Demar DeRozan All-Star Adventure Begins

Last year the only time we saw Demar DeRozan was in the one and now done dunk in contest at halftime of the Rookie/Sophomore game. DeRozan had been snubbed from the game itself, but this year head return home to L.A and will play in the game on Friday night. This is a game that is set up for a player like DeRozan that can get to the hoop and throw it down. He also might have a small chip on his shoulder after the snub last season. Blake Griffin his main competition in the Dunk Contest the next night will be playing all 3 nights including in the All-Star Game itself. If you were going to make a list of candidates for M.V.P of this game, it likely starts with Griffin but DeRozan is on that list as well.

Now let's face it awards at All-Star Weekend are not going to change that the Raptors have 41 losses. But if DeRozan on this big stage that is All-Star Weekend could walk away with some hardware from this game tonight and/or the dunk contest tomorrow night it is a good thing. Here are a few reasons as to why:

• First and foremost it is good for his personal confidence and gets him some national exposure which is important. Just ask Chris Bosh. But for DeRozan who is trying to build himself into a franchise player this would be a big shot of confidence in the quest to get there. Also in talking with Demar he is very excited at the fact this is all taking place in his hometown where his family and friends can share in it with him.

• This may sound a bit off the wall and stupid but it can't hurt the Raptors in terms of getting free agents to come here. DeRozan can build his profile it won't hurt in giving players some reason to come to Toronto. Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part but it sure isn't a negative in terms of recruiting for free agency.

• In a season that has not offered a lot of positives for the Raptors as a team, this individual honour is a reward for a kid that has improved in major ways this season. The Raptors outlook post All-Star Weekend is bleak, but if DeRozan comes back as a winner it can add to his motivation to improve and work hard down the stretch.

• Raptor fans are desperate for something, anything to feel good about at this point. I have not been this excited for an All-Star Weekend since Vince was in the Dunk Contest. No offence to Jason Kapono winning the 3 point shoot-out or Chris Bosh appearing in several All-Star games since. Kapono's performance with the Raptors and his over priced contract did not exactly make me thrilled at his victory. While Bosh being a big man in an All-Star Game makes your chances of winning the M.V.P of the game on Sunday slim at best. Dwight Howard has never won M.V.P of the game. I think Shaq won it like once. It doesn't happen very often is the point.

There is also the fact that last year I think DeRozan was robbed in the Dunk Contest, he was the only guy to get a 50, and in a year that was forgettable for the contest as a whole he provided the lone highlight to the event. It is something to cheer for as well. DeRozan is a hard working kid and I have had the chance to talk with him several times over his year and half with the Raptors. I really like him and he is someone that is really easy to root for. So I will be watching tonight and tomorrow with more excitement than I have had for most Raptor games this season. So here is hoping that Demar can represent himself and the Raptors well over the next two days, it may help down the road in the development of DeRozan. I stand behind what I have said at the start of this season. What was that? The most important thing about this season was and is the development of Demar DeRozan. This may just be an exhibition and not mean much. It actually can mean a lot for DeRozan and that means it means a lot for the Raptors.

Hello Philly

Hello Philly it has been awhile. This crazy journey that has been the Raptors season started with back to back wins for Philly in the pre-season. Back then Allen Iverson was about to find a home in Memphis under the direction of God. The Sixers looked really good in those 2 pre-season contests. However things in the pre-season are not always as they appear. Reggie Evans and Jason Kapono who were traded for each other played in those games. Kapono since has found little playing time with his new team and Reggie would of course be injured latter in the pre-season and has yet to suit up for a regular season game. So normally we would talk about the impact of the trade on the two teams as they hook up for this first meeting of the regular season. However the impact for both sides has been little to none on the floor. In terms of Kapono I honestly though with Eddie Jordan bringing his Princeton offense that Kapono could be a weapon in it. Jordan like Mitchell and Triano before him has not been able to find a way to use Kapono effectively. Jason can always win a 3 point contest but in real games his lack of ability to create his own shot is an issue.

While Reggie Evans continues his long road back from that injury vs the Celtics in the pre-season. A return date is still unknown but all signs are pointing in the right direction for Reggie to face his former team at some point this year but not tonight. Allen Iverson found his way back to Philly and the team has been slightly better with him than without out him since he arrived. Iverson is not the same guy that once torched the Raptors on a regular basis but he still is someone you have to account for. It is the other A.I that has taken up the charge of being the Raptor Killer. Andre Iguodala like Raptor fans has never got over the fact that Rob Babcock drafted Hoffa and not him. The Sixers head into this one at 10-24 with a loss over the Wizards that was more famous for the pre-game finger guns than the fact the Sixers blew a huge lead once the game got started.

Leo Rautins "favorite" Sixer Sam Dalembert had a 20 and 20 performance in that loss. The Sixers signed Sam to a rather hefty contract with the hope he was going to develop into a good player. However the nights he plays at a high level are few and far between. That being said the return of Iverson has been a bit of a spark for Sam and he has been a little bit better. A lot better in that game vs the Wizards. Sam has always had issues with fouls that sometimes can derail him early in games. His shot blocking ability is always something to be aware of regardless of how he is playing good or bad. Andrea Bargnani can have a big night if Sam ends up on him as he is not that willing to wander to far from the paint.

If there is one thing the Raptors have done well in this stretch of winning 7 of their last 8 games, it is beating the teams they are suppose to beat. The Sixers more than qualify in that regard. Even the New York Knicks are playing better than the Sixers. That being said the Sixers are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Allen Iverson said that in that last lost to the Wizards it was like giving them a late Christmas present. So safe to the Sixers will at least try to be motivated to rebound from that performance.

The Raptors really seem to be hitting their stride and are growing better and better on the defensive end of the floor. They will need to continue in that as the Sixers do have a few folks that in the past have given them headaches. But anything short of a win tonight would be a major disappointment even if it is on the road. Speaking of which if you thought the return of A.I would improve attendance in Philly it really only did for that first night back. The Sixers are one of many teams that have had some serious issues at the gate this season. The team's record does not help in that regard. It seems in these tough times economically winning is vital in almost ever market even ones that in the past have been traditionally good NBA cities.

Will see what happens tonight as the Raptors return home to face Boston on Sunday. I am suppose to be scheduled to that one for The Score. I will post the links for that on my Twitter Account @dinonationblog and try to get them up here as well. Also doing the Radio in Montreal tonight at 12:15am as Off The Bench Returns from the Christmas Break. So there will be lots to talk about on the show as we have been off for basically this entire Raptor win streak.

Game Note: Allen Iverson is a game time decision tonight for Philadelphia.

Toughness Is Back In The T-Dot

It is rare that anything the Raptors do is met with a general positive reaction. When news broke yesterday, to a man(or woman) everyone loved this move the Raptors made. Bryan Colangelo in his end of the season address to the media, said that this team was to nice and not tough enough and he was going to do something about it. True to his word, yesterday he pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Jason Kapono to the Sixers for Reggie Evans. Evans is a guy that a lot of Raptor fans had mentioned as a good fit in the past. Now we will find out if he is indeed that. He is a tough guy that will go bang and fight on the glass and he has a bit of an attitude that he does it with. Not since Charles Oakley have the Raptors had a guy like this. Evans is not Oakley in terms of skill. But in terms of approach and attitude he is very similar. Kapono just never could live up to the big number on the contract that he signed to come to Toronto. That is the other nice thing about this deal the Raptors save a nice sum off the cap.

From the Sixers point of view they lacked 3 point shooting. In bringing in Eddie Jordan and his Princeton offense the need for that shooter became glaring. You can make a strong case that if the Sixers do not hire Jordan that this deal may not happen. Kapono may in fact do very well in Philadelphia under the Jordan system on offense. It is not that Jason Kapono was not a good guy in his time in Toronto. It was just a case of having to many of them and the fact he never matched his production to his contract number.

The addition of Evans calls into question if Pops Mensah-Bonsu will be back with the Raptors. The early indications are he is not going to be. He may even end up in Europe and not the NBA. However fans will likely adopt Reggie Evans fairly quickly given the stuff that we expect him to do. Evans is expected to join Bosh, Bargnani, Humphries, Jawai and O'Bryant. If Evans can have some of his toughness rub off, on the younger guys like Jawai, Hump and O'Bryant, that would be a great thing.

Bryan Colangelo in his comments after the trade also made it pretty clear he is not done with the changes. This is just the start of the re-tooling of this roster. He also made it pretty clear that even though he might listen that if people are thinking Chris Bosh being traded is part of that..think again. Colangelo said that Bosh was a big reason to why he came here in the first place. Colangelo seems willing to stand firm and not be pushed into making a trade for the sake of making a trade. He makes a valid point that if Bosh wants to get the most money even if it is not with Toronto it must go through Toronto. Chris Bosh would need to sign with the Raps to get the roughly 127 million he could get in a max contract with an extra year. That in comparison to roughly 97 million if he walked and did not sign with the Raps. Those are Colangelo's numbers but as he said they are subject to change with the Cap always a fluid number from year to year.

