Valanciunas Arrested For DUI.

News broke late this afternoon that Jonas Valanciunas was arrested on a charge of DUI. Here is the full story and details from story on News Talk 1010. The Raptors have issues statements on behalf of the team and one from Jonas himself.

TEAM STATEMENT "We were made aware this morning of the incident involving Jonas Valanciunas and are disappointed he has put himself in this situation. We take this matter very seriously as we have the highest expectations for all members of our organization.At this time we are continuing to gather information and we will comment further when appropriate"

JONAS VALANCIUNAS STATEMENT "I hold myself to a high standard and take my role as a member of the Toronto Raptors very seriously. I apologize to the organization, my teammates, my family and my fans, and regret any negativity this incident has brought upon them."

Here at the DNB we reached out to Toronto Criminal Attorney Tina Kaye to walk us through the legal issues involved.


The audio cut out at the end all you missed was the word seriously. One thing we did not touch on is how long this would take to get to court assuming it gets that far. According to Tina Kaye the standard length of time would see an initial court appearance 4-6 weeks from the arrest. If it were to go all the way to trial it would take up to a year. Obviously that court appearance based on this standard time line could occur somewhere in the second round or conference finals.However, I have been told that it most likely would not require Valanciunas to appear only his counsel would be required.

Raptors have been chugging along on basketball court fairly well despite injuries and now this latest distraction or hurdle has been placed in front of the Raptors. More importantly this is an issue with athletes that make millions of dollars that just shouldn't happen in 2014 and still does. It is unacceptable and there really is no excuse.

Thanks to Tina for her explaining the legal issues attached to this matter.  

Pre-Season And Training Camp Will Mean A Lot For Raptors

For a number of reasons this training camp and pre-season will be very important for the Raptors. First reason has nothing to do with the roster turnover at all. Dwane Casey never even had much of a training camp last season. Despite those less than ideal circumstances for a new coach he was able to do a fantastic job. He was able to turn the Raptors in an acceptable team on the defensive end of the floor. He took huge first steps in changing this team’s culture and identity. When you factor in injures the Raptors endured it makes it even more amazing. Casey had more wins in 66 games than Jay Triano could muster in 82.

Now Casey has had an entire off-season to manage his players off-season activates and a full training camp to fully implement his defensive system. Just on these things alone the Raptors should be somewhat improved. You factor in the roster changes made and that makes you even more optimistic to a degree. You have more talent and more depth to work with. Casey has options this season if players fail to perform. It should help expand on a culture of accountability that he was able to create last season.

It will be important for the Raptors to see what they truly have in guys like Jonas Valancuinas, Terrence Ross and even Quincy Acy. Jonas will be at the top of that list as his learning curve will be the steepest of all. When you factor he is living in a brand new country something than Linas Kleiza should be helpful with adapting too. Learning the many nuances of the NBA game will be a challenge. Along with dealing with a mountain of expectations built in the year of fans waiting for his arrival. He will likely have the largest role of any of the rookies and it would be a disappointment if he was not the starter at center by the end of this season.

Terrence Ross has a lot less to worry about. He will not be expected to start and will be given time to grow. If Demar DeRozan is able to play like expected Terrence’s role should be very focused and controlled. While he can shoot and has great athletic ability, expect his defence to be his main focus at first.

Quincy Acy will likely not see much time on the floor. He will be asked to push all the Raptor big men in practice something he is capable of doing. He is an energy guy and if guys like Air Johnson and Ed Davis and others let up Acy will make that obvious. If he sees the floor it will be to send messages to others or because the Raptors have some serious injury issues.

It was made clear that DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis were impacted negatively by the lack of a normal off-season last year. If that theory is to be proven right than we need to see a much better performance from both out of the gate this season. If we do not that is a problem and something that will need to be addressed in some form or fashion.

Kyle Lowry has been given the starting job by most. He still has to go out and earn that spot technically. That should not be an issue for him. What will be is learning his new team and developing chemistry with guys like Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan. In fact at his position you really need to know everyone and how to get them the ball and make them most effective. He also needs to lead the charge on defence as he offers something the Raptors have lacked for some time. Lowry is an effective defender at the point that will challenge the opposing point guard and make life difficult for them. In addition to that he has to be mindful of Jose Calderon and do his best to deal with a situation that will be tricky to navigate.

Lowry has to establish himself as the guy and do it in a way where he doesn’t offend Jose Calderon in the process. How Calderon reacts to Lowry will also be something to wonder about. He could help Lowry make this transition easier. Most think this will happen based on Calderon’s reputation as a team guy. I am not as sold based on what we have been told about Calderon’s reaction to the Raptors off-season moves in which it was made pretty clear his days starting in Toronto were done.

All of these things and we haven’t touched on Ed Davis and Amir Johnson fighting for a spot in the rotation. Not a word on how Landry Fields fits into the mix and if he will be the guy starting at the small forward for the Raptors. Can Demar DeRozan learn to split time at the two and three positions? Will Andrea Bargnani stay injury free and show that the way he played when healthy last year was not a fluke.

There are a lot of things to be accomplished and maybe that is why most of the team is already on hand and working out on their own prior to training camp. It feels a lot like the first full season Bryan Colangelo had as G.M here in Toronto. The same results from that season would be far too optimistic as that team won a division title and finished in third place in the Eastern Conference. The NBA landscape has changed since that time. In fact forget the league, the Atlantic Division has changed in a major way. The Raptors will have to fight hard to compete in a division that is truly stacked and offers no easy games.

Starting 5 w/ Raptors Community Manger And Social Media Guru Jay Satur

We welcome back the driving force behind Raptors Social Media efforts Jay Satur. I catch up with Jay on a lot of the events of the summer including his work down at Summer League with the Raptors. In addition we talk about some of the newer ideas the Raptors have been trying with social media. Things going on with company and if life has changed at all for Jay with the new MLSE Ownership. Do the Raptors have any plans if the Leafs are not playing hockey this year? Thoughts on the expectations for this team as whole along with some of the individual parts like Terrence Ross, Quincy Acy, Ed Davis and Jonas Valanciunas. It is a look into what the Raptors are doing to connect with their fans which is something that Jay is on the front lines of that on a daily basis.




I think the world of Jay and think he does a fantastic job with all he does. He is always one of the people I truly enjoy seeing when covering Raptor games. Obviously the Raptors are optimistic about the season to come. It seems so are a lot of you that are following the Raptors. Time will tell but it does seem this organization has at least turned a corner and is trending in the right direction. We hope for the best and look forward to the things Jay and the crew at Raptor.com come up with for the new season. They are always working hard looking for new ways to connect with fans and that is something you have to respect as a fan of this organization. MLSE has done a lot to try and be ahead of the curve in terms of social media and Jay is a big part of what they do on the front lines with fans. He can be found tweeting on @Raptors or on his own personal account @Jaysatur. I am sure many of you already do. If you don't you should.

