It Is All Over For Another Year

Well another season is done and it offered many surprises along the way. What started with a decision and a pre-season championship celebration ended with Mark Cuban's Mavs winning it all. No one could have seen that coming. Dirk Nowitzki had been known for failure more than success. He won the MVP and then his team was knocked out in the first round. He lost to Miami with Wade and Shaq after seemingly having the series under control. If anyone was going to stop the MWO and South Beach Heat few would have said it would be the under achieving German superstar. I admit I have always been one of the people that have never given the Mavs a ton of credit. They were always a team that choked in the clutch. But they are no longer that, they will forever be NBA Champions. Perhaps the most unlikely Champions in the NBA since the Pistons stunned Kobe and Shaq in the NBA Finals and won a title with Larry Brown.

Celebrate the Mavs for what they did. For the fact a number of veteran guys were able to finally win a title. Earlier in the week I heard Charles Barkley on the radio talking about why people don't like the Miami Heat. He said it was the arrogance of how easy they felt it would be to win a championship. Something that Barkley was never able to accomplish. He like other greats like Pat Ewing, Karl Malone and a list of many others spent a career chasing that elusive championship. Lebron James has been chasing a title too. After years of trying and failing with little support in Cleveland he became part of this group that decided to join forces and look for the fast track to the NBA Title. But the short cut only got them to the door step of that title. Only to see a group that they likely never expected to see celebrate on their home floor. It was suppose to be Kobe and Lakers to challenge this group not the Mavs. But the Mavs swept them away and ended Phil Jackson's career in utterly stunning fashion. They in equally stunning fashion stunned the Miami Heat.

Mark Cuban deserves great credit for taking a team that was always in second place to the Dallas Cowboys and making them relevant in Dallas. Something we can relate to in Toronto with the Raptors always being in the shadow of hockey and Maple Leafs. Cuban took this franchise from no where and ultimately has been rewarded with a championship. There is no owner in the NBA that I would be more happy for. He has been fined by the league and shot off his mouth for years with the goal of challenging this league and his team to be better. In a true act of class Cuban allowed the first ever owner of the Mavs to be given the NBA Championship. Something he has worked hard for and spent a ton of money for and yet he allows someone else to touch the trophy he has wanted for so long before him. Mark Cuban makes more money than Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined. Yet people for the most part love Cuban and hate them. The act of Cuban doing something classy like that is part of why. But the deeper reason is we see Mark Cuban as a fan like us. While Lebron James tells all of you that cheer in his demise that eventually you will have to go back to your actual lives. That he will be happy with his life and choices he has made. Mark Cuban is a guy that you believe if you met him in a bar he would likely have a beer with you and talk to you for 5 minute. The MWO are guys that hang out in the VIP area and would not be caught dead hanging with you common folks.

It was a great season in a lot of ways. It might have been the start of a changing of the guard in the NBA. Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin lead a new generation of superstars that are looking to take the torch from the Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and other superstars coming to the end of the line. In fact with the uncertain future of an NBA Lockout who is to say we have not seen the last of more than just Shaq when we are playing basketball again.

Ironically after one of the best seasons in the NBA in a long time and followed by one of the most interesting playoffs in years the NBA stands on the abyss of joining the NFL is labour hell. We will be lucky if we see another basketball game in the NBA in 2011. That is not exactly something anyone wants to hear but it could in fact be the reality.

Mavericks won a title the right way and although I really have no love for them, I do respect what they have done. At least I am honest about it. I never picked them to win any of the 4 series they did win. I am not going to be a hypocrite like so many made themselves by cheering for anyone that could stop the Miami Heat. Pumping up the Mavericks more as a way to insult the Heat. For those that are true Mavericks fans I offer sincere congratulations. For those of you just cheering for Miami to lose, I just shake my head. People mocking Chris Bosh for crying but applauding Dirk for doing the same. At the end of the day people that root against the Heat have become just as bad as the guys they hate. In fact perhaps more so.

