Raptors Rewind- The O.J Show Hits T.O

So let's get started with a roster update. Jamario Moon is back the proud papa of a baby girl. Could having that behind him inspire him to play well. I sure hope so. He was back in the starting line-up. But no Jermaine O'Neal and despite some hopeful signs it looks like no Jose Calderon as well. Will Solomon would be your starting point guard tonight for the Raptors. This is a big game for the Raptors who could make it 4 out 5 wins for them. Also you have a back to back with a recently struggling Boston Celtics who are taking on a Cleveland Cavs team on a mission to keep them that way. That may not mean good things for the Raptors and it is why tonight against a Memphis team that is 11-25 is a must win type game. Raptors are starting to get it on track at home as well. They have won their last 2 at the ACC but are still only 7-9 on their home floor. Can Bargnani and Bosh keep things rolling as they have been of late? They will hope so as the will see a young and talented Marc Gasol.

1st Quarter

Raptors take the opening tip and we are off. Chris Bosh gets in going right away and he hits his first jumper. O.J Mayo would miss with his reply on the other end. Rudy Gay would make his first attempt count with a 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani answered with a 2 not a 3 and Raptors were back on top. Jamario Moon made his first shot as a dad and Raptors had early lead 6-3. Anthony Parker the veteran with a basket and Darrell Arthur the rookie with the reply. Chris Bosh took a nice looking jumper from top of the key and he made it. Will Solomon found Jamario Moon for the easy score and it was Raptors off to an impressive 12-5 start with 7:15 left to go in quarter number 1 of 4.

Turnover for Memphis as Marc Gasol got called for 3 in the key. Bosh would make them pay with another jumper. O.J Mayo had another miss and his Canada debut was not off to a great start. Bosh though was having a wonderful start as he was at the line and made a pair. Raptors were building a lead that was up to 11 points with the score 16-5. Will Solomon would find a cutting Bargnani for the easy layup. Raptors would surrender a bucket to Rudy Gay and a turnover and a forceful jam for Gasol. The Grizz were on a roll as Rudy Gay scored another and it was a 6-0 run and Jay Triano had seen enough and called a time out. Raptors still had the lead 18-11 with 4:48 left to play in the quarter.

Jamario Moon missed a jumper badly out of the time out. He would make up for it with some hustle on the defensive glass but Raptors could get a score off of that as Kapono would miss. Raptors had gone cold as Bargnani had a lay up pretty much roll out. Kyle Lowry would finally make the Raptors pay cutting to the lead 5 points. But Jason Kapono answered that with a 2 pointer. After a 20 second time out for the Grizzlies Rudy Gay continued his great opening quarter with another basket he was 4-4 on the night. Marc Gasol was trying to make it a 3 point lead for Toronto but Bosh had other ideas with the block. But the next time down Gasol would get to the rim and be able to lay it in for two. Jason Kapono would get hooked up by Roko Ukic and he would make a 3 pointer. Gasol from the top of the key shows that he has a jump shot as he drained it. The Raptors were hanging on to a 23-19 lead after one quarter of play.

2nd Quarter

Teams exchange baskets to start the quarter. Raptors had most of the reserves in the game. Bargnani was still out there though and he grabbed a rebound on defensive end. But it did not turn into points. Both teams were looking sloppy with back to back travels on Conley and Graham one for each side. Warrick split a pair from the line. Raptors lead had been trimmed to 25-22 early in the second quarter. Jake Voskhul had his way to the line and massaged a couple through the hoop. Warrick would get a quick response for two for Memphis. That would get answered by Joey G who was set up by Kapono. Jason was not done as he hooked up Jake Voskhul for another 2 points for him. Raptors had build back up to a 7 point lead it was 31-24 with 8:08 left on the clock.

Jason Kapono would turn it over on a travel proving he was not exactly a point guard yet. Chris Bosh was back and he had a thunderous jam to let you know it. Memphis responded with a basket. Bosh would look to hook up Bargnani but instead it was stolen for a turnover for the Grizz. Raptors had really cooled off after a hot start but the Grizzlies were not taking advantage of chances. Joey Graham would get a basket driving to the basket and The Raptors were kind of on cruise control as they lead 35-28 with 4:49 and a time out on the floor.

Warrick made his way to the line and made a pair. Chris Bosh had a jumper rim out and Rudy Gay would come back and score and the Grizzlies were back to just 3 points down with the score 35-32. Bosh would get himself to the free throw line and he would make a pair. O.J Mayo apparently was suffering from a hip pointer but had checked back into the game. It was Mike Conley at the line and he split a pair. Rudy Gay was making up for a lack of Mayo he made a 3 pointer. The Grizz would score again to take a lead 37-36 and that brought boos from the crowd that was not impressed with the Raptor effort and honestly they had reason to be upset. Jay Triano in the time out did not have much love for his team as well. Chris Bosh would respond and get to the line. O.J Mayo got his first bucket on the night. Bosh answered that one with a basket. But the Grizz were inspired and made a basket to answer that. A slam dunk for the Moon man as the teams kept swapping a one point lead. Raptors would score again to end the ping pong match. O.J Mayo since checking back in looked better as he had another score. Will Solomon would close out the second quarter with a basket and it was 47-44.

3rd Quarter

Chris Bosh had 16 points shooting 5-7 from the field and a prefect 6-6 at the line. He also had 7 rebounds and 2 blocks but the rest of the team was sluggish at best. Rudy Gay had 14 for his side a perfect 2-2 from 3 point range and 6-8 from the field overall. Jose Calderon said in a halftime interview that he wants to return to the line-up on Sunday he said in a halftime interview with Rod Black. The will need him against the Celtics who were losing to the Cavs at the moment. But this game here was back underway. Rudy Gay was still hot and opened the half with a long 2 pointer. Chris Bosh also hot would answer with a basket for his side. Lowery had a score for Memphis and Bosh answered that. Rudy Gay as another answer for that. Defense was just a rumour at the ACC at the start of the second half. Marc Gasol decided to foul Bosh that was at least an attempt at defense. Nobody can stop Rudy Gay as he had another basket and had 20 points and we had a tie basketball game at 52. Bosh would take the ball at Gay and draw the 3rd foul on him that may be the only way to stop him on this night. Bosh who was perfect from line in first half started the second 2-4. Grizzlies scored a runner in the lane for O.J Mayo and they had the lead 54-53 with eight and change to play.

Andrea Bargnani with a nice pump fake was able to draw a foul. He would make a pair to put the Raptors back in front. A turnover forced by Bargnani playing good D on Gasol. Anthony Parker who had been really quiet made his way to the line. But he would miss his first attempt and make his second. Rudy Gay was showing the whole package with a running hook in the lane. Andrea Bargnani would answer with a much needed 3 pointer for the Raptors.That made the score 59-56. However Andrea was not done as he makes back to back 3 balls and it was a 6 point lead all thanks to Andrea with the score 62-56 and a time out called. The Grizzlies defense needed to be reminded to find number 7 and not let him do that.

Gasol out of time out drove to the hoop but missed. Bargnani tried to take advantage in the post matched up on Mayo but he could not score on the inside. He would look to drive the next time and drop it off for Bosh but it was stolen and lead to easy score in transition. Chris Bosh would get the ball the next time though and make a jumper. Gay had a rare miss from 3 point range that could have cut the Raptor lead to just 1 point. Andrea Bargnani would find his way to the line and have a chance to make a pair. But he missed both. Grizzlies again were getting chance to take control and not cashing in. Chris Bosh would make them pay with a basket. A steal that lead to a score for Will Solomon and just like that raptors were back up by 8 points with score 68-60 with only 2:42 to play in the quarter.

