Starting 5 Catches Up With Myck Kabongo.

It has been awhile since we have had the chance to catch up with Myck Kabongo. He was just one of a large group of talented people that were part of the workouts for Canada Basketball this weekend in Toronto. He shared the floor with Tristan Thompson, Cory Joesph, Andrew Nicholson, and a list of perhaps the greatest amount of Canadian basketball talent ever assembled in one place at one time for Canada. When you factor in Steve Nash being in the building that might push it to an even higher level. Nash was working out on the Raptors practice court, maybe not in the way Raptors fans would have liked, but in helping take a hands on approach to his job as G.M of Canada Basketball. We got the inside scoop on how this camp was going  and how life in general is going for Myck Kabongo. He had his first year at Texas and learned a lot from it and seems to have been working hard towards his 2nd season with the Longhorns. We talk a lot more about Canada Basketball in this however and this whole idea of this great generation of players Canada has that Myck feels blessed to be a part of. He is a great blend of confidence and humility with a real fun nature about him. He even offers his services to join #TeamDNB as part of our staff.. He has an open invitation to do whatever he likes in the Dino Nation Blog. We are always thrilled to have him as a guest or for whatever. That said, Myck says he is completely focused on his work as student and an athlete for Texas Longhorns. No more rap music or anything else it is business of basketball and his Texas team first. He has been working out hard down in Austin getting ready for that. He also is very committed to being a part of what Canada Basketball is trying to build and dreams of being a part of a team in Rio that could really put basketball on the map in this country for casual fans of sports here in Canada.

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I wrote last week how truly excited I was for the future of Canada Basketball. Part of that excitement is just my pride as a Canadian. Another part of it is having got to know some of these young guys like Myck. I first got to know him after watching him play in the junior program for Canada basketball. I would later meet Cory Joesph and Tristan Thompson. Both were similar type people to Myck. They all share a confidence in themselves but a true humility to them as well. They are all guys that you can feel good for and proud to support. This is a first step in hopefully all of Canada getting behind basketball like they never have before. It is the dream that we all as basketball fans can share in. What happened this weekend in Toronto was a big first step for Steve Nash and the Canada Basketball program.

Looking Ahead To The Post Calderon Era

Change is coming for the Toronto Raptors at the point guard position sooner or later. Jose Calderon seems like his days with the Raptors will eventually be done. While he has never been a favourite of ours in the DNB, it seems clear now the end is coming. Calderon next season will enter the last year of the contract he signed back in 2008. In that time the Raptors record has been 103-170. Even Bryan Colangelo talked about the need for a point guard for the future. There have been rumours that Calderon himself wants to play for a contender. If he does I am not sure that it would be as a starter. But whatever the case it seems the longest serving Raptor who came here in 2005-2006 is on the way out. He along the way has averaged 7.1 assists and has 3,201 total assists currently, which is the franchise record all-time. But a lot has changed since 2005 and the point guard position has evolved. That evolution of faster type players at the position has been the problem that has plagued Calderon. While his offence at times has bordered on brilliance his defence has always been the issue.

Now if the Raptors had listened to this blog we could be already experiencing "Linsanity" here in Toronto. I am not going to tell you that I saw Jeremy Lin becoming the NBA's answer to Tim Tebow. I didn't see that coming. But what I did see on the day he was released from Golden State was an opportunity that seemed to make sense. The Raptors needed a third point guard option and this was a kid that was young and could blend in with this young core the Raptors had been trying to establish. But what I also saw was an opportunity from a pure business prospective for MLSE. The Raptors have always thought basketball first but a very close second has always been business and public relations. They are constantly looking at ways to expand their market to bring in people to support their brand. The fact they have a very international based look to them is not an accident or just by chance.