Raptors Are All In On Nash

If you are not familiar with poker term "All In" basically it when a player declares they are pushing all their chips into the pot. This is basically what the Raptors have done with their pursuit of Steve Nash. The first and foremost is in what they plan to be offering the two time MVP in terms of dollars. The reported figure will be 12 million for 3 years. There seems to be a debate on if all 3 years will be guaranteed, or if the third year in which Nash would turn 41 years old is team option or not. Still however you cut it, the Raptors it is safe to say will have the highest bid in the game. While some have criticized this move here is a couple things to consider. First the Raptors would amnesty Jose Calderon in order to make this offer who was set to make 10.5 million dollars this season. That would now come off the Raptors cap and basically double the amount of cap room they have. Also at least for the upcoming season they are only paying 1.5 million more to have Nash as their starting point guard. Not a bad deal really. In terms of people that are not fans of Calderon it is a bargain just to get rid of Jose at all.

The second thing to consider is how one of the new soon to be owners managed their baseball team this season. There was a lot of buzz for the Blue Jays just like the Raptors have now heading into the baseball off-season. The Jays were rumoured to be in the hunt for the prize of MLB Free Agency Prince Fielder. As it turned out they did not even step to the plate on that one. They also were reported as the team that was going to land Japanese sensation Yu Darvish. However although the Jays were in the hunt their bid to acquired the rights to the Japanese pitcher fell far short of the over 50 Million Texas paid for just his rights. The result of these two failures by the Blue Jays was a lot of disgruntled and unhappy fans. If the Raptors had made it known they were in the hunt for Steve Nash and only made a token offer to see if he would bite, let's face it they would be loudly attacked. Raptors fans lost their mind over a draft pick at 8, there is no telling their reaction if the Raptors allowed themselves to get out bid on Nash.

But it isn't just money the Raptors are packing. They have Wayne Gretzky riding shotgun. Yeah the hockey player you might have heard of him. According to Michael Grange the Raptors have a taped message from "The Great One" making a plea or case for Nash to come to Toronto. But not just that, Wayne will be on stand by on the phone to talk to Nash as well. Nothing has been said of what Gretzky might say. However Wayne in past has talked about how he came close a few times to landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career. In fact one of those times apparently was before he ended his career in New York with the Rangers. If Wayne told Nash a story of regret that he never had a chance to play in Toronto that would make a powerful message you have to figure for Nash. This let's face it is likely his last contract in the NBA especially if it is going to be for 3 years.

The Raptors also have plans to talk about opportunities for Nash in his post NBA Career. A pitch not unlike the one Jack Armstrong laid out in his interview with us just prior to the NBA Draft. Colangelo and company are expected to met with Nash this morning. He will also talk with the Knicks today according to several reports. NBA-TV says Nash will also talk with Miami, Indiana and the Suns. Portland who was rumoured to be on Nash's list took themselves out of the mix you have to figure by offering Roy Hibbert a max contract. It appears the Raptors will have the first turn at bat with Nash and that may be a good sign. Those hoping for the Canada Day Movie finish to this story might not get it. If he indeed plans to talk to 5 teams I can see that happening in the span of 12 hours. Maybe it could and maybe after hearing the Raptors pitch it might be just a case of can anyone top this?

Two other potential players in this mix would be,  the loser of the battle between the Mavs and Nets for Deron Williams. However, they may be to late to the party as Nash has made it known he does not want this to be a lengthy process. He also will not be having a special on TSN or Sportsnet to announce his decision I would think. The Raptors have really taken the bull by the horns and clearly have been making their pitch known through the media. It is a wise move as it might do a couple of things. If a team is sitting on the fence about Nash or off trying to pursue someone else, they likely don't waste their time knowing what the Raptors have offered. Also they have let it be know to all of Canada what Steve Nash would be turning down if he ultimately were to decide to go elsewhere. This is something the Jays never did in the cases I mentioned above. We have no idea to this day if they offered anything to Fielder or what they bid on Darvish. To have that made public knowledge might make Nash inclined to take the deal and not disappoint a nation of people that would love to see him take it. Well most of the nation anyway.

Let's not forget Bryan Colangelo won a Steve Nash sweepstakes already bringing him back to the team that drafted him in Phoenix. Now Colangelo is attempting to bring Steve Nash home to his country. He clearly has made one hell of an effort based on all the information that is out there.

All of that said this situation has gone so far now that ultimately this is going to be the biggest moment in history of the Raptors or perhaps the most epic failure in history of the organization. Colangelo has never been afraid to take big gambles. This in many ways might be the biggest of all. If he fails to succeed bringing Nash home to the Raptors there really is no plan B or C that will measure up in terms of excitement for fans. Especially those casual fans that would be most impacted by this move. The Raptors become instantly relevant to those people if Nash comes on board. Even if he does deliver, you have a point guard with a history of back trouble that is not getting any younger. Also you have spent a lot of money to get him and you still are likely in need of a starting small forward to make this truly work. James Johnson, Sonny Weems or moving Demar DeRozan to the position is not going to cut it. While Terrance Ross who the Raptors drafted is not expected to start this season.

Still that is something Colangelo will be happy to figure out once he has this deal all done. Clearly this is the biggest risk of Colangelo's career with the Raptors. It is far more risky than the trade that blew up in his face for Jermaine O'Neal. This is one where people are emotionally invested and if he fails to deliver the goods there will be a lot of sad Raptor fans that will quickly turn to angry ones. At the end of the day though Colangelo has a lot of guts and on some level you have to respect that. All we can do is wait and see what happens. Even if this does get done the official announcement and signing will not take place till July 11th as by that time the NBA will have set the cap numbers for the upcoming season. So will see how ultimately this news comes to light. Who knows Steve Nash might even tweet it. Till we get a tweet, smoke signal or whatever it is just a waiting game. 

Bosh or Bargnani Problems Remain The Same.

Chris Bosh has been playing a key role for the Miami Heat as they lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals. I mentioned on Friday how the the Raptors no matter what they may say after he has gone, were ill prepared to have him walk. Ultimately, when you think about the Raptors now they have basically just elevated Andrea Bargnani to the roll of Bosh on their roster. In comparing the two players they offer a much different skill set at first glance. Bosh would always be considered a better rebounder and Bargnani a better shooter. Still both at times have been questioned for their desire to defend and do the dirty work. In some senses the Raptors are still following the same model that they failed to have success with under Bosh. Bargnani quickly replaced Bosh in terms of his role on the team. The one role the Raptors have never replaced since he left was the one that Vince Carter filled with the Raptors. That dynamic small forward that could both attack the basket and make a poster, but still be able to hang out beyond the arc and bomb 3's at times.That is something the Raptors have not replaced. Demar DeRozan has half that equation in being able to attack the basket and make spectacular finishes. He lacks that three point threat to truly be taken seriously by a defense to worry about him.

The Raptors ultimate problems might not be all that different without Bosh as they were with him. I don't think Andrea Bargnani is a significantly better player than Bosh or every will be unless the Raptors fix these problems. Can Bargnani have more success than Bosh did if the Raptors find a dynamic wing option and a better point guard to attack the basket? Probably they can but they had seven years of trying to find those things with Bosh and were never able to find that proper mix. Another thing that was missing was a true center that could rebound and defend. The Raptors hope they have found that piece in Jonas Valancuinas. In many ways could develop into the Anti-Bargnani. If he can make up for Bargnani's lack of rebounding and have his back as help defender it could make for a nice pairing. Still, without that dynamic wing and attacking the hoop point guard the Raptors remain somewhat flawed.