Out of a time out Grizzlies have an empty trip with a shot and miss. Jason Kapono makes them pay with a 2 ball from the corner. Raptors finally were showing signs that they wanted to put this one away. Jamario Moon was having a good effort as he got a rebound and then make me look bad my missing a 3 pointer. Warrick spilt a pair from the line to cut the lead to single digits. But an O.J Mayo turnover would lead to a raptor basket in transition. It was clear Mayo was not right but Raptors could care less leading 72-61. Will Solomon attempted a fading jumper in the lane at the buzzer but no dice. Raptors would have to settle for there 72-61 lead after 3 quarters of play.

4th Quarter

So the title of this Raptor Rewind was not looking like it would make sense tonight. O.J was not the guy it was Rudy that was the man for Memphis. Bosh was that man for the Raptors as he is on most nights. But Andrea Bargnani was starting to help out and he opened the quarter with a 2 point effort. Warrick and Mayo would answer with back to back baskets. Mayo looked for back to back buckets but his jumper would not fall. Bargnani wound O.J guarding him again and he took it right at him with the huge size advantage. Bargnani would dunk it on Mayo. Chris Bosh was resting up for a big finish as he would enjoy a Jason Kapono jumper as the Raptors had their largest lead of the night 78-66. Bosh had come back in the game at that point.

He entered the game for Andrea Bargnani who had heard his share of boos at ACC but on this night cheers would rain down on him. He had 18 points and Bosh was checking back in looking to build on his 22. Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong were refering to them as the Killer Bees. But the look nothing like B. Brain Blair and Jumping Jim Brunzell. Busting out my old 80's wrestling knowledge. Kris Humphries could maybe have a career as a wrestler.He was in there and got himself a basket in his chosen profession of basketball player. Not starting trade rumours but Bryan Colangelo was working his blackberry hard as he looked on from his little bunker by where the players go in and out from the floor. Roko Ukic with a pretty feed knows who to pass it to. He found Bosh with the jumper from the top of the key and the lead was 82-69. Ukic later on made a pretty runner in the lane for himself. Chris Bosh was looking to close it out as he drove to the lane and would get sent to the line after the time out.

Bosh stepped to the line with 5:29 left. He would make both and it was an 86-72 lead for Toronto who had a much better effort in this second half. Kapono was making passes and dropping dimes a bit tonight. He found Joey G for the basket. Kapono had 5 dimes and so did Anthony Parker despite a quiet night scoring wise. Bosh had it going on tonight as he made the fading jumper and it was all falling for CB4. He was 11-13 from the field and had 32 points. Andrea Bargnani was back in the game and wanted a piece of the action he made a 3 pointer that caused Jose Calderon to stand up in his suit and do his 3 point deal when he makes one. It was all smiles as the Raptors were heading to winning 4 of 5, before a very tough test in a back to back with a Celtics team thinking they have a lot to prove. Bargnani had 21 on the night and they had a 21 point lead 95-74. Bargnani was not showing any sign of giving up he blocked a shot. But he and Bosh had done enough as they would leave to cheers from the fans. Raptors after a sleepy first half effort were putting it to the weaker opposition in the second. Kris Humphries was owning garbage time with back to back baskets. Will Solomon would deliver the pizza with a jumper in the lane. Raptors were running away with it leading 101-78. It was all over but the final score. The lines for Bargnani and Bosh. 53 points 18 rebounds and 4 blocks combined that is a heck of a night. You can make the final 103-82. Check it all out in a very fan friendly boxscore from The Score.

Rap/Grizz Boxscore

So the Raptors will hope to add some healthy folks back to the line-up but with no Jose and no J.O things were still A O K for the Raptors of late. They now will have an early Sunday date with the defending champs who had been playing like chumps of late. Should be fun.

Fans, Blogging and Grizzlies...Oh My!!!

Last night's Hoops Show was all about the Raptor Fans. It was a lot of talk on the Raptor Fan Base and if it has changed and how it has changed. The guys Eric, Paul and Jack came on and talked about the feeling in the ACC was not the same. They were trying to come up with reasons as to why that was. There was mention of the economy and the growing gap between the folks in 300 level and the lower bowl. I have in my life had the funds at certain points to sit in both. It is massive difference. But I think the answer is more a lack of faith in people and I have some examples of what I am talking about.

Bryan Colangelo was once thought as the man who saved the franchise. He took the Raptors from 5 years removed from the playoffs to a first ever division title. But now fans loudly question the man they once just excepted as a genius for the most part. The faith in Bryan doing the right thing has been lost.

Jose Calderon was the people's choice for the starting point guard position on this basketball team. If they gave approval ratings for players like they do for players like is done for politicians, Jose would have had numbers like Barak Obama. But he is now got what the fans felt he deserved in the starting job at point guard. But many fans have not been as happy with the results of that. Calderon was billed as the best point guard in the east by some. He was a serious threat to make the All-Star Game in February. But it would seem clear after a start with minor injuries and a record that does not scream All Star to folks. Not to mention getting ripped on TNT by Kenny Smith who claimed Calderon was not good enough to be a starter. I don't think I would go that far. But people have become aware of the weak points of Jose and that have been made clear this season. Again it causes some to lose faith in him based on all of this.

Jermaine O'Neal was billed as a huge move that was going to make the Raptors contenders. He was refereed to time after time as a 6 time All Star. That is a fact but a misleading one. He had not been in awhile and to think he was going to be would be a mistake. He has also had his share of injuries prior to coming to Toronto. He has not had any major injuries in Toronto but has had some minor bumps along the way and has been in and out of the line-up. The guy that was billed as the answer to the Raptors problems has instead been just another question for the most part. I think he has done a good job personally. But the impact I felt he would have on the team as a whole just has not materialized. It all leads to a lack of faith in Colangelo for making the deal. It also leads to fans questioning if it is worth it. O'Neal has a massive contract and is the highest paid player on the Raptor roster. The serious fan understands that his contract is part of why he was brought here because it runs out in 2010 and offers the Raptors a huge amount of cap space in a year that could have the best free agent class ever? Chris Bosh is also one of the players that could be part of that list.

Andrea Bargnani has been taking a beating until recently for his play. Many fans were loudly calling for him to be traded. They have not been able to accept that guys like Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge were out there and had not been picked instead. But that is not looking at things rationally but fans tend not to be. Bottom line is Bargnani gets judged by that huge #1 that he was selected with and he has struggled to carry that weight. Some are growing a restored faith in him in recent days. But it is a shaky faith at best.

Even Chris Bosh was booed at the ACC this season proving that truly nobody was exempt from this lack of faith that has grown over the fan base. But as Jose Calderon became aware there is one other thing that I personally feel is the cherry on top of all of this. Calderon was not able to see the Raptors play the Wizards from his home as he recovered from his injury. He would learn that he was not able to get TSN 2. I seem to recall mentioning this issue before. Yeah that is the kick to the groin in all of this for fans. Even if you can find a way to be positive after all of the issues above. There were 25 games hanging out there that the average fan would have to scramble to find and watch. It all has lead to fans becoming upset about the Raptors as a whole. That is my take on why the buzz is gone.

More News From Radio

Jack Armstrong yesterday brought mention to the topic of trade rumors on the internet and mentioned the growing number of websites that spread these rumours. He asked about who you believe is these matters. I wanted to call in and give my take as someone who runs a site. I said to Jack that some sites will make up rumours as a way to get attention and after a few times people would start to get it and disregard it as bunk. I said that from my perspective it was all in the words you use to express things. I do my best to not misrepresent anything here. I am not going to tell you something is a fact if I do not know it is. I will not say something is going to happen if I can't confirm it. Will I say that I think some things may happen? For sure at the end of the day be it in the real or new media we all live by the reputations that we build.

Jack did make an excellent and lost point that I have said on this site before. Those rumours often can impact on players. You may say who cares if it does. But what he also said was their families. As an example Anthony Parker has children and they may love the school they go to and have friends. To hear your dad may be moving to another city would not exactly sit well for a young child. They just love there dad and have no interest in the Raptors cap or his contract. They care about their family and the world they live in as far as school family and friends. So it does impact on people.

