Chris Bosh has been playing a key role for the Miami Heat as they lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals. I mentioned on Friday how the the Raptors no matter what they may say after he has gone, were ill prepared to have him walk. Ultimately, when you think about the Raptors now they have basically just elevated Andrea Bargnani to the roll of Bosh on their roster. In comparing the two players they offer a much different skill set at first glance. Bosh would always be considered a better rebounder and Bargnani a better shooter. Still both at times have been questioned for their desire to defend and do the dirty work. In some senses the Raptors are still following the same model that they failed to have success with under Bosh. Bargnani quickly replaced Bosh in terms of his role on the team. The one role the Raptors have never replaced since he left was the one that Vince Carter filled with the Raptors. That dynamic small forward that could both attack the basket and make a poster, but still be able to hang out beyond the arc and bomb 3's at times.That is something the Raptors have not replaced. Demar DeRozan has half that equation in being able to attack the basket and make spectacular finishes. He lacks that three point threat to truly be taken seriously by a defense to worry about him.
The Raptors ultimate problems might not be all that different without Bosh as they were with him. I don't think Andrea Bargnani is a significantly better player than Bosh or every will be unless the Raptors fix these problems. Can Bargnani have more success than Bosh did if the Raptors find a dynamic wing option and a better point guard to attack the basket? Probably they can but they had seven years of trying to find those things with Bosh and were never able to find that proper mix. Another thing that was missing was a true center that could rebound and defend. The Raptors hope they have found that piece in Jonas Valancuinas. In many ways could develop into the Anti-Bargnani. If he can make up for Bargnani's lack of rebounding and have his back as help defender it could make for a nice pairing. Still, without that dynamic wing and attacking the hoop point guard the Raptors remain somewhat flawed.
Andrea Bargnani is no more a 1a player than Chris Bosh was. He just isn't that guy even if you believe the guy that exploded for about a stretch of 13 games is the real Andrea Bargnani moving forward. The one good thing about Bosh leaving has been it has allowed Andrea Bargnani to play at his natural position and even if it is just from a mental point of view, he is more comfortable at that spot. Ultimately the Raptors problems before Bosh and after him still are basically the same ones including the fact that Bosh ultimately left and went elsewhere.
It has always been a source of frustration for the Raptors top star whoever that happened to be to recruit players to come here to play along side them. Some will tell you if the Raptors start winning the players will come. Really think this is honestly true? I mean you may hate him now, but Vince Carter was at one time in Toronto considered one of the best players in the league and likely was the most popular. Raptors were winning and appearing on national T.V in the United States. What was he able to attract to the Raptors in terms of free agency? The answer is not much except of a past his prime Hakeem the dream that quickly turned into a Raptor nightmare. If he can't get anyone to come in that position on top of the NBA map can we honestly think that Chris Bosh could have or Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan can?
Basically the Raptors are a team that by and large has had to build a team with only 2 of the 3 major components you have too build a franchise. In the time Bosh was here the Raptors would never venture into that level of being a tax team with greater penalties for being one the Raptors are no more likely to do that with Bargnani. In fact, Colangelo all but said that would be the case for this upcoming season. If you are not going to over spend a little and being willing to go that extra mile to try and change the Raptors free agency fortune it is going to be hard to see a solution to this problem.
Friday I was talking about hope and not so much today. Still if you want some hope of how the Raptors fix this problem in free agency I will give you a long term answer. You clearly have noticed that basketball has had a lot more talented Canadians playing the game these days. Legit Canadian Draft prospects are now becoming the norm and not the exception. If enough of these Canadians develop into true NBA players the Raptors will have a pool of free agents that would actually value the Raptors differently. The idea of coming home and playing here might be to much to pass up. Steve Nash has manged to avoid the temptation of it. Still as the numbers increase of Canadians not all of them will be able to resist you have to figure. This solution is not keeping Bryan Colangelo his job or helping out in the short term unless you in fact sign Nash. Over time though the Raptors need to consider this as their one advantage they have in free agency.
I guess what I am saying is the Raptors are still a team that is trying to build around primarily a power forward that has some obvious flaws but some obvious talent. So really has anything changed in terms of the game plan for the Raptors? Not so much I guess.
Showing posts with label Vince Carter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vince Carter. Show all posts
5/22/12
Vinsanity, Linsanity and Insanity
Today starts a new era for the Dino Nation Blog. I am excited to get Team DNB rolling. I hope you will enjoy the contributions of the team I have put together. The hope is at the end of the day we end up with more content and better content for you the readers, listeners and viewers of the Dino Nation Blog. Having people that I can count on will allow me to focus on doing more audio and video content moving forward. It will also give me a chance to work on other things like attempting to get more guests for the Starting 5, planning some events to involve you more in the Dino Nation Blog and focus on building a big and better Dino Nation Blog in general. That in a nutshell explains why #Team DNB was created. I am still looking for more people to potentially be part of our team. The goal is to have a strong well oiled machine by the time the Raptors get ready to start next season in the fall. So I hope you will enjoy this and will enjoy the new people and content and fun this will hopefully create for you as a DNB reader. That all said, I still will be writing here and haven't done that in about a week, as I took some time off to take a break and get these new folks all set up to be part of DNB. So in the famous words of Reggie Evans LET'S GET IT!!
While I was away if you had told me we would be talking about Vince Carter on the first day I was back that probably would have made me chuckle. He did an interview with the guys from Raptorblog on The Score. While the interview was well done and interesting, it in the end was typical Vince Carter. The one thing that seemed to get everyone talking was the fact that Vince said he would be willing to consider returning to Toronto. This seemed to shock people and it was almost like the Raptors were actually considering that. I don't think an older version of Vinsanity is what the Raptors have in mind for solving their issues at small forward. Carter has never been the greatest defender in the world either. I am all for Vince having his day in the sun returning to Toronto to have his number retired some day. I just don't care to see him back for a second run with the Raptors. Antonio Davis did that once for a little while and it only showed that he was a shadow of his former self. Ultimately Vince Carter has reached the point in his NBA career that if he wants to keep playing can he really rule out any team to play for at this point? It is not like people were knocking down his door last year before he eventually signed in Dallas. It is not like how he performed with the Mavs has made his value increase at all. So while it would be interesting for writing and create lots of interest, both positive and negative, the idea of Vince Carter coming back to the Raptors is kind of far fetched and doesn't make any sense.
Speaking of not making sense that brings us to Jeremy Lin and the Raptors supposed interest in him. Keep in mind I was the guy and this was the blog that suggested the Raptors get Jeremy Lin last off-season before there was a Linsanity and a ton of hype attached to him. This was as an economically friendly flyer on a kid that might have some talent. The truth is the Raptors getting into a game of chicken with the New York Knicks for Jeremy Lin only benefits them if they lose. Jeremy Lin is going to get paid too much money by some team based on two things. Potential and buzz, will drive the price for Lin beyond what he truly deserves to make. If the Raptors are in this just to force up the price on Lin and make their division rivals the Knicks spend more money than they want too, that is a smart move on their part. If not and they bring him in to be the starter that would be a big mistake and a massive change from Jose Calderon. While Calderon has never been liked by me, I am happy to admit he is very efficient and rarely turns over the ball. Even at the height of Linsanity people who questioned if it would last, brought up his high turnover numbers. On a young and developing team looking to take the next step, I am not convinced that you want a starting point guard that is turnover prone. Ideally you would love the idea of Lin as a back up, playing behind a Jose Calderon or perhaps a Steve Nash. That said he is going to demand to many dollars for that to be a realistic situation. At the end of the day the Knicks will likely have the bird rights to Lin and will no doubt use them to keep him. So if you have dreams of Linasinty invading the ACC on a nightly basis they are best left as dreams. I like Lin and still think he could be a player at some point but not willing to gamble on it with a big money contract. This is why it made sense to grab him last season when the cost was next to nothing.
The Raptors getting Steve Nash makes more sense in the short team for them. If they can do that and find a developing young point guard to play behind him, that is the ultimate best case scenario for the Raptors. The Knicks are also interested in him. If you can only have one of two guys between Lin and Nash, the answer should be obvious. The danger for the Raptors is that the Knicks could have a way to have both if Nash is willing to take less money to play in New York. Nash will have many options depending on what his price tag will be and what his intentions are in terms of wanting to win a championship. It is a longer and much more unclear journey here in Toronto. That said when Nash was in this position before it fair to say that the Suns were not exactly a contender in for anyone after a horrible season missing the playoffs. Steve Nash was younger than though and had a long future to look forward too. Now his future is not nearly as long and his window to win a ring is small. The fact he is coming to the end of his career could be a benefit to the Raptors or a curse depending on what Nash is truly thinking.In the past Nash has expressed a desire to end his career playing in Canada and the Raptors are the only game in town to make that happen. However to convince Steve Nash that Raptors can reach an NBA Finals in the East before his time in the NBA is done is a tough job to sell. Bryan Colangelo sold Steve Nash once before but this time around will be much tougher. If it is a case of Nash or Lin the buzz created by Nash will play much better in Canada for Nash while bringing in Lin would open eyes south of the border. The risks with Steve Nash are all about health and age. No one will question his talent as two time MVP and a future hall of famer.
The one thing not being talked about in all of this is what becomes of Jose Calderon. If the Raptors truly are targeting both Lin and Nash this makes you wonder what that means for Calderon. It would seem unlikely the Raptors keep him especially if Nash ends up being the guy. So what would the Raptors be getting if they tried to move Calderon. That is a part of this whole equation that might be interesting. Could the Raptors deal Jose and add some more pieces to make this a better more attractive landing spot for Steve Nash? They just might be able too. One thing is clear based on the off-season buzz that has already started before the playoffs have even ended, it is suggesting the Raptors are going to be active and be a part of a lot of stories. Most of which are based in speculation and not fact. At the end of the day Bryan Colangelo's reality whatever it ends up being needs to be very good. His job could ultimately depend on it.
While I was away if you had told me we would be talking about Vince Carter on the first day I was back that probably would have made me chuckle. He did an interview with the guys from Raptorblog on The Score. While the interview was well done and interesting, it in the end was typical Vince Carter. The one thing that seemed to get everyone talking was the fact that Vince said he would be willing to consider returning to Toronto. This seemed to shock people and it was almost like the Raptors were actually considering that. I don't think an older version of Vinsanity is what the Raptors have in mind for solving their issues at small forward. Carter has never been the greatest defender in the world either. I am all for Vince having his day in the sun returning to Toronto to have his number retired some day. I just don't care to see him back for a second run with the Raptors. Antonio Davis did that once for a little while and it only showed that he was a shadow of his former self. Ultimately Vince Carter has reached the point in his NBA career that if he wants to keep playing can he really rule out any team to play for at this point? It is not like people were knocking down his door last year before he eventually signed in Dallas. It is not like how he performed with the Mavs has made his value increase at all. So while it would be interesting for writing and create lots of interest, both positive and negative, the idea of Vince Carter coming back to the Raptors is kind of far fetched and doesn't make any sense.
Speaking of not making sense that brings us to Jeremy Lin and the Raptors supposed interest in him. Keep in mind I was the guy and this was the blog that suggested the Raptors get Jeremy Lin last off-season before there was a Linsanity and a ton of hype attached to him. This was as an economically friendly flyer on a kid that might have some talent. The truth is the Raptors getting into a game of chicken with the New York Knicks for Jeremy Lin only benefits them if they lose. Jeremy Lin is going to get paid too much money by some team based on two things. Potential and buzz, will drive the price for Lin beyond what he truly deserves to make. If the Raptors are in this just to force up the price on Lin and make their division rivals the Knicks spend more money than they want too, that is a smart move on their part. If not and they bring him in to be the starter that would be a big mistake and a massive change from Jose Calderon. While Calderon has never been liked by me, I am happy to admit he is very efficient and rarely turns over the ball. Even at the height of Linsanity people who questioned if it would last, brought up his high turnover numbers. On a young and developing team looking to take the next step, I am not convinced that you want a starting point guard that is turnover prone. Ideally you would love the idea of Lin as a back up, playing behind a Jose Calderon or perhaps a Steve Nash. That said he is going to demand to many dollars for that to be a realistic situation. At the end of the day the Knicks will likely have the bird rights to Lin and will no doubt use them to keep him. So if you have dreams of Linasinty invading the ACC on a nightly basis they are best left as dreams. I like Lin and still think he could be a player at some point but not willing to gamble on it with a big money contract. This is why it made sense to grab him last season when the cost was next to nothing.