Miami will be back and depending on how the CBA turns out they could be much stronger when they do. But the real story now is when will you get to see basketball again? Not even the MWO can stop a lockout. Only David Stern and Billy Hunter can get that done. It could be a long a cruel summer turning into a long and cold fall without basketball. It is a shame coming off such a great season of basketball.

Starting 5 With @Liston

I have mentioned in the blog, how when it started, I never real expected that it would introduce me to so many fantastic people as it has. I would rank near the top of that list our guest today in the Starting 5. He is Tom Liston a great sports fan in general and a very passionate Raptor fan as well. He has a background and works in finance. You might say if you didn't know Tom he fits the stereotype of the corporate suits that occupy the nice seats in the Air Canada Centre. But in knowing him nothing could be further from the truth. He has taken his background and has used some of that knowledge and applied it to sports. He writes for the folks at Raptors Republic doing some excellent pieces based on stats. I have never been a huge person for stats and think sometimes we have gone crazy with them. So we make for an odd pairing. But I do respect Tom and appreciate the work he puts in. He does a pretty good job of taking data and presenting in a entertaining format. Here is the most recent example of what he does at Raptors Republic. We talk everything from stats to business. If you listen to this interview I can almost guarantee you will be smarter for it.

Tom mentioned the all 4 one event and he has his own personal website and you can find more info on there. As we mentioned in the Interview the Team Up Foundation does great work. If you can afford to attend I would encourage you to do so. I would also make the point that MLSE should look to do events in a price range for the average person to take part in. I personal could never afford that cost. It is something I would hope the folks at MLSE consider moving forward. Something else that is for a good cause is what Eric Smith is doing. Eric has worked with some folks to create a T-Shirt to sell where the profits are going to aid the victims of the tragic events in Japan. Aside from doing a good thing it is a pretty cool T-Shirt. They are for sale online now and you can link here to purchase one. Both good causes and if you can afford to contribute to one or both please do. I thank Tom for taking time out to come visit with us here at the Dino Nation. He has always been supportive of me and the blog and it is a mutual thing as I have always been supportive of Tom. I look forward to having him back in the future as guest.

"NBAz in 7 Dayz"

Amar'e Stoudemire may get his wish. Maybe. The NBA trade deadline is 16 days away and still there is no deal for Carmelo Anthony. There is some buzz about a possible 3-way deal between the Knicks, T-Wolves and Denver but nothing is set in stone. Let's face it. The Denver Nuggets are desperate and do not want to end up like the Raptors or Cavs with their stars jumping ship and their former 'ship' having nothing to show for it. As much as he tries to shake it off, Carmelo Anthony is starting to feel the pressure. He had a career high 50 points on Monday night and the Nuggets still lose to the Rockets 108-103. Not good. The closer we get to the trade deadline, the mercury in the Nugget's thermometer continues to rise. Let's hope for their sake it doesn't burst before the 24th. Let's talk about a team on the verge of bursting in the Cleveland Cavaliers, a scary moment for Marquis Daniels and why Stan Lee is 'Marveling' at the NBA.

A Very Scary Moment

Since this year's Super Bowl ranked as the highest watched Super Bowl in this country's history, most may have missed the Celtics-Magic game on Sunday. I didn't and boy was I in shock. Boston Celtics guard Marquis Daniels left the game on a stretcher Sunday after colliding with Gilbert Arenas of the Orlando Magic. With 11:01 left in the second quarter, Marquis drove to the basket from the right side of the lane and hit his head on Arena's left shoulder. He fell to the ground and lay there not moving for a few minutes. You could almost feel the chill fall over the crowd even if you were just watching from your living room. The Celtics were reporting he hurt his neck and was taken to hospital for examination. However, it ended up being a bruised spinal cord. Marquis was released from hospital Monday and is walking around now. Danny Ainge, Celtics' President of Basketball Operations, spent time with Marquis in the hospital and said he was scared lying there on the floor not moving, "But he has had some issues with this before and some tingling in his body--his arms and things before". Marquis Daniels is expected to be out for at least a month.

