I Had A Good Time, Raptors Not So Much

O.K so I am getting a bit of a slow start today. But come on I got to get over that Hamilton to Toronto Train Lag. I had an excellent time and I got to see and talk with a lot of folks. Spreading the good word of the Dino Nation Blog. But mostly giving thanks to a lot of the folks that are guests in the blog. But before I get to all of that I want to thank the person who offered me the chance to go in the first place. Steve is a reader that got in touch with me and offered me a chance to go to a pre-season game. So, I did some pre-planning and I was able to go. Steve also is going to help out with something else down the line but that will be for another day. Steve is a real great guy and it was nice to meet him. He has a site in which he helps Raptor Fans get hooked up with Raptor Tickets. Raptorman is the site he has to do that and now that I have been to a game and can say everything is cool I am happy to mention his site. So if you are looking for some tickets for a game go see Steve and he will look after you .

As I said getting to Toronto is far from a regular experience for me. In fact I was trying to think of the last time I was there and I was drawing a blank. So based on that fact I decided to let the folks that I have for my guests that I was going to be in town. I basically just wanted to thank them personally. The only person I had met in person prior to last night was Eric Smith. But I was able to see Paul, Jack and Matt as well. They all took time as they were preparing to work to make time for me and I am thankful for that. They have been great help to me and are always willing to do what they can to help me do a better job for all of you. I did actually plan on taking some photos and sharing them but I don’t use my camera much and figured out why it wasn’t working a bit to late. Jack was saying that it was his fault as he was breaking the camera. Not the case and I look forward to Jack being back on the air to enjoy this year on TSN. That was the best move made by that network since having me work there. I think I am lucky to have all these folks being willing to visit with us and help me out. So Thanks to all of them and I look forward to each of them being back in the blog in the future.

I also had a chance to meet a fellow blogger. Scott Carefoot writes the Raptor Blog and he is the guy who started this whole blogging thing for the Raptors. Michael Grange recently acknowledged that fact in a recent edition of his blog. When I started my blog I had no knowledge of Scott and his blog when I started mine. But in talking with him I am pleased to see that I was taking and doing a lot of the steps he had done back when his blog started many years ago. I guess I am like Roko Ukic in this blogging but just like Roko I am trying to learn fast and on the fly. I think in 11months I have been at this I have come a long way. Blogging just like in Radio and T.V has room for all kinds of styles and approaches to covering the same thing. That is what makes life interesting in general.

Last but not least I have a funny story for you about the last person I wanted to meet and thank. If you have been to a Raptor Game or even if you have not. You have likely seen how the dance pak is alway out there greeting the fans as they come into the ACC and taking pictures with the fans. So I wanted to find Lexi Haslam and thank her for talking with the blog and see how she was doing. So I made my way back to the front doors and looked and did not see her. So I think it is safe to say everyone on the Raptors Dance Pak is an attractive girl. So how do you go up to one and say, excuse me I am actually looking for someone else without insulting them. Tricky Tricky. But thankful I managed to pull it off. Turned out she was at a different gate. So I did find her and as I approached she knew who I was. I was surprised by that but hey that’s not a bad thing. We had a nice conversation for about 5 minutes or so. She is working hard and doing her best to be a great choice for you the fans. I am pretty busy and so is Lexi but I hope we can come up with something where she can come back and be part of the blog in the future. Will work out something I am sure. Till that time I wish her all the best and I know she is looking forward to getting down on the floor and busting a move. Do people still say that?

Oh Yeah The Game!!!

O.K, I am going to be honest I was having a lot of conversations while watching the game and I don’t think I was paying the close attention that I do when I am sitting here in my chair. But I am noticing a trend that I am not liking pre-season of no pre-season. Slow starts and Raptors having to fight back going up hill. If these kind of things happen in the regular season the Raptors will be playing with fire. The got burned in the end last night and if you are playing from behind you are always going to be getting burned on a fairly regular basis.

We may have missed out on the return of Hoffa. But we did get the return of Joey Graham and we had a lot of Joey support in the section I was in. But all that being said regardless of my thoughts on Joey which I think I have made clear a few times. It is good to see him out there and playing. This is a time where Joey Graham has his NBA Future in his own hands. He needs to finally figure it out or he may end up much like his twin brother Stephen. Ultimately maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing for Joey.

Andrea seems to be marching along and keeping at trying to do the things the Raptors want to see. Some will be frustrated by some of the mistakes you will see. But this is a process and I am happy just to see the baby steps being taken to develop a post game and some rebounding for Andrea. For what it is worth Dirk Nowitzki as said that Andrea is far better than he was at the same point is his career. The two players have been compared from when Andrea was drafted and it should be noted the Dirk did no exactly have a big start in his first few years. The bottom line for me with Andrea is I am seeing signs of progression that is miles ahead of where we were last year so I will take it.

