Locked Out For Nothing But Money

Yes Virgina there will be a NBA season starting on Christmas Day. But in the end this lockout served no purpose other than to line owners pockets and did nothing to impact the real change that fans should have wanted for the NBA. At least fans that do not live in the big markets of the NBA. Ultimately nothing much has changed from when this all got started. Chris Paul is still going to force is way out of New Orleans. Dwight Howard is going to follow the example of Shaq and get out of Orlando and leave it a mess. The whole idea that this deal does anything in terms of competitive balance for this league is a complete joke. Nothing has changed other than the teams with money will have to spend slightly more of it. But that will not stop them from doing it.

This has been a complete failure on the part of owners for the collective fans of all NBA Teams. Some franchises are now doomed to be nothing more than glorified developmental teams for the NBA. Why on earth should people in small markets waste their money on that? If not they will lose their team? Big deal if that team was actually capable of winning. But under this system it would take a minor miracle for that to be the case. It also gives them little assurance, that any player that is least bit talented, is in any way part of their community other than for a few years. Why would anyone buy into these guys and buy merchandise or tickets for a guy that basically will be gone inside of five years.

In terms of the Raptors if they have any hope of changing their terrible history there is nothing offered in this CBA to help them out. If they are to be successful it will take them stopping pretending to be a small market team when they clearly are not. Ultimately the Raptors will need to spend money to compete with the large markets of the NBA. It becomes even more vital when you consider the division they are part of. Boston on tradition alone will always be one of those big market clubs that can attract free agents. New Jersey now powered by a Russian Billionaire, that sure has heck is not going to be intimidated by any increased luxury tax from stopping him from spending. The Knicks who are the classic example of a larger market franchise in New York. Along with Philadelphia that is a huge sports town that does not take to losing all that well.

In a sense the Raptors have become a lot like the Blue Jays, in terms of being in a division with some of the big spenders of the league and having to find a way around that. While it is not like baseball, in terms of the Raptors could finish third in the division and still make the playoffs, it still will be tough having to play these teams more than anyone else in the conference, outside of the division. While things for a team like Miami are vastly easier. If the Raptors got to play the Magic, Bobcats and Wizards more than any other teams that would be great. But they are stuck in the Atlantic facing teams that clearly will be willing to spend and have the ability to attract top talent to their franchises.

It is far from an optimistic outlook. It also makes the hopes of keeping talent seem bleak as well. Demar DeRozan heading back to the west coast at the first logically opportunity seems likely if not for certain. The Raptors at the end of this lockout still stare at the same problems and challenges they faced heading into it. MLSE has toyed with saying they are willing to be a tax team in the past but never actually going there. If they are to keep DeRozan or any other talented player that comes along they will not just have to talk about doing it they will have to do it. The only way to be a consistent winner in the NBA is now clearly to become one of the few willing to spend money. It has become a game of survival of the richest. There is the odd exception to that rule but not many teams have guys like Kevin Durant that are willing to make a small market home. Even OKC is eventually going to face this issue of having to be a tax team eventually. MLSE is not without means and if they choose not use them it will be there fault that the attendance for the Raptors continues a downward spiral. You can have who ever you like running this franchise unless they have the ability to spend money and build a winner they are doomed to at best be a fringe playoff team.

So while most rejoice in the fact there will be a basketball season this year, you may be missing the bigger picture. That bigger picture is that at the end of the day a lockout that promised a lot of hope for the Raptors future has delivered none. The same issues they had going in they have coming out of it. The ball is in MLSE's hands to decide if they are truly interested in winning in the NBA or not. If you flipped the systems of the NHL and NBA is there any doubt they would go to any limit in terms of spending to make the Leafs a winner? The question will become if they ever are willing to spend that same money on the basketball side to become that winner. In real terms with players on the roster. You can build a new practice court, hire more suits but at the end of the day you need to bpt your money on the guys on the floor.

So it is put up or shut up time for MLSE. But given the direction the club is heading that may wait for another year. But at some point the excuses end and it comes down to are you willing to spend money or not. The sad thing for fans in other "actual" small markets they do not have the option. But the Raptors clearly do and up to this point have failed to deliver on it to the full extent they can.

I have to say at the end of the day the lockout was a complete shame and did nothing for the NBA other than give them more money. But if no one spends the money it is just about the bottom line of some owner that is already rich, is ultimately what this was all about. In the end the NBA has failed to deliver what they promised. The NBA Cares about one thing and that is making money. They are no Santa Claus for giving you back the season. More like Scrooge who is just concerned with their own business. Well to paraphrase Jacob Marley the fans are your business NBA. It is a shame you really don't see that.

Basketball is back on our 4th Anniversary?

It's OVER? Looks like that is the case. The players and owners have reached a deal it seems. The fact I am up at this hour to find out is not unusual. So it figures while most of the world was asleep this all comes to an end. The word is a 66 game season will begin on Christmas Day. Training camps are said to be opening on December 9th if all goes well. Players and Owners will still have to vote on this deal but most feel it is going to pass. All this goes down on the 4th Anniversary of the Dino Nation Blog. This has been a tough time and a tough year for the blog but we have made it through the storm?

Also news yesterday that the Raptors owners have decided to stick around. MLSE will not be sold. So is it better the devil you know? Also with this new labour agreement will anything change in terms of the Raptors. I would not hold your breath with a new super luxury tax as part of this deal. But in reality the Raptors with even more cost certainty should stop trying to pretend to be a small market team and spend some money. Raptors will have money to spend as well even if they will not head into the land of luxury.

