The Heat Is On!!

I was stunned to hear a conversation on NBA-TV (Not NBA TV Canada) about if the Raptors could be a playoff contender. It seemed crazy to consider a 8-16 team as a playoff team. But as we enter Sunday the Raptors sit 2.5 games behind the 10-13 Bucks for 8th in the East. The Raptors are 6-7 win Andrea Bargnani and 2-9 without him. So, if Bargnani is able to return sooner rather than later it is not a totally insane thought. If the Raptors some how made it to the playoffs there is a good chance they might play the Miami Heat. The Heat enter today at 17-6 a game and half behind the Chicago Bulls. On paper a match-up with the Raptors and Heat in playoffs would be a 4-0 slam dunk for Miami. A regular season game with no Bargnani offers even less hope of a win. The Heat are 10-2 on their home floor. Chris Bosh is playing closer to the Bosh we remember in Toronto than the inconsistent 3rd wheel that many last season refused to acknowledge as part of the big three. Bosh is averaging 20 points a game and 7.7 rebounds. The Heat after a failed trip to the NBA Finals are not the circus that they were last season. Another guy that is playing more like the former version of himself is Lebron James. Averaging 29.2 points, 7 assists and 8.5 Rebounds. Bosh and James have been so good it as led some to say that they really don't even need Dwyane Wade. It has been an injury plagued season for Wade and he is only averaging .7 points more than Chris Bosh. Added to the mix this season for Miami was Shane Battier who helps a team that already played a solid brand of defence.

So how can the Raptors win this game? They can't or shouldn't have a chance to win this game. Only way they have a chance is if Miami beats Miami. Which playing an early game on Super Bowl Sunday might have already happened in the bars on South Beach. But even a Heat team that partied all night still might have enough for the Bargnani free Raptors. All that said the Raptors are coming off one of their better performances of the season. But that was against the Washington Wizards. There is nothing about the Wizards that resembles the Heat.

So 3 Keys:

Stop Bosh: Miami being Miami will likely look to target Bosh and try and give him a big day vs his former team. So expect the Heat to feed him the ball often. He is going get his if they have anything to say about. Trouble is how much can you really ask a team to focus on Bosh with James and Wade on the floor. If it was me I would stick Amir Johnson on him and take my chances it doesn't get him in foul trouble.

Score 48: No not 48 points. That would be bad. Score for 48 minutes, if the Raptors hit any scoring droughts they are dead. Heat can score easy and often most times and you need to keep pace. A traditional first quarter failure from the Raptors and this game will be over at half time.

Identify Shooters: Important to realize when shooters are on the floor. Guys like Mike Miller and others that are capable of making 3 pointers. It is hard enough to stop the Big 3 as it is let alone if they have guys dropping bombs from around the 3 point arc.

Raptors will lose today that is almost certain but the good news is they move on to play the Wizards. They just need to not get dismantled today and still feel good about themselves when they leave Miami. They might not feel so good about missing the Super Bowl. But this is a business trip after all.

Raptors Take Their Talents To South Beach

It is the most talked about 5-4 team in the history of basketball vs the Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh for the first time in his career will suit up against the team that drafted him. Bosh claims he would not change a thing in how he left. I would venture to say in terms of his start with the Heat there is a lot he would like to change. The Raptors come in with a new attitude snapping a 6 game losing streak and likely feeling like they have nothing to lose vs Miami. The Heat are the team under a microscope and feeling the heat of the media with none more than Bosh himself.

The Basics: Miami 5-4 ( In South Beach 3-2) Toronto 2-7 (Snapped 6 game losing streak)

When Last We Saw Them: It was the best effort of the season last night vs the Orlando Magic. Andrea Bargnani started thing in the first half and Demar DeRozan with a little help from Sonny Weems and everyone else closed the door. A career high 26 for DeRozan and a surprising 110-106 win in Orlando the first road win of the year for the Raptors.

Key Match Ups: Bosh has heard all his doubters and would like nothing better then to use his former team to shut them up. Amir Johnson and Reggie Evans will likely draw the assignment of making sure Bosh does not get to help his super friends with a big night. The book on Bosh as they well know is to play him physically and Evans and Johnson are capable of that. The key will be to do that without fouling. The Young Onez vs the Great Ones. If Kleiza is still unable to go it will be Sonny Weems and Demar DeRozan with the task of stopping King James and D-Wade. Demar has saved some of his best for the NBA's best. While Sonny has been looking good of late. Will be more about their D tonight though.

In Case You Missed It: I couldn't help myself not to do this. Speaking of missing I will be for this game. Have to be doing some work for The Score so will have to catch the replay of this one. However, more people can watch this one as for the first time this year the Raptors will appear on a network without a 1 or a 2 behind it. On the main TSN tonight.

Other Things Of Note: It has been well documented the lack of rebounding by Chris Bosh. Just 6 a a game and only 1.1 of that on the offensive glass. Bosh's worst numbers as a Raptors were 7.9 rebounds in his rookie season and he never averaged below 2 offensive boards in a season with the Raptors.His worst season on offensive glass was his 2nd averaging just 2.4. The Miami Thrice make up 61 of the 102 points the Heat average on the season which is 59.8% of the Miami offence. James Jones has been the guy that has filled the Miller role as the 3 point shooter he is hitting 49% from beyond the arc.

Canadian Content: I was hopeful for one guy in the MWO and it was Canadian Joel Anthony. But things have not worked out like they did for a Rondo and Perkins in Boston when the big 3 came to the Celtics. Anthony on the season averaging just 17 minutes with just 1.7 points and 3.8 Rebounds with 1.2 Blocks.

The AFTERMATH

Before we get to the main topic. Amir Johnson re-signed and seems very happy to be back in Toronto. It doesn't hurt to have the 34 millions bucks as well. Raptors have signed Linas Kleiza to an offer sheet, 4 years and 20 million is the numbers being thrown around. My reaction to this, is not a move that gets me excited. Kleiza wasn't even playing in the NBA last year. He, like Delfino did the year before, bolted for more money outside of North America. Also, the Raptors may in fact may end up with some spare parts from the Bosh deal (Draft picks possible TPE[Trade Exception]). The good news is Micheal Beasley will not be, as he was shipped off to Minnesota. Which likely speaks to his lack of value in the league as whole.

But the fate of the Raptors aside for the moment, it sure feels like the NBA changed last night. A lot of folks comparisons to the wrestling's NWO have a lot of merit. Pat Riley is the Eric Bischoff of the group. Just like the NWO was in reality just part of the WCW. The Miami Heat are part of the NBA. The NWO in the storyline of wrestling goal was to take over and destroy the WCW. While the Miami's goal is not to destroy the NBA, it is to win a championship. However, even if not intended they will do damage to the NBA. That damage begins in Cleveland but will only grow from there. Safe to say Miami will be the most hated team in the NBA. However the people that will hate team the most are the owners of small market teams. Dan Gilbert's statement to Cleveland fans was an example of the raw anger that will build up. He will be leading the charge to a lockout seeing the loop holes in the CBA as the reason for his misfortune along with blaming James. The reality is that Cavs failed to build a winner around James, just like the Raptors failed to do the same around CB4. No one put a gun to any teams head and said to create cap space for 2010 season. To create this situation for both to leave. Cavs and Raptors saw what was going on around them.

The Villains of the 2011 Lockout will be the Miami Heat and Pat Riley. But as much as we all may be sickened by what has happened here. You have to at least on some level admire the 3 players and Riley for being able to pull this off. This was the right of all 3 players to do this. Free means free after all. While you can sure question the morals and ego that lead to all of this, you can't question that they played with in the rules.

The idea of a cap system in sports in to create a level playing field for all. This has not happened and it is a failure of the CBA to do so. In baseball their is no cap and nothing in place to prevent this from happening in that league. Sports is all about having hope. The obvious example of no hope is here in Toronto with the Blue Jays. They play in the AL East and their chances of making the playoffs are remote at best ever year. The Yankees and Red Sox have budgets that are beyond imagination. It took a decade of losing for Tampa Bay to get to the point of challenging those 2 teams. While it is possible to beat the odds the chances are slim. Miami Heat are not going 82-0 as someone tweeted to me. But the hope for teams that are in markets that have challenges and teams who are limited in terms of budget all wake up to the reality of this could be them. How do you feel about Brandon Jennings future today if you are a Bucks fan? Is this your team in say 6 years? Under this current CBA it very well could be.

The impact of the NWO on wrestling was a positive one as WCW became the #1 wrestling company and jumped ahead of the WWE in ratings.The NBA has enjoyed being the king of sports talk in the short term with all this free agency talk. They may meet the same fate as WCW on a lesser scale with a lockout. The NWO while it was a short term success many in the wrestling business see it as what killed WCW. The egos of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are not that different from Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan. Egos could implode the Heat as well eventually.

David Stern has a CBA that has been designed to give the home teams the advantage of 30 million dollars (In Case of Bosh,James and Wade) and an extra year of a contract. However if as Bosh,Wade and James all have said this isn't about money it is about winning,then we a problem here. That is ultimately the goal to be a champion after all. The problem is with the massive amount of money playesr can make these days it doesn't take long for money to not be an object. So the CBA and it's design to cash in on players greed instead of the desire to win has failed.

