"NBAz in 7 Dayz"

Life is too short. Last week, my cousins were at the gym working out one minute and calling 911 the next. Kim was in great health: played golf, coached baseball and was a very active guy. So when he began showing the initial signs of a heart attack, his wife Bianca at first thought it might have been the practical joker side of him coming out. Sadly, this was not the case. As I sat listening to all the wonderful tributes to his life at his funeral on Wednesday, I reflected on what might be said about my life. I hope those lists would include my love of basketball. This MVP edition of "NBAz in 7 Dayz" is dedicated to Kim and everyone in my life who makes me feel like an MVP. I am truly grateful for my career, my family and everything in between. Thank-you for all your love and support.

Many broadcast journalists, including yours truly, will appreciate the legacy left by former SuperSonics owner Barry Ackerley. He died early Monday morning after suffering a stroke at the age of 76 years old. During his 18-year ownership of the Sonics, the team made the playoffs 13 times, won four division titles and was in the 1996 NBA Final. Most broadcasters though, will also appreciate he was one of the first sports owners to broadcast games on both radio and television stations he owned and also created the first all-sports talk radio station. He will be missed.

Top 5 MVP Picks - You might be surprised

I love LeBron James and appreciate his style of play, his charity work and his character despite all "The Decision" hoopla. But he does not make my list. I also support the work and leadership of Kobe Bryant and while I appreciate his All-Star MVP status, he makes my list but is not my choice for regular season MVP. The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is an honour given to the most highly revered player during the regular season. Does this mean the most successful? Does the MVP always win a championship? Is this just a popularity contest like some high school Prom King contests? Regardless of it's reputation, here are my top five players who should at least make the discussion (in no particular order):

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: Let's face it. Kobe Bryant has been a regular season MVP contender for the last 4 or five seasons. Not that having an injury and playing through it should be an automatic criteria, but I think he should have won it last year based on this alone. I think some value needs to be placed on a player's ability to overcome adversity. But based on his team's roller coaster ride this year and losing twice to the three so-called Kings in Miami, I don't think he will make the cut.

2. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls: Although he is not my choice for MVP, he was right up there. Now, I don't believe he is the second coming of MJ himself but he made the Chicago Bulls relevant again. He has gone toe-to-toe this season with the best in the league and has held his own. He has been in the league for 2 years now and is really making a name for himself. He ranks third in field goal attempts, sixth in points per game and is also in the top ten for assists. Not a bad combination - this makes him a well-rounded candidate.

3. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: I almost did not include him in my top five based on his "foul" issues but I reconsidered. When you look at his stats, he is ranked in the top two in 16 categories, including number one in blocks, free throws and number two in rebounds. He is a tough player you want on your team going into any battle. He and I did the same thing in grade eight - write down a list of goals. Among Dwight's were: lead his team to a state championship and become the first overall selection in the NBA Draft. I wonder if somewhere on that list was NBA MVP.

4. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics: This was a hard one considering the depth of talent on the Celtics' roster and I endeavored to chose only one candidate per team. He is ranked in the top ten in three categories including number two in three-point field goal percentage. He is not dominating stats categories like Howard but Ray Allen is like the chocolate chip to the Celtics' playoff cookie. Without him, the team is just not the same. He is the consummate clutch player and performs well under pressure. Being in the league for 14 years gives you that experience.

5. My MVP Pick - Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: Although I never believed the hype about Miami winning a championship based on assembling Wade, James and Bosh in the same city, I think a team's ability to beat this formation is a part of the measuring stick. The Thunder met the Heat twice this season and split the wins. In the game they won, the Thunder beat them by 11 points (96-85). Team success is another part of the MVP race because if said player is both talented and elevates the play of his teammates, his is MVP worthy in my opinion. Kevin Durant is both. He is an all-around great ambassador to the sport. He ranks number one in the NBA for points per game, averaging 27.9 and is really dedicated to the success of his team. He showed an example of this by coaching his teammate Serge Ibaka in the dunk contest (after his own victorious event got cancelled). At 23 years old and after being in the league for only 3 years, his time is now.

Thanks for joining me this week. I appreciate all your questions, comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming by following me on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw) and Twitter (@ddegraauw). Over the weekend, think about your Rookie of the Year choices and bring those to the table next Thursday. Until then, have a great weekend and see you on Tuesday for more NBA coverage in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".

Irony In OKC

I mentioned in the preview the last time the Raptors the last time Raptors won two in a row was on December 3rd. The team they defeated was the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Kevin Durant was a spectator that night and Thunder were coming into this one on a roll. Winners of six in a row. Not to mention this game was in Oklahoma City and the Raptors were in the midst of a team record 14 game road losing streak. Every single sign pointed to an easy win for the Thunder. But just like in March Madness upsets can happen and the Raptors would play like that plucky underdog in this one.

Raptors won the tip and Bargnani missed on a drive to the hoop. Kevin Durant nails a three, after a Calderon drive to the bucket Sefolosha would cut to the hoop and score and it was 5-2 Thunder. James Johnson would drive and score and make the and one free throw and it was tied at 5. Westbrook with a nice dime gave OKC the lead, after couple sloppy possession by both teams Perkins would get a slam to make it 9-5. Demar DeRozan and Kevin Durant exchanged hoops. Westbrook left Jose Calderon standing there. Then James Johnson made a three and was talking smack? Really James Johnson...not a smart idea. Not long after that Perkins would get in Amir Johnson's face and he would respond with a push and get teched up for it. Another Westbrook blow by and to this point this game was following the script you would have expected with OKC up 18-10.

Few empty trips for the Thunder and a wide open 3 from Bargnani combined with an earlier Raptor free throw would make it 18-14 Thunder. Speaking of the line Andrea Bargnani got himself there and made a pair it was a two point game. Reggie Evans checked in and got in the grill of Perkins and was able to draw a response and drew a technical on him. Calderon would make that and a jumper and Raptors led 19-18 currently enjoying a 9-0 run. Corner three would not fall for Westbrook and Raps would get out on break and make it an 11-0 run with Reggie of all people finishing on the break. Why Westbrook was not content going pick and roll and blowing past Calderon is a mystery to me. After a time out OKC would finally break free and get a couple baskets to re-take the lead 22-21. James Johnson on drive hits Reggie Evans who was being a factor scoring? No really he was. Westbrook took my advice but driving one against 3 was not what I had in mind. James Harden a frustration dunk after he was fouled on the floor. He would take an ill advised three and speaking of three on the other end Reggie Evans had his third basket since checking in. Evans almost had a 4th on a tap back at the end of the quarter but he would settle for 6 points and the Raptors happy to have 25-22 lead after 1.

Raptors started the 2nd quarter in a zone and James Harden made them pay with a 3 pointer and we were tied at 25. Barbosa the drive and the drop off for the offensive force that was Reggie Evans and he got fouled and heads to the line for 2. Not a good free throw shooter normally but makes both and Raptors were back up by 2. Thunder would hit another 3 and re-take the lead 28-27. Lead was flip flopping back and forth with the Thunder hanging on to the lead 30-29. Barbosa would get called for a charge but Bayless after a little trouble on the break would find Barbosa for the easy 2. Sonny Weems would add on two more to the cause and the Thunder had to be scratching their heads down 33-30 with a time out on the floor. Scott Brooks was coach of year for a reason as his team responded out of the time out again with two straight scores and were back on top 34-33. After the Raptors took the lead back another James Harden three would give the Thunder back their one point edge at 38-37 midway through the 2nd. James Johnson found a lane on the baseline and exploded down it for the slam. Thunder would answer that hoop and got a steal but James Johnson active hands would break up an easy score on the break.

Amir Johnson would draw a foul and get to the line and split a pair leaving this at even at 40. After a score on the next possession Thunder would make a sloppy pass and pay for it with a DeRozan dunk off the break and we were even again at 42 with a time out on the floor. Some Amir Johnson hustle gave the Raptors a couple extra chances to score that they failed to take advantage of. But the Raptors would gather a loose ball on the other end and a rare Bargnani hoop in the paint and the Raptors had a lead that Amir Johnson would expand on with his own bucket in the paint. After a couple OKC free throws a Barbosa drive and score gave the Raptors a pretty unexpected 48-44 lead at the half.

