Tying A Bow On London

This will be the last report from Michael who was kind enough to share his thoughts with us in the Dino Nation Blog on his trip to London to see the Raptors. I just want to thank him for making us a part of his experience. I felt it would add something to the blog to experience these games through someone's eyes from Europe. They would have a much different view than us. I hope everyone has enjoyed Michael's contributions to the blog here is his final instalment:

After having caught up on my sleep, and getting thrown back into my work- and university-life, I want to summarize my experience: For those who don’t know, London is a beautiful city! Besides the underground and it’s weird first and last train hours, there is literally something to be done all day long. Now, for those who reside in bigger cities like Toronto, that might be the case all the time. Since I’ve been born and raised, and am still living, in the third biggest town of Austria, Linz, a steel-city just like Hamilton of roughly 200.000, I wouldn’t really know.

Having basically only two days with both nights planned out, I didn’t really do much sightseeing as it was my sixth trip to London, and like always, shopping was more important on my list. The number one items in my calendar were both NBA games at The O2 though, the reason I made the trip in the first place!

I had never been to The O2 nor any other indoor arena holding nearly twenty thousand people. I’ve been to a soccer game for the Portuguese cup game last February but that’s it as far as my live sports experience goes. The O2 is a modern venue and what impressed me was the short lines to the bathroom even during game breaks. I don’t know if that’s normal as I can’t compare it to other arenas but that stuck in my head.

Though having touched on it before in my last post about Saturday’s game, I have to bring it up once again: GBP 55 (circa EUR 65, CAD 90) for seats in the second to last row are just too expensive. The ones in the fifth or sixth row of the upper bowl for Friday’s game were okay but asking people to pay that much for sitting in the roof? Surprisingly, the view was better than expected. But just to give you an idea, even though I sat on the side where the Raptors TV crew shot their pre-game piece, I hardly recognized Paul Jones as the third member sitting in between Matt Devlin and Leo Rautins!

Since I am already bringing up points from the last post and speaking of Paul Jones, I had a blast meeting him and fellow Fan590’s Eric Smith! They took time less than an hour before the game for a nice talk and even though I never listen to their game broadcasts as I watch games on demand on NBA League Pass Broadband International, I try catching Fan590’s Hoops or its podcast as often as I can.

Besides what I already said about the Friday and Saturday game, I was really soaking everything in you normally don’t get to see on TV. Who knew the Raptor was so active in between game breaks? Okay, most of you probably did know but for those only getting to watch on TV didn’t! I also didn’t know how much time Jay Triano always takes talking to his assistants before going into the huddle during time outs. Compared to Avery Johnson, he burns more than half his time on checking with his staff.

What I also didn’t know and had saved for my last post: I didn’t know Jose Calderon could dunk! Unless I completely lost my mind or eye-sight, I swear he dunked during warm-ups! I mean yeah, smaller people like him have won the dunk contest before, but I never figured he was that athletic! I mean, he sure is athletic compared to me but dunking athletic, I didn’t know!

Anyways, if the NBA plans on doing this again, I hope they figure out a way to persuade The O2’s management to fix WiFi and to talk to Transport for London about their maintenance work schedule. But maybe they even decide to go to another city, The O2 is not the only venue in Europa that could handle NBA games! I’m sure the NBA office knows that from the pre-season games, though I never been to any of those as they are just public work outs to me. The regular season is what counts and I hope they bring back a few games next year! Even if it’s not the Raptors, which is very, very unlikely, I’ll sure look into going.

Thanks for reading my posts and I hope you enjoyed following my thoughts on my first ever NBA experience! If you did, maybe you’ll follow me on Twitter @Euro4Raps but only if you promise not to @ me with game spoilers (as I watch them a few hours later on demand)!

Thanks to Michael for all his efforts. One of the things when I started this blog that never crossed my mind is that people all over the world would read it. I have got to know readers from not just where Michael is from but in Spain, Poland, Italy, and even see hits on occasion for the Dino Nation Blog from places like Australia and China and many other nations to numerous to mention. The Raptors try to be Canada's team and we get hits from all across this country and North America as well. I do not ever see a day in my life time the NBA goes outside of North America but for fans of the NBA across this globe we live in I hope they do attempt to bring basketball to those places. The efforts those fans make to follow the game is tremendous. They deserve to be rewarded. A game with the Raptors and Nets in New Jersey or Toronto would have been just another game of the 41 that make up the schedule. But the games in London were something special for all those fans that do not have the fortune of having the NBA in their backyard.