Andrea Bargnani is no more a 1a player than Chris Bosh was. He just isn't that guy even if you believe the guy that exploded for about a stretch of 13 games is the real Andrea Bargnani moving forward. The one good thing about Bosh leaving has been it has allowed Andrea Bargnani to play at his natural position and even if it is just from a mental point of view, he is more comfortable at that spot. Ultimately the Raptors problems before Bosh and after him still are basically the same ones including the fact that Bosh ultimately left and went elsewhere.

It has always been a source of frustration for the Raptors top star whoever that happened to be to recruit players to come here to play along side them. Some will tell you if the Raptors start winning the players will come. Really think this is honestly true? I mean you may hate him now, but Vince Carter was at one time in Toronto considered one of the best players in the league and likely was the most popular. Raptors were winning and appearing on national T.V in the United States.  What was he able to attract to the Raptors in terms of free agency? The answer is not much except of a past his prime Hakeem the dream that quickly turned into a Raptor nightmare. If he can't get anyone to come in that position on top of the NBA map can we honestly think that Chris Bosh could have or Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan can?

Basically the Raptors are a team that by and large has had to build a team with only 2 of the 3 major components you have too build a franchise. In the time Bosh was here the Raptors would never venture into that level of being a tax team with greater penalties for being one the Raptors are no more likely to do that with Bargnani. In fact, Colangelo all but said that would be the case for this upcoming season. If you are not going to over spend a little and being willing to go that extra mile to try and change the Raptors free agency fortune it is going to be hard to see a solution to this problem.

Friday I was talking about hope and not so much today. Still if you want some hope of how the Raptors fix this problem in free agency I will give you a long term answer. You clearly have noticed that basketball has had a lot more talented Canadians playing the game these days. Legit Canadian Draft prospects are now becoming the norm and not the exception. If enough of these Canadians develop into true NBA players the Raptors will have a pool of free agents that would actually value the Raptors differently. The idea of coming home and playing here might be to much to pass up. Steve Nash has manged to avoid the temptation of it. Still as the numbers increase of Canadians not all of them will be able to resist you have to figure. This solution is not keeping Bryan Colangelo his job or helping out in the short term unless you in fact sign Nash. Over time though the Raptors need to consider this as their one advantage they have in free agency.    

I guess what I am saying is the Raptors are still a team that is trying to build around primarily a power forward that has some obvious flaws but some obvious talent. So really has anything changed in terms of the game plan for the Raptors?  Not so much I guess.

Hope is Back In the House In Raptorland

I can say that the last year or so has been the most painful in doing the Dino Nation Blog and just in general as a Raptor fan since the very start. There was a long and painful off-season that was all about the NBA Lockout. It was a dark and dank time that offered no signs of hope for the coming fall. Even when the lockout came to an end sometime in November it did not really offer much hope in terms of the Raptors. Bryan Colangelo made it pretty clear by his words and his actions that the Raptors goals had little to do with what would actually take place this season. At least in respect to challenging to be back in playoffs. The Raptors basically were back to square one almost in some senses. They had a new coach that was going to "Change the Culture" of the Raptors. We have heard this before many times. To his credit, if anything this was accomplished this season, Dwane Casey actually did that. It was the flickering of that hope coming back. It had been all but erased when Chris Bosh took his talents to South Beach. The Raptors can say what they like about that, but they clearly got caught with their pants down in that whole situation. They were ill prepared to move on to a new era without Bosh as the centerpiece.

This off-season the Raptors have the chance to move forward from the abyss they have been in since Chris Bosh left. The buzz is back around the Raptors as they have been the most talked about team heading into the NBA Draft and NBA Off-Season. Colangelo offered no hope last season with the promise of hope in this season to come. He even did that in terms of his draft pick last season taking Jonas Valancuinas. Which at the time was not the most popular choice with many Raptor fans. After a year most folks have had a change of heart. That might be in part because of the Raptors marketing of their pick constantly, or it might be that Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker the two guys most fans wanted, have been below expectations at the start of their NBA careers.

The excitement is back in the Raptor fan base and you only need to spend a day on social media like Twitter to see that is. The danger is the excitement is based on rumours, talk and buzz. Bryan Colangelo to keep this momentum going needs to answers this buzz with actions that live up to it. Which could be pretty hard to do when all is said and done. We have heard names like Steve Nash, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and others as being possible Raptors. There is also a buzz around the draft as well and what the Raptors could do with 8th pick if they in fact keep it. Colangelo has done nothing to throw a wet blanket on these expectations so you have to believe he is going to try and match them or exceed them. This is by far the most challenging off-season for Colangelo in his time in Toronto. To say that it is make or break for his legacy and long term job security is not speculation as much as it is fact.

I have said many times that in all sports what a sports franchise is in the business of really doing, is selling this idea of hope to it's fanbase. The Raptors are once again able to do that with fans having some realistic and some not so realistic expectations for this franchise and the players that make up the roster and those who could. If at the end of this off-season the Raptors can be considered a playoff team or a contender to be one that will be the first step in restoring some real hope for this franchise. Something that has been hard to do even when they had Chris Bosh for the last couple years of his run here in Toronto. It is always a good feeling to have hope for the future. Not just in sports but in life in general.

The next step in this process of hope might not be so easy. It is the same one that 27 other NBA Teams will face. That is how on earth can you be a serious contender for a NBA Title. If the first two games of the NBA Finals have not convinced you that OKC and Miami is on another level from the rest of the NBA you will eventually learn this lesson. It is more than logical to think we can be on the verge of a Celtics vs Lakers type of rivalry that could dominate this decade. But the Raptors are far from worrying about those monsters that lie ahead they would just like to get back to the post season and be part of that conversation. In a season that might include the NHL being on the sidelines with their own lockout. This is a time to capture the hearts and minds of the casual sports fans in Toronto and Canada. The Raptors had this handed to them before when the NHL missed an entire season and they  missed out on that golden opportunity. They now  may get a rare second chance to get it right. This a long with the fact you have a fan base that is starting to feel like they have seen it all before and tired of excuses and want to see some results. The time is now for the Raptors to be on the attack. We have 15 days to July the 1st and the Raptors in that time need to find a way to make all the right moves and cash in on all this buzz and hope that has been created.

This Week In Raptorland Is Back

Awhile back we did a new podcast to go along with the Starting 5. It was called This Week in Raptorland. You probably thought I had ditched the idea and it was never coming back. But it was only put in moth balls and is now back for another go around. Once we get to the fall this will be a weekly podcast that is roughly 20-30 minutes in length. However over the off-season will bring it out every now and again to talk what is going on with the Toronto Raptors. On this episode I am joined by Aaron who is one of  new writers that has come on board as part of Team DNB. So we talk about the NBA Lottery and if it fact or fiction, Where the Raptors go from here based on the lottery. So have a listen and hopefully you will be entertained for about 30 minutes. 