Thunder after a slow start for both teams a Westbrook drive to hoop not once but twice and this game was tied. He seems like he could do this almost anytime he wants why he not doing it more remains a mystery. Andrea Bargnani would get to the line and only manage getting 1 of 2 but nosed the Raptors back in front 49-48. Bargnani would miss a three but DeRozan got the board and put it home. Raps got on a roll and a DeRozan highlight worth dunk was enough to cause Brooks to call another timeout. Raptors after the Thunder had tied it went on a 8-0 run to lead 56-48. Perkins travelled as he put it in the basket but it would not count. Bargnani would extend the run on mid-range jumper. No travel this time and Perkins would finally end the Raptors 10-0 run with a nice lay in using the hoop to shield off the defenders. After Thunder got a couple hoops James Johnson who was doing a solid job guarding Kevin Durant got his offence on with a drive and score and Raptors were back up 8 with score 60-52.

Thunder would creep closer and the Raptors answer again to get the lead back to 64-56. Raptors were not going away but neither were these OKC fans who are some of the best in the NBA. Bargnani hit a shot and then got to the line made both and it was 68-58 Raptors with 3 to play in the 3rd. Bargnani had 10 in the quarter and DeRozan looking to match him with 10 of his own got called on the travel. But the Raptors were not stumbling at all in fact the got a Barbosa three to get lead to the largest point of the night to this point at 12. Kevin Durant was having a very quiet night thanks to James Johnson mostly but did manage to answer with a 3 of his own. Raptors were passing the ball well and Reggie Evans would benefit with a trip to the line and again made both. Raptors had a 10 point lead after 3. Raptors 76 Thunder 66 and the only question was could the Raps keep this up for 48 minutes.

A questionable foul call would go the way of James Harden and he made 3 at the line and Thunder were down a touchdown. Barbosa did not like the call but don't get made get even and he would nailing a three to get the Raptor lead back to 10. Thunder would get back to back hoops and crowd was getting into it. A steal and James Harden drew the foul heading to the line again. Thunder were having a bad night but Harden was keeping them in it. Made both and the Raptors lead the maxed out at 12 was down to 4. Another Raptor collapse coming our way. It was looking that way. Thunder had the crowd hyped and were trialling 81-77 with lots of time left. Demar DeRozan stepped up with a one handed runner and got Raptors back up a half dozen. It has hang on time for the Raptors. Bargnani gets a three after the Thunder split two at the line and Raptors led 86-78. But the Thunder were getting a lot of help from their 6th man and using it. Back to a 4 point game again but it would be DeRozan again stepping up to stop the Thunder burst and it was 88-82. Thunder got it back to 4 again and DeRozan slipped and had to call a time out as he was on the floor with no where to go.

Kevin Durant had been very quiet and well of his season totals but got to the line and made this a 2 point game the closet the Thunder had been in awhile. a loose ball and a tie up with exactly 5 minutes to go. Amir and Perkins would jump it up and Perkins would with the tap for OKC. K.D would hit a long two and tie this game up. This was looking like a case of close but no cigar for the Raptors. Durant on a jumper tried to give OKC the lead and could not hit. Raptors were struggling to get points as OKC had picked up their defence at the urging of their fans. Perkins got to the line and gave the Thunder the lead and you wondered if it would be for good. But he only made 1 of 2 and it was 89-88. James Johnson once again with a key basket on the drive and Raptors took the lead back. But the Thunder would answer and The Raptors failed to do so.

OKC called a time out with the ball up 91-90 looking to close this out and get a win. Thunder would turnover the ball out of the time out and Raptors would get a chance to re-take the lead that they had held most of the night. They could not and with 1:45 left the Thunder had all the momentum and it sure seemed like they could escape this one with a win. Durant got to the line again to chants of MVP he would make 2 at the line and Thunder led 93-90. The point was for most of this night Durant was not looking like an MVP and that is a big reason why Raptors were still in this. Barbosa tried for the tie and missed. K.D looked to close this out with a step back jumper but it didn't fall. Perkins would get fouled and get to line with 41.7 to play. He missed both and OKC was leaving the door open. DeRozan rebounded the 2nd miss and Raptors would call a time out. Barbosa has a easy look out of time out at 3 and nailed it. Raptors got a steal and had the ball tied at 93 with 21 seconds left. Barbosa would get the ball again and this time was the play maker getting a pass to Amir Johnson in the paint and a basket leaving OKC a little time left (1.4 seconds) to try to tie or win it. Thunder got the ball to K.D and a long 2 would not fall as it was an air ball. A stunning and fitting end to this game. 95-93 the Raptors shock the Thunder.

It was not a good day on the floor for Canada in March Madness. Texas on a questionable 5 second call lost to Arizona. Tristan Thompson and Cory Joesph's NCAA dreams were done for this season. Syracuse and their Canadian Joesph also fell. But the Raptors snapped a team record 14 game road losing streak in one of the tougher places to win in the NBA. It was unexpected and unreal. Full marks to James Johnson for taking up the challenge of locking down one of the best players in the game in Kevin Durant. Raptors had a tom of guys bringing it and they responded to the challenge and when adversity came in the 4th quarter they answered the challenge. Many times this season they have not. Full marks to the Raptors for a very unexpected win.

Oh Oh...OKC

The last time the Raptors won back to back games was December 1st and 3rd. That second win ironically enough was against Oklahoma City who at the time was without Kevin Durant. The will have him today and they will also have their big trade deadline pick up in Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder sit in 4th in the West with a five game lead over 5th for home court advantage. They enter the day two and half games out of 3rd. While the Raptors are fifth in the ping pong ball standings. There win over Washington left them two and half games ahead of the Wizards and Kings. Which in the ping pong ball standing is being behind. This starts a 5 game Western trip that will see the Raptors log some serious miles. After the game today it is a trip to Denver for a back to back tomorrow, then Wednesday visit to Phoenix, and another back to back in Oakland and L.A against the Warriors and Clippers on Friday and Saturday. After travelling to England earlier in the month they now face this road trip. It is just another difficult task in what has been a difficult season.

The Basics: Raptors 14-49 (3-5 in March) OKC 45-23 (6 Game Winning Streak)

When Last We Saw Them: Bargnani and DeRozan combined for 63 points. That was enough to power the Raptors past the Wizards at the ACC. Jose Calderon also played well and hit the shot that ended any doubt in the victory. While Reggie Evans is a rebounding machine and had 15 boards doing his thing as he has since returning to the line-up.

Key Match Ups: Westbrook the last time he played the Raptors had to be Superman. Today being the side kick or tag team partner of Kevin Durant for this one. Jose Calderon will have his hands full and this is a match-up he should lose 99 times out of 100. James Johnson who the Raptors have made it not secret is in their to play defence has one of the toughest assignments in the game today in guarding Kevin Durant. Then you have this new defensive duo of Ibaka and Perkins. This is without mentioning Thabo Sefolosha who could make life difficult for Demar DeRozan. Also without mentioning James Harden who since the trade at the deadline has an increased roll in the offence with Jeff Green off to Boston. Yeah there is a reason I picked the Thunder to make the NBA Finals. The reason is they are pretty good.

Other Things Of Note: Nate Robinson is out with a knee injury according to the Thunder's Game Notes. For people that have read the blog or heard me on the radio you will know how "disappointed" I am by this. Thunder/Sonics all time are 18-11 vs the Raptors. We all go on about Andrea Bargnani's lack of rebounding ability/effort, well he had 12 against the Thunder on December 3rd in the Raptors 111-99 win. Three things will be different today though, Kendrick Perkins was a Celtic when that happened, Kevin Durant was eating Pizza in locker room and was out with a sore knee and Reggie Evans is now back going after every rebound.

Where is it on? TSN (Wait aren't they suppose to be doing March Madness ??)

Hook'em Horns Eh!

Last night I watched the much talked about Fab 5 documentary. Their impact on college basketball was massive and it impacted on the game of basketball. If it ever does make it to air in Canada you owe it to yourself to watch it. Something is happening with three Canadians in Texas that might have an impact on Canada in the NCAA that could be remembered 20 years later. The Texas Longhorns have Tristan Thompson and Cory Joesph who will be representing Canada in Longhorn burnt orange in March Madness. We have had Myck Kabongo in this blog who will be joining his fellow Canadians at Texas next season. These three young Canadians might not be as brash as the Fab 5 were, but their impact on kids in this country could be pretty big. Thompson and Joesph have already opened up eyes in their rookie year at Texas. Both start for Texas and were battling in the Big 12 tournament this past weekend making it to the Final and falling to Kansas who they beat earlier in the season. They enter March Madness as the 4th seed in the West and are in the same bracket as the defending champion Duke Blue Devils.