In the past we have seen the impact a Yao Ming has had, and even Yi to a lesser extent. I have to admit when I went to cover a game last season between the Raptors and Warriors I was taken back by the amount of Asian media that was there to see Jeremy Lin. Toronto has a large Asian community and this seemed the perfect slam dunk to cash in on that. Raptors needed a point guard. Here was one that had yet to develop but people felt had upside. He is born in the U.S and speaks English as a first language. He went to Harvard to play his college basketball. He fit the Raptors squeaky clean image of nice guys that we have gotten use too. It seemed like a perfect marriage of business smart and not basketball dumb. After all like I said people thought this kid had talent. Instead the Raptors passed and went for Anthony Carter as part of this veteran leadership movement they were trying to establish. It makes little sense to me at least at the point guard. Jose Calderon is not in need of a vet at this point. Bayless should be able to learn from Calderon to some degree. So why the Raptors went in this direction puzzles me. The fact Lin has found a place in New York who was desperate for a point guard only makes it sting a little more. So the Raptors missed the boat on "Linsanity"coming to Toronto.

So what now in terms of the search to find the successor to Jose Calderon. It seems clear the Raptors don't see Jerryd Bayless as the answer. The Raptors had the ability to extend Bayless but decided to pass on that. He still could be part of the puzzle but as the starter that seems unlikely. There is of course the NCAA Draft and the Raptors looking more like a lottery team by the day. You will have options in this draft class with out question. One of those being Myck Kabongo from Toronto who despite having some struggles in his freshman year at Texas is thought of as an NBA Talent. However, in a draft class that has so many options in terms of guys that play the small forward position, and rank higher than Kobongo, it makes drafting him seem unlikely if not impossible, at least with the Raptor's pick. If they acquire a second first round pick then point guard becomes a possibility. As much as this draft class has been hyped it really does not have that much in terms of the point guard position. Aside from Kabongo who is a freshman and would have to declare for the draft, there are only two other names listed at point guard that rank in the first round on Draft Express, Kendall Marshall from UNC and Damian Lillard from Weber State. I would also say that Austin Rivers who made a huge 3 last night to beat UNC is a guy that can play the point. But all of the players just mentioned at least at this point sit ranked outside of the lottery.

If not the draft then where do the Raptors go? Well Bryan Colangelo has made a point to remind us often of all this cap room he has secured for next season. Brandon Jennings would be a restricted free agent by time Calderon's deal is up. He has been recently noted by Raptor fans about his tweets about his love for Toronto. Let's face it who wouldn't want to live in Toronto compared to Milwaukee. Joking aside this is an option that might solve two problems at once. Jennings is a talented kid who can play the point. He has his draw backs for sure. But what he also has is a relationship with Demar DeRozan that dates back to growing up as kids in L.A. In terms of story lines with the Raptors a close second to the turnaround of Andrea Bargnani has been the inconsistency of Demar DeRozan. There are many theories as to why this has been. However the most common one seems to be a case of confidence. When Demar has it he can be the future rising star that people have seen him as. When he doesn't it exposes the flaws in his game that have become glaring and obvious.

The Raptors are likely to make a push to upgrade at the small forward position. This means the chances that Sonny Weems returning to Toronto to once again to be Demar DeRozan's main source of support seem unlikely. While some will see it as simplistic and not give that much credence, I think the lack of Weems plays a role in the struggles of DeRozan. Even if it is not evident to DeRozan himself. I mean this is a young guy, that saw his best friend on the team for the most part go away, while he was left with an increasing role and more demands on him. So it makes a lot of sense that Jennings could fill this missing piece for DeRozan. Jennings also is a kid that has a lot more swagger to him than Demar DeRozan does. If you brought a Brandon Jennings into the mix that swagger would likely impact on Demar and give him that confidence that has been lacking at times. It all seems to make sense.

The problem is to make it happen might not be so easy. Jennings is going to be a restricted free agent so the Bucks would have the ability to match any offers that came his way. But at times Jennings has clashed with Scott Skiles and the Bucks may not be willing to spend a ton of money to keep him at all cost. If the Raptors were to trade in some of that cap room they have for Jennings it would be something that might appeal to the Bucks. Would the Bucks have interest in a Calderon for a season and take the cap room he would provide for the future? Problem in that is Jose is not going to be Scott Skiles dream point guard. His lack of defence would likely drive him insane as it likely does Dwane Casey. But some how Bryan Colangelo owes it to himself to look at this situation and figure out some plan of attack to make it work. Jennings could be worth the gamble. Colangelo has never been afraid to do that.

