Raptors Doing More With Less?

For weeks now we had been hearing about how this team was getting close. After every lose you would hear players and head coach Jay Triano talking about it. There would be a lot of talk about how few practices this team had under Triano. It honestly sounded like a party line to explain the failure. Jay Triano a couple games ago would call a time out and the team came out and did not follow his advice. He quickly called another time out and gave his team a quick and firm message after which he walked away. Chris Bosh would follow that up with his own form of verbal abuse. The Raptors seem to have got the message. One of my points had been I did not see any emotion from anyone and that this team seemed to accepting and to easy to find excuses. Well in the last two games when this team had some really legit excuses in that they had no Jermaine O'Neal or Jose Calderon they would play well with no excuses required. O'Neal and Calderon may not even go on this mini two game road trip to Milwaukee and Washington. But after wins over Houston and Orlando maybe it will not matter as much as we would have thought a few days ago.

I seriously would have bet my house the Raptors would have gone 0-3 for this homestand and sit at 12-22. But instead they have a couple unexpected wins and sit 14-20 and have moved out last place to 3rd in the Atlantic Division. The Raptors have done it by playing with a lot more effort and energy on both ends of the floor. Triano has got this team running more on offense and playing harder on defense. The win over Houston did not impress me personally as I chalked it up to Houston looking bad as much as the Raptors looking good. The win over Orlando I walked away stunned and impressed. The Magic came into Toronto on a serious roll and had won 9 of their last 10 games. I have been very impressed with them this season and think they have been over looked in favour of the Celtics and Cavs. Once is an accident and twice is a trend. So if the Raptors can follow up with a win tonight over the improving Bucks we may just have something. Until the year 2009 came around the Raptors lacked a quality win on their resume. These type of wins get a lot of talk in college basketball. When teams are trying to get into the NCAA tournament one of the things people look at is quality wins and toughness of schedule. The Raptors had the tough schedule but no quality wins to speak of. Now to start 2009 they have back to back quality wins. When all hope was starting to fade in this fan base, the Raptors have given life to the flame of hope in Raptorland.

B.C On The Mic

When Bryan Colangelo does an interview everyone stops and listens. It is like those old investment advertisements for E.F Hutton. When the guy would speak in the ad the entire room would go silent to hear what he had to say. I get that feeling for ever Bryan Colangelo interview. He talked about a number of issues in his halftime interview on CBC. There were lots of interesting things said and lots of lines to read between. Colangelo seemed to down play what expectations they had for this team at the start of the season. He said the the goal was just to advance further into the second round. The question was asked about being expected to be contenders in the east that prompted this response. Colangelo is truly great at spin and staying on message. He would make an excellent political candidate or advisor/spokesman for one some day. Maybe he could run the Barkley Campaign in Alabama in 2014. Although with Charles recent issues that would be tough to spin but if anyone could do it B.C would. In case you have been living under a rock of late, Barkley had been picked up for DUI and was on his way according to him to have some "fun" in his SUV with a woman that was not his wife. But back to Bryan and what he had to say about the Raptors.

The topic of Carlos Delfino came up. Colangelo stated the fact that the Raptors indeed still have his restricted free agent rights. He seemed to suggest that he did not get the impression that Carlos would be coming back to the league as fast as others have suggested. Although if you are a hockey fan you will recall how easy it is to break a contract with a Russian Team. The labour rules in Russia only require you give two weeks notice same as if you managed the Moscow McDonalds. So these things can change quickly. Colangelo did say the Raptors would be interested in having him back and suggested the Raptors would match any offers that came his way be it next year or this season. He did seem to suggest he felt it would be next year as opposed to this year. So for those of you that think Defino could make a difference you should be happy to learn about that.

What would a Bryan Colangelo interview be without some talk about Andrea Bargnani. He talked about how Andrea had been shifted around playing at different positions. Which I would like to point out was greatly encouraged by Bryan at the start of the year. He would go on to talk about him being young and growing and learning. It was pretty much your standard Andrea Bargnani defense speech. It sure did not seem like a man that was read to trade Bargnani anytime soon. Bargnani has been playing out of his mind since replacing J.O in the starting line-up. The question wasn't asked that I would like to know. Which is what happens when J.O is healthy? Will Andrea end up back on the bench despite all of this and J.O just return to starting line-up. The one thing that is true if teams are calling for Bargnani and Bryan would consider moving him he has reason to play hardball now with the recent performance of Bargnani. I got no such impression from Colangelo that he is all that interested in moving Andrea. However being the smart guy that Bryan Colangelo is, that is likely exactly what he wanted me to think as well as every other G.M in the league.

Speaking of that idea. Bryan talked about all the rumours that include his name that seem to be in almost every city in the NBA these days. He suggested that it is people speculating and seeing blood in the water after a slow start for a team that had higher expectations. He said although he is active in looking to improve this team that there are lots of factors that go into making trades happen. He was in no means looking like a guy who was in a rush or panic to get something done. When asked directly if he would consider trading Chris Bosh the answer was a flat no followed by a detailed explanation. When he was asked about the fact that Bosh could leave in 2010 he talked about it being his job to convince Bosh to stay and he was going to work to build the team into something that Chris will want to be a part of. When he was asked if it was accurate that the only players he would not consider moving were Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon he did not answer that question in a direct way and it makes you wonder why. He answered the question about Bosh directly why not Calderon? There was a rumour that Steve Nash could be moved for Calderon in a package to the Suns. Nash in talking about being a free agent in 2010 did express a desire to play in both New York and Toronto as well as returning to the Suns.

Roko Ukic did look very good yesterday. Steve Nash has had back issues in recent days and is getting to the point he may not have many years left. But if you think Roko could end up being a started down the line it might make sense. There has been quiet talk that Nash is not happy with the system under new coach Terry Porter. It would be a bold move for sure if Colangelo was able to make that kind of trade. Jay Triano and Steve Nash have a great relationship and he would fit in quickly in Toronto you would have to think. But Colangelo was not talking about any of this kind of speculation. Honestly that is what is as well. But it should be noted how well the Raptors defense has looked without Jose Calderon in the game over the last 7 quarters of basketball. I am not thinking that is an accident.

Just like all Bryan Colangelo interviews it was interesting and he did not say a lot but he gave hints and lots of lines to read between. Sometimes the things he does not say are just as important as the ones he does say. The one thing that has been clear since the firing of Sam Mitchell is that the spotlight is firmly on Bryan Colangelo and what his next move will be. That is one thing that was not talked about was the coaching position. It is safe to assume that Colangelo is still comfortable with giving Jay Triano the rest of the season to audition himself for being a candidate for the job.

