6 Games To The Unknown.

Well now math supports what I have felt for a long time. The Raptors will have 6 games to finish up before the most interesting and important off-season in Raptors history. Chris Bosh and his future will be issue number one. Bosh of late seems very unlike a guy that wants to get on the first bus, plane or train out of town. He has come out in support of Jay Triano. No need to do that or have an opinion if you don't plan on staying. While in New York he was questioned about 2010 and came back with an answer about how he loves Toronto. I am not saying that means a lot. After all Vince Carter still to this day I believe is on the record saying that he loves Toronto. Damon Stoudamire still loves the city as well. He did say he regrets leaving Toronto. It is hard to know what Bosh will do. But Colangelo is going to find out. You already have money invested Jose Calderon. Andrea Bargnani will eventually have to be re-signed. Given his play this year and the signs of progression he has shown it seems likely Raptors will want to do that. That is in the future but if you sign Bosh to a max deal or close to it. The Raptors would be invested in a 3 players. Add in the fact of a decline in NBA revenues and a likely decrease in the cap and tax threshold. It makes these choice made in the next couple years even more important. Can a big 3 of Bosh,Calderon and Bargnani produce a championship? I am not convinced of that personally. Raptors struggles were based on a number of things but one near the top of that list was a lack of the depth. If you have so much invested in 3 guys it seems unlikely you can add to that depth. It would seem unless teams are willing to pay the tax the era of the Big 3 may be coming to an end in the NBA not just in Toronto but everywhere. Just something to think about.

Jay Triano and his future seems like it may be somewhat secure for next season and that seems odd. I hope that I am wrong on the Triano but what I think really doesn't matter. I just look at it like this, if we could sign say an Eddie Jordan can anyone make the debate that he is not more qualified? You could make the same argument for a number of other candidates. The one guy that would not apply to is Messina. The Euro coach has been rumoured to be tied to the Raptors. Joe Casciaro wrote a good feature on him on the Court Surfing Live Blog. I admit to not knowing a lot about Messina but here is what I know thanks to old fashion common sense. They say it takes Euro players a few years to adjust to the North American game. So the same would apply to coaches as well it would seem only logical right? Look had how badly NCAA coaches have bombed out in the NBA for proof. Messina would only be the right choice if this team is truly starting over from square one and was not concerned about winning in the next couple seasons. Does that sound anything like Bryan Colangelo in the least. Doesn't to me. I think Colangelo believes he can re-tool this team and get them back in the playoffs fast. A coach that has never coached in the league let alone North America is not going to be able to do that in the short term sorry but I am unconvinced. It would be like taking a NFL coach and throwing him into the CFL with no experience coaching in the league. Hey that is what the Argos did isn't it? But in football he at least has a larger support staff to help make the transition.

There is also the tough choices on existing players and if they will or should return. I have talked a lot about that already. It is in my view the only player I would bring back not under contract next year is Pops Mensah-Bonsu. I would consider Shawn Marion but I am unconvinced he would consider Toronto. I think if a player is going to take a huge pay cut than he is more likely to go to a contender. If a guy goes somewhere based on cash alone you have to be concerned and it also is not a wise move for your cap in the long term. If Bryan Colangelo could get a do over would he have signed Jason Kapono for the amount he did? I am thinking no.

There is also a great unknown for both management and players. That is the fact that after 2010 you have 2011 and that may reshape the NBA far greater than 2010 will. No matter where Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and other sign, The CBA will still expire the next season. That given the sad state of the economy of the NBA could bring major and sweeping changes to the NBA. Not even David Stern knows what will happen at the end of that. However you can bet that the CBA as it is written now will not look anything like the one that will be in place after that next one is signed. There is a real chance of a long a bitter fight to get that signed. A work stoppage and a lock out or strike is a real possibility. That is something that should be in the back of the head of all NBA G.M's going forward into 2010 and beyond. What may seem like a fantastic move today could be looked at 3 or 4 years from now as a major mistake.

People may have lost faith in Bryan Colangelo but he is always someone who sees the big picture and if you don't think these things are on his mind moving forward you have no idea about Colangelo. So the unknown for the Raptors this off-season is just the beginning of a lot of unknown years for the entire league. This will be very interesting times moving forward. I know a lot of time MLSE is not exactly loved by the Raptor fan base or by me at times. That being said the way things are looking in the NBA these days the fact that the Raptors have secure ownership and I would think are profitable is no minor thing. They do get some things wrong but the fact that they have deep pockets is a good thing.

Streak Over, Game Over and Season Over!!!

