Inconsistent Raptors Fail To Rally In Home Opener

Raptors had a full house for their home opener. For those that question basketball in Toronto they need to wake up. After being told basically your team has no chance at doing much of anything this year the Raptors still packed the house. That full house was not treated to much entertainment in the first quarter. They did see some rare events like Andrea Bargnani taking a charge. But by and large both teams struggled in the first but the Raptors really did shooting sub 30% from the field and had just 11 points and trailed 18-11 after one.

The Raptors would slowly start to get the locks off the offence that had been a one man operation in the first with Bargnani largely being their only true effective player on offence. On the other side of things Paul George was showing you why many are excited about his future. He was part of the key match-up I mentioned in the set-up for this one. The other side of that match-up was DeRozan and he failed to score in the 1st half. Raptors could not stop the lead for the Pacers would take the lead into half at 38-34. Not exactly an offensive classic in fact there was a lot of offensive things. But Andrea Bargnani was not one of them. He was perhaps the only reason the Raptors were hanging around.

In the second half the Pacers got back to work and took control of things out battling the Raptors in the 3rd and getting some breaks in terms of the officials for most of the night. Demar DeRozan did start to make himself known on the offensive end but like in Cleveland he has a pretty forgettable first 3 quarters. It reminds you of the whole Tim Tebow phenomenon. Tebow Time at least for 2 games has a Raptor equal and it is DeRozan Time. He again exploded late in the 4th and finished with 22 points(Which led the Raps). But the Raptors had let the Pacers get to far in front to catch. The Raptors would make a strong push aided by the sold out crowd but the Pacers were able to take the body blows and close the deal for the 90-85 win.

The Good: Bargnani despite the typical rebounding struggles The Raptors would be no where close if not for Bargnani. Defence was still good enough holding the Pacers to 39.5% shooting.

The Bad: DeRozan's first 3 quarters. Bayless at times took the Raptors out of their offence and went rogue despite his 5-9 shooting and 13 points. Calderon struggled as well so let's just say general point guard play was poor for very different reasons.

The Ugly: 19 Turnovers. The Raptors are not good enough to have those kind of mistakes and win basketball games.

Now it really gets tough with games vs The Mavs, Magic and Knicks. This will truly test this new Defence to the next level. Especially against the Mavs who should know how to beat this D better than anyone for obvious reasons and they are a desperate team early in this season after an ugly 0-2 start.

Pacers get BLURRED!!!

Watching Roy Hibbert play against the Raptors always makes me cry a bit. I am doing a feature on March Madness and talked with him. Asked him how does it feel to return to your former team for 2 weeks. He laughed and said they should have kept me. Jokes aside they really should have. Pacers are still in the playoff hunt in the East. Raptors playoff hunt died some would say when Chris Bosh said he was going to South Beach. But playoffs have been off their radar pretty much the entire season. As Ryan said in preview Raptors have been reduced to spoilers at this point.

James Johnson a quick basket to open the proceeds and he picks up a foul at the other end non-shooting. Former Raptor Roy Hibbert with the answer to tie it at 2. Funny I am doing a feature on March Madness and Tyler Hansbrough who won a title at UNC had back to back baskets but Raptors lead 8-6. Raptors had an early 6 points from James Johnson but a Granger 3 and Paul George bucket and foul which he missed left this puppy tied at 13. Pacers took the lead 15-13 and a time out and DeRozan it would set off a Raptor 10-0 and Pacers now needed the time out trailing 23-15 in first with 3:52 to go. This is not what they wanted to see with Raptors have hope of a win. Raptors would maintain the lead for the most part leading 32-27 after 1. Raptors shot 65% in that opening quarter and yet just up 5 points.

Raptors came out and built on the lead Barbosa had 9 already off the bench for the Raptors and that was the lead as well 38-29. Barbosa was hot as hell a score on break then a wide open 3 and he had 14 and Raptors lead was up two touchdowns. Given the news in NFL today will use some football terminology because they won't be for awhile. The Blur was just that on both defence and offence and it was having a huge impact on this game. The Raptors were benefiting with 43-29 lead and the Pacers needed a time out. Barbosa had hit 5 of his first 6 shots.

A sloppy turnover and Pacers get an easy bucket on the break. Barbosa misses and Hansbrough gets a slam dunk. Barbosa would get back on track and hit a jumper for two but the former UConn stantout A.J Price nailed a 3 pointer and Pacers were showing some fight as they were battling to hang on to the 8th spot in the East. They had trimmed a few points off the Raptors lead and it was 47-36. Reggie Evans battling on the glass gets rebound number 7 of what would be an eventual 8 in the half. 4 offensive and 4 defensive an equal opportunity rebounder and it would that 7th board would lead to a Barbosa bucket giving him 18 points which is what he would end up with for the half. Pacers were getting tagged with a lot off silly offensive fouls the latest of those to Danny Granger and it was not helping the comeback effort. A three from Granger later who help and got Pacers to single digits. That would be short lived as Calderon would find Ed Davis and he made the basket in the paint and got fouled made the and 1 as well and Raptors were up a dozen. They would continue to ride this effort to the half and lead 62-48 at the break.

The third quarter as it would turn out would be the worst of the night for the Raptors. After scoring 32 and 30 in first two quarters points would be harder to come by in the 3rd. James Johnson after a perfect 6-6 in the first half and 13 points would not score a point in the the 2nd half or take a shot. But Jay Triano said after the game it was more important that he kept Danny Granger under control. which he would do a good job of in 2nd half as Granger had just 11. Despite the good 3rd quarter for the Pacers they only manged to take 4 points off the lead and Raptors took a 83-73 advantage to the 4th quarter.

The Raptors and Pacers would play the 4th quarter to a stalemate. The Raptors after being in an almost identically position as they were against Utah with a 14 point lead with about 7 minutes to play. This time the Raptors would stop the bleeding quickly after a little slippage Triano called a time out and it got the Raptors back on track. There may not have been drama in the outcome the rest of the way after that. But there was in the final moments. Darren Collison earlier in the year had nailed a 3 point shoot late in a game when Pacers could have just dribbled it out for a win. Raptors remembered that and Leandro Barbosa remembered that as did the Raptors. Barbosa would take a chance to score late creating some ill will with a frustrated Pacers club that is free falling out of the playoffs with their 6th straight loss losing to the Raptors 108-98.

Danny Granger was not a happy man and basically said he would have done ill will to Barbosa had he not feared being suspended. But a Raptor never forgets I guess is the lesson of this story. It was a good night for one of the DNB's Favourites in Reggie Evans with 16 boards. He gave his take on this whole thing post game. You can find Barbosa's thought on it on Raptors.com and my bald head in James Johnson's post game scrum. Here is Reggie's thoughts on end of the game and his own performance, some praise for Ed Davis as well.



That is a wrap on this one. Had interviews with T.J Ford talking about Canada's big 3 ballers in Thompson, Joesph and Kabongo on the way. Also first chance to talk with Demar DeRozan since his whole all-star experience and a nice performance in England. Look for those in the coming days. Up next for the Raptors is the Bobcats who are chasing the Pacers something they might want have kept in mind before talking smack about the Raptors.

You've Lost That Winning Feeling

Pacers have a new coach and the Raptors...yup Jay Triano is still here. Pacers new coach faces the Raptors tonight and the Cavs next. If he goes 0-2 during that he should be fired too. But in terms of the Raptors we could sure use a win. I am honestly forgetting what it is like to write about a win. Pacers smoked the Raptors in the teams only meeting this year as I mentioned this morning in our preview of this one. Weems remains in the starting line-up. All those e-mails Tom Liston sent did not work apparently.

Collison blows right by Jose after Pacers won the tap not a great early sign. But Andrea with a score plus an and one free throw was a good sign. DeRozan after some failed possession by both team got a score and it was early 5-2 lead. Collison again with a blow by and an easy bucket for former Raptor for a few weeks Roy Hibbert. Seems the new coach is well aware of the Raptors weak points on defence. But the Pacers D had it's own issues letting the Raptors come back and take a 13-10 lead. A bit of a worry as Demar DeRozan had a bit of a nasty landing but he was ok. Demar is not "some fake tough guy" he is the real deal playing ever game this year for the Raptors. But what was not ok was Mike Dunleavy then Collison connecting on 3's. Pacers built a 20-15 lead and it was time to call a time out for Jay Triano. Whatever Jay said didn't work because Pacers were up 27-17 not that long after. After 1 the Raptor D had been lit up for 32 points and Pacers lead was 11 with the score 32-21.

Tyler Hansbrough gets a put back dunk and the Pacer lead had grown to 14 and another time out from Jay Triano. The first one worked so well I am sure this one will be just as good.The second quarter is turning into a haze of terrible choices on offence and no defence at all. That combination has lead to a 43-26 Pacers lead. Raps had not yet bottomed out though as the Pacer lead would grow to 48-28 before the Raptors showed they indeed had a pulse. Raptors would get on a 7-0 run that was the good news. Bad news was that still left them down 13 points. Raptors kept rolling and were on a 13-0 run and now you were seeing why the Pacers had lost 7 of 8. Ed Davis was a big part of that run on both ends of the floor. Raptors clawed back to down 51-45 at the half.

