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.

Different Actors But Same Movie For Raptors?

I can't help but sit back and wonder if this is a case of De Ja VU. But first let's clear some stuff up. To sign Hedo the Raptors have to give up rights (Renounce) Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino and Joey Graham and Pops Mensah-Bonsu by July 7th. Also in addition I have read and been told that the Raptors also will not have their MLE(Mid level exception) as a result of this signing. According to Doug Smith the only way the Raptors could get it back it to workout a sign and trade for Shawn Marion with Orlando. Given the fact they brought in V.C that seems unlikely. Perhaps some wacky 3 way deal could be worked out but I would not hold my breath. Basically the Raptors have given up the rights to 5 players and their mid level exception to sign Hedo. That seems like a heck of a lot does it not? Just like trading T.J Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and Roy Hibbert for Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai. That deal became worse given the health issues of Jawai. J.O also would have his injury issues as well. Would anyone do a 6 asset deal to get 1 player in a trade? I mean this is for Hedo not Dwight Howard.

I hear and read all of this talk about how great this is that we landed a high end free agent. It is only great if it works, if it doesn't it really means nothing. In fact honestly I question if it even means anything at all in terms of North American players. Does the fact we signed Hedo make the next Trevor Ariza type free agent sign in Toronto. Ariza in case you forgot or did not hear was offered allegedly 9 million more to come to Toronto and passed. Does that change this from happening again? Not unless the Raptor become a consistent and winning team.

In fact, I think the success of Demar DeRozan could have more impact on getting North American free agents than a Hedo signing. If DeRozan lives up to his promise and becomes a star and remains in Toronto that will do more for attracting free agents than anything. If a kid who grew up in Compton California gives Toronto a stamp of approval that will speak louder than any Euro player signing in Toronto in terms of North American talent. There would be a certain street cred about that. It is not to say that Vince Carter or Chris Bosh don't have that. But it is different. Dallas and Florida are not anything close to where DeRozan comes from. I may have watched Boyz In The Hood one to many times. However I think it would be something that might change attitudes about players coming to Toronto. It just a theory but I think it might have some merit.

But signing a Euro based player beyond improving the on the court product will have little to no impact on free agency in the future. The Raptors in the end regardless of what it does for future free agency may have given up far to much to sign Hedo. They will need to hit some major league home runs in terms of signing guys to minimum deals. As I suggested perhaps a guy or maybe even 2 on the summer league roster would have to get signed and make an impact in some small way.

The depth of this team is truly lacking and I am not convinced this is something Bryan Colangelo has some magic answer for. A sign and trade for Marion is extremely unlikely with the Magic. If the Raptors have no mid level exception they are really screwed in terms of adding depth. This team to me would enter the season in the same position it did last year in terms of being just one injury away from certain doom. If any play 1-3 goes down the Raptors could be totally screwed.

The one thing I can bet you won't here from Bryan Colangelo that this is the best roster he has had since he has been here. I think he learned his lesson on that last year. But it seems he has not when it comes to building depth on this team. Honestly I don't like to come off as the voice of doom. In fact, unlike some writers and bloggers, I really hope that I am wrong. I want to see the Raptors do well and succeed. If that happens to make me wrong about some things I can live with that. But I never write anything that I don't believe to be true from my prospective. That was the lesson I learned from the Jermaine O'Neal trade. I hated it from the start and would allow myself to be swayed. Well not this time. This is a bad contract and it does not address enough to out weigh the problems it creates. All this being said I do think the Raps will be a playoff team. But as I said a few days ago the goal is suppose to be Championships not Playoff appearances.

The J.O And Moon Return Game

20 games left to go in a season that has been the most disappointing in Raptors history? I would say yes. When you consider all that has gone on it is hard to argue. Chris Bosh still says this team can make the playoffs. If that were to happen it would take a totally new Raptor team that we have just not seen all season. Even if that was to happen they would still need a ton of help. I have said for a longtime this team would not make the playoffs and every move including the trade seems to suggests that they would not. It is vital for the Raptors to hold the rights to the first round pick they have. Making the playoffs would turn that pick over to Miami. What would that accomplish for the long term improvement of this franchise. The answer is not a lot. While Chris Bosh as a player wants to hold out hope that this team can make it, seeing the bigger picture beyond this season it makes sense.

However what also makes no sense is thinking this team can be better without Bosh. I just can't see a deal that makes this team better if you move Bosh. People are so focused on the here and now but fail to see the past. Not just the past of Bosh but the past of this franchise. I have told you how I think all of this goes away. Get Steve Nash. If you do Marion maybe views the situation differently here in Toronto. Jose Calderon has to learn a running system and Nash is the master of a running system. Calderon is a square peg in a round whole for this running system the Raptors seem fully committed to playing. Bosh is a running system with Nash could thrive. Bargnani could also gain from it as well as Nash has made many a 3 point shooter look very good and made them very rich.

But why would the Suns do it? For the same reason that Raptors would look to move Bosh according to everyone. Why should the Suns feel any more confident that Nash would return? There is also the issue of his age and if they would even want to re-sign him. After all Bryan Colangelo brought Nash to the Suns not Steve Kerr.

People talk of Roko Ukic and his potential well who better to mentor that than Steve Nash? You want prove of his impact just check out D.J Augustin who got help from both Nash and T.J Ford. Instead of trying to blow up the Raptors why not try to fix them. Everyone says this team has talent. People were truly shocked by what has happened to the Raptors this season. Could making that one move I am suggesting change this team into a team that can be highly improved? It just might and if I am wrong you still could move Bosh and you have the cap room added by taking on Steve Nash. You can still rebuild and start over. However what does it hurt to not try one last time to get it right with Chris Bosh. Is it not worth one last shot?

The Miami Heat have much the same challenges as the Raptors when they look to the future. Wade could walk away from the Heat as well in 2010. However given the re-birth season he has had and the rise of the Heat from the ashes not to many people are focused on that. It is all about the Playoffs for Miami but in reality can they beat Cleveland, Boston or Orlando? I am thinking not. That being said the hope that they could makes all this 2010 talk go away. Here in Toronto that hope was long gone a long time ago.

As bad as it all seems for the Raptors you can look at the Heat last season and see a lot of the same things. They had a star in Wade that a lot of people wonder rather loudly if he could return to the player that was known as flash. Maybe think about that before you want to demolish the Raptors and start from scratch. If Wade were to declare he was leaving in 2010 how good would the Heat be? Not so good right?

Jamario Moon on the other hand has been much better of late for the Heat.

Shooting % with Raptors- 47.3%, With the Heat 52.5 %

3 Point % with Raptors- 34.5%, With the Heat 42.9%

In his last 3 games with the Heat he has averaged 15 points, 6-14 from 3 point range, 8.3 rebounds.

His defense has still been pretty bad and his blocks and steals have actually gone down with the Heat. He is play on average 27 minutes a slight bump from the 25 he was getting in Toronto. Why the change in performance on offense? Dwayne Wade and winning seems to be a simple answer. Even Jamario himself last night could not figure out what changed for him or the Raptors this season. He made an appearance on Hoops. Moon was also talking it up from almost the start in Miami declaring the Heat could make the conference finals. I mean what the heck? I like Jarmario he is a nice guy and I think his dedication to the sport is truly remarkable. However he seems to just be a guy that is dependent on others for any success he can have. He needs others to do things for him to be successful. In Toronto this season he was not getting the help in other performances and it exposed him.

As for Jermaine O'Neal his numbers do not show much difference. A slight improvement in is FG% and a dip in rebounding. However Miami made this trade to secure D-Wade and they can say whatever they like that is why they made this deal. If J.O can add to the Heat great but the bottom line of it all was to gain cap space and make a serious pitch to keep Wade.