Starting 5- Back To School Edition With Paul Jones

It has become a tradition that when the kids go back to school, we here at the Dino Nation Blog have Paul Jones as a guest. Paul spent time in the education system so it seems to make sense. He hopefully educates us in terms of basketball and the Raptors. We, as we did with Jack Armstrong, take a look back at the off-season for the Raptors. If some of the questions sound the same, they were, and are meant to be as to give you some different points of view. We talk about Demar DeRozan and the chances that are in front of him to grow into a star. Andrea Bargnani and the good and bad of what Chris Bosh leaving will mean for him. Jose Calderon and how he fits in, after being traded and then not traded in terms of his status with the Raptors. All this and a bunch more with Paul, including what this summer means not just for the Raptors but the NBA as a whole. We also debate on International play and it's impact on the NBA.



It is always great having Paul come be a guest with us. He makes it worthwhile and always has some interesting thoughts on basketball. We talked prior to this interview about how much things have changed for basketball fans from when we were younger. Still there is a long way to go for basketball in this country. Paul Jones has always been one of the soldiers on the front lines of the battle to get more basketball coverage here in Canada. It is a battle that we all share as fans of the Raptors and the game of basketball. Hopefully, trips to Vancouver for training camp and Montreal for an exhibition game, are steps in that direction for people from coast to coast who love basketball in Canada. I am grateful to have Paul as a guest as always it has been a great experience getting to know him as I have many of the other people that cover this team.

Starting 5 from Sac-Town With Paul Jones.

You just never know when you will be able to get a guest for the Starting 5. But the DNB Hotline is always open to all our fine guests. Paul Jones gave us a shout from Sacramento and we got a chance to talk some basketball. Reflecting on what was a great game despite the outcome. Both Paul and I agreed prior to the interview what a fantastic basketball that was last night. We talk about Hedo and if fans are right to be upset with him. We talk about the playoff race and a bunch of topics tied into that. We also talk about Demar getting back on track in L.A. We were going to also talk about Paul experiences in Haiti. But Jonesy had to run to do another interview so we will talk about the topic the next time he drops by. But I have said it on Twitter if I did not mention it in the blog how great it was for Paul to head to Haiti for a day to help out with a number of other folks from MLSE. So that is next time for now we have Basketball Talk and Raptors Playoff drive stretch.

Paul Jones In Starting 5 from Sac-Town

DNB Productions

Thanks to Paul for taking time out to talk with us. He has been one of the many folks that has made me feel welcome when I have had access for some games this year. He is a great person and always enjoying seeing him and talking with him. Be it here for Dino Nation Blog, in person, or over the year's as a caller on Hoops that he does with Eric Smith on Thursday's When Raps are in town. Zack Cooper will be holding it down on that show this week and I saw him Sunday getting some good stuff for the show. So here is hoping the Raps can keep up the effort and get a more favourable result.

Jonesy From NYC- In The Starting 5

Raptors fans are truly lucky to have such hard working folks covering their basketball team. One of the people at the top of that list is the Radio Voice of the Raptors Paul Jones. From calling games on The Fan 590 to his work on Raps T.V, Hosting Hoops on Thursday nights and making appearances on pretty much ever show the Fan does to talk about the Raptors. He even writes for Sportsnet on the web on basketball. I joked with Paul that I have been able to see him more than have him in the blog this season. In getting to cover the Raptors a bit this year Paul has been one of the many folks that has helped me feel comfortable in what can be a pretty intimidating environment. I am going to see Paul again next Wednesday as the Dino Nation Blog will be in the house for the Raptors and the Nets. However before that I was able to catch up with Paul in NYC to talk about the Raptors. We both admitted before we started recording that their is a buzz in the air about these Raptors. Another big win over Miami securing at least a split of the season series and a win over the Lakers. The Raptors have given Toronto sports fans some hope in a city where the Leafs, Argos and Jays have done little of that. We had a lengthy chat covering a lot of topics and it as always was interesting to hear Paul's opinions and try to validate a few of my own. We talk about Demar, Chris, Hedo, Jose, Jarrett, Jay, Reggie and a heck of a lot more.

Paul Jones In Starting 5 from NYC

James B's Podcast

Paul refers to his article (in the Interview) well there is a link to it so you can read he was referencing. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have someone that I respect mention how hard that I work. It is always nice to know that people see the effort you put in and to have them acknowledge in a public way means a lot. I really enjoy any chances I get to talk with Paul he is a great person and has a great passion and love for the sport of basketball. Like I said off the top Raptor fans are lucky to have so many folks that care so much about what they do and for the fans of this team. Granted I have never worked in other NBA markets but you would be hard pressed to find so many good ones as we do here in Toronto. Also the fact that people in this market are willing to interact with folks in the Blogging community is also something that I would venture to say does not happen in all places. It is a two way street though as I am sure Paul would agree that Raptor fans are some of the most passionate and dedicated fans not just in the NBA but in all of pro sports. Paul and Eric have the call tonight of Raptors and Knicks on the Fan 590.