So no more T.J Ford and now the Raptors shooter at the point guard is Will Solomon. In the great history of shoot first, second and third point guards like Mike James. But I am fairly certain Will Solomon can not sing I believe I can fly like Mike James did.  But I want to say about all of this stuff it needs to be taken in context. Sam Mitchell has a lot of catch phrases and lines he likes to use. One of them is it is a lot different when those lights come on October 29th. Pre-Season is not the Regular season and all of this stuff does matter but it does not count.

So for all the people concerned about Jermaine O’Neal and his slow start. Be concerned  for sure,  but keep in mind that J.O knows when the season starts. That is when he will need to be back up to top speed. So the Raptors our now going to be off to L.A and finish off in Edmonton and based on my conversation with Matt Devlin he tells me that he is getting a ton of e-mails from you folks out west excited about Raptors coming to town. The Denver Nuggets will be the team facing the Raptors in Edmonton. L.A is a tournament format and the Raps will start with Clippers and after that likely will face Euro-League club Barcelona.

So basically the overall message as far as the game is….Be concerned, but don’t throw anything at the T.V Set. You always need to remember that this will not be remembered when the season starts. What was the pre-season record of the Celtics and Lakers last season? I don’t know the answer and the fact is don’t care too.

What The Dino Blogger Is Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I thought today I would take some time and reflect on what I am thankful for. That of course as far as this blog goes begins with you the readers of the Dino Nation Blog. It is great to know that so many people take something from reading my  work, it is a nice feeling. I enjoy hearing from you and doing what I can to get to know you folks and let you know me. It means so much to know that people are enjoying what you do.

I am also thankful for the many guests who have visited the Dino Nation Blog. They are great people and have been kind to donate their time and help us get some great information. It has been great getting to know some of my regular guests like Jack Armstrong, Paul Jones, Eric Smith and Matt Devlin. I thank them all and wish them and their families all of the best.

I’m thankful that the Toronto Raptors are a team that is worth cheering for. Beyond the talent on the basketball floor this is a team that has great people that make it what it is. Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker and the rest are good people. It is nice to know you have quality people that you get to write about on a daily basis.

I am thankful for the support that I get. I enjoy things like last night and having fun things like are fantasy drafts. Good luck to everyone taking part in that and other leagues.

I am of course thankful for my mother. She has been great in her support of me in doing this blog. Which allows me to put in the time it take to make this blog what it is. She has her own challenges but it does not stop her from supporting me, to still chase my dreams. So, thanks Mom.

I encourage you all to be thankful for the things you have in your lives whatever they may be. If you have any that you want to share basketball or non basketball feel free to use the comments section.  I am also thankful for tomorrow as Paul Jones will be our guest in the Starting 5 and the Blog. But till tomorrow I wish you a great day and hope you get to have a great Thanksgiving with Family and Friends.

All The Best To You

James Borbath aka The Dino Blogger.

J.O Is Endorsed By The Dino Blogger

There are elections underway in both Canada and the United States if you didn’t know. When these are going on it is always important if newspapers or media endorse a candidate. Well for long time readers of the Dino Nation Blog they will recall that at first I was not exactly sure about Jermaine O’Neal. I had concerns about not only his health but his attitude. I think the root of my lack of love for J.O goes back to the fact that he was always compared to Chris Bosh. I always thought that Bosh was better than O’Neal and deserved the props from the media. To put it in simple terms if Bosh was Batman to me J.O was the Joker.

But despite all of this I had said that the door was being left open for Jermaine O’Neal to change my mind. I am a firm in thinking if you are a Raptor you are part of my team and I am going to support you or at least try to do so. The first challenge for J.O to impress me was his press conference after this trade happened. What was he going to say? Was he pissed to have got traded to Canada? How was he going to deal with all the questions about his health? What about all the problems in Indiana with the Pacers?  I sat glued to the T.V waiting to hear what he would say. when it was all done he had not ducked any of those questions and had reasonable and logical responses to the questions from the gathered media. He thanked me and all of you the Raptor fans for welcoming him to the Raptors. He came off as every bit the NBA Veteran he was. There was a professionalism about it all.

If this can be related to having a first date with someone he passed the test. Since than I have had many chances to catch J.O in the Toronto Media. He was at the Score for their H.D launch party. He again said how happy he was to be here and that he was looking forward to being a Raptor and having success here. Through it all he has said that he is here to help Chris Bosh and that this is Bosh’s team. He has said it is not about getting all star appearences or personal numbers. He is here to have team success and that is what is his focus as far as he is concerned.