But based on comments of Bryan Colangelo do not expect the Raptors to spend much of that cap space on this short season. It was clear to me that Colangelo just looked at this as a lost season and made his plans accordingly. Including drafting a rookie that will not be here till next season. So even though basketball it looks like is back, the Raptors likely will still be terrible. Dwane Casey is not a miracle worker I don't think. So the Raptors will be rebuilding for yet another season. The big storyline will likely be Demar DeRozan taking over the title of face of the franchise from Andrea Bargnani. He will do it minus on of his Young Gunz buddies. Sonny Weems unlike many NBA Players that decided to go to Europe does not have an out clause in his contract. There was no guarantee he would have been back anyway as he was a restricted free agent. Raptors did make a qualifying offer so when Weems makes his way back to the NBA Raptors will hold his rights.

Is this the year we finally see Jose Calderon just go away? Will Bayless and him have an open competition in camp for the starting job? Yes folks if you have not figured it out we are talking basketball again. Raptors will also have to decide if they want to bring back free agent Reggie Evans. Raptors had a few other free agents but the only one that will even be considered coming back is Reggie. Tough to say if there will be a big market for Evans after two injury plagued seasons in Toronto. When healthy he still can hit the glass and be one of the top rebounders in the league.

Lots of time to sort all this stuff out but it is just a pleasure to be back talking basketball with you all again. I have missed doing this and missed talking basketball with so many of you. But it appears that is a thing of the past. But as the Raptors learned with a trade for Tyson Chandler it is never a deal until it is signed. NBA and the players have a bunch of B-list issues to sort out and they will need to vote to approve this deal. However at this point if this were to go south both sides would get buried and I think they all know that.

So is it forgive and forget and move on? I can only speak for myself. I will forgive sure but not forget. This whole experience has made me a little less passionate for the sport that I love. Will I get over it in time? Sure likely but I am not going to forget this and say no harm done. I remember after the NHL came back how much people acted liked idiots in this country. At the end of the day no sport is bigger than life itself. If there is any lesson I take away from all this greed and nonsense that is it. I also realized what a screwed up world we live in when I don't have basketball to stop me from paying attention to it. I learned that I really don't need to tweet everyday if I don't want too. That life marches on if this blog is written everyday or not. But all that being said I have invested 4 years of my life into the DNB. That is longer than pretty much any relationship I have ever had with a woman except for one. So that might have been the hardest thing about this lockout for me. Watching all that I worked for in the last 4 years be completely out of my hands. It was frustrating and it hurt. There is no doubt a lot of hurt and hard feelings coming out of this on the over side. We all will need time to heal. Hopefully that can happen and this deal can create an NBA that is worth watching for fans in every city that has a team in this league.

So if all goes well will see you Monday!!!

NBA On Verge of Return and Raptors Will Still Be Rebuilding

Everyone is all giddy with optimism that the NBA is on the verge of a return. Most feel a deal could get done as soon as this weekend. Good right? Well yes it is but maybe not as good if you are a Raptor fan. This is for a couple of reasons. First reason is the deal itself. The deal that is being constructed, at least based on the talk that is out there, is not going to be a deal that helps out the Raptors as much. It likely could have if the Owners got the big win they were looking for out of this labour deal. If a system, that stopped the big spending be damned teams from being able to do that was in place, that would have helped the Raptors. MLSE has never been one of those teams. Faced with the challenges of being the lone franchise in Canada and the perceptions that exist about playing here they should be. You can say all you like about Toronto being a wonderful city which it is. But those perceptions even if they are incorrect are the reality. The long list of people that have left the franchise make that so. There is also this franchises less than impressive history which is factual. We all know this franchise has just one playoff series win and it was so long ago it was back when they played 5 games in the first round. The bottom line of the new CBA is it would have an even more punitive luxury tax which if MLSE was not willing to go over it under the old system it is hard to imagine they will under this new more costly one. But it is not going to stop the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, L.A Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics of the world from doing so. It will not stop the possibility of more Big 3's like the ones we see in Boston and now Miami from forming. This is all bad news for the Raptors.

What happens if Demar DeRozan becomes every bit the star we hope he can become? When his time comes and the L.A Lakers want to bring the Compton kid home is there anyway for the Raptors to stop that from happening? It would appear not based on the CBA Talks. Which for the Raptors and small market teams is a complete failure from this process. While the focus of these talks have largely been focused on money directly there is an indirect money issue that has failed to be addressed. How will the paying customers in the small markets of the NBA feel about being somewhere between the NBA Elite and the NBDL? My guess is not to favourable. Everyone will point to OKC as the shining example of how a small market team can make it work. But in reality that took some luck and having a guy that is like Kevin Durant both as a player and as a person. Those guys are not growing on trees and easy to find. OKC has done a fantastic job but in reality without Durant none of it happens.

Also there is what Bryan Colangelo has been saying. Already making a preemptive strike to say that this year will not be the Raptors year once again. That there is likely another year of growing to do for this franchise. Even openly talking about what a great draft class there is expected to be for next year's NBA Draft. That sounds like the talk of a team heading back to the NBA Lottery regardless of if the NBA plays 82 games this year or 72. But when the Raptors drafted a rookie that was never going to play this season that likely sent that message already. Colangelo also has suggested the flexibility that he has created in preparation for the new CBA is likely not to be used this season.

So the NBA might be back and your reward Raptor fans is you are told to wait till next year, before the season is even started or a new CBA is even signed. It kind makes this whole lockout thing ending not as happy as it perhaps could be or should be. But MLSE will be happy to take your money once again for as many games as the NBA will allow once a new CBA is in place. I had a lot of hope that things would be better for the Raptors coming out of this lockout, but in the short term that seems unlikely. In the long term who knows but waiting for next year gets old ask fans of the Chicago Cubs about that.

A New Suit Added To The Waiting Party

How is everyone out there? Working on your 2k12 skills? The Raptors really suck in 2K this year it almost makes missing a season seem like a blessing. Just like NBA2k12 the Raptors will have no rookies. But there is some news. In the worst kept secret of the Raptors non off-season it is true Ed Stefanski has joined the Raptors front office. Here is the press release from your Toronto Raptors management.