Mr.Jones From Memphis, Tennessee

It has been awhile since we have had the Radio Voice of your Toronto Raptors in the Dino Nation Blog. However had a chance to track down Paul today as he gets prepared for the Raptors and Grizzlies to get it on in Memphis Tennessee. Paul always is great to talk with and has been one of the guys that has been a guest here on a regular basis. So who better to help us preview the Raptors and Grizzlies. This game can be a (Bear) trap game for the Raps stuck in between the Cavs and Magic. Let's hope the Raptors can bring the same level of effort that they did against Cleveland. A.I status was up in the air. But Paul tweeted earlier today no A.I. God will be disappointed about that as he told A.I to go to Memphis. You can follow Paul on Twitter @Paul__Jones. A.I sat out in the Memphis opener in which they lost to Detroit. Rookie Hasheem Thabeet from UConn did not score a point in his NBA debut and had just 2 rebounds. That is not good news for Grizz fans and Demar DeRozan playing at the shooting guard spot had 5 boards in his debut for the Raptors. Speaking of Demar a very funny cartoon of him in Heels on Hardwood today. Go check it out for a good chuckle. Always good for a laugh and dropping some serious basketball knowledge on us is Paul Jones so away we go with Mr. Jones.

Paul Jones In Starting 5 from Memphis

James B's Podcast

Great to talk with Paul as he mentioned we have been trying to get our schedules to fit together. I have seen Paul in person twice in between his visits on the Blog. He is always helpful in not just doing interviews here but in giving me some added knowledge which is always appreciated. It was great to talk Raptors ball with him and he will always be a welcomed guest here at the Dino Nation Blog, he is one of my favourites for sure. Paul is going to hitting the airwaves with Eric Smith an 8pm tip time from Memphis,Tennessee on the Fan 590.

Paul Jones Calling In From Indy

It is always great to have Paul Jones pay a visit to the Dino Nation Blog. He stops by and we talk about a number of things. The recently completed NCAA Tournament, Triano, Bosh, Bargnani and a lot more. Hope you enjoy our conversation.





It is always great to have Paul and we will have him back sometime between the draft lottery and the draft. I am sure we will have a few visits from Paul in the summer months as well. Jack Armstrong will be dropping in for a visit at the end of next week. It is that time of year where I try to touch base with everyone and get their various takes on things. Basically the season is done. So it is time to hear what people think both about what has happened and what will happen. It should be a very interesting off-season.

Paul Jones From NYC

Paul Jones has become a regular guest for us here at Dino Nation Blog. He always offers some great opinions on what is going on with the Raptors. I asked about a couple things to do indirectly with Chris Bosh. The first about if he and Danny Granger will be all-stars. Jeff Van Gundy was pretty clear he feels they are not. Also Jalen Rose is back on the Chris Bosh heading to the Knicks tip. In case you forgot what Jalen had to say here are both clips the old one and the new one.
(There was an issue with the interview audio that has been fixed- 11am)


And The Latest



Paul's broadcast partner Eric Smith had his take on the Jalen Rose comments. Paul gives his take on what Jalen has been saying. Also thoughts on Jamario Moon and if it is as much as it pains me to say this...time for Joey to start? Along with how the team is dealing with the whole J.O trade rumours. Also why his broadcast partner could have a new look if the Cavs keep winning at home. Van Gundy beyond his thinking Bosh and Granger are not all-stars had some other off the wall ideas for All Star Weekend.

So that gives you some context for the first two things I talk about with Paul in our interview

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I mentioned to Paul that I really enjoyed his comments about the election of Barack Obama. He was a guest on the Eric Smith Show talking about Obama. I am a huge fan of the Vlogs and The Eric Smith Show. You can find the world famous vlogs which are on Fan 590 version of Eric's Blog and The Eric Smith Show can be found on Raptors.com. Maybe someday I will be a guest on the Eric Smith show. But given it is taped on the road I don't like my chances. But the point to all of this aside from giving Eric some love. Which reminds me, our guest also writes for Sportsnet. But what I have been wondering lately is what impact people thought Obama may have on the NBA now that he is the White House. I am putting together an all star break feature with some of my recent guests from The Score. But here is what Paul thought about for lack of a better term the Obama Effect on the NBA.

