Raptors Show Some Fight But Lose On Points.

The Toronto Raptors had about as much chance of winning this game as Tim Tebow has in beating Tom Brady. But while Tebow is currently on the way to being crushed by Brady. The Raptors in Chicago had a lot more fight than one might have expected coming in. But in the end the Bulls would come out on top of things but it was an interesting ride to get there.

Demar DeRozan got off to a good start with 6 of the Raptors first 8 points. Amir Johnson did not as he was sitting on the bench just over 3 minutes into this one. He had a foul on the opening possession than picked up his second with 8:49 to go in the 1st. Bulls had a 12-8 lead after DeRozan's third score but would then go on a run and push the lead to 21-8. This prompted Dwane Casey to call a time out and change his approach on defence. The Raptors went zone and it worked really well. Derrick Rose could no longer pick apart Jose Calderon. The Bulls struggled to find any offence at all. James Johnson was having a solid two way performance against his former team. He along with Leandro Barbosa were leading a wave of scoring from the bench. The Bulls 24-13 lead after one, was being chipped away as they had empty possession after empty possession. In fact the Raptors were able to get the lead 35-33 with about 1:30 to play in the half. That was the first time they had led in the game since it was 4-2 Raps in the early moments. Toronto would reverse the 24-13 advantage in the 2nd as they outscored the Bulls by the exact same margin for a offensively challenged 37-37 halftime score.

Raptors came out in the 3rd and continued on with zone defence with a more traditional looking 2-3 zone. Bulls would nose out ahead by 5 points but a DeRozan 3 pointer would bring the Raptors back to level at 44 a piece. It was a scrappy 3rd quarter as both teams had their issues getting the ball in the basket. The Bulls would again push out to a five point bulge and would end up with just a 4 point lead after 3 with score just 56-52. Some more bad news on the injury front for Toronto as James Johnson was out with a twisted ankle and after reports he may return, as it ended up he would not. The Bulls came out of the blocks in the 4th and quickly built their advantage to 11 points. The Raptors made one finally push back but the Bulls responded and re-established the 11 point advantage and push it further with a Rose bucket to make it 71-58 Chicago. The Raptors were challenged to score, they had one possession where they had 3 or 4 attempts only to finally have Kleiza end up at the line. Which was a rare event. Raptors making a foul shot was even more rare. They went 1-7 from the line. Demar DeRozan did not get to the line even once in this game. Barbosa was the only Raptor to make a free throw in this game. The Bulls would close this game out and earn a hard fought 77-64 win moving to 5-0 at the United Center on the season and 12-2 overall.

Raptors fall 4-9 and have lost 4 straight. They next hit the floor at 4pm on Monday as it is the MLK Holiday in the U.S and they will take on the Hawks. DeRozan and Barbosa shared the team high in scoring with just 15 points. Raptors were able to hold Rose to just 18 points but he had 11 dimes to go along with it. The fact the Raptors were able to hang with one of the NBA's Elite teams was encouraging but in the end another loss and they lose a player as well with Johnson going out. Despite all of that you had to at least be a little impressed with how Dwane Casey schemed on defence to give the Raptors a fighting chance through 3 quarters. It was noted that Casey was even more active than usual on the sidelines in the broadcast.

So that is about all for the game. However I want to make mention of an interview conducted by Eric Smith that was part of the pre-game radio broadcast with former Raptor broadcaster Chuck Swirsky. Believe it or not this is the 4th season since Chuck left for Chicago. Time real does seem to fly by. Chuck since leaving Toronto has never explained why he left other than for "Family Reasons". He has been in this blog many times and out of respect to Chuck we have never pressed to have him explain. Eric Smith in this interview with Chuck, it finally is explained in depth what those reasons in fact were. So I encourage you to go have a listen.

