Demar DeRozan Can See The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Dwane Casey long before the season ended made it clear his thoughts on what he wanted from Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis this off-season. He wanted to see both hit the weights and get bigger and stronger. Casey gave some motivation to get that accomplished by creating an identity for this basketball team. I asked Demar about if he felt this team now had that identity in his exit interview. Later that night before the Raptors game vs the Nets I was able to catch up with DeRozan to follow up with him.



Demar in past interviews and in talking with him has made it known he plans on spending more time in Toronto this off-season. That is something he still plans on doing. He had plans to try to bring back a charity game like Vince Carter use to do back in the day. No word on if that will happen this summer but it still seems something Demar is interesting in making happen. Given the fact he is from L.A and the number of players that call L.A home it could lead to an impressive roster of talent for a game like that. This was a tough season for Demar, but he fought through it and by the end of it was able to restore the promise and hope for the future that people have in him. In past interviews he has mentioned how much he looks forward to a normal off-season, in which he will be able to be guided by Dwane Casey and the staff in his off-season work. The one thing you should never question is how hard this kid will work. Maybe it isn't even fair to label him with kid anymore but he was the youngest player on the roster this season. That will change with the coming of draft picks this off-season. It has been great to have someone that came into the Raptors world at the same time that I was welcomed in with access. Over the last three years there has been a ton of change with the Raptors but one of the constants has been Demar and he has always been a go to guy for us. Both he and Andrea Bargnani seem unconcerned with who's team this actually is. They are more concerned with getting this team to the post season which is something they both crave desperately. It will be interesting to see what they do and what their general manager Bryan Colangelo does in order to reach that goal.

Thanks to Demar for always being willing to take time to talk with us in the Dino Nation Blog. He has been a constant contributor in terms of our coverage of Raptors for his three years in Toronto. Next season we hope to see a bigger, badder and better version of Demar next season.

Cavs vs Raptors in Friday Under Card

It is Toronto vs Cleveland this Easter Weekend. It kicked off with a bang yesterday with the Blue Jays and Indians. That is why there was no blog yesterday. I didn't plan on watching a 5 hour long baseball game. the streaking Raptors and the struggling Cavs are not likely to provide as much excitement tonight at the ACC. The Raptors can not say they have dominated much this year. They can legitimately say that about the Cavs beating them in all 3 meetings this season. Tristan Thompson has still yet to experience what it is like to beat his hometown team. He has got to experience what it is like to start in the NBA though since he last saw the Raptors. On March 19th Thompson opened eyes to his potential with a career high 27 points shooting 12-16 from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds. Against the Raptors has only averaged 7.3 points and in his only visit to Toronto had just one point. Kyrie Irving who was selected 1st overall had a very uneventful NBA debut vs the Raptors. Since that time he has been on a steady rise and likely will be taking home the Rookie of the Year award. Against the Raptors he has improved as well with 6 in the opener than 12 and 14 in the latest time they met for an average of 10.6. What both Thompson and Irving never experienced at Texas, Duke or in high school is losing 7 games in a row. The Cavs longest losing streak of the season. There was a time this team was on the edge of the playoff race. However they hit the skids in a major way.  

So why have the Raptors been so successful against the Cavs? Well we already mentioned one reason and that would be containing Kyrie Irving fairly well. Jose Calderon seldom matches well with the new rookie point guards that enter this league. This might be the exception to the rule. The secret to the Raptors success becomes very obvious when you look at the three boxscores. The answer is defense as the Raptors in three games have held the Cavs to a 35.1% shooting percentage including a season best 29.4% on January 4th in Toronto at the ACC. The Raptors of late have seen their defense be lacking despite their three wins. Will see if they get back in that frame of mind tonight.

The Raptors should be welcoming Gary Forbes back to the mix tonight. Demar DeRozan left the the last game twisting his left ankle will see what his status will be. This is one of those games that people in the whole tanking mode will point to as key. The Cavs entering play today are 13th in the East and a game and half in front of the Raptors in terms of the 11th place Raptors in the lotto standings. I find it hard to believe the Cavs will want to lose tonight and get swept in the season series. Still if that is the result no one would be upset by it come May. In terms of the Raptors they have ended up right around where I expected them to be this season. They were never going to be as bad as some people were projecting but they were never going to be good enough to contend for the playoffs.

I am going to be down in Toronto to cover this one. I will also be in Toronto on Easter Sunday Night for our party at St Louis Wings on Bay St to take in the Raptors vs OKC. Hope to see many of you come out and have some fun with me on that night. 

Jerryd Bayless Out For The Season

Raptors just released that Jerryd Bayless will be out for the rest of the season. Here is the official Release:

"The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday guard Jerryd Bayless is expected to be sidelined the remainder of the 2011-12 season with a partially torn left oblique muscle. He underwent tests today at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Bayless left Monday’s game versus Orlando at the 5:25 mark of the second quarter and did not return."

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Bayless in the off-season the debate will begin if we have seen him play his last game for the Raptors or not. A great kid and wants to win more than anyone. Regardless of if he is back or not I wish him well. It must kill him how bad this season has been for him in terms of injures.

We Are Talking About Pizza....Not A Game.

Earlier today I mentioned about the Raptor fans yet again cheering for Pizza. It inspired me to create this video:



Here is what SVG had to say referenced in our video:

Camo For Cash?

You can argue and debate how ugly these Camouflage Jerseys are. I don't find them totally hideous as some do. However, that is not the story here for me. The story starts with the Raptors doing this as a way to honour the Canadian military. Which is something I fully support 100 percent. I had a father that served in the Air Force and he was proud of that fact. The fact is our military is far to often the butt of jokes by people south of the border and even within are own borders. It is great that MLSE has chosen to make people aware of the military and make people more aware of the great things they do. It is also great that 20% of sales of this stuff goes to families of military. However, I am pretty sure the profits from these jersey's is more than 20% and thus that is where my problem begins. The fact that MLSE would make one penny of profit from this turns my stomach. That is your real camouflage here in my view. I am sure some people will point out that likely that 20% that is going to a worthy cause is worth it. However, I find it deplorable to think anyone other than the worthy charity would profit from this. It is a down year for the Raptors and I don't know the numbers on merchandise sales but I would suspect they are down. These unique style of items will likely sell just based on the fact they are different and unique. MLSE is a smart company in terms of business anyone that thinks they are not is crazy. Still, to use the Canadian Military and what on the surface seems like a charitable act of kindness, wrapped in patriotism, is pretty slick marketing. It also makes me sick and angers me. If someone can guarantee me that MLSE would not profit one penny from this it would have my full support. I would even consider purchasing some of it myself. That isn't the case though it would seem, so that leaves me conflicted and angry.

There are people that have given their lives in Canadian Armed Forces. I knew one personally from here in Hamilton. The fact that anyone would use the military even with them getting some and not all of the benefit from it concerns me greatly as person. Should I just be thankfully that they are giving some of the money to a more than worthy cause and bringing attention to a group of people that so richly deserve it? I would like to do that but at the end of the day I see it as a way to camouflage good will and make some money on the side. I can't get past that personally. That all said to debate if these uniforms are ugly or not is totally missing the bigger picture here. It also can spark a real debate on if the armed forces should get tied to sports at all. It is something that has grown a lot over the last 20 years. It is no longer just the good old boys in Nascar that are walking arm and arm with the Armed Forces, it is not just Vince McMahon and the WWE. It is now common place to do so in big time professional sports on a regular basis. As far as that goes I am uncomfortable with it, but because it brings attention to people that deserve it greatly I am able to live with it. Still, if people are doing more than just honouring the brave men and women of the Armed Forces in both Canada and the U.S and are actually profiting from it, that to me is crossing a line. It is a tough subject and I am not sure there is an easy answer to it. Other than to declare up front that every ounce of profit is going to the people who are being used in this and that is Military. When exactly did the military become a great PR move for people. In the end it leaves me conflicted. If you decide to buy this stuff for the good reasons to support the military I would applaud you. If you decided not to based on the fact not all the money was going to where it should I would applaud you as well.