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have hired Ed Stefanski as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations. Stefanski joins the Raptors from upper management positions with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, where his teams qualified for the NBA playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons. In his position, Stefanski will report to Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

“Ed Stefanski embodies everything I was hoping to attain when the search began for a top level basketball executive to join our staff,” said Colangelo. “Ed brings to the table experience, smarts and a great feel for the game and of people.

“I am very excited to join Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors organization,” Stefanski said. “Toronto is a world class city and the Raptors fans are strong supporters.

“The team has a young nucleus of players that have a big upside. And with the addition of Head Coach Dwane Casey I am looking forward to witnessing their growth and improvement.”

Stefanski, who has earned a reputation throughout the NBA as an excellent evaluator of talent, spent the past four seasons in a president and general manager role with Philadelphia. With the 76ers, Stefanski returned the franchise to playoff status via trades, the re-signing of key performers and the acquisition of athletic, younger players in the NBA Draft. Despite having only mid-first round picks in three of his four drafts, Stefanski was able to add lottery-level talent to the team.

Prior to joining Philadelphia, Stefanski spent nine seasons with the Nets. He was promoted to general manager of the club in the summer of 2004 following a one-year stint as the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations and four seasons as the team's director of scouting.

While with the Nets, Stefanski oversaw the team's basketball operations and was heavily involved in the club’s roster development and player personnel matters. He helped to build New Jersey’s back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship teams in 2002 and 2003.

A 1976 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School of Business), Stefanski played three seasons for Penn, where he was coached by Hall-of-Famer Chuck Daley. Stefanski was a member of two Ivy League Champions (1974 and 1975), helping the Quakers reach the NCAA Tournament in both of those seasons. In 1979, Stefanski also began a 20-year run as a colour analyst for Big Five basketball and ESPN’s Atlantic 10 basketball coverage.

Now for those thinking that he will be replacing Colangelo in the decision making that will not be the case. He is a very experienced voice in the room that becomes part of that consensus building that Colangelo loves so much. He will be introduced to the media tomorrow and I would guess we might get to see it on Raptors NBA-TV? I know you will all miss watching the constant flow of old basketball games that I lived through.

As for the Lockout they say progress in being made. I have heard that one before. My advice is if you are expecting this all to be solved in the short term don't hold your breath. When this is solved the Raptors will have to hit the ground running as the team they produced last year as the 2k12 ratings suggest and the fact they picked 5th in the draft but should have been 3rd is that they were not good. The rules might be very different under this new CBA. The whole concept of trading and the money matching to 125% might be a thing of the past when the dust clears. I am trying to figure out if that makes it easier to dump Calderon and Bargnani? I think it does.

Speaking of Bargnani there are rumours that he may sign with a club in Italy. I am hoping there is some way they get to keep him when the lockout ends. Demar DeRozan was tweeting that he is going to be in town and hit every gym in Toronto. Yes Basketball never dies or whatever that union B.S is they are spiting out says. But glorified exhibition tours and charity games is nothing close to the NBA unless you are talking All-Star Weekend.

As for me? Well I have been turning Myck Kabongo into the leading scorer in the NBA (in the aforementioned 2K12. Maybe by the time he enters the draft this whole lockout business might be done by then. I miss having news to bring you folks on a regular basis. But at the same time I have taken this time to relax after almost 4 years of pushing myself to work hard in this blog everyday. I am doing my best not to become bitter and jaded from all of this. But that might be impossible. All I can say is when they do get this deal done it better be the right deal or this will all have been a complete waste of time. I want basketball back just as much as anyone but with a CBA that makes this league competitive for all 30 teams not just the ones in Miami, Boston, L.A, Chicago and the odd OKC Exception to the rule. When Carmelo Anthony is shooting his mouth off about wanting to play with Chris Paul it makes me think some guys in this league don't get it and don't care to get it. Just pay me my millions and give me a team of superstars so I can win a championship in a city that is cool enough for me. It is that type of attitude that makes this lockout acceptable to me and necessary.

If you think the Owners are the evil ones in this thing you really don't get it. Have they taken advantage of it and gone for blood. Yeah but did you expect anything less? I remain committed to the belief that David Stern is smarter than Gary Bettman and will get the NBA a better deal than the current NHL Deal at the end of the day.

DNB Top 10- Things I Have Learned During Lockout

Hello all back again...NBA Lockout is still going on with no signs of stopping anytime soon. So today I thought I would share some things I have learned from the experience. Some are funny some are true. So with that drum roll please. What no drum roll? We can't afford to pay for that these are tough times.

#10- NFL Network is much better at filler than NBATV Canada. I mean if a network can make the NFL Combine into a show really a lockout is a peace of cake.

#9- I forgot how much I truly love the CFL. Have had chance to watch much more than I normally would. To all my friends in Toronto this probably does not apply if you have been watching the Argos.

#8- In every Labour dispute as in any divorce there is really only one winner....Lawyers.

#7- I really don't have to be on Twitter 24 hours a day or even an hour a day. Life still goes on surprisingly

#6- People will go to any lengths to try to create content. I mean some of the things I have seen during this lockout are just a joke. But people are trying to keep working and keep their audiences entertained and engaged. But let's face it with no actual league to cover that is challenging.

#5- Lockout or not Raptor fans never change. Jonas Valanciunas may be inducted into the hall of fame before he ever plays an NBA Game. While Andrea Bargnani would be lucky if they let him in the door.

#4- Just how awful the WWE has become. I mean seriously. I am the Dinoblogger and I am more Awesome than anything I see on their programming. I once almost applied for a job writing for WWE. That was till I got to the line about having 5 years of soap opera writing experience.

#3- How much the game of basketball has brought so many great people into my life and how without it you don't end up seeing them as much.

#2- That Lebron James truly has no clue. Lebron thinks this is all going to get solved by November. I will bet him his Championship Ring...oh wait. Well at least if there is no season Lebron only has to win 4 Championships now in Miami.