As for tonight and the return of these 2 guys I am not sure what the reaction of fans will be. For me personally it ho hum. I mean Moon was only hear over just a year. As quickly as he gained the attention and love of the fan base he lost it just as fast this year. A nice guy and still a great story but in the end I don't feel much of anything about him going or returning. I guess if he can do well with the Heat he will get another NBA contract and based on him being a good person and his story I guess, I am happy about that. When he first was traded to Miami his staying in the league to me was in serious doubt. If he can continue his improvement with the Heat he should be able to remain in the league. That for Jamario Moon is a very good thing. He was just happy to have made it to the league and was grateful of what it means to be an NBA player. That is something that sometimes is not the norm for the NBA these days.

When it comes to J.O. If you read this blog back in the summer my original reaction to the Jermaine O'Neal trade was not positive. I allowed myself to have my mind changed. Guess that was a mistake. I did learn that J.O is not the bad guy that I had always thought he was. However from a basketball perspective he did pretty much what I had expected. His injury issues were still there and always will be. The days of him being an All-Star in this league are far removed. I am puzzled how so many people became so attached to this guy in his short time here. Seeing posts about keeping J.O and getting rid of Bosh were just comedy to me. I guess that J.O as Raptor is just some trivia question that 5 or 10 years from now that will stump people that do not pay that much attention to the Raptors. Beyond that J.O being here will not have many warm fuzzy memories. So his return is a pretty much a non event. It is not like I can boo someone for being pretty much everything that I expected basketball wise.

So that is about all I have to get you ready for this one. Stampede weekend continues on with the results of their game against Utah and interviews with Brent Petway on Saturday and Nathan Jawai on Sunday. Actually my bad the Stampede don't play till Monday.

ESPN is Reporting- Miami and Toronto Trade is Done.

Breaking News

ESPN is reporting that the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat have completed a trade.

To Miami:

Jamario Moon
Jermaine O'Neal

To Toronto:
Shawn Marion
Marcus Banks

ESPN Article

This is big news and it is a trade that has long been talked about. So let the rebuild of the Raptors begin. Is it done that is another question as trade deadline is a week from yesterday.

Updates On Story

Being reported on radio that this trade has been confirmed through sources for both the Raptors and Heat.

Yahoo Sports suggests a conditional first round pick is part of the deal as well. I want to hear these conditions

It is being reported in a Miami paper that it is a lottery protected first between now to 2014.

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?

Raps Get A Win But Change Still Must Come To Raptor Land

O.K to start an apology as there were some issues with Raptors Rewind. It had started off o.k, but I ended up helping out on the live blog on The Score and I had planned on finishing it up but I was feeling a bit under the weather. I tried to finish it this morning but something happened and it was deleted so allow me to give you a Coles notes version of a Raptors Rewind.

1st Quarter:

It was the Joey G show and the Raptors road that to a lead after one quarter.

2nd Quarter:

Raps gave up a 15-0 run to close out the second quarter. They trail at the half.

3rd Quarter:

T-Wolves after A Raptor push would lead by 13. However the Raptors would fight back a bit and eventually both teams would score 32 in the quarter.

4th Quarter:

Raptors picked up the defense and got Jason Kapono going. They would out score the T-Wolves 37-22 in the final quarter for a 110-102 victory.

Things of Note and Boxscore:

• Joey Graham ties career high with 24. Was on fire in the opening quarter
• O'Neal had 22 and was a key factor taking rookie Kevin Love to school.
• Andrea Bargnani had a bounce back game made couple key baskets.
  
• A much needed win, But given schedule it changes little.

Recap From The Score

Boxscore

Colangelo Addresses The Masses Via Radio and T.V

A win is never a bad thing. That being said this game did nothing to change my opinion of where this team is at. Changes must happen and if you listened to Bryan Colangelo last night on Prime Time Sports it like is going to happen if he gets his way. Bryan was on for the entire hour and talked about a number of topics. The first and foremost was the future of Chris Bosh as a Raptor.

He stuck to his guns in saying that he and Bosh have not had a conversation about him leaving. He said that when they talk in the summer the future of Bosh will be the main topic. Technically speaking the Raptors could sign Bosh to an extension this summer. However that is not going to happen which even Colangelo admitted that it would make little sense for Bosh to do that from a business point of view. However it will allow the two parties to get together and talk about the future. Colangelo was clear that he was not entertaining any offers for Bosh at this trade deadline. He said he cuts of any inquires right away and has no desire to consider anything at this time in terms of Bosh. He also said that the plan is still to built around Bosh and has not changed.

He would not go into specifics but did indicate that there were teams that were interested in J.O. He even admitted to a few calls he had received on Jose Calderon. He would mention that last year at this time he took 16 calls on Jose Calderon that is over half the league for you math majors out there. The question is was one of those calls from the Suns and was Steve Nash the name Colangelo would say he wants in return. It is clear Nash is unhappy with the Suns. Calderon would be a fit for the system that Porter is trying to run. But will in happen? Won't take long to find out. Colangelo said it had been a very busy time on the phones for all G.M's this year and more so than in the past. If you think it is crazy the Nash move do not be so sure as the Suns are desperate to cut payroll and Nash is clearly not happy. What does adding a Nash do for a guy like CB4? It may just make him re-evaluate. Not to mention from a public relations and marketing standpoint it would be the biggest move in Raptors history. People love Jose, but Canada loves Nash more. It could happen and it could save Jay Triano his job if it does.

That was perhaps the one thing that was surprising the amount of support Colangelo had for Triano. It seemed clear that Mitchell and Colangelo relationship was not ideal despite Bryan take the high road on the subject again. He seemed clear he had no regret in the choice he made and seems to have a lot more faith in Triano than me. He would not rule him out as a candidate for the job in the off-season. He did however say that he would have to look at what else was out there. Maybe Colangelo is just being kind or maybe that whole Nash idea is not so crazy? Whatever the case it seemed Bryan has not been dismayed in the slightest by the performance of Triano. He in fact seemed happy in the job he had done despite the record.

The one thing Colangelo seemed to make very clear is that change was going to come by next Thursday if he had anything to say about it. He suggested it could be a few big things or a few minor moves. But the suggestion was very clear that the Raptors are open for business for the trade deadline. Colangelo needs a big deadline for a lot of reasons. First and foremost to restore the faith of his star player which no matter what you choose to believe as relates to him we all can agree on that. Restore some faith of him the fan base as well. I saw a poll last night comparing Babcock to Colangelo. That says all you want to know about the sinking of B.C's rep. The fact someone would have that poll and not expect 100% response in favour of B.C (which it was not) tells you all you need to know in how far he has fallen with fan base.

Is Bryan the god like figure he was made out to be when he first got here? No...He likely said that himself. However is that same man now the village idiot? No. In fact he was very honest when talking about his big trade for J.O and how he was taking a swing for the fences. This time Colangelo stuck out. However like all home run hitters he is ready to get back in their and hack away. He suggested that he does not feel the team is that far away. Given the record they have it seems hard to imagine but if you stop and think about it he could be right. A solid draft pick coming, some cap flexibility if you can make a deal for J.O. What is that expression? It is always darkest before the dawn? Bryan Colangelo hopes that dawn comes by next Thursday.

MVP and ROY Blogger Rankings

It has been a week of me not getting things to work out. I also was not able to get a ballot in for the ROY and MVP voting. But Lebron keeps in the lead with or without my support. Check out the rest of the list below

MVP/ROY RANKINGS

So tonight Matt Bonner, the Red Hot Red Rocket comes to town with the Spurs. The party over a win over Minnesota will be a short one I have a feeling. But hopefully change is on the way. It is clear we need it even after a win last night.

