Amir Johnson is All About The Fans

It has been a rough season on the floor for Amir Johnson. But in good times or bad he always is active in giving back to his fans. He has had some of the more unique ideas in promoting himself while giving back to the people who support him. Last season, as a way to say thanks to his fans, he treated about 50 fans to a Raptor game and an after game meal with him at a pretty high end restaurant in Toronto. His latest idea encourages fans to hit the streets and take photos of his jersey or just a Raptor jersey on various things like statues or whatever I guess. This is called "Draping", rather than have me explain just go to his website for a full explanation. The deadline to get your picture posted on his facebook page or tweet it to him @IamAmirJohnson is Feb 9th which is a week today. Winners get a autographed poster from Amir and the ultimate winner 2 tickets to an upcoming Raptor Game. I really admire the creativity of Amir in his promotions. I had a brief chance to catch up with him and get his thoughts on it. There is also some thoughts on a feature I was going to do on "What you would never want to forget on a road trip?". It seemed like a good idea but never really panned out. It does lead to a funny story about how he use to steal Reggie Evans lotion a couple seasons back. So I left it in.



It is these kind of things that even when times are tough, by and large the fans will stick with you. Amir has went out of his way for fans since coming here to embrace them. In times when things are not as good that goodwill comes back to you. Most Raptors fans instead of complaining about any problems they see with Amir on the floor, more are likely just to keep rooting for him to find the answers. I make a point of this often, how players are people the same as all of us. If a player goes out of his way to appreciate you, that can only serve to help him in the long run. There was some speculation Amir might have some issues beyond basketball right now. I have no idea what they are or if that is the case. But what I do know, is that based on my interactions with him whatever the case maybe I wish him nothing but my heart felt best wishes. Fans because of who he is would agree with this I am pretty certain. Amir Johnson is an example of a guy that gets it in terms of promotion and in terms of giving back to the people that support him. That is something you love to see in any pro athlete. Something that is rare enough these days to be admired.

So now what?

Before we get to today's blog we have started our own store here at the Dino Nation Blog. It is away for you to support the DNB and show your loyalty. After being around for now 4 years and having to survive a NBA Lockout it was time to do this. So check out the store and see if anything tickles your fancy. More items will be made as we roll along.



Now on to what we do. The one thing that this new CBA provides that will be very interesting for all teams is an amnesty on one contract. It allows a team to buyout one of their existing contracts without penalty to the salary cap. So the Raptors could use this on anyone under contract currently which is a pool of 10 players. Obviously you can rule out a number of folks. The two names at the top of the list for this to be cashed in on would be Jose Calderon with 2 years left on his deal and Linas Kleiza who still is not ready to come back and play ball after a torn ACL from last season. He still has 3 years remaining. Most will feel this is a no brainer it should be Calderon. But there is no guarantee the Raptors have to use it on anyone. In a season where Colangelo has already downgraded expectations of what he might do with the Raptors cap space which will be significant. I could easily see the Raptors not using this clause and saving it for next season and adding to what again will be a year in which the Raptors could have even more room to play with as Barbosa and his 7.5 million will come off the cap after this year. It also would at least open the option of using it on Andrea Bargnani if he were to struggle for another season and the Raptors could not trade him. But it will not be used on Andrea now. I would think this season will be make or break in terms of Bargnani's future with the Raptors.

In terms of Free Agents the Raptors may only have really one decision to make on their own free agents. Sonny Weems is under contract for the season in Europe along with the Andrea Bargnani of France Alexis Ajinca who is likely to stay in France by choice. Julian Wright after his refusal to play under Jay Triano really should not be considered coming back although with no Weems and Kleiza not ready to go it is not the 100% slam dunk he is gone that it might have been. But the really choice the Raptors will face is what to do about Reggie Evans. He has shown great leadership in his couple years in Toronto but also has been injured for significant chunks of time. It will be interesting to see if the Raptors want him back and then if they can keep him should they. Evans is a nice role player for any team and when healthy he has still proven to be one of the top rebounders in this league.

Dwane Casey is going to have a tough task turning this team into even a decent defending team. That challenge will be even greater with a shortened training camp and the fact as training camp is going on so will NBA free agency and new players brought in will be thrown into the mix on the fly. Many said in the NFL that teams with new coaches would struggle but that has not been the case for all. Ask any fans of the 49ers about that. But teams that added a significant number of new faces did not fair as well. Ask any Eagles fan about that. So you may not like the Colangelo proclamation that the Raptors are likely not to shake up the world this year in free agency it might be a wise idea. Also if the Raptors were to shock the world and actually be better than expected the rules in terms of trades have become less restrictive and that cap room could be used in terms of trades just as easily without having to convince anyone on the greatness of Canada. Just because you sign someone and make a big splash is not guarantee of success. Joe Dumars would like to have his choices on Charlie V and Ben Gordon back I am sure. The Raptors clearly were not impressed with Hedo and had to move him along.

But if you listen to most it seems the Raptors are doomed to another season of development. Which likely means the Raptors are more in line to be competing for lottery position rather than playoff position. Whoever the Raptors end up getting will be a bargain as rookie contracts have been reduced by 18% in the new deal. They will also be coming in with the Raptors pick this season playing in Europe in Jonas Valanciunas. That also may be a reason to hold on to Bargnani as once Jonas does arrive it would give Bargnani the move to his natural position according to him of power forward. In a draft class that is expected to be packed with talent as many players took the option of another year of school rather than gambling on if the NBA would play or not this year. That combined with one of the more dynamic freshman classes in years in college basketball should lead to quite the pool of talent for this year's draft.

That is at least a quick overview of what lies ahead. For us in the Dino Nation Blog will start getting things back rolling again with interviews and all of that stuff eventually. It is hard to go from a dead stop to rolling back at 100% for everyone and that includes blogs. But will get everything up and running as your use too. It is just nice to be back and have something to talk about that does not involve Labour Negotiations.

2 Seasons Of Covering Raps In The Books.

I could have done a recap of the Raptors glorious win over the Nets that may cost them a spot in the draft lottery order. But after a long and great day in Toronto decided it would be old news by now and with Raptors right back at it tonight with the Bucks what would be the point. So instead of that thought I would share my thoughts as I have come to a conclusion of my second year covering this team with access. I was able to cover even more games this year and build on things from year one.

If I stop and think about all the great players I got to see and or talk with this year it would amaze me. From Steve Nash to Kevin Durant and many more. It really is amazing to have that privilege and be able to call it your job. In terms of Steve Nash, I can tell my grandchildren (assuming I have any) that I got to see Canada's greatest basketball player up close. When the Dino Nation Blog started not sure I could have dreamed for all of these great experiences. I am sure that when the NBA first came to Canada I dreamed of covering it someday. But back in 1994 who even knew what a blog was, who would have though there would be this thing called Twitter. You may have a plan and dreams for you life, but the path you take to get there always has some things you could have never expected.

It is a great experience to get to know players and this season I really got to build relationships with some of the players I have been covering for a couple years now. At the top of that list are Reggie Evans and Demar DeRozan. When I first started covering this team up in Ottawa at training camp a couple of years ago they were first two guys I spoke with. Over those two years I have spoke with both to many times to count. It makes you have a greater appreciation for both their successes and failures. Reggie has had a tough 2 seasons in Toronto and injuries have made it tough for him. But watching him fight back from both gave me a greater respect for Reggie, more than I would have had without having access and knowing him on professional basis. These are some of things I value about having access to the team. It allows you a opportunity to get a better sense of everything to a degree.

In terms of Demar the person I met in Ottawa was a nice young man, that was for all his talent and skill, still a shy person in terms of talking. But he has grown and become much more confident in that respect. I got to see first hand the great relationship he has with Sonny Weems. I also got to see a kid who the first time I talked with him told me "I want to be not just good but great" start the long path to making that reality. I understand how much he wants to succeed and have got to be a spectator to that. Demar will always have a special place in my heart. He came into the NBA as a freshman out of USC in part to make sure his mom got the best care possible. She suffers from Lupus and he wanted to make sure he was able to help provide the best care possible. As someone that has made sacrifices to care for my mother I really respect that. So does it make me root for Demar to be successful? It sure does and there is nothing wrong with that. He works hard and think everyone can agree Demar has taken strides towards the greatness he desires to achieve.

You also learn that all the relationships that you have can be gone like that. I always enjoyed talking with Jarrett Jack and he was there one time I covered a game and was gone the next. It is always a weird feeling when you enter that locker room and their is a new face in the place of an old one. So you start that process of getting to know that new person. Jerryd Bayless is a super young man. He has struggled this year but has started to show some signs here late in the season. Still it remains to be seen how much this means. The one thing I have learned about Bayless is in a season that a team has to endure a ton of losing there is no one that takes that more personally than him in that locker room. It is written all over his face and without him saying a word you can know if the Raptors won or lost.