The second half begins with a Bargnani missed jumper and Ed Davis sitting on the bench. But the Raptor roll continued with the Young Onez Amir then Sonny with buckets. Finally for the Young Onez trifector Derozan gets fouled and heads to the line with a chance to tie it at the line. But the tie would be short lived at 51-51 and soon the Pacers would have a 62-57 lead and Pacers had a bullseye on Andrea Bargnani and were exposing him on D. Finally Triano decided to place Bargnani's butt on the bench where it belonged in favour of Ed Davis. But it might have been to late will see. Amir Johnson is down and he has been battling through a lot, and you hope it is something he can battle through. Not since Alvin Williams have we seen the kind of toughness Amir Johnson has shown this season. Andrea Bargnani is back in with Amir out for the moment with a twisted ankle by the looks of it. Bargnani finally was showing signs off life on offence but the D was still non existent. Bayless with a how the heck did the go in drive and score. Raptors were down 5 when the smoke cleared after 3.

The Bargnani suck feast would continue stepping on the end line and turning it over. Good news was Amir Johnson returned back to the floor late in the 3rd. But Raptors were down 77-70 in early going of the 4th. Andrea would take a well earned seat as Bayless would score draw a foul and make the and 1 to make the lead 5 once again. Raptors just could not seem to get back to with in shouting distance. I have said this many times in this blog. But when you dig a big hole like the Raptors did in this game, getting it back to level is only half the battle. Raptors seemed to have not enough in the tank to pull off the other half. Pacers had a 84-76 lead with 8:30 to play. Nuce play by Demar to hook-up Sonny for a jumper but, the train wreck that is Andrea on D would take those good vibes away. Turnovers after that and Pacers lead thanks to 6-0 run was 93-82 with only 5:01 to play. In the end the Raptors had nothing left for the Pacers and it would be a 104-93 Pacers win. The Raptors have lost 12 straight and that has not happened since 2003 which is before many of us even knew who Chris Bosh was.

Jay Triano was made by a late 3 taken by the Pacers when they could have dribbled it out pretty much. But screw being made about that be made at your supposed star player that can't play defence. Be mad at yourself for playing him far more than he deserved. Also be embarrassed by the fact this team over has been a joke on the defensive side of floor.

Raptors Rewind- Raps Look For 2 Game Sweep

In front of very few in Indiana the Raptors look for a 2 game sweep of the back to back battle with the Pacers. It would also win the season series 3-1 and give the Raptors their longest winning streak of the season of 6 games. They will have to do it without Demar Derozan missing in action and back in Toronto. Also no Hedo Turkoglu and it will be Weems and Belinelli getting the starts in relief of those 2 missing pieces. Raptors are rolling and looking to keep that going tonight in Indiana as the front half of a back to back with the Nets paying a visit to the ACC tomorrow. I will be there for that one. But like you watching at home on T.V. Indiana will be without it's head coach Jim O'Brien who had a death in his family.

1st Quarter

Pacers get off on the right foot with a score from Granger in the paint. Raps had a slow start but Marco Belinelli would get a 3 ball to get Raps on board down 4-3. Raps were taking jump shots on offense and missing on most and the D was not exactly great the result an 11-5 Pacers lead. Bargnani gets a nice look from 3 and he nailed it. Team Italy getting it done as Marco would drive and draw contact and head to the line making both and it was now just 11-10 Pacers. But the Pacers would go on a 7-1 run and extend lead to 18-11 and Raptors were just 3 for 8 shooting the ball early on. Bargnani missed a pair at the line but the made a tough jumper on the next trip. Roy Hibbert former Raptor (sorta) was having early success he scored again and he was a perfect 4-4 with 8 points early and was the game's high man.

Raptors were getting worked inside and Pacers had a 22-15 lead. Bellinelli hooks up CB4 for a needed 2 points. Bosh and Bargnani would get rolling and bring the Raptors to within one. Bellinelli would give Raps first lead of the night 25-24. Marco would restore that 1 point lead with a basket he had 9 points in his first start as a Raptor. Bosh would score after that and Raptors lead was 3 and Bosh had 13. Defense was not in vogue in Indiana Bosh and Belinelli leading the way. Marco with 14 and Bosh with 13 leading the Raps to a 34-32 1st quarter lead.

2nd Quarter

Pacers quickly re-took the lead and started the second on 5-0 run. Raptors were 0-5 to start the quarter and had not scored a point in the first 3 minutes and counting of the 2nd Quarter. Pacers had not taken full advantage of things but had built a 39-34 lead. Rasho had 2 chip shots and missed both and Raptors still had not scored in over 4 minutes. Finally with 7:31 to go in the Half Rasho would end the drought. Despite the terrible start on offense the Raptors get a 3 from Jose and they were fortunate to be trailing just 43-40.

Pacers may look back on this quarter with regret as they have had a chance to bury the Raptors but instead held just a 6 point lead with Raptors playing about as bad as you can play. Turnovers, missed shots and just a poor effort for the men in the red uniforms in this 2nd quarter. Jarret Jack picked up his 3rd foul and Raps were down 12 as Head hits for 3 and the Raptors were finally paying for their lack of offense with just 8 points in the quarter. Pacers up 54-42. Raptors would make a bit of a push finally but it was not good still down 8 with a minute to go in the half. Marco Belinelli was having a strong night though and he would get an old fashion 3 point play to cut the lead to 7. CB4 looking good on offense to with a 20 point performance and 11 rebounds in the first half. Raptors rallied to make it 58-53 at the half. The Score was flattering to the Raptors.

3rd Quarter

You were starting to get the feeling this might be the Raptors night. Pacers scored the first 4 points of the second half and extended the lead to 9 points. Raptors looked very sloppy and were making a ton of mistakes. Pacers were taking advantage finally and extended the lead out to 12 points with 2 Danny Granger free throws. Pacer would continue to roll to a 81-61 lead. But it gets worse as Bosh picked up his 4th foul with over 6 minutes to play in the 3rd and Raptors down 81-64.

Raptors just looked flat and awful and in this 5 game winning streak the Raptors had made a habit of coming from behind but you did not get the impression that was happening tonight. Earl Watson was taking both Jack and Calderon to school and leading the Indiana charge. 92-75 with 3 to play in the 3rd and this was one of the worst effort from the Raptors in quite some time. Andrea Bargnani would try to lead a charge back but the defense was still very much MIA. After 3 Raptors with a TON of work to do down 100-86. What is it about teams playing with out the regular head coach they always seem to play well. No Pacers Head Coach tonight and no problems. Pacers shooting 57%....OUCH!!

4th Quarter

Clipboards be afraid...Jay Triano looked steamed and rightfully so. As they have in ever Quarter Pacers start off on a run. Also things would get even worse Jose Calderon would go down and come up limping. Calderon once again looks to have been bitten by the injury bug. The irony Calderon appears to have turned his ankle by stepping on Jarrett Jack's foot. Marcus Banks where are you? Seems the Banks will be open in T.O for the next little bit. Meanwhile the scoreboard is not getting any better with Raptors down 21.

Andrea Bargnani would end up with a career high 34 but it would be in vain as the defense in this game fell way back to early in the season where the Raptors could not defend their own shadow. The Pacers would end up with a split of the season series 2-2 with a huge 130-115 win over the Raptors. The 5 game winning streak comes to a crashing halt.

Early word on Calderon is he went for X-Rays but safe to say barring some miracle of medicine he will be out tomorrow vs the Nets. I think the time has come to accept Calderon is injury prone. I got into on Twitter about this with some folks. Sure a turned ankle is a freak injury when you step on someones foot. But an ankle here, Hip Flexer there and a Hamstring it just goes on and on with Calderon. He only had one injury free year in what ironically was his contract year. Jose is ether unlucky or injury prone depending on how you see it. However it is becoming almost as predictable that he is going to get hurt as it was that V.C was. Thankfully Jose does not go into the whole Vince Carter I have been shoot business. Also Calderon to his credit or sometimes to his detriment will attempt to come back as soon as possible. Something V.C would never do. If V.C chipped a nail he was out a minimum 2 games.

On to the Nets tomorrow and some Raps fans will tremble with fear at the prospect of the Raptors losing. But if it makes you feel any better other than the Pre-Season game vs Boston, the Raptors have a perfect record when I am in the house covering the game. I will be there tomorrow and pretty confident the Raptors will be back in the winner's circle.

Battle is On For DNB & The Raptors

The Battle has begun for the Dino Blogger in the Pro vs Joes contest on Whotheman.com. I am debating in favour of Jarrett Jack remaining as the starting point guard. I know this will shock no one. But he has been good you have to admit. So please if you can go check it out and vote for me that would be great. Help me make it all the way to finals. You may have to register on the site to vote but please take the time to do so and support myself and the Dino Nation Blog in the process. That also lead to a nice transition to today's game where Jack takes on his former team in the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers and Raptors have split a pair of games this season. I was in the house covering the game when the Raptors won 123-112 in November. Danny Granger had 36 points in that loss. Jack was on fire and was perfect from the field coming of the bench at the time scoring 18 and Calderon was good as well with 21 as the stater. CB4 had an awful shooting night going 5-19 from the field and had 16 points and 12 boards. But the Raptors walked away with the win despite that.