Will it happen or will it be a case like the one with Jeremy Lin in which the Raptors miss the boat. Time will tell as they say. But it sure is an intriguing and risky direction to go. But Jennings does offer a skill set that can be one that fits a lot more with the direction the point guard position is heading in the NBA. He would be a huge change for what Raptor fans have become accustom to under Calderon. Both in good ways and in bad ways. However, as we discussed off the top the Calderon Era at the point guard position has not led the Raptors to any kind of real success. In fact the opposite is true. Jennings did little last night to make a strong case for his cause in his performance. Still, he has upside and a built in chemistry and connection in DeRozan waiting here in Toronto. It could be a magical combination for the Raptors. When you put it along side Bargnani, Jonas and a small forward to be named later likely coming from the draft. That is a young core and starting line-up that could be fun to watch for years to come.

Cory Joseph Is A Go For Canada.

Just a brief update that might make you re-think if you would like to go out and see Team Canada on the weekend. Cory Joseph is going to be playing for Canada. The first round pick of the San Antonio Spurs has decided to suit up for Canada in the Pre-Olympic Qualifier and play on the weekend in exhibition games at Ryerson on Saturday and here at McMaster which I will be covering on Sunday afternoon. Tickets are 10 bucks well worth coming out. This will be a big plus for Canada to add Joseph to the fold. His Texas Teammate Tristan Thompson will not be though. But it is a step in the right direction that he might someday if Cory remains committed to the program. Myck Kabongo could also be a potential player for Canada in the future but he will be pre-paring in Austin for his freshman season with Longhorns. Picture on the left is from when both Thompson and Joseph were in town working out with the Raptors prior to the NBA Draft. Leo Rautins will be happy to have Joseph on the squad no doubt. He will be happier if Thompson and Kabongo follow their friend to his roster. Myck played lasted summer for Canada's under 18 team and earned a bronze medal in San Antonio. Rautins would love to have another Spurs player as well in the former Raptor Matt Bonner who still is being denied his Canadian Citizenship.

Get Your Tickets Lottery Tuesday

First off an apology we had mix-up yesterday with the blog. Normally Ryan does his Top 10 feature and as such I decided to take the day off. Ryan was not available though so my apologies to you all. But were back and talking about all those lottery balls some of you were cheering for at the end of the season. The NBA Lottery takes place on Tuesday and the Raptors in their history have been participants far to many times for peoples liking. 16 seasons minus 5 playoff appearances make this the 11th time the Raptors will be a part of the NBA Lottery. They have won it officially once but technically twice. There was the Allen Iverson year that technically the Raptors had won the lottery but based on the agreement they signed to enter the league were unable to select one and ended up settling for Marcus Camby. Now Isiah Thomas claims that Camby would have been his pick at number 1 anyway. I know believing what Thomas says for some is hard, but to be honest with Damon Stoudamire coming off the Rookie of the Year I tend to believe him. The Raptors also were in bad need of a big man at the time. The other time the Raptors won was of course the Andrea Bargnani draft in which the Raptors took Italian number one making him the first ever European to be selected as such.

Much like that draft class Bargnani was a part of this one is just as bad if not worse on paper. Irving out of Duke is expected to be the number one pick in this class that is clearly lacking star power. That fact has also caused both Tristan Thompson and Cory Joesph to jump into this draft as well. Sad news for Raptor fans that were hoping to see them turn in Texas burnt orange for Raptor red and white. It would seem unlikely that either fit in the Raptors plans for the draft. Thompson being an undersized 4 is one of many at that position that probably don't make a ton of sense for the Raptors. A big reason for that is the performance of Ed Davis who slipped to the Raptors last year in the draft. Amir Johnson has a long term deal and Davis has been good enough to think the Raptors are set at power forward. You also have Reggie Evans who at least seems willing to return if wanted.

We still have no idea who will be running the Raptors draft but regardless of who it is the fact remains that Raptors if there is one position they can feel somewhat confident in what they have it is power forward. Not that anyone is making the position better than the guy that held that position for 7 years in Chris Bosh. But there is no dynamic player in this draft class "like a Bosh". You could make a strong case that if the Raptors don't win the lottery outright they may feel happy and justified to get out of the draft altogether. Whoever the Raptors would take at the other possible positions would not be worth the rookie contracts they would sign. That is important to note because under a new and expected to be more restrictive CBA to be over paying on rookies not worth the value of their deals could be costly. The draft is the last event of the current CBA so it would be unlikely you see those values change (for this draft) under a new agreement. In fact I am almost certain they can't. But not 100% certain. If the Raptors don't win on Tuesday it would seem likely they try to package the pick and tie it to Bargnani or Calderon for a trade. But that may also be difficult as teams may not want to risk taking on their significant salaries going into that CBA as I just mentioned is expected to be more restrictive.

