Starting 5 Talking NCAA and Canada Hoops With Ray Bala

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



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

"NBAz in 7 Dayz"

March Madness. If you are a basketball fan, it is hard not to get drawn into the hoop hype. There are 17 notable Canadians in the tournament including Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, both playing for the University of Texas. If you nodded your head at the second sentence of this intro, you have most likely filled out or waiting until after the first round to fill out, your March Madness brackets. Whether it is for the office pool or for just for bragging rights, making those picks will be hard for anyone since how many can say they have followed every team and has seen every game leading to this tournament. This year is tough since the talent is pretty even and we may just have a Cinderella team take out #1 ranked Ohio State. Here on the DNB, there's a way for you to get connected to the tournament and get your basketball fix: message @dinoblogger on the site or on Twitter for more information.

Today's "NBAz in 7 Dayz" will be all about connections: NBA links to NCAA ball, NFL to NBA and Twitter to an NBA related case in the US legal system. Lots to nibble on - go grab a snack and get ready to get your head around it.

"Ya'll gon make me loose my mind, up in here"

Nothing like a little DMX to put NCAA hoops in perspective. Before the promos for this even started, this tune ALWAYS reminded me of March Madness, filling out brackets and loosing yourself in this great game. Arguments can be made for the Superbowl or even NBA final, but what makes this tournament pure 'madness' are two things: the number of teams in the tournament (64, not including the first round) and the level of play. Some people forget the players in this tournament are boys becoming men and for some of them, this may be the highest level of basketball they will ever play. So going nuts after draining a three at the buzzer is not only exciting for us but exciting and emotional for them. When I hosted the Saints Invitational High school Basketball Tournament earlier this year, I got to see a Canadian version of basketball madness. These kids played five straight games to make it to the Championships and man, were they feeling it. Dragging themselves in the gym, trying to getting themselves psyched by taking in a game before their much anticipated trip to the final. Once tip-off came and went, something switched on and everyone in attendance got to see some great basketball.

I have interviewed and spoke to many scouts and all have told me there is one thing that will separate the amateur athlete from the elite player who will go the distance: conditioning. It is sad but there are some players who believe this is not as important as practicing your jump shots or stand out plays to get yourself noticed. I spoke to a scout once who told me he really only pays attention to the last half of a game because this where you can tell which players are going the distance and putting conditioning high on their priority list. Some things to think about while getting into the 'madness' this week. Another thing to consider is number of NCAA basketball players connected to the NBA in one way or another. Here are a few:

Not in the Tournament (but notewirthy):

1. Austin Hollins, University of Minnesota (son of Lionel Hollins, Head Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies).
2. Ralph Sampson III, University of Minnesota (son of Ralph Sampson, 4-time NBA-All Star).
3. Jeremiah Rivers, Indiana University (son of Doc Rivers, Head Coach of the Boston Celtics).
4. Jeff and Marcus Jordan, Central Florida University (son of NBA great Michael Jordan).

Tournament Bound (check your bracket picks for these):

1. Jon Horford, University of Michigan (son of Tito Horford who played for the Bucks and Bullets in the 1990's and brother of Al Horford, the All-Star center for the Atlanta Hawks).
2. Jordan Dumars, redshirt, University of Michigan (son of Joe Dumars former player and now Pistons President).
3. Josh Bartelstein, University of Michigan (son of NBA and NFL agent Mark Bartelstein).
4. David Stockton, Gonzaga University (son of John Stockton, who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz and brother to Shawn Stockton, a junior guard at Montana University).
5. Nolan Smith, Duke University All-American (son of the late Derek Smith who played for five NBA clubs, including the Celtics).
6. Ledrick Eackles, Oakland University (son of former Washington Bullets and Miami Heat guard Ledell Eackles).
7. Phil and Matt Pressey, University of Missouri (son of former Buck and current Cavaliers Assistant Coach Paul Pressey).
8. Tim Hardaway Jr., University of Michigan (son of Tim Hardaway, former Warriors and Heat guard).
9. Cameron Ayers, Bucknell University (son of Randy Ayers, former 76ers head Coach and current Assistant Coach of the New Orleans Hornets).
10. Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame University (brother of Indiana Pacers forward, Tyler Hansbrough).
11. Chris Smith, Louisville University (brother of J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets).