Raptors Media Day was what pushed me over the top to be writing this blog. Jermaine had a very interesting chat with 2 people that I have had in this blog as guests. Paul Jones and Eric Smith talked with J.O on a webcast. What J.O would say I have never heard in the history of the Toronto Raptors. He said that he had made a list of 5 teams for Indiana that he would consider a trade too. The Raptors were on that list. In the end he said it came down to Cleveland or Toronto. This is mind blowing that a guy considered an NBA Star by most had Toronto on a list of teams he wanted to be traded too. I was truly shocked by this statement. There has always been this fear on part of Raptor fans that players don’t want to be here and that even stars that we draft may not remain here. Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Damon Stoudamire all eventually wanted out. But Jermaine O’Neal wanted in.

That was enough for me. In addition though Jermaine has been talking defense and showing it on the floor. Many folks around the Raptors are quick to tell you how healthy J.O looks and how he is blocking just about ever shot he can get his hands on. These are good signs for a Raptor team. They were in desprate need of defense in a series that saw the Orlando Magic lay the smack down on the Raptors. That is what lead Bryan Colangelo to start the search that would end in finding J.O. 

I admit also that I really didn’t know much about J.O as person. I saw him as kind of the running buddy of Ron Artest and kind of a bad dude. But in every interview he is very well mannered and speaks with great intelligence. He has been impressive to me and I have grown to enjoy hearing what he has to say. It has been a long summer journey that has taken me from someone who was not exactly a fan of J.O to now considering myself a J.O supporter.

Will this matter for Jermaine O’Neal? I mean this is the Dino Nation Blog giving him our endorsement. That is a big deal right? Not exactly but here is what it does mean for J.O even though he may never read this. It means that if I the fan/journalist have changed my opinion of him, it makes sense that a lot of other people that may have felt like me,also have changed their minds as well. Ask T.J Ford how it feels to be playing in a city that is not exactly in your corner. It is not a lot of fun, I as one of the few that supported him can say it isn’t easy.

But even I who am one of the biggest T.J Ford supporters you will find, I understood  that this trade was a good one for Ford. There is an old expression about trades that whoever gets the best player wins a deal. Well it is clear that J.O is that best player and if he is truly healthy, which all signs seem to suggest he is, than this is a huge win for the Raptors.

J.O may never be the Prime Minister of Canada. But if he helps bring an NBA title to Canada he will be more popular than whoever wins the upcoming election in this country. It makes you think back to when the Toronto Blue Jays brought in a veteran star named Dave Winfield and he was part of a World Series Champion in Toronto. J.O is a veteran for sure but he is not exactly the age that a Dave Winfield was. He isn’t even 30 yet. In his words” he is the old young guy “. So let it be said the Dino Blogger Endorses J.O. I am sure this news will make it up to Ottawa and mean big things for J.O. But he has done more to impress me than anyone in the election in this country. So maybe that is a message for the political folks in this country. I support the party of the Dino Nation Daily.

One of the people that is one of my top advisers I am going to talking with today. The blog’s most frequent guest, The Coach Jack Armstrong!!! So hope you come back for that tomorrow.

Dino Blogger Thoughts For A Tuesday In September

Score one for the little guy. No I am not talking about my Dallas Cowboys win last night. America’s Team is far from the little guy. The Dino Nation Blog was right about the Pre-Season coverage of the Raptors based on the Matt Devlin Interview. Doug Smith had this to say in Today’s Blog From Toronto Star Website:

Oops, I have to correct a mistake here the other day.

Seems RaptorsTV will be showing the four home pre-season games and the big tilt in Edmonton against Denver. And, if the past is prelude, somewhere on a satellite the games in Los Angeles will get on the tube, making it seven of the eight available for viewers.

So, yes, you can see delightful NBA pre-season action if you subscribe to the network.

And anything on there is better than another Miami-New York playoff game.

My humblest apologies.- Doug Smith Toronto Star Sept.16th

So here is the Official Info from the Raptor’s Website:

Preseason Broadcast Schedule

The Dino Nation blog is happy to accept Doug’s apology. However to be serious about all of this I want to say that I enjoy Doug Smith’s work. I had a chance to say hello to him this past summer when he was in Hamilton covering team Canada. The reason I have brought up this topic was not to bring down Doug in any way. It was to support what I do and that the work I had done was correct. I also felt it was important in the sense that Matt Devlin being the new guy in town and all could be seen in a bad light. So that is why this has lead off the blog for a second day. If you have learned anything from reading this blog I take what I am doing very seriously.

Speaking of Doug he was co-hosting Prime Time Sports last night with Bob McCown. It was interesting to hear his thoughts on the Raptors. He seems very interested in what could happen this season as I think we all share that same feeling. But Doug in general based on his many years covering the team can sometimes not share the interest and excitiment of the fan base.