If Colangelo is not running the show it is expected or at least rumoured (was a story on Yahoo) that Wayne Emery would once again step in and run the show on a temporary basis. He did the same when the Raptors finally showed Rob Babcock the door. He actually did a decent job in his short time at helm. He was able to unload Jalen Rose on the Knicks and set up the cap flexibility that Colangelo enjoyed when he arrived on the scene. That being said the fact the Raptors have just left this whole situation of who is actually in charge of things up in the air is a total joke. Safe bet to say we will not see Colangelo representing the Raptors at the Draft Lottery. I mean how could he given his uncertain future with the club.

The Raptors are not in a great situation no matter how it plays out. If the Raptors were to win the Draft Lottery and select the expected number one pick in Irving that would almost certainly make the Raptors out of the mix in terms of Myck Kabongo in next seasons draft. Kabongo will be playing his freshman year at Texas next season. In the people I have talked with, some of those being NBA Players, seem to be a believe that he is the most talented of that Texas/Toronto Trio. So to just assume he will be in next seasons draft is not much of a stretch. Irving also a point guard would make it a very interesting situation with Calderon and Bayless also currently on the roster. It is hard enough in this league to have two guys that believe they are capable of being the starter let alone three. That being said if the Raptors win the lottery trading the 1st pick seems unlikely. 1993 was the last time it happened when the Magic who had won the draft lottery two years in a row and drafted Shaq the year prior traded Chris Webber to Golden State after selecting him number one overall. But anything other than number one for the Raptors it is likely the pick is very much in play you would think.

Bottom line there is no Lebron James, Shaq or Yao Ming that can drastically change a franchise in this draft. Not even a John Wall or Blake Griffin. The Raptors have the bad luck of being very bad at the worst times it would seem.

Starting 5 Talking NCAA and Canada Hoops With Ray Bala

That is our guest today Ray Bala hanging out with us on our MGD night. He won the passes by knowing that Master P once was a Raptors if memory serves me correct. But his field of expertise is that of up and coming Canadian Ballers. So seeing as it is Madness time and my bracket is almost busted, lots of time to talk about all the Canadians in the tournament. We break down what happened with Cory and Tristan with Texas. How the addition of Myck Kabongo will help the Longhorns next year. In addition touch on the forth Canadian to join up at Texas from Canada in form of Kevin Thomas, who played in the Canada Grassroots program with all 3. We touch on all the other Canadians that were part of the Madness as well as start to look at what the Raptors could do in the draft.



The piece we talked about at the end on the Juno Celebrity Game Ray wrote is very amusing check it out. Seems like it was a fun event. I found out about it last minute or else I might have went down to check it out. Play in it? Heck no. But it would have been a blast to watch by sounds of it. Ray has been a regular guest with us for past few years to talk NCAA Hoops and I thank him for taking the time to stop by and pay us a visit.

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.

What Exactly Is The Raptors Future?

My feeling was and has always been that the Raptors plan was to set themselves up to be competitive next season under the new CBA. That being said not sure they could have imagined how bad this season of limbo was going to be. You can not anticipate the fact this team was going to be ravaged with injures. The Raptors with a completely healthy roster were going to struggle to be competitive. It makes it very easy to make excuses for the Raptors but that does not explain a few things away.