The Raptors getting Steve Nash makes more sense in the short team for them. If they can do that and find a developing young point guard to play behind him, that is the ultimate best case scenario for the Raptors. The Knicks are also interested in him. If you can only have one of two guys between Lin and Nash, the answer should be obvious. The danger for the Raptors is that the Knicks could have a way to have both if Nash is willing to take less money to play in New York. Nash will have many options depending on what his price tag will be and what his intentions are in terms of wanting to win a championship. It is a longer and much more unclear journey here in Toronto. That said when Nash was in this position before it fair to say that the Suns were not exactly a contender in for anyone after a horrible season missing the playoffs. Steve Nash was younger than though and had a long future to look forward too. Now his future is not nearly as long and his window to win a ring is small. The fact he is coming to the end of his career could be a benefit to the Raptors or a curse depending on what Nash is truly thinking.In the past Nash has expressed a desire to end his career playing in Canada and the Raptors are the only game in town to make that happen. However to convince Steve Nash that Raptors can reach an NBA Finals in the East before his time in the NBA is done is a tough job to sell. Bryan Colangelo sold Steve Nash once before but this time around will be much tougher. If it is a case of Nash or Lin the buzz created by Nash will play much better in Canada for Nash while bringing in Lin would open eyes south of the border. The risks with Steve Nash are all about health and age. No one will question his talent as two time MVP and a future hall of famer.
The one thing not being talked about in all of this is what becomes of Jose Calderon. If the Raptors truly are targeting both Lin and Nash this makes you wonder what that means for Calderon. It would seem unlikely the Raptors keep him especially if Nash ends up being the guy. So what would the Raptors be getting if they tried to move Calderon. That is a part of this whole equation that might be interesting. Could the Raptors deal Jose and add some more pieces to make this a better more attractive landing spot for Steve Nash? They just might be able too. One thing is clear based on the off-season buzz that has already started before the playoffs have even ended, it is suggesting the Raptors are going to be active and be a part of a lot of stories. Most of which are based in speculation and not fact. At the end of the day Bryan Colangelo's reality whatever it ends up being needs to be very good. His job could ultimately depend on it.
4/17/12
Raptor Fans Are Like Elephants
People have a hard time figuring out Raptor fans. Like why on earth were they still booing Tracy McGrady after all these years. I saw a tweet from someone with the Hawks that stated that Raptor Fans are like elephants they never forget. I think that is kind of true and it is kind of what I dig about writing about this team and for Raptor Fans. To often in this modern world, so much gets forgotten and swept aside. A guy can honestly go to jail and comeback and be a hero in this world. Scandal is only temporary and it steals all the headlines. For whatever you personally think about how Raptor fans act towards guys like Vince Carter, T-Mac and Chris Bosh, it to me will always be cool. It is a collective way of people calling someone out for in their opinion doing them wrong. If it was just a one sided thing I might not be as supportive. Thing is that it isn't. If a guy like Jerome Williams, Morris Peterson or Alvin Williams show up at the ACC they are met with cheers. This is because fans believe that these players and a few others showed them respect. They did it through how they played on the court and how they treated folks off the court. Basically people in Toronto are pretty good at figuring out who is genuine and who isn't.
That leads to what Amir Johnson did last night for Raptor fans and his own fans with his Roll with Amir Event. I can't imagine the likes of Carter, Bosh or McGrady reaching into their pocket and with little fanfare taking out 50 fans for the night on their dime. But not just to give them tickets to a game, but to go out with them after the game and interact with all of them and give them stuff. All just to say thanks for their support and love throughout the season. That is what Amir Johnson has done his last two seasons here in Toronto. While on the floor he models the effort and energy and attitude of Raptor fan favourites of the past. He has taken it to a whole new level off the floor with this event. I have the good fortune to talk with anyone on the Raptors I care to with covering games. That is not the case for fans. It is something I always keep in my heart when I cover games. The average fan getting a chance to talk with an Amir Johnson or a Demar DeRozan is a rare and in some cases once in a lifetime experience.
When Chris Bosh decided to check out for South Beach it created the birth of something new. It was the Young Gunz, better known as the more politically correct Young Onez these days. Amir along with Demar and Sonny Weems took Bosh's exit as an opportunity to embrace Toronto fans. It was what they needed badly after watching yet another star player get what he could out of Toronto and then leave them behind saying thanks for the memories. Toronto needed some players to step up and say they were loved and appreciated and that is what Amir along with Sonny and Demar did. While it has been tough times for the Raptors on the floor in the past few years since Bosh has left, it never stopped these guys from being out front and still there doing their part to embrace fans. It is easy to show love for people when everything is going great and your riding high. It takes some true character and genuine love to do it even when things are not so good.
While the Young Onez may still be miles away from bringing a championship to Toronto they have had an impact on Toronto. Sonny Weems still keeps in touch with all the people that supported him here on Twitter even when he was half a world away playing ball in Europe this past season. Amir Johnson had some personal issues that never were made public other than that. Still, he keeps a smile on his face and goes out of his way to embrace the support he gets from his fans. It is something that even in a season like this Raptor fans appreciate.
The Raptors future on the floor finally seems to be turning in a positive direction. Which is great news for everyone. However, don't forget all that was done by guys like Amir Johnson in the days that were darkest after Chris Bosh left. It should be remembered and cheered as loudly as the boos that rain down on the likes of Bosh, Carter and McGrady. But like that Atlanta person tweeted " Raptor Fans are like Elephants they never forget." Make sure you remember that in terms of Amir Johnson because he more than deserves it.
That leads to what Amir Johnson did last night for Raptor fans and his own fans with his Roll with Amir Event. I can't imagine the likes of Carter, Bosh or McGrady reaching into their pocket and with little fanfare taking out 50 fans for the night on their dime. But not just to give them tickets to a game, but to go out with them after the game and interact with all of them and give them stuff. All just to say thanks for their support and love throughout the season. That is what Amir Johnson has done his last two seasons here in Toronto. While on the floor he models the effort and energy and attitude of Raptor fan favourites of the past. He has taken it to a whole new level off the floor with this event. I have the good fortune to talk with anyone on the Raptors I care to with covering games. That is not the case for fans. It is something I always keep in my heart when I cover games. The average fan getting a chance to talk with an Amir Johnson or a Demar DeRozan is a rare and in some cases once in a lifetime experience.
When Chris Bosh decided to check out for South Beach it created the birth of something new. It was the Young Gunz, better known as the more politically correct Young Onez these days. Amir along with Demar and Sonny Weems took Bosh's exit as an opportunity to embrace Toronto fans. It was what they needed badly after watching yet another star player get what he could out of Toronto and then leave them behind saying thanks for the memories. Toronto needed some players to step up and say they were loved and appreciated and that is what Amir along with Sonny and Demar did. While it has been tough times for the Raptors on the floor in the past few years since Bosh has left, it never stopped these guys from being out front and still there doing their part to embrace fans. It is easy to show love for people when everything is going great and your riding high. It takes some true character and genuine love to do it even when things are not so good.
While the Young Onez may still be miles away from bringing a championship to Toronto they have had an impact on Toronto. Sonny Weems still keeps in touch with all the people that supported him here on Twitter even when he was half a world away playing ball in Europe this past season. Amir Johnson had some personal issues that never were made public other than that. Still, he keeps a smile on his face and goes out of his way to embrace the support he gets from his fans. It is something that even in a season like this Raptor fans appreciate.
The Raptors future on the floor finally seems to be turning in a positive direction. Which is great news for everyone. However, don't forget all that was done by guys like Amir Johnson in the days that were darkest after Chris Bosh left. It should be remembered and cheered as loudly as the boos that rain down on the likes of Bosh, Carter and McGrady. But like that Atlanta person tweeted " Raptor Fans are like Elephants they never forget." Make sure you remember that in terms of Amir Johnson because he more than deserves it.
3/30/12
Bosh Is Back! Who Cares?
Last season you can argue the first time the Miami Heat rolled into town was the biggest game of the season. It was so big we packed St Louis Wings up the street from the ACC to watch the game on T.V. It was the biggest event of the Raptors season and it wasn't even close. A year later does anyone really care that Chris Bosh and his super friends are coming to town? I guess will see tonight. The Raptors have had only one sellout this season when Linsanity hit Toronto. Kobe Bryant couldn't sell the place out. Can Bosh along with his buddies Wade and James? Will see, but I don't think people care like when Vince Carter returns to Toronto. Bosh no doubt will get booed, but will it be an all game, loud every time he touches the ball type thing? I tend to doubt it. I just really don't care that he left anymore honestly. I understand why he did and agree with why he did to a large extent. How he left could have been done in a much more classy and mature way but that really doesn't make my blood boil. Bosh has taken a bigger bashing from the national media in the U.S than anything he could face here in Toronto. He wanted more fame and now he has it and he has got to see the disadvantage of that more than the advantage you can argue.
Bosh got to the NBA Finals, but honestly he was not the reason why they lost. His numbers in year two with the Heat are almost the same as they were in year one. Still, you can argue he has had a better year this year in fitting into his role for the Heat. He has a bit more element of respect this season as well. He played in a game with no Lebron and no Wade and was able to do what he did in Toronto and lead his team to a win. The focus of the pressure has shifted on to Lebron James and Chris Bosh has been able to slide into the background to a degree. He had to understand when he made the decision he did that he was going to be the third wheel in Miami. It is something I think deep down he is cool with.
When Bosh was in Toronto he was expected to be a leader and many felt he just wasn't. He was clearly their best player but he wasn't the best leader. He was better than Andrea Bargnani in terms of numbers though. The difference is that Bargnani is not expected to be the leader of this team. He is not the greatest interview in the world. Chris Bosh was a good interview and was always in high demand and after Vince Carter was traded became the Face of the Franchise long before he really should have. Bargnani no matter what he ultimately becomes will never truly be that face of the franchise in that sense. He just doesn't have the personality. Bosh loves the attention and it almost became a distraction to what was important. While he still gets his fair share of the attention he craves, because of a lot of it being negative, Bosh has pulled back some and focused on basketball more. Something many might have wished he did in his time with the Raptors.
In terms of how Raptor fans feel about Bosh it will never be to level people felt about T-Mac and Vince Carter. There just isn't that same hate for him that there was for those guys. Maybe after tonight I will change my mind, but I just don't get the sense that people really even care anymore. In terms of my own personal feelings they are much like the ones I have in regards to Vince Carter. I never have hated Vince just been more disappointed in him. I have the same disappointment about Bosh for a different reason. Vince I just am disappointed he never made the most out of his talent. In terms of Chris, I am disappointed that he lacked the class and respect that he had shown through most of his run with the Raptors. Bosh since going to Miami got a good dose of the lack of respect and class that he forgot about from the media and fans.
I am left to wonder if the Chris Bosh we saw in the first 6 years of his career in Toronto was actually the real guy. I liked that guy. The one I see in Miami now I don't. Did fame or the quest of fame change him? He would deny that he has changed at all and it is all of us that have changed. I don't think I have changed other than in my opinion of him.
There is a basketball game of course and the Heat come in off a win over the team that beat them in the NBA Finals. They now face the coach that was able to keep them in check for the most part in Dwane Casey. The amount of talent Casey has to stop them now is significantly less. The Heat have been by their terms struggling of late just 6-4 in their last 10 games. They sit three and half games behind the Bulls for the top seed in the East. Still they have a comfortable five game advantage over Orlando to hang on to the second spot. They recently lost to OKC on the road and I expect when all is said and done that is who they will see in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have had the ability to play above their heads against some very good teams. Not always pulling off the upset but making it a long night at the office for them. No matter what happens the Toronto fans will likely make it a long night for Chris Bosh. At least you would think they will. Perhaps they will feel like I do and could care little about Bosh being back in town. Indifference is far more insulting than any insult you could come up with to throw at Chris Bosh. This is a guy that if he has proven nothing else that he likes attention.
Bosh got to the NBA Finals, but honestly he was not the reason why they lost. His numbers in year two with the Heat are almost the same as they were in year one. Still, you can argue he has had a better year this year in fitting into his role for the Heat. He has a bit more element of respect this season as well. He played in a game with no Lebron and no Wade and was able to do what he did in Toronto and lead his team to a win. The focus of the pressure has shifted on to Lebron James and Chris Bosh has been able to slide into the background to a degree. He had to understand when he made the decision he did that he was going to be the third wheel in Miami. It is something I think deep down he is cool with.
When Bosh was in Toronto he was expected to be a leader and many felt he just wasn't. He was clearly their best player but he wasn't the best leader. He was better than Andrea Bargnani in terms of numbers though. The difference is that Bargnani is not expected to be the leader of this team. He is not the greatest interview in the world. Chris Bosh was a good interview and was always in high demand and after Vince Carter was traded became the Face of the Franchise long before he really should have. Bargnani no matter what he ultimately becomes will never truly be that face of the franchise in that sense. He just doesn't have the personality. Bosh loves the attention and it almost became a distraction to what was important. While he still gets his fair share of the attention he craves, because of a lot of it being negative, Bosh has pulled back some and focused on basketball more. Something many might have wished he did in his time with the Raptors.