Raptors Rewind- All Starless Edition

So set the line up. Bosh is out and Calderon is in and Joey G gets the start at the small forward spot. this may sound strange coming from me but well deserved. I just don't want Joey back next season but I am not blind. He is much better than Moon but I don't think or expect Moon or Graham to be back next season.So that being said we have no Chris Paul as well. That will give the Raptors a chance. Antonio Daniels is no where close to Chris Paul in any way shape or form So let's get it started from the Big Easy where Raptors won last season on New Year's Eve.

1st Quarter.

Both teams started very slowly. It was 4-4 after over 3 minutes played. This was painful to watch and that is not taking a shot on the fact this game was on TSN 2. Joey Graham a silly turnover but Good Joey would try to kill Bad Joey with a quick recovery and a steal. He would get fouled and sent to the line. Split a pair from the line and J.O would score to tie the game at 7. This is called the All Starless edition but David West is and he scored and Antonio Daniels would get a steal and score to give the Hornets an 11-7 lead. Bargnani would drive and draw the foul. Bargnani can only manage to split a pair. Peja the other way makes a 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani makes a jumper in response. But David West was able to reply for the bugs. They had a 16-10 lead on their home floor. Posey had a wide open look for 3 more but he would miss it. He would get a second chance and post up every ones new favourite Raptor except me Joey G and score. Peja would score again. The main weapon for the Raptors had been J.O. He scored again and I think that was 8 for him. But David West had another answer for the Hornets. The Hornets with no Paul, no problem up 23-16. Kapono had checked in and missed not much new there. Parker shot blocked, Raps keep it, and Bargnani turns it over on a travel. A Joey buzzer beater does not fall and Raptors look awful down 26-16.

2nd Quarter.

Hornets start the quarter with a travel. A foul on J.O that caused some discussion between Jake Voskhul and Bosh. However foul it was and Hornets made a pair at the line. Kapono a rare 3 pointer but James Posey answer with a 3 of his own. A turnover for the Raps. But Hornets get called for a travel and give it back. But no dice and Posey had a long 2 pointer and 10 so far in the game. Hornets lead was more than that though it was 33-19. Calderon missed a 3 pointer and had been not that impactful in his return to the line up so far. He would get fouled next time down the floor and head to the line makes both and had just 2 assists so far. I call out Calderon and he suddenly comes alive as he get the ball and pushes it for the lay up in transition. Raptors had cut the lead to 8. Calderon would make a jumper and cut it to 6. I am starting to think the Raptors just need me to get on players in Dino Nation Blog and good things will happen. Joey Graham is the best example of it working. Calderon heading to the line looking for more to stick it to the Dino Blogger. Calderon second foul shooting streak of season ends early as he went 1 of 2. But still Calderon had lead the Raptors back to cut the lead to just 5.

Jamario Moon another guy that has not been in my good books. He showed a little of the Moon I use to love with the jam on the break set up by Jose. Raptors were on a 9-3 run after Parker would score and Calderon would score off of a steal. Raptors showing some signs of life now trailing 38-34. AP would cut the lead to just 1 with a 3 ball. The Raptors were playing the zone on defense and were doing well in that set up. Calderon would make a jumper and Raptors had a lead at 39-38. Hornets looked lost they had 8 turnovers and Bargnani made them pay. Raptors had a 23-5 run going that had rocketed them back to a 3 point lead. Bargnani would follow up with another big shot making a 3 pointer. Calderon would score and he had 13 points in the quarter. He was the big reason the Raptors had a 48-42.

3rd Quarter

So let's review one lousy quarter of basketball and one out of this world quarter of basketball. Which Raptor team shows up in the 3rd. I have no idea. This team has been the most erratic group of Raptors I can remember. Raptors were shooting 55% and Hornets were making many mistakes. Good start as Bargnani scores in the paint and his fouled for the and 1. He would miss it but O'Neal would get a score and Raptors up 10 with score 52-42 for the men in black tonight. Hornets would get a score but J.O would answer and he had 12 points. Hornets were a team that was having trouble with injuries not just Paul add Chandler and Mo Peterson to that list. However Paul is the guy that makes it all happen. Remember the old Suns teams with out Steve Nash. This Hornets team looks a lot like that. Crowds boo in other arenas as well as Hornets were getting booed for a bad effort. Calderon would make a jumper. Peja would get the crowd back on the Hornets side with a 3 pointer. Daniels would score and Raptors lead that was once 10 was now trimmed to 6 points with score 59-53.

J.O gets to the line and makes a pair to push the Raptors lead to 8. On the other end he would give a point back with a defensive 3 second call that Peja would turn into a point at the line. Butler had a monster jam. Lead was 5 and Bargnani called for a charge lead to a Daniels bucket. Hornets were charging. Raptors lead was now just 61-58. A shot clock violation and the Hornets had a chance to pull to just down 1 or tie with a 3 pointer. But Daniels would miss and J.O would have a chance to score and miss as well. Jamario Moon made a good choice taking a jumper for a change. However Peja would answer with a 3 ball. But Moon scored for another 2 points Raptors were up 4 with score 65-61. Jake Voskhul with a rare attempt that he missed badly. Peja makes the Raptors pay at the other end with a 3 ball. Peja was 3-3 from behind the arc in the quarter. Parker would score a 2 point effort and that would extend the lead to 3. Hornets had a shot clock violation and Raptors had a chance to extend lead again but did not. James Posey would get called for a foul banging on the glass sending Jamario Moon to the line. Moon made both and he had 10 and Raptors had a 69-64 lead. So the Raptors have held off a Hornet charge in the quarter and took a lead into the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter

Peja opens the 4th with a basket and Parker missed the Raptors first effort of the quarter. A.P would hook up J.O for the basket plus the foul with AP running the show at the point. JO made the and one and Raptors lead was 6. Peja on fire with his 6th long bomb of night that cut lead to 3, Butler with another 3 ball and it was all tied at 72. Jake Voskhul with a rare basket to give the Raptors the lead back. Parker would make his way to the line. He would make both and Raptors lead 76-72.

Jake Voskhul fouled James Posey and he could only split a pair at the line. J.O with a strong move and a dunk and Raptor lead was stretched to 5 points. David West to the line for the Hornets and made both. Joey Graham got a key offensive board on a night where he had not been so good. But that was and it lead to a J.O score plus a foul. Raptor lead was back to a half dozen with the score 81-75. J.O was rolling without Bosh on the floor he makes a jumper and he had 24 as the Raptors lead increased to 8 points. A much needed runner in the lane for Brown for the Hornets. Bargnani had to fire up a shot to avoid shot clock violation but it would not fall. Butler would come back and make a 3 pointer and the Hornets were back to just 3 down. James Posey would even the score at 83 with yet another 3 pointer. Make it 3 straight long balls and Hornets had an 11-0 run and the lead with score 86-83. Hornets were 5-8 behind the arc in the 4th so far. A turnover on a travel by Andrea Bargnani in the paint. 4 straight three pointers the latest by James Posey. This was a joke. Peja makes it 5 straight possessions with a 3 pointer. Hornets lead 92-83 . Bargnani with a basket from distance. Posey missed a 3 ball as the clock rolled past 2 minutes to play. Raptors can't take advantage as they get called for a travel. Raptors had 17 turnovers after it was the Hornets making turnovers in the first half. Parker gets a basket only to have Brown answer with you know what is coming by now...a 3 ball. Hornets have a 10 point advantage and this thing was done. Kapono makes a 3 pointer but this game was finished. Hornets walk away with a 101-92 victory. The Hornets had 37 points in the 4th powered by the 3 point shot.

As I am required to do by law your boxscore of this basketball game. Well not really but it would not be right to leave it out.