We have spoke often in this blog about the chances of these 3 kids taking there talent to the NBA level. Earlier in the season when Oklahoma City rolled through Toronto, Kevin Durant spoke about these kids in glowing terms. He compared Tristan and Cory to himself and D.J Augustin who scored 23 vs the Raptors yesterday. He also spoke in the same glowing terms of Myck Kabongo as well. He talked about a pick-up game down in Texas in which Myck and Cory were on the floor playing against some Texas Alum in T.J Ford and others on the floor. He suggested that they more than held their own on the court. Here is what K.D had to say back in December.

T.J Ford is a former Raptor and Longhorn and was in town this past Friday. Ford has had his struggles this year with the Pacers being pushed to the background in favour of youth. He will be a free agent this summer and hopefully finds a home where he can revitalize his career. T.J was misrepresented in his time here in Toronto as a bad guy. The reality could not be further from the truth. He has always been a guy that has helped others coming up especially those that come from Texas. D.J Augustin benefited from that and now so are Cory Joesph and Myck Kabongo. T.J's passion for his former school has always been great and he, Kevin Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge and other former Longhorns have always given back to the program even after they have come to the NBA. Durant earlier in the interview above talked about Texas as a real family and spoke with some praise and respect for Coach Barnes and the program as you just heard. When you consider he only was there a season, it speaks to how much an impact the program had on him. Ford who led the Longhorns to Final Four also has much love for Barnes, the program and the new Canadian additions to the mix. Here is T.J speaking with me on Texas and it's Canadian kids.

I saw Myck Kabongo playing for Canada in the summer in San Antonio. He blew me away and caused me to reach out to him. He has been in the blog on several occasions and when I started getting the pieces to put this thing together I was able to talk with him back at the start of 2011 to get his thoughts for this feature. We start by talking about that visit that Kevin Durant referenced above. Where Myck and Cory were on the floor with T.J Ford, D.J Augustin and others. We go on to talk about his thoughts about going to Texas and there was a brief point where he was not committed to Texas. He explains about that and how his game was coming along at the time, as well as his thoughts on how Cory and Tristan were doing earlier in the season.

Myck before he goes to Texas will be taking part in the McDonald's High School All American Game at the end of the month in Chicago. We had a interview with him around the All-Star Break in the NBA just after he was named to participate in this game. If you missed that interview here is a link to check that out. While Cory and Tristan's first March Madness will begin at 12:15 on Friday kicking off CBS/TSN coverage taking on Oakland. Texas is the West Region and will be playing in Tulsa on Friday and Sunday. Their bracket includes last year's champion Duke, Former Coach of the Fab 5 Steve Fisher and surprising San Diego State, The UConn Huskies and Kemba Walker who won 5 games to win the Big East Title and Arizona who would be a potential 2nd round opponent for Texas. Others in this bracket include Michigan, Penn State, Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how they do as Texas had a bit of a slide late in the season but did make it all the way to the Big 12 final before falling to Kansas who they beat earlier in the season.

We have talked a lot about the prospects of all three of these kids not just making the NBA but the chances they could be Raptors in this blog. As well as Tristan and Cory have done, this may just be the start of something big. Both Kevin and T.J really thought of the 3 players Myck potentially could be the best of this trio. When you look at the potential of an NBA work stoppage next season basketball fans could be desperate for some hoops to watch. These 3 kids, should both Tristan and Cory remain at Texas, which with the lockout looming is more likely. It could make their profiles grow by leaps and bounds in Canada with no NBA potentially.

In a world of Big 3's it might just be the start of Canada's Big 3. I have got to speak with Myck on several occasions and he is one of the nicest young men I have ever come across. He is humble and respectful but still very confident and highly skilled. The same can be said for his fellow Canadians at Texas. They are just 3 examples of the growing amount of Canadian Talent that has invaded the NCAA. But these 3 represent a chance for something that has never happened. A Canadian that could be good enough to be a lottery pick in the NBA. Regardless of that it seems they all have NBA in their future if you listen to all the experts and guys around the league that know them.

March Madness is starting to mean more than just your office pool if you are a fan of basketball in this country. If you are a fan of the NBA in Canada it makes you hopefully that the NBA will have more than just Steve Nash to be proud of. If you are a Raptor fan you hope that all 3 of these Toronto based guys can be as good as advertised and some day come home to Toronto and the Raptors. There is still work for them to do but these kids work hard and play just as hard. They are young men that if you love the sport of basketball and are Canadian you can be proud of.

K.D's Bosh Comments Video

I mentioned the Kevin Durant Comments in the blog this morning but here is the video of those comments in regards to Chris Bosh:





no retort from Chris and if he is smart...which can be debated of late...there won't be.

Pacers Starting Fresh With The Raptors

The Indiana Pacers decided they had enough of their coach Jim O'Brien. It would appear the choice to send him packing was made by ownership according to the Indy Star. O'Brien was fired Sunday after posting a 121-169 in his 3 years plus. He has been around close to the same amount of time as Jay Triano so let's compare shall we? We Shall, Triano is 78-117 in his 3 years with the Raptors. O'Brien had a .417 winning percentage while Triano's works out to be .400 winning percentage. People make the excuse that Triano has not had a lot of talent to work with. Well did Jim O'Brien have a ton of talent? The Pacers best player was who Danny Granger? I know he is not "Mr Popular" these days but Chris Bosh was more talented than him. You can make the argument that the situations are fairly similar. Pacers have had there share of injuries over the last 3 years. Frank Vogel Pacers assistant becomes there interim coach. P.J has more head coaching experience than him. Just stating the facts. Raptors will try not to see there losing streak climb to a dozen. While the new era for the Pacers begins.

The Basics: Toronto 13-35 (4-11 on Road vs East) Pacers 17-27 (Lost 7 of 8)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors were in Minny and got utterly embarrassed by the T-Wolves. The less we say about this game the better so we will say no more other than it was the Raptors 11th straight loss. But you already knew that.

Key Match-Ups: Well it will be interesting to see what Frank Vogel does in his debut. One of the reasons for O'Brein's demise was said to be how he handled young players and specifically Roy Hibbert. Our former Raptor for a few weeks. Also on a couple of my fantasy teams not that anyone cares about that. Andrea Bargnani will have his hands full with Roy in the paint. It would not seem likely that the Pacers would play Hibbert on Bargnani on defence. Darren Collison has not exactly taken the Pacers by storm as many felt he might. He has 13.7 points a slight improvement on his numbers with the Hornets but his assists have dipped from 5.4 to 4.8 assists through 41 games played for the Pacers. You also have T.J Ford who is always motivated to play against Jose Calderon, and sometimes that is good news for the Raptors, and other times it is good news for T.J. Calderon and Bayless will need to be better than Collison and Ford for the Raptors to have a chance to win. But the biggest issue will be on the glass once again where the Pacers should have an advantage. They average 43.2 rebounds per game to the Raptors 40.7.

Other Things Of Note: The Pacers demolished the Raptors in their only meeting this season that was also in Indy winning the game going away 124-100, and it is on a growing list of games where the Raptors were embarrassed badly. In case you missed it, I wrote a piece yesterday taking a look at where this is all going for the Raptors in terms of the future. But nothing that I wrote can top what Kevin Durant had to say about our good old buddy Chris Bosh. Seems a good time to mention our event coming up in Toronto for the Bosh return on Feb 16th.

The (Un) Welcome Back Bosh Party @ St.Louis Wings

• Location: 595 Bay St (North of Dundas)
• When: Feb 16th 2011
• Time: Come early if you like. But will have game on with Heat and Raptors that tips @ 7PM
• Details: Were working on them but you can expect a good time, some giveaways and the best place to watch the game outside of the ACC itself. We are even going to try to set up a speakers corner where you can share your thoughts on Chris Bosh and his return. It is going to be a great time so if you can't get tickets for this game this is going to be the next best thing.

The guys at St. Louis Wings had been asking me to come and be a part of a Raptor game for awhile and I said if we are going to do this let's do it big. Looking forward to hosting this event and hope to see many DNB readers come out to have some fun. It is always a treat for me to meet the people that read the blog and Raptor fans in general so I am looking forward to this.