In terms of how Raptor fans feel about Bosh it will never be to level people felt about T-Mac and Vince Carter. There just isn't that same hate for him that there was for those guys. Maybe after tonight I will change my mind, but I just don't get the sense that people really even care anymore. In terms of my own personal feelings they are much like the ones I have in regards to Vince Carter. I never have hated Vince just been more disappointed in him. I have the same disappointment about Bosh for a different reason. Vince I just am disappointed he never made the most out of his talent. In terms of Chris, I am disappointed that he lacked the class and respect that he had shown through most of his run with the Raptors. Bosh since going to Miami got a good dose of the lack of respect and class that he forgot about from the media and fans.
I am left to wonder if the Chris Bosh we saw in the first 6 years of his career in Toronto was actually the real guy. I liked that guy. The one I see in Miami now I don't. Did fame or the quest of fame change him? He would deny that he has changed at all and it is all of us that have changed. I don't think I have changed other than in my opinion of him.
There is a basketball game of course and the Heat come in off a win over the team that beat them in the NBA Finals. They now face the coach that was able to keep them in check for the most part in Dwane Casey. The amount of talent Casey has to stop them now is significantly less. The Heat have been by their terms struggling of late just 6-4 in their last 10 games. They sit three and half games behind the Bulls for the top seed in the East. Still they have a comfortable five game advantage over Orlando to hang on to the second spot. They recently lost to OKC on the road and I expect when all is said and done that is who they will see in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have had the ability to play above their heads against some very good teams. Not always pulling off the upset but making it a long night at the office for them. No matter what happens the Toronto fans will likely make it a long night for Chris Bosh. At least you would think they will. Perhaps they will feel like I do and could care little about Bosh being back in town. Indifference is far more insulting than any insult you could come up with to throw at Chris Bosh. This is a guy that if he has proven nothing else that he likes attention.
3/9/12
Raptors History Could Have Included Steve Nash
So it is an off day and nothing is really going on. To be honest I wasn't even going to bother writing anything today. I was watching Prime Time Sports on the Fan 590 and heard something pretty mind blowing. John Shannon who is known as hockey guy from the most part. However, he did use to run both Raptors TV and Leafs TV when they started. The topic of Steve Nash came up and he drops a bombshell that Glen Grunwald was offered and turned down this trade in summer of 2001:
To Dallas:
Vince Carter
Antonio Davis
To Toronto:
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Now it is important to put this in context. This offer was made the Summer after the Raptors most successful season in their history. It was when Vince Carter was a three point shot in Philadelphia from sending the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was also thought of as one of the best players in the game. In arguments with Kobe Bryant as who was the best player in the game. The leading vote getter for All-Star Weekend. Basically at the very peak of Vinsanity.
Steve Nash had not won a MVP award let alone two. Dirk was considered a good player but not a great player at that time. So if the Raptors had made this trade a lot of folks might have lost their minds from a basketball perspective. Vince Carter would have been the best player in that trade and it would not have been close. You could argue Antonio might have even been even with Dirk or not that far below.
Now we all know what happens after that. Which is what makes this story seem so horrible. Nash went on to win two MVP's, Dirk even has won one. Vince Carter never has won one. His career took a dramatic turn in the other direction before eventually being part of one of the worst trades in Raptor history. This was before Antonio wanted his kids to not learn the wonders of metric. He was to busy counting the cash he would get that summer, as did Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter would sign his extension.
You have to wonder how different the entire sport of basketball could have been had that trade happened. There is no guarantee that Nash would have done all that he did. He would have had a large microscope of media attention unlike he had ever seen in his career. Same would be true for Dirk. Still the idea of Nash being here with his whole career still in front of him is a lot more appealing than watching Jaamal Magloire try to hang on to what is left of his NBA Career.
So feel free to hate Glen Grunwald for screwing up the Raptors long before Rob Babcock even had the job. Still if you are honest about it for Grunwald to have made that trade would have took some serious balls on his part. It also would have looked like a win for Dallas at the time. We have 11 years of history that tells us it wouldn't have been the case. The thought of trading Vince at the time would have been insane. After all this was the franchise that fully endorsed and allowed him to attend his graduation in North Carolina the morning of the biggest game in franchise history. It was not like they were going to trade him for almost anyone in the league short of maybe Kobe Bryant or Shaq.
So there is a moment in Raptor History that never was. It is also a moment that could have changed this franchise forever. Basketball in this country might be totally different from how it is today. Sadly will never know what might have happened. If Steve Nash was to come now and finish his career in Toronto at some point it would not have the same impact as this potential trade could have had. Back to the rebuilding project tomorrow and reality.
To Dallas:
Vince Carter
Antonio Davis
To Toronto:
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Now it is important to put this in context. This offer was made the Summer after the Raptors most successful season in their history. It was when Vince Carter was a three point shot in Philadelphia from sending the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was also thought of as one of the best players in the game. In arguments with Kobe Bryant as who was the best player in the game. The leading vote getter for All-Star Weekend. Basically at the very peak of Vinsanity.
Steve Nash had not won a MVP award let alone two. Dirk was considered a good player but not a great player at that time. So if the Raptors had made this trade a lot of folks might have lost their minds from a basketball perspective. Vince Carter would have been the best player in that trade and it would not have been close. You could argue Antonio might have even been even with Dirk or not that far below.
Now we all know what happens after that. Which is what makes this story seem so horrible. Nash went on to win two MVP's, Dirk even has won one. Vince Carter never has won one. His career took a dramatic turn in the other direction before eventually being part of one of the worst trades in Raptor history. This was before Antonio wanted his kids to not learn the wonders of metric. He was to busy counting the cash he would get that summer, as did Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter would sign his extension.
You have to wonder how different the entire sport of basketball could have been had that trade happened. There is no guarantee that Nash would have done all that he did. He would have had a large microscope of media attention unlike he had ever seen in his career. Same would be true for Dirk. Still the idea of Nash being here with his whole career still in front of him is a lot more appealing than watching Jaamal Magloire try to hang on to what is left of his NBA Career.
So feel free to hate Glen Grunwald for screwing up the Raptors long before Rob Babcock even had the job. Still if you are honest about it for Grunwald to have made that trade would have took some serious balls on his part. It also would have looked like a win for Dallas at the time. We have 11 years of history that tells us it wouldn't have been the case. The thought of trading Vince at the time would have been insane. After all this was the franchise that fully endorsed and allowed him to attend his graduation in North Carolina the morning of the biggest game in franchise history. It was not like they were going to trade him for almost anyone in the league short of maybe Kobe Bryant or Shaq.
So there is a moment in Raptor History that never was. It is also a moment that could have changed this franchise forever. Basketball in this country might be totally different from how it is today. Sadly will never know what might have happened. If Steve Nash was to come now and finish his career in Toronto at some point it would not have the same impact as this potential trade could have had. Back to the rebuilding project tomorrow and reality.
3/8/12
Things To Consider When Bargs Is Back
The Raptors are on the verge of welcoming back Andera Bargnani to the line-up fairly soon. Which on the surface seems like a major bonus for the Raptors. Which it very well could be. That being said, this will be an important moment for this season in a season that doesn't offer many of those given the Raptors 13-26 record. The Raptors in the 13 games that Bargnani did play, were 6-7 and with 27 games left, it is not like his return is getting them into the NBA Playoffs even as bad as the Eastern Conference is. However, this is still important for a lot of reasons.
First one is likely the most obvious one. After his miraculous transformation under Dwane Casey people were throwing all kinds of praise the way of Andrea Bargnani. He was a legit All-Star player according to some people and should garner consideration for a trip to Orlando. Bargnani was in Orlando but it wasn't as anything more than a spectator. When Bargnani returns we will get to see if people that thought that were right or just drunk on Raptor Kool Aid. While no one will deny the 13 game stretch from Bargnani has been perhaps the best of his career. Not just because of his offensive numbers but the fact he was more aggressive on the other end of the floor. He seemed to fit well in the new defensive scheme of Dwane Casey. Really what we saw was the effort that we had not in seasons past.
So, does Andrea Bargnani return and just continue on his redemption season, for a guy that this off-season some fans, would not have minded seeing him traded and moved along. If we do than that is great and Raptors can feel very happy to have a legit piece to build around. If we don't than many will be quick to question if that was just a mirage at the beginning of the season. Even if we get the same Andrea Bargnani back this season, it has at least for me, called into question his durability and ability to recover from injuries. This is basically a calf strain here it is not like Bargnani has had to have any kind of procedure and needs to recover from that. The fact he re-injured that same calf is troublesome too. While most will say the long lay-off has been based on the Raptors having not much to play for and are not upset at the fact they have lost a lot of games with out him. That might me the case. Still you saw Amir Johnson bang a knee and sat one game and was right back in their fighting hard. Alvin Williams back in the day was that type of guy. Vince Carter wasn't that type of guy and would miss large amounts of time for even what seemed as a pretty minor injury. It sure seems to me that Andrea trends more to the Vince side of this equation than the Williams or Johnson side. You can say so what? He is the star player and both he and the Raptors are being cautious. Still, the guys in the looker room might not see it that way. Demar DeRozan takes a beating on a nightly basis but always pops back up and never seems to miss anytime. So do they believe Andrea is injured or hurt? Wait isn't that the same thing? If you are injured, you can't play and would not help your team by being out there and could damage yourself more in the process. If your hurt, but can still contribute without any risk to your long term career, or even maybe a minor one, you owe it to the guys in that room to be out there. There were a lot of reasons Vince Carer fizzled in Toronto but one of the biggest was he lost the respect of the guys in his locker room.
Will assume that Andrea has been injured and not just hurt, but still we have more to consider. This team is just 7-19 without Bargnani this season. Early on this team might not have been able to beat some D-League teams without him. However, over time and after some embarrassing losses, this team has found a way to be competitive and even win a few games without him. Demar DeRozan after struggling out of the gate as emerged to be the second best option on this team on offense and shown some consistency of late. Many guys have stepped up their game and as team this group has played hard and fought. When the time comes that Andrea Bargnani comes back will this continue? That becomes a big question. The Raptors have got contributions from throughout the line-up from Barbosa, Kleiza, James Johnson, Calderon even Aaron Gray. Will this team continue doing those things or will they take a collective sigh of relief that Bargnani is back. As an example of what I am talking about let's take Jose Calderon, who has in the time Bargnani has been out shown some of the most aggressive nature in terms of looking for his shot that we have seen in his career. Will it continue or does he revert back to the Jose Calderon that rarely would take his own shot and was more happy to defer to others. How will other people that have seen more shots than they normally would react to getting less of them all of the sudden? There is lots of things to consider.
Will everyone be glad to see Bargnani back in the fold. Obviously the answer is yes. Still if you think that this will just magically turn into the Raptors winning games all of the sudden it might not be that simple. If they can maintain how they have played and add Bargnani's offense to that mix a lot of these close games could start falling the other way. The trick is can they still maintain that effort. It isn't as easy as it seems. That is the great thing about basketball it is a great example of a group dynamic in action. Dwane Casey we at least know will crack the whip should some folks revert backwards, for the Raptors to actually benefit from Bargnani returning need both him and them to keep playing at the same level that he did and they have.
First one is likely the most obvious one. After his miraculous transformation under Dwane Casey people were throwing all kinds of praise the way of Andrea Bargnani. He was a legit All-Star player according to some people and should garner consideration for a trip to Orlando. Bargnani was in Orlando but it wasn't as anything more than a spectator. When Bargnani returns we will get to see if people that thought that were right or just drunk on Raptor Kool Aid. While no one will deny the 13 game stretch from Bargnani has been perhaps the best of his career. Not just because of his offensive numbers but the fact he was more aggressive on the other end of the floor. He seemed to fit well in the new defensive scheme of Dwane Casey. Really what we saw was the effort that we had not in seasons past.
So, does Andrea Bargnani return and just continue on his redemption season, for a guy that this off-season some fans, would not have minded seeing him traded and moved along. If we do than that is great and Raptors can feel very happy to have a legit piece to build around. If we don't than many will be quick to question if that was just a mirage at the beginning of the season. Even if we get the same Andrea Bargnani back this season, it has at least for me, called into question his durability and ability to recover from injuries. This is basically a calf strain here it is not like Bargnani has had to have any kind of procedure and needs to recover from that. The fact he re-injured that same calf is troublesome too. While most will say the long lay-off has been based on the Raptors having not much to play for and are not upset at the fact they have lost a lot of games with out him. That might me the case. Still you saw Amir Johnson bang a knee and sat one game and was right back in their fighting hard. Alvin Williams back in the day was that type of guy. Vince Carter wasn't that type of guy and would miss large amounts of time for even what seemed as a pretty minor injury. It sure seems to me that Andrea trends more to the Vince side of this equation than the Williams or Johnson side. You can say so what? He is the star player and both he and the Raptors are being cautious. Still, the guys in the looker room might not see it that way. Demar DeRozan takes a beating on a nightly basis but always pops back up and never seems to miss anytime. So do they believe Andrea is injured or hurt? Wait isn't that the same thing? If you are injured, you can't play and would not help your team by being out there and could damage yourself more in the process. If your hurt, but can still contribute without any risk to your long term career, or even maybe a minor one, you owe it to the guys in that room to be out there. There were a lot of reasons Vince Carer fizzled in Toronto but one of the biggest was he lost the respect of the guys in his locker room.