How you can eliminate what in a sense has been player conclusion is unclear and likely impossible. What will hurt the Owners argument is all the money they have been throwing around to everyone else. It is hard to cry poor and foul when you are spending money like it is from a Monopoly game.

While Leborn James had an hour T.V show on ESPN that was to say the least at times some pretty bad television. Kevin Durant quietly has signed an extension with that thriving city of OKC. It is nothing like South Beach and K.D is nothing like the 3 guys that are in Miami. So you want a hero maybe he and the OKC Thunder are it. Kobe Bryant for all his drama has remained a Laker which is a little easier to do.

What we have seen is the birth of a team that will have a chance to win many championships. However they may be a ring short of expectations. We also saw the spark to ignite what will be a war over the new CBA and a lockout that looms in 2011/12.

Yes we have all been Witnesses or will be to it all. July 8th will be a day pointed back to for years to come. For basketball fans, it may turn into a moment that is one of those where were you moments. Just like we all remember where were for many historic events. Time will tell but it sure has that feel. Wrestling fans all remember where they were when Hulk Hogan the Immortal hero of wrestling fans for years turned heel. Lebron James made his heel turn not on Pay Per View but on ESPN. In a sense he has sold his soul to win a ring. Part of me admires that. But a larger part of me is sick to the stomach about it and what it could mean for the future.

Bosh May Just Leave For Miami

After yesterday the with idea of Bosh and James in Cleveland being discussed, today you and I wake up to the news that Bosh will go to Miami. He may go being 30 million light in the pocket book as well. Both Wade and Bosh have been filming a documentary. Safe to say that documentary would be interesting to a lot of people. So could the profits of that documentary counter act to a degree the lost income (somewhat) it would take for Bosh to just walk and go to Miami? It might. This is also on top of very strained relationship between Bosh and Raptors management. Bosh has not talked to the Raptors very much if at all between the end of the season and July 1st. The fact Bryan Colangelo did not even bother to hop a plane to Dallas was a message to Bosh you have to figure. It would appear the the two sides that both on the record agreed to work together for a sign and trade have not done that.

This all comes on the heels of Lebron James announcing that he will announce where he is going on ESPN to announce his new home. On Thursday night the world will be witness. Which is fitting seeing as they have hyped this up for over 2 years. The King also joined Twitter yesterday. You can join the thousands turning to Millions that are following him on Twitter. To put it in some kind of perspective, James passed Chris Bosh in followers in less than 12 hours. @KingJames is the hottest follow on Twitter right now. So if James says his destination and Wade and Bosh today this could mean we can all get on with our lives Friday. This may be the most exciting news of all.

While many in the media have said if Bosh walks outright it is a disaster. I agree it is not good. However when Chris Bosh was filming this documentary and the communication had broken down should we not all have seen this coming. If the goal was to rebuild anyway, this is a setback in that process. but the process would have been the same. The Raptors sign and trade or not were not expected to be a playoff team by people. In the end the outlook remains the same. Although the pressure on Colangelo to make trades increases 10 fold to make this roster better.

I had always believed Miami was first in this race and after a lot of jockeying and false info, it appears that they in fact are the winners landing Bosh and their own superstar in D-Wade. Toronto sees another superstar leave with nothing really to show for it. Yeah we have all seen this movie before. This is a trilogy that Raptor fans give 2 thumbs down too.

Countdown to NBA Meltdown

Yes tonight at midnight in theory it could all come to an end. After 2 years of hype and build up from the folks at ESPN. The 2010 Free Agency Market opens for business. In the true spirit of overkill that we have come to expect/mock ESPN for.... they are ready. A Lebron tracker page on their website complete with count down clock to free agency. What you are still not impressed? Or there is more people. How about the game that is sweeping the nation, the NBA Free Agent Slot Machine. Spin the slots and send LBJ,D-Wade, CB4, Joe Johnson, Dirk and 3 others to possible destinations. Fun for the whole family. This along with all the great ESPN Insider info that is so good you have to pay for it. So what if Jalen Rose was wrong about his guarantee that LBJ and Bosh would be Knicks. They have your money regardless of if they were right or wrong. Not to mention the info will make it's way to Real G.M and other media soon enough right or wrong.

I may have to eat my own bit of crow if LBJ, Wade and Bosh end up in Miami. When a writer, who's name escapes me, from ESPN suggested it was possible that all 3 guys could end up playing for the Knicks. I believe that I responded that he was pretty much insane to think that could happen. Well he was wrong about New York but there seems to be a decent chance it could happen in Miami. The 3 superstars have apparently met and it seems that James is the one that is sitting on the fence according to the speculation.

It all leads you to wonder is all of this good for the NBA as a whole. It would appear the NBA tampering rules are now more guidelines then reality. Players conspiring which has never been illegal has now become public and broadcast everywhere from social media to CNN. When the dust clears from all of this about the only thing I am confident of is that David Stern will still be NBA Commissioner. If he is not happy with how this all plays out, he will be able to do something about it fairly soon. After the summer of free agency in 2010, we will gather again next summer for the summer of the CBA. Stern and the owners including the ones that this free agency will not benefit (Which will be many) will be looking to fix this. Things were already looking looking dark in terms of the CBA and this free agency period is not helping matters. When players can impact on how the league is shaped and not owners. Is it any surprise that owners don't like that?

At the front of that list should they not save Lebron you can expect to be Cleveland. You could make the argument that if not for Lebron the Cavs franchise may be gone. The Cavs were is sorry shape when the magic ping pong balls fell and they were given their king.Should they lose him does the franchise just fall right back to that abyss it was in? Which in case you forget was one of the worst franchises in the league that could not draw flies to their games. That is a problem in a number of markets these days. What is the message to those markets from this free agency? Stern created a CBA that was designed to prevent the NBA from going the way Major League Baseball has. Giving home teams that advantage of being able to pay the most and the longest contract was suppose to help teams keep their stars. However if the 3 biggest players in this free agency all thumb their nose at that. What does that say to fans of those small market teams? It is one thing if teams fail from their own stupidity like the Knicks did under Thomas or the Clippers have done since leaving Buffalo. However to have not at least in theory a level playing field is not good.

This is not to mention the Raptors who although having the money to compete, they still face a lot of the issues they have since the franchise was born. The fact we still hear on a routine basis players mention taxes as an issue in playing in Toronto. While no we still don't get ESPN, we do have Sportscentre not Sportscenter. The fact the Raptors still have to deal with these things is both frustrating and surprising given the world we live in. Toronto while loved as a road destination by almost everyone in the NBA, coming to play,stay and live is a different matter for some.

Bryan Colangelo has taken a lot of heat of late with all that has gone wrong. However while the results have not been successful the basic plan was an interesting way to find a loop hole. His approach to trying to use Toronto's appeal to European players was a great idea in theory. Over time it has been proven to be unsuccessful. Bargnani, Turkoglu, Calderon, Garbajosa, Nesterovic and others have had varying amounts of successes and failures. The one point that is a red flag to this European loop hole is international play. The Raptors have learned this over and over. The worst example in the injury of Jorge Garbajosa and his playing for Spain far to soon. Which would end his career in the NBA. Jose Calderon would be injured in playing for Spain. While most recently Hedo Turkoglu came into camp burnt out from playing for Turkey in the summer. He would go on to have a terrible season that was injury filled.

The advantage to having American based players is the odds they will play for Team USA are slim. Even if they do as in the cases of Vince Carter and Chris Bosh, the amount of time they have to play in games is far less than a Hedo has to play for Turkey, or Jose for Spain. That is another issue that David Stern needs to address. While the NBA grows and becomes more global in scope, having all of these players suited up for their countries in the summer, and then play a NBA season is burning the candle at both ends. Just like it would be difficult for hockey players in this country to say no to playing for their country. The same is true for these Euro players to say no to their countries. The NBA eventually has to find a way to say no for them.

But that is more of a side issue. The point is in theory the idea was a pretty good one despite the fact it failed. The NBA is on the verge of a free agency that will have a far greater impact then just where James, Wade, Bosh and others play. This is by all accounts, a game changer for the league going forward. The fallout maybe as much drama as the 2 year build up to July 1st 2010.

Bosh Tweets Light Up My Twitter Page

With the admission of Bryan Colangelo that Bosh was as good as gone. It sparked a firestorm of fan reaction on social media. Twitter had a lot of hate for Chris Bosh with few signs of love. I would post some of them but honestly most were not exactly family friendly. The hate also extended to part of Bosh's inner circle as many fans took aim at Hadi Teherany. Who people may know better from his Twitter account @Hadisworld. He is the president of Max Deal Technologies among other things. A lot of Raptor fans see him as this evil figure. Personally I have never had an issue with him. But the reality of things is that Chris Bosh is the guy that made this decision not Hadi. Also, Henry Thomas is his agent and I would think he plays a larger role at the end of the day. Thomas Last summer joined Creative Artist Agency who had made the jump into pro sports with the launch of a sports division. He also is the agent for Dwyane Wade which has fueled the speculation of Bosh and Wade in Miami long before yesterday.