Well I took the weekend off from the blog because I just needed a break. It has been a long and painful season. The Raptors on Saturday would extend their winning streak to 6 games and eliminate the Knicks from the playoffs officially. The Knicks on Sunday would end the streak and return the favour. So on the day that Baseball season beings the basketball season is done in Toronto. Sure there is 6 games left but now people can all be on the same page and start to talk about what is wrong with this team and move forward. I have not let this 6 game win streak cloud my judgement of what happened the rest of this season. Jose Calderon was excellent during that streak but I am not convinced like some that this was proof that Calderon will be great and this season was a write off. I do understand this was the worst possible case of how thing could have went wrong this year. However a 6 game win streak that featured 2 quality wins out of 6 is not going to do it.

Perhaps you can see Calderon build off this next season and build off this in some way. Truthfully Calderon has had to change and adjust his game more than anyone with Jay Triano and the team changing it's direction drastically on offense. It is becoming clear that the system and likely Triano with it will be remaining. So Calderon is going to have to continue to grow and learn it. He is basically having to unlearn a lot of things he has grown up with in basketball. I think the most impressive thing to me in all of this in Calderon's play down the stretch is his defensive effort. It is absolutely key for Calderon to continue this effort and improve his defense. If he does not and remains the starting point guard of this team they will never improve on defense without that. I am not looking for Chris Paul defense out of Calderon. I will be happy with just average defense and an effort above average. Next season will tell us a lot about Jose Calderon one way or the other.

I think that Calderon and Bargnani can be safe in thinking they will return. Beyond that it is an open for debate question. The biggest question is the one of Bosh. If anyone out there thinks the Raptors are better off with no Chris Bosh that is just not true. Least in the short term it is not. It is a challenge to win a championship with a team build around a power forward. It is a position that needs help to succeed. Bosh and his success in a lot of ways gets tied to how well this team around him can play. That is really what will be the question that needs to be answered. Does Bosh have the faith in Colangelo to bring in the players around him to have the kind of success. Colangelo as far as this season goes seeing as it is opening day in baseball it seems fitting to say he struck out. Can he step up to the plate this off-season and deliver and does Bosh believe in that enough to say to Bryan that he will be here for the long term. It is going to be a hard thing to do. The temptation of playing with a James or a Wade may be to much to over come for Colangelo to convince Bosh. I think it is safe to say Lebron or Wade are not coming to Toronto in 2010. So can Colangelo paint a picture that does not include those 2 players that Bosh can believe will lead to him being successful. 30 million dollars to offer is something but if Bosh is the guy he has said he is that will not be the only factor. Bosh says he wants to win and the amount of money he can get would not factor into that if that is truly goal number 1 for him. Hard to say what will happen but it will be an off-season that will be defined by a meeting that Colangelo and Bosh have when this season officially ends. The outlook and direction of this off-season will be defined by that.

Shawn Marion time in Toronto may now be done. I would say the odds of him returning would seem unlikely to me. I have said it in the blog before. If you are going to take a huge pay cut are you not more likely to consider going to a team that is a contender? If Shawn Marion is going to end up with a deal at the mid level exception it seems hard to believe he does that in Toronto unless it was part of a sign and trade. The fact he has a relationship with Bryan Colangelo makes that a more likely thing.

Colangelo has a plan though make no mistake about that. The trade to get Marion was made to set up this off season ahead. Colangelo saw this day coming with his team not heading towards the playoffs. That is why he made the Marion deal. The Raptors could make a splash this off season in free agency if they want to as one of the few teams with money to spend that they are likely willing to spend. Marion is one of a number of names that will be out there. Ron Artest, Allen Iverson and Carlos Boozer among the list of names.

Lots of time to talk about all of this. I don't think I have mentioned this in the blog before. However prior to this season I had a sick feeling in my stomach about the Raps chances. I convinced myself that I was upset that T.J had been traded and I was not seeing things clearly as a result. If this season has taught me anything at all it is to go with my gut. Will that mean I am always right on everything? Likely not. It may mean that people disagree with me. That is o.k as well. However we can agree to disagree and still all have the same goal of wanting what is best for this team. Some of things that have been being said about a Triano return and Calderon now be back to an All Star level player are not things I am a believer in. But I always say it that I am happy to be wrong if it means the Raptors will be better for it. There may only be 6 games left to deal with Joey Graham. I always think it is funny that everyone talks about if the Raptors should bring Joey back. Joey will have some say in that as restricted free agent. Does he even want to be back? That is another question for another day. We have a long time to talk about it all. No Playoffs and ping pong balls are on the late April menu. Unlike a Wrestlemania you can not script an off-season. But for now in T.O it is truly NOT all about the Game. Least not for this year.