Instances like these have been seen in hockey but not always in professional basketball. When the league was in its infancy, the NBA considered implementing penalty boxes and giving players 2 minute timeouts because court play had become too violent. In the case of Marquis Daniels, his injury was not as a result of violence but from the aggressive nature of the sport. This same debate is on in the NHL where star players like Marc Savard are considering early retirement after multiple concussions or injuries. Is driving to the basket like racing to the puck to prevent an icing call? Is there a way for the league to better protect its players from injuries like Marquis Daniels'? Given he has existing health issues which may have exasperated the few motionless minutes on the floor in Sunday's game, should the league be offering some kind of protective gear? Look at Dwight Howard. He looks like a gladiator with those arm sleeves which protect his arms from the constant motion of shooting. In the games you watch this week, look at how many players are wearing some kind of protective gear. You would be surprised. I am not saying professional basketball players need to suit up to match their NHL counterparts but measures need to be taken since no sport wants to see one of its own taken out on a stretcher.

The Cleveland Cavaliers - Can it Get Any Worse?

As of Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost their way into the NBA record books with 25 in the 'L' column. The saddest part? The league also keeps stats on an overall losing streak records which take into account losing skids over 2 seasons. This new record for the Cavs topped that one, too. The previous mark was also set by the Cavs at the end of the 1981-82 season and the start of the 1982-83 season. Their last win was on December 18th more than 7 weeks ago. I have been searching for some silver lining in all this misery and finally found it in Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Here's what he had to say in a recent article about the funk the Cavs are in right now: "The season is over in what, 60 days? So in 60 days you go from being a suffering franchise to the best from getting the first pick and a ton of salary cap room and you are a hero all summer". The problem with this theory is how do they make it to summer's promised land? Hope and pray.

NBA Gets Short end of the Stick

Apparently, NBA fans are too old and can't read. This is what I am taking away from the latest news of Marvel Entertainment LLC. and the NBA launching a new line of clothing to be unveiled at the All-Star game later this month. The NHL was also in talks with Stan Lee, creator of Marvel comics but their deal was different. The NHL's deal included a comic book line loosely based around hockey and local teams, where each superhero would have special powers representative of each NHL team and city. The NBA's deal includes no reading material. Instead, famous Marvel superheroes will be paired with NBA teams and displayed on caps, t-shirts and sweatshirts. Some examples being thrown around are the Incredible Hulk with the Boston Celtics (obvious choice) and Spiderman with the New York Knicks (again, obvious choice). Both deals are each league's attempt to attract a younger audience to their respective sport. Its a shame the NBA got shafted in the comic department. I would be first in line for some Blake "Superman" Griffin reading material.

Thanks for joining me again this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Keep them coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) or on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw, red microphone). Have a great week and see you on Thursday for more Raptors' opponent analysis in "Behind Enemy Lines".

Gaines Out, Johnson In , Ajinca ???

Raptors may be lacking wins this year but not roster moves. It would appear that the Raptors have decided to not renew Gaines to another 10-day contract and have decided to go with another option from the D-League. Trey Johnson is the latest to become a Raptor it would appear. Scott Carefoot of The Score had a link to this article on Fanhouse with info on the latest Raptor. Johnson as you will read he is a combo guard and in effect could play both positions where Gaines likely could not. That would be my guess as to why we see Johnson in and Gaines out. Still no official word from Raptors on Gaines being gone other then we know his 10-day contract ended on Saturday. Also no confirmation on the Johnson signing so if he is in the house for the Raptors game tonight at the ACC vs Memphis is up in the air at this point.

I have to say that with all these guys getting signed to 10 day contracts it gives the Raptors the feel of an expansion team. But we are in year 16 now. Obviously injuries have been a major factor in this as well. Mark Cuban meantime says he is confident the signing of Peja will go through and a move that would see Alexis Ajinca come to the Raptors in a deal. Cuban in the article suggested it could all be done as early as today. But again the Raptors have been silent on this issue as well.