Where Is It On? Sportsnet ( The Rumours they tried to cancel covering this game for a Post All-Star Game Breakdown show are 100% false....Honest...No Really)

DNB TGIF Preview- Raptors vs Thunder

I am heading down to the T-Dot to watch the team I cover take on the team I picked to win the NBA Finals. I am pretty sure not to many people have the OKC Thunder to win the NBA Title. Sure that many folks are shocked that Raptors if the playoffs started today Toronto would be in them. Thunder have showed they are more then just Kevin Durant. They have been getting wins without their franchise player. The biggest reason for that has been the play of Russell Westbrook who has taken his game to another level. The Raptors even with some injures this season have still kept fighting on most nights. Durant status for this one is up in the air. But even without him this Thunder team is no joke. Raptors have beaten some marquee opposition in the best 2 teams in the East in Orlando and Boston. Oklahoma City is now in that elite class of teams.

The Basics: OKC Thunder 13-6 (7-2 On The Road) Raptors 7-11(1-5 vs West)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors could do no wrong. We mention taking it to another level in the opening and the Raptors did that against Washington. 72 first half points was more than enough to secure a Raptor victory from there. Ed Davis impressed in his NBA debut and DeRozan got back on track and led the team in scoring with 20.

Key Match ups: Russell Westbrook is playing at an all-star level. Jose Calderon I will admit has improved but can he match-up with Westbrook on D? Doubtful it might be one of those nights where we see Weems take Westbrook and Bayless when he is in there. If K.D does not play this becomes the most important match-up in this game. Andrea Bargnani needs to take advantage of his match-up. The Thunder do not have a big that can hang with Bargs. But we need a full 48 from Andrea in this one. The other match-up to keep an eye on is Demar DeRozan taking on Thabo Sefolosha. Should be a good test for DeRozan to see if he can string together back to back efforts.

Our DNB Game Plan: Now as I have mentioned in terms of getting interviews in pre-game it can be hit or miss. But I am going to try to talk with Jerryd Bayless and Ed Davis pre-game. May even wander over to Thunder Locker room and see If I can get K.D's thoughts on Texas having some Canadian Content in the NCAA. Just like with the Raptors the game plan might not work but will try to execute it.

In Case you missed it: This is the first of what will be every Friday that Raptors are at home the DNB will be in the house covering games. Hence the TGIF Preview. Also Vince Carter Via Twitter says you fans here in Toronto boo much louder in comparison to Cleveland last night. Lebron James put the wood to his former club throwing down 38. In case you have been living under a rock the Miami Heat take their talents north on Feb 16th just after Valentine's Day for the first appearance of Chris Bosh in an opposing uniform. Also according to local papers in OKC Kevin Durant is expected to take morning shoot around and based on that they will determine his status for the Match-up tonight at the ACC.

With all that said I will be taking my talents to the T-dot and keep it tuned in on Twitter @Dinonationblog for updates and info on tonight's game.

Update on K.D Status 11:30am: Word is no K.D tonight which is bad news in the sense he is fun to watch. But does improve the Raptors chances at sneaking out a win.

"Jiggly Bits"

So training camp opens in a few weeks and the NBA regular season open a few weeks after that. Training camp is really a time to get the kinks out from a summer off of intense training for some and for others, maybe a chance to catch up and see what teammates have been up to over the break. For Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, he's been working on a special project - the subject of which, is near and dear to my heart. Terry Fox started his "Marathon of Hope", running the equivalent of a marathon a day, when Steve Nash was just six years old. Both Terry Fox and Steve Nash are from Vancouver and Steve Nash remembers vividly waking up each morning to see where Terry was on his route. This is what makes "Into the Wind" so special. This is the title of Nash's documentary about Terry Fox and it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this past Sunday. It was produced by Meathawk, a production company Nash started with his cousin and production partner, Ezra Holland. Don't worry, if you didn't catch it at TIFF, it will be on ESPN on September 28 and most likely picked up by some Canadian network, I hope. I will be doing the Terry Fox Run this year as I do every year and it is always a favourite run of mine. So many of my family members have been affected by cancer and for some, it can be a very scary word. But people are given "death sentences" every day and beat it, so for me I try to live each day as the start of a new adventure not the last day of my last venture. I think Terry would have wanted it that way. It puts everything into perspective.

U.S.A Ends a Drought

As sad as I am to see our Canadian National Team flop at this year's Worlds, I am really happy for Kevin Durant and the rest of Team USA. Durant really carried this team, especially in the 81-64 win over Turkey to take the 2010 World Championship title when he racked up 28 points. They went a perfect 9-0 and won their first World Championship since 1994. I remember watching an interview done with a US network and Kevin Durant part way through the Worlds. Durant had a baseball cap on, a backpack too and was leaning on the kitchen counter with both elbows as if talking into a web cam. It's interviews like these that remind you how young some of these players are and how much they are expected to accomplish. So Durant was named MVP of the Worlds averaging 22.8 points per game, shot 55.6% from the field and made 91.2% of his shots from the foul line. Just amazing. USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski I am sure was pleased with how his team fared. He's been the Head Coach of the Duke University men's basketball team for about 30 years and over that time has acquired a taste for championships. I just hope Jay Triano, an Assistant Coach to Team USA, took home some notes of wisdom and applies this winning streak to the Raptors.

Allen Iverson Heading to Retirement?

Very sad if he does. So if you are in the NBA, not as strong as you once were and have issues off the court and no club comes calling for your services, what do you do? Head to China. That is a serious option Allen Iverson is considering. As you know, he played three games for Memphis last season before he came back to the Philadephia 76ers for a second run with this club. He averaged 13.9 points per game before taking a leave of absence to take care of some family issues. Remember Stephon Malbury? He was also not considered worthy by the NBA and played last season for Shanxi Zhongyu of the CBA - Chinese National Basketball Association. So maybe Iverson should give him a call and ask for some advice. Remember, Iverson also hasn't ruled out retirement. With a few weeks left to go before training camp starts, he better make up his mind.

Basketball Beyond the Floor

Maybe a little part of me was giddy Team USA won the Worlds was because the book we are discussing this Thursday was written by Team USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski (with Jamie K. Spatola). I am sure The Gold Standard will provide some golden food for thought. Until Thursday, happy reading.

Thoughts For A Monday In September

First off apologies for no blog on Friday. I am conserving my energy for the season. Second I failed to mention this last week but we are going to start a weekly chat on Thursdays, for now that will start at 7pm but the time will likely change.

The NFL is perhaps the most hyped up sport there is in pro sports. Watching all of the stuff going down yesterday made me think about things here with Raptors and the NBA in general. Now one of the real shockers of week 1 was the Seattle Seahawks giving a beat down to the 49ers. It was suppose to be the opposite. The Raptors have been picked to finish dead last in the East by ESPN but it is just that a pick. Till we start playing games for real it is an educated guess at best. So just keep that in mind over the next month.

Some other lessons from the NFL week 1? Lebron James was in the house to watch our favourite football team- "America's Team". Dallas Cowboys are a lot of peoples pick to go to the Super Bowl. Not mine by the way even though I am a Cowboy fan. Well the Washington Redskins didn't get the memo and beat the Cowboys who looked anything like a championship team. Miami Heat have been pretty much crowned as Champions by many. That being said you still have to go out and meet expectations.

The last lesson for all teams is you never know what can happen. For that you only need to look at the Eagles game for the example. For the entire off-season Eagles fans and NFL experts have debated how Kevin Kolb will do replacing Donovan McNabb. Well a concussion and it is hello Mike Vick and suddenly the story changes. Injuries do not know who are good teams and who are bad teams. They have no idea who is a starter or who is a bench player. They just happen.

While Leboron James was chilling in a luxury box watching the Skins and Cowboys. Earlier in the day his replacement as the NBA's new hero was putting in work. Kevin Durant and team USA defeated the host Turkey and take home a gold from the world championships. Full marks to Kevin Durant for leading a team that was B or C listers in terms of what the U.S could actually have and still winning. Congrats to Jay Triano as well who was on that staff for team U.S.A. Does anyone doubt if Triano was coaching Canada we would have been better then 0-5?

Believe it or not NBA training camps will start opening up in a couple weeks. It has been one of the most eventful summers in league history and we are about 6 weeks away from the start of another NBA season. So GET READY.

3 Up and 3 Down

Welcome to an off-season edition of 3 up and 3 down. It is the fun game that you can all play along in the comments as well if you want. 3 things that are good and 3 things that are bad in the NBA or with Raps. Simple as that.

Up

1. Demar DeRozan had a great summer league and still has a great work ethic. I expect big things from Demar next season. Quite honestly Raptors need him to be. But at least all signs are pointing the right direction. He will lead the Young Guns to great things hopefully.

