Sam “Tiger” Mitchell…Maybe Not.

Sam’s Caddy???

I am really getting frustrated with some things. Let’s say I went out last night went to a gentlemen’s club, got drunk took a taxi home and have a hangover today. If this blog is at the same level it always is do you have a right to know that? It didn’t happen mind you, but if it had would it be the least bit relevant to this blog? Hopefully you answered no. If you did, please tell me why Sam Mitchell going golfing in Florida during his time off is any more relevant. If Chris Bosh is playing video games with Dwight Howard do we need to know this too. Unless he had the Raptor game plan with him or was missing practice I have no idea why it should be.

The folks in the media seem to not agree. Some of them anyway. Is the real story more about their self imposed embarrassment over the fact Sam Mitchell was not fired as they said would happen. I think that might be a more possible answer. No one likes to be wrong about things, yours truly included. But I am willing to say when I got stuff wrong. I took Raptors to win series in six games and that was wrong. I said that the Celtics would sweep the Hawks and it was not right. Suns over Spurs that was a misread too. But do I turn around and try and bring down people because I was wrong? That is not the responsible thing to do. Be a Man and admit you didn’t get it right. If you are willing to point out the things you get right, do the same when your not. I have been right about a number of things too. Hornets in 5 games, T.J Ford would start again for the Raptors this past season and other things as well. If I never mention any of this stuff most of you would not recall what I had said. It is human nature to forget about things. But I want to be accountable for what I am saying, be it good or bad. If I can do it people in the media should have the same standards especially when they have a much larger audience.

Sam Mitchell’s personal time is his to do with what he likes. If I was in Florida at this time of year and had the chance to play a round of golf, I am out there swinging. Honestly most males that consider golf a passion for them would be. I mean at the end of the day what kind of a person can you be if you think 24/7 about your work. I do not want to see anyone do damage to themselves through obsession to their work. People need time to unwind and relax and if Sam Mitchell does that through golf that is great. If Chris Bosh wants to hang out with his friend on the other team I have no issue with that as well. I do not get the right to control people’s lives by cheering for them. Fans sometimes are hypocritical in their critiques of athletes,coaches and management. Be honest and ask what you would do in their shoes. They make a good living and get paid very well for what they do. Jealousy of that fact is not an acceptable reason to me to attack them based on things not related to the work they do. If someone can prove to me that Sam Mitchell playing golf some how made his team not ready to play the game, go ahead and show me. But in reality you are being scammed by some people in the media that needed something to distract you from the reality that they were wrong.

This next section you will read offers many chances to be right and wrong. I have teamed up with my fellow blogger Mark to bring you a new feature that will appear on both blogs hopefully on a weekly basis. Here is an explanation to what it is and how you can take part in it if you choose too.

1 on 1….With James and Mark

The Dino Nation Blog and The Raptors Core will work together sometimes and this is our first venture we came up with. Basically it will work like this:

24 questions 12 answered by me. 12 by Mark.

The Questions come from us and if you want your question in the feature sent it to one of us and will try to include it.

Some are funny some are serious and all are related to Raptors, Basketball or the NBA

So that is how it works and here is how it turned out. Hope you like it.

1. JB: Can Jay Triano be the first Canadian Head Coach in the NBA beyond his 1-0 record?

MR: This is a tricky question. I don’t see why not, personally. Jay has worked with Lenny Wilkens, Kevin O’Neill and Sam Mitchell. Those are three very different types of people and he’s been able to mesh with them all. Now, a part of me believes he’s been able to stick on the staff because of his ties to the city and being a Canadian coach, but that would be underrating the man’s skills and talents. It’s hard for me to say how good he is as a coach because I didn’t watch the national team much and as an assistant, it’s hard to tell which teams he had the responsibility of scouting so I don’t know how well the Raptors do against them. If he’s stuck as an assistant for so long on his coaching merit, I think he SHOULD get a job somewhere.

2. MR: Will Larry Brown make a big difference in Charlotte and lead the Bobcats into the playoffs next season?

JB: Difference Yes. Playoffs I am not thinking so.