Mock Draft Lottery

I decided to produce a fun little video and have the first ever DNB Mock Draft Lottery:




If you want to have your very own Mock Draft Lottery you can go on ESPN and try your luck. Prior to Wednesday Josh from are DNB staff will be looking at what the Raptors would do should they indeed be lucky and land in one of those top 3 spots on the draft board. I along with some of the Team DNB Staff will be hosting a chat the night of the Draft lottery so make your plans to cuddle up with your computer and t.v and hangout with us on the Dino Nation Blog and together experience the Raptors fate.

Vinsanity, Linsanity and Insanity

Today starts a new era for the Dino Nation Blog. I am excited to get Team DNB rolling. I hope you will enjoy the contributions of the team I have put together. The hope is at the end of the day we end up with more content and better content for you the readers, listeners and viewers of the Dino Nation Blog. Having people that I can count on will allow me to focus on doing more audio and video content moving forward. It will also give me a chance to work on other things like attempting to get more guests for the Starting 5, planning some events to involve you more in the Dino Nation Blog and focus on building a big and better Dino Nation Blog in general. That in a nutshell explains why #Team DNB was created. I am still looking for more people to potentially be part of our team. The goal is to have a strong well oiled machine by the time the Raptors get ready to start next season in the fall. So I hope you will enjoy this and will enjoy the new people and content and fun this will hopefully create for you as a DNB reader. That all said, I still will be writing here and haven't done that in about a week, as I took some time off to take a break and get these new folks all set up to be part of DNB. So in the famous words of Reggie Evans LET'S GET IT!!

While I was away if you had told me we would be talking about Vince Carter on the first day I was back that probably would have made me chuckle. He did an interview with the guys from Raptorblog on The Score. While the interview was well done and interesting, it in the end was typical Vince Carter. The one thing that seemed to get everyone talking was the fact that Vince said he would be willing to consider returning to Toronto. This seemed to shock people and it was almost like the Raptors were actually considering that. I don't think an older version of Vinsanity is what the Raptors have in mind for solving their issues at small forward. Carter has never been the greatest defender in the world either. I am all for Vince having his day in the sun returning to Toronto to have his number retired some day. I just don't care to see him back for a second run with the Raptors. Antonio Davis did that once for a little while and it only showed that he was a shadow of his former self. Ultimately Vince Carter has reached the point in his NBA career that if he wants to keep playing can he really rule out any team to play for at this point? It is not like people were knocking down his door last year before he eventually signed in Dallas. It is not like how he performed with the Mavs has made his value increase at all. So while it would be interesting for writing and create lots of interest, both positive and negative, the idea of Vince Carter coming back to the Raptors is kind of far fetched and doesn't make any sense.

Speaking of not making sense that brings us to Jeremy Lin and the Raptors supposed interest in him. Keep in mind I was the guy and this was the blog that suggested the Raptors get Jeremy Lin last off-season before there was a Linsanity and a ton of hype attached to him. This was as an economically friendly flyer on a kid that might have some talent. The truth is the Raptors getting into a game of chicken with the New York Knicks for Jeremy Lin only benefits them if they lose. Jeremy Lin is going to get paid too much money by some team based on two things. Potential and buzz, will drive the price for Lin beyond what he truly deserves to make. If the Raptors are in this just to force up the price on Lin and make their division rivals the Knicks spend more money than they want too,  that is a smart move on their part. If not and they bring him in to be the starter that would be a big mistake and a massive change from Jose Calderon. While Calderon has never been liked by me, I am happy to admit he is very efficient and rarely turns over the ball. Even at the height of Linsanity people who questioned if it would last, brought up his high turnover numbers. On a young and developing team looking to take the next step, I am not convinced that you want a starting point guard that is turnover prone. Ideally you would love the idea of Lin as a back up, playing behind a Jose Calderon or perhaps a Steve Nash. That said he is going to demand to many dollars for that to be a realistic situation. At the end of the day the Knicks will likely have the bird rights to Lin and will no doubt use them to keep him. So if you have dreams of Linasinty invading the ACC on a nightly basis they are best left as dreams. I like Lin and still think he could be a player at some point but not willing to gamble on it with a big money contract. This is why it made sense to grab him last season when the cost was next to nothing.

The Raptors getting Steve Nash makes more sense in the short team for them. If they can do that and find a developing young point guard to play behind him, that is the ultimate best case scenario for the Raptors. The Knicks are also interested in him. If you can only have one of two guys between Lin and Nash, the answer should be obvious. The danger for the Raptors is that the Knicks could have a way to have both if Nash is willing to take less money to play in New York. Nash will have many options depending on what his price tag will be and what his intentions are in terms of wanting to win a championship. It is a longer and much more unclear journey here in Toronto. That said when Nash was in this position before it fair to say that the Suns were not exactly a contender in for anyone after a horrible season missing the playoffs. Steve Nash was younger than though and had a long future to look forward too. Now his future is not nearly as long and his window to win a ring is small. The fact he is coming to the end of his career could be a benefit to the Raptors or a curse depending on what Nash is truly thinking.In the past Nash has expressed a desire to end his career playing in Canada and the Raptors are the only game in town to make that happen. However to convince Steve Nash that Raptors can reach an NBA Finals in the East before his time in the NBA is done is a tough job to sell. Bryan Colangelo sold Steve Nash once before but this time around will be much tougher. If it is a case of Nash or Lin the buzz created by Nash will play much better in Canada for Nash while bringing in Lin would open eyes south of the border. The risks with Steve Nash are all about health and age. No one will question his talent as two time MVP and a future hall of famer.

The one thing not being talked about in all of this is what becomes of Jose Calderon. If the Raptors truly are targeting both Lin and Nash this makes you wonder what that means for Calderon. It would seem unlikely the Raptors keep him especially if Nash ends up being the guy. So what would the Raptors be getting if they tried to move Calderon. That is a part of this whole equation that might be interesting. Could the Raptors deal Jose and add some more pieces to make this a better more attractive landing spot for Steve Nash? They just might be able too. One thing is clear based on the off-season buzz that has already started before the playoffs have even ended, it is suggesting the Raptors are going to be active and be a part of a lot of stories. Most of which are based in speculation and not fact. At the end of the day Bryan Colangelo's reality whatever it ends up being needs to be very good. His job could ultimately depend on it.

The Steve Nash Project

From the day Bryan Colangelo set foot in Toronto as G.M, the idea or dream that he could bring Steve Nash home to Canada was alive and well. Just when you probably thought the idea was dead there is one last chance to bring Steve Nash home. If Canada Basketball can do it, why not Bryan Colangelo too? You have to figure where Steve Nash decides to go will be the end of the line for him in terms of his career. The problem starts when you understand why Steve is leaving Phoenix in the whole first place. It is to have one final run at a championship right? That isn't exactly the Raptors future in the next three years is it? Can Bryan Colangelo convince Steve Nash otherwise? He did convince him to leave Dallas and comeback to the team that originally drafted him in the Suns. It was not like the Suns were looking like a playoff contender at the time. In case you forget the Suns were 29-53 and looked nothing like a team that would turn into 62-20 team the next year with Steve Nash as part of the mix. Mike D'Antoni who took over during the season before Nash arrived was only 21-40. That all said Steve Nash had time to wait if things had not made such a dramatic turnaround.