NBA and NFL playing the waiting game

As you may already know, the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) found a loophole, a strategy if you will, in which to gain leverage with their employers, the NFL. Members of the NBA's Player Association are playing close attention. Here's why. The NFLPA filed for decertification so they could legally sue the NFL in court for violating antitrust law. Decertification means the NFLPA technically does not exist at the moment, therefore the players now have the power to be named as individuals in a lawsuit against their employer. The NFL then locked out its players and essentially shut things down until further notice. It is possible for the same thing to happen in the NBA .

At the crux of the NFL issue sits how the owners and players are going to divide up 9 billion dollars. In the NBA, owners are not only looking to divide up 4 billion dollars but they are looking to change the pay scale in the NBA by going with a hard salary cap. They also want to get rid of most or all of the current exceptions to the cap that teams get to re-sign their star player for more dough or for teams who are over their cap limit to add experienced veterans at a lower price. If both sides in this issue can't come to an agreement, I am sure they will be looking to their NFL counterparts to see if decertification is a viable option for them. Think about it. If U.S. District Court Judge David Doty decides in favour of the NFL players (which he has a reputation for) and that gets both sides talking faster, maybe the NBPA might think decertification is the way to go. But if the Judge Doty decides in favour of the owners, then the NBPA might sit tight and not take that drastic step. Something to think about going forward.

Tweets calling out Twits?

Another legal rangling story for you. Minnesota Timberwolves beat reporter for the Associated Press Jon Krawczynski is being sued over tweets about NBA official, Bill Spooner. This is what allegedly happened according to the suit filed by Spooner. Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Kurt Rambis was upset over a foul called against his team versus the Rockets on January 24th. Spooner allegedly tells Rambis he would review the call at halftime. Rambis reportedly inquires how his team was supposed to get the two points back. Spooner's suit claims he didn't respond to Rambis' question but AP reporter Jon Krawczynski tweeted his version:

"Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on the Rockets. That's NBA officiating folks".

Associate General Council for AP Dave Tomlin provided this statement in response: "We believe all of the facts we reported from the game in question were accurate". Also, as of this morning, an AP spokesperson said the organization has not yet been served with a lawsuit. To top it all off, Minnesota lost the game by 4 points (129-125) so those 2 points could have made a difference in crunch time. So now if the everyday, average fan is sitting at the game, overhears something and tweets it, are they considered a journalist reporting what they see from the game? Not exactly. Jon Krawczynski is a seasoned reporter, trained in proper journalism at a university or college like most are and as such is made aware of the legalities of the profession. Anyone with a cellphone or computer can tweet whatever is on their mind, good or bad, this is the nature of free speech. But Krawczynski was at the game in his capacity as a journalist and is held to a higher standard. Do we have another 'Spoelstra' moment here? Who knows. There are two sides to this story and everyone will have their own opinion. I hope this proves to those using Twitter to think before you tweet. People are reading and paying attention. Your reputation and the person the comment is made about is at stake, so be careful.

Thanks once again for joining me this week. As always keep your comments and suggestions coming by following me on Twitter (@ddegraauw) and on Facebook (Danielle de Graauw). See you on Thursday for more "NBAz in 7 Dayz" when we will continue our discussion on the NBA playoffs and my picks I alluded to last week. See you then.

Raptors Answer To Stars Leaving Is Draft Canadian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hook'em Horn EH!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Starting 5 with Ray Bala Talking Madness From A Canadian Perspective

This week kicks off March Madness and there is some Canadian Content in that tournament. I wanted to bring in Ray Bala from @Canballreport on Raptors HQ to talk some NCAA ball. We have a great conversation about players like Kris Joesph, Andy Rautins and some other Canadians you may not know. We also have a conversation on a great two part article written by Michael Grange in Globe and Mail recently on Canadians heading south to play ball. Next season at this time of year you will likely be hearing a lot about Tristan Thompson who is committed to Texas for next season. Texas is an 8 seed in the tourney this year after having been ranked #1 earlier in the season. We talk about some general rules to follow when filling out your brackets. Along with some tips on teams to like or not like. Along with some talk of some of the top guys for the NBA draft in June like Evan Turner and John Wall and some others. Even a little Canada Basketball talk with Canada heading to the World Championships in Turkey this summer. The Dino Nation Blog is mostly about the Raptors and the NBA but it is also about growing the game and fans of basketball in this country. Ray is one of the folks trying to help in that by doing a great job in Raptors HQ and on his Twitter account making folks aware of what Canadians are doing on the college level and elsewhere. So have a listen and take pride in the fact Canada is starting to develop some ballers.