All this news a side I still have groceries to shop for so if any of this gets confirmed check for something from me via Twitter @Dinonationblog. Will have a re-cap of the Raptors and Grizzlies regardless of who happens to be in uniform or not by 7pm.

Round Ball Review- All-Star Weekend Recap

Well Joey is back together with J.B again to recap All-Star Weekend in Dallas. It is the usual crazy stuff you have come to expect from Joey G and J.B. Take it away J.B




So I guess we will hear more from Joey on Thursday? Will see what happens. But you can guarantee they will back next Monday.

Avoiding International Incidents

Jose Calderon has surgery done on his dislocated finger and is said to be out of commission for 6 to 8 weeks. Hopefully the timing of this was not to be ready to play for Spain this summer. Jose needs to take a pass on playing for his national team this season. I am rapidly becoming someone in the camp of Mark Cuban on this whole issue of international basketball. Cuban has long been against the idea of players under contract in the NBA playing in international ball. I am beginning to totally agree. However to be realistic about it, there is no way the NBA is going to pull a 180 and back away from FIBA and not allow it's players to play. David Stern sees the idea of Olympics and to a lesser extent World Championships as a way to market the game globally.You can debate how much good that actual does or does not do for the league. However I am just going to suggest a compromise of sorts. Steve Nash would love this one as it comes from a sport he enjoys...Soccer. In Soccer for the Olympics they have an age limit on who can go to play at the games. I think the age is 25 if I am not mistaken. If you are over 25 you can not play simple as that. Nash as he got older decided to say no thanks to Canada. I was one of few that did not agree with that choice by him. However with this rule there would be nothing to debate on that issue. It would be cut and dry and at least if someone were to be injured playing internationally at least they would be younger and in most cases more likely to heal quicker and hopefully have no long term impact on them. I have said in this blog that it is unfair in a lot of ways to make players decide between country and team. I hear the argument that you are being paid by your club team and that is who you should be loyal too. I tend to agree with that.

However if you were to use hockey as an example and the Washington Capitals or Pittsburgh Penguins wanted to Ovechkin or Crosby not to play in the Olympics it would cause huge debate in this country. In the case of Crosby I could see Pittsburgh jersey's being burned in the streets. Also with the hockey example there is far less time where the players practice as a national team. In Basketball it is an event that goes on yearly basis each summer. When players play for their national teams the club teams get very little say if any in how practices and training is done. They also may want players to focus on certain aspects of the game that may not be the same as a national team would want from them. In hockey basically it is a group that gets thrown together for an event like the world championships that are going on currently. There are not long training camps leading up to that. In fact in some cases if players are eliminated from the NHL Playoffs they are quickly added to the line-up and just join the exsisting team.

If David Stern can determine how old you must be to enter the NBA draft. Why is it not reasonable to have him cap the age in which a player can play for his country while he is under contract to the NBA. It is the best compromise for all. Players would not feel the pressure to decide between country and team. For those who play in Europe and International players it is very hard to say no when the national team calls. Not unlike it is for players in Hockey in this country. If a player of any great skill or talent said he was going to take a pass on the upcoming Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver in hockey in this country he would be public enemy number 1 if he happened to be Canadian. So take the choice out of their hands and cap the age they can play till. It may not make everyone happy but it is the best was to solve the problem.

Speaking of injuries former Raptor Jamario Moon is done for the rest of the playoffs. He has a sports hernia and is set to have surgery which will bring an end to his season. Moon will be a free agent in the summer and will be looking to sign a deal somewhere. He has had a nice run with the Heat and developed some chemistry with D-Wade so Miami may want to have him back. We will see come the off-season.