As I left that locker room and the ACC last night I had a number of thoughts running through my head. Was that the last time I was going to get to laugh at Sonny Weems for some silly thing he did in that locker room? Sonny is always fun loving and always heard in that locker room. He may be the most fun loving guy on this team. Even with his roll reduced by James Johnson it has not stopped Sonny from being Sonny. Logically his future with the Raptors for next season seems bleak. While personally I would love to see him again, I know logically that is probably not likely. It may have been the last time I get to see Reggie Evans in that locker room as well. His situation is a little less clear. Reggie has shown some things that some feel there is a chance he could stay. Time will tell on what ultimately happens.

There was also a strange vibe with everyone I spoke with as it was my last time seeing a lot of these folks for the season. That strange vibe is the fact that everyone I have spoke with to a man or woman seems to feel an NBA Lockout will happen. So it is not just a simple case of see you next season. No one is really sure when that will be and some wonder "if" that will be. Everyone in that bubble that is covering games from staff, to players and folks in media. We all wonder what the future brings with no control or say in it. Everyone has an opinion on it though. But the one thing that would shock almost everyone is if we were playing games in late October to start the season as would be the normal practice.

You have to hope that people will be able to keep going and everyone on the other side comes back to be doing what they do. It is a scary awkward time for everyone. When you think about that it makes the fact the Raptors season itself has been one of the worst ever not mean quite as much. Is a terrible season better than no season at all. As much as this season has been frustrating and a true grind to get through, it is far better to have a season and be able to work. No season is so bad that it doesn't make you want to come back for another.

So I close off this 2nd year of having access with the Raptors hoping there will be another but having no idea when that will. It is a pretty sad way to end a season. A pretty scary summer to look forward too. But all that being said I have been fortunate to have another season covering this team and appreciate the opportunity to do so. Jim LaBumbard has been so kind to allow me that opportunity and ask anyone that works covering this team, you are likely to hear nothing but great things about Jim and I am no different. It was a fun year and I really felt like I belonged this year. Last season was like a blur trying to fit in and feel like I belonged to be there. It takes awhile but I truly feel comfortable now and have got to know lots of great people through it.

Oh yeah and Raptors beat the Nets 99-92.

9 Games To Go, 9 Questions To Answer

With 9 games to go let's take a look at 9 questions about the Raptors future going forward:

1. Bryan Colangelo's future with the Raptors? It has been the question that has hung over this season all year long. It was always suppose to be a formality but it has yet to become a reality. You have to wonder now if we still will see Bryan Colangelo next season. It still seems likely we will. But with the ownership of MLSE very much up in the air with the teacher's pension fund looking to sell their stake in the team it makes things a little less certain. Do we even know if Bryan wants to come back? If there was another opportunity in the league would he take it? There had been thoughts he could go to New York but with Isiah Thomas surfacing again in New York in some unknown advisory roll pretty sure that keeps B.C far away from the Knicks. Before you can answer any other questions you need to answer this one.

2. Jay Triano stays or goes? So many people want to find reasons for Jay Triano not to be fired. You have to figure that if Colangelo were to be gone Jay would be right behind him. Any new G.M that is going to have any real impact would almost 100% want to bring in his own coaching staff. But even if Bryan remains can he afford to stay with Jay Triano? Whatever you want to say about Jay the fact can not be denied that this team has not bought into his defensive system or his system on defence simply doesn't work. You can point the the Raptors lack of talent on that end of the floor as the reason. But it is up to the coach to find a way to make this team at least some what competent in terms of defence. I have yet to find a person that believes Jay Triano is the long term answer for this team moving forward. It is my believe the longer you keep him the more you are just wasting time. In a year that everyone admits was about development, in terms of defence this team has shown none. It has regressed in fact to be one of the worst teams on the defensive end of the floor that this franchise has ever seen.

3. Andrea or Demar? Who is this team ultimately being built around. Is it Andrea Bargnani or Demar DeRozan. Given the lack of improvement of Bargnani as a defender and a rebounder it would be truly scary if it is him. The Raptors also have stayed with Bargnani at the center position which seems to not be a good fit. In DeRozan he has shown a lot of improvement this season. Maybe not as much as people would have hoped for. But enough that you can see a day where people consider him the best player on this team. If you look around the league a team build around a dynamic wing player that is athletic is a lot more common than build around a big man. Other than a few franchises this is the case. The exceptions to the rules are true dominant traditional centers that rebound and defend. Bargnani is not that is he. I said as the start of this year the development of DeRozan was the key to this season. His development was the biggest factor. He needs to take over this team and become it's young leader. Bargnani is just never going to be that for this franchise.

4. Young Onez are one and done? It sure looks that way. Amir Johnson and Demar DeRozan will still be around. But with James Johnson coming on board it would seem that Sonny Weems days as a Raptor are coming to a close. It is something I think will have impact beyond just him being gone. We just got through talking about how important Demar DeRozan is for this franchises future. To toss his best friend over the side will be something that is going to bother DeRozan even if he never admits it publicly. He will say it is a business and will miss Sonny and all of that. But the chemistry and the relationship these 3 players built with each other and fans was something pretty special. While the basketball arguments for why this is happening are obvious, still it is sad that the Young Guns turned to Young Onez appear to be dust in the wind.

5. Reggie Evans say good bye or hello again? It is a very tough choice on what to do about Reggie Evans. When he has been out there he has been a force and a presence. The one guy that when he puts on a jersey on this team you know exactly what you get every single night. But the injuries to his foot are a big concern. He is sitting out with pain in that surgically repaired foot. I love Reggie and I think he adds a tremendous amount of value to this team. But I am very worried about these foot troubles Reggie is having. I am not sure you can be confident he can remain healthy. I know he will work hard. But it may be out of his control. If he was willing to take a short term contract at a very small number I think it is worth it. But if Reggie wants more than that it will have to be elsewhere. Reggie is perhaps my favourite person on this team. I hope for his sake he can be healthy and successful where ever he is playing. I am just not sure it can be here in Toronto. If it is Raptors will have a player that is a guy that commands respect in the locker room and just by his effort challenges others to match it. But to do those things Reggie has to be out on the floor playing and last two seasons that has been a challenge.

6. Draft Who, Draft What? I am pretty certain on what the Raptors need to do here. Point guard is what you want to draft. Assuming the Raptors luck is the same as it was in the season which is bad. That point guard you can watch in Final Four in the form of Kemba Walker. If you can't get rid of Jose Calderon at this point. Walker maybe a better version of T.J Ford and at his best could provide the same one, two punch Raptors had in the Forderon days. Kembaron? Jerryd Bayless has not shown to be a true challenge for minutes or Calderon's job. Kemba Walker will challenge Calderon and has the talent to surpass him. Calderon is just not a starter in this league. Walker has shown to be a tremendous talent and is the darling of March Madness. If the Raptors were to be lucky enough to get the number one pick they would likely have the chance to draft Irving from Duke. The only other player that might interest the Raptors is Harrison Barnes. The dynamic young freshman had a rough start at UNC but took big strides at the end of the season. These 3 players are likely the biggest difference makes the Raptors could hope to acquire in this draft.

7. Trade Bargnani? Many think if Bryan Colangelo is still on board there is no way this happens. Still there was a rumour in a New York paper that Bargnani may in fact be in play for the Knicks. While I don't think the Knicks have a package that would interest the Raptors enough to get Bargnani. After all they gave up a lot to get Carmelo Anthony. But the fact it is out there that Bargnani could be in play is news. I am convinced that unloading him now would be the smart move for this team. If you can find a team that is desperate enough to over look his lack of rebounding and defence for his offence you need to consider it strongly. Other teams have given up on first overall picks before. If you can get some actual value for him before he bottoms out you need to do it. Bargnani has reached the point that it would seem unlikely he finds God and is able to defend and rebound all of the sudden on a consistent basis

8. Ed Davis a part of the solution? It sure seems like it. Now he is not the Chris Bosh replacement that some billed him as when he was drafted. But he offers a solid rebounding presence and can be a decent defender in a good system with other players contributing to that system. He also has the potential to be something that Raptors have not had in a long time. A shot blocking presence that can change shots and block his share of them. Not since maybe Antonio Davis and Keon Clark were putting on the purple have they had this. Davis is not going to be a superstar. But he can be an effective part of a winning formula. Davis has surprised me this season given the amount of time he has missed. But he to his credit jumped into an NBA season and on most nights has looked like he belongs. You hope his development can continue on the right path. With a lock out looming who knows what that would mean for the Vegas Summer League. But DeRozan gained a lot of confidence from his time in Vegas last summer. You hope Davis would get a chance to do the same.

9. How much will the new CBA help the Raptors? When there is a new CBA no matter how it turns out Bryan Colangelo has done a solid job setting the Raptors up to be prepared for it. The general answer to this question for me is pretty simple. The more the owners win the more the Raptors win in terms of the CBA. Here are just a couple examples. If we get a franchise tag added to the mix. This gives you more control to keep your stars here to grow. Demar DeRozan can get better without the fear that he will be leaving. It also would give the team time to prepare should a player want out. It also would provide teams another weapon to avoid situations like the ones we have seen with James, Bosh, Williams, Anthony and Paul. Also if they eliminated the MLE this would cause players to really have to choose between money and winning. Would a guy really take a minimum salary to go play for a contender. Perhaps some older veteran players would but it makes it a much tougher choice for players to turn their back on teams with money to spend. Raptors will have money to spend and if the new system makes it easier for them to spend it. Regardless of the CBA we end up with Raptors are positioned well for it and that credit goes to Bryan Colangelo.