#1- Life happens with the NBA or without it. The more people start to realize this the worse it will be for the NBA.

So that is my list I am sure you all have you own. So leave some comments if you like with yours. Or just say hello because at the rate this lockout is going we all might need name tags if we wait for basketball to be back. Hello my name is James Borbath in case you forgot. Take care folks and see you next Tuesday unless a miracle happens and the NBA Lockout ends before than. Not holding my breath for that.

DNB Top 10- Lockout Edition

Hello all. The DNB Top 10 will make a lockout appearance. James Borbath your Dino Blogger at the controls. So if there wasn't a lockout what would we be talking about? That is the focus of this DNB Top 10.

10. Mama can that man Coach? Yes Mark Jackson finally will be a coach in the NBA. It seems almost fitting the lockout is preventing him from getting his chance. But can he actually be a good coach in the NBA? How can he help or hurt the development of Steph Curry. Can he actually make the Warriors more than lottery regulars?

9. I thought we had a G.M Already? The Raptors are searching for Bryan Colangelo's replacement as G.M. The team leading up the search is Bryan Colangelo. What all this will mean for the Raptors and how this will impact on newly hired coach Dwane Casey. Don't you hire the coach first and then a G.M?

8. Hang Up Your Spurs. Have we seen the end of an era in San Antonio? After a first round exit to the Grizzlies who had never won a playoff game let alone a series prior to that. Is this the end for Timmy and the rest in San Antonio?

7. What will Mark Cuban Do For An Encore? Mavs are champs and Mark Cuban said the might not even get rings? Championship Belts? Who knows but could you see the Commissioner David Stern being happy about this? More important then all of that was this a flash in the pan or are the Mavs legit contenders to repeat in the West?

6. OKC now legit contenders for an NBA Title? Step one make the playoffs....check. Step 2 make it all the way to the Conference Finals...check. Step 3 Go to the NBA Finals ??? It sure seems that Kevin Durant has a team on the verge of greatness in one of the NBA's smaller markets. Can the Thunder be considered the best in the West and the guys to challenge the folks in Miami for years to come in the NBA Finals? Can Russell Westbrook be part of that winning formula?

5. Got Mello Now What? Oh yes the Knicks have Carmelo Anthony and Amare too. They finally returned to the playoffs. But the have no G.M in place after Donnie Walsh was forced out. Rumours that Isiah Thomas could be back. Oh it is a mess in New York City. If and when this lockout ends will the Knicks have the power to build on what they have? A new CBA might just high jack there plans of building there own super team to compete with the Heat.

4. Boston Is to old to win? We talked about the Spurs might be done. How about the original Big 3 in Boston. Has the window shut on their chance to call themselves contenders in the East? Sure they still are likely the best team in the Atlantic Division but that is not saying a lot when you look at the Sixers, Nets, Raptors. Aside from the aforementioned Knicks there is not a lot in the division. But in the East with Bulls and Heat looking far better than Boston is this the end for them. Rajon Rondo would have to be super human for it not to be.

3. Coming Soon...Superman Has Left Orlando Again. Oh yes we all remember when the original Superman Shaq took his cape and flew off to La La Land. Now Dwight Howard is already making noise he will do the same. Well if Orlando does not contend for a title. Which is a pretty safe bet they won't. So will Otis Smith get the drop on Dwight and trade him like The Nuggets and Jazz did? Or will he ride it out and face the possibility of getting screwed over like the Cavs and Raptors. But cheer up Magic fans you still have 4 more years of Gilbert Arenas the former agent 0 to look forward too.

2. Miami Heat How Do They Improve? They still have there 3 mega stars. But they lack some serious depth in South Beach. If the new CBA is not a friendly one how will the Heat get better to start winning all those rings Lebron James promised? If they can't add depth beyond the 3 big names how long before we start hearing Chris Bosh trade rumours? The newlyweds would not like to be relocated to some awful place like Milwaukee or worse Sacramento. While some Raptor fans would take pure joy in even the possibility.

1. Lakeshow Drama In Full Effect. We have heard very little from Kobe Bryant. He was not in the loop on the hiring of Phil Jackson's replacement. He might have to call Lebron James and get the low down on why Mike Brown is a terrible coach. Oh and we have Ron Artest who has changed his name like Chad Johnson did in the NFL. Lamar still married to a Kardashian. Mike Brown's over under on being Laker Coach is perhaps 2 years at best. It is never easy to replace a coaching legend in sports. Jimmy Johnson did a good job replacing Tom Landry with the Cowboys. But those things are rare. How long before Phil Jackson gets a call from Pat Riley to ask to take his talents to South Beach? Will it take longer than it will for Kobe to get Brown fired or demand a trade out of L.A? Things are not looking up for the Lakers. It is scary to think the Clippers might have a brighter future than the Lakers. Well it might not be that bad but things sure are set up for a Lakers implosion.

So those are things we should be talking about. Instead we are talking about the lack of progress in labour talks. Here is a story from Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo Sports on where things stand with the Lockout after unsuccessful talks on Monday. But it is summer time and he weather is hot so enjoy it. The NBA Lockout will be still there waiting for you in the fall.

DNB Lockout Journal- NFL is Back, NBA Is Not.

Fans of the NFL finally got to see their league come back to life. Basketball fans are no where close to that. In fact the two sides have not even spoken since June 30th. Well that is expected to change next week. This is not exactly reason to start a parade. If you followed the NFL Lockout at all there was lots of talking without a lot of success. One thing that was mentioned in the post lockout chatter was the fact that the NFL deal never got much accomplished until they got the lawyers out of the room. Well David Stern was a lawyer so good luck with that in the NBA. But to be serious just as in a divorce the one thing that is a certainty is the lawyers on both sides always win. Lawyers make a lot of money out of these labour disagreements.