He also seems pretty confident that if Shawn Marion is not a Raptor next season that he will be moved in some type of sign and trade move. He said that of the 4 teams that have money to spend he only sees one that has an interest in Shawn and sees that as an unlikely landing place. As for how much the Raptors have to spend? He said after this move The Raptors will have somewhere between 9 and 10 million in cap space. That is of course subject to the new cap numbers yet to be set.

In addition he said that Quincy Douby has been working out 8 hours a day in Las Vegas and he is doing very well in those workouts. He also has some optimism about Patrick O'Bryant. I am not sure why that is beyond the size and potential he may have. But in listening to Bryan yesterday it is clear he has a plan and it is clear that plan might be a lot different from the ones others might have expected.

For the first time in a long time Raptor fans had something to be optimistic and positive about. Reggie Evans is never going to be an all star but he can be part of the changing of a culture of a team that has worn a soft label for a long long time. Go Reggie Go and get out there and kick some a$$!!!

Going to be doing a few interviews on the draft over the next couple days so make sure you look for them over the next few days. Also I have my own section over at Hoops Doctors now where you can read all of the articles I have written for them.

All Star Saturday Not Exactly Dazzling.

All Star Saturday Night was not exactly the thrilling spectacular we are use to. I guess we will start with the only Raptor taking part in the 3 point shoot out. In perhaps the weakest field Kapono has faced in the event he did make it to the final. However much like his season with the Raptors he was not exactly in top form. He would barely make the final and go up against Rashard Lewis from the Magic and Daequan Cook of the Miami Heat. Kapono was forced to shot back to back after being the last to shot he was first up in the finals. That seemed to be costly and he would put up a very low score and was a dead man walking. Lewis who was a surprise finalist to me only because of the way he shoots and it taking so much of a jump in his shot, I thought he was doomed. But he would beat Kapono and sat in the lead. Cook who not many people would claim to know unless you are a true NBA junkie or a fantasy junkie. But dude can make the 3 ball shot and he would deliver a ho hum effort that was good enough to be the best on this night.

So, down goes Kapono, down goes Kapono. Not exactly inspiring. let's rewind to way back before the All Saturday night got going. Outside in the parking lot we saw the first edition of GEICO which you may know as HORSE. Even this was not exactly thrilling. A shot from the stands that were part of the set they created for this was probably the highlight. Kevin Durant who have a record in the rookie and sophomore game of 46 points, he would ride that momentum to be your first Geico champion. Hopeful they improve this event and bring it back but it failed to meet the high expectations it had. That would be a theme for the night ahead.

I guess I will mention the Detroit team who that shooting stars thing. You know that waste of time that I think is designed to promote the WNBA but in reality makes me yawn. The contest takes a current NBA Star, A WNBA star and A NBA Legend and they make shots from various spots on the floor. This event to me does nothing for the NBA Players in it. Does even less for WNBA players and makes legends look old and that can be embarrassing. This event is an embarrassment and it needs to go. If anyone likes this thing and wants to defend it with a comment be my guest. However I think I am in the majority on this one.

Derrick Rose won the weird little obstacle course race they have that they call Skills Challenge. He would throw down a dunk at the end that would be better than what we saw from the eventual winner. Throwing balls through tires and dribbling around obstacles is just not doing it for me. I have never really got this event. It attracts a quality field for it but the competition lacks the sizzle that the entry list would suggest.

Now on to the main event of the evening and this was almost WWE like in nature. I don't mean that is a good way. We had almost a pre-determined final. Could Rudy Fernandez and J.R Smith have done anything to get in the final? based on all the staged events would see after that I would say not likely. Dwight Howard's return of Superman was much like a Superman sequel. It was ok and the whole phone booth thing was a nice touch. He also had a net that could be raised up and he would dunk on the higher basket which was far more impressive than it looked. The winner would be Nate Robinson who would bust out green gear and play up the whole superman gimmick. He would even do a dunk in which he leaped over Howard. But Howard did kinda duck a little. That was about the only dunk he did that impressed me. Nate Robinson gets inflated love for what he does based on his size and size alone. Dwight Howard's catch dunk off the side of the backboard was best of a night of lackluster stuff. It all was like a WWE event right up to the clearly staged moment in which prior to the final dunks Lebron James in the crowd was interviewed.

So, Lebron will you be in the slam dunk contest next year? When he answered Yes that he would, as he put it conditionally put his name in the Dunk contest for next year, it automatically made the end of the dunk contest and after thought. I have said it many times nobody does All Star Weekend better than the NBA. However this year to this point All Star Weekend has been like a forgettable WrestleMania. Like say Wrestlemania 9. Point is this will not be an All Star Weekend that will make the history books to this point.

We still have the Game today but so far thumbs way down from the Dino Blogger.

The Dino Blogger Has A Very Canadian Plan To Fix The Raps

I'm not sure if this is a good sign as we are less than 24 hours into the Raptors All Star break but I am already playing with a trade machine. I came up with 2 trades that drastically change the Raptors. 5 players go and 4 come back. If you like Canadian content you will love this idea. So are you ready to see my master plan?

To Raptors:

Steve Nash

To Suns

Jose Calderon

Jason Kapono

Jamario Moon.

That is part 1 but wait there is more

To Raptors:

Shawn Marion

Joel Anthony

Jamal Maglorie

To Heat:

Jermaine O'Neal

Joey Graham

I have added to the Canadian content of the Raptors. In fact in 14 years the Raps have had 0 Canadians and in 5 minutes on ESPN Trade Machine I have given them 3. Now does any of this make any sense that is the real question right? Well let's walk through it and see. I will at least defend myself.

The Suns Deal

Would the Suns really move Steve Nash? Why wouldn't they when it seems that he is not exactly thrilled with the new system and Calderon fits that system better than Nash. They also add Kapono who has experience playing with Shaq and as bonus you through in Jamario Moon who is expiring anyway and maybe could provide a spark if he caught fire who knows.

So why would the Raptors make a 3 for 1 trade for Steve Nash? Before we even talk basketball as I have been saying the marketing of Steve Nash coming back home to Canada is worth it. Seriously can you imagine what that would do for the national profile for the Raptors? In a season in which you have had this team take a hit in that regard for bad play and a worse T.V contract that leaves many people shut out from seeing the Raptors this is a move that can turn the page on all of that. Now for the basketball. Did you happen to see Roko Ukic last night? Pretty good right? How good could he be working with Steve Nash for a year and a half at least? I would venture to say pretty good. Chris Bosh gets a two time MVP as a team mate that is sure a lot better than a washed up six time all star isn't it? I think so. Bosh may as well after playing with Nash for a bit. Jay Triano and Nash have a solid relationship and to have a coach with a point guard that thinks the same way as him and has an understanding of what you want is great. It could save Jay Triano his job and buy him time.

The Miami Deal

The answer for this one is pretty simple. Save D Wade. It is not about what the Heat get in J.O and Graham as much as it is about the contract you get. Recruiting players to play in South Beach is a tad bit easier task as opposed to Toronto. Anthony and Maglorie are expiring contracts and have far more appeal for people in Toronto. Riley is said to be high on Anthony but if he can have J.O and not have the headache of trying to resign Anthony why not. Graham can replace Marion as a much lesser player but perhaps is on the rise and you would have his rights as a restricted free agent.

Why Raptors? Well if you made deal number 1 and have Steve Nash that may help Marion. He may hate to admit it but he has not been the same player since leaving Nash in the Shaq trade. If it fails and he is still the same Shawn Marion. No problem he is off the books and you have some money to build the new Raptors around Nash and Bosh. You also were able to hang on to Anthony Parker at the end of all of this. His money is off the books. Anthony and Maglorie are not long term guys as well with expiring deals. Although the Raptors should look to keep Joel Anthony. I think he has talent. So there you have it. 3 Canadians and a whole new look for the Raptors. By this point I am sure you have formed opinions. Is this me having played to much NBA 2k9 or is it a case that has some merit. I think it is possible and makes sense for all the parties involved.

This is not a rumour or anything like that. I am just thinking on my own and seeing if it makes sense. It does for me. I mean let's face it from my perspective I am not going to miss any of the guys I have sent away. But I can make a case for the teams they have been sent to in wanting them. Is it a strong case? Not sure but it is case none the less. Colangelo convinced Utah to take Haffa so why can't he make this happen? I think he can. But it is a tough trick as individually I am not sure if the deals make sense standing alone. But together I think they add a whole new level of interest in the Raptors. Not that it could make them a playoff contender this year. However does it make them a much different team to watch? Hard not to be when you have moved 5 players.

For Reference sake these deals do work.

Suns Trade
Heat Trade

I have to admit it got me excited to think about this. In a season that has had very little to be excited about. You may not agree with my deals. But I think everyone is thinking big about trade deadline and that is the type of expectation Bryan Colangelo is up against. However don't feel sorry for him because even he admits that he raised our expectations with his comments prior to the season. There has always been this talk of Colangelo wanting to make the Raps the Suns of the East. Well bringing in two of the biggest stars from that team is an interesting way to head down that road isn't it? That is my plan. What is yours?

