Pre-Season And Training Camp Will Mean A Lot For Raptors

For a number of reasons this training camp and pre-season will be very important for the Raptors. First reason has nothing to do with the roster turnover at all. Dwane Casey never even had much of a training camp last season. Despite those less than ideal circumstances for a new coach he was able to do a fantastic job. He was able to turn the Raptors in an acceptable team on the defensive end of the floor. He took huge first steps in changing this team’s culture and identity. When you factor in injures the Raptors endured it makes it even more amazing. Casey had more wins in 66 games than Jay Triano could muster in 82.

Now Casey has had an entire off-season to manage his players off-season activates and a full training camp to fully implement his defensive system. Just on these things alone the Raptors should be somewhat improved. You factor in the roster changes made and that makes you even more optimistic to a degree. You have more talent and more depth to work with. Casey has options this season if players fail to perform. It should help expand on a culture of accountability that he was able to create last season.

It will be important for the Raptors to see what they truly have in guys like Jonas Valancuinas, Terrence Ross and even Quincy Acy. Jonas will be at the top of that list as his learning curve will be the steepest of all. When you factor he is living in a brand new country something than Linas Kleiza should be helpful with adapting too. Learning the many nuances of the NBA game will be a challenge. Along with dealing with a mountain of expectations built in the year of fans waiting for his arrival. He will likely have the largest role of any of the rookies and it would be a disappointment if he was not the starter at center by the end of this season.

Terrence Ross has a lot less to worry about. He will not be expected to start and will be given time to grow. If Demar DeRozan is able to play like expected Terrence’s role should be very focused and controlled. While he can shoot and has great athletic ability, expect his defence to be his main focus at first.

Quincy Acy will likely not see much time on the floor. He will be asked to push all the Raptor big men in practice something he is capable of doing. He is an energy guy and if guys like Air Johnson and Ed Davis and others let up Acy will make that obvious. If he sees the floor it will be to send messages to others or because the Raptors have some serious injury issues.

It was made clear that DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis were impacted negatively by the lack of a normal off-season last year. If that theory is to be proven right than we need to see a much better performance from both out of the gate this season. If we do not that is a problem and something that will need to be addressed in some form or fashion.

Kyle Lowry has been given the starting job by most. He still has to go out and earn that spot technically. That should not be an issue for him. What will be is learning his new team and developing chemistry with guys like Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan. In fact at his position you really need to know everyone and how to get them the ball and make them most effective. He also needs to lead the charge on defence as he offers something the Raptors have lacked for some time. Lowry is an effective defender at the point that will challenge the opposing point guard and make life difficult for them. In addition to that he has to be mindful of Jose Calderon and do his best to deal with a situation that will be tricky to navigate.

Lowry has to establish himself as the guy and do it in a way where he doesn’t offend Jose Calderon in the process. How Calderon reacts to Lowry will also be something to wonder about. He could help Lowry make this transition easier. Most think this will happen based on Calderon’s reputation as a team guy. I am not as sold based on what we have been told about Calderon’s reaction to the Raptors off-season moves in which it was made pretty clear his days starting in Toronto were done.

All of these things and we haven’t touched on Ed Davis and Amir Johnson fighting for a spot in the rotation. Not a word on how Landry Fields fits into the mix and if he will be the guy starting at the small forward for the Raptors. Can Demar DeRozan learn to split time at the two and three positions? Will Andrea Bargnani stay injury free and show that the way he played when healthy last year was not a fluke.

There are a lot of things to be accomplished and maybe that is why most of the team is already on hand and working out on their own prior to training camp. It feels a lot like the first full season Bryan Colangelo had as G.M here in Toronto. The same results from that season would be far too optimistic as that team won a division title and finished in third place in the Eastern Conference. The NBA landscape has changed since that time. In fact forget the league, the Atlantic Division has changed in a major way. The Raptors will have to fight hard to compete in a division that is truly stacked and offers no easy games.

Some Random Thoughts For A Friday.

Demar DeRozan has had a good summer by all accounts. He impressed people as part of the U.S Select Team prior to the Olympics. Also he impressed the folks back home in the Drew League. Reports from out of their say they notice improvements in his handling of the basketball. This is something that Demar's detractors were always quick to point out needed improvement. Even people that are supportive and optimistic about his future, would concede that. I got a chance to see him at around the time of the draft and he already at that time looked a little bigger and more filled out. Coach Casey throughout the season last year made it a constant theme that he wanted both Demar and Ed Davis to bulk up over the off-season. It sure seems in photos recently from the Drew League that DeRozan continued that process through the summer months. I am not saying he is ready to go join the WWE or anything but he does look to have added the strength and wait to his frame. In general, as he enters into his 4th NBA season the spotlight is not going to be as bright on him. Raptors have new players like Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields to attract away some of the focus. Lowry for his play on the floor and Fields regardless of his play on the floor, seems to just attract attention through his personality and his other things he brings with him. Note, I did not mention his hot girlfriend at all. Ok, well before that last line, I did not mention his hot girlfriend at all. In addition the Raptors drafted Terrance Ross who will or should both push Derozan to be better but also lessen the amount of minutes he might have to endure in a full season. DeRozan in his time with Toronto has been one of the more durable Raptors. However last season he had the odd bump or injury that caused him to miss a few games here and there. The only pressure on DeRozan might be self imposed as he looks to secure his future with a good season and make the Raptors want to extend him to a nice contract in terms of a dollar figure. There is also going to be the debut of Jonas Valancuinas which will no doubt draw attention regardless of how he performs. It makes a pretty nice situation for DeRozan to have a good bounce back season. I think you should take note of his Drew League Team name "Money Gang", that might tell you all you need to know on why DeRozan would be motivated to have a big season. I don't fault him for that either. Basketball players, as do all athletes, only have a short window of their overall lives to make money. So make it while you can. Long after the bright lights of the NBA and sports stardom fade you have a life to live and in many cases a family to provide for.

I talked at length about the hiring of Jay Triano yesterday for Canada Basketball. I did fail to mention he has found his way back into the NBA as an assistant with Portland. It may surprise you that I am happy for Jay, I always have felt he makes an excellent assistant head coach in the NBA and in context of team Canada a great head coach. It was one of those things that just slipped past my attention his hiring in Portland. A reader and support of the blog pointed it out to me via twitter. I think that is great. One of the things I do enjoy about the people loyal to this blog is they always seem to have my back. I appreciate it always. I have never claimed to be perfect and never will. I never claim to be anything more than someone that has a good to decent knowledge of basketball and sports in general. In my time on the radio this week the guys who host the show were giving me praise for knowing everything there is to know. I quickly jumped in and thanked them for thinking that but it just isn't true. What I seek to be and what I have always sought to be someone that provides you some info, some informed opinion and do it in a way that is entertaining. I don't care if that is in the form of written words, my voice or myself on video or in person.

That is part of what this whole idea throughout the summer of building this #TeamDNB concept has been about and continues to be about. I want to work more on all of the elements that I mentioned above. It became pretty obvious that after close to five years of doing this primarily on my own that is was going to take a full staff of people to accomplish that goal. In addition to that though I want everyone to feel a part of this #TeamDNB idea. The staff I put in place and each and every one of you. I want to make this feel like a community and something you feel a part of. I do my best to do that through twitter but I want that to translate to here in the blog as well. I want at the end of the day for people to enjoy this place so much that they tell others about it and they become part of this community. It is good for the bottom line business of the blog ultimately but it is more a case of I just want to create a conversation and place for you to be a part of.

There is a lot of ideas that I have been coming up with and many of them will involve getting you more actively involved in what you are reading, listening and watching on the Dino Nation Blog. That is my mission for this season. I take the true spirit of journalism to heart. What is that you ask? It may get lost on a lot of people these days but that is to act as your representative in covering the sport and team that I do. I will take you back to a conversation I had way back to when I was in college with someone. I will not mention the persons name because it really isn't important and it honestly isn't someone with a big enough profile that a lot of people would know them. It was a conversation about providing content in a sports show or boradcast. This person said that the media's job was to tell you what you should feel was important. That the media should dictate to you what content was worth your time. I argued, and maintain that to this day, that is backwards. It is not the media's job to tell you what you are suppose to care about. It is my job and anyone else in this line of works job to listen to you and find out what you are interested in. It goes back to that core statement I made about the fact the journalists jobs are to represent the people they serve. In my time doing the DNB I have always went out of my way to listen to what the average person is saying about the Raptors. In this modern world of social media that becomes fairly easy to do. In doing that I may express my own opinions and thoughts as well. I am here to in effect guide a conversation. Sometimes, I will take the time to explain why I personally think a common belief or thought out there is wrong and give you reasons why I feel that way.

I carry those feelings in everything I do as relates to the Dino Nation Blog. Every single thing I have been able to do is all thanks to following that simple philosophy of feeling like I represent you. If it is interviewing a player, A fellow member of the media, or just sitting here pounding away on my keyboard. The media is not all that different from sports some people have egos and everyone has opinions. You need an ego to stick your neck out in front of the world on a daily basis. If that audience is 100, 1000, or 1,000,000 it is still the same. No matter what stage of things you are at, the day you feel you are bigger than the people that support you is the day you start down a path that ultimate leads to failure, even if on the surface it may seem like success.  

In the end I will always give my 100% to what I am doing and anyone that I work with or for me I expect and hope for the same. It is what YOU deserve. So with all of that said have a great weekend folks.

Bosh or Bargnani Problems Remain The Same.

Chris Bosh has been playing a key role for the Miami Heat as they lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals. I mentioned on Friday how the the Raptors no matter what they may say after he has gone, were ill prepared to have him walk. Ultimately, when you think about the Raptors now they have basically just elevated Andrea Bargnani to the roll of Bosh on their roster. In comparing the two players they offer a much different skill set at first glance. Bosh would always be considered a better rebounder and Bargnani a better shooter. Still both at times have been questioned for their desire to defend and do the dirty work. In some senses the Raptors are still following the same model that they failed to have success with under Bosh. Bargnani quickly replaced Bosh in terms of his role on the team. The one role the Raptors have never replaced since he left was the one that Vince Carter filled with the Raptors. That dynamic small forward that could both attack the basket and make a poster, but still be able to hang out beyond the arc and bomb 3's at times.That is something the Raptors have not replaced. Demar DeRozan has half that equation in being able to attack the basket and make spectacular finishes. He lacks that three point threat to truly be taken seriously by a defense to worry about him.