As for all this players rumoured to be and some going to Europe if you think that is a real concern for the NBA think again. This contracts for any major players would all have opt outs to return to the NBA when a new CBA is in place. So about the only concern would be for individual teams that a player could be injured not unlike when players play internationally. But the idea of players going to Europe or China as being a real threat is laughable. If players have issues with playing in Canada which is as close to the U.S as you can get. I can't imagine to many NBA players being happy in Europe or elsewhere for the long term.

In addition if you believe the NBA and 20 teams are losing money, then there is zero motivation to come back and play ball. At least not with the agreement they have now. Those 20 teams losing money if no season is played are not going to lose that money. Sure they won't make any either. They will also face winning back fans and corporate support. But under this system they claim to be losing money so it is worth the risk.

Now if the NBA wants to worry about something it might have nothing to do with their own issues. The NFL now has 10 years of guaranteed labour peace. Which in terms of corporate sponsorship makes them a much more attractive option and a safer one. While the NBA if they lost an entire season would face the challenge of trying to win those corporate partners back and likely will not end up with the same kind of security that the NFL now has.

The other problem is NBA Players as a collective group make far more money and unlike their fellow pro athletes in the NFL are not as motivated to have to get out on the floor and play. Also as we mentioned earlier their are other options to play if you really want too. The NFL is not the same really all that is out there for players is the Arena League and CFL in terms of football jobs and they come at a significant pay cut. A top player in the CFL makes about 200 thousand dollars and most far less than that. The Arena League is even a little worse in terms of pay. Both leagues are also different rules wise than the NFL. That would be case for NBA players as well in Europe.

So talks next week are a step in the right direction. Talking is better than not talking. But back in the last lockout that produced a 50 game season that did not start till the following year they talked in the summer as well. While there is not to much similar between the NFL Lockout and the NBA Lockout the one thing that is the same it the same in any labour issue. Things tend not to move or have progress until both sides are pressed against a deadline. For the NBA that will not be when the season is suppose to start. It will be when we no longer can have a season at all.

DNB Lockout Journal- Short Season

The NFL finally got a deal done yesterday and will not miss a game of the regular season. If you ask most NBA experts for that to happen with the NBA Lockout it will take a minor miracle. As I had said if that schedule that was released is actually used I would be stunned. So what that means is in a best case we are looking at a shortened schedule. Back in 1999 the Raptors would play a 50 game schedule and went 23-27 under Butch Carter. The Schedule did not start till February 5th and the Raptors would get off to a very slow start. Starting 5-10 in the first month of that season. In the end that bad start would cost the Raptors from making the post season for the first time.

That season was the introduction to Vince Carter. He exploded on the scene from the opening game a win over Boston and set the NBA on fire going on to win the rookie of the year. It was the start of perhaps the most successful era in the history of this franchise. The next season the Raptors would make the playoffs.

While there are some similarities to where the Raptors were heading into that season and where they are now it is not exactly the same. Raptors came off a dreadful 16-66 season prompting then G.M Glen Grunwald to take to the court and promise fans that things would be better. Bryan Colangelo did not take to the floor after the Raptors closed the season against the Miami Heat. But he would promise brighter days and changes after the season ended should he return. Some of those changes have already happened. Jay Triano was shown the door. Dwane Casey enters promising a new culture that will be based on defensive end of the floor. Butch Carter had come in during that terrible 16-66 season. He would have to bring change with no real training camp of significance thanks to the labour situation. Casey will likely face a similar situation.

The Raptors draft pick this season will not have the impact of Vince Carter. In fact he won't have the impact of Hoffa. No I am not saying that Jonas Valanciunas is going to be a bust. But he will not be here for whatever length season the Raptors will play next year. If they do. Also if people remember how that 1999 season worked it will allow for very little practice time for Dwane Casey to transform the team that ranked dead last in defence the last two seasons.

The Raptors do have some youthful pieces that should be able to endure what will be a crazy schedule in terms of the lack of days off it would have. But that alone would probably not be enough to turn this team into a playoff team. This Raptor team also with a new coaching staff and likely some new players to come will not exactly have much in terms of chemistry. So it all points to a team that would get off to a slow start. After a win over Boston to start that shorten season the Raptors went on to lose their next 6 games. A slow start is death in a short season.

A Short season may in fact but the Raptors in a worse situation than they would be under normal circumstances. But the good news is if the Raptors were to fail in a short season the rewards in this potential draft class are far greater for the Raptors to come back and be competitive in the next full season of the NBA. This all assuming we have a season at all. That in no guarantee at this point. It would also draw the question of how the NBA would dictate the draft order in a year that many say could be the best since 2003. The NHL in that circumstance literally had a lottery for all the teams and the Pittsburgh Penguins were the bigger winners getting to draft Crosby. The NBA and a lottery? Oh wait that doesn't sound good does it. Not in a league where the lottery results many are convinced are a shame.

So shorter is not likely better for the Raptors. But long or short, basketball and Raptors fans want to be able to say what NFL Fans got to say yesterday. That our sport is back. But the time to say those words is a long long way from happening.

Lockout Terms To Know

Ok so here are some terms you will become all to familiar with during this NBA Lockout. Some you might know some you might not.

CBA- Collective Bargaining Agreement. I hope most people know this one but basically the CBA is the agreement that governs how the NBA is run. It is like the road map for everything. We do not have one in place and hence you have the owners locking out the players until on is in place.

BRI- Basketball Related Income. This is something that will be debated as to what is actually basketball related income. Things like parking revenue and other things. How you define it is open to interpretation and Players will consider almost everything part or the mix while owners will define it in very narrow terms.

MLE- Mid Level Exception. It is a loop hole under the old CBA that allows teams over the cap to still sign a player or players at a set amount based on where the cap is and some other factors. There has been talk the owners would like to eliminate it and players obviously are against this as it is a step closer to a hard cap system.

Hard Cap- Basically it is what it sound like. The Cap number is what it is with no exceptions. Owners want it to have cost certainty and the players do not as it would control salaries and basically cap them at a set number.