Excuses, Spin and Ping Pong Balls...Oh My

This might be a wet blanket on what was a great win for the Raptors against the Magic. However the Cavs lost to the Wizards last night. Is anyone saying that the Wizards have finally got it? Is there talk that their interim coach will return next year? That being said the Wizards actually have Gilbert Arenas back and he had 11 points and 10 assists. You have to wonder why the heck Arenas is playing in these games down the stretch for the Wizards. But the point is the Cavs should crush Wizards with or without Gilbert. So the Raptors win over the Magic could be considered a bump in the road and the fact the Raps actually split with the Magic on the season a strange thing. Not unlike how the Bobcats always seem to have the Lakers number. The Raptors winning 5 in a row is nothing to get that excited about though. It has just allowed people to try to put a positive spin on an ugly season but I am not buying in. Raptors are already starting drop in the lottery standings. They passed the Knicks who have been in a free fall of late. A few weeks ago the Knicks still have a outside shot at the playoffs. Those days are long gone. But if the Raptors keep winning there are other teams like the Pacers, Bucks and others they could pass and decrease their odds in the lottery. I am not a big fan of cheering for a team to lose. However when you consider that this team is more than likely going to get a huge overhaul in the off-season, it is not like the Raptors can build off this heading into next season really.

It is becoming increasing likely that Jay Triano will remain and that is shocking for most fans. When you listen lately though a lot of folks are drinking the Kool Aid about Triano. I am not among them. This win streak at the end of the year should not impact on how you feel about Jay. He took over a team that was 1 game below .500 and that would be likely good enough to make the playoffs. No need to list all the excuses as to why Triano has been let off the hook by most of the media and Bryan Colangelo. Injuries, a major trade and a new system. I get all of that. However despite all of that Jay Triano is part of the organization and has been part of the culture of this team. I think that is not a good thing. Raptors need someone that will have a new prospective and push this team to perform when it matters. I just think this team needs a new prospective from someone who is an outsider. Someone who is not committed to pushing that Jose Calderon is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Someone that has not watched Chris Bosh grow to the point he is at. Someone that can come in and shake up this team. Triano through no fault of his own can not offer any of that. If he had been successful I would not feel this is required. However he has not been. I am a huge supporter of anything Canadian and that includes Jay. However I am not willing to ignore his record and because he is Canadian just look the other way. I just can't do it as much as part of me would really like to do it. I hope if Jay remains he can prove me wrong. However I am not feeling optimistic that he can.

I would thing that part of the sell job in keeping Triano will be a re-tooling of the coaching staff. That could see both Alex English and Mike Evans shown the door. That would leave a spot open to bring in Mark Ivaroni as the lead assistant and perhaps coach in waiting if Triano fails. It has long been rumoured that Colangelo is a big supporter of Ivaroni and if Ivaroni is not able to find a head coaching job this would be the next best thing. Given what he did in Memphis I am guessing the people will not be pounding on his door to offer him a head coaching job. He was in town already under the guides of being a consultant. Ironically the Raptors started winning. I am not sure if that means anything at all other than it is ironic.

On of the things I admired about Sam Mitchell was he would never allow anyone on his clubs to use injuries as an excuse. Yet since his departure it has been excuses of injuries and lots of other ones that have been made to justify a horrible season. There is no excuses that I will accept. Jose Calderon has been playing through injury through out the season and people say now he is healthy and that is the real Jose we see now. Here is also the real Jose that he played through an injury that he should not have. It was a bad choice by him and this team. It made his injury worse and it cost this team. I can hear people screaming at me for that. However I am not blaming Jose totally for this in fact he is not the major person I blame on this issue. Bryan Colangelo is the one I blame. He failed to address the back-up point guard position and that leads to all the issues at least in part. Calderon was over used and coming off an Olympics that he was injured in as well. To enter this season expecting Will Solomon and Roko Ukic to be the back-up for a guy in his first year as a starter coming off an injury was a major blunder. In fact main will point to the Jermaine O'Neal trade as the biggest mistake Colangelo made this season. No doubt it was a bust of a move. However the lack of a true legit back-up point guard was just as big a mistake for this team. Jose Calderon despite how some view him is not immortal and not able to leap buildings in a single bound. He can dunk a basketball though...who knew? Colangelo gambled far to much on Calderon and it cost him greatly. People will pump up Jose as this all-star in waiting heading into next season and I remain unconvinced of that. He is a good to great point guard that has skills. That being said he is not a stand alone play 35-40 minutes guy. So is Roko ready next season to fill that role as back up? If not Colangelo needs to find a legit point guard to play behind Jose. That is assuming that Calderon is back which is likely a safe bet as well. That being said the Suns not making the playoffs could present an option to have Steve Nash be moved. Colangelo no doubt will have some interest in that. You would think. Jose Calderon is not as good as Steve Nash and likely never will be. But Nash only has a few years left in the tank. It would be an interesting choice if it ends up on Colangelo's desk.