Will assume that Andrea has been injured and not just hurt, but still we have more to consider. This team is just 7-19 without Bargnani this season. Early on this team might not have been able to beat some D-League teams without him. However, over time and after some embarrassing losses, this team has found a way to be competitive and even win a few games without him. Demar DeRozan after struggling out of the gate as emerged to be the second best option on this team on offense and shown some consistency of late. Many guys have stepped up their game and as team this group has played hard and fought. When the time comes that Andrea Bargnani comes back will this continue? That becomes a big question. The Raptors have got contributions from throughout the line-up from Barbosa, Kleiza, James Johnson, Calderon even Aaron Gray. Will this team continue doing those things or will they take a collective sigh of relief that Bargnani is back. As an example of what I am talking about let's take Jose Calderon, who has in the time Bargnani has been out shown some of the most aggressive nature in terms of looking for his shot that we have seen in his career. Will it continue or does he revert back to the Jose Calderon that rarely would take his own shot and was more happy to defer to others. How will other people that have seen more shots than they normally would react to getting less of them all of the sudden? There is lots of things to consider.
Will everyone be glad to see Bargnani back in the fold. Obviously the answer is yes. Still if you think that this will just magically turn into the Raptors winning games all of the sudden it might not be that simple. If they can maintain how they have played and add Bargnani's offense to that mix a lot of these close games could start falling the other way. The trick is can they still maintain that effort. It isn't as easy as it seems. That is the great thing about basketball it is a great example of a group dynamic in action. Dwane Casey we at least know will crack the whip should some folks revert backwards, for the Raptors to actually benefit from Bargnani returning need both him and them to keep playing at the same level that he did and they have.
2/25/12
Will We Ever Forgive Vince Carter?
Tonight will be All-Star Saturday Night. I debate if I will even watch it. I likely will out of some obligation to know what is going on. However, if I didn't cover the NBA in some way, I would not even bother. All-Star Saturday Night has become a complete joke to me. It is a collection of who feels like competing in the various contests. It was over a decade ago in Oakland that we saw Vince Carter put on a show in the slam dunk contest for all-time. There was nothing that would have stopped me from watching that. At the time I was working on a hockey broadcast(Shocking I know) but it was over in plenty of time to catch the Vince Carter Show. I won't lie with every V.C Dunk I popped large for each dunk as did the folks watching with me at the radio station. It was so loud you could apparently hear us on the air in the studio located a level below where we were. It is one of those moments I will never forget where I was for that for the rest of my life. Apparently, the man who made it happen remembers it fondly as well and why wouldn't he.
Vince Carter (Via Twitter) - O' Canada do you remember this day (Saturday) in Oakland when Toronto was put on the map...#memories Enjoy your Saturday!!!!!
If we are honest that night put the Raptors on the map in the United States perhaps more than any single event in the history of the franchise. Raptors fans barring an unexpected trade will not get to boo Vince Carter this year. Raptor fans boo Vince for his own actions when he here and his actions after he left. Vince himself has always said consistently he still loves Toronto. It has come off as disingenuous at times. However, it sure seems like he actually means it. People who are skeptical might think Vince is coming to the end of line and is just trying to repair his image here. That might be true. It also might just be he has matured and realized that what he had in Toronto he has never truly had anywhere else.
My feelings on Vince have never been that of hate, they have always been of disappointment of what he truly could have been. Vince love him or hate him, the fact he had and still has to lesser extend some extraordinary talent is not a debate, it is a fact. What is a debate is if he ever truly got the most out of that talent, that is another story. Based on his actions and his words the answer would appear to be no. I have always thought if Vince Carter got the most out of his talent we would have him in a conversation with Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and others as the best players in the modern game. Some feel that Vince Carter has the numbers to get in the Hall of Fame. I personally don't think of him as a Hall of Famer. He could have and probably should have been one.
Should he be recognized as the best Raptor of all time and have his number 15 hang at the ACC becomes another story and different debate in some ways. The thing that will always work against him is that infamous interview with John Thompson after he had been traded to the Nets. Vince in that interview basically questioned if he gave all he had in his time in Toronto. He felt that he didn't and said as much in that interview. It was like pouring gasoline on fire of hate that already existed for him in Toronto when he left. He after all asked to be traded and wanted to leave. Now on top of that, he was saying he wasn't sure he gave all he had in his time here. It is probably why some still hate Vince almost a decade later or at least a big part of the reason.
Still, can anyone deny that he was the one player that consistently put the Raptors on the map in the U.S. He was the top voted player for the All-Star Game numerous times. Chris Bosh has never started in an All-Star game and never had the appeal that Vince did south of the border. In many ways it is why Bosh decided to leave and head to Miami. Vince didn't have to go to U.S or a big market for anything. He had all the stuff any NBA Superstar would have in terms of publicity and advertising in the U.S. While he was the poster boy for the NBA here in Canada. Vince's reasons for leaving had everything to do with Raptor management. Some of those issues I would agree with him. He was less than thrilled with the revolving door of coaches he had played under. He didn't like the hiring of Rob Babcock. Looking back on it does anyone disagree with that?
So if we go 10 years forward from today, will we feel the same way about Vince? The debate on if the Raptors should honor him has already been debated while he is still active in the NBA. Here is something to consider, the fact the Raptors have never truly been able to replace him at the small forward or the shooting guard position. No one has come close in filling that void. The Raptors have seldom seen the light of day in the U.S media since he left. The Raptors played on Christmas Day back when they only had like 2 games on that day when Vince was here. Now the Raptors are never seen on that type of marquee. Chris Bosh made note of that during his exit. Here is the thing Vince Carter was such a show himself he made the Raptors a viable option to appear on National T.V in the U.S. Vinsanity was the biggest thing in the NBA for a time. When you combine the player and his impact on the Raptor brand that has never been seen since, it makes sense that number 15 should hang in the ACC.
The issue becomes how the future Raptor fanbase will feel about that. It is not like Vince Carter brought any titles to Toronto. But the Leafs just honored a guy that never did either in Mats Sundin. However, the feelings of Leaf fans towards Sundin is very different than how Raptors fans feel about Carter. You can argue that Carter accomplished more than Sundin. I don't ever recall anyone that was not a Leaf fan, that considered him the best player in the game or even in that argument. Vince for a stretch of time was. He brought an excitement to the Raptors that no one has since. Going to the Raptor Game was the cool thing to do in Toronto. The ACC was filled to see Vince regardless of the other team on marquee.
Will we ever forgive and forget and make peace with Vince Carter? I don't know what the answer is. I had, long ago and have never truly hated him. Fact is Vince does have a big ego and thinks a great deal of himself. However, he is not really this bad person that you would want him to be. He actually did a lot of good in his time here for charities and all of that. He is never going to be as popular as other players that struck a chord with fans like an Alvin Williams or Jerome William or even a Matt Bonner. That said, if I was making a list of people you should hate more than Vince...Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu all would go ahead of Vince for me.
Love him or hate him, he created the most exciting period of this franchises history. It might be time to start remembering those things as much as we do all the bad things. Something to consider as you watch an All-Star Saturday Night that will not be anything close to the excitement that was created in Oakland over a decade ago.
Vince Carter (Via Twitter) - O' Canada do you remember this day (Saturday) in Oakland when Toronto was put on the map...#memories Enjoy your Saturday!!!!!
If we are honest that night put the Raptors on the map in the United States perhaps more than any single event in the history of the franchise. Raptors fans barring an unexpected trade will not get to boo Vince Carter this year. Raptor fans boo Vince for his own actions when he here and his actions after he left. Vince himself has always said consistently he still loves Toronto. It has come off as disingenuous at times. However, it sure seems like he actually means it. People who are skeptical might think Vince is coming to the end of line and is just trying to repair his image here. That might be true. It also might just be he has matured and realized that what he had in Toronto he has never truly had anywhere else.
My feelings on Vince have never been that of hate, they have always been of disappointment of what he truly could have been. Vince love him or hate him, the fact he had and still has to lesser extend some extraordinary talent is not a debate, it is a fact. What is a debate is if he ever truly got the most out of that talent, that is another story. Based on his actions and his words the answer would appear to be no. I have always thought if Vince Carter got the most out of his talent we would have him in a conversation with Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and others as the best players in the modern game. Some feel that Vince Carter has the numbers to get in the Hall of Fame. I personally don't think of him as a Hall of Famer. He could have and probably should have been one.
Should he be recognized as the best Raptor of all time and have his number 15 hang at the ACC becomes another story and different debate in some ways. The thing that will always work against him is that infamous interview with John Thompson after he had been traded to the Nets. Vince in that interview basically questioned if he gave all he had in his time in Toronto. He felt that he didn't and said as much in that interview. It was like pouring gasoline on fire of hate that already existed for him in Toronto when he left. He after all asked to be traded and wanted to leave. Now on top of that, he was saying he wasn't sure he gave all he had in his time here. It is probably why some still hate Vince almost a decade later or at least a big part of the reason.
Still, can anyone deny that he was the one player that consistently put the Raptors on the map in the U.S. He was the top voted player for the All-Star Game numerous times. Chris Bosh has never started in an All-Star game and never had the appeal that Vince did south of the border. In many ways it is why Bosh decided to leave and head to Miami. Vince didn't have to go to U.S or a big market for anything. He had all the stuff any NBA Superstar would have in terms of publicity and advertising in the U.S. While he was the poster boy for the NBA here in Canada. Vince's reasons for leaving had everything to do with Raptor management. Some of those issues I would agree with him. He was less than thrilled with the revolving door of coaches he had played under. He didn't like the hiring of Rob Babcock. Looking back on it does anyone disagree with that?
So if we go 10 years forward from today, will we feel the same way about Vince? The debate on if the Raptors should honor him has already been debated while he is still active in the NBA. Here is something to consider, the fact the Raptors have never truly been able to replace him at the small forward or the shooting guard position. No one has come close in filling that void. The Raptors have seldom seen the light of day in the U.S media since he left. The Raptors played on Christmas Day back when they only had like 2 games on that day when Vince was here. Now the Raptors are never seen on that type of marquee. Chris Bosh made note of that during his exit. Here is the thing Vince Carter was such a show himself he made the Raptors a viable option to appear on National T.V in the U.S. Vinsanity was the biggest thing in the NBA for a time. When you combine the player and his impact on the Raptor brand that has never been seen since, it makes sense that number 15 should hang in the ACC.
The issue becomes how the future Raptor fanbase will feel about that. It is not like Vince Carter brought any titles to Toronto. But the Leafs just honored a guy that never did either in Mats Sundin. However, the feelings of Leaf fans towards Sundin is very different than how Raptors fans feel about Carter. You can argue that Carter accomplished more than Sundin. I don't ever recall anyone that was not a Leaf fan, that considered him the best player in the game or even in that argument. Vince for a stretch of time was. He brought an excitement to the Raptors that no one has since. Going to the Raptor Game was the cool thing to do in Toronto. The ACC was filled to see Vince regardless of the other team on marquee.
Will we ever forgive and forget and make peace with Vince Carter? I don't know what the answer is. I had, long ago and have never truly hated him. Fact is Vince does have a big ego and thinks a great deal of himself. However, he is not really this bad person that you would want him to be. He actually did a lot of good in his time here for charities and all of that. He is never going to be as popular as other players that struck a chord with fans like an Alvin Williams or Jerome William or even a Matt Bonner. That said, if I was making a list of people you should hate more than Vince...Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu all would go ahead of Vince for me.
Love him or hate him, he created the most exciting period of this franchises history. It might be time to start remembering those things as much as we do all the bad things. Something to consider as you watch an All-Star Saturday Night that will not be anything close to the excitement that was created in Oakland over a decade ago.
1/12/12
Season Debut of The Starting 5 With Jack Armstrong
One of the things at the Dino Nation Blog I am most proud of is The Starting 5. It has been the driving force that has made this blog as well known as it is. Given how the NBA Season was sprung on all of us, I did not want to impose on guests during the holiday season as they tried to prepare for an NBA Season, that none of us were sure would happen and when. So, it has been awhile now and we are back at it with the Starting 5. There have been many guests we have had the thrill of having over the years. But this man is by far our favourite he is the colour analyst for the Raptors since the last time we had a lockout prior to this one on Radio at first and now for many years on T.V. Hello Jack Armstrong and welcome back to The Starting 5 for another season. In this episode we talk about the NBA and it's crazy schedule. Jack shares his thoughts on everything from Pounding The Rock to the age old question of if he will ever be joining the rest of the world on Twitter. An in depth look at the struggles of Demar DeRozan. Thoughts on Dwane Casey and the new coaching staff. As well as his thoughts on the new and improved Andrea Bargnani and why he can succeed potentially where Chris Bosh could not. It is all in there in a in depth 30 minute chat with our good friend Jack Armstrong.Thanks to Jack and now that the Starting 5 is back you can expect all of the guests we have had in the past like Paul Jones, Matt Devlin and our ever growing list of regular guests to be popping by. In addition to any new ones we come across along the way. So hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for your support of the Starting 5 and please make sure to visit us daily for all our work covering the Toronto Raptors. It has been a 4 year plus ride of a lifetime for me. I am so thrilled to have the chance to bring you quality guests like Jack and hopefully some quality info and opinion on a daily basis.