Doug Mclean who is a growing basketball fan he says on his show with Jack. He was joking if I worked out of my basement and was in my 40's. Bob McCown on the same station referenced that same characterization of bloggers. I don't take it personally myself. I find Doug to be amusing and Bob as well. But let's set the record straight not all bloggers are huddled in basements. Blogging is slowly becoming a very professional like source of media and entertainment. I welcome the chance to prove these ideas with anyone that wants to have the conversation. Blogging has had a big impact in politics as well. We are no different from any other form of media we have the good, the bad and the ugly too. But I personally take what I do here seriously and am trying to make a living at it. I think and hope I do a good job each day. I know that I work just as hard as anyone and do my best provide something that I can be proud of and that hopefully can stand against anything else that is out there based on it's merits. I thank the many folks that have respected the work I am doing Jack is one of those people. I expressed on the show what I feel people like him add to the mix in what I am doing. For the record as well I should point out that beyond the jokes Doug Mclean agreed with the points I was making. I doubt he could make me much of a hockey fan. But I respect people in all sports and understand that I am in the minority when it comes to Hockey. I use to like Hockey but have grown less and less interested as my love for basketball and my work around it has increased. That doesn't mean if I ever had the chance to go route on the Sabres the team I cheered for when I cared with Jack Armstrong that I would not cause I would for sure.

Mayo is restoring the name O.J

The Toronto Raptors will face the guy who I have voted for all year to be the Rookie of The Year. Mayo was much talked about in high school and built a level of hype that was not to the level of a guy like Lebron James but it has high. He would not be able to jump straight to the NBA like James based on the changed rules for entering the draft. He would play a season at U.S C where he would not match the hype that he went there with heading into his freshman year. People though he was very good but just not meeting the very high expectations that had been set out for him. He would end up being drafted lower than that #1 overall pick which based on what was thought in high school was a disappointment. The Minnesota Timberwolves would draft him and trade him for Kevin Love. Grizzlies fans are happy that they did. He has been nothing but spectacular for them and he joins a team with a lot of youth and talent.

The Raptors have long given up the right to over look anyone. Memphis has a lot of young players that will or should develop into great NBA talents. Marc Gasol is a beast of a player as well and has shown that the talent in his family is beyond his brother Pau. Mike Conley, Darrell Arthur and Rudy Gay are all young talented players as well. If the Grizzlies had drafted and been managed this well I think they would still be in Vancouver. It still hurts me at what a poor job Stu Jackson did with the Vancouver Grizzlies. You want to talk about irony the one pick that Grizzlies made that may have been the worst at least based on what they did, was that of Steve Francis. He would pout his way to the stage and was traded to Houston for a package that was far from ideal. Now Francis is a Grizzlies at the later stages of his career. Go figure.

So it will not be easy as you think. But if the Raptors get a win that will be 4 of 5 and they would head into a back to back with the Celtics with a lot of momentum something that has not been there for the defending champs of late. So see you later tonight with the Raptor Rewind.

Raptors Turning The Corner?

Chris Bosh felt on top of the World last night. At least that is what he was telling the folks on Twitter and Face book. In fact here is what was posted exactly.

Bosh From Twitter

"I'm on top of the world right now. I've seen the new light!"

That sure sounds encouraging doesn't it. I mean he has reason to think that way as well. The Raptors have won 3 out of 4 games and are starting to figure out how to hold leads and get wins. Sure the Wizards are a bad team but they did the same against the Magic and Rockets. At this point it really isn't as much about who the Raptors are playing as much as it is about if they are winning or losing. A brilliant football coach once said " You Play To Win The Game" now Herm Edwards may not have been able to get his Chiefs to do that very often but he is right. It is what it is all about when you cut through all the stuff that is written and said. It is about getting wins. When the season is over they don't ask you who you beat or how you beat them. They just ask how many times did you win. But it does seem clear the Raptors are starting to see the path back to the playoffs.

Andrea Has Figured It Out?

One of the biggest changes has been with Andrea Bargnani. I really was in the camp of the folks that wanted to trade him and move on. But he has shown some things that we have not scene from him in his two plus years in the NBA. The guy we have seen in the last 5 games is much more the one Bryan Colangelo had in mind when he drafted Bargnani with the first overall pick. A confident shooter that has ice water in his veins and makes and takes big shots at key points in games. When Andrea displays these kind of skills it makes the Raptors a much different team. The Wizards last night did all they could to make sure that Chris Bosh did not beat them last night. They succeed for the most part. What they did not count on was that Andrea Bargnani would.

The fear and concern is what happens when Jermaine O'Neal becomes healthy? Jay Triano when asked about if O'Neal would start when he returned ducked the question altogether. He said he had not even thought about it. I am not sure if that is true but eventually he will have to think about it. Bargnani when asked about if it matters if he started or not claims it does not. He seemed to suggest that it was more about the amount of time he gets on the floor and not if his name got called in the starting line-up. The biggest test of Triano as a coach will be when all three (Bosh, Bargnani and O'Neal) are healthy and able to play. The Raptors tried unsuccessfully for the most part to play all three together. Bargnani as an over sized small forward was a failure. So can Triano come up with a rotation that allows Andrea to get his floor time that he thinks he needs and based on his play of late as earned. It may be possible to make it work as you can try to keep O'Neal healthy by reducing his minutes and same for Bosh. You can use Andrea to fill the bulk of those minutes. It will take Triano to be able to convince all 3 players that it will be the best thing for the group as a whole. Based on the recent developments he can make a strong argument for it. The one problem will be when it comes to those last 6 minutes of games. I think it is clear that all 3 players want to be on the floor for those. Bosh as the franchise player is going to be 99.9% of the time. So it becomes a choice between O'Neal and Bargnani for those minutes. O'Neal is the better defender but not by as great a gap as you would have thought heading into the season. Bargnani is the better offensive weapon when he is on his game and going well. Just with the range he has he becomes a match-up problem for any team. I have no doubt Jay Triano wants to be the coach of this team going forward. No one likes to be interim anything. How he handles this issue will define him as a coaching candidate and will impact on what Bryan Colangelo might do in terms of moves for this roster. If Triano can show a way that Bosh, O'Neal and Bargnani can all play together and be productive it may allow Colangelo to feel he must hang on to all 3 players. Despite all of that this team still badly needs a slashing and scoring wing player. I am not convinced that player on a night to night basis is on this roster. So it will be interesting to see what happens. But some new questions have started to become part of figuring this all out.

Jose When He Returns Will That Help Or Hurt

Seems a bit silly of a question on the surface. But if you have been playing close attention some things have improved with no Jose. Those improvements are mostly on the defensive end of the floor. Jose Calderon when he returns must answer the challenge and work as hard on defense as he does on offense. It has to happen or this house of cards of improvement will all come crashing down. I am not saying he needs to be an all world defender. He needs to take a man blowing by him as personally as he takes it when he makes a rare turnover.

That will be what Jose will help with and improve on what has been happening of late. He is very good at protecting the ball and getting his team to play with less mistakes on the offensive end. He will need to take the odd chance as well to not break the momentum that has been built in his time away that was being established. But he was starting to show signs of starting to make those king of plays and choices. Jay Triano is slowly getting Jose to understand the benefits of taking chances and making it work at times in a game. I will give you an example from last night's game made by Will Solomon. He looked way up the floor and hit Anthony Parker( I think ) with a long pass and it lead to an easy score as Parker was ahead of the play. In the past if Jose was in the game he likely sees that same pass to make but views it as to much of a risk and just sets the team up in the half court. Transition points and easier chances can make life much more easy for any basketball team.