The Raptors ultimate problems might not be all that different without Bosh as they were with him. I don't think Andrea Bargnani is a significantly better player than Bosh or every will be unless the Raptors fix these problems. Can Bargnani have more success than Bosh did if the Raptors find a dynamic wing option and a better point guard to attack the basket? Probably they can but they had seven years of trying to find those things with Bosh and were never able to find that proper mix. Another thing that was missing was a true center that could rebound and defend. The Raptors hope they have found that piece in Jonas Valancuinas. In many ways could develop into the Anti-Bargnani. If he can make up for Bargnani's lack of rebounding and have his back as help defender it could make for a nice pairing. Still, without that dynamic wing and attacking the hoop point guard the Raptors remain somewhat flawed.

Andrea Bargnani is no more a 1a player than Chris Bosh was. He just isn't that guy even if you believe the guy that exploded for about a stretch of 13 games is the real Andrea Bargnani moving forward. The one good thing about Bosh leaving has been it has allowed Andrea Bargnani to play at his natural position and even if it is just from a mental point of view, he is more comfortable at that spot. Ultimately the Raptors problems before Bosh and after him still are basically the same ones including the fact that Bosh ultimately left and went elsewhere.

It has always been a source of frustration for the Raptors top star whoever that happened to be to recruit players to come here to play along side them. Some will tell you if the Raptors start winning the players will come. Really think this is honestly true? I mean you may hate him now, but Vince Carter was at one time in Toronto considered one of the best players in the league and likely was the most popular. Raptors were winning and appearing on national T.V in the United States.  What was he able to attract to the Raptors in terms of free agency? The answer is not much except of a past his prime Hakeem the dream that quickly turned into a Raptor nightmare. If he can't get anyone to come in that position on top of the NBA map can we honestly think that Chris Bosh could have or Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan can?

Basically the Raptors are a team that by and large has had to build a team with only 2 of the 3 major components you have too build a franchise. In the time Bosh was here the Raptors would never venture into that level of being a tax team with greater penalties for being one the Raptors are no more likely to do that with Bargnani. In fact, Colangelo all but said that would be the case for this upcoming season. If you are not going to over spend a little and being willing to go that extra mile to try and change the Raptors free agency fortune it is going to be hard to see a solution to this problem.

Friday I was talking about hope and not so much today. Still if you want some hope of how the Raptors fix this problem in free agency I will give you a long term answer. You clearly have noticed that basketball has had a lot more talented Canadians playing the game these days. Legit Canadian Draft prospects are now becoming the norm and not the exception. If enough of these Canadians develop into true NBA players the Raptors will have a pool of free agents that would actually value the Raptors differently. The idea of coming home and playing here might be to much to pass up. Steve Nash has manged to avoid the temptation of it. Still as the numbers increase of Canadians not all of them will be able to resist you have to figure. This solution is not keeping Bryan Colangelo his job or helping out in the short term unless you in fact sign Nash. Over time though the Raptors need to consider this as their one advantage they have in free agency.    

I guess what I am saying is the Raptors are still a team that is trying to build around primarily a power forward that has some obvious flaws but some obvious talent. So really has anything changed in terms of the game plan for the Raptors?  Not so much I guess.

Demar DeRozan Gets A Call From Uncle Jerry

Demar DeRozan's summer plans will include team USA according to Jerry Colangelo the father of Raptors GM and head of USA Basketball in an interview on the Fan 590. Now DeRozan will be part of the select team which is not in contention for a spot on team USA for the upcoming Olympics in London this summer but as part of the select team. That said it was the first step for many players to be part of the USA program in the future including Kevin Durant as the best example. This was also the part of the program that was run by former Raptors Head Coach Jay Triano. It is designed to prepare the main team as a sort of scout team for them to face. That said it gives the members of that team the chance to be around some of the NBA's elite talent and learn from that experience. This should be nothing but a positive experience for DeRozan.

The fact that Colangelo's father runs team USA might raise some eyebrows as to if DeRozan would be there on his own merit. That said he is there and that is the important part. Raptors have had many players play internationally but only two that have played for Team USA. Vince Carter and Chris Bosh who both had key roles for Team USA in their time with the program. Carter of course shocked the world in Sydney as he jumped over french man with the greatest of ease. While Chris Bosh was a key contribute to the redeem team that won gold in China. DeRozan may not be heading to London for this Olyimpics but this makes the chances he could be part of the World Championships in 2014 and or 2016 in Brazil.

While on the topic of DeRozan check out the handy work of Andy from Game Entertainment. This is an amazing production looking back on DeRozan's 3rd year as Raptor in the NBA:




Check out more of his work on Youtube the guy is pretty friggin amazing at what he does.

Jack Armstrong Is Here For The Starting 5

If we were to have a #TeamDNB for guests, this man would be our first round pick without question. Jack Armstrong stops by to chat about the Raptors season and the off-season that lies ahead. We don't touch on the draft to much as the ping pong balls have yet to give us the answer as to where the Raptors will ultimately select. That said Jack has agreed to come back and get us all set for the draft. What we do talk about is a number of topics of interest. Does there need to be a change to the lottery system to improve it and try to prevent the whole concept of tanking from impacting on the game. Reflecting on the first season for Dwane Casey as Raptors head coach. Can Andrea Bargnani be the guy that opened eyes at the beginning of the season. What do Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis need to do in the coming off-season? Will James Johnson ultimately fit in a role as a back up for the Raptors should they likely upgrade at his position. How Bryan Colangelo will approach this upcoming off-season with his future in Toronto on the line. Also get Jack's thoughts on the Nets move to Brooklyn as he is a native of that area. In addition something I never knew about what NBA Team tried to steal Jack from us in Toronto. It is a lengthy but enjoyable conversation with Jack as it always tends to be when he takes time to join us.




As I mentioned Jack will be back to talk about the draft once the Lottery Balls have fallen. He obviously gave you a hint on his feelings on Anthony Davis but safe to say almost everyone shares that opinion that he is the consensus number one pick heading into the draft. We will be reaching out to others getting their thoughts on the season and off-season to come in the next few weeks. So stay tuned and be on the look out for more guests as we get prepared for the off-season. Jack is an honorary member of #TeamDNB for me. He has become our most popular guest over the years and it is mainly because of two things. The first is Jack and his no nonsense approach mixed with good humour that Raptor fans have come to love. Second his willingness to be a guest on a regular basis and show faith in me to do a good interview. Those two things are what has made him are most frequent and most popular guest in The Starting 5 and we are thrilled as always to have him on with us.

Raptor Fans Are Like Elephants

People have a hard time figuring out Raptor fans. Like why on earth were they still booing Tracy McGrady after all these years. I saw a tweet from someone with the Hawks that stated that Raptor Fans are like elephants they never forget. I think that is kind of true and it is kind of what I dig about writing about this team and for Raptor Fans. To often in this modern world, so much gets forgotten and swept aside. A guy can honestly go to jail and comeback and be a hero in this world. Scandal is only temporary and it steals all the headlines. For whatever you personally think about how Raptor fans act towards guys like Vince Carter, T-Mac and Chris Bosh, it to me will always be cool. It is a collective way of people calling someone out for in their opinion doing them wrong. If it was just a one sided thing I might not be as supportive. Thing is that it isn't. If a guy like Jerome Williams, Morris Peterson or Alvin Williams show up at the ACC they are met with cheers. This is because fans believe that these players and a few others showed them respect. They did it through how they played on the court and how they treated folks off the court. Basically people in Toronto are pretty good at figuring out who is genuine and who isn't.

That leads to what Amir Johnson did last night for Raptor fans and his own fans with his Roll with Amir Event. I can't imagine the likes of Carter, Bosh or McGrady reaching into their pocket and with little fanfare taking out 50 fans for the night on their dime. But not just to give them tickets to a game, but to go out with them after the game and interact with all of them and give them stuff. All just to say thanks for their support and love throughout the season. That is what Amir Johnson has done his last two seasons here in Toronto. While on the floor he models the effort and energy and attitude of Raptor fan favourites of the past. He has taken it to a whole new level off the floor with this event. I have the good fortune to talk with anyone on the Raptors I care to with covering games. That is not the case for fans. It is something I always keep in my heart when I cover games. The average fan getting a chance to talk with an Amir Johnson or a Demar DeRozan is a rare and in some cases once in a lifetime experience.

When Chris Bosh decided to check out for South Beach it created the birth of something new. It was the Young Gunz, better known as the more politically correct Young Onez these days. Amir along with Demar and Sonny Weems took Bosh's exit as an opportunity to embrace Toronto fans. It was what they needed badly after watching yet another star player get what he could out of Toronto and then leave them behind saying thanks for the memories. Toronto needed some players to step up and say they were loved and appreciated and that is what Amir along with Sonny and Demar did. While it has been tough times for the Raptors on the floor in the past few years since Bosh has left, it never stopped these guys from being out front and still there doing their part to embrace fans. It is easy to show love for people when everything is going great and your riding high. It takes some true character and genuine love to do it even when things are not so good.

While the Young Onez may still be miles away from bringing a championship to Toronto they have had an impact on Toronto. Sonny Weems still keeps in touch with all the people that supported him here on Twitter even when he was half a world away playing ball in Europe this past season. Amir Johnson had some personal issues that never were made public other than that. Still, he keeps a smile on his face and goes out of his way to embrace the support he gets from his fans. It is something that even in a season like this Raptor fans appreciate.