I honestly never knew the reasons Chuck had left till today. I had heard bits and pieces of this story but never knew what was fact or fiction. I have always loved Chuck as person and I am sorry to hear of the reasons he had to leave a place that he did and still does love. Chuck and Eric both will always have a special place in my heart. I was just doing a college radio show locally here in Hamilton and emailed Chuck and later Eric about being guests on the show. Chuck would do that small radio show several times as would Eric. Chuck would also help me get to know a few people in an attempt to advance myself. He is a great human being and truly cares for people. I may have issues with his style of broadcasting at times. But never the man. The man is one of the best people I have had the chance to know. I have appreciated his wiliness to be a guest here in the DNB since leaving for Chicago. Now knowing what was going on for him personally I appreciate even more. Whatever you may think about Chuck, he gave a heck of a lot to helping sell this Raptor franchise in his time here. He should always be respected for all that he did to try and grow the Raptors and game here.

Playing Out The String Begins In Charlotte.

The Raptors begin the post All-Star Schedule tonight in Charlotte with the Bulls waiting for them in Toronto for a game tomorrow night. Demar DeRozan promises to go nuts in this final stretch of the season after getting jobbed in the Dunk Contest for a 2nd year. That is really what season is about for the Raptors now. How there younger players approach and play the rest of the games on the schedule. There is no playoffs in this team's future and a uncertain future with no CBA in place after this season. Bryan Colangelo is making noise about trading one of his first round picks. I think that would be a mistake at this point. But it is not like I have agreed with the J.O Deal, The Hedo signing and a lot of other things. Let's also hope he is talking about the Miami pick and not their own pick. Trade deadline is 3 days away and the Melodrama has ended. There is not likely much Raptor drama despite all the talk from B.C at least that is what I am thinking. Reggie Evans one the Raptors more interesting expiring contracts is almost set to return. If he makes it past Thursday it will be nice to see him back. Reggie has in a recent interview expressed that he could be interesting in staying with the Raptors if it was possible. Oh yeah and there is a game tonight the Bobcats and Raptors with Charles Oakley as an assistant for the Bobcats. Charlotte has had a massive overhaul since the Raptors last saw them. Brand new coaching staff and an attitude to go with it.

The Basics: Toronto 15-41 (Last Road Win 1/05/11 @Cavs) Charlotte 24-32 ( 15-12 at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: Bosh was back and the Raptors put up a great fight led by Andrea Bargnani with 38 points and no defence to speak of. The Crowd was fired up but fizzled while the Raptors had to with in 4 points with less than 4 to play before finally getting sun burned by the Heat.

Key Match-Ups: Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are the key guys for the Raptors to shutdown in this one. Jackson has potential to go off both in losing his temper or scoring a ton. While Wallace has been a thorn in the Raptors side for years and is the exact opposite of what Raptors have been. He is a freak athlete and has always got the better of the Raptors when he has been healthy and in the line-up. Raptors need to take advantage of Augustin and Brown with Bargnani and Calderon. The X-Factor is a motivated Demar DeRozan that seem less than impressed he got jobbed again in the Dunk Contest. He tweeted that he is going Ham on the rest of this season. I am not up on my slang but it seemed to imply he is going to as the Rock says BRING IT!!! For the rest of the year. That is good because we need to see that happen.

Other Things of Note: Bobcats are 15-13 under Paul Silas who prior to Charlotte last coached Lebron James and the Cavs in 04-05 before taking over in Charlotte. Bobcats have a 2-0 lead in the season series vs the Raptors. Had a great chat with Chuck Swirsky yesterday and many of you have already checked that out. But in case you have not based on the feedback I have got you probably should. Chicago who the Raptors play tomorrow do not play tonight and will be sitting back waiting for the Raptors which will make for a tough back to back for Toronto prior to the trade deadline. If people expect the Raptors to do a lot at deadline I think you will be sadly disappointed. I don't see this team doing anything. Will see If I am right on Thursday or before that but pretty sure I am.

Where Is It On ?: Sportsnet Uno (This was Sportsnet's chance to prove they care about B-Ball after TSN FAILED to show MVP of All-Star Game but let's face it Trade Deadline Wars are coming and no one at TSN or Sportsnet is paying attention to basketball)

The Starting 5 With Chuck Swirsky

Here at the Dino Nation Blog we have always made it a point to invite Chuck Swirsky back to talk with us when the Bulls are playing the Raptors. That is coming up this week on Wednesday so we ring it up to Chi-Town to talk with Chuck. It is always interesting to hear what Chuck has to say and he talks about his work as broadcaster here in Toronto and his view on his time calling Raptor Games. We talk about Vince Carter with an interesting story on how Chuck feels about V.C these days. His thoughts on Chris Bosh and his leaving the franchise and how Bosh has acted since. Along with thoughts on Demar DeRozan, his Bulls and much more. We went into a little overtime with Chuck but think it was well worth it. While I don't always agree with everything Chuck has to say. I have always respected him as a person and know that many Raptor fans still love him and miss him. So that is why I keep inviting him back to talk with us. Hope you enjoy.