1/9/12
Spain's Civil War Round One
Knowing Jose Calderon it is unlikely he is going to say a bad thing about Ricky Rubio. However it has always been a tense relationship between the two as they have battled for playing time in the summer for Spain over the years. That battle now hits the floors of the NBA and the first one will take place in Toronto. Rubio has dazzled the NBA after his long awaited debut. Drafted all the way back in 2009 he finally has made his way to the NBA. So if you are upset having to wait a year for Jonas Valanciunas think how people in Minnesota have felt. The Raptors only hope the transition for him goes as well as it has for Rubio. Personally I took a flyer on Rubio in fantasy basketball and am one happy owner. He has impressive stats across the board with 9.9 points per game, 7.6 assists, 1.1 steals and is averaging 50% from behind the 3 point line with a hair under 4 rebounds a game at 3.9 rebounds per game. Calderon has better numbers overall with 12.4 points per game, 9.4 assists the one major difference is in 3 point % where Rubio has the clear advantage with Calderon at just 38.7%. Spain will be watching even if North America in general might find the T-Wolves vs Raptors a snooze.
So three points for tonight's Match-Up:
Ed and Demar Please Stand Up- It has been a rough go for the Raptors two most recent draft picks on the roster. Both are in bad need of good nights. As the Raptors begin this back to back to back it is vital these guys get going in the right direction.
Energy Level- Raptors will have a tough time dealing with Kevin Love who is taking his "Numbers" to incredible levels. I mean his stats not his cheesy PR driven fragrance for men. The Raptors will need to match the T-Wolves energy and battle hard on the glass. If they don't you can see a result like they had vs the Nets or worse like they had vs the Sixers.
Limit Rubio- If there is anyone that would have a good scouting report on what Ricky Rubio can do it has to be Jose Calderon right? So will see if Jose is able to help his Raptor amigos in how to stop the Spanish Fly that is Ricky Rubio on defence.
Win lose or draw Raps will hop on a plane and head for Washington. They will not get to visit Obama though. The Mavs are doing that today and Vince Carter is meeting the President. Doesn't that just turn your stomach? Leave it to Vince to find a way to meet the President of the United States without winning a championship. That being said Lebron James has met him several times and campaigned for him in the last election. When people liked Lebron in Ohio which in politics is a big swing state. But that is a different story for another blog. In terms of this blog we are not asking for much, just a game that I can watch and not feel like I am being punished for doing something wrong.
So three points for tonight's Match-Up:
Ed and Demar Please Stand Up- It has been a rough go for the Raptors two most recent draft picks on the roster. Both are in bad need of good nights. As the Raptors begin this back to back to back it is vital these guys get going in the right direction.
Energy Level- Raptors will have a tough time dealing with Kevin Love who is taking his "Numbers" to incredible levels. I mean his stats not his cheesy PR driven fragrance for men. The Raptors will need to match the T-Wolves energy and battle hard on the glass. If they don't you can see a result like they had vs the Nets or worse like they had vs the Sixers.
Limit Rubio- If there is anyone that would have a good scouting report on what Ricky Rubio can do it has to be Jose Calderon right? So will see if Jose is able to help his Raptor amigos in how to stop the Spanish Fly that is Ricky Rubio on defence.
Win lose or draw Raps will hop on a plane and head for Washington. They will not get to visit Obama though. The Mavs are doing that today and Vince Carter is meeting the President. Doesn't that just turn your stomach? Leave it to Vince to find a way to meet the President of the United States without winning a championship. That being said Lebron James has met him several times and campaigned for him in the last election. When people liked Lebron in Ohio which in politics is a big swing state. But that is a different story for another blog. In terms of this blog we are not asking for much, just a game that I can watch and not feel like I am being punished for doing something wrong.
12/19/11
Some Toronto Love From Returning Raptors.
Basketball is back and so are the Raptors. It has been a longtime away from the city for a lot of the returning players and what they missed the most was you. When asked what he missed about Toronto that was Demar DeRozan's answer. "Just the interaction with fans and the support system that they give us. There is nothing like it." Demar continued his thoughts on being back in the city, "It just feels good being in the city and fans seeing you out and getting to play in front of them."
Demar says once this season is done he wants to spend more time in Toronto this upcoming summer. He had talked about having a charity game for fans in Toronto during the lockout that he and Amir were trying to put together. It was a tradition that Vince Carter had started in Toronto and it was briefly continued by Steve Nash for a season. But according to Demar it is coming back, "I am going do it in the summer. Try give back to the city a bit. Bring in some NBA guys and have a game for the fans to watch."
Jerryd Bayless would likely be able to get an invite for that game. He has been pretty vocal about his love for the city and his happiness about being here. What did he miss about being away from Toronto? "Everything, I love the city there is a lot of things to do in the city. It is a place that I want to make my home for a long time and hopeful it is." In terms of his personal goals for the season " Just to win and if we win everything else will take care of itself. I just want to win and be a part of this franchise for a long time and that is my main focus."
The Raptors are happy to be back and happy to have the fans back as well. It was a pretty decent turnout for a pre-season game on Sunday. Part of that was the team they were playing, and the fact this was the lone pre-season home game. But still, the numbers compared to other NBA markets in the pre-season looked a lot bigger than games I saw in other markets via T.V. As an example the pre-season game in Detroit, once one of the strongest NBA markets, but is not as much anymore, it looked like a high school game was being played, not an NBA contest with Detroit and Cleveland.
Will have more on Demar DeRozan in another post. But will share this little bit now. When I asked him how he would pitch Toronto to other NBA Players if asked, he again brought up you folks that cheer on the Raptors. "It is a great city and a very diverse city and the support system from the fans is great." There is no doubt Raptor fans are some of the most passionate and supportive you can find. This is as long as they respect you and like you. When you lose that respect it can be hard to ever get it back. Jermaine O'Neal likely doesn't have the same fuzzy feelings about Toronto as Demar. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and even Chris Bosh have all still claimed to love Toronto, but the love for them is more in the form of boos than cheers. But for now Demar DeRozan sits in a spot that they all have before him, on the rise and becoming the "People's Choice" as the "Face of the Franchise". The hope is that the next chapter that Demar will write in the coming years has a different result. There has never been a star on the Raptors that has truly embraced fans the way he has. When he and Sonny Weems just showed up to play some ball at a basketball court it was surprising. It is hard to imagine Vince, Tracy or Chris doing that. Raptor fans have to have two hopes in terms of DeRozan. One that he continues to improve and develop into a superstar. After that and maybe more importantly he will remain in Toronto once he does. It will always be a fear in the back of Raptor fans head until someone actually does stay for the long haul.
Demar says once this season is done he wants to spend more time in Toronto this upcoming summer. He had talked about having a charity game for fans in Toronto during the lockout that he and Amir were trying to put together. It was a tradition that Vince Carter had started in Toronto and it was briefly continued by Steve Nash for a season. But according to Demar it is coming back, "I am going do it in the summer. Try give back to the city a bit. Bring in some NBA guys and have a game for the fans to watch."
Jerryd Bayless would likely be able to get an invite for that game. He has been pretty vocal about his love for the city and his happiness about being here. What did he miss about being away from Toronto? "Everything, I love the city there is a lot of things to do in the city. It is a place that I want to make my home for a long time and hopeful it is." In terms of his personal goals for the season " Just to win and if we win everything else will take care of itself. I just want to win and be a part of this franchise for a long time and that is my main focus."
The Raptors are happy to be back and happy to have the fans back as well. It was a pretty decent turnout for a pre-season game on Sunday. Part of that was the team they were playing, and the fact this was the lone pre-season home game. But still, the numbers compared to other NBA markets in the pre-season looked a lot bigger than games I saw in other markets via T.V. As an example the pre-season game in Detroit, once one of the strongest NBA markets, but is not as much anymore, it looked like a high school game was being played, not an NBA contest with Detroit and Cleveland.
Will have more on Demar DeRozan in another post. But will share this little bit now. When I asked him how he would pitch Toronto to other NBA Players if asked, he again brought up you folks that cheer on the Raptors. "It is a great city and a very diverse city and the support system from the fans is great." There is no doubt Raptor fans are some of the most passionate and supportive you can find. This is as long as they respect you and like you. When you lose that respect it can be hard to ever get it back. Jermaine O'Neal likely doesn't have the same fuzzy feelings about Toronto as Demar. Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and even Chris Bosh have all still claimed to love Toronto, but the love for them is more in the form of boos than cheers. But for now Demar DeRozan sits in a spot that they all have before him, on the rise and becoming the "People's Choice" as the "Face of the Franchise". The hope is that the next chapter that Demar will write in the coming years has a different result. There has never been a star on the Raptors that has truly embraced fans the way he has. When he and Sonny Weems just showed up to play some ball at a basketball court it was surprising. It is hard to imagine Vince, Tracy or Chris doing that. Raptor fans have to have two hopes in terms of DeRozan. One that he continues to improve and develop into a superstar. After that and maybe more importantly he will remain in Toronto once he does. It will always be a fear in the back of Raptor fans head until someone actually does stay for the long haul.
3/23/11
Snow in Toronto, Suns in Arizona
It is your DNB preview of the Raptors and Suns. Here is my breakdown as we talk about Suns coming into this one off a triple OT loss to L.A. No secret the Raptors would like to take advantage of that with a fast start in this one. Have a listen to all my thoughts on this one.
Check back for the Recap in the AM. When is SPRING COMING...Like SERIOUSLY!!!
2/26/11
Cheer Nash, Boo Vince and Raptors Meh!!!
I have been to my fair share of games at the ACC as both a fan and covering games. That being said I can not recall a more weird vibe for a game at the Air Canada Centre. Vince Carter was announced and if you thought Toronto had moved on to hating Chris Bosh, think again as the boos rained down as they have for 7 years now. But right after those boos there were cheers for the greatest basketball player that Canada has ever produced in Steve Nash. That set the stage for the night. The Cheers for Nash would fade away but not the Boos for Vince. But Vince Carter seems to feed of it and Alvin Gentry post game said he was booing at Vince during practice to prepare him for this. It got a laugh from the media but VInce has done this a time or two before and most times with great success. Tonight would be one of those nights. It would getting going early as well.
After the Raptors got the opening bucket a long alley opp from Nash to Carter and it was on like Donkey Kong with Vince and the crowd. Yeah that is a dated reference but Masetro Fresh Wes did halftime so were kicking it a little old school in the blog. Frye a wide open three pointer on the Nash dime. Spin and the fade and Vince Carter scores a great move that got no love in Toronto of course and Suns were off and running up 9-2. This continued to go south on Great White North night at the ACC with another open Frye 3 and it was 17-6 Suns. Bargnani an aggressive move on Frye draws contact but only 1 of 2 at the line. Suns were up a couple touchdowns just 6 minutes in this one with score 21-7 Suns. V.C with a three and Raptors offence what there was of it came from Bargnani scoring 10 of Raptors first 12 points. James Johnson the only other bucket. Another Frye three and Gortat score inside and it was 29-12. Time out Triano but it was far to late as V.C with a slam not long after the T-Dot time out. Nash the miss but not rebounding and Gortat with the put back. When the dust settled the Raptors dug a huge hole down 35-14 and honestly they would be hard pressed to dig out from that. Vince Carter had 11 in quarter and had lots of help. Bargnani had 12 in quarter and had next to no help.
Jerryd Bayless in the game and got it rolling early with a basket then draws a foul to get to the line. Vince Carter was resting as Bayless had a quick 4 points. So was Steve Nash and with no Aaron Brooks yet the Suns were without a legit back-up point guard. Pietrus another three ball and Suns had a 40-20 lead in the early moments of the 2nd. DeRozan would get fouled and finally get on the board at the line. He would struggle with foul trouble through out the night. Steve Nash I believe has never lost at ACC since returning to the Suns and you had the sense that trend would continue tonight. Nash had 7 assists in that first quarter by the way. DeRozan got a two handed jam but the Raptors were behind 22 with the score 46-24. Suns were up 23 when the unfamiliar number 25 checked back in but a different number and that beard did not trick the fans from booing V.C some more. On the broadcast they had some comedian with Jack and Matt and we needed some jokes beyond the Raptors performance on the floor that was brutal. I didn't get that luxury being at the game live. Nash to Gortat for the slam to make the lead 59-38 with under two to play in the half. Vince finally missed something with about a minute to go. Sonny Weems got rejected to close the half taking a long jumper and that kinda summed up the first half for the Raptors. It was 60-42 for the Suns and Raptors had 9 turnovers and no sign of defence at all.