But I am not sure if Henry Thomas is on Twitter, but pretty sure he is not interacting with Raptor fans. Hadi on the other hand is a fixture on Twitter and rubs many fans the wrong way. It all has a very entourage feel to it. While it is unfair to suggest Hadi would be nowhere without Chris Bosh. I say that because I don't think fans have any knowledge to make that conclusion. It also is clear that his relationship with Chris has done him a lot of good personally and professionally. While I understand the dislike of many towards him. To me, this is like blaming Turtle for Vinnie Chase not making a movie in Canada. It is just an example mind you, not saying Hadi is Turtle, although from the debut of Entourage that isn't a bad thing. What is also clear is that Hadi could careless what people think in the Raptor fan base. At least if judge it by his public posts on Twitter. His loyalty is clearly to Chris and honestly it should be. While I have not agreed with a lot of how he has gone about things and how Chris and his people have approached this impending departure. When you search for a villain in this whole situation he makes an easy target. Which granted some would say is based on what he puts out there for public consumption. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with Hadi if he wants to present his side here in the Dino Nation Blog. I don't think that will happen but the invitation is open for him if he wants to take it.

I personally have been labeled by some as a Bosh apologist. I don't work for Chris and have never met Hadi. At the end of the day it is very easy to blame the guy walking out the door. However, Chris Bosh is not Vince Carter and any comparison to his leaving to Carter's departure is misguided. Carter clearly quit on the Raptors while playing for them. Chris gave what he had while playing for the Raptors. It should also be pointed out that some Raptors fans turned their back on Chris long before he decided to leave Toronto. After watching many stars go it seemed that some fans were determined to not get burned again and decided to hate Chris before he left them. About the only thing in common between the two (Carter&Bosh) is a lack of satisfaction with the performance of the organization.

When you look at this logically and without emotion this is more a case of the Raptors failure to surround Bosh with a supporting cast that was able to win. This is a far more intelligent conversation. In which you could argue or debate that Bosh owns at least a percentage of the blame. However, at the end of the day, the highest percentage of blame has to be at the top. That would be Bryan Colangelo. You could even take it a step further and say MLSE is to blame. They did not go over the tax threshold in the Chris Bosh era and make a serious attempt to win. Bosh at least suggested that in his remarks after the season. Now was that a MLSE choice and Bryan Colangelo was limited to a budget below that tax threshold? Only Bryan and the MLSE Board know that answer. Until Bosh made the point about it takes being a tax team to win a championship did MLSE make a public statement of being willing to go over the threshold. Maybe they had in the past and I missed it to be fair. However the point is that they didn't and haven't.

The blame game of why Chris Bosh left will go on for a long time to come. There may never be a real answer to what actually went wrong. However at the end of it all even if things when perfect for the Raptors maybe it wouldn't have mattered. If Bosh,Wade and James have a chance to play together and all 3 of them are committed to that goal, was there anything that anyone could have done to stop it? The answer is no. If they can all get paid and find a team that wants to make that happen it really is beyond any ones control to prevent it. Wade has positioned South Beach and Miami to be that place. His Organization has took the massive gamble of stripping the roster down to nothing to make it happen.

While for fans the departure of players is an emotional thing. In terms of Bosh, The Raptors, Agents and 29 other teams this is business. At the end of the day you need to decide if you are cheering for laundry or people. Jerry Seinfeld had a comedy bit on that about sports fans basically cheering for uniforms. I support my laundry and the Raptor logo but I do not just dismiss the people that I have enjoyed that played for the team. I also don't automatically like someone just because they are a Raptor. Ultimately like or dislike people the goal is always about the Raptors being successful. Chris Bosh leaving regardless of your feelings towards him good or bad is not a step in that direction at least in the short term. As for the long term it becomes the job of Bryan Colangelo to convince us that it will be. Talk of keeping Hedo Turkoglu potentially is not exactly a move in that direction if you ask me. But to be fair Colangelo has an off-season to change minds. Something that will be hard to do as many will point to his failures as the main reason their 5 time All-Star is gone.

"Jiggly Bits"

Ratings. You either live by them or love to hate them. In television it means everything. For the ABC broadcast of game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, the ratings were the best since the 2004 finals. Ratings measure the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. If you like numbers, they also had a 10.9% over night rating which represents the country's (US) largest markets. I guess since one of those markets were not Toronto and not even in the NBA Finals, local newscasts here didn't place as much weight on these numbers and hence, the significance of this series was reflected in their broadcasts. TSN went into detail but alas, we are living in hockey country so most of the broadcasts are focused on those other finals going on right now. Man, we need another Canadian club in the NBA. It would help the Toronto Raptors and help raise the profile of the sport here. The Hamilton ...Sharks? Think about it. They lost the bid for an NHL Club maybe its time for an NBA push. Lebron in the Hammer. Highly unlikely on both accounts. I'll stop dreaming now. Let's talk about what's going on with Lebron James and the other free agents, look ahead to tonight's game and remember some special coaches.

Free Agency Free-for-All: Open your Wallets

I know the NBA playoffs are far from over yet and we are talking about what everyone will be doing over the summer already. But July 1st comes fast and we need to get down to business. Just so we are all on the same page, these are the terms you need to know going into free agency season.

FREE AGENT: a player who is free to shop for the highest bidder when the time comes.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENT: a player whose team has the right of first refusal on any offer made to said player.

PLAYER OPTION: a player can end their contract one year early.

EARLY TERMINATION: the contract can be voided 2 or more years early. With the player option and early termination clauses, both are unrestricted free agents and available to sign with whoever offers the most cash or lucrative deal.

So it is safe to say within these terms, not everyone is going to come out on top when all is said and done. Some teams are going to have to open their tight wallets and players may have to move from a club they don't particularly want to leave to find support and championship contention. There are so many options and scenarios to talk about but here are my top five.

LEBRON JAMES: I saw him on TMZ highlights this weekend. He's doing interviews with major shows, including Larry King Live and definitely trying to establish himself as a marquee player. As if we didn't know his value already. Something tells me though, that he may just stay in Cleveland since he wouldn't go on Larry King's show professing his love for Cleveland if he didn't make up his mind already. He has the player option on his contract and may want to stick around for one more year to right this year's wrongs. But many teams want him and let's face it, players want to see what he does to make up their minds about their own future.

CHRIS BOSH: He is the one player out of my top five who is the most likely to change teams. I think he has received some really harsh criticism for exploring his options. He is a great player and does well for his community. He sold me when he did a weather segment for CTV Toronto - absolutely floored me. I have covered weather before and let me tell you it is no easy task to be in front of the infamous green screen. Chris Bosh loves Toronto but Raptors fans need to let him and themselves look at the bigger picture. Bosh will be one of those players looking to see what Lebron does before he makes any decisions. Remember, even the Houston Rockets are looking for someone strong to play with Yao Ming to keep their star in Houston and Bosh fits that bill. Bosh didn't come right out and say he wanted to be a Rocket but you just never know. He is also an unrestricted free agent.

DIRK NOWITSKI: He is likely going to test the waters so he can re-work the contract he already has. New York may be looking to Nowitski as their second choice star if they don't get Lebron. But something tells me Dirk isn't into sloppy seconds and is staying right where he is. He is an unrestricted free agent.

AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: He needs to feel the love from the Phoenix Suns or he will bolt. He is another player who is looking to see what Lebron James or Dwayne Wade do before he decides how much love he can live on in Phoenix. After the series against the Lakers, I would be pretty upset if I were Steve Nash. If my right hand man left and the Suns didn't adequately fill that void, I will be looking to greener pastures, too.

DWAYNE WADE: He is an unrestricted free agent with an option. So he could stay in Miami or leave depending on what Coach Pat Riley and the rest of the Miami Heat organization promises him in terms of support on the court. Sure, a discussion about money will happen at some point but he is one of those players whose heart is with his club and is not really looking to leave but will if the deal is better than what he's currently getting.

Jesus Shuttlesworth looking in the Mirror

It was like watching a made for TV movie. Ray Allen breaking the playoff record for draining the most 3 pointers in a single game when his team would have seriously lacked had he not put on that show. The Boston Celtics had 11 turnovers in the first half alone with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce not playing to their full potential. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen may have changed their fate by making it to the playoffs but I am not sure a stellar post season performance will keep them in Boston - it may just make them more lucrative to other teams when Boston goes shopping this summer. Enjoy this series while it lasts since this will probably the last time we see the big three play together. Remember what I said at the beginning of this series: the team who takes care of the little things like staying out of foul trouble, away from turnovers and making the important plays will walk away from the finals as champions. I still say the Lakers are the ones taking that walk - not matter what Boston throws at them.

Books, Movies and Basketball - every Thursday on the DNB

Starting next Thursday, I will be doing a new feature here on the Dino Nation Blog called "Books, Movies and Basketball". Each week, I will review a book from the world of basketball and suggest a movie for your viewing pleasure. I would love it if you would join me in some lively discussions and tell me what you think of my choices. For next thursday, I will be reviewing my favourite book of all time "Hoop Dreams" by Ben Joravsky. Don't cheat and watch the movie first - you will thank me for it.

John Wooden - 1910-2010. RIP.

