Colangelo Has Built A Squad That Fits His Coach

Bryan Colangelo has built a team that is starting to reflect the coach he decided to hire last season. What all of his off-season moves have in common is a defensive mindset. That is something that Dwane Casey looks to expand on from last season. Camp in Halifax will begin just like a shortened camp did last season. "Our first call of duty tomorrow, it is going be a defensive practice." Casey said. "We were the only team in top 10 in defensive field goal percentage that did not make the playoffs. To get there we got to get our offense going to get a balance."

Coalngelo has added guys that can help in terms of some depth in three point shooting, something that both he and Casey made mention of with guys like Fields, Lucas and Ross. However, what all of these additions have in common to varying degrees is a defensive mindset and the ability to play on both ends of the floor. Perhaps, no one fits the bill more so than Kyle Lowry.

While Colangelo and Casey went out of their way to still say that it is competition for the starting job at point guard, the reality is Kyle Lowry will be the guy with the first unit. Casey talked about how Jose has been through these situations in the past and spoke to his professionalism. He also said this, “I owe it to him to make a quick decision and to make sure he knows where he stands.”

It doesn’t take a basketball genius to determine that Casey values defense and that Lowry offers much more in that regard. It also was made pretty clear long before Casey ever arrived that Calderon is not up to the task of guarding top level point guards in this league.

Aside from the point guard situation perhaps the other burning question of media day was the Raptors plans for their new center from the 2011 draft Jonas Valanciunas. The plan seems to be to give him every opportunity to play. That plan hit a speed bump with this calf injury from last Saturday. Colangelo and Casey stressed they will not rush him back even though Casey noted Jonas “Is chomping at the bit to get back in.”  He had some high praise for his new rookie center making a comparison to Sam Bowie who Casey knows from his time with the Kentucky Wildcats. “He has those kind hands that Sam had, He is quicker and better athlete than Sam Bowie at young age. He doesn’t shoot it like Sam, but he can knock down jump shots.” What Casey also likes is his aggressive nature, “He loves contact. He initiates it. That is another area where young players have a hard time being the guy that hits first.  We have to be smart with him. He might get three ticky-tack fouls but that will help him grow too.”

Casey has decisions to make this year thanks to the added amount of talent on this roster. About the only thing he would commit to is that Andrea Bragnani would be starting at the power forward position.  Casey also stressed how he was able to be contact with players throughout the off-season.  Something he was not afforded in his first season with the NBA Lockout.

All the moves Colangelo has made speak to his commitment to his coach, from Lowry on down the list to even the drafting of a guy in the second round like Quincy Acy speaks to the mindset of Casey. John Lucas III played last season in Chicago under Tom Thibodeau and sees similarities in Casey.  “It’s the same, he really doesn’t care about offense. Thibs didn’t care about offense.  We have enough guys that can score.  We don’t want a team to score more than 80 points. Coach Casey is the same way,” Lucas said.

Bryan Colangelo has given his coach more guys willing to “Pound The Rock” and that makes his coach very happy. Casey when asked about the slogan from last season joked that is was going to remain because he couldn’t find anyone to remove the big rock from the locker room. However he went on to say in a more serious tone how the players really bought into that philosophy last season and how he hopes these new additions can learn and add to that mentality.

Much had been made of the relationship between Sam Mitchell and Bryan Colangelo. How they never truly seemed on the same page despite Sam having some great success. The experience with Jay Triano was one in which the two seemed on the same page but the team didn’t seem to buy or understand what Triano was selling. It saw the Raptors sink to the bottom of the NBA in defense. Now Dwane Casey has brought them back to beyond being a respectable defensive team. Armed with more talent on that side of the ball you can only conclude the Raptors should improve on what they started in 2011-12. Colangelo seems to be willing to give Casey the tools he requires to be successful. While Casey, has taken some of the players that might not have fit that mentality, and been able to get them to make the effort and hide their weaknesses on that end of the floor. The direction seems clear, it just is a matter of if this team can make as big a leap as they expect and hope to do. 

Pound The Rock: Part 2

Dwane Casey should have more success this season. The answers as to why are many, which begins with the fact he will have a full training camp to work with this roster. I am not sure if we give enough credit for what he was able to accomplish last season under less than ideal circumstances. What he was able to accomplish with a roster that was not as talented as the one he has now can not be applauded enough. He did it with so little time as well.

The lack of training camp and practices was well documented around the NBA last season. It is only natural common sense that Casey with more time should be able to accomplish more. “Pound the Rock” was something we had a lot of fun with in the DNB last season. I personally saw the whole concept as a little college like in nature. Casey was able to sell it though and his players bought in. If you didn’t buy in that you apparently are not going stick around. James Johnson would be an example of that, despite having a defensive skill set that should have worked well with Casey. It speaks to a word I have said a lot in talking about Casey. Accountability has returned to the Raptors vocabulary.

Casey will not only have more time, but more players that fit the style of basketball Casey wants to play. All of the Raptor additions have one common theme and that would be a defensive mindset. For years I have moaned in this blog just how important a point guard that can defend is in this new modern NBA. Casey now has one that should fit the bill in Kyle Lowry. He has guys that will be on his bench that will push others to bring it on defence. DeMar DeRozan has a motivation to play better defence in the form of Raptors first round pick Terrence Ross.  Landry Fields is a solid defender as well that could play at the shooting guard or the small forward positions.

We could keep this going but to sum it up Casey now as depth and options if individuals are not working well within the system. The one thing a coach has control of that gives him power is minutes. He decides just how much you will play and that is how he can send his message. The trading of James Johnson shows that the organization to some extent has Dwane Casey’s back.

That is important and goes back to what they had in Utah for so many years with Jerry Sloan. In Utah there was a system and that system was ruled by Jerry Sloan. You didn’t fit the system or didn’t work well with Jerry Sloan and your stay in Utah would not be fun or long.

In the modern NBA that ruling with an iron fist approach alone is hard to make work. Casey has some of that in him but he has also shown an ability to work with his players and get them to buy in to varying degrees. It was made very clear to me from being in the Raptors’ locker room last season that Casey had the respect of the room.

So you should expect more from Casey in year number two as Raptors Head Coach. However all this talk of playoffs might not be a fair expectation. You may have to “Pound the Rock” a little longer before you are rewarded with the post-season. Casey will still try his best to push this team to exceed realistic expectations and the point is the Raptors have started to build an identity that can be successful.

Some Other Non-related Notes:

I ranked my top 5 dunkers in Raptor history for the Bleacher Report. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts over there. I would love to hear from DNB Readers there as well. In addition the Raptors finally made it official that Jaamal Magloire will be back at least for training camp. I talked about this earlier in the week so I will not add much to what I have already said. Ultimately Maglorie should not make this roster of 15 and if he does something has went wrong. This is assuming the Raptors don’t make a trade in which more players go out than come back. If we are talking about the 16 players currently on the roster it seems pretty simple to me that Magloire is the odd man out.

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.

B.C Speaks For First Time Since Free Agency.

Bryan Colangelo addressed the media via telephone conference today for his first public comments on Free Agency, The Nash attempted signing, The trade for Kyle Lowry that was made official today and the offer sheet for Landry Fields. He also managed to get in talk of Jonas and the draft choices this season of Terrance Ross and Quincy Acy. Remember how the Raptors were going to make the playoffs this year? That has been tweaked to contend for a playoff spot.  While Colangelo is never one to lack confidence today was no different but that is a tweak to the expectations level that was set entering into this process. As for the future of Jose Calderon that remains very much in the air but even Colangelo admitted that Jose was "not thrilled about the trade" and likely not about the Raptors pursuit of Steve Nash although that was not stated.