Irony In OKC

I mentioned in the preview the last time the Raptors the last time Raptors won two in a row was on December 3rd. The team they defeated was the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Kevin Durant was a spectator that night and Thunder were coming into this one on a roll. Winners of six in a row. Not to mention this game was in Oklahoma City and the Raptors were in the midst of a team record 14 game road losing streak. Every single sign pointed to an easy win for the Thunder. But just like in March Madness upsets can happen and the Raptors would play like that plucky underdog in this one.

Raptors won the tip and Bargnani missed on a drive to the hoop. Kevin Durant nails a three, after a Calderon drive to the bucket Sefolosha would cut to the hoop and score and it was 5-2 Thunder. James Johnson would drive and score and make the and one free throw and it was tied at 5. Westbrook with a nice dime gave OKC the lead, after couple sloppy possession by both teams Perkins would get a slam to make it 9-5. Demar DeRozan and Kevin Durant exchanged hoops. Westbrook left Jose Calderon standing there. Then James Johnson made a three and was talking smack? Really James Johnson...not a smart idea. Not long after that Perkins would get in Amir Johnson's face and he would respond with a push and get teched up for it. Another Westbrook blow by and to this point this game was following the script you would have expected with OKC up 18-10.

Few empty trips for the Thunder and a wide open 3 from Bargnani combined with an earlier Raptor free throw would make it 18-14 Thunder. Speaking of the line Andrea Bargnani got himself there and made a pair it was a two point game. Reggie Evans checked in and got in the grill of Perkins and was able to draw a response and drew a technical on him. Calderon would make that and a jumper and Raptors led 19-18 currently enjoying a 9-0 run. Corner three would not fall for Westbrook and Raps would get out on break and make it an 11-0 run with Reggie of all people finishing on the break. Why Westbrook was not content going pick and roll and blowing past Calderon is a mystery to me. After a time out OKC would finally break free and get a couple baskets to re-take the lead 22-21. James Johnson on drive hits Reggie Evans who was being a factor scoring? No really he was. Westbrook took my advice but driving one against 3 was not what I had in mind. James Harden a frustration dunk after he was fouled on the floor. He would take an ill advised three and speaking of three on the other end Reggie Evans had his third basket since checking in. Evans almost had a 4th on a tap back at the end of the quarter but he would settle for 6 points and the Raptors happy to have 25-22 lead after 1.

Raptors started the 2nd quarter in a zone and James Harden made them pay with a 3 pointer and we were tied at 25. Barbosa the drive and the drop off for the offensive force that was Reggie Evans and he got fouled and heads to the line for 2. Not a good free throw shooter normally but makes both and Raptors were back up by 2. Thunder would hit another 3 and re-take the lead 28-27. Lead was flip flopping back and forth with the Thunder hanging on to the lead 30-29. Barbosa would get called for a charge but Bayless after a little trouble on the break would find Barbosa for the easy 2. Sonny Weems would add on two more to the cause and the Thunder had to be scratching their heads down 33-30 with a time out on the floor. Scott Brooks was coach of year for a reason as his team responded out of the time out again with two straight scores and were back on top 34-33. After the Raptors took the lead back another James Harden three would give the Thunder back their one point edge at 38-37 midway through the 2nd. James Johnson found a lane on the baseline and exploded down it for the slam. Thunder would answer that hoop and got a steal but James Johnson active hands would break up an easy score on the break.

Amir Johnson would draw a foul and get to the line and split a pair leaving this at even at 40. After a score on the next possession Thunder would make a sloppy pass and pay for it with a DeRozan dunk off the break and we were even again at 42 with a time out on the floor. Some Amir Johnson hustle gave the Raptors a couple extra chances to score that they failed to take advantage of. But the Raptors would gather a loose ball on the other end and a rare Bargnani hoop in the paint and the Raptors had a lead that Amir Johnson would expand on with his own bucket in the paint. After a couple OKC free throws a Barbosa drive and score gave the Raptors a pretty unexpected 48-44 lead at the half.

Thunder after a slow start for both teams a Westbrook drive to hoop not once but twice and this game was tied. He seems like he could do this almost anytime he wants why he not doing it more remains a mystery. Andrea Bargnani would get to the line and only manage getting 1 of 2 but nosed the Raptors back in front 49-48. Bargnani would miss a three but DeRozan got the board and put it home. Raps got on a roll and a DeRozan highlight worth dunk was enough to cause Brooks to call another timeout. Raptors after the Thunder had tied it went on a 8-0 run to lead 56-48. Perkins travelled as he put it in the basket but it would not count. Bargnani would extend the run on mid-range jumper. No travel this time and Perkins would finally end the Raptors 10-0 run with a nice lay in using the hoop to shield off the defenders. After Thunder got a couple hoops James Johnson who was doing a solid job guarding Kevin Durant got his offence on with a drive and score and Raptors were back up 8 with score 60-52.

Thunder would creep closer and the Raptors answer again to get the lead back to 64-56. Raptors were not going away but neither were these OKC fans who are some of the best in the NBA. Bargnani hit a shot and then got to the line made both and it was 68-58 Raptors with 3 to play in the 3rd. Bargnani had 10 in the quarter and DeRozan looking to match him with 10 of his own got called on the travel. But the Raptors were not stumbling at all in fact the got a Barbosa three to get lead to the largest point of the night to this point at 12. Kevin Durant was having a very quiet night thanks to James Johnson mostly but did manage to answer with a 3 of his own. Raptors were passing the ball well and Reggie Evans would benefit with a trip to the line and again made both. Raptors had a 10 point lead after 3. Raptors 76 Thunder 66 and the only question was could the Raps keep this up for 48 minutes.

A questionable foul call would go the way of James Harden and he made 3 at the line and Thunder were down a touchdown. Barbosa did not like the call but don't get made get even and he would nailing a three to get the Raptor lead back to 10. Thunder would get back to back hoops and crowd was getting into it. A steal and James Harden drew the foul heading to the line again. Thunder were having a bad night but Harden was keeping them in it. Made both and the Raptors lead the maxed out at 12 was down to 4. Another Raptor collapse coming our way. It was looking that way. Thunder had the crowd hyped and were trialling 81-77 with lots of time left. Demar DeRozan stepped up with a one handed runner and got Raptors back up a half dozen. It has hang on time for the Raptors. Bargnani gets a three after the Thunder split two at the line and Raptors led 86-78. But the Thunder were getting a lot of help from their 6th man and using it. Back to a 4 point game again but it would be DeRozan again stepping up to stop the Thunder burst and it was 88-82. Thunder got it back to 4 again and DeRozan slipped and had to call a time out as he was on the floor with no where to go.

Kevin Durant had been very quiet and well of his season totals but got to the line and made this a 2 point game the closet the Thunder had been in awhile. a loose ball and a tie up with exactly 5 minutes to go. Amir and Perkins would jump it up and Perkins would with the tap for OKC. K.D would hit a long two and tie this game up. This was looking like a case of close but no cigar for the Raptors. Durant on a jumper tried to give OKC the lead and could not hit. Raptors were struggling to get points as OKC had picked up their defence at the urging of their fans. Perkins got to the line and gave the Thunder the lead and you wondered if it would be for good. But he only made 1 of 2 and it was 89-88. James Johnson once again with a key basket on the drive and Raptors took the lead back. But the Thunder would answer and The Raptors failed to do so.

OKC called a time out with the ball up 91-90 looking to close this out and get a win. Thunder would turnover the ball out of the time out and Raptors would get a chance to re-take the lead that they had held most of the night. They could not and with 1:45 left the Thunder had all the momentum and it sure seemed like they could escape this one with a win. Durant got to the line again to chants of MVP he would make 2 at the line and Thunder led 93-90. The point was for most of this night Durant was not looking like an MVP and that is a big reason why Raptors were still in this. Barbosa tried for the tie and missed. K.D looked to close this out with a step back jumper but it didn't fall. Perkins would get fouled and get to line with 41.7 to play. He missed both and OKC was leaving the door open. DeRozan rebounded the 2nd miss and Raptors would call a time out. Barbosa has a easy look out of time out at 3 and nailed it. Raptors got a steal and had the ball tied at 93 with 21 seconds left. Barbosa would get the ball again and this time was the play maker getting a pass to Amir Johnson in the paint and a basket leaving OKC a little time left (1.4 seconds) to try to tie or win it. Thunder got the ball to K.D and a long 2 would not fall as it was an air ball. A stunning and fitting end to this game. 95-93 the Raptors shock the Thunder.

It was not a good day on the floor for Canada in March Madness. Texas on a questionable 5 second call lost to Arizona. Tristan Thompson and Cory Joesph's NCAA dreams were done for this season. Syracuse and their Canadian Joesph also fell. But the Raptors snapped a team record 14 game road losing streak in one of the tougher places to win in the NBA. It was unexpected and unreal. Full marks to James Johnson for taking up the challenge of locking down one of the best players in the game in Kevin Durant. Raptors had a tom of guys bringing it and they responded to the challenge and when adversity came in the 4th quarter they answered the challenge. Many times this season they have not. Full marks to the Raptors for a very unexpected win.