The Raptors future on the floor finally seems to be turning in a positive direction. Which is great news for everyone. However, don't forget all that was done by guys like Amir Johnson in the days that were darkest after Chris Bosh left. It should be remembered and cheered as loudly as the boos that rain down on the likes of Bosh, Carter and McGrady. But like that Atlanta person tweeted " Raptor Fans are like Elephants they never forget." Make sure you remember that in terms of Amir Johnson because he more than deserves it.

Pizza Delivered and A Win Too!!

I have always stayed consistent in trying to be honest in the DNB. In that vain I find it hard to get excited for any of the rest of this season. Jerryd Bayless no longer has to worry about it as he is out for the rest of the year. Demar DeRozan is back though at least there is that. But the season that promised nothing has delivered nothing so to say I am surprised would be a lie. Meanwhile, Andrea Bargnani had just 8 points and allow me to be the first to say that Andrea Bargnani may just be who we thought he was before this season. Actually I have already said that. Truth is the Bargnani post calf injury has been awful. One other note no James Johnson for this one and another under performer in Linas Kleiza replaces him in the starting line-up.

Naturally Andrea Bargnani starts like a house of fire. The Raptors mostly with Bargnani built a 9-2 lead. Bargnani had the first 7 points and than the other guy I mentioned who was struggling drains a three against his former team as Kleiza nails it to make it 12-4 Raptors. DeRozan nails a jumper as he returns to the line-up and the Raptors lead this thing 17-9. Raptors were continuing to keep control of this one lead by Andrea Bargnani with 10 points and they still had a 22-17 lead on pace for pizza with 5 to play in 1st. Nuggets cut it down to three point advantage and Jose Calderon made a jumper to push it to a 5 point lead. Ben Uzoh seeing his first minutes as a Raptor with score 25-20 Raptors. Not much changed while he was in there but he will fit right in with 2 quick fouls and Raptors lead 27-22 after 1.

Gary Forbes hits a three on his former team to get the 2nd quarter going. Forbes with another 2 and like Bargnani had in first it was Forbes starting quarter like a house of fire and Raptors lead 32-22. Some slippage but Forbes again stepped up with a big three. Still the Nuggets were starting to turn the corner. Yet another three this time form Calderon made it a 7 point lead briefly till Al Harrington answered with another three. Bargnani passed 6000 points which they made a huge deal of on the broadcast. Jack Armstrong with some clever wit asked after it occurred if he got a slice of pizza for that. Raptors were still on pace to get pizza and more importantly win a game leading 48-40. Denver was pushing hard this whole quarter and Raptors lead was shrinking fast down the stretch down to just one....then up one for Nuggets on back to back turnovers. Klezia buzzer beater 3 saves the lead at the the half for Raptors 55-53

Raptors came out and built on to their small advantage and got it up to 6 points. The Nuggets had only lead once briefly right before the half. Chandler who many Raptor fans drooled about were not drooling now as he tied the game up at 63. Lawson would give the Nuggets the lead and Dwane Casey frustrated gets called for a tech. The wheels were coming off in this game and honestly in this season to a large degree. Nuggets quickly extended that advantage to 6 points leading 69-63. A JaVale McGee dunk over Jose Calderon summed up how the momentum had changed nicely making it 73-67. DeRozan was doing his best to try to get Raptors back in it with lots of drives to the hoops and the lead was down to 2 with score 74-72 Nuggets. But the Nuggets would respond with a push to get their lead back to 80-74. Alan Anderson one of the 10 day contract guys with a nice three to cut the lead in half. Anderson would score another bucket later than the other 10 day contract guy Uzoh with a bucket to tie the game at 85 after 3.

Nuggets with more on the line came out strong in the 4th and took a lead which can be expected. Raptors would hang around though and finally made a move to do more than that just past the mid point of the 4th. Andrea Bargnani after a Gary Forbes three that cut the lead to one, it was Bargnani that would give the Raptors a 95-94 lead. Raptors would not only get Pizza thanks to Andrea Bargnani but pull away with his three after making the highly intense Pizza on the line free throws. Raptors lead 103-96 and this would be a horrible loss for the Nuggets. There was only 1:45 left and they honestly had not looked great for most of night. Raptors did something they rarely have done as they closed this game out well. Raptors close it out 105-96.

This was a good game for Andrea Bargnani. The fact he has scored over 6000 points honests means nothing. It is just a garbage T.V trick to make you care about something that doesn't matter. What does matter is does this continue or is it a blip on the Radar. Bargnani since his explosive start to the season since returning has been much more like the Bargnani we have seen in the 6 years prior. I get that people want to believe he has turned some corner but I am not convinced you can honestly say that. Aside from him you saw nice efforts from the two 10 day pick ups by the Raptors. You also saw a solid performance from the former Nuggets Forbes and to a lesser extent Kleiza. It was a good win for the Raptors and a terrible loss for the Nuggets. In a game like this you can learn some things. Denver needed this badly and the Raptors out competed them under those circumstances. That is a positive sign for the future. A small one but still a positive.

Bullseye On Two In A Row.

The Raptors get a surprising blowout win over the Knicks. That snapped a 5 game winning streak for the Knicks but to hit the daily double and beat the Bulls will not be easy. Raptors have only won back to back games twice this season. The first time started with a win over the Knicks followed by a win over the Cavs on January 2nd and 4th. The last time they did it was also in January with back to back wins over the Suns and Jazz on 24 and 25th. That is also the only time the Raptors swept a back to back this season. Add in the fact the Bulls have not played since beating the Raptors earlier in the week. They also have a spectacular 10-2 record in March and have won 6 of their last 7 games.

The good news is Demar DeRozan appears to be ok and likely will play tonight after leaving late with an injury to his left ankle. He called it a tweak and sounds like he will be fine. If he does in fact start he will tie a Raptor record with 131 consecutive starts with Alvin Williams. On a team that has been plagued with injury troubles Demar DeRozan has proven to be durable for his 3 season with the Raptors. His 30 point performance was fantastic and it re-opens a debate on if he can actually be the main guy on this team and not Andrea Bargnani. Andrea had a big night as well but to that point had been pretty average since returning from his calf injury.

Bulls are likely to go without their MVP in Derek Rose holding him out till Monday as the Bulls expect a long playoff run in their future and want Rose to be ready for that grind. It is not like the Bulls needed him as they beat the Raptors 94-82 and really only played one solid quarter that being the 4th. Safe to say you will see the Bulls play better for longer than 12 minutes tonight. If the Raptors can bring the defense they had last night this could be an ugly slug feast that the first team to 80 points wins.

Raptors Can't Camouflage A Flawed 4th Quarter

Better late than never right? I apologize just not feeling my best last couple days. That is why once the season is done will look into building a staff here for the DNB. So the Raptors busted out the camo and looked like a different team for 3 quarters. Well that might be an exaggeration the Raptors did play well and hang with the Roseless Bulls for 3 quarters. The Bulls are still very good without Rose heading into last night they were 10-4 without last year's MVP. So let's get to some game notes:

The Old Andrea Is Back: No not the one from the start of this season. The one from the last 6 years prior. His defense has at best been regressing. His offense last night was pretty much a train wreck. The only positive was he was making some solid passes and getting some assists to his stat line. He had 8 points 6 assists and 5 rebounds shooting 2-10 on the night. That is not going cut it. If we don't see improvement Raptor fans may point to his start to the season as the opportunity lost to trade him in the future. If people want to use the injury as an excuse that is fine but that then calls into question his durability. I think the highlight of the regression on defense I am talking about is when Carlos Boozer turned Andrea into a tree and fake one way and left him standing there and went for a dunk.

4th Quarter Blues: The Raptors have proven this season that they are capable to hang with even some of the best teams for a time. But when it comes to the 4th quarter and time to win the game the have had some epic failures. You can argue that in the last two games they have been perhaps the worst. John Lucas and Kyle Korver hit back to back threes and you knew it was coming as the game was tied. Once the Bulls took the lead they were like a sports car running from a bicycle. The hope would be with a greater depth of talent next year the Raptors will be able to have more complete 48 minute efforts as a result. Last night the Raptors out played the Bulls for 3 quarters but when it was winning time the Bulls showed why they have the best record in the league.

Demar DeRozan: You still have concerns about him as a defender. Still his offense is growing to be more consistent and the worries that people had at the start of this season should be less. He got off to a hot start last night with 11 points in the first quarter. He still managed to keep his scoring up through the whole 48 minutes. He finished with 23 points and shot 11-25 in the game and had 6 rebounds. It would be nice to see DeRozan be able to grab a few more boards as part of his game. At his position his advantage his is athleticism at the end of the day and that is part of taking advantage of it.

James Johnson A Year Later: It was about a year ago that the Raptors acquired James Johnson from the Bulls. He would likely still be fighting to get minutes and barely see the floor if he remained in Chicago. Slightly more used than Solomon Alabi is here with the Raptors. He has shown through his opportunity he has gotten here that he deserves to be a rotation player in the NBA. He had a nice night against his former team 16 points and 7 rebounds and shot an efficient 8-14 from the field. The Raptors likely still need a starting small forward at the end of the day. Still, Johnson as a back-up that can bring it on defense with a developing game on offense is a nice fit coming off the bench for a winning team.

In the end the Raptors despite having a 7 point lead in the early 4th quarter and but the end the Bulls ended up with a 12 point win 94-82. The Raptors also had to go most of the way without Jerryd Bayless who tried to give it a go with a left hip pointer but after just 1:29 on the floor it was clear he could not play in this one. He would watch the 2nd half in suit and like all Raptor fans sit helpless watching the Bulls come back and take over this in the 4th.

Captain Cupcake Leads Nets To Victory

So here we go, on the night before the trade deadline. All is quiet for the Raptors and it is likely to stay that way given the goals of this franchise at the moment. So, we can focus on if this team can actually win two games in a row. Deron Williams is out for the Nets and so is Calderon for the Raptors. I would consider that advantage Toronto. Is that enough to get them a win? Time to find out.

