Rapid Fire Raptors

There is a lot of stuff to get done today for me. So today’s blog will be a bit shorter than usual. Part of the reason for that is I will be talking with Jack Armstrong today for an interview. I always look forward to talking with Jack. I know that personally I always learn a lot from our conversations. He told me the Raptors would be better off with this smaller roster. Seems at least to this point Jack was on the money. He just has a lot of knowledge about basketball and at the core is a sports fan. That is why he makes a great guest and is always great to hear from.

But that is later today and will likely be in tomorrow’s blog may get it up late tonight but will see. The Raptors will be back at work today after getting a well deserved day off.  You really could not have asked for a better start for the Raptors. They sit on top of the Atlantic Division and will get a chance to take on the defending NBA Champion Celtics on November 10th.

So how has this 3-0 start happened? I will give you some of my reasons why the Raptors have been successful so far.

1. CB4- Chris Bosh is always the beginning of any conversation that is about Raptor success. He has taken his game to a exciting new level. His numbers have been off the charts. He has not only been producing more on offense. He has been picking it up on the defensive side as well. Chris Bosh is in the very early conversation for the M.V.P of the N.B.A. That is just how good he has been

2. Jose is Jose- I admit that I thought he may slow down a bit and have the new challenge of being the last point guard standing take a little time to get use too. Well no signs of that so far. In fact he is coming off a career high in points and still had 9 assists. Calderon has been outstanding and he at times has been able to get a bit of rest when Roko Ukic is performing well. You still worry a bit about the huge amounts of minutes Jose will be playing and has been playing. But thus far he has been up to the challenge.  So for all of you that have had faith is Jose he is rewarding your faith in him.

3. The J.O Factor- We talked a lot about this yesterday. Basically J.O has been health and active of defense. But he has added a lot to others defensive effort as well. Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh and Jamario Moon are all helping out with Jermaine’s nightly block party. Raptors are able to make those key stops that in the past. But above all of this as it was said yesterday, J.O makes the Raptors tougher. Jose Calderon said of the game vs the Bucks that last season that was a game they would have lost by 10. Well now that is not the case as the Raptors have got mental toughness to hang in the fight. J.O can take credit for some of that.

4. The New Andrea- Yes two games he has not scored a single point. But he has in all 3 games been a factor on defensive end. Blocking some shots grabbing the odd rebound. It is something that we would not have seen from Andrea last season. His effort was directly connected to his point total. That is progress and he has been committed to scoring on the inside. We have seen less of that hanging out beyond the 3 point line waiting for a shot.

5. Jason Kapono is Money- Jason Kapono is likely to be on of the people most impacted by the moves in the off-season in a positive way. He is shooting the ball well and he will get to see a lot more open looks at making those shots. He will be a key part of the bench and be counted on to produce points off the bench. Jason Kapono is up to the challenge.  I think he will be a big X-factor for the Raptors on most nights. So keep shooting J.K and we will see you at the All-Star Game to defend that 3-ball title for a third year. He is likely going to have some friends joining him the way the Raptors are playing.

So that is my thoughts on some of the early keys to success. You can add your thoughts on why the Raptors are 3-0 in your view. Love to hear from all of you and a lot of you have excellent points of your own. So share them with us. Have a great day and be sure to check back tomorrow for “The Coach” Jack Armstrong.

So It Begins, Ready or Not Raptors Season Set To Start

This is why you write all these blogs in the summer time. This is why you do all those interviews, this is why you bust your butt everyday. So get out there and type those keys like you mean it!!! Yes like the old Kurtis Blow song says: ” There playing basketball OOOH we love that basketball”. I have to agree that is what the Dino Nation Blog is all about a love of basketball, Raptors and Canada. It is also about all of you and your passion for the Toronto Raptors and basketball.

A Big Game On Night One?

I have to say, that to make the claim that the first game of the season is a huge game normally would not make a lot of sense.  But call me in April and tell me if this game means a lot to you. It is expected that the Sixers and Raptors are going to battle all season for position in both the East and Atlantic. The first tie breaker is always the season series between the two teams. So for the loser of tonight’s opener that will mean they need to win 2 of the remaining 3 games just to get a split. So this is a bigger game for the Raptors than it will be in the home opener versus a non conference team like Golden State.

J.O vs Brand

Both Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal have a lot to prove to new fans in towns that do not exactly have a lot of patience. So a good start against the other guy is likely required. Brand looked fairly good in the Sixers pre-season visit to the ACC. While Jermaine was a scratch for the second half of Raptors last pre-season game. But he is all set to go for the opener in Philly. Brand and O’Neal are expected to be the key part to making two teams that were around the .500 level last year to 50 win type teams. Who will get off to that first right step in that direction with a win.

Chris Bosh Is Big Time

I have been reading on how people have Chris Bosh going everywhere in 2010. Some point to the fact he could gain more attention in a major U.S Market. But honestly Chris Bosh gets his fair share of media attention. I offer you proof from last night. NBA T.V’s Kick off show had an interview with Bosh from Philadelphia. The truth is that Bosh will not leave Toronto based on wanting to get more attention. If he is to leave at all, it will be to win and have a better chance to win. But I am not convinced he leaves at all and I am not that worried about 2010 when it is 2008 today. Bryan Colangelo has positioned this franchise to be able to make an offer for Bosh that will be able to match what others may want to try to pay him.

Who is Healthy For Toronto?

Well not Will Solomon, as he is still sidelined and Roko Ukic is expected to play behind Jose Calderon. Jamario Moon was back at practice. But Jason Kapono was not. Kapono is expected to be able to go tonight though despite a bang he took to his knee. Ditto for Moon who had some achilles issues. Nathan Jawai still remains in dry dock as he waits for his heart test results and figure out what is wrong if anything. Hassan Adams has had issues through out the pre-season as well. But at this point J.O, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon are going to play. Each time the Raptors can say that they will have a chance to win this season. Any time they can not say that for any of the 3 players it will be awful tough.

After All The Hype The Starting Small Forward Is…..

Jamario Moon. This is according to Doug Smith in the Star. But till we see it do we really know? I mean Sam Mitchell has surprised us all before. But if Doug is right that is sad news for all the Joey Graham fans. But I have to tell you that the idea of Joey Graham as a starter on this team scared the hell out of me. I am not saying that if I am wrong and Joey shows that he indeed has finally got it, he can not than be the starter. But I really don’t think a summer league and half a pre-season is enough for me to say Joey has earned a spot in the starting line-up. Truth is if Jamraio Moon had not had such an awful pre-season this would not have even been a conversation heading into opening night.

Fall Back To See The Game

Just a reminder that because of the World Series this game is getting an early start of 6 PM. You can watch in on THE SCORE and Listen on the Fan 590 at that time. It is one less hour that we have to wait to see the start of the season. I think it is a great thing the Sixers are doing for their fans to allow them to see the Phillies try to win a World Series but still support the Sixers.  I as always will have you Raptor Rewind later tonight roughly an hour after the game is done. Podcast, Boxscore and my own personal re-cap of the game. It is what I do here at Dino Nation Blog. Raptors Rewind gives you my personal take on the game

Last Night In NBA

Oden Debut is A Bust.

Greg Oden coming off an injury that sidelined him for an entire season plays his first game and gets injured. I had said that I would have taken Kevin Durant instead of Oden and I still am waiting for any evidence that I was wrong. Meanwhile the game itself saw the NBA Champion favourites the L.A Lakers put the boots to the Blazers. Kobe Bryant 23 points and 11 rebounds making his first pitch of 82 to defend his M.V.P Trophy. Impressive stuff from the Lakers and Kobe.

Lakers 96 Blazers 76

Get Out The Salami and Cheese…Bulls WIn, Bulls Win

So I did not listen to this on the net or anything. I have no idea what Chuck Swirsky thought of this one. What Swirsky saw was a balanced scoring effort from the Bulls with 6 players scoring in double digits. Michael Redd was good for the Bucks with 30 points. Great for people who have him in fantasy but in reality his Bucks got hammered. First pick in the draft Derrick Rose had 11 points and 9 assists in his debut.

Bulls 108 Bucks 95

Rings, A Win, Things Are All Good In Boston

An emotional Paul Pierce rallied his Boston mates after trailing by 7 at halftime to King James and the Cavs. Pierce had 27 points to lead the Celtics.  King James meanwhile had a mortal 22. What about the new point guard for the Cavs. Mo Williams not exactly busting loose in the opener with 12 points and only 2 assists. It was great to see the Celtics perform after getting their rings. Gary Payton on NBATV recalled when his Heat got blown out by like 40 to the Bulls a few years ago.