Reggie Rocks, But Bobcats Roll.

Sports makes stranger bed fellows than politics ever has. As proof I give you today's matinee with the Raptors hosting the Bobcats. The Pacers left the ACC quite upset with the Toronto Raptors and now today they have to root for the Raptors. Pacers and Bobcats enter today tied in the Eastern Conference Standings. The Raptors have another game where they can have an impact on playoff race even if they are not in it themselves. Also rooting for the Raptors are the Bucks sitting just a half game behind the Pacers and Bobcats. Losing an hour of sleep the Raptors have motivation to be spoilers. No Amir Johnson again today and that gives Ed Davis a chance to start. Coming off a double double. His 7th of the season I believe. But if I am wrong take it easy on me I am going on an hour less sleep too and making far less than anyone on the floor today.

Raps and Bobcats exchange hoops then a risky pass by James Johnson looking for Demar is picked and Bobcats turn that into two on the other end. Bobcats were looking sharp early and had an 8-4 lead. Bargnani who struggled in his return the line-up was not great but scores on a drive on his first attempt of the afternoon. Couple of fouls on Ed Davis and then DeRozan and the DeRozan foul sends Kwame Brown to the line. He mad both and Bobcats lead 12-6. DeRozan would score on the other end, answered by a Jackson three on the other end and it is 15-8 Bobcats on top. D.J Augustin hits a jumper to make it 17-10 and that draws a time out from Jay Triano. James Johnson blows a lay-up but Reggie was in and all over it but second chance did not get points. Bobcats get a three in transition and it was 22-13 and looking ugly early. James Johnson used a Reggie Evans screen and this time hit the uncontested lay-up it is was 22-16 and Bobcats wanted to talk it over. Reggie Evans making an impact hustles and get a ball leads to break and Raptors got a easy basket on a 2-0 break. Reggie makes an impact there is not question about that. Reggie was a one man wrecking crew and his hustle was leading to Raptors getting all kinds of open looks it was tied at 22 and since Reggie joined this game Raptors had an 11-4 advantage. Bobcats would edge ahead 24-22.

Reggie was rebounding everything with 8 boards and even had a basket to tie it at 24. Sonny Weems would give Raptors first lead since 2-0. Bobcats would try to fight off the wave of energy Reggie had brought and went on an 8-0 run. That was the good news, Stephen Jackson tweaking his back was the bad and Bobcats foul and take a time out for him to get checked out. Jerryd Bayless his a 3 ball Raptors were down 5. But now bad news for the Raptors as Demar DeRozan was knocked down and forced to take a seat even though he didn't want too. DeRozan is of course the only Raptor to play in ever game this season. Bobcats took advantage of his absence to take a 8 point lead. Jackson was back for the Cats as well. Ed Davis and he closed off the comeback push tying it up at 42 but failed to give the Raptors the lead at the line. Demar was back and he would give Raps the lead a 10-0 run and Raptors back on top 44-42. It was a scrappy finish to the first half and Bobcats were in a fight up 50-47.

As at the start teams trade buckets this time Bobcats strike first blow with Henderson jumper and Demar looking no worse for wear with the answer. Teams continued to trade baskets waiting for the other to blink with the score 59-56 Bobcats. The Raptors would be the ones to blink first and Bobcats nailed a wide open Augustin three. Then a turnover and a foul and suddenly Bobcats were up 10 with score 66-56. Even the return of Reggie to the floor did not help stop the Bobcat surge. A time out from Jay Triano to try and stop the insanity. But another Augustin three and Bobcats were doing a better job accounting for Reggie on the glass. Couple of Calderon baskets would get it back to single digits after the Bobcats had their largest lead at 13. make it a 6-0 Calderon run as he made 2 at the line. Not a fan but Jose like Reggie had in first half was making an impact in a very different way but same result. After DeRozan split a pair at the line Raptors were down 71-65. James Johnson in spurts is great but is also awful at times. Case and point a silly charge. Bobcats steady things and built the lead back to 10 with score 75-65. Raptors would make a push and draw a little closer for the 4th quarter. Some really sloppy play by Bobcats late as Bayless had a steal led to a easy lay up for Bargnani who was struggling mightily. The Evans a steal and a shot well out of his range and had it gone down the Building would have followed. Raptors would settle for being down 76-71.

The struggles for Andrea continued as a double team caused him to throw the ball away. Raptors had cut it to 3 but after that it was a 80-73 Bobcats lead. Barbosa not nearly as hot as on Friday. Made one to cut it to 5 but next trip missed. Reggie regardless of the score just rebounds. Sonny Weems in limited minutes is getting his and makes a jumper. But like Barbosa the next time a miss. But Reggie Evans with a steal and he was trying to WILL the Raptors to a win. Steal led to Bayless lay-up and it was 82-79. Bobcats got it back to 5 but a Barbosa three would cut the lead to two. This game was getting scrappy and Bobcats up 6 get teched up as Gerald Henderson did not like something. Reggie Evans has 17 rebounds in 28 minutes and he needs a break. DeRozan comes in and heads straight for the hoop and gets a call. Makes a couple at the line. DeRozan has had a rough day getting banged up and just 9 points so far. A Scramble play ends with a foul on Stephen Jackson by DeRozan and Jackson would split 2 making it 89-84 Bobcats. Break time over for Reggie but he is not in there to stop D.J Augustin who again nails a wide open look. Barbosa was heating up and basket and 1 at the line made it 91-88 Bobcats. But again Augustin hits and I am officially adding him to the Raptor Killer list. It includes names like Roger Mason Jr and other odd names. Demar DeRozan goes into double digits with a bang with the throw down. Raptors were fighting hard but in the end Bobcats had far more to lose than the Raptors. Bobcats needed this game and got it 95-90 powered by Texas Alum D.J Augustin with 23.

Speaking of Texas time to see where Longhorns will be for March Madness and tune in tomorrow as I chatted with T.J Ford about our Canadian kids at Texas and their prospects of making the NBA and who knows if they are smart here in Toronto becoming Raptors? As for today. Reggie tried to will this team to a win but he needed more help and Bargnani and DeRozan not having great scoring days would make that task far to tough in the end.

Charles Oakley Comes Back To Toronto

Oak is back as an assistant coach for the Bobcats. Charlotte has had a nice turn around since showing Larry Brown the door. Now they have another problem to deal with in how they deal without the heart and soul of their team in Gerald Wallace. They are chasing the Raptors last opponent the Pacers. They are in a dead heat with Pacers currently. Raptors meantime were able to reverse what happened on Wednesday hanging on Friday to beat those Pacers. A rare late season 1pm tip time on the day clocks move ahead? Seriously who's idea was this? I am not a fan but we march on.

The Basics: Charlotte 27-38 (10-22 on Road) Toronto 18-47 (3-7 to last 10)

When Last We Saw Them: Barbosa was on fire and the Raptors road that to a victory over the Pacers. The Raptors unlike against the Jazz were able to hang on to a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter.

Key Match Ups: I guess James Johnson is the Raptors defensive stopper now? Well your next mission is stop Stephen Jackson. He becomes the key player for the Bobcats with Gerald Wallace playing for the Blazers post trade deadline. Jose Calderon does not do well against people who are fast. D.J Augustin is fast but he also is wildly inconsistent. Raptors should get an advantage on the glass with Reggie Evans and Ed Davis getting on the glass.

Other Things Of Note: Lots of off court news. The Teacher Pension Fund the largest stake holder in MLSE is looking to sell. Along with that the question as to why Bryan Colangelo's extension has not be inked seems to have an answer. All of this going on with the NBA on the path to a lockout has there ever been a more depressing and confusing time for Raptors fans? If all of that gives you a headache you might just want to check out our interview with Demar DeRozan and hear him talk about actual basketball.

Where Is It On: Sportsnet (They bumped Poker for this so be happy)

Pacers get BLURRED!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

4th Quarter Jazz Music Has Raps Singing The Blues

Reggie is dressed and it the building for the Raptors. No Bargnani for the Raptors with the London Flu and Jazz have no AK-47 or Millsap. Net result advantage Raptors. Jazz got smashed in New York it was so bad Andy Rautins got to see the floor. He is already half way to Leo's told minutes on the floor in NBA. That is just an estimate but not far off.

Raps drew first blood and it was a 4-4 start with both teams shooting terrible to start. James Johnson comet like rise to Raptor popularity fizzled in London but early in this one a drive and foul for old fashion 3 point play and Raptors led 9-6 and it sparked a run. Raps get buckets from Davis and Amit Johnson for a 7-0 run and a 13-6 lead. Jazz clawed back into it and on a Devin Harris 3 the game was tied at 15. Amir Johnson who has been a warrior all year came down on Ed Davis foot and turned his ankle badly with score 17-17. Amir limps back to the Locker Room. Reggie Checks in for the injured Amir in an ironic twist of an ankle and fate. Al Jefferson went to work in the paint and Jazz had built a 5 point lead since Amir hit the locker room with score 26-21 Jazz with under 2 to play. Reggie Evans in the books with a basket and a couple of boards but Raptors were up against it down 31-26 after 1.