Chuck is never short on opinions and offered some interesting things today. He is coming back Wednesday to Toronto as Bulls take on the Raptors. He might even get out to Real Sports Bar. He always use to say it is always a pleasure talking Raptors basketball. Well I say that is always my pleasure to talk with him. Chuck has always been kind to me dating long before the Dino Nation Blog existed. Chuck did interviews with me when I was just a college student at Mohawk College on their radio station. He and Eric Smith both did that and I have always appreciated it. While I don't always agree at times with everything they say, as people I have great respect for them. So I will always be grateful to both for what they have done for me both with the interviews they have done with me, and the help they have offered me personally and professionally.

Starting 5 Welcomes Chuck Swirsky

Chuck Swirsky spent a decade both working and pulling for the Toronto Raptors. Now with the Bulls he is in the odd position of likely having his new team needing to knock off his old team to make the playoffs. I asked Chuck about his feelings on that. In addition we talked about the comments of Derrick Rose and his guarantee that the Bulls would make the post season. He talks about how the season has gone for the Bulls and the mood of Bulls fans about all of this. He also talks about Chris Bosh and how he is surprised how some fans have been talking about Bosh on the internet. Along with what he expects the environment to be like for his return to Toronto on Sunday. We even get into a little conversation about the passion of President Obama for Chicago sports team including that Bulls. Pretty sure Chuck is the only guest we have had that has met the President. In Chuck's time in Toronto he gave 100% every single day he collected a check. He is one of the nicest people as a person that you could meet. That being said I hope he gets to have an early vacation from his NBA duties and gets more time to spend with his family. It is always great spending time talking with Chuck and he is always willing to come talk with us here.

Chuck Swirsky

DNB Productions

It is always great to re-connect with Chuck and have him as a guest. If you didn't know he is on Twitter @Swirsk054. He is always on there and as I said Chuck Swirsky was one of the people that is a perfect fit for Twitter. like he use to say it is always a pleasure talking Raptors basketball. Well for me it is always a pleasure talking basketball with him.

Here Come The Bulls

Before we get into the Bulls and Raps tonight in the Chuck Swirsky Bowl at the A.C.C. Never really did give my 2 cents on the lose to the Spurs. When you face any team in this league with out their top 2 players it needs and should be a win for you. When you shoot 58% and don't get a win that is unacceptable. When you not only don't guard the 3 point line, but allow just about anyone (Sorry Matt Bonner) to dive the lane . Chris Bosh has been taking shot after shot getting to the line, He leads the NBA in getting to free throw line. When you are getting that kind of effort from your star he deserves far better from the other 11. Bosh is on one of the biggest tears of his career and the Raptors need to translate that into wins. Yes there is 9 new faces and things take time. However anyone who is not concerned at least a little, about the Raptors defense and effort on that end of the floor, is not being honest.

I think everyone tries their best to be objective and honest in their work. However it is in the best interest of all that the Raptors do well. If they do not that means less people read this blog, read newspapers and watch Raptor related programing. That is the cold reality of things. So everyone has a stake in this team being better. So there is always a battle within to remain objective when you look at things for all that cover this team. That being said the last 2 games have been very obvious to even the most casual fan. This team did not even come close to playing to an acceptable level on the defensive end of the floor.

Now on to the Bulls, who are likely seeing red coming into tonight's game. When the final buzzer went last night in Chicago, the Bulls thought they had won a game on a last second Brad Miller shot to win the game. However after further review the basket would be taken away and the Bulls would lose by a single point to the Nuggets. The shot by Miller was just touching his finger tips as the buzzer went off. They say football is a game of inches, well I guess basketball can be as well.