Boston 90 Cavs 85

Dino Blogger 1 on 1 with Eric Smith

One of the first people connected to the Raptors I got to interview was Eric Smith. He was a guest back in the days of Vince Carter on the Round Ball Review Basketball segment on C101.5 here in Hamilton. When I decided to start the Dino Nation Blog I reached out to Eric again and he not only has been a guest himself on several occasions he also got me in touch with his fellow Hoops co-hosts Paul Jones and Jack Armstrong. I have been extremely fortunate to talk with all of them and have them as guests in the Dino Nation Blog. The Round Ball Review is now gone but Hoops has become a staple of Thursday nights for all people that love basketball. It is back on the air on the Fan 590 starting November 6th 2008. I will be calling in as I have for years before there was a Dino Nation Blog. You can also catch Hoops on Raptors TV. So it was a bit of a trip back in time for me to talk to Eric as part of the Starting 5.  In this edition we talk about the recent mention of M.V.P by Chris Bosh, Expectations for Jermaine O’Neal, Raptors Pre-Season and Joey Graham and his chance to break into the starting line-up. Have a listen to what Eric has to say on these topics.

Eric Smith in the Starting 5

The conversation with Eric continues and we start by talking back-up point guard. I asked Eric for his thoughts on Will Solomon and Roko Ukic and who will be the man behind Jose Calderon for the Raptors as we start the season. Eric shares his thoughts:

Eric Smith- I would say assuming that they are both healthy, If Will deals with this quad thing and assuming it is not an issue by the time Tuesday rolls around. I think that he has the inside track on the back up minutes right now. Just based on age and experience if nothing else. I don’t think that is a knock on Roko. Like any player be it form NCAA or Euro coming into their first year, I think many times you are sitting back watching, learning and trying to take it all in. I think that is probably a better role for him. If he is thrust into the spotlight and he does end up playing a little bit more I am confident he can succeed in the long term. But you have talked about it and we all have talked about it, you think of Jose Calderon in his first year as opposed to where he is now. Calderon struggled and didn’t look great at times. Other times he looked flashy and great at times. But all and all it was a rough rookie season. I would expect a similar path for Roko. I like his speed, I like his handle and his decision making so far. So overall I think if he gets in there for extended periods of time, you are going to see those highs and lows of a rookie. Especially a rookie point guard.

Will Solomon has gotten labeled by some fans as a Mike James type of point guard. So I asked Eric as maybe a warm up for when Hoops gets started if he thought the fan comparison was a fair one or not?

Eric Smith- I guess there is a little bit to it. People have to understand that Will Solomon is coming to a team right now and he asked to play a different role. Now the Raptors wouldn’t have brought him in and paid him that money to do that role if they didn’t think he was capable of adapting and filling that need. But here is a guy that has been playing overseas for how many years now and he is a guy that is use to being the scorer and go to guy. Handling the ball but also controlling the ball, deciding what’s going on, hitting the big shot, being the go to guy. Now he is coming in and he is being asked to essentially transform again. Be a distributor and be a guy that is not always looking for your shot. But at the same time look to attack and look for your shot when it is there. It is a fine balance that any point guard has but especially  for a point guard that is not use to being that traditional pass first guy. I actually spoke to Jose about this a couple of weeks ago. Jose was saying pretty much what I just said. He has to tell both Roko and Will to find that fine balance between making the proper decisions. Knowing when to pass but at the same time knowing that you still need to be aggressive and play your game and you need to play the game that people saw to bring you here. Bryan Colangelo knew that he had a guy that was an attacker that could score but he also that he needed a back up guard or that depth guard. I think you got to watch that fine balance which is hard for any point guard to do. Even for Jose Calderon when you come off that screen and roll are you going to shoot? are you going to pass? should you be always looking for the pass. You got to find those holes and know when to attack and when not to attack. It’s difficult and that much more for a guy like Will that is taking a new role he is coming into with this team.

Point guard as I have said in this blog and ask any basketball expert and they will agree, it is the most challenging position to play in the game and has the most responsibility attached to it. In the starting 5 we talked about numbers for J.O and Eric concluded that wins were the most important measure for Jermaine O’Neal. I asked Eric if Jermaine needs to look at the example of what Kevin Garnett did in Boston. Garnett took hold of the Celtics and gave them a team goal to be better on the defensive end of the floor. I also asked how J.O is fitting in with the Raptors as Eric is around the team on an almost daily basis. Eric talks about that and than gets to the Garnett example:

Eric Smith- I think personality wise he is fitting in fine and getting along with everybody. I don’t think he looks or feels like the “new guy” just in terms of dealing with a guy on a man to man basis. In terms of team concept itself and on the floor. I think he is doing alright but I still think there is definitely work left to be done. It’s learning and it’s a new system, a new team a new plays and everything else. Where he needs to be on the floor. He hasn’t played with a guy like Chris Bosh in his career either. A guy with some similar styles to his game. I think that is going to take some time. I think it is going take time for Bosh as well to get in sync. I would say it is good but not great. There is definitely work to be done with that.

As for the first part of your question about defense. I would agree. If it is the same as K.G or if it is his own way. He does have to be the leader on defense. He does have to help Sam Mitchell, the coaches or whoever to get through to the rest of the team that it is going to be done on the defensive end of the floor. I think the Raptors have gotten better over years under Sam Mitchell as a defensive squad. But there is clearly room to improve. I think Jermaine has been if not Toronto’s arguably best defender if not second or third in the pre-season. He is putting his body on the line, he is taking charges and blocking shots. He is picking up guys on screens and jumping out and showing on the perimeter . I think he is doing a pretty good job overall defensively. If you best player or one of your best players and definitely your highest paid player is setting that kind of tone, that kind of example. You would hope even if just by proxy that the rest fall in line.

Eric will be heading off to Philadelphia next week along with the Raptors. The entire off-season has been about the Sixers and the Raptors and this issue of who is better. I asked Eric for his views on the topic of Sixers versus Raptors and the added nugget of these 2 teams that have been compared to each other facing off on opening night. Eric gives his impression on all of that:

Eric Smith- I think it is a good test right off the bat against each other. I think it allows Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal who i would argue were two of the biggest off-season acquisitions showcased  against each other. I wrote this in my blog ( The Rap ) I think a couple weeks ago. I wish no ill will on Elton Brand at all. I think he is one of the great forwards in the game. It was unfortunate what happened to him and I hope he comes back to an all-star level again. I truly mean that. But I don’t understand how that a guy coming off a major surgery and a major injury like Elton Brand is being given so much love around the NBA. Where Jermaine O’Neal coming of an injury and surgery is getting just killed by people. I don’t get it. I know they are different injuries I know they are different players but similar age for the most part, Jermaine is not even 30 years old. A guy that is a six time all star versus a guy like Elton Brand who is an all-star in his own right and premier forward. I think at the very least they should be getting the same kind of pub. But I just don’t understand why Elton Brand is getting so much love by so many people. I hope he lives up to it. I hope it works out for Philly. They are a hell of a team with a lot of young talent and a lot of athleticism. I think they are going to have a solid season. They crept up last season and surprised a bunch of people with their made run at the end of the season. I see no reason why all 3 of those teams from the Atlantic (Philly, Toronto and Boston) shouldn’t be back in the playoffs again. But also, don’t count out New York either, with the right guy pushing the buttons in Mike D’antoni. I might be crazy. But that is another team that could be knocking on the door for one of those final playoff spots in the east. So the Atlantic has quickly become one of ther better divisions in basketball as opposed to being the Titantic just a few years ago.

The comment on the Knicks may not be so crazy as I doubted that D’antoni could bring his style to New York and be successful. I admit I was amazed to see how well the Knicks looked in their first pre-season game versus Toronto. They have no doubt built on that from that point. Making the playoffs or being close would be a big step and bring a smile to Spike Lee’s face no doubt.

I asked Eric as we are almost ready to go for another season of Raptors Basketball what he is looking forward to for this upcoming season. Be it for the Raptors, NBA or just from a personal standpoint:

Eric Smith-I am just looking forward to the season period. I am surprised, shocked that is was 5 months ago that the playoffs ended. It really feels like 6 or 8 weeks ago that game 5 was going down the summer flew by. As much as I enjoy baseball and the first 6 weeks of the NFL and the fact that my bills are doing a solid job. It’s Basketball man  to get back in the booth so to speak calling the games, being courtside, doing the shows.  Even back at home on the couch watching the other games with the other teams. it’s a passion for me and it is something that I truly enjoy. I am looking forward to everything that comes with the season. The storylines, and the travel and the interaction with the guys on the road. Chatting with the players of the course of the year, interacting with the fans. Everything, I enjoy it. I have told you before and I have told everybody, this isn’t work. This is kind of like living a dream and it is a great thing to do. I look forward to it unlike like a lot of people in the off-season and  having my summers off and not doing a ton of work . A bit but not a lot. I am excited to get back to work and were less than a week away.