You also have the future of Bosh that will be determined. If he is traded this team clearly will be totally different and likely not for the better in the short term. The fact Bosh made a comment on the future of Jay Triano is a bit of a sign that Bosh expects to be back next year perhaps. However if he is not in it for the long haul it would seem highly unlikely that he will remain. Colangelo without a long term agreement with Bosh at least in principal if not in writing it would not seem likely that Colangelo would not move him. In fact it would be insane for him to do that.

You also have lots of other questions on this roster. Shawn Marion at the top of that list. Do the Raptors want to keep him? But more importantly does he even want to stay at all. The pay cut for Marion is going to be large and you would think that if he is going to take that hit he would rather do that on a contender. However the Raptors will have money to spend. At the very least a sign and trade for Marion is a likely outcome that could happen. Joey Graham and Pops Mensah-Bonsu as well as a returning Carlos Delfino(??) would all be restricted free agents as well. Pops seems a lock to be back if the Raptors can get him on a reasonable deal. Colangelo said he would be interested in bringing back Delfino as well. Joey Graham of the 3 is likely the odd man out. That will disappoint the Joey Graham fan base but it likely makes the best sense. Anthony Parker has expressed he is willing to stay in Toronto. However do the Raptors want him to remain? Should they? Great guy that A.P is the answer seems likely no. He is a free agent and could go where ever he likes. Unlike Marion he would not command the dollars that would make a sign and trade an option with him.

The worst case scenario for the Raptors is that they take to much from this late season push and think it means something. This team needs change. Colangelo is smart enough to know that and I hope will be at his best this off season. It is clear he will need to be. The returning of Jay Triano is far less of a concern the more new faces he would see at his first training camp. If he returns it could be a sign that major change to the roster is on the way. Even if the Raps roll off 6,7 and dare I say 8 wins in a row it will not change anything. It will just give fuel for supporters of a Triano return and offer excuses for the people that choose to make excuses for this team. There is not excuse that can explain this season away. There just isn't.

Raptors Rewind- Drink The Kool Aid Edition

It has been awhile since we had a Raptors Rewind. My work schedule has not exactly made it easy. Besides the fact that anything you read should be taken with a grain of salt. Raptors are hot and burning up ping pong balls at an alarming rate. Winners of 4 straight games. But this has to come to an end against Orlando right? The second best team in the east and they had already lost to the Raptors. So there is no way they would look ahead to the Cavs game would they? Stan Van Gundy would freak out if that were to happen. However thanks to TSN2 I am watching a replay of the game and no what happened. I listened to Paul and Eric on the radio. But I need to see it for my own eyes to believe it. Raptors after this one face Knicks in a back to back and it is hard to think they will not be competitive against them. If they were to sweep that home and home that would be bad news as it would advance them ahead of the The Knicks in the standings but would fall behind them in the Lottery Standings and those are the ones that count. Can the Raptors do anything right this year? Even when they win they are shooting themselves in the foot. People are buying into the mirage. Colangelo was on the radio and pretty much without saying it endorsed Jay Triano for coming back next season. I am total against that. I don't care if the Raptors don't lose another game all year. Unless the plan is to gut this team I can not imagine Jay Triano remaining. Even Bosh has endorsed him. I don't get it. Sam Mitchell was a game under .500 and fired and Jay Triano has a record far below .500 and he gets a contract? Say what? This game will make you say that as well. What the heck is going on. I happy the team is playing better but it just does not matter. I mean that is the reality and ping pong balls have more value than W's. You may not like to hear that but that is the reality. That being said I am pulling for the Raptors to be the bridesmaid in the lottery. I am even more for that as Colangelo without saying his name basically suggested that Blake Griffin would be the Raptors pick if they selected number 1. Not down with that at all. Thabeet is the guy and he would be there at 2 and maybe 3. But at the rate the Raps are going there chances of winning the Lottery will be as good as mind winning the Super 7. Time for basketball from Orlando.

1st Quarter

Magic win the tip and away we go. They go right to Superman inside for 2. A steal and a Rafer Alston lay up and the beating was on? Andrea Bargnani would make a jumper for 2. Great ball movement leads to a Marion lay-up. Rafer Alston the former rap with a 3 ball. Bosh answers with 2 on the other end. Bosh making a stop on other end getting a piece of a Lewis shot. Bargnani with a score answered by a Superman jam and it has 9-8 Magic. A.P would give the Raps the lead with a score. Howard would answer again and put the Magic back up 1. Jose Calderon is good on his first shot of the night. Lewis the score and was fouled but missed the and 1. Defense was a rumour in Orlando. Dwight Howard with a block but it was goaltending on the Marion shot. Marion would score again of his own steal on the defensive end. Bosh feeds Bargnani for a jam. Raptors lead 18-14 and this was shocking to say the least. I am very high on the Magic and a Raptor win over this team is no joke. Unlike the last 4 games that beyond the Bulls win could be considered that.