Earlier this month the Raptors would travel to Indy and not be so lucky. Bosh was better with 27 points but the team around him was not. The Pacers meanwhile has a full team effort and had 6 players in double digits on the score sheet and it was enough to hold off the Raptors 105-101. Granger in that game lead the Pacers with 23. This hopefully will serve as a reminder to not take the Pacers lightly as Toronto will face them in the next 2 games starting with an early evening tilt with Pacers at the ACC tonight and travel to Indy for the re-match on Tuesday.

It has been a tough season overall for the Pacers. T.J Ford has fallen out of favour and can't get minutes behind Watson and rookie Guard from UConn A.J Price. Who in that game earlier this month Price had 16 and was one of those 6 players in double digits. In Addition Danny Granger has not looked like the franchise guy that Indy was hoping he was on the path to becoming. The one positive in Indy is Roy Hibbert who came to them via the J.O deal with the Raps. Hibbert the former Hoyas standout is doing the school's legacy of big men in the NBA proud and has really started to crank it up in his second season in the NBA

The Raptors have been lights out at home of late but have failed to answer the bell for the opening quarter in the past couple. Indy can shoot the 3 ball and Raptors will need to have solid perimeter defense if they hope not to have a mis-step on their home floor. No word on if Demar suits up today and Andrea Bargnani has been has some issues as well. However even if the Raptors were short handed today there would be no acceptable excuse to dropping another game to the Pacers.

In fact when you look towards the sked heading into the All-Star Break Raps have many of those "winnable" games in front of them. However if they do not start coming out and falling behind the odds eventually are going to catch up with them. No one loves a good rally more than the Dino Blogger but for my personal sanity and that of the Raptors fans like you that I care about, I think we can agree we can do with out the drama.

Raptor if they can do what you would expect and beat the Pacers twice that would put them 5 games over .500 and facing the 4-41 Nets on Wednesday. Raptors can really start to make some distance from .500 and the back in the East. Miami lost last night and the Bobcats were winners. Oh and coming from around the outside and passing the Heat is Chuck Swirsky and the Chicago Bulls. Raptors enter today just 1/2 game in front of Charlotte and a full game in front of Miami and Chicago.

So the margin for error for the Raptors is slim at the moment. Lose a couple you are suppose to win and you could be in 8th from 5th in the blink of an eye...Just ask the Heat.

T.J Ford Back In The DNB

I have made it no secret how much I am a fan of T.J Ford. The passion and desire he takes to the basketball court is far greater than his physical size. It was one of the true personal hi-lights for me to talk with him in the summer time. It has been a career for T.J that has been filled with challenges that a lesser person would have given up. So it goes without saying it was great to meet him in person and chat with him from Tuesday Pre-Game In Toronto.

T.J Ford In DNB

DNB Starting 5

Thanks to T.J for talking with me. The website we mention is called Texas360now.com and is a website that has players that went to Texas and are now in the pros. Kevin Durant, D.J Augustin , T.J and many others contribute to the site. They also give away stuff the odd time on there. So if you are a Longhorns fan or just a fan of a former Longhorn it is worth checking out. Happy Thanksgiving to T.J and any of you folks reading this blog in the United States.

Raptors Rewind- Live From The ACC

Pacers and Raptors and I was in the house. It is a great thrill to say that for me. It is not everyday that you can do this so I tried to make the most of it hopefully. Some cheers for T.J Ford unlike the boos that fans had for V.C. All hands on deck minus Reggie Evans as Wright and Belinelli were dressed and back in the line up. Not exactly a full house at the ACC but folks in Toronto tend to arrive late it would fill up a it more later. Raps need wins in the next 2 badly vs Pacers and Bobcats. After that it is Celtics and Suns.

The Raptors would come out and have a first half for the ages. They scored 74 points just shy of the team record of 79 for a half. This was done with little help scoring wise from Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Jose Calderon and T.J Ford went at it. Calderon had 15 points and Ford 10 as the 2 former PG's did battle. It was clear both had a little extra in the tank for this one. Calderon also had 5 dimes to just 1 for T.J. The other member of this PG triangle Jarrett Jack was facing the Pacers for the first time and he lead the bench with 10 points. The bench accounted for 30 of the 74 points that Raptors racked up. It was a 74-53 lead for the Raptors at the half.

The Pacers would come out in the 3rd Quarter and make a run. They would get as close 5 points but the Raptors would hang on. Danny Granger was leading the Pacers charge scoring 13 in the quarter. Like in the win over Miami, Jarrett Jack was getting some timely baskets for the Raptors including a score near the end of the 3rd quarter to push the lead back to 8 points. It seems that Jack has been the right guy in the right place of late and is making big shots when this team needs them. He would have this to say about that after the game.

Jarrett Jack- " I got to credit that to my teammates being aggressive and making the proper reads and finding me when I am open. All I try to do is knock down the shot when the ball swings my way."

Jack also talked about this team needing to be able to step on the throat of teams and close them out. In addition to not just rely on the offense to drive them. The defense that went MIA in the 3rd quarter would return in the 4th. The Raptors saved there best defensive quarter for last. After giving up 39 points out of the locker room they would only surrender 20 in the 4th. It was not CB4's night offensively shooting 5 of 19 and just could not make his jumper fall. He would still be a factor with 12 boards 4 blocks and a steal. On a night with T.J Ford in the building, it would be a very Fordron like effort from Jack and Calderon. Check out there combined numbers. 39 points 13 assists and 2 steals, Calderon was 8 for 11 from the field and Jack a perfect 7 for 7. In the end it was an impressive offensive display just a few points shy of a team record for offense.

Bosh seemed happy with the win and happy that his team played well around him. There have been some nights where there have been big efforts from him and not much help to be found. Despite the offensive explosion the team remains focused on the defense. When I asked Chris if he felt the offense had been over looked at how well it had been and the fact they can score with anyone was being overlooked he had this to say.

Chris Bosh-" No...We know that we are going score the ball. We know that we can score and that is not the issue and it never will be. If you want to win basketball games it's all about Defense. If you can't D Up your not going to win"

That being said it still has got to feel good to know that you can score to the level the Raptors can. The Raptors still have time to improve on defense. When we get to later stages of the season Chris is 100% correct that it is all about the defense. In the playoffs where Bosh and the Raptors hope to be it is even more so. but when you can shot it at 58% and score the way they did tonight, offense can sometimes win as well. Not that you want to make a habit of it. The win tonight has the Raptors leap frog Indiana in the standing. Raptors will take the 123-112 win and hope to get back to .500 tomorrow with a win in Charlotte.

Had a chance to chat with Reggie Evans and T.J Ford as well as a it with Amir Johnson...All of that in the coming days. It was a great night at the ACC and for 2 years running I have been in the house to watch the Raptors beat the Pacers. Although as I joked with T.J that I must be doing something right as I was sitting in the stands last year and this year had media access. I just had my birthday yesterday and meeting my favourite NBA player in person and watching my favourite NBA team win makes a heck of a belated birthday present. I always will remain a fan in my heart and that will not change nor will I hide the fact that I am.

T.J Ford Visits The DNB

This is by far the biggest starting 5 ever. I have never hidden the fact this guest is one of my favorite players in the NBA. The two years he had as a Raptor were a great personal treat for me. I have been a fan of him even back to his days as a Texas Longhorn. Which is actually part of what we talk about. T.J along with some of his fellow Longhorns have put together a site called Texas 360.com. It is a site that is going to feature a lot of former Texas players and let fans get to see them in new exciting ways. We also talk about some NBA stuff as well. He talks about his two now former teammates in Jarrett Jack and Rasho Nesterovic. We talk about his return to Toronto and his thoughts on his time with the Raptors. This is a big moment for the Dino Nation Blog and hopefully it is only the start of bigger and better things for the future. Just like with all the guests we have it takes them willing to take time out to talk with me. I want to thank T.J for his time and wish him the best of luck in this upcoming NBA season and with his new venture with this website.

Dino Nation Blog Interviews T.J Ford

James Borbath's Podcast

So hope you enjoyed that as much as I did doing it. The Dino Nation Blog has brought me a lot of cool experiences in the almost 2 years I have been doing it. This ranks right at the top of the list. So if you are still a T.J Ford fan like me go check out his website and show a former Raptors some love. Sign up and become a member on Texas 360.com. Other guys already on board include Kevin Durant, D.J Augustin, T.J Ford and many other former Longhorns. Hook'em Horns!!!