Sonny Weems Future Likely Not With Raptors

Sonny Weems we still have lots of love for here in the DNB. Recently we showed you the YouTube video of him doing his thing in a dunk contest over in Europe. His agent made an appearance on the Fan 590 show "Hoops" to talk about another client you might have heard of in Jeremy Lin. But after the linsanity topic was done the subject of Sonny Weems came up.

He stated that Sonny will in fact be looking to return to the NBA after his contract in Lithuanian ends some time in May. He also stated that both he and his client were not exactly thrilled with the Raptors. He mentioned the fact that Weems had good performance vs Charlotte where he scored 19 points, followed by James Johnson being acquired via trade and his client was ushered to the bench in favour of Johnson. After Johnson was acquired Weems minutes drastically dipped. The Raptors did decide to make a qualifying offer to keep the RFA rights to Weems. His agent said that decline in minutes combined with his situation with the NBA Lockout and the chance of no season led them to the decision to sign with no out clause to return to the NBA.

He stated that when returning to the NBA that Toronto would not be his first choice for his client to return too. That they would look for deals elsewhere. If the Raptors decided to keep his RFA rights they would still look for a deal elsewhere. If the Raptors decided to match an offer from another team Sonny would return to Toronto and be a professional about it. He also stated how much Sonny still loves the fans in Toronto. It looks like by all accounts that Weem's agent is looking to find a new home for his client. The fact that Bryan Colangelo totally ignored the fact Weems was still an option did not sit well with Sonny as he was watching it, as he has many Raptor Games this season. Here is what I wrote on that at the time.

I have always liked Sonny and we are working on having him as guest when his season is finished in Europe sometime in May. He will always be a guy that I will always still consider part of team DNB even if he isn't a Raptor. Just like I do with T.J Ford, Reggie Evans and others. His agent promises you will see a improved Sonny Weems that will open eyes when he returns to the NBA. That looks almost certain it will not be with Toronto unless something dramatically changes.

A Tough Season For Everyone

I was doing my daily routine and did a preview of the Raptors and Wizards game tonight which is posted and you can read that here on the blog. Someone tweeted me after it was posted and said it has to be tough to promote your work day after day in such an awful season for the Raptors. I paraphrased that a little but that was the basic idea. The short answer to that would be a simple yes. But it inspired me to do more than just respond to his tweet. This season for a variety of reasons is without question the most challenging to have had to deal with. I thought it would be a good idea to share some thoughts on this.

First before you even talk about the Raptors at all we had the NBA Lockout that in effect crippled this blog for the entire summer. I made the decision that I was not going to knock myself out producing content that was nothing but filler. I would know that and you as a reader would too. I didn't want to insult readers by doing that. So that left the blog pretty much inactive minus the odd post now and then giving thoughts on the labour situation and the Raptors as a result of it. It was a scary and depressing time. I truly love and enjoy what I am doing. I haven't been doing it for over four years to get rich by any means. If the DNB was a means to a get rich plan for me it would be a massive failure. But I have always found a way to survive and do what I love. The lockout even took that away. Eventually the Lockout would end with less than ideal results in terms of the CBA that was agreed too. That angered me to a large degree. But at least basketball was back and I could get back to what I have loved to do for the last 4 years plus of my life.

Just shortly before the official end to the lockout the Raptors had a press conference to announce the addition of Ed Stefanski to the organization. I remember that presser well, not for the fact that Ed had been added to the staff which I do like. He has always had a nice track record of working with online media in his time with Philadelphia. So I saw that as a positive for DNB personally. Hopefully we might even be able to swing getting him in the blog at some point in the future. I at least see it as possible based on his history. But what sticks out is how Bryan Colangelo laid out his expectations of this season when a CBA was in place. It was a crushing blow to any small optimism I might have had towards this season. He said everything I didn't want to hear, short of saying that this season was going to suck but next year was going to be great. It made you angry to a degree when you sat though a long lockout only to hear that basically the Raptors plan was to wait till next year.

The next significant event was the official end of the lockout and the release of this incredibly awful 66 game schedule from hell. Ironically likely so bad in part to give the season some sense of credibility. Something that was called into question with the 50 game sked after the last lockout. It has made every aspect of what we do in the Dino Nation Blog harder. One of the things we are known for is the great guests that we have been able to attract for The Starting 5. Given the unexpected nature of the season and when it would start as it turned out on Christmas Day, I decided to not even attempt to book guests till 2012. I did this because with just under a month to prepare for a season combined with the Christmas Holidays I felt it would be unfair to ask for people's time under those circumstances. But even now with how this schedule works it remains a significant challenge to get our guests. Through no fault of their own or mine. It is just with such a condensed schedule it is hard to find the time to make interviews come together. A lot of work goes into booking guests and making it all work which you never see even under normal circumstances. But I am grateful to all the wonderful people we have as guests and their willingness to take time to talk with me and ultimately with you. Especially in a season like this where the demands on their time is far greater. So if any of our guests happen to read this know how much you are truly appreciated.

There is also the fact of getting access to games. Given how the schedule plays out for me personally that becomes a challenge to figure out how and when to attempt to cover games. Last year we were fortunate to come to a pretty easy schedule with covering all Raptor home dates on Fridays. This season that doesn't make as much sense with the Raptors having hardly been at home in January and soon starting a 7 game homestand in February.

All of this and we haven't even really talked about the actual product the NBA is producing this season. In covering the Raptors it makes it more of a challenge to watch other games around the league and have a prospective of how other teams are doing with your own eyes. But in what I have been able to see there has been ugly basketball that extends beyond the Raptors. I can never recall a season with so many out and out lack of competitive games. Teams shooting in the 30%-40% range. Just awful stuff from a lot of teams. True it has not all been terrible. You have the new look Clippers make lots of pretty highlights. My pick to win the NBA Title the OKC Thunder have looked really good for the most part. It hasn't all been bad. Although with all the injures you wonder how that is going to impact things as we move forward. Already some big names have been sidelined, a few guys gone for the season altogether. You have to point to this schedule as a contributing factor.

That brings us to the Raptors who have been plagued by the injury bug as well. The significant injury being the one to Andrea Bargnani that re-occurred after a 6 game layoff the first time. His miraculous turnaround has been the lone positive that almost any Raptor fan has to concede, even the most jaded. The difference between this team with Bargnani and without is perhaps even more significant than Raptor teams of the past without Chris Bosh or Vince Carter. I mentioned earlier that Bryan Colangelo press conference. What he did try and sell to people was the fact of this young core the Raptors were building in order to be good in the future. That Core minus Bargnani has been off to a truly awful start. We have tried this season to provide you some answers as to why this might be. But excuses or reasons don't change the fact that you are not at least a bit worried about the future based on what we have seen so far. I have always attempted to be as honest as possible in this blog. For some people, that has labelled me with the tag of being negative. I choose to see it has being realistic and honest. If anyone can say there have not been some games this season where you were not totally disgusted with what you have seen, than that makes you one of the most loyal fans there is or you are lying.

That gets back to the original question that was asked to start this blog. Is it difficult to do this day after day. Yes it is difficult and in this season more than any other. But you have to keep that in prospective. Even on the worst day of doing what I do, there is far worse things in this world to do. I at the end of the day get to cover a sport and talk about something I truly love everyday. No matter what challenges that happen it never takes away that fact. The chance that I get to talk with all the various people I do. There are many blessings in what I do. You may read this blog or follow me on Twitter and get the idea that I am angry a lot of time. It really isn't the case. At my worst moment I am still doing something I am passionate about and care about. I have always attempted to do my job but never lose sight of what I feel as just a fan. Some days I do a better job of that than others. But each day I do my best to walk that line.

The Raptors struggles are depressing for everyone. Make no mistake about it. We all care from the folks in the organization, to the people that cover the team, to the fans who support this team. It is just that all of those different groups deal with that in many different ways. In terms of what I try and do here in the Dino Nation Blog, is cover what is going on bad or good. But also, in times when things are not as good, try to make things entertaining as well and even sometimes just attempt to make folks laugh and smile when they are in bad need of one.