Dwight Howard is not good on a curling hook shoot. Bosh would also have troubles on the offensive end. Bosh lays the wood to Courtney Lee sending him to the line. He makes both shots at the line and the Raps lead is 2. Magic would tie it up at 18 and have a chance to take the lead. Howard looked to tear the Rim down with a dunk but a foul and no finish on the dunk. He would split a pair at the line. Andrea Bargnani would hit a jumper to but the Raps back in front. Shawn Marion would follow that up with a score. Howard would respond with 2 points. Calderon with a nice drive and reverse lay-up. Pietrus has an answer for that and this was an entertaining game in Orlando early. Bargnani good for a pair at the line. Raps lead it still 26-23. Raptors continue to hang to the lead. Dwight Howard thought he tied it up with a dunk but instead he had a foul. Magic missed another chance to tie it up. The score remained 28-26 for the men in black. Calderon money at the line makes it a 4 point Raptor lead. Hedo would cut the lead back to two points. Joey G showing some point guard like skills before hitting a jumper. Making the score 32-28 Raptors. Calderon would be long on a jumper and Parker chuck at the buzzer both do not fall. So Score remains 32-28 for the Raps after one.

2nd Quarter.

Roko Ukic in to start the second and would pick up a quick foul on a reach in. Pops got rejected by Gortat. Both teams were struggling to fine a basket after shooting the lights out in the first quarter. Anthony Johnson would finally open the scoring in the second with a basket. Pops would pick up a foul and Hedo would have a chance to tie the game at 32 after a time out. Hedo would make a pair and it was all tied at 32. Jason Kapono would break the tie quickly with a basket in response. Bosh would eventually get a basket from Bosh showing good hustle and leading by 4. Hedo was back at the line and this time splits a pair. Bosh with a nice score the other way and Raptors lead was 5. Roko would miss a lay-up that could have made the lead 7. Johnson would hit a 3 ball on other end and instead of a 7 point lead it was a 2 point lead like that.

Lewis missed on a 3 that would have given the Magic the lead. Shawn Marion with a huge throw down on the other end. Lewis would not miss a second 3 ball as he hit it this time.Jose Calderon doing a good job on D. Did I just say that ? I thought April Fool's end at noon. But he serious did do a nice job and set Johnson up to take a charge. Raps could not take advantage of the extra possession though. Dwight Howard would slam it home to give the Magic the lead. Rafer Alston would add to the lead with a 2 point effort. Some end to end play would end with a CB4 dunk. Howard and Marion would exchange baskets. Marion would rebound a Magic miss and Raps would have a chance to take the lead back. Bosh would miss on a fading jumper and fail to give the Raps the lead. Howard would have a shot fall out and Bargnani would put the Raps in from with a jumper for 2. Howard would get fouled and sent to the line. He would make both to but the Magic back in front. Calderon with the drive and score and Raps were up 1. Hedo would return serve with a score. Bosh would get called for a foul on Howard. But Dwight would miss the first of his 2. He would make the second and we were all tied at 48. Joey Graham would get a score plus a foul but he would not convert that and 1. Magic would score to tie at 50. Parker would hit a 3 ball. Gortat would answer with 2. Raptors lead at the half was 1 with the score 53-52.

3rd Quarter

Raps blazing the nets shooting 51.1% at the half. Bosh missed Shawn Marion on a pass and the Magic convert the turnover into 2 points. Bosh would make up for miscue by making a jumper. Andrea Bargnani would pick up his 3rd foul and that was not good as Bargnani had a solid first half. Bosh on the same possession would get called for a foul as well. All tied at 55 when Rafer Alston would break that tie with a basket. Bargnani would respond and even the score once more. Marion would also pick up his 3rd foul. He to was having a good night and this was a growing concern. A Marion miss on offense and Lewis made the Raps pay with a 3 ball from the corner. Bosh would make a jumper to pull the Raps to down just 1. Lewis would turnover the ball on a travel. Marion would get fouled and head to the line. He would split a pair and we were tied at 60.

Bosh would get called for his 3rd foul and now Marion, Bosh and Bargnani all had 3 fouls. Lewis would fire up an air ball and Raps had a chance to take the lead. But the could no deliver. The would get another chance as Lee would miss a 3 from the corner. Anthony Parker shows him how it is done making a 3 from his office. Howard would draw the 4th on Andrea as he would score and make the and 1 foul. Tied at 63 with Bargnani replaced by Jake Voskhul. Bosh would hit on a jumper to give the Raps the lead back at 65-63.