"He set quite an example. He was more like a parent than a coach. He was a very selfless and giving human being" - Kareem Abdul Jabar. I never knew him personally, only the legend. And when you look at all the accomplishments he's made over the span of nearly 100 years he was on this planet, it is no wonder athletes and dignitaries from across all spectrums of sport are paying tribute to John Wooden's legacy. He remembered you are a person first, player second. But this is what made players under his tutelage great since a strong character made their game stronger. I remember my grade eight basketball coach Mr. Haslam. I wasn't the Lisa Leslie or Cynthia Cooper of my team but I worked hard and was thirsty for experience. When I came back to visit him one year, I asked him why he choose me for the squad that year. He simply said, "you wanted it really bad and that made you work hard to become a better player". Thank-you Coach Haslam, John Wooden and coaches across this great game of ours for making a difference in the lives of so many.

The FA 4 Summit

The Lakers hit a game winner by Ron Artest and Orlando is half way to making history. Quick we need to have a story to trump that says the 2010 free agent class. Well with that being said, news breaks that a meeting of what most consider the top 4 free agents is going to happen. Where it will be? Some place in "Everywhere", which is the current residence of Chris Bosh. Jokes aside, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson have agreed to sit down and have a meeting. This is big news for people that can't get enough 2010 drama. Could you honestly imagine stars of the past doing this? There is something about this that just turns my stomach. This is in a sense player collusion. Not that it does not make good business sense. There is nothing against the rules for these players to do this. Still there is something about it that just as a fan bothers me. If owners were to do the same it would be against the rules.

All this being said what can this meeting accomplish? I am not really sure to be honest with you. Do any of these guys want to play with each other so badly that they would cost themselves money? The argument against that thinking would be, if you could build a dynasty out of this everyone would make the money they leave on the table back. There are no guarantees of that even if 2 or 3 of these guys would agree to hook up that a dynasty automatically follows. The only guy in this group with a ring is Dwyane Wade. While James, Bosh and Joe Johnson all have failed to find a supporting cast that has been able to get the job done. Wade, Bosh and James came together under the banner of USA Basketball and were able to win a gold medal. They had a ton of talent along for the ride. Including Kobe Bryant who has no time for meetings about the future as he is still playing in the post season.

The pressure on this group of 2 or 3 guys regardless of the landing spot would be intense. If that landing spot is N.Y.C increase that by 10 fold. While the idea of a dynasty sounds good, if it doesn't happen that could do a lot of damage to all involved. There are lots of agendas at play in this high stakes game. Not just the players but the league and television on the national level would all benefit out of this in a way. David Stern went on the record saying he would prefer that James remained in Cleveland thought. This is seeing the bigger picture in this. While one super franchise could be created based on where these guys call home. It could also destroy others and greatly impact on the competitive balance of the league as a whole.

What is great about the legends of the NBA is they for the most part remain a part of the game and care about it's legacy. Is all of this 2010 madness good for the game as a whole? When the playoffs have had to fight for headlines with 2010 Free Agency, something is wrong with that. I admit that I have never been a fan of the rumour mill. However at the end of it all, should we not all agree that the team and players that win a championship should have center stage over 4 guys that have failed to win one. That only makes sense doesn't it?

Other Free Agents Not Named Bosh

I think we have all had are fill of Chris Bosh free agency talk haven't we? But just to be clear Bosh did tweet that he isn't saying he wouldn't consider Toronto. Which to also be clear Tracy McGrady said the same thing (That he would consider Toronto) and signed with Orlando at 12:01 am when free agency opened. Also to be clear, I need a personal break from talking about this and writing about it. So let's talk about some other folks and their future.

Let's start with Joe Johnson who is still in the playoffs and was named to the 3rd team ALL NBA. He has performed terrible for the Hawks. In game 7 vs the Bucks and Game 1 vs the Magic he was awful. It makes you wonder about his free agent status in this market. He is thought to be one of those guys on the B level behind Bosh, James and Wade. But really can you consider him that when he fails to perform in the biggest games of the year for his franchise? The Hawks as a team have been a brutal embarrassment and he is suppose to be one of the key players and leaders on this team. Safe to say if people were considering Johnson they may be rethinking that.

Speaking of Wade he had some interesting comments about the comments about Pat Riley. For some reason Riley decided to express that he would not rule out a return to the sidelines. Stan Van Gundy remembers how that works. But he is happy in Orlando thank you very much. Well as happy as Stan can ever be. Wade also remembers as he pointed out that he did win a title with Riley but also had a terrible season under him as well. That terrible season got the Heat a second overall pick that turned out to be Michael Beasley. Not exactly the Robin to Wade's Batman. While most feel that Wade's return to south beach is a lock. Many also feel that Bosh may be a guy to join him or someone will mention in a minute. I am not sold that Wade is a lock to return and think the front runner to have him leave would be Chicago. If Riley decided to force out another coach it may not be a wise move if he wants to have Wade to coach.

The other name you hear a lot in Miami and in New York is Amare Stoudemire. He is the fall back plan for the Knicks in New York. While in Miami the alternative to Bosh. All of this being said he is doing pretty well where he is with the Suns. He has been rumoured to be out the door with the Suns for what seems like forever. If dare I say the Suns made it to the Finals or won it would that change his thinking? Not sure but here is something to consider for both Amare shoppers and him. You know how you have on your car mirror that printing that says "things in this mirror appear larger and closer than they actually appear". Well the NBA should have a warning attached to free agents that play with Steve Nash. Players that play with Steve may not be as good as you think they are. Want some examples? Joe Johnson is the exception but how about Quinton Richardson, Raja Bell, Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw. No doubt Amare is talented but does he benefit from Nash and the system with the Suns? We may have the answer if he actually leaves. But don't look to his Twitter account for answers anymore than CB4's. Stoudemire last off-season posted on Twitter that he had been traded to the Lakers. It was of course totally bogus. But for about an hour he fooled the world. This summer he may fool someone into over paying for him.

Matt Bonner.....He is a free agent too. Why am I mentioning him? Simple answer is Canada. If Bonner can find a landing spot quickly he may be able to play for Canada in the summer. He also might be someone that the Raptors would look at if Bosh were to go. Not to replace him but to add some depth. It is important to remember not only Bosh is a free agent but so is Amir Johnson. If both were to go Toronto suddenly lacks depth at the 4 and 5 spot. The return of the "Red Rocket" would be nice but will not make up for the loss of Bosh. It won't win Raptors a title ether, but at least Bonner could flash his ring and show them what one looks like. However that maybe just a shot in the dark but let's hope he is signed somewhere so he can play for Canada. Not that Matt Bonner is the number 1 target for any team in the NBA.

That only scratches the surface of a huge free agent class that is going to be one of the most star studded ever. This is in part due to the fact that following summer the CBA will be over and a new one will need to be agreed too. All signs point to that not going well for the players side and even talk of a possible work stoppage. That is why everyone wants their money and they want it now. After this next CBA it may not be there for them.

LBJ Says Bye To Bulls and Punks Raps

So Lebron James took care of the Bulls in 5 games as I predicted. Nailed it....Yeah me. Mixed in with much talk of Lebron mysterious elbow injury. He also had this to say about the Raptors.

Lebron James "You could tell Toronto really didn't want to make the playoffs". Well if this is how Lebron truly felt, can someone explain to me why he decided to play against the Raptors and not the Bulls down the stretch in the regular season? If the Raptors were a team that as James claims didn't want to make the post season isn't that more of a reason to make sure they do. This would only make sense right? if you honestly believe that, take on the Raptors and get the easy sweep and sit back and chill.

But really why even say this at all. I mean this whole King thing and all, I guess he feels it is his duty to comment on all his subjects in the NBA? However maybe there is a slightly more intelligent reason to make this claim. We have all heard for months how could James, Bosh or Wade some how end up playing together. Which by the way Wade was sent packing last night in 5 games but most believe he remains in Miami. If the Raptors had lost to Cavs in 5 games how many in media would suggest the same about Chris Bosh? The answer is likely none in U.S. Getting back to this James comment and what it actually might have been designed to do. Was this James by degrading the Raptors franchise in a very public and unprofessional way, his way of sending a message to Chris Bosh to come join him in Cleveland. It would seem that comment was aimed at CB4 as it really makes little sense beyond that.

Now at the time where James sat vs Bulls and played vs the Raptors, I said it was on the Raptors not to be in a position for that to matter. Which is still how I feel. However for James to suggest the Raptors were not trying to make the playoffs insulting and attacks the integrity of the organization as whole. The Raptors were dealing with a ton of injuries including one to Bosh. The suggestion that they flat out didn't want to make the playoffs is wrong. You only needed to watch Jarrett Jack after each game down the stretch to know that.

I guess it is safe to say King James is not coming to Toronto this off-season. I think we already knew that thought. I have felt all through this 2010 mess that the NBA has handled it badly. This is just another example of it in a very subtle way. I also find it a joke how everyone just assumes Wade comes back to Miami while waving the American Flag in saying Bosh will leave Canada and the Raptors. How exactly did the Heat perform beyond Wade? Was their team 2-12 any better than the Raptors? Sure didn't look like it. Oh and let me get this out here right now. If the Raptors have Michael Beasley coming back to Raptors in a sign and trade, I will lose it. So, consider yourself warned. He was BRUTAL in this series and as I was joking on Twitter appears to spend more time on his hair then his game.

So forgive me if I am not bowing saying thanks to the King for the mention. Some may say this is an over reaction on my part. I will even agree it is a bit of one. However that does not make it anymore acceptable what he said. That kind of breaks an unwritten code of respecting other franchises and teams. How many times did you hear teams praise the Raptors up and down when they really sucked back in the day. Players just don't talk down the opposition unless it is part of some heated rivalry. Even then, they try to avoid it to not give the other team bulletin board material .