If you checked up my interview with Chuck Swirsky yesterday, he feels Derrick Rose is about 70% in terms of health. Rose entered the season missing the last 7 pre-season games for the Bulls. He was injured in the opening game of the pre-season. He has shown flashes of brilliance still, even if he is not yet back to 100%. My money is still on a Rose at 70% to still be able to give Jose Calderon fits. Calderon had his trouble staying in front of a back-up for the Spurs. Rose will offer a significant challenge. Jay Triano on the Fan 590 admits his team is not quick laterally in terms of movement. Jose Calderon for most would be at the top of that list. It is frustrating that you always have to be but at a disadvantage by players not being able to stay in front of their man. Even Jack has had his moments of not being able to keep his man in check. Zones, Presses and other little tricks and tweaks are only quick fixes and not lasting ones. Teams in this league are far to good to let you get away with that for more than a possession or two.

The other thing that is frustrating and lost in the fact the Raps are only 3-4 and the defensive woes, the offense is really... really good. This mind you with a Hedo Turkoglu that is just starting to come close to the player he was expected to be. Also you have a young Demar DeRozan that should get better. Part of the credit goes to Andrea Bargnani for the offense being on fire. He along with the hot start of Chris Bosh are providing a fantastic one...two punch for the Raptors. The Killer Bees tag team in the WWE were no where close to these guys who are closer to the height of an Andre The Giant but not that big. In fact you add Bosh and Bargnani weight together and you likely don't match the weight of the wrestling star. Maybe the Raps should whack someone with a steel chair that might be some effective defense. But the way things have gone for the Raps they would likely miss and knock out Bosh.

Some people feel that when Reggie Evans returns that will help fix this mess. Reggie Evans is not going to come in and be the defensive savior. I tweet back and forth with Reggie often. I learned that yesterday that he actually played football and was a wide receiver. He one played it for a short time and you would picture Reggie more as a defensive player smacking someone so that was a surprise. Reggie will improve this team on the glass when he does comes back. When will that be? He says that is still about 2 weeks away. He has stopped wearing that protective boot on his injured foot. Although he was on the recent road trip because he had not packed his other shoe. That got mentioned on the broadcast but you might have missed it. As much as it cool to see Reggie's unique fashion sense, we all look forward to seeing him in a jersey soon. He is itching to get back in there and contribute. I am sure for him these last 2 games were as painful to watch as it was for anyone. I am betting a rookie like Blair would have had a much tougher night at the office had Triano had the option of an Evans in his line-up.

Once again the Raps catch a small break in the schedule with the Bulls coming in after playing a tough and close contest with Denver. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls come out after likely feeling they have had one stolen from them last night. It has been an up and down ride for the Bulls. They lost Tyrus Thomas but luck for them they drafted Taj Gibson. He played with Raptors Rookie Demar DeRozan and together they won the Pac-10 tournament last year in the NCAA. DeRozan was the M.V.P of that tournament. Maybe seeing his former college buddy will get Demar back on track. He had his struggles in the the two awful losses. It is going to be a process and take time. I believe to take him from the starting line-up is not the right answer at least not yet. A quick hook for him is fine but still give him the confidence he will be able to get a chance again the next night. If you throw him to the bench now it may have to negative effects. One it would have a negative impact on his confidence. The second thing is it would make him feel he needs to try to do more offensively. That is not what he needs right now. The main message for Demar is to improve on D and that is mission #1. In staying the starting line-up he will need to keep that focus. If improvement does not start to happen that is the time you start to look at his role going forward.

This is the lone home game the Raps have coming off that 3 game trip south. They head back on the road for 4 games on the west coast. This is one the Raptors really have to get. The Raptors have never had a great amount of success in their history when they hit the west coast. So heading into that trip at 4-4 instead of 3-5 would be a big difference if only mentally. The Bulls at just 4-3 will be hungry for a win as well.

They are going to honour Chuck Swirsky tonight at the ACC. He gave a solid decade of work to this franchise and deserves it. He probably in some ways deserves it a lot more than the guy on the 22nd. I am confident that the fans will give Chuck cheers.

A final word on this Remembrance Day. So often we talk in terms of sports being games as do or die. That this is going to be a war. Truth is that is not true. The people that actually do face do or die everyday are the soldiers that are serving this country in Afghanistan. The fact we can enjoy a basketball game is thanks in part to the sacrifices made by are military through out history. My father served in the Air Force and I still have a reminder of that every time I drive some where. His personal plates were of the year he left the service. Thanks to any and all that served this country. The guts and courage you show or showed is far greater than any athlete in any sport.