Non Guaranteed Contracts- The NFL has these and it allows teams the flexibility to cut loose players regardless of years remaining. Players are against this because it would make it very easy to ditch a player without really having to justify it. So it would give a huge level of control to ownership.

Franchise Tag- It is a exception to allowing a player to hit the open market. NFL has had this for years. How it works in that league is a player can have this tag placed on them by the team and they will be given a contract based on the averages paid to a player in similar circumstances. It allows teams an eliminate of control and makes it harder for things like what happened in Miami to occur. If Leborn James was franchised tagged by the Cavs he would have to sign with them for that set amount or come to another agreement with them. It is a short term solution that allows teams to hang on to a player an extra year.

Profit Split- Basically this is what is sounds like. The debate will be about the % of profits that should go to Salaries and the players. A couple of percentage points might not seem like a lot or to lose a season over but over the life of a deal it could mean big bucks.

Profit Sharing- The amount of money shared between the owners. You might say why should players care about this? Simple answer is the more teams that are viable and have money to spend the more chance there is to make money for the players.

Rookie Pay Scale- The set amount that rookies are paid upon entry into the league. This is already in place and owners would likely want to reduce these numbers. Players want it as is one would figure. Draft busts need to get paid isn't that right Big Country?

Those are just some of the terms you will become all to familiar with over the lockout. I could probably list more but this is not going to be a short affair so I got to pace myself.

In terms of the blog probably a couple more posts on the lockout and then will be taking a 2 week Vacation/lockout break and see where things stand. If you have ideas on how we can keep you entertained and engaged during the lockout would love to hear them.

On The Eve Of Doomsday

Well here we are sitting on the edge of lockout abyss for the NBA. If you consider yourself an optimistic person you will be encouraged by the fact the NFL appears to be on the verge of solving their labour issues. But to compare the two disputes is a little misleading. The NBA is in much worse shape overall than the NFL. The NBA is much more in a position similar to the NHL prior to their lockout that took away an entire season. Which ultimately never solved the issues. At the time it appeared the NHL Owners had landed a major victory. They got a salary cap put in place. A 15% rollback on salaries and all seemed good. But at the start of that new agreement the NHL Cap was 39 million and the cap floor was in the low 20 million range. Fast forward to today and that floor is now 48 million dollars. The major issue for the NHL has been the rise of the Canadian Dollar and that has made the NHL an even more profitable league as a result based on it's 6 Canadian franchises(Soon To Be 7). Now obviously the NBA is different and only has the Raptors here in Canada. The impact of the Canadian dollar is helpful for the Raptors but really has little impact on the league as a whole.

Why I bring up the NHL example is that if the NBA is going to go down this road they have chosen they better get it right. I think you can list a number of reasons why this lockout needs to happen in terms of the NBA Owners. While interest in the NBA has grown thanks to those 3 guys down in Miami. So has a growing issue of players control of the league. Sure it is great if you live in certain cities the way the NBA is currently constructed. But for small market teams and a team like the Raptors it is not exactly a great setup. While the Raptors can survive the fact that they basically are playing at a disadvantage there are other teams in this league that can not survive that over the long haul. Not to mention the whole idea of competitive balance which is fading fast under the current CBA.

While the impact of this lockout on myself and others like me could have a major impact. I mean for the last few years I have tried to eek out a living in covering Raptors and the NBA. So this lockout is no doubt devastating for me and others that try to do the same. But as a fan of the game I can understand why this is happening. If after all is said and done the NBA is better off I will be happy. However if this ends up similar to the NHL result in which nothing is actually solved I will be less than thrilled. I make it no secret that I have not been a fan of the NHL or Hockey for quite some time. The fact they blew an entire season away and basically stuck up their middle finger to the fans of their sport is part of why. Most of Canada has long forgotten that lockout and support the sport and league with very little consequence. But in the U.S the story is different for the NHL. The league dropped off the map and is not really on level with other major sports. Now the NBA will not have this happen but it will be a blow to the league should they let a season go away.

The outlook is far from optimistic for this lockout but I have a lot more faith in David Stern than I would in Gary Bettman who once upon a time worked under Stern in the NBA. It is vital for the league that he does. But it is going to be a long road to get there and you only need to look at how long it has taken the NFL to finally gain some momentum towards a deal. The issues in the NFL are far less and then is far more money to be made. The NBA issues are much more complex and not easily solved. How do you create a CBA that ensures teams some kind of security that players will not just stay with a team and then bolt at the first opportunity to do so. Players on the high end of the NBA pay scale make far to much money that is the major issue. Chris Bosh and Lebron James already were going to be loaded for life before they made the choice to head south. In the past greed was always the secret weapon for owners in CBA's. If a player could make more money playing somewhere it was always more likely that team had a great chance to retain that player.

Here at the Dino Nation Blog we will try to fight and stay alive during this lockout. It is not going to be easy but I have not given almost 4 years of my life to this to let it just be taken away. More than ever we will count on you folks that read and support the blog to help in that. What will happen during this lockout and how it will impact on us is unclear. But I urge you all to stick with us and support the DNB. I will do my best to keep things rolling along some how. It will likely mean less blogs and having to be very creative but I will do my best to keep this thing rolling along.

How long will this last is uncertain but it would seem highly unlikely we are talking about an NBA season getting started at the end of October. Things are always a little slower in the summer but with no off-season at all that will make it very different. It is hard not to be some what emotional about all of this. I have worked extremely hard to get everything I have with the DNB. Although this is something that is out of my control and really out of all fans of the NBA's hands. Still I refuse to give up and pray that we will all be better for this on the other side.

It is always a pleasure doing this blog and I will miss doing it as often and speaking with you on a more frequent basis. For now we will wait and see how things play out and once things have settled in likely take a break and come up with a plan for how we move forward from here. I thank you all that have supported the Dino Nation Blog and together with your help we will keep it alive through these difficult times for all of us.