One of the first things it does not explain away is the lack of development in Andrea Bargnani on defence. On offence he has at times shown he is capable of getting the job done. Although even of late on that side of the ball he has had issues. He was 5-24 and 0-5 from 3 point range in the Raptors latest loss. But the thing that draws the greatest amount of concern is total lack of effort/ability on the defensive end of the floor. When he and Calderon get isolated in a pick and roll situation defence it is as close to a lock for 2 points as a slam dunk. Something has got to give eventually. If Andrea Bargnani is to be part of the long term plan he must improve on defence it is that simple. During an 11 game losing streak it is easy to point this out when a guy is not busting his butt. People have suggested Bargnani might be hurt during all of this. Fine maybe he is, but if you put on a uniform you bust your butt and give all you have, and he only needs to look at Amir Johnson for proof. He was played banged up and still is giving all that he has every night. If Andrea is not healthy enough to play then don't play. It is not like people are going to accuse him of being Vince Carter if he doesn't. It is not like he is going to cost the Raptors a playoff spot if he doesn't. But if you say you are healthy enough to put on a uniform then you need to play like it. Standing around on defence and watching other people score and rebound is not impressing anyone. Most of all his team mates I would imagine.

All of these injuries and the lack of talent he has had to work with seem to have given Jay Triano a get out of being fired card. But honestly at some point some of these things have to fall at his feet. Injured or not this team has not played defence well as we outlined specifically with Andrea Bargnani. Right or wrong fans have made the point that Sam Mitchell was fired for far less. Should the lack of expectations give Jay Triano a free pass? I respect all that Jay Triano has done as basketball person and even more so as a Canadian doing it. But I have not seen any evidence to suggest I should feel confident in Jay Triano as an NBA Head Coach. He could be a lead assistant on other teams in this league on this level. However does anyone see Jay Triano getting a head coaching job on any other team in the NBA? I honestly don't see it. Does anyone see him as the coach for this team in the long term when hopefully they are competitive. If Bryan Colangelo were not the G.M of this franchise does anyone not think his successor would not make one of his first moves to find a new head coach? I find it hard to believe the answer is yes to any of these. After an 11 game losing streak and a total lack of effort and pride from most of this team at times, when is enough truly enough? This team under Triano on defence has been dreadful. The development of players in terms of defence has been dreadful as well.

Perhaps the one good thing is during all this losing we have seen positive signs in the development of the Raptors two latest first round draft picks. Demar DeRozan and to a lesser extent Ed Davis have shown growth despite all the losing. DeRozan is learning what it takes to be a consistent scorer in this league. Even Triano admitted of late Demar has become the number one option for this team on offence. While he is still very much a work in progress, DeRozan has been smart enough to stick to what he does best. To drive the ball to the basket and if he doesn't get calls, he is still going to keep driving until he does. Mixed in with that, he is improving his jump shot and developing some moves he can count on. It is likely not to the pace that some people would like but he is making progress. The recent game I was at vs the Bucks he did not have a great offensive night. But he kept fighting and was able to do other things to be a factor. Like having 4 steals on defence. He was scrappy to and got himself into foul trouble but found a way to play through that and stay in the game. Andrea Bargnani should take note. If your game is going south on offence you don't just pack it in. You find other ways to contribute.

While Ed Davis has surprised me how quickly he has fit in, given his injuries and missed time he had to start the year. Stephen Brotherston a fellow Hamilton guy wrote a nice feature on Davis for Hoopsworld worth checking out. You hope that Davis can continue to develop those skills of defence, shoot blocking and rebounding. All of which are in short supply on this Raptor roster. Davis in terms of offence can get a lot of it trough crashing the glass and getting out and running on the break when opportunities present themselves. What Ed Davis becomes as a defender will be far more important for the Raptors in terms of his future, then what he becomes on the offensive end. One of the best things that can help a team that lacks true skill on defence is shot blocking. Hedo Turkoglu is not any better a defender since returning to the Orlando Magic. But what he does have is what he had before in Orlando. The Defensive Player of the Year in Dwight Howard backing him up. Comparisons of Davis to Chris Bosh are not that valid. Ultimately Bosh will always be the more talented offensive player. But Davis already has shown signs that he can become a much better defender than Bosh will ever be if he stays on this path.