Chuck Swirsky Returns to the Starting 5

He was the broadcaster for the Toronto Raptors for a decade. Chuck Swirsky started off on the Radio with Jack Armstrong on The Fan 590 and both would go on to the T.V side of things. Chuck and his catch phrases would become known by all Raptor fans across the country. I found out after this interview that the Raps will be honouring Chuck in some way on Wednesday as part of the Bulls Raps game. Chuck never made a mention of that at all in this interview. I am sure he was aware of it because he references the Raps honouring Vince Carter on the 22nd. Chuck is just not that type of guy. Despite having his own bobble-head and being known more than some of the players, he always was a humble nice man. As he so famously would say "It's always a pleasure talking Raptors basketball ". He truly mean that. Chuck may not want me to mention this but I am going to anyway. He did this interview on his first day off in like 6 weeks. That is the type of guy Chuck is. In the interview we talk about Rose and the Bulls. Demar DeRozan and Taj Gibson both out of USC and rookies for Raptors and Bulls. He reflects on his time with MLSE and shares his thoughts on his former employer. He also gives his 2 cents on the Raps and Bulls match-up on Wednesday. In addition who does Chuck want to see come to his Bulls in 2010. The answer might surprise you. Last night was not a good night for the Raptors but hopefully hearing from Chuck will bring a smile to some of your faces.

The Swirsk And Bulls Hit ACC

James B's Podcast

Thanks to Chuck for his time on his day off. If you are missing Chuck you can keep up with him on Twitter @Swirsk054. You can also catch him here when the Bulls and the Raptors hook up. If you are at the ACC on Wednesday give the guy a hand because he more than earned it in his 10 years here.

Ring It Up From Chicago...Chuck Swirsky Back In DNB

I was sitting back last week and with the rookies were being put through their paces at the combine in Chicago. I had noticed on Twitter that Chuck was their talking with the various players. So I fired off an e-mail to Chuck and asked him if he would come on the Dino Nation Blog and talk about the draft prospects as well as some NBA and Bulls and Raptors. Chuck has been a guest of mine on the radio in the past back when I was working on a college station back in 2000. He appeared on the basketball segment the Round Ball Review. That is now the name of my animated feature I do in the blog. But back then it was a basketball segment on a sports talk show. I reached out to Chuck and had him as a guest prior to his first game back in Toronto. That was his debut here in the Dino Nation Blog and this is his second appearance. We had a great conversation that covers everything from the Draft to what he thinks might happen with Chris Bosh. Since we last talked Chuck even has had the chance to meet President Obama. He gives his thoughts about that once in a lifetime experience for a lot of people. That and a lot more.

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Thanks to Chuck for taking the time to talk with the Dino Nation Blog. I know many Raptor fans still miss Chuck and some always will. I have always said what a great person he is and you would be hard pressed to find a better person in this world. You can't pay a bigger complement to someone then that. I am glad to have had the chance to have talked with him over the years.

Finallly...Chuck Swirsky Returns To Toronto!!!

No one will ever confuse Chuck Swirsky with The Rock. But he was a rock star of sorts for a lot of Raptor Fans. When you work in the media you get a chance to meet a lot of people. But I can say that Chuck was truly on of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with. I have told the story before in the blog so I will just give a short version of it this time around. When I was in College, working on a small sports talk show. I did basketball as part of that show. Those little animated movies I have been doing are named after the segment. I really wanted to do a good job covering basketball. So I took a shot in the dark and e-mailed Chuck. I explained that I was wondering if he would consider doing a interview for the show once in awhile. Not only did he answer he was all for it. He would be a guest many times. Not only that he would help me make contacts and be very helpful to me. All from an e-mail. He did not know me and all he knew is that I loved basketball and the Raptors. I really was grateful for all he did.