Surprisingly even with the Raptors struggles this blog remains popular with people and the numbers of you have not dropped off from the start of the season, they have actually increased. That speaks to two things. One, I hope that means I am doing a good job providing you a product that you enjoy. Two, it speaks to the incredible loyalty that is shown to the Raptors as a whole and to the Dino Nation Blog through our loyal readers. In a season such as this that means so much. It is a challenge and it does have days where you are utterly frustrated and feel like you are living in the movie Groundhog Day. But that will always be out weighed by some simple facts. I love what I am doing no matter what. I love all of the wonderful people this blog has brought into my life. Many that I know and likely hundreds and thousands that I don't.

At the end of the day as bad as things may seem this is just a game. We love it and care about it passionately, but ultimately it does not determine our worth as people. Not as fans or even the players. Demar DeRozan is doing a campaign getting kids to read. If he scores two points or thirty-two he is making a difference for those children. If the Raptors win 60 games in a season or 6 it will not change that fact. Nor will it change that fact that I truly love what I am doing and all that I have done. If you have seen this post as complaining about things than you have missed the point. I am just trying to give you a window into the challenges this season has had not just for me but everyone. I can only do it from my own experiences but everyone is working under less the ideal circumstances. It is not an excuse just a fact.

James Johnson in The Starting 5.

I have started to come around in terms of James Johnson. When you go back to his draft year, the Raptors had been said to be considering him for their pick that year. They did not end up drafting him and he was eventually selected by the Bulls. Last season the Bulls decided to trade him to the Raptors in a deal near the deadline. I was not really excited about it. It to me was a sign that things did not look good for Sonny Weems who I like as a player and personally. Bit by bit I have started to change my opinion on Johnson as a player. He has been very impressive with his play on defence. He is now slowly starting to show signs on the offensive end of the floor. I don't think he has done enough to say he solves the Raptors problems at the small forward position as a starter. But he has shown that he can be a part of the puzzle. If I was on the fence talking with him last night prior to the Raptors game vs the Hawks got me off it.

It was an interesting chat. We began talking about how his training in martial arts and how it converts to the basketball floor. MMA training has become popular with athletes in many sports and I have seen many good features about how that training translates to football. There has been a lot of talk in broadcasts about the work he has been investing in his jump shot so we talk about that as well. In addition the difficulties that both this season and the odd lockout off-season had on him being able to improve his game. I really found this a honest and interesting interview hope you will feel the same.



One of the things that has been widely talked about is the struggles of Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis this season. I think through what James had to say it gives you a window into how not just for him, but for all the Raptors, it was a tough off-season to improve lacking the support and direction they would normally have. This combined with the tough grind of this NBA schedule makes improvement a larger challenge. I had talked about this topic with Jack Armstrong in a previous edition of the Starting 5. In this interview you get the player prospective on the issues this off-season had for players.

It makes you think that maybe we should factor that in before we judge any of these young players to harshly. In many ways this was an off-season for them in which no matter the amount of work they put in, without the direction that they would normally have, it made it harder, if not impossible to gain the maximum results you would see in a normal off-season. It is a big factor even if you don't want to accept it as an excuse. It was at the very least a challenge for every player to have to overcome.

James Johnson like everyone else continues to work hard despite a situation for a young team that is far from ideal. Which is something Dwane Casey made reference to in reflecting on the team through the first month of this NBA Season. The lack of practice time and the most busy January in Raptors history made things challenging. Not to mention the many injuries the Raptors have had to deal with, the most significant to Andrea Bargnani. But as Johnson said, it is just a case of you really have no days off if you hope to improve in a season such as this. That will test you both mentally and physically which lends itself well to Johnson's background in martial arts.

NBAZ In 7 DayZ - Playoff Edition

Hello all. I apologize had some really life stuff to get done on Friday. Back at it for a new week and will do a little self Q & A talking about mostly the NBA today. So here we go with some Questions and Answers.

Is Phil Jackson Done?

Swept by the Dallas Mavericks and his team coming unglued down the stretch. It just doesn't seem like the ending we expected. Do we really think he is done? He says he is mostly likely done and this is it. If it truly is, it this was a sad ending of the greatest coaching career perhaps ever in the NBA. Many will claim he coached great players and that is why he was successful. But there is a challenge in that. He had a unique system that perhaps only he can truly make work. You would think with all the success his triangle offence had more would have tried it. But there is only one Zen Master to run it. This season we saw Jerry Sloan leave also in a way not fitting his great career. Many do not remember an NBA with out Sloan or Jackson but when we do finally play basketball again the chances are that will be the case.

Heat Check for Miami in Game 4?

It makes sense that Boston won game 3 but now can Miami respond and with game 4 and put the Celtics on the ropes? It will be interesting to see what happens. Rajon Rondo not at 100% is not good news for Boston. Heat will win this series but a win in game 4 will make that road a lot easier. In the playoffs where ever game is made to be bigger than life this is a game for the Heat and Celtics that is massive. Lebron and D-Wade have shown a way to co-exist. For all the haters and doubters the reason these guys came together is the playoffs and this series was suppose to be the final step to the Finals. Expect Miami to answer in game 4 strong.

Mavs... Really?

Is the Mavs label as chokers done? Beat the 2 time defending champs in 4 games straight is more than impressive. It has to be depressing for Raptor fans to watch the Mavs with Tyson Chandler and Peja playing roles. Chandler should have been a Raptor after all. While Peja never played like this with the Raptors. In fact he barely played. But Dirk is looking good and Jason Terry has been a modern day version of Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson from Bad Boy Pistons. Next up is the surprising Grizzlies or the Thunder. Either match-up you would expect the Mavs to be a rather large favourite. Although being the Favourite is not the greatest thing now is it? Ask the Lakers about that.

NBA Player only a Mother could love?

Chris Anderson comes rushing to mind. Wonder if his mom has a tattoo?

Hawks are they a surprise?

Hell yeah. I mean with Kirk out this team was suppose to be the ones swept aside in 4. Someone forgot to tell Jeff Teague that. Seriously who is this guy and what has he done with the really Jeff Teague? While the Bulls are a one trick pony. But Derrick Rose is not running in the Kentucky Derby he is running with the Bulls and he needs a little help. Anyone care to step up and help out the M.V.P please let D.Rose know. BBM....Text...or just show up and play.

Am I Worried About My Thunder?

Nope...ok a little. But I believe in OKC and I personally find it insulting that people think Dallas should be rooting for the Thunder. That is what they were saying on TNT. Well root for them all you like. I am pretty sure the Thunder will be happy to see the Mavs and not Lakers on the other side of this series. Game 4 is important for OKC. They have had leads in this series and need to close out things in games. These Grizzlies are not going away. Spurs are sitting at home because of that. If OKC doesn't want to join them a win in game 4 is vital.

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I love my mom greatly as you all know.

Denver Deja Vu

It was the exact opposite of what we saw in OKC just less than 24 hours earlier. The Raptors did look good in the this second half of a back to back. Here is my recap with all the details in a quick and painless a way as possible.

Here is the Boxscore with the nasty statistical data. Have a couple interviews scheduled for today so come back and check them out. Suppose to be talking with Tom Liston who you may know from Raptors Republic or the RTZ or from Twitter @Liston. He makes his Starting 5 debut. Also suppose to hook up with Ray Bala the NCAA and Canada basketball guru from Raptors HQ.

Up next for Raptors is a match-up with the Suns on Wednesday. Forgot to mention in the Re-cap Amir Johnson was forced to leave this game at the half and did not return. His status for Wednesday will be up in the air.

The Raptors Road To The Unknown

There are now just 19 games left in the Toronto Raptors 2010/11 season. I was talking to someone over the weekend and they hit me with that number and I was kind of surprised. The season goes by so quickly, it really does. In those last 19 games it is more about the Raptors positioning in the draft lottery than anything else. But even that is flawed to a degree.