Hornets/Raptors Boxscore

So Raptors losers of 5 straight limp off to Memphis to take on a team that is pretty brutal in the Grizzlies. That being said why do I not feel confident they can snap this losing streak. Maybe it is just experience at this point. But hey get excited the wonderful folks at TSN have moved this game over to the main network so everyone can see just has bad things have become for the Raptors. Gee WIZ THANK YOU TSN. WAS A HOCKEY GAME CANCELLED THAT I AM NOT AWARE OF? I am growing more bitter and sarcastic as the season marches on. I am not sure if that is good or bad. Well that is a Rap for this game and does anyone out there think it is not a wrap for the season? If you do leave a comment and tell me why I would love to hear it. I have no idea why anyone would think that.

When Couldn't Get Worse For Raps It Does.

Things just keep getting worse about this season. Forgive me if I am not impressed or care about the wonderful moral victory last night. If I am not going to spending time talking about J.O great play last night it is not meant to slight him. It is just at this point it is about wins and loses. Same can be said for Joey Graham and his career high 24 points. That is great for Joey in a contract year. It may help him get another contract. I have always said for whatever reason when this team is at it's worst Joey Graham is at his best. I am deeply concerned that Raptors will end up re-signing him. If that happens I can only imagine the Bad Joey will return and people will have been fooled yet again by Joey G.

But those are minor in comparison to the fact that both Calderon and now Bosh are injured. Bosh has been healthy all year and I am pretty sure has yet to miss a game this season. However with what is being called a sprained knee I would think that may go out the window. Calderon meanwhile has been damaged goods all year and I am to the point that I don't think he is going to put this behind him. He has not given his body the time heal and I think he will be plagued by this for the rest of the year as a result. Now of course I am not a doctor and don't even play one on the internet but I don't think you need a medical degree to understand what is going on with Calderon. The only way a hamstring truly will heal is with rest. Calderon has not been able to sit by and feel confident that the people behind him can get the job done. He like everyone else can see the need to have him on the floor. Problem is if he goes out there not at 100% he is not helping anyone least of all his injury. He is challenged on defense at 100%. He is beaten badly and it hurts the team's overall defense.

Bosh Injury What Will It Mean For Deadline?

Will Bosh injury impact on Bryan Colangelo's plans for the deadline? If Bosh was out of line up and he made a move for J.O it would seem clear that all hope was gone for this season. Raps depth at the two big spots is extremely damaged. Kris Humphries is out and now Bosh it leaves you with O'Neal, Bargnani, Voskhul and Jawai. O'Neal has not exactly been durable. Now Bosh is expected to only be out a few games perhaps. Bryan Colangelo suggested that on Fan 590 this morning. However now you have to be concerned about the durability of Bosh as well.

It would be a mistake to change the plan moving forward. To keep hope alive for making the 8th spot in the playoffs? I don't think so. That makes no sense at all. It would be a huge issue if you bought into the Steven A Smith story that Bosh is leaving. But Colangelo has denied the story and has made it clear he is not looking to move Bosh. A injured Bosh would not get as much you would figure. No matter what you choose to believe this injury may seal any doubt that Bosh is not being dealt before the deadline. Colangelo has no intention of being compared to Rob Babcock and if a Bosh trade was ever to happen he is not going to get screwed on the value he would get in return. So in a sense the Bosh injury might be a blessing for the Raptors. It eliminates a lot of things from the conversation.

Raptors Limp Off On The Road

A 3 game road trip that before last night offered some hope for the Raptors now looks bleak. The Hornets are banged up as well and have injury issues as Chris Paul has been battling an injury. You also have games against the T-Wolves and Grizzlies. You could make a case of 2 or 3 wins for the Raptors. But now with no Bosh? No Calderon? What are the chances of getting a win now? Raps have lost 4 straight and will be hard pressed to find a win prior to the All Star Break. It just was the worse time for a Bosh injury if you held out any hope for this team and it's playoff chances.

Lakers Becoming the Cowboys of The NBA

I was working on the game between the Knicks and Cavs last night for The Score. There was a lot of talk in that broadcast about the amount of love that was in MSG for the Lakers and again at the ACC there was a lot of Laker love in the house. It reminds me of my favourite football team the Dallas Cowboys. I remember making a trip down to Detroit to watch the Cowboys play back in the days of Akiman, Irvin and E Smith (The Hall of Fame Football Guy Not The Raptor Radio Guy) it was like a Cowboy Fan convention. The cheers at the Silverdome the Lions home at the time were louder for Cowboys.

Kobe Bryant and his band of Lakers are attracting that kind of circus coming to town feel. Lakers only play in Eastern Conference arenas once a year and it is becoming an event. Lakers have a massive fan base across North America and honestly the world. This is nothing new in Toronto though. When Rockets come to town Yao Ming draws quite the crowd of supporters as well. Still to hear MSG chanting MVP for a guy on another team seems wrong.

Still all of this Laker love did not put Kobe on top of Blogger M.V.P Rankings but that was prior to his 61.

Blogger MVP and ROY Rankings

A Streak Dies In Motor City

Just a brief mention that shows times are tough around the NBA. The Pistons have always made a big deal of the consecutive sellout streak they have enjoyed at The Palace the home of DETROIT BASKETBALL. Well the streak is over and that speaks to the tough times in Michigan and the tough times for Pistons on the floor as well.

So that is it for today. Not much happy news for you but hey this is the reality of things. Bosh had an MRI last night and the results of that are not know. Everyone is suggesting it is not serious but the timing of it is.

Raptors Rewind- Lakeshow Game Notes

So I was off covering Lebron James who had a massive triple double. He had a great night at MSG. 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. I was surprised in checking in on the Raps game (which is not easy to do) that Raps were hanging with the Lakers. But based on all that happened I may be more discouraged despite what seems like a great effort. But Calderon did not play at all and Bosh would go down with a sprained knee. I mean this totally screws up everything. Bryan Colangelo is really screwed in a couple ways. First and foremost the trade deadline. J.O can not be dealt if Bosh is not healthy. That is not good when you look towards the off-season which despite what some might say is and should be the focus. You also have this Joey Graham surge. I am worried about this. Joey Graham is on fire. I even stated and meant it that Joey should be in the starting line-up. That being said if he keeps on this run is this going will it lead to him getting re-signed here in Toronto? If that happens I may go crazy because I am still not sold. Joey seems to do his best when it means the least. I just do not think he has shown up when this team is playing well and winning. I think re-signing Joey Graham would be a huge error.

1st Quarter

• Confusion of the tip and Raps get the ball.
• Nice turn around in paint For Bargnani
• Odom a stater again gets a good start.
• J.O with a bucket.
  
• Alley Opp for Kobster misfired
• Air Ball Andrea
• Derek Fisher is under rated in reality, In NBA 2K9 he is not
• Kobester nice mid range jumper.
• Joey G the first of many based on having seen the script
• J.O takes it hard at Gasol for basket and 1
• Joey G with the jammage.
• Fisher contested 3 and miss.
• Raps 10 in paint already....Big 3 line up I hate doing better against Lakers.
• AP 3 and plus 1
• The more uncontested 3 we are use to the Fisher nails.
• Kobster makes the 3 ball look like a chip shot.
• Back to back 3 balls for Cabbie's good friend.
• Andrea drives and draw the foul
• Moon continues to be unimpressive
• Kobe off to a hot start with 14 but missed the free throw
• Shocking Raps lead after 1, more shocking they scored 31

2nd Quarter

• Moon jumper and a miss, I am hating on Moon and it is deserved.
• Pau Gasol is an all star too, he shows you why
• Bosh is all star too
• Odom looking good by the way free agent 2009
• Roko shoots an air ball. That is why Parker is playing point.
• Odom is really good and you forget how much so.
• Easy buck for Farmar
• J.O having a good night as he scores gets a block other end, But Gasol finishes
• Kapono will not 3 peat in 3 point shoot out. He is awful with capital A
• Gasol scores again.
• Moon a finish of alley oop
• Roko drives and scores, I just hope this season does not impact badly on him. He has a chance
• J.O nice turn around
• great ball movement but an Andrea miss from 3.
• Odom finishes some equally impressive ball movement with a score.
• J.O takes elbow to head from Andrea but is ok and gets the score and foul to prove it.
• Joey G for 3? You are kidding me right?
• Graham hustles beat Odom to the ball, hustle did not get rewarded with point on offense.
• Kobe has gone cold. I am sure this will not last.
• J.O hooking up Joey G.
• Kobster still cold.
• Bargnani scores in paint
• J.O finding the fountain of youth lately.
• Raps lead but Laker get bucket at buzzer

3rd Quarter.