Raptors thanks to the Blur would get it to within 1 getting the first 4 points of the 2nd. Sonny Weems in full I am pissed mode comes in the game and give the Raptors the lead. If Sonny is selfish and looks to pad his stats the rest of this year, I am down with that because this team has made their choice. Ed Davis got the start and has been doing some nice things and a score by him gave the Raptors a 41-37 lead. Demar could not put a basket down in the paint and Jazz had closed to within 3 thanks to some Raptor sloppy play. Raptors lead was evaporating like the boilling water in my (Not Primo) pasta on the stove. By time I returned the Jazz were up 4. Raptor had 9 turnovers which would not go well with my spaghetti. Ed Davis had 12 at the half with no meatballs and Raptors trailed 52-50.

So as I finished up my bowl of pasta the Jazz went to work on the Raptors starting the half on a 8-2 run. Al Jefferson doing some of the damage and had 22 on the night to this point with Jazz winning 60-52. A DeRozan throw down got the Raptors on a roll and it got Raps back to down just 64-60. No Bargs, No Amir, No problem as DeRozan was not done finishing off the comeback with a basket and a foul that he made at the line 69-68 Raptors. Raptor from their would build their own lead at 76-70. Raptors would add 2 more before time expired in 3rd and led 78-70 after 3 in the books.

Sonny Weems started the 4th quarter making a bucket to kick things off. Raptors went on an 8-2 run to start the quarter with bookend Weems hoops as part of that run. The Raptors were looking good up 86-72 with 8:21 to go. But this is the Raptors and as we have seen all year long no lead is truly safe until the final buzzer goes. The Jazz would answer that Raptor run with a 10-2 run of their own with a couple three balls coming from Watson and Harris as part of the run. Raptors 14 point lead had been trimmed to 88-82. A couple free throws for Weems who had 16 off the bench. But then back to back threes for Miles and the Jazz all of the sudden were down just 2 with 3:24 to play. Calderon missed a couple threes and while Harris scored to close to within just 1. Jefferson would get back to back baskets and the 14 point lead was history and The Jazz with a 17 point turnaround led 94-91 with just a minute to play. The Raptors would get a huge three from Barbosa who just had 7 on the night but the game was tied at 94. The Jazz on the final possession were able to get away with an apparent travel by Devin Harris and a Jefferson tap back at the buzzer. Count the basket give him 34 points on the night and the Jazz a 96-94 win at the Buzzer.

Miles and Harris had 23 and Jefferson the aforementioned 34 that adds up to 80 of the Jazz 96 points. DeRozan had 17 and 8 rebounds with no Bargnani in the line-up. Reggie Evans in his return had a classic Reggie line with just 2 points and 11 boards. Amir Johnson did not return in this game. He would later tweet post game he was ok and thanked people for all their well wishes. Amir has been closest thing to Alvin Williams we have seen on this team. He is always going to say he is good but if he can go Friday will see. We know he will want to go. It will be just a question of can he go. As for the Bargnani flu....who knows. A sad and familiar script for Raptor fans.

The Raptors Road To The Unknown

There are now just 19 games left in the Toronto Raptors 2010/11 season. I was talking to someone over the weekend and they hit me with that number and I was kind of surprised. The season goes by so quickly, it really does. In those last 19 games it is more about the Raptors positioning in the draft lottery than anything else. But even that is flawed to a degree.

The Lottery itself is a bit suspect in nature. Some people have a hard time believing in it's legitimacy. From the very first lottery that saw Patrick Ewing going to the New York Knicks people have wondered how on the level it is. All those conspiracy believers may not be right but enough strange occurrences have happened in it makes you wonder. But legit or not this NBA Lottery maybe the most unusual ever given the back drop for the draft. The NBA's looming CBA issues and the lack of a deal and a lockout looming threaten to alter the draft class. Many feel that because there is a real question if we even have a season next year will cause many kids to take a pass on the draft. However David Stern has never been a fan of letting youngsters in this game. He created the rule to bring an end to high school players being drafted. The last ever high schooler drafted is on the Raptors Roster in Amir Johnson. Who is to say that Stern does not push to increase the eligibility age to enter the draft. That might make kids flock to this draft if they saw that as a possibility. The general consensus is this draft class is stocked with power forwards. The one position the Raptors seem to be over stocked. In a terrible season like this people look to the draft for hope and answers. But in terms of this season it may just provide more questions than it does answers for the Raptors. Much like the year Andrea Bargnani was selected, there is not a clear cut number 1 selection. No slam dunk Blake Griffin or Lebron James to select.

As for the future of this team we still have yet to even see if Bryan Colangelo is coming back. It is widely assumed that he will. It was also widely assumed that Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans had been traded. If Colangelo is back that likely means Jay Triano will remain as well. Regardless of if Bryan is back or not he has laid a foundation to fix this team under the new CBA. But it is hard to even say how well he has done in that regard with having no idea what the new rules are going to look like. The game is going to be altered and rule book to how you build a franchise will be re-written this off-season. Teams will enter the draft most likely with no clear road map as to what free agency is going to look like and no clear idea to when that even takes place.

The Raptors ability to be competitive in the NBA may greatly be helped by the results of the collective bargaining agreement. While the Raptors are in no danger of moving this league has other teams that are in that position. The Sacramento Kings seem almost a lock to move to Anaheim while the league itself owns the Hornets. Look around the league and you don't need anyone to tell you it has some serious issues in small markets. The actions and events that lead to Chris Bosh and Lebron James going to South Beach are being felt. Now New York wants to have a similar model and have 2 thirds of it in place. While there is no question the general interest in the sport overall has been helped by the creation of this super team in Miami. NBA ratings have been up and interest in the sport has been too. But in contrast to that interest is down in this market. The attendance for the Raptors is off from the past. Television and Radio numbers are down as well. Even online interest is down if I base it on myself. The easy answer to that is losing. Team loses interest will drop. But really it can be a much larger and bigger problem. It can be a loss of hope. When there is no hope that a team can truly be a contender you have a serious issue. While in a market such as Toronto that is not a death blow by any means it is for other markets and makes teams become not viable.

This CBA will need to address that competitive balance. Which in real terms that ability to have hope and faith that any team can truly win be restored. Oklahoma City is the exception and not the rule. Fans in markets need to have faith that they can have stars and not worry that at the first chance they have to leave they will bolt for a more attractive situation. You are never going to be able to create a perfect system but the NBA must create a better one that allows teams to have the ability to keep it's stars. That can be tough when at a certain point players have made so much money that it becomes less about the money and more about other things. It is not like you can mandate someone to be loyal. Players will make the point that franchises are not always loyal as well. Teams on any given day when they are able to make trades can send a player packing at the drop of a hat.

The end result of the CBA will have a lot of say in what the Raptors future is going to be. If fans can embrace Demar DeRozan as the next one or just the next one to leave. I had said long before this season had ever got started that his development was the most important thing of this entire season. Injuries and a lack of any sort of a competitive team has made that even more the case. Whatever they come up with in a new CBA is not going to change one simple fact about the NBA. This is a star driven league and more than any other sport you truly need a star player or players to have any hope and being a serious contender. The Raptors as currently constructed have no star or franchise player at the moment. They have two potential stars in Bargnani and DeRozan. But when you look at things realistically the chances that Bargnani ever reaches that level grow less and less as the days go by. The same is not true for DeRozan who is showing true signs that he can be an elite player in this league. It has not been in the way that a Vince Carter burst on to the scene in Toronto. It has been a steady progression of improvement. Demar is still very young and I think we sometimes expect so much from kids these days. Not everyone can be like Lebron James or Sidney Crosby and walk into a sport and instantly dominate it. It takes time for most to learn and grow and develop into superstars. But there is not question that Demar at least has the tools in terms of ability to become one.

The question will become if DeRozan can reach that level can this team surround him with a team that is capable of winning. They have failed to do that with Carter and with Bosh. While you can point to those players and lay some of the blame on them, you have to assign blame to the Raptors as well. If Colangelo is indeed back he will need to get things right. While Bryan has had a lot of success in bringing in some complimentary pieces. When Colangelo has looked to hit the home run he has struck out every time. This will be his last chance to get it right and it may take him doing some things that many do not see him doing. He may need to take a hard look at Andrea Bargnani and if he truly should be here. Can he be a complimentary piece to a DeRozan or do you need to trade him and move on. Bargnani is not and will not be this team's franchise player. If people are going to question if Bosh could be to argue that Andrea can be is beyond ridiculous.