The Lottery itself is a bit suspect in nature. Some people have a hard time believing in it's legitimacy. From the very first lottery that saw Patrick Ewing going to the New York Knicks people have wondered how on the level it is. All those conspiracy believers may not be right but enough strange occurrences have happened in it makes you wonder. But legit or not this NBA Lottery maybe the most unusual ever given the back drop for the draft. The NBA's looming CBA issues and the lack of a deal and a lockout looming threaten to alter the draft class. Many feel that because there is a real question if we even have a season next year will cause many kids to take a pass on the draft. However David Stern has never been a fan of letting youngsters in this game. He created the rule to bring an end to high school players being drafted. The last ever high schooler drafted is on the Raptors Roster in Amir Johnson. Who is to say that Stern does not push to increase the eligibility age to enter the draft. That might make kids flock to this draft if they saw that as a possibility. The general consensus is this draft class is stocked with power forwards. The one position the Raptors seem to be over stocked. In a terrible season like this people look to the draft for hope and answers. But in terms of this season it may just provide more questions than it does answers for the Raptors. Much like the year Andrea Bargnani was selected, there is not a clear cut number 1 selection. No slam dunk Blake Griffin or Lebron James to select.

As for the future of this team we still have yet to even see if Bryan Colangelo is coming back. It is widely assumed that he will. It was also widely assumed that Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans had been traded. If Colangelo is back that likely means Jay Triano will remain as well. Regardless of if Bryan is back or not he has laid a foundation to fix this team under the new CBA. But it is hard to even say how well he has done in that regard with having no idea what the new rules are going to look like. The game is going to be altered and rule book to how you build a franchise will be re-written this off-season. Teams will enter the draft most likely with no clear road map as to what free agency is going to look like and no clear idea to when that even takes place.

The Raptors ability to be competitive in the NBA may greatly be helped by the results of the collective bargaining agreement. While the Raptors are in no danger of moving this league has other teams that are in that position. The Sacramento Kings seem almost a lock to move to Anaheim while the league itself owns the Hornets. Look around the league and you don't need anyone to tell you it has some serious issues in small markets. The actions and events that lead to Chris Bosh and Lebron James going to South Beach are being felt. Now New York wants to have a similar model and have 2 thirds of it in place. While there is no question the general interest in the sport overall has been helped by the creation of this super team in Miami. NBA ratings have been up and interest in the sport has been too. But in contrast to that interest is down in this market. The attendance for the Raptors is off from the past. Television and Radio numbers are down as well. Even online interest is down if I base it on myself. The easy answer to that is losing. Team loses interest will drop. But really it can be a much larger and bigger problem. It can be a loss of hope. When there is no hope that a team can truly be a contender you have a serious issue. While in a market such as Toronto that is not a death blow by any means it is for other markets and makes teams become not viable.

This CBA will need to address that competitive balance. Which in real terms that ability to have hope and faith that any team can truly win be restored. Oklahoma City is the exception and not the rule. Fans in markets need to have faith that they can have stars and not worry that at the first chance they have to leave they will bolt for a more attractive situation. You are never going to be able to create a perfect system but the NBA must create a better one that allows teams to have the ability to keep it's stars. That can be tough when at a certain point players have made so much money that it becomes less about the money and more about other things. It is not like you can mandate someone to be loyal. Players will make the point that franchises are not always loyal as well. Teams on any given day when they are able to make trades can send a player packing at the drop of a hat.

The end result of the CBA will have a lot of say in what the Raptors future is going to be. If fans can embrace Demar DeRozan as the next one or just the next one to leave. I had said long before this season had ever got started that his development was the most important thing of this entire season. Injuries and a lack of any sort of a competitive team has made that even more the case. Whatever they come up with in a new CBA is not going to change one simple fact about the NBA. This is a star driven league and more than any other sport you truly need a star player or players to have any hope and being a serious contender. The Raptors as currently constructed have no star or franchise player at the moment. They have two potential stars in Bargnani and DeRozan. But when you look at things realistically the chances that Bargnani ever reaches that level grow less and less as the days go by. The same is not true for DeRozan who is showing true signs that he can be an elite player in this league. It has not been in the way that a Vince Carter burst on to the scene in Toronto. It has been a steady progression of improvement. Demar is still very young and I think we sometimes expect so much from kids these days. Not everyone can be like Lebron James or Sidney Crosby and walk into a sport and instantly dominate it. It takes time for most to learn and grow and develop into superstars. But there is not question that Demar at least has the tools in terms of ability to become one.

The question will become if DeRozan can reach that level can this team surround him with a team that is capable of winning. They have failed to do that with Carter and with Bosh. While you can point to those players and lay some of the blame on them, you have to assign blame to the Raptors as well. If Colangelo is indeed back he will need to get things right. While Bryan has had a lot of success in bringing in some complimentary pieces. When Colangelo has looked to hit the home run he has struck out every time. This will be his last chance to get it right and it may take him doing some things that many do not see him doing. He may need to take a hard look at Andrea Bargnani and if he truly should be here. Can he be a complimentary piece to a DeRozan or do you need to trade him and move on. Bargnani is not and will not be this team's franchise player. If people are going to question if Bosh could be to argue that Andrea can be is beyond ridiculous.

Who ultimate Colangelo makes part of this young core moving forward is going to be vital. While Bargnani is part of that mix if Colangelo is not willing to move him. DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson all I would suggest are the other locks but after that it becomes cloudy. Jerryd Bayless is a real question mark above all others. He has not exactly blown anyone away really. Especially as the losses have mounted for this team, he has seemed to see his play drop off as well. He is likely to see more competition come his way as a result. I can not imagine the Raptors would not seriously be interested in finding a young point guard to develop and eventually replace Jose Calderon. You have Sonny Weems who it would appear has been ruled expendable by the Raptors acquiring James Johnson. It seems unlikely that both Johnson and Weems would remain. Solomon Alabi has in a sense just become the white flag for the Raptors throwing in the towel on games. He has bounced back and forth from the Bayhawks to the Raptors. I am not sure what to make of his future. Maybe they give him another year to see if they can turn him into anything. He very much is a project like Nathan Jawai was suppose to be and never was.

It will then become finding the vets to place around this group. In terms of the vets they have it would seem unlikely that Reggie Evans or Barbosa enter into the longer term plans for the Raptors. Both have been plagued with injuries and we have only got to see snap shots of what they are capable of doing in Toronto. The Raptors however the CBA shakes out are going to have cash to spend. Evans contract is going to expire and unless Reggie takes a serious discount I can't see him being back. While Barbosa becomes an interesting asset entering the final year of his deal. Definitely he is an interest piece for a contender if he is healthy. He also will offer a ton of cap relief for whoever is holding is contract by the end of next season assuming we have one that is.

But to truly know what this team or any team is going to be able to do in the future is just not possible. We have no road map on what teams will or won't be able to do. At the same time the NBA's future is in flux so is the NFL's future. They too are in the beginning of their labour situation. While the two are not related exactly should the NFL find a way to have labour peace, as an NBA fan you would hope that increases the pressure for the NBA to do the same.

The sad fact is that as fans we are held as the hostages in these things. It takes away your ability to even look towards the future with no really idea on what it will be. Which in terms of the Raptors is all they have going for them right now is the future. The present has been painfully obvious you could argue even as far back as when Chris Bosh signed in Miami. We all remember the post Vince Carter Raptors. It took a long time to recover from that. This time around the Raptor fan base is far more bitter and far more jaded. They have endured 16 years of a team that has not been able to deliver on it's promise of wanting to be a winner and a contender. They are more educated as fans and are not as easy to accept that this team will be able to get it right this time. After all they have enough history of them getting it wrong to be justified in thinking that it will not change.

However with a new CBA that will eventually come it is hard to predict what it will mean for the NBA and for the Raptors specifically. What is not hard to figure out is this fan base regardless of that is tired of losing it's stars, tired of losing faith and just tired of losing in general. The pressure to get it right will be intense. Raptor fans are not like Maple Leaf fans and are not willing to wait 40 plus years for them to get it right.

The Scene From London Of Raptors vs Nets

Friday Report from our Fan correspondent in London (@Euro4raps )

Yes Michael did make it to London. He tells me Wifi over in London is not the greatest. Might be something to figure out for the Olympics coming don't you think? There will be a lot more people in London for that event for sure. But Michael was able to get us his thoughts on his day and the game that night which the Raptor would eventually lose to the Nets:

After spending most of my Friday shopping at Portobello Road Market and Oxford street, I met up with two British Raptors fans prior to the game at The O2: Tom Hurley and Nat Jones, both currently from Manchester. Also Natasha Alibhai also quickly came by and we chatted some Raptors.