I think that sums up for me why I have always enjoyed Eric and his work on the Raptors. He gets it and he knows what a cool job he has. I have always enjoyed his passion for what he does and have always while having my own goals wanted nothing but the best for Eric and his career. I know by the things he has done for me and my blog he shares that same feeling for me.  I can say a lot of the same things for myself in doing this blog. I am hopefully I can get to do some of the thing Eric does in the sense of talking with players and getting more info to put into my work. Anyone that can make a living in the world of sports in what ever form that is be it as a coach, a player or in the media should feel blessed. We get to talk about games and it is our job to do that. The Dino Nation Blog is starting to look more like my job in some ways. But it is or will be the best job I have ever had. The reasons are because I get to talk with people like Eric and share that with all of you. I get to met a lot of fantastic people and that includes the people reading this. We are almost a year into the Dino Nation Blog and It has already provide so many experiences for me that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I have also got to know some other folks that do what I am doing in the blog community. I was asked to take part in a for lack of a better term Blog Summit on the Raptors. Taking a look at the season ahead for the Raptors. I was more than happy to accept the invitation to be a part of that with some of the great folks that cover the Raptors. The host for this event is the Raptor HQ and here is Part 1 of that blogger season preview:

Raptors HQ with Guest Appearance From Dino Blogger

I am not one for getting into self promotion to much. But for the blog and getting it known to more folks I am willing to do what I can. So the Dino Nation Blog is up for being the “Best” Raptor blog on another site so if you want to support it and me take this link and show the blog some love if you feel the desire too:

Best Blogs In NBA Contest

It is a busy time for the Dino Nation Blog and more than you know but you will soon learn there has been a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Well there always is but more than usual lately. I am excited about all of it and I hope you all will be to. Some new stuff is coming that will hopefully help the Dino Nation Blog grow and it is a really exciting time. Thanks To Eric for his time today. I wish him all the best and look forward to talking to him on the first HOOPS show of the season on November 6th on Fan 590.

Raptors Pre-Season Offers Few Answers

The Toronto Raptors entered the Pre-Season with a lot of questions. Well the Pre-Season is now done and we have perhaps even more questions and few answers. In today’s blog we will take a look back at the pre-season and what we wanted to learn but really have not got the answers too. Things like who will be the back the back up point guard?  How bout the starting small forward how did that battle turn out?  The Raptors bench did they let us learn anything about them? Is Andrea Bargnani ready to impress in year number three? How bout J.O how would he look in that red and white number 6 jersey.  That is a lot of questions and there are probably a few more as we go along. So we better get going.

Is it Moon? Kapono? or Joey G?

Well based on who started in the pre-season it seems you can count Jason Kapono out of this mix off the top. Although I am not totally sure if you can even do that. Kapono had a good but not great pre-season.  The main negative against Jason Kapono and him playing as the starting small forward is his lack of defense. But the addition of J.O was suppose to help the defense and Kapono but did that happen? We will talk defense later.

The front runner heading into camp was said to have been Jamario Moon. This came as a bit of a surprise as it had been said by Doug Smith that Moon was not in the good books for his late arrival to Canada. He made it back just before the official training camp was set to begin. But many of the Raptors had been hear long before that. Smith in his blog made a suggestion that Moon late return had put him in the bad books with some in the Raptors Organization. But those things did not seem to have merit as it was Moon that started the first 4 games of the pre-season. Though Joey Graham was also injured during that time with a hamstring injury.  Regardless Moon had the job he had most of last year at the start of camp.  Moon through in the pre-season had not exactly impressed anyone though. We had been hopeful to see a slightly bigger and more driving Jamario Moon. But what we got was a Moon that was not even on the same level as the guy that caught the imagination of the fan base last year. I think anything above disappointing would be misleading people in talking about Jamario and his pre-season.

So Joey Graham is now in the hunt? I was there to see the big pre-season debut of Graham vs the T-Wolves at the ACC. He would get the start on that night and the next two games after. But last night it was Moon who was back in the starting line-up last night. We saw some “Good” Joey. A couple nice poster dunks vs. Lakers and last night versus the Nuggets. We saw some “Bad” Joey. He just struggles to be a consistent scorer and he has taken steps on defense but still is not the lock down defender we were promised on his draft night. If Joey Graham is the starter vs. the Sixers on October 29th it would be as much about Moon struggling as it would be about Joey earning the spot. But I give credit to the Joey Graham fan club, they never lose faith in their guy. I admire that even though I really do not understand it. The one thing I think we all can agree on is that this is the last chance for Joey to finally get it right. As of right now Joey Graham is not in the Raptors long term plan beyond this season. It will be Joey’s job to change that regardless of it he starts or not.

So we had hoped to see someone step up and take the starting job at the 3. Instead we got a lot more of the same. It is one of the most disappointing aspects of this pre-season to me. Jamario Moon needs to do better and remember all the things that got him to this point. He did not get to the Raptors because of his great skill as a shooter. To quote ex-football player turned announcer Dieon Sanders, ” Do what you do”. Actually that is not right. Do more than what you did. Sarah Palin says ” Drill Baby Drill”. I say “Drive Jamario Drive”. Basically Sam Mitchell is still looking for someone to step up and say they want this job. If no one does maybe we see that idea that Bryan Colangelo floated about Andrea Bargnani at the three might be something we see. I don’t think that is the answer the Raptors want or need but at this point who can really say has earned the spot at this point. The answer is nobody and that is not what the Raptors had hoped for at this point.

Roko or Will

O.K we did learn at least one thing from the back-up point guard battle. Will likes to shoot and Roko likes to pass. Both have some issues with the others strengths. But if anyone thought the Raptors would be able to just not give a second thought to dealing T.J Ford away. Sorry to break the news to you but the Raptors are going to have some serious issues at this position. Look at is this way in a sense the guy that takes this job is basically replacing Jose Calderon. Both are a far cry from him or T.J Ford.  That being said most fans understood this was going to be a step back. Will Solomon is banged up at the moment but he is drawing comparisons to Ex-Raptor Mike James. People are not meaning it as praise to him. They are making reference to James and his shoot first attitude. Let’s give the guy a break, He was counted on to score in Europe and it will take time to adjust to a new role here with Raptors.

Roko Ukic is a lot of what people should have expected. There is a lot of comparisons of year one Jose to year one Roko. I will say that I think Roko may be a touch better than that. I think we all forget that Jose Calderon was no where near the player he is now when he was in his first season. I like what I have seen from Roko. He has the base for what could be a solid back-up point guard eventually. But he has a lot to learn and is not ready to be effective in any long periods of time.

Unfortunately I walked away from the pre-season having some concerns about this position as well at least in the short term. I think by say January I will feel more settled about things. But how the Raptors get to that point in time where Roko is ready to be a legit back-up is a real concern. Jose Calderon will need to play huge amounts of minutes and remain healthy and that is a concern. Calderon goes down and this whole Raptor team is in serious and likely fatal trouble.

J.O…Come On…Yes!!!…Oh No

That title sums up the Jermaine O’Neal pre-season. So let’s get started and that was what Raptor fans were saying to J.O early on. It was not exactly the J.O people wanted to see of the start. He was slow and some people were concerned about his overall shape and health. But it was about to get better when the Raptors took off for L.A.

J.O must love L.A because he started to hit his stride vs the Clippers. The new Raptor Dynamic Duo never looked better in the pre-season than they did in L.A. We got to see what this combination can do together and the signs were very encouraging. But there still is a long way to go and we need to see more of that defense we saw from J.O in the game versus the Clippers. As for that overall impact on the defense one was hoping for by the addition of J.O. That has not been the case to this point. J.O will need to take this team by the neck just like Kevin Garnett did with the Celtics last year and convince them to work harder on defense.

That health question seemed to have an answer up until the second half of last night’s game versus Nuggets. J.O would not return for the second half and what was reported to be a sore right knee or was it a hip as Sam Mitchell suggested in his post game comments. Let’s go with the hockey injury speak of lower body injury to the right side. So lower right body injury?  Not exactly what fans wanted to hear after the last pre-season game. J.O and his health have always been a major question mark from the day this trade was learned about. So I guess the question of health is going to linger on for the rest of the season like it or not.

(For those wondering the knee that had all the issues for J.O is the left one not the right.)

Defense??? Thought It Was Suppose To Be Better?

I think coming off an Olympics that we saw much better defense from Chris Bosh than we have ever seen from him, along with adding a shot blocking threat in J.O it was looking good. But the results on the court have not made the Raptors the defensive force some might have thought they could become. At times they have looked awful on the defensive end. It takes time to develop trust which is a big factor in playing good defense but still I expected more. There have been flashes of good defense but when the reserves have been on the floor the defense has been truly brutal. Much more work needs to be done. Thankfully there is a whole week to get it looking better by the time the Raptors head to Philadelphia.

Andrea- Bigger, Faster, Stronger?