Team Dino Nation Blog is # 61 in the CB4 Fantasy League. If I win anything I think I may for go my prize and ask for a CB4 interview. Maybe we can give the prize away to a lucky Dino Nation Blog reader. Now you are cheering for me to win right?  I am having a lot of fun playing Fantasy Football in a league with CB4 and a bunch of Raptor Fans. That is why I look forward to the Dino Nation Blogs Fantasy Leagues this year for Basketball. Sorry I don’t have any prizes to offer. Just the pride of victory at this point. But still it should be a lot of fun.

Why I Believe in Nathan Jawai

Many have said that Nathan Jawai will not be much of a factor for the Raptors this year. I have firmly stood behind my thought that he will play a bit more of a role than most people are willing to say. Here is a bit of an explanation as to why I think this will happen. Kris Humphries has been a basic hustle guy for the Raptors in his time here. But on occassion he will force his game and try to do things that he is not expected or wanted to do on the offensive end. Nathan Jawai has only played basketball for about 5 or 6 years. However the two skills he seems to have mastered in that time are rebounding and setting good solid picks. That is the 2 skills he will need to be on the floor for Sam Mitchell. In a recent interview on the Fan 590 Sam Mitchell said his major need for his team is for rebounding and wants to see the team improve in that respect. Jawai is going to be able to help in that way. I think he can work his way into a role on this team. If you have you doubts in this I can not blame you. However how many folks were saying Jamario Moon would have a role for this Raptor team last season at this time? I think the answer was pretty much zero. In fact some wondered if he would even make the team at all. Luke Jackson would lose his spot on the roster in pre-season to Jamario Moon. Jawai is not having to earn a spot on the roster as Moon did. But make no mistake that this guy is motivated to succeed for himself and a whole lot of folks in Australia that believe in him. Well I believe too and maybe I am one of the first to jump on the Jawai bandwagon but I am confident that I will have lots of company before all is said and done. He is the type of player the Raptors have needed for a long time.

Raptors Or Sixers

It seems that many of the Raptors fans have locked in on this idea of who is better the Raptors or the Sixers. I have my money on the home team in the Raptors. I think they have more proven quality outside shooters and will be able to take advantage of that. I also am gambling that Bosh and O’Neal will be more healthy than Brand and Dalembert. Even though I do feel that the Raptors are the better team, I also think the margin of error for Toronto is much smaller than it is for the Sixers. The Sixers have a lot of young and talented players. It is not to say that the Raptors are old. But they have guys that have moved further along in the process of building their careers. I see more players on the Sixers that have a higher room to grow their games. But I am more confident in betting on the more established talent than what could be or might be.

Oden Finally Going To Debut

I am beyond the Raptors excited about other NBA things. Maybe at the top of that list is to see if Greg Oden was indeed worth all of the hype. I was one of a small few folks that thought I would take Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder over Oden. Just for anyone doubting how excited they are in Oklahoma City about NBA coming to town they sold out their tickets in 5 days. But back to Oden and Durant. Many folks will say I am nuts to think Durant is the better pick. But the fact we have waited over a year to watch Oden debut is part of the reason I would have went with Durant. Talent is great but if it is not on the floor it really doesn’t matter much. I am not sold that Oden can be healthy and productive over the long run. But the young giant is ready to prove me wrong. Here is an Article I found in my morning reading that you might want to check out if you are a Greg Oden fan or not.

Oden Prepares For NBA Season

Not Exactly FLASH Gordon in Chicago

Ben Gordon remains in limbo in Chicago. The Bulls restricted free agent still remains unsigned and has even been thought to be considering options beyond the NBA according to some. It will be interesting to see what happens to a guy that was once thought to be a big part of the puzzle in Chicago. Now he seems to be a round peg in a square hole. Last season all the rumours of a trade for Kobe Bryant to Chicago seemed to just send the Bulls into a tailspin and Gordon was part of that as he was rumoured to be one of the players that would be part of that deal that never happened. It will be on of the interesting things to follow as all NBA teams are about to begin training camps very soon. For more one what may happen with the former U-Conn Huskie from someone Raptor fans know well:

Chuck Swirsky on Ben Gordon

Lakers Are Doing This?…No Way

Ex-Laker and Raptor Jelani McCoy could be going back to the Lakers? This is proof that as long as you are a big body you will get lots of chances to fail in this NBA. I mean you only need to look at the Miami Heat adding Toronto Native Jamal Maglorie as proof of this fact. It also is proof of the fact that the #4 has got a huge upgrade in Toronto. By the way a little Dino Nation Blogger info is that is my favourite number 4. As for McCoy and his possible return to the Lakers here is a link to the source of this info:

McCoy Working Out For Lakers

That is a Rap for this edition of the Dino Nation Blog. See you tomorrow. Oh wait one last thing. The Dino Nation blog is now on Twitter. So that is another way you can keep in touch with the blog. The link is listed among the Dino Nation Blog Sites. But seeing as it is new I will post it in this Blog.