I then bought a Raptors t-shirt from the official store and was instantly wondering why they would sell Heat Jersey not from the Raptors (The answer is this is staged as more an NBA Event). Inside the arena, where I was sitting practically under the roof bur nonetheless had a good view, I was surprised at how equally the Nets and Raptors were presented throughout The O2. (Note on T.V it didn't sound like it)

The introductions were done equally and I have to admit, the Nets video was more impressive. The game itself started out a bit boring, not because of what happened on the floor but the crowd took a while to get into it. Speaking of the crowd, I think fans for both teams were about 50-50 with maybe a slight overhang towards the Raptors. At least in my block we were, including a boy who chanted DEFENCE whenever the Raptors were back.

I followed the game and since I'm a stats guy it was bad not having any working stats on the Jumbo screen until well into the second quarter. Hopefully they fixed that from the get go for tonight's game. The ending was not the best for Raptors fans as the Nets took over in the fourth. I have to admit though, I'm not that down about it as I had a GREAT time at my first ever NBA game. I saw so many things happening in between TV breaks, like Matt Devlin's bumping fists with every player during warm-ups. Or his constant peeks at several sheets in front of him. The contests and prizes were a bit too much for me but it let time fly by quicker, I guess.

I want to end by saying how impressed I was about the Raptor! He outperformed the Nets mascot on so many levels and involved the (lower bowl) crowd constantly. During a timeout he also had his fun with a security guard, dancing with the poor guy who tried his best to do his job without laughing like the guards at Buckingham Palace.

And by the way, even if the WiFi at The O2 had worked smoother, in-game tweeting is not really for me as I took everything in and tried to see as much as I could. Still, follow me @Euro4Raps and I'll try to do a better job for the second game, working WiFi permitting.

Thanks to Michael for checking in. Funny he mentions the Raptor I have said for years he is one of the best Mascots not just in the NBA but in all sports. Micheal didn't take this picture The Raptor tweeted it. He was busy on the streets as well in London check it out.

Because there really is not to much new to say, no DNB Preview of today's game but it does tip at 3pm and can been seen on Sportsnet 1 here in Canada. Glad to hear Micheal enjoyed his first live NBA game. That is what it is all about. This is a huge deal for fans in Europe. Matt mentioned on broadcast the amount of Raptor fans from so many different places he has met. oddest one for me was Sweden. Seems like everyone for the most part has had a good time.

Holly MacKenzie In The DNB's Starting 5

Holly MacKenzie has been mentioned in this blog on many occasions. I consider her not just a talented writer and very knowledgeable about basketball but also a friend. It has always been a goal to get Holly to come be in The Starting 5. It has almost happened a bunch of times. But something always would come along and it would never happen. So FINALLY it has happened and it was well worth the wait. We talk about a variety of topics from how she got to where she is now, to the Raptors future, and a number of NBA Topics including her thoughts on the upcoming off-season with a lockout looming. Holly truly loves basketball more than almost anyone I have ever met, and I am including myself in that. Her passion and love for sport shines through in her writing and it does in this interview as well. We also came to discover something that we both did not know until this interview. It was one of the more fun interviews I have done in the Starting 5 and I think you will enjoy it. Her picks for MVP, Coach of the Year and a whole lot more Stackmack has invaded the DNB.

Holly is just a super person and knowing her these past few years has been a real joy for me personally. If you ever met Holly and do not walk away from that encounter with a smile on your face, and love of basketball in your heart... something is wrong with you. She really is just as talented as she is as a good human being. I think the world of her and always am as thrilled for all the success she has had and will have. I am fortunate to know her and am very happy I was finally able to have her come be a part of our world here in the Dino Nation Blog. She knows her stuff and combines that with a love and passion for the sport of basketball that is near impossible to match. I respect her so much and am not ever surprised by anything she achieves. She works hard and has done more in a few years than some people have done in a career. I won't get into what I was doing at her age. But needless to say I was nowhere close to what she has accomplished. I am sure you like me already follow her on Twitter but for the record is it @stackmack and it is well worth the follow.

Playing Out The String Begins In Charlotte.

The Raptors begin the post All-Star Schedule tonight in Charlotte with the Bulls waiting for them in Toronto for a game tomorrow night. Demar DeRozan promises to go nuts in this final stretch of the season after getting jobbed in the Dunk Contest for a 2nd year. That is really what season is about for the Raptors now. How there younger players approach and play the rest of the games on the schedule. There is no playoffs in this team's future and a uncertain future with no CBA in place after this season. Bryan Colangelo is making noise about trading one of his first round picks. I think that would be a mistake at this point. But it is not like I have agreed with the J.O Deal, The Hedo signing and a lot of other things. Let's also hope he is talking about the Miami pick and not their own pick. Trade deadline is 3 days away and the Melodrama has ended. There is not likely much Raptor drama despite all the talk from B.C at least that is what I am thinking. Reggie Evans one the Raptors more interesting expiring contracts is almost set to return. If he makes it past Thursday it will be nice to see him back. Reggie has in a recent interview expressed that he could be interesting in staying with the Raptors if it was possible. Oh yeah and there is a game tonight the Bobcats and Raptors with Charles Oakley as an assistant for the Bobcats. Charlotte has had a massive overhaul since the Raptors last saw them. Brand new coaching staff and an attitude to go with it.

The Basics: Toronto 15-41 (Last Road Win 1/05/11 @Cavs) Charlotte 24-32 ( 15-12 at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: Bosh was back and the Raptors put up a great fight led by Andrea Bargnani with 38 points and no defence to speak of. The Crowd was fired up but fizzled while the Raptors had to with in 4 points with less than 4 to play before finally getting sun burned by the Heat.

Key Match-Ups: Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are the key guys for the Raptors to shutdown in this one. Jackson has potential to go off both in losing his temper or scoring a ton. While Wallace has been a thorn in the Raptors side for years and is the exact opposite of what Raptors have been. He is a freak athlete and has always got the better of the Raptors when he has been healthy and in the line-up. Raptors need to take advantage of Augustin and Brown with Bargnani and Calderon. The X-Factor is a motivated Demar DeRozan that seem less than impressed he got jobbed again in the Dunk Contest. He tweeted that he is going Ham on the rest of this season. I am not up on my slang but it seemed to imply he is going to as the Rock says BRING IT!!! For the rest of the year. That is good because we need to see that happen.

Other Things of Note: Bobcats are 15-13 under Paul Silas who prior to Charlotte last coached Lebron James and the Cavs in 04-05 before taking over in Charlotte. Bobcats have a 2-0 lead in the season series vs the Raptors. Had a great chat with Chuck Swirsky yesterday and many of you have already checked that out. But in case you have not based on the feedback I have got you probably should. Chicago who the Raptors play tomorrow do not play tonight and will be sitting back waiting for the Raptors which will make for a tough back to back for Toronto prior to the trade deadline. If people expect the Raptors to do a lot at deadline I think you will be sadly disappointed. I don't see this team doing anything. Will see If I am right on Thursday or before that but pretty sure I am.

Where Is It On ?: Sportsnet Uno (This was Sportsnet's chance to prove they care about B-Ball after TSN FAILED to show MVP of All-Star Game but let's face it Trade Deadline Wars are coming and no one at TSN or Sportsnet is paying attention to basketball)

Happy Bosh Armageddon Day

This is not going be your normal DNB Preview. No one cares about records in this game. No one cares about anything other than this game. I have talked about Chris Bosh and what he did and didn't do pretty much the entire week. But basically this is his judgment day. People who think Bosh will be welcomed back to Toronto might be as delusional about this as Bosh himself.