Jose Calderon has put up numbers on offence but numbers don't equal wins. Kevin Love can tell you that. But what is old is new again in terms of Jose ultimately he has becoming a player that looks like his best days are behind him. His defence is never going to improve to any degree. What you have to wonder is can Jerryd Bayless develop into the future point guard for this team on the other side. Bayless has had his share of struggles with some bright moments at time. He has had his minutes go up and down like a yo-yo based on Calderon's health or lack of it. As things become crystal clear as to the outlook for this season, you would hope that we see more of Bayless down the stretch. The Raptors could very well have 40 losses by the All-Star Break and if the shift for this team turns to development it would not be surprising. That is what should happen even now, you could make the case it should become the focus. It might already be when you consider that Gaines and Johnson have come in from D-League. But that was as much for injuries than trying to find a diamond in the rough.

Prior to the latest loss for the Raptors a debate broke out on Twitter upon hearing the news that Sonny Weems would be reclaiming his starting role that he lost due to his back injury. It seems a no brainer to me that this would happen. Kleiza is injured and not part of the conversation. So that leaves you with Julian Wright. While we can all respect the hustle and effort of Julian Wright he is not going to be the answer for the Raptors at the wing spot. It is unlikely that Sonny Weems will be as well I realize. But the Raptors have an important choice to make in terms of Weems after this season. His current deal comes to an end and the Raptors need to decide if he is part of their future. Weems is one of the Trio known as the Young Onez and his relationship with this teams rising star in DeRozan is well documented. This is not to suggest that Weems should not have to earn a new contract. He should have to do that, but by starting Julian Wright in front of him is only going to serve to demoralize a guy that has had to deal with an injury for an extended period. It use to be in sports you could never lose your spot to injury. But those days are long gone, but if you look at Raptors history they have had issues with this before. Anyone remember T.J Ford and Jose Calderon? Bottom line of all of this is if you are going to decide not to keep Sonny Weems, you need to be 100% sure about it. Obviously you know at least 2 guys in that locker room that want to see him back. So Raptors need to be 100% certain they are willing to do something that would not exactly be popular with those players in Johnson and DeRozan. Yes you need to do what is best for this franchise, and yes sports is a business and ultimately these two guys will accept it. However, what is lost in this modern world is the game is still about people and relationships and if you are going to destroy some of those relationships you better be certain about it.

Finally back to where we started this story. Colangelo has clearly positioned this franchise for next season. If you are expecting some move that will blow off your socks at the deadline, don't hold your breath. If Colangelo can build on the equity/cap space he will do so. But in terms of this season it will not even be on his radar. What is interesting though is Colangelo has still yet to sign on the bottom line to remain in control of this franchsie. It has been said to be a formality by all sides involved. But if that is the case why is it not done already? Rumours have been out there that Knicks may want Bryan or Bryan's dad Jerry to come in and run the Knicks. But be it Colangelo running the Raptors next year or someone else. Bryan has positioned the team well to be competitive under a new CBA, assuming the owners get some of the things they are after.

I am not sure if Colangelo shares in my dream for the Raptors future. But after the Raptors loss I took in 2 of "Canada's Big 3" playing at Texas. Cory Joesph and Tristan Thompson unlike the Raptors got a win over the Missouri Tigers in a Big 12 battle. Myck Kabongo is doing his thing at Finley Prep heading to Texas next fall. Kevin Durant thinks these 3 kids are good enough to make the NBA which is good enough for me. They also have enough pride in where they come from to want to be Raptors. One of the things that has been lacking of late with the Raptors of late is pride. Maybe it takes a Canadian or group of Canadians to understand what it means to be a Raptor. We always hear about Celtic Pride. If you add some Canadians in this franchise maybe they can spark some Raptor Pride for everyone. You can feel a lot more confident that once they get here, if they do, they are not going to want to leave. The Choices the Raptors make in terms of these 3 kids, I think might be some of the most important in the history of this franchise. A lot of pressure to put on kids who have never set foot on an NBA floor. But they are Canadians that have become basketball stars on the College and High School levels. Let's face it not many Americans at first glance were going to believe a Canadian Kid not named Nash could ball. But they have started to change minds with a ton of others in the NCAA these days.

You might think I am crazy and that is fine. But I would rather be optimistic about this idea of having Canadian Stars for the Raptors some day. It sure beats trying to figure out how the Raptors are ever going to win a game again this year. It beats worrying about if DeMar DeRozan will be the next one to become great in Toronto and get out as fast as he did. I don't want to believe that it will happen, but given the history of this franchise I find it very hard to fully invest in anyone. That is sad but that is reality. The Raptors reality of late has been very very sad.