Oh and if you want to follow T.J on Twitter(If you don't already) he is @tj_ford

Raptors Rewind- Ford Return Take 2

If it was said that the Pacers would still be in the playoff hunt and the Raptors would not be at this point most would have laughed at the start of the season. However that is the reality of things. Not that the Pacers have a very good shot at the playoffs. They sit in 13th place just one spot ahead of the Raptors but only 2 games out of the final playoff spot in the East. A terrible road record has held the Pacers back with only 9 wins on the road. They have already lost in Toronto. A game that T.J struggled in and he admitted that the fact Sam Mitchell had been fired impacted on him and took some motivation away from him. Jose Calderon became the all time leader in assists for the Raptor Franchise. That being said T.J Ford has had a better season than Jose Calderon. When you consider the direction this team has gone you have to wonder why Ford had to go. In a running style system give me Ford as my point guard. Not to mention that the Raptors have lost 7 straight heading into this Sunday afternoon tilt with the Pacers. In happier more optimistic times, I had targeted this point of schedule as a chance for the Raptors to make up ground. It seemed reasonable the Raptors could have gone 12-3 down the stretch. Games against the Magic, Hawks and Sixers were games the Raptors would have been hard pressed to win. Now you wonder if they can even snap this losing streak against the Pacers and then a back to back with the Bobcats. Charlotte actually has been making a playoff push of their own and has been one of the hotter teams in the East of late. Well they were, 3 straight losses after a 5 or 6 game winning streak. The one thing I can say for sure is a view more people respect T.J Ford more than the last time he rolled through Toronto. That does make me feel good as someone that is a fan of T.J. However there is nothing that can make me feel that good considering the season this has been. I have kind of taken it easy this weekend because what more can you say about this team that has not already been said by everyone at this point. We all expected far much more, a win or loss today will not change that fact. Another fact is that a month from today this Raptor Season will be over far sooner than anyone might have expected when this started in late October.

Late word that Danny Granger will be active today for the Pacers. That will make the task a tougher one for the Raptors indeed. Oh and joy the Raptors are busting out those ugly green uniforms. Also after battling with the flu over last couple games Andrea Bargnani will be in the starting line-up.

1st Quarter

Raps win the tip and off we go. Bosh missed a fading jumper. Indiana failed to score on it's first possession as well. Bargnani missed on an easy lay up. Both teams were of to an awful start. A steal and score for T.J Ford and Calderon matches with a jumper on the other end. Pacers would get back to back baskets. Daniels would turn it over and AP would get the easy score in transition. Pacers would get another Ford bucket. This one would be answered by Bargnani. Murphy and Bosh would exchange baskets. Ford would miss a 3 pointer but later hit a fading shot in the lane. Pacers lead 12-8 at the mid point of the first quarter. Bargnani would get a score in the paint. He would get another basket on a Calderon feed in transition. Make it 3 in a row for Bargnani and Raptors take the lead 14-12.

Dainels would answer and tie it up for the Pacers. He would make it back to back baskets and Pacers were up 2. Anthony Parker would make a jumper and it was all tied at 16. Ford had 6 points and Calderon had 4 dimes. A terrible stretch of misses for the Raps as both Bosh and Graham had several chances to score and could not. Pacer make them pay with a 3 ball. Pops Mensah-Bonsu checks in and he impacts the game right a way with a jam for 2. Pops in a bright light in an otherwise dark time for the Raptors. There are not many people I can honestly endorse to return to this team who has a contract due this off-season, but Pops in one that I can say that I hope he returns next year. Rush makes a 3 pointer after a time out for the Pacers. Jarrett Jack the former teammate of Chris Bosh at Georgia Tech scores and Pacers lead 24-18. Danny Granger had checked in off the bench and missed his first. Raptors get back to back baskets from Calderon and Kapono and the lead was cut to 24-22. Kapono would score again and it was tied at 24. In a forgettable season for Kapono one of his best games of the season was against these Pacers on the ACC floor. I was in the house for that one and JK was very good on that night. Granger draws the foul and can give the Pacers the lead back which he would making both at the line. Calderon tried to shoot it or was it a pass to Pops Mensah-Bonsu? Regardless it did not work and the Pacer would lead 26-24 after 1 at the ACC.

2nd Quarter

Not one 3 point attempt for the Raptors in the first that is odd. Both teams shooting 44% and it was a close contest so far. The second quarter starts with a Granger charge drawn by Pops. Bosh was struggling and had a shot blocked but Pops Mensah-Bonsu would clean it up with a basket. The Pacers would answer and go back up 2 points. A.P draws a foul and makes both at the line. Danny Granger would get going with a basket. Sloppy play by both teams and several turnovers. Pops Mensah-Bonsu would go up strong and draw a foul. He would make both foul shots and we were tied at 30. Granger was getting his legs back after significant time off the floor. He made another basket and pushed the Pacers back in front by 2. Meanwhile the Raptors All Star CB4 was struggling going 1-8 on the day and not able to find anything that would work for him at this point.

Danny Granger was showing no rust as her nailed a 3 pointer. Raptors would answer with a 2 point effort. Andrea Bargnani would follow that up with a 3 pointer and we were tied at 35. Jack would match that 3 ball with one for the Pacers. His Georgia Tech mate CB4 would draw a foul and head to the line. Making a pair and he had only 6 points so far for the Raptors. The struggles would continue with a missed jumper and Troy Murphy would make the Raptors pay with back to back 3's. Pacers stormed out in front 44-37. Raptors offense looked a mess and they would fumble and bumble there way to another turnover. Daniels would draw a foul on Shawn Marion who also was having a very poor effort thus far. Daniels would make a pair at the line.

Illegal defense call and Calderon would make the tech and make a jumper on the possession that would follow. After some free throws from Jack and Bosh it would be Jose Calderon making a jumper and he would pull the Raptors to down 5 with the score 47-42. Calderon having a good first half with 8 points 7 assists and 2 steals. However that being said the Pacers were leading. Chris Bosh looking to get back on track would get a dunk off a Kapono feed. The Pacers were letting the lead they build slip away. Bargnani would draw a foul on Danny Granger and look to cut the lead more. He would make both and Pacers lead was just 47-46. Jack was fouled and split a pair from the line. Bargnani would be fouled and at the line again missed both though and Raptors remained down two. Pacer fail to take advantage and Bargnani would make them pay with a 3 ball to put the Raptors in front. Brandon Rush would put up a 3 pointer and miss. In some ways watching the Pacers is like looking in a mirror to how the Raptors can play offensively. Calderon would be fouled and make a pair at the line. Bosh continued to fight through a tough day missing a easy one inside but got his own rebound and through that one down. Ford on the other end would break a Pacer offensive drought. Ford had a chance to tie the score at the half with a 3 point attempt off a Raptors turnover but it would not fall. Raptors lead 53-50 at the half.

At The Half

The Ford and Calderon battle. Calderon 10 points, 8 assists and 2 steals, Ford 8 points, 5 assists and a steal. Calderon when asked about the battle between the two players he down played it and praised Ford. Something tells me if the question had been asked of Ford you would get a different answer. I do agree there is not a personal dislike between the two but let's face it this is a match-up that will be focused on for years to come. But beyond that battle Andrea Bargnani and Troy Murphy were having a mice contest of their own with Bargnani with 16 and Murphy with 14. The other story of the half was the Raptors has a slim lead despite Bosh being a 4-13 shooting effort with 11 points. He was active on the glass with 8 rebounds. Given the way the Raptors have played of late it is anybodies guess if they can hang on to this lead. If the Pacers have any real chance at the post season this is a game they must have.

3rd Quarter

Raptor lead is 3. Well it was as Jack opens the half with a 3 ball. Jose Calderon would answer with a 3 of his own to restore the Raptors 3 point lead. Shawn Marion would get a score plus a foul and Raptors after the Marion make would have a 6 point lead. That was Marion's first points of the afternoon. Jack would miss a open look in the corner for 3. Ford would miss on a leaner but would find the ball back in his hands and make a shot in the lane. Raptors had a quick answer for that with an Anthony Parker score the other way. Pacers a turnover and they now looked like an offense with no direction. 3's were flying all over the ACC but not many were falling. Jack and Calderon the latest to miss from the arc. Foster and Bargnani would both score on the inside. Ford would make another score. But Bargnani would find a mismatch against Ford and hit a 3 pointer with Ford on him not able to do much. Raptors had a 66-59 lead. Pacers would look to go inside and that would lead to getting to the line. They would hit 4 free throws and cut lead down. But Raptors would be energized by Shawn Marion in transition with a great jam plus a foul. Raptors had an 8 point lead with score 71-63. Calderon would hook Marion on an alley opp and it was converted. Raptors had a 10 point lead with score 73-63.

Give the Raptors credit for the effort and energy. As for the Pacers if this is how they respond to a mush win game like this for them, they will be accepting that they are going to have a seat in the NBA Lottery with the Raptors. Marion with 8 points in the quarter after 0 in the first 2. A Bargnani block and Marion could no convert on the transition chance for Marion. Ford would score and get fouled and make it. That gave Ford 15 on the afternoon. Bargnani would get fouled and make a pair at the line. Yet another Pacer turnover and Shawn Marion would draw the foul on the transition break. He made both at the line and the Raptors lead 77-66. Danny Granger had cooled off and he was short on a jumper. Indiana was giving the Raptors chances and they were taking advantage of a lot of them. Bargnani got the offensive rebound off a Kapono miss and slammed it back home. Raptors leading by 13 now with the score 79-66. Could the losing streak be coming to an end? It sure seemed like it at this point. The Pacers looked awful and the Raptors were looking the best they have in a very long time. Calderon after 2 of his worst efforts of the season has had 2 of his best. While Bargnani has 25 points and I now truly am a believer in Andrea Bargnani. He has just been to good for to long to doubt him any longer. Raptors run was on going as they would keep adding to it. Raptors lead 83-66. Travis Diener would finally get a basket for the Pacers. Calderon would check out with 15 points and 12 assists. Raptors lead was 18, make it 20 as Bosh would go inside and score. Raptors lead 88-68 and you have to ask yourself what the heck is going on here on both sides. Roko Ukic would close out a quarter that saw the Raptors out score the Pacers 37-19 with a drive and score. Raptors lead 90-69.