This is not about the choice he made it is not about the 7 years he spent with this franchise. He did give all he had in his 7 years here. People who question that were honestly not paying attention. But what he also did was find a way to exit Toronto in perhaps a worse way then Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. There was no social media back in those days. Chris Bosh is widely credited for being one of the first players to embrace the social media era and use it to market himself. It is very ironic that same social media is how he buried himself. Tonight he will understand just how badly he did. Chris Bosh took his 7 year legacy and flushed it down the toilet 1 tweet and 1 interview at a time. If he doesn't believe that or if you don't believe that just watch tonight.

Bryan Colangelo failed in two ways. 1st he did not build a team around Chris Bosh to win in Toronto for the long term. Second he never should have called Bosh's effort into question. Even if he knows it was the truth he should have stayed quiet.

MLSE has failed as well. Bosh made one valid point in the very early days of all this. Bosh said the Raptors never were a tax team in his time here. You can not honestly say that you are committed to winning and spending money if you never went beyond that tax threshold. Also MLSE has failed in terms of television. Chris Bosh made point about Raptors not being on national t.v in the states. But how about here in Canada. The fact this game is on TSN 2 is an utter disgrace. It really is. This is your biggest game of the year and it has been shoved on a B network. Shame on them for allowing this to happen.

For the young Raptors team this is a night that will be very important. This is a big game environment and they need to step up. This is a big night for the futures of Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan. How they perform will go a long way on what we can learn about how they play in big games. For everyone on this roster this will be defining game for how fan perceive them. If they do not go full out or show Bosh any kind of love they will bury themselves with many in this fan base.

For a team that has no playoff chances in any real terms. This is a one game playoff for this team and it is a game that means far more to the fan base than it does for the players. They need to realize that and step up to the plate.

For people that say they will cheer Chris Bosh. Go ahead if you like but how he has disrespected this city and acted like an idiot all summer. He didn't show any thought for his legacy for his legacy in how he left so why should you.

As for here in the DNB. We have are (UN) Welcome Back Bosh Bash at St. Louis Wings. Prizes and fun all night long as I will be liveblogging the game For The Score from the party. Also here on the Dino Nation Blog we are going to set up a Raptors Speakers Corner here on the site from the Party. So tune in all night and see what fans are saying from our party. Will have the Ustream feed up for the entire game if all goes well.

But if you are at the ACC, at our Party, At home or anywhere else enjoy this game because after this one is the hangover of what is a very disappointing season. Win, Lose or anything else that happens tonight that reality will not change.

DNB Top Ten: Big Threes

Last week we took a look at the top ten point guards in the league and in this weeks installment, we'll be looking at the top Big Three's in the league. So here's the top ten 3 player combo's in the league.

1. Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo, Celtics ( 62.6 PPG, 23 RPG, 22 APG)

Kind of had to cheat on this one because the Boston Big 3 just won't be the same without Rondo. When these guys are on the court together good things always happen on the defensive end, which usually results in great plays on the offensive end. With players like Shaq, Big Baby and Nate Robinson surrounding them and with the return of Kendrick Perkins in a few weeks, this trio is poised to lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals once again. That's if they can stay healthy.

2. Wade, Bosh and Lebron, Heat (69.3 PPG, 21.8 RPG, 13.3 APG)

After getting off to a very mediocre start in which many questioned whether they can co-exist and many trade rumors involving Bosh started, the South Beach trio has responded and shown just how good they can be, by going 15-1 in the month of December and winning 21 of 22 games. It looked like they were going to continue that trend into January. Not to mention that this trio currently has the highest +/- amongst 3-man combos with +290. Though they may lack the bench production and depth as the original Big 3 in Boston, each of these guys can take over a game at any point and led their team to victory, unless Lebron tweets about "karma" again.

3. Kobe, Gasol and Odom, Lakers (59.1 PPG, 25.3 RPG, 11.5 APG)

These guys have helped the Lakers win two consecutive NBA titles and it's been mostly due to these guys. With probably the best closer in the league in Kobe, a threat in the middle in Gasol, and an all-around big man who can handle the ball and spread the defense in Odom the Lakers, are gearing up for another shot at the NBA Finals and a chance to complete the 3-peat and the franchise's 17th title.

4. Parker, Manu and Ginobli, Spurs (50.1 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 14.6 APG)

The most experienced of the Big 3.s on this list. These guys have won three NBA titles together and currently looking for their 5th title in franchise history all of which have come after the 1999 season. With the best record in the league right now at, 35-6, the Spurs are looking in great shape to complete that goal and bring the championship parade back to San Antonio for the 4th time since 2003.

5. Rose, Boozer and Noah, Bulls (58.8 PPG, 26.5 RPG, 12.9 APG)

With the acquisition of Boozer last offseason, the Bulls have propelled themselves to title contenders status. With Rose running the offense and Boozer and Noah patrolling the paint, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with come playoffs time. Though the trio has only played 9 games together this season due to injuries to both Boozer and Noah, we haven't gotten a full glimpse of what they can do yet, but when that happens opposing teams should beware.

6. Durant, Westbrook and Green, Thunder (65.9 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 13.4 APG)

One of the best up and coming trios currently in the league. Coming off a great season last year, in which they put up quite a fight against the Lakers in the first round, these three are looking to lead the Thunder to a top 4 seed and get them past the first round. These guys may only be together for a few more months though, as the Thunder have yet to offer Jeff Green a contract extension, and may let him go as a free agent. Either way this is a trio worth watching even if it is for a few more months.

7. Kidd, Dirk and Terry, Mavericks (47 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 15.4 APG)

These three have been apart of many successful seasons with the Mavs, but have yet to win and NBA championship. The Mavs had a shot in 2006, without Kidd, but ended up losing to D-Wade and the Miami Heat in the Finals. With all three in their 30's and entering the final seasons of their careers, the window for them to win that title is slowly closing. If there was ever three players who can lead the Mavs to their first franchise title, it's the two Jason's and the German, but with that window closing will they be able to accomplish that or once again see another team walking away with the prize.

8. Williams, Millsap, Jefferson, Jazz (56.4 PPG, 20.4, 13.4 APG)

With Jerry Sloan's coaching the Jazz are once again poised for another 50 win season and a deep post-season run. After acquiring Jefferson, they now have a presence in the post alongside Millsap, who can scored, defend and grab rebounds. Add that to D-Will's ability to make plays and shoot the ball and you have a great inside-out game. Toss in Millsap's hustle, rebounding and clutch shooting and you have a dangerous trio. Not sure if they'll be able to win the title this season, but with these no still in their mid-20's and entering the prime of their careers, the Jazz may just win a title within the next 5 years.

9. Turkoglu, Howard, and Nelson, Magic (46.4 PPG, 20.8 RPG, 14.1 APG)

After about a season and a half apart, the Orlando trio has been reassembled once more and looking to make some noise in the Eastern conference. The last time these three were together they made in the the NBA Finals, though Jameer wasn't 100%, where they would ultimately lose to the Lakers. Now with a healthy Jameer, and a not so crappy Hedo along with the insode force that is Dwight Howard, the Magic are poised for a deep playoff run, but would the Celtics or Heat put an end to that run.

10. Stoudemire, Felton and Gallinari, Knicks (59.5 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 13.4 APG)

At this point last season the Knicks were already looking at who they'll select in the draft, but it's a totally different story this year. With the additions of Amare and Felton the Knicks have made themselves a playoff team once more. With Amare's relentlessly attacking the rim, Gallo hitting threes and Felton making plays the Knicks have become and exciting team to watch. Though they are a long shot away form being a title contender, mostly due to their lack of defense, they would remain a force in the East for years to come with their Big 3 and it's supporting cast.

Up and Coming:

Griffin, Gordon, and Davis, Clippers (57.2 PPG, 18.5 RPG, 15 APG)

After year's of being viewed as "That Other LA team" the Clippers are out to make themselves known with their trio of Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. With wins against the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Bulls and Lakers ( all of which have Big 3's that appeared on this list) this season the Clippers have shown that they have a really bright future ahead of them and maybe their days of being an automatic lottery team may be over in the near future. Not sure how long Baron will remain there, but he can provide that veteran experience needed in clutch game situations.

That concludes another edition of the DNB Top Ten, if you feel like anyone was left out of shouldn't have been included, feel free to leave a comment below or in the DNB chat. Stay tuned for next weeks installment.