I have always said that Jose Calderon was a very good point guard. But he is not a great point guard. However if Jay Triano get work with Jose and tweak his game in some ways along with a true commitment to defensive improvement by Jose he could grow into being a great point guard. Jay Triano worked with Steve Nash on team Canada and Nash credits Triano with helping him a lot. It is not that Jose will become a Steve Nash like point guard. They are very different in a lot of ways. But can Triano give Jose the direction to make improvements in his game as he did for Steve Nash with his game. I was hopeful that he could and was starting to see signs that he was. Calderon is a great guy and people rush to his defense at times based on that. I like Jose but I just expect and want more from him. That is what signing that contract in the summer meant. To be the starting point guard in the city has always been a focus from day one with Damon Stoudamire and it continues to be to this day with Jose.

Matt Devlin last night suggested we may see a Jose return as soon as tomorrow against the Grizzlies. So it will be really interesting to see what the impact will be on the Raptors on both ends of the floor when he does. No one is saying Will Solomon and or Roko Ukic is going to steal his job. But maybe they could see more minutes if Calderon is not as effective in some aspects. Ultimately maybe it should happen any way as Calderon is really showing signs of wear this season. Sam Mitchell had no confidence it Solomon or Ukic and really over played Jose through the early part of the season much like he did with Chris Bosh.

Live Blogging on Monday

Just a note for all of you and an invitation. I am going to be working doing live blogs for The Score from time to time. Most of the time it will be for Raptor games. On these nights I will not being doing Raptor Rewinds as you have become use too. But I will provide you links and access to the live blog instead. The first of these is going to be on Monday for the Raptors and Celtics and as soon as I have the details of how you can take part I will provide you a link. These live blogs are great for those of you who are on the go and have the tech toys like Iphones or Blackberrys. If you want to keep up with what is going on with the game. If you are out on a date or visiting family and have to miss a game. Now you won't have to on these nights. Even if your watching the game it is a cool way to have interaction with your fellow fans. I will when I live blog try to show up a bit early and have a bit or an open pre game chat like portion and same for halftime and post game. You are all welcome to be a part.

So that is about it for today unless we have any breaking news to pass a long. I will be doing my usual Thursday thing in taking in the "Hoops" show on Fan 590 and Raps TV. Show has been gone last bit for holidays. I am not sure if Eric, Paul and Jack will be hosting but I will tune in regardless and likely call and have my view. So have a great day and take care. Tomorrow the O.J Mayo show hits Canada that should be fun.

Raptors Rewind- Hassan Adams Era Edition

No Raptors Rewind Logo tonight as we pay tribute to Hassan Adams Raptor Career. O.K well it was not much of a career was it. Earlier today the Raptors traded Adams to the Clippers with Cash for a future second round pick. The Clippers would turn around and waive Adams and he is currently looking for a job. I would like to say something nice about the guy. I am told he was a good person and all of that. But where it counts on the floor he showed nothing and that is why the Raptors in a sense had to pay someone to take him off their hands. As for the game the Raptors will also be without Jamario Moon who is becoming a daddy in Alabama. He left the team to hopefully make it back to Alabama for the birth of his child. So that means Joey G will get the start tonight and the Joey G fan base will be no doubt excited by that news. It is Joey's first start of the 2008/09 season. Ex-Raptor Mike James will be matched up against a player many might have had flashbacks to James based on his poor performance the other night. That would be Will Solomon. So the Raptors would only have 9 players on the roster for tonight. It is time to get going in Washington D.C where history will happen on Jan 20th as Barak Obama will get sworn in a President.

1st Quarter

Raptor would get off to a 7-2 run started by a 3 pointer from A.P and continued by Bosh and Joey G. The Raptor run would march on though with a basket from Andrea Bargnani. After a 10-2 start a time out on the floor for the Wizards to regroup with 7:49 left in the 3rd quarter. Wizards after the time out would get it going a bit and get it to a 12-6 score with an Andray Blatche jumper. But an Anthony Parker basket and that was followed by an Andrea Bargnani with a 3 pointer. Raptors lead now 17-6. Chris Bosh would score and make the lead larger but Mike James would answer the Bosh score with one of his own. Will Solomon would make a shot and he was off to a better shooting night.

Andray Blatche would make another jumper. Chris Bosh was looking for a foul but not whistle was coming as Caron Butler went the other way and scored a second basket in a row for the Wizards. Raptors lead 21-12 and Jake Voskhul was in for Bosh. Raptor forced Wizards into their second shot clock violation of the quarter. Jason Kapono would make a basket and he needed it as he has struggled. Antwan Jamison would get a basket for the home side. Raptors would make a turnover and Wizards would turn that into 2 points as well. It was 25-16 late in the quarter. Will Solomon would close out the quarter with the basket and the Raps had an 11 point lead after one with the score 27-16.

2nd Quarter

Raptors were shooting an amazing 70% from the field. Jason Kapono would keep it rolling as he would make a 3 pointer and extend the Raptor lead to start the second quarter. Chris Bosh would get to the line and the Raptors looked good as a lesson may have been learned in Oklahoma City. Bosh would only go 1-2 though. Kapono was hot and how long has it been since you heard that. He was 4-4 with his latest a 3 ball from the corner. The youngster Nick Young would respond with a 3 pointer for the Wizards in response. Raptors still lead 34-21 with 8:18 to play in the half.

Chris Bosh was committed to drive and he was drawing fouls he was back at the line. Bosh mad both from the line. Jason Kapono was hooked up for the open 3 pointer but he would miss. But Jake Voskhul would draw the foul working hard on the offensive glass. But the Raptors would not get anything off the second chance. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3 pointer the other way. Roko Ukic would drive and score to answer that. AP would hit a jumper as he was on the move off a pick and roll. Raptors had built a 15 point lead and it was 40-25 Raptors with 5:29. Matt Devlin had mentioned that Jose Calderon had been recovering well and may be ready to come back as soon as Friday. But as for now Will Solomon was hooking up AP for a 3 pointer. Andrea Bargnani would take his time and gave a fake and then blasted in a 3 ball and Raptors lead had grown to 46-25. Antwan Jamison was one of the few Wizards that seemed interested. He scored and got a fouled and made the shot. Mike James would hit a 3 pointer and the Wizards had a much needed 6-0 run. Antwan Jamison was heading to the line fouled by Andrea Bargnani. He would be replaced by Bosh as that was his second. Another foul as Jamison missed the second free throw after making the first. Caron Butler would head to the line. It was a 9-0 run and Jay Triano had seen enough.

A Will Solomon missed jumper in the lane was not what Triano had in mind I am guessing. But Kris Humphries would draw a charge on Antwan Jamison. Will Solomon would make a shot after his miss out of the time out to end the Wizard run. The Wiz would respond but then it was a Hump throw down on the other end. But Jamison answer that with a basket. The Raptors shooting had cooled in this second quarter but the still had a 50-38 lead after one half. This was with only 5 points for Chris Bosh. Bargnani, Parker and Kapono all shared the Raptor scoring lead with 10 for each in the first half.

3rd Quarter

Raptors still were shooting 57% after a half of play. Raptors out rebounded the Wiz 20-14. Joey G gets the first bucket of the second half for the Raptors. Antwan Jamison would hit a 3-ball to get the Wizards started in the second half. Wizards would get a 7-0 run but Triano was letting Raptors play through it. Bosh would find Bargnani and he would dunk it and and get fouled for the 3 point play. It was back to 55-45 and Raptors were looking to hang on to control. Chris Bosh had a turnover and he was having a tough night shooting 1-8. Both teams were playing sloppy and Andrea Bargnani fumbled the ball out of bounds. Andray Blatche would score and the lead was down to 8 points. Raptors were giving the Wizards a lot of chances to come back but Washington was not converting on most of them thankfully for Raptor fans.