Can The Raps Continue To Roll In Milwaukee?

The last time the Raptors won 3 games in a row the team they beat was the Milwaukee Bucks. It was at the start of the season when the Raptors had stormed out to that 3-0 start. The last of those wins was against Milwaukee. The Raptors would go on to lose to the Pistons after that and it would be the last time and only time this team has won 3 in a row all year. If the Raptors are serious about getting back in the playoff race they will need to put together winning streaks and longer ones than just 3 games. The Bucks have shown signs of improvement lately.

The 16-19 Bucks have managed to go 9-5 at home so far this year. One of those 5 loses as mentioned to the Raptors. They have had a real balanced approach with 6 players averaging double figure scoring and none of them over 20 points. Michael Redd leading the way with 19.4 per game. If Andrea Bargnani is a bust as a number one pick what does that make Andrew Bogut? He has not lit the world on fire with his play for the Bucks in his career. But this season averaging a respectable double double of 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. There is also Charlie Villianueva the former Raptor who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. The Bucks made a big trade for Richard Jefferson and I think they were hoping for more than 17 a game from him. But that is what they are getting. The Bucks also let Mo Williams go to the Cleveland Cavs and he has been having a great year playing with Lebron.



The reason that they let Williams walk was the up and coming talent of Ramon Sessions. He is paired with Luke Ridnour as the PG combo for the Bucks. The other player that they are excited about in Milwaukee or they should be is this guy:




Not saying that Luc Mah A Moute is going to be a household name. It doesn't roll of the tongue as easy as James or Jordan. He is not going to be those guys by any stretch of the imagination. What he is though is an exciting young player that seems to add a spark to the Bucks and can grow into being a solid role player in this league.

Despite having yesterday off the Bucks are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. They enter this game coming off a disappointing loss to the Bobcats in the road end of a home and home set that they won the front end in Milwaukee on Friday. The Bobcats took advantage of the fact the Bucks were without Andrew Bogut who missed the game and is listed as day to day with back spasms. Raptors with no Jermaine O'Neal would still have a massive size advantage on the Bucks without Bogut in the line-up. The Raptors just need to understand despite a couple wins they have long given up the right to overlook anyone. If they every do the rest of the season if I was the coach I would pop on a DVD of the Thunder game just to make my point.

So the Raptor will look to make it 3 in a row and this is a rare Raptors T.V affair from Milwaukee on a Monday. So if you are not a Raps T.V subscriber your welcome to see what happens here in the Raptor Rewind. It may be possible I may end up live blogging this game. If it happens check back and I will have a link for you to that. Raptors Rolling? I know it just seems to strange but it is the most recent reality in a wacky season.

Raptors Rewind- Superman In The House Edition

The Raptors face a Magic team as I said in the set-up to this game is on a roll. I was impressed by the Magic heading into this season. I think people in Raptorland under estimated this team last season and did not give them credit for being a good basketball team. I personally learned my lesson and was one of the few that were giving the Magic some much deserved love in the pre-season leading into this 08/09 season. I called for Stan Van Gundy to win coach of the year and Dwight Howard to be M.V.P. The Magic had a very slow start to the season and it was looking like I was nuts. But look at them now winners of 9 of their last 10 basketball games. In the Eastern Conference all the talk is about the Cavs and Celtics and on a national stage the Magic are being over looked just like they were locally here in Toronto last year. Don't sleep on the Orlando Magic because they have talent and are a solid basketball team built around an amazing talent in Dwight Howard. Chris Bosh no doubt feels happy for his friend and his success. However given the state of things in Toronto he must be more disappointed with his situation. He will have to carry the load today with no Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon. Bosh in his career has had 7 career 40 points or more games and 3 of them have been against the Magic. If Bosh is going to get any help it will have to come from Andrea Bargnani. He has done well in replacing O'Neal in the starting line-up. Despite the fact that some including me have thought he may just not be in the long term future for the Raptors he has played some of his best basketball of the season in these last few games. The Raptors will need that to continue to have any chance at success. They will also need Will Solomon to play at a high level and not fall apart as he did earlier in the year against Orlando. The odds are long for the Raptors today to get a win. That is the reality of things but if they did manage to win it would be impressive to say the least. The Magic road record is impressive to say the least. So let's see what happens and if Raptors can find a way to ground Superman. But even if they can Magic have many options from 3 point range to many to mention.

1st Quarter

Magic win the opening tap and Rashard Lewis misses a 3 pointer but Dwight Howard gets the offensive rebound and put back score. Andrea Bargnani would miss but follow his shot and score off the rebound. Bargnani would nail a 3 pointer in response to a Magic score. But quickly back the other way Dwight Howard would get a dunk. Chris Bosh would look to get in on the party making his first jumper of the day. Jameer Nelson would miss an attempt and Anthony Parker back in the starting line-up would make his first attempt of the day. Dwight Howard would get fouled but score anyway and make the free throw. The score was tied at 9. Will Solomon would drive at Howard and score and draw the second foul on Howard. So the Raptors had a 12-9 lead but more importantly Howard was taking an early seat after a hot start.

Rashard Lewis would score from long range and the game was back to even at 12-12. Anthony Parker would dunk it home on a feed from Bosh and the Raptors looked solid early with a 14-12 lead and Howard a spectator. Magic had made a few uncharacteristic turnovers early on. This latest one the Raptors could not cash is on it as Bargnani missed a 3 pointer. Hedo Turkoglu would make a 3 pointer and the Magic were in front 15-14. Jameer Nelso would get fouled and head to the line looking to extend the lead with he would making both. Anthony Parker was off to a nice start as he drove to the basket and scored in response. Will Solomon on the next trip would stop and pop for 2 points and he would do the same the next time down the floor and the Raptors were taking advantage of Magic miscues and lead 20-17. Chris Bosh would take it at Rashard Lewis and draw the foul on him and make a pair from the line. Raptors lead 22-17 and looked good. Maybe they were better than I thought against the Rockets. The Rockets were bad no doubt but it seems the Raptors were just as good based on this early performance. Bosh was back at the line adding to the lead. Jamario Moon would make a very tough jumper and the Raptors lead had grown to 26-17. This was not what I was expecting to see but am happy to be seeing it. Still this was being done with Dwight Howard looking on.

Chris Bosh continued the Raptor run with another basket and the Raptor lead was 28-17. Tony Battie would finally end the run with a basket for the Magic.But the Raptors kept rolling as AP would score a 2 point shot. Roko Ukic who had checked in for Solomon did the same as he did with back to back baskets. The Raptor lead had grown to 15 points. Kieth Bogans would hit a 3 pointer to draw the Magic slightly closer. Shockingly you score after one quarter of play it was the Raptors leading 34-22.