Paul Jones " I think it does have an impact. Look at how many NBA players have come front and center now with a visible minority becoming President. They are all paying attention to politics. It is not "the same old system anymore" that it was before. They are hoping for change. If he can use some of these guys as being vehicles to the change that he wants then I see these guys being part of it. Hopefully they are thinking for themselves and not going into things blindly. I definitely see about him being a basketball fan and a sports fan in general, he has talked about fixing the BCS in college football, he is a big White Sox fan. I mean why not, people went ga-ga over other Presidents and their love of sports. JFK had the famous photos of him play touch football. I think it helps basketball. Not that the NBA needs his help but they sure won't turn away from it."

Just as a follow up to what Paul is saying. Jimmy Carter who was from Georgia was a big fan of Nascar and it added to that sport. Bill Clinton was a huge supporter of the Arkansas basketball program in the NCAA. It has also in an age of athletes not taking stands has awakened a spirit of getting involved in the process. Lebron James and many others were active in trying to get Obama elected. Many NBA players travelled to Washington to be at the inauguration. Many teams change travel schedules to watch the event. Now I don't think the NBA will be heading to Washington for a federal bailout. However they have been impacted by these tough times. I had asked Paul in a previous interview, when the economic issues of today were just coming to light for his thoughts on it. Now that we are half way through the NBA season I thought it might be a good time to revisit the topic again.

Paul Jones- " It's going pretty well I think. It would not surprise me down the line more and more cuts. The NBA did lay off some of their staff earlier in the year. The crunch is here and it is hitting everybody. That being said they are making adjustments. There are a lot of places that have cut ticket prices to draw people back to the arenas. To have them keep coming out and supporting their local team. It is what it is. The world is down economically. So you would expect that is going to trickle down to all things. Sports and other entertainment industries are going to take a hit as well. "

In the economy of wins and losses, Jose Calderon has been a huge market surge for the Raptors in that regard. I made mention that he seems a more willing shooter and scorer since his return. I suggest this to Paul and added that I felt part of why we were seeing it was the fact Jose was able to sit and watch. Here is what Paul had to say in response to those comments.

Paul Jones- " Absolutely, because the team needs that. Sometimes your team needs you to score. As much as you want to get people involved as the point guard sometimes you just have to be a scorer. All you have to do is watch Steve Nash. People are talking and saying well he is not an all star this year. He is doing different things in a different system. He is still averaging almost a double double with 14 points and close to 10 assists. It is not that he is not playing well it is just that he is in a different system and doing different thing. He doesn't have the numbers he use to have because he doesn't have to do some of the things he did before. So that doesn't mean he is not an all star. If he was voted in as an all star that would not be a problem. He to me is the perfect example of that. What do you want? He came into to Toronto and racked up a high assist total and took less than 5 shots and they won. He is the perfect guy for reading what his team needs and he can adjust within a game. I think for Jose that is the next phase in his learning.Realizing at time my team needs me to score and that is what I am going to do. "

I give Jose credit he has been very solid. The defense is still not to where I would want it to be. However in Paul's example of Nash, he is not going to win defensive player of the year anytime soon. In the audio portion of our conversation I asked about the J.O trade rumours and how the team was dealing with that. If not for the play of Andrea Bargnani recently the trade talk for J.O may not exist at all. In fact the talk may have been about Bargnani. However it would seem that finally he is breaking through. So I asked Paul if he felt Andrea had finally made it to the point that we now know what to expect from him moving forward?

Paul Jones-" He is certainly becoming more consistent isn't he. This is what everyone was going crazy about last season. I remember writing an article "Still Time For Bargnani" last December. When people want to throw him out the window and they wanted him traded. Colangelo had failed and his first pick was a bust. But I was saying give the kid time. He starting to develop his game. He has a great level of confidence in himself right now. It is showing through in his play. It is now about developing consistency. What are people after Chris Bosh about Consistency in his play at the end of games. He is still learning at that aspect of his game and he is accessing all of that and he will get better at that. People don't cry about his numbers anymore because he is consistent. Andrea has got to do the same thing. To be able to have your team depend on you to put up the kind of numbers he is now. 20 points and 7 or 8 rebounds. If he does that the complaining will stop. I just find it funny how people are so quick to judge right away. I won't mention people by name but i know people in our business the media that saying that he is Haffa Bargnani. Well give the kid a chance. Having coached at the university level and a played at a high level, you got to give people time. There may have been things in play last year that we do not know about that were going on away from the floor. We don't know."

Perhaps the most noticeable change I saw recently with Andrea was he showed a bit of toughness when he got shoved by Garcia. In fact the entire team has shown a bit of grit that we have not seen in a long time. I asked Paul Jones for his thoughts about that.