Lewis was hot and cold in this quarter. Hot on this latest effort from behind the arc and Magic take the lead. Howard was back at the line fouled by Jake Voskhul. Raps did not like the call. But no worries Dwight went 0-2 and the Magic lead remained at just 1. Calderon would hit on a 3 pointer set up by Joey Graham off an offensive board. Jake Voskhul would get another foul and the Magic were in the bonus. Dwight was only good on one of two. Calderon would score on the following possession and the Raptors lead it 70-67. Parker with a steal and he gave it to Marion on the break for a dunk. Another steal off a pass in for Dwight Howard that would be stolen and lead to another Marion dunk in transition. Raptors leading 74-67 late in the 3rd quarter. Stan Van Gundy was not a happy man. Not that he ever is that happy. But trailing to the Raptors this late was not a good thing for the Magic trying to secure 2nd in the East over Boston.The Jake Voskhul foul total climbed to 3. This time he whacked Hedo who made both his free throws. Calderon makes the basket and is fouled by Anthony Johnson. Calderon is as money as it gets at the line and he would be on the and 1. Calderon on the next possession would hit a 3 and the Raptors led 80-69. Howard with a slam and Magic cut the Raptors largest lead of 11 down to just 7. Voskhul would miss on a very long jumper at the buzzer of the third. Raptors would take an 80-73 lead into the 4th Quarter.

4th Quarter

Raps had done a good job guarding the arc as the Magic were just 5 of 17 from behind the 3 point line. Jason Kapono would open the scoring in the 4th. The lead was back up to 9. Andrea Bargnani was back in but not for long as he picked up his 5th foul. Triano did not like the call and neither did Jack Armstrong. However regardless of the Hedo would take and make 2. Bargnani would take a seat on the bench. Bosh a score and Hedo would answer that with a 3 ball. Raptors lead had been cut to 84-78. Jason Kapono would bounce it off his foot and a turnover. Hedo Turkoglu would take advantage with the score plus a foul shot that he would make. The Raptors lead was just 84-81. Bosh would hit a jump shot over Dwight Howard and Raps lead was back up to 5.

Dwight Howard was back at the line yet again. He would split two on this latest trip to the line. Bosh had it stolen away and on the offensive trip Howard would be fouled again and back to the line we go. Howard 1 of 2 again and Raptors lead 86-83. Howard was fouled by Andrea Bargnani who has just checked back in with 5 fouls and he was out before you noticed he was back. Howard would go 0 for 2 at line. Kapono would nail a jumper for 2. Pietrus a long miss for them Magic.Bosh would miss on a jumper over Howard and the score remained 86-83 for the Raptors. Someone else actually go to line for Orlando. Think it was Pietrus but regardless of who it was they split a pair. A steal and Magic would get an Alston basket and the lead was. Bosh would have a turnover and Magic has a chance to tie or take the lead and the Magic would miss on 3 ball. Raps lead was 88-86 and Joey G was at the line looking to add to that lead. He would make both and it was 90-86. Lewis for 3 from the corner on the Alston feed.

Bosh another turnover and it was the Magic charging down just one and they would have a chance to take the lead after a time out with the score 90-89 for the Raptors. Lewis would take a 3 ball and miss it. Graham a long miss and a foul on Rafer Alston on the miss. Bosh would draw a foul as the possession would continue. Bosh had not been to the line all game. He would make bith and Raps lead was 92-89. Lewis with a solid fake and it would lead to a wide open lane and drive for a slam for him. Calderon would answer that and Howard would answer the answer. It was 94-93 Raptors as Bosh would draw a foul and head to the line. Bosh would make a pair with 50 seconds left and the Raptors up 96-93. A foul on Calderon would send Hedo to the line. He would make a pair and it was 96-95 Raptors. Calderon would have it knocked out of bounds with 8 left on the shot clock. Bosh would make a very long jumper for 2 on the inbound play. Raps lead was 98-95. Magic had 23 seconds left and Lewis would get a wide open look for 3 but it would not fall. Marion would get fouled and head to the line he miss both at the line. But the ball would end up in the hands of Joey Graham who would be fouled. Joey missed the first but mad the second and that was it. Raptors take this one 99-95.

So a huge quality win and the Raptors win streak grows to 5 games. That being said it is killing there odds in the NBA Lotto. Raptors look like a different team from the one that got cruised in back to back games by the Bobcats. That being said the Bobcats also beat the Lakers and on this night lost a game to the Celtics by just 2 points. However it is all kind of frustrating to watch this team play well at this point. There is no way they did not get the best punch of the Bulls and Magic in the last 2 games. The happy basketball boxscore below:

Raptors/Magic Boxscore

So bring on the Knicks and watch ping pong balls go up in smoke as the Raptors play the Knicks in a Saturday and Sunday back to back.