2nd Quarter

Jake Voskhul, Joey Graham and Jason Kapono had checked in to start the 2nd quarter. Dwight Howard was back in the game for the Magic as well and he would get to know Jake Voskhul right awat as he would get fouled. Howard would go 1-2 from the line for the first point of the quarter. Rashard Lewis would hit a 3-ball and the Magic had started the quarter on a bit of a roll. But Roko Ukic would find Bargnani for a dunk of a Magic turnover in transition. Bargnani would hit another basket with a mid-range jumper to restore the Raptor 12 point lead. Roko Ukic would drive and score and the Raptors were putting the boots to the Magic much like they had Houston. Can some one tell me what is going on here because I am at a loss. The Raptors were playing good to great defense and creating turnovers. It was hard to believe what you were watching to be honest.

Joey Graham was being aggressive on defense and he got rewarded with a basket on offense. Graham was not done as he would answer a Howard bucket with a mid range jumper. Courtney Lee would get a 3 pointer for the Magic and they badly needed it. Raptors had a 44-31 lead. Jake Voskhul would once again lay the wood on Superman and send him to the line. Howard would have a rare 2-2 effort from the line. Will Solomon was back in game and he scored. Soloic? doesn't sound like Forderon but it was sure looking like it today. Bosh was back on the floor now as well. Dwight Howard had a dunk and he had 16 points despite being limited in minutes by fouls. Howard was getting his but the rest of the Magic looked flat and not bringing much to the party.

Dwight Howard continued to score with ease and pulled the Magic back to 9 down. Andrea Bargnani would answer on the other end with a basket. Magic were struggling from beyond the arc that was made evident as Hedo Turkoglu miss a wide open 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani would get fouled and was at the line and made a pair. He had 13 points and was playing well again. Jameer Nelson would answer with a jump shot for the Magic and cut it to single digits again. Nelso would later hit a 3 ball and the once 15 point Raptor lead had been cut to just 6 with score 50-44. Triano had seen enough to call a time-out and try and get this team back on track. It had been a tremedous first half effort and it was going down the tubes late in the half. Out of the time out the Raptors went to Bosh who had been silent since early. Bosh would be mugged but no foul call. Instead the ball would go out of bounds and the Raptors with a short shot clock could not score. Hedo Turkoglu would score answered by Anthony Parker. However Jameer Nelson was heating up and he made antother 3 pointer and that was the lead 3. Chris Bosh would get a call the next time up the floor and cash in 2-2 form the line and Raptors lead 54-49. Will Solomon was able to score on a jumper thanks to some hustle as the Raptors got a second chance to score after an A.P missed runner in the lane. Magic missed a couple long range bombs and the Raptors had a chance to build the lead back to 9 points. However Bosh would miss a fading jumper. Still the Raptors were hanging on and had a 56-49 lead at the half.

Bryan Colangelo was talking at halftime. He was in full spin mode it would seem. He was asked if he would ever consider trading Chris Bosh but he said No to that suggestion. Colangelo down played all the trade rumours that were out there. He talked about the difficulties in making a trade. He also taked about the idea of Carlos Delfino and he suggested that he would be interested in having him back but suggested that would likely happen next year as opposed to this year. He continued to defend Andrea Bargnani and talked about him still being young and learning. When he was asked if the only players he would not move at this point were Calderon and Bosh he did a masterful job of ducking the question. But based on his comments on Bargnani it seems he is still not ready to give up on him. He did say the now standard line that he is always looking to improve the team and do what he can to make it better. Colangelo is a very smart guy in talking with the media and he never truly makes any mistakes.

Jack Armstrong followed up on the comments of Colangelo and talked about how Carlos Delfino would be a nice fit for this team and could play some time at the point guard position for the Raptors and add some needed grit. He also talked about how Andrea as he sees it will be a 5 in this league going forward. He said you can see him responding to more minutes and oppurtunity. I can not argue the point as Bargnani has been putting in consistent performances the last few games playing at the 5. But the question will be what happens when O'Neal returns and how will that be handled. I mentioned a few days ago it could end up being a very trick and toxic situation if not handled correctly. So that was a more interesting halftime than you average one. But it was on to the second half and see if the Raptors could continue to shock with a great perfomance against the Magic.

3rd Quarter

It was a good start as the Raptors went right to Bosh and he had a two handed throw down. The Magic on their first possesion would turn it over. In fact they would have back to back turnovers to start the 3rd quarter to the dismay of both Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy. Bosh meanwhile had scored the first 4 points of the quarter as he made a jump shot. Dwight Howard would score in response but quickly after that picked up his 3rd foul of the afternoon. Raptor led 60-51 early in the 3rd. Jameer Nelson who was a factor late in the first half, found his way to the line and made a pair from the line. Anthony Parker would come back with a score for the home side. Rashard Lewis would answer that with a 3 pointer and Raptors lead had been cut to just 6 points. Anthony Parker would respond with a jumper and he was 7-8 from the field on the day. In a season that he has struggled he was having one of his best performances of it on this day. He had 14 points and the Raptors lead was 64-56.

Magic made another turnover as a pass went sailing out of bounds. The Raptors could not turn that mistake into points on the other end. Rashard Lewis just keeps shooting and he made his 4th shoot from beyond the arc on the afternoon. Anthony Parker would answer that with a Parker dunk. Stan Van Gundy had seen enough of parker scoring and took Bogans who was gaurding him out of the game. Andrea Bargnani though would hit a 3 pointer and he would score diving to the basket for another 2 points. The Raptors continued to lead 71-61. Magic would make there way to the line to 4 made free throws and the lead was cut back to 6 points. Chris Bosh would get a score in response on a feed from Andrea. But Jameer Nelson had a 3 point answer for that and Raptors were fighting hard to stay in front. Anthony Parker would get another basket to push the lead back to 7 point where in began to start the quarter. Dwight Howard would score to make it 75- 70 for the Raptors. Rashard Lewis would follow up with 3 pointer number 5 for him on the day and the Raptor lead was down to just 2 points. Jay Triano would call a time out and try to get things back on track. Orlando was using the 3 point shot to stay in this game. Nelson and Lewis were the key contributors to the 11 made 3 pointers for Orlando.