Who ultimate Colangelo makes part of this young core moving forward is going to be vital. While Bargnani is part of that mix if Colangelo is not willing to move him. DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson all I would suggest are the other locks but after that it becomes cloudy. Jerryd Bayless is a real question mark above all others. He has not exactly blown anyone away really. Especially as the losses have mounted for this team, he has seemed to see his play drop off as well. He is likely to see more competition come his way as a result. I can not imagine the Raptors would not seriously be interested in finding a young point guard to develop and eventually replace Jose Calderon. You have Sonny Weems who it would appear has been ruled expendable by the Raptors acquiring James Johnson. It seems unlikely that both Johnson and Weems would remain. Solomon Alabi has in a sense just become the white flag for the Raptors throwing in the towel on games. He has bounced back and forth from the Bayhawks to the Raptors. I am not sure what to make of his future. Maybe they give him another year to see if they can turn him into anything. He very much is a project like Nathan Jawai was suppose to be and never was.

It will then become finding the vets to place around this group. In terms of the vets they have it would seem unlikely that Reggie Evans or Barbosa enter into the longer term plans for the Raptors. Both have been plagued with injuries and we have only got to see snap shots of what they are capable of doing in Toronto. The Raptors however the CBA shakes out are going to have cash to spend. Evans contract is going to expire and unless Reggie takes a serious discount I can't see him being back. While Barbosa becomes an interesting asset entering the final year of his deal. Definitely he is an interest piece for a contender if he is healthy. He also will offer a ton of cap relief for whoever is holding is contract by the end of next season assuming we have one that is.

But to truly know what this team or any team is going to be able to do in the future is just not possible. We have no road map on what teams will or won't be able to do. At the same time the NBA's future is in flux so is the NFL's future. They too are in the beginning of their labour situation. While the two are not related exactly should the NFL find a way to have labour peace, as an NBA fan you would hope that increases the pressure for the NBA to do the same.

The sad fact is that as fans we are held as the hostages in these things. It takes away your ability to even look towards the future with no really idea on what it will be. Which in terms of the Raptors is all they have going for them right now is the future. The present has been painfully obvious you could argue even as far back as when Chris Bosh signed in Miami. We all remember the post Vince Carter Raptors. It took a long time to recover from that. This time around the Raptor fan base is far more bitter and far more jaded. They have endured 16 years of a team that has not been able to deliver on it's promise of wanting to be a winner and a contender. They are more educated as fans and are not as easy to accept that this team will be able to get it right this time. After all they have enough history of them getting it wrong to be justified in thinking that it will not change.

However with a new CBA that will eventually come it is hard to predict what it will mean for the NBA and for the Raptors specifically. What is not hard to figure out is this fan base regardless of that is tired of losing it's stars, tired of losing faith and just tired of losing in general. The pressure to get it right will be intense. Raptor fans are not like Maple Leaf fans and are not willing to wait 40 plus years for them to get it right.

Reggie Evans Returns!!!....To The DNB

No he is not back quite yet. He has a child on the way and his rehab is almost complete. Ironically the baby (a boy) is due on the same day Chris Bosh returns to Toronto. Chris Bosh will be thankful not to see Reggie Evans but Raptor fans hope to see him soon. The impact he had at the start of this season was tremendous and much more what Bryan Colangelo had in mind when he was acquired from Philadelphia. But another injury against the Celtics yet again put Reggie on the shelve. Last season was the first time Evans had ever had to deal with any kind of extended rehabilitation. He has learned from that in his approach to it the 2nd time around. We talk about that, how frustrating it can be to be a spectator as the Raptors have struggled without him, and his thoughts on what it will be like to be a father to a boy this time around. Reggie already has 2 kids both girls. On a side note how would you like to be the poor kid that tries to date them. I can only imagine how I would feel at the age of like 13-16 to see Reggie Evans at the front door. But that is the cool thing about Reggie, for all his aggressive and forceful nature on the court, off of it he is in many ways a gentle soft spoken guy never short on opinions. I admit way back when I started covering the Raptors with access, if you had told me the guy I would bond with the most on this team was Reggie, I might not have believed it. Prior to meeting him up in Ottawa when he joined the Raptors I had just seen him on the floor. he is an intimidating dude and your first instinct is not to say anything wrong that might upset him. But now Reggie is one of the faces I look forward to seeing in the Raptor locker regardless of if he is in the blog or not. But today he is and this is a pretty good interview that let's you get to see both sides of Reggie. The fiery competitor that wants to get back on the court, along with the soft spoken family man that he is off it.

There seems to be this belief that you can not like players in order to do your job effectively in journalism. I have never believed in that. If I like someone... I tell you, if I don't do that too. It is naive to think that when you interview people for a living there are not going to be people you like to talk with and people you don't. But the difference is when it comes to evaluated players you have to be able to set that aside and do your job. But these are not robots, these are people and just like people you meet in your everyday life (only taller in most cases) some you will like and form bonds with and others you will not. I am happy to have formed one with Reggie however small it might be. I am not going to lie and say that I am not thrilled for him to be coming back soon or share in a small way his joy about an addition to his family. All bias aside no one can debate this Raptor team with Reggie and without him has been vastly different. Being in the last year of his contract the future with the Raptors is not exactly clear. But for his time here should it continue or not, it has been great to get to know him. It is really unfortunate that injuries have lessened his impact on this team. We will never know what might have been different had he not had those injuries. But for his sake I am happy for him that his hard work to return to the line up is almost complete. I am even happier for him that he has this happy event for his family to come as well. Here is hoping all the best for his return and his families new addition.

Start Of A Tough Home Stand For The Raptors

These next 4 games at home are not going to be easy starting with the team with the best record in the NBA on their annual "Rodeo Trip" the San Antonio Spurs. So far the Spurs are 3-1 on the trip after dropping the opener to Portland 99-86 who the Raptors will see Friday, from there the Spurs have beat the Lakers, Sacramento and Portland since. This is right smack in the middle of this 9 game road trip for San Antonio. The Raptors come in off a very ugly loss last night in Milwaukee and have lost 13 of their last 14. But the Raptors are on a one game home winning streak with the win over the T-Wolves. Prior to that they had not won since January 9th vs the Kings. No word on status of Jerryd Bayless tonight who did not travel with the team to face the Bucks. Reggie Evans is still at least a week away by all accounts but is looking pretty good from what people are saying. Let's be blunt about it, the Raptors are in tough tonight matched up with the best team in the NBA record wise this season.

The Basics: Spurs 43-8 (4-3 vs East On Road) Raptors 14-38 (4-4 vs West at Home)

When Last We Saw Them: It was ugly pretty much all night as the Raptors shot a terrible percentage and eventually the Bucks pulled away from the Raptors in this one. Beyond Andrea and Demar the Raptors were hard pressed to get points and only managed 74 points just two off the season low vs Orlando of 72 on January 21st. Andrew Bogut again proved to be a problem for the Raptors and they did not have an answer to stop him or Brandon Jennings in this one.

Key Match-Ups: Matt Bonner has been recently out for the Spurs so Toronto may not have to worry about the Red Rocket. Bonner despite the efforts of The Basketball Jones is not going to the 3 point contest either. Bonner has had a nice season with Spurs and has become a decent player for them. All the Red Rocket love aside the most important guy on Spurs to deal with is Manu Ginobili. Sonny Weems struggled guarding the Bucks wings and this is a step up in class from that. The Raptors will also need to deal with DeJaun Blair who ripped apart the Raptors when the teams met up in San Antonio. All this and you also have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to account for as well. It is in short going to be a tough night for the Raptors and they may not have a clear advantage in any match-up on the floor. If it is DeRozan that guards Manu that would still leave Sonny with Richard Jefferson to deal with. Nothing easy about this one for the Raptors. A glimmer of hope DeRozan poured in 28 in that 104-95 loss vs Spurs. But the Raptors really got beat badly in that game in the paint by Blair and Manu had a big night as well.

Other Things Of Note: I will be liveblogging this one for the good folks at The Score. Also today on Twitter will be announcing the Trivia Question that can make you our VIP Guest at our (Un) Welcome Back Bosh Party that goes down next week. Reggie Evans is going to be a Dad for the 3rd time and the due date is the day the Heat come to town. Not sure if Reggie will be ready for that game and even if he is may have to tend to the newest member of the family. I offered him my best wishes to him and his family, and do the same here in the Dino Nation Blog. Reggie is a good dude and the Raptors really have missed him. They were 8-11 when the big fella went down, and since things have not been as good with other injuries that followed, and a lot of losses. I am down covering the next game as the Raptors may have Brandon Roy to deal with as well as the rest of the Trailblazers on Friday.

Where Is It On? TSN2 ( Sorry Spurs you are the best team in NBA but TSN has to start getting ready for NHL Trade Deadline I am sure you understand )

Davis is Back And Thoughts On A Long December

Reality is never a lot of fun. Raptors after the high of a surprising 4 game win streak have kind of come back to reality. The loss of Reggie Evans was a major blow to the Raptors. You might on the surface think it is just about rebounds but it is about a lot more. He really had become a leader this season with the lack of any real leader in that locker room. Bargnani is clearly the best player on this team offence wise. He also is likely the most talented overall. But no one is confusing him with a leader. We have spoke many times about Jose Calderon and his lack of leadership in this blog. On the floor he may be a leader in terms of his running of the offence. But off the floor Calderon has never really stepped up and taken that leadership role. The Young Onez are all still growing and learning, and while they may be the most visible in terms of this team in almost sharing the role as the face of the Raptors, Leading this group is still not something any of them are set to take on. DeRozan is actually battling with a hamstring and just trying to get his game right. Johnson has yet to consistently prove he can stay on the floor. While Weems has earned his way into the starting line-up and has been the most consistent of the group. But for Sonny the idea of being a starter is still a fresh one for him to deal with.