I picked Cleveland to win the title in the pre-season and still think that it will happen. However, Lebron James has made it a little easier to accept if I am wrong and he fails to get a ring again. So thanks LBJ. Also thanks to Sean Francois of the Hoops Head North who made me aware of the comment as I was working another game when LBJ was speaking.

Here is the Video of Lebron's post game presser (courtesy of NBA.Com) the comment on Raptors is at the 15:00 mark if you just want to skip to that.




After watching it in full context James claims that Cavs wanted to play the Bulls to be pushed and be forced to play hard. However does anyone honestly buy that? All teams will gladly take the rest in the playoffs if they can find it. They would also rather have something left in the tank for the series that matter. That is a cool sweater though with his initials and all in case you didn't know that was Lebron James.

Miami Meltdown- HeDIDN'T

I had said in the build up for this game that the playoffs for the Raptors began last night in Miami. Early on at least the Raptors played like it. In fact for over half this game the Raptors played like it. Building a lead that climbed as high as 17 points. This all being done with the same starting line-up that faced the Nuggets. Wright and Weems remained in the starting line-up and we were told Hedo would dress and come off the bench. However he never did. More on that in a minute. But as for the folks that did play in this one the Raptors played with the same energy and effort as they had vs Denver. Only to see D-Wade and Haslem go off and lead the Heat all the way back to end up with a 97-94 win. The Raptors had a 10 point lead in the 4th Quarter and just like the lead vs Denver it slipped away late.

But what was gong on with Hedo? Well Jay Triano would say it was a DNPCD which if you are not a basketball junkie means did not play coaches decision. It would seem that Hedo is alright from his stomach flu or whatever was wrong with him. At this point you wonder if he even was sick at all. The comparison I made to Vince Carter seems pretty legit now doesn't it? If this was a message being sent it sure was a heck of a time to send it for Triano. The Hedo signing is looking like perhaps the worst signing in Raptors history since Yogi Stewart. Apparently Hedo according to a story by Michael Grange was seen out on the town Friday after the loss to Denver. He apparently has been fined and last night was a suspension of sorts. Hedo was not popular before this. Now he is going to be to that epic level of Vince Carter fan hate. That being said he is under contract for 4 more years and has a contract that is likely unmovable.

The one thing is clear Raptor fans have not exactly fallen in love with Hedo to begin with. Now what will happen is anyone's guess. But given how Raptor fans treated Vince Carter it is safe to say Hedo Turkoglu has signed his death warrant with this fan base. Even if he ever snaps back and starts to produce some fans are never going to forget this. 4 more years is usually a term used for presidential campaign's in the states. This is more like a 4 year relationship going to hell before it starts. Worse yet, if the Raptors continue this slide out of the playoffs and that paves the path for Bosh to leave town, that will only add to the ugliness. Is it so unreasonable the fans will blame Hedo at least in part, for their superstar leaving town.

Jay Triano also may lose his job at least in part to the lack of production from HeDON'T. This Raptor team has been falling apart on the floor and it would appear have been falling apart off the floor as well. Lost in the whole Hedo drama is the fact Andrea Bargnani has not learned how to commit a hard foul. I can think of at least 2 maybe 3 situations where Bargnani fouled Wade allowing him to score and get an extra and 1 foul shot.

All of this drama and still a very important game to play vs Charlotte. No Idea if Hedo will play in that one. But what I do know is that if the Raptors lose the game they will be tied with the Bulls for 8th spot. The Raptors chances of making the Playoffs are looking very grim, as are the chances of Chris Bosh staying. Now maybe we at least in part know what Chris Bosh has been frustrated about. It is the same thing we all have been....HEDO FRIGGIN TURKOGLU!!!!

I never supported this signing at the time. However, I never could have painted a scenario as bad as this reality. It is safe to say Turkoglu is well on his way to challenging Vince Carter for being the most hated Raptor of all time. If Chris Bosh were to leave would people boo him? You might not be able to tell as they will be to busy booing Hedo to hear if they are or are not. 53 million dollars is a lot of cash and it is a number that will always be mentioned when you mention Hedo. Fans now apparently have a growing list of reason to hate Hedo.

In all honesty who can blame folks. He is spiting in the face of his team mates, the organization and the fans by his actions. You even wonder if he was ever sick to begin with. When I see Alvin Williams on a Raptor bench now as a coach. I wonder what he must think. He once said he would gladly die on the court. He meant it as well. I honestly believe if Alvin Williams was shot with a gun in the first half of a game he would have asked for them to remove the bullet, stitch up the hole and play in the second half. When this is standard for what Raptor Fans expect from players than Hedo is a -10 on a scale of 1 to 10.

While this blog and the Raptors should be focused on the Charlotte Bobcats who are 3 games in front of the Raptors. But instead, we are talking about a player that did not even play a second last night. In all honesty some fans would prefer he went back to Turkey and never came back. I would join them in that if not for the terrible cap hit the Raptors would have to take.

"Jiggly Bits" - Danielle de Graauw

It was hard not to get excited this weekend. The Olympics were on and the NBA found its way to permeate this with Steve Nash helping to light the flame. Then he wins the skills competition and participates in Sunday's All-Star game. Fine, Dwayne Wade wins MVP of that contest but Steve Nash is my vote for weekend, season and all around awesome player to watch MVP. This wasn't even my most favourite part of the weekend. So I am watching the Rookie game Friday expecting a low key mix of some up-and-comers and was completely blown away. We knew Tyreke Evans was the lay-up king and would quickly prove to be the Rookie All-Star MVP; however, it was his move during the trophy presentation that truly inspired me. He complimented fellow Rookie All-star DeJuan Blair on his skills and invited him to hold the MVP award together. No egos here, folks. Let's hope this lasts.

The trade deadline - things to watch

We could talk about the rumours and speculate who will go where but really, it all boils down to this. With 30 games left in the season, the championship contenders are trading to get that final piece to an NBA Championship victory and everyone else is looking to make the rest of the season not so painfull. I really want you to think outside the box in the next week when the trade deadline comes and goes. This is how you can properly evaluate whether a trade was good or bad.

One - Don't just look at players, look at systems. This is really key. We can all get caught up in the emotion of whether Amar'e Stoudemire would be a good fit for Lebron James and the Cavs but this may not translate well on the court. There is a reason why coaches are fired over dismantling a team entirely. We can't just look at players and how they play together, we have to consider the systems coaches present and how it affects their game. I remember playing under one coach who pushed his defensive systems over offense and my game was remarkably different under the next coach who's philosophy was to keeps things even and simple. Look at the player and their style of play and see if it fits in the team's coaching style. A better predictor of a successful trade in my opinion.

Two - Remember the game is played OFF the court and on the court. You may think your favourite player is safe and may not be traded but don't get too comfortable. It's a fun game to watch and play but at the end of the day, the NBA is a mulit-million dollar business and the players are assets to be protected. This is this cold-hearted truth. I've been a fan of the NBA since I came out of the womb (and yes, the doctor wrapped me in purple and gold) so please don't get the impression this means I'm cold hearted. Consider this: Antoine Wright knows how a trade can come out of no where and disrupt a player's life. He also understands, I think more than any other Raptor, how cruel this business can be. He's making shots and playing the strong game that brought him to Toronto from the Mavs but I am sure he is fully aware that his expiring contract is pretty attractive to Raptors Execs who want to trim the budget. So look at contracts and how much it costs to keep a player on a team and how much value a player has.

Three - Be mindful of how a mid-season trade will affect the existing chemistry of a team. This is why I am almost positive Chris Bosh is safe. I know what I just said about games being played off the court but truthfully, the Raptors have a momemtum at home that can take them into the play-offs and the fans are really rallying around the team. A Bosh trade now can really break that momemtum. This is the hardest adjustment period for a team and the traded player. Players don't like it when you take away starters or players that mean alot to the team. And on the other hand, adjusting to new offensive and defensive systems make it a challenge for the player coming onto a new team. So consider all this in the next few days.

David and the "Stern" Press Conference

So David Stern calls a press conference during the NBA All-Star weekend and I'm thinking *yawn* big deal. Oh, so Team U.S.A. will compete at the Word Championships in Turkey? Ok. And the NBA is opening an office in Africa and is also looking at India and the Middle East? Cool - peaks my interest. But this is where it gets interesting. He announces the NBA is projected to loose $400 million dollars this year and ..wait for it...they are looking for a "sustainable business model" where every NBA team can compete. Oh yeah and he'd like the deal "if possibile please" before July 1st of this year. Before the free agency trade deadline? I am with Charles Barkley on this one - totally inappropriate to discuss during "the greatest pick-up game on earth" as Kobe Bryant describes All-Star weekend. So really, David Stern has admitted to the world the NBA hasn't learned anything from 1983. This was when the league and the Players Association made an agreement that saw the first revenue sharing plan in league history. Although Stern was not the NBA Comissioner at the time, he acted behind the scenes as a major player.