4th Quarter

Raptors were shooting 50% and the Pacers just 39%. If you are thinking it is the green uniforms the Raptors lost the only other game they played in green. That feature a T.J Ford meltdown that saw him ejected. On this afternoon Ford had to feel dejected as he was one of few Pacers that decided to show up today. Pops Mensah-Bonsu had an alley opp jam and this game was going to be a win. Raptors leading 94-71 and there was no way they were going to lose this one. Seriously if they did I think the Raptor Rewind would just be put in moth balls for the year. But I am not expecting to have to do that.

Travis Diener hits a 3 pointer and maybe makes you worry just a little. But Pops would answer with a dunk a career high 13 so far for him. Pops averaged over 20 in the D-League so he can put the ball in the basket. He was the main contributor off the bench toady. Pops took a shot from Roy Hibbert and would had to his career high at the line. He would not be done by a long shot with a jam plus a foul that would deliver the pizza. Raptors lead was 100-76 and Pacers were melting down before our eyes. Pops got a well deserved standing ovation from the crowd. A steal and an A.P jam. Everyone for once was happy at the ACC. I think everyone from players to management to Dino Bloggers all needed a game like this. Does it change anything as far as this season? No but that being said just as being human the toll of losing can be a lot to endure. At least if for just one Sunday there can be some reason to smile about the Raptors. It is going to be a very happy flight to Charlotte for the Raptors. It will be interesting to see if they can carry this momentum over to a rare Monday night affair with the Bobcats. The Raptors had still 5:32 left to enjoy this one as they led 104-76. The Pops show marched on and so did the Raptors. Pops had 21 points and Raptors had a 110-84 lead. A rare event at the ACC this year as the fans would offer a standing ovation down the stretch. It would be a 110-87 final.

The Ford and Calderon battle both had 15 points but Calderon had 12 assists to Ford's 6 and 2 steals as opposed to 1 steal. That being said even the 27 points and 9 rebounds of Andrea Bargnani took a back seat today to Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Seriously can Bryan Colangelo avoid not re-signed this guy? He is part of whatever solution that Colangelo is going to have for this basketball team going forward. He almost has to be at this point. The JYD of the Y2K is bringing a dawg pound back to the ACC. Somewhere Jerome Williams in barking his approval. Here is the boxscore of a very excellent Raptor victory and you have not been able to say that many times this season at all.

Raps/Pacers Boxscore

So in a season with few moments to celebrate enjoy this one Raptor Fans we have all earned it.

Raptors Rewind- J.O Return From The Bench Edition

So J.O is a go and coming from off the bench. In my conversation today with D.J Bennett from Court Surfing we both are not believers that this can last. However for now J.O is saying and doing all the right things to this point. He really does not have much choice as Bargnani has been on fire. So for now it is a happy fuzzy feel good story. But the Raptors need wins much more then positive public relations. Jose Calderon is in Indiana but will only be an on looker as he watches the guy who's job he now holds in T.J Ford. It has been a similar story for T.J with injuries just as J.O has faced in Toronto. In fact in recent games Jarrett Jack has started with Ford coming off the bench. Not sure if they will have a Jack vs Ford feud with the Pacers. It doesn't seem as likely as Jack has been used a shooting guard as well. So it should be an interesting night in Indiana as the 14th place Pacers take on the 12th place Raptors.

1st Quarter

So both principles in the big trade would indeed start looking on. The Pacers would get off to a decent start with the first 4 points of the contest. The Raptors meanwhile were not getting it done on the offensive end. Will Solomon would final bust the lid off the basket. He scored on a drive on a second chance opportunity courtesy of a CB4 offensive board. Moon would score and we were all tied at 4 almost three and half minutes in. For the Pacers this was unusual as they normal have no problem scoring they are one of the best in the NBA. They are also one of the worst defensively. Andrea Bargnani would get a basket in the post to take their first lead of the night. Solomon would score again and Raptors were on a long and drawn out 8-0 run. But it was more like a crawl. Jeff Foster was sent to the line and he split a pair to break the run. But Chris Bosh would blow by Murphy to get a Jam. Raptors had a 10-5 lead. Jim O'Brien did not like what he was seeing and called for a T.O.

Danny Granger who is getting a lot of All Star talk despite the Pacers bad record. He scored and Jarrett Jack would follow it up with another score. The Pacers would score again and on strength of 6-0 run to take an 11-10 lead. Chris Bosh would get fouled and sent to the line he would split a pair and we were even steven at 11. A Murphy three pointer would fall and change that even score. Bosh would answer with a score on the offensive glass as Jermaine O'Neal was waiting to check in for Bosh. The Pacer would respond and they had a 17-13 lead with T.J Ford in the game as he had checked in prior to J.O had. Jermaine took his first shoot and missed it he had received a real mixed reaction from the Pacers fans. Roko Ukic who had been playing well lately would drive and score to pull the Raptors back to within 2 points. Raptors would get a steal by Moon but Raptors just took it back and Ford advanced it to Jack for the score. Andrea Bargnani would make his way to the line driving and drawing a foul. Here would make both from the line. Ford would get himself to the line but miss his first and make the second. The Pacers hold a 20-17 lead late in the first. Andrea Bargnani would do what he has been doing nailing a big 3 pointer. He had a chance to give the Raptors the lead but that one would not fall. So it was all even at 20 after one quarter on play.

2nd Quarter

Not a classic first quarter for sure but at a pace that would favour the Raptors you might think. T.J Ford would open the quarter with a jumper for the Pacers. Jason Kapono would answer for the Raptors with a 2 point effort. Granger scores for the Pacers and Joey Graham had a highlight reel dunk showing off for his twin brother Stephen who plays for the Pacers. Joey would pick up two quick fouls after the impressive dunk. That is your typical Joey G performance. Danny Granger would head to the line and make a pair as the Pacers lead 29-24. Joey Graham now had his 3rd foul and that was it for him. Roy Hibbert technically the Raptors first pick checked in he was part of that trade along with Nathan Jawai who has yet to play for the Raptors. The Pacers would build the lead up to 7 points with another basket and their offense was showing signs of getting back on track.

Chris Bosh would get to the line and split a pair. Roy Hibbert would respond with a basket for the Pacers. Bosh would get sent to the line driving past the slower Hibbert. He would make a pair from the line. But the Pacers were rolling on offense as they would score again. However Moon would have a rare drive and score plus the foul that he would make. Raptors had got back to down just 5 with the score 35-30. But an easy dunk for Murphy off a screen and roll. It would set off a 6-0 run as the Raptors made some silly turnovers. It was 41-30 Pacers with a time out called by Jay Triano.

Out of the time out Bosh feed it to Bargnani in the paint with the one handed hook shot that falls. But the Pacers were getting whatever they wanted on offense. The Pacers would keep on rolling and they had their largest lead of the night off a Granger score in the paint. It was a 14 point lead with the score 46-32 for Pacers. Jay Triano was desperate to make something happen and decided to go with the 3 big line-up as J.O checked in. The team would shift on defense to zone with the big line up. Raptors would cut the lead back down to 10 points. They had a chance to cut it to single digits but instead they would commit their 11 turnover of the night and we were just in the first half. Troy Murphy had an open look from the 3 point line that he would make. Indiana was up 51-38. But it was not done there they would make another 3 pointer to build the lead by even more. This was an ugly and pathetic effort on defense from the men in the red jerseys. The big three experiment was over and had little impact as Indiana was at the line and extended the lead to 14. The Raptors were getting beat down by a Pacer team that was second last in the East. Pacers would have a chance to extend the lead going in to the half but the would not be able to make it happen. Still after being tied after one the Pacers would be happy with a 56-42 lead. That is 36 points in the 2nd quarter for all of you math majors out their in Raptorland.

3rd Quarter

The 3rd quarter begins with a Jamario Moon air ball and that was not a good sign. A turnover after a rare missed Pacer trip. The Pacers would score the next time down. Andrea Bargnani would come down and make a 3 pointer that was historic. It was the 10 game in a row he had made multi-three pointers an NBA record for a center. Jarrett Jack would get a long pass after yet another Raptor turnover and it lead to the easy lay-up. It would get worse with a three pointer from Danny Granger and his team had it's largest lead of 19 points.

