosh would get fouled but could not score and would have to settle for just two free throws. Bosh would make both but the Raptors were down 5 with just 1:24 to play. Butler would get another key 3 pointer off a Paul find and that was about it for the Raptors chances. Hornets had a 97-89 lead and there was not enough time for Raptors to forge a comeback. J.O was at the line with 56 seconds left and he made both. The raptors tried to get a stop but instead fouled David West and he would go to the line with just 31 seconds left and this was over. It would be a 99-91 win for the New Orleans Hornets.
Raptors were competitive but not good enough to beat a top level team in the Hornets. The Raptors will have a new player in the fold and given the date tomorrow who knows what else might happen. The one thing that is for sure is that Vince Carter will be back in Toronto and he will not get a response like Morris Peterson who did not see the floor today for the Hornets. Bosh had 25 points and Calderon 22. But David West had 29 points and James Posey had 20 along with a 12 points and 12 assist effort from Chris Paul. The rest of the boxscore goodies can be found below.
Hornets/Raptors Boxscore
Details on how all of this roster stuff is going to shake out to include Jake Voskhul when they come to light. So check back later tonight to see if there is more on that. If not I am sure it will be clear by tomorrow. It will be an interesting 24 hours in Raptorland or it at least could be depending on who Bryan Colangelo is talking to on his cell phone. Tomorrow marks the opening of NBA rosters so that everyone is available to be moved if their team desires to do so.
CP3 vs CB4
Two teams that had high expectations heading into this season meet up at the ACC. The Hornets many people will forget finished in first in the western conference last year. The made a bid off-season signing bringing in James Posey from the champion Celtics. But things have not exactly started on the right path for the Hornets and M.V.P candidate Chris Paul. A 12-7 record and just 5-4 on the road is not exactly the stuff of a top tier team. They are third in the Southwest Division they won last year. Injuries to key players like Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic, even ex-Raptor Morris Peterson who had a long iron man streak in his time in Toronto has been injured.
However the Raptors would gladly would take a 12-7 record for their team. But after a 5 game slide they have climbed back to win two straight. We are starting to see the signs of change with Jay Triano as the coach of the Raptors. Anthony Parker and Kris Humphries have remained out of the line-up with injuries. Leaving the roster to basically 10 players for the last few games. The Raptors have been just .500 at home with a 5-5 mark. To get above .500 prior to Christmas may be a tough task. The Hornets today, Nets tomorrow and Dallas on Wednesday. So the Raptor would need to take 2 of 3 to have that above .500 record at home.
The two main attractions of this game for fans of the NBA and not the two teams is Chris Paul and Chris Bosh. Paul comes off a season that some feel he should have been the M.V.P last year. However this year he has struggled a bit to return to that extreme high level. Some folks suggest his relationship with his head coach Byron Scott is not as good as it could be. But all that being said the guy is still on his way to being one of the best point guards in the history of this league. Tell me a team that wouldn't gladly take these numbers from their point guard:
Paul 20.3 points, 12.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds
Some talk about the loss of Pargo his back-up to Europe as a key to the Hornets not being as good. That sounds familiar to the concerns that the Raptors face with no real back-up for Jose Calderon. However Chris Bosh has not been a concern at all he is having a career year despite his team not living up to pre-season expectations. His numbers heading into today are worthy of being compared to last year's M.V.P runner up.
Bosh 24.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Two all star level players looking to get their teams on the right path as they head towards Christmas. It should make for an interesting game at the A.C.C today. The Hornets come in off a loss to the Celtics and will look to get back on track against the Raptors. While the Raptors will look to keep on a roll and get a much needed statement win on their resume. Win or Lose Raptor Rewind will have the story of how it went down.
Injury Updates 11:50
Tyson Chandler (NO) - Out
Anthony Parker (TOR)- Will Play Today
Kris Humphries ( TOR ) - Will Play Today
However the Raptors would gladly would take a 12-7 record for their team. But after a 5 game slide they have climbed back to win two straight. We are starting to see the signs of change with Jay Triano as the coach of the Raptors. Anthony Parker and Kris Humphries have remained out of the line-up with injuries. Leaving the roster to basically 10 players for the last few games. The Raptors have been just .500 at home with a 5-5 mark. To get above .500 prior to Christmas may be a tough task. The Hornets today, Nets tomorrow and Dallas on Wednesday. So the Raptor would need to take 2 of 3 to have that above .500 record at home.
The two main attractions of this game for fans of the NBA and not the two teams is Chris Paul and Chris Bosh. Paul comes off a season that some feel he should have been the M.V.P last year. However this year he has struggled a bit to return to that extreme high level. Some folks suggest his relationship with his head coach Byron Scott is not as good as it could be. But all that being said the guy is still on his way to being one of the best point guards in the history of this league. Tell me a team that wouldn't gladly take these numbers from their point guard:
Paul 20.3 points, 12.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds
Some talk about the loss of Pargo his back-up to Europe as a key to the Hornets not being as good. That sounds familiar to the concerns that the Raptors face with no real back-up for Jose Calderon. However Chris Bosh has not been a concern at all he is having a career year despite his team not living up to pre-season expectations. His numbers heading into today are worthy of being compared to last year's M.V.P runner up.
Bosh 24.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Two all star level players looking to get their teams on the right path as they head towards Christmas. It should make for an interesting game at the A.C.C today. The Hornets come in off a loss to the Celtics and will look to get back on track against the Raptors. While the Raptors will look to keep on a roll and get a much needed statement win on their resume. Win or Lose Raptor Rewind will have the story of how it went down.
Injury Updates 11:50
Tyson Chandler (NO) - Out
Anthony Parker (TOR)- Will Play Today
Kris Humphries ( TOR ) - Will Play Today
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