It was all the talk heading into training camp. Andrea was in fact bigger and he in turn had to be stronger. But could he rebound and had he learned where the paint was? I think we do have an answer for this one. At least a start of an answer. Andrea has shown signs of more aggression and a very at this point basic post game. I have to say I am optimistic based on what I have seen from Andrea. I think we will see the outside stuff added back to his game now that we are playing for real. The combination of the two should be good for Andrea as long as he does not revert back to old habits.

It is going to be a process for Andrea as he learns to use these new tools as part of his overall game. I think we are starting to see a much more confident Andrea and even when he struggles he continues to put in the effort. At times last season when he was having trouble he would seem to grow disinterested and frustrated. So I think Andrea is on the right path as he was second in scoring for the Raptors through the pre-season.

CB4 FOR M V P ???

I am pretty sure pre-season results like playoffs results don’t count towards M.V.P. Just ask Dirk about the playoff results thing. But seriously, Chris Bosh said he wants to be in the running for M.V.P. I am not going to get into how realistic that is because that to me is not the point. The point is that he thinks he is in the running to be a contender. This is no doubt that his Olympic experience is a huge factor in this.

Remember when Bosh was working for Jay Leno. He wanted to borrow the M.V.P Trophy from Kobe for a day. But now he wants it all to himself for an entire year. He considers himself one of the top players in the NBA and he is coming to understand just how good he really is. He did nothing but add evidence to the fact of how good he is in the pre-season.

The challenge for Bosh to make his goal come through is to get the team around him to rise to a level that is much better than what we have seen to this point. It is going to be a very hard challenge for him to do this. I am not sure if he can but I am sure that he will do all that he can to make it happen. Chris Bosh has come so far since coming here from Georgia Tech a skinny kid that a lot of folks really didn’t know a lot about here in Toronto. Now everyone in Toronto and Canada know Chris Bosh. Thanks to YouTube even people that are not basketball fans probably know who he is. Bosh is the best thing about the Toronto Raptors and you can bring in a guy like J.O and even he realizes that this is Chris Bosh’s team and he accepts it. But it still has to be good to know for Bosh that if he is healthy J.O will allow him to have a much easier time at getting to his goal of being M.V.P. I think we all wish him well in the attempt.

The Bench

This will not be very long. The fact is they need to do much better. It was made painfully clear in the game versus the Lakers that this group needs to do a lot more if the Raptors are going to win more games and be successful. Much like in Boston last year this bench is a very huge question mark. They need to step up and answer the question in a positive way.

Not to make excuses but they did have a lot of injuries to contend with. No one expected Nathan Jawai to be sidelined with a heart issue that still is to be determined. Others had a lot of bumps and bruises. But still this is not enough to justify the brutal efforts we saw from this group as a unit on the floor.

So What Have We Learned?

I think we have learned that all the questions we had about this team heading into the pre-season have merit and are indeed valid. Unfortunately we are not closer to the answers for a lot of them. I think at this point there is a lot to be concerned about and a lot more than you would like at this point. There were flashes of good things and some truly awful things. The Raptors were 41-41 last year and they were 4-4 this pre-season.  So status remains the same at this point. But the hopes are much higher than being just a .500 team this season. The Eastern Conference is a better place as well and no one can guarantee .500 is even good enough to make the playoffs this season. So the Raptors have a week to learn from what went wrong in this pre-season and build on what they did get right.

That is a RAP…Let’s get started already!!!

S.O.S Raptor Reserves In Trouble

For as impressive as Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal looked in L.A, the joy of that has had a wet blanket thrown on it by the play of the bench. The Raptors last year were a team with in most peoples mind a huge amount of depth. That was going to be the strength of the Raptors. But that did not work out so well for the Raptors. So Bryan Colangelo had to give up that depth and exchange it for a second star in Jermaine O’Neal. It is a risk along the lines of the one the Celtics took last year when they build the Big 3 of Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Their bench was going to be the end of them in the eyes of some. Eddie House, James Posey, Leon Powe, Tony Allen and Paul “Big Baby” Davis made up this crew. Not exactly a bunch of guys pushing to be starters in the league. But this group would endure a couple tweaks along the way with a few editions but by the end of the year became a strength and not a weakness for the Celtics.

So can the Raptors take Jason Kapono, Andrea Bargnani, Joey Graham or Jamario Moon (Who ever doesn’t start), Will Solomon or Roko Ukic ( Who ever ends up  back-up point guard) and Kris Humphries and do the same thing?  That group could include Hassan Adams and Nathan Jawai but at this point Adams has had one good game and Jawai status remains up in the air. The key to that answer is going to be getting this group to be able to play some defense. Something that was lacking in major ways last night in L.A. They also need to be able to score which was also sadly lacking last night. I offer you some numbers to make this point.

The Bench vs. L.A

16 for 48 (33.3%), 13 rebounds (Not Good), 8 assists, 7 steals

But let’s look at what happened on the other side of the coin with Lakers  bench

26 for 52 ( 50% ), 32 rebounds,  17 assists, 7 steals.

But on Yahoo they also give us +/- just like the stat in hockey. I haven’t done these numbers yet but I am thinking the difference is going to be glaring. Let’s see if I am right:

Raptors Bench +/- :  -115 ( The best Raptor bench player was Will Solomon at -2 )

Lakers Bench +/-: + 87 ( Tied for Best For Lakers Farmar and Ariza at +29)

It is an example that shows this bench has a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. Sam Mitchell is going to have to run the risk of playing his starters long amounts of minutes until he can trust this group to perform. Which may not be advisable as the key thing everyone is worried about is injuries. If you thought the addition of Jermaine O’Neal would make Sam Mitchell’s job easier you would be wrong. Now more than ever Sam will have to manage this roster in a way that he can keep his stars healthy but at the same time try to build a bench made up of not much beyond Kapono and Bargnani.

The one thing Kevin Garnett was very successful in last year in Boston was getting his entire team to buy into playing better defense. The time for Jermaine O’Neal to step up and make his team do the same if this thing is going to work. The fact that he and Bosh are building up a chemistry on the floor. But the need for improvement on defense is required and after last night is necessary ASAP.

The good news is the Raptors will only play one more pre-season game vs the Nuggets. They are going to have several days to re-group and get ready for the Sixers on opening night. It will also allow all these guys with bumps and bruises to get back to 100% before the season gets rolling. The Raptors need to get better on defense and that is most true of this second unit that needs to show improvement if any of them want to see playing time. Sam Mitchell refers to these pre-season games as an extension of practise. Well if that was a high school practise last night I think the Raptors may still be running laps for the performance they had last night.

Some Happier Things

I know a lot of you out west are excited about the Raptors coming out to Edmonton and being in your part of Canada. I saved some of my most recent chat with Matt Devlin to get his thoughts on his trip out to Edmonton and the Raptors trying to be Canada’s team. I will have that in tomorrow’s blog. I want to say that from my perspective I have always wanted to see the Raptors build that national Identity. The Toronto Raptors are becoming the team of choice for a lot folks from around the world. So it only makes sense that this country as a whole gets behind the Raptors. The Raptors are a unique franchise as they are the only one based outside of the United States.  They have yet to take over this country like the Toronto Blue Jays did back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I am hopefully this season is the start of the Raptors becoming that kind of franchise. Where people from coast to coast are all turned on by the Toronto Raptors and basketball. I have an obvious interest in that happening. However just as a fan of the game of basketball and a person who wants to see people in this country start to love more than just hockey I hope we are on that path.

Some Fantasy News From Dino Nation Blog

I have a number of things for you as far our Fantasy Leagues go. I first want to remind you of our League on the NBA Stock Exchange on NBA.Com. The Market Opens on October 24th so if you want to get in on the action before the prices of players starts to change you need to get signed up and select you team in the next few days. Here is the info on that league which can also be found on the Dino Nation Blog Fantasy Sports Page on the right side of our main page. You need to have you free membership on NBA.Com to be part of the fantasy sports on there as well. But here is the league info:

League ID: 105921

Password: dinos

Link to OUR LEAGUE:

http://nbase.nba.com/group/nba/joinleagues/viewleague?leagueid=105921

If the NBA Stock Market is a little to much for you as far as time goes. NBA.com has one of the most simple fantasy games you can take part in. It is called the Pick One Challenge and basically it works like this:

Everyday of the season you select a player to count for your fantasy score. You can only select a player once through the entire season. The only trick to it is that Rookies get you double the points when you select them.  So pick your O.J Mayo and Greg Oden days wisely.  Here is the info to be part of our league and see how you stack up against other Dino Nation Blog Readers and Me:

Dino Nation Blog

League Id: 100231 (NO PASSWORD IS REQUIRED)

Lastly as a sort of proof I plan on being around for a longtime I have started a keeper league. It is the first time I have tried one of these and I REALLY want to see people be a part of this league for years to come. It is just like a regular Fantasy head to head league but it carries on for the next season and you keep players for your roster for future seasons. So I really encourage you to take part in this league as I want it to be something that we can have as part of growing and getting to know you folks and have some fun with you. That is why I am running all of these Fantasy Leagues because I want you to be able to have some fun and have a chance to get to know other readers as well as me. So if you plan on reading the Dino Nation Blog for a longtime I encourage you to be a part of this league:

Draft: October 25th 4pm (Saturday)

League id: 2000000527

Password: dinos

URL to Sign Up:

Main Fantasy Page For NBA.Com Click on Ultimate Fantasy Commissioner

That is it for today, I thank you for reading the Dino Nation Blog and I welcome you back again tomorrow as we get set for Raptors and Nuggets in Edmonton with some thoughts from Matt Devlin as part of that. I also have invited Matt back to the blog to talk about his experience out in Edmonton and look ahead to the start of the season. He has agreed to do that and we will be setting up a date once he returns. I am always hard at work trying to bring us guests to the blog and expanding that group of guests to include more people. It takes a lot of time and effort but I feel it adds value for us all by making the effort to do this.