Chris Bosh had enough and just took it to the basket strong for the score to restore a 10 point lead. Andrea Bargnani would hook up Will Solomon for a score. He would follow up with a finger roll for himself the next time down the floor. Raptors had build back to a 61-47 lead with 5:14 to play in the quarter. Antwan Jamison was one of about a thousand folks that the Raptors have been rumoured to having interest in. If it was true after tonight they will be more interested as he had another basket as part of a great night for him personally. But unfortunately later on he would pick up his 4th foul of the night and got forced to the bench. AP would make a basket as he left. Raptors lead 65-51.

Andray Blatche would get another basket and he was looking good as well for the Wizards on the offensive end. Wizards had cut the lead to single digits again at 9 down. But Chris Bosh would make a key basket to push lead back to 11 points. Jake Voskhul would get a score and all 9 Raptors that could play tonight have and had scored. A steal and lay up for Mike James and it was 71-60 for the Raptors. Will Solomon would get a basket to extend that lead to 13. That would be how the 3rd Quarter would end as it was 73-60 after 3 quarters of play.

4th Quarter

Raps had 2 chances to score on their first trip and Ukic and Graham both missed. Jamison was back in the game and he scored and the Wizards had the first 4 points of the quarter. Roko Ukic would get a score to open up the books for the Raps in the corner. Jamison would get another basket. Score was 75-66 and Jay Triano decided to get Chris Bosh back in the game a little earlier than usual. The lead had been cut back to 7 points but Andrea Bargnani would make a big 3 pointer. But Antwan Jamison kept rolling and scored. Chris Bosh would answer for his side with a basket to respond. A turnover by Bosh would give Washington a chance to cut the lead to 5 and Nick Young would deliver and a time out was called and the Raptors needed it.

Bosh out of the time out would drive and draw a foul and get to the line and it was on Jamison which was huge. He would make both free throws and Jamison had to go to the bench and with foul number 5. Wizards would score and lead was back to 5 points. But Bosh would come back and make a jumper and draw a foul for a 3 point play. Caron Butler would score and the lead was cut to 6 points with the score 85-79 with 6:15 to play. Washington had a chance to cut lead to 4 points but Bosh stuck a hand out and caused a turnover. He would then make his way to the line for another pair. Which he would make and they had a 87-79 lead and that was a big moment. Jason Kapono who had been quiet hit a buzzer beater as the shot clock was expiring. Antwan Jamison would score again he had 27 on the night but his team was still down 8 points.

After a Kapono miss from the arc in transition Jamison would score and get fouled and the Wizards had cut lead back down to 5 points again. A Will Solomon turnover and Wiz had a chance to make it even closer but could not. They would have another chance and they would get called for traveling and anther chance was lost. Raptors lead 89-83 with just 2:21 to play. Andrea Bargnani has been clutch and he did it again hitting a dagger 3 pointer late in the game as Raptors lead was 92-83. Wizards refused to go away though as they got 4 straight points and the lead was down to 5 points again. Wizards were forced to foul Bargnani with 27.1 seconds left. He was calm and cool and made two from the line and it was 94-87 Raptors with under 30 seconds to play. Will Solomon would make a silly foul on Mike James sending him to the line. James had a chance to cut the lead to 5 but he would miss his first and make his second. Soloman had a very up and down night. Solomon had 14 points and 5 dimes and only 2 turnovers. The man of the night was Andrea Bargnani, who was not heading to Dallas he was in this game and scoring 23 points.Many of them that were clutch shots that Raptors needed. The foul shot game was dragging this thing out but the Raptors were going to have win number 15 on the year and the Raptors have won 3 out of 4. The Final score would end up 99-93 and Bargnani added two more points to have 25 points on the night. So happy times for the Raptors as Jamario Moon had a new baby girl and his team back in Washington had a win. All good news on this night. Check out the happy details in our Score Boxscore.

Raps/Wiz Boxscore

So the Raptors next face the best Rookie in this league in my opinion O.J Mayo. He and the rest of the Grizzlies will pay a visit to the ACC to take on the Raptors. Raptors will hope to win their 4th game in their last 5 games. They may have Jose Calderon back to help in that regard.

Wiz And Raps Share Common Ground

When this season started both Wizard and Raptor fans expected much more. Eddie Jordan and Sam Mitchell were coaches that had earned some level of success. Jordan was a coach of an All Star Game for the Eastern Conference not all that long ago. Sam Mitchell of course was the Coach of the Year just a few seasons ago. The Wizards have been without Gilbert Arenas for the majority of last season and all of this season. The irony is the Wizards made the choice to re-sign Arenas for over a 100 million dollars worth of contract. You would think they would know his health better than anyone else. But still they made the choice to bring him back. The Raptors have had issues with health that some might say they should have known better about as well. Jose Calderon after an injury at the Olympics after he had resigned with the Raptors has continued to have some minor injuries that have plagued him through out the year, Jermaine O'Neal has had a long history of injuries and time missed. He has had some minor injuries as well. Both will be out for this game as they did not travel with the Raptors on this mini two game road trip. Two teams with playoff goals are not even in the playoffs as it stands now. While there is still hope Raptors could sneak back into the playoff race it would seem that the Wizards are done as far as that idea for this season. After all they sit in dead last in the conference and to be able to just pass all the teams in front of them would seem unlikely. After winning their first back to back games of the season the Wizards have lost 3 of 4 games since that time. The Raptors have not been able to string wins together as well. After winning the first 3 games of the year the Raptors have not been able to win more than 2 in a row since. They had a chance to change that against the Bucks but would fall short. So two teams desperate for a win it should be fun.

Trade Winds Continue To Blow

A day does not go by without another rumour about the Toronto Raptors. It has to be difficult for the players and their families. That is a fact that often is lost in all of this thirst for change. But unless you name is Chris Bosh you have heard your name in some rumour if you are a Toronto Raptor. Even Nathan Jawai who has yet to play a game I saw in a trade rumour. But the latest and most loudest of the rumour mill has been talk that Bryan Colangelo has been shopping around Jermaine O'Neal and his big contract with all that cap space in 2010. Colangelo has only confirmed that he has no interest in trading Chris Bosh. It is not like he has done much to stop all of the talk about his players. It makes sense to let the rumour mill run wild if you are Colangelo. If he can build interest in players on this roster it can only help his chances of making a move. I personally am starting to think Colangelo is looking to make a major move. If he wanted to just do some minor tweaks you have to think he could have made a move by now. What is clear is with each passing day the expectation level of fan base for what Colangelo will do increases. The chances of people feeling that he has not done enough will increase as well.

But the challenge that faces Colangelo is a difficult one indeed. If you accept that the plan is to keep Chris Bosh in 2010. Which Colangelo has given ever indication that it is. He faces the difficult task of trying to improve this team and keep or restore the confidence of Bosh in him. But in doing that he may have to give away some of that massive amount of cap space he has been able to acquire. The majority of which lies in the contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The performance recently of Andrea Bargnani has left some to think the Raptors need to leave him as the starting center. But for that to happen Jermaine O'Neal would have to be put on the bench. This is not a good thing on any level. You can only expect that O'Neal would be less than happy about that. A drop in his performance and production would likely follow. This would all impact on his value as a player for the next season and a half. Now if a team is making the move just to get the cap space his contract and is not concerned with anything else that is not as big an issue. But that would mean he would need to go to a team that is not it the playoff hunt but still could be a reasonable option to attract free agents in 2010. That would likely eliminate a lot of Eastern Conference teams as there are still a lot of teams thinking they can make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Still would you really want to bash your brains out to make the playoffs only to have to try and beat the Celtics, Cavs or Magic in a 7 game series. Sure the Hawks took Celtics to 7 games and they did drop an overtime loss to the Bobcats and have struggled in recent days. But a better draft choice and a way to sell your fans that help is on the way in 2010. It is a nice way for a G.M to buy some time. These are the type of thoughts that could be going on for G.M's that might be considering taking on Jermaine O'Neal.