Raptors would get 3 straight points and pull back to down 66-49. I am going to be straight up honest this team was playing with no pride or heart what so ever. However The Pacers must have just been tired for a sec cause they were pack to scoring and build the lead back to it's highest point up 71-51. The lead was growing at an alarming rate with the score 75-51. Will Solomon would hit a 3 pointer just to prove the Raptors actually could get a basket. I mean when you work at this everyday and you really run out of words that speaks to how bad this is. Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong on T.V and Paul and Eric on the Radio were earning their money on this night. Josh McRoberts would loose it and get a technical foul. Raptors were not getting much closer though as it was 81-59. Raptors offense was pathetic and the only thing worse was their defense. This game was starting to look like something you could see at your YMCA with guys jacking up shoots on both sides. I really feel for Jay Triano this had the same feeling as the game that cost Sam Mitchell his job in Denver. The main difference was the Nuggets just had more talent to run up the score. Danny Granger just may be an All Star this year and as much as it sucks to say it Chris Bosh may not be. Stephen Graham was out performing Joey Graham and man for man the Pacers were out playing the Raptors. T.J Ford would make a shot and it was 87-63 Pacers. The 3rd Quarter was finally over with the score Pacers 89 and Raptors 65. If you stopped reading and skipped to the end at this point I would understand. If I didn't have to write about the 4th quarter I would not. But hey, this is what makes you hardcore right? Or maybe it is insane, none the less it is only one more quarter to endure.

4th Quarter

Raptors were shooting a pathetic 36% from the field and deserved that beating they were getting. Chris Bosh never stops trying I will give him that. He got the first basket of the quarter for the Raptors. The Raptors actually started the quarter with the best effort of the night so far. But it was far to little and far to late. Despite the fact that the Raptors had pulled back to down 89-72. There was a lot of smack talking and why I am not sure. Pacers would get sucked into another stupid technical foul. Raptors had rolled off an 11-0 run and that was the good news. Here was the bad news. They were still down 13 points and most of the fans had long turned off their T.V sets if they had any good sense.

The Raptors if they had played anything close to the effort we had seen in the first 3 minutes of this quarter they may have had some chance to win this game. Greg Foster would end the 11-0 Toronto run with a easy drive to the basket and score. The Raptors have no hope so guess who has his game pick up? You know the answer it is Joey Graham with 8 points and 7 rebounds. Make it 8 and 8 for Joey. Bosh would get a couple baskets and he was having a solid 4th quarter as well. I still don't believe the Raptors can come back in this game. However they were not playing with the lack of pride and energy they had in the middle two quarters. To be fair the Raptors did a average job in the first quarter. Raptors had a 17-5 run going but still were down big with under 6 minutes to play down 94-82. Bargnani would make a 3 pointer and the Raptors got it to a single digit lead. But just when you may have started to believe Mike Dunleavy would hit a 3 pointer in response. Raptors still kept coming though. Parker would get a basket and Andrea Bargnani would make his way to the line. He could only split a pair. Raptors were down 98-89 with 4:11 to play. Parker would make a pair from the line and it was 98-91. T.J Ford checked back in got a steal and a score and the Indiana lead was back to 9. Jason Kapono hits a 3 pointer and the Raptor amazingly were down 100-94. They had taken a 24 point Pacer lead to start the quarter and chopped it down to 6 points. I feel bad now saying people should not have read the 4th quarter summary.

Andrea Bargnani would get fouled and would get a chance to get the Raptors even closer with 2:36 to play. He could only split a pair. Indiana had gone ice cold and a Jack miss gave Raps a chance to cut lead even more. But a turnover the 19th on the night would not be what was required. But the Pacers kept missing. Bosh would get to the line with 1:37 to play. He made both and if you can believe it this was a single possession basketball game. A Pacer turnover and the Raptors could tie it with a 3 pointer. I can not remember a more wacky basketball game in my life. One of the things Triano had done was put Parker in to play at the point guard and it was having success. Parker would make a jumper to cut the lead to 1 point with the score 100-99.

If the Raptors could pull this out it would be the biggest comeback in team history. Pacers had the ball with 57 seconds to play. A costly foul on Chris Bosh that would send Mike Dunleavy to the line for 3 free throws. It was a pump fake that Bosh bit on and he would pay the price. All 3 were made and the Raptors would get called for a travel by Jason Kapono and the dreams of a comeback were dying fast. Danny Granger making a shot would likely seal it as the Pacers now lead 105-99. It was a fitting game to mark the half way point of the season in a lot of ways. It was totally frustrating on so many levels. Much like the season to this point. Jason Kapono would hit a 3 pointer and the Raptors just would not go away. Forced to foul now the Raptors sent Jack to the line and he would make a pair with 19 seconds left. Kapono would miss another 3 pointer out of the time out and now I think we can safely say this game was done. It is just to strange for words what went on here. I mean the Raptors had a really brilliant 4th quarter. But that would be lost by the way the played in the first 3 quarters and most notable the second quarter that may have been on of the worst of the season that has seen a lot of them. Jarrett Jack would put this game on ice at the line. The Pacers get a big scare but hang on for the win. The final score was 111-104 for the Indiana Pacers and the Raptors fall 9 games below .500 on the year. Here is one of the more screwy boxscores you may every see in the NBA.

Pacers/Raps Boxscore

Things do not get any easier for Toronto as Steve Nash and Shaq who is looking a bit reborn of late come into Toronto for an Afternoon visit to the ACC. That is not going to be easy in any way shape or form. I am emotionally spent so that is it for me. I will try to get a blog up tomorrow as I am busy doing a Radio appearance for the guys on CJLO and Live Blogging to NCAA games on the Score. Duke and Georgetown and UNC vs Miami. You are welcome to pop by and say hello and start your scouting for the Raptors and your NCAA pool as well. Go to The Score website and click on LIVEBLOGS and you will see the games listed.

Raptors Need To Pick Up The Pace

Tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers will mark the half way point of the season. Some help in the form of Jermaine O'Neal.He is expected as he is going to make his return in the Raptors first visit to Indiana since the big off-season trade. It is safe to say both teams had a bit higher goals for the trade they made in the off-season. Both T.J Ford and Jermaine O'Neal have had to deal with injuries throughout the year. This latest injury for O'Neal has lead to the emergence of Andrea Bargnani. O'Neal stated yesterday that he will come of the bench as he makes his return. Jose Calderon is also making the trip but not expected to play. So for now everything is calm in Raptorland. Well except for the fact they sit in 12th place with the Bobcats and Pacers close behind. You hear a lot about how the Raptors schedule will turn for the better later in the year. That is the truth it is not an urban legend or myth. In fact a March 15th another match-up with The Pacers marks the last chance stand for the Raptors. In the last month of the season the Raptors have a legit chance to go 12-3. They have 10 of the last 15 games at home. It could set up a run to the playoffs like the Raptors put together behind the amazing play of Antonio Davis lead crew down the stretch in 2002. If memory serves me right that team won 16 of their last 17 games and did not clinch a play-off spot until the last day of the season.

So why mention this point now? It is January after all and if you need proof just step aside your front door if you live anywhere in Canada. Well if the Raptors were to lose tonight that would put the Raptors 9 games below .500. So basically consider that 9 games under .500 mark as like the Mendoza line. It is a baseball reference to Manny Mendoza was a baseball player that was an above average fielder who was a terrible hitter. In order to stay in the majors he was told he would have to hit at least a batting average of .200. So for the rest of this season 9 games under .500 is the Raptors Mendoza line. If the Raptors are not above or at that mark at March 15th it is pretty much all over. This only gets the Raptors to the .500 mark which hopefully would be good enough to make it in the East. Some will say that you can get in the playoffs with a under .500 mark but I am not willing to bank on that.

Don't Tell CB4 The Season Is Lost

Chris Bosh was asked yesterday something along the lines of most people thinking this was a lost season. He replied that he was glad none of those people play on this team. So I guess my 10-day contract with Raptors is not going to happen. But to be serious Bosh is right for whatever we as fans or the media may think it really only matters what the people inside that locker room think. If they thought like that the season truly would be over. If the Raptors are to get out of this hole they have created they will have to come together and dig out. They may need some help to do that in the form of a trade. However the Raptors can't sit back and wait for Bryan Colangelo to make something happen. While some have taken the Raptors struggles to point out the flaws of Chris Bosh. I will contend this is showing you what is best about Chris Bosh. He refuses to give in no matter the situation that is in front of him. The amount of respect I have for him as a player and a person can not be summed up in just written words.

People continue to speculate about the future for Bosh and what might happen in 2010. I think that people looking to that is unfortunate but understandable given this team and it's history. Chris Bosh is not like the people that have come before him. I think Chris Bosh has worked harder and done more to earn the respect of Raptor fans and the media. I don't think to many people were expecting when he was drafted that he one day would turn into the best player ever to wear a Raptor Jersey. Vince Carter had this honour and it seemed that he would hold that title for a long time to come. Bosh is not as flash or athletic as Carter. However Carter is not the hard worker and mentally tough competitor that Chris Bosh it. I have no doubt that a number 4 will one day hang in the ACC rafters and be the first number to hang there. It will represent how far the kid from just outside as Dallas as come. Maybe I am idealistic in thinking the Chris Bosh will not stop writing his Raptor story in 2010. But I have faith in Chris Bosh and believe that he is different from the others. Faith in anyone is hard to have and it is the ultimate form of trust you can put in someone. People wonder why people still boo Vince Carter. I never do because it is pretty simple when it comes right down to it. He shattered the faith that people put in him. That is something that you do not get over quickly if at all.