• AP working on glass tonight good job
• Lakers get a score.
• Bargnani hooked up by Bosh.
• J.O found fountain of youth on this night
• Kobe is officially uncold.
• Pau Gasol jumper over J.O
• Couple misses for Bargnani and JO
• Parker makes it happen calling his own number.
• and again he has 12 all 5 starter in double figures.
• More Joey G Highlight Material
  
• Gasol scores on offensive glass.
• Raptor offensive game has been good not just jump shots.
  
• More good ball movement leads to Bargnani drive and score
• Kobe with pretty no look pass to Gasol for the jam
• Bargnani shooting not great but made that one
• Lamar Odom picking it up with no Bynum
• Parker makes a 3 ball from his address on Parkerville court.
• Kobe finds open Walton for jumper
• JO hooks up Joey G with a nice pass
• Kobe has game.
• Moon nice board no finish
• JO making blocks and playing a huge roll on both ends
• Odom jammage
• Joey G can't miss he has 20
• Kobe unimpressed nails a shot right back at Joey.
• Roko missed an easy lay up.
• Joey G nice D on Kobe cause him to take to long and missed last second shot

4th Quarter

• Bargnani follow his miss and misses again
• Makes a 3 later
• Bosh does not look right.
• Roko drives and scores.
• Farmar scores on the second chance
• Roko drives and scores again
• Bosh on the bench and head back to locker room to get checked out.
• JO with a huge block his 7th
• Missed a dunk on other end but blocks another shot
• Farmar makes shot after block though
• Kobe with a long range step back 2 pointer. give Lakers lead
• Sasha (Paris Hilton's Favourite Player) for a big 3 pointer.
• Joey Graham easy Jam
  
• Kobe makes a play for a score
• Kobe doing it again and Lakers biggest lead of 6
• Kobe a miss and Parker though he was fouled but no call
• Parker would get a huge 3 to keep hope alive
• Kobe another miss.
• Joey basket and foul
• Kobe makes a big shot to ice it.

The Raptors did play very well. But I really did not like the tone of everyone. It was like the Raptors were being rewarded with praise for bringing effort. Guess what this is professional basketball you should bring it 82 nights a year. Raptors played up to the competition on this night. We are far beyond the point of moral victories. I am also sick of hearing how few games Raptors are out of the playoffs despite their awful record. Look they are in 14 place and as I explained that fact is far more important to me. That means you have far to many teams you have to pass to get it. Not to mention 2 of your best 3 players are hurt. No offense intended to JO and Joey Graham who were fantastic. But at this point if that is suppose to get me excited that 2 players that I don't see as part of this team's future had great nights, I am not into it. I am not being negative about things I am being realistic there is a huge difference. I would love to tell you I think this means something. However Bosh with strained knee and Calderon with a bum hammy means far more than any moral victory or great performances from anyone. 32 losses and we have not even got to the All Star break. No Bosh and Calderon you will be hard pressed to get any wins in the 4 remaining games. Not saying they will lose them all but the margin for error has got very small.More thoughts tomorrow but I don't expect to change my mind. I almost forgot the boxscore:

Raps/Lakers Boxscore

Raptors Rewind- King James Court Edition

You may have heard Cleveland is undefeated at home. So if I were to say anything to suggest the Raptors can win this game who would believe me? I would not even believe me. It is safe to the Raptors are desperate want some proof? How bout a return of the big 3 line-up to start the game. HELLO and I am not talking Jack Armstrong. This line-up has had little to no success and Bargnani is being moved to the 3 spot. What in the name of hell is going on with this team. It is not that I am upset Jamario Moon has been put to the bench. That part should happen and should have happened already. This is a big moment in the history of the Dino Nation Blog right here. JOEY GRAHAM should start. That is right I said, The Dino Blogger, James Borbath, that Joey should start. That is not to say I have changed my mind about Joey. I still will be happy to see him go at the end of the season. However that being said he has shown effort when many others have not. He has been active and we see more Good Joey than Bad Joey lately. It also speaks to how bad I think Jamario Moon has been and how much I hate the big 3 line-up. It is not effective and it just basically screws up about the only thing that has been a minor success about this season. That is the development of Andrea Bargnani and moving him to the 3 spot to allow J.O back in the starting line-up serves no purpose. J.O is not part of the long term future of this team and Bargnani clearly is. So why do this? It makes on sense and that is about par for the course this season. wonder if Lebron tries to top Kobe and his 61 points the other night. Sad to say but I think it is possible. Anything under 61 would be a minor victory. Do I sound upset? Sarcastic? yeah maybe but I have so little expectations for this team now it really is not funny.

1st Quarter

Away we go and victory 23 for the Cavs on their home floor unless something totally unexpected happens. We will all be witnesses or victims as the case maybe. There is a flu bug that is going around the Cavs locker room but King James is healthy and ready to go in the throw back yellow and red uniforms and Raptors are in the white and red. Cavs win the tip. A three ball for Wally world and that is the start you sure did not want to see as Raptor fan. Bosh turnover on Raps first possession and a ditto on that not wanting to see point. Another Wally Z make from 3 pointland. Oh yeah this big 3 line-up was a great idea. Mo Williams scores and Cavs are off to an 8-0 start. Chris Bosh makes a jumper and Lebron James as an answer with a nice set up from Mo Williams. Bosh makes another basket after a turnover early he is 2-2. But the defense is non existent with this horrible line-up. Raptors playing zone in this set up. James cuts through the zone with ease and Cavs making it look easy. Bargnani and Parker get back to back baskets to pull the lead to 14-8.

Chris Bosh makes another jump shot and he scores his third basket again. Lebron James scores plus a foul on Calderon and lead is back up to 17-10. Bargnani fires up an air ball and this has all the elements of the long night at the office I expected it to be. Lebron James makes a 3 pointer and can we please end the insanity of this stupid gimmick line-up already? Cavs are up 10. Raptors respond with 2 points. King James answers running through J.O and scoring and a foul. Lebron would make the foul shoot and he had another 3 pointer next time down the floor. He has 16 now by the way. That 61 comment of the top is not looking so crazy or sarcastic now is it? James is human though as he missed a fading jumper for 3. But no worries for Cavs the Raptors miss and Gibson and Mo Williams have back to back 3 pointers. The score is 32-14 with 2:26 remaining still in the first. Make it 3 straight, 3 pointers for the Cavs as Gibson hits another. Moon had checked in and fires up an airball. Hickson the Cavs rookie gets a score and it was only a 2 pointer. Cavs up 37-14. Raptors can't make a shot and this is flat out awful. Wow Jamario Moon drove the basketball amazing. He is fouled and heads to the line. He splits a pair. Can we trade him to the globetrotters? While I look up if that is legal under the CBA. Your score after 1 is Cavs 37 and Raptors 14. Bad just is not nearly good enough for what I was witness to in that first quarter.