Raptors Basketball Is An Experience In De Ja Vu

I have been a Raptor fan since the very start. I left my Charlotte Hornets(Now New Orleans) to support the home team. That was way back in 1995 and some things just never seem to change in that time. Some themes have always been a part of Raptors Basketball. The most positive of those is the Raptor himself. I like the Raptor Mascot he is fun and good at his job. I would have him visit for an interview but I have never heard him say anything since 1995. A quick story from back in my college days. I worked on the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey broadcasts for Radio. But I also once in awhile did T.V work that was done with the students taking Television Broadcasting at Mohawk College. They thought it would be funny if I did an interview with “Bruiser” the mascot for the Bulldogs. It was amusing I guess but it didn’t not make any of my demo tapes I will say that.

The point is Mascots may not talk but they do a great job in making kids smile and providing entertainment to us all. The Raptor is one of the best mascots in pro sports and I guess I am a big kid cause I have always enjoyed his work. But there are a lot of other things that always seem to stay the same no matter who makes up this Raptors team. Here are a few of the ones I came up with.

Slow Starts- The Raptors have always seemed to have issues with getting off to slow starts in games. I have been frustrated many times since 1995 and it continues right into this pre-season. In basketball some say that it always comes down to the last two minute regardless of what happens in the first 46 minutes. That is a simple way to look at the game and it is usually said by people in a negative context. But the truth is a lot of what goes on in that first 46 minutes is part of the story that leads to that last 2 minutes.

The Raptors many times get off to slow starts and fall behind and have to fight back and rally and sometimes they are successful and it works out. But ask any basketball coach how hard it is for a team to climb back from a double digit deficit. It makes a team have to work a lot harder and they sometimes are left with nothing in the tank for that important last 2 minutes.

Far to many times the Raptors through every era have been that team that falls behind and is forced to climb that mountain to get back into games and it has been a theme that has lasted from year to year. If the Raptors are going to be the contender in the east that everyone wants them to be this must change. Raptors need to learn how to play as a front runner. That has been something they have struggled with as well on some nights when they do get off to a fast start they have had some terrible collapses allowing teams to get back into games.

The 3 Ball- Chuck Swirsky made references to the streak on consecutive games in which the Raptors had made a three point shot. I offer some advice to Matt Devlin on this one, I do not care about this streak and please only mention when it ends or it reaches round numbers like every 100 games or so. Derrick Martin’s claim to fame in his Raptor Career will be making a truly meaningless three point shot at the end of a game versus the Mavericks as I recall. The real story about all of this is the Raptors over there history have been a team that has lived and died at the 3 point line.

Many Raptors have had a love affair with the 3 point shot and that affair left them passing up on chances to drive to the basket. Vince Carter was so deeply in love with his jumper that he said the famous quote of ” I think dunking is overrated “. I would like to point out Vince has never one the 3 point shoot-out and he has won a dunk contest. So it would seem he has more skill at the thing he claimed was overrated. Vince would later claim that he was trying to be funny.  But what is not funny is the fact that he has not been alone in this love affair with the 3-ball.

Jamario Moon is the latest that has been taken in by this vixen that is the 3-ball. Moon is not going to be asked to enter the 3 point contest to go against Jason Kapono this season or any season in the future. He is a guy that is known and made it into this league in part based on his tremendous leaping ability. So he needs to play to that strength and drive to the basket and add to his dunking hightlight reel. Leave the 3 point shooting to his more skilled team members like Jason Kapono, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani and even Jose Calderon. They all are the ones that shooting the majority of the 3 point shots the Raptors take.

It has always been a big part of Raptors basketball. The Raptors are truly a team that has lived and died by the 3 point shoot through out it’s history. That is likely not to change this season. The Raptors will look to use it’s new found dynamic duo to create open looks from long range when they can not find the other one of the duo or do it themseleves. There may be no more ring it up from downtown Hamilton for the Dino Blogger. But the 3-point shot is going to be an important for the Raptors and it is for many NBA teams for years to come.

You The Raptor Fans- I love Raptor Fans in general. I don’t think you could be doing what I am doing without that. I suppose you can but for me I make it part of my job to know this fan base and try to understand it. Some of the things this fan base has always been debating have not changed over the years. The first on this list is that position of point guard.

Yes from when most of you booed Damon Stoudamire until you picked sides in the Ford and Calderon debate. The point guard of your Toronto Raptors has always been a focus of the fans. Even this year with Jose as the clear #1 point guard Raptor fans still need something about this position to debate about. I am not saying that Ukic vs Solomon will turn into as heated and divided a debate but people are having it.

From Mike James and his motor mouth only matched by his number of shooting attempts. To Chris Childs and him not knowing the score versus the Pistons in the playoffs. We have had Rafer Alston say he was going to quit the game altogether.  Raptor fan favourite Alvin “Boogie” Williams. There have been many colourful and memorable players at the point guard for the Toronto Raptors. Piston star before he was a star at all Chancey Billiups was even in Toronto for a short time.

It will always be at the front of any Raptor debate. If Jose Calderon does not have a great start or has the numbers dip that Paul Jones and I have also said could happen, Raptor fans will no doubt react to it. I would venture to say short of being the franchise player being the point guard in Toronto is the second hardest job to have. But the same can be said in many NBA cities.

The Post Oakley Era- Where have you gone Charles Oakley? Oh wait I know the answer to this he was on Pros vs Joes. So Oakley is taking on Joe “Six Pack” and Joe “The Plumber” and all the other average Joe’s out there. But Raptor fans still worship the golden age of Oakley in Toronto. The Atlanta Hawks would not be pushing around the Raptors if we had Charles Oakley.

I have been one who has missed that Oakley old school tough attitude. I even suggested the Raptors should just sign him and have him in a suit(Which Would Be Styling) on the end of the bench.  If trouble happens Oakley could take off his jacket and through some blows.

The Raptors team toughness has always been an issue since the trade of Oakley to Chicago. Some say that J.O will be the answer to this question once and for all. I am hopeful of that. I recently claimed that the Raptors traded away the new Oakley in Roy Hibbert. It was in part a joke based on his early exit from his first ever NBA contest. But there was some truth in it too.  It was one of the reasons I was pushing for the Raptors to draft Hibbert. They would draft Nathan Jawai who does have the size to be that type of a player but the question on eveyones mind is Nathan’s heart at this point. Not the heart he will have as a player but the one that pumps the blood in your body. If things work out for Nathan he can add to that toughness as well.

But the whole “soft” label has been one that has dogged the Raptors for a longtime. They will look to put this one in the rear view mirror this year.

Coaches Please Apply- This one is not unique at all but the coach of the day is also always a key talking point. Sam Mitchell despite all the stuff you may read is the longest serving coach in Raptor history. Considering all that has gone on since he came to Toronto it is pretty amazing. But all the Raptor coaches with the possible exception of Brendan Malone have all felt the heat.  Malone would have his problem with his boss and not as much the fans. This season will be no different and in fact should be the climax of the Sam Mitchell debate once and for all. Sam if he is successful is going to take away the wind in the sails of the many folks that have been his detractors over his time here. However if he fails and this team is not successful he will be hard pressed to remain as the coach of the Raptors. Sam has been a person that has been here for some of the worst and best of the Toronto Raptors and he will get a big chapter when you tell the story of this franchise at some point in the future. The ultimate end of that chapter is still being written.

I forget who said this but it has been said the more we change the more we stay the same. I think that is true about the Toronto Raptors. What will happen in the future is anybody’s guess but I bet some of the things in this blog will be part of those conversations. Raptors in LA LA Land and taking on the Clippers and TBA that is Team To BE Announced. That TBA should end up being Barcelona. No T.V that I am aware of for this. So you may need to head to free radio feeds from NBA.Com for these ones. Raptors game versus Nuggets in Edmonton that will on Raptors TV. Tip off for the season is just 11 days away. It is coming fast.

Keeping that in mind I have a Poll Question for you.  What are you most looking forward to this season?