Paul Jones-" Maybe they are getting to the point that they have had enough. Maybe they are fed up and ticked off and they are going to play like that and that is something they should be doing regularly and constantly. Establishing themselves as a team that is not going to back down. It is nice to see and they have to do more off it "

I also talked with Paul about the move of Anthony Parker to the back-up point guard and was it an admission that they maybe should have brought in a NBA experienced back-up point guard. Although we both agree that Roko is showing signs of progression. The fact that A.P is now the back-up points to the failure of Will Solomon in my opinion. I even would go as far as saying that Jose Calderon and his injury problems can be linked to the lack of a true back-up. Paul was not in agreement about that. But did concede that Anthony Parker being the back-up was a bit of an admission that the Raptors might have benefited from getting an NBA experienced point guard.

Paul Jones-" Yeah maybe it is an admission by Bryan, Jay or the team. We thought that we were better off at the point then we are. It has not worked out having Will and Roko because of the adjustments that they have had to make and they haven't made them. But at the same time when you think back to last year when you had T.J and Jose they still used Delfino at the point at times. Maybe it is a case of finding the right line-ups. I think it is partially an admission. But at the same time they are trying to find a way to get your best players out on the floor."

It is great to have Paul pay us a visit and talk about a number of issues to do with Raptors. I always enjoy talking with Paul he is a extremely bright person that I always enjoy exchanging ideas with.

What Everyone Else Is Saying.

I just thought I would do something that I rarely do. Shut up and read what everyone else is saying. Well not exactly but I have been running around and do not have a lot to say beyond my recap of last night's game for now. There is some good news. My Score B-Ball running mate is off the IR. For those who do not know Scott Carefoot has been in rough shape lately. But he was well enough to check in over at Raptor Blog. Maybe he has been watching a lot of movies cause he is talking Pulp Fiction and the Raptors. Scott always can take things that I would never put together with the Raptors and turn it into something interesting.

RaptorBlog- Pulp Fiction Raptors Remix

Scott introduced me to this next person on my recommended reading list. Well technically she introduced herself because Scott was running late. She is going to become a regular guest here at the Dino Nation Blog as well if she would stop working long enough to have time to do an interview. She talks about watching a whole lot of work fall into a puddle. Some stuff on the Raptors and a few other things. She is doing it all from back home in Nova Scotia. Holly writes for both Slam and The Score on Court Surfing. I love her work and she is one of the most positive uplifting writers I read on a regular basis. Girls can know basketball and Holly is living proof. So till she visits us hear check her out over on Court Surfing. When she does visit here we are going to take a look around at the rest of the NBA. Holly has had access at the ACC this year and talked to a ton of the guys from around the league that have visited the ACC.

Notes and Quotes From Nova Scotia

Over on Court Surfing Scott and Holly and a couple of the other Court Surfing crew members come up with an NCAA style ranking system for the NBA Teams. It is the " Sweet Sixteen " NBA style. The Number 1 and 2 teams held there rank from week 3 to week 4. The new number 3 team is a team I told you would be good this year and they are. They just are not getting the love that Cleveland, Celtics and Lakers have. But they are Super or they at least have a Super man.

Court Surfing NBA Sweet 16

The Score is like my new family and I am getting to know them bit by bit. The Dino Nation Blog had it's own little family of guests prior to that. Two of the members of that family are Eric Smith and Paul Jones. They both have blogs that you can find in find in the Dino Directory. This is the latest edition of the Vlog that are part of " The Rap " which is Eric's blog. This edition #14 was taped prior to the Raptors big win vs the Clippers. From a back alley in Beverly Hills. Jones and Smith will not get mistaken for cast members of 90210 but they do have fun as they bounce around the NBA. This is a good example of that. I am head of the Vlog fan club. I am such a fan I may be bringing the Vlog concept to the Dino Nation Blog and see if I can keep up with the guys. Not likely cause they are doing some quality stuff.

Smith and Jones Vlog 14

So that is a wrap with some good stuff from a bunch of people the Dino Blogger is high on. They I all hope respect me as much as I do them. Happy Holidays and drive safe out there. I'll be back tomorrow for Christmas Eve.

Second Half Of Jones Interview

Still trying to figure out what went wrong last night? Me too. Perhaps the second half of my interview with Paul Jones from yesterday prior to that lose will help find some answers. The second half of our talk begins with some thoughts on Jay Triano. Who after last night's game looked pretty dejected with his team's performance. I started by asking Paul for some of differences we can look for with Triano and his systems. Which one can safely assume we did not see much of last night.

Paul Jones-" Offensively he is really trying to get movement, and get the ball moving from side to side. That is where you get the majority of your scores. You force the defense to play for more then 8 to 10 seconds. If you don't get a quick hoop, it is o.k to work deep into the shot clock as long as your moving the ball. Forcing the defense to continue to move and eventually breaking them down. I think that is something that people should continue to look for."