Raptors Rewind- Hassan Adams Era Edition

No Raptors Rewind Logo tonight as we pay tribute to Hassan Adams Raptor Career. O.K well it was not much of a career was it. Earlier today the Raptors traded Adams to the Clippers with Cash for a future second round pick. The Clippers would turn around and waive Adams and he is currently looking for a job. I would like to say something nice about the guy. I am told he was a good person and all of that. But where it counts on the floor he showed nothing and that is why the Raptors in a sense had to pay someone to take him off their hands. As for the game the Raptors will also be without Jamario Moon who is becoming a daddy in Alabama. He left the team to hopefully make it back to Alabama for the birth of his child. So that means Joey G will get the start tonight and the Joey G fan base will be no doubt excited by that news. It is Joey's first start of the 2008/09 season. Ex-Raptor Mike James will be matched up against a player many might have had flashbacks to James based on his poor performance the other night. That would be Will Solomon. So the Raptors would only have 9 players on the roster for tonight. It is time to get going in Washington D.C where history will happen on Jan 20th as Barak Obama will get sworn in a President.

1st Quarter

Raptor would get off to a 7-2 run started by a 3 pointer from A.P and continued by Bosh and Joey G. The Raptor run would march on though with a basket from Andrea Bargnani. After a 10-2 start a time out on the floor for the Wizards to regroup with 7:49 left in the 3rd quarter. Wizards after the time out would get it going a bit and get it to a 12-6 score with an Andray Blatche jumper. But an Anthony Parker basket and that was followed by an Andrea Bargnani with a 3 pointer. Raptors lead now 17-6. Chris Bosh would score and make the lead larger but Mike James would answer the Bosh score with one of his own. Will Solomon would make a shot and he was off to a better shooting night.

Andray Blatche would make another jumper. Chris Bosh was looking for a foul but not whistle was coming as Caron Butler went the other way and scored a second basket in a row for the Wizards. Raptors lead 21-12 and Jake Voskhul was in for Bosh. Raptor forced Wizards into their second shot clock violation of the quarter. Jason Kapono would make a basket and he needed it as he has struggled. Antwan Jamison would get a basket for the home side. Raptors would make a turnover and Wizards would turn that into 2 points as well. It was 25-16 late in the quarter. Will Solomon would close out the quarter with the basket and the Raps had an 11 point lead after one with the score 27-16.

2nd Quarter

Raptors were shooting an amazing 70% from the field. Jason Kapono would keep it rolling as he would make a 3 pointer and extend the Raptor lead to start the second quarter. Chris Bosh would get to the line and the Raptors looked good as a lesson may have been learned in Oklahoma City. Bosh would only go 1-2 though. Kapono was hot and how long has it been since you heard that. He was 4-4 with his latest a 3 ball from the corner. The youngster Nick Young would respond with a 3 pointer for the Wizards in response. Raptors still lead 34-21 with 8:18 to play in the half.

Chris Bosh was committed to drive and he was drawing fouls he was back at the line. Bosh mad both from the line. Jason Kapono was hooked up for the open 3 pointer but he would miss. But Jake Voskhul would draw the foul working hard on the offensive glass. But the Raptors would not get anything off the second chance. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3 pointer the other way. Roko Ukic would drive and score to answer that. AP would hit a jumper as he was on the move off a pick and roll. Raptors had built a 15 point lead and it was 40-25 Raptors with 5:29. Matt Devlin had mentioned that Jose Calderon had been recovering well and may be ready to come back as soon as Friday. But as for now Will Solomon was hooking up AP for a 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani would take his time and gave a fake and then blasted in a 3 ball and Raptors lead had grown to 46-25. Antwan Jamison was one of the few Wizards that seemed interested. He scored and got a fouled and made the shot. Mike James would hit a 3 pointer and the Wizards had a much needed 6-0 run. Antwan Jamison was heading to the line fouled by Andrea Bargnani. He would be replaced by Bosh as that was his second. Another foul as Jamison missed the second free throw after making the first. Caron Butler would head to the line. It was a 9-0 run and Jay Triano had seen enough.

A Will Solomon missed jumper in the lane was not what Triano had in mind I am guessing. But Kris Humphries would draw a charge on Antwan Jamison. Will Solomon would make a shot after his miss out of the time out to end the Wizard run. The Wiz would respond but then it was a Hump throw down on the other end. But Jamison answer that with a basket. The Raptors shooting had cooled in this second quarter but the still had a 50-38 lead after one half. This was with only 5 points for Chris Bosh. Bargnani, Parker and Kapono all shared the Raptor scoring lead with 10 for each in the first half.

3rd Quarter

Raptors still were shooting 57% after a half of play. Raptors out rebounded the Wiz 20-14. Joey G gets the first bucket of the second half for the Raptors. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3-ball to get the Wizards started in the second half. Wizards would get a 7-0 run but Triano was letting Raptors play through it. Bosh would find Bargnani and he would dunk it and and get fouled for the 3 point play. It was back to 55-45 and Raptors were looking to hang on to control. Chris Bosh had a turnover and he was having a tough night shooting 1-8. Both teams were playing sloppy and Andrea Bargnani fumbled the ball out of bounds. Andray Blatche would score and the lead was down to 8 points. Raptors were giving the Wizards a lot of chances to come back but Washington was not converting on most of them thankfully for Raptor fans.

Chris Bosh had enough and just took it to the basket strong for the score to restore a 10 point lead. Andrea Bargnani would hook up Will Solomon for a score. He would follow up with a finger roll for himself the next time down the floor. Raptors had build back to a 61-47 lead with 5:14 to play in the quarter. Antwan Jamison was one of about a thousand folks that the Raptors have been rumoured to having interest in. If it was true after tonight they will be more interested as he had another basket as part of a great night for him personally. But unfortunately later on he would pick up his 4th foul of the night and got forced to the bench. AP would make a basket as he left. Raptors lead 65-51.

Andray Blatche would get another basket and he was looking good as well for the Wizards on the offensive end. Wizards had cut the lead to single digits again at 9 down. But Chris Bosh would make a key basket to push lead back to 11 points. Jake Voskhul would get a score and all 9 Raptors that could play tonight have and had scored. A steal and lay up for Mike James and it was 71-60 for the Raptors. Will Solomon would get a basket to extend that lead to 13. That would be how the 3rd Quarter would end as it was 73-60 after 3 quarters of play.

4th Quarter

Raps had 2 chances to score on their first trip and Ukic and Graham both missed. Jamison was back in the game and he scored and the Wizards had the first 4 points of the quarter. Roko Ukic would get a score to open up the books for the Raps in the corner. Jamison would get another basket. Score was 75-66 and Jay Triano decided to get Chris Bosh back in the game a little earlier than usual. The lead had been cut back to 7 points but Andrea Bargnani would make a big 3 pointer. But Antwan Jamison kept rolling and scored. Chris Bosh would answer for his side with a basket to respond. A turnover by Bosh would give Washington a chance to cut the lead to 5 and Nick Young would deliver and a time out was called and the Raptors needed it.

Bosh out of the time out would drive and draw a foul and get to the line and it was on Jamison which was huge. He would make both free throws and Jamison had to go to the bench and with foul number 5. Wizards would score and lead was back to 5 points. But Bosh would come back and make a jumper and draw a foul for a 3 point play. Caron Butler would score and the lead was cut to 6 points with the score 85-79 with 6:15 to play. Washington had a chance to cut lead to 4 points but Bosh stuck a hand out and caused a turnover. He would then make his way to the line for another pair. Which he would make and they had a 87-79 lead and that was a big moment. Jason Kapono who had been quiet hit a buzzer beater as the shot clock was expiring. Antwan Jamison would score again he had 27 on the night but his team was still down 8 points.

After a Kapono miss from the arc in transition Jamison would score and get fouled and the Wizards had cut lead back down to 5 points again. A Will Solomon turnover and Wiz had a chance to make it even closer but could not. They would have another chance and they would get called for traveling and anther chance was lost. Raptors lead 89-83 with just 2:21 to play. Andrea Bargnani has been clutch and he did it again hitting a dagger 3 pointer late in the game as Raptors lead was 92-83. Wizards refused to go away though as they got 4 straight points and the lead was down to 5 points again. Wizards were forced to foul Bargnani with 27.1 seconds left. He was calm and cool and made two from the line and it was 94-87 Raptors with under 30 seconds to play. Will Solomon would make a silly foul on Mike James sending him to the line. James had a chance to cut the lead to 5 but he would miss his first and make his second. Soloman had a very up and down night. Solomon had 14 points and 5 dimes and only 2 turnovers. The man of the night was Andrea Bargnani, who was not heading to Dallas he was in this game and scoring 23 points.Many of them that were clutch shots that Raptors needed. The foul shot game was dragging this thing out but the Raptors were going to have win number 15 on the year and the Raptors have won 3 out of 4. The Final score would end up 99-93 and Bargnani added two more points to have 25 points on the night. So happy times for the Raptors as Jamario Moon had a new baby girl and his team back in Washington had a win. All good news on this night. Check out the happy details in our Score Boxscore.

Raps/Wiz Boxscore

So the Raptors next face the best Rookie in this league in my opinion O.J Mayo. He and the rest of the Grizzlies will pay a visit to the ACC to take on the Raptors. Raptors will hope to win their 4th game in their last 5 games. They may have Jose Calderon back to help in that regard.