So for all of those reasons the leader that emerged for this Raptors team was Reggie Evans. He leads on the floor with his flat out hustle and energy, while off it he is a no nonsense straight forward guy. Reggie is not ever afraid to speak his mind. If the Raptors had a battle royal there is no question who the favourite to win it is. He is the closest thing the Raptors have had to Charles Oakley. He may not have the scoring touch of an Oakley and from everyone you talk with Oakley had a basketball IQ that was off the charts. But in terms of a tough guy that speaks his mind and has respect in the locker Reggie does have that. The fact the Raptors effort was awful without him is not really a great shock or it shouldn't be. Reggie was asked not that long ago why he had not been more vocal and taken this leadership role last season. He said that the fact he missed the first half of last season was why. It is hard to get guys to listen when you are not out there battling with them was the basic reason he gave. Which makes a lot of sense. After the start Reggie has had to this season maybe the fact he has been in there from the start this year will change what he says and how it is taken. But clearly someone who is healthy needs to step up to the plate and lead this team. Although Reggie's injury is not as bad as the one that caused him to miss over half the season. He still is not going to be back anytime soon and think if he played another game in the 2010 calender year I would be shocked.

December is already a challenging month for all teams in the NBA with the fact that the holiday season kicks in. Players just like all of us having shopping for presents to do and planning for the short time they actually do get off for the holidays. But now the Raptors also have this giant void to fill in the line-up. It comes at a critical time as well in terms of the fact the Raptors have a lot of home dates leading up to the holidays. Many coaches will tell you the more they are on the road away from home in the holiday season the better, as it avoids a lot of the distractions I mentioned. It is likely we will see ED Davis finally make his debut with the Raptors in this month as well. Currently in the D-League with the Raptors other draft choice Solomon Alabi. Well until I just got an email from the Raptors he was. We interrupt your originally scheduled blog with Breaking News.

Breaking News-Ed Davis has been recalled from the Erie Bayhawks. In 2 games with them Davis averaged 10 point 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in just 17.5 minutes per game. Davis is expected to practice on Tuesday with the Raptors and be on the active roster vs the Wizards on Wednesday.

So back to what we were talking about which ironically was Davis. My main concern in terms of him is that some fans may have over blown expectations for him. It is important to keep in mind this a kid that missed the end of his college season and all of training camp and pre-season. While his father is a former NBA player and all it does not mean this is going to be easy for him. Just like it took Demar DeRozan time to adjust to the NBA. In fact still is adjusting to a degree. Ed Davis is not going to come in and be able to set the world on fire and make you forget about Reggie Evans. It is going to be a lot of learning and growing and mistakes. But thanks in part to the trade the Raptors made and now the injury to Reggie there is going to be minutes for Ed Davis to start that learning process. The same eventually will be true in terms of Solomon Alabi who is comparison to Davis is very raw.

Regardless of this latest bit of news, December is going to be a tough month for the Raptors, and they will be a team looking for someone to fill in for Reggie as the leader. Who will step up to the call and do that might be interesting. It also might be a large step in the growth of some young players on this roster. It is going to be an intriguing month to see what happens with this team. A chance to take steps in the development process. But with the latest 2 losses, it was a good reminder as to what this season is all about. Goals of the playoffs in the unspectacular Eastern Conference are really unlikely, and if on the slim chance, and I do mean slim chance it would happen, it would be considered a major bonus and a minor setback. The bonus being playoff experience for this young group. The set back would be a lower pick in the draft. But on the plus side that Miami pick is not looking as horrible as it once did, with the Heat 9-8. Regardless, Raptors and playoffs should not be in the same sentence at this point. Growth and development are what this season will and has to be about.

Hawks Land At ACC

The Hawk might not be a rival of the Raptors but they have been annoying over the years. Remember last season and 50 point beat down they laid on the Raptors. One game at the ACC few years ago it was Jose Calderon that took a goon elbow to the back of the head. There was also Al Horford taking out T.J Ford. Oh and who can forget those wacky Atlanta score keepers that had a big role in a couple games down in the ATL. All this on top of the fact that if you built a team in the past designed to beat the Raptors they were it. Athletic and physical with lots of shot blockers and 3 point shooters. If you are a Raptor fan and don't hate the Hawks just a little not sure how that is possible.

The Basics: Atlanta 10-7 (Hawks better on Road at 6-2) Raptors 6-10 ( Home Record 4-3)

When Last We Saw Them: Raptors lost a game to Boston and more importantly lost Reggie Evans to a broken right foot. Raptors were taken to task by Rondo early and never could recover despite a nice 3 point shooting effort.

Key Match-ups: Mike Bibby is one of those players that in his career has been a Raptor killer over the years. He always has to be accounted for. When he lines up against the Raptors he turns into Reggie Miller or Ray Allen in terms of 3 point shooting. Also Al Horford will NEVER get a Christmas card from the Dino Blogger but even I admit he is balling for the Hawks. In last season's playoff when the rest of his team rolled over and played dead it was him still giving 100%. Lastly the Raptors need Amir Johnson to step up starting for an injured Reggie Evans. This is a team match-up but the battle on the glass will be key to watch for the Raptors as they begin life without Reggie for what will be an extended period of time.

Other Things Of Note: All Horford is averaging career highs in points, assists, FG% and FT%. He really has become quite the force for Atlanta. Hawks as a team are shooting lights out at 48% from field and Horford is leading the way shooting 60.6%. Hawks are on a rare afternoon back to back after playing at MSG yesterday and getting a win over the Knicks also with a afternoon tip time. Hawks also have a new head coach in Larry Drew and he sure seems to have a different approach from the Hawks last head coach which is good because it was needed.

In Case You Missed It: Welcome to Year 4 of the Dino Nation Blog. Yesterday was are anniversary and I made a video and wrote a bunch of stuff. Also do something creative and show us why you deserve Raptors and Nuggets Tickets for the MGD best seats in the house. You have till Tuesday at Midnight to get your entry in to DinoNationBlog@Gmail.com. For details on how to win check here.

Bad Break For Raptors In Boston.

I was busy working for The Score last night so I am watching the game the morning after. As you can tell by the title I am well aware of what happens in this one. If you are not and missed the game as well it will become obvious by the time were done. Celtics looking for revenge and they will do it with Rajon Rondo who was a game time decision. He will play was the decision.

1st Quarter

First possession of the game for Raps is a turnover and first for Boston is a K.G basket. He would score another before DeRozan would get Raps on the board. But a bad mistake by Demar on D leaves Ray Allen open for a 3 an early 7-2 Celtics lead. Ray Allen was not done as he starts 3-3 from 3 point range and is torching the Raptors as he has done in the past. Boston had a huge early lead 19-5 over the Raptors. Alley to a very big opp that is Shaq and Rondo hooked hum up for the easy 2. Boston was still up big 22-9. Rondo was tearing apart the Raptors with easy lob passes for his big guys. Calderon with a confident jump cuts lead to 10 briefly. When Rondo hit the bench for a breather his Celtics were up a dozen with the score 28-16. Once the dust settled it was 31-20 Celtics after 1.

2nd Quarter.

Given the events of Sunday and fact Rondo is playing and wasn't Sunday are the 2 driving forces behind this lead. Bayless learns fast...pass it to Bargs and he hits for the east 2 on the jumper, Erden from Turkey has worker out better then the Raptors Turkey venture in Hedo. Bayless a drive and score and with the and 1 and cut lead to single digits at 40-31 Celtics. A Kleiza would get Raps within a touchdown and that would cause Doc Rivers to call for a time out. Raps kept coming a nice hook-up for Bargnani from Bayless. Then a drive and Bayless missed lay-up but Amir cleans up on the glass and makes lead just 3. Fact make that 1 as Bayless made a pair at the line. Celtics finally get it together and get a basket. Pierce follows up the K.G slam and lead was back to 5. Rondo was making it look all to easy as he was lob passing the Raptors to death. The Celtics ball movement in this game was spectacular. Jay Triano need to find answer to Rondo he called for a time out with Raptors down 6. Out of time Demar DeRozan comes to life with a jumper. On defensive end a steal and drop off for Jose for the 3 that he makes. Raps briefly closed to with in 3. Celtics were getting Kevin Garnett easy looks and he was making them. Bargnani nails a jumper and Reggie takes one on the numbers and will shoot 1. Missed it though and the lead was 4. Weems got blocked by K.G earlier and forced a missed lay-up had been a rough night for Sonny. K.G draws a foul at end of the half. K.G would make both and have a 6 point lead after 24.

3rd Quarter.