NCAA Talk With Ray Bala

DNB Productions

Thanks to Ray for taking the time to talk with me. It is always nice to get to know more folks that love basketball and are passionate Canadian basketball fans. There are lots of us out there. I do the best I can with the Starting 5 to get to know more of them and allow you folks that read the DNB to get to know them as well. Follow Ray on Twitter (Link Above) and you will get to learn a lot about some of these up and coming Canadian talents that are representing Canada and the sport that a Canadian brought to the world. If I learned anything from the past Olympics in Vancouver, it is to never lose that passion for this country and for what I love in basketball. It will always be part of the mission of the Dino Nation Blog to help try to promote the sport here in Canada and help grow the sport and bring more fans to the table. Have some fun and sign up for the 2 NCAA Pools I have started with The Score and Yahoo.

Dino Nation Blog March Madness Pools

Sign up for The Score's Bracket Busters Contest then

JOIN GROUP: DINO NATION BLOG MADNESS/ PASSWORD: DNB

on Yahoo- Dino Nation Blog Madness League ID 70545 there is no password.

Thunder Rolls Into Toronto

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

Future Prospects For Raptors

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

One Less Game To Endure After Tonight

So Chris Bosh did the weather last night on CTV. Roll The You Tube Footage:




He did a pretty decent job unless you happen to live in Peterbrough. Chris was not sure how many people live there. Thankfully he did not say that about Hamilton where I am from. That may have been grounds to end our facebook friendship. I learned something I honestly didn't know. He started his charity foundation when he was 18. Bosh in his time here in Toronto has done a great deal of work to bring smiles to kids be it directly or through his foundation. Maybe that is part of why I get so angry about people attacking this guy. He is a solid human being and that fact is more important than any win or loss total at the end of the day. This season has been a bad one for everyone and Chris Bosh I am sure feels the worst about it. Just because he continues to be himself and do various things like moonlighting as a weatherman or making a video for You Tube does not change that. If you have a bad day at work at whatever you do, would you not try to have some fun in your off time as well? I mean at least the guy is doing constructive things. In my view he has been a guy trying to lead a collective group that has lost it's desire to follow.

I got thinking of something yesterday, there really are only a couple players that can lead a team all on their own. At the start of this year there seemed to be an idea that Bosh was going to have help in leading this team from J.O and Jose. That has not happened obviously. I think it needs to happen. The example I came up with of a great player that never could lead his team to anything of consequence was Paul Pierce. He was in a spot much like Bosh and people said he was on his way out of Boston. The Celtics would bring in another guy who could not lead his team on his own to any great success. That is of course Kevin Garnett. Together with Ray Allen they have all come together and lead the Celtics comeback to glory. None of those 3 players indivdually could lead a team to anything better than a conference finals. So is it totally unreasonable what people expect of Bosh? There are very few indivdual leaders that can carry a team without support to a title or greatness. Not just now but in the history of the game.

Few could argue that at the start of this season Bosh was playing at an elite level. However it did not produce the number of victories it should. That is not on Chris Bosh that is on the rest of this roster. If Chris Bosh scores 40 plus points and this team can't win a basketball game that is the problem. Eventually as an individual no matter what Bosh is saying it has to piss you off. I said it once before that this team dragged Bosh down to a degree. If he had that support in leadership maybe that doesn't happen. Maybe those guys get the rest of this team to pick up it's collective socks. That never happened though. So instead of going the easy route and blaming Bosh for all that is wrong with this team people maybe need to consider that. Who were the people to support him and challenge him on this basketball team.

Madness Comes Early To NYC

Normally I would not mention a college game here in the Dino Nation Blog for an entire section. However when you have a 6 overtime classic at MSG that would qualify as special. The Big East Tournament saw one of the greatest basketball games I have seen on any level period. The UConn Huskies and Syracuse Orange battled through 6 overtimes and in the end Syracuse out lasted UConn. Andy Rautins the son of Raptor broadcaster Leo Rautins made a key 3 pointer at the start of the sixth overtime period to lead the Syracuse charge to finish what was an amazing game. Ironically the longest game prior was in 1981 when his dad Leo scored the winning basket to lead Syracuse to a win over Villanova. March Madness is on the way and there is lots of great basketball memories that are made in that tournament. If you are a true fan of basketball you had to love last night's game and love March Madness. This seems like a good time to mention that I have set up a March Madness Pool for you folks here at the Dino Nation Blog on Facebook. Here is a link to sign up.