The Ming Dynasty On Display At The A.C.C

Things just don't get any easier for the Raptors as Yao Ming comes to town. That will be followed by a Sunday visit from Superman. It just is going to be hard to imagine a way the Raptors can stay in the hunt for those playoffs. I took some time yesterday and just looked through the schedule and tried to guess what the Raptors Record should be for January and February of 2009. Being realistic the best I got was they will go .500 and that is not good enough at this point. The Raptors schedule does shift for March and April but it would take a run of just total perfection or close to it to see the Raptors make the playoffs. That is the reality of right now. Could a trade change that reality? I am not sure it may take a couple moves to make a difference and I don't think the Raptors have a lot of assets to make that happen. The one thing they should not do is risk their first round draft pick in 2009 to make that happen. The Raptors really need to add a young player that can have an impact out of this years draft.

Making trades is not easy as well. I mean in a world of ESPN Trade Machine and Real G.M Trade checkers you can play G.M to your hearts content. Not to mention video games in which my version of the Raptors on NBA 2K9 is off the charts. Even though in today's world of video games and tech devices life may seem like a video game it is not. Bryan Colangelo has to deal with real people that have all the same concerns he does. They have fan bases and an organization to answer to for the moves they make. Colangelo has no doubt seen the desire of the fan base for change but it is not easy to make it happen. It is no different than wanting to go out with an attractive women that is great but it still takes her wanting and accepting to go with you.

Game Notes For Rockets And Raptors.

Houston has a few folks that Raptor Fans will remember. Tracy McGrady was the guy Toronto booed before they booed Vince Carter. We also saw Rafer Alston a couple of times make his way through Toronto. But the big news in the off-season in Houston was they went out and brought in Ron Artest. They have needed him even more than they realized as Shane Battier as had an injury plagued season. But Ron Artest has had some decent numbers with 16.1 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. He had a game right around that to close out 2008 with 15 points and 5 boards.

The Rockets have even called on the cookie monster for some help. Dikembe Mutombo does sound like the cookie monster. He may actually be older as he is in his 40's and just never seems to retire. He is like a throwback to Robert Parish, who stayed in the league well into his 40's and played in other places like Charlotte after his days in Boston winning championships. Also beyond basketball Mutombo is a great human being he built a hospital with his own money back in Africa. That is truly a fantastic thing and he deserves a lot of praise for that. Why and if he still can contribute on a basketball roster at this point is something I am not sure of at this point.

The Raptors meanwhile have minor injuries to both Jermaine O'Neal and Jason Kapono who both sat out against Denver. They are listed as game time decision at this point for tonight's game against Houston. Andrea Bargnani had a truly amazing performance in relief of O'Neal on New Years Eve. So if O'Neal is ready it will be interesting if Jay Triano just automatically inserts him back in the starting line-up. Maybe Andrea could have back to back performances with his name getting called? Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker have both struggled of late. But A.P did show signs late in that game. He had lost his spot in the starting line-up in part to an injury he had. So that will be another choice for Triano to make should Kapono be available tonight.

This is another game on TSN 2. If you are in the Toronto area and you are still shut out. Maybe make a plan to join the guys at Raptors Republic for their Raptors Party and Philthy McNasty's. It is a way to beat the TSN 2 blues on Friday nights anyway. I am going to get down to one of these Friday Night Events in the new year. It is one of my resolutions I hope to follow through on.

Eric Smith was at shoot around and had some thoughts from Triano, Bosh and Parker on tonight's Game.

The Rap- Update From Shoot Around

So that is it for today as the Raptors will try to shock us all and break a 3-game losing streak. It will be no easy task for sure. Find out how they did in the Raptor Rewind tonight.

Raptors Rewind- From Depths Of IZOD Center

The Raptor team bus got into a fender bender on route to the arena. It has been that type of year. But everyone was o.k and they did make it to the arena in one piece and on time. So with everyone aside from the bus driver accounted for it was time to play some basketball.

1st Quarter

Nets had an empty trip after winning the tip. Raptors were able to score on their first chance of the night. Same starting line-up as it was versus the Pacers. No Parker or Hump as well. Parker an Ankle and Hump a knee. Chris Bosh made a basket over Yi. Raps had an early 4-0 lead till Devin Harris turned on the jets going past Calderon for the score. Bosh would respond with a Jam. Jamario Moon and Jose Calderon missed wide open lay-ups. Nets would make a 3-ball and were 3-3 after a 0-5 shooting start. This game was not looking like an NBA classic to this point. Carter triend to hook up Yi Jianlian for ally opp that turned into an opps as Yi would miss fire and fall to the floor.

Bosh would be fouled and sent to the line and he would put the Raptors in front agin 10-9. He would later hit a jumper and it was now 12-9 for the men in red. The Nets would fire back and it was Yi for three to give the Nets a 14-12 lead. Yi would later leave as he picked up his second foul going over the back of Bosh. Jason Kapono would hook up Jamario Moon with the alley opp. Jose Calderon followed that up with a 3 pointer. Raptors had a 17-14 lead. Joey Graham had checked in for Toronto and got to the line. It was 19-14 and the Raptors had a 7-0 run. But even better news would come moments later. Vince Carter was left in the game with 2 fouls and he would get tagged with a charge giving him 3 fouls in the first quarter and he would now have to sit. A couple blocks for Andrea Bargnani would lead to a net shot clock violation. Chris Bosh would take that next offensive chance and score the bucket and plus the foul. Raptors had a 22-14 lead. Jamario Moon showing the things we liked from last year with a steal. He would turn that into an easy chance to score for Joey G which he would cash in on. Nets would manufacture 4 points to close out the quarter. Raptors still had a 24-18 lead after 1 quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

The Nets only shot 27% in the first quarter but only trailed by 6 points. Devin Harris found a mis-match with Joey Graham guarding him he would blow by and get fouled. But he could only hit 1 of 2 from the line. Keyon Dooling would make it a 6-0 run to start the quarter and the score was tied at 24. J.O would get to the line and bust up the Nets run. Raptors had missed a lot of easy looks in this game. You had to wonder if they would regret that later on in the evening.

Jay Triano had a game plan to deal with Devin Harris. He was matching up the more athletic wings to draw that assignment. It has having some impact as the Nets only had 6 points in the paint to this point. But the offence had gone cold for Toronto and the Nets thanks to work on offensive glass had a 30-28 lead. Lawerence Frank decided to roll the dice and sent V.C back in the game with 3 fouls. But there was some debate about that as the offical score sheet had him with 2 fouls. If I didn't know better I'd say we were in Atlanta. The crowd is about the same size and energy level. The foul is dispute was given to Brook Lopez and not V.C. So with that matter put to bed the Nets had a 34-30 lead with Vince on the floor. Chris Bosh would get a basket and cut that lead in half. He blew by Yi who leads him in all star voting as I talked about in the morning blog. Bosh must have heard about the voting as well. He scored again and he had 15 making a statement. Jamario Moon would score off a turnover not once but twice and the Raptors had a 38-34 lead. Joey Graham broke out with the highlight reel dunk and the Raptors were rolling they were on a 10-0 run. Nets would get one last chance to break the Raptor run but could not. So the Raptors took a 40-34 lead into the halftime break.

3rd Quarter

Under Jay Triano the Raptors looked much different against the Nets. They held New Jersey to 27% shooting and Vince Carter was 0-6 from the field. Chris Bosh was continuing his effort to get to the basket and was heading back to the line. He would only make 1-2. Bobby Simmons on the other end would hit a 3 pointer. The lead was cut to just 3 points but Jamario Moon would score to extend that to 5 with a basket. Jason Kapono after a great night against the Pacers. He was only 1-9 on the night. He need some of luck that Jose Calderon. He fired up a 3-ball that would take it's time before passing through the hoop.

Vince Carter continued to struggle as he was now 0-9 on the night from the field. Jermaine O'Neal would get a basket plus a foul and the Raptors had a 9 point advantage up 51-42. Raptors were making things happen on defense as that was the starting point for the more running attack the Triano has wanted to see. Joey Graham would get to the line off on off those turnovers and make a pair. Another turnover and the cold Jason Kapono would get a little heat going with a huge 3 pointer and the Raptors had their largest lead of the night of 14 points. Devin Harris was the focus of the Raptor defense and he was frustrated. He would pick up a tech and the would add to the lead making it 15 with the score 57-42.

The Nets would run off 5 straight points and cut the lead down to 10. Andrea Bargnani who had been good on defense but not on offense. He was able to get to the line. He would make the shots. On the next trip he would get on the offensive glass and score. Jason Kapono another 3-ball he would make that was two in a row for him. The Raptors were looking impressive with a 64-50 lead in the late stages of the third quarter. Vince continued to struggle as he was 0-10 from the field. Make that 0-11 for Carter. He would also pick up his 4th foul. He and his Nets were down 16 with the score 66-50 for the Raptors. Raptors would build on that and make it an 18 point advantage. Jamario Moon who had a career high 5 steals was getting looked at on the bench. He seemed to have some issue with his ribs. But meanwhilt the Raptors had a 71-52 lead. The Nets would add a free throw but it was still a massive 18 point lead heading into the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter

Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon were on the bench and were not going to be needed. Why you ask? Because Jason Kapono had found his shot and he would start the fire in the quarter. Along with that shooting they were playing tough defense. The Raptors had built up an 88- 60 lead. They refused to let Devin Harris and Vince Carter beat them. Vince still was without a field goal. He was looking for a dunk and instead he would get sent to the line by J.O. Even a person who is not a big basketball fan could see the difference in the Triano game plan as opposed to the Mitchell game plan against these same Nets just about 3 weeks earlier. I had talked about not seeing the Raptors play a complete 48 minute thus far this season. But tonight with 6 minutes to go we were on the way to doing just that.