Jay is a guy that as always had his team play hard. I think the fans can look forward to consistent hard and full out effort from his team. The little things he will do in terms of match-ups. Against New Jersey you saw Jamario Moon and Joey Graham all take a shot at guarding Devin Harris. They had used Moon to try to guard J.J Barea to try to disrupt things. The little things like Jay going for ( Substitutions ) offense to defense. Those little things that might make a difference Jay is not afraid to try them. "

Last night to fans dismay we did not see much of what Paul was talking about. At least in terms of it working and being effective. I also asked Paul if he thought Jay Triano had a serious shot to coach his way into being a candidate for the head coaching job after this year. This is a very tough challenge and some feel that Triano has no shot and is a stop gap to the next coach.

Paul Jones- " I think he has got a legit shot. Let's face it this is a performance and results based business and he has to get the results. He is coming in now when he took over on December 3rd they were 17 games in and almost at the quarter pole of the season. There is no time for him to institute a training camp and institute his systems and practice. They have had 3 or 4 practices since he has taken over the team. I think it is legit to think that he might get a chance to hold on to this job and get a chance to start from scratch next year. At the same time Bryan Colangelo has got to look at results, who might be available on the market in terms of a more experienced coach depending on the personnel. So I think there are a lot of factors at work there. At the same time I don't see Jay Triano being the interim and then he is done at the end of the year."

This was Paul's thoughts before last night. I will not speculate on if they have changed for him after last night. I will say that for fans a lot of things have changed after last night. One of the things I asked Paul Jones yesterday was about if he felt Bryan Colangelo would consider moving Andrea Bargnani and his general thoughts on Bargnani. Here is what he had to say.

Paul Jones-" I am sure Bryan gets a lot of call about Andrea because other teams see some potential in him that Toronto sees. I am sure he is fielding those calls. Hang on to him. He is not playing well right now. He is going through a tough time. It is something that I have been saying the whole time. He spends his summer bulking up and working on his inside game. He was on the court with Chris or Jermaine at the start of the year. He knows what his role is. Then his role definition is changed. He becomes a three man. He has to be out on the perimeter. He is trying to guard guys like Lebron James and use his length. He is on the perimeter so he is not rebounding as much. The perimeter mindset is back in his head about shooting the three and playing on the outside. I think it is tough because of that role definition change, because he is not an experienced player. This is not a guy that has been in the league for 8 or 9 years that can handle and be adaptive to that.

It is tough on him. He has to deal with going for a starter to the bench. I think Andrea as a young player still equates scoring and starting with success. The fact that he is not scoring and he is coming of the bench, which is what this team needs him to do to be part of the big man rotation. He may see that has him not being successful. You can see him out there playing very timidly. Very unsure of himself without a lot of confidence."

Depending on what is the deal with Jermaine O'Neal who left the game last night with what was being called a sore shoulder.Andrea Bargnani could find himself back in the starting line-up again. He did play a bit better as a starter for the second half of the game last night. However I agree with Paul in that the Toronto Raptors must at least share in the blame for Andrea and his struggles. That is me saying that. But in Paul's comments he was saying that Andrea has been asked to make a lot of changes and that may just not be something he can do at this point. Many people think that Andrea and his problems are in his head. In fact the entire Raptor team could use some therapy at this point. I asked Paul about if the Raptors have thought about bringing in a sports psychologist on staff?

Paul Jones-" I know that Jay Triano is big on that. That was one of the things that helped the 2000 Olympic basketball team. David Cox who is a world renowned sports psychologist based out of Simon Fraser where Jay went to school. I can admit first hand. I have my masters in sports psychology and boy it helped me as an athlete at the collegiate level. You spend all of this money on strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists and guys have personal chefs. You have the best in terms of equipment, in travel and in hotels. Why wouldn't you nurture the mental side of the game as well. If it is good enough for Tiger Woods it should be good enough for ever other athlete in the world. I know Jay is considering it. I do not know where that are at with it right now. But it is something that I would not be surprised to see in the future here in Toronto. "

I always knew Paul was a smart guy. Never knew he had a masters degree. I guess that is why after talking with him I feel like I have learned something. I would agree that with all that is going on with this team it may be time to bring in an expert and help this team in between the ears. The link on David Cox's name is a short video of him I was able to find. In the spirit of positive thinking I asked Paul for his thoughts on Roko Ukic and Nathan Jawai who both will be factors for this team in the long term. In Roko's case he is learning on the job. While Nathan Jawai is just trying to get caught up.