2nd Quarter

Cleveland shot 60% and Raptors shot 33% need I say much more? Bosh back in and gets a score. Wally Z turns Jamario Moon into a statue as he drove to the hoop for a score. Bosh scores again but he was the lone Raptor going good. Jason Kapono with a rare 3 pointer for him. Raptors still down a ton with the score 39-22. The winner of the Carlito look a like contest for 3 years running Anderson Varejao with a basket. A.P gets to the line and makes a pair. The body language of the Raptors is speaking volumes. I feel for Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong because it is pretty clear they have a long night in the booth ahead of them. Bosh with a nice move to the basket. He is 6-7 and playing very well. The truth is not many others are joining the party. Cavs are scoring at a high level and have built a massive lead. J.O makes a jump shot and Cavs lead is cut to 15 points. James is chilling on the bench for all of this though it should be noted. Kapono fouls Gibson behind the arc. That is not good. Gibson made 2 of 3 at the line.

Bosh another basket but Mo Williams hits a 3 pointer to answer. The bad math of Raps scoring 2 and the Cavs scoring 3 is not going to work. J.O makes a jump and it was 48-34 Cavs. Joey G gets a basket working the glass and draws the foul. Raptors actually were back to within 11 points. But Big Z gets a bucket on the inside. Bargnani found his way to his line but only splits a pair. J.O with a terrible miss but apparently big Z caught a piece of him as the shot went off the side of the back board. J.O would get the call the next time and miss his first free throw and the second. Raptors complain a lot about not getting calls but when you are a bad basketball team you don't get calls. It just doesn't happen. Invest the energy in playing better. Lebron James scores a basket. Jack Armstrong is laying the wood to Steven A Smith. That is why I love Jack Armstrong. Preach on coach. Meanwhile Bosh was doing his part on the floor getting to the line. He makes a pair. Calderon another miss and he is 0-5 and looks awful again. If you are injured don't play Jose it really is that simple. James meanwhile a score and 1 and Cavs lead is back up 17. King James would make that 19 with another basket over Jose Calderon. At the Half the Cavs cooled off a bit but still have a huge 59-40 halftime lead.

3rd Quarter

You know is it asking to much to start a second half with some hope you can win? I mean that has not happened a lot lately let alone getting into the 4th quarter with a chance. I am pulling for Nathan Jawai to get some time but I would rather it be in more positive situations. Raps are up to a blazing 38% take away Bosh I would not even want to see the number. Cleveland has cooled to a 53% level. Nice play to start as Jose hooks up J.O for the easy score. Bosh missed a contested jumper that would have given Raps back to back scores. But a slow Cavs start and J.o would get another score. Bargnani missed a 3 pointer as the Raptors went away from what was working. Bosh is called for goaltending as he swatted away a Big Z attempt on it;s down word flight. Bosh makes up for it with a jumper. Big Z answers with a hook shot in the paint. James denys Bosh on a drive as he just stole the ball out of the air and took it the other way for a score. Calderon meanwhile remains scoreless and he really should not be in there because he is not healthy enough to be.
Mo Willams gets a drive and score and after a sleepy start the Cavs lead was back to 19 with the score 67-46.

Bargnani has had a rough night at the office as well. James and Graham went to the deck and James came up gimpy. That is not good news for the Cavs. Not saying it will cost them tonight but the Lakers who will be in Toronto tomorrow night make their way to Cleveland on Sunday. It has been rough times in NBA with Andrew Bynum and Jameer Nelson both suffering major injuries. James is back in though and Cleveland can breath a sigh of major relief. Credit to Andrea Bargnani as his jump shot was mia so he drove it to the whole and scored and got the and 1 foul. Joey Graham would make his way to the line and Raptors have chipped into the lead slightly. Cavs lead was 67-53 with 4:20 to go in the 3rd quarter. Joey Graham making a dunk and Raptors were down 13. Bosh would get a score in the paint. He and Graham were the only 2 guys bringing it on this night. Cavs still were up 11 points and it was not like you had any feeling they could not just flip the switch and step it up if need be. That being said the Raptors were at least getting effort from a couple guys that had not given up. I have always been hard on Joey but give him his due I will. He has been a different guy since Sam Mitchell has left. He is giving the best he has. Bargnani gets to the line and despite a terrible shooting night he had 9 boards and 10 points. Raptors were slowly getting back in it. Graham would score and the lead was down to 9 points. Think we will find out if I was right about Cavs having another gear they can shift too. J.O also had a quiet 15 point night going. Raptors back court of Calderon and Parker had struggled. A bizarre moment. J.O was fouled and at the line he made his shots but the refs said it should have been Parker shooting. Parker would miss both. That is weird. Raptors with a J.O jumper and the Raptors had cut the lead to 8. They almost made it 6 with a tap in at the buzzer.

4th Quarter

Impressive 3rd quarter but I am finding it really hard to believe the Raptors have a chance down 8 to the Cavs. The problem when you dig a big whole like the Raptors did the climb to get back to even is only half the job. Once you get there it is another issue to take and keep a lead. However Raptors still have not even completed the climb part. Gibson with a runner in the lane to start the 4th. J.O doing a good job getting to the line battling inside. he makes a pair at the line. Williams had a basket. But J.O scores in the paint he had 20 points wow he has now not so quietly had a nice game. Chris Bosh gets to the line with a chane to cut the lead to 6. But Bosh could only split a pair as James checked back in.

Cavs lead was 78-71. Raptors perimeter defense had been better but Gibson would find an open look behind the arc and make a big shot for Cavs. Bosh and Hickson trade baskets and Raptors still were behind with score 83-73. J.O would draw a charge on James and the Raptors were kind of hanging around but not really. Joey Graham had been doing good job on both ends and had match-up well on Lebron James. Bosh got a score on the inside. Joey would lay the wood on King James and it would send James to the line. James after 16 in the in first had 14 points since. Bosh tried to rip the rim down but would come up gimpy. He would remain in the game. For all those people wanting to throw Bosh under the Bus. Here is some food for thought. Do you think Bosh has had bumps and injuries. I bet he has but he has been out their going after it ever night.

James started to heat up and helped the Cavs build the lead back up to 15 points with the score 90-75. The Raptors in the end were burned by a bad coaching move to go with that big 3 line up and just could not over come the damage done. They did not give up and had a lot of fight. Which against the Bucks might have helped but the against the Cavs it wasn't going to matter. Also little to no production from the back court. Calderon would finally make a shot as he was 1-9. Parker and Kapono were also pretty awful. Calderon is clearly not right and not to beat a dead horse but with no legit back-up Raptors are forced to leave him out there when their is no reason he should be. Raptors remained down 15 points as Bosh would get hammered by his redeem team buddy Lebron James. Bosh would make both but time was clearly not on the Raptors side and a Wally World three ball would make it a 16 point lead with under 3 to play. After getting as close as 78-71 the Raptors had just 8 point since and the Cavs lead 95-79. We were playing this one out at the Q as the Cavs were going to remain undefeated at home. The Cavs take this one and they took care of business early and the Raptors could never recover. Cavs 101 and Raptors 83.

Raps/Cavs Boxscore

So that does it for another disappointing night of Raptors Basketball. Kobe Bryant coming off scoring 61 that should be ugly. Oh well talk with you tomorrow when I am likely less emotional.

Raptors Rewind- Bucking Game Notes

As the title suggests I know the result of this one. My only question heading into it was did the Raptors play as bad as the Sacramento Kings. The Kings were truly brutal as I was live blogging their game against the Bulls. I actually did two games as I did the Celtics and Pistons in the first game. I will be live blogging the Raptors and Magic on Super Sunday. Given the result of this game I got to say it is pretty awful without even seen this game yet. Still I am going to watch the game in an hour and experience the pain at a faster rate. So with that I will leave it to my notes to tell you my thoughts. I did hear about J.O getting kicked out on his bobblehead night at least that is reason to keep watching.