Raptors vs Clippers 7:30 EDT

Listen To Game on Net @ NBA.Com

Raptors Pre-Season Half Done.

So we are half way through a pre-season.  Time to sit back and figure out what we have learned about this Raptor team. Some of those things are still very much up in the air. Joey Graham and Nathan Jawai have basically been MIA. Graham with his hamstring is far less of a concern and I think everyone has already firm thoughts on Joey as a player. For Jawai he is faced with a heart issue and what exactly it means for him is very unclear. The NBA is now part of all of this as Eric Smith in the Rap reported that is these issues of heart concerns the NBA also gets involved and they too will want to see test results. Nathan himself remains frustrated and says he feels fine and is desperate to get back out on the floor. The thing is that each day he sits on the sideline, if he ends up with a clean bill of health at the end of this, Nathan is falling behind in his development. The chances for him to learn are now and once a season starts he is not going to be able to get in games and learn until he proves it through practise.

Back-Up PG

Will Solomon has shown he has some defensive skill and can make a shot. Many feel he has done enough to claim the back-up roll heading into the season. I would agree he has done enough and this should happen. However in the brief chances we have seen Roko Ukic he has not looked out of place. He is much more of a pass first guy. The talk is that he is really like a sponge trying to learn as fast as he can how to play in this NBA style game. I am hopeful Roko can be a quick study and be a contributor sooner than later.

Parker and Kapono

Perhaps these two have been a nice surprise. Both are guys that with the addition of Jermaine many have felt it would benefit them. So maybe this should not be a surprise.  But Parker and Kapono have hit the ground running or should I say shooting.  Parker and Kapono are not only taking shots from beyond the arc but in open spaces all over the floor some created by them on the drive and others just finding that open spot on the on floor. A more aggressive defensive effort has been shown by Parker and a better one from Jason Kapono. That is in large part based on what the have behind them. More shot blocking in J.O and it is not just him Bosh, Moon, and Bargnani have all been able to show some ability at that skill.

Andrea Is Showing Signs

Andrea Bargnani has found the paint. He has shown a new attitude and has been more aggressive in general. Trying to make an effort on the glass, blocking shots and showing a lot more moves in the post and driving to the net. We have not seen as much of Andrea just standing on the outside waiting for a chance to fire away from long range. These are all good signs that Andrea and all the talk of his improvement was not just talk. There is real evidence that changes have been made. The overall success of that is still to be decided but the early returns are good for Andrea. Sam Mitchell who is not one to hand out praise easily had good things to say about Andrea last night in his post game comments. This was on a night when Sam was not exactly in a happy mood overall. That is progress for Andrea in the eyes of the person that matters most.

The 3 Main Guys

Chris Bosh has just continued from where he left off in Beijing. He has been looking to take his own play and this team to another level. The idea of being a league M.V.P has been put on the table by him and that is some kind of challenge to lay out for yourself.

Jose Calderon had a slow start and one could say that was him coming of a bad experience in Beijing and having it carry over. Yes he won a Silver Medal but an injury and struggles to get consistent minutes over Spanish young superstar Ricky Rubio. It was Rubio’s coach that was the head man for Spain and it lead to a rough experience for Jose with Spain. But the injury behind him and the rust has come off. Jose looked the best he has in the pre-season so far. Despite all the love and praise from Raptor fans it will be a bit of a minor adjustment for him stepping into the role as starting point guard. He also is going to be counted on to be more of a leader this year and act as a mentor for Roko Ukic. But I have faith Jose will be able to get it done this year even if his numbers may not match those of last year.

Jermaine O’Neal has had a slow start to life as a Raptor. If you are expecting J.O to be a guy that gets 20 points and 10 rebounds you will not be happy with him this year. But the point is that J.O if he can provide the help on defensive end and he can help others improve their own numbers. J.O’s impact can not and will not be based on just his individual numbers. His impact on the team as a whole is what is going to matter the most. That being said I think everyone wants to see more from J.O. But let’s remember that these are not the games we need to see J.O step up. Those start on October 29th.

The Hump and Moon Show

Kris Humphries I think is always going to be what he is. He hustles he gives you all that he has and at times he gives you to much. Hump sometimes forgets that he is not a main weapon in this offense. But I love his hustle and hair or no hair he will always be a guy I pull for. As for Jamario Moon, I am a little disappointed. I want to see more drives to the basket.  It is clear he worked on his 3 point shot over the summer but this team has people that are always going to be better than him at that skill. Drive Jamario Drive!!! But he is getting on the glass and doing some good things. But I expect and want more from Jamario Moon.

So that is where we are at. Hassan Adams has been going through some injuries and I really have not seen enough to have an opinion of him to this point. But in general even though last night was a bit disappointing to me, I think the Raptors are on the right path so far. One last game in Toronto and I am going to be in the house and am looking forward to it. So there may not be a blog tomorrow we will see. But I will try to get a small one done before I dash off for Toronto.  So that is what I think but what do you think so far. Leave some comments on how you feel about the Raptors so far.

Raps Hit The Floor In Ottawa

(Photo from-Nicole A Facebook friend of Dino Nation Blog)

It has been a busy week for all connected to the Toronto Raptors. Here at the Dino Nation Blog we have had a couple of great interviews with Aaron Fearne and Jack Armstrong. But today was about seeing the Raptors hit the floor and giving some thanks to the people in Ottawa by having the Annual Inter Squad Game. There was no T.V or Radio coverage of this. But our man Eric Smith of Fan 590 was live blogging at the event from the Ravens Nest at Carleton U. Also, Matt Devlin was there getting some good stuff for the folks at Raptors.com. I was taking part in Eric’s live blog adding the odd bit of humour and info. Here is links to it all to check out.

Eric Smith’s Live Blog

Matt Devlin’s Stuff From Raps.com:

Sam Mitchell Pre-Game

Jay Triano Pre-Game

Moon Jam Than Interview with Alex English

Jay Kapono and Matt Devlin In Game

Kudos to Eric and Matt for giving us some great stuff from up in Ottawa this week. Also those in the blogging community have been doing good things as well. I have to say that Raptor fans are very luck to have so many folks doing so much to get you information it is really a great thing for anyone who is just a fan. The game itself and who won or lost doesn’t matter much it is more about the games starting on Tuesday vs the Cavs.

Even Raptor Fans are doing cool stuff. Last week I showed you that fantastic schedule made by a reader of the Dino Nation Blog. Well I have for you something of a music video of sorts made by “Chi of Steel” who is a regular poster.  He has taken the song Getto Superstar and Raptorized it. Check it out:

Next time the Dino Nation Blog wants a line Chi!!! But it isn’t bad it’s got a beat. More important than all of that it got the song from that annoying Discover Channel ad out of my head. So Thank You.

Monday Night Raptors!!!

I have not had a chat night in awhile and I miss you good folks of the Dino Nation. So on the eve of the Raptors first pre-season game let’s get together and talk some Raptors Basketball. I will be in the house in our Chat Room at about 7:30 pm on Monday night so if you want to come join me you are welcome too. I will also be talking about our Fantasy Leagues. I will be there to answer your questions and lead the discussion but it will be made better by a bunch of you showing up to be part of it. I welcome folks new to the blog to come be a part of the chat too. I am trying to build a community beyond just a blog that you read and the chats and interacting with all of you is how that happens. It is a great way to have a chat with people that love the Raptors as much as you do. So come out the room holds 100 people so we have lots of room. There is a link on Main Page but to make it easier here is a link:

ENTER DINO NATION BLOG CHATROOM

Your Dino Nation Photos From Ottawa

I had asked for photos from you the Dino Nation and I got some from Chaid. I also got a bunch from Nicole who’s Photo made the top of the blog. But I am willing to post all your Raptor Photos from today if you want to share them. CNN does that whole I-Reporter thing. Well Dino Nation Blog is always willing to get some help from it’s readers so if you can help me or I can help you I am open to doing it:

Bryan Colangelo out with The People

Matt Devlin Was All Over Things In Ottawa To Day In The Videos Posted Above

Roko Has Been Doing Well According To Reports Out Of Ottawa

Is it Just Me Or Does Raptor Look Same Where Ever He Is ?

Getting Ready To Go To Work In Ottawa CB4

Will Solomon “The New Guy” was called King Solomon In Europe

Jason Kapono is at the line But Look way in the Right Corner, It is the Raps Radio Boys Smith and Jones.

Tomorrow I will have some thoughts on the entire week for the Raptors in Ottawa but for today that is a RAP. I have more photos too, share as well I think I am going to make a Gallery Page. Going Watch Kimbo Slice on T.V tonight. I would pay money to see Kimbo vs. Charles Oakley!!! If you have photos from today send them my way @ dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

Multimedia Jack Armstrong In Dino Nation Blog

I am very excited to start a new feature for our interviews here at Dino Nation Blog. It had been asked if there was a way the you the readers of the Dino Nation could hear the interviews I do. It was not possible from a technical stand point for me to do until now. So who better to kick of this new era than the Dino Blogger’s Favourite Guest Jack Armstrong.