Colangelo stated  "There have been multiple inquires about Jose's availability since speculation began about Lowry being acquired."  Colangelo said teams were inquiring both about trades and the possibility that Calderon could be amnestied or bought out by the Raptors. Colangelo suggested that a few trade ideas had been put forth by other teams. In terms of the new point guard coming in Colangelo classed him as a "starting caliber point guard" he left it for Casey to determine if he would start in a situation that saw both him and Calderon remain on the roster to start the season. Where things get murky for me is what the Raptors will do if Calderon in fact moves. As we told you a few days ago the Raptors had to rescind their qualifying offer for Bayless. So if Calderon is moved or amnestied that would leave Lowry as the only point guard on the roster. That is a problem. It might be something you could fill with someone from the summer league on a minimum deal. Bobby Brown is said to be getting a second look from the Raptors as an example. Safe to say no matter what happens the Raptors have some issues to address at the point guard position. Everyone in Toronto loves a good point guard controversy right? If you had been successful in landing Steve Nash this is not an issue at all. One of the many differences in Lowry compared to Nash. Still it would appear Jose Calderon is less than thrilled by the actions of his team in NBA as he prepares to represent Spain in the upcoming Olympics in London.

So what of that whole Steve Nash thing? What does Bryan have to say about that? Colangelo had this to say on the failed attempt to land Steve Nash. "Obviously our number one target in free agency was Steve Nash for a multitude of reasons."  That obviously didn't happen for Colangelo and the Raptors moved on to make a deal with Houston that Colangelo claims had died off at the draft and was revisited on July 3rd as the Raptors were waiting to hear from Steve on his decision. Colangelo still feels the team's goals have not changed despite his thoughts on Nash. "Steve Nash is a not only a special player but a special person and obviously means a lot to this country and would have for our organization. You can only control what you can control. I respect Steve a great deal for making his decision with family first and probably basketball second." Colangelo said he can't fault a guy for that. Colangelo claims, the expectations for the off-season was not just about Nash, but about adding two lottery level talents as additions to the roster. He points out if you have not heard this 100 times at least already that Jonas Valancuinas would be arguably the second pick had he been in this draft class. But still this has to be a blow for the franchise overall in terms of attracting free agents in the future? "Not at all." Colangelo would state some what strongly. He would elaborate when asked to do so. "You have to look at the circumstances that Steve put forth and take them at face value. I truly believe there were family issues and well as competitive issues, the timing of such may have not been ideal. But it was something that was considered for all the right reasons." If you believe Bryan or not the perception in the fan base has been pretty clear on this topic. Most feel Toronto has had and continues to have a problem in bringing in top name talent via free agency. This was another reason why had the Nash deal happened it would have had a impact on the Raptors in a positive way. But without it happening it only strengthens the idea that the Raptors can not land top end free agents. Colangelo contents agents were calling looking for deals for various clients. However, one has to wonder if a Raptors team with cap room is just seen as pawn in the game of free agency chess to get guys deals elsewhere at this point.

Still many feel including those that were not on board with Nash deal that Lowry who the Raptors have picked up is an excellent basketball move and Colangelo seems very happy when talking about the move he was able to make. "We're getting a terrific player, a great value and a chance to have a player grow into the future of the position for the Toronto Raptors." Colangelo would continue later in talking about Lowry, "Kyle is a bulldog, labelled a bulldog by players, coaches everybody that plays against him." Bryan feels that he will add some toughness and grit to the Raptors along with other players coming into the mix. He raves about all the statistical data and analytical statistical info.

There was also lots of talk of Landry Fields who many felt the Raptors signed to an offer sheet as part of their push to sign Steve Nash. Colangelo does admit that was part of thinking behind the move but also was a player they value on his own merits. "It was a combination of both, I will acknowledge that he was a significant or valuable piece in a potential sign and trade with Phoenix, but what we feel we have gotten in Landry Fields (Assuming Knicks don't match) a very valuable piece. For a team that is looking to add depth at really two spots as we see him a swing player between the 2 and 3 spots." Colangelo continues on to rave about Mr Fields "  He rebounds the ball well at small forward or as a big two. We think that he is a high basketball IQ , Trustworthy performer, that knows how to raise the stakes everyday in practice and knows how to raise his level every time the team steps on the floor for a game." Wow no wonder Spike Lee loves this guy. I have heard more talk of how hot his girlfriend is and the fact he had Jeremy Lin sleeping on his couch in recent times. That said Colangelo maintained a lot of Raptors evaluations were based on his rookie season in which most would agree he was pretty outstanding for the Knicks. As for the Contract? Colangelo in the course of the presser said that you ultimately are going to over pay in free agency and even more so in restricted free agency. He also noted that people seem to have an issue with any contract he signs. That said they are confident based on their evaluations he can live up to the deal in place. Someone has to be.... right?  Most feel the Raptors are in a sense giving the dollars Kyle Lowry deserves to Fields and that Fields should make the money Lowry is pegged to earn. Whatever the case may be it adds up to the same.

There was still lots more and will rap this up with some of the other things mentioned. Let's start with Summer League. Early indications are coach Casey is thrilled with what he has seen from Terrance Ross the Raptors first round pick. In general you can expect an uptempo style from the Raptors in Summer League. Bryan said that they see Jonas projected as an elite level center in the NBA ultimately. They feel he will develop faster than people might think. Those people would not be in the fan base though right as some folks already have this kid being the second coming. No doubt without Nash and the shield that he would provide all it will be very interesting to see how Jonas does. There was quiet talk the Raptors were not thrilled that he will miss Summer League as he was able to help his country along with soon to be teammate Linas Kleiza qualify for the Olympics in London. You will never hear B.C say that though as the NBA does not like that sort of thing. If you are hoping for an Andre Iguodala type trade allow Bryan Colangelo to pour some cold water on that indirectly as he feels that Raptors have addressed the small forward position and if no moves were made is content with what he has on the roster assuming Fields offer is not matched. Colangelo did make a point they were still active in looking to improve. Raptors obvious still have Calderon hanging in the wind as trade bait. What he also confirmed though is the team with out using the Amnesty provision would be capped out with the current roster and salaries that are yet to be added. Fields and Acy to name a couple.

In the end Colangelo put on a brave face and tried to convince all that Raptors were still building towards a bigger and brighter future. Some how that seems hard to see for the casual fan of this team. Can they be better? It is possible but what is also true is the Division around them has improved at a much more dramatic rate and having a super team in Brooklyn if a Dwight Howard deal were to happen would only increase that. Lots of time before the season starts but almost everyone feels there is more work to do even Colangelo I would suspect.

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.

Demar DeRozan Can See The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Dwane Casey long before the season ended made it clear his thoughts on what he wanted from Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis this off-season. He wanted to see both hit the weights and get bigger and stronger. Casey gave some motivation to get that accomplished by creating an identity for this basketball team. I asked Demar about if he felt this team now had that identity in his exit interview. Later that night before the Raptors game vs the Nets I was able to catch up with DeRozan to follow up with him.