Paul Jones-" I think Roko has done well. We talked about the confidence thing with Andrea earlier. There is the confidence for Roko in knowing that he is primary back-up. He is the guy that they want to develop. He is going to get out there and play. He knows when he is going to be put in the game. He is not looking over his shoulder wondering if it will be him or Will. Jay Triano is letting him play through some of his mistakes. I think that is good."

As for Nathan, I just think he has to get himself in basketball shape before he attempts to do anything. It would not surprise me down the road want he does that to get a few minutes here and there."

Paul confirmed what I had been told as relates to Nathan. All he has been able to do before this point is shoot free throws. It will be a long road for Nathan to catch up on the time that he has lost. But at least he is back on the path to doing that.

Jose Calderon had a lot of expectations from fans heading into this season. Fans have felt a bit let down about how Calderon has done. There are two points of his game that I have always pointed to as clear weak points. I asked Paul for his thoughts on those issues. First his lack of skill as a defender and his unwilling nature to take any kind of risks. Paul talks about both of those points.

Paul Jones on Calderon's Defense And How To Improve It: " One he has to work harder. He has to take the challenge on himself. Two and I think Jay Triano is doing this, he is putting in systems so if they are going to get beat he knows where they are going to get beat. People who are helping know where they have to be to help. That is on the first rotation, on the second rotation and the third while Jose is recovering. It was to be both of those things. But the bottom line is it comes down to effort and taking some pride in accepting the personal challenge of staying in front of your man. It is not just Jose. I mean it starts at the point but there is a lot of guys on the wing that are guilty of that right now and it is hurting the team. "

Paul Jones On Jose And His Lack Of Taking Risk On Offense: " I think Jay just has to convince Jose that it is o.k to take calculated risk. Go look at who the leaders are in turnovers in the league. I always say this, home run hitters in baseball strikeout because they swing for the fence. People always talk about the dunk in the face of shot blockers like an Alonzo Mourning well he is a shot blocker so he is going to try and go get it. So every so often a shot blocker is going to get one thrown down in his face. ( happened to Jermaine O'Neal last night ) If you are a point guard that is into pushing the ball and trying to get that part of the game down you are going to have turnovers.

People unfairly at times were all over T.J last year at times. But he still had if I am not mistaken one of the top 20 or 25 assist to turnover ratios in the league last year. He was very effective on the break. Sometimes you have to live with those turnovers. I played with big guys that were great rebounders and every so often they would take a 15 or 16 foot jumper. You would be like, God don't shoot that, but the guy is rebounding and is working his back side off and doing all of that grunt work. You got to live with that. You make a lot of money and your wife is going to spend some of it. You have to live with it. It is just something that comes with the territory. I think Jay has to convince Jose, that it is o.k once in awhile to take a calculated risk or make a quick evaluation of a situation and give something a try. If it doesn't work it is not the end of the world. You are certainly not going to do that at the end of game when possessions are important. You push the ball early and it forces teams to get back and maybe you get stuff from trailers on the play making a jumper. I think that is something for Jay to work out with Jose. "

I made notice of the fact that Jay Triano is getting to work with Jose Calderon at roughly the same time he got to work with Steve Nash on Team Canada. Nash give Triano a lot of credit for helping him get to where he is at. Which is a 2 time M.V.P and an NBA All Star. Hopefully Triano can have some kind of success with Calderon to get him heading in that direction. However there are many issues with the basketball team for Triano to address. I would say at the top of that list would be rebounding. I got into that topic with Paul. I asked if it was a case of the Raptors needed to out rebound teams or just know how to get those key rebounds?

Paul Jones-" I think they have to do both. When you look back at the Suns prior to Steve Kerr making major changes to that roster. That was one thing that they were able to do to get them as far as they went in the playoffs. Although they ran up and down and were not a great rebounding team. They seemed to be able to get those key rebounds and get a stop or two at key points. Maybe it was because of the style of play that the used, that it would force team to take shots, from the wrong people, in the wrong places at the wrong times. If Toronto can do that it will go a long way. You have to do that by getting in there all the time. Sometimes the key ones will come to you if you are trying to be in there all the time. Rebounding and Defense are like working out. You can't do it once in awhile and expect to be good at it and say that you are in shape. If you are going to be in shape you have to work out all of the time. "

I totally agree with that. I know by my photo it may not look like it. But there was a time when I made myself a gym rat. I was able to lose 90 pounds. Everyone asks you when you lose that kind of weight how you did it? I would explain that I would spend like 3 hours a day in a gym like 5 or 6 times a week. I would do a ton of cardio as part of that. People were hoping to hear I had some magic pill or fad diet that made it happen. However it was all about simple hard work. I think on a different topic that the panic and fear of Raptors fans that was growing and is now likely at record levels was based on something. Yes the Raptors have played poorly and there is lots of reasons and fears tied to that. However in the past in the Eastern Conference you could realistically expect to make the playoffs even with a record below .500. A far cry from the West, in which a team who had more wins than when Raptors won their division 2 years ago missed the playoffs. I asked Paul if he thought the improvement in the East was a factor in the panic and quick frustration from the fan base?