Dino Nation Blog Home on Twitter

It is just one of the many ways I look to interact with you the readers of the Dino Nation Blog. We also have our facebook group as well. If you haven’t checked out these things you are welcome to and be a part of our little family.

2 Weeks And Counting

Want to start today and address something I read in Doug Smith’s Blog that went against what I found out in my interview with Matt Devlin. The question was asked of Doug about the coverage of Raptor Pre-Season Games. Here was his answer:

As far as I know right now, none of the games are to be televised but I would expect the two out in L.A. as part of that four-team  pre-season tournament might turn up on one of the American networks because in the past, they have.

Will let you know more when I find out.-Doug Smith Toronto Star

What Dino Nation Blog said:

The first thing I wanted to ask Matt was something I have been hearing Raptor Fans asking about. That is about the pre-season and coverage of games. Matt said that the details are not all set but you can expect to see Raptor Pre-Season Games on television(Raps T.V likely). You may even to get to see games live as opposed to the game in an hour format. He suggested that all the exact details should be made public at a later point so make sure to keep an eye out for that info.-Dino Nation Blog…Sept 12th

Did the Dino Nation Blog get a scoop? I guess we will have to wait and see but based on the conversation I had with Matt Devlin I would say we did. Also it is the Dino Nation Blog Policy to send a copy of all interviews to the person I talk with to confirm all info is correct. This was done in this case and I got an e-mail from Matt confirming he looked over the interview. Whatever the case will see what happens and Matt did say to wait for the details so that is what we will do. But since the start of Raptors TV, I can not recall a season in which they did not have some form of preseason coverage even if it was in the “Game in an Hour” format.

In the same blog by Doug Smith he mentioned that several Raptors are in Toronto already getting set for the season. Anthony Parker, Hassan Adams and Aussie Nathan Jawai were among the names he menntioned. Andera Bargnani is also expected to be in town very soon. These are all signs that it will not be long until this new version of the Toronto Raptors is hard at work preparing for the season. It has been a long summer and it is nice to see the signs of the season coming to start appearing.

How You Can Help Dino Nation Blog

This will be the second season of the Dino Nation Blog and the first training camp and pre-season. I am excitied about it and look forward to providing info and opinion for another season of Raptors basketball. I wanted to reach out to folks in the Ottawa and Edmonton areas that will be going to events in those cities. Dino Nation Blog is interested in any photos or news reguarding the Raptors that you may be able to get or have knowledge of in your local market. That way the Dino Nation Blog can share it with everyone. This also is a good time to mention that we have a new contact e-mail. So for this and any other reason you may have to get in contact with the Dino Nation Blog you can use this address going forward:

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

The reason for the change is that I have changed to a high speed internet connection. It has been a eye opening experience to have the full power of the internet and not to have to wait for long peroids of time to watch videos and what not. It may mean in future I will add more video based content as it is far less trouble for me personally to access it. But whatever it means it will make it easier for me to access more infomation so I can do a better job for you the readers of the Dino Nation Blog.

Coming Soon….Dino Nation Blog Chat

Speaking of which I am thinking of holding one of our Chat Events soon. It seems like a good time to have one with Fantasy Basketball Drafts almost ready to start and training camps about to begin. If you have a suggestion for a good time for this to happen your free to leave a comment. I will do my best to pick a time that allows folks to have a chance to be a part of it. I enjoy the chance to interact with the readers of this blog and I feel that some of the loyal longtime readers have become friends to me. I love the passion that you all share for the Toronto Raptors and for this blog. It is great to have the support of such great fans of the Toronto Raptors.

Team Dino Nation Blog -CB4 Fantasy Football

On The weekend I had a good run in the CB4 fantasy football league on Rotohog. So go team Dino Nation Blog. I have three Dallas Cowboys still to play and hopefully they come through for me. If you are signed up for the league as well would love to know you team name. If you want to still sign up read the blog ” Can You Beat CB4 ” or go to Chris Bosh’s website listed as part of the website list on the blog.

The Week Ahead

I am always hard at work looking for people to talk to about the Raptors and other basketball related things. I have one interview I will be working on. The focus of that is going to be about sports collectables. I am not big into this sort of thing personally but I do own a Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire rookie cards. Will they ever be worth anything? I guess we will find out among other things. If you ever have a suggestion for things you want to read about in the blog you can always send an e-mail or join the blog’s group on Facebook if you like like. There is a link to on the main page of the blog among our listed sites. You the readers of the Dino Nation Blog can always have a voice in what you would like to read about. I can’t promise you that I will always be able to make it happen but I think it has been established that I work hard to provide as much info as possible and if I can make something happen I will.