Jake Voskhul had checked in and missed a jump shot badly. But the next time the Raptors would be able to hook up Parker for another dunk via the Ukic pass. Courtney Lee would answer that with another 3 pointer for the Magic. A steal and a dunk by Dwight Howard and Orlando had their first lead since 17-16 in the first quarter. So after a really solid effort from the Raptors they would find themselves down 1 point after 3 quarters. It almost did not seem fair as the Raptors had really earned a better fate to this point. The problem was the perimeter defense that had been the same issue that saw the Magic bounce Toronto from the playoffs in April.

4th Quarter

Chris Bosh would start the 4th quarter on the bench hoping to be able to lead the charge down the stretch to an unexpected win. Both teams would fail to score on their opening efforts of the quarter. It would take over two minutes in the quarter to get a score but it would be a thunderous Dwight Howard dunk that would break open the score sheet. Raptors would get to the line and make a pair of free throws. Howard would drive and score and draw a foul on Andrea Bargnani. Howard had 33 in the game and that was a season high. Jamario Moon would make a 3 pointer and J.J Redick would answer with a 3-ball of his own. Jason Kapono would make a basket and be fouled by J.J and have a chance to cut the Magic lead back to 1 after a time out on the floor.

Raptor point guards had combined for 17 points and 8 assists with just 2 turnovers. Kapono meanwhile would make his free throw and it was 86-85 Orlando. Chris Bosh was waiting to check in but before he could he would see Jason Kapono make a shot and give his team the lead. Andrea Bargnani had picked up 3 fouls in the quarter and had 4 in the game that was a concern. Reddick the former Duke star would score and Oklahoma State Cowboy alum Joey G would respond and it was Raptor leading 89-88. Dwight Howard who didn't go to college was at the line and could only make 1-2 and we were tied at 89. The Raptors would respond by Roko Ukic getting to the line and he would make both of his and the Raptors lead 91-89 with 6:48 to play. J.J Redick made a big 3 pointer to put the Magic back into the lead. Anthony Parker normally takes a lot of 3's but today he was a dunking machine as he had another exposing Redick on the defensive end. Raptors would have lead 93-92 with 5:57 left in regulation time.

Some more key free throws for Rashard Lewis that he would make to put Orlando back on top. That foul was not on Bargnani but the next time down the floor after a Raptor miss it would be. Howard would make both frome the line and he had 36 points and Andrea had 5 fouls and Jay Triano would take Bargnani out of the game. Anthony Parker would make a 3 pointer and tie the score at 95. The Superman show would continue on the other end as he would score again. Roko Ukic would make his way to the line again in response and make a few more key free throws and we were tied at 97. Dwight Howard would get back to the line and he would go 1-2. Joey Graham would miss a runner in the lane. The Magic would not be able to make the Raptors pay. Anthony Parker scored again to give the Raptors the lead he had 26 points. Rashard Lewis would answer with a 3 point bomb and the Magic were back on top 101-99 with 2:59 to go. This was a heck of an entertaining basketball game for one that a lot of folks would have though could have been a Magic blowout victory. It was anything but that though as the Raptors were fighting hard for a win.

Chris Bosh had got himself to the line with a chance to tie the score. He would make the first and the second and we were even again at 101-101. Antrhony Parker getting it done on defense as well with a steal. It would lead to a Bosh drive and what was thought to be a score. But instead it would be a fould and no basket. Bosh would make both clutch free throws and the Raptors lead 103-101 with just over 2 minutes to play. Howard would head to the line foulded by Bosh which would be his 4th. Howard could only go 1-2 again. He would be really scary if he could ever figure out how to make free throws. He had 39 points despite missing 7 free throws on the day. Roko Ukic was remaining in this game down the stretch and playing well. Parker would have a rare miss and the Magic would have a chance to take the lead. The Raptors forced the Magic to burn a time out with a trap on Hedo in the corner and 4 seconds left on the shot clock and 1:25 in the 4th. Rashard Lewis was forced into a turnover and the Raptors had another chance to extend the lead but could not. But the Magic again failed to take the lead. Roko Ukic would not allow the Raptors to miss 3 times as he would hit the biggest shot of his young NBA career. Raptors had a 105-102 lead with 38.1 seconds to play. J.J Redick would take and miss a 3 pointer and Chris Bosh would grab the rebound and be fouled and sent to the line. He would make the first that would make it a 2 possesion game. He would make the second as well. Moon would block a desprate 3-ball attempt from Turkoglu. Bosh would grab it again and be sent to the line where he would split a pair. Raptors had a 108-102 lead. There was only 9.2 seconds left and this would be a huge win for the Raptors to have heading to Milwaukee. Rashard Lewis would throw up one more 3-ball that would not fall. The Raptors win and shock their fans and the Magic. I really can not believe the effort of this basketball team playing without two of it's stars. You have to look at this boxscore to believe that this took place because it was that amazing.

Raps/Magic Boxscore

The Raptors have a remarkable homestand in which they win 2 of 3 against Houston and now Orlando. I have to say I am pretty shocked by all of this. After I go pinch myself to make sure I am awake I will have more to say about this in the blog tomorrow. But I like you am a happy camper and will just close by saying this was a great effort and a team win and I am going to enjoy it as should you.

Don't Look Now It's Superman Landing In Canada

So both J.O and Jose Calderon are not likely to play this afternoon. The Raptors would be hard pressed with those guys in the line-up and without them it would seem very unlikely the Raptors could win. This is also the front end of a back to back for the Raptors as they will be taking a plane to Milwaukee after this game to face the Bucks on Monday night. The Magic have only built on the success they had last season. They did suffer a blow recently losing there major free agent signing from this offseason Mickael Pietrus. But the Magic have seen improvement from Jameer Nelson who showed his skills last season in the playoffs against the Raptors. In a series that he was suppose to be the 3rd best point guard in it he was the best. Check out how Jameer has been doing this year below with his NBA.Com widget:



But when it comes to the Orlando Magic it all comes down to the man that was once called the man child and he is now known as Superman. Dwight Howard is good friends with Chris Bosh as the two got to know each other when Bosh was a freshman star at Georgia Tech and Howard was a high school stud in the Atlanta area. Check out why some folks are talking M.V.P for Superman. But just like his Magic he is not talked about enough:





He and Bosh compete on the floor and they are going to go at it on the web as well. Dwight Howard has been working on build a website that can match his friend Bosh. We all know about www.chris-bosh.com but now there is www.dwight-howard.com There is a lot more to be excited about for Howard right now. Chris Bosh may have overshadowed him at the Olympics in China. But now in the 08/09 NBA season Dwight is getting the attention. He is going to defend his Slam Dunk Title and his Magic are rolling 9-1 in their last 10 and 12-4 on the road this year. They are 3rd in the Eastern Conference and have a 4 game lead in the once laughed about Southeast Division over the Atlanta Hawks.