Is Bosh A Lock For The All Star Game?

It seems farily clear at this point that Chris Bosh will not be getting voted into the All-Star Game as a starter. So that will leave it in the hands of coaches in the league. Bosh has been well respected around the league and the fact he played so well for Team U.S.A doesn't hurt as well. That should have nothing to do with this but hey the coaches making the choices are all Americans and proud ones I am thinking. But with the Raptors less than impressive record will that cost Chris Bosh? I am thinking that it will not and Bosh will make it to the roster for the Eastern Conference. He is still one of the best at his position in the conference. I will say it will not be the slam dunk guarantee that it has been in the past. I think it will be something that will be interesting to watch. If Bosh some how got left on the sidelines how would he re-act to that? Hopefully we will not need to find out. I would think it would be a personal disappointment. That being said it is not as huge an event to Bosh as it might have been to a guy like Vince Carter who missed the All-Star Game last year for first time in a long time. Bosh would also get a rest if he was not in the game and it may not be a totally awful thing if he was able to relax for a bit. Although the Raptors do get an entire week off based on the schedule around the all-star game. They face the Spurs on the 11th and do not play again till the 18th taking on the Cavs. They are both games that are at home at the ACC. This could be a chance for Triano to get some of that much wanted practice time he has needed.

Almost Forgot

So that is about it for today. Oh yeah one last thing. I have kind of been having some fun about this on facebook. Chuck Swirsky is returning to Toronto next week but he will be coming to the Dino Nation Blog in the Starting 5 before that. I have not figured out the exact day that I am going to have that interview in the blog. But it has already been done and is all ready to roll. I just wanted to let some folks know about it and try to get a few more people aware of the blog. I mean it is how things work. Cabbie interviewed Kobe Bryant and that is not going to hit the air till February. I am looking forward to that. Maybe I can convince Cabbie to visit here and talk about it. I will see if I can. But for now it is the Dino Blogger one on one with the Swirsk. I think I can post him up and score. Well no it is not that one on one it is an interview. I am not sure how I'd fair in b-ball against Cabbie. We both are of the same body type. It would not be a classic contest by any means.

Update- Joey Graham will Start Tonight In Place Of Moon- Noon

Jamario Moon is heading back to Alabama to be at the birth of his child. That has Joey Graham getting the call to start in tonight's game against the Wizard's. News comes from Eric Smith of the Fan 590. So all of the Joey G fans will get a chance to see a lot more Joey against the Wizards. This makes a even shorter roster for the Raptors who are already without Jose Calderon, Jermaine O'Neal and Nathan Jawai who has yet to make his NBA debut as he works back into shape after being sidelined with heart concerns. Calderon has the bad hamstring and J.O the bruised knee.

While I am writing should give this a mention the latest trade rumour that has been floating around. Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker to the Mavs for Josh Howard and two other players. Hoopsworld claims this deal is close to happening.

The Raptor Roller Coaster- All Aboard!!!

When you choose to be a sports fan you are basically taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. It has those extreme highs where you think you are just going to keep climbing till you can reach the moon. Suddenly without warning you go falling back down crashing towards the ground and you scream. That is what it can be like and from game to game you never know what might happen. If you have ever been to Disney World and got on the ride Space Mountain that is basically what it is like. Sometimes you just want to close you eyes tight and wait till the ride is over. The Raptors who had fought hard to beat a good team in Orlando in almost the same position exactly last night the would crumble down the stretch. Last night may have given folks T.J Ford or Mike James flashbacks based on Will Solomon's actions down the stretch. Andera Bargnani and Chris Bosh have over 50 points combined and Will Solomon is having a terrible shooting night. But yet we see Will Solomon not once but twice jack up long range bombs. That just goes against common sense and logic. I mean if you have an open look sometimes it is because a team doesn't think you can make a shot. The Raptors will say that is why they didn't worry about Luke Ridnour as he took two long range shots as well. He would make both of his. That is the difference between a goat and a hero. If he were to have missed his shots, Buck fans would have the same reason to complain. Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva had even better nights going for the Bucks. No one said being a pro athlete was fair did they? It is anything but fair.

Charlie V Is Same Old Charlie

Now I admit that I have not went out and confirmed this as fact. Still I am willing to bet on a few Raptor fan sites and posting boards someone is saying see Raptors never should have traded Villianueva. I would also bet they never watched the game couple nights before where he stunk against the Bobcats. You might have taken notice that he was not starting for the Bucks as well. There is reason for that I am sure. It might just be that Charlie V remains the same talented but inconsistent player that the Raptors traded to Milwaukee. Remember when ESPN ripped Charlie on draft night and he went on to have a successful first year here in Toronto. Well one of the knocks from the guys on ESPN was his desire to work hard and be consistent on a nightly basis. Look back on his career and can you debate that they were wrong? I can't make the case despite the fact Charlie as a person may be one of the best people you will find in going around the league. There was a reason that the Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian and Luc Mbah A Moute. It had nothing to do with giving their announcers headaches in trying to learn to say those names. What it had to do with is they are not sold on Charlie Villianueva as the answer for them at that position. It is not like the Bucks are drafting a shooting guard in the first round or a Center. They have faith in both Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut to play starters minutes at those positions.

The problem is that most Raptor fans only watch Charlie Villianueva in the few times he plays the Raptors in a season. There is no question that he has a chip on his shoulder for these games against the Raptors. I think he truly took in personally that he was traded by the Raptors and it shows every time he suits up against them. It is much like how Andre Iguodala feels about the Raptors passing over him in the draft for Haffa or Hoffa or complete bust take your pick. But they do not watch the rest of the games the Bucks play and see highlights or read boxscores the rest of the time. The truth is Charlie V is that same guy he was when he was dealt in a lot of ways. He has the talent to have nights like last night or the time he poured in 48 points against the Bucks as a Raptor. But he also can just as easily play with disinterest and be a complete non factor. Raptor fans complain at the lack of consistent play from Andrea Bargnani well Charlie V can be just as inconsistent with his game as Bargnani. The one thing he would provide when he is on his game more than Andrea is rebounding. However Andrea when he is on can provide more shoot blocking and offers a much more consistent shot from long range when he is on his game. Charlie is a great guy and I am not here to say that if he had remained with the Raptors I would not still like him and cheer for him. What I am saying is he is not as good a player as he gets made out to be by some Raptor Fans. In the end he is a lot closer to the player that ESPN thought he was than the one Raptors fans think he is.

Opportunity Is Still Knocking If Raptors Can Answer

Sure last night was a disappointment and the Raptors basically cancelled out one of those surprising wins they earned over Houston and Orlando. Still they have a chance to keep it rolling in the right direction with games against the Wizards and Grizzlies. It is even more important when you consider the next two after that. Back to back, home and home, with the Boston Celtics who have suddenly dropped a few and have people questioning if they are truly the best in the league. That could make the Raptors the perfect platform to make a loud statement against. It all means that you need to take care of your business in these next two games.