This is what really bothers me. I don't understand how anyone can get up there and essentially say the organization I represent is loosing $400 million dolllars and we want a deal asap. David Stern's argument is he just wanted to start discussions early. Seriously? The current deal expires in a year and a half, after the 2010 -2011 season. He says the NBA's books are open but I am really questioning where the loss is coming from. Is it from the NBA's books or the other businesses they own? If I were a player in the NBA, I'd be asking the same question.

"When the Game was Ours" - Larry Bird, Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan

Loved this book. It really made me appreciate how the landscape of the game has changed over the years. It described how some players like Boston Celtic M.L.Carr put himself and his family at risk just to play NBA basketball. He arrived in Boston as a free agent in 1979, a few years after Boston public schools were integrated by forced busing. And of course, it went into detail of the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Gotta love how a commercial can bring two players together who couldn't stand each other up to that point. I was ten (you do the math) when that "Choose Your Weapon" campaign was born back in the late 80s and I am sure I would have been all over a pair of purple and gold Converse sneakers. So if you are an employee of Converse and are reading this, I wouldn't mind a pair if you have any left over. I'm a size 9.5.

CB4 Meet Ari Gold... Sorta

So Chris Bosh is hiring Ari Gold to be his agent? Dang!!! Well not exactly but a story by Mark Spears from Yahoo has got everyone buzzing. The 2010 Trio all might be considering going the Ari Gold route or in reality CAA (Not Canadian Auto Association)- Creative Artists Agency. That is a Hollywood "A" List style agency much like the one portrayed in the show Entourage. Ari Gold would drool at the client list these guys have in reality. Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts among them. Recently this agency has tried to invade the sporting world landing Soccer star David Beckham, Super Bowl QB Peyton Manning , Jimmy Johnson Nascar Champion and Derek Jeter World Series Champion. In B-Ball they already represent Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Tony Parker.

It is not really news that Bosh has other interests beyond basketball. He starred in his own DVD "First Ink" that he also helped produced if memory serves me right. Bosh has worked for NBA-TV and the Tonight Show back when Jay Leno was hosting the first time. Bosh likes to explore options beyond basketball and that is not a secret. Safe to say this agency can offer him a ton of ideas in this regard. What does this mean for his basketball future? That is the real question isn't it. Can an agency like this in a down economy generate 30 million dollars in extra revenue that could make walking on the Raptors at least not a penalty for Bosh financially. Not sure if that is possible.

I will say this though in terms of Hollywood vs The Sports world I think Toronto as a city is more respected as a city by the Hollywood folks. Many movies get made in Toronto not as many as in the past with the rise of the Canadian dollar but it is a popular place to make a film. So could CB4 be a sidekick to Will Smith in a movie shot in T.O? Maybe but the point that I am trying to make is Toronto is not thought of in the Hollywood world as this far off strange land. Also could an agency like this see the unique opportunity to market Bosh in Canada and make him the big fish in the small pond of Canada in terms of advertising. While still offering him some chances in the U.S as well.

The truth is at the very end of the article it says that all 3 of Bosh, James and Wade will ultimately go where they want to go at the end of the day. Which takes us back to square 1 does it not?

So do not read this story and think that anything has changed in terms of Bosh being traded at the deadline. It will not change the game plan to keep Bosh and look to re-sign him. Besides what NBA G.M would do better with an Ari Gold style agent than Bryan Colangelo? I can't think of any off the top of my head? There is also a rumour that the Nets want to steal B.C away from T.O. But he likely watched the game Wednesday in fact not likely I saw him there so once he has watched the Nets do you really think he wants that headache? He is a lot closer to his goal in Toronto then he would be in New Jersey.

I think everyone will be happy when trade deadline has come and gone so we can all get on board with what Bosh has been doing all season. Focus on winning and this season. What a great and novel concept. You can see why Hollywood will love this guy. He thinks out of the box.

Welcome To Miami

They say life is about timing, well the same can be true in sports. The Raptors have the misfortune of being the team to play Miami after they get blown about by the Memphis Grizzlies. Much like when the Raptors got embarrassed in Atlanta has happened in Miami. They had the team meeting and the star in D-Wade just listening it all sounds familiar. The Raptors came out of their meeting like a different basketball team and pulled off 3 straight wins. The Heat have in general come back to the pack. They lost a close one in L.A on the road to the Lakers. It seems as that might have sucked the wind out of this team. Quinton Richardson has found new life in Miami but may not be in the line-up tonight. Oh and that players meeting was called for by Jermaine O'Neal. He has had a bounce back year in Miami and you wonder where was this leadership when he was in Toronto. The J.O trade was one of the worst ones for the Raptors in recent memory. Not just because of J.O for T.J Ford but for Roy Hibbert for Nathan Jawai. Hibbert is starting to look like a guy on his way to a solid career in the NBA. While Nathan Jawai was a nice guy but is just hanging on in terms of being in the NBA in Minnesota.

So it is safe to say you can expect a fired up Miami Heat team looking to bounce back from a terrible performance. The one good thing is in the win vs Houston Toronto got off to a fast start. They will need to answer the bell again tonight to match Miami's intensity. The Raps will also need to do an effective job at guarding the perimeter. The Heat have a lot of weapons beyond the arc. The Raptors are coming off one of their best performances in terms of 3 point terms of 3 point defense.

Both teams are 4-6 in their last 10 games and the Raptors at 11-15 sit just 2 games behind Miami that who are 11-11 and in 5th in the East. When you think about all the issues the Raptors have struggled through they are still just 2 games out of 5th place. Not bad when you consider for most Raptor fans that are realistic that was the high end goal. Although the way the season has played up so far that would win you a 7 games series with Lebron James. It seems clear there is a major divide in the Eastern Conference between 4th and 5th. The Raptors should be good enough to compete with the teams 5-15 in the East. The prospects for making the playoffs still look good. The prospects for advancing once you get there look bleak. That being said this is December and there is a long way to go. Still games vs Miami could be meaningful in April and the Raps already have 1 win against the Heat this year and if they could steal a second on the road it may mean a lot down the line. Miami has not been a good home team at just 6-7 on their home floor.

This is the opening half of a back to back for the Raptors and they face a Magic team that has had no trouble getting 2 wins up in Toronto in November. The Magic struggled their way to a win over the Pacers last night. They eventually would come out on top 106-98. The Magic have managed to keep the train on the tracks without Nelson at point guard. The Raptors have also been getting by without Jose Calderon thanks to some great play by Jarrett Jack.

The Raptors have some games they can and should win coming up on the schedule and could if they get thing together finish December strong and get close to that .500 mark if all goes well. But in order for that to be a realistic goal they need to get a split on this Florida back to back. It seems that Miami is the easier of those 2 to get despite the fact the Heat will be "fired up". The Raptors have been inconsistent at the best of times this year and they really need to develop some consistency if they want to jump to the front of the rest of the pack in the East. The team or teams that do will at least have a chance to avoid Orlando or Boston in the first round of the Playoffs. At least that is how it is looking in December. You never know what could come around the corner. If the Cavs lost Lebron for example for any amount of time they would be toast. But bottom line of it all for the Raps is as bad as things have been they have not really cost themselves anything in terms of being off target for where most people saw them finishing. Home court in the playoffs is likely already likely gone but a good position in the playoffs is still in sight. Just because it is December does not change that some games mean more than others and tonight is one of those.

Jacked About A Win In T-Dot

The Raptors answered the bell and came out on fire at the ACC. They would take a slim 2 point lead after 1 and before the half was done that lead was 20. However it really wouldn't be the Raptors if they didn't make it exciting now would it? The Heat would storm back in the late 3rd quarter and start of the fourth. They would cut the lead down to just 1 point. But they never would get that lead as the Raptors held them off. Some key 3 pointers for Jarrett Jack who moved Parkerville Court to New Jack City. He was 3 of 4 from 3 point range and had 17 off the bench.

If you want to hear how it all went down I live blogged this one for the Score. This game was basically the opposite of the Raptors loss in Utah. It was Miami that was fighting up hill most of the night and in the end they ran out of steam at the very end. Dwyane Wade had 30 points and so did the youngster Chalmers but it in the end was not enough. Bosh and Bargnani both recorded double doubles in the win. What made it even more impressive is the Raps history coming off a west coast trip in their first home game back they have only managed to win 27% of the time. The Raptors won another time in similar circumstances in the year they won their only Division title. The Raptors came home to face the Cavs and Lebron James with a terrible record and coming off a winless west coast trip. They would shock everyone and beat the Cavs and many point to that game as a turning point for that team. They like this team had a lot of new faces and were struggling to find an identity.

Things will not get any easier as the Raps face a Magic team that is feeling good about itself with a win over Boston. They are without Nelson for 4 to 6 weeks but so far have been able to make due with a guard combo of Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson. The Raptors will not be able to get away with making all the turnovers that almost cost them the game vs Miami. They will need to clean that up and be very aware of guarding the 3 point line as the Magic have to many shooters to mention that can make that shot. This will also mark what turns out to be the only regular season appearance of Vince Carter in Toronto. When the Magic came in earlier in the month and blew out the Raptors they did it without Vince, Rashard Lewis and Michael Pietrus. It will be no easy task for the Raptors to even their record at 7-7.