The Blog never really got rolling to the point that I thought about inviting Chuck to be in it. Also with his own blog I was not sure if he would come on and be in it. Knowing Chuck he likely would have. But for whatever reason he never was in the Dino Nation Blog till now. Everyone was stunned by him leaving. I remember Eric Smith expressing that he found out at same time as everyone else did. In fact I may have even scooped Eric as I read the story early in the morning when it was breaking. I honestly thought it was an internet rumour gone wrong or something. But it was true and on his Radio show an emotional Chuck said he was leaving the Raptors and taking a job in Chicago to work for the Bulls. Now the Bulls are coming into town to take on the Raptors for the first time this season.

I wrestled with the idea of if I should ask Chuck to come to the blog. I had reached out to his replacement Matt Devlin who has been a guest here many times. I really have enjoyed getting to know Matt and he is a fantastic guy. He has been very kind to me and I have been happy to get to know him and help you the readers get to know him. So I didn't know if it was right to interview Chuck. I did not want to be disloyal. But I thought back to the first conversation I had with Matt and he talked about how helpful Chuck was to him in making the transition to replacing Chuck. So I figured Matt would more understand. So it was just a case on if Chuck would be willing to do it. So I fired off an e-mail and in true Chuck fashion his response was fast as can be. Chuck is truly on of the fastest people to responding to e-mail in the world. It is remarkable. He was all for it and said whenever you want to do it just give him a call. That is the type of guy Chuck is. So I was calling Chicago and it was almost strange to hear his voice on the other end. It had been awhile. So I asked him a few questions and he was happy to answer them all. Here is are conversation in the Starting 5.

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I also have wrote an article for the Industry Magazine that will be out in February and the topic is Toronto as a future host for the NBA All Star Weekend. Chuck is one of a number of people I asked to give their take on the impact that would have on Toronto. I will let you see what he had to say.

Chuck Swirsky- "I think it would be a spectacular event in Toronto, because the city is tremendous. I think it would showcase what the city is all about. I would encourage the NBA and every board of governor member to allow Toronto to host the event. The city would do a great job. I know that MLSE and Larry Tanenbaum has the point person behind this would roll out the red carpet. I would completely support it. I have supported it. I would do anything I could to provide the energy to make it happen to have the All Star Game there. I hope it can be worked out.”

Personally I have moved on. But that does not mean that I don't still remember Chuck and respect all that he did in his 10 years in Toronto. He did mention that he still is a Canadian which is something that will always make him part of this country. He no doubt had a huge impact on the country in his time here. As you can see is those comments and in the interview he still very much loves Canada even though he did leave. I wish him well and nothing but the best for him and his family. His leaving will always be a bit of a question for folks as to why. I respect that he said it was a family decision and am willing to respect that. I have made my own choices in life based on family and can totally understand. I have had my issues from a broadcast standpoint about Chuck. But never as a person he is first rate. Even those issues I may have as a broadcaster do not change the fact that he was and is very passionate about his job and what he does. May we all have that much passion for what we do both in life and in our personal lives. So I personally say welcome back Chuck.

Celtics and Raptors Part 4

Before we get talking about tonight's games some important news and notes about the Dino Nation Blog over the next few days that will have an impact on things. Right off the top there will be no Raptor Rewind of tonight's Celtics and Raptors games. As my two little animated helpers have been telling you I will be live blogging the game for The Score. So you are welcome to check that out and come be a part of the fun.

The Score - Raptors and Celtics Live Blog Link

It says it starts at 7:30 pm but I will likely show up and get things going like 15 minutes early to allow you folks to take part before the action gets going. Also After Midnight I will be posting the interview I did with Chuck Swirsky. It is in all audio format and in it you can here Chuck's Thoughts on the following topics:

• The Raps Early Struggles
• His Thoughts on Derrick Rose
• What Does The Swirsk Think About 2010
• His Return To Toronto
• His Thoughts on Jack Armstrong and Matt Devlin

It was great to talk to Chuck. I know I have had issues with some stuff in how he called games. But as a person you will not find a better person and proof of that is he was willing to talk with me. He was first person I ever interviewed in the Raptors media a long time ago. He was always helpful and kind and remains the same way to this day.