2. Kevin Durant in an off-season that has showed the ugly side of a lot of NBA players, it has shown the great side of Kevin Durant. Set to lead Team USA into the Worlds. He is rapidly becoming the 3rd best player in the NBA and not content to stay there. LBJ and Kobe are soon to have company.

3. Shaq is back. I know being on Celtics might not be the greatest fit for him. But still I am happy Shaq remains in the NBA. I am not sure what the league will be like when he is eventually does leave. But I am not ready to experience it yet.

Down

1. To Miami Heat. So many reasons for this but the one I will choose the fact they sold are their season tickets the fired their sales staff. That is a total classless and tacky move. They can afford to pay Wade, James and Bosh but can't afford to pay some poor working stiffs. Miami Heat have shown little class and it is safe to say many in the NBA can't wait to watch them fail. From the victory parade before the fact through everything else it is August and I am already sick of hearing about the Heat.

2. Bryan Colangelo- From trades that didn't work to slagging Chris Bosh. It really has not been a good summer for B.C. Here is hoping he can pull it out of the fire if not for himself but for all of us. His future with the Raptors and his legacy is on the line.

3. ESPN for never letting things die. From Lebron's decision and about 10,000,000 wrong rumours, to the never ending Favre, To the on going quest of a juice head to hit 600 home runs. ESPN has done a lot of great things over the years but is rapidly becoming what is wrong with sports.

NBA Heroes, Villains and Jobbers

The NBA is getting a WWE feel to it beyond the NWO comparisons. If there is a mega baby face in this NBA it is Kevin Durant. In a summer where many peoples reputations have taken hits. Kevin Durant's list of people singing his praises grows. He will be the leader of a Team USA that is far from at full strength. Durant will be the leader of what overall is a very young team U.S.A. They will be challenged up front, with no Bosh or Howard. So it was no surprise that Kevin Durant was the star among stars, in the U.S inter-squad game with 28. For the details on others check this out from the Associated Press.

Most thought Lebron James and Chris Bosh were jerks in how they handled their exits to Miami. In fact, the Bosh rewriting of history continues in Miami. He sure never looked as unhappy as he comes off in media coverage now. Here is a big spread on Bosh in Miami Hearld titled From Raptor to Rapture. Seriously can Miami be anymore cheesy about this? I am sure they can. After all this is the same city that held Shaq a parade when he came.The Miami party continues on till tip off of the NBA Season and beyond. While others outside of Miami may paint Bosh and James as scumbags, it is hard to top Chris Paul.

A meeting is suppose to be taking place today. In that meeting Chris Paul is expected to confirm he wants out in New Orleans. He and his agent seem to have a plan to cut and run on New Orleans. Paul has been rumoured to have his own dreams of building a big 3 in New York with Amare and Carmelo. The only problem is your not a free agent. In fact Mr. Paul is not a free agent for 2 years. But Raptor fans know all about a star player pushing his way out of town....See Vince Carter. Still this leaves an even worse taste in my mouth. Paul was one of the faces of this city, that helped give the city hope after Katrina and the devastation. The Hornets have not had the success of the Saints, winning the Super Bowl this past season. Perhaps that may be part of Paul wanting out, who knows. Safe to the the Saints will always be number 1 team in New Orleans. If Paul follows through on this, he will become an even bigger heel than James. It is one thing for Lebron to leave Cleveland, it is quite another for Paul to leave New Orleans. The city still faces challenges now with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But Paul is no longer the smiling face that helped rebuild this community.

The Front runners in the Paul Derby seem to be The Knicks and Magic. The Lakers are also said to be on Paul's short list. Other teams in the mix include the Mavericks and Trailblazers. It will be interesting to see if New Orleans will get strong armed into trading Paul away. Many feel that Darren Collison is ready to step in and be a starter in the league. But that being said do you really want to trade you star player with a gun placed at your head? It really is a no win situation for the Hornets.

The Raptors have been quiet of late. Antonie Wright is no longer a Raptor. He signed with the Kings over the weekend. It seemed pretty clear from the start the Raptors had little to no interest in keeping him. I was never a fan of him in his short time here. He was a guy never short on words. But very short on action for me. He talked like he was some kind of leader on this team. I would suggest he was a leader in his own mind. Billed to be a defensive stopper coming in last season. He fell short of that and short at a lot of things. He is rapidly becoming a NBA journeyman, as the Kings will be his 4th team, after stops in New Jersey, Dallas and here. The only free agent the Raptors had beyond Bosh that they appeared to have interest in was Amir Johnson. Raptors went above and beyond to sign him. Patrick O'Bryant was at summer league on another team's roster this year. Can you say hello D-League? While Rasho Nesterovic is not likely to be back as well.

Welcome to the last week of July. Hard to believe isn't it? Raptors will need to make some moves before the season you have to figure. Everyone just try to stay cool while you wait. It is hot out there.

The AFTERMATH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Jiggly Bits"

I love the NBA playoffs. Not so much to see the stars do their thing because really, if you've made it this far, anything is possible. Look at the Oklahoma Thunder. Man, that city really rallied around their team and made us all believers at one point, even the Lakers. But our soldiers in the gold and purple pulled out a series win and moved onto their next battle: the Utah Jazz where the Lakers are leading the series 1-0. Phoenix is in the same boat, an edge up on the Spurs 1-0 in that series. Atlanta and Orlando begin their battle this week, too. Which leaves us to round out the final second round series match-ups with Boston and Cleveland. With all the talk about Cleveland riding their broom to the final and sweeping every last opponent out of the way, the Boston Celtics are out to prove MVPs don't win championships - champions do. We'll talk about this series, Lebron's legacy, the Lebron and Durant rumours and Vinny Del Negro packing his bags.

Boston Kicks it up a notch

You know, I had my doubts the Cavs were going to cruise to an NBA Championship this year. I think sometimes people forget the playoffs are not a sprint to the finish. It is a full - out marathon. And if any of you have put your body through the challenges only a marathon can provide, you'll know even the most experienced athlete can hit the proverbial wall and things can break down or another marathoner will simple have everything clicking at the right moment and literally whiz right past you. This is what happened to the Cavs in game two of this series. Congratulations to Lebron on his MVP accolades and I totally agree he deserves it. But the reason he got it is the exact reason the Cavs struggle sometimes. If the Cavs need to control their transition better, Lebron is there. If the Cavs need more force on the defensive end of their game, Lebron may not prefer to be there but he'll fill the gap. And if the Cavs need a half court jumper to beat the buzzer, Lebron is your man. Being all things to your team takes it's toll and Boston capitalized on that to tie up the series. And by a pretty sizable margin, too (104-86) so they didn't just get lucky. Rajon Rondo had twelve assists in the first half alone and just created Boston scoring opportunities everywhere. The Celtics really built a lead by moving the ball and hitting open jump shots. Looking at the stats, Ray Allen outscored the Cavs all by himself in the third quarter of game two by 17-12 and Rondo had a career high 19 assists on the night at this point. Unbelievable. From watching the Celtics all season, the key for them has been their real ability to claw their way to a win if they need to or to put it simply, working together as a team. If they keep this up, that MVP trophy will be the only one Lebron will have in his 2010 collection.

Lebron James and his Legacy

I know you probably think because I am critical of the Cavs, I am of Lebron, too. It's my job to present both sides and be critical. But don't take this as I am attacking his future legacy because that's what I know all the emails after this blog will be about. I think Lebron James is a true character and ambassador to the sport. He could have accepted his MVP award in a big hall with all the NBA dignitaries you can imagine but he didn't. He shared it with his hometown of Akron in a public ceremony and later celebrated at a party open to all. I really hope broadcasters don't give up and stop voting for him him out of boredom if no one challenges his game and what he gives to it. Remember back in 2000, a former ESPN broadcaster took some real heat for giving his vote to Allen Iverson over Shaquille O'Neal - that was huge since Shaq could have swept the voting that year. I like how Lebron remains grounded and remembers who got him to where he is: friends, coaches and especially his Mom. I think she'd like an NBA trophy rather than flowers for Mother's Day this year, Lebron. But you don't need me telling you that.