Demar in past interviews and in talking with him has made it known he plans on spending more time in Toronto this off-season. That is something he still plans on doing. He had plans to try to bring back a charity game like Vince Carter use to do back in the day. No word on if that will happen this summer but it still seems something Demar is interesting in making happen. Given the fact he is from L.A and the number of players that call L.A home it could lead to an impressive roster of talent for a game like that. This was a tough season for Demar, but he fought through it and by the end of it was able to restore the promise and hope for the future that people have in him. In past interviews he has mentioned how much he looks forward to a normal off-season, in which he will be able to be guided by Dwane Casey and the staff in his off-season work. The one thing you should never question is how hard this kid will work. Maybe it isn't even fair to label him with kid anymore but he was the youngest player on the roster this season. That will change with the coming of draft picks this off-season. It has been great to have someone that came into the Raptors world at the same time that I was welcomed in with access. Over the last three years there has been a ton of change with the Raptors but one of the constants has been Demar and he has always been a go to guy for us. Both he and Andrea Bargnani seem unconcerned with who's team this actually is. They are more concerned with getting this team to the post season which is something they both crave desperately. It will be interesting to see what they do and what their general manager Bryan Colangelo does in order to reach that goal.

Thanks to Demar for always being willing to take time to talk with us in the Dino Nation Blog. He has been a constant contributor in terms of our coverage of Raptors for his three years in Toronto. Next season we hope to see a bigger, badder and better version of Demar next season.

Raptors Last Day Of School

It was a long day in Toronto for me yesterday. First there was the annual end of the year press conference for the players. Normally commonly refereed to as locker clean out day, but the Raptors still had a game to play. A concert by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers allowed this uncommon event to take place. The common theme of those exit interviews was a general consensus that things had changed for the Raptors. This was stated from longest serving Raptor Jose Calderon to second year man Ed Davis. What was also a common theme was a desire to grab the brass ring and make it to the NBA Playoffs next season. To say it is one thing, to believe it is another. The respect this team seems to universally have for Dwane Casey has been obvious throughout the season. Ultimately the Raptors seem to feel they now have an identity and blue print to build on towards that goal of returning to the post season.

No one seemed to have any answers or be willing to share thoughts of what they needed in terms of additions to the roster that will help in that goal of being a playoff team in 2012-13. They all deferred to Bryan Colangelo who has a massive off-season in front of him. The days of everyone just accepting the genius of Bryan Colangelo is no longer just accepted anymore. The first thing that he will be judged on is his draft choice from last season in Jonas Valanciunas who if you hadn't heard will be coming next year. While the Raptors odds of landing Anthony Davis seem bleak at this point, if Valancinus lives up to the considerable hype it might not be the disaster it appears to be for some. In my opinion the Raptors would actually be better served in some respects to wind up the runner-up and select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also of Kentucky. The Raptors need a better option at the small forward position. James Johnson can be a good player for this team but ultimately does not have the overall skill set to be in the starting line-up. Johnson spoke of his late season blow up with coach Casey and said it is in the past and that he respects him. If the Raptors add someone that ultimately will play in front of him, it will be vital that he is able to stay motivated and contributing. While he still strongly believes in his game on the offensive end, it will be his defensive game that will be what is required for him to be part of the solution.

Andrea Bargnani looked like another person when this season began. When asked what was his best memory from this season, he said it was two minutes prior to ultimately re-injuring his calf muscle in Utah. When that happened you saw some rare raw emotion from Andrea Bargnani. After that we saw little of Bargnani and the Andrea we saw after that point looked a lot more like the Bargnani we had seen in the past. Dwane Casey in his post season remarks today praised Andrea for allowing him to push him. Ultimately heading into next season there will be two main questions. One is if Andrea Bargnani can be healthy and when injures happen can he grind and play through them. The fact this same injury was a factor no less than three times this season has to be a major concern. In addition Andrea Bargnani needs to prove the guy that many were saying was playing at an all-star level is the guy that shows up next season. Italy will not be going to Olympics so Andrea unlike some other players will not be part of things in London. He will have a entire off-season to figure all this out.

Jose Calderon will be in London and likely playing major minutes for Spain given the fact Ricky Rubio is no longer an option for the Spanish Team. Raptor fans outside of Spain may not be so thrilled with that. The Raptors have not exactly had the best of luck in terms of players participating for Spain. Calderon had one of the more solid seasons he has had in the past few years. Colangelo dismissed any thought that Calderon will be going anywhere in his remarks to the media today. He praised Calderon's defense which has improved to some degree under Casey. I would debate how much it has in comparison to Colangelo's assessment.

There seems to be a common consensus that both Ed Davis and Amir Johnson can not both remain as part of this team moving forward. I would tend to disagree with that given the uncertainty to Bargnani's health moving forward. You can throw Linas Kleiza is in that mix as well but given the coming of Jonas, if for no other reason than to help with his transition to life in the NBA and North America it would make sense that he remains on the roster.

In terms of Ed Davis this off-season will be vital for him and his long term future with the Raptors. He has yet to have a full off-season and training camp based on injuries and the NBA Lockout. I personally have concerns about Ed and his ability to develop. He seems to need to be constantly pushed. Casey consistently as mentioned his desire to see Ed and Demar both hit the weights in the off-season and get stronger. Davis when asked about it responded in a rather concerning way. He felt that people will always be questioning his size throughout his NBA Career. This sounded a lot like what use to be said by a young Chris Bosh. That said, the comparison between Bosh and Davis ends there. It is one thing to put up 24 points in a game that the other team had no desire to win and doing it in a game that matters. The organization has stated that he will be the primary focus of the Raptors Summer League team in Las Vegas. Colangelo in his remarks today basically stated that Ed Davis will be held more accountable moving forward and there will be less tolerance in terms of allowing him to develop.

There will be not much said about Demar DeRozan in this post because I had a chance to talk with him later in the day prior to the game last night. Colangelo in his remarks today said that the sky was the limit for DeRozan and he mentioned the same things that Coach Casey has stated about Demar getting bigger and stronger. He also made the point that Demar was the youngest player on this roster on a team full of young players. Colangelo also broke some news in his remarks as he stated that Dwane Casey has got his contract extended. He also made reference to Casey earning bonuses based on this teams dramatic improvement on defense.

That sums up the interviews of the players and we touched on what Casey and Colangelo had to say. Will have more on that later today or tomorrow. However let's shift to the game from last night briefly and touch on a few points.

First the crowd was addressed by Jaamal Magloire and as I had mentioned I was not looking forward to this. It was all I expected and even more. Keeping in mind that Magloire is not even under contract for next season at this point. It is thought that the Raptors might be willing to keep him around and it is clear he is desperate to be around. All of that said he when out and thanked the fans and encouraged them to stick with the team. That is your standard stuff no shock in that. The next part was, in which he more or less gave a promise of the playoffs next season. I am fine if that is Andrea Bargnani talking or Demar DeRozan stating that. We are confident they are going to be here and be a huge part in making that happen. Jaamal Magloire for all of the praise he gets has little impact directly on the floor. Everyone will tell you about his impact off of the floor and that is hard to evaluate in it's actual impact. If he is back I would not be happy about it, but that will not shock anyone.

This game was a utter shame on so many levels. The Raptors and Nets played in effect a glorified Vegas Summer League game. The only thing that made this somewhat bearable was the performance of Ben Uzoh. He got a triple double and became the first Raptor to do so since Alvin Williams in 2001. Sure this game was utterly without meaning in almost every way. That said to get a triple double under any circumstances is not easy to achieve. If it was than surly someone on the Raptors would have done it in 12 years. If you want to earn some respect or dough in the future remember the name Ben Uzoh and triple double and you will have the ultimate trivia question in about 5 years. Who is to say what the future holds for Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh and if they will ever wear a Raptor jersey again. What you can say is good for them in doing a solid job in building a case for themselves to be in the NBA even if that isn't here in Toronto. They had an opportunity and they ceased it and took advantage of it.