It is also not like Steve Nash thinks like everyone else does in many ways. It seems hard to imagine that Nash would take the easy route to a title and take his talents to South Beach. Although he did say he would consider it in an interview late in the season. He said at his press conference where he was named G.M of Canada Basketball that he would consider all situations that were presented to him. Does the idea of coming back home to Canada appeal to Steve Nash? He has said in the past it does. Also former Raptor, Nash team mate with the Suns and soon to be fellow free-agent Leandro Barbosa said that Nash has said to him he would like to end his career as a Raptor. Colangelo said even when trading Barbosa to the Pacers the Raptors would consider bringing him back. As we learned earlier this year the Raptors had a chance to bring Nash to Toronto long before Bryan Colangelo ever appeared in Toronto.

Still Steve Nash is starting to show signs of his age and this whole idea seemed much more appealing a few years ago than it might today. You would also want to have a point guard of the future for Nash to mentor behind him. Although with Nash's injury issues and not being able to play the same amount of minutes he has in the past a raw rookie back-up might not be great. Jose Calderon if he was willing would be an excellent and perhaps over qualified number two behind him if he were to remain. Calderon in a contract year despite being the team guy that he has always been labeled may not embrace this idea to much. If he did stay the Raptors point guard play would rank among the best in the league. You could also move Calderon and find that point guard of the future. Still the Raptors would be wasting an opportunity not having a point guard of the future as part of the mix if Nash was here.

If Colangelo is going to bring in Nash you would need to address some things with this roster beyond that in order for Nash to really be successful. Which makes the idea of Jose as his back-up seem unlike at best given he is set to make over 10 million next season. Nash is going to get paid a rather larger amount one would figure even at his advanced age. What the Raptors truly lack for Steve Nash to be successful here is three point shooting. You could likely bring back Barbosa and that would give you one shooter but you would likely need another. That likely has to come at the small forward position. If your starting line-up is going to be Nash, DeRozan, Bargnani and Jonas you need a second option to shoot the three beyond Bargnani you would think. Whatever the case, the Raptors would need more than just Nash to make a dramatic turn around. That team that Nash joined in Phoenix already had a lot of talent in place with guys like Stoudamire, Marion, Joe Johnson and Barbosa. Does a group of Bargnani, DeRozan, and Jonas along with a draft pick to come offer enough? It is up for debate and Steve Nash is not that same guy that walked into Phoenix and ended up winning two MVP awards.

Nash has never been known as a defender in his time in the NBA. Dwane Casey is all about playing defense. That said in his later years with the Suns the focus had changed to a more defensively responsible team. In addition if Casey found a way to hide Jose Calderon on defense in his scheme, he can find a way to hide Steve Nash.

There is a part of you as a Canadian that can't help but want to believe this is possible. Unlike the Raptors signing of Jaamal Magloire, this is a Canadian that would fill seats at the ACC. Steve Nash instantly makes the Raptors more relevant just by showing up and putting on a Raptors number 13 jersey. The same things that make him viable to run Team Canada, are the same things that would work in terms of marketing side of the Raptors. There is no question that MLSE in it's new form with both TSN/Bell and Sportsnet/Rogers would love to have Canada's greatest basketball player in their organization. It will mean a huge jump in ratings for the Raptors potentially and it should establish them truly as this national brand that they have tried to be since the Grizzlies left for Memphis. In terms of non-basketball related things this is a slam dunk in terms or marketing, merchandising and ratings.

There is also the fact that Colangelo's job is on the line. That plays a factor in this for him obviously. If there is one thing we have learned about Bryan Colangelo in his time here, it is that if he likes a player that seldom changes. We have seen many former Suns end up Raptors and his extreme loyalty to his number on pick in Andrea Bargnani. Once Colangelo likes a player, it seems to stick in his mind. The irony in all of this is the last time this happened in Phoenix it was Mark Cuban that questioned how much Steve Nash ultimately had left. Two MVP trophies later the answer was clear he had a lot left. These days it would be more than Mark Cuban that would question how much Nash has left. Deron Williams is the guy that the big name teams will be chasing with Cuban at the front of that line.

The major concern is when things go away for a point guard it tends to be a fast and painful process. Still is the chance to create something truly special to hard for everyone to pass on including Nash? I guess will find out eventually. The one thing that is true be it a good move or a bad one, if Steve Nash is coming to Toronto, the Raptors will have more attention than they have had since the days of Vince Carter. I fight with if this is a good idea or not basketball wise. It is hard to be objective about Steve Nash. It is also hard to go down this road again on if he will come here or not. The one thing that is good is this is last time we will regardless of how it turns out. While I believe Steve Nash can truly save Canada Basketball in many ways. I have a harder time with him as a player saving the Raptors as well. Colangelo has made worse gambles in his time here than betting on Steve Nash. I just wonder if this was a move that would have worked better when Jay Triano was coaching and Chris Bosh was still around than it does now.

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

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



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

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

The Winner Losses And The Loser Wins

Herm Edwards the NFL Head Coach of the Jets at the time told us all that "You Play To Win The Game", which was totally turned upside down last night in Milwaukee. The team that won, the Bucks, had already been eliminated by virtue of the Sixers win over the Nets that concluded before this game ended. Something that both teams in the end were not happy about. As stated that win clinched a playoff spot for Philly and it also didn't help the Raptors who were tied with the Nets in the Lottery Standings. The Raptors did start off this game like a team that wanted to win and they were the ones battling for their playoff lives. This would fade away as the night went on. Demar DeRozan upped his fan base by getting tossed from this game for tossing a ball into the stands after he felt he deserved a call he didn't get. This was to the delight of the folks in Tank Nation who may in fact have plans to build a DeRozan Statue should the Raptors land the first overall pick. Maybe not. In any case at times we have seen a DeRozan this year that has become frustrated and angry over the lack of respect he seems to get from refs on a nightly basis. Demar is a pretty low key individual but when these things happen you see the inner fire that burns inside him. If he ever can embrace that and use it on the basketball court he will be well on his way to being a superstar.

Brandon Jennings a good buddy of DeRozan would lead the scoring charge for the Bucks in this one. He had 25 points but just shot 9 for 23 with 5 assists and 3 steals. In this blog we have speculated at the idea of Jennings and DeRozan being paired up in Toronto. There is no doubt Jennings is by far a better defensive option than Calderon, but there is also no question he is a very different player on the offensive end. Jose Calderon needs to almost be motivated into taking his shot. Brandon Jennings is happy to chuck up shots from the moment the ball is tipped. Still I see it as a realistic option for the Raptors, if they truly believe in DeRozan and want him here for the long haul. These two guys already have a built in chemistry and are close friends of the court. It might just be what both need to get each other to the next level. Jennings has stated after next season that he plans to look to go to a larger market. Toronto is a larger market depending on what is meant by the term.