As for the Heat they are locked in a battle with the Hawks tied at 2. However the series of the playoffs has been the Bull and Celtics. It has been high drama and last night was no different. The teams could not decide things in 48 minutes once again and went to overtime. Celtics ended up in the winners circle and even if they some how get out of this series it seems highly doubtful the will be able to defend their NBA Title. The Spurs joined the Pistons in sitting on the sidelines for the playoffs losing to Dallas is round one in 5 games. The Pistons were swept aside in the East in 4 games to the Cavs. You wonder if in both cases we are seeing the end of eras. The Pistons only managed 1 lone title in the run they had and Spurs have won 3 or 4. They also may not be done as they still have the same 3 core players and could perhaps re-tool and with some luck and health have one last run at it. But the bottom line and feeling you get from the playoffs is that this is Kobe and Lebron's party and everyone else are just guests that will eventually leave.

Both Bryant and James have been for this epic battle it seems all year. They were the 2 front runners in the MVP Debate which should be announced soon and I am thinking with go to Lebron. However most feel that will only serve as motivation for Kobe to win a title. Like he needed anymore after losing last year to the Celtics and looking pretty bad by the end of that series. It is going to be fun to watch and unless Denver, Orlando or someone else have a Magic trick in them it is going to happen.

So hope you are enjoying the playoffs and getting a chance to enjoy some great basketball even if it does not involve the Raptors.

Raptors Sunday Surprise

Well raise your hand if you thought Will Solomon would have a double double, Keep them up if you thought J.O would get 18 rebounds and I could go on but point made. That point is that we all were surprised by what we saw yesterday. I don't think anyone saw this coming. But we probably should have. It is the Raptor way after all. When you have the least of expectations the Raptors always come up with some kind of amazing performance. There are many examples throughout Raptors history. My favourite of those is the run the team made without Vince Carter winning like 16 of 18 games to make the playoffs. They would take the Detroit to 5 games(The series limit at the time ) only to have Chris Childs brain cramp cost them the series. But it was an amazing run to get to that point. So just when you think the Raptors are done. That is when they have a trick up their sleeve to pull out.

Just like the Raptors he coaches Sam Mitchell will not die or go away. The fire Sam chants get louder and he finds a way to quiet them. People have many issues with Sam and they feel he is not the coach for this team to reach that next level. I think the jury is still out on that. But I admire Sam Mitchell and respect his never say die attitude. It would be easy for a team without Jose Calderon to come up with a poor effort. But Sam Mitchell in his entire time here has never used any injury as an excuse. He also will not allow his players to use it as an excuse. Sam is famous for saying the last time he checked everyone still got a paycheck on the 1st and 15th. Which means that everyone is expected to do their job when called upon. When you cut to the chase Sam Mitchell is a guy with "Old School" values that I respect and admire. While many cheer and rant to see Sam Mitchell fired. I have always cheered for Sam to prove them wrong. But I have said and I believe this will be the year that will define and end this debate one way or the other. I wrote a blog on this topic and still think everything in that is true. Sam needs to have success in the playoffs and if he does not I think he really is going to be hard pressed to return. But whatever we all think it is what Bryan Colangelo thinks that will count in the end.

3 Big Experiment

So that worked out pretty well as the Raptors busted out the big 3 line-up of Bosh, Bargnani and J.O. Sam Mitchell had only used it in extreme cases prior to this. It reminded me of when all was lost Sam would throw out T.J and Jose together. I had called it the break glass in case of emergency move by Sam Mitchell. But this time it seems to be a case to send a message to the under performing wing players. Not just the starting line-up changed but the entire rotation. Good news for Kris Humphries fans and bad news for Joey Graham fans. The Miami Heat were the perfect test model to give this a shot. They lack the size to match up and it improved the Raptors rebounding and defense overall. The Raptors were dead last in the league in rebounds. Something needed to be done.