1st Quarter

• Can't get use to those red Buck uniforms and Bosh starts us off with a missed jumper
• Charlie V always good against the Raps
• Nice move by Bargnani in the post
• Jose and Parker hook up for nice score (8-8)
• Parker has really come back strong of late nice shot from Parkerville court.
• Does Scott Skiles ever smile?
  
• Bargnani with pretty move in post again high off glass
• No box out at all Bogut gets easy put back
• Bargnani is hot open 3 that he nails. 13 in the first wow
• O'Neal steal leads to nice score for Kapono
• Charlie Bell is under rated player. I like his game
• Jamario Moon shows some flashes of Jamario Version 0708
• Good effort first quarter. I am pre-warned it goes wrong starting now

2nd Quarter

• Can't fault defense on that first bucket for Bucks
• Sessions to Charlie V wide wide open
• Joey Graham getting on glass that is a good Joey characteristic
• Ramon Sessions is a real nice point guard and getting better all the time
• Bogut does nice job in post
• Turnovers bad, open jumpers are worse ( Bucks 41-34 )
• Bargnani draws the charge good job. Bargnani defense is getting better all the time
• Bosh makes a score, But next time turns it over. You see the frustration
• Charlie V gets open look in lane- Dude where is my Defense?
• Bogut on Bosh advantage Raps
• Turnovers continue oh wait we kept that one my bad
• Parker missed a very difficult fading jumper
• Pretty move by Bosh to score and draw the foul
• I still hate RJ. Always will.
  
• Charlie V needs to think ever team is Raptors and he would be an All Star
• Bosh needs to drive more, pump fakes are cool and all but drive it man
• AP gets 3 shots that I am guessing he made never see free throws on Game in an Hour

3rd Quarter

• Well first half was far from great but Raptors were in the game. So this is where it gets bad right?
• No aggression on close outs on shooters. This is a big game hustle
• Both teams start COLD
• NO THREES JAMARIO. I am tired of it make or miss I hate it
• Nice D by Bargnani
• Charlie V wide open Bosh far to late on close out
• It is raining 3's I still hate R.J
• Calderon shooting less and he makes one (2-6 - Sam Mitchell wants more shots)
• Charlie V is a very motivated young man against red and white
• Bucks abusing the Raptors badly Bucks up 11, Defense is fast asleep, Triano pissed off and who can blame him
• Offense bad, Defense is worse.
• Crowd getting restless and rightfully so Raptors 2-11 for the Quarter.
  
• AP makes a basket. He has been perhaps best scorer for the Raptors of late.
  
• Pretty passing from Bucks but no finish
• JO thanks for showing up on your bobble head night. his first 2 points in the third?
• Bargnani after great start has been handled by Bucks
• JO took that jumper from CB4 playbook
• Charlie Bell is a good shooter and is like I said under rated
• Good adjustments made by Skiles and Bucks were very good in third. Raps equally as bad

4th Quarter

• Saw a Gilbert Arenas Ad, he was great when he use to play in the league. (Nothing to do with game )
• J.O got to line
• Jeffferson I STILL HATE U
• Bell is good defender too
• Joey G watches ball pass him by. Can't blame him not like people normally pass to him
• Bucks hustle and get offensive board. Charlie V follows shot
• Jefferson is seriously killing us
• J.O should only get paid for half this game this one
• Easy look for Charlie V in post
• J.O called for a charge and gets teched up. Can't show up Refs even if they are wrong
• J.O did lead with his knee and that is why the charge. If that was the reason he did do that.
  
• Raps down 15, If J.O had this fire earlier it might have mattered
• 3 big line up, I am with JVG I hate this line up
• Raps getting some energy from it though
• Jose trying to win the fans back on Raps side, He missed his first free throw of the year
• I am glad that streak is over I am sorry it just didn't mean much to me like 3 point streak.
• So this is where all hell breaks loose I think
• Bodies every where and Charlie V is a really tough guy getting held back
• J.O vs Charlie V in a fight J.O would kill him.
• Raptors showed flashes of effort but they needed much more than that.
• Give Bucks credit they wanted this game and it showed

Well it was really not the effort you would hope for from this basketball team. This is why I have not held out much hope for this Raptor team to make the playoffs. They just can't seem to string wins together and it is going to take that kind of string of 5 or 6 wins to truly get back in the race. It could easily be the start of another long losing streak given what lies ahead on the schedule. If J.O leave him whacking Richard Jefferson will be my favourite J.O moment. I don't know if I mentioned it....I HATE RICHARD JEFFERSON. Lots of Raptor fans hate V.C well that is pretty much how I feel about RJ. If I was Bryan Colangelo this game tells me that it is time to consider being a seller and set the plan in motion for next season and try to save your franchise player from leaving. It seems clear this team just does not have what it takes to fight and get back into the race. Superman is coming on Sunday and I bet the Magic remember what happened the last time they came to Toronto. I know if they have forgotten, Stan Van Gundy will be happy to remind them. That is bad news for the Raptors.

CB4 Looks To Make It 4 In A Row

The Raptors look to make it 4 wins in a row and close even closer to a playoff spot. It seems very odd to say that given all that has gone on this season. Chris Bosh will get to hear some love from the home fans as he will be announced as the 4 time All Star for the home fans. The news came down last night and he made the cut. I personally was worried for him but it in the end was not necessary. Canadian fans went one for two on the night as Steve Nash did not make the game. Which is being hosted in his home town city. That would be like Bosh not making it if the game came to Toronto. But it all worked out for Chris and I am glad because I think had he not made it that would have been a big disappointment for him. Couple other All Star selections I was happy about were Danny Granger, Jameer Nelson and Devin Harris. Nelson has been on a sky rocket to the top since his performance against the Raptors in last season in the playoffs. Harris and Granger have had great seasons as well and are well deserving. But turning attention back to the Raptors this is a big game for the Raptors. Since losing Michael Reed for the year the Bucks have struggled and they are playing with a target on their back in the 8th seed. Also it is no secret what lies ahead after this game. A Magic team that has 3 All Stars in Lewis, Nelson and Howard, King James and the Cavs, Lakers with All Star Kobe and Gasol and New Orleans with CP3. Not an easy schedule at all. If the Raptors went 0-4 in that set of games it would not be a shock. They get a couple must wins against Memphis and Minnesota. But that being said the T-Wolves have been hot. They close out prior to the All Star game against the Spurs. Not a simple road to the All Star break at all.

Buyer or Seller? Perhaps Both

Bryan Colangelo is in a tough spot. Many of you are aware I am a frequent caller on the show Hoops. Last night my question was dealing with the spot Bryan Colangelo finds himself in heading to the trade deadline. The question all year has been instead of the South Park statement of "That's what Brian Boitano do". Instead in Raptorland it has been....What will Bryan Colangelo do? I wrote a blog with that title months ago. I don't think we are any closer to an answer today. It makes sense that Jermaine O'Neal would or should be moved. He has stepped aside for Andrea Bargnani. In the short term J.O has been cool with it. However everyone admits that is not likely to last. Even Jay Triano yesterday in an interview on the Fan 590 said as much. What happens then? It has the makings of being a situation that was not unlike the one with Jose Calderon and T.J Ford last season. So it almost makes trading O'Neal important not just for the cap room but for the team harmony. If the guy coming back is Shawn Marion he is a guy that tends to what is the way to put this? Shawn is an athlete in the model of T.O. He loves him some him. So that may offer it's own challenges in chemistry. It really is a tough spot to be in. Chris Bosh wants to be in the playoffs and don't tell him he can't beat the Celtics or the Cavs because he doesn't want to hear that. In fact he shouldn't want to hear that. Players should always think they can beat anyone and want to face challenges. Is it realistic to think the Raptors could win a 7 game series against the Celtics or Cavs? No it isn't but that is not the point when you are a player. There are lots of examples in sports and in basketball that go against common sense and logically thinking. The Raptors can not stop pushing to make the playoffs but at the same time there has to be a plan in place to improve this team for the 2009/10 season. How Bosh feels at the end of that season will be key to the direction this franchise goes. It is not an easy task to be the G.M of the Toronto Raptors right now. We all may think we have the answers but the things we would do are not put under the microscope like whatever Bryan Colangelo will do.