The Wizards can laugh at how disappointed and frustrated Raptors fans are at their season. I mean they are going through a cruel version of deja vu. Last year they had a star player that was writing more blogs then he was playing games. This year the re-signed that player for over 100 million dollars and he still is blogging and not playing. Lot of folks like Gilbert Arenas and think he is a truly colourful character. That is true and he was at one time a very talented player. After two years of being on the IR and blogging more then he has been playing does not seem good. I think he may just end up being a huge elephant in the room with his large contract. The Gilbert Arenas prior to injury was worth that contract. The one that sat out the majority of last season was not. That mistake of re-signing Arenas may cost the Wizards for a long time to come. If only it was just Arenas who was getting injured but Jamison and Butler have had their share as well. It would all lead to Eddie Jordan being shown the door. I feel bad for him because I think given what he has had to deal with in Washington he had done a remarkable job. If he was a name that came up for the Raptors job I would not be disappointed to have him. Washington is 3-7 in their last 10 games which for them is improvement. They are a sad and pathetic 7-25 on the season and dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Memphis is a much different case as they have a lot of hope for the future. O.J Mayo is the real deal and when you also have Pau Gasol's baby brother Marc you have the start of some pretty nice building blocks. Memphis is 11-23 and far out classed in the Western Conference. But they can look at a team like Portland as reason to be hopeful for the future. The Raptors can not afford to over look anyone at this point. If Jay Triano wants to make that point clear, watching the last 5 minutes of the OKC game is a great way to drive home your point. The Raptors again sit in a spot where they can make a few steps back towards respectability or they can stumble and fall and dig a whole deeper that is already pretty massive. It is a lot to ask of a team that is down it's starting center and point guard but they have shown that they are able to do it. The question now becomes if they can do it consistently. It is a lot easier to bring you max effort against someone that you know is better. It is a different challenge to do that against a team that is struggling like you are.

Bryan Colangelo Is Playing The Game

I don't think anything that Bryan Colangelo does in not done without a thought process behind it. He was been doing interviews of late and sending out some messages. The question becomes who is the audience for these comments. Is it an angry fan base that is starting to question his choices. Could it be that he has not been happy with what he has been hearing on the phone and is sending out a message that this is not a fire sale in Toronto. There is no real way to tell why Bryan has chosen now to start a bit of a media appearance spree. But clearly even with out him taking part in the process he has been the talk around the league as eveyone is waiting to see what move he is going to make. About the only thing that you will not find to read is that Bryan Colangelo is NOT going to make a move before the February trade deadeline. Everyone around the league expects him to make a move. Given his past reputation some even expect it to be a big move. That is a lot of hype and pressure to live up too. I some how feel that Bryan understands that this next move no matter what it is will be key to how people view his career in Toronto. He is as aware as anyone that this is a what have you done for me lately business.

Colangelo has stuck to his guns to this point and has defending his number one selection Andrea Bargnani. He has said that they have not made an offer to another team that includes Bargnani. He says he takes many calls about his availability. Colangelo in his defensive of the pick of Andrea said that he even said that Brandon Roy was going to win the Rookie of the Year. He said that Bargnani was picked for a variety of reasons and he was the best fit for the Raptors. The comment about Roy is true as Colangelo was on the record as saying that Brandon Roy was the most NBA ready of the players in the draft. So that would not be far from saying he would be the rookie of the year. He even went as far as to praise Roy and how he is getting to the level of a superstar player in the league. He said if people are going to compare Andrea to Brandon Roy than Andrea could be considered a failure for some. He suggested that it was more about judging Andrea on his own merits. He pointed to his youth and the fact that they had been asking him to learn several positions. He didn't go as far as saying that was a mistake but you were left with the impression that is what he was saying without saying it.

This season before it started I said would end up deciding the Sam Mitchell debate. Well it has done that in a negative way. Although Sam is starting to do his thing on T.V as he made a guest appearence on NBA T.V on the weekend. Thanks to Holly Mackenzie for giving that a mention. I have no doubt if Sam wants a career in T.V he can have a long and successful one. But I don't think he is ready to settle into a media career just yet. However turning back to Colangelo in firing Mitchell he has now made this season a lot about his legacy as the G.M and President. He will have one last card to play even if he does not find the trade to save the season. In fact he could have a couple depending on what he does. The most obvious is he will be in a spot to hire a coach that is his guy and their will be no debate about it even if that guy was Jay Triano. The other chip he has is that massive contract of Jermaine O'Neal. The 2010 frenzy is only going to grow as the year gets closer. A contract worth 23 million dollars of cap space is almost as valuable as any player in the league at this point given the free agents that are out there to be had in 2010. The longer and closer to that time the more attractive Jermaine O'Neal and his contract will become. There is no question this big chip to play of keep was at the core of why Colangelo made the trade in the summer to acquire O'Neal. If O'Neal was able to perform well on top of that it was going to be a win win situation. It has turned into a lose win situation. That contract is still a valuable asset to have no matter the win total the Raptors end up with this season. Colangelo is not going to give it up unless he gets exactly what he wants in return.

So for a lot of reasons you can expect the roller coaster ride to continue on for the rest of this season and will get really wild as we get closer to trade deadline day. It may not be as fun as you like but it sure does make for a lot of information and speculation to keep up to date on. I'd love for someday a G.M to write a book long after he retired and recount all of the things that happened behind the scenes. If Bryan Colangelo were to write that book I would be in the front of the line to buy it.

Raptors Rewind- The Buck Doesn't Stop Here Edition?

So the last time Raptors won 3 games in a row it was a win over these Milwaukee Bucks to start the season as 3-0. Things since that time it has been tough times for Raptors. But a couple of big wins and a whole lot of new questions have started. None of which involve the Raptors being in the NBA Lottery. So the Bucks will be taking on the Raptors and may be with out a very big man in there line-up. Andrew Bogut has a bad back and is listed as day to day. Should he be out it will be a much tougher challenge for the Bucks to deal with Bosh and Bargnani. Andrea has taken off since Jermaine O'Neal went down and he was inserted into the starting line-up. The trade talks have died down and Bryan Colangelo in an interview on the Fan 590 today said that he has not been looking to move Andrea. He said they get many calls that come in about his availability but that they have not made any calls looking to move him. So I guess the folks like me will not be happy about that. However if Andrea could continue to play like this no one myself included would want to trade him. The fear now becomes is what will happen once J.O is healthy. But the first issue will be prior to that if Bargnani can continue at this pace for the next few games. The same applies for the combo of what I have called Soloic. That would be Will Solomon and Roko Ukic for those who did not read yesterday. They need to do there thing as well. Both Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal did not make the trip with the Raptors.

1st Quarter

The Raptors win the opening tip and went to Bosh would would draw a foul. But the Raptors would misfire on the inbound play. The Bucks would take down the floor and score with a dunk in transition. Jamario Moon would answer on the other end with a basket. Chris Bosh was able to hit a jumper to give the Raps their first lead of the night. Some sloppy play by both teams and it was ugly looking. But a steal and Will Solomon hooking up Jamario Moon for an alley opp would end the ugly for a bit. The Bucks would respond with a bucket that was answered quickly by Chris Bosh. Another Buck basket and quick Bosh answer and it was 10-6 Raptors early on still in the 1st.

Chris Bosh continued his hot start with a basket plus a foul that he would make. Raptors lead was 13-6 with just over 7 minutes to play. Andrea Bargnani had a block and was doing nice on defense despite he had yet to get going on the offensive end. Will Solomon would make a long lead pass to Anthony Parker who would draw a foul and get to the line. He would split a pair as he was coming off his best performance of the season yesterday against the Magic. Andrea Bargnani would get the offense going as Bosh kicked it out to Andrea that would nail a 3 pointer. Bucks would finally get a response with a basket that looked like it went in off a Raptor. A.P would score in response and it was 19-8 Raptors. The Bucks were shooting 1-10 for their last 10 attempts. That is 10% for all you math majors out there. Andrea made his way to the line and drained a pair of free throws. Michael Redd would get a drive and score but it was the Raptors leading big time early 21-10. Redd was fouled on the drive and added the free throw so make the Raptor lead 10. Michael Redd would get to the line again fouled by Jake Voskhul who had checked in and already had 2 fouls. Redd would make both. Roko Ukic was also in and he would find Andrea Bargnani would would make another 3 pointer and the Raptors lead was 24-13. Redd was driving and scoring at will as he had another drive and score and had brought life to a lifeless Milwaukee offense. Jake Voskhul would get hooked up by Andrea Bargnani for a score. Milwaukee would get an answer and cut the lead down to 8 despite shooting 36% for the quarter. Raptors lead after one 27-19.