The Dark Cloud That Hangs Over NBA

This season I have not enjoyed the NBA as I have in the past. You may jump right to the fact the Raptors had little playoff chances from day 1. I admit that probably doesn't help matters. But I have lived through bad Raptor seasons before. At the core of it is likely more the impending and some say enviable NBA Lockout that could take place next season. Obviously from a totally selfish point of view it scares me, because I am trying to eek out a living covering the NBA and if they do not play games it is going to have a heavy toll on me. Not to mention the tens of thousands that make a living based on the NBA. None of which are making the money that NBA Players or NBA Owners are. They all have more than enough money to survive for the rest of their lives in many cases. So, if they have an extended labour battle, the impact on them will be minimal. While people like myself would be crippled by it financially. The guys and gals that sell programs, The kid with the part time job that sells popcorn and a ton of people online that make a living, or try to based on the NBA. Those are only a few examples.

This is not to mention all of you folks that may not make a living off the game, but enjoy it and make it a part of your lives. I have made it no secret that I am not a fan of hockey. Part of that is living here in Canada where the sport is crammed down my throat on a regular basis. But even with that prior to the NHL Lockout that cost them an entire season, I would occasionally watch a hockey game. After that lockout my interest level went to zero. While leagues will always go on and on about how they care about fans it really is a lot of B.S. When you can take away a sport and a championship or season away from fans over money than you don't care. It has taken a long time before I have even got back a minor interest in baseball. They had a labour dispute back in 1994 that cost them a World Series. Ask Expos fans about that. You can argue that may have contributed to them losing their team. The Expos were on the verge of being a contender for that World Series that never was. It is the ultimate slap in the face to fans and people that love a sport to cancel a season or a championship for a dispute that is based completely about money.

At the end of the day when a new CBA is in place, regardless of who wins, you will still have very rich players and even richer owners. It will be the little folks like me and the fans of the sport that suffer. We will be the ones that get screwed at the end of the day. The joy that you get from watching the game, be it the Raptors or the NBA in general is going to be taken away from all of us. If the NBA CARES and truly CARES about it fans then David Stern will get a deal done and make it happen. But ultimately the NBA CARES about making money. This whole thing that has become a common phrase that SPORTS IS A BUSINESS. It is funny how it was a business when I was a kid but it was never crammed down my throat on a regular basis.

Lebron James and Chris Bosh made business decisions to go to Miami. It was there 100% right to do so. It also by looking at this NBA season seems to be a very wise one. While many will point to how they left as the reason why many fans can't stand them and also the Heat. However, is not a small part of that hate being about the fact they made a business choice and basically said screw their fans. It is not like they went to a franchise that has the NBA's best fanbase by a long shot. They went to a place where they could win a title and could care less about much else. I am sure the fact it was based in a city like Miami with nice weather and a great night life didn't hurt. While they did leave some dollars on the table, if they can build the dynasty that they envision they will more than recover those lost dollars.

The most painful thing is the people that care the most in terms of fans are basically hostages in these labour disputes. They are always the losers at the end of any work stoppages. People will spin it and make it seem like they are doing what is best for the game. That is a lie, they are doing what is best for themselves. They may love and care about the game. But they love and care about their bottom line more.

So as this season marches on, I grow more fearful of what is to come. I have dedicated over 3 years of my life to building up this blog. All of those hours and all of that work can go up in smoke because of something that is beyond my control. It makes you angry, upset and fearful. It is all the smaller people that suffer in these things. The Players, The Owners and the Broadcasters will all be able to survive. I truly pray for sanity and a season next year. Not just for my own selfish fears but for all the many people that depend on the NBA for earning their living and for the fans who just want to enjoy the sport they love. I don't want to grow jaded towards basketball as I have with other sports like hockey and baseball. Part of what makes me successful at this, is my passion and love for what I do. Here is hoping that will remain and we will be watching basketball at this time next year.

Raptors Dethrone Kings in Sunday Showdown

Toronto would once again be without Sonny Weems, who has missed the last 11 games, and Tyreke Evans would also be a no-go for Sacramento. This further adds to the epidemic that is opposing teams star players being unable to play in games against Raptors, joining Dirk Nowitzki and Carmelo Anthony just to name a few. Jermaine Taylor got the start in his absence. The Raptors also made a slight lineup change as Joey Dorsey got the start in place of Amir Johnson for match-up purposes. Sacramento came into this game losing 6 straight to the Raptors at the ACC and were looking to end that streak.

DeMar DeRozan opens the scoring with a jumper, but the Kings quickly responded with a score of their own off a Cousins lob pass to Taylor. This would be the trend for most of the quarter as both team couldn't seem to miss. The Raptors were continuously attacking the paint and thus getting a lot of baskets for close range, but the Kings made their presence felt early on the boards and rewarded themselves with second chance points. As mention earlier both teams were shooting like the rim was the size of Texas, especially the Raptors who started 10-10 from the field before Kleiza missed a turnaround jumper at the 4:21 mark. After some missed FT's by Carl Landry, Jose would find DeMar cutting to the basket and feed him the perfect lob pass for the alley-oop finish to put the Raps up 24-19. The team would continue to trade baskets for the remainder of the quarter, capped off by a Bargnani dunk, quickly responded to, by Samuel Dalembert, with a dunk off his own after Bargnani failed to get back in transition. That was the final bucket of the quarter as the Raptors lead 34-31.

If there was ever a quarter with all offense and no defense the 1st was exactly that as the Raptors shot an amazing 75% from the field, while the Kings weren't too far behind at 65%. But would either team be able to maintain that hot shooting for the rest of the game? The second starts off with 5 straight points by Carl Landry to give the Kings a 2 point lead, before Jerryd Bayless, who missed the last game in Boston, answered with a 3 to regain the lead. The Kings would then turn the ball over and the Raptors capitalized resulting in a DeMar jumper. It seemed like the players became very fatigued after that 1st quarter as there were a couple of airballs, short jumpers and turnovers on both sides. After Ed Davis blocked a Cousins shot attempt, the Raps quickly got out in transition and scored via a Barbosa layup to go up 43-36. There was then yet another series of misses by both sides that was ended by a DeMar runner. Kleiza who was pretty much silent for much of the game would wake up the crowd with a vicious dunk that totally came out on nowhere. Barbosa would end the quarter with a layup at the buzzer to give the Raps a 57-50 lead going in the break.

Bargnani led all scorers with 16 at the half, while DeMar was close behind with 13. Udrih was the Kings leading scorer with 11. Julian Wright who has been playing great as off late did not see any playing time in that first half. The Raptors who are 5th in the league in offensive rebounding did not get one until the 2:48 mark in the 2nd quarter. With the Raps currently holding the lead all they had to do was come out strong in the third, play some defense and they could be walking away with the win or would they somehow let the Kings battle back and get their first win at the ACC in almost 7 years.

The 3rd was pretty much the same as the first two quarters as both teams continued to trade buckets for the most part, but the Kings advantage on the offensive glass would eventually pay-off as they would claim a one point lead halfway into the quarter. Triano would wisely call a timeout, but the play out of that timeout wasn't nearly as wise as Bargnani attempted a questionable three which he missed. After a Kings turnover, DeMar would get a no-call driving to the hoop, in which three players surrounded him, and that would lead to a Udrih 3 in transition to give Sacramento a 4-point lead. The Raps would then tie the game up on a Barbosa three, but they would fail to box out on the opposite end as the Kings scored off another offensive rebound. DeMar would start his dominance in the game from that point as he was getting required touches and when he wasn't scoring he was making plays for his teammates. He would scored 11 in this quarter and the game was tied at 85 when the buzzer sounded.

So would the Raptors be able to hold off the Kings or will they have another letdown this season. Julian Wright who hadn't played in the first three quarters would start the 4th and immediately make an impact as he would get a quick steal which would lead to a Barbosa score. Bargnani will then score again to put the Raps up 4. This game once again entered a period with both teams trading buckets, but Barbosa would hit two huge threes and DeMar would hit another jumper to put the Raps up 108-100 with about 4 minutes left. The Raps would then go on a mini collapse and DeMarcus Cousins (yea you heard that right) would take over and just like that it was a 1-point game with just over a minute remaining. Bargnani would then hit a huge 3 to put the Raps up 4, and after a 3-point miss by Garcia, Amir would hit 2 FT's to ultimately ice the game. In the end the Raps walked away with a 118-112 victory and continued their home dominance of the Kings.