Birth Of Bobcat Nation and Bobcat Blogger....

I took yesterday off and reflected about this. I decided the heck with it. Chris Bosh endorsing Jay Triano was the last straw. I am becoming the Bobcat Blogger. The Dino Blogger is DEAD. So is the Dino Nation Blog. This season has been a joke. I can actually see more Bobcat games than I can Raptor Games. Another TSN 2 classic for all you Raptor Fans out there. Bosh is as good as gone. Jose Calderon is just not someone I like. I will take the future of D.J Augstin over Jose Calderon's any day of the week. The Bobcats have Gerald Wallace they don't have to dream about having him. They also have Raja Bell and Boris Diaw from a very smart trade. I am not sure the name of the Bobcats G.M but hey I will learn. Bryan Colangelo has been a huge disappointment. I am just done with this team. Thanks Raptors it has been a fun ride. Well it really hasn't I endured having my hopes dashed by this team since 1995. So thanks for nothing. I suggest you all do the same and find a new team to get behind because this thing is never going to be right in Toronto.

So I am beating Bosh and getting out of town while I can. Sure it will mean some extra work and building a new audience and all of that. But at least I will have hope again. The Bobcats beat the L.A Lakers when is the last time the Raptors did that? In fact the Bobcats have a winning record in their history vs the Lakers. Kobe is not scoring 81 on them is he?

Wait a second I have an email I need to read. Oh this is big!!! It says today is April 1st and this is April Fool's Edition of the Dino Nation Blog.

That is true about Bosh endorsing Triano that was strange. If Bosh truly thinks he is leaving why would he bother endorsing Triano. Just saying that does not make a lot of sense. I am deeply concerned about this team's future but I will go down with the ship if need be. The Raptors no doubt need a face lift. I do admit that I am pulling for the Bobcats. I don't think I can live with Chuck Swirsky making the playoffs and not me. Bobcat fans could become huge Raptor fans as the Raptors will close out this season against that Bulls. Chuck got to meet Barack Obama that is better than your team making the playoffs.

For the Raptors when you look at the off season Bryan Colangelo has a lot of work to do. Here is the Bryan Colangelo to do list.

1. Determine the Future of CB4
2. Draft an impact player regardless of position
3. Free Agent and Restricted Free Agents to decide about ( Anthony Parker, Shawn Marion, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Joey Graham, Carlos Delfino[Raps Still own his restricted rights in NBA]
4. Who is the coach? Is it really Triano? If it is does the staff survive?
5. Target Free Agents that can have an impact.
6. Make a major trade to find an impact defender.

That is a lot to do and there is likely more than that but hey it will make the summer a lot more interesting for the Raptors. This is the most important off season in the the history of this team. The truth about why there was no blog yesterday? Well my mother is having some minor eye surgery and I needed to do some things for her so she was all set for that. I also had not had a true day off in months so I decided that I deserved one. So if things are a little out of whack for the next few days that is why. March Madness has also had a major impact on the Dino Nation Blog as well. However college basketball is important as this is going to be a huge draft for the Raptors. There are a lot of guys that have major question marks. So we will see. That is all for today. I wonder how many people were buying that first bit? Did I get anyone? Leave a comment and let me know.

4 In A Row...Oh No!!!

The Raptors are playing basketball at a high level of late....kinda. They have won 4 in a row and 5 of last 7. The most impressive of that was the win yesterday versus the Bulls. It was a game that was much like a lot of others we have seen through out the season. The difference is after blowing a large lead and being pushed to overtime the Raptors did not fold. They won the game. Jose Calderon tied a record for assists in a single game. Shawn Marion has come to life in last few games as well. I admit because of work commitments for The Score I only caught the end of this game.

Recap- Bulls/Raps
Bulls/Raps Boxscore

That being said every win for the Raptors down this stretch run really means less ping pong balls and that is about all. I don't think anyone thinks the team we see on the floor will be back together next year. However it would seem that Jay Triano just might be and I don't know if I am cool with that. I understand that there are lots of reasons you can give for why Jay Triano can not be held responsible for things. He never had a training camp, the team made a major trade and had a major shift in the way they play. All that being said it really doesn't matter to me. Jay has been a loyal employee of the Raptors for years as an assistant. However this team needs someone that has not been around to shake this thing up. I just can't see how you as Bryan Colangelo can stand up there and say Jay Triano is the coach of the Toronto Raptors for 2009/2010. This latest winning streak is not reason to keep Jay around. When you look at the possibilities out there for coaches there are a lot of candidates that I would be interested in having a look at. The top of my list is Eddie Jordan. I find it hard to believe that if you conduct a full search and look for a new head coach at the end of that you say Jay Triano is the best candidate.