But the Raps can take some confidence from a win over Miami into the Magic game. They can also feel confident that they can score with this Magic team and that is not a luxury that many NBA teams can claim. You can expect to see a little more of Rasho Nesterovic in this game to match up with Howard and Gortat. Although Amir Johnson has been doing solid work and should Rasho not be effective he will likely not be given to much rope to work with. Johnson has been a great spark off the bench and gives this team a lot of the things they hope to get from Reggie Evans when he returns.

Speaking of Reggie I am going to be starting a new segment in the Blog called "Bet That". Which is an expression that Reggie often uses in responding to his followers on Twitter. I asked Reggie if he was cool with the idea and he gave me the green light. So I hope people will enjoy it most of all Reggie. It is designed to be something that is a bit more lighter and funny and when you see the first one hopefully you will get the idea. I will get some instant feedback on it from Reggie himself most likely when I am in the house covering the Pacers and Raptors on Tuesday in T.O. So I better get this right or I am in big trouble...LOL. So look for that new segment late tonight or tomorrow and hopefully you will find it entertaining and amusing cause that will be the idea. To give you an example of it. Here you go.

The Toronto Raptors are happy as hell to get a win over the Miami Heat...BET THAT!!!

The ones in the actual segment will be more funny most of the time but each and every item ends in BET THAT...which near as I can figure means something is very good or a deadlock. I will get the proper definition on Tuesday.

Happy Scoreaversary

It was a year ago today that The Score.com announced the launch of it's sports federation. The Dino Nation Blog is proud to have been part of just 2 basketball blogs that were part of that launch. I want to thank Scott Carefoot and The Score for a great year together. It has been a great thrill to work with a network that I feel has always had a passion and love for basketball. I have really been proud to have a The Score logo on this blog for the last year. I hope this partnership will last for years to come. Next week it will be the Blog's anniversary so I will not go to much into what has gone on in the last year for now. But needless to say I have come a long way and taken the Dino Nation Blog to exciting new heights. I thank Scott for all his hard work on behalf of the Sports Federation and he has always been great to me personally and I have enjoyed being able to work with him over this past year. In that year I have also got to meet and know several other folks from The Score and they have all been great to me. Holly Mackenzie, Randy Urban, D.J Bennett and others. It has been great to know them as well. It also great the we have now added Nat from Heels On Hardwood and Romy for Hip Hoop Junkies to our basketball family of the sports fed. Also Scott of course has Raptor blog as well.

Now on to what we do talking Raptors basketball and the NBA. The Raps return to the ACC with a 5-7 record and 1-3 west coast road trip in the rear view mirror. A though test for the Raps in D-Wade and the Miami Heat. The Heat like the Raps come in on a losing streak and have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Despite doing little in the off-season the Heat have had a decent start to the season prior to this skid in the last 4. The Heat are basically a team that goes as it star does. D-Wade has struggled and so has the Heat. After a fast start to the year Jermaine O'Neal has been having injury issues of late. I know that will shock both Pacer and Raptors fans.

Miami is a team on a given night that can get hot from beyond the arc. Chalmers is a youngster that can make the shot and when he is hot make it consistently. They also have Richardson who in his time with the Suns was a deadly 3 point gunner. The Raptors defense has been leaking every where as of late though not just at the 3 point line. The Raps have been dealing with injuries to Hedo and Wright and have yet to see Reggie Evans suit up for a game that counts. Depending on who is healthy for the Raps it will make the match-ups a challenge.

Michael Beasley is growing into a solid NBA player in his second season. He is another guy that you must account for. The Raps need to get on the glass and avoid giving up second chances. That happened far to often against Utah. Amir Johnson has been doing a solid job working at on the glasses. Jay Triano has been giving Amir lots of minutes based on his hustle and effort. Unfortunately despite the work of Amir and Bosh on the boards it has not rubbed off on some of the other folks. Andrea Bargnani has a couple big rebound night's on his scorecard but has not been getting on the glass in the way you would hope given his size. He also has had his defensive effort called into question. He has been struggling and when people mention the struggles of Calderon on defense his name comes a close second.

What becomes frustrating for the fans and I am sure Jay Triano as well is the lack of consistent effort from his team from quarter to quarter forget game to game. The start tonight will be key. The Raps need to engage an A.C.C crowd that should they see the type of start we saw in Utah could turn early. The expectation level of fans was to expect a team that would be improved on defense and they have seen anything but that. Flashes of it but very few full 4 quarter efforts. If you wanted to be the complete optimist you could say the Raps for parts of the games on this trip did not look out of place playing Suns, Nuggets and Jazz. They have proven that they really can score with anyone in this league. All of that being done with point guard play from Calderon and Jack that is far from what booth can do on the offensive end.

Raptors badly could use a win heading into what will be another tough challenge vs Orlando. They will not have Jameer Nelson but will have both Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis which they did not the last time they visited the ACC earlier in the month. Raps at worst need to get 2 out of 3 on this home stand. The one major difference from the team that won a Division Title to now is the way they play at home. The win total at the A.C.C has been on a steady decline in recent years. The fans still fill the building and if you give them reason to cheer they will. But as great as fans can be they can not defend anyone and they can not make shots. It takes the team to light the fuse to allow the A.C.C to explode.

Chris Bosh is playing like an all-star and the Raps need to take advantage of this great stretch by Chris and start getting some wins out of it. While Chris might need to step up off the floor and challenge this team to be better. Maybe that has happened behind closed doors we never really know. However a more vocal Chris Bosh might mean a better Raptors team as a result. I remember a game on the west coast in which he got into Andrea Bargnani. I wouldn't mind seeing some more of that when needed. Not just directed at Andrea but at anyone that is not pulling their weight on the floor.

I will be live blogging this one for The Score. I picked up that job along the way in this year. That is a lot of fun as well and nothing for me beats getting to do a Raptors game. So please come join me and be part of the fun that is a Score Live Blog. I will post the links later in the day (When I get them) both here and on Twitter. Speaking of Twitter, I chatted with Reggie Evans on there yesterday. I had an idea for a new feature for the Dino Nation Blog based on Reggie. I wanted to get his blessing before I did it and he did give the thumbs up. So over the weekend we will have the first edition of "Bet That". Which if you have ever tweeted with Reggie is a popular response of his when someone tweets something he likes or agrees with. It is meant to be a fun thing and hopefully everyone will enjoying. Including Reggie cause if he doesn't I may not make it to another year of working with The Score. Only kidding Reggie is a great guy and I thank him for his blessing of my new segment for the blog. We all look forward to when he can get out there and contribute. Still not sure when that will be. Hopefully soon. Last and not least the DNB is heading back to the ACC. I am going down to cover the last game of this home stand where T.J Ford and the Pacers come to visit. It should be fun to finally met up with T.J face to face. I was thrilled to have him as a guest here over the summer. I will be working hard to get lots of cool stuff for the Dino Nation Blog while I am in the house at the ACC. It is not something I get to do on a regular basis so I try to make the most of these chances.

Raptors Rewind- Heat Wave Hit Toronto.

Well is it wrong of me that I am more interested in the debut of Pops Mensah-Bonsu than I am interested in the return of J.O and Moon. That is the truth for me. I said it this morning there return was a non event to me. So much so that when I was out this afternoon I had completely forgotten this game was happening tonight. Yeah it has got that bad. However I am here and in time for the tip of this classic. Well maybe not but D Wade should make this one fun to watch regardless. Bosh knows how good Wade is as he had a rebirth of sorts in the summer playing with Bosh for team USA. But Wade last year was just hurt. He is still the same old Wade. He is a serious contender for M.V.P of the league. That may have been conceded to Lebron James already but given the talent level Wade plays with and James you have to think Wade is a bit more impressive when you factor in the rosters they play with.

1st Quarter

The game is off to a slow start there was a lid on the rims at the ACC. Miami would bust it open with a 6-0 run. Jay Triano would call a time out and I will now repeat what he had to say this is a some what family blog. The Raps would respond and cut the lead down to 12-9. Pops Mansah-Bonsu checks in wearing number 44. He was making an impact rebounding a Jamario Moon miss from 3. We got to see a lot of those for the Raptors. Anderea Bargnani would fouled and the Raptors could cut the lead to just 1. Bargnani would make both and do just that. However D-Wade was doing what he does and already had 10 with his latest basket in response to the Bargnani free throws. The Raptors would continue to claw and fight and an AP dunk would tie it at 18 off a Miami turnover.

Wade would break the tie with another basket and Kapono would answer tied at 20. Pops was having an impact scrapping and battling on the boards this guy is doing some good thing early. One of his rebounds would lead to another Raptor basket to take the lead. Raptors were responding to Triano's rant early in the quarter. They would lead after one just a question of by how many. Chris Quinn would be fouled by Mansah-Bonsu. Quinn would make both at the line and a Parker buzzer beater would not fall but surprising the Raptors lead 24-22. Actually with a win the Raptors would sweep the season series with the Heat. Go figure.

2nd Quarter

The Heat would open the scoring in the second and tie it up. Bosh would draw a would foul and head to the line. He would make both and give Raps a 2 point lead. It would be short lived with a Quinn 3 to give lead back to Miami. However Joey G would get a score and Bargnani would follow and Raps had a slim 3 point lead. J.O and CB4 would exchange baskets. Quinn nails a 3 ball and we were all tied at 32 in a very entertaining 2nd chapter to this one.