What The Lockout Could Mean For Raptors And NBA In Canada?

It seems almost a certainty that the NBA is heading towards a lockout as the NFL has. The impact it could have on the Raptors and the NBA in this country could be massive. Changes in the CBA that have been discussed could have some serious positive impacts on the Raptors. While a loss of the sport could have a tremendously negative impact on coverage of the sport here in Canada. Let's talk about that first and then will tackle the positives for the Toronto Raptors after that.

If there is one thing that I have learned in doing this blog for over 3 years is there are a lot of basketball fans across this country. Many of whom feel they are being screwed over in terms of coverage of the NBA in this country. The main stream media and the way they treat the sport is quite frankly a joke. You only need to look how the NBA Playoffs are treated in terms of television as an example. Buried on secondary networks and running all most at the same time as the NHL Playoffs. It is a toxic mix in a country where Hockey is religion for most. Hockey is always the main concern of sports networks in this country. It is elephant in the room. Even when the NHL had their lockout and missed an entire season, it did not stop people in this country from talking about it on a daily basis. It was total insanity. What perhaps was even more insane is the fact that hockey coverage in the post lockout era is even bigger than it ever was. It gets more insane every single year. Hockey fans in this country had zero impact from the lockout. In fact when the NHL came back Canada went hockey crazy. No real surprise in that.

But should the NBA go away for a year or even less that will not have the same positive impact. If basketball gets buried now how do you think it will be treated after a lengthy labour stoppage? I don't think anyone can debate that it will improve coverage. Many basketball fans turn to the internet for that fix. It may not shock anyone, but I am far from getting rich doing this the last three years. It is a concern for the future of lots of blogs like this one I would imagine. So if some blogs get swept aside due to a lengthy labour stoppage it would not shock anyone. It would or should not surprise anyone that basketball on the other side, will have to fight and claw just to maintain the pretty shabby coverage it gets now in the main stream media in Canada. If you think things are bad now, it has been far worst in the past and it likely takes step backwards on the other side of a lockout. Let's face it the lack of creativity in sports media in this country will most certainly see more Hockey replacing the little slice of the pie basketball has.

So if you think not getting to see Kobe Bryant get his MVP award after the All-Star Game was bad. Games not being shown at all or stuck in stand by waiting for an endless NHL Hockey overtime to end to see the Lakers. Wait maybe TSN just hates the Lakers? But jokes aside, all minor inconveniences that drive you nuts now likely only grow in a post lockout NBA in Canada.

After coming to terms with this reality of all of that, there is a potential silver lining. In terms of the Raptors there could be a lot of positives for them on the other side of a lockout. While they will no doubt they will be concerned they do not lose fans and interest as a result. They also will hope I am totally wrong about the media response to this. Still in terms basketball operations some things in the new CBA could be mighty helpful to the Raptors.

If you were to just say one thing has been the major stumping block of the Raptors success what would it be? Incompetent ownership? No wasn't going there, but that could potentially look different in the post lockout as well, with MLSE having it's majority share in the company that owns the Raptors on the market. But where I was going was the loss of it's star players. It has been the repeating and defining story. One that the Raptors have not been able to solve on their own.

We have a shiny new franchise tag to solve that problem. Demar DeRozan can grow in Toronto and you do not have to live in fear he will follow the path of McGrady, Carter and Bosh. The NBA would not be doing this just for the Raptors but for many other franchises that have true financial concerns from losing stars. The Raptors never have had to fear for their franchise if a star player walks. But can't say the same for markets like Cleveland, Milwaukee, Memphis, New Orleans and many others. Those franchises need more certainty that their stars can not up and cut out for South Beach, L.A or NYC. How about the Magic with Dwight Howard looking more like a goner everyday. A franchise tag would maybe not allow teams to keep their stars in the long term, but it would give them another card to play in trying to get value for them, instead of seeing them force their way out of town in a bad trade or just walk away all together.

The elimination of the MLE. The Mid Level Exception for those who may not be CBA Junkies is that one contract/contracts that teams can use each year to bring in a player or players to add to the mix. It is why and how teams like New York, Miami, L.A and other high budget teams can still add a good player at a decent salary (5 to 6 million) . Making the choice to take a little less money to go to a contending team a easier pill to swallow. It is how some teams regardless of having a ton of cap space have never been able to bring in that big name that could help them turn things around. The Raptors have been positioned well by Bryan Colangelo to have a significant amount of cap room looking forward to the first 2 seasons under the new CBA. Assuming there is a season next year that is. But when basketball resumes the Raptors will have money to spend. While the reality is some veteran players who have made their money might still go to those teams with the best chance to win for the NBA league minimum. It opens the door for players not that far a long to have to give teams with cap space a more serious look. As much as players want to win they also do want to make money. A players career is only so long. It is important that they maximize the time they have to earn money. They are one injury away from earning nothing more potentially. Toronto is a city that NBA players do like and is by far not the least attractive market in the NBA.

A hard cap is also being talked about. While MLSE does not exactly benefit from this. You only need to look at the hockey team and see how the Leafs have performed under the NHL Cap as proof of that. However the Raptors have never been treated the same by MLSE in terms of spending anyway. I would just put it to you this way. If the NHL operated under the NBA system does anyone doubt that the Maple Leafs would be a tax level team? The Raptors should be that in NBA. But regardless a even more restrictive cap than the NHL has would at least make it a level playing field for all. It would also make mistakes more costly at the management level. But the idea of super teams in Miami and elsewhere would take a serious blow if that hard cap exists.