Dino Nation March Maddness Pool on Facebook

T.J Ford On Hoops

It was very interesting conversation with T.J Ford on Hoops last night. It seemed pretty clear that T.J Ford and Sam Mitchell did not end their coach and player relationship on the best of terms. Which leads me to wonder how much influence Sam had in the choice between Jose and T.J. Everyone pointed to how Jose and T.J could not work together. However after listening to this interview it would seem that is was Sam and T.J that was the issue. Bryan Colangelo always talks about building consensus in making decisions. It seems pretty obvious who Sam was behind in that regard. This all leads to a question for me. If Colangelo and Mitchell were on thin ice and the plan was always to move towards this running system would it not have made sense to fire Sam in the summer and try to make Forderon work. Seems clear that Calderon is not as good without T.J as he was with him. It was obvious the J.O trade didn't work. What was also obvious is that Sam was at the front of the line in support of that trade.

Ford was never the villian he was made to be. A lot more people are loving T.J Ford these days in Toronto and a lot less people loving Jose. A lot of good that does. Where were you all last year? If the plan was to go the way the Raptors have with this running system. T.J ford should have been on this roster. He likely would be the starter given the way Calderon has played. Ford and Claderon pushed each other to be better. Who pushes Jose now? Exactly.

Detroit Basketball come to T.O

If you are expecting the losing streak to end here you are far more optomistic than the Dino Blogger. Pistons without AI and with Rip Hamilton in the starting line-up are on fire. Well maybe not fire. But they are much better than where the Raptors are at. But no need to worry about seeing it because it is a TSN 2 affair and you can be spared the pain. It had been reported that Raptors T.V was going to Simulcast this game but Raps T.V has just been replaying the broadcast after it concludes. Well after what Raps TV has on concludes to be accurate. Regardless we will have some form of recap of what happen. These things need to be documented for the history books.

Random Thoughts For A Friday.

I am feeling a bit punk today so I think I am going to keep this brief today. Just 10 random things that are like totally unrelated but were things I felt like talking about.

At the top of the list. Obama is going to check out the Bulls tonight. Imagine to have the leader of the United States a basketball fan. While here in Canada basketball can't bump curling and gets stuck on a network I can't get and majority of people are in the same boat. Sucks.

Go Blue. My Michigan Wolverines cling to hope of making the NCAA Tournament with a win over ranked Purdue. No this is not chuck checks in. But I like Michigan as well. Having said that I think Wolverines are NIT at best.

From K.G to Blake Griffin. Even King James got banged up last night. An injury bug has infested the sport of basketball.

15 teams are getting an NBA handout/bailout? Raptors have no comment. Please don't tell me MLSE took the money. They will just use the Leaf price ticket increase they don't need it. Yeah like I know what MLSE books say. But teams that are on that list for sure. Sacramento, Indiana and Milwaukee just look in the stands and you will see my evidence.

I am excited for March Madness. Maybe it is working all the live blogs doing college games for The Score but I am pumped up for March Madness it may be the most exciting tournament in a long time.

I want to thank the Toronto Sun for breaking the news that Shawn Marion thinks it is cold in Toronto. I know this was probably just as shocking for all of you as it was for me that a guy who went to school in Las Vegas, played in Arizona for most of his career and came from Miami. So the fact he finds it cold in Canada is a true shock to all.

The excitement of the new run and gun Raptors is kind of unexpected. Steve Nash may not play so could the Raptors catch a break and win 3 in a row? Anytime you think this Raptor team will do something expect the opposite. You will be right more than you are wrong.

Twitter is becoming a big thing. I am not sure if I get it. However It is cool to have the support of folks on Twitter. I guess I am suppose to twitter about that? Best twitter feed there is? The Real Shaq. It is so funny. It also makes me not feel so bad if I have a typo.

Hockey Trade deadline is coming 12 hours of professional broadcasters trying to fill time. This has become a sport in Canada as well. It really is over the top. Still all the best to the Hockey folks at being able to do it. It is the craziest day in Sports broadcasting in this country.

It's funny I couldn't wait for this season to get started. Now in some ways I can't wait for it to end. It has been a long season and a painful one as a fan. That being said I still work hard win or lose. So I thank everyone for hanging in with the Dino Nation Blog. After a season like this I think everyone in the media should thank the fans. I mean seriously I may not always agree with some of the things fans say or do. But I respect the passion and dedication of the folks out there that love the Raptors.

That is about it. If you every had a sleep and snore Ernie you will get this last line. Yawn.....I feel sleepy...I need a nap. I only hope that after the nap that " I FEEL GREAT ". Here is hoping you feel better than me and see you later tonight with a recap of Raptors and Suns. Oh I did promise a link to Stampede game.

D-League Game Links

There, now I am done.