Only one negative for the Raptors was that it looked like Jamario Moon was injured to what extent is not clear. But they had wrap put on him just below his arm pit. He had been playing well prior to the injury. We will have to wait and see. The Raptors meantime had a 92-62 lead on the floor with over 4 minutes to play. Joey Graham was enjoying the Jay Triano era as he had double figures now in 6 straight games.Graham would end this game with an explanation point dunk as the Raptors win 101-79

Raptors held Nets to just 31% shooting highlighted by an 0-13 shooting night for Vince Carter. After one of his better games in his career in Toronto last time this was one of Vince's worst of his 11 years in the NBA. So the Raptors have now won 2 in a row under Jay Triano.

Nets/Raps Boxscore

Nets And Raps With Thoughts Of All Star Weekend

All-Star Voting Is A Joke

Some may remember last year I started a campaign to get votes for T.J Ford for the All-Star Game. I thought it was a nice gesture seeing as Ford's career was in question. His goal at the beginning of the season was to become an all-star. Well I did manage to get a huge amount of people to get on board with my idea. There was even an article written about it in a San Antonio newspaper. I had no idea it had been written till months after. I feel that it was something I was doing for a good cause. Why am I making mention of this? T.J ended up fine and is healthy and playing for the Pacers. All of that is true. But I was just reviewing how one person can impact or try to impact all-star voting. Gilbert Arenas who is of far more influence than the Dino Blogger. In fact I am told he writes a blog, I am also told he still is under contract to a NBA team. I think it is the Wizards. Joking aside, Arenas appealed to fans to vote for him last year saying that he would be healthy in time to play in the game and he encouraged fans to vote for him. In the end both efforts failed and T.J and Gilbert were not voted into the All-Star Game.

But what if an entire nation of billions got behind a player. It happened with a young Yao Ming. He beat out Shaq to gain starting honours for the Western Conference back when Shaq was clearly the better player of the two. But now here in 2008 it is happening again. Yi is currently beating Chris Bosh and is trailing K.G and Lebron James for a starting spot on the All-Star roster for the East. I say with all due respect to the people of China and Yi, he has no business being in an All-Star game let alone being voted into the starting line-up. Chris Bosh until recently was having an M.V.P like season for the Raptors. But yet he stills 4th in All-Star voting. Bosh last year had some fun with his fate of losing to Lebron James and K.G. We all saw the fun Texas car salesman ad that Bosh made for You Tube and spread like wild fire. It really helped put CB4 on the map in mainstream American media.

But in the end all of this stuff makes me wonder what the heck All Star voting has become. As it suggests in the at the start it is becoming a joke. But not in the funny way that Bosh video was. In the way it can't be taken seriously anymore. Bias and numbers of people voting from all around the world as turned this into nothing more then a global popularity contest. I mean it all has a real high school like feel to it. The NBA will say that the All Star Game is for the fans and that is why they are given the ability to vote. But that is a lie too. The NBA All Star Game has become a corporate event to market the NBA. The real fans at that game are luck to be able to fine a ticket in the cheap seats for the game and the various events connected to All-Star Weekend. Which is in Phoenix if you didn't know that already.

Give me the best players and leave all the bias out of it. If that means fans don't get to vote so be it. I mean it is sad it has to come to that. But if you can't find a fair and objective way to conduct the voting what other choice are you left with? I mean no disrespect to Yi. He could turn out to be a good NBA player. If he really is fortunate and develops to an even higher level than most expect maybe even an All-Star. But that is not this year and he has no business being in a conversation with James,K.G and Bosh. It just is not even a debate to be had by anyone.

Vince Carter Plays The Role Of The Grinch That Stole A Win

Seems fitting to be talking about Vince Carter after a rant about All-Star Voting. Vince was the guy who use to cash in on the popularity contest on a yearly basis. He was always ready to perform for All Star Weekend. Some would make the claim that the All Star Game was the NBA Finals for Vince Carter in his mind. I am not going to dispute that point. I think Vince was always far to focused on what amounts to being a meaningless exhibition game. I think unless something dramatic was to happen in the late stages of Vince's career. The highlight of that career will be that dunk contest in Oakland.

But there have been a few highlights of note for Vince Carter against the Raptors. The most recent two unreal plays that gave the Nets a pretty impossible win. That win would be one of the nails in Sam Mitchell's coffin as Raptor Coach we would learn later on. At the time it was just heart breaking for Raptor fans. The guy that had quit on them and left had come back to haunt them one more time. I am shocked at how well the Nets have played to this point. I thought we would already be seeing signs of a struggling and rebuilding team. But thanks in big part to Devin Harris and the coaching of Lawrence Frank the Nets have been a surprise and as a result they have kept Vince Carter engaged in the process.

The Raptors can not take it for granted that the Nets will fade back to earth and not keep this up. These next two games could be very important. The Nets have the 1-0 lead in the season series if they win this game tonight they guarantee at least a split in the season series. That could mean something come playoff time for both the Nets and Raptors. Playoffs and Nets? Yeah it could be the case and if it is so they will need to win games like this. Raptors just need wins period at this point.

Notes On Tonight's Match-Up.

The Nets do have one thing in common with the Raptors. They are not exactly tearing it up on the home floor. Although the crowds at the IZod (they still call it that right?) and the ACC are not the same at all in numbers or volume. The Nets are just 4-6 at home and come into this game off a loss despite being 7-3 in their last 10. The Raptor on the road are a not so impressive 4-7 coming of the win on Wednesday against the Pacers. They in their last 10 are just 3-7. But the Raptors are preaching patience as Jay Triano is trying to change some aspects of the Raptor battle plan. It was refreshing to see how truly happy this team was when Triano got his first win as the head coach. Technically it was his second as he did coach one NBA game as head man while Sam Mitchell had been given a couple games off to deal with a death in his family. In fact one of the players made sure to get the ball from the win over the Pacers and it was presented to Triano.

Triano is starting to make adjustments to the line-up. Anthony Parker who is said to be dealing with an ankle injury and Andrea Bargnani were out of the starting 5. Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon were in. Parker is rumoured to be in trade talks and some wondered out loud if he could be on the move very soon. Jason Kapono and his offensive outburst sure made it seem like he could handle the role of starting. When he scores like that his lack of defensive ability tends to fade away for a lot of folks. Many NBA experts outside of Toronto figure if the Raptors are to make a major move it would have to include Andrea Bargnani. That is something that to this point Bryan Colangelo has not been willing to do. He has been on the record saying that he gets a lot of chances to do so though. He has stated he has taken many calls on the availability of Bargnani.

But the Raptors can not afford to be worried about the trade rumour mill. They need to get wins and they have few realistic opportunities to do that in a very tough December schedule. So leave the wheeling and dealing to Bryan Colangelo. It is not likely that Colangelo, if he is going to make a major move he will be able to do it prior to December 15th when NBA Rosters become opened up. All signings and players traded for become available.

I want to close with some stats on Bosh and Yi to illustrate the point of how silly this All-Star stuff is.

• Chris Bosh 24.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists
• Yi Jianlian 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists

Nets rookie Brook Lopez has been averaging more rebounds than Yi and only a couple less points( 9.5 Pts, 7.5 Rebs ) it just drives home the point that Yi Jianlian is no All-Star. I will make one final point on this match-up actually. The Raptors defense has been taken to task and picked a part. It is with just cause that it is. But as far as average points given up the Nets are actually worse than the Raptors. It proves that old theory the team that scores the most points will win the game. So if you can score more you win the game. But how you can get away with being a bad defensive team and have a winning record like the Nets? Simple things key rebounds and key stops. These are things that have been few and far between for the Raptors.

Become A Fan Of Us On Facebook

I decided to start a fan group for the Dino Nation Blog on facebook. So if you enjoy the blog and want to become a fan of it. Here is a link to the Fan Page on Facebook. It will keep you in the loop on what is going on with the Dino Nation Blog and get to know other readers like you. It is another way to try and build a community for the readers of the Dino Nation Blog to come together. So if you have facebook you are welcomed and encouraged to be a part of this.

Thanks for reading and I am back at my usual post for the Raptor Rewind tonight vs Nets.

Finally The Dino Blogger was Back in Toronto.

Dino Blogger In Toronto

I do not get to Toronto very often so I always try to make the most of it. I had a chance to get over and see the Score new set up on King St. I got to spend some time with Scott from Raptor Blog and talk some Raptors and basketball stuff. Scott is really a bright guy and I enjoy my conversations with him. He has been great to work with in making this transition to the Score Sports Federation. Hopefully it works out to be the success that we both would like it to be. Time will tell and I look forward to whatever chances may come from that.