Raptors Answer To Stars Leaving Is Draft Canadian

I am excited today because I am going to be live blogging an NCAA Game with the Texas Longhorns in action. Texas has 2 Canadian freshmen in Cory Joesph and Tristan Thompson. Myck Kabongo is coming next season to make 3 potential NBA talents on this team all Canadian. All the first wave of a generation of kids that have always had the NBA in Canada in their lifetimes.

When you look back and think of where things went wrong in Vancouver with the Grizzlies you can come up with a lot of answers. But one thing that you will always wonder is what might have happened if they drafted Steve Nash. At the time of his draft, no one could have seen that the Santa Clara point guard would become a 2-time M.V.P, and a safe bet for the Hall of Fame someday. However, to have a hometown kid, that clearly was at worst an NBA prospect would have done Vancouver a world of good. Who knows what might have happened. You might still have a team in Vancouver. Sure that is all speculation. But it clearly would not have hurt the Grizzlies, and it is not like they had a sparkling draft history. So the risk in taking him was not that high if they could have acquired a pick.

When you look to Toronto the Raptors in their 16 years have never had a Canadian player. They do have a Canadian coach, but I am not sure that any coach in the league puts butts in seats. Jay Triano is not nearly has entertaining as a Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines. Jokes aside people come to see the players on the floor. I think for Toronto to add a Canadian or even better a Toronto native would be huge. Think how many times over the years people threw out the name Jamal Maglorie as a potential Raptor. It was proof of the appetite to have a home grown product. No idea if there was truth to it, but Raptors were said to be trying to get Joel Anthony included in a Bosh sign and trade in the summer. Only speculation of course but it would have been nice.

We have watched a number of U.S based players come to Toronto and eventually leave like Bosh, Carter and you know the list. The real answer to the problem to me is hoping for one these kids in the NCAA right now to come through and be a legit lottery pick. Be it these 3 at Texas or someone else. Steve Nash being a Raptor has always been a dream for some Raptors fans. But let's face facts, the days of Nash being in the NBA are coming to close sooner rather then later. If we can find a young Canadian star that is the dream.

Gone are the excuses of not having their friends and family being able to see them that we have heard in the past from American players. No complaining about the metric system, No worries about not getting ESPN. Someone that grew up with a dream not just to be an NBA star but a NBA star in Toronto.

So while some Raptor fans are already starting to talk about the draft. If you are going be watching the NCAA anyway, you might want to start looking for all these up and coming Canadians. There are a lot more of them down south these days. No matter what you do Canada will always be Canada. Bosh is correct about one thing. Canada is different and someone who is from here already gets that.

So while we cheer and hope for DeRozan to improve and grow into a star. If he is successful that next thing will be... will he be the next one to get good and get gone. Not great English there, but I think you get the point. It might be wise to cheer just as hard for Joesph, Thompson, Kabango and others that are from the true north strong and free, as you do for the Young Onez.

Hook'em Horn EH!!!

If the Raptors could land a Canadian Star that could be the way this franchise can finally have a star that fans could embrace without the worry in the back of their heads thinking will they stay or go. The chances a home grown Raptor star would leave become far less.

So if this got you interested or if you already were. Join me tonight for Texas vs Illinois at 9pm on The Score.com and Mobile. That is what we call cross promotion. But it is also what I believe so it works.

DNB Scavenger Hunt Clue #1 -We love all our guests but he has always been billed as our favourite guest because he is.

So find a link to one of his interviews and Mail it to Dinonationblog@gmail.com. A reminder there will be more clues and you can not have more then 1 entry. So if you are not confident in your answer wait for the next clue for a different guest. Also make sure you include the clue along with the link. More clues to come and chances to win. All entries must be in by Midnight Tuesday.

Congratulations to Lanny from Whitby our first winner of a pair of tickets for MGD's Best Seats in The House. Good Luck to those of you trying to join him and me.