Ultimately this season was about Dwane Casey establish a positive identity for the Toronto Raptors. Everyone from the players, to the fans, to other NBA Teams now have an understanding of what it means to be or face the Toronto Raptors. It seems almost comical now how some people at this time last season were still convinced that Jay Triano would still be the coach of this team heading into this season. The best decision the Raptors made this past off-season was hiring Dwane Casey and nothing else comes even close to that. The fact he earned an extension based on his performance this season will surprise no one. The Raptors will pick up the option year on his contract. He has brought back an accountability to the Toronto Raptors that had been lacking for years. When you go in the Raptor locker room it is very clear who the boss is on this team and it is him. To earn the respect of NBA players and be able to get them to buy into what you are selling is a tough job and a constant struggle. In a season that was challenging for any coach in the NBA, it allowed Casey to thrive and survive his first season exceeding almost all expectations that may have been made on what he could realistically achieve.

Up next on our off-season madness of work will be taking a look at Demar DeRozan and hearing his thoughts on what lies ahead for his future and off-season. So be on the look out for that. Also as I was making people aware on Twitter I have lined up a number of guests to talk with us about the season that was and get their thoughts on the future. That begins with my favourite guest Jack Armstrong sometime next week. Many of you missed him on the broadcasts during the final stretch so you will get you fix of Jack here in the DNB. He always has some interesting thoughts on what is going on with the Raptors and I just love having him in the blog. He even helps me learn some things when he is. So that said the season is over but the Dino Nation Blog marches on the entire off-season for the most part. So make sure to stick with us through the off-season which promises to be an eventful one for the Raptors.

Some Early Reflections On The Season That Was

First off I apologize for no blog yesterday. Just was a lot of stuff going on life wise to take care of. We never did recap the Raptors loss to Miami but basically it could be summed up in one line. Lebron James is awesome. You may not like the guy as a person but he is a hell of a basketball player however you care to cut it. His detractors will point out his lack of rings and the fact he has had sometimes in the 4th quarter where he can go missing. All that said he is a pure athletic freak that it is fun to watch perform if you can get over all your hate.

The season is winding down for the Raptors with just 3 games left to go. It honestly has seemed to fly by, as it seemed like the Raptors had a game every other night. Oh wait, with the NBA Lockout schedule they pretty much did. They say time flies when you are having fun. I am not sure much about this season was all that fun. It would appear though that the Raptors have at least hired the right coach. Dwane Casey has been nothing short of fantastic this season. I am not sure if many believed he could actually turn around the Raptors miserable defense into something respectable but he has. That fact alone it pretty amazing but when you consider how he was able to with all the disadvantages the lockout offered it is flat out beyond logic. On top of all of that you have a season in which your squad was injury plagued. Miracle worker might be going to far, but whatever comes just before that would some up what Dwane Casey has done this year.

That was a success, what was not a success to any large degree was the moves Colangelo made in the off-season. When Aaron Gray looks like the best signing that you made there is a problem. This talk of the Raptors adding all of this leadership they so desperately needed was about as believable as the "It's not you, it's me" line someone gives you when breaking up with you. Carter and Butler didn't even last the season and Jaamal Maglorie might be the most over hyped Raptor for doing next to nothing that I have ever seen. Aside from that band of veteran leadership brought in there is Gary Forbes who even after 63 games remains a bit of a riddle as to what he is or can be? The Raptors did find a decent player in Alan Anderson with their 10 day contracts. There is no guarantee he will be around next season.

Demar DeRozan after starting off having all kinds of trouble has rallied in the second half of the season. He still looks like he has the potential to grow into the star many hoped he could be. Ed Davis meanwhile has perhaps shown why he slipped into the draft down to the Raptors at 13. He until very recently had shown zero signs of improvement or even life. Still, the giant question left by this season will be which was the real Andrea Bargnani? Was it the guy that started the season like gangbusters and after 13 games was being hyped and an All-Star Candidate? Or is it that guy that came back after his calf injury that hobbled him for most of the season. That guy looked a lot like the Andrea from the past 6 seasons before Casey arrived.

Then we have hype in two forms. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. That would be the Raptors insistence on hyping up their draft choice that never got to play this season. I think his name is Jonas something. You might have heard of him a time or two or 2 thousand times from the Raptors this season. I think they have made a huge mistake in building all of this hype. It will bite them in the butt if Jonas Valanciunas does not come through right away. They will then whine to their fans to be patient. Well maybe they would be if you hadn't run a year long hype campaign about the kid. I am convinced by the time he gets here he will walk across Lake Ontario to his first practice with the Raptors. At the end of the day I don't blame him at all for all of this. A dose of reality on all of this hype is that big man in the NBA seldom just show up and take over. It takes a long time to develop them generally. So why you would tie a rocket to this kids back and send expectations to the moon? It is short sighted and ultimately stupid.

Now to the less advertised hype. Bryan Colangelo has consistently laid out a plan that is centered on this upcoming off-season. He basically in his actions and words wrote this season off before it ever started. I think he might be as shocked as anyone that Dwane Casey has been able to get 22 wins and counting out of this group. It almost feels like a wrestling hype job when I say what comes next. This is likely the most important off-season of Byran Colangelo's career with the Raptors. I feel like we say that almost every summer. Just like ever wrestling or UFC show is going to be better than the last one. However, this is the truth if for no other reason than Bryan Colangelo has made it the truth in how he has approached talking about this season and next. If all he has is another top draft pick and his boy wonder Jonas than he is in trouble. Don't expect the changes to come through free agency though. Colangelo is likely to use his cap space in trades to look to improve the Raptors. Given his track record at free agency that might be a wise idea. Although a lot of his trades have not exactly worked out that well either especially lately.

It promises to be an interesting off-season and given how Colangelo has set things up the off-season moves could come very early on. The trade of Barbosa made that possible. It is safe to say the Raptor fan base will expect and demand much more next season. The pressure is on MLSE and Colangelo to provide a winner and not an apology and excuses.

Taking The Starting 5 Down To The ATL

The Raptors are in Atlanta tomorrow to start a back to back with Hawks. It was a good chance to catch up with a former guest we have had in the blog a few times before. Andre Aldridge now works as part of the Hawks broadcast team. In the past when he was a guest here he was working for NBA-TV and prior to that spent time at both ESPN and CNN. I have always enjoyed his work and his perspective on sports and the NBA. So it was great to have an excuse to talk with him. The folks in Atlanta might have been more excited than Raptors fans about the Raptors win last night over Boston. While this home and home series means very little for the Raptors, it means a great deal for the Hawks. We talk about a whole lot of things including some folks in the Raptors Organization that Andre roots for whenever it is not against  the team he is covering. I not only encourage you to give this interview a listen but follow him on Twitter @AndreHoops he is a huge sports fan beyond just basketball and has a great love for the history of sports.




Thanks to Andre as always it was great to talk with him. Nice to hear some positive things about Dwane Casey and Demar DeRozan coming from someone outside of the market. It will be tough for the Hawks to get out of being stuck in that middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.

Double D Returns To The DNB

Demar DeRozan has been one of the guys we have talked with a lot in the Dino Nation Blog. He came in the year I started having access to the Raptors and he has been someone that I enjoy talking with. This time around we talk about how the absence of Andrea impacts on his game in a basketball sense and how his mental approach has changed since the start of the year when Andrea is out of the line up. We also chat about his plans for the off-season which includes spending some more time in Toronto. He also is excited to have some normalcy back to his off-season with the NBA CBA issues now out of the way. His thoughts on the season and what has changed from last season as well as his feelings on his first year under coach Casey.