The overall outlook to me is the bigger the owners win in this labour deal it makes the Raptors chances to be competitive increase. That is of course if done with the correct and proper management in place. There is not a team that can survive under any system with totally incompetent management. See Stu Jackson in Vancouver for the best example of that. I highly doubt the Raptors can find a guy that is going to be able to adjust as fast to a new system than the one they have in place in Bryan Colangelo. For all of Bryan's faults, the one thing he has always been is a forward thinker and looking to stay ahead of the curve. Despite being 22-60 and having a truly awful season one of the worst in franchise history. He still has positioned this team well to deal with the NBA's new and uncertain reality under a new collective bargaining agreement.

There is lots of changes and impact that this lockout will cause for the NBA and the Raptors here in Canada. That is about the only thing we can say with any great certainty. This gives you a small glimpse at what some of those thing potentially could be. But no one is going to feel the sorrow for us that was afforded to hockey fans in this country when the NHL Lockout happened. While no one will celebrate the NBA's return with the stupid insanity that hockey fans have. The NHL is not a better product based on their year on the sidelines. Let's hope that the NBA will be better off on the other side of their labour war. I fear that basketball may have to endure being buried in Canada just like the NHL is buried in U.S in a post lockout NHL. It is a real problem for people that love basketball in this country to consider. I hope I live long enough to see a Canada that embraces the game that was invented by one of our own. Basketball is a great sport that in case you forgot was given to the world by a Canadian.

"NBAz in 7 Dayz"

DeMarcus, DeMarcus, DeMarcus. When will you ever learn. DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings has had many discipline issues this season including being fined by the team and missing a game in February after fighting with a teammate. There has also been a list of incidents involving DeMarcus, his coaches and his teammates and some verbal jousting. It doesn't end there. The latest involves DeMarcus being ejected from a game against Minnesota on Sunday after shoving the Timberwolves' Martell Webster. In the third quarter, DeMarcus attempts to set a screen and gets 'involved' with Minnesota's Luke Ridnour. Feeling no love from DeMarcus, Ridnour shoved Cousins, who then shoved Ridnour back. Then one of Ridnour's teammates Nikola Pekovic jumps into the fray to push DeMarcus out of the way and when Webster returns with his two cents, DeMarcus shoved him too. DeMarcus gets tossed from the game and Ridnour gets a technical foul. There are two problems with this scenario. One, DeMarcus already has a target on his back from his propensity for 'getting into it' with everyone around him. This leaves the referees with no grey area in which to judge his actions. Two, this is DeMarcus' rookie year and he is not making the best first impression. If he wants longevity in this league, he needs to go cold turkey and box his temper before it gets out of hand. As a player, you can have all the talent in the world but if you act as if you know everything and can't learn or be coached, your professional basketball career will be short lived. Andrew Bynum feels his pain. Let's talk about his suspension and a looming NBA lockout.

Bynum is suspended for two games

This call makes no sense. Compared to DeMarcus Cousins, Andrew Bynum who has little prior history of committing hard fouls, is not the type of player who is deserving of a two game suspension for fouling Minnesota's Michael Beasley. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson agrees with the flagrant foul and game ejection but like myself, does not understand how the further penalties were calculated. Even Timberwolves Coach Kurt Rambis thought Bynum wasn't up to anything malicious and thought he was just trying to protect the basket. But then Coach Rambis flips on this answer two days later after watching replays and supports the suspension. Andrew Bynum missed Sunday's game against Portland and will sit out Tuesday's game against Phoenix. In addition, Bynum will loose $250, 000 during this suspension for lost pay. This all seems a little suspicious and excessive to me. Is it a coincidence the DeMarcus and Bynum incidents came against the Timberwolves? Are the referees coming down on certain players and letting others go to appease Coaches like Kurt Rambis? Think back to our discussion last week : reporting inconsistencies in refereeing and 'making up' for mistakes or bad calls. It just makes me shake my head.

"It doesn't look good right now" - Dirk Nowitzki

Lockout or no lockout, some NBA players are preparing for the worst. Even if a possible lockout just cuts into next season, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki repeated his desire to rejoin the German national team as it tries to qualify this summer for the 2012 Olympics in London. I was thinking about this over the weekend - the last time the NBA had a lockout which cut into the regular season was 1998-1999. Back then, Dirk Nowitzki was just a wee pup by NBA standards, was drafted in June of '98 but stayed in Germany to play with his pro team. His desire to play with his German teammates again depends on how well his Dallas Mavericks do in the post season. Nowitzki says if the Mavericks go far he may just stay put. But knowing Nowitzki turns 33 in June and considers the 2012 Olympics as possibly his last shot at competing for Germany, I wouldn't count on him crying if the Mavericks fall in the first round.

The crux of the issue is money. The NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) believes only a small number of NBA teams are loosing money. The League thinks otherwise and wants a hard salary cap because they say more than half of NBA teams are loosing money to the tune of more than $300 million a year. According NBPA Chief Billy Hunter the hard salary cap would put an end to guaranteed contracts which he calls the "lifeblood" of professional basketball. He has a point. The hard cap gives the owners a guaranteed profit - so the security of income just switches sides and no one wants to budge. But Hunter's claim the league's money problems can be magically fixed by revenue sharing among the so-called small number of cash-strapped NBA teams is a little off base. I think part of the problem comes from decision-making. Letting buyers pick up NBA teams for the short-term gain of making their primary businesses look good without the focus being on the club itself. Both sides are contending to one version of the story. But think about it. If the NBA is threatening to lock out it's players because they say they are losing money, are they really? Wouldn't locking out your players/assets put you farther in the red if that was the case? I think the league has made ill-advised decisions and created a situation they don't like and now the players have some bargaining power, hence the hard stance against the NBPA. Something to think about.

Thanks once again for joining me this week. I have been enjoying all of your comments and suggestions - I have been really touched by the number of you who have taken the time to send me personal messages and providing me with feedback. I will endeaver to return all of them in a timely manner - I appreciate your support. Keep the feedback coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw). See you on Thursday for our continued discussion on the playoffs - remember we will be chatting MVPs on Thursday so be sure to drop in on the discussion. Have a great week.