Sloppy start by both sides as the teams trade turnovers. Raptors got the first two baskets of this game to get the jump on the Nets. Kris Humphries was all over the place in both good and bad ways. He made a jumper and that was followed by a Raptor turnover leading to easy two in transition and this puppy was tied at 6. More Hump with the two handed jam and Nets had their first lead on the night at 12-10. Hump had a career high 31 point and 18 rebounds on Monday, so far in this one he has 8 points and 3 rebounds. Raptors went on a 8-3 run capped with a DeRozan slam in transition on the nice hook up from Bayless. Barbosa would make that 10-3 as he was playing and showing why he might be the most attractive trade piece in a Raptor uniform. In what was a very sloppy quarter for both the Raptors and Nets the Dinos had a 22-19 lead.

Anthony Morrow opens the scoring and makes it a one point lacking excitement contest. Nets get the lead back for first time since 12-10 with back to back hoops to open the 2nd. Barbosa audition continues with steal followed by a drive and behind the back pass to Linas for the easy 2. For a game tied at 25 this had all the excitement of watching paint dry for the most part. Gaines the Raptor for a couple 10 day contracts last year gave the Nets the lead 27-25. A quiet night for Bargnani so far as he makes his 2nd shot on the night to tie the game at 27. The Barbosa audition was the only true excitement as he adds a jumper made as he is fouled. Missed the and one but the Raptors had a 32-29 lead. Bragnani makes up for a turnover with a nice drive and finish and the Raptors lead was 5 with a time out on the floor. James Johnson kept the Raptors roll going on a 9-0 run now but the Nets finally had an answer and it was back to a 5 point game at 36-31. But the Raptors keep rolling make it a 13-2 run for Toronto and a 40-31 lead. Raptors get a bucket from Bayless he had 8 dimes doing his best Jose Calderon impression only he was playing defense too. Raptors had slippage near the end of the half and were trying to hang on to the lead. But they did manage to hold on with a 46-41 halftime lead.

Raptors continue to build your expectation levels for Jonas coming. I think it is pretty irresponsible to hype this kid to the moon all to serve as a distraction to the fact this season has been terrible. If he is not as good as advertised I urge you not to blame the kid and blame the people responsible for building your expectations to high. Anyway, back to the guys actually playing here that are up 5 on the Nets. New Jersey opens the half with a 3 pointer to cut the lead to just two. The one thing Bargnani has stuggled with since his return ironically is hit 3 point shot. he had a wide open transition three that he missed. Nets would tie the game up on the next possession at 46. Nets would eventually nose ahead with a 52-50 lead. Kris Humphries takes an ill advised jumper, gets his own rebound and kicks the ball out and possession ends with a Hump dunk. That sums up the good and bad of Kris Humphries in one possession. Bottom line it worked out and the Nets had a 4 point lead. Nets had a chance to make that an eight point lead but Hump threw the ball away. Demar Derozan took a knock to his face. He made the basket and the free throw than took a seat to get checked out. Nets were starting to pull away with this one. Jerryd Bayless after a solid first half with 8 assist had 0 in this 3rd quarter and was making some turnovers. Raptors limped to the end of the 3rd and the Nets had a 12 point turnaround in that quarter to lead 66-59 after 3.

Ed Davis angry he gets no halftime features makes a basket to start the 4th. Raptors were making just some awful and unforced turnovers and the Nets were happy to take the gifts being thrown their way. Nets had methodically built an eleven point lead. Bayless scored on a transition layup and Avery Johnson was quick to call a time out. There was roughly 7:40 left to play and out of time out Hump knocks down a jumper to restore the double digit lead. DeRozan than tries to put Hump on a poster but has to settle for two free throws. He missed both and the Raptors trialled 80-69. Nets would push that lead to as high as 14. Raptors would roll off 6 straight points and get it to an eight point advantage with 4:30ish left to go. Gerald Green who is most famous for blowing out a candle on a cupcake was blowing out the Raptors with 21 points. His latest two made the lead climb back to 10. After a dump tech by Anthony Morrow and the Raps hitting that Green again with an insane jumper to make the lead 10. Raptors needed a huge change in momentum as James Johnson scored to cut the lead to 8 points but their was just 2:20 left to play. Raptors go zone after the time out and Gaines makes them pay with a three point dagger giving the Nets an 11 point lead. Nets would take this one 98-84 and clobber the Raptors in the 2nd half.

Gerald Green had 26 points and former Raptor Kris Humphries had 16 points and 21 rebounds. It was yet another case of the Raptors not playing a full 48 minutes and paying for it in the end. They only shot 38.3% on the night. It was ugly even when the Raptors were winning. It got uglier when they started losing. Trade Deadline tomorrow if the Raptors do anything will be on top of it. That said if you plan on holding your breath for that...Don't.

Raptors Give Houston Problems

Houston with some nice passing getting an easy 2 points and Calderon a nice jumper in the paint and were off and running tied at 2, which will be more scoring that 40,000 plus likely see at the TFC game down the street. Teams continued to trade buckets and were tied at 6. Raptors would take the first real advantage of the night with a James Johnson slam, followed by a Houston turnover, that led to DeRozan being fouled and making two at the line making it 10-6 Raptors. Amir Johnson was back in the line-up and starting and he finished off a Johnson to Johnson play with a basket. Not long after we were one Johnson shorter as James picked up his 2nd foul early on. Raptors were making good passes and turning it into points up 16-10 with 6:33 to play in 1st. Demar DeRozan with a basket and one with 5:05 to play, but left the and one short, still the Raptors lead 20-13. This was an important game for the Rockets though as they were hanging on to last ticket to playoffs in the ultra close Western Conference. So the Rockets would make a push and with 2:24 left had this back to a one possession game trailing 24-21 to the Raptors. Raptors had let the Rockets get to even at 28 but got a little good luck as Bayless nailed a buzzer beater 3. Still the Raptors deserved better than a 3 point lead based on how they played. Some solid ball movement had their offense clicking.

Well hold the phone the replay would disallow the the Bayless three so make it 28-28 as we start the 2nd. That might have motivated Bayless as he hit another 3 early in the 2nd to give the Raptors a 31-30 lead. Still the momentum in this game had shifted to Houston. Jaamal Maglorie would do something. What was it? Dumb foul? Nope something good actually an offensive rebound and passed it to Jose for an open 3 giving the Raptors 34-31. It would spark the Raptors to make a push and go on a 10-1 run and lead 41-32 book-ended by another 3 by Barbosa with 7:30ish left in the half. After a time out the Rockets would cut the lead down to just 3 points causing Casey to call for a time out with 6 minutes to play in the half. Good time out from Casey and it stops the bleeding with it 47-40 and Raptors shooting and insane percentage at 63% and rising, but only up 7. Raptors had a 9 point lead with 2:36 to go. Could they close out this quarter and go into halftime feeling good? James Johnson took a knee to the thigh from Sammy D and made one of two at the line on the foul. Sammy was motivated perhaps by seeing his "friend" Leo Rautins calling the game and got a score on the other end. Amir Johnson had answer for that but then picked up a foul after his slam with 1:22 to play. Raptors were actually extending the lead up to 13 with score 56-43. Next possession after that they commit the basketball sin of fouling a three point shooter. Lowery made them all and it was 56-46 with 34.2 to go and time out for the Raptors. Raptors would add two and go to the half with a 58-46 halftime lead.

Raptors were shooting 64.9% and had a 12 point halftime lead. If not for a lot of fouls it could be more. Houston has not been a good road team and it was showing so far in this one. Unfortunately the Raptors started the second half with more of same fouling Kevin Martin. He would make both and was 5-5 on the night, Houston as a team were 18-22. But the Raptors keep on rolling and Demar DeRozan got to the line and made a pair of his own and gave Raps their largest lead so far at 62-48. Raptors were slowly building on this lead. It was a shame with 40,000 plus down the street at Rogers Centre this was likely one of smaller crowds of the season. Houston was coming off an OT loss and got into Toronto late and it was showing as the ever growing Raptor lead got up to 17. Lowery nailed a three trying to get his team going and Scola got a score on break which was enough for Casey to call for a time out. Still with a comfy dozen point lead 71-59 but wanted to stop the momentum for the Rockets. Houston was starting to lose it's cool as he gets a technical foul. Raptors still up a dozen with score 73-61 with 6 to play in 3rd. Aaron Gray MVP march rolls on with a rebound that he taps to himself and scores. Amazing happens still in the NBA and Raptors led 75-63. Some slippage as the Rockets were slowly cutting into the Raptors lead. Fouls kept coming and Rockets kept making most of them. Raptors lead was down to 79-74 with just 1:34 to play in 3rd. Linas Kleiza interrupts his quiet night with a big three to push lead back to 8. Raptors 17 point lead at one point had been trimmed to 6 with score 82-76 at end of 3rd.

Pace of this game was fast and intense. Normally that would not be a good thing for the Raptors but given circumstances for the Rockets it might be on this night. Two teams were trading buckets early and DeRozan hooked up Barbosa in the corner for 3 making it 89-80. Still Houston needed this game and kept coming as Courtney Lee hit a big triple to make it 89-85. DeRozan was trying to get the crowd up looking to throw it down but he would get blocked but Kleiza would get the ball and put it in despite the block and it was 95-87. Raptors answer the Houston energy with some of their own as Demar Derozan was fired up and finished up with a lay up to make it 99-89 with 5:22 to play and time out for Houston. Things went from bad to worse for Houston as Lowery had to leave the game injured and the Raptors were charging hard. Raptors had built lead back to 106-89 with under 4 minutes to play. This was one of the better efforts of the season from the Raptors. They had a few bad moments but for the most part a consistent and solid effort. The Raptors had come all the way back and restored and surpassed their 17 point lead and now led by 19 with score 110-91. A Kleiza three would make the lead 22 as the Raptors had an 18-2 run and were on the way to win number lucky 13. It might have been the most impressive win of the season as the Raptors smash the Rockets 116-98.