Calderon hits a basket and Shaq answers with score and 1 that he actually made. Turnover and another Celtics score. 1:40 in the Celtics lead was 11 with the score 65-54. K.G was having his own personal slam dunk contest. Both teams had a bad case of the sloppies at the moment. Teams had 7 turnovers between them so far in Quarter and Celtics had a 12 point advantage. Reggie Evans limping off with what at the time it was thought to be a sprained foot. We would learn post game it was a foot fracture. More bad news ask a basket the Raptors were credited for was taken away after video review on Shot Clock Violation. Raptor all the sudden were down 16 and with out Reggie Evans with score 74-58. Peja came off the pine to nail a 3 but Raptors were still in a deep 15 point hole. Raptors were shooting 2-17 in 3rd and Boston had a 21 point lead and Jay Triano finally decided to call a time out. Back to his old time out habits. You are not Phil Jackson and the Raptors are sure not the Lakers. Sorry was talking to television and Jay Triano. When the music stopped after 3 it was 86-67.

4th Quarter

Honestly the Raptors were not coming back in this one they would cut the lead to 10 but you never got the feeling they could win. Despite all the 3 point shooting of Peja and a little Barbosa on the side. Raptors were trying 3 ball their way back into this one. While it was an impressive display the chances were not high the Celtics were going to blow a 19 point lead. Ultimately they would not losing that basketball game 110-101. The loss itself was not a big deal. If you were honest with yourself prior to this game you knew the Raptors chances were slim. However the loss of Reggie Evans is a huge one for this team. He was a leader in the locker room and leader on the floor on the glass. This could be very ugly with no Reggie on the boards. Another game against Boston and another foot injury the irony is painful. Technically the last time was in Hartford not Boston But still a tough night for Reggie that will lead to tougher nights ahead for the Raptors.

Revenge Rondo Or Not On Minds Of Boston.

R-E-V-E-N-G-E that is what tonight will be about for Boston. After having a 8 game win streak vs the Raptors snapped last Sunday. Reggie Evans claims it is about revenge for the Raptors as well. Raptors have lost 4 straight in Boston. But with all due respect to Reggie that doesn't fly. Celtics felt embarrassed after losing to Thunder with no Kevin Durant then losing to the Raptors that most in U.S had pegged being worst in the East. That is a lot more motivation for them. They also were without Rajon Rondo who was obviously more hurt then I thought, as he still has yet to play with sore hamstring suffered late in the loss to the Thunder. His status with a sore hamstring remains up in the air. Delonte West will not be playing and could be lost until the playoffs for Boston with a broken wrist. Ultimately if the Raptors can beat the Celtics a 2nd time within a week and extend their winning streak to 5 games Rondo or not it would be somewhat impressive.

The Basics: Boston 11-4 (1st in East, 6-1 at Home) Toronto 6-9( 9th in East, 4 Game Win Streak)

When Last We Saw Them: Raptors had little trouble beating a Sixers team that was tired and on the 2nd half of a back to back. It was a positive debut for Jerryd Bayless and Reggie Evans had his first double double of the season and a career high in rebounds with 22. It included a Raptor record for rebounds in a half with 15 in the first half and 10 in the First Quarter.

Key Match-Ups: Shaq is coming off his own double doubles recently vs Atlanta and Nets while he has fit in very well with his new team in Boston. He had a fast start in the game on Sunday only to eventually foul out with a lot of time left in the 4th. Who and how the Raptors choose to guard him will be vital. If Rondo is in he would be the biggest issue for the Raptors. Bayless and his defensive skills might help the Raptors finally keep this guy under control. Ray Allen is always someone that needs to be watched for his ability to make clutch 3 point shots. While the Celtics biggest concern is likely how to deal with Bargnani who may be on one of his best streaks offence wise of his NBA Career. He is averaging during this Raptors win streak 27.2 points a game and shooting 56.3% from the field.

Other Things Of Note: Boston has won 2 straight since losing to the Raptors. They blew out the Hawks and then returned home Wednesday and were less impressive in a win over the Nets. Raptors all-time record in Boston is a pathetic 8-20. Did you know Andrea Bargnani is now 3rd on Raptors all-time list for 3 pointers made? He recently passed Doug Christie and now only has V.C and Mo-P in front of him. Odds are he ends on top of this list are high. Odds he makes top 10 on list for rebounds is low. For the last time the Raptors won 2 straight vs Boston you need to go back to 2006/07 season. Where the Raptors actually won 3 straight vs Boston that season with a win in December 2006 and 2 in January of 2007. It is also the last time the Raptors won the season series with Boston.

In Case You Missed It: We are into week 3 of our ticket giveaway with MGD. Here are the details on your latest chance to win a pair of Tickets to watch a game with me in the MGD Best Seats in The House on December 10th vs Denver. Also my Score schedule and Raptors schedule are once again not working in harmony so the Re-Cap of this one may again make that will have to be delayed. Also on last thing are weekly DNB Chats kind of fell off the map. Looking for a good time to have them so please vote and let us know what works best for you?

Raptors Keep Rolling.

So, while I watched the Miami Heat lose their 3rd straight, you were likely watching the Raptors try to win 4 straight. Adding a couple new people to the fold in Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic. This is a game that Raptors should feel they can win and have to win. Raptors took care of Sixers in Philly on the strength of a strong performance by Andrea Bargnani.

Two things about the start of this one. Bargnani was playing like a guy that knows no one on this team can guard him. While Reggie Evans was rebounding for Bargnani and himself with 7 rebounds in like the first 5 minutes of this one. Raptors with a 15-6 early lead and we even have a Jose Calderon steal and easy score as part of that. Jose with the Uno...Dose Etc and Raps are rolling early . Reggie was even scoring a little to go along with his ever rising rebound numbers. Sonny Weems wants in on the party, the turnover and SLAMMAGE. Raps already with 8 points off Philly turnovers and huge lead 30-16. Reggie Board count is at 10 and were not out of the first Quarter. Bayless in and nails a 3..Raptors up HUGE after 1 with a 33-18 lead. The Raptors would win the second quarter as well by 4 points and take a 19 point lead to the half, 15 as not been so popular since Vince Carter when we liked him. 15 points for Andrea Bargnani and a Raptor record 15 rebounds in a half for Reggie Evans. Raps were taken advantage of a team coming off an OT loss the night before.

The Sixers would make a bit of a run and Andre Iguodala slam would cut the Raptor lead to 14. One of the changes in Jay Triano that I have noticed, beyond colourful language at times, is better use of time outs. He takes one after that easy slam and it was a good one. Raps still had a 76-62 lead and were still well in command to this point. Raptors were a bit sloppy but the Sixers were not taking full advantage of it. Cue Reggie Evans? No Really. He got board 17 then on the offensive end the basket and 1 at the line. Raps lead was back to 19 with the score 81-62. Reggie was in range to threaten Marshall's team record of 24. Raps were moving the ball well all night. The latest example Weems a drive and kick out to Barbosa for the open 3 and the Raptors were up 87-67. A little slippage at the end the 3rd and Raptors took a 87-71 lead into the 4th. Pizza was looking probably at the ACC tonight and so was a win.

Oh Iggy Pop and he did to open the 4th. Babosa answers but then a Meeks 3 and Sixers had lead down to 13. Bayless with a 3 then a hustle play and a basket in transition. He had 13 in his debut. But Philly was getting their offence off as well but still down 13. The 4th quarter was not pretty to this point but Raptors were doing enough to stay comfortably in front. Andrea an ugly miss and then a turnover on a travel, the Raptors lead was just a dozen. Raptors had about 6 more minutes to survive to get this win. They were the much fresher team having not played since Sunday. While as mentioned last night Philly was taken to overtime and eventually lost. Raptors defence was leaky and that is being kind. With under 5 to play the lead was down to 10. Raptors got lead back to 12 on an Amir bucket. They had several chances to build on that but could not. Iguodala would head to the line with 3:40ish left and make a pair at the line to make it a 10 point lead again. The Sixers had never led in this one. Sixers had their chances to cut it to single digits but just could not break through. Both teams were struggling to score with 2:30 left. Bargnani would hit to make the lead a dozen again. Reggie Evans a big offensive board and Weems the score Raps were up 14. Reggie Evans also had 20 boards...by the time the dust settled he had 22 boards a career high for Reggie. But most importantly Raptors got a 106-90 win.

To put this is some perspective Reggie had over 50% of the Raptors rebounds in this game. To think he almost was a Bobcat. Many have assumed Reggie is very much in play with his expiring contract. However, can the Raptors really afford to trade him? Not to mention the leadership he has been showing. He called that meeting after that awful loss in Washington. Maybe Reggie Evans might be a Raptor a lot longer than some expect him to be. Someone tweeted to me imagine if Reggie was healthy last year. You just might have a totally different Raptor reality. Chris Bosh might not be Like A Bosh in Miami. He might still be a Raptor or maybe he wouldn't be. But considering the Raptors fell just 1 win shy of the playoffs, it is a safe bet this Reggie could have earned them at least 1 win if not a lot more. Did you see Jason Kapono tonight? He was inactive and clearly Reggie is MORE than ACTIVE!!!