Court Surfing In The Dino Nation Blog - D.J Bennett

Part of why the Dino Nation Blog signed up to be part of The Score.com Sports Federation was to hopefully have some more guests from The Score to call on to be guests here. I felt it could add to what is an already impressive line up of guests we have the fortune to talk with on a regular basis. We had Sherman Hamilton visit just before the time the Sports Fed got rolling. Now I am adding some more folks to the roster. D.J Bennett is part of Court Surfing on The Score. He along with Randy Urban host the live blog that goes along with the show. They also do some video hits on The Score.com on the Raptors and The NBA. I have referenced them a couple of times in the past. I often try to pop in and take part in the live blogs and get in on the conversation. So I decided to offer him and Randy an invite to visit my world. Today I talked with D.J about the Raptors and the first half of the season in the Starting 5. Given the topic it is far longer then 5 minutes but hopefully it is worth the extra time. Besides the Starting 5 has never hit 5 minutes yet with any guest. But it is a cool title and why change it. So have a listen as we look back and forward on a Raptor season that has not gone as it was advertised.

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There was more to our conversation that you will be able to read about on Sunday or Monday. The focus of that Conversation looks at the NBA as a whole. D.J gives some of his picks for NBA awards at the half way mark. So you can look for that then. Randy his partner in crime will be visiting sometime next week. The plan is to have them pop in and visit from time to time. It is always great to have more guests and a variety of opinions. I think it is part of what makes the Dino Nation Blog what it is. Everyone has different takes on this great game of basketball and it is cool to hear as many as we can.

So that is all for today. Later tonight you can see the Raptor Rewind back in it's normal format. Pacers and Raptors from Indiana. Should be fun.

If This Was An Election... The Raptors Season Would Be Declared Over

If you have every watched election coverage you will understand the title of this blog. When you watch the coverage they will look at the returns from an election and when they have seen enough they will call the election for a candidate. The Raptors at this point would and should be declared out of the race. Eight games below .500 mark and losing touch with the rest of the field in the East. There just have been to many missed opportunities this season. Raptors could have won 5 straight heading into that back to back with Boston. They could have won at least one of those. They should have won last night against Chicago. That is a lot of could of, should of and not enough did. There are many more of these you can pull out from through out the season. It all establishes a trend that makes it hard to imagine the Raptors turning it around to the point they could even make the playoffs. Some will point to the injuries and use them as a reason for why. This team had stretches with out Chris Bosh in the last two seasons and still found ways to win. Sam Mitchell, to his credit never would allow injuries to be used as an excuse. He use to always bust out the line that everyone gets a pay check on the 1st and 15th. Besides if you want to use injuries as the answer that is fine, but let's make it clear if this team had better depth they could endure injuries. That falls at the feet of the general manager. Bryan Colangelo gambled and lost and that is just the simple answer to it. I have a bunch of things going on in my brain that I want to talk about so let's get started.

Where is J.O

When I first heard about the trade for Jermaine O'Neal I was not into it at all. But for a variety of reasons I was convinced that I might be wrong and regardless I owed him the chance to prove me wrong. I take Jose Calderon to task on some issues with him as a point guard. Some may not like that but hey it is what I see and how I feel. However the one thing I could never say or would say is that he is not a team player. Even injured unless he is not with the team he is out on the bench cheering and offering advice for his team. Well where in J.O? Why isn't he out there doing the same? I mean he is the highest paid employee of this team last I checked. We are told he has been in the back getting treatment for his injured right knee. I saw Jorge Garbajosa make it out to the bench with his horrible injury to his leg. So what is the deal?

I have no knowledge of this at all. But I have always wondered what the relationship is between O'Neal and this team. I have wondered about his relationship with Chris Bosh most of all. When T.J Ford was here there was clear evidence that they got along with each other. But I have yet to see much evidence of that between Bosh and O'Neal. There could be a very solid relationship for all that I know. Still when you are not out on the bench supporting your team it sends a message to the fans. That message is that you just don't care or only care about yourself. There was lots of folks that did not exactly see O'Neal as a great team leader. The people I am making reference to our folks from the Pacers. They likely had a lot of the concerns that I have now. When J.O has played I think he has been fairly effective and played at a level that I thought he would. Some fans might have expected a lot more from him but I never bought into the hype of him as this 6 time All Star. That was a long time ago in a business that is all about what have you done for me lately. The thing that I am trying to wrap my head around is his impact on this team and it's chemistry. I have talked with people that have access to the locker room and watch all the interviews. Jermaine comes off as a very respectful man and is not saying anything wrong. The one thing that no one really knows beyond the people on this team is what happens when the cameras and microphones go away. Although I guess that isn't completely true. The T.V and Radio crews to fly on the plane with the Raptors and are around them in down time a bit. Bottom line of it is though I just feel in my gut that something just has not fit right with all of this. I also know for sure that him not being on the bench sends a totally wrong message. It is what makes people like me write stuff like this because we are left to wonder. I am just saying what a lot of fans are thinking.

So What Now?

It is a good question and I am not sure if there is a good answer for it. The only way to create a major change would be to deal O'Neal. Despite all of the issues above he still has that contract number that ends at the best time possible for the team left holding it in 2010. Make no mistake about it that is a big reason why Jermaine O'Neal is here. I still believe that the longer you can hold onto the J.O contract the better the deal you will be able to find. There will be teams that are desperate to have that cap space in 2010. Not just to try and go out and get one of the many free agents that will be out there in 2010. They can also maybe want the contract for another reason that is a bit more under handed. The economy is not good and in looking around at the various NBA team sites I found evidence. On almost ever team site I would find ads before I was allowed to enter the site with ticket deals and big discounts. It is easy to see why in these tough economic times. Companies that advertise are cutting back and that impacts on everyone. So, if a team took on the J.O contract and made it appear they were in the race for 2010 it would make fans happy. But let's just say they did it for appearance sake only? Pretty effective way to cut the payroll in 2010 and claim that you were just outbid by New York and the other big market teams with money.

So that is two opposite reasons why a team may be interested in the J.O contract. If you accept this season is lost you really have no reason to be in any hurry to move Jermaine O'Neal. It really does not make any sense to do that. Besides why on earth would you not want to wait and get the best deal possible. Some people are starting to say that the Pacers won the trade and given that we are already debating what to do about J.O it is hard to argue. But truthfully the legacy of the Jermaine O'Neal trade will be what is done with that 23 million dollars. There is also what will become of Nathan Jawai. But even that part has seemed to favour the Pacers with Roy Hibbert starting to show signs of being good. Jawai has still been forced to wait as he builds his way back from the heart condition that sidelined him before he got started.

Colangelo does hate to lose and that is no secret. But he is a smart guy and understands that his next move may just be one that will define him with a lot of people. Most important of all his superstar Chris Bosh. Some think he may have reacted to early in his firing of Sam Mitchell. Most in the fan base thought it was about time. When Colangelo did that thought it focused the attention squarely on him. He said that this was the most talented roster he had since he had been here. Those are his words not mine. I tend not to agree with that statement to be honest. Had he said the most talented starting 5 he has had in his time here I could buy that. In the end of all this I think I feel the most sorry for Jay Triano. He has fought hard and worked hard. However in the end he may be the fall guy for mistakes that are Colangelo's and not his. There can also be a case made that the writing has been on the wall for awhile and Bryan needed to act sooner if the idea is to save this season. We hear on a daily basis that he is active and searching. But sports is all about results not just on the floor but off it as well. If Bryan Colangelo has made a thousand phone calls about trades the only one that matters is the one that makes the trade happen. Up to this point that call has not been made.

What I Have Learned From This Season?

Now last I checked someone in the media never has won or lost any game. They have never made a trade. They are not able to control what happens in any way. Same applies for bloggers like me. I like to think that we are part of the media as well some may debate that point but that is a topic for another day. The point is as people that put what we think out there on a daily basis there is a responsibility to that. So if I say something It is a reflection on me and what I believe and think. I have no clue as to how much impact that has on other people that read it. But I think that with any media person there is a relationship with the people who read, watch or listen.

Deep in my gut I had a bad feeling about this season. If you read in the summer time you know that at first I was not at all a believer in the Jermaine O'Neal trade. I should have stuck to my gut reaction and went with it. I mean I have when it comes to Jose Calderon. I have always said that he was good not great and that there would be issues if he became the starting point guard and the fact the Raptors did not get a legit back up would prove costly. It seems on this front I have been proven right. But when it came to the O'Neal trade I allowed myself to get caught up in the excitement of expectations and the desire of people to see this team get to a new level. That was not what has happened and I feel bad that I had not stuck to my gut reaction. In my defense I talked with a lot of people that are more experienced and trusted their judgement. I still do for the record.

However I have learned to trust in myself first. If I had done that I would have been more on the money about a lot of things. However sometimes things happen. Andrea Bargnani has busted through and may now finally become that player we all were promised he could be. I give a lot of credit to Jack Armstrong and a number of the other folks in the media that trusted what they were seeing in Andrea. It is a lesson that I am learning as I go along in establishing myself. I have a strong work ethic and put in a lot of time and effort into what I am doing. Maybe I had something that is in common with Andrea. Having some doubt in being the new kid on the block. But I have learned a lot from this season. The chances that I have had to have my blog be part of The Score in their blog federation. Trying to become a team player and learn and grow in what I am doing. It is a never ending process for us all. If you can wake up each day and make an effort to say how can I make myself better? It may be something small or big. But each day grow and learn.