Myck Kabongo in The Starting 5

While Canada is not off to a great start in Turkey, they as mentioned already have 2 bronze medals this summer. The one on junior men's side had a lot to do with Myck Kabongo. He was a big part of the team that brought home a bronze medal. He is already heading to Texas next fall to play for the Longhorns. He would be joining potentially two other Canadians down there who will be starting there this season in Tristan Thompson and Corey Joseph. These three young players are all highly thought of and have bright futures that could include NBA careers. I was so impressed by Myck's performance in those championships... he is very talented. I had heard his name before but this was my first time watching him play beyond clips here and there. I reached out to him and asked if he would like to come talk to basketball fans and Raptor Fans here in The Starting 5. He was more than happy to do so. I really enjoyed talking with him about a number of subjects and it turned out to be a pretty fun and enjoyable interview. He is a nice young man that has big goals for himself and a work ethic to match. Who knows what the future holds but Myck Kabongo starting point guard for the Toronto Raptors has a nice ring to it. It does for him as well as you will hear in the interview. Have a listen and enjoy.

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Hope you enjoyed that and I look forward to having him back in the future. While Canada is not having success at the moment know the future is bright still, with a lot of young talented kids coming up. Who knows maybe some day Canadian kids will be growing up saying I want to be like Mike...make that Myck. The Raptors being part of the landscape has had an impact on a generation of kids in this country. Myck, Corey and Tristan are some of the products of that. It is no longer unrealistic to think of Canadians playing in top level U.S programs. While they are excited about 3 guys down in Miami, Canada should be excited about 3 guys in Texas and what they can become in a few years. Here is hoping Myck and others in this country can help make us proud to be fans of basketball and have some pride in the players we produce for the sport we invented.

DNB Canadian Content

Canada is starting to make waves in basketball. Most hardcore basketball fans are aware Canada was able to qualify teams on all 4 levels for the FIBA World Championships. In the first of those Championships, Canada's under 18 women were able to bring home a bronze medal. Canada defeated Chile 81-42 after a narrow loss to Brazil 50-49 in the semi-finals. This was the kick-off to a summer full of events.

Currently the Canadian Men's under 18 team just concluded group play today with a loss to Brazil 83-78 despite 20 points and 12 rebounds from Myck Kabongo who has already committed to Texas for the 2011-2012 season. He could potentially join Corey Joseph and Tristian Thompson who start as freshman there this fall. Canada was able to knock off Uruguay 76-52 and Puerto Rico 100-83 prior to the loss to Brazil. They have qualified to advance to the semi-finals and will face the winner of Argentina and the United States. But regardless Canada at worse will have a shot at another medal in this tournament.

Unfortunately if you want to see these games you are forced to head online to watch them. The Fiba website provides a video feed to all the games from San Antonio. The medal round takes place June 30th with the Semi-Finals set for tomorrow. As for the rest of the Summer the Men's World Championship takes place August 28th to September 12th in Turkey.

Canada will complete in Group D which features France (Who they will play in an exhibition game at the ACC prior to Tournament), Spain, New Zealand, Lithuania and Lebanon . Which just by my limited knowledge of international basketball sounds tough. Although both Tony Parker for France and Pau Gasol for Spain are expected to take a pass on the Worlds. Canada also takes on China in an exhibition game on August 10 prior to the 2 games vs France at the ACC on the 12th and 13th. While the ladies head to Czech Republic from Sept. 23 to Oct 3rd for the Women's World Championships.They will be in group A with China, Belarus and Australia.

While I am on this whole Canadian Content theme. Joel Anthony who will be playing for Canada in those World Championships is now a free agent. The Raptors likely could use a legit option or two at center. It is not likely going to be a pleasant season for the Raptors if the off-season plays out as bad as it could. I think to add the first ever Canadian Raptor could soften the blow for me. Joel Anthony is a decent to good NBA player. He is not likely to be an expensive guy to sign. It seems to make a ton of sense to me that the Raptors should make a serious attempt to bring him home to Canada.

While many see the idea of Canadian on the Raptor roster as not a priority. I disagree, and think in a year where you watch yet another superstar leave Toronto to return to the United States, why not bring home one of our own? Anthony has never had a really chance to play big minutes, and if Bosh leaves you could expect Andrea Bargnani to move over to the 4. So I close this with my humble advice to the Raptors to buy Canadian. If they don't there will be other chances with Thompson, Joesph and Kabongo to draft Canadian, all being realistic NBA Prospects at this point.