"Lebronzenator and Durantula" coming to an arena near you

Really? Do we honestly believe this? I'd believe Chris Bosh going to Oklahoma before I see Lebron and Durant on the same roster, so lets not get our hopes up. I think because the Thunder has a relatively small payroll and tons of room under the salary cap, various scenarios are getting tossed around and this can get fueled by emotions. Dinonation James touched on this while responding to Bosh's tweets about his future with the Raptors. This is business and you can't let emotions get the best of you - this is what happened to another Toronto team (Really Leafs? No first pickin's for you for two whole years...why, why, why). If you look at what the Thunder has done over the last three years, they focus on the draft, make some trades and then see what's out there in terms of free agents. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has done a pretty good job of building a team that will grow together and last. Will Lebron make them last like the energizer bunny? Probably not. Will Bosh? Possibly. Will Durant look for another playground? Quite possibly. Though Durant is under contract to play for the Thunder next season regardless of what happens this summer, Presti will most likely have a discussion with his biggest asset come July 1st. Oh what a summer this is going to be.

Del Negro is Done

Pretty sad, really. The Bulls went 41-41 this season and made the playoffs in each of their two terms with Coach Vinnie Del Negro. We knew in December amidst rumours that he was on his way out after a Bulls slow start, that a "kinda sorta maybe - we like you" from Bulls GM Gar Forman was not going to keep Del Negro on the Bulls payroll. But the Bulls as a team rallied to the post season and sadly, that wasn't good enough. I don't think he was really given a chance and Bulls management seemed to have a sink or swim mentality with him. It's their own fault, too. Remember when Del Negro was hired? He got the job obviously not on coaching experience because he had none but because two other high profile candidates fell through. C'mon this isn't high school Prom. No one wants to start a season praying for it to be over already in December. So what happens now? The new coach will have the pleasure of working with Derrick Rose and gets to lead a team that has loads of salary cap space to offer a lucrative contract to an awesome free agency class this summer. Sweet. I really hope Bulls management does their homework this time because it would be nice to see this team enjoy some success next season.

"Jiggly Bits"

Finally. We sat through the loss to Denver and the even harder to-sit-through blunder against Miami and just when you think they are falling apart at the seams, the Toronto Raptors come up with a win last night against Charlotte. Ahhh..now we can breathe a sigh of relief. Some might say "who cares if they make the playoffs - they won't even make it past the first round". I wouldn't be so quick to judge. I mean, realistically, I don't think the Raptors are going to win any championships this year - that's safe to say. But take a look at the last three games and how they were won or lost. They were close, very close. As you know, in close games, both sides are hungry, working hard and want the brass ring. If a loss turns up on your side of the coin, it doesn't mean your team is not talented or deserved the loss. It means little mistakes like turnovers or missed shots from behind the arc got in the way. In the Raptors case, I think this means they know how to win now and we hope this game puts them back on the right track. After we talk about some of the highlights from last night's game, we'll touch on the Nets, NBA Hall of Fame and some hot comments made by LeBron James lately.

Have Faith in this Team

If there is anything I have learned from running marathons, minis or 30K's, you can be in the zone and everything's clicking or something pops, you hit a wall and as a result, you are left wondering "how am I going to finish this thing". The best advice anyone ever gave me is trust in your training, take each kilometre as it comes and enjoy the moment. So if we apply this to the Raptors, we can trust in the depth of their bench - they showed us that against Denver last week. The loss against Miami was like something popping. However embarrassing giving up a sizable lead like that was, they regrouped and found a way to win last night's game 103-101. I think it shows more character to win like this because it shows they know how to dig deep and stay the course. They need to play four quarters and not walk into saying "I wonder how we're going to loose today" but "how much we are going to win by". Whether you are making millions or playing high school basketball, taking so many losses in a row hurts team confidence and morale. They lost 13 of their last 17 going into Monday's showdown and this was the break they needed. It helped that Charlotte - including MJ - spent most of the night being mad at the officials and were thrown off their game a little. But that's how you win against teams like Charlotte or play-off opponents. Make them uncomfortable, make them take uncalculated shots and throw them off their game. I really hope the Raptors take time to enjoy this win - confidence is everything.

Worst of the Worst - Nets breathing a sigh of relief

According to the official NBA history books, the Nets will not be the most dismal team in the history of the game. As for this season, they may also no longer be the worst team in the NBA. While the Raptors were digging deep, the Nets were too, pulling out a dramatic 90-84 win over the Spurs on Monday night. This win passed them over the worst ever mark (9-73) set by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1972-1973 season. This was huge, not just because of the impending doom that comes with being the worst team in the NBA, but because the Spurs have been really hot lately, winning 12 out of their last 16 going into Monday night's contest. Proof positive anything can happen when the playoffs are on the horizon. Plus, with three wins in their last four games, the Nets are also looking to enjoy the moment and stay the course.

Hall of Fame puts fans on the guest list

Traditionally, past inductees, people within the game and media members have chosen those individuals who they feel deserve to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Those who vote are not identified and once the screening committee narrows the list of nominations, another committee votes on the finalists and later votes on who will make the Hall. Sound a little cloudy? This is why Hall Chairman Jerry Colangelo is trying to apparently make the process more transparent and get fans interested in the process. The new plan is supposed to be formalized within the next few days and fans may begin participating in the voting process by next year. But don't get your hopes up yet. We don't know what value will be given to the fan voting or if this is just a little marketing scheme. I am a little skeptical.

Bron Bron showing some "braun"

I think those that are complaining about LeBron James' comments surrounding the NBA scoring title as of late are stretching it a little bit. As you know, Lebron is in a close race for the title with Kevin Durant and with the hype comes comments and interviews and things getting blown out of proportion. When asked about the title, LeBron, who is averaging 29.8 points per game, said he could win it every year if he wanted to but it doesn't matter. I took this as he has his eye on a bigger prize like the NBA championship, focusing on team accomplishments and unselfish play rather than individual titles. I heard some of my colleagues say he's being disrespectful to the history of the league or LeBron is setting himself up for a loss to Kevin Durant for the title, so he acts as if it doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, it's nice to get recognized for individual accomplishments but anyone who has ever been involved in team organized sports understands that winning a championship with your extended family/ teammates is a lot tastier.

On that note, enjoy your Final-Four-watchin'-turkey-eatin' Easter weekend and the bits will be back next Tuesday.

Thunderclapped Raptors Recap

If you were anywhere near a television screen that happened to be playing the Toronto Raptors host the Oklahoma City Thunder, chances are you're not going to be reading this. I'll break it down below for those who didn't watch it, but to some it up in one word: STINKER.

Coming into the game, the Thunder had swept six Eastern Conference teams and were looking to make the Raptors their seventh victim. The last time these two teams squared off, the Raptors were without Chris Bosh, and they lost by 20 points. By comparison, that game was a thing of beauty. The Raptors were demolished in this one by a score of 115-89.

What started out as relatively close first six minutes of the first quarter, ended with the Thunder leading 39-25 after one. By the time half-time rolled around the Raptors had given up a hideous 71 points. What's worse is that OKC didn't shoot a great percentage from the field (41.5%). They did most of their damage from the free-throw line (+15) and with second chance points (+17). The Raptors gave up 15 more rebounds at the half including 10 more offensive rebounds. Basically, the Raptors once again lost in those categories that are usually used to measure heart and hustle.

Jay Triano was given a technical foul in the dying seconds of the first half but, if you were watching the game, you just knew that it wasn't going to make a difference. The Raptors interior defense was its usual, laugable self. On one play, Serge Ibaka delivered what might end up being the putback slam of the year. Off a rare Kevin Durant brick, he went up to throw it down right on Amir Johnson's head. It was the perfect example of what Raptors fans have come to expect from their team. A line off of 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" album comes to mind, "You'se a poptart sweetheart, you soft in the middle." I know, I know, the Raptors are soft on the outside too, but they don't make poptarts like that.

The Raptors poptart-like defense coupled with the Thunder's youthful energy made this game one of the most boo-worthy performances of the year. However, if you were watching it strictly from the perspective of an NBA fan, you couldn't help but appreciate the team spirit exhibited by the Thunder. They were showing a sense of togetherness and genuine excitement that winning teams often have. Every off-season it seems that we comment on the improvement of the Eastern Conference. Yet, every season it seems that the West is more dominant than the last. Just as Jack and Matt mentioned during the broadcast, if the Thunder were in the Eastern Conference, they'd most likely be sitting pretty in the second spot.

My good friend Dave Vuckovac was a huge fan of the Seattle Supersonics, and I know on nights like these he has to be hurting. Watching this Thunder team do so well after years of the Sonics sucking can't be good for the heart. Could you imagine if the Raps were to pack up and head to Buffalo and then become one of the most exciting teams in the league? It would get ugly and that's putting it very lightly.