Even the Maestro Fresh Wes halftime show lost some of it's lustier for me after watching that first half. The Raptor showed more effort busting some dance moves than the team did playing defence in the first half. Raptors started the 2nd half on a bit of a run with a DeRozan score and then a rare Bargnani slam dunk and the lead had shrunk to 12. Time out Alvin Gentry to get his team re-motivated. Frye scores in the paint out of the time out and an ugly miss from three for James Johnson. Nash undressed Calderon and dropped it off for Lopez for the easy two in the paint. After a Raptor bucket it was a repeat performance from Nash to Lopez and he had 11 dimes. Jay Triano was reaching the boiling point and got a rare technical foul for him. Didn't exactly fire up the troops at 72-55 in favour of the Suns with still over 6 minutes to play in 3rd. The Polish Hammer was playing well as he got an easy score and Raptors had showed very few signs of a defensive pulse the entire evening. He would close the quarter strong and had 16 points and 6 boards off the bench for the Suns. Vince Carter coming out of a time out looked at Devlin and Armstrong singing Living on a Prayer and just smiled and laughed. Vince had more then enough time to have a chuckle. The Raptors on the other hand were no laughing matter and their former franchise player was well on the way to having the last laugh again on his former club. Raptors were down 24 heading to the final quarter down 86-62. They were getting beat down on boards as well with Suns holding a 33-23 edge.
Raptors only lead in this game was at 2-0 and minus a minor miracle it would remain that way. No miracle would be coming in the 4th quarter. But in games like this chance for guys like Ed Davis to get some burn and he would score on a put back but the Raptors were still down 20 and this was really garbage time for the entire 4th Quarter. Nash and Carter could chill out on the first game of a 6 game trip for the Suns as they would not see the floor in the 4th quarter because the damage had been done. Carter had 17 points 7 rebounds and brought his D with 6 steals. While Nash struggled shooting going 2 for 12 with 7 points but had 11 assists and 7 rebounds as well. They watched bench guys taking care of business up 95-72 with 7:30 to go in this one. It could not soon end fast enough for most. After one of their best efforts of the year the Raptors had one of a long list of their worst in this game. The Starting 5 outside of Bargnani was not good on offence. He had 24 in the game. James Johnson got the start and getting the chance to watch it on T.V this morning seemed clear Sonny Weems was not thrilled by it. His play reflected it going 0 for 5 with just 1 point. Johnson was not as good as in his debut with just 6 points 3 rebounds and a couple steals.
In the end the Suns took this game by throat early like a team fighting to make the playoffs should. The game was over early in reality but after the other 36 minutes were played the Suns walked out of Toronto with a 110-92 win. Raptors need to find out what went wrong before Sunday as they place Nash's former squad the Mavericks who could do much the same to the Raptors if not worse. One of the most frustrating things about watching a young club play is the lack of consistency. But for a lot of reasons it was a pretty memorable night for me at the ACC but pretty much all of it had nothing to do with the Raptors. This had been first time I had every got to see Steve Nash up close. Well as close as I could get in the massive scrum he demands at the ACC. I will some day tell my grand kids assuming I have some that I saw Canada's best basketball player in my lifetime. I also saw Vince Carter who if he had pushed himself like a Kobe Bryant had the talent to be one of the greatest ever. They are vast contrasts. Steve Nash gets ever ounce of ability he has out of himself. While Vince Carter sometimes needs to be motivated to perform. Playing in Toronto has always done that more times than not.
2/25/11
DNB Preview From Starbucks
Today was a bit messed up so a quick tee up of tonight's Suns vs Raptors game from the Starbucks over by the ACC. Steve Nash and Vince Carter both in the ACC at the same time on the opposite side from the Raptors should make for an interesting crowd reaction. Kinda like CHEER BOO, CHEER BOO!!!. Vince will still get booed right? Or do we all hate Chris Bosh more now. Judging by the reaction to Bosh in comparison to Carter when he first came back probably not.
The Suns sit in 10th still not out of it in the West Playoff Race and did make a move yesterday sending Goran Dragic to Houston for Aaron Brooks. Will know once I hit the ACC if Brooks will go but it seems a safe bet he does. I don't quite understand the logic in the move for the Suns but not like I understand a lot of the moves yesterday except the ones made by OKC. They needed a some tough bigs and get one of the best defenders in basketball in post in Kendrick Perkins. The Raptors did nothing yesterday and James Johnson is it. I am not surprised at all by the Raptors lack of activity. Word on the street was they were trying to shop Reggie Evans and his expiring contract yesterday but never found a deal they liked? Colangelo also made mention of a lot of interest in the Raptors pick in the upcoming draft but he was not willing to deal it right now based on not knowing what it was. Just ask Leaf fans about dealing first round picks no matter what you get back in return. Isn't that right Brian and Phil. Wow a leaf reference in the Dino Nation Blog. That may be a first.
As for tonight's contest it will be interesting to see if Raptors can take any momentum from a big win for them it taking out the Bulls who beat the Heat last night 93-89. The negative side of me says it was the first game after the break for Chicago and it was clearly easy for them to overlook the Raptors with a big showdown with the Heat the next night. That being said the Raptors fought off a huge performance from one of main candidates in the MVP race in Derrick Rose and for once finished off a good performance. That is taking steps in the right direction.
Demar DeRozan took those steps as well as he was matching Rose at times down the stretch and we are seeing signs that DeRozan like Carter has may one day lead this franchise as it's main guy. DeRozan while a huge fan of Kobe Bryant also was a fan of Vince Carter and what he did. Demar has had to shots and winning the Dunk Contest like V.C did and both times ended in controversy. Back when Vince won he never had any props either he just had a far more dominate performance than anyone else. That is what the dunk contest is suppose to be. I am going to attempt to talk to both tonight will see if I have any luck but that is a short preview for tonight not in our normal format but I find it odd working on a computer in a Starbucks. This would not happen in a Tim Horton's in Hamilton. But happy to be back in Toronto my 2nd home mostly on Fridays. Also jacked for halftime tonight. Maestro Fresh Wes was the bomb when I was young. Let your backbone slide baby. But at my age that is likely not a wise thing.
Time to drink my coffee and get ready to head over to ACC. Be tweeting my face off from there pre-game on @Dinonationblog.
The Suns sit in 10th still not out of it in the West Playoff Race and did make a move yesterday sending Goran Dragic to Houston for Aaron Brooks. Will know once I hit the ACC if Brooks will go but it seems a safe bet he does. I don't quite understand the logic in the move for the Suns but not like I understand a lot of the moves yesterday except the ones made by OKC. They needed a some tough bigs and get one of the best defenders in basketball in post in Kendrick Perkins. The Raptors did nothing yesterday and James Johnson is it. I am not surprised at all by the Raptors lack of activity. Word on the street was they were trying to shop Reggie Evans and his expiring contract yesterday but never found a deal they liked? Colangelo also made mention of a lot of interest in the Raptors pick in the upcoming draft but he was not willing to deal it right now based on not knowing what it was. Just ask Leaf fans about dealing first round picks no matter what you get back in return. Isn't that right Brian and Phil. Wow a leaf reference in the Dino Nation Blog. That may be a first.
As for tonight's contest it will be interesting to see if Raptors can take any momentum from a big win for them it taking out the Bulls who beat the Heat last night 93-89. The negative side of me says it was the first game after the break for Chicago and it was clearly easy for them to overlook the Raptors with a big showdown with the Heat the next night. That being said the Raptors fought off a huge performance from one of main candidates in the MVP race in Derrick Rose and for once finished off a good performance. That is taking steps in the right direction.
Demar DeRozan took those steps as well as he was matching Rose at times down the stretch and we are seeing signs that DeRozan like Carter has may one day lead this franchise as it's main guy. DeRozan while a huge fan of Kobe Bryant also was a fan of Vince Carter and what he did. Demar has had to shots and winning the Dunk Contest like V.C did and both times ended in controversy. Back when Vince won he never had any props either he just had a far more dominate performance than anyone else. That is what the dunk contest is suppose to be. I am going to attempt to talk to both tonight will see if I have any luck but that is a short preview for tonight not in our normal format but I find it odd working on a computer in a Starbucks. This would not happen in a Tim Horton's in Hamilton. But happy to be back in Toronto my 2nd home mostly on Fridays. Also jacked for halftime tonight. Maestro Fresh Wes was the bomb when I was young. Let your backbone slide baby. But at my age that is likely not a wise thing.
Time to drink my coffee and get ready to head over to ACC. Be tweeting my face off from there pre-game on @Dinonationblog.
2/21/11
The Starting 5 With Chuck Swirsky
Here at the Dino Nation Blog we have always made it a point to invite Chuck Swirsky back to talk with us when the Bulls are playing the Raptors. That is coming up this week on Wednesday so we ring it up to Chi-Town to talk with Chuck. It is always interesting to hear what Chuck has to say and he talks about his work as broadcaster here in Toronto and his view on his time calling Raptor Games. We talk about Vince Carter with an interesting story on how Chuck feels about V.C these days. His thoughts on Chris Bosh and his leaving the franchise and how Bosh has acted since. Along with thoughts on Demar DeRozan, his Bulls and much more. We went into a little overtime with Chuck but think it was well worth it. While I don't always agree with everything Chuck has to say. I have always respected him as a person and know that many Raptor fans still love him and miss him. So that is why I keep inviting him back to talk with us. Hope you enjoy.Chuck is never short on opinions and offered some interesting things today. He is coming back Wednesday to Toronto as Bulls take on the Raptors. He might even get out to Real Sports Bar. He always use to say it is always a pleasure talking Raptors basketball. Well I say that is always my pleasure to talk with him. Chuck has always been kind to me dating long before the Dino Nation Blog existed. Chuck did interviews with me when I was just a college student at Mohawk College on their radio station. He and Eric Smith both did that and I have always appreciated it. While I don't always agree at times with everything they say, as people I have great respect for them. So I will always be grateful to both for what they have done for me both with the interviews they have done with me, and the help they have offered me personally and professionally.
2/19/11
Ready For A "Thriller" of a Saturday Night?
I have been mentioning for awhile I have a theory on what we will see from Demar DeRozan tonight in the dunk contest. This theory goes back to last year in where there was a rumour as to what DeRozan might do. It was on TMZ which makes me cringe that I start this theory with a story originating from them. As it turned out they were wrong and it never happened last year. But I think it will this year. I even have some circumstantial evidence. Amir Johnson who will be helping DeRozan out on at least 1 of his dunks (As Demar told us in DNB) had some rather unique kicks in the locker room post game at the last game I covered vs Portland. This got me thinking that maybe I just figured something out. I think that DeRozan is going to do some type of M.J Tribute in the Dunk Contest.
M.J or not. GOOD LUCK DEMAR from the DNB and Canada will be watching and pulling for you and if your not you should be.
No not this M.J:
This One:
The shoes Amir had looked all shiny and came right out of the Micheal Jackson Video Billy Jean. In fact someone said (Think It was Joey Dorsey) that exact thing in the locker room. It all makes sense in theory. What better place to do a Micheal Jackson Tribute than in L.A. In the same building they held his memorial service. An L.A kid taking on the roll of Micheal Jackson. It all seems to make a ton of sense doesn't it? I talked with Demar about how his preparation was going in the blog and he was very confident. He never told me anything and this is 100% speculation on my part. Last year the rumours were flying that he was going to do this based on that TMZ Story I referenced. But maybe this year all the parts fit better. In L.A in front of a supportive crowd of friends and family, in a town that for most part loves Micheal Jackson, it all makes perfect sense. Will it actually happen? As Demar said to me you'll see on Saturday when I asked for some hints on what he might do. In fact Demar has been tight lipped with everyone about what he has planned. My theory is all those Sprite videos and Chickens on ladders in all just a smoke screen to "The Thriller" of all time for the Dunk Contest. I have waited till the last minute because if I am right I didn't want this to get out to far in advance of the contest itself. A Dunk with a shinny white glove would make for a heck of a visual.
This could all be 100% WRONG....But if it isn't and DeRozan can pull off his dunks it certainly will get the crowd behind him. For some facts and not speculation check out a great story by Eric Koreen on DeRozan getting his swagger for tonight's performance. Which also might play to my theory. Did anyone have more swagger in entertainment or in the world than Micheal Jackson? Not to many that I can think of. If all of this speculation is correct Blake Griffin may not be able to over come all of it to win. But wrong or right I am excited for the dunk contest more than I have been since this happened.
M.J or not. GOOD LUCK DEMAR from the DNB and Canada will be watching and pulling for you and if your not you should be.
2/15/11
What Is An Acceptable Outcome To Wednesday?