But my real reason for being in Toronto. First and foremost it was to go to a game with the blog's contest winner Brett. I was able to meet up with Brett and he was able to find me with no troubles. From there we headed in to the game and I had the great thrill of introducing him to a few folks that you all will know. Jack Armstrong, Matt Devlin and Paul Jones were all kind enough to take a few minutes out of the crazy rush that is pre-game to say hello and meet Brett. I am grateful they were willing to make the time. I hope Brett knows now why I have nothing but praise for these guys as they truly are great people and always willing to lend a hand. So thanks to them for doing that.

At halftime of the game we got to hook up with Steve AkA Raptorman. He also was nice enough to not only provide the tickets but also gave both Brett and myself T.J Ford bobbleheads and a T.J Ford trading card. There was a photo of us taken. I am sure Steve will get that to me and I'll include it in a blog in the future. I was going to take some photos with the other folks but honestly it was so busy prior to the game I just thought I'd rather let them spend a minute or two talking with Brett.

The seats were great and if you ever are looking to get some tickets to check out a game yourself go see Steve at Raptorman.ca. I have been grateful to be his guest twice and can say he is a great person and really at the core is a Raptor fan first and does a great job at getting other fans matched up with seats to see a game. If anyone ever asks me about where to look for tickets for a game I send them his way.

So thanks to Brett for being a very happy and easy to get along with contest winner. He made the experience of doing the contest be a positive one for me and it was cool to get to meet a reader and thank them personally. I hope in the future to be able to get to know more readers in what ever ways I can come up with. I do my best to get to know as many of you as I can. It is because of the kind nature of people towards me that has made me want this to always be a goal of mine. So with that we can say it was a successful venture for the Dino Nation Blog. I thank everyone that played a role in making that so. So the game itself. T.J Ford's big return to Toronto.

Calderon shines in the Match-Up with T.J

If this was a boxing match last night and round 1 of a scheduled 3 rounds, Jose Calderon won round 1 by a 10-8 margin. I am willing to give credit where it is due. Calderon was at his best and had a solid night at the office running the Raptors. Calderon had 11 points, 14 assists and only 2 turnovers. Meanwhile Ford had just 4 points, 4 assists and was just 2-8 shooting. T.J for whatever reason just did not have a good night at the office. Calderon made it clear why many feel he was the right choice to be the starting point guard on this team. I even saw a much better effort on defense from Jose. It seemed clear that he even though he likely will not say it understood that this was more than just another game. So give Jose all the praise and all the credit he deserves it.

I was pleased to see that the majority of fan cheered T.J and it was nice to see. I was convinced that I may be the only on at the A.C.C that would cheer. But to my great thrill I saw a lot of Ford jerseys in the house last night. Some with the old Raptor colours and the number 11 and some with the Pacers Blue and Yellow and his new number 5. As great a person as Jose Calderon truly is, T.J Ford was never the evil to that good that Jose represents. T.J is a good person to and he does many good things as well. They both are guys that want to play and want to win. They just have very different ideas in how you accomplish that goal.

Big 3 Era Over?

After all the drama of what the crowd would do about T.J Ford. There were some changes to the Raptor Line-Up. Andrea Bargnani returned to the bench and Jamario Moon was back in the starting line up. Jason Kapono would replace Anthony Parker who is said to have been out with an ankle injury. But there was some buzz that it was thought he might have been traded. But to this point nothing to say on that topic. There were 2 trades in the NBA yesterday but Parker nor the Raptors were involved. This will likely be an ongoing dance as we move forward. Parker and his expiring deal are definitely a chip for Bryan Colangelo to use if he sees fit.

After the performance of Jason Kapono in the starting line-up it sure did not hurt the idea of moving A.P. Kapono is always going to be a defensive problem in the sense he just will never be that good a defender. But if he can score like he did last night I think people will be more forgiving of his defensive short comings. 25 points and 11-16 shooting will make people forget a lot. Kapono did get a block too. So there is your defense.

Jay Triano is going to be looking to see how this roster can be used to it's best advantage. So what we can expect as far as the roster goes going forward is up to debate. I would suggest that Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh and J.O will all be in the starting line-up. But the other 2 spots are clearly up for grabs. That may not be the worst thing in the world. Joey Graham and Jamario Moon have seemed to get the message from the coaching change. We have seen both at least attempt to improve in their effort and results since Sam Mitchell was let go. Joey with the more positive results to this point.

A Much Needed Win

Some will say that the Pacers are not a good team and the fact the Raptors won this game is not really a big deal. I can see that point of view. Both teams at times looked pretty bad last night. But given all that has gone on it was a win this team badly needed and I think it will help them focus on what is still a very challenging rest of December ahead. We can always find good and bad in every win and loss. It is just a matter of looking for it. After 5 straight loses I am happy to just accept the good for today and move on to the next game in New Jersey.

As For The Nation Speaks... Not So Much.

Well I tried but not enough mail to make it happen. I had a poll and the majority wanted to have a mailbag feature. But the response was not there to make it happen. I still will respond to the comments and do what I can to make the readers a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I think it is important and will do my best to give you chances to have your say. I had a comment that I did not post suggesting that I was doing this feature as some form of an ego boost for me? I totally disagree with that. I mean by wanting others to share their thoughts and make it a part of what I am doing speaks to the fact I am willing to hear other points of view and give them a forum to express it.

I have done my best to build relationships with a lot of folks. I do that because I want everyone to feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I take the time to read a lot of the forums I mentioned in asking for you to send in your thoughts to me.

When it comes to ego and all of that. I think we all have an ego and pride. But at the end of the day I am always grateful for people that read the Dino Nation Blog and always will be. Sometimes I try things to make people feel more a part of this blog and that is done for the benefit of you the readers not me. I am just doing the best I can to take advantage of the chances that come my way to not just benefit myself but everyone connected to the Dino Nation Blog. That is why I came up with a contest to have a reader join me for a game. It is why I am always willing to help others in any way that I can. It is why I reach out to folks to come and do interviews here. So if that suggests that I have an ego and think to much of myself. I would think that my actions have always pointed to the opposite of that. I think that I have done the best I can to make everyone feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog and feel welcome. I am always going to do my best to keep to that mission. There will always be people that look to be negative and sit back and make judgements about you when you put yourself on a public stage. I am aware of that and accept that fact. No one is going to be able to please everyone. Not the Dino Blogger not any of my guests or the folks that make up the Raptors as well.

So I will always remain focused on doing the best I can for folks. I will always be grateful for everything be it big or small that comes my way. I will always do a job with this blog that allows be to look in the mirror and say I have done my best to do something good with the stage I have. No matter how big or small it is or may become. I think I have done a good job in just over a year of doing this and am happy that over that time the majority of folks that read seem to agree. As for this idea of the Nation Speaks. It is as I have always said up to you folks if you want it to happen. If you are willing to contribute to making it happen. I am happy to provide the chance for it to happen. I am always willing to hear from you with your thoughts on anything to do with this blog.

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

So that is about it for today. I thank all of you for reading. It is always great feeling to have people enjoy what you do and rewarding for all the time and effort that goes into it.

The Morning After A Bad Night In Denver

It is just not as easy to wake up and say it is a new day is it. The Toronto Raptors should have got a boost with the return of Jermaine O'Neal. But aside from the 6-0 run to start the game, in which J.O scored 4 of the 6 points, beyond that it was ugly. This team has serious flaws and it is causing people to ask some serious questions. So I think today we will look at what those questions should be and the answers if there are any that Raptors can respond to them.

Sam Mitchell as coach of the Raptors, is it time to make a move and change the coach?

The answer to this question is rapidly becoming yes. I have for those who read on a regular basis know not been against Mitchell. In fact quite the opposite. I really like Sam a lot and watching his post game press scrum last night was as painful for me to watch as it was for Sam. I mean he just looked like he had no really idea as to why his team had just come out flat and played one of the most uninspired games of his career with the Raptors. It was always a strength of Mitchell team's that regardless of talent they would fight hard win or lose. I saw no evidence of that fight and it was disturbing to me. You can debate the skill of Sam as an x and o strategist but I always said it was his skill as a motivator that outweighed that for me. But if Sam does not have that going for him he is not the guy that won the Coach of the Year just a few seasons ago. If he does not turn things around I have no confidence he can keep his job for very long. Bryan Colangelo has stood behind Mitchell since he came to the Raptors but I have a feeling that relationship is not going to last. There was a meeting between the two and what was said in the meeting has not been made public in any form that I have seen. But I think everyone can assume that if the boss is calling you in for a meeting given the state of things it can not be viewed as a good sign.

If Sam is doomed to be removed as head coach the question will be who steps in. There are a lot of names out their but those names are not likely to race to Toronto and get in line to talk to Bryan Colangelo. All the names we have heard for the most part are getting income from a T.V job or another team or both. Also Bryan Colangelo may want to find a coach in the off-season in which he would have more options to choose from. If that is the way he is going it would likely be Alex English or Jay Triano that could get the job on an interim basis. They would be given the chance to make the case they should be considered in the summer for the job. If Colangelo is truly confident he knows who he wants he could bring in a big name right away but they would want a long term deal. That will be a factor to consider as Bryan will have to decide if he wants to commit to that with not knowing who could be available if he waited till the off-season. So if he makes this move one can make the conclusion that he had been thinking about this for awhile and is very comfortable with his choice to make that move.