Just to add a few more Raptor-related notes: Hedo continued to suck- picking up quick fouls in the first quarter. The Thunder are the EXACT kind of team he'll never be able to play against. If you could name me any swingman in the league that Hedo has an athletic advantage over, I'll give you a poptart. And keep in mind I'm one of his bigger supporters...but that's not saying much. Also, the second most disappointing player this year has to be Marco Belinelli. Yes, he dropped 12 points in this laugher but when's the last time he's strung together two or three good games? You'll have to go as far back as January 22-27 for the last three games where he scored in double figures in three straight. The ONLY thing he has going for him is that he resembles Rocky Balboa. Aside from that, there's NO reason why he should be taking ANY minutes away from Sonny Weems or DeMar DeRozan. He should just sit on the bench and yell, "Adriaaaann!" every time Andrea scores.

Lastly, I've said it before but I'll say it again: Amir Johnson needs to be starting for this team. The change at the point guard spot has no effect on their success. Actually, scratch that, starting Jose makes the starting unit worse. The change needs to come up front. Amir and Andrea both grabbed the same number of rebounds against OKC but Johnson did it in six fewer minutes. And please don't use the excuse of Andrea's point production because the bench needs an infusion of offense courtesy of Bargs more than the starters do. Make the change, Triano. There's no reason why Amir should only be averaging 17 minutes per game on this team.

Aside from Ibaka's puke-worthy putback slam, the highlight of the night came in the fourth. It didn't happen on the court, let's face it, anything that happened at the end of this one didn't matter to anyone not named Marcus Banks. It was when Jack and Matt were discussing Drake. The conversation between these two is always much more enjoyable than the dialogue between Leo and Matt. Jack should call every Raptors game and Leo should focus on Team Canada. Jack's a solid broadcaster through and through. The ONLY reason Leo is employed is he just happens to be one of the few retired Canadian NBA players this side of the border.

That's all from me, here's hoping tomorrow the Raptors take care of business in the future home of John Wall/Evan Turner.

Thunder Warning In T-Dot

The Toronto Raptors got back in the win column and got more help from an unlikely source in Vince Carter and his Orlando Magic. The Raptors need to play much better if they hope to make it 2 wins in a row with a very realistic shot to make it 4 in a row with the Nets and Minnesota on the sked on Saturday and Monday. But the win tonight will not be an easy one. The Thunder are surprising everyone even me who was one of the few that picked them to make the playoffs in the west. However they are not only in the playoffs but still hopefully of getting home court advantage. In a sense Oklahoma City is in the spot in the West that most Raptors fan hoped and expected the Raptors to be in the East.

Kevin Durant has been the 2nd best player in the league to only King James in the minds of many. He has a talented young cast around him with Westbrook, Green and Harden. This OKC is so young they all could almost be eligible to enter the NCAA March Madness. Kentucky might be deep but they would be hard pressed to stay in a game with these young guns from OKC. Durant a former national player of the year. Green the former Big East player of the year. Westbrook and Harden both standouts in the Pac-10. OKC makes an NCAA All Star Roster that can compete with almost anyone in the NBA forget about the NCAA.

They offer all the same challenges that Atlanta does in terms of off the chart athleticism. The Raptors did beat Atlanta minus Joe Johnson but it took a lot on luck(Perhaps of the Irish and Jack Armstrong) to eek out a win. It will take a stronger effort from the Raptors to win tonight. at the top of that list Chris Bosh. He did hit the big shot to win the game vs Atlanta but it will take a full 48 minutes to beat a motivated Kevin Durant and company.

OKC is no longer a joke. They are perhaps on the verge of becoming an elite team in the NBA. They are a lot closer than the Raptors are that is for sure. Toronto would like to get a win and move on to the road were they have struggled with 2 very winnable games. But that will be far from an easy task.

My bracket in the NCAA tournament went up in flames yesterday(Thanks Hoyas) if the Raptors hope not to do the same they will need one of their better efforts of the season to get it done. Even though this Thunder team is young they have a winning road record and are no easy out regardless of where they are playing. So take a break from the Madness and check out the Raps. I will be doing that in between Live Blogging to college games for the Score. Jack and Bosh's Yellow Jackets against the Joey Graham Oklahoma State Cowboys. So both in college rooting and NBA playing it is all about OKC today for Bosh and Jack and the Raps. After Raps game I am doing Louisville and Cal. Head to the Score.com and click on Blogs then LiveBlogs or follow me on Twitter @dinonationblog and I will post direct links there. Busy times with Madness and Raptors but I love it. Basketball from when I have lunch to go to sleep. You can't beat that.

Jiggly Bits - Danielle de Graauw

So what are you doing for Valentine's Day? I'm spending it watching the classic, yet epic drama that is the NBA All-Star Game. Every year, we talk about who got in and who didn't, who started and who didn't. And to tell you the truth, I agree with the starting line-ups in both the East and the West. However, it would have been nice to see Chris Bosh in that top five. It's too bad the coaches deciding his fate couldn't consider how the Raps have surged foward in the last 5 games. This is his fifth straight all-star game, tying Vince Carter for the most appearances in Raptors history. He's going to be busy between now and the 14th since the game will be played in his hometown of Dallas and everyone will want tickets.

NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Eastern Conference

As you all know, the coaches making selections in both conferences cannot vote for members of their own squad. This year, they've repeated themselves by picking four first-timers as All-Star reserves. Young, too - 23 years old and younger. Al Hortford (23) of the Hawks, Rajon Rondo (23 - he has teammate Paul Pierce for support and guidance in his first all-star appearance) and Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose. Now, Rose has had some injuries to deal with this season and has had to battle back. Since Christmas he has helped the Bulls to a 12-5 record and his personal stats (23.1 points, 6.5 assists, 50% shooting) are totally worthy of a spot on the All-Star Team in the East.

I think the biggest story out of the Eastern Conference Selections with only 6 teams above .500, I don't see any serious snubs. I'm thinking New York Knicks David Lee should have been at least considered. But when you consider the Knicks record so far this season (18-25), you might think this is what held him back. Is this why Chris Bosh was left out of the starting line-up? because of the Raptors record? Some of you might tell me Hedo Turkoglu was passed over, but when you're up against Lebron James, Paul Piece and your own teammate (Bosh) in the forwards category, that's a tough nut to crack. At least he made the list of considerations. Let me know what you think.

NBA ALL-STAR SELECTIONS - Western Conference

Deron Williams must be over the moon to be selected this year. He's led the Jazz to the play-offs for the last 3 years, named to the U.S. Olympic Squad, all-around awesome career so far for someone who's just 25 years old and now he's an all-star. Totally agree with this choice. Other new comers in the Western Conference? Thunder forward Kevin Durant - yes. Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies - yes. But here's where I begin to question things. Of the all-star vets that were chosen (Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy and Pau Gasol), Gasol is the surprise for me. I know you are probably thinking he would be the first one from that list I would defend. This is his third time being selected as a back-up centre but he wasn't even the "every day center" for the Lakers (Andrew Bynum is). Gasol has also missed 17 games so far this season. Are we thinking his superior games played aside from those missed games were so incredibly awe-inspiring, it out-weighed even his dip in the scoring category? Hmm. Something to think about.

Overall, the selections by the West coaches went pretty much according to schedule. But I thought for sure Chris Kaman was going to get the nod since he's been snubbed for the second time. Just looking at the stats and comparing him to other centres in the West, he's having a great season. Plus, the Clippers are making a real run for the play-offs (just ignore the 20-25 record part of that equation).

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the Dream Team

Yes, there is a connection - sort of. So I was reading an article recently talking about where all the 2010 Winter Olympic Athletes will stay while the games are on. Guess who said this: "I'm a black millionaire - I've earned the right to stay where I want to stay". Give up? Charles Barkley. He was responding to all the hoopla surrounding the U.S. Olympic Basketball team staying at a $900-per-night hotel rather than the Olympic village back in 1992. In 2004, the "Dream Team" stayed on a luxury cruise-liner during the Athens games. Seriously? This SO bothers me. Sure, some countries competing have more money, resources and talent, but it becomes a level playing field when the athletes stay together in the Olympic Village - away from the fans and the media. It takes away from the experience and the spirit of the games when we go galavanting around five-star hotels, whining there isn't a mint on the pillow. Bad move by Team U.S.A. organizers - hope they get it right next time. There - I've said my bit.