Bosh meanwhile will need to call upon some of those great performances he had against the Magic in the past. In fact prior to the Playoff series last year Bosh was always getting the better of Dwight Howard. So much so that a lot of Raptor fans wanted to face the Magic in the first round last year. After game #1 in Orlando not a lot of folks still wanted too. The Raptors and Magic already have faced each other this season on November 18th. It was in Orlando and the Magic won fairly easy and if memory serves me correct Raptors were with out Jose Calderon for that game as well. You can check if I am right and look back at my thoughts back then in the Raptor Rewind. What I do know for sure is that the Magic won 110-93.

So the Raptors second win in 2009 will be hard pressed to happen on this Sunday Afternoon. Thinking the Bucks will be an easy win not so fast. Bucks are 6-4 in their last 10 and have climbed into 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. The also have a respectable 10-5 record at home. So it will not be easy. But nothing has been this season for the Raptors.

Just A Win Or Something More?

Ex-Raptor coach Sam Mitchell use to say that there were 10 games a year were no matter what you would do you couldn't win. There were 10 games a year that no matter what you did you couldn't lose. It was the other 62 games that determined who you were as a basketball team. Seems clear to me the Rockets were on the one side of that 10 games and the Raptors the other. Give the Raptors full marks as they did beat the Houston Rockets playing very short handed. It was something this team badly needed to get a win. However I am not convinced that it has changed anything at all. In fact you can make the argument that things may be worse now as Jose Calderon left the game with what is being called a mild hamstring strain. Will Solomon was highly effective last night in relief of Calderon. But over the long haul if Calderon misses time I am not convinced he can play to that level. Earlier in the season Solomon had a very good effort against Miami and the next game after that was pretty awful. Roko Ukic had seen little time until last night and is still growing into an NBA talent. So it is not to rain on the parade but I don't think the Orlando Magic will be as easy to roll over on Sunday as the Rockets were last night. Andrea Bargnani has been good as a starter with J.O out for the last couple games. Can he continue that effort when O'Neal returns? That will be the real question. Paul Jones says that he feels that Bargnani sees starting and scoring as success at this point in his NBA Career. Well when the starting goes away will the scoring go with it. That answer will come when J.O is ready to return and with Superman ready to hit Toronto it would be great if that was sooner as opposed to later.

Sorry Chris But This Team Does Need A Trade

Chris Bosh came out in the media and said that this team did not need changes. He stood up for his team and the talent on it. I applaud that as far as being a good team leader. However, he is totally wrong and I think even he knows it. This team has not shown enough to me to make me think they have enough talent. In fact even from the start of the year I had said this team still needed to make a move to reach it's full potential. The lack of depth is glaring and that was made clear when Calderon was hurt last night. Be honest when you saw that Jose was going out of the game you thought the Raptors were toast...Right?

The Raptors were much better on defense last night but it was hard to tell how much of it was them and how much of it was Houston who was truly awful. Even though he had an up and down night how good would a Ron Artest look as a Raptor wing player. He is a solid defender and he can be a difference maker. He also is a little bit crazy and emotional which I think this team badly needs. They need someone that will kick a garbage can and get emotional. Not that the Rockets are looking to move Artest. But a guy like him would be a good fit to replace what has been lacking on the Raptor wing spot. The point is the Raptors are a team that lacks depth in general and talent at the wing positions. It is no great secret to anyone. It has been said almost from the beginning of the year. I would not be shocked if in the privacy of his own home Chris Bosh does not use the ESPN Trade Machine or Real GM Trade Checker. I did the other day before Andrea Bargnani had started to take off. It was a 3-way deal between the Bobcats, Raptors and Warriors.

Raptors Get:

Corey Maggette SF
Marco Belinelli SG

Bobcats Get:

Brandon Wright PF
Joey Graham SF

Warriors Get:

Andrea Bargnani PF/C
Anthony Parker SG
Raymond Felton PG

I think this deal gives all 3 teams something they may want and it gets rid of something they don't want. As with all of these trade you can come up with in your spare time it will have some people that will like it and others that will say it is crazy. But this deal at least is realistic in terms of I am not being unrealistic in my expectations of what you can get in return for Toronto. It also factors in that in the past Toronto has shown interest in both players that they would be acquiring. The Raptors were very interested in Belinelli in his draft year. Maggette has always been rumoured as a guy that Colangelo has had interest in. One of the rumoured deals for T.J Ford was a move that would have seen Maggette come in return from the Clippers. In the end Bryan Colangelo and the 29 other G.M's are the only ones with the trade machines that actually work. The cell phone and blackberrys of those 30 guys are the real trade machines that matter. But the point that Bosh is making about this team being good enough as they stand is about as serious to me as Vince Carter's comment that dunking was overrated. Now Vince said it was a joke on his part. I don't think Chris is joking and he may truly believe it but I think deep down he knows that it is not true.

I Am Sorry Jake Voskhul

I like many was very mean and borderline cruel when the Raptors signed Jake Voskhul. But hey I am big enough to admit when I am wrong. Don't get me wrong Jake Voskhul is not the answer to all that is wrong with the Raptors. But he is a aggressive guy that has been willing to through his body around and bust his butt out on the floor. I like that kind of effort. He also wears my old high school football number 77. If he was more talented he could have more of an impact but he has done what he can with what he has got. He has been a much better signing than a guy like Hassan Adams who truly as been a bad joke all year long. The Toronto Raptors can use more Jake Voskhul mentality players. Jake is even getting a bit of love from the fan base as they have come to admire his grit and lunch bucket style attitude. Voskhul is doing so well he is taking minutes from Kris Humphries and he deserves them too. The biggest difference between Voskhul and Humphries is that Voskhul understands why he is out there to bang and get boards and lay a lick on someone. He does not suffer from the flashes that Humphries has in which he forgets he is not the star of this team. Jake Voskhul knows his role.

Playoffs your talking about Playoffs?

Jim Mora former NFL Coach made this famous rant in a post game press conference:

I think this fits what is going on with the Raptors except that part about not laying blame on the defense. Matt Devlin has been pointing to the fact that the Raptors are only like 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. While that is a true statement they also have a challenging schedule that lies in front of them in January and February. If the Raptors are still behind by 2.5 games in March I am willing to talk about playoffs then. But till that point I am much more closer to Jim Mora in just hoping the Raptors can win a game.