The Raptors now will not see action till the weekend where that guy from Italy that some claim as a three point master could be back. The Raptors didn't need Bargnani tonight but will be happy to welcome him back be it on road Saturday vs Pistons or at home vs Bucks on Sunday. Shame more didn't get to see this one but it was their loss cause this was a great effort from the Raptors perhaps the most complete one of the season to this point.

Superman Is Not Afraid Of Raptors.

Not surprisingly no Amir Johnson tonight. Andrea Bargnani ? You kidding right? Nope he isn't playing either. Solomon Alabi is active and if he plays tonight the Raptors or Magic, more likely the Magic, will be up by about 20 points or more. Dwight Howard is playing and still for Orlando with 10 days to the trade deadline. Hedo Turkoglu returns to the scene of the crime as well. But no one put a gun to Colangelo's head when he signed him that we are aware of. You often wonder how things might be different if Hedo had not screwed over Portland (Or So we thought) and signed there as he apparently had agreed to do and than changed his mind. That is water under the bridge of failure now. Magic should have little trouble dusting off the Raptors as they did on New Year's Day to start 2012.

Dwight Howard starts it off with a pretty move in the paint making Aaron Gray frozen or so it appeared. Ed Davis would score on a put back and Raps would get another basket, before a Nelson three pointer would make it 5-4. Raptors were doing a good job hanging around early and in fact nosed out to a 12-9 lead on an Ed Davis bucket taking it at Dwight Howard. Magic would tie it at 12 then the crowd would enjoy a pretty stupid pass by Hedo Turkoglu that would go out of bounds. Ball Control was a problem for the Magic and that is a good joke but it was also the truth with a lot of unforced turnovers. You got the feeling Dwight Howard could score as many as he wanted, but the Magic were more content to take shots. It was tied at 17 on James Johnson open 3. Big Baby with a nice big to bigger pass to Dwight Howard. Then we had a J.J three ball and the Magic were up 22-18. Magic would lead 23-20 after one and Superman had 10 points and 7 rebounds and I honestly think he could have had more than that if Magic wanted him too.

Magic got a basket from Ryan Anderson in the paint using some nice old school pump fakes. Raptors would respond with a break and a nice drop off from Calderon for DeRozan to get the easy lay-up. Magic were starting to assert themselves a little taking a 32-26 lead in the early going of the 2nd. Magic got it to an 8 point lead, but Demar DeRozan unafraid to take it to the paint made a couple nice baskets attacking the hoop making it 36-32. Howard got another easy score in the lane but Demar would get back in the paint too with a nice spin and score back to a 4 point point ball game. Raptors gave a good effort but were still as Jack Armstrong says, stuck five at halftime trailing 43-38.

Aaron Gray with a rare two for two effort at the line is what opens up the scoring in the 2nd half. Magic would get a couple baskets to answer that and it was 47-40 Magic. Raptors looked pretty disorganized on offense. Jose Calderon was 1-7 and you could add a turnover to that but the Magic would return the favour as they led 49-42. But the Raptors would get on a nice 6-0 run before a time out was called and it was a one point game. Raptors would take the lead on Barbosa three pointer to lead 51-49. Magic out a time out get an easy score and tie the game at 51. Dwight Howard soon after picks up his 3rd foul. It was a back and forth affair as Big Baby hits a jumper to give the Magic a 58-55 lead with just over 3 to play. Dwight Howard got the basket and made a free throw as he was fouled and the score grew to 61-55. A big dunk by Dwight Howard caused the crows to gasp and it was a sweet finish. Magic had been the dominant team all night when they wanted to be but still only had a 68-63 lead after 3.

Raptors were not going away and were in this game for one simple word and it is effort. They had it and the Magic only had it when they decided to have it. James Johnson swatted Big Baby and it lead to Jerryd Bayless being fouled in transition he made both and it was a one point game again. Ryan Anderson with a hugely needed three pointer for the Magic. Bayless with an ill advised chuck at three to answer. Anderson a basket and foul which he makes the and 1. Bayless decided to shoot another 3.....No what are you doing? I meant to say nice shot as he makes it. Raptors after falling behind seven get another basket and again were knocking on the door down just two.

Magic again decided to bring it and Dwight Howard made a great move that 3 years ago was not in his tool box in the paint. However Demar DeRozan who didn't have a 3 in his tool box does have one on occasion now and he used it to get the Raptors to within 2. Magic would push back to 5 up but a Bayless three would make it 80-78. But a silly foul by Jaamal Magloire and Magic got the lead back up to 83-78 with just over 4 to play. Magic started to pull away and had a 87-78 lead with 2:58 to play. But the Raptors would keep coming as they had all night long. DeRozan got a bucket to cut the lead to 4. Some questionable calls along the way were getting the fans and Jack Armstrong upset. But the foul on Calderon actually helped the Raptors as it turned out as Howard missed both at the line keeping the score at 87-83 Magic. Raptors had a chance at an easy hoop in the paint and could not make it and that would look to be costly with just a minute to play. Another foul on Calderon for getting run over by Dwight Howard and he again missed both but Magic got the rebound and still could not score. Bayless was fouled by Hedo and sent him to the line with 31.8 to play. He makes both and again it was a 2 point game. But a dagger 3 by J.J Redick would look to be the death blow giving the Magic a 5 point lead with 9.7 seconds to play. But Magic allow the Raptors to get an open Calderon three that he nail....Like Really? Magic now only up 2 again with 6.3 seconds left. J.J Redick gets fouled and that is last guy you want to foul with 95% on season but on the night was 2-4. Made both like he did back in the days at Duke and that would do it. Magic take it 92-88.

This is the part where you say the Raptors fought hard and deserved a better fate. But everyone else will do enough of that. I will say that it was a great effort but it was still a case of team that can not find a way to get over that hump in close games. I will also be the guy that will point out if you had Andrea Bargnani playing you might win some of these games. The fact he remains out with a calf injury seems odd even if it is the 2nd time he injured it. I hope it is because the Raptors are just trying to keep him out to play it safe in a season that doesn't mean much. If it is not that this really does not speak well to his ability to recover from injuries and is a concern as you go forward. But the Raptors are giving a tremendous amount of effort on defense and in general and you have to give credit to Dwane Casey for that. It is night and day from the efforts we saw under Jay Triano.

Sonny Weems Is Best Dunker In World for 2012

You may have read my rant on the recent All-Star Saturday Night in Orlando. Former Raptor Sonny Weems shows us what a Dunk Contest is suppose to look like.



I saw no stupid gimmick just dunks. Now there are lots of people that might claim to be the best dunker in the world for 2012 but I never saw any of them bothering to show up on Saturday Night in Orlando. While the winner of that contest was more by default. So with that all said Sonny Weems is you Best Dunker in The World for 2012. He still has his rights held by the Raptors and I hope one day we get to see a Derozan vs Weems showdown that involves two guys that keep their dunk contests old school the way it should be.

Lebron James likely should be the Best Dunker in World but just like a shot with the game on the line he took a pass on the NBA Dunk Contest again. Best player in the world has no guts or confidence that he can win. Maybe that is why he still has no NBA Title rings. One of the best basketball stories is the one when Larry Bird walks into the locker room prior to first three point shootout and asks who thinks they are coming in 2nd? That was swag before swag was a word.

Raptors D Helps Create A Rare Home Win.

I can't lie there is nothing about this game that I really find all that exciting. You have a bad Western Conference team playing against a worse Eastern Conference team. It did teach me Mark Jackson only played 54 games for the Raptors. I would have guessed he was hear longer than that. Oh well, excited or not we have a game to play. Steph Curry is not in the line-up for Golden State. This is where he started his road to the NBA up in the Raptors practice gym.

Early on this looked sloppy and very Summer League like as both teams looked like they had a nice Saturday night in Toronto. Monta Ellis hit a long 2 in the corner to open the scoring. Warriors were off and running up 6-0 and the Raptors were 0-6 from the field. DeRozan after no free throws vs Memphis got to the line for a pair and made both. After a Johnson and Johnson hook up for to David Lee sticks a jumper. Jose Calderon hits a running jumper and despite a pretty ugly start it was only 8-6 Warriors. Raptors were shooting 2-11 and the Warriors 4/12, a true classic this was not. The Monta basket to start the game was changed to 3 so make it 9-6 Warriors. At this rate this game may need every point it can. This game was not pretty with score 11-10 with 3:40 to play in first. Jose Calderon tried to hook up Bayless for a lay-up at the Raptors decided to go small. Bayless would have a chance to tie this thing at 14 with 2:42 to play. Bayless did just that and this game was tied and I pray it doesn't go to overtime. This game was crawling to life and the Warriors were crawling in front up 20-16 with 1:01 to play in the first. Nice slam by James Johnson might have awoken anyone that was napping. The Quarter ends in terms of scoring on that slam leaving it at 20-18 Warriors heading to the 2nd.

Warriors get the first four points and Linas Kleiza hits a long two on a pass out of the post from Ed Davis. It was an Aaron Gray type game and he made a pair of free throws, but Thompson hit a triple to to double the Warriors lead to 6. A rare DeRozan three his first in 9 game and he has 9 points Raptors again get the game within three points and single possession. Warriors were starting to pull away matching their largest lead of 7 with the score 39-32. David Lee would add two to that with a score in the post. Only good news for the Raptors was Demar DeRozan was looking good he had 11 points on 4-6 shooting after making a nice running jumper. But Warrior despite not being all that spectacular themselves still had a 47-38 halftime lead.

Took over 2 minutes for anyone to score but Amir Johnson finally did on a pass from Derozan. That opened the flood gates on both ends as Monta Ellis had a 3 and 2 and it was 52-42 Warriors. Raptors have played like they are in a comma for most of the game but found themselves down just 54-48. Raptors went back down 10 points and then finally decided to wake up and cut the lead to just 2 on Derozan bucket to make it 56-54. Raptors would even things up at 56 and like the Raptors the ACC crowd had woken up. Demar DeRozan would continue that with a dunk off a steal in transition the Raptors had their first lead since the first quarter. They would take a 60-58 lead to the 4th quarter.