I think this was a pretty good interview with Demar and it looks like he is motivated to get to work this off-season. Coach Casey has stressed how much he wants to see both he and Ed Davis hit the weight room hard this off-season. Something that should be helpful in DeRozan taking his game to the next level. It is also great to hear he will be spending more time here in the off-season and still wants to bring back some form of charity game to the city. While not many folks miss Vince Carter in Toronto the charity game he established in the city was a great way to get your basketball fix in the summer time. It also gave me my first opportunity to interview NBA Players which was a great learning experience for me. Learning and growing are still very much a priority for Demar DeRozan. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish now with the input and guidance of Casey and the organization to help him in that process. Keep in mind if things were different that DeRozan would be finishing his college career at USC and about to enter the NBA Draft. In this modern world it is rare to see any player stay till that senior year. Which is something that I understand and support. If a young man is talented enough to be in the NBA he should do that as soon as possible. It is the best thing he can do in terms of his own and his families future. DeRozan, in knowing him from when he has arrived, I have seen that he has grown and matured, but the one thing that remains the same is his dedication and determination to improve. To use a line he has used in past interviews, this a young man on a quest to be "not just good, but great", as the years pass the pressure from the outside to do that increases. This season you saw Demar have his struggles but he has fought through them and is starting to look again like the young man that could end up being something pretty special.

10 Things On Last Night, Tonight and Beyond

So it is late in the season. I am tired and need to combine a re-cap and a preview into one. Thanks to folks at St Louis Wings for hosting me for the night for the game with the Thunder. I learned that the Easter Bunny is bigger than the Dino Blogger in two ways. Still, the folks at St Louis Wings have always been great to me and it is a great place to catch a game. Any restaurant/bar that puts basketball first in Canada is a rare gem to find. That said back to business, here are 10 thoughts on what we saw last night and what to expect tonight against the Pacers and beyond.

1. The Result Was Obvious- There was not a doubt in my mind last night's Raptor game would end up with the result it did. The Thunder were in bad need of a win coming in and the Raptors provided that perfect springboard to do just that. OKC had sat a top the Western Conference for the majority of this season and getting passed by the Spurs made losing to the Raptors not an option.

2. Thunder Fans- There is a lesson to be learned for Raptor fans from the people in the stands in OKC. It has become the best home court advantage in the NBA. Be it crazy fat guys with bunnies painted on them with masks or just your average OKC Fan they all get it. I am pretty confident they are never worried if they are treated to a slice of pizza. I am also confident that even when they sucked, which wasn't that long ago, they were not rooting for their team to lose (Tank). They are people that are just passionate to have the NBA in their city. That passion has died down in Toronto. While Raptor fans are a loyal group they also have become jaded and divided at times. I understand why that is, but still when you watch a game in OKC you see what being a fan by it's true definition is all about. They are more than just the example of how to build a team they are an example of how to build a fanbase. I miss the days when Raptors fans were like this.

3. Bargnani Tough?- I really am starting to have serious doubts about the future of Andrea Bargnani. Again this calf injury becomes an issue and he sits the 2nd half. No the Raptors were not tanking, as I mentioned earlier this result was an obvious one. I am left to question what kind of pain threshold Bargnani truly has. This is aside from the debate on if he has truly turned the corner as player. Even if I am to believe that, which I remain unconvinced, it becomes a moot point if he is not healthy in the long term. I don't mean to diminish a calf injury but this has become rather ridiculous on some level.

4. James Johnson Saga- I have no idea what James Johnson did. I don't care what he did to be blunt. I do support what Casey has done in sending a message. That said enough already. It was pretty hilarious watching the Raptors try and guard Kevin Durant with James Johnson on the bench. Matching the potential MVP of league on a 10 day contract player is not just punishing Johnson, it is punishing the team as a whole. Casey was quick to get him in there. Let's all move on now though and give Johnson his spot back. Credit to both Casey and Johnson, along with team for keeping whatever happened on the down low. Sure we all would like to know what happened but honestly we really don't need to know.

5. Jaamal's Impact- If I hear one more time this year about the impact of Jaamal Magloire, I swear that I am going to puke. Tell me has there ever been a player in the history of this team praised for doing so little? I mean seriously. I guess it is a situation not unlike the one with Jay Triano, in which because he is Canadian people are wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is what he has been in reality. A trash talking tough guy that still knows how to commit a foul in the NBA and can occasionally show you he use to be a good to great player 10 years ago. That is all. He likely isn't coming back and I would seriously wonder if the Raptors had not come along, if he is even in the league at all. Sadly this is the guy that will go in the history books as the first ever Canadian Raptor. It makes me sad for all the young up and coming talent we have in this country that could have been that. The only old Canadian I would want to have that honour played basketball for his country and is a two time NBA MVP.

6. Barbosa Is Back- If you are not at least a little happy for Leandro Barbosa getting a chance to play for a playoff team you may have no soul. This is a guy that game here and never once complained and went out and did his job for the past couple seasons. Given this crazy NBA Sked, I confess I have not seen much of Barbosa since leaving. But based on the boxscores and random comments I see on Twitter he is doing what he does in Indiana and I am happy for him.

7. Roy Hibbert- I have said this consistently for awhile, it pains me to watch this guy play and know he will go down as a draft pick of the Toronto Raptors. Now it should be noted if not for the trade with the Pacers he would have never been picked by the Raptors. They felt he was too slow for their up tempo style of basketball at the time. That said, I at the time thought he was a great answer for the Raptors at center. He is never going to blow you away but he does all the things that you would hope that a center would do. On top of that having met him once he is a pretty great young man. Georgetown has not produced to many stiffs at the Center position over the years. It is one of the safest bets in the NBA draft when you take a center out of Georgetown. When you look back on that trade that brought J.O to Toronto the biggest loss in it was Roy Hibbert.

8. Raptors Can Be Spoilers- When you look at the Schedule remaining the Raptors could have a impact on the playoff race. Starting tonight with Pacers two games ahead of Boston for 3rd in the East, followed with games vs Sixers, Celtics, Hawks twice, Heat and Bucks. It gives you some motivation to go out there and try and win games. It is also the reason that people hate tanking in general. Tanking has an impact on the teams that are actually in the playoff race. This is why David Stern needs to step in and do something dramatic to the NBA Lottery System. It was designed to prevent this sort of thing. Still if you look around the league it isn't working. The concept of tanking is talked about far more than it ever was back in 1985 when there was legit concern teams would tank to land Patrick Ewing one of those Georgetown centers we mentioned earlier. I say this with all due respect to Anthony Davis, if he has half the career the Patrick Ewing had, he would be a fortunate young man. However, with all the hype surrounding him you would think he was better than that and going to project to be the next superstar of the NBA. I would venture to say that is vastly optimistic. He could turn into a fine NBA player and likely should. That said is he going to be better than a hall of famer or some great recent top picks? I don't see that. Don't believe me it is ok. I will rest easy knowing that I also never was impressed with this guy named Greg Oden and said Kevin Durant would be better. I am sure that I was laughed at for that and I will use the obvious line of who is laughing now?

9. Reality Math- What we knew before this season even started is now fact. The Raptors based on their loss in OKC and some other things last night have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Still with nine games left which for fans feel pretty pointless, it is still important for some folks on this team. No matter what happens in these final games it will not change the fact this summer is going to be a huge off-season for the Raptors. What guys do down the stretch of the season may help shape/decide if they are going to be a part of this team moving forward. If for no other reason than that, this is ultimately why the concept of tanking is stupid. Players fighting for jobs and their place in the food chain are not going out to try and lose or even think of losing. Especially when you look at guys on 10 day contracts. They are fighting for their very NBA lives every night and day they step on the floor.