The Raptors really have to just take that approach as far as I am concerned. Another Sam Mitchell line was that this team is not good enough to think they can beat anyone. The Raptors lost the right to overlook anyone when they lost a game to the worst team in the league the Oklahoma City Thunder. Who came oh so close to a win last night losing 122-120 to the Denver Nuggets. That is the difference between a good team and a bad team. Denver did not allow the Thunder to get a win. Good teams are able to find ways to win even on nights when they do not have there best effort or when a bad team as a great effort. The Thunder have recorded another win since beating the Raptors and sit 4-30 on the year.

I also think that the East in general is better and to get a simple 41-41 record may not be good enough to get into the playoffs this season. A lot of teams have got better and some of those teams have rookie players that are going to grow as the season goes along. So please don't talk to me about playoffs at this point. I mean you want to keep everyone's spirit up when things are going bad but that is not the way to do it. Least it is not for me.

When the Raptors had been rumoured to be making the trade for Jermaine O'Neal my initial re-action was I didn't like it. I had a lot of concerns about what it would mean for this team in the short term. I allowed myself to be convinced that this team was better. In the end my first reaction was the correct one. I had thought my judgement was not right because I am a big fan of T.J Ford. But the reality is that Jermaine O'Neal is not the player he once was and his days of being an All-Star are behind him. I had thought his presence would make this team better on defense and allow others to play defense better by having his shot blocking presence in the line-up. But it has never worked out that way. It also has been an issue that his contract has not allowed the Raptors to build any kind of depth. This was still a great move for the long term with the cap room that will be created at the end of his contract. It could also be turned into a major trade for the Raptors should they want to cash in that cap space for a trade.

But what all that has taught me is I am going to stick to my guns. I do not think without a move this team can get close playoffs. They need some more talent and more defense. Bryan Colangelo's gamble with this trade has not worked. He does have an escape route at the end with the cap space that he will have. But in the short term this has been a failure. When you have players talking about things like chemistry at this point in a season it is a sign you have some major issues. There is still a flicker of hope as the Raptors schedule in March and April is really to their advantage if they are in a position to take advantage of it. The question is can this team be in that spot. I think without help from above meaning Bryan Colangelo and not God, I think this team is in trouble. A little help from God would not hurt as well. So I will pray for better times ahead for the Raptors and hope they will come. But I admit that my faith in this team has been shattered badly.

Raptors Rewind- New Year New Hope Edition?

The Houston Rockets come into town to face the Toronto Raptors. It is quite a cast of characters with Yao Ming, T-Mac, Rafer Alston and Ron Artest. It is quite a collection of attitudes and talent. The Raptors lately could use a Ron Artest or Rafer Alston. There has been a growing level of excuses and a real lack of results on the floor. Chris Bosh today said this team doesn't need to make a trade they have just got to come together and get on the same page. We are 32 games into the season already shouldn't that have happened already? I mean let's be honest the talent is lacking and there have been flashes of brilliance but that is not good enough. I don't know if Bosh believes what he is saying I have no reason to think he does not. But the reality is this team is not good enough. Tonight's game can end up being another example of that. Houston has been have their issues. Mcgrady has had knee issues and they have struggled at times. But the difference in the Rockets and Raptors can be found in that W column.The Raptors are desperate for one of those.

1st Quarter

The Toronto Raptors would get off to a good start scoring the first 4 points.Scola would get the Rockets on the board. Jamario Moon would score for the Raptors. Yao would have an answer for that. Jose Calderon would hit a 3 pointer. Raptors had a 9-4 advantage early. But The Rockets would go back to their big man Yao who would score again. Rafer Alston would add a lay up. Raptors would respond with a basket and the Rockets went right back to Yao who the Raptors with out O'Neal would have a touch time guarding. O'Neal was out for his second game with a knee bruise. Jason Kapono was back and coming off the bench he had a thigh bruise. All 5 Raptors that started had scored and they lead the Rockets 11-10 about half way through the first quarter.

Scola out of a time out would get a score and the Rockets had their first lead of the night. But Chris Bosh would have a quick response on the other end. The Raptors went to Jake Voskhul into the game and he was guarding Yao and making life tougher for Yao. Chris Bosh meanwhile would take it at Yao on the offensive end and Raptors lead 15-12. Both teams were struggling to get points. Jamario Moon would hit a jumper and he would get a steal and get to the line. The Rockets looked like the team with 12 wins early on in this game. Moon would split a pair and the Raptors lead 18-12. Tracy Mcgrady would get on the score sheet with a basket. Jose Calderon would answer that score right away. Andrea Bargnani would get a score on the inside. Joey Graham would be denied but would score on the second effort. Raptors had build a 24-14 lead and looked like the desperate team they were. Houston looked disinterested at best. Much like everything this year things are looking good and Jose Calderon checked out and was heading to the locker room followed by the Raptors trainer. There was nothing you could see in why this was. But it was bad news if he could not come back. Still the Raptors had a 25-14 lead after one quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

A replay would tell the story about Jose he seemed to tweak a hamstring no idea how seriously. Will Solomon who had replaced him would score the first points of the second quarter but after that made a bad turnover. Ron Artest on the following trip for Houston would hit a 3 pointer and he would follow it up with another the only two made 3 pointers for the Rockets on the night. Lead was cut to 27-22. But Chris Bosh would score and push the lead back to 7 points. Calderon returned to the bench and we will see if he will be back. The hope would be it was just a cramp. Ironically Calderon had expressed to Raptors broadcaster Matt Devlin that he felt healthy for the first time this season prior to the game. Calderon's injury is being called a mild hamstring strain and it must have been mild cause he was back in the game. Raptors lead 29-22 and Brent Barry was able to score on a second chance opportunity. Raptors would call a time-out because Calderon was not able to continue as he tried it out but was not able to be out there. This was terrible news regardless of the result of this game.

Brooks would hit a 3 ball for the Rockets and the lead was disappearing almost as fast as Calderon exited back to the locker room . Will Solomon would hook up Joey Graham but Ron Artest would answer that with a 3 pointer. Joey Graham would get hooked up by Will Solomon again for a score and it was 33-30 for the Raptors. Will Solomon to this point was answering the challenge he made a jumper to extend the Raptor lead to 5 points. Chris Bosh was getting frustrated with not getting calls as he was being guarded by Yao. He would finally draw on on the great wall that is Yao. Bosh could only manage 1-2 from the line though after finally getting there. Yao would quickly pick up number 2 as he was trying to guard Bargnani this time. Bargnani would also split a pair from the line. Bargnani on the other end would return the favour sending Yao to the line and picking up his second foul. Yao would make both of his free throws. Andrea would respond with a drive and score. He would follow that up with another score in the paint. Yao had a slam at the other end. Raptors lead 41-34 Andrea Bargnani would nail a 3 pointer to make the lead 44-34 with 1:11 to play in the half. Yao would get to the line again and split a pair. Anthony Parker would hit a jumper. Will Solomon and Rafer Alston would exchange baskets when the buzzer sounded it was the Raptors leading 48-38 at the half.