Nathan Jawai- A Conversation About Him With Aaron Fearne

The Dino Nation Blog has been happy to build a relationship with Aaron Fearne. In researching Nathan everyone I spoke with said this was the man to talk with about Nathan. I believe this is the 3rd or 4th time he has been a guest since the summer. He and Nathan have a close bond and he has coached Nathan from pretty much the start and knows him best. So with Nathan getting started in the NBA I thought it might be a good chance to catch up with Aaron and asked him a few questions. I guess the best place to get started is how he felt to see Nathan finally get out on the floor. Something that was in some doubt at times if it would ever happen given the health concerns for Jawai at the start of the year.

Aaron Fearne-"It was great to see him get back on the court and to finally play in his first NBA game. Was a special moment for many people he in the USA and in Australia. He has had a few different coaches over the years that have put a lot of work into him and it was great to see him realize his dream. How he needs to continue to learn, get in great shape and grab every opportunity he gets and run with it."

It was a great moment for myself personally as well. I have really become invested in Nathan and his story. There was a lot of talk that first game back for Nathan would be in the NBDL and not the NBA. If not for an injury to Kris Humphries it was expected he was going to be sent to the Raptors D-League affiliate the Idaho Stampede. However now add an injury to Bosh it seems Nathan will be remaining with the Raptors at least in the short term. I wondered what Aaron's thoughts were if Nathan were to spend some time in the D-League.

Aaron Fearne-"He is just happy to get back on the court after a long laid off. Getting into shape is the first step then working to get onto the court is the next step. Doing the D-league thing will be a Raptors decision of course but a number of the other NBA teams have sent their younger players to the NBDL so I guess it could happen but who knows. If it comes to that it will be another great learning experience for Nathan and without a doubt a chance to get some good court time."

Obviously it has been a long lay off that Nathan faced do to his heart concerns. I asked Aaron where he felt Jawai was at in comparison to where he was just prior to training camp when the news came that forced Nathan to be shut down from basketball and training.

Aaron Fearne-"Nate got himself into great shape leading up to the draft and was without a doubt in the best shape of his life. Of course with the lay off, he has some work to do to get back to where he was but he has been working hard to get there but it will just take some time."

The Raptors given the way the season has gone have the time to wait for Nathan to develop. He may actually benefit from the team's lack of success and get more chances to play. However in Australia I would imagine they were excited and wanting to see Nathan get out on the floor and play. It has obviously been a much different season for him then anyone could have expected. So I asked Aaron what re-action had been like back home. Aaron is here in North America with Nathan. However still keeps tabs on things back home I am guessing. So here is what he had to say about the reaction in Australia.

Aaron Fearne-"Disappointed to see that he was not going to be able to hit the court with the team on day one of training camp and then there was the lengthy wait. Now that he has finally hit the floor Australia and many people elsewhere will be following him with interest."

What about going forward with his heart issues will it be something that is a concern through out the big Aussie's career?

Aaron Fearne-" He just needs to look after himself as we all do "

Jawai is not the only Aussie making basketball news. Pat Mills is a friend of Nathan's and had been tearing it up in the NCAA for St.Mary's. A broken hand in 2 places has taken him out of the line-up for St. Mary's. He was getting a lot of attention as was the team. They seemed a lock to make it into March Maddness. Now that maybe be a question mark but the talent of Mills is not. Maybe even good enough to consider jumping into the NBA draft. I asked Aaron if he thought Mills is ready for that jump.

Aaron Fearne-" He can play in the NBA for sure. He has great quickness and speed, gets up and works the ball in defense and is really starting to shoot the ball well from deep. He proved he can play at the next level after his performance at the Olympics."

I asked if both he and Nathan have been able to keep tabs on him this season while he has been impressing at St. Mary's

Aaron Fearne-" We both follow how a number of Australians are playing over here. Australia is starting to develop a number of very good players and over the next few years you will see a few more Aussies playing in the NBA St. Marys recruits Australia well and for a number of our kids over there the WCC conference is a very good level for them "

Pat Mills could be the next star for Aussies to cheer in the NBA. They will continue to follow the progress of Nathan and given the way things has shaken out for the Raptors it seems Nathan maybe be staying up with the Raptors for near future at least. He is under contract for next season so no one is in a hurry to rush his development at this point. Aaron was in the U.S checking in on another Aussie talent over here in North America and it was great of him to check in with us at the Dino Nation Blog. If Bosh is unable to go tomorrow vs. New Orleans we may get to see Nathan get some time with Raptors short handed. We will see.