10. Time Flies Even When Your Losing- At some points this season has been very painful to endure. The losing combined with this crazy schedule can make your head spin. At least it has seemed to go by fairly quickly and the fact this NBA Season was only 66 games and not 82 games was a blessing given the state of this franchise. There has been so much blind hope for the future this year, it has bordered on the insane. While I do think the Raptors are heading in the right direction, the speed in which some think things will change is likely not going to be the reality. As bad as this season has been the Raptors ultimately did improve as hard as that is to believe at times. It speaks to how bad they were last season and how much it was needed to make a coaching change. I was one of the few that had been saying that long before it was cool. Funny how the people that weren't in favour all love Dwane Casey now and the change in direction of this franchise. I think one of the things I find most frustrating is how people change with the wind and are never truly brought to task for it. Yet when I go out of the box of and say something that ends up being right, I take abuse at the time for it and no one other than me says that I was right. Maybe people just have got use to the fact that I will tell them that I was. Whatever the case, I am proud of my track record on things and do take comfort in the fact that it must mean I know what the hell I am talking about at the end of the day. That is in many ways it's own reward.

So I decided to do this instead of a preview and it ends up being twice as long. Oh well the off-season and a bit of a break will be here soon enough. Happy Monday all and hope you had a pleasant holiday weekend.

James Johnson MIA Because of an Internal Matter?

You might have noticed James Johnson has not seen the floor in the last two games. Dwane Casey says there is nothing wrong with Johnson. He apparently is being disciplined for some incident between him and Casey. Although no one is talking about what caused this. Here is what Johnson had to say to Reporters post game.


Will have thoughts on the game itself tomorrow as the Raptors winning streak came crashing to an end in the 4th quarter at the ACC. As for Johnson's status going forward Casey said he would be available for the Raptors next game in OKC. That doesn't mean he will be back though because according to Casey he was available tonight he just decided not to use him. If I were to have picked a guy to butt heads with Casey on the roster Johnson would not rank high on my list of suspects. It seems that this matter is staying in house as both Casey and Johnson have nothing to say on what caused this punishment. Although Casey says James Johnson is not in his dog house. If he isn't than he at the very least sleeping on the couch or bench for a few nights.

B.C Positive Spin Class In Session.

When Bryan Colangelo talks, you always have to try figure out what he is saying to an extent. Let's do the best we can to translate what Bryan Colangelo had to say post trade deadline. First, the move he made sending Barbosa to the Pacers. It appears his main motivation was not the 2nd round pick he got in return for Barbosa. It was more about getting the 7.6 Million that Barbosa is making this year off the Raptors books. Colangelo claims this will give the Raptors 11.5-12 million in cap room heading into the draft. Which according to him is the most of any NBA team heading into the draft. Why this is important is it gives the Raptors options to make trades prior to the draft once the season concludes on April 26th. As Colangelo taught us with his trade for Reggie Evans and sending Jason Kapono to Philly NBA Teams can make trades from the moment there season is over. So all non playoff teams would be options after the 26th of April. As teams are eliminated they are added to the pool of teams the Raptors could do business with.

Colangelo also now has two second round picks that he can dangle in both trades and perhaps to move up in the draft. Given the Raptors overall history in the 2nd round and Colangelo's nature to move second round picks it is highly likely the Raptors don't hang on to these picks at the end of the day. That is me adding my two cents not something Colangelo said. What Colangelo didn't say but seemed to infer was that Barbosa could actually return to the Raptors, or at least they would be open to the idea. What Barbosa could get on the free market is up for debate, but safe to say it will be far less than 7.6 million he banked this season. Barbosa likely knows that too as he took his option for that amount to remain with the Raptors. Barbosa has also expressed that he has had a positive experience in Toronto and has a long standing relationship with Bryan and seemed to enjoy the Toronto fan base. Also the Raptors pick up a TPE as part of this deal that will kick in for the 7.6 million. Some see this as big deal and another added element of flexibility. These are likely some of the same folks that said the same thing about the Bosh TPE that ultimately the Raptors did little with for a far larger amount. If the Raptors use it then it can help if they don't it means nothing.

What about Jose Calderon? Bryan said many teams did inquire about him. However he stressed how happy the Raptors were with him and how he has played with this roster. He basically said that until the Raptors have an answer to replace Calderon he would likely not be moved. That said he also mentioned the ability to use amnesty clause. Calderon would be due 10 million plus in the final year of his deal. It seems unlikely you would use it on him. Linas Kleiza who has had an up and down season would be another option but with the coming of Jonas Valanciunas it would make sense to keep Linas around beyond basketball reasons. Bryan did of course not miss an opportunity to brag about Jonas stating that in his view had he been in the upcoming draft he would be the 2nd pick overall pick behind just one player, that he could not name but safe bet he was talking about Anthony Davis from Kentucky the consensus number one pick heading into the NCAA Tournament starting today.

If the Raptors were to not act prior to July 1st and do not use the Amnesty clause according to Colangelo that would give the Raptors roughly 20 million dollars of cap space post July 1st. Keep in mind the Raptors would have to sign both their draft picks in Jonas and whatever they get from this draft as part of that. According to NBA T.V today there are 5 teams with over 30 million of potential cap space. The top of those in the 35 million range. Also worth noting one of those teams is the Dallas Mavericks and Mark Cuban who will be active you can count on that. If you are a betting type I would suggest Colangelo will exhaust all trade scenarios rather that try to get in the Free Agent market. The Raptors have obvious issues at convincing top talent to come to Toronto. Not to mention the Raptors recent ventures into the Free Agent market have been pretty awful with signings of Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Kapono. Still his J.O trade was no bed of roses either. Colangelo did state that if the Raptors go shopping regardless of how they will be looking to do it, will be for several additions not just one big home run swing. In other words Deron Williams is likely not in the Raptors wheel house as an example. Not that he ever was, but a big name, big money guy is not on the horizon.

He alluded to several young players being out there on trade deadline. He mentioned as he often does about having conversations that do not lead to trades today, but are used as a base to further conversations in the summer. If the Bucks pairing of Ellis and Jennings is not a roaring success, I would not be shocked if Brandon Jennings is on the Raptors radar. That would be the point guard that helps you move Jose Calderon along. Colangelo has in the past expressed a desire to have a point guard for the future for this young group. He also would be a nice piece to pair with his childhood friend Demar DeRozan. Prior to the Bucks move Jennings expressed a desire to look at big markets when he is a on the market, which normally would not include Toronto. However he likes Toronto and has someone already here that knows it well.

Is that an option? I have no idea, but what is fact is this has to be "The Summer Of Bryan" and if it is not than Colangelo is dead. He and this organization have preached for patience and pointed to this summer where they will have all of these tools to improve the team. Raptor fans have been treated to a season that in many ways has meant nothing from before day one. While it has been great to see the job Casey has done in changing the mentality of this team. Making defense a priority not just something people talk about. Still this team has never been designed to win and the fact people want it to lose and tank is not exactly a positive experience to live through. The time is up and the Raptors have to stop with the positive spin talk and the hyping up of their draft pick that has yet to play a game and ultimately deliver a team focused on winning and heading towards the playoffs and beyond. Raptor fans have heard enough talking for a life time since Chris Bosh decided to bolt for South Beach. Regardless of what the Raptors say they dropped the ball and blew it when it comes to how they handled the Bosh situation. While people will show them some form of sympathy and allow them some time to turn the page. The time is up after this summer.