Colangelo no doubt is going to be exploring every option at his disposal and this one might be a solid one. The problem becomes what exactly do the Raptors have to land a Jennings and what the price would be. It has become common practice in the NBA to unload a guy that says he wants out before it is to late and you get nothing. That said the Bucks are still in the driver's seat and don't have to do anything. They clearly are looking to change direction with the move they made with Golden State trading away former first overall pick Andrew Bogut to the Warriors for Monta Ellis along with some other parts to that trade. There is also talk the Bucks could make a move at both the head coaching position and G.M position, so who is to say if they will be as high on Jennings as the current management was and maybe still is.

That is a story for another day as for the story of this game the Bucks win 92-86 and like the Raptors can plan for the off-season starting Thursday. Jennings and DeRozan could be working out together by next week in L.A. Oh right I said that was a story for another day.  It should be noted that James Johnson seems back in the good graces of coach Casey and started and delivered with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.

Bucks Meet Solomon Alabi And The Raptors

This game is basically for the Bucks season for them. They can not lose the rest of the way and the Sixers can not win for them to make the post-season. The Sixers will tip up thirty minutes prior to the start of the Raptors and Bucks. So by the time this game ends regardless of the result Milwaukee could already be out of the playoffs. The Raptors clearly have turned the page and are already playing like a team waiting for next year. Solomon Alabi's minutes over the last 3 games is proof of that. The fact Demar DeRozan never played in the fourth quarter of a close game is also proof of that.

Given all of that you would expect a strong start from the Bucks unless news filters that the Sixers have a massive lead before they ever get started. The fact the Sixers are playing the Nets makes that a possibility. The Raptors have an interest in that game as well. Both the Bucks and Raptors want to see the Nets win but likely should not hold their breath that it will happen. There is a better chance Ian Eagle and The Zar throw down and have a cage fight at halftime. That likely won't happen either sadly.

There is not much reason to tune into this game other than extreme loyalty and force of habit. In a season in which the Raptors have showed much more grit and defensive effort the chances of seeing a ton of that in the last two games is about as likely as snow in April. Oh wait I need another line. The heck with it you know what I am saying.

But the one thing as someone reminded me on Twitter worth checking out will be the Bucks Game Notes for this one. They always do a fantastic job of making the Game Notes vs the Raptors a great tribute to Canada. They are well worth checking out and will always give you a laugh. This game may not provide as much entertainment as that. In fact take out the word may altogether.

Friday we turn the page and begin the search for Team DNB. I will be looking to build a team to help share the load here at the Dino Nation Blog and allow myself to focus on make some improvements to things that I think people will enjoy. Let's hope my off-season and the Raptors off-season both go well..

Pistons and Raptors in a Basketball Game Rated "ONE STAR"

Justin loves Kelly is by far the worst movie I can ever recall watching. It was a Saturday afternoon and nothing was on so I figured why not. It was so bad it was almost entertaining on some level. Unfortunately the Raptors and Pistons was not the same way. In the end if basketball games were rated like movies this had one star written all over it. If there was a game that I have watched, where I cared so little and honestly believed the teams that were involved felt the same way this was it. After all the Pistons and Raptors had little motivation to win this basketball game and both of their front offices would quietly be rooting for them not to win if were being completely honest about it. If this was a preview of what is to come on Thursday with the Nets and Raptors it will be ugly. Here is hoping you win a prize for Fanapolooza that might be the only motivation I can give you to attend. All I know is I can't win with my media pass but I will be there.

When you are praying a game does not go to overtime based on how truly pathetic it was that sums up this game. The scary thing is it almost did as Linas Kleiza who was suppose to sit this game out with a bad knee ended up playing and missed a wide open three that would have sent this game to overtime tied at 76. You think that is a typo if you didn't watch this game but it is not as the Pistons win 76-73 and the Raptors knock off one team on their quest to gather as many ping pong balls as they can in spite of themselves. The tank....I mean team rolls into Milwaukee who still clings to playoff life but could be eliminated with a Sixers win as they tip a half an hour before the Raptors and Bucks. So safe to say the Bucks will be motivated to win unless news leaks that the Sixers win that game.

Today's loss vaulted the Raptors ahead of Golden State who beat Minnesota today and are just percentage points behind the Cavs who are one better in the loss column but one fewer in the win column. The Kings hammered the Bobcats giving them their 20th straight loss and as we mentioned this morning the Bobcats have long ago locked up the most ping pong balls for May and the draft lottery. That Kings win makes it still realistic that the Raptors could in theory catch them. Even New Orleans is still possible at the third worst record but one Hornets loss or Raptor win and that is done. Currently the Raptors are 6th worst (Tied with New Jersey who they play on Thursday) and at best could end up at 3rd worst. If thinks went totally wrong the Raptors could do no worse than 9th worst heading into the lottery. This would take the Raptors winning their final two games and everyone else losing out. Which may not even be possible I am not going to check the schedule to confirm this. If you are that obsessed with this tanking stuff I am sure you already know or will find out.

In the end this was an unwatchable game that thanks to the lack of attendance in Detroit few people were actually subjected too. To take anything from this game of any true value would be a mistake. I mean Solomon Alabi is throwing down dunks and seldom seeing the floor Charlie V the former Raptors his making a three. It is hard to believe he holds the Raptor rookie scoring mark with 47 points. In the end the mood to end this season is a predictable on of can we just get this over already. The Raptors will have a very interesting off-season ahead in which Bryan Colangelo has put a lot of pressure on himself. Almost as much as he has allowed the organization to put on his draft pick from this season Jonas Valanciunas who has replaced any form of a halftime show for games.

In the end if the lottery does not fall the Raptors way I am really not all that concerned if they pick 4th or 9th. This is a draft that while it lacks any true game changers it makes up for in depth of talent. If the Raptors don't walk away with Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist it is not the end of the world as we know it. Especially if Jonas lives up to the hype that he is being given. Ultimately you will be getting two top 10 talents being added to this roster no matter what happens and that is pretty good news. Colangelo will also be very active on the trade front as I suspect he feels this is the best way for him to take advantage of the cap room he has been able to a mass. In free agency there will be a number of other teams with big money to spend at the top of that list being the Dallas Mavericks. They have their eyes set on Deron Williams but they are not the only team with money to burn.

Still nothing about today's game made me feel like I am going to miss the Raptors after this Thursday. This has been a season to forget in almost every respect except for the fact the Raptors seem to have found their coach for the future in Dwane Casey. If he can do what he has done with this group imagine what he might be able to do with more talent provided by Colangelo this off-season. He might not need a number one pick or any huge moves to get this team going in right direction. Casey has shown he can coach up almost anyone to play acceptable defense in his system this year. If you can hide Calderon and Bargnani you are indeed a defensive guru. So do yourself a favour and get ahead start on things and start trying to forget this season already. Start with this game if you had the misfortune of watching it.