2nd Quarter

The Bucks continued to struggle with a miss on their first trip of the second Quarter. Kris Humphries was in and he would get a dunk. Roko Ukic would follow that with a nice reverse lay up. Charlie V would have an answer for that with a jumper from the top of the key. Ramon Sessions would get a score. The Charlie V would hit a 3 pointer and the Bucks had a 7-0 run going. Time out was called with 8:49 left in the quarter. Jason Kapono would score out of the time out. Bucks continue to fight and got back to down 6 points. Kris Humphries answered the call with a big hump slam. Joey G would show is dunking skills which were a bit different from Hump and Raptors lead was back to 10. The Bucks continued to try to get back in the game and cut the lead down to just 4. The Raptors were able to keep the lead and build the advantage back to 10 with a 48-38 lead.

But once again the Bucks would start to push back and Micheal Redd hit a 3 pointer and the Bucks had a 5-0 run to get the game back to within 5 points with the score 48-43. Redd had 14 correction make that 16 as the Bucks run continued and the Raptors lead that was once 13 points had been shaved down to 3 points. The Team U.S.A Team Members Michael Redd and Chris Bosh were leading the way for their teams. Redd with his 16 points and Bosh was 7-8 from the field with 15 points. It was the Raptors hanging on to a 48-45 lead at the half.

3rd Quarter

Raptor hung tough and were able to hand on to the lead but just barely. Raptors were shoot 12% better than the Bucks but 7 turnovers and some costly offensive boards and it was just a 3 point lead. But Chris Bosh was having a big night and it continued to start the second half. He would score and get fouled but miss the free throw. Michael Redd was just as good for the Bucks and he scored and Bosh answered. Another Buck basket by rookie Mbah a Moute and a Michael Redd 3 ball and the Bucks had taken the lead. But Andrea Bargnani would answer with a 3 pointer and it was the Raptors with a 55-53 lead. A.P would extend that lead with a 2 ball from the corner. Another difference from the Orlando game was Will Solomon who had 9 assists but was 1-8 from the field. His 9th assist was a feed to Bosh who was looking to be on the verge of a big night. Andrea Bargnani was having a good effort as well as he made a 2 pointer and followed that up with another 3- ball and The Raptors had once again built the lead back to 9 points with the score 63-54. Jake Vokhul was excited on the bench about that one. Holly Mackenzie in her game notes from the home stand made not of Voskhul's cheering ability on the bench. A cheerleader on the bench and a tough as nails guy when he is on the floor. Reminds me a little of the J.Y.D. I don't think Voskhul has a dog pound but he is growing a fan base.

Charlie Bell would score for the Bucks out of the time out. Chris Bosh would miss only his second shot of the night. He would get tagged with his third foul on the other end of the floor sending Elson to the line for a pair that he would make. Raptors would lead by 6 points with score 64-58 there was just under 5 minutes remaining in the quarter. Charlie V would get a bucket with the mid range jump shot. He would have another chance to cut the lead to just 2 but would miss badly. Anthony Parker would score on the other end. Michael Redd would come down and knock down another 3-ball and it was a tight 66-63 lead with just 2:59 to play in the quarter. Bosh out of a time out would get the ball from Ukic and drive on Elson and draw the foul. He would make both. Bosh on the other end would get a defensive board and it would lead to Joey Graham getting fouled by former team mate Charlie V. Joey would split a pair. The Bucks would get a score on the next trip down and the the would score again all thanks to Ramon Sessions and it was a 69-67 lead for Toronto. Roko Ukic would get a basket and it would extend the lead briefly till Michael Redd answered. Raptors had been making turnovers as well. Charlie V would drive at Bosh and get the score and the foul which he would make and the Bucks lead 72-71. Another turnover late almost cost the Raptors and in fact it would as Jason Kapono got called for a foul after the Raptors had thought the quarter was over. So Michael Redd would be heading to the line with .5 second on the clock for a pair of free throws. He would make both and the lead for the Bucks would be 3 with the score 74-71.

4th Quarter

Raptors had only their second 4th quarter comeback of the season yesterday against the Magic. The lead was just a one point advantage. The Bucks only had a single possession lead as well with a 3 point lead. Raptors were shooting 54% but had 12 turnovers and those were the reason the Raptors trailed. Raptors would not get a basket on their first chance of the 4th. Charlie V was becoming a factor on the glass and in the game. He would get on the glass for an offensive rebound and score for the Bucks. Michael Redd would score as well and the Bucks lead was 78-71. Andrea Bargnani would score a 2 point effort. But Charlie V would nail a 3 pointer and he had 17 off the bench for the Bucks. Andrea would match the 3 ball with one of his own. Roko Ukic had a basket and the Raptors trailed 83-78. Roko Ukic was coming up big in a 4th quarter again. He would get another score plus a foul shot to come.

Roko would hit the free throw and he would make it and the score was 83-81. Ramon Sessions would score and Chris Bosh who was back in answered that with a basket and he had 25 points. Charlie Villianueva was hustling and got another bucket working the glass. Anthony Parker would score in response. A steal right after his score and he would hook up Roko Ukic who would get credit for the basket on a goaltending call. The score was tied at 87. But the Bucks would score to take back the lead. Mbah a Moute would get called for a foul on Bosh and he would step to the line looking to tie the score. He would only make 1-2 and it was 89-88 with 6 minutes left to go in regulation. Bosh would have a pass stolen but the Bucks could not add to the lead. Roko Ukic would also turn it over but again the Bucks miss a chance to extend the lead. Chris Bosh would make them pay.Raptors now had taken the lead 90-89. But Charlie V answered for his Bucks with a basket. Roko would get the ball to the franchise player always wise. Bosh would get fouled and was back to the line. He would again only split a pair. The game was tied at 91. Bosh would grasp a key defensive board and the would turn into 2 points for Jamario Moon with a jumper. A Bucks turnover and Will Solomon who had checked in for Ukic made a big basket with his foot on the line so it would only count for 2 points. But it would extend the Raptor lead to 4 points with the score 95-91 with 2:39 to play in the 4th.

Bosh and Bargnani had combined for 50 points to this point. They would likely need a few more to win. Luke Ridnour who had not scored all night picked a key time to make a 3 pointer. Chris Bosh would end up back on the line looking to get 2 back for the Raptors. He would make both this time Raptors lead 97-94 with 2 minutes left to play. Charlie Bell would hit from the corner for 3 points and we were tied at 97. Will Solomon would miss a jumper and the Bucks would catch a break as Elson had dribbled the ball off his foot. But the Referee said it went out of Will Solomon. The replay would show the Ref was wrong. But that is not something we use replay for in NBA. Charlie V would make good on the gift and score. Solomon again would shoot and miss and you have to wonder why he would take that shot with Bosh and Bargnani having big nights. Luke Ridnour would make another clutch 3 pointer. The Bucks had a 5 point lead not with just 34.1 seconds to play. Raps would get it to Bargnani who had a look for 3 but he had his foot on the line and missed anyway. Ramon Sessions would make a pair from the line and the Raptors chances seemed lost. Bucks had some good luck and great performances from Redd and Villianuea as well as two key 3-balls from lucky Luke. The Raptors continued to misfire and foul. The final score would not reflect how close a game this was as the Bucks would win 107-97. Milwaukee who sits in 8th spot in the East now had a 2.5 game lead over the Raptors for that final playoff spot. Bosh had 31 and Bargnani 21 but Redd had 35 and Charlie V had 25 and they were the winners. For the rest of the stats check out the boxscore brought to you via The Score.com

Bucks/ Raptors Boxscore

So at least Canada won a gold in hockey so not many will notice that the Raptors lost a game in the closing moments. But the diehard Raptor fans will notice and they will be very disappointed. Raptors will try to regroup to take on the Wizards on Wednesday.