What is an acceptable outcome to the circus that will be Chris Bosh and the Heat coming to town. The obvious answer is the Raptors come up with a highly unlikely win over the Heat. This game means far more to the fan base then it does the players. I am not saying the Raptors would not like to stick it to their former teammate in Bosh. But for them it is not personal it is just playing against a former teammate. They look at it as part of the business that is the NBA. But for this fan base who were here for all 7 years of the Bosh era it is not business for them. It is personal for them. Heck it is personal to me. I know it shouldn't be but it is. Yesterday in the blog in talking about the silly debate on if fans will boo or not, I laid out some of my personal feelings about all this. I am disappointed in Chris not in the choice he made to leave, but in the aftermath of how he handled it. Something he still refuses to admit that he did anything wrong. I heard the first of what will be many interviews with Chris Bosh this morning on the Fan 590. He also claims he has no idea what to expect when he returns. Really he doesn't know? He sure as hell does know. We all know. But the point of if Chris will be booed and heckled beyond belief is not the point of what were talking about today. What is an acceptable outcome to this game for people?
Is it enough that fans just let him have it for two and half hours and they get there chance to respond to all the stupid tweets and comments regardless of the outcome of the game itself? The natural comparisons for this will be the returns of Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. On April Fools Day 2001 was the return of T-Mac with the Orlando Magic his new team got a 104-101 win and McGrady was 8 for 21 with 24 points and 7 rebounds with 5 turnovers. T-Mac infamously embraced the booing claiming it was proof that Raptors fans still loved him. Vince Carter did not exactly embrace his role as a villain as quickly as his long lost cousin. But he would perform better on April 15th 2005 in his first return to Toronto. He had 39 points, 9 rebounds ,4 assists and 3 steals in a 101-90 win for the Nets. So both played well and their teams won. So should we expect the same for Chris Bosh? Well Bosh obviously is not the main guy on his new team like Carter and McGrady were. However the Heat may decide to try and make sure Chris gets his. Lebron James certainly got his, on his return to Cleveland. It was a 118-90 thrashing that got the Heat heading in the right direction and the Cavs into the tailspin season they have had. James had 38 points and heard it from Cleveland at the start and it faded in and out throughout the night.
So if we shutdown Chris Bosh and lost would that be enough? Not for me at least. The most disappointing thing about the return to Cleveland for the Cavs fans had to be the fact their team for the most part rolled over and played dead. The Raptors despite their horrible record have had very few nights where you can say they have done that. It was also an issue how some of the Cavs treated Lebron. They didn't have any hate for him and some of them made that glaringly obvious. How will we feel if some of the Raptors were to do that? Hopefully they are smart enough to know better. But is it enough if the Raptors put up a hard fight and in the end lose, because they just don't have the talent ultimately to come out on top.
Is it a case of you just want to see Chris Bosh get beat up with in the context of the game. If he gets knocked on his butt a few times and has a hard night at the office is that enough? I am not talking hurt the guy and if you are wanting that, I really don't have much time for that. There is nothing that makes it acceptable to want a guy hurt. It just isn't the right thing to do under any circumstances. But to have some Charles Oakley style justice is fine with me.
Is it nothing more than an improbable win will do? No matter what happens it is not going to make up for what has been an awful season. As much as it might be painful to admit it the reasons Chris Bosh left were actually sound. Bryan Colangelo had several chances to get it right with Chris and failed to find a formula to build a team around him. While Bosh detractors will claim that it is because Bosh is not a main guy to carry a team. His going to Miami in the situation he has might be the ultimate admission of that. But as I pointed out in that same article above Chris Bosh could make the argument this franchise never spent the money to truly compete. The Raptors never were a tax team in his time here and truly invested in becoming a winner which is what they have always claimed to want to be. Chris Bosh whatever you might think of him personally is a heck of a basketball talent and he may not be on the same level as his two running buddies with the Heat. He is a very good basketball player and the coaches in this league recognized that by sending him to his 6th straight All-Star Game.
This game regardless of the result will not make up for the huge void that has been left by Bosh leaving. The still to be used trade exception and Miami first round pick along with the Raptors own pick will not likely either. But this is a chance for one night to have a game that means something to everyone that considers themselves a Raptor fan. It is a chance to make fun things like videos which we did in doing a re-mix of the TBJ video that everyone saw earlier this year "Like A Bosh".
But what the ultimate best outcome might be is we get to see how these players on this young Raptors team respond to a big game environment, with the closest thing to a playoff atmosphere Toronto will experience as a sports town this year. How will Demar DeRozan, Andrea Bargnani and others respond to that environment? If they step up and perform well that is part of that growth process that everyone has been talking about all year. But once this is all done, the Raptors reality will not have changed. This has been a terrible season and the Raptors miss Chris Bosh in the sense of having a true star player far more than he misses Toronto and being the main man.
But to parphrase The Rock tomorrow- Finally Chris Bosh Has Come Back To Toronto!!! It may feel a lot like this:
Maybe not because let's face it Dwayne Johnson and Dwyane Wade will both be bigger stars than Chris Bosh will ever be. But it is going to be the biggest thing to hit Toronto in a long time. Along with being the biggest Raptor game since they were last in the playoffs vs the Magic.
1/25/11
Why You Should Be Happy The Streak Is Over
It is an old expression by now in basketball and it goes like this "You live by the 3 and you will die by the 3". Many of us are not old enough to remember that the 3 point shot has not always been a part of the sport of basketball. It something you need to keep in mind when you evaluate the players of today. For instance Vince Carter recently passed 20,000 points. He has 1,368 made 3 pointers 681 of those as a Raptor. If the shot did not exist you could minus that 1,368 from his point total. But more to the point in his career he is 37.5% from behind the arc and 44.5% overall. Almost any player your care to research will have a higher FG% than 3% and it is just common sense. The closer you are able to get to the basket the more likely you are to make a shot. Also if you think back to his Raptor career what was one of criticisms of Carter. Well yeah his overall toughness and heart. But he was also taken to task for not driving as much as he did early in his career and settling for 3 point shots.
So why have we applauded this team for basically doing the same thing in keeping this streak alive? I did the research last night and shared it on Twitter. The Raptors record during this 986 game streak is 445-541 that is only a .451 winning percentage. Overall below .500 and yet it is celebrated like it means something. Yes it is an NBA record but where does it rank in significance? I would suggest that it is not to high. Do you think Mark Cuban will make such a big deal if his Mavericks eventual pass the Raptors and take over this streak? Mark Cuban only wants one thing and cares about one thing and that is an NBA Championship. It always should be about winning. Records of any kind are insignificant if they are not attached to winning.
While many have lamented at the fact that Demar DeRozan is not a capable three point shooter it is something that concerns me far less. In his career he has only attempted 41 times from 3 point range and converted just 6 times for a percentage that is 14.6%. I will admit that needs to improve but it is not life and death. Here is what you should be excited about in terms of DeRozan. Last season he got to the free throw line 194 times and already this season just past the half way mark has got there 225 times. He has converted 323 times overall when getting to that line. That adds up to 77.1% free throw percentage. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Making a free throw is far more likely than it is making a three point shot. Sure DeRozan eventually will need to be able to make a 3 point shot but the fact he can consistently get to the line will serve the Raptors far more than even if he became a respectable three point shooter.
The Raptors for years have become dependent on the 3 point shoot and this streak for me was a symbol of that dependence. When you look at the limited amount of success the Raptors have had you can say they have died many more times by the three than they have lived by it. Even in terms of guys like Kleiza and Bargnani we should want to see them post up more and take quality shots. While the 3 point shot can be and effective weapon in the sport of basketball it should be used more economically in terms of offence. Less attempts and more quality attempts. That is a path to consistent performance and ultimately more wins.
Some have said that this streak was all the Raptors had and represents some form of accomplishment. Sorry but look up next time at the ACC and find that one Division Championship banner. That is an accomplishment that is based on winning. This three point streak is more like having perfect attendance in school. It is great you showed up for school everyday. But if you don't learn anything when you are there does it mean anything? That is in essence what this 3 point streak is and was.
So why have we applauded this team for basically doing the same thing in keeping this streak alive? I did the research last night and shared it on Twitter. The Raptors record during this 986 game streak is 445-541 that is only a .451 winning percentage. Overall below .500 and yet it is celebrated like it means something. Yes it is an NBA record but where does it rank in significance? I would suggest that it is not to high. Do you think Mark Cuban will make such a big deal if his Mavericks eventual pass the Raptors and take over this streak? Mark Cuban only wants one thing and cares about one thing and that is an NBA Championship. It always should be about winning. Records of any kind are insignificant if they are not attached to winning.
While many have lamented at the fact that Demar DeRozan is not a capable three point shooter it is something that concerns me far less. In his career he has only attempted 41 times from 3 point range and converted just 6 times for a percentage that is 14.6%. I will admit that needs to improve but it is not life and death. Here is what you should be excited about in terms of DeRozan. Last season he got to the free throw line 194 times and already this season just past the half way mark has got there 225 times. He has converted 323 times overall when getting to that line. That adds up to 77.1% free throw percentage. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Making a free throw is far more likely than it is making a three point shot. Sure DeRozan eventually will need to be able to make a 3 point shot but the fact he can consistently get to the line will serve the Raptors far more than even if he became a respectable three point shooter.
The Raptors for years have become dependent on the 3 point shoot and this streak for me was a symbol of that dependence. When you look at the limited amount of success the Raptors have had you can say they have died many more times by the three than they have lived by it. Even in terms of guys like Kleiza and Bargnani we should want to see them post up more and take quality shots. While the 3 point shot can be and effective weapon in the sport of basketball it should be used more economically in terms of offence. Less attempts and more quality attempts. That is a path to consistent performance and ultimately more wins.
Some have said that this streak was all the Raptors had and represents some form of accomplishment. Sorry but look up next time at the ACC and find that one Division Championship banner. That is an accomplishment that is based on winning. This three point streak is more like having perfect attendance in school. It is great you showed up for school everyday. But if you don't learn anything when you are there does it mean anything? That is in essence what this 3 point streak is and was.
1/10/11
Heir Canada Era Is Coming?
Before we get to our main focus today a reminder that tonight is the Raptors annual Red Party tonight. It takes place at Muzik and the money raised at the event goes towards the MLSE Team Up Foundation. If you are going to the event and have some photos from it you would like to share with us and the rest of the Dino Nation we would love to see them. Send them to us at Dinoblogger@Gmail.com and will share them with all our readers. The Raptors head into that event with a much needed win yesterday versus the Kings. I was only able to see the second half but Ryan did a great job recapping the game for all of you. It was nice to see both Andrea Bargnani and Demar Derozan both producing in a major way in the same game. DeRozan seems to be turning the corner and is figuring out what it takes to be a consistent scorer in this league.
That is the first major step of many that DeRozan will need to take if he hopes to become one of the elite players in this league. It is a big one as well because not to many guys can score 20 a night in this league and make it look easy. When and if DeRozan starts getting the calls that he deserves, it is going to become even easier from him to score points in this league. If he consistently makes his free throws he is capable of having huge scoring nights.
I also admire his determination to continue to drive hoop and take abuse despite not getting rewarded with the calls. If Demar is going to grow into the Anti-Vince Carter of sorts this is one of the first signs of it. Carter would shy away from contact and he was far from an ironman. DeRozan has started and played in every game this season. He has been pretty durable in his short NBA career so far. Given where he comes from in Compton,California his toughness is likely not much of a surprise.
However Jack Armstrong made some excellent points about Demar during the game yesterday. We always hear a ton about Andrea Bargnani and his lack of rebounding. Part of that is the nature of the position he plays and we think of that position as a traditional position for grabbing rebounds. We don't think that way about guards and wingmen though. But when you consider the great athletic ability that Demar has, there is no reason that can not be used on the glass at both ends of the floor. He could create extra possessions on offence and help out on the defensive glass. Just 2.9 rebounds in his rookie season and just a minor improvement to 3.4 rebounds so far this year. If he could get to a level of 6 a game that would be amazing. It would just take a little more focus on getting on the glass from Demar. We are not talking a major jump just becoming more aware and active on the glass.
The two players in Raptors history that Demar is compared to are Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, and they both were around that level in terms of rebounds. For Carter he averaged 5.7 and 5.8 rebounds in his first 2 seasons. While McGrady was able to average 4.2 and 5.7 boards in his first two seasons in the league. McGrady's best season on the glass was in 2001-02 with Orlando where he averaged 7.9 rebounds per game. While Vince Carter averaged 6 boards a game in 2 seasons with New Jersey back to back in 06-07 and 07-08 was the best he has done in his career.
Demar also needs to become a better passer and improve in that area. Just 1.8 assists and averaging just over 1.5 turnovers thus far this season. While assist to turnover ratio is something we generally use to measure point guards it can be important for Demar as well. He can draw a lot of attention driving to the basket, and he can make others better if he can make the simple pass when the defence shifts to him. What would be nice to see is about a 5 to 2 assist to turnover ratio from Demar. There will be times where he can get those hockey assists as well. Sticking with the comparisons to McGrady and Carter they managed 2.3(T-Mac) and 3.9(V.C) assists in their sophomore seasons. In terms of the best in their careers, Carter maxed out with 5.1 assists in 07/08 with the Nets. While McGrady had 6.5 assists in the 06/07 season with Rockets.