3rd Quarter

Bargnani and Bosh combined for 22 points. Will Solomon in relief of Jose Calderon who will not return had 6 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds. Raptors badly needed a win and the injury of Calderon would only make that more important. Andrea after a good first half with 12 point missed his first shot of the second half which was a 3 pointer. He would pick up his 3rd foul of the game right after that but remain in the game. He would score on a drive on Scola and get the 2 points. The Rockets looked very bad on this night and this was a real chance for a Raptor win. Chris Bosh would get a basket on a drive and score. T-Mac would show a rare sign of life as he would get a basket in response. However Chris Bosh would answer back with his second straight basket for the Raptors. The Raptors lead 54-40. Andrea Bargnani would ad to the lead with a 3-ball and it was 57-40. The Raptors were playing better defense combined with a very sleepy effort from the Rockets. Tracy Mcgrady is known for taking long naps and he seemed to be having one during this basketball game. He had just 4 points playing with his sore knee.

Meanwhile Andrea Bargnani was 7-10 from the field and putting together back to back performances in relief of the injured Jermaine O'Neal. Luis Scola would finally end the Raptor run and get a basket for the Rockets. Anthony Parker would drive and score after a Ron Artest turnover for a travel. Raptors lead 59-42. Rafer Alston would score for the Rockets. But Ron Artest's frustrations would continue as he got blocked by Bargnani. But he would get on track with a 3 pointer and then took an elbow from Will Solomon. He would get another 3 pointer after that. Solomon would respond with a 2 pointer on the other end. Raptors lead 64-47 but Andrea Bargnani picked up his 4th foul on the night and he was not happy about it. He would have a seat with 17 points to go along with those 4 fouls with 2:39 to play in the 3rd Quarter.

Rafer Alston out of the time out would look to kick it out to Artest for another 3 pointer but he would miss. Bosh would look inside to Jake Voskhul who had checked in for Andrea and he would head to the line as he was fouled. Voskhul would split a pair at the line. After that Jamario Moon would get a steal and take it all the way to the hoop for the jam. Ron Artest was having a quarter like his personality and he would get tagged for an offensive foul. The Raptors would turn that into points on the other end. Raptors had a 19 point lead to take into the 4th quarter with the score 68-49 after 3 Quarters at the A.C.C. Give the Raptors credit they have not lost a step despite losing Claderon and not having O'Neal at all.

4th Quarter

Stats were glaring the Raptors were shooting 50% and the Rockets were shooting 31%. The Rockets also had been turning over the basketball. Chris Bosh opened up the 4the quarter extending the lead to 21 points. Bosh would look inspired to lead the Raptors to their first home win since I was in the house to watch them beat the Pacers. Bosh was at the line looking to add to his point total. He would make onlt 1-2. The Raptors had a 73-53 lead with under 10 minutes to play. Roko Ukic was in the game and he had a new haircut. More importantly though he would steal the ball from Yao Ming and hook up Kris Humphries with a very pretty pass. Ukic had not seen any time of late so he was ready to roll. The Raptors will need a lot more of that from him if Calderon misses any significant amount of time.

Jason Kapono who struggled early and may not be at 100% but he even was getting in on the fun with a 3 pointer. The Raptor lead was 23 points. We were in garbage time at the ACC and for once it was the Raptors on the right end of a blowout. Houston had the starter on the bench watching the Raptors leading 80-57. The Raptors were feeling good and extending the lead in garbage time and a Roko Ukic lay-up made the score 86-59 points and this was some kind of effort out of the Raptors playing very short handed. You would have to hope that the news on Calderon's injury would not end up bursting the bubble after a great performance by the Raptors. But even on a great night for the Raptors Hassan Adams still could not find a way to score in garbage time. Every other Raptor that had played found a way to score. Adams missed badly on an east attempt down low. Jake Voskhul I have to admit has been good for this team. He got a tap in and I love what he has brought to the Raptors. Hassan Adams would even score it was a whole new year for the Raptors on this night. The Raptors had a massive 94-67 lead and it was party time at the ACC. Houston had 22 turnovers so they were helping out the Raptors. The Raptors were very good but as good as they were Houston was equally as bad on this night. Roko Ukic would dribble out a 94-73 win for the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are 1-0 for 2009 but the worry will be the health of Jose Calderon. I can not imagine the Raptors being able to keep things up like this with out him for the long run. But still Raptors had a win let's enjoy it as they have been very hard to come by this season. A boxscore that includes points for all on the Raptor side of things for you to enjoy.

Raptors/Rockets Boxscore

The questions of who will be able to face the Magic on Sunday will be first and foremost over the next couple days. But for tonight enjoy a win Raptor Fans because we have earned it just as much as the players have. Good night and thanks for reading the Raptor Rewind.

The Ming Dynasty On Display At The A.C.C

Things just don't get any easier for the Raptors as Yao Ming comes to town. That will be followed by a Sunday visit from Superman. It just is going to be hard to imagine a way the Raptors can stay in the hunt for those playoffs. I took some time yesterday and just looked through the schedule and tried to guess what the Raptors Record should be for January and February of 2009. Being realistic the best I got was they will go .500 and that is not good enough at this point. The Raptors schedule does shift for March and April but it would take a run of just total perfection or close to it to see the Raptors make the playoffs. That is the reality of right now. Could a trade change that reality? I am not sure it may take a couple moves to make a difference and I don't think the Raptors have a lot of assets to make that happen. The one thing they should not do is risk their first round draft pick in 2009 to make that happen. The Raptors really need to add a young player that can have an impact out of this years draft.

Making trades is not easy as well. I mean in a world of ESPN Trade Machine and Real G.M Trade checkers you can play G.M to your hearts content. Not to mention video games in which my version of the Raptors on NBA 2K9 is off the charts. Even though in today's world of video games and tech devices life may seem like a video game it is not. Bryan Colangelo has to deal with real people that have all the same concerns he does. They have fan bases and an organization to answer to for the moves they make. Colangelo has no doubt seen the desire of the fan base for change but it is not easy to make it happen. It is no different than wanting to go out with an attractive women that is great but it still takes her wanting and accepting to go with you.