Fun For Friday

First off the top if you are home late tonight and want to listen to be online on the radio you can check me out on Off The Bench on CJLO. Should be on at 12:15 am. We will talk about the week that was for the Raptors and the NBA.

If you don't follow the blog on Twitter now is a good time. @dinonationblog on Twitter. Seems I had a bunch of spam accounts following me. My followers dropped by like 200. I was like what the heck did i do to offend 200 people? Oh well I still have over 500 real followers(Thanks Tweet Followers) . But there is always room for more.

I have noticed that a lot of Raptor fans are excited/restless for the season to get going. But there is still all of August to get through. There is no rush is there? Not that I would not mind hitting the fast forward button myself. It is not easy to come up with ideas to keep writing a blog each day with very little new to go on. But some how I manage to do it as do others on a daily basis. But after awhile you run out of ways to say that Bryan Colangelo is a pretty smart dude. There is only so many times you can debate the last 2 spots on the roster. You can only rave about Demar DeRozan so much. I mean it is true he has yet to play a game in the NBA. There are only so many Marcus Banks jokes that any one person is capable of.

I suppose we could talk about the WNBA but really do many people pay attention to that league at all. Realistically would it even still exist without the support of the NBA. The fact the Shaq is the guest G.M of WWE Raw to be honest is more exciting to me. The WNBA is in reality much like NFL Europe in terms of it is a league that could not stand on it's own 2 feet. I mean when have I paid attention to the WNBA? Let me think about it. There was that pathetic display when they had a dunk and stopped the game. That was a few years ago. I did watch the debut of Candace Parker. I also watched the outdoor game they held last season. But I admit, the fact Johnathan Coachman was calling the game was more interesting to me, than the game itself. Oh and we had that brawl last year between the Sparks and some other team. I think it was Detroit? They are the Shock right? Not exactly a great set of events to get me to watch is it?

You know what would be cool actually? A Video Game League of NBA players going at. A lot of players are into it and I would watch. T.J Ford is involved in a website of former University of Texas ballers called Texas360now.com. He took on fellow Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant as the two went to battle playing NBA 2k9. Check it out.




Find more videos like this on Texas 360 Now

Sadly looks like T.J took the L. But I think it be a hoot to see a series of NBAers going at it through out the summer. EA makers of NBA Live have had in the past held a 8 man tournament at all-star weekend. There is also a similar style even the NFL puts on for NFL players. From the Raptor prospective I remember when The Score's Cabbie took on CB4 at a game of Madden and was soundly thrashed. Cabbie lost a bet the two had made and had to be a ball boy at Raptors game wearing the old school short shorts.

It's clear baseball is not the answer as the Jays have not been a contender and by the looks of things won't be anytime soon. I personally watch the CFL but here in Hamilton there has not been much to cheer about in years. But hey the Ti-Cats are 2-2 after losing to Montreal last night.

I could throw out the idea of a Canadian Basketball League that could run through the summer months. However let's face it in a good economy would that idea have a snowballs chance of working? In this economy clear there is no chance at all. Hamilton once had a team in some lesser league of basketball called the Skyhawks. I have no idea what a Skyhawk is? I mean is there some form of hawk that does not fly that I am unaware of? Anyway that was short lived. To be honest as much of a basketball fan as I am never even attended a game.

Once Summer Leagues ends you really understand that the dog days of summer are here for the NBA fan. People tend to be so basketball starved that Summer league itself gets overblown. However I am not to the point I was willing to cough up 15 bucks. I know it is tough economic times and all but the NBA charging for that really did not make a ton of sense to me. Thanks to the TSN 2 mess last season most Raptors fans have learned that there are ways to find these things without having to pay the piper so to speak. That will be the first and last time TSN 2 gets thanks in this blog.

Looks like Brent Petway will only be a Raptor for the Summer League. He is taking his game to Europe to play in Athens Greece next year. But I am going to be talking with him for the Dino Nation Blog to get his take on Raps Summer League and his own career.

Got a number of guests coming for the blog coming up. Working on getting bunch of interviews booked. What I do know is Jack Armstrong should be stopping by sometime next week. There has been a demand for him to sign up on Twitter. I doubt I will convince him too. However there is a heck of a lot of lot of Raptor moves to talk about with him. Also going to have Eric Smith coming soon as well. Those are the ones I know for sure. Some others are being worked on as well. I am going to really do my best to load up on guests for August. After all like this whole blog has talked about there is not a lot going on. So that always makes a good time to hear from others and get their thoughts and opinions.

Thunder Rolls Into Toronto

This has been a season with a lot of low points. One of the lowest came on December 19th. Sam Mitchell was still the coach of the Raptors. They would roll into Oklahoma City for the start of a 6 game road trip that would extend through the Christmas Holidays. Raptors needed to get their road trip off to a good start after blowing a game to the Celtics and coming off a lose to the Mavs. We all know what happened. The Thunder who at the time had just 2 wins would defeat the Raptors. It was a loss that many felt was based on a total lack of effort on behalf of the Raptors. Sam Mitchell would no survive that road trip as another awful lose to Denver later in that same road trip would mark the end of his coaching run in Toronto.

Future Prospects For Raptors

Press the fast forward button and the Thunder although still struggling have what most experts would agree a solid young core and perhaps a bright future. Kevin Durant I had said should have been the number 1 pick in his draft year. I was total at the time that was crazy as Greg Oden was the choice of many. But look at it now. Durant is looking on the verge of being a break out star. Some even thought he deserved a trip to the All Star Game this year. I am not one of those who thought that. But it is clear that the Sonics now the Thunder can thank Portland for Kevin Durant. Westbrook is another talented kid. You add in a former Big East player of the year in Jeff Green it is an impressive young core. The point is Thunder fan have a lot of reasons to be optimistic when they look to the future. It makes you think what exactly do Raptor Fans have to look forward too? Andrea Bargnani has developed a bit that is something. However I would be much more excited about the prospects of a Durant or a Westbrook. You have a Superstar in Chris Bosh that many feel is on his way out the door in Chris Bosh. The Raptors just don't have a lot of young talent that people are excited about. I was very excited about Nathan Jawai and still am to a point. However his first season in the NBA has been not what anyone would have expected. If Jawai is going to develop into something or not is a real question mark. Roko Ukic has talent and shown signs of perhaps being something when all is said and done. But again still you can not be sold on him to any great degree. I am not thinking anyone would lay money Roko or Nathan becoming great NBA players. They are both second round picks and you rarely see a second rounder turn into any kind of star.

Draft Is Full Of Questions...Raptors Need An Answer

That is why in the upcoming draft which is full of question marks. Blake Griffin the number one pick projected by most is even not a lock to be a star. The Raptors need to find that young star in this draft. Some may question if there will be that guy in this draft class at all. A couple names that people have been high on fizzled in the NCAA Tournament. James Harden was a train wreck for ASU. While Gerald Henderson who I liked a lot, he was a non-factor as Duke was taken out by Villanova. Obama had it nailed. But the issue is who can you believe in when it comes to this draft? I believe in Haseem Thabeet. he is 7 foot 3 and is a great shoot blocker and rebounder. His offense has a long way to go. However what does this Raptor team need most? Defense and rebounding would be at the top of the list. However with UConn on a run in the tournament. In addition to the fact that they could face NCAA actions based on recruiting violations. Thabeet seems a lock to enter the draft and to be selected at the very least in the top 5. That would mean the Raptors would need some ping pong ball help to get him. You are probably saying the Raptors don't need a big. They need a wing man. Well at this point the Raptors need a lot of things. So no matter where they pick it should not matter, they need to take the best player on the board regardless of position. Besides if Bosh is truly to go, Bargnani could slide into the 4 spot and you have a young Thabeet as you center at a legit 7 foot 3. I truly hope Bosh remains mind you. However Bosh or no Bosh the Raptors need to get this draft right in a year where the potential to be wrong is very high.

Final Thoughts

So with that said bring on the Thunder. They may have a bright future ahead of them. The Raptors future on the other hand is very much a question mark. That is the real story beyond if the Raptors can extract revenge for an awful lose that was pretty much their own fault. Win or lose it really doesn't matter. It would be a 3 game winning streak and that has only happened 2 other times that I can recall this season. However people have moved beyond the game to game, wins and loses and are now thinking about the big picture. That big picture is a scary uncompleted mess at the moment. Can Colangelo turn it into fine art by the time he is done this off-season? That will be a question that is answered over the coming months.