Ping Pong Ball Playoffs Start Today

This is the time of year when lots of questions are asked. Like can I honestly endure seeing that Andrea Bargnani Primo Pasta ad anymore? I mean honestly can I? What also is up in the air is how many ping pong balls the Raptors will have. After that the all important question on who will go to the lottery and represent the Raptors? But before we answer all of those "important" questions, there is the matter of having 3 games left to play. All 3 games could have an impact on the playoffs or lottery standings. Detroit currently is a game behind the Raptors in the reverse lottery standings. If you are the type to root for ping pong balls nothing but a Raptor loss will do today. If the Raptors were to lose it would virtually clinch finishing in front of Detroit in terms of lottery balls.

The scariest thing for Tank Nation is the Raptors win today, Monday and Thursday. There are still a number of teams bunched together and the ping pong ball race might be more exciting than the Playoff Race at this point. After all who cares if the Jazz, Suns or Rockets get in only to lose to the Spurs or OKC. Does it really matter if it is the Bucks, Kincks or the Sixers facing the Bulls at the end of the day? Charlotte long ago wrapped up the most ping pong balls and will have the best shot at Anthony Davis with 25% chance of landing the expected number one pick. Bobcat fans will not be thrilled to learn that position has only grabbed the number one spot four times since 1985. Which is one of the many reasons why I question all of this tank nation business to begin with. Washington has almost locked up the number 2 position in the ping pong ball standings.

After that it gets interesting. My favourite to win the NBA Lottery, the no longer league owned, and soon to no longer be Hornets. My favourite mascot next to the Raptor is going to be no more. Hugo the Hornet will be missed. Still he was had lots to cheer about lately as Hornets have won 7 of their last 10 games and put the 3rd worst record up for grabs. They are tied with the soon to be Vancouver Kings? They know how to tank, going 1-9 in the last 10 down the stretch. What they don't know how to do in Sacramento is how to build a stadium or win basketball games. Cleveland is next on the list of losers with the 5th worst record. The Cavs are back to the mess they were before they won the lottery and drafted Lebron James who showed Cleveland what winning was like, but never could end the curse that lives in the city of Cleveland and he moved on the South Beach. They won last year ironically with the pick they acquired from the Clippers and not based on their worst record in the league. They look to do the unthinkable double like the Orlando Magic were able to pull off. The Nets sit in the 6th position as they look to say good bye to New Jersey and likely Deron Williams this off-season and hello to Brooklyn with no real stars to speak of. The Raptors check in next tied with the Golden State Warriors just a half game behind the Nets, with the big TANKAPOLOOZA game on Thursday on the horizon. The Pistons round out the list of teams in this mess all with in 3 games of each other. Any win for them is a death blow at this point.

So that makes today's game with the Raptors and Pistons significant, but also likely painful to watch. All of that said it might look highly entertaining in comparison to what lies ahead with the Nets and Raptors on Thursday. If you took a nap till Friday and just woke up to see where the Raptors did end up finishing that might not be a bad plan. Seeing as that is likely not a realistic option for me, I will watch and be confused on what exactly I should be rooting for in these last three games. I honestly don't know at this point. So, I will watch and see what happens. Next year at this time if the Raptors are in this same awkward position it will have been a disaster of a season. Expectations for the coming off-season and next season in my view have already become too high. The Raptors have done a horrible job in managing expectations. The reason they have, is because if they didn't, who would want to watch this team next season and people might actually be talking about how bad this season has been even though it is an improvement over last season. The Raptors are heading in the right direction, but the speed they will be expected to go in that direction may not match the reality. Bryan Colangelo has an entire off-season to change my mind. He likely is not going to waste anytime either. When the Raptors and Nets game is done, I expect Bryan Colangelo will be on his cellphone or blackberry with in 5 minutes looking to make some moves. The trick will be finding some partners that are in as big a hurry as he is to get to work on building his roster for next season. One thing that likely will not be on the table is the Raptors draft pick even if they do the unthinkable and actually win the last 3 games of the season.

Taking The Starting 5 Down To The ATL

The Raptors are in Atlanta tomorrow to start a back to back with Hawks. It was a good chance to catch up with a former guest we have had in the blog a few times before. Andre Aldridge now works as part of the Hawks broadcast team. In the past when he was a guest here he was working for NBA-TV and prior to that spent time at both ESPN and CNN. I have always enjoyed his work and his perspective on sports and the NBA. So it was great to have an excuse to talk with him. The folks in Atlanta might have been more excited than Raptors fans about the Raptors win last night over Boston. While this home and home series means very little for the Raptors, it means a great deal for the Hawks. We talk about a whole lot of things including some folks in the Raptors Organization that Andre roots for whenever it is not against  the team he is covering. I not only encourage you to give this interview a listen but follow him on Twitter @AndreHoops he is a huge sports fan beyond just basketball and has a great love for the history of sports.




Thanks to Andre as always it was great to talk with him. Nice to hear some positive things about Dwane Casey and Demar DeRozan coming from someone outside of the market. It will be tough for the Hawks to get out of being stuck in that middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.

Cavs vs Raptors in Friday Under Card

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

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

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

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

Raptors Play Big Role In Philly's Playoff Destiny

The Raptors are as close as we could say to on a roll this season. That is the opposite of the team they face tonight. The Sixers for most of this season have sat on top on the Atlantic Division after a great start to this shortened schedule this year. Until just recently when that team of old guys in Boston started playing good basketball. It is as predictable as the leaves budding on the trees at this time of of year. The Sixers have won just four of their last 10 games. That said they still have an impressive home record of 19-10. The price of the Celtics passing the Sixers is high. Sixers went from a winnable first round match-up with Orlando to having to face Miami. They are a game and half back of both the Celtics and Hawks to avoid that first round trip to South Beach.

So the Raptors get to be in the roll of spoiler. The Sixers and Hawks both have two games left with the Raptors and if the Raptors were to surprise either team it could have a major impact on their playoff outlooks. Raptors will play the Sixers again a week from tonight at the ACC. They will play the Hawks in a home and home and back to back on April 15th and 16th. In those reverse standing the Raptors moved past the Nets and out of the basement of the Atlantic Division last night with their win over the Bobcats. It could lead to a very interesting final game of the season with the Raptors and Nets with both teams not exactly motivated to win.

Games in which both Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan have been firing on all cylinders have been rare in the three years since DeRozan has been here but we did get to see that last night. In terms of the Sixers Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala have traditionally played well against the Raptors in their career. Another name you might want to add to that list is Thaddeus Young. The Raptors are in the midst of playing 5 games in 7 days so it is only going get tougher as it goes along.

3 Keys: 

Stop Penetration: Jrue Holiday will look to attack the paint. keep him out of their and play strong in the post. Sixers have only a few options to make the long ball so even the use of zone makes sense tonight for the Raptors.

Transition Offense: Both of these teams like to get out and run in transition. The team that does the best in this regard should have a big leg up in winning the game.

D is Key: Raptors D has not been spectacular despite two wins. It will need to be good tonight to beat this team. 