The DNB In the DNB

This is a new little mini blog idea. It is pretty simple really. A topic starting with D, one with N and one with B. Simple as ABC right? So let's give this a shot.

D- (Defense) It has been talked about a lot, but really it is pretty amazing what Dwane Casey has been able to produce in his first season, with all the obstacles this season has provided by it's very nature. Raptors currently rank 11th in points allowed, 9th in FG%, 19th at defending the 3. Last year the Raptors were 26th in points allowed, 29th in FG%, 28th (tied) with Utah at defending the 3. Pretty much any stat new school or old school will show you that Raptors have improved significantly on defense. Is it the system or the guy running the system? It likely is both as Dwane Casey has changed the mentality of this team and that is him as a coach. While his system has made even a guy like Jose Calderon look like an average defender at times. That is some amazing stuff to do that. So credit to Casey and if the Raptors add a few more defensive minded guys it could even get better.

N- (No More Jonas Talk Please?) One of the guys that will help improve that Defense is likely Jonas Valanciunas. Still, why the Raptors are continually throwing him out there and promoting the hall out of him I both get and also don't get. It is nothing more than simplest media trick in the book really. The art of distraction at it's finest. When you learn Magic the art of it is all about distracting the eye. Get your focus and attention away and distract you. Then suddenly where the hell did that quarter go? But here is the thing, while the Raptors are busy distracting you from the fact that they are not good. Getting you to dream of the future, they are setting this kid up for more pressure than he deserves or needs. Honestly the Raptors should know better based on their experience with Andrea Bargnani. Thanks to all of the hype for the coming of Jonas and huge expectations, what happens if he doesn't explode out of the gates? The odds in general suggest big men regardless of where they come from have a tougher time adjusting to the NBA. It will take this young man time not only to learn in the NBA but adapt to a whole new culture. So why would you create this hype and added pressure on this kid? It is irresponsible and short sighted on the part of the Raptors. There has been more than enough praise for the pick outside of the organization that this PR driven distraction was not needed or required. I hope for the sake of this kid, he can overcome this hype and deliver right away. If not people who have bought into the hype will be quick to turn on him. You don't believe me? It didn't take long for Andrea Bargnani to find his critics and it likely is part of the reason his path has been so long. He had the unfortunate situation that he was drafted first, so it was hard to avoid it. In this case, Jonas wasn't the first pick and there was no real reason to hype this kid other than to distract from this awful season and get people to buy season tickets next year. MLSE is great at filling their pockets with money that has never been a question. However, in doing that, they sometimes cost themselves in terms of that whole idea of winning.

B (Balls) As in Lottery Balls. Tired of this stupid tanking stuff. The ship has sailed. The Raptors are not tanking their way to anything better than the 4th worst record overall. Losing has an impact and you saw it in the recent Twitter outburst from Demar DeRozan. It seems to have got Demar back on the right path now though. Still, losing never does you any good at the end of the day. The Raptors need to have the odd win here and there to keep this thing heading in the right direction. While some folks won't be around, like Anthony Carter who is expected to be released, many will be. In terms of the guys like DeRozan, Ed Davis, James Johnson and others they need to see glimpses of the light at the end of the tunnel. It is not like this team is two players away from winning an NBA Championship. If you think that you really are a little crazy. So whatever comes based on your merit, take it and roll with it. Chances are in this draft you can find a good player picking anywhere in the lottery. What is also true is as far as I am concerned, there is not that Franchise Changing Superstar in this draft. Not to mention the stats on the NBA Lottery are pretty clear in that being the worst only gives you a top 4 pick guaranteed. It seldom works out for the team with that worst record. It is a moot argument at this point because there is no way you can convince me the Raptors can be worse than the Bobcats, Wizards and Hornets.

So that was it DNB in the DNB. Will it last as a feature? As long as we can keep finding topics that start with D N B it will.

Raptors Take On The New Orleans Stern's

Things have been going rough this year so you think David Stern could let us have this one? Make a phone call, refuse to clear someone to play on his team? I mean he had no problem refusing a trade right? Maybe he could order that Andrea Bargnani has to play? Alright enough jokes. The Hornets have an even worse home record than the Raptors which is saying something. If the Hornets franchise is every going to turn around being better than 3-14 at home would be a start. They actually have a better road record at 5-12. Still, given how the Raptors have performed in situations where you expect them to win, if you were a little bit afraid it would only be human.

If nothing else two losses to Wizards and one to the Bobcats has taught us anything the Raptors can not afford to overlook anyone in the NBA. The Raptors continued the trend that has gone on for most of the season with starting off slow in games. However, what might have been more concerning was some of the reactions last night based on some rather interesting choices made by Dwane Casey down the stretch. Demar DeRozan seemed less than thrilled with his seat on the bench. Given the Raptors struggles to score at times I would tend to agree. That said it was likely more about his defensive effort that saw him on the bench. While I may not endorse the moves he made I do like the idea of Casey sticking to his guns.

It will be interesting to see if anything lingers from last night in what we see tonight. But faces don't lie and there were not many happy ones on the Raptors bench last night. In what was a close games there seemed to be a general disinterest on the part of some. At some point the reality of losing sets in for a team and perhaps the Raptors have reached that point. Although to Casey's credit, he does put the guys on a given night that are willing to fight on the floor. If your not performing in his eyes your not playing. The is the accountability that has been missing on this team for quite some time.

While the Raptors have struggled with Andrea Bargnani the Hornets have been without the centerpiece of the Chris Paul trade to the Clippers in Eric Gordon. He only played two games before injuring his knee and requiring surgery. It makes the 13 games that Bargnani has played seem like a lot. Former Raptor Jarrett Jack has replaced Paul and is having a nice season averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 assists. As for the other parts to that Paul trade Chris Kaman has had 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds. Al-Farouq Aminu barely makes it worth knowing how to spell his name with 4.9 points and 3. 9 points. Wonder how many teams will be calling the Hornets come trade deadline given the whole Paul mess prior to the season? If Hornets have a trade can Stern slip it in 5 minutes after the deadline. Technically any deal the Hornets make is already in the league office right?

While I ponder this and many other things about NBA owned Hornets a basketball game will be played. Here are some keys on the Raptors can win this basketball game:

1. Start Strong: This is a broken record by now go back and read old previews for the full explanation.

2. Ball Movement: It was sorely lacking least night at times and it led to some pretty awful choices in shot selection.

3. Demar Defense: Demar needs to have a good two way game. After last night it is important we see an engaged and active DeRozan on both ends of the floor.

Bad Start, Leads To Another Close Loss.

James Johnson opens the scoring after a turnover on the first possession of the 2nd half of the season. Rockets go on a 6-0 run until Calderon drives and finally gets the Raptors back on track. Rockets again score 6 to the Raptors nothing and it was 12-4 early. Raptors shooting was awful early in this one. Raptors were shooting sub 20% and were down 17-7 just past mid point in the first. Raps finally got it rolling a little to make it 19-13 only to see the Rocket nail a 3 and push the lead back to 9. Raptors shot 31% and trail by a dozen after 1 with score 27-15.