3. JB: Would the Atlanta Hawks be a top 3 team in the East had they taken Chris Paul or Deron Williams in the 2005 Draft given the success vs Boston?

MR: Yes. I’m basing this less on what they’ve been able to do against Boston and more so on the fact Chris Paul is just a born leader. Not only does Atlanta lack a true leader, but they lack a true point guard. I wasn’t a big supporter of the Mike Bibby trade because I believe his best days are way behind him in Sacramento. That’s not to say he can’t do the job but Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead? There’s no contest. I think they would’ve won the Southeast Division this season instead of Orlando had they drafted either of those stud point guards.

4. MR: Where will Avery Johnson end up next season, since his winning percentage as a head coach has been so high?

JB: Chicago should give him a chance, I think. It will really be a test of how good a coach he is no matter where he goes.

5. JB: Biggest thing people have wrong about Sam Mitchell is….

MR: That he doesn’t know how to run an offence. Look at the numbers since he’s been a coach in Toronto. The Raptors have never labored or struggled to score. Have they had some problems at the end of games with set plays? Yes, and Sam needs to improve with that because I believe Jim Todd did a lot of work in that area when he was here. With that said, don’t talk down on the pick-and-roll when teams haven’t been able to stop it consistently. He Raptors were a Top 10 team in the league in scoring this season and John Hollinger’s statistics over at ESPN.com prove they’re one of the leaders in offensive efficiency.

6. MR: Should Mark Cuban blow up the team? He is loyal to Dirk Nowitzki to a fault so is it even possible to rebuild in Dallas?

JB: Cuban is a great marketing guy and a lousy G.M. He needs to let the people he hires do their jobs.

7. JB: Why has T-Mac never advanced past Round 1?

MR: Not to take a pass, but it’s a variety of things. T-Mac has mostly been a victim of circumstance throughout his career. In Orlando, I don’t think he had much of a supporting cast. Those were his best years in the NBA scoring-wise and with Grant Hill out more than he played, McGrady’s hands were tied. He’s a prolific scorer and contrary to popular belief, he does step up in the playoffs. His statistics are historically better than what he puts up in the regular season. I can’t fault him for that. Last season he played his behind off – I just think he’s got some bad luck and needs to assert himself even MORE.

8. MR: Will both the 76ers and Hawks be in the playoffs next season?

JB: Sixers, yes. Hawks, no. The reason being the Hawks still don’t have a point guard. To me, Bibby is not the answer.

9. JB: What odds did you seriously think Cabbie had of making his $100,000 shot?

MR: Considering he made one the entire time he was practicing, I thought he had less than a 1% chance. Those shots are difficult even for the pros, who take them for fun every day after practice. Cabbie still put up a decent effort, though.

10. MR: What free agent would you target for the Raptors if you were Bryan Colangelo?

JB: Everyone knows this one that reads my blog. Eric Smith and I share the same crazy dream: Ron Artest as a Raptor.

11. JB: We both are on the Net a lot funniest Post you ever saw not your own?

MR: Someone saying Chris Bosh needed to be traded because he was soft. Enough said.

12. MR: Of Carlos Delfino, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Jason Kapono, who do you expect to see in a Raptors uniform next season?

JB: Moon and Kapono. Parker is good enough to trade but not good enough to start. Delfino was good at times but I now know why we got him so cheap.

13. JB: Chris Bosh says East is getting better do you agree?

MR: I think so. The West is powerful with all the established superstars but the East is growing from a youth movement. Look at Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Charlotte.. they’re rebuilding in different ways while the other Conference is in an arms race.

14. MR: Do the New Orleans Hornets have a chance at beating the Spurs in a 7-game series?

JB: I don’t like the Spurs. I do like the Hornets. But if I am putting my Blogger hat on, sorry Hornets: the answer is NO.