The only other thing of note is there will also be a delay of Raptor Rewind for Wednesday's game for the Bulls. I am going to be doing some more live blogging for The Score on a college game between Duke and Georgia Tech (CB4's Old School) so it will not be possible to be in two places at once. Also that game is a TSN 2 game that makes it even more complicated. I will do some kind of a summary when I get a chance to watch the Game in an hour on Raps T.V. So that is about all for news. I am doing a third game on Saturday if you are a fan of NCAA ball I will link you to that later in the week.

In Case You Have Not Heard

It was being reported last night that Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal would not be taking the flight to Boston with the Raptors. Given how Jose was performing yesterday in trying to guard Rajon Rondo that may not be a bad thing on his end. When it comes to Jermaine O'Neal some have wondered where he has been. He is still around and has been getting re-hab during games. I heard the first mention of a return date for him being Wednesday against the Bulls. But when it comes to injuries it is all guess work. The reason for the delay in his return was said to be some unwelcome swelling in the good knee. That is right this is on the good knee the right one not the much talked about left one.

Nathan Jawai has been seen working out and getting ready. Doug Smith in the Star was suggesting the Raptors are in no hurry to get Jawai in the line-up. But I am sure that Nathan does not share that opinion. I am going to attempt to talk with Aaron Fearne next week and get an update on how Nathan has been doing. One of the question I will ask is if there is any thought of Nate going to the D-League as part of him working back into shape. It would seem like a good idea to me. I am on an island with this opinion but I really think Nathan Jawai could have had an impact this season. But his heart issue have made that seem unrealistic at this point. But he will be an impact role player once he gets rolling. I just feel really strong about this.

I Was Painful Right

Yesterday I had major bad feeling about the Celtics game and I was proven right. I had two big concerns and they were the key factors yesterday. Rajon Rondo I felt would really have a huge advantage and if Jose played it would increase that advantage. Sure enough Rondo was unreal. He just could not be stopped and the dunk he had in that game was like a huge explanation point to that fact.

You may remember when we were getting the season started on of the fantasy games I was taking part in was the Pick One Challenge that has you pick one player each day and you get his numbers for your fantasy points. Guess who I picked yesterday? Ray Allen. I just knew based on the history and if Rondo was going to do what I expected then Ray Allen had a chance to have a huge day and he did.

In fact he was feeling so good that he was having some fun in the locker room after the game. I will let Holly Mackenzie's story from Court Surfing explain.

Dino Blogger On The Air Waves In Montreal

I was happy to be a guest on CJLO on the Show "Off The Bench". We talked a lot about the Raptors and a little bit some things around the NBA. If you want to have a listen check it out.

Dino Blogger on CJLO

So I have been keeping busy. I recently wrote an article on Chuck's Return to Toronto and talking about the whole conversation about Chuck and Matt Devlin. You can read my thoughts on all of that over at T.O Sports. I also have submitted my story over at the Industry Magazine. That will not be out till February in that Article I talk about the idea of Toronto as a future host for the All-Star Game. In it I have quotes from Jack Armstrong, Eric Smith, Scott Carefoot and Chuck Swirsky on their thoughts on the impact an All Star Game could have on Toronto. As we get closer to All Star Time I will write something on the topic for the Dino Nation Blog as well. I'll link up the Industry Article when the magazine is out which I believe is at the start of February.The Industry is a Urban Culture Magazine that looks at night life and the whole scene that is the T.O. Lisa and her whole staff over there are great to work with and have made both myself and basketball feel welcome in their magazine.

So please if you are able to come pop in on the live blog tonight do so. You can find the Live Blogs for not just the NBA but all kinds of sports on The Score.com and it is part of the Score Mobile as well if you are not able to watch the game and have an Iphone or Blackberry or other tech toys you can tune in and keep up to date with what's going on. On a date or with the family? Just sneak off to the bathroom and get an update on the game. It can be our little secret as long as your family and friends don't read the blog which I wouldn't like personally. The Dino Nation Blog can always grow bigger and it can start with you by telling a friend and so on and so on. There was an ad like that for hair colouring or something. Anyway see you at the live Blog and tomorrow the Salami and Cheese and Chuck Check in at the Dino Nation Blog. Well Chuck does there was no Salami and Cheese used in this interview.

Wiz And Raps Share Common Ground

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

Trade Winds Continue To Blow

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

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

Is Bosh A Lock For The All Star Game?

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

Almost Forgot

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

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

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

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