So how this is going to work is that when I am able to do interviews via the phone they will start with what I am calling The Starting 5. If you have watched the show Pardon The Interruption they do the segment 5 good minutes with _________. Well for here at the Dino Nation Blog we are going add audio of the first 5 minutes of my interviews we do. It may go a little longer than 5 minutes as it did in this case. But the goal is to ask the 3 most interesting (Hopefully) questions and have the answers in form of an MP3 that you can listen too on the link to the blog’s podcast site. It will be followed by the rest of the interview in written word. Hopefully it is the best of both worlds for you the reader.

So in this first edition we have Jack talking about something he said on his radio show the Game Plan on Fan 590. If healthy Raptors could be good enough to get to Eastern Conference Final. Why does he think that? He will tell you. Also Andrea Bargnani at the 3 is it realistic for the Raptors and help them have success? Lastly it seems Jamario Moon is not in Sam Mitchell’s dog house and in fact he likely is the guy who has the 3 spot to loss. Doesn’t it make sense to have both Parker and Kapono on the floor together instead of both playing at the two spot? Jack breaks it down for us.

Dino Blogger Starting 5 with Jack Armstrong (Audio Link)

But five minutes of Jack Armstrong is not enough so we continued to chat and that will make up the rest of the blog. We started the rest of our conversation with the topic of Jermaine O’Neal. Yesterday I went into detail how I had over the summer went from unsure about Jermaine to the point where I feel now that I am a supporter of him. I shared these thoughts with Jack. I also expressed how he(Jack) once made the claim that Bosh had become better than O’Neal and how I was a supporter of that when he said it. But now J.O is here with Chris so what was his thought on what we have seen and heard from J.O thus far?

Well, first of all the most important thing is he is saying all the right things which is great. But as we well know saying and doing are two different things. For Raptor fans there is expectation, and with expectation people want results. So, Jermaine O’Neal is saying all the right things now and if he backs it up with the results that is when people get excited. If he says all the right things and doesn’t back it up with productivity and health, than the frustration sets in. I think the biggest thing is keep your fingers crossed and if he is healthy, I think he will back it up with productivity. I think he makes this team better. He is proven to be that type of player in the past. I definitely think J.O is an intriguing player to keep an eye on.

It has been said by Sam Mitchell that he is going to be counting on Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal and Jose Calderon to lead this team. Does this help out Chris Bosh and take some of the pressure off of him? Here is Jack’s take on that idea:

When push comes to shove and the chips are down Bosh is going to be the guy no matter what you do. It is nice having some other people to kind of take a little bit of the pressure off of you. Chris is still the guy and I just think when you have a guy of that level and your able to surround him with better people, it makes them better and the team better. So, I think it is an intriguing situation for Chris Bosh. I think he has really matured and grown up dramatically as player and he has always been a heady and responsible person. It is a situation that allows you to get the best out of him.

I said to Jack that I see a change in Chris Bosh since he won his gold medal with Team U.S.A. That it seemed to me that the Gold Medal was almost a validation to Bosh of the fact that he is one of the best players in the NBA. Jack shares his thought on my view on this topic:

You make a good point. I think you see it with veteran players and coaches there is that security from a money stand point and a contract stand point. You have spent time with those peers that are some of best in the game. Great coaches and great management people and it all rubs off on you in a very positive sense. You learn things by listening, talking and just by osmosis just being around it and observing. I think all that stuff rubs off on Chris. He is a bright, responsible and mature young man. I was reading the Buffalo News and they were talking about the success of the Bills so far in the NFL. Marv Levy is the G.M that selected all these guys including Bills QB Trent Edwards. Marv has some great quotes that I have used. He says “Ability with out character always loses”, but he has another great quote ” smart guys get better ” .  Chris Bosh is a smart guy. If you have met him, If you have spoken to him, if you just have heard him speak about himself, about the team , and the sport, he is a smart young man. Smart young people who are highly motivated, driven and hungry to win get better. To his credit there is a big reason behind that, he is a hungry guy that wants to be a great player. You tell him what he has to do to get better he is smart enough to understand it and he is smart enough not to take it personal, and smart enough to figure out what it takes to get better.

The conversation about Chris Bosh continued. I mentioned about how as a fan I think Bosh gets it as far as reaching out to the fan base. Through his videos on You Tube to his Fantasy Football League for Raptor Fans. It was more a comment about Jack saying how smart a guy he was. The fact that Chris was a smart guy and embraced the fan base in a unique way. However Jack had some reaction to my comments.

It is interesting, I think it is year six for Chris Bosh with the Raptors. Here is the difference, the last superstar that you had in Toronto was Vince Carter and we saw a deterioration of work ethic, attitude and passion and desire to improve and to win. Chris Bosh to his credit over the years and a lot of it was losing, put up the good fight and grinded it out and kept after it. Now a guy like him is getting the fruits of his labour. There is something to be said for that. When the Raptors made the decision that they were going to give this guy a long term deal and he is our franchise player. They made the choice few years before that they were going to trade Vince Carter, now the trade was a disaster, they knew that this young man (Bosh) had the chance to be really good. I think they were right.

The conversation continued as I shared with Jack that when I was doing radio I actually interviewed V.C. I shared my opinion in which there was a feeling that you got that he was Vince Carter. In other words he was this big thing. I have never interviewed Chris Bosh but I said I just don’t get that sense. Jack had some more thought on V.C and C.B.4:

I think Vince Carter was a lot like Chris is now in his first few years in the NBA. What happens is the money the fame and all the exposure, how do you handle it?  10% is what happens to you and 90% is how do you handle it. Chris Bosh is a very mature and grounded individual. A lot of credit should go to his family and more importantly to him for how he carries himself. I’ll never forget the first game he played as a Raptor. Paul Hewitt the head coach of Georgia Tech is a friend of mine. He and his staff came to see Chris in his first game as a Raptor. He said to me, Jack you are going to love this kid, He is a hard working, coachable and hungry young player who is going to get better and better. You are going to love him and Toronto is going to love him. He was right.

It is interesting to look back on Chris Bosh as we look forward to this season. I often look back on his career and think how far he has come on and off the floor. The stuff about Vince Carter and Bosh being compared was interesting as well. Bosh when you put aside all the hate for Vince Carter is rapidly making the case to be considered the best Raptor of all-time. It was not something I planned on talking to Jack about but his comments were interesting and it was something that I feel will interest you.

I have enjoyed my conversations with Jack and having him come to visit the Dino Nation Blog as often as he does. He is someone who’s opinion I truly value not just about basketball but about what I am doing here.  He has been very kind to take an interest in what I am doing here and that is a great thing for me. I long have admired his work and the fact that I now talk with him on a fairly regular basis is a great honour for me. I hope by adding the audio element to some of the interviews I will be doing will allow you to share in that experience.  At the end of the audio interview I said that I love Jack and it is the truth I really do. I am lucky to have the support of fine people like him and I am always grateful for it.  I am always looking forward to the next time we get to say HELLLLOOOO. But for this time around it is good bye for this latest visit from Jack.

Dino Nation Blog has A new Home So Please Come Visit Us there.

www.dinonationblog.com

The Rap On Media Day

The Nathan Jawai Story

In case you missed it Nathan Jawai is out for now. A concern from a cardio exam is the reason being given. I have sent out a few e-mails hoping to get some more info. I had made contacts in my research about Nathan in Australia. But to this point I have heard nothing back. I may not at all but we will see. The point is that as of now it is unclear what this is as far as Nathan Jawai is concerned. It may be something minor or it may not be. I am not going to play doctor and guess about it. The point is the Raptors are doing what is best for Nathan at this point which is right thing to do. Until they figure out the problem it is no rush to get Nathan out on the floor. Nathan Jawai and his story have become something that have been a big part of what I have worked on in this blog. I just hope for the best for Nathan and hope it is nothing serious and he can move on to a what I think will be a great NBA Career. If I find out anything I can share with you I will do so. But for now I know nothing other than what I have read in the news. Nathan seems like a great person and I hope for the best outcome for him as a person and a basketball player.

Sam And Dino Nation Blogger

No Sam Mitchell has not gone Hollywood with his shades on Media Day. Sam Mitchell and yours truly now have something in common. Coach Mitchell like your Dino Nation Blogger have been through laser eye surgery. Having been through the procedure myself I can tell you that after that is done, light is your enemy for several days. So that is the reason for the shades for Sam. I can totally understand what he is going through as far as this is concerned. So, if the day every comes I get to interview Sam Mitchell at least I have some common ground. Once Sam is able to remove his shades and get to work. He will hope to see a team that is much better on the defensive end of the floor.  A big factor in that will be Jermaine O’Neal. When they had the press conference to announce the trade you could see the excitement on the part of Mitchell. J.O is a Sam Mitchell type of player. Mitchell said today that he will be counting on Bosh, O’Neal and Calderon to show leadership and keep this team in line on and off the floor. There have been times that some fans would say the Raptors toughest guy as far as being vocal and defending this team was Sam Mitchell. But that role is clearing going to fall to Jermaine O’Neal. The cheap shots that have been taken against the Raptors in recent years will now have an answer. This means you Atlanta Hawks. Who not only were the ones involved in the injury to T.J Ford but also an ugly incident later in the year where Jose Calderon took an elbow to the head. Well now the Raptors are tougher. J.O will make them tougher!!!