Paul Jones-" Yeah, that is a good point. Better than it was 2 years ago when Raptors won the division crown. I think that is part of the panic or issue that causes people to look so far ahead. But Toronto I still think has a decent team. We have scouts that are sitting on media row and they say this team should be better than this. Form an optimistic outlook as a fan you can say that the Raptors have good parts they just have to put it together."

If I asked Paul the same question today instead of yesterday would his answer change? I don't know But even those in the media and the organization had to take that loss last night harder than your average loss. Now the Raptors did not hold a lead for much time at all last night. But through this season they have had very large leads slip away. Paul talks about that whole idea of leads going away and getting a full 48 minutes of effort from this Raptor team.

Paul Jones-" Keep the effort up. It is one of the hardest things to do in professional sports is to play with a big lead. When you get up 13-15 points you can't come down and take a bad shot. You have to get back and get stops like it is a one point game. At the other end treat the ball with care and make sure you get quality shots. You are only like 4 or 5 possessions away from building that 13 point lead to a 20 point lead. It is a bigger whole for them and it gives you a little cushion should they other team push back a little. I think that is something this team just has to pay more attention too. "

I wanted to close to ask a question about what has become a stable of my following the Raptors on the road. In Eric Smith's blog "The Rap", Paul has joined Eric for what the call Vlogs. They started out with Paul and Eric sitting in the hotel room on the road and talking about the Raptors and sometimes about the cities they are in. I have become a huge fan of them. Paul tells me that this was Eric's idea and it was developed at the meetings to start the year down at the A.C.C. I have enjoyed them. Paul and Eric have taken the suggestions of his readers and tried to include them in what they are doing. Sometimes they have found some locations out and about from the hotel room. The main thing is they have been a lot of fun. Paul says both he and Eric have enjoyed doing them as well. It gives me a feeling of connection to the Raptors and what is going on while they are on the road. I will link you up to an example from yesterday prior to the Oklahoma City game.

Vlog 13 OKC

I am a big fan of these things and I am a big fan of both Eric and Paul. So thanks to Paul for this visits and all the ones he has made in the past. I wish Paul and Eric and their families all the best in this holiday season. I am happy that they make time for me and inturn you the readers of the Dino Nation Blog. I love having are guests and I am happy to say I have never asked a question that they have not been happy to answer. When times are tough like this it is not always a lot of fun talking about this team and it's struggles. But in good times or bad times my guests answer the question I ask that I feel you will want answers too.

I will be busy working as I mentioned testing the new live blog for The Score tonight. I welcome you to follow along be it online or via your favourite mobile toy. I am going to try to get started and have a bit of a pre game show where you can have a say on the Raps. During time outs and haftime and post game you can have your input. While the game is going on I will be giving you the blow by blow or play by play. I am looking forward to it despite the kind of lousy mood in Raptorland.

Raps vs Spurs Live Blog


Obviously there will be no Raptor Rewind as a result. This may become a regular thing for me so if it does on those nights Raptors Rewind will be replaced with your invitation to join the Live Blog fun. It is not a chat but I will take your input when I can. Pre, Half, Post and Time outs I will include as much of your comments as I can. All depends on how many folks show up and have something to say. Given the mood of things lately a reminder that all comments need to be PG-13 or Better.

Paul Jones In Starting 5 From OKC

Here is a nice added bonus for a snowy day. I had a chance to catch-up with Paul Jones in Oklahoma City. For today we will do the audio part of my interview. The rest of the Interview will be in written form will be in the blog tomorrow. We talk about Chris Bosh, fan frustrations and the importance of this road trip among the topics. Have a listen:

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In the second part tomorrow talk of Jay Triano, Andrea Bargnani, Roko Ukic and much more. So be sure to come back for that Tomorrow. Also check back tonight for the Raptor Rewind and see how the Raptors made out in Oklahoma City.

Also I am going to be Live Blogging for Tomorrow Night with the Raptors taking on the Spurs which you are welcome to take part in. This is the same blog system that was used over on Raptorblog that we are helping test for The Score. Your link for the live blog below:

DIno Nation Blog- Live Blog Raps @ Spurs