Joey Graham and Jose Calderon Keep Proving Me Wrong

I am happy when things I say are proven wrong if it benefits the Raptors. Jose Calderon has shown the ability to be a scorer and is doing a great job. I said it just recently when he is playing at the offensive end like this it makes his lake of defensive skill less noticeable. But even on that front in the last game he had 3 steals which is pretty good. In fact screw that it is great. If Jose can play this way and stay at this level it is what people expected from him when he re-signed with this team. The last and final test will be how he performs in those 4 games against playoff level teams. If he produces at a similar rate he will have made me re-evaluate him moving forward. I think he has learned a lot sitting and watching. He is doing things that help this team win and that is what you want too see be it a Jose fan or not. The other thing that he brings and has always brought is a great value for possession of the ball. The lack of turnovers has an impact in a positive way. He has however been more aware of pushing the ball and taking the odd chance with an alley opp pass or a push up the floor long pass. Jay Triano can help Jose become an even better point guard and take it to another level. Even though they have totally different games, Triano worked with Nash and he was better for it. I think at the end of the day the same will be said for Jose Calderon.

Oh Joey. I have been hurt by you so many times. I admit that it has made me totally gun shy. However it seems that Joey Graham finally gets it? He sure has had an impact lately and is doing such a good job I would not even argue if he was inserted into the starting line-up. That is a personal milestone to have me say that. I am not ready to write up the contract for him to sign to come back next year yet. I have not totally lost my mind. However If Joey was able to keep this up the rest of the year it may make it a little more difficult to just say good bye to him without at least making an offer to him. He has to me surpassed Jamario Moon and is the best option the Raptors currently have right now at the wing. I am not including Parker in that as he has been good to splitting his time as a combo guard with some point mixed with shooting guard. But to paraphrase Deion Sanders "I believe in you Joey". Sanders would take shots at Eli Manning all last season and by the end of it all even Deion bought into Eli Manning. Well Joey with each game is getting more people to believe in him. The small loyal Joey Graham fan base that has stuck with him has a lot of company these days. It is not like I have ever disliked Joey he seems like one of the nicer guys on the team. He can be a true tough guy on the floor though. If Joey can perform could he me that tough guy the Raptors have always wanted. He has a long way to go before I am going to say he is the next Charles Oakley. Jeff Van Gundy on Toronto radio yesterday said of Oakley that he had the highest basketball I.Q of anyone he had coached. That is an impressive list if you think about it. I don't think anyone is putting Joey in that kind of class at this point. In fact some have said the opposite. Still keep doing what your doing Joey. It is making a difference.

So Raptor Rewind will be late tonight as I have some work issues that will force me to miss the game. But I will throw together a game notes style version of the Raptor Rewind that you can check out with your morning coffee or beverage of choice. Also tonight is J.O Bobblehead night at the ACC. If you are ticketless and looking for a place to watch the game. Head down to Philly McNasty's and be party of the fun down there with the folks at Raptors Republic. They have been nice enough to include the Dino Nation Blog as a sponsor of the event. I guess that means I will have to get down to one of these things before the season runs out. I will do my best but not this week with all the snow and the fact I am working.

Change...When Will It Come To The Raptors?

The big news yesterday was that Pat Riley did not deny that he did in fact request health info on Jermaine O'Neal. This got a wildfire of speculation that the much talked about Shawn Marion and Jermaine O'Neal trade could go down very soon. Until it happens this can not be helping build chemistry on this team. That being said the chemistry has not been good anyway with the team on a 7-game losing streak. So it will be a wait and see approach if J.O is actually going to be in the line-up. However you can bet the next time he is a scratch the rumours will go through the roof if he is not there in the line-up. Jose Calderon is likely not going any where though. However he may be returning to the line-up tonight. He did practice with the team yesterday in Chicago. Calderon suggested it will be a mental hurdle he must get over to trust that his hamstring will not give out on him again. This is the second time this season Calderon will be returning from this injury. It is the 3rd injury total he has picked since the summer time. He was of course injured in Olympics. It makes you wonder if Calderon can in fact be durable playing starter minutes to level he forced to on this roster. One of the big reasons he was selected over T.J Ford to move forward with was his health in comparison to Ford. Both point guards have had their share of injuries this year.

A New Candidate For Raptors Coaching Job?

You may have missed this with all the all the trade rumour talk. But the Memphis Grizzlies said good bye to their head coach Mark Iavaroni yesterday.If you remember there was a lot of talk that Bryan Colangelo was very interested in bringing in Iavaroni to replace Sam Mitchell. However Mitchell would go on to win coach of the year and re-sign in Toronto. Colangelo may still consider him a candidate if he looks to hire a coach in the off-season. Given the lack of success it is hard to think he will not be. However there is a lot of candidates out there to choose from for Colangelo. But it should be noted that Iavaroni was of course an assistant with the Suns and Colangelo knows him very well. Colangelo has stated, he has no plans to address the coaching situation till the off-season. Given all the change that has gone on with this team and how they have responded to that it seems unlike a move will be made till then. But it is worth noting that another candidate could be on the list. If Iavaroni can not find a head coaching job you would think the New York Knicks would be interested in having him as an assistant under Mike D'Antoni.

All Star Starters Announced

Western Conference
Tim Duncan
Amare Stoudemire
Yao Ming
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul

Eastern Conference
Kevin Garnett
LeBron James
Dwight Howard
Allen Iverson
Dwyane Wade

Dwight Howard was the player that got the most votes from fans. He was the only player to top 3 million in votes with a total of 3,150,181 votes. Other things of note Chris Paul was able to get in as a late push got him past Tracy McGrady to get in the starting line-up for the West. If T-Mac got in over Paul it would have been a joke. But not as big a joke as if Yi Jian Lian got in over Lebron James or Kevin Garnett. He did beat Raptors Chris Bosh by over 700,000 votes and Paul Pierce by just under 600,000 votes. It is just sad and it is a problem. I also question if Allen Iverson is an all-star as well. But it is what it is. It will be interesting to see if Chris Bosh is added to the roster when the reserves are announced. If it were up to one of the ex-coaches, that gets a lot of talk about being someone fans would like to see in Toronto, he would not be going. Jeff Van Gundy has went on the record and said that he thinks no player on a below .500 team deserves to be on the All-Star team. It may be tough to get a team for the East under that Van Gundy system.

Does it Stop At 7?

I am hopeful it will but not that optimistic. Derrick Rose going against a Jose Calderon that admits he is not fully confident in his hamstring mentally. Rose should be able to take advantage. Not to mention the mood around this team that is obviously waiting to see Jermaine O'Neal be shown the door. It just all says to me that the Raptors will not win. If they do not win the next game after that I will seriously question if I should keep writing game re-caps the rest of the year. That game is against the Sacremento Kings and they may be one of a short list of teams that are in worse shape. But as for tonight, I give the Bulls the edge in this game. I don't want to do it but it just seems very unlikely the Raptors can pull together to get a win. That being said whenever I think the Raptors will lay an egg they usually come out and surprise me over the years. Let's hope that is the case with this one. Why? BECAUSE LOSING SUCKS!!!