Is Jose Calderon part of the problem?

I understand many love Jose Calderon and I am a fan of him as well. But unlike most I was not sure about him stepping in and being able to take on the role as starter. The two concerns I had have been realized. The first was Jose Calderon as a defender. He is not a good on the ball defender and as a result the breakdowns that have been glaring at times usually start with him. Yes it is true Jose has been injured but that only makes this lack of defense a more glaring problem. But it always has been even at 100% healthy. He often gets beat by quicker point guards and that is the first break down in a chain reaction that cause people to help and it eventually leads in most cases to open looks as the help leads to other help and in the end a breakdown. Jack Armstrong has an expression and it is that help is the weakest word in the defensive vocabulary. Jose Calderon needs to make himself a better individual defender. As much as he values the ball on offense he must bring that same pride to the defensive end of the floor.

The second issue is pushing the ball and creating fast break chances. I have watched many times and seen Jose Calderon pass on a slightly more risky option to push the ball. Risk can equal reward in the sense the Raptors can get easier points based on those risks. I will gladly take the odd extra turnover if it leads to more easy points for the Raptor offense. The Raptors are dead last in fast break points and that falls on two things. The effort of your team to run the floor. But also your point guard rewarding the players when the do make that effort. If the effort is not made the people stop running. The Raptors can not get trapped into running it's pick and roll game in the half court all of the time. They are not the Utah Jazz in the sense that even though they run that offense on an above average level. It is not something that can work over the long haul of the 48 minutes of a game. That is why we see the slumps on the offensive end that we do. Even the Jazz are a team that also will look to score in transition if that is available. The easier the Raptors can get points the better it will be for them in the long run. On nights like last night when they are not shooting well it can become quite ugly. This is not to say that Jose Calderon is not able to be a starter in this league. I think he can indeed. But he does need a back-up that offers the skills that he lacks and I am not sure that he should be playing the number of minutes he has been. It is not to say that Raptors could not have made this work without T.J Ford. But they needed to offer more in a back-up than what they have provided in Ukic and Solomon with all due respect to them. Also the thing that should be said that both Jose Calderon and T.J Ford both had flaws. That is what made the Ford vs. Calderon that was so debated to length that it was by Raptor Fans.

The Lack Of A True Wing Option

The Raptors have decided to go with a Big 3 line-up of Bargnani, Bosh and O'Neal. But this move was made based out of lack of performance by the true wing players on this team. Andrea Bargnani has really stepped up his game this season. He deserved to get into the starting line-up with no real legit person who deserved it more. But it was pretty clear why this line-up can not be used for long periods of time last night. Carmelo Anthony is a true small forward and Bargnani is not. The defensive match-up is just unfair to Bargnani. He can play as good as he is capable of playing and still would not be able to be effective. The Raptors could try to hide him in a zone but that can only work for so long as well. The lack of defense from Moon, Graham, Kapono and even Parker has been glaring at times. The real answer is the Raptors need a wing. That seems clear to most who have watched this team with any amount of frequency. That would take going over the salary cap and luxury tax would need to be paid. But honestly it needs to be done.

Dino Bloggers Plan A

Here is just one example of something that might solve a few issues for the Raptors. Stephon Marbury is not a wing but is expected to be bought out by the Knicks. He is someone that both Bryan Colangelo and Sam Mitchell know well. That is assuming Mitchell is here. Which to this point he is. The Raptors should sign him and they should make a trade for a wing. The Dallas Mavericks have a player that fits the bill. Josh Howard has fallen out of favour for his actions in Dallas. So if I had my hand on the controls I would trade Jason Kapono and Joey Graham to Dallas for Howard. The Marbury signing would keep the Raptor roster legal at 13 players. This is just one example of what could be done if the Raptors truly mean that they will go over the tax threshold. It is one option that I think answers 3 major problems. A true back up point guard, A solid defender and scorer on the wing, more depth for the bench as Bargnani and Marbury would be added to what the Raptors would have coming off the bench.

Final Thoughts

What was made very clear is that this team as it stands is not good enough and it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. The Raptor do not want to sink to a point that they can not recover from. The vision for this Raptor season was not to be a .500 team and just slip in the playoffs. In fact the way things have started in the East this year I am not convinced that .500 even gets you a playoff spot. Bryan Colangelo holds all the cards in his hand. He needs to throw some away and get a new hand to work with moving forward. Even if he has an Ace in Chris Bosh that is not going to win many hands without some other nice cards to go along with that. The one thing that I do know and have faith in, is that Bryan Colangelo is a good poker player in the sense of his job as G.M. He may not always draw the right cards for his hand but he is never afraid to shuffle the deck. This deck of cards that is the Raptors is in bad need of that. After a performance like last night the most shocking thing that could happen for most would be nothing.

Contest and Nation Speaks

Because I have been late today I am going to delay entry deadline till Noon tomorrow. I am also going to put of the Mail Bag featue the Nation Speaks till next Thursday. I have had a number of personal issues that have made this a bit of a challenging week to be taking on extra work. So this is you FINAL CHANCE to enter the Contest to come see T.J Ford with Me at the ACC. Just send your email or video to me and tell me why you are the best Raptor Fan and Fan of Dino Nation Blog. Simple as that. Send your entry to me @:

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

Good Luck to all that enter the contest.

West Coast Blues

When the Raptors go on these west coast trips it really can be frustrating. You have to stay up later and your reward more often than not is watching the Raptors lose to a better team from the Western Conference. It happens all to often and it makes those wins on the west coast seem even more special. Chris Bosh was shut down by the Lakers and struggled through a tough shooting night. He will be the first in line to welcome Jermaine O'Neal back to the line-up. He remains sidelined with an ankle and knee not at 100%. He was said to be a 50/50 decision on the Raptors pre-game show on Raptors T.V. Not sure how much can change in two days before the Denver game. It may seem wise for J.O to sit out at this point till Friday vs the Utah Jazz. That is going to be a game on ESPN down in the United States. Not saying that J.O is waiting for the big show case game on ESPN. But with the added rest prior to that game it makes sense. He could likely even get a practice or two in before that game if things go very well.

The Bench Must Improve

There have been signs of life on the Raptors bench. Joey Graham is showing a lot more "Good Joey" than "Bad Joey" of late. Jason Kapono is starting to shoot the ball again. He is even making some of those shots from 3 point range. But the Raptors got a chance to see what true depth is on a team thanks to the Lakers. Lamar Odom is on the Raptors he is in the starting line-up. Guys like Trevor Ariza and Sasha Vujacic would be welcome additions as well. Even Jordan Farmar would be a upgrade at back up point guard for the Raptors. But that is the difference in being a 1 lose team and .500 team at this point in the season. Raptors were counting on Will Solomon to allow Roko Ukic have time to adjust and get use to life in the NBA. But Solomon with the exception of a great game in Miami has not been good. It has push Roko into on the job training. He still has issues with his shot but he has been working on it. He hit his first NBA 3-ball last night in the last seconds of last night's game. Sure it meant nothing but it is a start for Roko building confidence. Still there are many rumours that Bryan Colangelo is working the phones hard in search of some upgrade to this Raptor roster. Last night was just more evidence that he likely needs to keep at it. I was not sold on this Raptor team to remain the same through out this season and still am not. When December 15th rolls around all of those off-season signings become available to be moved. So we are just a few more weeks from that and the Raptors could truly use the help. The fact that some guys are showing signs of life will make Colnagelo's life a bit easier if he is trying to shop them in trades.

The Tough Road Ahead

The Raptors will have no time to feel regret for a poor shooting performance that was made worse by a terrible 4th quarter last night. Perhaps they will catch a break on Tuesday as I mentioned in the recap last night the Nuggets had Carmelo Anthony leave the game against the Rockets with an injured elbow. But the Nuggets went on to win without him for more than half of the game. Chancey Billups has been doing great in his return for a second run with Denver. The Nuggets have been a different team with Mr. Big Shot than they had been with A.I. This could be the Raptors best chance to get a win on this very tough trip. Playing the Jazz in Utah on National T.V is not going to be an easy task even if Jermaine O'Neal is back for that game. Just like the Lakers the Raptors saw this Denver team in the pre-season as the Nuggets made easy work of the Raptors in Edmonton. But this is a chanced team since that trade and in a positive way. The Raptors will need to play a solid complete game to get a win at Denver or Utah. They have had very few complete performances this season. In fact some could make the argument the Raptors have not had a full 48 minutes of solid play in a game. I would not dispute that if someone said it. To beat teams on the road in the Western Conference you need those complete efforts.

December 3rd is Fast Approaching

Our contest with Raptorman.ca is fast approaching it's deadline. All you need to do is tell me why you are the best fan of the Raptors and the Dino Nation Blog. The person who is successful will win a seat right next to me to see the return of T.J Ford. A free ticket to a big game at the A.C.C is up for grabs. So E-mail those entries as time is running out fast.