Back From My Wrestlemania Weekend Off

I am back from my day off. Did manage to catch some of the Raptors win over the Wizards in which they started like a lion and ended like a lamb. However given their performances in the past vs the Wizards they will take the win. It was the dreaded 99 point no pizza for you win as well. Up next for the Raptors is the Charlotte Bobcats. The fact the Raptors have lost twice to both the Wizards and Bobcats is likely the biggest factor in keeping them in decent position in the draft lottery standings. Cleveland is in a free fall and they will play Raptors on Friday and that will be a big game in those lottery standings. Unlike with Wizards and Bobcats the Raptors have owned the Cavs this season going a perfect 3-0 on the season. My prediction of the Raptors winning 20 games seems destined to happen with 18 wins in the books already. It could even go higher than that with games vs Bobcats, Cavs, Pistons and Nets all left on the schedule. I would think the Raptors at minimum can get 4 more wins this season to finish with 22 wins. Better than what anyone expected and the credit for that goes mostly to Dwane Casey.

So the reason I took the weekend off was Wrestlemania. I needed a break and just wanted to enjoy some sports entertainment. The main event of that card was John Cena vs The Rock. It had a one year build up to it and in the end the match itself was good but far from great. Why do I mention this here? The Raptors have been doing their own one year build to the coming of Jonas Valancuinas and I would suggest most will be left feeling the same way as I did about the Rock vs Cena Match. It is extremely hard for anyone to live up to a year long of hype to their arrival. There have only been a few situations that have been similar to this. Ricky Rubio is the closest example and the build for him was even longer. He stepped up to the plate and till his injury was hitting a home run in Minnesota. Lebron James had a year long of hype when he was in high school prior to coming to the NBA. He hit a grand slam when he finally arrived in the NBA. Those are the exceptions to the rule for the most part. If you look forward to something long enough it almost always never means the high expectations you build in your mind. There is no question Jonas should help things head in the right direction. I think we have seen enough of this kid to establish he will not be a complete bust on the next level. If you think he is the answer and will solve all the Raptors problems and turn them into a playoff team right away you will be disappointed.

It is a busy week for the Raptors with games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It is a busy week for myself as well. I will be down covering the game on Friday at the ACC against the Cavs. On Sunday will be at St Louis Wings for the game between the Raptors and Thunder for our party this year. It will be a fun night and after the Easter Bunny has done his thing come out and hang out with us at the Bay St Location of St Louis Wings and watch the best basketball team in the world take on your Toronto Raptors. That is what I am calling the OKC Thunder these days the BEST BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE WORLD. Check how they have been playing lately and who they have been beating lately as evidence of that fact. It should be fun. So a busy week ahead so in the words of former Raptor Reggie Evans...LET'S GET IT!!!

Chris Bosh Shines As Heat Toy With Raptors.

The Miami Heat got in at 4:30am were are told. Which for any other team would be a story. For Miami that is the regular team curfew in South Beach. There are lots of empty seats this year for Bosh's return to Toronto. A little different story last year. Raptors are a lot different too. That being said the Heat are pretty much the same unstoppable force they always are.

The game starts with a Bosh bucket in the lane to a smattering of boos. It would start a 10-0 run for the Heat to start this game and it was not a surprise. The lack of people in the building was considering the opposition beyond the Bosh return you have Wade and James two of the best players in the NBA. Raptors would get a basket after a time out but the beat down just kept rolling along with score 16-2. The Raptors would show small signs of life on offense but their defense was to make a joke and a point MIA. The Heat led 22-10 and really were getting whatever they liked on the offensive end. DeRozan had a few nice scores and on a drive to the hoop he cut the lead to 26-15 for the Heat. Raptors would get together a little run and make this a six point basketball game. Chalmers with timely 3 ball makes the lead back to 9. Still the Raptors kept charging and had got this back to a respectable close game down just 31-27 after one.

Bargnani was getting it done and he remains glued to the bench to start the 2nd. The Raptors were now a scrap bunch with Amir Johnson and others like Gary Forbes in the fray. They cut lead to just 2 for the Heat the closest they had been since practically the opening tip. Bargnani would return and maybe message received as he hit a baseline jumper to tie the game at 35. Raptors would get the lead on a Derozan lay up from a feed from Anderson on 10 day contract. Raptors lead 41-39. Chris Bosh had seen enough of this he makes a jumper and ties this game up. Then Wade with a great move of a pick set for him and to cap it off Lebron James with a dunk as the Big 3 go back to back to back scoring to give Heat a 47-43 lead. The Heat would expand that to a 59-51 lead closing out the half on a 12-4 run sparked by the Super Friends.

Bosh has 14, James has 14 and Wade has 13 points. Also with 14 points Demar DeRozan but he does not have the support to battle with the Big 3. Alley oop to James to start the half but the Raptors respond with Jose to Amir hook up. Amir getting the start in 2nd half replacing Aaron Gray in starting group. Bosh than gets a slam to groans from the ACC crowd. The Raptors were keeping it close as Demar nailed a jumper after another Amir score. The Heat were letting the Raptors hang around for now with the score 65-61. Back to back hoops from D-Wade would get the Heat lead back to 8. But the Raptors pushed back again and Bargnani three ball cut the lead to just three at 69-66. Bargnani after being benched for awhile got the message and has played much better since. Made a couple free throws to get the Raptors to just one point behind. Demar DeRozan meantime loves playing the Heat having an excellent night attacking constantly and he does again to tie the game up at 76. Heat again respond as Lebron James makes a jumper like it is easy as pie. Andrea Bragnani does one better with a big three ball to make it a one point lead for the Heat. James Johnson would score and the Raptors would lead this thing in the third 81-80. Raptors got their lead to three but then a wide open rookie Norris Cole nails a three and this game was tied at 83 after 3.

Heat again start the 4th and get out to a 4 point lead. Andrea Bargnani has been a totally different guy since getting benched early in this one. He fought for a rebound and drew a foul and then nailed a three on the extra possession he created. Bosh made a couple at the line but then James Johnson fires up a three ball and ties it at 89. Jose Calderon gets smacked in the face and called for a foul and doesn't like it and gets a tech. All that leads to three points for the Heat. Miami would get another star call as James Johnson got called for a charge. Heat go on a 8-0 run and lead 97-89. Out of time out Jose scores on a jumper of a nice screen. Wade answers that as he is fired up and was talking trash earlier. Chances of the Raptors winning had faded fast. Heat were playing defense much more to the level they normally do. That was the biggest difference in this worth quarter. A steal to drive home that point and D-Wade slam part of a 16-4 run that sees the Heat leading 105-93 with roughly 3 to play. Heat would go on cruise control the rest of the way. Bosh misses a dunk down the stretch fans got a chuckle but Bosh go a redo and smashed it down to give him 30 on the night to tie for the game high with D-Wade. Heat take this one 113-101.

Chris Bosh wins and all you get is a lousy slice of Pizza. Demar DeRozan had 28 and in this environment vs the Heat always seems to shine. Bargnani was terrible at the start, fantastic in the middle and was quiet late. It was a fun ride but the expected result.