Game Notes For Rockets And Raptors.

Houston has a few folks that Raptor Fans will remember. Tracy McGrady was the guy Toronto booed before they booed Vince Carter. We also saw Rafer Alston a couple of times make his way through Toronto. But the big news in the off-season in Houston was they went out and brought in Ron Artest. They have needed him even more than they realized as Shane Battier as had an injury plagued season. But Ron Artest has had some decent numbers with 16.1 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. He had a game right around that to close out 2008 with 15 points and 5 boards.

The Rockets have even called on the cookie monster for some help. Dikembe Mutombo does sound like the cookie monster. He may actually be older as he is in his 40's and just never seems to retire. He is like a throwback to Robert Parish, who stayed in the league well into his 40's and played in other places like Charlotte after his days in Boston winning championships. Also beyond basketball Mutombo is a great human being he built a hospital with his own money back in Africa. That is truly a fantastic thing and he deserves a lot of praise for that. Why and if he still can contribute on a basketball roster at this point is something I am not sure of at this point.

The Raptors meanwhile have minor injuries to both Jermaine O'Neal and Jason Kapono who both sat out against Denver. They are listed as game time decision at this point for tonight's game against Houston. Andrea Bargnani had a truly amazing performance in relief of O'Neal on New Years Eve. So if O'Neal is ready it will be interesting if Jay Triano just automatically inserts him back in the starting line-up. Maybe Andrea could have back to back performances with his name getting called? Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker have both struggled of late. But A.P did show signs late in that game. He had lost his spot in the starting line-up in part to an injury he had. So that will be another choice for Triano to make should Kapono be available tonight.

This is another game on TSN 2. If you are in the Toronto area and you are still shut out. Maybe make a plan to join the guys at Raptors Republic for their Raptors Party and Philthy McNasty's. It is a way to beat the TSN 2 blues on Friday nights anyway. I am going to get down to one of these Friday Night Events in the new year. It is one of my resolutions I hope to follow through on.

Eric Smith was at shoot around and had some thoughts from Triano, Bosh and Parker on tonight's Game.

The Rap- Update From Shoot Around

So that is it for today as the Raptors will try to shock us all and break a 3-game losing streak. It will be no easy task for sure. Find out how they did in the Raptor Rewind tonight.

The First Dino Nation Blog Of 09

Well it is 2009 and if you did to much partying last night I have a tip for you. Drink Gatorade it will help make that hangover feel a bit better. I use to swear by it when I was younger and had done a little to much drinking for my own good. I woke up today and turned on CNN. They had a story about a guy that is predicting that the United States of America will break apart in 2009. I don't think I will have anything that bold or crazy for you today. But it is that time of year to make New Years Resolutions and predictions for the upcoming year. So let's start with some predictions. Some for the Raptors and some for the NBA. This is just some logical guessing and you can take it as seriously as you care to choose.

Predictions For Raptors in 2009

1. This will be the last year for Anthony Parker and Joey Graham. I think by the end of this season Parker will be traded or if he lasts he will return to Europe for the 2009/10 season. Joey Graham meanwhile will not be resigned with the Raptors and some team will get sucked in by his flashes of brilliance and sign him and he will become another team's problem.
   
2. Andrea Bargnani will be traded. I know he scored 26 points last night and played really well. But unless these nights become the norm and not the exception I think Colangelo will have to accept that Andrea is just not going to succeed in Toronto. It is just a question of if that takes till the offseason to happen.
3. The Raptors will miss the playoffs. I know it sucks to admit this at this point of the year. But with 50 games remaining I just don't see any reason to think the Raptors can go the rest of the season at a pace of 6 to 10 games over .500? I just can't see that happening. They even sometimes lose the odd game they should win and have not been able to beat anyone that you would consider to be a playoff team. I hope that I am wrong but I fear that I am right.
   
4. Colangelo will hire his guy. Unfortunately for Jay Triano he will not remain as head coach of the team. I have no doubt he will be offered a position in the organization. Maybe he will take it or maybe Steve Nash will look to get him brought in down in Phoenix as he has not been happy and Triano even as an assistant may help that situation be better.
   
5. Chris Bosh and the 2010 conversation will become the major issue of the year. Bosh technically could sign an extension in the summer to remain in Toronto. He won't do that not because he hates Toronto or does not want to play here. He will do it because it is the right thing to do for him to get the best deal possible.
   

NBA Predictions

1. Lebron James will win the M.V.P not a very bold prediction but hey who is going to stop him. The talk of where he will be in 2010 will continue to grow and build. Along the way he will sell tons of stuff from his shoes and everything else. If there is a recession proof athlete his name is Lebron James.
   
2. Back to Back Slam Dunk Crowns for Superman. Dwight Howard may not win that M.V.P that I had predicted for him prior to the season. But the dunk contest is no problem. I believe in Superman. His team is pretty good to and you need to beware of the Magic.
   
3. You won't see a Lakers vs Celtics re-match. I know it seems like it is heading that way again but I am going to play the field. There are some teams that could spoil the party and I think one of them will. Cleveland and Orlando at the top of that list. Finally the shoe would be on the other foot and K.G would cry. Kobe also has a tough road in the West. It just doesn't happen very often in sports anymore that 2 teams can return to a final for a re-match the next year.
4. Sam Mitchell will be hired for a job for 2009/2010 and he will be a success.
   
5. Barack Obama will be at the opening game of the NBA season and throw up the ceremonial opening tip.

The Dino Bloggers Resolutions

• To continue to work hard in the coming year and bring more people to the Dino Nation Blog to help us gain more info and insight into the great game of basketball
• To continue to try an improve in every way to make the Dino Nation Blog even better by next year at this time
• To find more ways to make you feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog and grow the amount of people that are part of it.
• Never to forget that I am a fan as much as I am someone that is covering this team and game.
• To try to open doors and support others trying to do the same
• Ultimately to be the best Dino Blogger I can be.

Sure I could have said things like stop smoking and other things. I am far from a perfect person. But the key about resolutions and goals is to make them realistic. I could have also put to have an exclusive interview with Chris Bosh. I mean sure if that happened it would be fantastic but I just continue to work hard and hope for the best. It has been an amazing ride doing this up to now. I have long given up trying to predict what will happen for myself and this blog. It continues to amaze me each day. I thank all of you for the support in that past and hope to earn it in the future. If you have predictions or resolutions you are welcome to share them in the comments. Have a great 2009 everyone and I hope you will make this blog a small part of that each day.