Wright was fouled by Joey G and at the line for a pair. Miami ends up with a 1 point lead of 33-32. On defense the Heat switched to zone and it paid off. A stop and than a turnover for an easy score. But Chris Bosh would break the zone with a jumper. Wade was getting a long rest on the bench. Marcus Banks was in the game and how I know this is he was called for an offensive foul. Wade would return and hook up Haslem for the score plus a foul that he would make. Heat had a 38-34 lead at almost the mid point of 2nd quarter.

Raptor fans were finding out why Marcus Banks never say much time with the Heat as he chucked up an air ball. Bosh would fumble and bumble but draw a foul on J.O. It was non shooting but right away J.O would pick up a second also non shooting. Bosh would end up missing a shot after all that. However a turnover and a Jose drive but he would get called for offensive foul. ONeal would score at the other end. Bosh would answer with a basket. Bosh would get his 10th from 3 point range on the season and the Heat lead was down to 1 again. Haslem would score to extend lead to 3. Jose Calderon would drive score and draw the and 1 foul that he would make. Tied at 42. D-Wade would find an open look from 3 point range and make it. The Heat would continue to hold a slim 48-46 lead. Wade looked to make it a larger lead but had it tied up by Parker. Wade would control the tip and Moon would drive and score. Shawn Marion would answer with a drive of his own leading to points. Wade would score and get to the line. Heat had a 53-48 lead. Wade not know for hitting 3's but he was tonight as he made another 3. Marion would drive and score but it was the Heat leading on strength of Wade with a 56-50 lead.

3rd Quarter

Wade did not cool off from halftime break he opens the half with a basket. Parker would answer with a basket and he had 10. Jamario Moon would make a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would answer with 2 for the Raptors and the Heat lead was 7. Jermaine O'Neal would miss on a jump shot on the move. Bosh would get the feed in the paint from Jose and turn it into two points. the lead was cut to just 5 points. Haslem was fouled and spilt a pair at the line. Wade would drive and kicked to J.O he just should have taken it himself. ONeal missed and he was a pitiful 3-11 on the night. But no worries a turnover would lead to an easy Wade score. Another basket would give the Heat their largest lead of the night.

Wade has 25 points and was 11-13 on the night that is just off the charts. He was far from done with another basket after a time out. Bargnani with a nice dunk in the mug of Canadian Joey Anthony. Shawn Marion would get a score as well and the lead was now just 8. The Kansas product Chalmers would make a 3 pointer and the Heat lead 71-60. Bosh would get fouled by Anthony and make a pair. Haslem with the score the other way. Roko Ukic and Pops Mansah-Bonsu had checked in. Mansah-Bonsu had an immediate impact tipping back in a basket. Bosh would get a score as well with a drive and score. Raptors had cut the lead down to 7 points.

A turnover would lead to a Pops Mansah-Bonsu slam. They were printing up 44 on Raptor uniforms up at Center Sports. However D Wade was having none of it as he would make another 3 pointer. Bosh would answer with a 2 pointer. He had a great night going too. But Wade was better. Pops has hops. However he could not convert the Marion attempted alley opp feed. Wade meanwhile was on his way to a 40 or maybe 50 point night. He had 35 as the 3rd quarter was coming to a close. Bosh had 30 himself. But beyond the individual show down the Heat still had a 84-76 lead. Wade had 36 and Heat had 86 while Bosh had 30 but his team only had 76. Imagine if someone got Bosh to go with Wade that would be a duo worth watching. They already share an agent.

4th Quarter

A miss to start the 4th for the Raps. Cook and Moon with back to misses. J.O would then get denied by Bargnani. Mansah-Bonsu is showing a hustle and an energy I am not use too. He has 10 rebounds in 12 minutes. Very JYD like is his hustle and rebounding. Toronto fans are going to like Pops if he continues to bring it like this. All that being said the Heat were still firmly in control with a 90-80 lead. Andrea Bargnani was playing well with 19. But the star of this show was D Wade and he now had 40 with a thunderous jam. Heat lead it 92-82.

Beasley the rookie had been quiet he was fouled and heading to the line. He would make both and the Miami lead was 94-82. Chalmers also a rookie was doing a bit better as he hit a 3 ball. The lead was 15 and the Raptors gas tank looked to be on E. There were flashes of defense for the Raptors but they were just that flashes. While The Flash AkA D Wade was killing them. Bosh was not giving up with out a fight. Hew would get a score pulling the Raptors to down by 9. However all knight long Miami has had the answer for every Raptor push. Cook the man that beat Jason Kapono for his 3 point corw drains a 3. Kapono answers with a 3. Heat are keeping control up 104-93. Bosh had 34 but it would go with out notice in comparison to the night put in by Wade. Kapono would make another 3 but it was to little to late with score 106-98 with under 2 to play. Bosh would get rejected not once but twice by the rookie Beasley. Almost as an explanation point to the night Wade made a terrific turn around that would quiet the crowd. He had 42 points in 40 minutes on the floor. It was a 108-102 final score.

Heat/Raps Boxscore

Things will not be any easier in trying to get a win with Jazz who are healthy finally heading into a Sunday Matinee with the Raptors. If you are just a fan of basketball you can't help been impressed with the performance.

The Start of The End Of 08/09 For Raps?

After A lose to the Bucks and 4 of the NBA's toughest teams to face on the horizon is it all but over for the Raptors? Even Chris Bosh has said that this team is running out of time. If they were to lose the next 4 games it would maybe not official eliminate the Raptors but it would be hard to make the argument otherwise. If Bryan Colangelo approached the trade deadline thinking his team was a seller who could blame him? The Raptors also face the Spurs prior to the All Star break. That would make it very easy to see this team lose 5 of 7 heading into the break. First game after the break is against the Cavs so it could be 6 of 8. You smell what the Dino Blogger is cooking? It is not good and in fact it stinks. However for the long term future of this team it maybe the right thing. This team can accept it's fate that this has been a season that has gone wrong and look towards the 09/10 season to get it right. They better get it right as well if they want to ensure that Chris Bosh will remain in Toronto. I think Chris wants to be convinced to stay when all is said and done. He has said things in the past that make me think that. The fact that he once said he wants to be part of the solution in Toronto and I think he likes the idea of spending his career with just 1 team. He has also been a witness to what happens to those that leave. It is hard to imagine fans having warm and fuzzy feelings towards Bosh if he did decide to leave in 2010. As much as fans say they understand that sports is a business do they truly accept that fact in their hearts? I suggest you have a listen the next time Vince Carter pays a visit to the ACC for your answer. Sure part of why they boo is the way he left. However is there really a good way to leave a franchise when it is the players choice to do so? It is one thing to be traded by the team and it being their choice or to have them pass on re-signing you. Morris Peterson will always be loved because everyone believes that he never wanted to leave. So why not be in a good position to put your best foot forward to keep Chris Bosh. So when or if all of the losing streak is going on try to remember that and it might not hurt as much.

Least Bosh Isn't D Wade or Lebron

You are probably saying hey I would rather have D Wade or Lebron on this team. That is not the point I am going to make though. Now it is Wade making noise that he is not against the idea of playing with Lebron James in NYC. James of course had his red shoes and his Yankee hat. Wade even went to say that the 2 superstars had talked about playing together somewhere after their current contracts expired. Chris Bosh to his credit has said little on the subject and even poured cold water on the comments made by Jalen Rose in a recent interview with Eric Smith.

Bosh has basically taken the high road on the topic and like he said he is not sure what he is going to do tomorrow, next week why would we think he knows what he will do a year and a half from now? It is just part of the insecurity that we have as Canadians. After all Bosh is from Texas and not a Canadian. Why would someone like that like our country? It is easy for Canadians to go crazy for our own home grown talents. If you need prove of that if you have more then 4 friends and I hope you do. Ask them if they watched the GSP fight last night? I would be shocked if you got 4 no I did not. Georges St Pierre the UFC and MMA star is Canadian. He will always be Canadian. Chris Bosh is a Texan and an American and as such we all just think he is only going to be here for so long. I mean unless Chris went and became a Canadian I don't think some people would ever be convinced he is here to stay. Come to think of it even if he did that would no guarantee anything see Chuck Swirsky for proof of that. Is it so hard to think that an American can come to Canada and enjoy it and want to be a part of it? We need to get over that as a country. Be proud of what we have, don't be afraid to say we are great. After all if not for a Canadian Lebron, D Wade and Bosh all have a different job then they currently have.

Regardless Of Win Or Lose, Live Blog Will Happen...Be There

I am live blogging the Raps and Magic today. So come out share your thoughts on this blog on the game or the Raptors season as a whole. That reminds me we have a rule that comments mus be of a PG 13 level or better. So keep that in mind when you comment. Also while the play is going on that is the focus of the live blog so people not actually seeing the game can follow along. But beyond that there is not rules for it. Come out and have fun and take part it the talk. I am even going to hang around post game for an extended chat on Raptors if people are into it. They may not be and have Superbowl parties to get to. So use this link and come be part of the fun of today's live Blog on The Score:

Score Live Blog- Raps and Magic

As you might have guessed there will be no Raptor Rewind today as a result of hosting the Live Blog for The Score. I may write something tonight will see. Yesterday I was attempting to bang out an episode of the Round Ball Review. Some technical issues did not co-operate with me on that front. So that is about it see you bout 15 minutes before tip time.

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