So thanks for reading and being a part of the Dino Nation Blog. The response to the most recent interviews with Matt Devlin, Paul Jones and Eric Smith have been outstanding. Seems each time I do an interview the more people find out about the Dino Nation Blog. That is part of why I do them but the main reason is to get you folks more info. So if you have recently discovered the Dino Nation Blog I want to welcome you and encourage you to share this blog with your friends and family that have a love for Raptors and basketball. It says in the Dino Nation Blog History page that I value the readers of this blog and I do.

CB4 and Superman

Thought I’d close today with some wacky fun from Youtube as Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard were very excited about being guests on Oprah. Check It out:

Can You Beat CB4?

I love the way CB4 interacts with his fans. So that is why I want to make you aware of his latest effort to reach out to his fans. Chris Bosh and the Dino Blogger have one thing in common. We both love the Dallas Cowboys and Fantasy Football. Well Chris Bosh is challenging you and me to take him on in Fantasy Football. I can tell you all about it but there is no need as Chris has already done it for me.

Just in case you didn’t have a pen. Here is the link to join Chris Bosh’s Fantasy Football league. I am already in my team is called Dino Nation Blog Football. Hey if I can have fun and do a little promotion what is the harm right? But blog or not I would still be playing cause I am a fantasy junkie. That reminds me that our Fantasy Leagues for Basketball on both NBA.Com and Yahoo.com will be starting soon. I will provide all the details as soon as they are able to be released. If you want to guarntee you get in please drop me an email to

dinonationblogger@hotmail.com and I will add you to my advance list prior to making it public knowledge in the blog.

Depending on how successful it is we may have multi leagues it just depends on all of you and how many want to play. The NBA.Com league will be a keeper league (Set Amount Players will carry over to next Season) and the Yahoo League will be your standard single season fantasy league. Joe my former college Radio Partner is our defending Champion as we ran a small league last year. So look for info on that coming soon. But here is you Link for Fantasy Football against CB4

Chris Bosh Fantasy Football Link

Searching For Nathan Jawai Is Coming To Dino Nation Blog

The research and interviews for this feature are being worked on. But while I am working on getting this done here is a taste of what is AUSSIE SHAQ on the Basketball Court From DOWN UNDER:

Jawai as mentioned in the Blog finished Summer League on strong note. So hopefully this is just a sign of things to come. I hope to have my feature complete soon. The people in Australia have been very helpful in putting this thing together.

Dino Nation Blog News

From the Desk of Dino Nation Blogger:

It has been busy time for the Dino Nation Blog. I just wanted to write a post to talk about a few things that I had not had time to talk about. There are a bunch of things going on and it is all happening at once so It has been very busy which is good.

First of all. I have had a side project going on while all of this stuff has been going on. That I have mentioned in the blog. I have been putting together a rather large look at Nathan Jawai. From what has been done so far it looks like it could be one of the best things I have been able to put together. I have titled it “Searching For Nathan Jawai”. I hope it will be completed soon. A lot of work has gone into this and I think it will be something worth reading. It takes a look at his story heading towards the NBA. It is a story that I personally have found equal to the great story of Jamario Moon that Raptor Fans learned last year. So I hope this story will be of equal interest to Raptor Fans. He is far from your average NBA second round pick as you will see.

The Raptors last summer league game caused me some headaches. The NBA.Com website is listing Nathan Jawai as Jawad Williams. This caused me to uncorrectly think Jawai did not play. Thanks to fellow Blogger the Arsenalist I was made aware of the error. Thanks to him for looking out for a fellow blogger.

I wanted to also thank Georgetown Hoyas. They were nice enough to send me some stuff about their fine basketball program in the NCAA. I was forunate to have got their help in doing my feature on Roy Hibbert who ironically was selected by the Raptors. Yes it was a selection for the Pacers. They recently introduced Roy to Pacer fans the other day. I wish him luck in his NBA career joining the former Raptors on the Pacers.

The blog itself has been doing great. I really have been happy to see the steady increase in people that are finding the Dino Nation Blog. I really want to welcome anyone who is new to this blog. I really consider the Dino Nation Blog beyond being something that you read as a community or family for Raptor Fans. I hope to see that family grow and am always pleased to see when it does. I am always happy to talk with anyone that reads this blog. You can use the same E-mail I post for the Nation Speaks feature where you can ask questions and make comments for me to respond too. That is dinonationblogger@hotmail.com

So Raps vs Sixers tonight and Canada vs Croatia tomorrow. Recaps of both can be found here.