Raptors held the Warriors to 5/22 in that 4th quarter. Raptors found themselves in another close game and the Warrior would get this game back to even at 62 points. But a Amir bucket in the paint followed by a Barbosa 3 gave the Raptors a 67-62 lead their largest of the early evening. DeRozan makes a pair at the line to push that lead to 7. After an Ellis bucket DeRozan answers with a jumper of his own. Raptors had a 71-64 lead with 7:30 to play. Raptors were all of the sudden a different team full of energy after a lethargic first half effort. Barbosa would go down and was shaken up...this will not help trade talks if he is not ok? That to be determined as was this game with 6:08 to play it was looking good for the Raptors. Under 5 to play and Raptors had the ball looking to make their lead double digits. Barbosa remained in the game but missed the shot to push lead to double figures. Raptors would have things go wrong for them in a couple ways. The first is the Warriors would get to within 4 points. Second was Amir Johnson went down and stayed down. Raptors would make a 3 with him lying on the floor to get the lead to 7. He would eventual get up and to his feet checking out on a foul by the Raptors. He appeared to bang knees on the play. No Twist so that is good....Raptors meanwhile looking to hang on with Ed Davis in for Amir up 80-75. Ed was having a good night getting on the glass keeping on his recent roll of decent play. Fitting of how this game started it would end with little drama as the Raptors would hang on to win it. Raptors take it 83-75.

Demar DeRozan had 25 to lead the way. Raptors won the battle of the boards 51-41 and played good defense for most of the night and it helped them hang around to have a chance to win this game after a first half effort that was just not good in terms of the offense.

Raptors Get the Bear Claw In The End

Raptors return home to take on their former Canadian rivals. As I wrote in the in the DNB today the Grizz are on the upswing and the Raptors are on the downward trend. It is a major difference from where they started as franchises. That said on one night with the Raptors having the home court advantage could they cash in and break a 5 game losing streak to the Grizzlies?

A sloppy turnover from Calderon leads to a slam for Gasol to even up the game at 2. Calderon would make up for the mistake hooking up Amir Johnson for his second basket in a row with a jam on the break and Raptors had a 6-2 lead. A good start for the Raptors overall, but DeRozan was struggling with Tony Allen guarding him and could not get going. Over 4 minutes in and it was just 6-4 with Amir Johnson with 4 for the Raptors and Gasol with 6 for the Grizzlies. Calderon hits a nice three pointer and Raps had an 11-4 lead. A turnover and a crazy lob pass by James Johnson did not work out, But the Raps keep possession and get an Aaron Gray basket causing the Grizzlies to call a time out down 13-4 early.

Memphis responded coming out of the time out Rudy Gay hit a jumper to be the first man not named Gasol to score for them making it 15-10. Raps responded right away with the famous Calderon to Amir combo hooking up for two points. Memphis kept charging and had picked up their defense while starting to spread it around on offense. Raptors were hanging on though to a 19-14 lead with a time out on the floor. It was time to see if the Raptors learned something from the Hornets game and closed out the quarter strong. The answer early would be not so much with a made three, a turnover and an open look at three for Mayo that did not fall. A easy Rudy Gay slam would tie it at 21 then a turnover and put back and it was a 23-21 Grizzlies lead. Memphis closed the quarter on a 19-8 run and cashed in on 5 Raptor turnovers as part of that.

Jerryd Bayless with a nice spin to bucket and created contact made the basket and free throw for first points of the 2nd quarter. Then after a Grizzlies bucket he saved a ball then got the ball out to Kleiza for 3. Linas would return the favor hooking up Bayless for a 3 and the Raptors had a 30-25 lead. After a time out Mayo nailed a three pointer to make it a 2 point game. Raptors were getting a solid performance from Bayless and were bringing it on defensive end. Ed Davis an offensive board and a score with a foul and a chance to make it a three point play which he made and it was 39-30 Raptors with 6:48 to play in the half. Aside from some silly turnovers, the Raptors were doing well up 41-34 with five minutes and change left in the half. Demar DeRozan was having a quiet night by made a love move to the basket and finished off when the Raptors needed it as the Grizzlies pulled to within 4. That was followed by an Ed Davis jumper to make it an 8 point advantage. Raptors did a better job closing out this quarter unlike the first. They only lose one point on that lead in the final 2 minutes gave them a 52-45 advantage at the half.

Grizzlies come out firing in the 3rd with a quick 7-0 run to tie the game up and Casey has to call a time out with 9:25 to play and Raptors 0-3 to start the half. Rudy Gay keeps the run going and steal and layup and the added to that, 11-0 for the Grizzlies to start the half. Amir Johnson stopped the bleeding with basket to make it 56-54 Memphis. Raptors showed some life finally and got the game tied up at 60. The defense had picked up and the Raptors were very active looking to make steals. This had turned into a competitive close game again. Calderon a big three kept the Raptors close with the score 64-63 Grizzlies. Rudy Gay cut right down the lane for a slam to cap a 6-0 response after the Calderon triple. Dwane Casey decided to go to the bench and it worked well as the Raptors went on an 8-0 run to take a one point lead 71-70. Grizzlies would once again establish the lead again but a late basket by Barbosa would make it just a 2 point lead heading to the 4th with the score 77-75 for the former Vancouver Grizzlies.

The 4th quarter starts as the 3rd ended with a Barbosa bucket to tie the game at 77. Barbosa was Caliente which means hot in Jose Calderon's world. He was lights out hitting a deep three to give the Raptors and 86-81 lead. Grizzlies get it back to a one point game then Linas Kleiza made 3 big shots in a row and the Raptors had a 93-87 leads thanks to that. Grizzlies has they have many times tonight claw back and make it a one point game. A charge on Kleiza gave them a chance to take the lead back but they missed on a jumper. Raptors have a turnover and give them a second chance to take the lead and they take advantage. Basket and a foul sends Gay to the line and he makes the and 1. Grizzlies on an 8-0 run lead 95-93 with just over 3 minutes to play. Both team picked up the D and finally James Johnson got a score and a foul shot to make it 96-95 Raptors. Grizzlies answered with a bucket but then Calderon scores and is fouled with 1:07 to play. Missed the and one though and it was 98-97 Raptors. Grizz got a free throw to even it up at 98. Aaron Gray makes one of two at the line which is above his season average of 40% at the line. Rudy Gay scores and quiets the crowd momentarily. Raptors have the ball down 1 with 26.3 to play. Pass gets tipped out of bounces and Raptors keep possession but Kleiza misses an open look. Long bomb pass to Tony Allen and he scores and is fouled. If he makes the free throw it is a two possession game with 8.9 seconds left. But he missed it. Raptors call a time out and have 7.8 seconds to get a three to tie the game. Raptors bring in Butler for whatever reason he passes it to Jose who misses a three from the top of the arc and that is pretty much it. Grizzlies missed two free throws at the end but Raps had not time to even chuck up a prayer. Grizzlies with a quality win 102-99 doing what good teams do.

Raptors had 6 players in double figures but it was not enough. The Raptors failure to close out quarters and games comes back to bite them yet again. Demar DeRozan struggled on this night with just 4 points. Tony Allen is a solid defender but Demar has to be able to score on every night regardless. In a close game like this that is one of many things you can point to as a difference. Grizzlies had they not won could have pointed to the free throw line where they were 22-32 at the line. The Raptors were a solid 17-20 at the line. Ultimately the team with more talent found a way to win. That is the reality of the situation if you are being honest about it. You love the Raptors fight but they are very rough around the edges. They had 16 turnovers on the night which isn't that bad, but it seemed like almost ever mistake they made came at a bad time for it to happen and the Grizzlies made them pay almost every time. Grizzlies had 3 players with 20 + in Gasol, Gay and Conley. Gay was the highest with 23 points and played well down the stretch in this one.

Raptors Reach Double Figures.

The Raptors came out all business on this night. Demar DeRozan leading that charge. He would have about as perfect a first quarter as you could going 4-4 from the field and 4-4 at the line to lead all scorers with 12 points in the opening stanza. He was also doing a better job on defense as well, something that was missing against the Bobcats. Raptors as a team were bringing it on the defensive side of ball holding the Pistons to just 36% shooting from the field. The Raptors were shooting a blazing 57.9%. Yet despite all of this it was just a 28-24 lead after one. Part of the reason for that was the Pistons getting on the offensive glass as they had 5 offensive boards 3 of which came from Jason Maxiell.

Raptor would keep things rolling on the right path in the second. They had some nice ball movement in this game with with 19 assists in the first half and 9 of those coming from Jose Calderon. Raptors had 19 bench points to go with those 19 assists as everyone that came off the bench to this point has points lead by Barbosa with 8. Raptors had the lead into double figures and looked dominate at times or like the only team not already on All-Star break. However the Pistons would show signs of life before the end of the half cutting the lead to 8 with a halftime score of 53-45. They had also slightly improved their shooting percentage to 40.5% while the Raptors were still hot at a 57.5% clip.

Raptors came out in the second half and picked up their effort on defense which had been pretty good to begin with. They would hold the Pistons to just 15 points in the 3rd. They had won every quarter in this game and had a 74-60 lead to show for their efforts. The fact they were the rested team and had many days to prepare for this one was showing through on the floor.

Raptors had done a fair job keeping Greg Monroe in check with 13 points and 8 rebounds for him through 3 quarters. He would have a strong final quarter scoring 17 points and having 6 rebounds. Still, the Raptors would find a way to hang on in this one. It was a real team effort in the end. Perhaps the best symbol of that team win was Aaron Gray, having 12 points and 12 rebounds. His efforts did not go unnoticed by the 17,125 that were in attendance. Late in the game the ACC rang out with MVP chants for Aaron Gray. It was a moment for sure and one that you likely never expected to see this season. The Raptors in the locker room after 103-93 win were in good spirits. While Gray was talking with the media post game James Johnson on the other side of the locker room was chanting MVP. Demar DeRozan later in talking with the media also approved of the fans showing Gray some love. DeRozan led the Raptors in scoring with 23 points and 7 rebounds.