Media Good, Media Bad

When you get tough you also get confident. That is the major theme I have seen in recent days through out this Raptor Roster. Even Andrea Bargnani seems more engaged with people as Eric Smith made mention of on the Fan 590 Webcast from Media day. Before moving on I want to say good for the Fan 590. They covered the event live. Raptors T.V did not and I am deeply troubled by that. I don’t want to tell people how to do their jobs. But the network is called “RAPTORS T.V” ,so if there is a “RAPTOR NEWS EVENT” like media day, does it not make sense for them to be there with “live” coverage. I have had the channel from almost the start and they use to cover it live so why they do not now is anyone’s guess???

Gold= No Limits For CB4 and Raptors

But back to this confidence idea. Chris Bosh won a gold medal playing with some of the greatest basketball players in the world. Some will be locks to be in the Hall of Fame someday. You can’t help but gain confidence from being a part of that. It also should be said that Bosh earned his spot on that squad and he was not there as any favour from Jerry Colangelo to his son Bryan. Bosh became a key part to the puzzle that landed the United States Gold. Not since Vince Carter in Sydney had the U.S enjoyed any international success.

Chris Bosh is a little more confident in the way he does everything and you can see it if you are paying attention. He even made a joke about not getting an intro when he joined Eric and Paul on the webcast from Media Day. It is a little thing but is shows that Bosh has truly grown into his role as the team’s franchise player. Eric called Bosh the King of All Media. Bosh laughed but it is kind of true. Bosh is making his way into his fan base in unique cool ways that are a product of this modern world we live. He is a smart guy not only on the basketball court but off it as well. You can sense how much he thinks that the addition of Jermaine O’Neal is going to mean to him and this team. He continued with his theme of putting NO LIMITS on what he feels this team can do. He said he didn’t not want to give a total as far as wins because he wanted to have no limits for how high this team can go. I am not saying he said this. But does no limits mean he thinks the Raptors Can Win The Atlantic over Boston? He may indeed. After all if you caught his act on the Jay Leno Show in the summer he did put a curse on the Celtics. Remember the Jersey?

J.O Says Toronto Was The Winner

Every conversation on the day all related back to one of two people. Andrea Bargnani or Jermaine O’Neal. We will leave Andrea for later and talk about J.O some more. He had some truly interesting things to say. The fact that he and the Pacers had long agreed he would be traded and he sat out most of the time last year to get healthy for his new team whoever that was going to be. He also said he made a list of 5 teams and Toronto was on his list. But he goes on and says the list of 5 became a list of 2 and it was the Raptors and The Cavs. So, if we are to believe J.O than Lebron James has reason to be upset you would think. Mo Williams is nice and all but he is hardly J.O anymore than T.J Ford is in comparison to J.O.

The reasons for Toronto making the list include us. O’Neal talked about the crowds at the ACC, The overall Organization lead by Bryan Colangelo, Chris Bosh and A lot of shooters all as reasons that Toronto was a great place for him to be. There was a lot of though behind all of this which makes me tend to think this is far from PR spin on the part of O’Neal. If you recall I had serious concerns about O’Neal when this trade first happened. But everything I have seen as far as attitiude I have been impressed with. Everything I have heard as far as health concerns has been good as well. I did say that I would wait to see if my concerns were valid after I got to see Jermaine for myself. Thus far I have been impressed with his professional attitiude and his wanting to have team success above all else. I am not one to change my opinion easily. I stuck by T.J Ford all last season when it was not always the cool thing to be doing. So for anyone to change my mind takes a lot. But to this point Jermaine O’Neal has gone a long way to doing just that. Almost to the point that I am hoping he can follow through on the massive expectations people have for him.

Bigger is Better???

Andrea Bargnani is bigger as evidence in the picture to the left. There is also a much more friendly and outgoing Andrea Bargnani. Eric Smith talked about the changes he had seen on the Webcast from Media Day. I noticed it to in the sense even though Andrea is still not exactly reading to hit the public speaking circut, he did seem to try to answer questions more and seemed much happier to be talking with people. The expectation level for him in year 3 is going to be high but he will also have a bit lesser of a role coming off of the bench. I do still have on great concern. Andrea has been talked about as playing at both the 3 and 5 spots as well as at the 4. Even though Andrea seems willing to try playing the other positions he still goes back to the fact that in his mind he is a 4 and I am not sure if anyone can convince him otherwise. He has been working on building a post game. He talked about his work in Las Vegas with Jermaine O’Neal and some of his other team mates. Maybe it is getting lost in the translation but I just don’t know if Andrea will work out playing at any spot on the floor that is not his natural one. The big plans of having all 3 Raptor Big Men on the floor at once sounds great in theory. But remember when Sam Mitchell was talking about playing an uptempo style like the Suns. Well that sounded good too. Problem is it didn’t work out so well in reality. I think for short stretches the all big line-up can work but not for long ones. Much like when you played Ford and Calderon at the same time in certain circumstances it could work and be a weapon. But if not used correctly it can just turn into a gimmick that can be over used. What is a positive no matter where Andrea in playing is the idea of him building a post game. What also is good in the extra size (12 to  15 pounds according to Andrea) may encourage him to rebound more and challenge shoots. Andrea Bargnani is going to determine his NBA future in on direction or the other this season there is no doubt about that.

Bryan Believes In Joey???

I think Bryan Colangelo is a smart guy. He really seems to have a good handle on everything. Maybe that is why the story that Joey Graham told about last year’s trade deadline makes no sense to me. Joey told a story in which Bryan comes up to him and informs him that he had not traded him and to prove to him right to Joey? The idea that Bryan Colangelo has any faith in Joey Graham truly scares me. Please tell me that Colangelo was just trying to motivate Joey to do better. If there is ever a time for Joey to do something it is now. After all he is in that magical season for any pro athlete, they call it the “contract year”. Someone find Mike James and he will tell you all about how that works.

Solomon or Ukic???

Will Solomon may actually be the back-up point guard to start the season if I am reading what I am hearing correctly. Roko Ukic may not be ready to just walk into the back-up roll. There has not been glowing reviews of Ukic from what some have been saying outside of Toronto. Solomon may indeed be the filter gap until Ukic can adjust to the NBA and handle the responsibilty of running the basketball club. Even if it is only for short spans of time. Anthony Parker speaks highly of Solomon and seems to think he will be a good addition the team. The more the Raptors have been working out the more I am hearing about Solomon and I don’t think that is an accident.  He is making an impression on his team and I think it may pay off for him at least in the short term.

Some Random Raptor Thoughts

Another thought is that if this issue with Nathan Jawai is not something that is put behind him quickly, Kris Humphries is going to have some real chance to perform. Jamario Moon may be in the dog house but you would never know if he was or wasn’t. He is just so happy to be with the Raptors and in the NBA in general it is great to see. Jamario told us all to be prepared for a show. After last season I am very excited to tune in for year 2 of the Jamario Moon Show.

Jason Kapono may read the Dino Nation Blog. Why do I say that? He made the exact same comparison that I did about him now playing in a situation that was not unlike his one in Miami with another O’Neal. Just kidding about him reading the blog. However he was a judge for the Raptor Dance Pak try-outs so maybe he was checking out the Lexi Haslam interview. Research for judges never end you know. Getting back to reality the point I am making is what I was saying about the Miami feel seems to be on the money as far as Jason and his thinking about the offense.

So now the Raptors take the show to Ottawa. I love that city and had a lot of fun their as I had friends that attended Carleton where the Raptors will be calling home. Ottawa is Canada’s Capitol and the Raptors want to be Canada’s team so it seems like a good fit. I don’t know if they still have “The Market” in Ottawa but let’s hope Raptors are not hanging out there to much and working hard. “The Market” is what they called the area with all the bars when I was hanging out in Ottawa about 12 to 14 years ago. A trip to Edmonton as well is in the cards. I just wanted to remind you that if CNN can have I-Reporters, well so can the Dino Nation Blog. So if you are in Ottawa or Edmonton and get photos, chat with someone connected to the Raptors, Let me know and I will share it with the blog if it is appropriate to do so. Just send it to me @ dinonationblog@sourcecable.net in fact any mail you have for any reason can be sent to that address unless otherwise stated.

It has been a long busy day but it is great to be busy talking about a season that is almost here!!!