Andrea Bargnani has really made a great effort to improve his game and is showing signs that he is getting it. The biggest change is in his overall attitude and effort. It has been far better and you see the results on the floor. Jermaine O'Neal is starting to round into shape and understanding his role on this team. His contributions on defense are getting better and more often. There was a point in the 4th quarter that every shot he could challenge and try and block he did. He already is making goals. He said that he asked what the franchise record is for shot blocks in a season is?(Marcus Camby-230) That is his goal to beat. Meanwhile Chris Bosh is having the best season of his NBA career by far. He has just looked fantastic. His 4th All Star appearance is about as close to a lock as you can get. Putting these three players on the floor together makes a ton of sense from an offensive point of view. What will define it and determine the long term future of it will be the D. How these guys play on defensive end will determine if this can be a long term solution or a short term one that can be used in certain match-ups.

Raptors Face The Reason

The Orlando Magic are the reason. It was how they took like a hot knife through butter as to why the Raptors made the chances they made. Orlando exposed all the weak points of the Toronto Raptors and that is why they took only 5 games to send the Raptors packing. So in the first match-up since that series the changes will be put to the test. The Magic's only major change in the off-season was the signing of Mickael Pietrus. But the roster is much the same as the one the Raptors faced in the playoffs.

But the Raptors have now two options to throw at Superman. Both Bosh and J.O can take turns at taking on Superman. The Raptors also have a shot blocking answer for Howard in J.O. But when it comes down to it the Raptor perimiter defense needs to improve and it will be tested by the Magic who are a team like the Raptors that has a number of shooters that can take advantage of the 3 point line.

The other thing that will have to change is at the point. Both Jose Calderon and T.J Ford were out played by Jameer Nelson and he opened a lot of eyes with his performance in that series. If Jose is going to be the All Star player that everyone expects him to be he needs to be better than a guy like Nelson. The one thing about Jose that has always been a major disappointment to me is his defense. As gifted a player as he is on the offensive end, his defense is almost as bad on the other end of the floor. He is to many times easily picked off by picks that are set. His on the ball defense needs a lot of work. That is were Jose needs to improve his game the most and I think he still has a long way to go. But it will not be easy with more minutes and the concern for him to remain healthy.

Time To Make A Move...Not A Trade...In the Standings

The Raptors have a record of 5-4 and are part of a log jam in the Eastern Conference that sees a lot of teams in and around the .500 mark. The Raptors if they are serious about being a contender need to step up and make a move. They have some games ahead that you would class as winnable games and they must take advantage of those chances. If the Raptors want to be concerned about playoff position and not just making the playoffs in April they need to take advantage of these points in the schedule.

The big thing that cost the Raptors last year was losing Chris Bosh at a time when they had a number of games that were of the winnable variety. They were not able to win without Chris and it cost them playoff position and it really sent the season off course. If the Raptors want to be that contender they think they are the time is now to make a move in that direction. That may be why we saw the changes we did on Sunday. There was no time to endure an early season slump. Besides the East is better and some teams are suprising early. Like the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks even the Bulls and Heat are holding their own.

No Good News For Nate?

It really is not looking good for Nathan Jawai. His problems could cost him his career. The future for him is in serious doubt. The Toronto Sun had an article that was picked up on Real Gm on the Nathan Jawai heart issue. Here is a link to it.

Raptors Comment On Jawai

Maverick in Trouble

Just a quick note on this. I was watching CNN and they are reporting that Mark Cuban is being investigated and charged for insider trading. It involves an internet company that he sold stock in. This is some real high brow economic stuff. But what it could mean for the Mavs and Cuban is not clear. But Insider trading can get you put in jail if convicted I do know that. Here is an article on this issue. It deals more with the business angle of this story and not basketball. But if you are interested check it out.

Mark Cuban Article

ESPN also has an Article on this

ESPN- Feds Charge Cuban

Update 6PM

As I have read more and found out more on this it seems that Cuban even if convicted would not be looking at Jail time of any kind. This is a civil matter and would only impact him in sense of reputation and cash wise. There was a very interesting segment on this on Prime Time Sports on the Fan 590.

Tomorrow I will get you set for the Magic and Raptors from sunny (No Doubt) Florida. 2 More Days to Change. It is busy times for Dino Nation Blog. But exciting ones. I will be here in the cold typing. But I will think warm thoughts for the Raptors.