Thanks to all that read the DINO NATION BLOG

James the Dino Blogger

Raps Start Draft Shopping

Offseason Plan Starts To Get Put Into Action

The Toronto Raptors are all quiet about the draft. But they will be in Orlando with the rest of the NBA to check out some of the top prospects. But Bryan Colangelo says it is also a chance to explore the trade market. So if you haven’t heard enough T.J Ford and Jose Calderon trade rumours you can expect to hear a lot more over the next little while. The draft itself Colangelo was playing things close to the vest. That is a wise move seeing as Raptors are in the middle of the draft. After the pre-draft workouts in Orlando teams are allowed to start workouts for their own individual teams. Colangelo suggested that up to 40 players could be making their way to Toronto to audition for the Raptors. So if that is the case it will not be easy to figure out where the Raptors plan on going. Still it will be interesting to hear the comments on a few of the front runners in eyes of the experts. Doug Smith had a good short list on this topic in the star today. There is also some quotes from Bryan Colangelo on these issues of draft and trade talks. But he is not showing his hand about anything.

Doug Smith May 27th -The Toronto Star

The point to all of it is we are starting to get closer to answers rather than rumours. After all if rumours counted for anything Kobe Bryant may not be a Laker and instead a Bull.  Eric Smith does not like talking fantasy trades much and I agree with that. Their will be lots of time to evaluate the actual moves this team will make. But for those who like the rumours and speculation you are going to be able to find a lot of it. The draft is a target point for movement to happen as team look to move up and down and in some cases out of the draft altogether. Draft work outs for the all the teams will also add to that. Prospects will get narrowed down and teams will start to shape their draft boards. Should a prospect impress a team enough it might be worth moving up the draft to get him. If not it could mean a chance to move back in draft and save some money against the cap. Some teams will even try to get out of first round to avoid having to give a guaranteed contract.

Four teams have the NBA Championship still in focus for this season. The Detroit Pistons kept their dreams of a title with a big win in game 4 last night. The Celtics have stuggled to get consistant play out of the point guard spot. Rajon Rondo has had some bright moments in these playoffs but last night was not one of them. Sam Cassell has not added much to the mix as well. Chancey Billups has struggled to stay healthy and it seems clear he is not at 100%. But in true ” Mr. Big Shot” fashion he nailed a key 3 point shot in a game where both teams were ice cold from long range. But Billups came through when it counted and this series as become a best of 3. If you are a fan of defence this series has provided you a lot of that.

In an interesting twist of fate the NHL and NBA have been having a turf war in Detroit. In Canada the Red Wings vs Penguins Stanley Cup Final is winning that war in the media. No shock in that in Canada. But in Hockeytown of Detroit the Pistons are not impacted by it to much. Where the real impact is felt is in NHL ratings south of the border. You have the NBA on ESPN that is easy to find in any market and you have the NHL on the VS. Network. There was a story in around 1994 that the NHL was closing the Gap on the NBA. But today in 2008 this is a Slam Dunk for the NBA in the United States. Here in Canada the NBA will always play second to the NHL but it is growing the numbers of fans for basketball. The Raptors can be successful in improving that.

They plan on trying to build that national brand this year. Their are plans in place to have the Raptors training camp on east coast and a plan to have a pre-season match-up in Vancouver feature Steve Nash and the Suns vs. the Toronto Raptors. Bryan Colangelo I think is a smart enough guy to understand the unique opportunity that the Raptors have by being Canada’s only NBA Franchise. It has always been a goal of the Raptors to build that cross country fan base since the Grizzles were moved to Memphis. They have never really taken much advantage of it. Colangelo will of course be first and foremost trying to build a winner. Which ultimately is the best advertising campaign you can have is winning. However, Colangelo is also going to try and reach out to the rest of this country and slowly build in roads from east to west in Canada. Another hope would be some day their could be a Canadian grown player that is good enough to be considered by the Toronto Raptors. To have a real home grown talent has always been a hope of mine but that hope has yet to be realized.

Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the Spurs are in the Same Spot they faced in the last round. But the huge difference is Kobe Bryant is on the other team this time. If the Lakers can steal game 4 this series could end in a short 5 games. When you look at the Eastern Conference Final it is going at least 6 and no one would be shocked to see it go 7. If the Lakers could manage to finish the Spurs in 5 games that would be a great advantage. Detroit or Boston would start the finals with a disadvantage. But as many people say in sports it is always a great challenge to knock off the defending champions and the Spurs will be no different. Much Like the Pistons it is a must win for the Spurs though defending Champions or not.