So at the end of all of this I think that people who talk about this team have a responsibility to tell you what we truly think. Sometimes it is not always going to be right but to do the best we can to be right. Doing it in a way that is honest and respectful to people. I try to do that. The one thing that holds true for me and always will is that at the end of the day I want the best for the Toronto Raptors. I am someone that is no matter what the future brings that will never give up being a fan. I will find a way to do that and still be honest and objective it is truly my mission everyday. I do not take lightly the privilege it is to have you read this blog and listen to interviews and be a part of it. It may not get said enough by people but THANK YOU for reading and supporting me by doing so. Not enough people do that. When times are tough we should not lose sight of that. I have been listening and reading a lot of people going after Chris Bosh and that is not right. He has busted his butt for his entire career here including this year. He hasn't left, it isn't 2010 and till he has given you reason to think he is Vince Carter give it a rest. I would be willing to bet that nobody is more disappointed with how things have gone than him. But he once said he wants to be part of the making things work here in Toronto. I have yet to here him retract that statement.

It maybe a long rest of the season and truthfully the odds of it turning around make the chances of a turn around are less and less likely. But don't lose sight of who people are. Chris Bosh is still a guy of high character and a competitor that wants to win. The DNA of CB4 does not change based on the Raptor record.

Finally The Dino Blogger was Back in Toronto.

Dino Blogger In Toronto

I do not get to Toronto very often so I always try to make the most of it. I had a chance to get over and see the Score new set up on King St. I got to spend some time with Scott from Raptor Blog and talk some Raptors and basketball stuff. Scott is really a bright guy and I enjoy my conversations with him. He has been great to work with in making this transition to the Score Sports Federation. Hopefully it works out to be the success that we both would like it to be. Time will tell and I look forward to whatever chances may come from that.

But my real reason for being in Toronto. First and foremost it was to go to a game with the blog's contest winner Brett. I was able to meet up with Brett and he was able to find me with no troubles. From there we headed in to the game and I had the great thrill of introducing him to a few folks that you all will know. Jack Armstrong, Matt Devlin and Paul Jones were all kind enough to take a few minutes out of the crazy rush that is pre-game to say hello and meet Brett. I am grateful they were willing to make the time. I hope Brett knows now why I have nothing but praise for these guys as they truly are great people and always willing to lend a hand. So thanks to them for doing that.

At halftime of the game we got to hook up with Steve AkA Raptorman. He also was nice enough to not only provide the tickets but also gave both Brett and myself T.J Ford bobbleheads and a T.J Ford trading card. There was a photo of us taken. I am sure Steve will get that to me and I'll include it in a blog in the future. I was going to take some photos with the other folks but honestly it was so busy prior to the game I just thought I'd rather let them spend a minute or two talking with Brett.

The seats were great and if you ever are looking to get some tickets to check out a game yourself go see Steve at Raptorman.ca. I have been grateful to be his guest twice and can say he is a great person and really at the core is a Raptor fan first and does a great job at getting other fans matched up with seats to see a game. If anyone ever asks me about where to look for tickets for a game I send them his way.

So thanks to Brett for being a very happy and easy to get along with contest winner. He made the experience of doing the contest be a positive one for me and it was cool to get to meet a reader and thank them personally. I hope in the future to be able to get to know more readers in what ever ways I can come up with. I do my best to get to know as many of you as I can. It is because of the kind nature of people towards me that has made me want this to always be a goal of mine. So with that we can say it was a successful venture for the Dino Nation Blog. I thank everyone that played a role in making that so. So the game itself. T.J Ford's big return to Toronto.

Calderon shines in the Match-Up with T.J

If this was a boxing match last night and round 1 of a scheduled 3 rounds, Jose Calderon won round 1 by a 10-8 margin. I am willing to give credit where it is due. Calderon was at his best and had a solid night at the office running the Raptors. Calderon had 11 points, 14 assists and only 2 turnovers. Meanwhile Ford had just 4 points, 4 assists and was just 2-8 shooting. T.J for whatever reason just did not have a good night at the office. Calderon made it clear why many feel he was the right choice to be the starting point guard on this team. I even saw a much better effort on defense from Jose. It seemed clear that he even though he likely will not say it understood that this was more than just another game. So give Jose all the praise and all the credit he deserves it.

I was pleased to see that the majority of fan cheered T.J and it was nice to see. I was convinced that I may be the only on at the A.C.C that would cheer. But to my great thrill I saw a lot of Ford jerseys in the house last night. Some with the old Raptor colours and the number 11 and some with the Pacers Blue and Yellow and his new number 5. As great a person as Jose Calderon truly is, T.J Ford was never the evil to that good that Jose represents. T.J is a good person to and he does many good things as well. They both are guys that want to play and want to win. They just have very different ideas in how you accomplish that goal.

Big 3 Era Over?

After all the drama of what the crowd would do about T.J Ford. There were some changes to the Raptor Line-Up. Andrea Bargnani returned to the bench and Jamario Moon was back in the starting line up. Jason Kapono would replace Anthony Parker who is said to have been out with an ankle injury. But there was some buzz that it was thought he might have been traded. But to this point nothing to say on that topic. There were 2 trades in the NBA yesterday but Parker nor the Raptors were involved. This will likely be an ongoing dance as we move forward. Parker and his expiring deal are definitely a chip for Bryan Colangelo to use if he sees fit.

After the performance of Jason Kapono in the starting line-up it sure did not hurt the idea of moving A.P. Kapono is always going to be a defensive problem in the sense he just will never be that good a defender. But if he can score like he did last night I think people will be more forgiving of his defensive short comings. 25 points and 11-16 shooting will make people forget a lot. Kapono did get a block too. So there is your defense.

Jay Triano is going to be looking to see how this roster can be used to it's best advantage. So what we can expect as far as the roster goes going forward is up to debate. I would suggest that Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh and J.O will all be in the starting line-up. But the other 2 spots are clearly up for grabs. That may not be the worst thing in the world. Joey Graham and Jamario Moon have seemed to get the message from the coaching change. We have seen both at least attempt to improve in their effort and results since Sam Mitchell was let go. Joey with the more positive results to this point.

A Much Needed Win

Some will say that the Pacers are not a good team and the fact the Raptors won this game is not really a big deal. I can see that point of view. Both teams at times looked pretty bad last night. But given all that has gone on it was a win this team badly needed and I think it will help them focus on what is still a very challenging rest of December ahead. We can always find good and bad in every win and loss. It is just a matter of looking for it. After 5 straight loses I am happy to just accept the good for today and move on to the next game in New Jersey.

As For The Nation Speaks... Not So Much.

Well I tried but not enough mail to make it happen. I had a poll and the majority wanted to have a mailbag feature. But the response was not there to make it happen. I still will respond to the comments and do what I can to make the readers a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I think it is important and will do my best to give you chances to have your say. I had a comment that I did not post suggesting that I was doing this feature as some form of an ego boost for me? I totally disagree with that. I mean by wanting others to share their thoughts and make it a part of what I am doing speaks to the fact I am willing to hear other points of view and give them a forum to express it.

I have done my best to build relationships with a lot of folks. I do that because I want everyone to feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I take the time to read a lot of the forums I mentioned in asking for you to send in your thoughts to me.

When it comes to ego and all of that. I think we all have an ego and pride. But at the end of the day I am always grateful for people that read the Dino Nation Blog and always will be. Sometimes I try things to make people feel more a part of this blog and that is done for the benefit of you the readers not me. I am just doing the best I can to take advantage of the chances that come my way to not just benefit myself but everyone connected to the Dino Nation Blog. That is why I came up with a contest to have a reader join me for a game. It is why I am always willing to help others in any way that I can. It is why I reach out to folks to come and do interviews here. So if that suggests that I have an ego and think to much of myself. I would think that my actions have always pointed to the opposite of that. I think that I have done the best I can to make everyone feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog and feel welcome. I am always going to do my best to keep to that mission. There will always be people that look to be negative and sit back and make judgements about you when you put yourself on a public stage. I am aware of that and accept that fact. No one is going to be able to please everyone. Not the Dino Blogger not any of my guests or the folks that make up the Raptors as well.

So I will always remain focused on doing the best I can for folks. I will always be grateful for everything be it big or small that comes my way. I will always do a job with this blog that allows be to look in the mirror and say I have done my best to do something good with the stage I have. No matter how big or small it is or may become. I think I have done a good job in just over a year of doing this and am happy that over that time the majority of folks that read seem to agree. As for this idea of the Nation Speaks. It is as I have always said up to you folks if you want it to happen. If you are willing to contribute to making it happen. I am happy to provide the chance for it to happen. I am always willing to hear from you with your thoughts on anything to do with this blog.

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So that is about it for today. I thank all of you for reading. It is always great feeling to have people enjoy what you do and rewarding for all the time and effort that goes into it.