Every since that off court non-sense had hit the public Chris Bosh has been playing like the old CB4. Is that a shock? Not for me. The basketball court can be a place for Bosh to just focus on the game. The fact that people now understand what has been on Chris Bosh's head all year you can see why things have been the way they have for him. If Jose Calderon can get a pass from a lot of folks for being injured and not 100% physically. You would have to give Bosh that same pass for despite what anyone says not being 100% right mentally. Who can blame him.

When it comes to Calderon I really am not sure what to think anymore. I just do not know what the deal is with him. It was mentioned above the injuries. You could say that if you are a Calderon fan that he has just not been healthy all year and now you are seeing the true Jose Calderon. That could indeed be true. However I am just not sure if the answer is as simple as all of that. I guess when all is said and done the answer will be found next season. I can not imagine the Raptors will agree with me and decide to trade Calderon. However if they were going to and he finishes the season strong you could certainly get some value for him. That same sales pitch that is being made Calderon fans and the organization to trade him. Would Steve Kerr buy that? He was convinced that Shaq had life left in him so I am thinking selling a Jose Calderon would be a much easier sell. I still believe that Steve Nash even at his advanced age is a better option for the Raptors in the short term for the Raptors. I also think he can turn Roko Ukic into a solid option for the long term. You are already starting to see signs in Roko that he could be much better moving forward. But why waste time talking about it the Raptors are not going to do it. I just can't imagine it happening.

So down this stretch run it is hard to say what it is made of what happens. However not matter what does it does not change anything about this team other than where they could select in the draft. Less ping pong balls and all of that. The key for everyone from fans to Bryan Colangelo it is important to remember the 65 plus games that came before this little run at the end of the season. The Raptors will face two really good basketball teams down the stretch in the Magic and Hawks. Do not get fooled by what you see down the stretch. This team is the team there record says they are and that is a team that is not good enough.

Part of me wants to be excited and enjoy the Raptors finally playing well. But I just can't let myself do it. If this team was in a playoff run the entire blog would likely be written about the TSN2 mess. That is because 2 of the next 3 games wind up on the deuce. So even if you have got excited about this run by the Raptors you will be forced to find TSN 2 by any means necessary to continue to watch. It has been the other thing that has endured through this lousy season and it is annoying and frustrating. I have talked about it a ton of times and really have nothing new to add about it. However the reaction of Richard Peddie said it all to me. I wrote a whole blog about it and you can look it up if you missed it with the search engine over on the right. There just really is no way to create a happy ending to this lousy season.

What Does It All Mean The Rest Of The Way?

Despite getting revenge on Thunder and a 3 game winning streak for the third time all year. But with the Raptors on the verge of mathematical elimination does it matter at all? In fact are we not just costing ourselves ping pong balls with every win the rest on the way in these last 10 games? It is enough to drive you crazy. Add in the fact this team we see now is likely nothing like the one that takes the floor next year. Jose Calderon has decided to play out of his mind to a point. All this being said check the schedule and look at the teams the Raps have been beating not exactly a list of the NBA Elite there.

The Raptors take on a Bulls team this afternoon that is playing for something. That will be a true test. The Bulls have won 4 straight and emerged from a sea of mediocrity at the bottom of the East to claim the final playoff spot. We often make a big deal about trade deadline. Not has much as the folks in hockey do but still it is viewed as significant in the NBA. However it is rare when you find a team that actually takes deadline moves and dramatically change their outlook. The Bulls in getting John Salmons ( remember him the guy that said God told him to go to the Kings and ditched the Raps) and Brad Miller have truly made a difference for the Bulls. If not for those moves the Bulls likely are not going to the playoff Derrick Rose or not. It was a long fall from a team that not that long ago was considered on the verge of being a contender in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have moved on from that disappoint with some good fortune in the lottery and are looking to climb the mountain back to respectability.

The Raptors much like the Bulls of last season have a similar story. They were full of expectations heading into this season only to see this team crash to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. In my recent interview with Adnan Virk he talked about how quickly you can recover in the sport of basketball. I agree with that statement. Basketball is a team sport but it only takes a few individuals to come along to change a team dramatically. There is a lesson for the Raptors in what the Bulls have done. You can not over react to the failure. Changes need to be made for sure. However you must pick yourself up and dust yourself off and start to climb the mountain again.

Lots of people are suggesting that the Raptors need a complete face lift at this point. The may not need a face lift as much as they need a make over. There is a difference and the Bulls are a great example of that.