Raps get off to a decent start in the second and cut the lead to 7 with score 29-22 on a 7-2 run to start the 2nd. Make that 5 as back to back Barbosa buckets make NBA scouts drool that are scouting for trade deadline. Bayless gets a silly tech but the Raps keep fighting and get the lead down to 4. However, again Rockets respond and push the lead to 9 again on a Lee three. Raps just slugged along in quarter. Ed Davis seems to show up on nights the rest on the team does not. He had 10 rebounds in 1st half. Aside from that as bad as the Raptors were they only trailed by 9 at the half with score 45-36.

Raptors were doing a decent job on defense but they had little to no offense making it seem unlikely they had a chance to win. Houston gets a three from Lowery and Jose answers with a three, which was more points in one play than he had the entire first half. Houston lead 53-45 with 7 minutes to play in the 3rd. Nice throw down for DeRozan but Houston has a quick replay and the lead was 10. Martin hit a three he was just 3-13 on the night but that made the lead 13 and that might be enough to get Rockets to finally put this to bed. They had been the better team all night long but had failed to deliver the death blow. Raptors have 8-0 run to cling to life. Lowery ends that with a three and lead was 65-55. But Barbosa has an answer 3 from the corner back to a touchdown lead for the Texans/Oilers or Rockets take your pick. Raps cut the 10 point lead in half to 5 with the score 65-60.....make that 65-62 with under 2 to play thanks to a steal and slam from DeRozan. Davis a bucket near end of third but Raps fail to play defense and Dragic nails a buzzer beater on the drive. Rockets take a 5 point lead to the 4th up 69-64.

In talking with some of the Raptors after and before the game vs Detroit the common theme was this team needed to learn to win close games. Not that Raptors deserved it but they found themselves in one. Actual on defense they did deserve it. But the Raptors offense was finally showing a pulse and and had this to 2 point game 75-73. Barbosa misses a three to take the lead and there was 6 minutes to go. Another key three for Houston they have had a lot to this point this one makes it a 78-73 lead. Amir Johnson came in for Ed Davis who had tied his career high in rebounds with 15. Seemed a strange move as someone pointed out on Twitter but Amir scores and gets the Raptors back to within 2 with score 79-77. Raptors had a really strange line-up on the floor with Antony Carter at the point along with Barbosa, Johnson, Johnson and Kleiza on the floor. Demar DeRozan had not seen much if any time in fourth and seemed less than thrilled. Jose Calderon was not exactly thrilled to be sitting either. But Casey rolled with this group to the end.

Houston missed a free throw with 11.7 seconds left and Houston led 86-83. Calderon checks in and will inbound the ball. It would end up in a rush and well guarded three pointer by Kleiza and he bricks it. Rockets get fouled with 1.2 seconds left and ice it at the line with 2 free throws making the score 88-83. Back to the drawing board for the Raptors in terms of close games. Raps would score a basket but the result was a L. Houston takes it 88-85.

This Week In Raptorland Is Born

I have said many times that the ultimate goal of the Dino Nation Blog is to be truly a multimedia site at the end of the day. This is a step in that direction as we launch our second podcast brand. This Week in Raptorland is what is called. It will take a look back at the last 7 days in all the things going on with the DNB and the Raptors. Your weekly catch up on the Raptors. We will mix in a few clips of things you might have heard in the past week along with some things you may not have heard. This along with a segment for you the readers,listeners and viewers of the DNB to not just listen to the show but be part of the show. Every week we are on the look out for a loyal DNB/Raptors fan to be our guest in the "Fan 5". It is your shot at minor fame as part of our podcast. You get 5 minutes to talk about anything Raptor related you choose and I will be your co-host and help you keep the car on the road. Enough of this writing stuff, time to get to show. Hope you enjoy it.



As far as a first effort goes, I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. Hopefully you enjoyed it as well. This is just the starting point so it hopefully keep growing and getting better as we roll. One of the biggest challenges is going to be getting you folks to interact and be a part of "The Fan 5" but it is a segment that I wanted to be part of this so you folks can be a part of the show. So get at me if you interested in being a guest for that in future episodes. Thanks to Lanny for doing a good job in getting that segment off the ground. I do realize that segment is in mono and the rest is in stereo will try and get it sorted out eventually.

Hope you enjoyed and will be looking to do more audio and video features in the future for your enjoyment.

DNB Goes 1 on 1 with James Johnson

We had a chance to talk with both Amir Johnson and James Johnson last night. They are not brothers or even cousins to the best of my knowledge. But what they are is some pretty good interviews more times than not. We talk with James about the season to this point, His goals for the second half and his thoughts on one of his nicknames from fans "The Ninja" as well as thoughts on his coach.



All the practice and learning Johnson was talking about paid off with a win last night. Call him the Ninja, the Repo Man or whatever you like, but he has had a solid first half to his season. Room to improve, but Johnson looks to be a keeper in terms of being part of mix moving forward. In the starting 5? That remains to be seen, but what is evident is he can be a guy that can work well under Dwane Casey regardless of his role. He also changed my opinion of him, which as stubborn as I can be, that is not easy.

Rested Raptors Take On Detroit Basketball

The Raptors will not be able to say they didn't have time to prepare for this one. They have not played since Friday with that ugly loss at the hands of the Bobcats. We saw Kemba Walker in that one, a guy some Raptors fans wanted in the draft. Tonight we see another in Brandon Knight. We also get to see one of the candidates for the Raptors coaching position in Lawrence Frank. He ended up going from being an assistant coach in Boston to the head man in Detroit. It has been a long season for him, but has his team playing well of late winners of 7 of the last 10. The Pistons have played two games since the Raptors last played. They like Toronto had earlier in this home stand upset Boston 96-81 on Sunday. Last night they blew a sizable lead in the 4th and lost to the Cavs 101-100.

Detroit looks nothing like the Pistons teams that were contenders and won a title with Larry Brown over the Lakers. Since Rip Hamilton left for the Bulls really the last remaining piece from those days is Tashaun Prince. Ben Wallace is back for a second and likely final run in Detroit as well. They also have former Raptor Charlie V who has only played in just two games this season and has been plagued with an ankle injury. He along with Ben Gordon signed massive deals with the Pistons and it has been a massive failure by all accounts. Joe Dumars the former Piston legend player was at one time considered one of the best G.M's in the league. His selection of Darko, the trade to acquire Allen Iverson and these signings are just three of many reasons not many think that anymore.

Still despite all that the Pistons do have then own core of young talent starting with former Georgetown center Greg Monroe who is leading the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game and is close to averaging a double double on the season with 9.7 rebounds. We already mentioned Brandon Knight who started slow but has been showing signs of improvement after that slow start. These two combined with a number of younger players like Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and even Rodney Stuckey make up that core. These in short, are not your father's Pistons. Also is gone is the normal sellout crowds that were common place for Pistons. The decline in the economy in Detroit has been mirrored the decline of the Pistons. That makes for a bad combination in trying to sell tickets.

3 Keys:

Full 48: Raptors have no excuses to go flat out in this game. Having not played since Friday and this being the last game before the All-Star Break. So nothing short of a 48 minute effort will be acceptable.

Run Run Run: Take advantage of the fact you are the fresher team and push the pace of this game. Get out and run in transition. Try and wear the Pistons out and make them give in. They are also wrapping up the schedule prior to All-Star Weekend so give them a reason to punch out early.

Best D Wins: Frank was being considered for the Raptors job for the same reason Casey got the job and that is defense. Both are considered to be known for that and you can expect both with be matching wits with there limited talent to try and stop the other from having success.

I am down at the ACC for this one once again so no re-cap tonight. Also no Radio tonight as the station is doing some sort of charity try and the show has been given the week off. But I will be down at the ACC looking for some stuff to keep you entertained over the All-Star Break.

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.