So it was nice to have a day off to recharge my batteries. It has also been nice to see more comments coming in as of late. I enjoy reading your thoughts and it is great to hear what you the readers think. So keep the comments coming. I also want to mention if you really want to have a say and keep in the loop on what is going on with the Blog you are welcome to join the Dino Nation Blog Facebook Group.  You can see what things are in the works for coming blogs and info on our Live Blog Events. You can even make your own suggestions and opinions on stuff you would like to see and read.

Bullseye On Chicago…They Won Lotto

Bulls On Top Of The Draft

There has not been much to get excited about if you are a Chicago Bulls supporter this season. But now there is something. No, it is not the fact that Chuck Swirsky is coming back to town. The Bulls with less than a 2% chance of winning the NBA Lottery last night they hit the jackpot. The team that suffers the most because of it, is a team that deserves a better fate, the Sonics who are in limbo not sure where home will be. They dropped out of the Top 3 thanks to the Bulls good luck.

 

What will the Bulls do with this pick is anyone’s guess. Michael Beasley(Kansas State) is projected by most to be the number one pick. He was also the selection of the Dino Nation Blog readers that attended are live blog event last night. But Derrick Rose(Memphis) the number two pick of many does have ties to the Chicago area. If the Bulls keep the pick could that bump Rose to the number 1 spot? The answer will come on June 26th at the draft. But now that the draft order has been established expect that trade talks to heat up. New Jersey is said to be interested in Carmelo Anthony and as part of this deal New Jersey would trade their non- lottery winning first round pick as a part of this purposed deal. There was also talk out of Jersey that they may have interest in Andrea Bargnani. The Raptors in return would get Richard Jefferson as part of this deal. But this deal would not address the Raptors needs for rebounding and defence two things that are not found in great amounts in Jefferson. But what he may suggest is that Andrea Bargnani does have value if Bryan Colangelo wants to talk deals for his former first overall selection.

 

I just wanted to talk about last night’s live blog event. You always worry when you throw a party that no one will show up. But thankful people did and it seemed that everyone had a good time that took part. In fact if you were there please feel free to leave a comment after this blog. I also want to thank Mark who writes the Raptors Core Blog that is on my Blog Roll and Favourites list on the right. He helped co-host the live blog with me and did a great job helping out as I learned how all the different things worked that go with putting on a Live Blog on the fly. The next live blog event will likely be on NBA Draft Night on June 26th. Still have some details to work out but I will keep you posted. Mark has agreed to take part in that event as well. So stay tuned for the details and hopefully you can join our Virtual Draft Party if all goes well.

 

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star was on Prime Time Sports on Fan 590 yesterday and he talked about the Raptors draft. He mentioned the player you have hopefully got to know from reading about him here in Dino Nation Blog. Roy Hibbert of Georgetown was mentioned and it was said if the Raptors remain at the 17 spot it makes sense to draft a big. Smith said, and most would agree, that Raptors need for a swingman can be addressed through trade and not the draft. Hibbert and the other big men in this draft class may not be stars but can contribute as role players. That is something your Dino Blogger has said as well at the 17th pick you are unlikely to find a star. But you can find someone that adds something you lack and that is what Roy Hibbert does with his defence and size. A legit post player that with work can be a solid piece for years to come.

 

Some feel that Raptors may be looking to move up the draft board and not stay put at 17. The question would change to who would they be moving up to get. Is there anyone in this draft that blows the Raptors away. Danilo Gallinari a small forward from Italy has been thought by some to be that guy. But after the uncertain track record of Bargnani you have to figure that would not be met with praise from fan base. But Gallinari is nothing like Bargnani as a player still that being said I am not certain it is worth the price to move up to roll the dice on another prospect from Europe. The Raptors do have some of the best info on players from international circles more than a majority of their NBA competition but that does not mean they have to select from Europe on a regular basis. It has it’s advantages if you are not looking for a player for right now. Roko Ukic has remained in Europe and is expected to finally come to North America this coming season. Which is fine if you are not looking to improve right away to select a player in Europe and let him remain there. I think most would agree Raptors need a player for right now out of this draft. This is not to suggest the Gallinari is not ready now but in general. The true problem would be the price attached to moving up in the draft and if it would be worth it. Trading T.J Ford to move up a few spots to just roll dice on a prospect is not in my view a wise move. If the trade involves more it is a different conversation but to move up a few spots in the draft to around the 10th pick would not seem to be worth it. You can likely find a player at number 17 that can contribute. So what is wrong with staying put and making a safe pick and get a player that can fill a role.

 

Only about a month to go to draft and some of the answers to the Raptors off season puzzle will start to get answered. One thing is clear the Raptors are a team that is being talked about in trade circles and rumours. That would suggest that Bryan Colangelo should be a busy man for the next few months.