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

I encourage everyone that can attend the game to enter and give it a shot and who knows you may be the winner and have a seat next to me to see the game at the A.C.C. That is all for today some more thoughts on Raptors and Nuggets tomorrow.

Raptors Rewind- Hawks Invade ACC

Toronto Raptors the last time they saw the Atlanta Hawks the would get soundly beaten. They would have to try to that without Jermaine O'Neal. They almost had to do it without Chris Bosh as well. Why? Seems that even an NBA All-Star can get stuck in an elevator. So some repair man in Toronto could be the M.V.P for the Raptors tonight for getting the star player to the arena in time to make the tip. The Hawks were hoping to have Josh Smith back who has been out since he left the game vs the Raptors early in the season. But he was not going to go. So with everyone present and accounted for it was time to play some basketball at the A.C.C.

1st Quarter

So with no J.O the Raptors would go with Jamario Moon again in the starting line-up. I admit it would not have shocked me to see Joey Graham in the starting line-up. But that was not the case. The Hawks would control the tip and Mike Bibby who killed the Raptors in the last game would miss his first shot. Moon would score on the other end. Raptors never lead the last time they played Atlanta. Jose Calderon would hook up Bosh and he would get sent to the line. He would make 1-2 and Raptors were off to a 5-2 start. Both teams were looking a bit chilly. But Mike Bibby after missing his first had a two pointer and now hit a 3-ball followed by another 2 pointer. A quick 7 for Bibby and a 9-5 lead for Atlanta. Anthony Parker who had a bucket early would hit a 3 pointer to cut the lead to just 1.

Andrea Bargnani was having a slow start till the lane opened for him for a drive and jam the Raptors still were down 11-10. Chris Bosh would respond to an Atlanta score with a basket and a foul shot to come with a chance to tie it up. He would hit the shot all even at 13-13. Anthony Parker had his second steal early on and that like the first would lead to points for Andrea Bargnani to make a 3-pointer. Andrea would miss on anther long attempt but on the third time he go the ball in a short span he would drive and score. Raptors had a 18-15 lead. Atlanta would close to with in one again only to see Chris Bosh score and make the lead back to 3 points at 20-17. Chris Bosh has said he wants to be the M.V.P and tonight he was dropping dimes along with buckets. He had 4 assists early on making his team come along for the ride. Jose Calderon had a open 3-pointer that would have given Chris assist number 5 but he missed it. Jamario Moon would hit a jumper for that assist number 5 for Chris Bosh. Raptors were still in a close battle despite all of that. Jose Calderon would make a basket to make it 24-21 Toronto. Atlanta would turn it over and a last second chuck by Joey G would not fall. So the score remained 24-21 Raptors after 1 quarter.

2nd Quarter

Jose Calderon would start the second with a nice media range jumper. Jason Kapono would score and Joey Graham scored too. the Raptors had a 6-0 run to start the quarter. Raptors had a 30-21 lead on the Hawks. I don't want to say it but could it be that Joey Graham has finally got it? He scored and got fouled and made that. Chris Bosh would return to see his team up by 10 with the score 33-23. Jason Kapono is actually taking and making shots. The Raptors were getting a lot of solid efforts from a lot of folks. Chris Bosh would think a long time about taking a 3 pointer he would but would miss. Evans on the other would not wait a second to take and make his 3-point effort. The Hawks were starting to fight back and a Marvin Williams jumper cut the lead down to just 4 points. That was enough for Sam Mitchell to look to regroup with a time out.

Chris Bosh out of the time out would pass out of double and get it back from Jose and score. He would than combine with Jose for a highlight worth alley-opp. Seems that Sam Mtichell message was pass the ball to Chris. That is always a wise move. Jamario Moon maybe feeling the Joey G heat on his heels? Whatever the reason he was taking and making a couple nice jump shots. The Raptors and Hawks were having a good little battle with the Raptors up 43-39. Joe Johnson who had been quiet had a score and a steal that would lead to a score for a team mate. We were all tied at 43. While Joe was getting going Joey was cooling off. He would miss and Atlanta would come down the other end and Mike Bibby would hit a open 3 ball in transition. Bibby would get another chance to score as he was fouled on a break to the basket. His 5 points were the margin for his Hawks up 48-43. Jason Kapono would respond with a 3-pointer for the Raptors. The hawks would get one more basket before the time expired. The Raptors had seen the lead slip away down the stretch. Hawks had a 50-46 lead thanks to the late push to close the half.

3rd Quarter

Chris Bosh would get the first touch of the second half and make it count he has 12 so far. Hawks would answer and both teams were trading baskets early. Chris Bosh would score and get to the line and hit. Raptors were within 1 now early in the 3rd quarter. But a key second chance for the Hawks and Bibby would make a 3-ball of the offensive rebound. But Chris Bosh did not care he had another basket and 7 in the quarter. He was trying to keep the Raptor alive on his own again. Atlanta was getting some key second chances but this time they could not get it. However beyond Bosh nobody was making buckets. Andrea Bargnani picked up his 4th foul on the evening but would remain in the game for now. The Raptors with no J.O were very thin in the front court.

Mike Bibby was killing the Raptors again as he had 20 points on 7-9 shooting. Hawks had a 59-57 lead that Bibby was a big part of. A.P would make a jumper to help the cause. Hawks were beating the Raptors on the glass and that was helping as well. A rare Bibby miss and a chance to pull even for the Raptors. But it would not happen as Raptors got tagged for a 3 second violation. A.P would draw a charge to give the Raptors and give Raps a second chance. But Bosh would get called for an offensive foul on the other end. Al Horford would extend the lead back to 4 points. Jose Calderon would miss a shot he had hit the floor earlier and was possibly a bit banged up. Well a bit more banged up is more accurate. Chris Bosh would score though and he once again was allowing the Raptors to hang around. If not for Bosh this game may be a blow out. Thank you Mr. Elevator Repair Man. Hawks, despite looking like the better team were just up 61-59.

Joe Johnson would score on the runner. But Chris Bosh was more than happy to answer with a jumper of his own. Hawks again scored and it was again Chris Bosh with the answer. It really is amazing how good Bosh has been this year. If people could just step up and help this team could be good. Will Solomon was checking in for Jose. He has been little used of late. He would jack up a shot and do nothing to lose his Mike James tag. Next time the Raptors would get the ball to bosh who found Kapono for a 3-ball. Bosh would score again and he had 15 in the quarter and the Raptors had the lead back. Will Solomon made a good defensive play leading to a turnover for the Hawks. It would end up with Kris Humphries on the line looking to extend the Raptor lead. He would make both. Just like the Raptors faded in the second the Hawks did the same in the 3rd quarter. The Toronto Raptors lead 69-65.

4th Quarter

Chris Bosh may have showed up late for work but he sure was making up for that with his performance on the floor. Sam Mitchell may just tell him to show up late every night if he kept this up. But late or early, Chris Bosh had been just out of this world all year long. The star of the show had a block to start the 4th. It would lead to Kris Humphries getting a basket on the other end. Bosh would than get a score and the Raptors had 12-0 run going and lead 73-65.

Joe Johnson would break the run out of the time out. Joey Graham back on track with a basket a steal and a dunk? Wow that is a dose of "Good Joey" in a major way. The Raptors had a 10 point lead to defend. The Hawks would get a 3 pointer and cut it back down to 7 points. The Joey Graham show was back on track he had another dunk on an offensive rebound. A historic moment at the A.C.C... a Joey chant. I admit it I really don't want to believe but I think I am starting to believe. Raptors lead was 83-74. Marvin Williams would get a basket and the Hawks had scored a couple straight buckets and lead was trimmed to 5 points.

Bosh to this point he had 27 points and 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Both teams were cold and the next basket would be key. Jason Kapono would make that basket with another 3 pointer for him. Chris Bosh would continue to answer the call with a basket plus a foul and would be heading to the line with a chance to get 30 on the night. But more important to him extend the Raptor lead to 9 points. he made it and Raptor lead 89-80 with under 4 minutes to play. Evans got a basket after a Bargnani turnover and the lead was down to 7. Another failed Raptor trip Hawks score and the lead was down to 5 points.

Hawks had a chance to get even closer with under 2 minute to play. Evans got a open look from 3 but could not connect. But Raptor miss again and Mike Bibby scored. Jose would answer with drive and score only to see Bibby do the same. Raptors would than almost have another turnover with :38 but would get 1 second added to the shot clock. A time out to figure out how they can get something to the basket quickly to avoid a turnover. Turns out it was a shot clock violation after all. Hawks had a chance to tie with a 3-ball. they would go for a two point effort and fitting that Chris Bosh would get the key rebound. Just 16 seconds to play and the Raptors would be heading to the foul line for some very important free throws. Raptors were able to inbound this time. Jason Kapono was the guy on the line. He made the critical first shot. and he made the second. A long 3 ball did not fall and this game was done as the Raptors would dribble it out for a key win before a brutal road trip. So the Raptors have won 2 in a row thanks to a 93-88 win. The chances of making it 3 in a row would be very tough as they play the Lakers. But let's enjoy this win and leave worrying about that till Sunday. Another M.V.P type night for the man in the 4 Jersey. Hang it in the rafters now because Bosh is that good. How good? check the boxscore

Raptors vs Hawks Boxscore