15. JB: Who – past or present – would you most like to have on your blog from the Raptors for an interview?

MR: I’d have to give this a fair deal of thought but in the end, it’d be Sam Mitchell. I’ve heard a lot of stories on the conversations he has with the media that have nothing to do with basketball. He seems like the type of guy you could have a good talk with and pick up some things.

16. MR: Can the Orlando Magic avenge their first-round loss to the Pistons last year in the second round this year?

JB: Yes, Detroit is finally looking like they are starting to fall off a bit. Well rested Magic(THANKS TORONTO) is big trouble for older Pistons.

17. JB: The Chuckism that drives you nuts is…

MR: “Get out the salami and cheese mama, this ball game is over!” It may be a staple of what he does but I sure don’t like it..

18. MR: What do you think will become of the Phoenix Suns in 2008-2009, considering it’s the last year of Steve Nash’s contract?

JB: No Idea. Steve Kerr is not exactly a great G.M., it would seem. No, Suns, Bryan Colangelo is not for sale. Nash is not getting younger and you have to wonder what becomes of him. Raptor fans will dream of a run in Toronto but how good can he be? Unclear to me.

19. JB: If the Raptors trade T.J. Ford, what concerns you most about the point guard spot assuming they don’t get one in the trade?

MR: Just how will you fill in the 8-13 minutes that Jose won’t be on the floor for the Raptors? That’s my main concern. Jose was great as a starter playing the majority of minutes but it was only for about a 30-game period. Can he handle triple that load in a season and maintain his productivity? I hope so.

20. MR: Who has been your top playoff performer up to this point?

JB: Mainly cause I watched him so much of him – Dwight Howard. The numbers were massive and so is he.

21. JB: Larry Brown is now coach of the Bobcats – how long will he last?

MR: Two years, maximum, in my opinion. I think he’ll get them on track, instill a winning attitude and then give the team up to a younger coach who won’t necessarily have to teach them a lot because the main guys will have more experience, ie. Emeka Okafor, Raymond Felton, Adam Morrison, etc.

22. MR: Of the Jason Kidd and Shaquille O’Neal trades at the deadline this season, do either of them have a chance of being successful moves NEXT season?

JB: No. These were desperate moves by desperate teams. The Dallas move was really shortsighted. The Suns need a new coach and new offensive system to get the maximum out of the BIG CACTUS.

23. JB: I mentioned in my Blog yesterday to have NBA player compete in pro game of HORSE. Good idea and would you watch it?

MR: I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or if I’d watch it. The greatest trick shots happen in the flow of a game on adrenaline and in the spur of the moment. If you start playing HORSE, you might as well join the Harlem Globetrotters. I wouldn’t watch.

24. MR: Should the Denver Nuggets make major moves in order to revamp a very talented – but defence-deficient – roster?

JB: Denver is a team you like but they never get anywhere. If you had a 3 or 4 year younger Camby, I’d like them a lot more. I am not a George Karl fan as a coach. I think he is the reason they can’t play defence. Jeff Van Gundy in Denver makes more sense to me as opposed to Toronto

Yesterday I mentioned the Idea of a HORSE style competition between NBA STARS. I thought it was something unique. But apprently not. This was done before way back in the day. Thanks to one of my readers and a member @ Toronto Raptors Fan App on Facebook I found this out. Muarice Wente can be thanked for setting me straight. He also provided me evdience in the form of a YOUTUBE video(posted below) . I think this speaks to yesterday’s topic about blogs and blog readers. In a blog you have a real chance to interact with the person that is writing it. I do my best to make myself open to interacting with you all. I also try when it makes sense to include my readers in the blog. I want my readers to feel part of this blog. Dino Nation Blog is not just a title. It is a concept I try to apply to this blog. One Nation of Raptor Fans together sharing the love they have of basketball. So Thanks Maurice, and everyone else enjoy trip in the time machine back to the past. Do yourself a favour and learn some NBA History. Kobe and Lebron are great but so were many others in the past and you should make the effort to get to know them.

Tags: Chris Bosh, Media, NBA, New Feature For Dino Nation Blog, Sam Mitchell