Jose Calderon had just 5 points in this game but 15 assists of the Raptors 30 on the night. Casey had praised Jose pre-game and acknowledged the fact the phone has been ringing with many teams inquiring about Jose Calderon. That said Casey seems fine with Jose staying right where he is and after his performance last night likely nothing changes in that regard. Jerryd Bayless was back at full strength backing him up with 7 points and 4 assists off the bench in 20 minutes.

Ironically, the Raptors are right on pace with what I predicted here in the DNB as they sit 10-23 heading into the All-Star break with half of their 66 game sked in front of them. If they get a healthy Andrea Bargnani back after the All-Star break they should have no problem surpassing the modest 20-46 prediction we made at the start of the season. This was just the 4th win of the season without him as the Raptors are 4-16 minus the Primo pasta spokesman. You could make a case this team would have a decent chance at the playoffs had they had a healthy Bargnani for the full season. Even though the playoffs are still a mathematical possibility they are likely not a logical reality. The Raptor longest home stand of the season is in the books and they only manage to go 2-5 and 5-11 at home on the season. But you can feel confident that in the 2nd half the Raptors should improve on that home record and overall record if they can be healthy in the second half of the season and have the same Andrea Bargnani we saw in the 13 games he did play in during the first half of the season. That won't improve their draft stock but it will improve the individuals that will be part of this team moving forward.

Raptors also were in talks with Wilson Chandler, who is looking to return to the NBA after signing in China during the lockout. He is a restricted free agent of the Denver Nuggets. He paid a visit to Toronto to meet with the Raptors. But before people get carried away with excitement this very well could be a leverage move on the part of Chandler to get a longer term deal with his former team Denver. They would have 4.6 Million to bring him back if they so choose to do so. The Raptors could not go beyond that number with out making some sort of roster moves to do so. Chandler has till Match 1st to sign an offer sheet with another team. If not he could only re-sign with the Nuggets or sit out the rest of this season and be a RFA again in the upcoming off-season. Aside from the Nuggets and Raptors his agent says there are 3-5 other teams that his client is considering.

Did We Really Lose To The Bobkittens? No Really?

So I had this dream that I some how ended up having to cover the Bobcats vs Raptors, on the same night host a party for readers of the DNB, and get this the Raptors lost. Wait, I am being informed this actually happened. The Raptors and deservedly so, have been praised for their effort in the last four games, despite the fact they have been 1-3 in those games. But based on their performance last night it made those 3 losses become pretty irrelevant. While it was great to see them raise their game to a level to compete with the Lakers, Knicks and Spurs, it should have carried over to a winnable game vs the struggling Bobcats. They had lost 16 in a row and brought a 1-15 road record with them to Toronto and just 3 wins on the season overall. This game was lost almost before it started by the Raptors. Dwane Casey in the post game was very honest and stated off the top he was disappointed in his team's performance. The Raptors approach to this game was the problem according to Casey. He clearly felt his team over looked the Bobcats.

This was a close game throughout never seeing one team lead by more than 8 points in it. When you consider the Bobcats who had lost their last 10 games on the road by an average of over 16 points, this was a clear sign the Raptors were in trouble. It was a lacklustre performance almost from the opening bell. The one thing that you have to do against a struggling team the Raptors failed to do. They let the Bobcats build hope and feel like they had a chance to win. Despite getting off to decent 10-4 advantage by the end of the 1st quarter the Raptors lead was just a single point 23-22. DeRozan had a good start on offence but an equally poor one on defence. His assignment on the night was Reggie Williams. Mr. Williams heading into this game averaged just over 10 points a game. He would end up on the night with 22 points shooting 9-13 from field and 4-6 from behind the arc.

Not only was Demar struggling on defence he was on top of it getting himself into foul trouble. If not for those facts, he could have had perhaps an even better night on offence which was pretty good with 24 points going 8-15 from the field. On top of that, he also had a nasty coming together with a Bobcat in the 4th Quarter that left him down on the floor for a bit. After the game he was fine and said the coming together just made him a bit dizzy, but was o.k eventually and he did comeback later. The only thing that was hurt was his pride at the end of the night.

The Raptor would trail by 2 at the half. The fans would get treated to Naughty By Nature at halftime. The Raptors likely to a verbal assault from Dwane Casey. Whatever was said didn't take long as the Raptors had wondered out before Naughty By Nature was done performing. Jerryd Bayless did return in this game but Casey said post game he felt that Bayless wasn't right in his view and did not play him at all in the 2nd half. Bayless only played a shade under 5 minutes and was 0-2 from the field making 2 free throws for his 2 points on the night.

The Raptors did respond in the 3rd to some degree but they had already made the mistake of giving a desperate team hope. The Raptors won the third quarter though out scoring the Bobcats 24-21 and took a slim one point advantage to the 4th quarter. However in that 4th the Bobcats had the hope and smelled blood and a rare chance at win and took advantage of that. They started to build a lead and would be able to hang on to it out scoring the Raptors 30-22 in final quarter and walking out of the ACC with a 98-91 win.

A couple of guys that were considered options for the Raptors in the draft were on display in this game. Kemba Walker was a lot of the people's choice for the Raptors in the draft. He had 14 points and 8 assists on the night. But the 5-15 shooting is the problem with Kemba he is struggling to shot a good percentage on the next level here in the NBA. Until Jonas Valanciunas fell into their lap the Raptors were strongly considering Bismack Biyombo from the Congo. He on the other hand looked like something the Raptors could use. Bismack laid the smack down in the form of 7 blocks to go with 8 points and 13 rebounds a strong showing for him. Still all the reports and things you keep hearing suggest that Jonas will be far better than both when all is said and done. Given how this season has gone the pressure on him to perform like it will be here from the moment he arrives and not a second later.

Jose Calderon who has been coming back to earth in terms of scoring had 14 points and 8 assists in over 41 minutes on the floor. He seemed frustrated from the losing in general in the post game. It makes you wonder if the rumours and rumblings that he wants to move on to somewhere else have some merit. How ironic would that be? A guy that has frustrated a portion of this fan base leaves out of his frustration in the franchise. Jose will never be a guy that will say he wants out publicly. He never once uttered that he wanted to be the starter in North America. If he were to survive the season as a Raptor it would not shock me if we heard news from Spain that Calderon is unhappy and wants to move to another NBA team. That is how he does things. It is also part of why I have never been thrilled with Calderon over the years.

Despite this recap of the game itself, I had a fantastic time being both media member, than host, than media member again. Our MGDDNBVIP night was a success in every way except for the one thing that is out of our hands the game on the floor itself. Thanks to all that came out and to Forest Kenney and the folks at MGD for working with us on a big event for the 2nd season in a row now. It is becoming a great tradition for us in Dino Nation Blog. They do a wonderful job in making these events a success. Will have some pictures and photos from the night over the weekend.

Raptors Play Tough But Get Spurs In The End

Rather than do a re-cap will just give some thoughts on my evening at the ACC watching the Spurs and Raptors. I chatted with Demar DeRozan prior to this game. We got into how the team had performed recently. Will have more on this later today in a feature on Demar but in general he felt encouraged from the play of late. The Raptors would be even more short handed than expected as Linas Kleiza had to sit this one out. Bayless is coming along and did come out for shoot around. He seems to be alright but after injuring the same ankle he is playing it safe. Trying to get it back to full strength so he can avoid a third occurrence of this injury in the future.

This game looked like it was going to be an ugly loss for the Raptors in early going. The Spurs jumped out to an 8-0 advantage. Troublesome in how they did with a couple early 3's. The Raptors would dig a deep hole but as they have done of late they kept fighting. It would have been very easy for this team to roll over and die after the first half. But Demar DeRozan came out in the second half determined to be a difference maker. The Raptors would get this game tied eventually but the Spurs would answer every Raptor push with one of their own.

Jose Calderon still had a solid night on offence but came crashing down to earth on defence. It is not the first time Tony Parker has schooled Jose and it won't be the last. Jose had 16 points and 11 assists and a couple steals. But it paled in comparison to Parker's 34 points and 14 assists which included in that was a 12-12 performance at the line.

I have always seen Parker as a guy that gets lost in the shuffle in a galaxy of great NBA point guards. He had the very public break up of his marriage but he seems back on track this season. He is going to the All-Star Game in Orlando and people got to see why tonight at the ACC. A lot fewer than saw the Jeremy Lin show the night before. Tony Parker has been doing his thing for years and not days. He has championship rings and all you could want on your resume. For as much as Jeremy Lin has dominated the attention of the media. I think Parker flies consistently below the radar. I am not sure if he ever has got his full credit for being as good a player as he is. If Jeremy Lin has as good a career as Tony Parker he would be fortunate.

Same would apply for Cory Joesph. Will also be doing a feature on him and his return to Toronto. He has some pretty nice guys to help him adapt to the NBA in Tony Parker and someone that has already had an influence in T.J Ford. It is not bad to have guys like that to learn from, Tristan Thompson also has a pretty nice role model to learn from in Jamison. Joesph has had a much different path than Tristan, but also has the advantage of a solid proven organization to be part of. He has spent some time in the D-League with Austin. But he still has just as big a smile as he did when he was in town to workout for the Raptors in the spring. The same he had playing for the national team in summer when I caught up with him here in Hamilton. It might have been a little bigger on this night though. It was no lock he would see the floor but with T.J Ford out the odds went up a little. He would get his moment late in the 2nd. He entered the game to a nice ovation and had a pretty uneventful 2:50 on the court.