Also the major issue that people have Demar is his defence. It is a little harder to measure that through stats. While steals and blocks are measurable they do not tell a full story. Demar has a slight improvement in those areas. But in general terms all the athleticism that DeRozan has should be able to be used to make him a solid defender. Even the greatest players in this game have always had questions about their defence in the beginning of their NBA Careers. Jordan, Kobe, Lebron, there is not a superstar that I can think of that has been praised for their D early in career over their offence. Maybe the closet example might be Dwight Howard but that is a totally different position. When you are a swingman in the NBA you are matched up night in and night out with some of the most talented stars in this league. Let's take an example from the upcoming road trip for the Raptors. Demar could see Manu, Gilbert Arenas and D-Wade as potential match-ups. That is not a lot of fun for anyone.
It is a process to greatness and it doesn't happen over night. I think that Demar is turning the corner to taking his first major step on that path. But clearly there are more steps to take, but given his work ethic you know, or should know that he is going to continue to try to make them. Will he ever get to the point where we can have a conversation and compare him to Carter or McGrady? It is still to be determined but you see flashes of greatness and some skills that both Carter and McGrady lacked. In terms of work ethic, toughness and durability you can argue that DeRozan is ahead of Carter and McGrady. But there are no stats to really measure those things.
Yesterday's game was the first time that we saw Demar and Andrea both come through with big nights. If this can happen more consistently the Raptors might have a very different 1-2 punch than what they had with a McGrady and Carter. Many people that follow the Raptors have lamented over what might have happened if T-Mac and V.C stayed together in Toronto. Kobe Bryant believes that had they stuck together his Lakers would have been battling the Toronto Raptors for NBA titles.I think both DeRozan and Bargnani have a long way to go to be compared to Carter and McGrady as a tandem. No one will be comparing them to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol anytime soon. But how these two players develop will ultimately determine a lot of what happens with the Raptors future in both the short and long term.
But a Heir Canada Era may be a step closer to reality. Raptors are not going to be a playoff team it would seem. The rumoured trade that would bring Carmelo Anthony to the New Jersey Nets would make the Raptors division the Atlantic a lot tougher in the short and long term. So the Raptors need to hope that their young core led by these 2 players comes through, because if they do not the future looks mighty bleak.
That is the first major step of many that DeRozan will need to take if he hopes to become one of the elite players in this league. It is a big one as well because not to many guys can score 20 a night in this league and make it look easy. When and if DeRozan starts getting the calls that he deserves, it is going to become even easier from him to score points in this league. If he consistently makes his free throws he is capable of having huge scoring nights.
I also admire his determination to continue to drive hoop and take abuse despite not getting rewarded with the calls. If Demar is going to grow into the Anti-Vince Carter of sorts this is one of the first signs of it. Carter would shy away from contact and he was far from an ironman. DeRozan has started and played in every game this season. He has been pretty durable in his short NBA career so far. Given where he comes from in Compton,California his toughness is likely not much of a surprise.
However Jack Armstrong made some excellent points about Demar during the game yesterday. We always hear a ton about Andrea Bargnani and his lack of rebounding. Part of that is the nature of the position he plays and we think of that position as a traditional position for grabbing rebounds. We don't think that way about guards and wingmen though. But when you consider the great athletic ability that Demar has, there is no reason that can not be used on the glass at both ends of the floor. He could create extra possessions on offence and help out on the defensive glass. Just 2.9 rebounds in his rookie season and just a minor improvement to 3.4 rebounds so far this year. If he could get to a level of 6 a game that would be amazing. It would just take a little more focus on getting on the glass from Demar. We are not talking a major jump just becoming more aware and active on the glass.
The two players in Raptors history that Demar is compared to are Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, and they both were around that level in terms of rebounds. For Carter he averaged 5.7 and 5.8 rebounds in his first 2 seasons. While McGrady was able to average 4.2 and 5.7 boards in his first two seasons in the league. McGrady's best season on the glass was in 2001-02 with Orlando where he averaged 7.9 rebounds per game. While Vince Carter averaged 6 boards a game in 2 seasons with New Jersey back to back in 06-07 and 07-08 was the best he has done in his career.
Demar also needs to become a better passer and improve in that area. Just 1.8 assists and averaging just over 1.5 turnovers thus far this season. While assist to turnover ratio is something we generally use to measure point guards it can be important for Demar as well. He can draw a lot of attention driving to the basket, and he can make others better if he can make the simple pass when the defence shifts to him. What would be nice to see is about a 5 to 2 assist to turnover ratio from Demar. There will be times where he can get those hockey assists as well. Sticking with the comparisons to McGrady and Carter they managed 2.3(T-Mac) and 3.9(V.C) assists in their sophomore seasons. In terms of the best in their careers, Carter maxed out with 5.1 assists in 07/08 with the Nets. While McGrady had 6.5 assists in the 06/07 season with Rockets.
Also the major issue that people have Demar is his defence. It is a little harder to measure that through stats. While steals and blocks are measurable they do not tell a full story. Demar has a slight improvement in those areas. But in general terms all the athleticism that DeRozan has should be able to be used to make him a solid defender. Even the greatest players in this game have always had questions about their defence in the beginning of their NBA Careers. Jordan, Kobe, Lebron, there is not a superstar that I can think of that has been praised for their D early in career over their offence. Maybe the closet example might be Dwight Howard but that is a totally different position. When you are a swingman in the NBA you are matched up night in and night out with some of the most talented stars in this league. Let's take an example from the upcoming road trip for the Raptors. Demar could see Manu, Gilbert Arenas and D-Wade as potential match-ups. That is not a lot of fun for anyone.
It is a process to greatness and it doesn't happen over night. I think that Demar is turning the corner to taking his first major step on that path. But clearly there are more steps to take, but given his work ethic you know, or should know that he is going to continue to try to make them. Will he ever get to the point where we can have a conversation and compare him to Carter or McGrady? It is still to be determined but you see flashes of greatness and some skills that both Carter and McGrady lacked. In terms of work ethic, toughness and durability you can argue that DeRozan is ahead of Carter and McGrady. But there are no stats to really measure those things.
Yesterday's game was the first time that we saw Demar and Andrea both come through with big nights. If this can happen more consistently the Raptors might have a very different 1-2 punch than what they had with a McGrady and Carter. Many people that follow the Raptors have lamented over what might have happened if T-Mac and V.C stayed together in Toronto. Kobe Bryant believes that had they stuck together his Lakers would have been battling the Toronto Raptors for NBA titles.I think both DeRozan and Bargnani have a long way to go to be compared to Carter and McGrady as a tandem. No one will be comparing them to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol anytime soon. But how these two players develop will ultimately determine a lot of what happens with the Raptors future in both the short and long term.
But a Heir Canada Era may be a step closer to reality. Raptors are not going to be a playoff team it would seem. The rumoured trade that would bring Carmelo Anthony to the New Jersey Nets would make the Raptors division the Atlantic a lot tougher in the short and long term. So the Raptors need to hope that their young core led by these 2 players comes through, because if they do not the future looks mighty bleak.
11/12/10
It Was a Magical Night But Not How You Think.
The Raptors would be hard pressed to find a tougher back to back in the NBA. The Magic are a good basketball team and have solid coaching in Stan Van Gundy. This is not going to be easy at all. When you add the fact of no Barbosa or Kleiza and some other banged up bodies in Jarret Jack and Reggie Evans. Hope fades even further.
But Raps were looking decent early and hanging with the Magic. They got a 8-0 run that sparked and gave them a 13-9 lead, and that was enough for SVG to want to vent to his team during a timeout. Raptors were going with a zone which has been effective against Orlando recently but zone is not great against the 3 point shot. foreshadowing of an Orlando 3 to take the lead. Good early sign as Demar gets to the line and makes his free throws. This was a back and forth affair and it was tied at 22. Another SVG time out and Stan was not a happy man at all. This was a battle and quite honestly an unexpected on tied at 28 with 1:20 to play in the first. Amir Johnson had come in for Evans and was doing a heck of a job early and keeping the foul magnet deactivated. Raps 3 point defence was leaking badly though and Pietrus hit an open look to give the Magic a 1 point lead. Joey Dorsey gets to the line and could give the Raps the lead with 2.3 left in first. But missed both and Magic lead 31-30 after 1.
Raps shot 63% from the field in that 1st Quarter and still were down 1. Dwight Howard got a lot more from Hakeem then the Raptors ever did and he shows some of his new stuff for a pretty lay-up. Defence was just not happening in this game as teams were trading baskets like this was a tennis match. Magic held a 37-34 lead when we reached the first T.V Timeout. Raptors would get it rolling and pass the Magic and build their own 3 point lead. Magic were 1 for there last 5 shots. Magic nail a 3 and it is 40 all. Heir Canada takes it at Air Canada and scores and is fouled couldn't convert and 1. Note to the Raptor defence cover Pietrus they weren't and he nails another 3. Andrea Bargnani had 18 first half points. But still Raptors can only manage to be tied at 54. But he was not done hit a 3 to make it 21. Bad D on the other end and tied at 59. Evans draws a charge to close the half basically with .2 seconds left. All even at 59.
Turnover out of the half that is not ideal for the men in red. But Evans comes up with it on other end and Jack a pull up foul line J. Who is that bearded man? V.C that is who it was and he answers. This was a knock down drag out fight and the Raptors might be under manned but it was not stopping them. It might even be helping them forcing some new combos to play on the floor. Bargnani was cooling off though and that is a bit of a concern but was still close 70-68 Magic. But the Raps were not going away in fact they re-took the lead 75-72. The Raptors were not going away a Calderon 3...and then a Johnson bucket the largest lead of night 82-76. The Raptors would take a 89-82 lead to the 4th. We have seen the Raptors take leads to the 4th before. Not just this year but in many years the Raptors have not been the best closers in the world. So it was nervous time and the Magic would make it close. But for whatever reason the Raptors would not give up on this night. Weems with a huge clutch 3 set the table for a Raptor win. Earning that nickname Money Weems. It would come down Demar Derozan bring down the hammer looking almost V.C like. He had tied his career high and had a chance to improve on that in a very clutch situation. Up two points and heading to the line for 2. Demar stepped to the line and drained them. A new career high of 26. A Jose Calderon steal as well. Amazing. The Raptors had almost been owed something from the basketball Gods. They head to Miami snapping a 6 game losing streak with a 110-106 win over the Magic. If I had not seen it for myself I would doubt it too. But THIS HAPPENED. On to Miami to face this guy who I had a little fun with during the game. Bargnani had 27 with only 6 in the second half and Demar DeRozan had as mentioned a career high 26.
Raptors Visit The Magic Kingdom
Vince Carter has a beard. It is comical, what isn't is the Raptors of late. Also no laughing matter is the lengthy injured list. The Raptors last practice had only 10 healthy bodies on the court. Barbosa was left back in Toronto and is out for this entire road trip at least. Jack sat out practice as he is still dealing with a sore knee. Andersen still has the flu listed as questionable. Linas Kleiza is also at less than 100%. He is listed as doubtful and Triano has said if no Kleiza that will mean Sonny Weems starts. Reggie Evans has a sore hip as well. Ed Davis is still not ready, coming back from knee surgery prior to training camp. It is a banged up group of Raptors facing two of the best teams in the East on a back to back.
The Basics: Orlando 5-2 ( 2nd in the East ) Toronto 1-7 (0-4 on the Road)
When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors coughed up a hair ball and the basketball and lost to the Bobcats. Raptors had a 5 point lead heading into the 4th quarter only to have that flipped and lose to the Bobcats by 5. Raptors had 17 turnovers in the 101-96 loss but none more costly then the one late in the game by Andrea Bargnani.
Key Match-ups: Jay Triano promises we will see a lot of Joey Dorsey matching up with Dwight Howard. It is always a key match-up when you face the Magic. Dwight is starting to expand his offensive game a little bit and has a few new tricks in the tool box. Demar DeRozan had an awful night vs the Bobcats. He had a good night vs one of his idols in Kobe Bryant earlier in the year. Well he also is a Vince Carter fan and will match-up with him. Air Canada vs Heir Canada and it should be fun to see if Demar can answer the challenge. Vince is a contract year and off the a decent start for the Magic. It isn't a match up but against the Magic if you do not defend the 3 point line your dead dead dead.
Other Things of Note: The Magic have a new arena (Amway Center) this season and this is the Raptors first visit. They have a 10-16 record all time visiting Mickey and the Magic. Stan Van Gundy will be into his team after they blew a huge lead to the Jazz and lost. On his staff is the first ever Raptors head coach Brendan Malone. Magic are the worst team in league from the free throw line early in this NBA season shooting just 65.5% at the line as a team.
In Case You Missed It: Chris Bosh and his Heat lost again and he was the focus of the Raptor Twitterverse. All based on in his latest apparent slag of Toronto. Under protest I decided to weigh in on Bosh and twitter circus. If you are like me and Boshed out you still might want to check it out and just scroll to the end.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