On a day when Andrea Bargnani (30 points) and DeMar Derozan (28 points) combined for 58 points, the Raps were able to defeat the Kings and get the victory. Beno Udrih led the Kings with 25. Though it looked like the Raps were probably going to let this one slip away at the end, they were able to hold on and get a much needed victory. If DeMar and Andrea can continue having games like these in which they both score 25+ points, this team can start winning some game and may even be able to sneak into that 8th playoff spot. Up next for the Raptors would be the Hawks on Wednesday which would be a very tough challenge for them, especially for DeMar who would be going up against Joe Johnson.

DeMar DeRozan: The Forgotten Star

We have all seen DeMar DeRozan blossom into a pretty good NBA player after having somewhat of a sub-par season in his rookie year. But who could blame him for that performance, after-all he was playing behind the likes of Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and dare I say Hedo Turkoglu. He has taken huge steps in his sophomore season to better his game and become a better all-around player, but in the eyes of the NBA community outside of Toronto he's not really getting the credit or respect he deserves. Some may view him as just an athletic player who can get up and throw down some dunks on a regular basis, but he is continuing to expand his game and making strides to becoming a star in this league.

After finishing the 09-10 season with a decent 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists, he is currently averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 boards and 1,7 assists and these numbers may continue to increase as there is still over three months left in the season. We have also seen his scoring averages increase each month from 11.5 in October, 11.9 in November, 15.9 in December and 19,3 through 3 games in January. Not to mention that he is averaging 23.8 points over his last four games and has scored in double digits in twelve straight games, highlighted by a 3 point output in Houston, and I'm sure he'll continue producing at this astonishing rate. But still you hardly hear about these things outside of the Toronto media.

Another aspect of his game that has improved is his determination to take the ball to the hoop and get to the FT line, though he does get a bit too overaggressive at times. Last season he averaged 2.5 FT attempts per game, and that number has doubled this season as he is currently getting to the line 5.2 times per game which ranks him 30th overall in the league and 1st amongst Raptors players. To put that into perspective Chris Bosh, who was one of the best at getting to the line last season, gets to the line about 5.5 times per game this season, Pau Gasol and Paul Pierce get there 5 times, fellow teammate Andrea Bargnani attempts 4.9 per game and Rudy Gay, who is perhaps one of the most athletic guys in the league gets there about 4.2 times. He also ranks 28th overall in FT's made this season with 134 makes, and 23rd in FT attempts, with 178, which is only two less than Pau Gasol and more than the likes of Chris Paul, Danny Granger, and Josh Smith. DeMar could even be getting to the line more often if he got a few more calls to go his way, as the referees haven't been giving him the benefit of the doubt must lately. That's not to say that the refs are out to get him or anything, but if you have watched the last few games, you'll be questioning some of the no-calls also.

Then there was the whole thing of him being snubbed for the Rookie team that competed in the Rookie-Sophomore game at last years All-star weekend. Of the nine players selected only four ( Tyreke Evans, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Curry, and Jsmes Harden) were selected before DeMar in the draft and only one of the remaining five (Brandon Jennings) was selected in the lottery. The remaining four were comprised of two picks in the 20's (Omri Casspi, 23rd, and Taj Gibson, 26th) and two second rounders (DeJuan Blair and Jonas Jerebko). Upon a closer look, this wasn't really as big a snub as it seemed as most of these guys were having better seasons than Demar at that time and ended the season with better scoring averages, except for Blair, but he was a beast on the boards in his limited minutes. But then at that very same All-Star weekend, Demar had to earned his spot in the dunk contest via a dunk-in against Eric Gordan, instead of being invited to participate like the other contestants. He would eventually win this, but ultimately lose in the finals of the main contest via fan vote to Nate Robinson.

So after having a dunk-in last year, you'll think that the NBA would do the same this year, but to no surprise they didn't and selected Blake Griffin, Brandon Jennings, JaVale McGee and Serge Ibaka for this year's contest. If DeMar had to participant in the dunk-in last year, why don't two other players get to compete for that final spot again this year. Was it because the didn't like that format or did they rather he earn his way into the contest instead of just giving him a spot? But before we get any conspiracy theory's started, let's just say that in the end he showed why he deserved to be in that contest last year. Now in terms of this year's selection choices, in which DeMar was once again not selected, I'll leave that for another day.

Overall, DeMar has become a solid NBA player and as much as his game has improved he has yet to receive the credit he deserves. But, then again there have been a long history of Raptors players who had to worked very hard in order to be recognized by the league, whether it had been VC, Bosh or Bargnani. So if DeMar keeps up his great work ethic and keeps on improving, in due time he would be getting that respect he deserves.

A Season In Limbo

As we sit here on the first Monday of January the Raptors sit tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-22. In the West we could honestly start talking about next season with a record like that. In the East though the Bucks sit 13-18 in the final playoff spot. Compare that to the West where Portland holds that 8th position at 18-16. While the playoffs remain a mathematical possibility it is highly unlikely it happens for the Raptors. All indications are this team is looking toward next season and beyond to be competitive.

What Colangelo is banking on is the New CBA and the bigger the owners win likely the bigger the Raptors will win to a point. Let's just take one small thing that the owners have wanted and use it as an example. They want to scrap the MLE (Mid Level Exception) all together. So if that were to happen it instantly takes teams that are over the cap out of the running in free agency. So the Raptors with cap room would be able to offer the most dollars to top level free agents. The option of a player taking less to play on a contender would almost be wiped away. Unless they are willing to take the league minimum to do it, or a contending team would actually have cap space of their own. Given the recent moves in Orlando and Miami it is not going to be them. In fact you go and find a contending team that has cap space, there is none that spring to mind. Maybe the Knicks? Thanks to the frenzy of activity for 2010 there is not a lot of teams with money to spend.

Toronto also has a group of young players that if the group can stick together could be very good with the addition of one or two top tier players. While lots of people make a lot of noise about playing in Toronto, if the team was able to win those detractors would not be as loud. If there is less competition in terms of free agency Toronto starts to look a lot more attractive to folks. Also when you consider to make the jump to the playoffs and being a contender in the East is a lot easier, that is another plus in the Raptors favour.

Colangelo is setting up the team in a way that it can be a contender in the NBA under the new CBA. It would seem that the owners are set on doing all they can to create a much more restrictive collective agreement and that will make the cap room the Raptors will have even more valuable. While talk of a lockout looms the end result of this latest labour war will be of huge importance to the Raptors moving forward. Colangelo has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in his moves as a G.M. He has shoved all the chips he can find in, betting on the owners winning to some degree in this new CBA. The moves he makes once that new CBA is established will make or break the Raptors for the next 5 years. He is going to have one final shot at getting it right.

Why is it so vital he gets it right other than the obvious ones. If he doesn't this new CBA will also likely lock him into the choices he has made and trading away his mistakes will not be as easy as it has been under the current CBA. So the next moves Colangelo makes have to be the right ones or the Raptors could be doomed for a long time to come. However, if he hits it right the Raptors could vault into the mix in the East as soon as next season and have a foundation to be a contender for the future.

In a sense this is a season in limbo for the Toronto Raptors. But anything their young emerging players can do will help add to the sales pitch to bring some top tier players to Toronto. Demar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani can be good solid players and if you added another couple proven talents into the fold, the Raptors could have a very appealing line-up when they suit up for next season. Assuming there is a next season that is. It seems almost unthinkable the NBA would be as stupid as the NHL and let an entire season go away just to win a labour battle. However, sanity in labour negotiations seldom happens.

It is a scary time for all of the NBA. But when the sun comes up and new CBA is in place, it could be a time for Raptor Fans to rejoice. Bryan Colangelo for whatever you think of him, always has a plan. If this one works it might be his greatest one since signing a guy from Canada to come play of the Suns.