But it was an experience he will likely never forget. When Tristan came to town for the first time he talked about being a kid sitting in the Sprite Zone. Cory talked in an interview during the broadcast about watching Mighty Mouse Damon Stoudamire. The Raptors as an organization get a lot of grief for their lack of success in their history. It is deserved without question. However, they also deserve credit for the fact they have made the NBA something that is a real goal for a generation of kids like Tristan and Cory and countless others. You only need to look at the NCAA today to see the amount of Canadians on the rosters in Division 1 basketball. When the Raptors and Grizzlies entered the NBA it was a big event beyond just the NBA being in Canada and having two teams. It took the game invented by a Canadian and brought it home with the greatest league in the world. Kids no longer saw their basketball heroes on just a T.V set they got to see these giants live and in person. Next time you are at a Raptor game just look at all the kids you see and imagine how that inspires their young minds. Maybe some of those kids will be having their night coming back to their hometown some day. They might even play for their hometown team. The Raptors just by existing at all have done this. Not to mention the probably thousands of kids that have went through camps the Raptors have put on for young boys and girls over the years. In covering games into my 3rd season the fact I was there to see both Tristan and Cory's debuts is a personal highlight for me. Not because of anything they did in the games themselves, just what it represents in the larger picture.

As for the bigger picture for the Raptors, you have to give them and Dwane Casey a lot of credit. I have not heard anyone make excuses for being undermanned. The Raptors have fought with whatever and whoever they have had the last 4 games. Despite just the one win to show for it, they have shown a lot of fight and been pretty fun to watch. It has become contagious at this point. If I had said in my preview that Butler and Carter would combine for 20 points, people would have questioned my sanity. But that happened on this night. What also did was Demar DeRozan having a big night and showing a real determination. This has been a tough season for Demar but it has not stopped him from having that same desire inside to improve and grow. He is starting to show some signs he might be turning the corner and getting comfortable again.

In the end it was a 113-106 loss for the Raptors the 4th loss in 5 games in this home stand that has just 2 games left, Friday vs the Bobcats and Wednesday vs the Pistons. I am going to be there for both and I hope we see the progress the Raptors have made pay off with a couple wins. This team plays like it has the last 4 games they will crush the Bobcats and Pistons going away. Let's hope that is what we see.

Starting 5 Chats with Audley From The Breakdown Show

Audley Stephenson is one half of the duo that each and every week bring you The Breakdown Show. It is a unique look at the NBA from a variety of prospective with a guest list of people from both NBA and the entertainment world. You can catch the show live on Sundays at 9pm or listen to on the web where it fits in your life. I have even been on the show last season. They like to say it is basketball talk the way it should be. So we talk ironically enough some basketball and some Raptors as well as the evolution of their podcast and website. You can find them on the web at The Breakdown Show.Com for their show, their book and just some good old basketball information and entertainment. That is Audley on the left as he came and visited us at our MGD Night at the Raptors Nuggets game last season. The other guy is Lanny better known to many as @_Lenito on twitter. Audley is on the Twitter Machine as well @TheAudman as well as his co-host Dave Mendonca who oddly enough is @DaveMendonca on Twitter.

In our interview we talk about the Raptors big win over Boston, thoughts on Dwane Casey, Andrea Bargnani, Demar DeRozan and the thing that everyone is talking about LINSANITY. This and much more in The Starting 5.



Thanks to Audley and hopefully will get both him and Dave back for a visit in the future. I am actually going to tomorrow's game as a fan vs the Lakers so will see if that leaves time for a DNB Preview or not. If not will have a recap of the Laker Game tomorrow night sometime once I get home and settled.

Looking Ahead To The Post Calderon Era

Change is coming for the Toronto Raptors at the point guard position sooner or later. Jose Calderon seems like his days with the Raptors will eventually be done. While he has never been a favourite of ours in the DNB, it seems clear now the end is coming. Calderon next season will enter the last year of the contract he signed back in 2008. In that time the Raptors record has been 103-170. Even Bryan Colangelo talked about the need for a point guard for the future. There have been rumours that Calderon himself wants to play for a contender. If he does I am not sure that it would be as a starter. But whatever the case it seems the longest serving Raptor who came here in 2005-2006 is on the way out. He along the way has averaged 7.1 assists and has 3,201 total assists currently, which is the franchise record all-time. But a lot has changed since 2005 and the point guard position has evolved. That evolution of faster type players at the position has been the problem that has plagued Calderon. While his offence at times has bordered on brilliance his defence has always been the issue.

Now if the Raptors had listened to this blog we could be already experiencing "Linsanity" here in Toronto. I am not going to tell you that I saw Jeremy Lin becoming the NBA's answer to Tim Tebow. I didn't see that coming. But what I did see on the day he was released from Golden State was an opportunity that seemed to make sense. The Raptors needed a third point guard option and this was a kid that was young and could blend in with this young core the Raptors had been trying to establish. But what I also saw was an opportunity from a pure business prospective for MLSE. The Raptors have always thought basketball first but a very close second has always been business and public relations. They are constantly looking at ways to expand their market to bring in people to support their brand. The fact they have a very international based look to them is not an accident or just by chance.

In the past we have seen the impact a Yao Ming has had, and even Yi to a lesser extent. I have to admit when I went to cover a game last season between the Raptors and Warriors I was taken back by the amount of Asian media that was there to see Jeremy Lin. Toronto has a large Asian community and this seemed the perfect slam dunk to cash in on that. Raptors needed a point guard. Here was one that had yet to develop but people felt had upside. He is born in the U.S and speaks English as a first language. He went to Harvard to play his college basketball. He fit the Raptors squeaky clean image of nice guys that we have gotten use too. It seemed like a perfect marriage of business smart and not basketball dumb. After all like I said people thought this kid had talent. Instead the Raptors passed and went for Anthony Carter as part of this veteran leadership movement they were trying to establish. It makes little sense to me at least at the point guard. Jose Calderon is not in need of a vet at this point. Bayless should be able to learn from Calderon to some degree. So why the Raptors went in this direction puzzles me. The fact Lin has found a place in New York who was desperate for a point guard only makes it sting a little more. So the Raptors missed the boat on "Linsanity"coming to Toronto.

So what now in terms of the search to find the successor to Jose Calderon. It seems clear the Raptors don't see Jerryd Bayless as the answer. The Raptors had the ability to extend Bayless but decided to pass on that. He still could be part of the puzzle but as the starter that seems unlikely. There is of course the NCAA Draft and the Raptors looking more like a lottery team by the day. You will have options in this draft class with out question. One of those being Myck Kabongo from Toronto who despite having some struggles in his freshman year at Texas is thought of as an NBA Talent. However, in a draft class that has so many options in terms of guys that play the small forward position, and rank higher than Kobongo, it makes drafting him seem unlikely if not impossible, at least with the Raptor's pick. If they acquire a second first round pick then point guard becomes a possibility. As much as this draft class has been hyped it really does not have that much in terms of the point guard position. Aside from Kabongo who is a freshman and would have to declare for the draft, there are only two other names listed at point guard that rank in the first round on Draft Express, Kendall Marshall from UNC and Damian Lillard from Weber State. I would also say that Austin Rivers who made a huge 3 last night to beat UNC is a guy that can play the point. But all of the players just mentioned at least at this point sit ranked outside of the lottery.

If not the draft then where do the Raptors go? Well Bryan Colangelo has made a point to remind us often of all this cap room he has secured for next season. Brandon Jennings would be a restricted free agent by time Calderon's deal is up. He has been recently noted by Raptor fans about his tweets about his love for Toronto. Let's face it who wouldn't want to live in Toronto compared to Milwaukee. Joking aside this is an option that might solve two problems at once. Jennings is a talented kid who can play the point. He has his draw backs for sure. But what he also has is a relationship with Demar DeRozan that dates back to growing up as kids in L.A. In terms of story lines with the Raptors a close second to the turnaround of Andrea Bargnani has been the inconsistency of Demar DeRozan. There are many theories as to why this has been. However the most common one seems to be a case of confidence. When Demar has it he can be the future rising star that people have seen him as. When he doesn't it exposes the flaws in his game that have become glaring and obvious.

The Raptors are likely to make a push to upgrade at the small forward position. This means the chances that Sonny Weems returning to Toronto to once again to be Demar DeRozan's main source of support seem unlikely. While some will see it as simplistic and not give that much credence, I think the lack of Weems plays a role in the struggles of DeRozan. Even if it is not evident to DeRozan himself. I mean this is a young guy, that saw his best friend on the team for the most part go away, while he was left with an increasing role and more demands on him. So it makes a lot of sense that Jennings could fill this missing piece for DeRozan. Jennings also is a kid that has a lot more swagger to him than Demar DeRozan does. If you brought a Brandon Jennings into the mix that swagger would likely impact on Demar and give him that confidence that has been lacking at times. It all seems to make sense.

The problem is to make it happen might not be so easy. Jennings is going to be a restricted free agent so the Bucks would have the ability to match any offers that came his way. But at times Jennings has clashed with Scott Skiles and the Bucks may not be willing to spend a ton of money to keep him at all cost. If the Raptors were to trade in some of that cap room they have for Jennings it would be something that might appeal to the Bucks. Would the Bucks have interest in a Calderon for a season and take the cap room he would provide for the future? Problem in that is Jose is not going to be Scott Skiles dream point guard. His lack of defence would likely drive him insane as it likely does Dwane Casey. But some how Bryan Colangelo owes it to himself to look at this situation and figure out some plan of attack to make it work. Jennings could be worth the gamble. Colangelo has never been afraid to do that.

Will it happen or will it be a case like the one with Jeremy Lin in which the Raptors miss the boat. Time will tell as they say. But it sure is an intriguing and risky direction to go. But Jennings does offer a skill set that can be one that fits a lot more with the direction the point guard position is heading in the NBA. He would be a huge change for what Raptor fans have become accustom to under Calderon. Both in good ways and in bad ways. However, as we discussed off the top the Calderon Era at the point guard position has not led the Raptors to any kind of real success. In fact the opposite is true. Jennings did little last night to make a strong case for his cause in his performance. Still, he has upside and a built in chemistry and connection in DeRozan waiting here in Toronto. It could be a magical combination for the Raptors. When you put it along side Bargnani, Jonas and a small forward to be named later likely coming from the draft. That is a young core and starting line-up that could be fun to watch for years to come.